Bittersweet (Zombie and Rin) [18+]

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Zombie's character:

 

 

 

Name: Elliot Lamberton

Age: 26

Personality: A bit naive, rather cowardly, but awfully nice. He'll go out of his way to help someone, even if it's a stranger. After being in an abusive relationship, both physically and mentally, he finds it hard to trust people and even harder to date again. Romantic feelings seem to be buried deep in his head.

 

 

How long has it been? Since he last went out on a date, probably three years. Since he was standing by the wall, bracing himself to walk up to a guy he actually kind of liked? At least twenty minutes. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, a few roses in his right hand. This was a mistake. He shouldn't even do this. Just seven days, he reminded himself, and finally got himself to take those few steps towards a gorgeous brunet.

 

"H-Hey." Elliot's lips stretched out into a small, nervous smile. "I, err... Do you want to-... To go out with me?" The two of them knew each other - sort of. They went to college together, with several classes being for them at the same time. He definitely introduced himself... Or, well, his boyfriend introduced him to Suza. And now, he was playing a game, of some sort. Suza would date anyone, for seven days, to try them out, in a way. Elliot figured this was the perfect way to get back into the dating biz. Just seven days, and he'd most likely be free. It was a relief to think that. With a soft smile gracing his features, the blond held up the yellow roses, ones he thought to be the most innocent and therefore his favorites, and gave them to Suza. It was clear he was nervous as fuck - and awkward, too.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Rin's Character:

 

 

Name: Suzaku L'Yon.

Age: 25.

Height: 176.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

The sound of metal harshly meeting metal resounded through the almost empty halls of the university buildings. Suzaku sighed to himself, pulling his hand back from the locker. Not a good idea to ram it against its frame... Oops.

Cleaning his throat, he turned around in attempt to leave, but a voice prevented him from his current plan.

 

Emerald shining eyes fell onto a manly chest. The brunette blinked once, before he looked up towards a blonde man. Ah, he remembered him from a few classes back then in college. Also, wasn't this the guy Marcus had once introduced to him? Yeah, weren't they dating? However, to be honest, he did't remember the other's name. On top of that, it was surely everything but safe to talk to the enemy's lover. So Suzaku simply listened to the blonde in the hope of getting away soon enough, even if he wondered what the roses were for. Ah, whatever, not his business.

 

" ..to-... To go out with me? "

 

Okay, now it was business. Suzaku first didn't reply, let alone react properly. He blinked a few times, his gaze went down to the roses that were handed to him. A little taken aback, he lifted his hand and took them, before his eyes met the other's once again. So he and that bastard had stopped dating?

Yes, Suzaku took everyone, but he hadn't thought a boy like this one in front of him would also come up to him. Oh well, the world was full of surprises. It was Monday, so yesterday he had broken up with his last girlfriend, Nancy. Deleted her e-mail address and number, and he didn't answer unknown e-mails and/or calls. It was better to keep one's ex on a distance.

 

The other seemed really nervous about this; who wouldn't, though?

 

"Sure," Suzaku replied finally. A smile found its way to his lips. "Thank you for the roses, too." So, this would probably become very interesting. A new thing. Who knew what could happen? "And no need to be shy, really."

 

Just seven days.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot was ready to bolt from the scene as fast as humanly possible. Suzaku not replying really messed with him, he was sure he was about to start sweating. Thankfully, the awkward silence only lasted a few seconds, though it felt like hours. He exhaled slowly in relief, a smile forming on his face again as he heard the answer. The man chuckled a bit nervously at Suza's last words, shaking his head before offering the other his hand. "Do you have time right now? There's a really nice coffee place just a few blocks away." He smiled, pushing his other hand into the pocket of his green pants. On top of them, he was wearing a light grey T-shirt with a baby-blue button-up tied around his waist. He seemed to like pastel colors, that was for sure.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Both biology and psychology always claimed that one thought of a person fitting as soon as they were more or less the opposite of oneself. And well, Nameless was quite different from Suzaku, so the brunette didn't see a problem in at least spending time with him for this week. The biggest thing he would probably have to deal with was Marcus' sick narcissism. Not that he cared that much.

