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In some worlds, the 14th of February was celebrated between lovers. In others it was just another day. The iconography around the holiday fascinated Ansem; especially the use hearts. Quadratum and Destiny’s Island seemed to have similar views on the day. It was more a holiday for children and young lover to exchange chocolates and nothing more. Ansem saw this as an opportunity to take Riku out. It had been a stressful week for both of them and since the holiday wasn’t that popular amongst adults, it shouldn’t be too busy to enjoy a night out just the two of them.
“Riku, a there’s a new seafood restaurant that just opened. I’d like you to accompany tonight to give them a try.” Ansem informed him late in the morning.
“Uh… sure.” Riku responded. Not like he had much of a choice since Ansem was giving him free room and board while he searched for Sora. Plus he really did enjoy seafood.
“And be sure to dress nice.” Ansem instructed before leaving for the day.
Ansem had the whole evening planned out. He ruminated over every detail throughout the day. And with each passing hour, he started to grow more excited. They would have a nice dinner, go on a short walk through the park, enjoy the unseasonably predicted warm weather then spend the rest of the evening relaxing back at his apartment. Perhaps if things went really well, they might- Ansem stopped those thoughts. He didn’t want to get his hopes too high. Getting to have Riku’s full attention over a nice dinner was more than enough.
Oh how wrong he was.
Predicament Number 1: The Train
The train was late. Not a world ending issue but an annoyance to Ansem’s punctual standard. It dampened his excitement for the evening’s outing. If he hurried, they should still make their reservation. He had set it a little later. Moreso to account for Riku’s usual tendency to be late rather than his. Riku was getting ready when Ansem finally arrived back.
“Well look who’s finally home.” Riku teased, mid buttoning up his shirt.
Ansem shot him a glare as he quickly removed his shoes. “The train was late.”
He hurried to his room to change.
Predicament Number 2: The Suit
Since arriving in Quadratum, Ansem found he quite enjoyed exploring fashions. Perhaps it’s because he spent his life as heartless wearing the same 3 coats. Suits were his favorite to style. The way he could mix and match different colors and patterns to create unique looks. He could stand out if he wanted. Or be subtle. Tonight he wanted to be on theme with the holiday. He had preselected a three piece scarlet suit: Scarlet blazer with a matching waist coat. The lapels were black along with the buttons and the pocket flaps. That complimented the black bowtie. Which contrasted nicely against the white button down top. He then had simple black slacks.
However when he put the blazer on, he noticed a big blotchy stain right above his right breast. It was extremely noticeable. No way to hide it. And no way to clean it without professional help which was not happening anytime soon. Ansem took a deep breath. He glanced at his clock. They had to leave in five minutes to make their reservation on time. Ansem huffed then quickly stripped out the suit. He threw on a plain black suit from his wardrobe. It was boring and plain. Reminded him a little too much of the Organization XIII cloak. At least if there were any stains they’d be well hidden. He was relieved too his white shirt was blemish free.
Ansem hastened out into the living room, just smoothing out his long hair. Riku leaned against the couch once again trying to get his silly device to work. Ansem refrained from making any comments since Riku had actually dressed up nice. He wore a white button down shirt with puffed long sleeves that cuffed at his wrists. Over top he wore a navy blue vest that showed off his built frame nicely. Black slacks and black dress shoes complimented the rest of the look. Ansem actually took a moment to admire how good he looked.
“You look nice.” He complimented.
“Thanks. You look… frazzled… Everything okay?” Riku replied.
Ansem huffed, “Let’s go. We’re about to be late.”
Riku shrugged as he followed Ansem out the door. They caught the train which was thankfully not late.
Predicament 3: The Restaurant
The restaurant was one fire.
Ansem couldn’t believe it. He stood stunned on the street corner watching as two fire trucks hosed down the blaze to a smolder. Several people stood outside wrapped in blankets near some ambulances. They were a little soot covered but no one appeared seriously hurt. Likely the patrons when the fire began.
“Ah man… that really sucks… I hope everyone’s okay…” Riku said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ansem barely heard what he said. All his plans were going up in smoke along with the fire. He had been quite excited for this evening and so far everything was going awry. He was so lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed Riku had walked away until the younger man had called out to him from across the street.
“Hey Ansem! Over here!”
Riku was standing in front of traditional standing noodle shop with a huge grin on his face. Ansem grimaced. He really wasn’t a fan of noodles. They were so unhealthy. Full of salt and little nutritional value. But Riku seemed really excited. And he had already got disappointed tonight by missing out on the seafood. So Ansem caved. He walked over and followed Riku under the red banners.
