[FIN] At a Loss

[Akira Midoriyama]

“...If we haven’t had many opportunities to get to know each other, how come you can already read me so well?” Akira complained. “You probably read people a lot, don’t you?” Leaning back slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. Not that it did anything to hide the bloom of red that blossomed across his cheeks first when Andre pinched one and then even more when he tucked his hair back. “...You’re right. I suck at wearing masks. It was one of those things my parents thought I’d be able to do with time and practice, but in the end I always ended up failing in whatever act I tried putting up.” He shook his head. “Thank Arceus I never tried playing poker.”

“See? You said you came because I asked you to! Didn’t you just say you weren’t a people-pleaser?” Akira accused. “And that sure sounds like you just came to indulge me rather than because you might have wanted to come yourself.” Now what was he saying? He was talking himself in circles. He didn’t really want to argue. He just wanted to stay where he was forever. But somehow he felt like he needed to give this smooth-talker a hard time. Perhaps because he was giving Akira such a hard time, unintentional though it was.

As Andre allowed him to hold his hand, Akira felt his heart beat painfully hard against his chest. When his hand was squeezed, it felt like his heart had been as well. Somehow, though, it was pleasant. Even when said heart skipped a beat at the word ‘date’ and his red-rimmed eyes went wide. “Wh-what?” he stammered, his meager composure abandoning him yet again. “But...I mean...you aren’t serious?”

This was so strange. He’d wanted to cheat the system and try to see if meaningless ‘physical relations’ could have filled whatever void of loneliness and neediness Adam had caused...but Andre was suggesting they do this properly. As an actual attempt at testing the potential of having a romantic relationship.  

[insidiousEnigma]

“It’s a skill that I have acquired over the years.” Andre said lightly, “But I’m glad that you’re easy to read. It’s very...endearing.” Though it couldn’t have been very nice for the other as people were prone to taking advantage of those that were easy to read.

“Ah, I just can’t seem to win with you, can I?” He gave a soft huff of a laugh before smiling wryly. He ran his thumb along the back of the others hand, “Unless you’re just being purposefully obtuse, which isn’t nice. Picking on helpless men…” His tone was obviously teasing but he nudged the silver-haired male lightly just to make sure the other knew he was joking.

Ah...there was that stuttering, blushing Akira he had first met. The purple-haired man cocked his head slightly, intently watching the others face. “Why wouldn’t I be? You have expressed interest in getting to know me, I would like to get to know you, I would very much like to take you on a date.” He shrugged lightly, taking care not to knock Akira’s arm from it’s perch around his shoulders“...Unless you’d rather see my bedroom before I take you on a date." He cracked an eye open and grinned fully.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"If you say so," he answered incredulously in regards to being called endearing. He couldn't see how, but he was tired of trying to pick pointless fights. They weren't getting anywhere and Andre continued to be a mystery.

That time, the teasing earned a reluctant but definite smile from Akira. "Helpless- ?! That's rich coming from you!" he shot back, trying and failing to hide the sound of the grin in his voice.

Heaving a great sigh, Akira finally extracted himself from Andre's lap. He thought that might have been about as much close contact he would intentionally have been willing to take from the informant for the next month. Or three. Anything less would most definitely be bad for his heart.

"Mmm," he acknowledged grudgingly, grabbing his cup from the table and chugging down his coffee like it was liquid courage. "I guess if we both have 'expressed interests', then there's nothing else to be done but go on a date," Akira said, raising his hands to form air quotes. He had all but resigned himself to said outing when Andre's playful suggestion caused him to crush the coffee cup in his grip in shock, the (thankfully now luke-warm) liquid shooting out the top and spraying them both.

Akira yelped and scrambled for napkins. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Evidently even when he wasn’t in close proximity, Andre still had ways of effecting him.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre let the other go without any fuss, his hands folding neatly in his lap once more. “So...do I finally win?” He asked lightly, trying not to look too smug or pleased with himself...though he didn’t bother to try too hard. “Because I think a walk in the park and a light lunch would be-”

Well…

He paused before reaching up to wipe the bit of coffee that had managed to get on his face. “You know...I recall there being coffee spilled during our first meeting as well.” He said wryly as he stood to inspect his pants which had caught most of the drink.

