What I Expect

Double Date

I sit impatiently in the booth in the Starbucks, fidgeting under the table. Mai is picking up Yūgi and Akefia from our flat with the promise of free coffee and shit (not a lie, I borrowed money from Joey to pay for Akefia and I assume Yami and Yūgi will work that our together) and Joey is leading Yami back from their lecture.  I check the time: 16:12. If their lecture finished at 16:00x shouldn't they be here by now? I'm being paranoid, and I make sure to calm myself.

Yugi and Akefia arrive together. Yūgi stares at me innocently while Akefia frowns, sliding in opposite me. Silence dominates for a few minutes, the empty chair opposite Yūgi the object of our thoughts. He almost has a heart attack when Yami sits in it, face turning crimson as blood. Although Akefia sits opposite me, I become more interested in their encounter.

"Um, hi," Yūgi said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. I gently touch my knee to his for comfort, knowing he appreciates it.

"So you're my blind date?" Yami smiles a beautiful smile, and I understand why Yūgi likes him. The man is handsome. Sharp jawline, voluminous hair in tri-colours, and now I understand where Yūgi got the inspiration for his own dye job from. They have the same eyes too, I'd mistake them for brothers if I didn't know otherwise. "I've seen you around. I like your hair,"

"It's the same as yours,"

He smiles softly, reaching out an elegantly sipping tea. "I know,"

"Eyes on another man when we're on a date? I think I know why you're single," my focus snaps across to Akefia, and can only exhale when he smirks, and I realise he's playing with me. I like when he does this, it feel like he's happy too when he does. "So, you're trying everything possible to force me together with you? Why, do you hope I'll finally see we were meant to be,"

Yes. "No, just-"

Akefia holds up his hand. "Try That again. I'm not pissed. I now know why you lie so much without meaning to, you must have had to in your past. I understand. So I'll give you another chance to tell me the truth before I hold it against you,"

"Thank you," I gulp, tensing and staring around awkwardly. The conversation between Yami and Yugi seems a lot more comfortable than this. But I know ours is more necessary. "Yeah, I set this up because o like you. And a date is the first step to a relationship,"

"See? You could have just said that, why didn't you?" He asks. I can't answer because I don't know. I've never thought about it, and now it's so loud a thought in my mind. I watch him sip his fucking latte and stare out the window, observing the people pass by. The raw Akefia behind the front, he's the strong silent type I guess. Or would be if there was any strength on his scrawny ass. "I any case, what do you wanna talk about on this 'blind' date?" He uses air quotes for 'blind'. Yami and Yugi go to he counter together, Yugi winking at me in thanks as they order one milkshake with two straws to share between them. I underestimated my own matchmaking ability, I guess. They much be so comfortable with one another to share straws, like Akefia and Melvin, and it's a feeling I can't imagine. I don't know what that would be like.

I lean over the table, letting my face rest in my palms. I get lost staring at Akefia for a second, because he's simply so perfect. "You're Turkish,"

"What of it?" Akefia demands, quickly covering his lips with the large ceramic cup, giving himself a tiny frothy milk moustache which he licks off.

"Nothing, just the name Akefia has its roots on Ancient Egypt, I've never heard of that name in Turkish,"

"You can't translate it into Turkish from Arabic," Akefia explains casually, and I smile. He's so open right now, not the guarded asshole I remember. His smile grows the more he talks about this. "Its Ancient roots may be Egyptian but its more modern roots are Slovakian. In Turkish it translates into 'Akif',"

"So why d'you say Akefia?" I wonder aloud, not really asking. I just chew the edge of my cardboard cup as Akefia frowns again, leaning forward in his chair as his fringe covers more of his face. Fuck, I said something wrong again, and he returns to that cold exterior. Quick, Marik you idiot, change the subject! "I really like your hair. I mean, it's unique. Like you," is my terrible attempt at flirting. But it works to change the subject, Akefia just scoffing and looking at me oddly.

"You suck, you know that?" He laughs. He mimicked my own posture, still smirking, still infuriatingly sexy. "What do you like about me, really? That isn't my hair or my skin or my scar?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I'm an ass. You know it, I know it," he states firmly. "I snap at you, I'm mean and terse and fuck - you have no idea who I am. You've just seen my bitchy irritation and my suspicion, cause I'm still suspicious of you no matter what. So why do you like me?"

Until now, I didn't realise I could answer this question so easily. And maybe it's a bad answer, a mentally unhealthy one. But it's my answer and to all I have. "Because you're broken. I know you are, you're broken just like I am," I say. And begin to worry if that will just make things worse.

Akefia's expression doesn't change and I wonder what he's thinking. It kills me not knowing what's going on with him. What he thinks of me. The worrisome silence is broken by Yūgi leaning over, looking awkward. Did he he hear? "Hey Marik, Yami and I are gonna take off,"

"Okay," I nod.

"Yeah, it's time I left too," Akefia agrees, and my heart sinks when he stands up, slinging his grey bag over his shoulder. "I'll see you, Marik," and I watch them leave, so disappointed in myself. I couldn't keep Akefia here, I just proved he can't trust me. Fuck, Marik you idiot.

*
When I get back Akefia is already there, and cooking. I walk into the back kitchen, ready for a torrent of insults or a cold shoulder. But Akefia just looks up at me and sighs. "I made enough for everyone, by the way. I'll call you when it's ready if you want," he's acting like nothing happened. Why? Logically it's a front but this actually feels like the more genuine Akefia. And then I remember how he spoke about himself today, and relapse it must have been cathartic for him to let that out. He must be feeling better since then. And that makes he happy, even if Akefia needs to yell at me and insult me, I can take it if it makes him feel better.

He even smiles expectantly, that remains in his face when I nod. It's a big cheesy grin, nothing like his normal one. "Yeah, that'll be nice,"

"Go keep Melvin company so he'll stop annoying me, will you?" He asks and I jog upstairs where Melvin is hanging around in the corridor, leaning against the wall and typing on his phone. How can he see it with the brightness turned down like that? In any rate he doesn't seem to be 'annoying' anyone, so I go on my own phone and play mini games for the 5-10 minutes until Akefia finishes.

"Thought I told you to keep him busy," Akefia grumbles at the table, jerking to Melvin with his fork. Melvin doesn't eat with a fork, instead using a knife to stab into the vegetables. He's so engrossed in his food I doubt he can hear us, something I've noticed about Melvin. He becomes hyper-focused on something, whatever it is.

"He was just on his phone," I shrug and keep eating. It's admittedly really good, even if there is too much onion. Akefia always cooks with onion.

"Yes, he was texting me!" Akefia groans loudly, his fun to stab his food with a knife. "Every. Five. Seconds. Ping! Ping! Ping! Next time do as you're told, you over-eager first year,"