[FIN] Let's Be Honest

[Akira Midoriyama]

(Takes place around 2 weeks after Are you still mad?)

To: Seraphine
Hey, I get the feeling I might have upset you and I'm sorry about that.

From: Seraphine
you mean the last time we talked?

show spoilerhide spoiler

To: Seraphine
Yes

From: Seraphine
not really. I thought you were upset

To: Seraphine
No, don't worry about it. I was just being stupid.

To: Seraphine
As usual, heh.

To: Nate
I texted her with your words. She told me she wasn't upset. You said not to doubt her, but after how she acted, how can I not doubt that?!

From: Nate
WHAT IS THE POINT OF ASKING IF YOU ARE GOING TO FORCE YOUR PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ON HER ANYWAY

To: Seraphine
I was wondering if...you'd feel more like going out or if you were still busy.

From: Seraphine
that depends what you had in mind, but no i'm not busy

To: Seraphine
Are you all clubbed out?

From: Seraphine
i dunno if I wanna go to a club honestly. haven't gone in ages

To: Seraphine
Sounds like all the more reason to. Hey, I'll even buy you a drink.

From: Seraphine
after you tried to take mine last time, i do not believe you sir

To: Seraphine
XD I promise I won't this time. I'll be entirely honest. All cards on the table.

To: Seraphine
I figure you're old enough to take care of yourself.

From: Seraphine
I wonder about that sometimes but still idk if i wanna go to a club

To: Seraphine
Why not? Since when do you turn down an invite to a club and a free drink?

To: Seraphine
I'm not taking no for an answer.

To: Seraphine
Meet you at the Lime Light Lounge in an hour. Unless you want to stand me up ;P

From: Seraphine
excuse you i have not agreed to anything yet

To: Seraphine
Ha ha well I guess I'll find out if you have or haven't in an hour.

From: Seraphine
u srsly want me to go even though i obvs don't want to go, that's so nice of you

To: Seraphine
If you don't want to go, don't go. Simple.

From: Seraphine
so what if i didn't go?

To: Seraphine
What if you did?

From: Seraphine
what if i did go, then lots of things. if i don't go, then nothing. except there is a certain someone fully expecting me to go and i am asking him what would he do if i don't

To: Seraphine
I would be fine. Honest.

To: Seraphine
I wouldn't want to make you do anything you didn't want to. I've already made you uncomfortable enough in the past.

From: Seraphine
for some reason I'm not sure i believe u

To: Seraphine
That's okay. You don't have to. Why not try trusting me instead?

From: Seraphine
it's not you I'm worried about

To: Seraphine
I didn't think so. But there's no reason to be worried about anyone else.

From: Seraphine
you know, it's kind of funny. I used to think that for years, but that is no longer the case

To: Seraphine
Want to bet?

From: Seraphine
betting means explaining specifics, so no, no I don't want to bet.

To: Seraphine
I thought I was supposed to be the party pooper

From: Seraphine
noooo stop iiiit. stop that. I don't need any guilting, especially about betting of all things

To: Seraphine
relax, it was a joke! Now you're trying to be more uptight than I am too?

From: Seraphine
nope, that's enough out of you sir

To: Seraphine
Stealing all my best features. Don't take away my insecurity too!

From: Seraphine
seriously

To: Seraphine
I don't feel like being serious. Are you gonna save me before I drink myself to death or what?

From: Seraphine
are you just going to keep asking and being ridiculous until i say yes

To: Seraphine
well I did say I wasn't going to take no for an answer, didn't I?

From: Seraphine
ugh fine

To: Seraphine
Can't wait ;)

Sure enough, the hour succeeding this exchange of texts found Akira sitting at the bar counter at the Lime Light Lounge, sipping from a tall glass half full of yellow-green liquid and half with ice cubes. He plucked the sprig of mint leaves that garnished the top and nibbled at one, eyes unfocused as he stared at the countertop. Once in a while he'd glance up at the doorway, but otherwise seemed preoccupied with his thoughts. The only other time his attention returned to the present was whenever someone attempted to occupy the empty bar stool beside him - something he politely asked they leave alone.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

She had seriously considered not going - seriously considered it for a great deal of time - and had she any of her former attitude, she would've easily made up her mind not to go. As it happened, though, she did not possess her former attitude nor the same lack of an ability to care about standing someone up, and had therefore attempted to mentally prepare herself for the misery she expected to endure over the next couple of hours.

Akira would wait a couple more minutes before another person approached and pulled the stool out with a foot before sitting down.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Did you bring the cash?" Akira asked as he sipped his drink, catching sight of the newcomer out the corner of his eye.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"The hell are you talking about?" Sera asked with some mild annoyance as she moved to lean her elbows on the counter, covering her left arm with her right and aiming a quizzical frown at Akira. Her usual club attire (read: dresses) had been completely foregone in favor of jeans and a fitted, sleeveless top, complete with flats as opposed to the heels she typically wore.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Laughing at her response, the young man put down his glass and rotated in his his seat to face her. "I just couldn't help noticing the way you slipped in like someone trying not to draw attention to yourself," he teased. "But I like your outfit. Cute. And sleeveless - how daring." He sipped at his drink again, though there was hardly more than the melting ice that collected at the bottom. "Especially with the weather getting colder."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

She could only frown at his words. Of course she slipped in like someone trying not to draw attention to herself, because that was exactly what she wanted: not to draw attention to herself. "I wore a jacket," she countered with a slight huff, tilting her head and focusing her gaze on the opposite wall instead of looking at him. "Daring, sure, but I'm not stupid." There was no way in hell she wanted to shiver while walking all the way here or all the way back home - Rapidash or no.

