"Fred! Simmy!" Walking around town with a basket of fruits and veggies, Michael signs worriedly despite knowing that the two are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Walking around town in search of his friends while Mark and Tyron have stayed behind to help Vincent with a commission, Michael goes ahead to look in every corner imaginable for a human to be in and even the ones that aren't, due to Simon's rather small size.
Signing as he stands up from checking under a bench, which he has no clue why he is even checking it in the first place, they are not playing hide and seek, Michael straightens up with a pout. "Where could they have gone?"
"Looking for someone?"
"Eh?" Turning back to meet eyes with a red-eyed boy crossing his arms, Michael nods lightly as he turns to properly greet the boy that looks his age. "Yes, actually... have you seen a blond and a brunette running around with baskets of food by any chance? They are around my age, with the blond a head taller and the brunette a few inches shorter than me...."
"Hmm... can't say that I do." Eating a cupcake as he thinks back to see if he's seen any, the boy shakes his head after a bit. "Though, would you like some help searching?"
"Can you?! Thank you!" smiling and taking a hand out to shake the taller boy's, Michael beams at the boy, who quickly looks away. "I'm Michael, by the way! You?"
"Mason." Looking back with his face straight yet unthreatening in any way, Mason takes the hand and shakes it lightly.
"Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you...." Glancing away for a little bit before looking back with a light sign, Mason continues without letting go of that hand. "Now, shall we go find your friends?"
"Mhm!" trying to take his hand back before pausing when the grip gets stronger, Michael lightly tilts his head in confusion. "Mason?"
"The street is busy and easy to get lost. We wouldn't want to separate before we find your friends, now do we?" smirking lightly, Mason lightly intertwines their fingers and raises them up for both of them to see. "Just in case."
Hearing light heartbeats in his chest, Michael shakes his head to ignore the sudden nervous feelings. Giving Mason a nod before walking off with their hand in hand, Michael smiles back happily. "Mhm! Let's go!"
Looking around and walking aimlessly for the two persons that might just be chatting somewhere and forgetting their surroundings once more, Michael signs lightly as he stops in front of a tea house with his stomach rumbling lightly. "Where are they...?"
"Hungry? Should we get something to eat before we continue the search?" asks lightly and motions towards the tea house, Mason gives Michael's hand a light tug. "I brought that cupcake I was eating earlier here if you want some yourself."
"But Papa only gave me this much money for the groceries...." Pouting lightly with a sign, Michael shakes his head as he gives Mason a light smile. "I am hungry, but I'll be fine! Let's just go find them so we can go home!"
"Who said anything about money?"
"Eh?"
"I said, who said anything about money?" Giving Michael a light smirk and a pat on the head, Mason leads him by the hand into the shop before leaning against the counter and ringing the bell. "Stella! Orion!"
"Ah, Mason!" walking in from the back kitchen, a girl, presumably Stella, walks over with a smile. "Didn't expect you to come twice a day! What's up?"
Looking down at Michael, who is staring at him with wide eyes, Mason shrugs lightly before pointing at the food on display. "Anything you want?"
"Umm... just a cupcake... please."
"Three cupcakes. I'll pay." Placed the money down on the table while a bewildered Stella takes it with the face that says 'I need answers' and places the cupcakes on the table when a glare from Mason screams 'mind your own business. Mason hands them over to a surprised Michael. "Here."
"B- but I only asked for one...?" tilting his head lightly but taking them nonetheless, Michael asks with both curiosity and confusion, to which Mason answers with a scoff. "Cause you seem to like it. Don't think I didn't notice the shine in your eyes when I mentioned cupcakes."
"I- there was?!" having not noticed that at all, but would completely explain how his siblings and friends, and even Papa Vincent knew whenever he wanted to eat the cupcakes on display, Michael lightly rubs his cheeks with a sign before stuffing a cupcake in his mouth. "Thank you..."
"No problem."
Making eye contact with Orion, who is only peeking out from behind the curtain, Stella's eyes are shining in amusement before she leans on her side of the counter to take a better look at Michael. "Say, you? What's your name?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'm Michael! You?" Smiling over with a small crumb on his cheek, Michael looks over happily as Stella gives a happy smile back in return as well. "I'm Stella! And the one over there is Onion!"
"Onion?"