He'd have to toss them out.

“Accidents happen.” He said lightly, shrugging out of his blazer to drape it over the back of his chair. “I probably shouldn't have teased you.”

It'd been worth it for that reaction.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

“Kuso. I’m buying you a new suit,” Akira announced, realizing with horror that Andre was right about their first meeting. “I must owe you at least two by now. So first things first; we need to go on a shopping trip.” He turned to Andre with a set look of determination. “Do you want to go now or later?” Eyeing the other man’s pants, he continued, “...Maybe now would be best.”

He wanted to die. He wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear forever. Why was he always so good at humiliating himself in front of people he wanted to like him? Maybe it was nerves, but whatever it was, it happened far too often for his health. If there was any possible way to die from embarrassment, Akira was sure he would find it.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre cocked his head, “You really don’t-” He paused, looked at Akira’s expression, looked down at his ruined trousers, and then heaved a little sigh. “Well, if that’s what you’d like.” He conceded, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a small smile. “Now works just as well as later.” He fingered the stain that rose high on his thigh before shrugging.

He wasn’t sure that Akira had the kind of money to buy him a single suit, but he figured there was no harm in letting him buy a new pair of jeans. “Lead the way, then.” He motioned down the street, picking his blazer up and draping it over his arm before offering his hand to Akira.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

At the offered hand, Akira’s face flushed yet again. Why, after all he’d just done and the way he’d behaved, did Andre still want to hold his hand? And in public, no less. The trainer’s brows furrowed in bewilderment and distress, but he took a deep breath and grabbed Andre’s hand with a bit more vigor than he’d intended. His grip was as tight as if he were hanging on for dear life.

He was sweating bullets under those bangs but determinedly kept his gaze forward to search for a clothing store suitable enough to buy Andre something at least decent. He knew his meager store clerk salary wasn’t much to go on, but he’d saved on money for a while, especially since he’d thought he would have had to have savings to go on that vacation Adam had proposed. He supposed there was no point in reserving those funds now.

“What places do you get your clothes usually? Are they design brand? Personally tailored?” It was times like these Akira missed his family’s fortune, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from paying back Andre in full. He would do it even if he had to drain his savings account of every last cent.  

[insidiousEnigma]

The small smile remained on Andre’s face as his hand was taken up, giving no sign at all that the tight grip bothered him. Which it didn’t, he thought it was fairly cute how nervous the other was when they had just been holding hands a second ago.

“It depends on my mood.” He said flippantly, as they started down the street. “If it looks good on me I’ll buy it.” Which may have sounded a bit...snooty, but it was the truth. “How about here?” He slowed to a stop in front of a simple shop with a few mannequins dressed in various summer clothing. The clothes looked well made but otherwise didn’t look to be anything special. Though he had asked for Akira’s opinion on the store, he didn’t wait for an answer before tugging the other into the shop, smiling pleasantly at the clerk behind the counter as the little bell above the door signaled their entrance.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Without thinking, Akira sneered. “Well, that should be easy. You’d look good in a burlap sack.” Aaaand then he regretted talking without thinking again. “Not that you...don’t already know that,” he added quickly after, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh...maybe it’s more about what’s worthy to be put on you.” Wooow. That didn’t sound stupid at all. Flustered and frustrated - this time not even directly because of Andre - Akira slapped a palm to his face. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

It wasn’t like he was attracted to Andre for just his looks, either. There had been a lot of people he’d known in the past with high-class tastes who had the money and genes to be mistaken for models and actors no matter what their true profession. When everyone surrounding you looked that handsome or beautiful, you ended up not caring so much about appearances in the way of finding others to be alluring. Still, the way he was talking, he didn’t want Andre to get the wrong idea. Maybe he could change the subject and hope the other man would forget about the idiocy that had somehow managed to escape him.

