@ofstarsandskies / @marginalfighter asked :
"Akane, there's something I need to tell you." Thanks to a lull in incidents, Zig has enough freedom from his schedule to sit down and talk one-on-one. He would've said something earlier, but this project took a while and he just got done yesterday with Ludger's help. He'll always be a fortune man he recruited a top-tier chef as a temp secretary. "Ever since our talk about the difference between croissants and other types of bread, I committed to trying all the types that are out there. And I have come to a conclusion."
"All bread does taste the same unless you add butter or sugar to it. And I like the non-sugar versions more. That should settle the argument, right?"
unprompted. || always accepting
|| 茜 || :: how long had it been since she had last seen him ? years, surely. she had already lost count on the exact number itself and while she was absolutely delighted to see him being safe and sound ( and barely changed much if at all from the last time they met ), his CONVERSATION OPENER had the suzaku narrow her eyes with a clear hint of judgement.
" zig ... " his name still sounded familiar on her tongue, fitting right into her voice as though it had never left. there was, however, a tinge of exasperation in the way those vermilion hues landed on him. she stared at him, letting the silence stretch in a wordless way of conveying her EMOTION towards the conclusion he had drawn. again, it was very much like zig to bring this topic back up, but that was also exactly why she was pouting slightly, too.
" we have not seen each others in years, and this is the hill you want to die on ? that all bread taste the same ? " her right brow was twitching as she said it, an unconscious response to repeating something she viewed as utterly absurd. " first of all, they are not the same. there are actually various methods of making and baking bread. croissants and puff pastries with their delicate layers, or sourdough with ... a rather monstrous looking starter that will turn out heavenly if used right. "
ah, ludger, your patience is so commendable, how many loaves and breads had you fed this weed eating idiot ?
" second of all, when someone is going through the trouble of making you different kind of breads, at least give the credit when it's due. ludger is too nice to hit you with bread, but i will throw one at your head despite it being a waste because i know you'd pick it up and eat it. " a long sigh escaped her. seriously. this ? this was her welcome back after half a decade ? THIS ?
" and lastly, if you don't walk over here and give me a hug right now, i'm breaking up with you. " that, of course, implied they were in a relationship to begin with. let's not fret over details on how and when that happened. they're dating. it's been twelve years. of course they're dating.
That sharp look of disappointed and pointed silence wasn't the reaction he expected at all. Did he... speak without thinking things through enough again? He thought giving all bread a fair chance and concluding the difference would've made Akane proud, but Zig's plan is backfiring in real time.
"I don't want to die on any hill--" He attempts to explain, though he's cut short by Akane's list of the flaws to Zig's conclusion. They all make sense--he even makes a mental note to thank Ludger more properly later--but the last one.... It cracks through his thick skull and strikes straight into his heart.
Even after so many years, he's still got a ways to go before he offends someone without meaning to.
"I'm sorry for spoiling your welcome back, Akane," Zig stares down at the hand held close to his chest; a nervous habit he's picked up at some point. "I thought if I gave all types of bread a try, you'd know I was still thinking about you despite how long it's been. Guess I should've asked Ludger first if that made sense."
But he won't let the apology end with just words. As Akane requested, Zig sheds all his gloom aside and approaches his waiting girlfriend and holds her tight with all the love and care that's been waiting for many, many years. And much unlike Zig's usual, his permanent neutral face has since cracked into a genuinely bright smile.
If she wishes to tease him, he won't mind at all.
"It's good to see you again, Akane. I at least hope the fact I'm still boneheaded assures you I haven't changed much, for better and worse."