"My name is Orion, Stella!" pouting lightly as he walks out from behind the curtains, Orion signs lightly before smiling over at Michael with a light nod. "Hello, new friend! The name is Orion!"
"Greetings, Orion! Stella!" smiling, happy to have met new people that seem nice and are not on the list of people he needs to murder, Michael and Orion share a smile before his chin gets turned towards Mason, who lightly runs a hand past the bottom of his lips and licks the finger with finger tongue.
"E- eh?"
"You've got crumbs on your face, Cupcake." Giving him a light yet teasing smirk as Stella watches with the expression 'are you serious?', Mason lightly pats the embarrassed boy on the head before taking him by the hand once more. "Let's go find your friends now, shall we?"
"Oh, yeah... right...." Stumbling over his words for a little bit before shaking his head and wondering why he is even embarrassed in the first place, Michael calms down before giving the boy a sweet smile and starts leading the boy out, waving back at Stella and Orion as they make their way out of the door. "Bye-bye, you two!"
"See you around, Mikey!"
"Bye-bye, Mike!"
"I have never seen Mason like that before...." Looking at the door in surprise, Orion turns to Stella, who just shakes her head with a smile tucking on her lips, bringing Orion into a hug. "Mhm. But then again, that Michael seems like a literal bean. I wouldn't be surprised that Mason ended up with him one bit."
"W- what do you mean?" Hugging back with a slight flush on his cheeks, Orion asks lightly while being thankful that no one had walked in through the door. Laughing lightly, Stella answers as she lets the boy go.
"It seems like our boy might have just gained a sudden yet not-so-subtle crush on that bean we just met."
//
"Frederick! Simon!" still looking around town with their hands once again back to being intertwined, this time initiated by Michael since he completely believed what Mason told him before, Michael pauses lightly once sporting an oh-so-familiar strawberry getting pinned against the wall by the blond trying to get his food back. Signing with a shake of his head, Michael quickly makes his way over, with Mason staring boredly as he follows behind.
"Frederick, Simon. What are you two doing?"
"Ah- Mike...."
"My M!" Releasing Simon after successfully getting his pudding back, Frederick grins over happily at his friend before pausing at the new boy and their intertwined hands. "My M.... Who is that?"
"Hmm? Oh! This is Mason! He helped me find you guys!" Michael smiles happily, glad that he has found his friends, before squeaking lightly as Frederick pulls him away from Mason.
Glaring at each other as Simon face palms on the side, Mason crosses his arms and stares over at the blond, who currently has a confused Michael behind him. "What is the matter with you?"
"Why are you two holding hands? Didn't you just meet?"
"He is preventing me from getting lost!" Chirping in from behind Frederick, Michael answers with a smile before the glaring contest between Frederick and Mason breaks as Simon walks in between them with a nod. "Hey, thanks for helping Mike. I'm Simon."
"Mason." Nodding back before looking over at Fredrick, Mason gives the two a rather boring look, mostly directedly towards Simon. "Take care of your man, please. Get him out of other people's business."
"M- my... I have no control over Frederick, Mason... We are just friends...." Signing lightly as he ignores the burn on his cheeks, Simon's response is only met with a scoff from Mason as Frederick and Michael stare at them in confusion.
"Yeah, and everyone knows that you should pin your friend against the wall and lean so close to them just to get your food back."
"I- shut up." Looking away with his own arms crossed, Simon looks to the side with another blush starting to form on his cheeks which only caused more confusion from the boy in question. Frederick asked with a light head tilt. "What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing, Fred!" Snapping lightly before bringing himself back as he turns back into a strawberry, Simon takes a deep breath. "Nothing to worry about here."
"Okay?"
As the crew decides to head back and waves Mason goodbye, Mason lightly pulls Michael back to his side as Simon and Frederick go deep into a conversation of their own. Mason, having lightly taken the brunet's hand into his own and gives it a light kiss on the back. Watching as Michael's eyes widen in surprise and as a light shade of pink starts spreading across his cheeks, Mason smirks lightly yet warmly.
"Can I meet you again tomorrow? Just to hang out one on one?"
Not sure why there is a heat spreading across his cheeks, Michael stares at Mason in surprise for a little bit before nodding lightly and agreeing to the terms.
"O- okay.... See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."