The noodle shop felt grimy to Ansem. Years of grease clung to all the corners and ceiling. The table was clean at least. At first, Ansem felt like they stuck out like sore thumbs being all dressed up fancy. Though a lot of clientele didn’t match vibe of the restaurant. Or perhaps that was the environment. A melting pot of salary men, students, elderly women all standing together and enjoying some hot noodles. Ansem calmed down a little, focusing on how happy Riku looked right now. He loved his smile. It was rare he got to experience it.
Riku ordered a seafood bowl with thin noodles and lots of greens. Ansem decided to indulge for once and ordered a pork bowl with thick noodles and mushrooms. The food was prepped quickly. Ansem hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the piping hot bowl was placed in front of him. It smelled incredible. Piled high, swimming in broth, spices and fat. He glanced over at Riku, catching the sparkle in his eyes. His heart swelled at the sight. He quickly looked away before Riku caught him.
They broke apart their chopsticks and dug in. Ansem could feel his arteries screaming in protest from the first salty bite. It was so comforting though. Warmth spread through every fiber of his body. He looked back over at Riku when he heard a soft moaning sound from his direction.
“Oh man this is so good!” He declared with the biggest smile.
Ansem shared his smile, “Glad to hear.”
Once their bowls were emptied, Ansem paid then they headed outside. The air still felt warm. A little on the humid side even. Perhaps this evening wasn’t a complete waste. “Riku, I was thinking we could walk back through the park. May not be warm out like this for a while.”
Riku shrugged. “Alright. Sure.”
The park was a bit bare due to winter. It was still nice getting some fresh air. There were a few couples out also enjoying the night air. Ansem walked close to Riku’s side but kept his hands in his pockets. Riku just looked around. Ansem knew who he was looking for. He didn’t say anything again. He was going to enjoy this peaceful moment with Riku. That was until they were interrupted.
Predicament 4: Weather
A crack of thunder tore through the sky. Followed by a torrential downpour of rain. Ansem stared up into the sky despondent. He just sighed. And of course, he didn’t think to bring his umbrella. The pair looked around and spotted a pavilion with a handful of other people huddled underneath it. They ran over and took shelter. Ansem let out another heavy sigh as he pushed back his sopping wet hair. Riku suddenly let out a little laugh as he flapped his drenched sleeves.
“I look like penguin and you look like a drowned husky.”
Ansem frowned. “Thank you for your astute observations Riku.”
Another couple ran in from the rain. Looking about high school age. “Ah man, talk about bad luck with the weather.” The young man said.
“Yeah! And on Valentines Day no less.” His female companion replied. “Speaking of which… I wanted to give you these earlier… but I guess better now than never.”
She fished out a small box wrapped with a red ribbon from her bag and handed it to the boy. Inside contained a few handmade chocolates. The boy’s eyes lit up from the gift. Ansem watched the exchange with a slight ache in his chest. Young love seemed so simple.
“Oh yeah its Valentine’s Day today.” Riku said quietly.
“Mmhmm…” Ansem hummed sadly.
Then it dawned on Riku. “Wait… was this… a date?”
Ansem sighed, “Well it was meant to be. Not that anything worked out right.”
Riku was quiet a moment. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that revelation. His feelings had been complicated of late. He hadn’t taken the time to process any of them yet. In this moment, he did recognize he had fun. “Well… the night’s not over yet. We could go back to the apartment, I could make us some nice tea with honey and then maybe we could watch a movie or something. Oh wait… you don’t have a TV. Maybe just a read a book then?”
Ansem looked and smiled warmly. “That sounds lovely.”
They were already wet and the storm didn’t look like it was letting up anytime soon. So, they decided to just book it for the train station. They were thoroughly soaked to the bone by the time to got back to Ansem’s place. And just for an extra bit of spite from the universe, the rain stopped once they got the building’s front door. This time though, the two of them couldn’t help but laugh. Ansem’s apartment was warm and dry. The two of them peeled out of their wet clothes which was quite the challenge.
Dressed in warm comfy clothes, Riku prepared the tea while Ansem hung their clothes up to dry. He’d take everything to the dry cleaners another day. He went over to his bookshelf and selected a book he believed Riku would enjoy. Then grabbed a large soft blanket for the two of them to share. Ansem sat down on the couch with the blanket on his lap. He also had a towel wrapped around his shoulders to help his hair dry.
Riku joined him on the couch with their cups of tea. He decided to sit right next to Ansem. He set the tea down and took the blanket off Ansem’s lap. The former heartless cocked his head curious look as Riku unfurled the blanket then wrapped it around their shoulders. He offered a small smile.
“So what are we reading?”