Simple Pleasures [Shouhei/Cecil]

“Taken?  Lemonade?  You’re a real boy scout, aint’cha?” Juliet directed her playful banter towards Cecil.

“...Leave ‘im outta this.  He don’t deserve that kinda treatment,” Shouhei offered a bill of both gratuity and silence for the server.

“Anything you say, chief!” She swiftly snatched the bill and headed off.  “Be right back!”

“...So you’re ‘taken,’ are ya?” Shouhei waggled his eyebrows at Cecil with a mirthful smile.  “Please, tell me all ‘bout this friend of yours.”

It was a mercy when Shouhei got the server's attention off him, and he breathed a sigh of relief as they left-
To
Find Shouhei doing the same thing.
Suddenly he was even redder.

"Hey, come on! What happened to me not deserving that sort of treatment?" He felt a fire in his face, and a sense of embarrassment that threatened to make him shrivel up. Shoulda kept his mouth shut, shoulda kept his mouth shut...!

Indeed, Shouhei realized his hypocrisy, but figured Cecil didn’t deserve it from a server that he met for the first time.  Ultimately Jules shared a lot in common with Shouhei when it came to personality, but he wanted to joke first, as his smile grew wider when he saw Cecil blush from embarassment.

“...Nah, I’m genuinely curious.  What’s he or she like?  Got a picture?  They tease you like I do? Got any spicy stories?”

For a moment, he's managing to get back some semblance of composure back...until Shouhei finishes his sentence. "Stoooop..." Oh god, it was like being home again.
His fingers run through his hair as he smiles embarrassedly. "She..." He trailed off. "...she's just..." He flushes a little redder and starts to rub at the back of his neck, an affectionate tint to his features as a lot of tiny moments play out in his mind. "...there's just a joy she finds in all these little mundane things, a curiosity and interest in things I find so normal but are just so new to her...an affection she shows me I still don't think I ever really earned..." He smiles softly. "We'd barely met, but she saw something with me after just a couple meetings and fell in love with it..." He chuckles wryly. "Something I still don't see myself now, let alone in my miserable state back then."

He stops speaking, reminiscing a little, and then frowns. "All these moments, and I...never really thought to capture any of them..."

Listening to Cecil describe his current love interest was endearing, to say the least.  Even the stupid smile and look someone gave when they were in love, Shouhei both saw and could definitely relate to those feelings.

“...Don’t worry ‘bout it, just make sure to snap a picture when she ain’t noticing.  Then show her.  They love when ya do that,” reflexively Shouhei rubbed his arm, accounting for all the times he was struck there when he did such a thing.

“...Also, she sounds like a nice lady.  Introduce us sometime, so I can see what she sees in you too,” a playful tongue stuck out of his mouth for but a moment.  “On the real, if you’re curious ‘bout that, just ask her.  Nobody’s more honest to ya than someone that loves you.”

The boy's attention turns back to Shouhei, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Something about the way you say that makes me not trust that advice." He holds for a moment, and relaxes, smiling a little. "Though...I may just do it anyway."

He gives Shouhei an embarrassed smile and glances away. "Tried that. Still don't see it. Can't find aaaanything she tried to point out to me."
"...most of what she tried to point out to me."
"...it's been a long process getting this far."

Cecil was right to ignore Shouhei’s first suggestion; but the fact that he said he might try it anyway caused Shouhei to nod quickly in approval.  However the fact that Cecil already asked his love what she saw in him showed signs of insecurity and self-doubt, traits Shouhei strongly disapproved.

“...Listen, man, if you’re gonna be all down on yourself like that all the time, ya better be lucky you have a lady like that backin’ ya up.  Just keep in mind that most ladies, let alone people, ain’t gonna stick ‘round if you’re always self-defeatin’ like that.  It don’t help nobody ‘round ya, ‘specially yourself.”

Breaking up the actual sincere moment between the two, Jules returned as she set down their drinks on top a paper coaster.  “Pint of brew for my best bud Shou, lemonade for Mr. Wholesome!”

“...Tell me, Jules, whaddaya think of guys with no confidence, guys that can’t find their own self worth,” Shouhei asked for her opinion on the matter.

“Unattractive, for starters.  Major turn-off.  Even if they were the nicest, hottest, buff ass guy, I wouldn’t wanna stick with a downer like that for too long,” Jules bluntly stated, with a grimace.

“...My point stands,” Shouhei turned his head to Cecil, as he took a sip of his beer.

Cecil...scowls, and takes a sip of his lemonade. "Yeah, yeah, I get the point. No need for that." A thought strikes him, and he snickers. "Kinda funny you say that considering how we met, though. She thought my miserable ass would be a pretty interesting art subject when I was passing by. It's been a while since then." He shrugs, smiling at the memory.

"...it's been a long time since then, anyway. I've gotten the chance to get my act together. Besides..." He raises an eyebrow. "...are you seriously telling me you know what the hell it means when you're told you're like a new moon?"

“Oh my gawsh, that’s sooooo sweet,” Juliet crooned.  She then looked to Shouhei, as they both stared at each other for a moment.

“...I dunno what the shit you bein’ a ‘new moon’ s’posed to mean exactly, but I get the intent,” he finished their collective thoughts out loud, turning his attention back to Cecil.  “She’s one of those creative, artsy types, yeah?  You’re inspiration to her, is what I’m gettin’ at the very least.”

"...thaaat makes sense." He feels a quiet little chuckle rise up, and soon, it breaks out into a laugh. "I should've guessed, I really should've!"

“Yeah, you stupid boys should listen when us women are talkin’ to ya,” Juliet was glaring mostly at Shouhei when she said so, and not necessarily accusing Cecil.

“...What?  This ‘cause I haven’t sung for you yet?  Get over it Jules,” Shouhei rolled his eyes at her and continued, “Or come to the host club.  You know where it’s at.  Pay for my service, like I do for you here.”

“But I don’t wanna,” whined Juliet as she stamped a foot, “Besides, you come here all the time, just sing for me please?  I’ve heard all about it, but never actually heard it.”

“Hey!  Jules!  Quit yappin’ and get this order out!” One of the chefs angrily barked, his voice thundering over the rest of the loud crowd.

“On it boss!” She yelped back, darting off like a lizard.

Juliet's interruption was met with a bemused look that questioned what he'd done, before he followed her gaze and realised the remark was directed toward Shouhei.
Undeservedly so, it seemed to him. Even if she wanted him to sing, he was under no obligation to actually do so.

Snickering as she shot off, Cecil takes another sip of his lemonade. "How longs she been trying to do that for?"

“...Ever since the first time I came here with my coworkers at the host club,” Shouhei answered as he scratched the back of his head.  “They told her I get clients by singin’ and dancin’ for them, and Jules ate it up.  Now anytime I show up here, and she’s usually workin’, she always gets ‘round to askin’ me to sing.  I gotta admire her persistence, at the very least.  One’a these days I’ll be so shitfaced she’ll weasel it outta me without paying.”

Cecil grins. "I don't know. A lot of people would see this as an opportunity." He chuckles. "Coax out a drink or three, and give your worst, most drunken performance."

A look of both realization and shock came to Shouhei upon hearing what Cecil said, until it formed into a devilish grin.  “...Haha, I never thought of it that way.  Maybe I’ll do it on a bad day, let off some steam.  Ya don’t seem like the devious type though, Cecil… guess I gotta be more careful ‘round you.”