21 QUESTIONS | NAEGAMI

Chapter Three: Coffee

They've arrived at the coffee shop and Byakuya has placed their bags near a table of his choice... one by the window. He won't admit it, but he likes to see what's outside. It makes him feel almost peaceful, relaxed. It makes him feel calm.

"What kind of coffee do you want?"

Togami looks up and takes a moment to scan the menu on the back wall. There are a lot of different types. Damn, he's never had anything special like this... his father would never allow him. That, of course, is because his father believes that fancy coffee is for 'the gays,' or at least that's what he would say any time Byakuya asked for some.

Byakuya tells Makoto, who nods. When they reach the register, he smiles kindly at the blonde girl with a lesbian pride pin on her apron.

"What can I get for you?" She grins softly.

"Um, he'll take an iced venti white chocolate mocha with caramel drizzle and vanilla sweet cream! I'll um, also have a cinnamon roll frappucino with whipped cream!~"

She smiles, but in her sky blue eyes, you can see her slowly dying inside as yet another customer asks for such an extremely complicated order. She's realizing that she's become a husk of the person she once was- oh, right, this is a naegami fic.

They sit across from each other at the table.

Togami stares down at the drink, amazed. His ice blue eyes are almost wide. He's never gotten to drink one of these, his father always said they were for f... A word Togami would rather not repeat. To be presented the opportunity... He's absolutely amazed.

"Are you gonna drink it?" Makoto giggles.

"Yeah, just..." He cuts himself off, picking up the drink and taking a small sip.

A smile spreads across his face.

"That's... Really good, actually."

"Hehe! You're acting like you've never had it before!"

"Well..."

Makoto raises an eyebrow, wondering if he said something wrong.

"My d... Never mind." He stares off into the window, swallowing hard.

Makoto, seeing that Togami is looking away, sinks down into his booth, eyebrows curving. Unfortunately, spending time with people always gives him the fear that he's doing or saying something wrong. With someone as proper and distant as Togami, his anxiety is pestering him more than an impatient child in the backseat. He takes a sip of his drink, hoping that the sugar will make him happier, even if only temporarily- and it does.

"Well, if this is your first time... I hope it feels special." Naegi smiles innocently, a soft gleam in his eyes.

"You're sweet," Byakuya pauses momentarily to sip his drink. "I suppose so, at least."

Despite the distance the blonde had provided in his compliment, Makoto still feels some joy rushing through him. He just got complimented by the Byakuya Togami, the heir to the Togami conglomerate. He never thought somebody as high up and important as Byakuya would even talk to him.

"Hey, I wanna get to know you better," Makoto is smiling brightly, and some whipped cream has gotten on his chin, most likely because he's been swooping some up with the straw to eat. "Let's play a game!"

"A game? What are you, a child?" If Togami seemed positive or warm in any way a few moments ago, it's gone now. It's as if a cold breeze is shooting from his perfect lips as he speaks, everything about the interaction becoming distant. He appears disgusted as he speaks, as if it's a purely frivolous idea for Naegi to have proposed.

"Umm, yeah! A game!"

"I'll humor this idea momentarily," Finally, Byakuya looks Makoto in the eyes. "What game did you have in mind?"

 "Twenty-one questions!"

There's a silence for just a second, and it feels as if the world has stopped turning until the heir opens his mouth to speak.

"I've never heard of it."

"Really?!"

"Never. I spent my childhood being productive, in case you haven't noticed. Of course I didn't have time for games." He dresses it up as something to brag about, though his heart is sinking in reality. As much as he's pretending to be proud of this, it always hurts him to admit that he never had time to play or mess around in his childhood- no, Togami's entire life has focused on being the best. Anything less than the absolute best, and his father would have him removed from the family. He was lucky to have won the competition, to him, being removed from the Togami Conglomerate and forced into homelessness and poverty is a fate worse than death.

"Oh... well, I get to ask you twenty-one questions and you have to answer truthfully!"

"Seriously? That's considered a game?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"Well," The heir drums his fingers on the table. "That doesn't sound too terribly childish. I'll humor you with this, I suppose."

Makoto smiles widely, once again suppressing stims.

Togami glances at his watch and sees the time.

"Oh, I'll have to be going..." He gets up immediately, grabbing his belongings. "Don't tell anybody about the coffee."

"Oh," Makoto is a little confused, but he agrees. "Goodbye, then!"

Makoto waves, but Togami is already out the door, sprinting to the book store across the street- most likely as a cover... his father can't know about the coffee. Sadly, Makoto sighs and grabs his things as well, deciding it's most likely in his best interest to make his way home, too. He's already paid, so he simply heads out the door.

He doesn't have a car or anything, so he begins to walk home in the dark, hands shaking as his anxiety overwhelms him. He tries to think of the positives, just for the sake of distracting himself. He's going to get to know Togami better, perhaps even befriend him! That makes him smile despite his fear. Yeah, today was a good day... and this part of town is too nice for him to get hurt, right?

On that positive note, Naegi smiles and heads home.