16.

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I stare blankly at the menu, unsure how I ended up here. This isn't the type of restaurant I'd normally end up at, I'm used to the much more casual (and cheap) take out from around the corner. Everything about this place screams money. The waitress herself, hair elegantly pulled back, appropriate length black pencil skirt, pressed white blouse, nothing out of place. Everything's put together. The table too. I'm much more used to the plastic cutlery and the mismatched silverware at home, not the wooden chopsticks engraved with various floral patterns, placed carefully on its porcelain rest, each matching the chopsticks pattern. The glasses, actual glass for once, never below the halfway mark, ensured by the perfectly placed waitress.

All of this makes me feel perfectly out of place. I look down at my messy weekend look, bleach stained oversized t-shirt and skinny jeans, along with my worn down sneakers, which are starting to look more brown than the original white. Even my hair, which starkly contrasts that of the waitress. (H/c) fly aways, I attempted to tuck behind my ear stick out of my lose pony tail, making me look even messier. Tooru. He never looks out of place, his smooth voice and charming looks make sure of that. He came looking only slightly better than me, stylish as usual of course, but still casual. He ensured me I looked great, but the faces of the other well dressed patrons tell me otherwise. No one says anything I assume because of my association with the good looking man to my right, and the little boy to my left. I resist my over active imagination, which begs me to read their minds, just to create some horrible insults I picture them saying. I decide not to indulge my subconscious, and instead to focus on deciding what to eat. The perfect waitress is starting to become impatient after we sent her away for the second time because of my indecisiveness.

"Need some help?" Tooru asks, sitting up straighter so he can meet my eyes over the tall menu. I give him a slight shake of the head as he exhales deeply, I guess he's starting to get impatient too.

"Why don't you just let me choose for you?" He suggests a little too eagerly. I imagine the most elaborate and expensive option on the menu, knowing I'll end up eating something of that nature if he gets his way.

"I'll just get a small tuna roll," I tell him, eyeballing the lower price. My eyes move to the extensive children's menu, and instead decide Seiji will just have to share with me.

"So you're finally ready then?" Tooru asks, as I sense a smile creeping across his face. I nod, closing the menu and setting it in front of me. As I look up to him, my suspicion is proven, a handsome smile sits upon his slightly chapped lips, as his brown eyes stare into my (e/c) ones, looking for something. I've come to realize he relies a lot on that careful eye contact of his, I don't understand what, but he's always looking into my eyes for something, confirmation? I couldn't tell you, but I know he finds it almost every time, based solely off how much more his smile seems to lift afterwards.

The waitress steps over to our table, her manicured nails jotting down our order in her little black book, her eyes lingering on Tooru's face, and falling somewhat unhappily upon Seiji and me. I've come to tune out these looks, realizing they're going to happen no matter what, just by association with someone like Tooru. The golden boy everyone wants, when they realize they can't have him, it becomes my fault. Sometimes I allow myself to say it's my overactive imagination, but I know that's not completely true, or at least not as true as I'd want it to be.

"So do you have work tomorrow?" Tooru asks once the waitress leaves.

I nod, shifting in my seat, "I'm working my second job tomorrow," I sigh, "It's only a single shift though so I guess that's good."

"Woah," he pauses, "You know, I sometimes forget you work so much. Makes me feel kinda lazy," he laughs softly, "I admire that about you. You seem to be able to do everything. But I have no idea how."

I shake my head, embarrassed "I don't even do that much, really," I laugh, "And either way I don't really have another option."

He pauses, his face shifting slightly before returning to its normal smile. I know he resents I have so much responsibility, blaming himself, thinking there's something he has to do to fix it. But what he fails to realize is where I'd be without the responsibility. Spiraling downwards.

Flashback
"I don't know what we're going to do," I murmur, rubbing my hand over my swollen stomach. My t-shirt lays next to me on the floor, sweat stained and stale, much like the bra which is beginning to stick to my back. The AC is broke again, and the electricity went with it this time, I forgot to pay the bill again. I shrug it off, staring out the open window facing the busy road below us. Cars whiz by along with people crowding the sidewalk, pushing past one another as they race to the subway at the end of the block.
"I've got to get this whole life thing figured out for you," I say aloud, as sweat trickles down my forehead.
End of flashback

"(Y/N)?" Tooru asks, knocking me out of my trance, as my fingers brush over my now flat stomach, and my eyes turn up to the brunette toddler doodling on his kids menu.

"Hmm?" I hum, as I turn to face him.

"Are you alright?" He asks, his eyebrows raised in concern.

"Yeah I'm fine," I smile, grateful to be tugged from those memories which seem to creep up when I least expect them.

A/N: Omg yes I'm finally getting back into the groove of how I liked writing this book!! And super sorry! I thought I already posted this chapter a couple days ago when I wrote it!

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