Layering with the sounds of revelry, the soothing melody of violins fluttered its way throughout the ornately designed restaurant, dancing its way into the ears of both the border collie and the hedgehog. Currently, the pair were being led to a table that sat nicely underneath a well-lit golden chandelier, which was a spot that was paid for by Katorasu himself as he figured Jamie would appreciate the pleasant lighting.
Gesturing with her hand formally, the hostess that accompanied them to their table kindly spoke, “One of our waiters shall be with you soon; please, enjoy your stay,” She gently placed a menu for each of them as they sat down, before returning to her spot at the busy entrance.
Surrounded by such formalness and ornately designed decor, The Nephalem felt out of place as he knew that he didn’t belong in a place such as this… then again though, he never did fit in anywhere. Despite that, it was worth going through the fish-out-of-water experience as he was able to see that Jamie was enjoying himself, with a delicate smile now adorning the tailor’s muzzle while he carefully pulled his chair back enough so he could sit.
Keeping in mind not to drag his seat, Kato gently lifted his chair and brought it towards him, “Y’know, I’m kinda glad you said yes to going out,” The Nephalem chuckled softly, sitting across from Jamie as he continued, “I thought I was gonna have to cancel another reservation tonight,” His voice was low, but still loud with that personality of his as he did his best not to instinctively place his elbows on the table.
Surprised by Katorasu’s statement, the border collie’s heterochromatic eyes widened slightly as he responded, “You made a reservation last time? You should’ve told me!” Jamie criticized his tenant and dear friend, before opening up the exquisite menu in front of him as he carried on, “I wouldn’t have declined the first time if you just told me that.”
Opening up his menu as well, The Nephalem replied with a genuine smile across his face, “You seemed upset, I didn’t wanna make it worse by bringing up the reservation,” His attitude was sweet while his citrine eyes read the page’s hard-to-pronounce food, “Besides, I’d rather you have fun because you want to, not because of me.” His smile grew, enough to the point that he was showing off those pearly-white teeth now.
The Nephalem’s smile was contagious, causing the border collie’s lips to curl naturally, “Aren’t you sweet, I suppose you’ll also be paying for our food?” Jamie softly teased, though he was quick to add on to himself, “Don’t you think about it, by the way; I’ll be the one paying for the food.” His eyes lowered from the handsome hedgehog to the fancy menu in his hands.
While Kato was mainly used to wearing casual clothing and his vigilante outfit, he somehow managed to pull off a suit rather nicely. His incredibly long quills complimented the outfit too, adding more to how dashing he appeared to be despite his loud personality.
With a soft chuckle escaping his lips, The Nephalem started to flip through the pages of the menu as he responded, “I was just about to ask if we could split the check at the end,” His golden eyes continued to scan across each page, reading out name-after-name which only served to confuse him further, despite how there were detailed descriptions of what each dish was in English.
“Still nice, I suppose,” Jamie answered back playfully, as his trouble with the menu’s selection came from indecisiveness rather than confusion, “If you like, I could just increase this month’s rent just enough for you to pay me back, since you were planning on doing so anyway,” Katorasu’s friend and landlord lightly coerced him, though it was all for fun and games.
Sheepishly laughing in response at first, The Nephalem did his best to try and change the subject, “So! Have you decided on anything yet?” He asked, while still figuring out what to get for himself.
Humming thoughtfully, Jamie took a moment before landing on a dish of his choice, “I’ll try the ratatouille, I’ve heard some good things about it,” He answered finally, before the border collie popped a question for the black hedgehog, “How about you? What have you decided on ordering?” Jamie’s eyes didn’t stray from the pages of the menu, instead opting to continue reading the detailed description of the food he had picked out for himself.
Hard-pressed to come up with a response, The Nephalem’s lemon-colored eyes darted across the various selections that lined up the menu’s pages; Kato simply didn’t know what to pick, none of the choices sounded good but at the same time, they didn’t sound bad at all. In his head, Kato started to slightly regret his decision on taking Jamie out to a fancy place rather than a fast-food joint— even though the latter male absolutely hated greasy food, almost with a passion too.
