i do? - kiribaku

2. Hey, Girlfriend

"If a hot chick tried to pick me up, would you fight for me?"

"Only the normal amount before eventually conceded to the obvious chemistry between you two." Eijirou already hates this venue - it's huge and too expensive and paid for handsomely by the Nijimura's and exactly the opposite of what Eijirou would want, had he any choice in the matter. But no, it's barely his party to hold. In fact, he's more of a side character at this event than he is the man of the hour.

"Wouldn't that look strange, though? Letting your wife run off with a sexy stranger?" Kiyana should probably not be eating all the hors d'oeuvres before the guests even get here, but such doesn't really seem to be her concern as she sticks yet another cheese cube in her mouth.

"Wouldn't it look strange that my straight wife is being wooed by a hot chick?"

"Touché." Her French is terrible, absolutely abysmal. He doesn't know how she managed to pronounce the one French word universally known by everyone everywhere, but she's once again managed to surprise him. She snorts out of the blue, "Imagine liking men, holy shit."

"Hey, don't knock it 'till you've tried it," he mimes the time-out gesture at her snacking - even Kiyana Endless Appetite Nijimura could probably stand to slow down a bit or her parents are liable to blow a fuse when she doesn't actually eat during the prescribed meal time. They're big on manners, or whatever. Not that Eijirou isn't, just that...he's not that big on it.

So big that a simple get together with his friends had to turn into a full on seven-course dinner party with champagne and speeches from famous pros and food catered by Michelin star chefs. So big that a hundred other ppl who aren't even close to being friends of his have suddenly been invited to what was supposed to be a private event.

He sighs, already tired. God he hates being tired. It's so not like him. Last June he was named most personable hero by the general public for his upbeat attitude and positivity in the face or mortal peril. Or soemthing like that.

Now he feels...washed up? Is that the right word? Maybe not. His career is going better than ever, he just moved into an apartment way nicer than the one he'd been basically squatting in since he moved out, he just got engaged for fuck's sake...

So why does he feel so fucking exhausted?

"Do you need like...a Monster or soemthing? Because I can probably get you that," in the blink of an eye, Kiyana is in front of him. She looks like a goddess in her silky-white gown, strings of pearls around her neck, hair swept into a style Eijirou doesn't have a name for, jem-studded, cheeks rosy and glittering with highlighter.

He should feel extremely lucky. And he kind of does, on some level. He feels lucky that he didn't have to marry a straight girl. Not that there's anything wrong with straight girls, just that they might have some expectations of Eijirou would be incapable of catering to.

"Huh?" He belatedly processes her question.

"I said do you need a Monster? Or like a shot of espresso?" For as made up as she is, she certainly doesn't look the lady her well-to-do parents would want her to be, leaning on her hip, mouth half full with a mini-quiche. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm good, no I'm fine," he leans on the bar in his best attempt at nonchalance. People will be arriving any minute, he can't be looking like he's not enjoying himself - his future in-laws and consequently his mother would have a collective stroke. After all, appearances are what's most important, right? "I'm just a little tired from..."

From? His mind can't conjure a single thing he did today other than drive here, and that only took twenty minutes.

"From sleeping until noon and getting your hair done?" Kiyana jests, far too perky considering they're about to be subjected to hours of socialization that, frankly, he's fairly sure neither of them want to do. Despite being raised as a public figure, Kiyana herself is far too eager to get out of the spot light whenever physically possible. He must not answer fast enough, for she takes his silence as a negative. "I'm fuckin' with you. All this appearance-keeping bullshit gets old after a while."