sirenspull_logs | Gifts Worth Giving

Who: Frau and Teito
When: June 23rd, evening
Where: Their apartment
Summary: Teito's been hiding things for a reason - and Frau's about to find out what via awkward teenager and belated Father's Day activities.
Warnings: Frau being his usual self

It took a weekend at the Cat's Eye, nearly a week of days at the Zoo, and an unexpected few afternoons back at the cafe, but Teito had finally saved up enough to get what he wanted. Or rather, two of the things he wanted and one that he hadn’t thought of but found regardless: A plant, reminiscent of Assistant Arch-Bishop Bastien’s reincarnated form, a used jacket close in style and size of Frau’s missing one, and a tea blend from the Cat’s Eye that almost reminded him of Labrador's, where he’d been secretly working as a waiter.

Now, however, he was off training at the zoo and off work and could finally tell Frau what he’d been doing - and make good with the packages under his arm. Thus, it was with a barely contained excitement that he slipped in their apartment just before the evening sirens, a package of take home from the Cafe in hand to go along with his gifts.

“Frau? Hey, Frau! I’m home, and I brought dinner!”

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Frau stormed into the room with an irritated look on his face. Teito had been disappearing more and more often, and Frau was getting sick of it. Not like Teito didn't normally disappear, because he did, a lot, but this was beyond normal. Whenever he'd asked about it, Teito had been evasive as well. Frau was through putting up with it.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

It was his job to look after Teito, and he couldn't do that if the kid continued to disappear on him. More than that though, Frau worried. His way of showing that just wasn't very easy to understand.

Unfortunately, Teito still wasn't entirely used to people showing concern for his welfare. So seeing Frau looking so foreboding, gave him pause, for all of a moment. And then he both shifted the bag with his gifts behind him and held out the bag with the Cat's Eye Bistro emblem out for Frau to see. "...I got a job. Or well, two of them."

Shaking the bag a bit, he stepped closer and offered the bag to Frau. "I'm a camp counselor at the Zoo and a weekend waiter at this place, the Cat's Eye. It's important to me but... I didn't mean to worry you. Are you hungry?"

Frau blinked down at the bag for a moment. He knew that emblem well. It brought back both good and bad memories, and his face showed it.

"I know the owner of that place. Or, at least, the person who did own it. He left here awhile ago."

So had the girl he'd almost eaten there, but Frau was trying not to dwell on that little detail too much. He shook it off and took on a more irritated tone even though he wasn't really that angry now that he knew the reasoning.

"If that was all it was you should have just told me, stupid brat!"

"You did? I didn't realize that. But... If I told you, it wouldn't have been a surprise - and I wanted to surprise you."

The faintest hint of a flush warmed his cheeks with the admission, right before Teito yanked the bag of food towards his chest and thrust the bag from behind his back at Frau's, thumping him lightly with it. He waited just long enough for Frau's hands to catch the bag before letting go and stepping back, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot in the process.

"I...um... so I learned what this Father's Day thing was about and, well. I only remember my dad a little, and most of my memories of the Father are still scrambled... But. I think, if I had to guess, that maybe if I'd had a proper chance with one, they'd act a lot like you, so here. Um... Happy late Father's Day, Frau."

Don't expect him to look up - he's a little too embarrassed to try it right then.

((OOC: OMG Teito is way too adorable in this.))

Frau nearly dropped the bag that was shoved at him, and he had to scramble to keep it from falling. Teito didn't usually shove things at him unless it was a hard shove meant to hurt. This hadn't been. Frau blinked down at the bag for a moment before looking up at Teito, who wouldn't meet his eyes. That alone told him something. As Teito began explaining Frau's amazement increased. By the end he could only stare at Teito with his mouth hanging slightly open.

He knew how close the two of them had become, and he knew his own feelings for Teito. While he couldn't read Teito completely, he did know that they kid cared at least a little bit. Frau never would have guessed it was this much. It warmed his heart, and he smiled lightly before reaching out gently to ruffle Teito's hair. No words really needed to be said.

((OOC: Was totally giggling madly writing that one!))

That particular reaction from Frau, that open-mouthed disbelief, was more than enough to turn the slightly embarrassed tinge to Teito's cheeks into a full-fledged flush. He darted a quick glance up to the man's face, down to the bag in those familiar, strong hands, and back - and then he sidestepped and skirted around his mentor and friend.

Teito still didn't fully understand it himself, but he'd meant what he'd said not so long ago, for him. Because for him, this strange place or the world they were familiar with... this was the body that linked Frau's ghost to him.

Because this was the body that Frau used to display his a anger and his gruff concern and even his laughter - and it was because of that, that Frau was, for Teito, alive in his world.

And Teito was a better, stronger person for having this infuriating pillar of unshakable strength.

Not that he knew how to voice it. Instead, all that came out was a mumbled, "I'll get the plates set, before this goes cold. You should, ah-um, open that. But be careful! Part of it is breakable."

Figuring it was best to not question Teito about the gift, Frau let him do what he wanted, even if that was disappearing. It wasn't like Teito could really escape Frau anyway. They lived together after all. Glancing back down at the bag again, Frau moved over to the coach and perched on the edge before starting to open it.

The first thing that he pulled out floored him almost as much the fact that Teito had gotten him something. The tiny plant inside brought a gentle smile to his lips. He knew the reason why Teito had chosen it. While the plant didn't have the small glow of Bastien's spirit, it reminded him of the arch bishop. That was enough. He hadn't expected anything like this from Teito.

The next gift was more what Frau would have expected from Teito. Functional and useful. Frau could use a new jacket. Finally, the kid surprised him again with the Cat's Eye tea. Like the knowledge of Teito working there, the emblem brought back mixed feelings to Frau. As he stared down at the three items before him, he wasn't sure what to say to Teito. It was too unexpected and too amazing.

Teito was quick to busy himself with setting their places and pulling out the containers of food. He set the lids aside - just in case they didn't finish it all - then poured them both drinks. He set those in place as well, then gave up stalling and crossed back out of the kitchen to stand at the end of the couch.

His gaze was quizzical as he watched Frau, trying to figure out if the staring meant he'd gotten this holiday thing right or not, then finally reached up to scratch absently just above his other elbow. "Um... dinner's ready now. If you're hungry?" There was a slight hesitation as his uncertain gaze shifted back to the gifts. "I hope those were alright. My research showed most people give things like cards and ties or socks, but I didn't think those were very good gifts so..."

Frau decided to answer via pillow. In other words, he chucked a pillow at Teito's face. It was a very fatherly move for him. Very. Laughing softly to himself, he set the gifts aside and headed for the kitchen. On the way he reached out and gently ruffled Teito's hair. As he continued past, he finally spoke up.

"You know, sometimes you really surprise me."

Gifts Worth Giving

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