By this point, The Ebony Rogue would’ve settled for anything right about now; thankfully though, after flipping through to the next page of the menu, his citrine eyes landed on the name of a particularly interesting food: “Crêpe.” Judging by the picture, The Nephalem assumed that it would be tasty and not-so-unfamiliar to him, based on the sole fact that it looked like a fancy version of a pancake but with strawberries and chocolate peanut butter.
Softly giggling at the sharply-dressed vigilante, Jamie sat his menu aside and offered assistance to Katorasu, “If you like, I could offer some suggestions on what I think you’ll enjoy; I doubt we’ll be waiting any longer for a waiter to come and take our order,” He spoke softly, as the violin continued to play its pleasant melodies throughout the establishment.
Shaking his head, The Nephalem politely denied with a sheepish chuckle, “Nah, I’m good, in fact, I just picked out something!” Kato responded with a grin, continuing as he showed Jamie his selection, “I’m thinking of getting a couple of crêpes, just because of the strawberries.” He admitted before his grin turned into a full-on smile.
“I’m surprised you picked something healthier for once,” Jamie quietly laughed for a moment, poking some harmless little fun at how much fast food Katorasu usually ate, all as a part of his daily “diet.” Speaking of which, it didn’t take long for the border collie to recognize the issue with the wannabe hero's choice, “Crêpes aren’t that filling though, they’re more of a dessert; are you sure that ‘a couple’ will be enough for you?”
Setting his menu to the side, The Nephalem held his charismatic smile as he cracked a joke in response, “Aw, c’mon Jamie, I just wanna cut back on how much I eat for one night; I’ve been feeling the weight start to build up,” Kato playfully whined, fully-aware of the fact that developing fat was just impossible for his body— mainly due to his strenuous “hobby” and incredible metabolism.
Out of embarrassment, the border collie tried his best to apologize and explain himself, “N-No! That’s not what I meant—!” He stumbled over his words, Jamie’s voice was close to breaking the tranquillity of the restaurant, “I’m just— I don’t want you leaving on a half-filled stomach; you want me to enjoy tonight and I want you to do the same— even if it takes a toll on my wallet,” His face flushed with red as sincerity left his throat, though the red tint on his cheeks was lost in the light that hung above them both, “Besides, I haven’t noticed a single change, you look fantastic as usual, Kato,” He admitted, as Jamie’s leaned closer towards the hedgehog that sat opposite of him.
Flattered by the border collie’s compliment, The Nephalem’s smile was now more natural from the hints of joy he felt, “Thanks, though I still think I should cut back on all the pizza,” Kato began to respond, dropping his wiseass attitude, “Luckily, since I got you to keep me disciplined with everything, I probably won’t be going back to eating that stuff anytime soon!” The Nephalem finished, lightly laughing as he did.
Giggling alongside the emerald-streaked hedgehog, Jamie began to get the feeling that if he wanted to get his confession out, it was now or never. Everything was perfect: from the timing, the setting, and the atmosphere; now was such an opportune moment for the border collie, to waste it would be a complete disaster on his part.
With a deep breath, Jamie cleared his throat as if to further Katorasu’s attention on him some more, “So, I know I promised to eventually explain my ‘strange’ behavior to you, Kato,” He began, the canine’s heart started to softly beat louder in his chest, as The Nephalem’s face began to light up with intrigue, “At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of all this… but over time, I think I’m finally comfortable enough with telling you,” Jamie had taken another deep breath, before continuing, “I’m… the truth is, I’m in lo—“
“Sorry for the wait!” A male’s voice interrupted Jamie from behind, causing the tailor to lightly jump in his seat a bit, “May I take your order for tonight?” Their waiter had politely asked, now standing by Katorasu and Jamie’s table.
Before responding to the male, Jamie had let out a tiny curse beneath his breath, though the border collie was quick with changing his tune, “No worries, it’s quite alright,” The border collie began to respond, “I would like a plate of the ratatouille, please,” Jamie’s heterochromatic eyes soon shifted from the waiter and over to the vigilante hedgehog.
Now his turn to order, The Nephalem promptly reopened his menu back to the page he was on moments prior, “Uhhhh…” Katorasu uttered, as he first confirmed what he was going to order, “I think I’ll have… I don’t know, eight crêpes?” He looked up from the menu, now being treated to bewildered looks from both Jamie and the waiter, “What?”
