Night Of The Lucky Clover [ Shouhei x Gabe rank 3]

...Was Gabe a mind reader now as well?  His perception of Shouhei was practically spot on… he didn’t even need to hear about the rumors surrounding Shouhei at the Academy to read him.  Or was Shouhei simply open like a book?  After all those rumors weren’t too far off from the mark.  

Before he could think about it any further Gabe’s sincere smile and selfless words reached him.  Taking another sip of his drink, he could feel the warmth of alcohol spreading through his system.  It could have possibly been that thing beating in his chest reacting to the kindness Gabe gave him too.

“...All right.  If you say we’re friends, then you better ask me for help too.  Anything you need, I’ll do my damnedest for ya.  Ya got that?”

"Hahaha! Of course, I'll try my hardest to do the very best that I can first before imposing on your assistance. Because trust me, once a selfless guy like me asks for help, you know it's probably serious. But at the same time, I don't like to burden people on anything. Makes you think that you can handle the weight of the world and whatnot, the liquid courage gives you such an outlook. But even me...."

Gabe swirled around the cup in his hand as he savored the smell, watching the way that it moved in his glass before giving it a sip.

"Even someone like me has their vulnerable moments. I hope that if there wever was a time you sa me at my lowest, you wouldn't think of me any differently..."

“...Why would I think any less of ya?  We all got our problems Gabe… some more than others,” Shouhei’s answer was definitely in regards to himself.  “And you’d let me know you had those kinda problems, yeah?”

He clinked his glass against Gabe’s to emphasize that point, and took another sip.

“But I hear ya on the ‘not liking to burden others with anything’ bit.  That shit’s the worst.  Alcohol or not, I wanna take on everything head on and by myself.  They’re my problems for a reason, dammit.”

"Well, on the flip side...take a look at personal problems like the butterfly effect. The problems that you have and that you are experiencing, how does it affect the people who care for you? Friends, family....once you find yourself asking that question and it does start to affect you in such a way, it is on to confide in someone. Hahaha, sounds like i should take my own advice."

They did have that in common, Gabe tried to juggle everything on his own at times. But even when he felt like it was becoming too much to handle, he couldn't bear to rely on anyone else in fear of burdening them.

For once it seemed as if Gabe had been his own mentor and guru, offering himself sage advice.  How absurd.  His words did reach Shouhei as he paused to think about it.  

“...So if that weight starts to tip a little, let someone else pick up that slack, yeah?”  Once more Shouhei chimed his glass against Gabe’s and took another drink.  “Knowin’ you, I betcha got tons of close confidants and lady friends and the like who’d be more’n willin’ to letcha lean on ‘em.”

"Just one lady friend, but lots of other friends. Or heck, I prefer to only have one lady friend when it seems to me that she'll turn out to be quite special when the days go by. I would bore you to death about how great she is, Susan is her name. But yeah, even the playboy playbook starts to run out of pages when you take a look at what really matters in this world. The secret of life Shouhei, are you ready for it? It's being able to have a genuine connection with another person. That is....that is the secret."

Or that's what he believed to be the secret.

"You'll know when it's real, and once you get that feeling, you'll know why it's important too."

“...Ain’t that the truth.  Love makes the world turn,”  A bittersweet smile slipped Shouhei’s lips as he firmly nodded.  His fingers touched and graced the charm about his necklace, a gift given to him by someone he loved and who loved him back.  Yet again he cheered for Gabe and drank some more.

“I knew it though.  You couldn’t possibly be single, or at the very least you’d have a dozen ladies at your fingertips.  But you shouldn’t leave yourself hangin’ on a thread if this Susan is that important to ya.  I bet she’d carry ya through thick and thin.”  Just like Mariko did for me.

"Ah... you are definitely right. How about another toast them?"

Gabe said as he raised his cup towards Shouhei.

"This is for the people in our lives who never Gave up on us. Do you think this is something you can toast to?"

He would have hoped so.