A/N: Yes! We are nearing the actual fake dating! Ah hahahaha…
All in Good Time
3.
"Can you repeat that?" Hitomi croaks, trying to keep the shock out of her voice but failing miserably.
The boy, Van Fanel as she's recently been told, looks grudgingly at a spot near her ear. He refuses to look her in the eye and she can see why.
"I said I'll do it."
Hitomi isn't sure if he's had a change of heart or if he's just that stupid, but from the way his eyes are practically burning holes into what should be her face but isn't, she's willing to bet it's the latter.
She's tempted to refuse him out of spite. Let him have a taste of humiliation and knock him down a peg or ten. But no, Hitomi knows not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she swallows her pride and nods, though not without eyeing him cautiously. "What's the catch?"
Van's eyes flicker to hers for a second before returning to its previous spot, slightly more hardened than before. "No catch." He grumbles. He falls silent and the air seems to thicken, leaving Hitomi no choice but to sit there feeling incredibly awkward. Well. Okay then.
This isn't quite how she expected it to happen.
Five minutes pass and Van still doesn't say anything. He just looks grimly at the spot that isn't her face and Hitomi finds herself looking behind her seat just so she could see what was so damn interesting, but all there is is a water-stained wall and an empty table. She gives him a questioning look but his eyes don't budge. It occurs to her that she is being ignored. The silence stretches and unsettles her, and Hitomi squirms in her seat. It's too quiet. Way too quiet.
She tries to break the silence. "Uhm." Hitomi says, but her voice cracks unattractively and she clears her throat, a slight flush to her cheeks. "Thank you. For, uh, accepting my request." At her words, Van finally turns to look at her, eyebrow raised. She notes that his eyes don't look as hard as they had been, and Hitomi finds herself relaxing just a bit. "And I'm sorry for, um, slapping you earlier." She isn't actually sorry, but at the very least she hopes it'll make things less awkward between them.
The corner of his lips quirk slightly. "I'm used to it." He says, and Hitomi refrains from pointing out that yes, she is aware, and no, she isn't the least bit surprised. She watches Van run a hand through his hair with a sigh, before he slumps in his seat and looks at her resignedly. "So what exactly do you want me to do?"
It suddenly occurs to her how stupid and shameful her plan is. Hitomi fiddles with her thumbs in her lap, and this time she's the one looking at anywhere but his face. She feels heat pool into her cheeks. "I need help making someone jealous." She mumbles.
When Van raises his eyebrows for what feels like the umpteenth time, Hitomi is tempted to shave them off. "That's a bit manipulative, don't you think?" His tone is slightly mocking.
"It is not!" She snaps.
Van merely waves her off. "So what, is this guy your boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend?"
Each word is like a jab and Hitomi groans and buries her face in her folded arms. "Neither…" She admits sullenly.
When he looks at her his eyes are incredulous. "Hold up, does this guy even like you? Oi, how do you even know if your plan is going to work? You do know that this whole thing could be pointless, right?"
"Shut up! Leave me alone!"