Practically chastising him, Jamie spoke to the peculiar hedgehog in a hushed tone, “You’re not planning on just eating crêpes, right? You have an entire menu you can order from!” He whispered, while Katorasu himself took a glance over at the menu he placed aside.
With a shrug, The Nephalem spoke his thoughts rather honestly, “I just want the strawberries, I love how sweet they are, plus they’re covered in chocolate peanut butter too,” His sheepish laugh afterward almost made Jamie pinch his brow, he was already regretting his decision to pay for tonight’s meal.
Irritating as Katorasu could be, Jamie couldn’t help but feel another smile form on his milk-white muzzle. In truth, the border collie enjoyed most of the vigilante’s personality, though it did take quite some time for him to get used to it at the very start of their friendship. Nevertheless, the canine felt that he was more than ready to continue enduring The Nephalem’s strange personality, though under a much more intimate relationship. All he needed now was for the waiter to bugger off, so he could resume his confession to Katorasu again.
Ahem-ing himself, the waiter kindly spoke up and asked, “So, a plate of our ratatouille and eight crêpes then? Will you be having anything to drink with your meal?” His voice had a bit of an awkward tone to it at the start, as he was unsure when the right time to open his mouth was.
Before he answered, Jamie shortly put on a straight face, looking up at the young worker for a brief moment, “Yes, ratatouille and… eight crêpes for our meal; as for our drink, could we kindly order a bottle of rosé wine?” Despite how his face appeared, the border collie’s attitude was that of gentleness.
Nodding his head, the waiter bowed as he responded, “Very well, expect your drink to arrive; we thank you, and your companion, for choosing to dine here with us tonight, Mr. Porter,” With that, the male Möbian proceeded to make his way towards the kitchen of the restaurant.
While Jamie understood that the waiter was merely doing his job, he was particularly annoyed with the timing of the interruption; now the buildup was ruined, as well as the courage that the border collie had mustered. It seemed as if tonight just wasn’t the right night at all, though that felt to be the case with every night— at least for the tailor.
As the vigilante watched the waiter leave, Kato quietly chuckled to himself, “Nice of him to recognize you after taking our order, pretty professional,” He was unaware that he had pulled Jamie out from his headspace, “Does that always happen to you, Jamie?” He asked the briefly confused tailor.
Barely registering what Katorasu had asked him, it took the border collie a bit to respond, “Not really, it happens often, though not all the time,” Jamie began to explain, with a huff that came from his irritated state, “I suppose it’s because I usually tell people to not ‘recognize’ me in public, as I would just like to go about my day without any disturbance,” He paused for little, letting out a sigh and then muttering, “One of the quirks with owning a well-known tailor shop and brand, I suppose.”
As Jamie spoke, Kato made it obvious that he was fully listening, nodding his head and making sounds of affirmation while his landlord vented lightly. The Nephalem didn’t always get to hear the border collie’s frustrations, so it was nice to have that change just for tonight. However, as great as it was to give Jamie his ear, the eccentric hedgehog was still intrigued by what Jamie wanted to confess before getting interrupted unexpectedly.
“Guess we got some time before our food gets here,” The Nephalem spoke, trying to naturally change the topic back to the one from earlier, “What was it that you wanted to tell me?” He asked, it was surprising how clueless Kato could be despite being shown such obvious signs.
Honestly, there was no way that Jamie could ease himself into telling Katorasu how he felt. He was now worried that he would somehow ruin it, just by forcing himself to spit it out rather than to let it come out sincerely. Still though, as much as he wanted to take it back now, the border collie made a promise to both Katorasu and himself that tonight would be the night.
Of course, though, that didn’t stop the canine from trying to prolong the moment just a bit, “I’ll tell you once our food gets here, it’s hard to focus while I’m starving,” Jamie had lied rather quickly, though he did hope that eating some French delicacy would help calm him down, at least enough so he could express himself properly.
“Well, if ya say so,” Kato gently replied as he relaxed in his seat, leaning back while he thought of topics that could help with trying to pass the time, “What’s your favorite type of movie?” The Nephalem asked, knowing that while it was such a generic topic it was at least a good one.
