Chapter Text
Fakir was nearly wasted.
Somehow, for some reason, Ahiru had tagged along with him to the bar. She really wasn’t fit for a place like this, it was almost comical. But she came, of course she came…
It had only been a week since he had learned her name when he could admit to calling her an “acquaintance”. Every other night, they would talk at the park, and when that wasn’t enough time for the two of them, they began meeting up during the day. At first, he was hesitant. She would always ask him to come back at the same time the next day, and his habits kept telling him to refuse and push her away. But, for some reason, he couldn’t deny her. Eventually, he thought he would get sick of her presence, but he never did.
Even still, it wasn’t enough. After a few weeks of meeting up at the park daily, they reasonably started wanting a change of scenery as well. So, they went to cafés, books stores, and walks around town.
And now she accompanied him at the bar. He only came to get his mind off of his recent frustrations with writing, and whenever he hit a roadblock, he told Ahiru. She liked to be there for him, so she tagged along.
He felt bad for her, but she continued to smile in the less-than-ideal environment regardless. Fakir looked at her through half-lidded eyes.
She giggled, “you’re staring at me.”
He didn’t even notice, and blurted out whatever his brain was thinking.
“You have the most gorgeous sapphire eyes.”
She was so flustered, she froze. “I, what?”
Even when drunk, as a literature professor, his words remained poetic. “Its like staring into an infinite pool of crystallized ocean, something that could only be crafted by an ethereal creature.”
Ahiru’s eyes just continued to flitter across Fakir’s features, looking for any hints of sarcasm.
He continued, “You’re thin and frail with big eyes like a porcelain doll, tell me, how can I not stare?”
“Because I’m not graceful or elegant…or beautiful, stop saying nonsense.”
He was nearly angry, “you dont have to be. You’re yourself.”
“…You’re drunk,” she remarked in a hushed tone, looking away in attempts to hide her blush.
Fakir remained silent, he focused on keeping his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want to admit anything he wasn’t ready to. But, she continued the conversation.
“Do you think our relationship is weird, Fakir?”
“What do you mean?” He slurred out.
“Well, you know,” she shifted in her chair, “We’re just two strangers who met in the park at night…”
He stared at her, and thought for a moment, even if he didn’t have to.
“We aren’t strangers, we’re friends.”
There he went, admitting something he wasn’t ready to.
She giggled, but it sounded almost sad, “Yes, you’re right.” She fiddled with the straw in her lemonade, “then, do you think I’m weird?”
“The weirdest person I’ve ever met,” he took a sip from his glass.
It was meant to be endearing, but it only earned him silence from the other end. She finally spoke, “I see…”
He focused on her, with seriousness coating his eyes, “Ahiru, what makes you ask these questions?”
“Nothing,” she answered softly, trying to escape the topic.
But he pushed on, “Ahiru, it’s not nothing.” He almost smirked to himself when he quoted her, “‘A blank page would be nothing.’”
She simply whined, “Don’t use my words against me!”
“I won’t if you just tell me what’s going on.”
Ahiru let out a large sigh, “fine,” she crossed her arms, “It’s just that Pique and Lillie keep saying i’m weird, and I feel like—I don’t know, I just hear it from everyone. I don’t want to be weird…”
Fakir’s face softened at the girl’s ramblings. She always seemed so strong and cheerful, but on the inside she might’ve been just as insecure as he was.
“It’s not that you’re just ‘weird,’ you’re charming. Weirdly charming. So maybe you aren’t ‘elegant’ or ‘graceful’…maybe you are ‘weird.’ But to be honest, who isn’t? I’m weird too.”
Ahiru abruptly broke into the loudest laugh. She had never ever hear Fakir ramble, it was funny. But she also laughed because she was happy.
He, Fakir, made her happy. Somehow.
Part of him wanted to forever stay in this dark, dingy bar. Of course, only as long as he was with her. But, he knew he couldn’t, and that the night had to draw to a close.
After all, they were just friends.