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[shoelicking]

Oh. [ His expression makes it clear that he’s only now just realizing why she’s saying this. ]

No. I have the money. I’m sorry. [ He laughs, though it’s humorless. ] I’m still not used to it.

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_{[Quietly she shuffles over until their sides are touching, raising her treat to her mouth to take a bite. A moment later and she's chewing thoughtfully. At least she has enough manners to swallow before she speaks again.]}

It's hard to break old habits. I get it.

[shoelicking]

[ Tsurugi, however, has no such manners, and is content to talk with a mouth full of food. ]

You’re really sweet, Diva-chan. ♥

[ It’s only after his mouth is covered in excess strawberry sauce that he bothers to wipe it away — with his sleeve, because really, what even are napkins? ]

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<sub>[Again she's taken aback, just a little, by his behaviour. She's used to being the more messy party, not the one with better manners. As he wipes away the sticky sauce with his sleeve she can't help but look at the few napkins that had been handed to her by the person manning the crepe stand.

Hm.

He's missed a spot on his cheek and she decides to do something about it, reaching up to wipe it away using one of her napkins.]</sub>

You should use this, okay?

[shoelicking]

[ The touch is tender in a way that Tsurugi doesn’t expect, and he tenses for a moment. When he relaxes, it’s with a soft smile, sad in its own way. There’s something nice about having someone fuss over him; without Yumi or Jun, there’s no one to attempt to make him act decent, so he’s seen no reason to bother.

He doesn’t let the sadness linger, instead falling back on the same joke he always makes whenever he’s called out for acting like a child. ]

Sorry, sorry. I was raised badly. [ The smile that comes with that is much brighter, undetectably fake. ]

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Me too.

_{[Carefully she places the napkin in his palm so he can use it again in the near future. There's a small sigh out of her as she leans back against the bench, kicking her feet in the air.]}

Manners are hard and so is being not messy. I'm messy a lot of the time, but I've been trying to be a little less.

[shoelicking]

You are? [ It’s hard to picture with how Diva looks. He’s been in her room — it’s practically pristine by his standards. ]

You always look so elegant though...

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_{[That gets a laugh out of her, legs falling back down to dangle over the edge of the bench.]}

Adrian makes sure I keep my room tidy, otherwise I wouldn't. I had to learn how to be a Lady.

[shoelicking]

[ Tsurugi grins at that, playfully bumping against her side. ]

My room was clean for a month when Mahiru-kun was here to clean it. [ The only time his living space had been clean in years, actually. ]

I think manners are dumb anyway. As long as I can still walk through it, why does it matter? Ah, but I guess it’d be better to take girls back to if I cleaned up a little... ha.

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They may be stupid but they're useful to have.

_{[Manners, that is.]}

Don't you want to take me back sometime?

_{[Clean your room.]}

[shoelicking]

Your bed is a lot more comfortable...

[ It’s a better excuse than the truth: having people visit gives him way too much anxiety.

Besides, never having company means he can continue his hoarding lifestyle in peace. ]

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Well it is pretty comfy...

_{[More than just comfy it's beyond decadent. A few more bites are taken as she sits quietly, enjoying simply being outside.]}

We could be completely alone though.

[shoelicking]

[ Tsurugi gasps playfully, putting a hand to his chest in fake shock. ]

Diva-chan, don’t tell me — you just want to get in my bedroom? I thought we had so much more than that.

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We do!

_{[Okay he's teasing and making fun of her, sure, but still! Let her live Tsurugi!]}

I'm just curious.

[shoelicking]

[ It’s endearing that she replies earnestly, and Tsurugi smiles warmly at her. ]

Cute, cute...

[ After an exhale of air that’s almost a sigh, he finishes his dessert. It’s not as if showing her where he lives means she’ll live with him — on the contrary, he’s pretty sure living with her is something he’ll never have to worry about. She’s happy where she is, and he’s not worth upending that for. ]

Do you really want to see?

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_{[She won't be living with him, if only because of how attached she is to Adrian. Not to mention he spoils her rotten.]}

Mm, I do. But it doesn't have to be now. _{[The last bit of her crepe is stuffed past her lips.]} When you've made things tidy you can invite me over.

[shoelicking]

Haha, I’ll keep that in mind~

[ Actively cleaning his room is another story. ]

Was it good? [ He takes what trash there is and throws it in the direction of a trash can — his aim is practically supernatural, so he sinks the shot with ease. Years of weapon training pays off sometimes.

Free of the crepe wrappers, he can easily take advantage of their closeness, and wraps an arm around her shoulders. ]

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Yeah! It was pretty yummy. Thanks Tsurugi.

_{[A sort of calmness takes over her as she finds his arm around her shoulders. He's warm and it's cozy to be tucked against someone like this. There isn't much going on in her head as the two of them sit. She's simply enjoying the scenery and the comfort another person's company can bring.]}

[shoelicking]

Haha! You’re welcome.

[ He’s not sure why she’s thanking him considering how he got the food, but he’ll take it. ]

One day I’ll take you on a nice date.

[ He rests his cheek on the top of her head, closing his eyes. He’s always liked sitting outside; it beat being stuck in a basement anyway. ]

Oh, I was thinking...

We haven’t named them. Ah, unless you have already...

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I haven't.

_{[The weight of his cheek pressed atop her head makes her feel even more snug. He might not think this is a nice date but she's enjoying herself. Simple doesn't necessarily mean bad.]}

They'll be girls though, so they need cute names.

[shoelicking]

Girls... [ She’d told him such before, but it is still hard to actually imagine. He’d always assumed he’d die way before having kids would ever come up. Sure, Jun had one, but that had been different — Jun actually made sense as a parent. ]

Did you have anything in mind? I’ve... never even thought about names before this.

[colorature]

Hmm...I was thinking maybe musical names would be cute? Like Arietta or Melody. I like French names too.

_{[Someone's bias is showing.]}

[shoelicking]

Musical names? Ah, that's really cute! Then you'd match! ♥

[ It makes sense for a mother to match her children, the sort of connection that Tsurugi would have killed to have. ]

I like that a lot.

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Do you?

_{[She's delighted, putting it simply, that he agrees with her. Even so, she's curious as to what he might offer up as a suggestion.]}

What about you, Tsurugi? Is there a name you like that you would want?

[shoelicking]

Yeah! ♥

[ A name that he'd want -- it's a baffling concept to him, even now. ]

I've... never really thought about it. I don't think I'd be very good at coming up with names. I barely have one myself, ha ha!