Immediately, Jamie responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, which was due to him trying to remain composed until their food arrived, “I prefer anything crime-related, such as detective films or even movies focused on fictional mafia or criminal organizations in general,” However, his light stoicism was briefly broken when Jamie was struck with a realization, “l suppose that’s a bit inappropriate right now though, right?” He lightly kidded, now doing his best to not feel awkward— though he could tell that that was failing.
As if to reassure the border collie, The Nephalem responded with a chuckle, “Don’t worry about it, Jamie, I’m not offended or anything; in fact, I think those kinda films are pretty neat!” His attitude was quite chipper, though he was now remembering the rough events from last night and how deep he was finding himself in this whole superhero business, “I stick with the more slow-paced stuff, like comedies or dramas; I don’t really watch a whole lot of action flicks, my life is exciting enough so I don’t really need any more action than that,” He softly laughed, grinning as he finished.
“While I figured you to be the type to watch comedies, I thought you would also be constantly binging action films or something close to that genre,” Jamie acknowledged his speculations, a little surprised at Katorasu's tastes as he knew him to be extravagant and subtle as a brick most of the time.
By now, the border collie began to feel a lot more at ease, his anxiety was slowly being replaced by a renewed confidence within him. He could feel it in his chest that the moment was coming back, that a second chance to tell The Nephalem how he felt was presenting itself yet again.
However, Jamie still felt the need to wait for their food first before he could say anything, he was still committed to what he said earlier to Katorasu. It was as if the border collie tried to stick to a small script in his head, just so he wouldn’t become flustered in front of the emerald-streaked hedgehog— funnily enough though, The Nephalem wouldn’t mind at all if Jamie became a blushing mess.
Using his restored confidence, Jamie didn’t hesitate in making a suggestion, “Perhaps we could have a movie night? We could pick up some snacks and decide on something we’ll both enjoy together,” As he spoke, the border collie could feel his blush begin to return, “It doesn’t have to be anytime soon, I don’t mind waiting since I know how much you love going out on those nightly patrols of yours,” Jamie clarified, not wanting to come off as intrusive to Katorasu’s daily activities that he stuck by so rigorously.
Honestly though, Kato was into the idea of spending more time with his friend and landlord; even just sitting down and chatting was fun for the athletic hedgehog, “Don’t worry about that, I don’t mind taking nights off!” He reassured Jamie, while he stopped leaning in his seat, “Sometimes I go out ‘cause I don’t have anything better to do,” His smile persisted as he explained himself, “So I wouldn’t mind having a movie night, since it beats sitting on a rooftop while freezing my ass off, just waiting for some action to happen.” His tone radiated chipperness, which helped Jamie in feeling less like a burden to the black hedgehog.
Right as Jamie began to ponder about the next topic that the two could talk about, one of the restaurant’s bartenders hurried on by their table, gently and carefully dropping off their rosé wine and two glasses while maintaining the same speed; quickly moving on and doing the same to the other tables that were around the pair of males. Suffice to say, the border collie had a topic in mind for them to discuss now, even if it could be a short one.
Beginning to reach for the bottle, Jamie intended to pour a proper amount of rosé wine into their glasses, “Do you have a preference for any type of wine or alcohol?” He asked, as his snow-white fingers rose above the edge of the table.
Funnily enough, while the border collie asked his question, the emerald-streaked swordsman had also reached for the bottle of rosé wine. The Nephalem, after he noticed where Jamie’s hands were going, slowly retreated his before letting out a bit of awkward chuckle, “Nah, not really, alcohol doesn’t do anything for me; it’s the same as soda or even fruit juice, I can’t get drunk off of it so what’s the point aside from taste, right?” Kato casually answered as he watched his landlord pour an equal amount of wine into their glasses, all done with measurement precision.
Briefly raising an eyebrow, Jamie was rather intrigued by that detail his tenant had shared with him, “Do you have some sort of immunity to alcohol?” He asked, holding onto his glass of rosé wine by the stem of the cup, which was placed between his ring and middle finger.
Due to the mystical nature of the hedgehog, he felt a bit uncomfortable with being asked that question. Kato couldn’t make that obvious though, it would just bring suspicion on him, even though the chances of anyone— including the border collie— calling him out on what he is was incredibly low. Still though, it’s not like it would be a hard thing to explain right away and it could probably just be waived off with an excuse of, “it’s just one of my powers.” Not only that, The Nephalem trusted Jamie to ask that one question and not follow it up with another.