The brunette loosed a light sigh before her pale green eyes slid to the drink in his hand. "I think you've pretty much killed that," she noted. "I don't think you're gonna be able to get much more out of it besides melted ice water."  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Glad to hear it," he answered. "Thanks for the evaluation. Okay, so now that you're here..." Leaning forward, he waved a bartender toward them. "As promised, I'll buy. Choose something. I've got a secret to tell you, if you think you can keep it, so a drink might actually help."

"Oh, and before I forget," he said, watching her, "...I don't think I ever asked you. Do you prefer 'Miss Seraphine'? Or just...'Sera'?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The girl didn't have much to say in response, so rather than bother to think of something, she turned to place her order - something fruity, pleasing, and full of alcohol. She needed it, if his current behavior (and her current mood) was any indication. That done, she waved him off, "You say that as if I'm not good at keeping secrets or something."

She expelled another sigh through parted lips before they pursed at his next question, and she aimed a small frown at him again. Maybe he was really tipsy already or something... He was a lightweight, after all. Still, she considered the question with a more thoughtful frown, her gaze shifting to focus on the counter in front of her. She'd never minded being called by 'miss' before, as it seemed so formal and, to be perfectly honest, had boosted her ego every time. Now, though, it was more an annoyance than anything else - a reminder of how she had been before and how painfully different she was now. "..just Sera is fine," she replied after a minute.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Well, I wouldn't know. I've never trusted you with a secret before," he answered playfully. "Not to mention I hear you get drunk a lot. Who knows all the juicy little secrets you might spill then." Waving his fingers in her face, he grinned.

"Alright, then. Sera it is." Taking a deep breath, he glanced to his left and right before leaning a little closer, his expression reverting to one of the utmost seriousness. "Sera, I'd appreciate if we could keep this just between you and me," Akira whispered, leaning in closer. "Promise not to tell?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

With a frown, she leaned her head away to avoid his wiggling fingers, then stuck her tongue out at him briefly. "Oh please, I'm not that kind of drunk."

She raised a brow at his behavior, as if making sure no one was around who would eavesdrop, and refrained from leaning in to meet him - she didn't even move at all - before she raised her brow further at his whispering. "Yeah?" She just said she was good at keeping secrets; that usually meant she wouldn't tell someone else one that was told to her.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Putting up a conspiratorial hand over his mouth, he leaned over a little more to make up for her refusal to do so and whispered.

"I'm...going to have a baby."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera gratefully accepted her drink from the bartender who didn't seem to really care to verify her age (which she was even more grateful for), and took a sip of it as she raised a brow at Akira's secretive behavior. Well, it was understandable, if he was telling her a secret, she supposed...

...except his secret only gave her a lengthy pause. After a few moments she lowered her drink to give him a confused look and asked, "You mean your... wife?" That was right, wasn't it? He mentioned a wife before, though she couldn't particularly recall much more than that. If so, this was all really... kind of super awkward. What the hell was even going on right now.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

For a second Akira blinked, looking as confused as Sera. But then he broke into a grin and cried, "No, silly!" He pat his stomach. "Look, can't you tell? That's why I've been all emotional and sick and laying off the alcohol."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

It didn't take long for Sera to realize that it wasn't physically possible for her eyebrows to raise any higher, nor for her to give him anymore of an incredibly skeptical and vaguely disconcerted look than she was already giving him. Her pale eyes flicked down to his stomach as he patted it, then back up to his face. She took another sip of her drink, her completely uncomfortable expression unchanging, and when she lowered her drink back to the bar, she said simply, "If you're trying to be funny, it's not working. Actually it's having the complete opposite effect." Yep, she knew she shouldn't have come. This only cemented the decision in her mind, and left her debating whether she should or shouldn't just leave now. At this point, she was seriously considering it.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Akira's face fell. "Not even a smile, huh? Fine, be that way." He thanked and paid the bartender as his glass was refilled. "Alright, look. I've been thinking a lot since our last talk and I've talked to a lot of other people and it made me realize something. I've never really been completely myself around you."

He unwrapped a new straw and stuck it in his drink, stirring slowly as the ice tumbled about. "I felt completely self-conscious. I didn't know how to act. I was always doing my best to impress you, but it wasn't until recently I realized that that's exactly the opposite of what I came to Camphoreon City to do. I've been too afraid of what you'd think of me to be myself or be honest with you. And yet...like during our conversation over the phone, I always expected you to be honest with me."

Casting her an apologetic smile, he met her gaze. "So I wanted to tell you I was sorry and that I'll do my best to be more myself from now on. Whatever that is." He shrugged. "Maybe 'finding myself' is more like it, since I'm not sure I ever knew who I was in the first place. Growing some balls." He took his glass and swallowed a few great gulps, ignoring the straw.