As His Heart Hopes...

Trouble in Paradise

"...And what's in this one?" Uri asked the waitress what something on the menu was for the fourth time. T.K. saw Emphram's cheeks light up in embarrassment. The older Meyer brother ran his hand through his hair before clearing his throat gently, capturing the waitress's attention.

"I apologize for him; he'll just have chicken fingers." Ephram gave the waitress a charming crooked smile and T.K. had to contain a laugh as simultaneously the waitress flushed and Uri puffed up his cheeks. 

"I can order for myself, Ephram," Uri spoke as the waitress scurried away, crossing his arms in adorable defiance. 

"I get that," Ephram speaks, his attention pulled away from T.K. once more. "But you were taking too long and probably driving the poor waitress crazy."

T.K. chuckles lightly, and both Meyer brothers turned to him. Ephram raises an eyebrow and T.K. responded with, "Sorry...It's just a cute exchange."

T.K. watches Ephram's cheeks go pink, but before he could respond Uri steals everyone's attention once more. "It's only cute because I'm here, right? You're welcome, Ephram."

Ephram sighs again and with some effort pulled his attention back to Uri, "Please don't ruin this with that big head of yours, Uri. Or no dessert."

Uri resigned with an exaggerated exhale, crossing his arms, and staring off across the restaurant. After a moment of silence,  and a moment of T.K. feeling a little bad for the younger Meyer brother, Ephram turned back to face him with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Hey, you...Sorry about all this chaos. Probably one for the record books, huh?"

"I promise," T.K. reached across the table to lay his hand on Ephram's arm, "it's not the worst first date I've ever been on."

Ephram cocked an eyebrow and T.K. felt his heart flutter, "Oh yeah? I guess you'll have to tell me all the excruciating details--"

Uri's face crumples in confusion, and interrupting the older boys, he leaned forward in his seat. "T.K!! T.K!! Why does that guy over there look like you?"

And to the dismay apparent on Ephram's face, Uri points toward the front door of the restaurant. T.K. followed the direction his finger pointed in and everything felt like it was in slow motion. 

T.K.'s eyes land on Matt and Sora standing at the hostess station. After a moment, Matt glances over, and when his eyes land on T.K. he excused himself from the hostess, pointing towards their table--no doubt telling them that they would sit with him and the Meyer brothers.

On his date...

With Ephram...

T.K.'s breathing picked up as Matt got closer and closer to their table, and not even Sora's apologetic smile helped snap him out of it. The only thing that did was when Ephram gently pulled his arm out from under T.K.'s tightening grip. 

With a look that conveyed confusion, panic, and sadness that their contact had to end--T.K.'s attention shifted to Ephram. In his yellow-green eyes, T.K. saw an apology but his lips were quirked in a supportive smile. Ephram leaned close and quickly whispered, "You're okay. He doesn't need to know yet if you don't want him to."

"Yo! T.K.!" Matt bellowed as he approached, earning a subtle smack in scolding from Sora. After glancing at her in an apology he continued, "I didn't know this is where you were heading. I woulda had you tag along with us."

 At T.K.'s immediate silence as he tried to pull himself together, Matt seemed to finally notice his company. A slight look of confusion settles on his face before he shakes his head. "Hey, sorry if I was being rude. I'm Matt, T.K.'s incredibly cooler older brother, and this is Sora."

Playing dumb, Ephram reintroduces himself to Sora and shakes Matt's hand firmly. "Ephram. And it's nice to finally meet you. This is my younger brother Uri."

As T.K.'s throat tightened with the fear that Uri would blow their cover, he let out a sigh of relief when the younger Meyer brother just plastered on a smile and waved. The sigh caught Matt's attention again and he stared T.K. down with intensity. "I wasn't trying to be rude before, but I was confused because Sora had mentioned you were supposed to be on a date."

Matt lifts an eyebrow, but before T.K. can get a word out, Sora tries to gently prod him to another table, "C'mon Matt. Leave them in peace. You'll get all the details later."

Matt fixed her with an incredulous look, before turning back to T.K. and nonchalantly leaning over the table to be at eye level with him. T.K. felt his throat tighten even more as Matt whispered, "You haven't been lying to me, have you?"

As T.K.'s breathing quickens again and his words continue to fail him, Ephram clears his throat gently. Matt's attention shifts to him and he's met with a sadder rendition of Ephram's charming smile, "I'm sure he would've told you eventually. But the wound is still fresh." 

Matt leans back, staying focused on Ephram, crossing his arms. "What do you mean?"

"His date stood him up; Takeru thought she was a lovely girl, but..." Ephram motions to the table that lacks any girl other than Sora. "He called me because he needed...a friend."

There was the slightest hesitation that only Sora, Uri, and T.K. picked up on--almost like it pained Ephram to drop his own status in T.K.'s life to just a friend.  After a moment of silence, Matt glanced between the three boys before settling his gaze on Uri. He smiled softly and asked, "And what about this little guy?"

"He's a part of the package," Ephram says quickly lifting Uri's glass to put a napkin under it and earning an annoyed look from the younger Meyer brother.

"There. Are you happy, nosey?" Sora elbowed him gently, before shaking her head. "Is it okay to give them space now?"

A moment of even more intense silence followed, with Matt looking at each and every person. When T.K. still hadn't uttered a word, he pulled his attention up from his lap and met Matt's eyes. There was a look on his face that T.K. didn't fully understand.

And that confusion only grew as Matt pulled out a seat and dropped down at their table. "Sorry, Sora. But I think my little brother might need us."

And then Sora reluctantly sat down as Matt waved the waitress over.