Holding onto the stem of his cup with all five fingers, the vigilante took a quick sip of his drink before explaining further, “It’s not specifically just alcohol,” He carefully set his glass back onto the table, “I can’t get sick, poisons don’t affect me, sedatives can’t even make me yawn at all; I guess that’s what happens when you have a strong immune system like me!”
Just for a bit, Kato softly chuckled to himself as he tried to ignore the unwanted memories of his origins that appeared from just talking about his body. He’d rather keep them far away than let them flash before his eyes again, he’d rather create new memories that could replace the old ones so he could look back on his life with fondness rather than with regret. Sadly though, things can never be that easy for anyone, it’s always a challenge that must be overcome.
Despite the memories and the hesitation that briefly stopped Kato from speaking anymore, the vigilante pushed past it and continued to detail more about himself, “Overall, my body is pretty weird but it’s great for the superhero business,” The Nephalem spoke, trying to sound proud of his physiology, “It’s hard for me to put on any fat, I’m sure you can already tell with all the fast food I eat,” He grinned, while Jamie quietly nodded with a blush returning to his cheeks, “But it also makes working out pretty pointless since I can’t get any muscle, not complaining since I don’t see myself getting all buff and stuff— I love being this nice, slim package of a hedgehog!” His toothy grin showed itself again, capping off his charade of self-pride.
Carefully taking a sip of his cup of rosé wine, Jamie thought about how it seemed as if Katorasu had the perfect body, “It does sound like you were always destined for this line of work,” He softly giggled, before glancing down at his cup, “Meanwhile, all I’m good for are my hands that I use to create clothing, other than that I can’t say I’m as lucky as you are; I still have to worry about my weight— as well as everything else,” Jamie softly laughed, aware of the bit of chub that had been developing around his waist.
Briefly remembering the pain he had caused, Kato tried to clear his thoughts as he carried on the conversation topic, “If you ever feel like you’re putting on too much weight, feel free to ask me out on a jog! I wouldn’t mind at all being your running buddy,” His citrine eyes twinkled with excitement, shining like gold almost, “Heck, I’d even buy some gym passes for us to use, if that’s what ya wanna do of course,” The Nephalem’s kindness and generosity seemed to know no bounds, though that’s to be expected with someone who’s trying their best to pay off their moral debt.
Now, after having been taken out of the tailor shop setting, the British border collie began to realize that, all this time, he had fallen for the mere surface of the ebony and emerald-streaked hedgehog. He wanted to be with him for his jokes, his carefree attitude, and that altruistic nature that the canine felt he could share a kinship. If those qualities were all it took to make Jamie fall smitten with the vigilante in the first place, he instantly knew that he needed to have him in his life on a more intimate level, so he may experience the rest that Katorasu had to offer.
Playing off of The Nephalem’s offer, Jamie reacted rather casually, “Keep making those tempting, generous offers and you won’t have any money left over to pay this month’s rent,” He teased, before taking another light sip of his drink in a rather posh manner, “In all seriousness though, I’d have to take a look at my daily schedule before I could even think about saying yes to the gym— or even to morning jogs with you,” The border collie sighed, a bit solemn over his busy routine potentially not allowing for time to be spent with the nighttime hero.
Briefly forgetting his table manners, Kato leaned forward and placed his elbows on the clothed furniture, “Hey, don’t worry about it, it’s not like it’s a one-time offer or anything; it’s still on the table,” He responded, the hedgehog’s voice was gentle as he didn’t want to cause even the slightest bit of anxiety to stir within Jamie.
Again, the border collie found it hard to get over the sincerity and kindness of this male that sat across from him; they barely knew each other— for less than a year— yet here they were. Before meeting Katorasu, the formal canine hadn’t known anyone quite like him before or anyone capable of making him feel cared for unconditionally, outside of his parents that is…
As Jamie began to reflect on shards of his past, he was interrupted by how The Nephalem smiled sheepishly up at another, before quickly removing his upper limbs from the dining table. Casting a glance over to where Katorasu was looking, Jamie was able to watch as a waitress briefly parked her cart of food beside their table. Wordlessly, this middle-aged female performed her job and left without making any sort of socialization with either male, though perhaps this was due to a large number of plates she had left to deliver to a few other customers that were dining here tonight.