 

"Ah... I guess, I have." He adjusted the dark green college jacket he wore unbuttoned above a black tanktop along with grey trousers. Handing the roses to his right hand, he took the other's with his left one and let him lead the way. Suzaku new the city but not every restaurant or café so God knew which one the blonde meant. "Do you mind if we also exchange numbers and e-mail addresses later?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot took Suzaku's hand into his own with a rather cheery smile on his face, grasping it lightly before beginning to walk. "Oh, sure! I can give you my facebook, too, I'm usually accessible 24/7." He replied, and it was true. Along with him being an incredibly light sleeper, he often found himself simply being unable to sleep at all. Whether it was nightmares waking him up or various thoughts in his head prohibiting him from dozing off, it was often that he either didn't get any sleep at all or only got a couple of hours.

 

It didn't take them longer than fifteen minutes to reach the cafe Elliot had in mind. Opening the door for Suzaku, the man flashed another soft, warm smile. "There's free wi-fi here if you need it." He chuckled, stepping inside the cafe after Suza. Inside, the place was all warm colored, mostly various shades of brown. There were a bunch of bean bags scattered across the room next to low, wooden tables. "I really like it here." He muttered out, with his cheeks tainted a soft, rosy color. He led the two of them to a table by the window, glancing at Suza with a small smile. "I'll get the menus, gimme a moment." With that, he walked off, and returned quickly with two menus in his hands.

[♠[Rin]♠]

"I am not on Facebook," Suzaku answered. It seemed like the other was quite the nerd. Nerdy only or did he also own knowledge about hardware? Or even software? Information science at all? There must be something he didn't know. On the other side, Nameless was acting really sweet, innocent and kind-heartedly. It must be too easy to black-mail or make him shiver. Way too easy.

 

Suzaku kept the café they entered in mind while he thanked Nameless for holding open the door. They arrived at a table and the blonde was already gone to get the menues. Well, okay.

The brunette sat down and scanned his surroundings. He was used to do that, wearing the title of a Mafia Boss' son. Not that anyone was supposed to know. And the very last person who would find it out were the one he was dating. One week wasn't much; it felt like a lot of time on Monday and Tuesday, on Wednesday the excitement would once again grow, but on Thursday the mood would change. Friday would replace endless enthusiasm with worry and deep thoughts while Saturday would punch one with a fist of reality right in the face. Sunday was only a blur eventually until he would send that one message to ask for meeting, for a conversation -- to break up.

 

A sigh passed his lips, though the smile returned to him the moment Nameless came back. "Thank you very much." He laid the roses aside and took one of the menu-cards, not accidentally brushing the other's hands with his fingers. How much body contact would this guy tolerate? Suzaku had to find out.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"O-Oh." Elliot murmured out, his cheeks heating up. Now that was weird, meeting someone who didn't have facebook... That did explain why he couldn't find Suza on facebook in the first place. After all, what else he was supposed to do on those nights when he couldn't sleep other than stalk people on social media? Sure, he took care of his work, his school projects and all, but often he would already have them done. Getting to know more about people without actually having to talk to them was bliss.

 

A small shiver ran down his spine as their fingers brushed against each other while he was giving Suza the menu. He looked into his eyes, giving yet another smile. He didn't seem uncomfortable with that at all, thankfully. In general, he didn't mind touching at all - sex was what made him uncomfortable, to say the least. Sex with Marcus... It wasn't always pleasant. In general, that relationship wasn't something he'd like to repeat ever again. Sitting down in front of Suzaku, Elliot quickly looked over the menu, deciding on his favorite - as always. "What are you getting?" He asked, glancing up at the other.

