Sighing with relief, Ash turned his attention to the other part of the table. Faysal’s sister–Jessica, he’d heard the blond call her moments previous–and Masako animatedly whispered back and forth, the younger of the two trying to subtly show something on her phone until Faysal glared at her. Accidentally catching the eye of a patron staring in their direction, he glowered back until they looked away. Ash craned his head, watching the other diners until the edge of his dress shoe caught the edge of the blond’s when he moved it.

An uneasy feeling crossed his mind. Ash jerked his foot back, hooking it around a leg of his chair. The realization of how close he was to Faysal sent a shiver down up his spine. He could hear him shift in his seat and feel their arms touch when either of them moved. Ash propped his head up on his hand, refusing to look at Faysal even when he could spot the other man watching him. It doesn’t matter, ignore it.

Peering past Kei’s head to observe a man sitting a few tables away, Ash frowned. He looked familiar, though Ash couldn’t remember a time he’d ever seen him. When the same prickling feeling returned, he tore his gaze away to see Faysal looking at him with the same unconcealed curiosity that seemed to be a hallmark of his. It baffled him that someone, especially Masako, hadn’t remarked on it with how blatant the blond was in his staring, but between the teenagers chatting amicably and the other three adults entrenched in their conversation, he wondered if they just hadn’t noticed.

Why does he keep looking at me? Uncertain how he should take it, Ash pressed his fingertips into his cheek. He didn’t want to dwell on the thought, but with how fast his heart raced every time he noticed, it made it difficult to ignore. Pointedly turning his face toward the large windows overlooking the city, he resented the flush that crept its way up his skin. It felt like his attention could only focus on the other man. Stop it.

Finding the man he’d recognized, Ash dug into his memory. He didn’t look like a friend, nor another agent. Dressed in tailored, navy suit, he thought it should be criminal for someone to naturally look that remarkable-

What the fuck is wrong with me?! Finding himself looking at Faysal instead of the person he was trying to puzzle out, Ash closed his eyes and pressed his closed fist against his mouth. Opening them when Faysal laughed at a joke Naoki made, Ash bit his lip. I’m better than this. I’m trained to focus on a battlefield.

Or not. All it took was a small, almost shy smile from Faysal to send him spiraling, even more questions piling up in his melting mind. Ash wanted to laugh. Unable to focus for more then a moment, so thoroughly distracted by his thoughts about how hot the room felt, he startled when their lovely server leaned in between them. She placed a delectable fillet in front of him.

Ash blinked.

He didn’t order anything.

Ash knew he hadn’t. As flustered and flighty as he felt, it was impossible for him to have ordered when he didn’t even know what was on the menu. A glance around the table showed a look of surprise crossing Kei’s face before she settled it back into a polite smile as she listened to her husband speak. Jessica, as sweet as she seemed, was an unlikely culprit, and her father even less likely when the expression on his face showed a mix of confusion and annoyance.

It only left one option.

Ash leveled a questioning look at Faysal.

Faysal leaned over enough to whisper to him, his mouth painfully close to his ear. The soft, woody smell punctuated with something floral of his cologne was far more pleasant than Ash wanted to admit, his breath catching in his throat. “I really hope I didn’t overstep, but… it didn’t feel right that you weren’t going to eat.”

Ash stared down at his plate. Nothing could change the fact that his voice gave him pleasant chills or that he could feel goosebumps popping up from the sensation of his breath against his neck. He contemplated not answering, chewing on the inside of his cheek. A rumble in his stomach betraying him, he sighed. Faysal’s glance moved downward, a quiet chuckle escaping him.

Defeated, Ash smiled. “Totally unnecessary, but… no, I… I guess not. Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. So tell me, how’d you become an agent?” Faysal turned in his seat to face him more directly, their knees bumping under the table. Ash stuffed a forkful of vegetables into his mouth, stifling his gasp. Dropping his eyes, he shrugged, futilely hoping the meal would be a sufficient distraction. Otherwise, he’d have to actually see the curiosity blazing in those beautiful eyes - the ones reflecting the reddened sunlight coming through the massive windows, turning them almost purple - and he was barely holding together the shreds of his professionalism as it was. “It must be really exciting.”