Same as with the bartender that arrived earlier, the waitress was swift and cautious with the placement of the duo’s food and utensils, though she happened to swap their respective plates by accident. Either way, their meals looked amazing, despite the small length of distance between the dishes and their respective recipients.
“Y’know,” Kato softly opened his mouth, after the two of them had shared a brief laugh over the mixup of their food, “While my plate’s still over there, you can go ahead and take a crêpe or two if ya want,” The Nephalem offered, while his citrine eyes lowered from the border collie and to the ratatouille that quietly sat in front of him.
Tempted by the offer at first, Jamie shook his head as he took ahold of both his plate and Katorasu’s, “Thank you, but I shouldn’t; I’d feel bad later for just having a single one,” Having said that, the British tailor went ahead and corrected the placement of their food.
Casually, the emerald-streaked vigilante picked up his fork and skewered one of the eight crêpes with it, “You sure? I know you mentioned watching your weight and all, but I don’t think it’ll do a whole lot of damage,” He admitted his thoughts, assuming Jamie’s reason while he folded the pierced crêpe over itself and pressed his fork down further, “Besides, I think you look perfectly fine with just the way you are!” His smile returned, even as he took a hefty bite out of his first crêpe.
At this point, it was more than likely that Jamie’s cheeks would start hurting from all the constant smiling that was caused by Katorasu— though he didn’t mind it at all. In all honesty, the tailor was now sure of his feelings that the vigilante’s perfections outweighed his imperfections by a vast degree; it was no wonder that Jamie’s love for Katorasu was beginning to become overwhelming. Of course, to release all of it, the border collie needed to let the hedgehog know about what his heart desired most.
“That’s part of the reason, I suppose,” Jamie responded, while The Nephalem audibly made it clear that he was enjoying his first bite, just like a gourmand would, “I’m not very fond of taking from other plates, even if I am offered a piece from it,” He continued, taking his fork and removing a piece of ratatouille with it, “I suppose that’s due to the way I am, as well as how I was raised by my parents,” His voice became soft at the end, right before the border collie started to enjoy his exquisite meal and it’s elegant taste.
Swallowing the rest of his first crêpe, Kato originally had the idea of asking Jamie about his parents, just so he could further express his interest in wanting to know more about his (only) closest friend. However, he realized that maybe it would be better if he went first on shedding some light on his parents, despite how hard it was to even think about his adoptive mother and father.
Still though, as much as he didn’t want to, The Nephalem willingly stepped out of his comfort zone, “My parents didn’t teach me any manners,” He explained while reaching for his half-empty glass of rosé wine, “Or at least my dad didn’t bother to teach me; Mom probably would’ve but I wasn’t allowed to see her ever…” Slowly, Kato had a swig of his drink so he could take a brief pause, before setting it back down on the table, “… All of that changed when I walked out the door and said goodbye to that prick, I went off to go find Mom on my own and… well, I guess it led to me doing this whole vigilante thing!” His chipper tone was forced, that smile of his was artificial, and there was now a buildup of water in his golden eyes.
Seeing all of that hidden pain within Katorasu’s expression, Jamie conveyed his loving compassion with the soft, gentle touch of his hand resting on top of the other male’s. Surprised by the gesture, the vigilante’s golden orbs traveled down to the point of contact built by the border collie, before shifting his interest to the face of the tailor himself. Citrine was met with jade and sapphire, as the pair of males locked eyes with each other in an intimacy that was now understood by both males rather than just one.
Jamie, as he delicately caressed Katorasu’s hand, felt his anxiety slip away into nothingness, “You didn’t have to share that with me, Kato…” His voice was as serene as the symphony that flowed throughout the establishment, “… Thank you, I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for you to remember your mother and father… though you’re not alone in that, I suppose,” His words were followed by a solemn sigh, while those heterochromatic eyes briefly drifted away from the vigilante.
Obligated to share the details of his relationship with his parents, Jamie could easily recall the stress and trauma that had come from his mother when he was but a mere child. Despite how the memories were fresh in his mind, it was nevertheless still tough for the border collie to muster the strength needed to share his experiences.
