The Fallen |BxB| ✓

11 | Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Ken

↞[Luke]↠

"That went fantastically," Ken mumbled dejectedly and kicked a stone in his path, which hopped a few feet ahead and veered into the foliage. The sun shone atop as we walked to the vet clinic, Martha's box in my arms. We had left the car in the library's parking lot, and it was a short walk to the clinic.

"At least we have more theories than a curse," I said, trying to lighten his mood.

"Creepier theory." I felt his gaze on me. "Do you think witchcraft is still a thing?"

"No idea, Sato. Still think it could be one of my one-night stands?" I watched his lips quivering to force down a smile from the corner of my eye.

"I stand by my theory," he jested. "Alison's scene conveniently coincides with your bruise, though."

I scoffed in amusement. "You're confusing 'b' with 'w,' Sato."

Ken giggled lightly, and the conversation vanished into the noises of the vehicles rushing past us, and our footsteps crushing the gravel under our feet. Yuuri's voice played in snippets on the back of my mind. No explanation was concrete or logical. Well, logic flew out of the window a while back, yet I craved something more rooted. Something which didn't have branches sprouting in all directions.

Martha chirruped heartily, neck bending to her shiny dark green wing as she preened each feather with care. When no emotion rose within me, I suddenly became aware of how much worse Ken was taking the news and how much his silence worried me. If I was standing by the edge, he was the one straining to keep me from falling.

"How 'bout you show me around when we're done with the vet visit?" I asked him, a little unsure of his reaction, and hoping I didn't fuck up again.

Ken hummed pensively and bumped his glasses with his ring finger. A grin caressed his features, cheek muscle dipping into a pit. "There's an awesome place we can go together."

After a heaved sigh, a smile formed on my face. "It's fixed then." I balanced Martha in one arm and looped my free hand into Ken's elbow. He jumped, and of course, blushed after that. His consistent habits around me never aged and always fluttered my stomach. "What will this be?" I drawled then got closer to his ear. "I can't remember how many dates we've gone on. Three? Four?"

"D-date?" His voice lilted into a question.

I hummed softly. "What do you think we've been doing for the past week?"

"Uhm, t-three if you count this road trip, but that'll mean this is an ongoing date, and the next one will become a date within date which makes no sense!" he blurted in a single breath then gasped. "Date-seption!"

I chuckled gingerly and traced the petal-soft cleft of his ear with the tip of my nose. He shivered, and a shaky breath escaped his lips. "Still so nervous," I whispered, my hold on his arm becoming firm. "You're the first person I'm going on dates with. First, in a lot many things, Sato."