Paradise (MikaYuu)

31

(Yuu)

I pranced into the restaurant with Asher, we had just finished an interesting discussion about how if past lives were truly a thing, the nurture vs nature argument became a lot more complicated. It basically got summed up to things 'in your nature' could very well be due to an experience from a past life, making it technically nurture. But Asher claimed that some things have remained exactly as is, giving nature a bit of backing.

Mikaela met us at the front and looked white as a ghost. He didn't look all that casual, but knowing how he typically dressed, he definitely chose comfort today, he was wearing black skinny jeans for one which... I had never once seen him do and I certainly wasn't complaining, black combat boots, black gloves, and a dark red turtle neck with the sleeves pulled a quarter way up. The shirt made his neck look really good and I was tempted to tell him that before deciding that was probably not a normal thing to casually mention and I wasn't trying to change the mood. How the fuck someone hadn't bagged his ass was completely beyond me. It might've been the crazy though.

"Hey," he pulled me into a hug, but didn't lean into me like usual, he seemed to be staring at Asher, "Ash, we need to talk. Now. It can't wait."

"Hold on, did you meet her yet?" I asked.

"Yep," Mikaela clicked his tongue, "nice woman. Will you be ok if I talk to Asher for a minute?" Mika's arms were still around me, he was abnormally stiff but it was certainly a placed piece of body language there to tune someone in, I had the feeling I wasn't that someone.

"Uhh, yeah. I can just go find the table." I said and Mikaela immediately held me closer, panic visible in his eyes for only a second.

"Can you wait for me? I would really prefer to have you in my sight right now. I'm not exactly a celebrity, but I still don't want you getting harassed by people who might know who I am." He grasped my hands in his firmly.

"Sure, I guess?" This was a weird situation, right?

"Perfect," he gave me a quick peck on the lips, "we'll be right over there. Don't get hate crimed. If anyone asks, I'm just European. You look cute today." He gave me a pat on the shoulder and walked over to the corner with Asher, mumbling various things that made Asher's eyes pop.

I jumped when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find doe brown eyes staring back at me. My friend's hair was in a loose braid, some strands hanging down in her face. She was wearing a knee length mint colored dress with a black sweater and black flats, "Hi!" She said cheerfully pulling me into a hug.

"Hey, Akane! It's been a minute, how's everything going at the clinic?" I asked.

"Things are good there, don't worry. But forget about that, I hear you're working for Paradise, that's amazing." She smiled brightly.

"Yeah, didn't really think that they needed therapists but I guess everyone does," I joked, "literally met the CEO and owner while hammered, but apparently I was convincing enough."

She let out a glittery laugh and smiled brightly, "So you and Mr. Tepes are together?" She asked.

"Yep, it hasn't been super long though." I admitted.

"Good on you for getting him help so fast. He didn't really seem to like me, though." Akane said fretfully.

"If he expressed anything emotionally towards you other than flat out aggression or total apathy, he feels something," I explained, "although I don't really know exactly what he's like to others."

"Does he not act like that towards you?" She asked.

"Not a chance in hell, he's super sweet and caring towards me, almost suffocatingly so," I winced, "he really likes to use flattery. The only problems that I have with him is he lies like no tomorrow and takes drastic measures to do things he thinks will make me happy even if I've already said not to."