Remedying his interest back to Katorasu, the border collie continued to rub his fingers against the aforementioned male’s hand, “When I was young, I learned about some of the… things that my mother had to do, so she could protect something dear to her,” Jamie paused for a moment, realizing that his voice had started to quiver near the end, “Suffice to say that I never looked at her the same way again, even when she… passed away,” Unconsciously, Jamie’s hand now tenderly gripped Katorasu’s, which was felt by the darker color-schemed male, though he didn’t complain at all, “Thankfully, my father still managed to raise me well; I looked up to him over the years and even now I still model my life after him… I owe him that much for remaining strong after my mother’s passing,” Out of bittersweetness, the border collie grinned as he thought back on the care that his father gave him.
After hearing such a heartwarming ending, The Nephalem couldn’t help but genuinely smile at the mental images: Which were mainly about a little(er) Jamie having some quality father-and-son time— an experience that Kato never got the chance to have. At least not in the normal way, though that barely counted.
Honestly, Kato was just plain ecstatic to hear that Jamie had an actual dad in his life, rather than some guy that ordered him around, “Sounds like your dad’s a pretty great dude, any chance I could meet him someday?” The vigilante asked while he used his free hand to pick up the fork from his plate.
With a soft giggle, the border collie didn’t hesitate on teasing his tenant, “Perhaps, though I think it would take him some time to get used to you and your antics; although, considering some of my brothers, maybe not at all then,” His tone had shifted into slight disdain.
“Huh, didn’t know you had any siblings at all,” Kato admitted, “I’m just an only child, so I pretty much grew up alone; I don’t mind it at all though, I’m glad no one else had to live under my dad,” The Nephalem began to shortly wonder about the border collie’s relationship with his brothers, “So, what are they like?” He asked, as their hands were still embraced in each other’s grasp, though The Nephalem didn’t bring any attention to it.
To Katorasu’s surprise, Jamie was quick with his response, “Well, one-half I’m very close to as they’ve been nothing but kind to me, just like my father, while the other half… not so much,” He gently sighed, before using his fork to pick off another small piece of his ratatouille, “Pros and cons of being the youngest child in the family, I suppose,” His voice drifted lightly, just like his mind did as the border collie softly chewed on his piece of food.
While Jamie underwent a brief rumination about life with his family, Kato was trying his best to retrieve his hand from underneath the British male’s grasp. Sadly, judging by the oblivious firm grip of the border collie, that would’ve been impossible to do without him noticing. In all honesty, The Nephalem didn’t want to bring any attention to the intimate gesture as he felt that the border collie would become embarrassed by it. So, to avoid all that, Kato figured that he would just have to deal with being able to only use one hand to eat and drink.
However, a thought slowly crept up in the back of his mind, as the wisecracking vigilante remembered how his landlord had been trying all night to let the hedgehog know what was going on in his head. Now, just for a moment, Kato’s attention was brought back over to the ongoing grip that his other hand was locked in. All this time of being clueless and only now was he finally getting a hint on what might be going on with Jamie, though he heavily doubted the actual truth behind the border collie’s behavior. Either way, there was only one way to be certain and that was to simply just ask.
While the melody continued to flutter throughout the establishment, Kato took in a soft, gentle inhale before letting the border collie know what was on his mind, “Hey, Jamie?” His tone was delicate, though loud enough to pull Jamie from his thoughts, “You’ve been trying to tell me something all night, but you keep avoiding it or keep getting interrupted,” The Nephalem had a touch of earnestness in his voice as he continued, “So, maybe now’s the perfect time to tell me?” He didn’t want to come off as demanding, since he wasn’t dying to know, but he figured it would be good for Jamie to say what was going on in his head, “You don’t have to tell me though if you don’t want to, I’m just concerned is all.”
Despite Katorasu’s best attempts to reassure Jamie that there was no reason to feel forced to say or do anything, the border collie couldn’t help but feel rather nervous in such a short amount of time. While seemingly still oblivious to the intimacy that went on between their hands, Jamie appeared to struggle with figuring out how he would properly start his confession, though maybe that was due to how anxious he was starting to feel now.
Eventually, the border collie had come to realize that, no matter what plan Jamie conducted in his mind, the feelings he had for The Nephalem remained true in all scenarios. In all honesty, Jamie knew that it was now or never, the fear of rejection could only keep his desire for love down for so long; his lips began to part open, intent to deliver a confession that should have been made long ago throughout the night. “Kato… the truth is, I’ve come to realize that…” Jamie hesitated for a moment, briefly choking on the last part of his message, “… I’ve realized that… I’m in love with you.”
