The Equation of Hearts

√𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟹ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩ

Odele was watching Kato mind Antonio as Elena roamed the shopping centre. He had his arms crossed and was analysing the boy watching how he held Antonio's hand and spun him around in one spot. They were going suit shopping.

Elena was looking at a range of them and mumbled, before turning to Odele, "what's the plan? Any colour in particular?" She wondered, "are you going to wear a suit, honey?" She then turned to Kato who was still playing with Antonio. He hummed and pulled Antonio's arms around his waist so the boy was hugging him from behind. Antonio was giggling the whole time. She liked seeing how close the pair were,

"No." Kato decided, popping his neck and looking back at Antonio. "It isn't the most appropriate to fight in a suit." He mumbled at the sight of Elena pouting. He was somewhat lying. He had fought in heavier, harder articles of clothing. But still, for the sake of practicality, it was better he dressed in only what was needed.

"We don't need to fight anyway. We just have you as an accessory for that one time." Odele shrugged before staring at him for a moment. A strained, tantalising moment where both stared at each other. They knew the other knew what they did. As did Elena. But she wasn't the problem, "but we won't have to worry about them anymore, will we?" He muttered. Kato looked back down to Antonio.

"No." He promised, Antonio looking at the colours,

"Then you can get a suit. I think I want to see you in white." Odele decided, looking at the ranges of sets, "a three piece." He added,

"Alright." He whispered and let them choose out his suit. He didn't protest much at all, simply refusing to buy something purple and that was his only request. "Excuse me." He excused himself.

"Where are you going?" Elena grew worried these days, how he left and didn't return for prolonged periods of time. Usually because she had upset him - she realised. She couldn't afford to ruin it a third time... or fourth. It was bad that she was losing count.

"To pray." He replied and left. She watched him go and bit her tongue.

"Stare at him for any longer and I may start thinking he's the favourite." Odele chided and Elena shook her head quickly,

"Just don't want him running away again. He fainted last night and we haven't spoken about it. I doubt he'd tell me as it is." She mumbled.

"Hey mum..." Odele took a hold of Antonio and hugged him from behind, "why'd you like him so much?" He tilted his head.

"There's something charming about his personality. His heart is in the right place." She decided and smiled to herself, "his parents did a good job being parents with him." She decided. Then she realised what she was saying. "Regardless, he's charming."

"Mum, he could literally flick you and you'd explode." Odele claimed before he began laughing. She scoffed and let him enjoy his retort. "But seriously. You trust him a lot. You don't know what he's capable of." He warned while he looked for his own suit.

She knew what he was capable of. Somewhat. He had outrun and knocked out her husband of all people. If he could do that, he was capable of anything. She shuddered and looked with Antonio for suits for him. They didn't have a theme, but she'd still like them to match. But the off-white was all they were matching. She'd at least match with her husband. They decided on a bright, hypnotic blue as an accent. At least for the pair of them. She knew Athena was going for black accents. And watching Odele find a suit, he had chosen a dark purple. They weren't going to match at all. Well, she had Adonis. And honestly, her kids were too old to be matching.

But Antonio would match with her, she knew as he chose a normal, standard black suit with a light blue waistcoat. She didn't mind that arrangement. She got the four suits and wondered what Odele was doing. She had the bags and saw him outside with Kato. She saw the pair talking in a more one-sided conversation where Odele was talking and holding a bag. "Kids?" She tilted her head and looked at them. They both looked at her and the realisation that they were both handsome struck her like a bus. "Wow! My kids are so handsome!" She doted happily and went over. Kato took the bags and nodded, was there one extra there? She couldn't tell, they had already bought other things alongside the suits.