Don't Fear The Reaper

Part 3

So he is cautious.

Judging by the smell (and Tsukki didn't feel any traces of chemicals from the liquid on the flask), there was fresh water and nothing else. The glass poured by the waiter remained untouched at the same time.

It's understandable, of course. Nearly every poison was no threat to Tsukki. The virus in his blood turned everything, except from some substances into simple elements. Kentaro didn't have that advantage and taking in account that liquids suck in the system way too faster than food, disregard them was a simple precaution measure.

The restaurant wasn't something extremely luxurious. But it had style and the style suited Kentaro.

The owner, obviously, had a tender love with motorbikes. Or, to be fare, he loved to decompose them. The handles were made out of throttle sticks, the sinks in bathroom - out of the old wheels. There were smudges all over the walls like they were splattered with oil. 

There were a lot of leather as well - the seating spaces, the menus were covered in it. The smell of leather and metal make Tsukki feel like was back in the garage his dad had once, but the whole atmosphere reminded more about a private club where everyone speaks the language known only by members.

No surprise the menu had steaks made in every way possible.

"How long are you dating?"

"I'm not gonna discuss my private life with you."

While he, Ran and a couple of vampires Ran invited discussed the questions Tsukki should ask and how he should behave on the date, they created the whole biography of his non-existent girlfriend. Tsukki tried to remember everything, but there was still a chance he might slip up, so he was determined to avoid the topic as much as possible.

"I'm just trying to weight up my chances. If you're a thing for a long time, it's gonna be hard to interfere." Kentaro suddenly squinted the eyes and stared at Tsukki. "But you're here. So I will look on the bright side."

"Don't you ever do that? I have an impression, you got your way in any situation," Tsukki didn't miss a tiniest scowl, immediately brushed away by the wide smile.

"What can I say? I know how to make lemonade out of lemons. Do you?"

Tsukki felt he was scrutinized and tried to keep poker face. "Not all the time. But I like to say the glass is half full. If there's something I can do, I try to do my best."

"So why did you agree to meet up with me?"

Tsukki shifted and looked down. "I'm not really a social butterfly. So I thought maybe I should go out more, chat with some new people, make some new friends." He threw the hand at Kentaro, "And then you showed up."

"Right time, right places, huh? And why did you decide that? To go more social, I mean."

If only Tsukki could blush! But the vampire metabolism stripped him of this opportunity so he tried his best to look flustered.

"My girlfriend convinced me," he admitts, fidgeting trying to look uncomfortable. In some way it was partially true as he didn't come for this date willingly. And though Ran wasn't his boyfriend (girlfriend even less so), he definitely made a push.

"Are you so easy to bend?" The deeper tone in Kentaro's voice didn't escape Tsukki's ears. He smirks in his mind.

"Only if there's something worthy to bend for," Tsukki winks, feeling like he finally falls into a flow, where the nervousness isn't guiding every word.

The waiter brings them starters and they go on with conversation.

"So, what do you do? I kinda had a feeling you don't really belong that party."