“It has its moments.” Putting the fork back in his mouth, Ash hoped the answer would satisfy whatever Faysal was looking for. He closed his eyes, savoring the bite he’d just taken; it was probably the best cut of meat he’d ever had. Upon opening them, he caught the amusement that flit across Faysal’s face. He hadn’t realized he was being watched that closely. Feeling heat build in his face, he turned it away.

“That’s fantastic, but didn’t really answer my question.”

Ash shifted uncomfortably. His career choices were always a volatile topic of discussion. Some took to the idea of them with interest, while others fled instead. Part of him didn’t really want to know which of the two the blond would be.

“I guess you could say it’s the family business. What do you do?”

Faysal’s mouth curved into a knowing smile. Ash tilted his head to look past Kei, chewing anxiously on the end of his fork; the man he’d noticed stood, and like a light turning on he realized how he recognized him.

“I work in a lab.” Hearing the excitement in the baritone voice, Ash nodded. Trying to follow the explanation of how Faysal went to school for chemistry and the study he’d helped conduct–something about utilizing a chemical he couldn’t pronounce in the treatment of a disease he also couldn’t pronounce–Ash jerked his head when he realized the man, a suspect in one of Isao’s cases, had vanished, nowhere to be seen.

“Uh, Zenz-san…” Lamenting the loss, Ash fidgeted with his fork. He really didn’t understand what Faysal was talking about, and as much as he enjoyed listening to him talk, his confusion was only growing. “I… ah…”

“Faysal-kun, why don’t you ever tell us about your work? At least I know what you’re talking about,” Masako whined. Faysal paused, his tangent interrupted. Ash couldn’t handle how cute the pouty expression he had was. “Look, Agent Toyama is completely lost.”

“It’s fine,” Ash insisted, “I-”

“Suzuki Masako.” With only two words, Masako wilted in her seat from her father’s scolding.

Clearing his throat, Ash gave them a brittle, uncomfortable smile. When can I go home?

To move past the awkward silence that fell over the table, Faysal nudged him. “Did you watch that spy flick that came out last week?” he asked.

“I live it. I don’t need to watch it, too.” Ash groaned. Faysal looked way too delighted at the prospect, his face brightening.

Jessica laughed, leaning closer to them. “Isn’t it the sequel to the movie we watched the other night?”

“Yes.” Faysal’s voice took on an almost disapproving tone. Ash’s eyes went wide. He suspected he had just gotten caught in the middle of something between the siblings. “I still say that car chase was vital to the story.”

“Oniisan, you’re just saying that because you liked the explosion at the end,” the teenager sighed, her voice fondly exasperated. “Hikaru could’ve gotten away if she’d just taken the shortcut her master tried to lead her to-”

Listening to them debate good-naturedly with each other, Ash sank a bit lower in his seat. Thankful for the reprieve, he resisted the urge to thank her for interrupting, staring out the windows at the darkening sky. His brain felt melted, every minute he spent sitting next to the blond chipping away at his focus as he struggled to concentrate on the family sitting across from them.

Kei spoke at length with Masako about her classes, the teenager going on about her art class, and some of the feedback her teacher had given her. Ash perked up when Masako demanded Faysal’s attention, their conversation diverting. Faysal’s disapproving look turned to a frustrated one, his mouth twisting into a frown until the dark-haired girl spit out, “Are you or ojisan coming to the opening party?”

Faysal leaned forward, looking past Ash to peer at his father. Alexander shook his head with a regretful smile. “I wish I could, but I have a prior engagement. Faysal told me he’d attend when we discussed it last week.”

“I’ll be there. I couldn’t miss Masa-chan’s first gallery debut, after all.”

Ash tilted his head. …Debut?

“Hasn’t she shown you?” Seeing Ash’s confusion, Faysal elaborated further, sounding so proud of the young woman that he nearly beamed. “She’s an artist! They got some of her work into a local gallery for her first showing. She’s good.”

“Stop, I’m really not. I’m only a beginner.” Masako’s voice trembled, color blooming on her cheeks. Ash held in a laugh, feeling guilty for finding it funny. He’d never seen her flustered and embarrassed. It was a refreshing change from the image of the carefully crafted, pristine young woman that she projected when around her peers.

