i do not know much about barou but i eat up anything u say about him …… what is he like when he’s jealous???? in that you’re his but he’s not sure if he’s yours dynamic ??!!! Love everything u say
"miss [last]!" you hear the familiar voice before you see him. turning your head, you're met with the sweet face of one of your students, dressed in his school football t-shirt, basketball shorts despite the cold temperatures, and old running shoes. his uniform.
"hi honey!" you say immediately, putting down your fork and knife to turn your body towards him. gerald has always had a special place in your heart-- downs and sweet as pie. "how are you, dill?"
"good!" he says happily. "i'm- i'm having dinner with my mom!"
"oh!" you look around him and wave at his mother, who waves back. you've seen her at every football game-- gerald's a member of team. you look back at him. "what are you having for dinner?"
"burger," he says immediately. "is that your boyfriend?" his grin is wider than normal.
you look over at shouei for a moment, hesitating. he's flown from italy to be here with you this weekend, after a whirlwind summer romance and countless video calls over whatsapp. you'd love for him to be your boyfriend. but he's... rich and famous and successful. you trick your students into watching schoolhouse rock.
you turn back to gerald. "he's a good friend of mine," you decide on.
"oh." gerald takes a moment to register the information. "you're not on a date?"
you laugh, nervously, at the intrusive question. "we're just getting dinner."
"oh. okay! i'll see you on monday, miss [last]!"
gerald totters off with a wave. you turn back to shouei, nervous even more.
shouei blinks at you. "we're on a date," he says, definitively.
your lips part and close like a fish. "i- i suppose i know, but-"
"what makes you think we wouldn't be on a date?" he asks. maybe it was the lack of flowers. but he- he made you a drink while you were getting ready. he did the back of your dress up. he helped you put your shoes on.
"well, i-" you cut yourself off and look down at your food, appetite spoiled. "dill doesn't need to know that."
"do you know that?" shouei asks. he reaches over for your hand. "do you know that this is a date?"
"i don't know... i wasn't sure." suddenly, you're aware of how anyone could be listening in. about the entirety of the restaurant and shouei looks so far away right now, your vision is doing that thing it does when you're anxious and things fly away from you--
"i fly here from italy," shouei starts, and you squeeze your eyes shut. he squeezes your hand. "i'm here because i want to spend time with you. take care of you like i can't through the phone. this is a date. this whole thing has been a date. this whole trip. date. i want to date you."
you crack open your eyes in disbelief. "but- you-"
"i have a nice dinner tomorrow night," shouei says. "just wait. just wait until then. and i'll ask you to be my girlfriend."
you blush all over your face. "you're spoiling the surprise."
shouei brings your hand to his lips, kissing your fingertips. "you needed the surprise spoiled."
