098. Writer's Choice (The date.)

"You must be kidding me, right?"

How many had he counted so far? Ten, twenty? More? Kanon had lost count. Ever since they had arrived in Athens, he had immediately noticed those looks. At first, he had thought it was their hands joined in that affectionate and - in his eyes, at least - unseemly grip.

["What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm holding your hand."

"Don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"Not at all."

"But it's... embarrassing!"

"We've done far more embarrassing things than this the two of us, I think."]

But he soon realized that those impudent and not so discreet glances were not directed at that harmless gesture. They were aimed at him: at the young man his hand held tightly, walking beside him, apparently unaware of anything.

"It's these stupid jean pants, way too tight," Kanon thought.

"Or this shirt, also too tight? Yikes!" thought Kanon, too.

"No, it's this mass of curls! They're so darn curly! And they go down so soft to the base of his neck! Why doesn't he decide to cut them off? This dark honey-colored shade brings out the green of his eyes so nicely. Damn Aiolos!"

Young and old, women and men turned to look at him, casting glances full of admiration, astonishment, pure desire. Kanon, without even realizing it, had begun to respond to those looks with sidelong, threatening, unequivocal glances.

This, however, did not seem to discourage those impudent ones.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"You have a scary look in your eyes."

"I don't have any scary look!"

"Yes, you do. You have that "Kanon the terrible twin" look."

"Oh, give me a break!"

"Is it still because of the hand? If it so bothers you that much we can stop-?"

"No! It doesn't bother me - in fact, he would have liked to add - at least this way those assholes will just look at you. Let them just try to get closer and I'll really fix them.

Yes, you have that "Kanon the terrible twin" look in your eyes - thought an amused Aiolos, while Kanon tightening the grip on his hand.