“Will he be there?” Faysal asked, looking toward Ash.

Masako scowled. Both of her parents nodded. “Considering the press, we didn’t want to risk relying on the lesser security for her safety,” her father explained.

Masako bristled, her anger barely concealed. Ash watched the conversation with interest. They hadn’t mentioned the event to him, but listening to them talk about it, a restless feeling arose. Bowing his head, Ash struggled to hide his curiosity.

Faysal wanted to know if he’d be at the event. The implications of it made him twitchy, excitement and confusion muddying his thoughts.

“Do we really need him? It’s an art gallery. Who’d try something at an art gallery?” Masako carefully offered. Her mother silenced her with a gesture. Faysal sat back, his expression mostly unreadable until he looked at Ash with an indulgent smile, shrugging.

“Did I ever tell you about the child that saved my platoon?” Alexander asked once the stalemate ended. As dessert arrived, he thanked the server when his portion was placed in front of him. “I likely wouldn’t be alive today if not for her.”

As Alexander shared the story, Kei and Masako made appreciative noises as Naoki offered his own commentary on it. Ash twitched when Faysal nudged his knee with his own. “He shares this story every year,” the blond whispered, grinning. “I’ve probably heard it literally twenty-five times, if not more. Mom told me when I was four, I asked if I could be her friend since she saved him ‘so many times.’

Ash covered his mouth with a hand to stifle his laugh. “My dad has one of those stories from when he was a firefighter, too…”

The meandering conversation moved from one of Alexander’s desert missions to one of Naoki’s short-term rescues. Ash periodically met eyes with Faysal. He tried convincing himself that it was completely accidental, but after the third time, it became hard to do so. He couldn’t resist watching the way Faysal’s expression changed, barely feigned interest melting into bemusement with each glance.

“I’m thankful I never ran into the types of people you did, Alex,” Naoki said, “I’m not sure if I could keep my face straight if I did.”

“Old friend, if someone propositioned you like one of my soldiers did to me, I think you’d have died of shame,” Alexander teased him.

Ash snorted, taking a sip of water to hide it when Faysal caught his eye. With the corner of his mouth twitching up, Faysal rolled his eyes. It wasn’t subtle. The blond gave his father a sheepish grin as soon as Alexander caught onto his theatrics and glared at him. Ash pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, trying to resist the laughter that bubbled up his throat to destroy whatever modicum of detachment he managed to hang onto.

“That ever happen to you?” Faysal asked. His voice was so low that Ash almost missed the question, but the mischievous tone was obvious once he paid closer attention. “The way Dad talks about it, he’d be hit on every other week.”

Without missing a beat, Ash side eyed him. “Do you count?”

Whatever embarrassment Ash felt, seeing the surprise on Faysal’s face made the words worth it.

A few stories later, Alexander rose. “Well,” he remarked, motioning for Jessica to rise with him, “Thank you for the meal. It’s been a fine evening, but I need to get my little girl back home.”

Refusing the disappointment that the end of the meal brought, Ash joined them in standing. He wouldn’t look too deep at where it came from, especially as Faysal turned to him for the last time.

“It was good meeting you again. Thanks for humoring me,” Faysal said. A fluttery feeling erupted in Ash’s stomach when the blond gave him a cheerful smile. He definitely wasn’t looking at that, either. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at the opening… Hopefully it won’t be the last time.”

That statement had his insides doing all sorts of somersaults. He wants to see me again? And again? Ash bit the inside of his cheek. The sharp pain was enough to help cut off the stuttering thoughts. After he pulled himself back together, keeping his face carefully neutral, he nodded. “Thank you again for dinner.” Ash bowed. It was becoming embarrassingly common that he’d blush around the grinning man, and he hoped the heat he felt wasn’t yet another one. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Maybe we can catch up more at the gallery.” Faysal stepped to the side as Jessica pulled on his arm, nodding toward their departing father. He huffed. “I’ll see you then, Agent Toyama.”

“See you there,” Ash agreed. He didn’t know if he felt sick or excited about the prospect, only daring to look up when the blond turned his back on him to walk away.