Inaho watched with forced apathy as Rayet and Inko clambered out of the booth, and both wandered over towards the bathroom. Inko was almost dragging Rayet with her, who had been the one to get up to begin with. He might never understand the delicacy of females simultaneously going to the restroom, but he was more than happy to use the opportunity.
Once the two of them had disappeared, his eyes rapidly shifted to the girl beside him. Her green eyes had turned introspective, and were staring at her hands, held tightly in her lap. He could guess that she was suffering from a range of emotions, likely all in relation to Rayet's hate for the home they shared. He also wondered if she was contemplating the legitimacy of Rayet's statements. He had never known her to be against listening to reason, it was simply often that she chose not to take such advice.
He could hear Yuki chiding him, that he needed to take social interactions on a more personable level, but there was nothing he could do for her situation. Not really. He couldn't give her petty reassurances. Rayet had her right to say what she liked. Unless of course there was something he could do for her situation, in which case, she would tell him. He enjoyed it when she relied on him in such a manner. Amid the internal musings, which sounded sinisterly like his sister on one of her matchmaking escapades, he also remembered that Seylum had never begrudged him his lack of tact. He also had a time table, which he wasn't going to keep to, but that he would have like to at least attempt.
"Someone sent flowers to the hospital today." He made the statement quieter than he would have normally. He hadn't said anything particularly damning, but he didn't want to attract attention either. The place was relatively deserted, but he imagined that the proprietor would look at him whispering to a young girl, and stay away. He had his suspicions that Yuki-nee was more than happy to discuss his lack of personal life with just about anyone that showed an interest. That might have been an exaggeration on his part, but he felt it wasn't entirely uncharacteristic. "Have you any knowledge of this?"
She looked up at him, her eyes wide, but still clouded. "No" Her simple answer was also whispered. He couldn't tell if she understood his plan, but she did understand the need for subtlety. He scooted closer to make the exchange more convincing. She noticed the motion with a flick of her eyes, and then those green eyes were back, locked with his. He remembered their depth at only that moment. He hadn't realized he'd missed it. There had been so much happening when he'd left Mars, and then Slaine had spiraled out of any reasonable sense of control. He had been busy. He only now realized that his sister's comments were accurate. Being busy, was not an acceptable excuse to just forget such things. "What kind of flowers?"
The look on her face was impassive, yet warm. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly in her lap, and he wondered why. He would have liked to reach over and take her hand, but that was to forward. He shifted his gaze back, and focused on her face again. "Blue roses." He edged a little closer, and something happened in his chest, when she reciprocated the action. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the proprietor looking at them sheepishly, but he kept his distance. There was little chance of him overhearing their conversation. He would thank his sister for her wandering tongue later. The proprietor obviously knew that he needed privacy for such an 'intimate' moment.
She raised her head up, so that they were just that much closer. He could smell her quite clearly. It was another thing he hadn't realized he'd missed. It had been a long time since he'd been close enough to smell her particular scent, and the memory also brought back the smell of blood and smoke.
Her demeanor was what he would call, alluring, and he couldn't tell if it was also a ruse like his, or not. There was warmth and kindness, but her eyes swam. He wondered if that was what people meant when they said that one could see the soul through the eyes. "I will look into it." Her eyes flickered to the bathroom door. "I have other matters to discuss, but we will need a better time."
He could also hear the pounding of Rayet's feet, and the hesitant stutters of Inko's uneven foot falls. Rayet was likely dragging her along. He heard these things, but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the girl that was now pressed to his side. The disguise was all wrong, but there was enough of the woman beneath it, that it really didn't matter. It had never been aesthetic beauty that had attracted him before.
Inaho thought, for just a second, that he could kiss her. He could peck this 'Lucia' on the cheek or the lips, and that it would be fine. Rayet and Inko would see it, Seylum would know it, Vers never would, and he would get something he hadn't realized he wanted. That second ended very quickly, and Lucia shyly pulled away. He mirrored her motion.
They were once again, a healthy, platonic distance away. There was a faint blush on Lucia's cheek, and he wondered if he showed any signs of being flustered. He felt flustered. That had perhaps been a poor idea, but he couldn't find it in himself to regret it. He was rarely so indulgent.
When he turned to look at the two girls as they ambled back into the booth, there seemed to be a new understanding between them. Inko chatted just as if she hadn't just witnessed them so close. Rayet looked on impassively, occasionally making some rude or obtuse statement.
None of it was within his calculations. When had he stopped understanding his friends? For that matter, when had he lost sight of what exactly he wanted? He thought of a white hospital room, of a table with two chairs, a chess board, and a chamber of glass surrounding it. Oh, he thought. Perhaps.