Silence | Book 1

2-6: Questions

Hibiki had signed to his bodyguards to stay back, giving the two of them some privacy on the walk to where the car was parked. On the way, Tristan took occasional bites of cake whenever Hibiki was typing.
"At least the weather has gotten better?" Tristan commented as he noticed the stars peeking out between a few thicker clouds etched in silver by a thin moon. The cold was still dense and watery from the wet ground, but the wind had calmed to a gentle breeze that occasionally rustled the trees along the way.

'It's still cold'

Hibiki showed him, as he wrapped his non-phone arm around himself, despite wearing a sweater.
"You don't have a jacket?" Tristan asked, surprised by that, but Hibiki just blew a raspberry and waved at somewhere in the distance.
"I don't get it?"

'At the car'

"Ah..." Tristan said, remaining quiet for just a second, before then wordlessly handing the cake to Hibiki who took it a little bewildered. While Hibiki was distracted, he plucked his bag off of his shoulder and took his jacket off. With both hands he put his jacket around Hibiki's shoulders, before he could reject it. He smiled when he saw Hibiki quickly puff up his cheeks and give a very intent look at the piece of cake in his hands.
"I can take it back if you don't like it?" He said as he tried not to smirk. Instead Hibiki pushed the container of cake in his hands, and tugged on the edges of the coat to prevent it from sliding off of his shoulders.
"Better?"
Hibiki nodded a little.
"I've wanted to do that at least once. You can pass for a cute girl, right?" Tristan's friendly smile skewed into a more playful smirk, but Hibiki retorted by huffing loudly and flipping him the bird. Tristan simultaneously chuckled and looked back down at the container in his hands, before mumbling a quick sorry to be safe.
Hibiki didn't allow him to look sullen for very long though, putting his phone in his line of sight so he couldn't avoid it.

'Aren't you cold now?'

Tristan's gaze drifted sideways, his eyes quickly darting up to Hibiki's for a second only to smile and shake his head.
"I'm fine." He said, ignoring the chill in favour of catching genuine appreciation in Hibiki's expression.

'Are you sure? I can ask the bodyguards and borrow their jacket?'

A slight blush graced Tristan's cheeks, as he threw a glance back at the two men silently smoking their cigarettes a few yards behind them. Quickly he put his head down again to avoid eye contact. Shite. I forgot they were there.
"No, it's fine." He said hastily, his mind more occupied with the shame welling up than answering Hibiki's question. Hibiki seemed to pick up on his sudden quietness, and once more the phone was forced in his sight.

'Don't mind them, they are paid to protect, not to judge.'

Despite the reassurance, Tristan still looked down.

'If you want, we could talk somewhere more private another time?'

"How do you mean?" Tristan asked, looking up and shaking his head, too confused to be anxious about it. Hibiki shrugged and bit his lip a little before typing again.

'You know, just go have coffee?'

"Oh..." The sound escaped his mouth before he good and well had an answer, as if the tone waning away in the dark could somehow buy him more time. He wasn't sure if it was meant as a friendly thing or something more, and he was even less sure if he minded either way. I do like talking to you... we can be friends right? What if it's like a date? Why'd he ask me out? It's not like I'm really that,- or that I'm... but he's nice to talk to?
Another message entered his view, and it took him a second to focus in on it.

'It's okay if you don't want to?'

Somehow that thought bothered him, not even having considered saying no, and when he did it felt wrong to do so. His gaze darted up again, finding Hibiki looking at him with a rather hopeful smile, that was unable to hide the disappointment that would follow from a no – and it got more obvious every moment he remained silent.
"I er... yes?" He wasn't sure if he agreed, or was asking himself. It didn't feel so bad to say yes; on the contrary, he could feel a light, not unpleasant tingle that he didn't quite understand. He figured it was nerves, even if something in the back of his mind knew well enough it wasn't.
"Yeah, sure," He said a little more decisive, and he saw Hibiki's face lighten up into a bright grin. It felt right to smile as well, or maybe things just felt right? Even the cold didn't bother him like it had a minute ago. "When? I'm free on Sundays?"