[♠[Rin]♠]

That seem to somehow throw Nameless off the course. "I do have Instagram..." More for undercover-business but the blonde didn't have to know that. "To not disappoint you that much," he added as a little joke with a cheeky grin. Afterwards he looked through the menu card and bit the left side of his lower lip with a small tilt of his head. After some time, he closed the card again and put it aside for a waiter to get it. Subsequently he leaned back in the chair and waited until Nameless was done, before he spoke, "So, why do you like this café so much?" He wouldn't ask about Marcus in the first place, at least not now. Hell, he was almost afraid of killing something inside Nameless if he did.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot looked back up, grinning widely when Suza mentioned he had Instagram. "Oh, I actually think I followed you a little bit ago..." He trailed off, chuckling softly at the joke. "I doubt you'd be able to disappoint me at all." He smiled, the rosy blush lingering on his cheeks. After learning Suza's order - a blueberry muffin with a macchiato, Elliot nodded lightly and set his menu aside as well. "Well, first of all, they have this amazing strawberry shortcake, I'll give you a bite. It's incredible. Like there's a party inside your mouth. Plus... This is one of the few cafes where it's a sort of a gay safe-place." When saying the second reason, Elliot glanced away, a small smile on his face. "Besides, I love the colors. This place always plays this really soothing jazz music, so... It feels like home." He looked back at Suza, a wide smile on his face. "Do you like it here?"

[♠[Rin]♠]

"Oh, is that so?" The brunette fished his phone out of his jacket, unlocked it with his fingerprint and tapped on Instagram. There he went through the follower list until he found someone at least a little bit looking like Nameless.

 

Ah, Elliot Lamberton! Right. That was his name. "Do I need to keep up my guard, you under-cover police?" He joked, putting the phone away. He crossed his arms on the table and listened to the endless weird reasons Elliot liked this café. Oh well. At least he wasn't brainless.

 

"Cute," was Suzaku's dry comment. So he liked Jazz music? "I find it relaxing, somehow. Like, here aren't that many people." But cameras. "Do you play an instrument, Elliot?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot felt blood rushing to his cheeks again, a laugh slipping past his lips, though he didn't say anything. If it went on like this, all of his blood would end up in his cheeks. God, he was really good at embarrassing himself. At least Suza liked it here, somewhat. "Yeah, it's nice to not be in an overcrowded place." He agreed with the other. That also gave him the possibility of seeing everyone who was in the building. He always felt like Marcus was about to sneak up on him. That man would never really leave his mind, it seemed.

 

"Yep, I play the piano. I used to play the violin as a child, too, but that's long in the past." He chuckled, glancing up at the young redhead who came to take their order. Elliot ordered the strawberry shortcake he mentioned before and a vanilla smoothie. He almost always ordered the same thing here. "Do you play any instrument?" The man asked once they both had ordered, turning his attention back to Suza. He really hoped it wouldn't get too awkward.

[♠[Rin]♠]

"A blueberry muffin and a latte macchiato, please," Suzaku politely told the waiter, who took their orders and left together with the menu cards. Afterwards, the brunette's gaze went back to Elliot. He had shining blue eyes which Suzaku grew fond of minute by minute. They had owned something innocent, something pure and were full of excitement and shyness, he found.

 

"E-guitar, at least I used to in high-school. I was part of a small band," Suzaku explained, raising one of his hands to rest his chin on its palm. "Piano sounds really nice. I like the sound of it. My mother used to play the piano a lot."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

A shy smile tugged at Elliot's lips. "I'm kind of jealous. High school bands always seemed like the kind of thing I'd like to try, but no one really wanted to create a jazz band." He spoke, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the table surface. His mother never seemed pleased by his efforts, even though he'd always been an A+ student, flawless behavior, music school, no fights, no drugs, no alcohol... He was the perfect damn child, and it never seemed enough. Elliot drifted away a bit in his thoughts, looking into nothing at the side.

 

For a moment, Elliot looked like he used to be with Marcus by his side. He looked sad, almost beaten up and depressed. Thinking of his parents never did him any good.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Suzaku stared at Elliot for a bit before he used his free hand to click his finger next to the other's face. At least he thought it would wake the other up and bring him back to reality. "They would've surely liked a nerd like you." He pulled his hand back and leaned against his chair's back. "Who knows. Jazz has become quite popular lately if I am not mistaking."

