The Day We Changed

Chapter Twenty-Four

For the rest of the day, Francis flirts with me and buys me small gifts to show his 'affection,' as he calls it.

Honestly, it's a feeling I thought I would never deserve!

For a long time I've felt unworthy of all of these things, but now that Francis is here, right in front of me, I don't feel that way anymore. I actually feel pretty....

Amazing!

However, there is a small problem: Francis won't let me buy him anything in return!

Every time I reach out to grab an item he has his eyes on, he moves away from it quickly to focus on something else!

Ugh, it's honestly so frustrating!

"Francis, why won't you let me spoil you, too?" I finally demand of him as we leave yet another store. "It's not fair that you're doing it for me but won't let me do it for you!"

"Oh, but Arthur," Francis begins smugly, "you already are returning the favor to me!~"

I look at him with confusion, clearly not understanding his words.

"I...I am?"

"Oui!~" Francis nods excitedly, pointing to my lips as well. "You are smiling and enjoying yourself, so that's more than enough payment for me!~"

His response surprises me, but it also makes me feel good!

He focuses so much on other people's happiness, I think with awe, that he doesn't care about his own!What an odd way to live inside this cruel world....

"But...but why?" I protest without a second moment to process my words. "Don't you want to experience such affection too?"

"Well, of course I do!~" Francis replies as if it's obvious. "But I also know that you don't show your affection that way!~"

I realize now that I've been caught red-handed, and it makes me blush in embarrassment.

"Oh...."

"Oh, well I didn't mean it like that, Arthur!" Francis quickly tries to defend for himself. "I just meant that-"

"No, you're right." I smile weakly. "I'm not a very...touchy-feely person, ha, ha...."

Before I can let Francis say anything else, I point to a walkway along the Eiffel Tower.

"Let's go this way."

"Of course," Francis nods in agreement, following me closely. "This is actually the best spot to see the Tower, you know."

"Then I can't wait for you to show it to me." I tell him, smiling a little more as well.

"Me too." Francis smiles back, the two of us getting our phones out to take pictures of the Tower as well.

~~~~

Francis' P.O.V.

"And then I insulted him!" I explain to Gilbert and Antonio, the three of us video-calling on our laptops. "To his face! Ugh, I'm such a terrible person! And everything was going so well before that, too!"

"Well, it sounds like he had a good time after that, though," Gilbert points out.

"Si, so I wouldn't worry!~" Antonio agrees cheerfully. "Not everyone is touchy-feely, anyway, and I honestly think his awkwardness makes your whole dynamic even cuter!~"