A/N:

Thank you guys for bearing the no Soma chapters! As a reward, I shall give you all a chapter full of Somacakes moments~ Again, please excuse my bad nicknaming skills. *laughs*

...Whoa! And look at that! This is the longest chapter yet!

Much love to jhellou, Yue Twili and darryanmartin for reviewing~!

Disclaimer: All right goes to their respective owners.

Key 14 - Fascination

Soma was in front of Estella's door, torn apart about knocking or not. He had wanted to return her embroidered rose for a long time now but these days, getting in touch with her was hard since she was either on a mission or locked up in her room doing who-knows-what and also, asking someone to return it to her was out of the question because Lindow ordered him to give it to her personally.

So in conclusion, he had to return it to her. She's annoying but he had to return it. It was now or never.

# # # # # # # #

Estella was musing silently on her couch, reading a classic novel. There was a soft knock on her door and she got up to get it. She opened the door and stood still, completely stunned.

Soma was standing on her doorstep...

"So...ma?"

"Hey."

"...Did you come to hang out?"

"No."

"Okay then," Estella pouted at his immediate response, "How could I help you?"

Soma handed her the embroidered rose.

Estella put a hand to her mouth as she gasped, "Oh! So you had it! I was looking for it all over!" she said taking it from Soma's hands, she then smiled at him, "Thanks!"

Soma was about to leave when he felt a harsh tug on his trademark jacket. He scowled at her, "What now?"

Estella grinned at him, something's up.

"You want to hang out? ...So you do."

"What? I didn't-"

It was like a comic scene as Soma was practically dragged in to her room and seated to her couch. Afterwards, Estella proceeded to her kitchen counter to prepare something for him.

"Would you like to have anything? I can make snacks! Would you like something simple? An English muffin or a regular muffin? Cookies? Scones? Oh! Would you like me to make you a coffee? Do you want it black? And what abou-"

"Hold it," Soma interrupted, massaging his temples.

"Oh sorry, was it too much to handle?" Estella scratched her cheek, smiling sheepishly, "...So what would you like?"

Soma sighed heavily, "Nothing's fine."

Estella frowned at him, but didn't press the issue of food any further, instead, she tossed him a yellow can; it was an iced curry drink.

Soma caught it and grimaced.

Like hell he would drink it.

Soma glared at Estella but her back was turned to him and it seemed like she was making some grub for herself.

Soma took this time to look around.

Estella's room was quaintly furnished and a hologram of a grassy meadow can be seen reflected on her window. Her kitchen counter, where she was, had a tray filled with tea leaves, coffee beans and some other little snacks; a sign that there are other frequent visitors. It was a typical girl's room but what he found rather bizarre, no, more like made the room obviously hers was her "weird hobbies" as he would like to quote it from Kota; There were different paintings hung up on the white washed walls, also, books were neatly aligned here and there on the shelves and antiques are also displayed for the eye to see. It somewhat reminded him of the Director's room only the difference is that this room had a calming effect on him and seemed to take him to some other world other than the Den.

With a cup of tea in her hand, Estella faced Soma, smiling gently as she noticed him taking in the simple little things her room has to offer and to her surprise, Soma's eyes landed at the newest painting she was about to add to her collection. It was by the terminal, placed on the wooden tripod, waiting to be hung up proudly on the wall.

Estella's eyes softened at the image, "Do you like it?" she asked, trying to steer him away from the history of the painting.

Soma didn't know why but he found himself asking, "Who're they?"

Holding back a sigh, Estella stepped up beside the painting and stared at the man and woman by the garden of roses, "They're my parents. It's a family portrait."

Soma looked at the painting for a moment, "That's not what you call a family portrait," he told her, his voice somewhat having a scolding tone.

Estella's lashes lowered as she looked at her Earl Grey, "...So you noticed?" A somewhat grim smile settled on her lips, "I'm not really needed in this picture. I'm what you call an adopted child after all."

Soma noticed her sad smile.

"Dad was killed by an aragami and when the news reached us, mom got so consumed by her loneliness that she barely eats, she barely sleeps and when I talk to her, she just... Screams at me," Estella looked at the floor, trying to keep her sympathetic feelings towards the people drawn on the canvas, "She really loved dad, he was her prince, and without a prince a princess would be nothing," she said as she closed her eyes and sipped a bit of her tea, ignoring the burning sensation on her tongue.

Soma shifted a bit in his seat and crossed his arms, "Why tell me this?"

"..Because I want to?"

Soma rolled his eyes.

"I've heard that before."

Estella giggled.

"Right."

There was a comfortable moment of silence between them, but Estella decided to break it.

"I genuinely like you, Soma. I want you to know more of me in the same logic that I want to know more of you."

At that moment, much to Estella's chagrin, her words fell on deaf ears as Soma got up from his seat and left the room.

Estella sighed, her gaze falling on the untouched iced curry drink on her table.

"Cold..."

-TBC-