In that singular moment, Kato was flooded by memories of Jamie’s strange behavior, though now armed with the context behind it all. Gently, The Nephalem’s cheeks began to flush with a soft shade of pink, before becoming a strawberry tint, as he was just way too embarrassed to come up with a smartass remark— as he usually did to save face. Opening his mouth, Kato was only able to let out a soft, sheepish chuckle; he opted to take a long drink from his cup, just to stall for time while he attempted to figure out a coherent response. Sadly, The Nephalem was nearing the bottom of his drink while his mind continued to draw blank after blank, nothing sounded good in his head at all.
Growing more nervous, The Nephalem busied himself by brushing one of his longer quills with his fingers; eventually, a response soon left his lips, “I… I gotta say, Jamie… I never knew you felt that way, about me…” He glanced up at the border collie, shy as he averted his gaze once more, “… It’s a bit of a shock, I'm not gonna lie… I never figured I’d be good enough to love…” He laughed rather softly, briefly revealing that he wasn’t as confident in himself as he appeared to be. Soon, Katorasu’s attention would be fixed on Jamie, as the emerald-streaked hedgehog felt the latter male squeeze his hand in a gentle fashion.
With his cheeks still flushed, Jamie softly responded, “Don’t be so hard on yourself; you’re more than ‘good enough’,” He paused for a moment, trying to conduct his next sentence without stumbling, “Before we first met, life was dull and I could expect each day’s event,” Jamie continued, leaning forward in his seat as the hedgehog listened intently, “I know I was… apprehensive about renting the room above, but I’m glad I did; otherwise, I would’ve never gotten to know you,” His smile never faded, even as he drifted briefly towards that first memory of the two, “It’s… quite nice, having someone so genuine and so… different in my life.”
Gently, Kato returned the gesture as the pair of males held each other’s hand, “Yeah… I feel the same way,” He nodded his head, chuckling from a bit of embarrassment as he carried on, “Believe it or not… I was a lot more reckless before we met, if that’s hard to believe,” Briefly, The Nephalem laughed under his breath, remembering how he was careless when it came to vigilantism, “So… I’m happy we met, even though ya didn’t like how carefree I was at the start but… I’m wondering, what happens to us now?”
Jamie’s flush slowly started to die down, despite the suggestion he was about to make, “Well…” He began, glancing to the side for a spell, “We could finish our dinner and… perhaps watch a movie up in the apartment?” Jamie’s voice became quiet at the end, though Katorasu picked up on it with little issue. While bouncing one leg up and down against the other, Jamie hoped he wasn’t moving too fast with such a suggestion and wouldn’t scare off Kato.
Much to his surprise, as well as relief, the emerald-streaked hedgehog smiled at the border collie, “Sure! I’d love that!” While Kato spoke, his cheeks seemed to flare up just a little; the idea of spending time together with Jamie, in a more intimate fashion, made him anxious. However, it wasn’t a terrible feeling of worry, in fact, it was almost comforting; The Nephalem now had a strong sense that change was beginning to form in his life.
Hearing such a wonderful response, Jamie had let out a small laugh that few would ever hear, it was one that came from pure joy, “We’ll have to figure out what to watch later,” He realized that the pair hadn’t finished their food just yet, in fact, it had barely been touched by either male, “We’ll have to finish up here first, otherwise we’re spending money for no reason!” Jamie had uttered a joke, he didn’t care so much about money as he usually did, he was too preoccupied with the prospect of getting to love this carefree, altruistic, wisecracking vigilante.
It was a long night at the restaurant for the two, the confession of love seemed to open so many doors, so many possibilities for the two. Eternity seemed to be ingrained in both of their lives, both Möbians feeling that things would never change for them, the past lurking right in their shadows. Now, as their hands remained interlocked, that began to change.
![Inspirations [Late Halloween 2022 Art]](https://va.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4257/4257890_KatorasuZer0_dc61044d-0c96-4b9e-8007-b031f1f02057_noncustom.jpg "Inspirations [Late Halloween 2022 Art]")