“Huh - wha?” Before he could even properly think on the question he’d just managed to realized had been asked of him, he found himself being pulled into a store after his shopping companion. His face still felt very hot and he tried to keep it turned toward the clothing, pretending to be very interested in the fabrics used as they passed by the clerk. “Oh, uh...did you see something you liked already?”

It seemed unlikely with what Akira was familiar with regarding Andre’s fashion sense and the style of the clothes here. It suddenly occurred to him that Andre might have been trying to make things easier on him financially and he frowned.

“Andre, if you just picked this place because you’re worried about my wallet, we’re leaving,” he whispered harshly at the older man. “I know I’m not as wealthy as you, but I’m not some street-worthy beggar, either.”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre cocked his head, looked back towards the front of the store, looked back to Akira, and then frown ever so slightly. “I don’t think you’re a beggar.” He said simply before tugging the other over towards a wall of folded jeans. “And I think you’re wrong, by the way.” He said absently as he studied the selection in front of him. “Brown is not my colour so a burlap sack would look horrible on me.”

With that, he began plucking jeans from the shelf. He ‘hmmed’ thoughtfully as he checked the sizes, carefully unfolding them to hold them up to his waist before folding them and putting them neatly back on the shelf. “Mmn...I bought a pair of jeans here once but it seems that the style that I favour isn’t here anymore. That’s a pity.” He took a cursory glance around the shop again before shrugging and tugging Akira back onto the street.

He kept their pace steady, but undemanding as they passed various shops, lightly swinging their joined hands between him. “What sort of things do you like to do in your spare time, Akira?” He asked suddenly, turning his head slightly so he could peer down at the other.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

“That’s not the point! You’re still not confident I can pay for that suit of yours, are you? How much is it? Tell me and I’ll get it! I don’t care how much; I’ll save up if I have to!” he insisted.

Akira huffed at the comment about brown not being Andre’s color. Personally, he thought that might have just been Andre’s attempt at being modest. Maybe he didn’t like the color brown, but that didn’t mean he didn’t look good in it.

Frowning the whole time he watched Andre browse the jeans, he finally spoke again when they were headed out of the store. “Fine! I’ll buy you a pair of pants now since this is an emergency, but I’m not giving up on replacing the other clothes I ruined as well! You better tell me how much those were, Andre! I won’t stop pestering you until I know! And it’s not like I didn’t used to wear that sort of thing myself, either, so I’ll know if you make up some small number just to pacify me!”

Irritable as he was about not being able to repay Andre the full amount right then and there, Akira was completely thrown off guard by the question concerning what he liked to do in his spare time. He looked up at Andre curiously, wondering if the purple-haired man really wanted to know or was just making polite conversation, but instantly jerked his head back to looking forward when he met the other’s eyes.

“I, uh...I really like composing music…” he mumbled, reaching up to tug his bangs. “That and singing. Reminds me of my sisters. But, er, it’s not like I’m good enough to get a career in it, so I just do it as a pastime. But...what about you? Do you, um...have enough time to yourself to invest in a hobby?”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre actually laughed, sharp and loud like it had been surprised out of him, and raised his eyebrows at the others indignant persistence. “Okay, okay, I'll tell you.” He said, his tone full of mirth. “Let's see,” he tapped his chin thoughtfully as he thought back to the their first meeting. “That was a custom, handmade suit with fabrics imported from France and Spain, I believe…” He hummed softly, “I bought 3…..$500,000 a suit.”

He turned his gaze to watch the others reaction. He had honestly gotten a fabulous deal for the suits since he'd done a favour for the tailor, he could probably pull some strings and get another suit discounted but if he recalled correctly… “I had the suit cleaned though so really, you don't have to worry about it.”

At Akira's admission, the purple-haired man visibly perked up. “Do you really?” He asked intently, his full attention on the other. “I'd love to hear, or see, something you've written. I love music, listening to it, playing it, sadly I never was any good at composing though.” He paused to inspect a store window, gaze roaming over the mannequins before tsking and continuing on.