 

Family did not mean much to him. It was the honour. Hell, even murder was allowed when it came to rehabilitating reputation. But Elliot didn't need to know that. It were only seven days.

 

"It will start raining outside when you keep on looking so sad. Unless you wish me to leave?" He could be the reason, too, honestly.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot flinched slightly at the fingers being snapped in front of him, glancing up at Suza with the smallest bits of confusion in his eyes. "Oh, sorry-." He smiled a bit nervously, though his heart rate sped up. Agh, he hated any kind of surprises, even small things like this made him feel uneasy. "Even if I joined a band now, I'm not in high-school anymore. That experience will never be mine." He said, overly-dramatically, a laugh slipping past his lips. He hoped to keep the atmosphere lighter.

 

"No no no no." Elliot was quick to reply, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, don't leave." He managed a smile, although he was seriously beginning to feel uncomfortable. Hell, three years had passed and he still couldn't function as a normal human being. Without realizing it, he'd begun bouncing his leg in his anxiousness. "So, uh..." Fuck, he messed this up. Looking down, Elliot looked like he was about to cry. Shit, shit, shit. He was still a fuck-up. Marcus fucked him up too much. He should never have asked Suza out. This wasn't a good idea.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Suzaku rose an eyebrow. "Okay.." Before he watched the anxiety Elliot went through. What was the problem? No matter how much Suzaku wondered, he couldn't find a plausible reason. Was it because of their freshly started relationship? Did he feel that uncomfortable?

 

The brunette reached out and took Elliot's hand into his, drawing circles with his thumb on the blonde's soft skin. "Do you like pets? Or own some?" Ah, he wasn't that good with humans, but oh well.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot nearly pulled his hand away, but realized quickly enough that it wasn't Marcus anymore. He exhaled slowly, still keeping his gaze down. "I have a cat, this tiny white Persian." He replied, focusing on his breathing for a bit to calm himself down. "I'm sorry... My last relationship didn't go so well, I'm just-... Hesitant." He muttered, finally moving his gaze up, a small smile stretching at his face. He moved his hand slightly to intertwine their fingers, squeezing Suza's hand slightly. He seemed to be calming down. People not yelling at him when he got like this was always a good thing. Unlike Marcus. That man was an asshole. It just took Elliot a bit too long to realize that.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Didn't go well? He had been with Marcus, nobody would have lasted. Not to mention what a playing sadist that bastard was.

 

"Love makes blind," Suzaku answered with a shrug. He yawned and rested his head again on his other hand. "I am huge fan of cats. Mine's name is Arthur, but I am afraid he rather likes my bed than me.." A chuckle. "Have you ever done horse riding?" It might be productive if they figured out what they both liked so they had something that would connect them.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot let out a quiet laugh, nodding slightly. "My cat's Lilly, but instead of preferring my bed over me, she just uses me as her bed all the time." He replied, with a soft look in his previously sad eyes. "Only a couple of times, my mom got me to when I was about fifteen. Wasn't really my thing." He muttered out, turning his gaze to their connected hands. He always liked holding hands with people, even if it was platonic. "Wait, did you, err... This may sounds rude, but did you ever check out my Instagram? I make clothes in my free time, have you ever tried anything like that?" He asked, the smile returning to his face again.

[♠[Rin]♠]

"I am sorry, I haven't." He barely used Instagram, to be honest. But now he was even more surprised. "You do? I have never tried that before. I mean I have sewed ripped clothes but otherwise... I am inexperienced." He gave a cheeky smile. "You can show me how to do it, though, if you like." Regarding the horse riding part, "What a shame. Lancelot would have surely loved to get to know you. But since it's not your thing, I won't force you." He wouldn't force the other to anything, really. He wanted him to feel comfortable and maybe get a reward for it, like affection. This was a game -- the question was: who liked the game and who fancied the player?

