The Breakfast

Esper groaned, rubbing his face as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was no longer laying on the floor, instead he was nestled under a heavy pile of blankets, a thick quilt tucked tight under his chin. The pillow that cradled his head smelled sweet, but musky- Esper realized he was in Matthew’s bed.

Yawning, he raised up, smoothing out his stray hairs. He couldn't sense Matthew in the room.

Grimacing, Esper remembered their confrontation the night before. When had Matthew put him to bed?

Esper pushed his feet to the floor, feeling carpet squish between his bare toes. He groped his way across the room, gritting his teeth when he bumped into what he assumed was Matthew’s desk. A stack of books swayed intimidatingly, and Esper prayed he wouldn't make a mess.

Stumbling into the hallway and into the kitchen, Esper struggled to remember the layout of the apartment. Had the stairwell been on the left? Drywall hitting his forehead told him otherwise.

Clenching the handrail as if his life depended on it (and it likely did), Esper descended down Matthew’s troublingly steep staircase, placing one foot in front of the other with extreme caution.

The mouthwatering aroma of Matthew’s cooking hung in the air of the dining room, and Esper could sense him in Silver Moon’s kitchen.

“Matthew?” Esper said meekly, rubbing his thumbs. He had to make sure he was okay.

“Oh?” Matthew called, running to meet him with a smile, “Good morning, Esper! I didn't expect you to get up so early. I was going to walk you downstairs once I finished breakfast, but I see you found the way yourself!”

He’s acting like nothing even happened, Esper thought, perplexed by Matthew’s warm exterior. I've heard Mr. Umbra speak of his mood swings, but this is bizarre. Is he still angry with me?

“Anyways,” Matthew said, cringing at Esper’s silence, “You can sit wherever you want! When Victor and Seraph come over, we usually play waiter, but I guess you're too old for that, right?”

Esper shrugged, too flustered to argue. He fell into a chair and propped up his head with a limp hand.

Matthew rubbed Esper’s head, playfully tugging at his horns. “Breakfast should be ready in a sec. I knew you didn't like meat, so I made some Belgium Waffles with little berries inside them! You want orange juice to drink, right?”

“Yessir,” Esper said, clutching a handful of his skirt.

As Matthew returned to the kitchen, Esper sighed, rubbing his temple. He couldn't read Matthew at all- was he genuinely happy? Angry? Scared out of his mind? Esper had no idea.

“Breakfast is served!” Matthew said cheerfully, plopping a plateful of steaming waffles in front of Esper. His voice had hit a high note- almost forced.

Esper tentatively poked at his food, the twist in his stomach encouraging him not to put it in his mouth. The only noise was Matthew tapping his fingers on the screen of his phone.

“Oh, Esper, you've got to check this out. It’s this little picture of a cat, and he's wearing this cardboard box, and the caption says ‘I am now an airplane.’ Isn't that hilarious?”

Awkward, Esper nodded, his troubled expression barely changing.

Matthew frowned, wiping a drop of syrup off his lip. “Ah, I guess it's one of those things that's hard to get without seeing it. I'm sorry. Here, let me find another joke-”

“Mr. Matthew?” Esper interjected. He usually tolerated Matthew’s cat related humor, but the heaviness in his chest was making it harder.

Their bonding time last night had been a disaster, the opposite of his intentions. Especially when Matthew had been so upset with him.

“Yes, Esper?”

“Can we spend the rest of the day together?”

Matthew smacked his hands on the table, a playful, energetic gesture. Esper flinched regardless. “Yes! I was hoping you'd ask. The Cute Department is closing down today, and I didn't want to tell Umbry, since he and Aunora had a money bet on how long it would last. We can go together! I'll buy you something! Anything you want! Do you like that kawaii Asian fashion? They have a lot of that stuff there.”

Esper had no idea what that meant. He forced a smile and nodded.

Matthew waved his fork in the air, nearly Esper with syrup. “I've been meaning to ask, Esper, what's it like being blind? If you don’t mind answering, of course.”

“Over the years, I stopped thinking about things in visual images. I've even forgotten what colors look like. I think of things by their sound and their feeling and their scent, mostly.”

“What do I look like to you?”

“I can tell you're tall by your heat signature, a little taller than Umbra. You also smell very sweet, like cookies, yet distinctly masculine. Your hands feel calloused, but the way you hold and touch things is very careful and precise. Overall, you have a very pleasant air. “

Matthew rubbed his chin, arching his eyebrows in mild surprise with a small smile. “Pleasant air, you say?”

Author's Note- for the record, aunora bet that it would only last a month, while umbra said it would last longer. victor cries excessively when he learns its shutting down. seraph is glad.

RIP cute department