“My hobbies?” He nibbled on his bottom lip. “I like to play the piano...though it's been some time since I've played since I don't have one at my home here.” He rolled his shoulders and squeezed Akira's hand lightly. “I love learning...I don't know if you would consider it a hobby, but I like to do...ah, science experiments.” He huffed a soft laugh. “Mostly chemistry, but I like reading about biology and the human body. I wanted to be a doctor for a while when I was a teenager….I went to medical school for 2 years.”  

[Akira Midoriyama]

“O-oh. Okay, got it.” That...would probably take him a few years to save up for, but he would do it. Maybe take out a loan or two. Whatever it took, though, he’d pay him back. It vaguely reminded him of the story at his high school regarding how the scholarship student - a commoner - had broken a vase of the Host Club and had to pay them back by becoming their ‘slave’ in a sense. Fortunately said student had natural talent as a host so they had simply been able to become a member of the Host Club themselves to pay it back. It made Akira wonder about how indebted his acts of clumsiness made him to Andre until he could fully pay off those suits, though.

His face, though red before, had paled somewhat as he considered how long it might have taken him to reach the necessary amount on his current salary. But when he felt Andre’s gaze upon him, he smiled and shook his head. “I can handle it; don’t worry. And just because it was cleaned doesn’t mean all the stains came out.”

Akira brightened considerably at the topic of music. “You do? I really like listening to it too, especially because my elder sister liked to use it to communicate her feelings since she was mute. But I never really learned how to play anything since my parents thought it was a waste of time.” He shrugged. “I tried to teach myself some piano, though, and I learned how to read music notes well enough so I could sight-read and compose a little.” The corner of his mouth upturned a bit at Andre’s tsking at the window of another store before they continued on.

“You can play?” he asked, surprised. “That’s amazing! And...wow, that sounds pretty ambitious. What happened? Did you change your mind?” Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure what Andre did now.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre sighed and shook his head, “Akira,” he brought them to a full stop before moving to stand in front of the other. “My suit is unstained, safe and sound in my closet.” He assured the other, staring down at the other steadily. “I'm not saying this to be polite nor because I think you are some beggar. It was an expensive suit that I had gotten a friend of mine to make at a discounted price as a favour.” He explained patiently, reaching out with his free hand to push the others hair out of his face.

If you feel that you need to pay me back, which really isn't necessary, how about you take me to dinner somewhere nice?” He cocked his head and smiled. “I would prefer delicious food over another suit anyway.” There was a place downtown that boasted desserts better than anything that they offered in Grande Isle and he was very interested in checking it out. “But if you really, truly want to save the money then I appreciate your earnestness.”

He decided to leave it at that, not wanting to squabble over something as meaningless as a suit. “The best music is that which has words behind the notes...if that makes sense.” He laughed a bit as he tugged the other towards an upscale shop a few stores down. “Yes, my mother taught me when I was very young...though I didn't become proficient until I moved to Grande Isle and I had a piano in the manor.” He shrugged lightly before pulling the door open and motioning for the other to go in.

“The coursework was tedious, I was learning much faster than my peers, and I felt it pointless to take classes on things that I already knew or had no interest in knowing.” He sounded exasperated just talking about it. “So I left college and decided I'd create my own line of work.”  

[Akira Midoriyama]

The silver-haired man cringed a little, wondering if perhaps he had begun to annoy Andre with his insistence. He could only nod and swallow when the other man pushed his hair out of his face, causing it to heat up again.

“Okay,” he conceded. “I’ll try. But...you’ll need to tell me what kind of food you like to eat.” That smile was too radiant. He couldn’t look at it for very long without melting, he feared. Inwardly grumbling at himself for being unable to withstand much of anything, it seemed like, he squeezed Andre’s hand once and tried to simply enjoy being in the company of the other.

“That makes complete sense,” Akira agreed, nodding at Andre’s comment about words behind notes as he did his best to keep up. “Oh, wow...I would...love to hear you play sometime if we get the chance.” An elegant artform and instrument for an elegant man. It seemed fitting enough. “Thank you,” he said, smiling as he entered through the door that was held open for him.

“I see,” he remarked, thinking about what sounded like Andre’s selective learning. “And...what might that be?”