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

A cheery smile lit up on Elliot's face. "I'd love to show you sometime. I still have hopes of someday having my own fashion show, it would be so much fun." He smiled, lightly stroking the other's hand with his thumb. He only felt more comfortable at Suza's following words - he was glad that the other seemed to, at least somewhat, understand him and his, err, problems. "I'd love to come watch you sometime, though. If you'd let me, of course." The blond smiled, his eyes closing for a moment as he breathed a small sigh of relief. It didn't feel awkward anymore, but he really didn't want to mess it up anymore. Opening his eyes again, he looked at Suzaku, the soft look still in his eyes. "What else do you do?"

[♠[Rin]♠]

"Oh, a fashion show?" How gay. But no judging. "I think I'd want to see that. So you are studying something with design at this point?" He smiled. "Sure, I don't have a problem with that. But I hope it won't be boring for you." It didn't look like they had so much in common. It was more likely that what the other disliked, the other adored. Hell, it wouldn't make him wonder if they turned out to be day and night. Though, there seemed to be something that burdened both of them even though it wasn't clear yet. The difference? Elliot looked like he sought for a solution more than Suzaku.

 

"Kendo," the brunette answered. "And besides the usual training... not much. I often cook, though that is not really a hobby."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot smiled widely, nodding. "Yeah, I'm studying fashion design right now. I changed courses, at first I was studying economics... It wasn't really for me." He admitted with a light chuckle. Too many numbers, a bit too boring for him. At least with fashion design he got to draw and create. The blond glanced up, shaking his head. "I doubt it could be boring. Especially if you'd allow me to sketch you. I don't usually get chances to practice something like this. I mean, smaller animals, yeah, there's plenty of them everywhere, but horses... They're just something I don't get to draw often at all. Especially not while they're being ridden. It's gotta be way more fun that ordinary stiff poses." Elliot didn't even realize that he'd begun ranting - he did that a lot about the subjects he liked.

 

"Oh, you cook? I love cooking sweet things. We should bake something together someday." The blond smiled widely, his expression soft and warm. "Hm... I love going to the beach, too. There's something calming about the sea, plus swimming feels great. I have so many sketches from the beach." He chuckled, fishing out his phone from his pocket. "Do you wanna see some of them?"

[♠[Rin]♠]

Suzaku quietly listened to Elliot's rant. He himself was more of a silent person but that was due to different reasons. Additionally, he didn't interrupt the other. That would be impolite. "I see.. Lancelot isn't easy to scare so you'll surely be able to draw him. You just need to tell me what to do exactly. I am not a good poser, I've never done that." A giggle. His Instagram was also only full of training selfies, sports photos and cat photos.

 

"Sure, I'd love to. I have time," he assured, before commenting on the beach part. "I love swimming, it's relaxing. We can do that for sure. The best would be if you just texted me as soon as you have time. And certainly, show them to me." He wasn't that interested in drawings but the other seemed talented so why not take a peek?

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Elliot smiled widely, nodding a few times. He was sure he'd be able to get a few good sketches. He always loved to draw people in motion. "Alright, I'll be sure to text you. Do you have a car, though? I usually just go there by bus, or if the weather is nice, by foot, sometimes I grab my bike. Do you like biking?" He asked, while opening the gallery in his phone. He didn't usually upload his drawings to Instagram, unless they were designs of clothes. And even those he uploaded very rarely. His Instagram was mostly pastel aesthetic and various clothes that he'd made. He took many artistic photos, loads of them were with flowers. He had over five hundred followers, too.

 

"There. Just keep swiping left." Elliot smiled, letting go of Suza's hand to give him his phone instead. His drawings consisted of portraits of people, although most of them were either sad or thoughtful, there were many cats, some scenery - the sea, the city streets, various buildings, and occasionally there would be drawings of everyday objects, like phones, cameras, umbrellas - all very realistically, with backgrounds and shading. It seemed that he put a lot of work into them, as they were all detailed, though rarely colored. He mostly worked with just his pencil.