Chocolate Flowers | Shinji [Finished]

He ate a little, blinking at how good the food was, compared to what he normally ate. "You don't have to...I know how to stay warm when it's cold out..." he said softly. Jae really didn't want Shinji to have to change how he lived for a night or two because of him, it would be too much trouble.

"My home is colder than any night around here, or in the forest," Shinji said before taking a sip from the wine he unthawed. "It isn't a problem to change the atmosphere. It's how I even leave my loft in the first place," he explained, a small smile on his lips that he hoped would reassure Jae.

He nodded, sighing. "...alright...if you're really okay with it," he said quietly. At least Shinji was willing to make a change or two for him. Jae appreciated that, and quite a lot, too. People never did things for him, and he figured they never would. He picked at his food more, eating a little bit even though the high quality food was starting to make him feel queasy.

"I'm alright with it," Shinji nodded in assurance. He looked over Jae, and could tell there was something wrong with the young man. "Are you alright? You don't look very well," he noted, leaning on the table again. "Is the food not good? You can get something else if you like," he suggested. He thought maybe Jae just wasn't used to food like at this restaurant. It would explain the vague look of disgust on JaeJoong's face.

He blinked, not expecting the demon's concern. "...it isn't that it's good...it's that it's too good...nothing that I'm used to..." he answered with a bit of a frown. Even though what he ate was extremely sub-par to what he was currently eating, Jae wanted nothing more than a bowl of low-grade rice noodles.

"I see," Shinji sat back up and motioned for their waiter to bring them the check. If JaeJoong didn't like the food here, they would go somewhere more comfortable for the young man. "What is it that you want to eat, we will get it before going to my loft," he said crossing one leg over the other. He personally wasn't hungry, he had barely even picked at his own food. But he thought that Jae could have something, even to eat later if not now since his home didn't contain any food in it.

"...rice noodles...if that's alright..." he said, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. He felt bad about asking for more than he was originally given, since it was expensive food. He'd barely eaten any of it, too. Jae was unused to wasting things, too, but maybe it would be used for something. He hoped.

"Of course it is," Shinji gave the waiter payment for the food when the man finally came over. "And you don't have to feel bad. The scraps left go to the owners pet dragon at the end of the night," the demon could tell Jae was feeling uncomfortable about leaving things to waste, so he hoped that he would be reassured somehow that it was fine.

He smiled a little. That he could deal with, for sure. As long as what was left over was being used, then he was alright with it. "Okay...thank you..." he murmured, standing when Shinji did, then following him to the door to leave. Jae was glad the demon was willing to get the noodles for him, and he knew it would settle the sick feeling in the bottom of his stomach.

When they got back in the car, Shinji had no idea where to go. He didn't eat the same as JaeJoong did, so he wasn't sure where to get his noodles from. "Is there a particular place you would like to get your food from?" He asked, containing the confused expression on his face.

"No, there isn't really..." he said, smiling. "I can direct you though, if you'd like..." Jae wondered if Shinji would appreciate the offer. He was really unsure about it, though. The demon did seem slightly confused, though, he could see.

"Please," Shinji was relieved with the offer. Otherwise he would have just been guessing on where to drive. He started the car and waited for instructions. "You also need to direct me to your apartment. Didn't you say you needed to get some of your things?"

Jae nodded a few times. "Yes," he answered softly. He tried his best to direct Shinji to where he stayed. He didn't know his way around very well, but he managed as well as he could. Jae frowned a bit as everything around them started to seem decayed and old, compared to where they had been.

Shinji silently followed the direction that Jae gave him. As they reached the outer part of the city, he was a little in awe. He knew the conditions of those areas was terrible, bit he'd never actually taken the time to venture there. The only time he ever saw any of it was when he sped through to go to the hills, meaning everything was nothing more than a blur. He also didn't like the idea of JaeJoong living in a place like this.

Since everything of any importance was in the center of the city, nothing at all managed to flourish very well at the edges. No stores, no nothing. His apartment building had fared well over the years, which was the only reason he could stay in it. Unlike the others, it hadn't been taken over by mold and dust, and no cracks had invaded his walls or ceilings yet. When Shinji stopped in front of the building, he excused himself for a bit, running to the door and up to the third floor.

The demon was ready to offer a helping hand to JaeJoong with his things, but the other left his car rather quickly, so he just sat there blinking for a moment. While he waited, Shinji looked around. To say that he felt out of place, could possibly be an understatement. The ice elemental had never lived in such a place. Even before his decision to move to the city, he and his family were rather well off. He wasn't afraid of anything there, but he wasn't comfortable either, and hoped that JaeJoong wouldn't take very long to get his things.

He let himself into his apartment, grabbing his old backpack and putting a change of clothes in it, as well as a couple books he hadn't yet read. He also tossed his toothbrush, toothpaste, and his stuffed bear that an old neighbor's daughter had given to him years ago. Zipping the backpack shut, Jae grabbed his keys from the table, left the apartment after locking the door, and went back out to Shinji's car.

Shinji was tapping his finger against the steering wheel as he waited. Staring forward, his mind wandered to various things, some he wished it hadn't. He was beginning to feel apprehensive about taking JaeJoong to his house. He never had visitors, of any kind. And he was skeptical about the younger man actually being able to sing him to sleep, even if he did have a wonderful voice. It was nothing like any that the demon had heard before.

He bit his lip, putting his backpack in the backseat of the car, then getting back into the passenger's seat. "...I'm sorry for taking so long..." he said softly after putting his seat belt back on, even though he hadn't been away for even ten minutes. Jae could easily see that Shinji was uncomfortable, and felt like it was his fault.

Shinji silently thanked his trained composure as Jae got back into the car. If he didn't have such control over his body, he would have jumped out of his seat in surprise. Instead, he just looked at JaeJoong and shook his head. "No, it's alright. If you're ready, direct me to the place you get food, then we will go back to the center of the city," a small smile was forced onto his lips.

Jae nodded silently, pointing Shinji back towards the center of the city to a slightly battered looking noodle shop. It was the only affordable place within a mile of his apartment, as well as the only place that had had any success in staying open longer more than a month while being so close to the City's edge. "I'll be back in a minute," he mumbled, getting out before Shinji could even have the chance to offer to pay for his food. Jae wasn't going to let him.

He sighed as JaeJoong nearly ran out of the car. Shinji figured it was because the other didn't want him paying again. But, it was only food, so the demon didn't really understand the big deal about it. He leaned onto his steering wheel and looked at the little noodle shop. It was run down, but seemed to be doing alright business wise. Maybe he would go there again when his appetite came back. He'd never had such simple food before, so he would give it a try.

He had really run off to make sure he would be able to get extra, in case the demon asked to try some. Sure, it cost a little more to buy food for two people, but he would earn it back the best he could. Jae returned to the car, carrying a plastic bag, and got back in. He stayed quiet this time, though, biting his lip.

Shinji watched him come back, amused at how much food JaeJoong had gotten. He didn't expect that the young man could eat that much, but then again, he had met much smaller people who could eat at least three times that amount and still be hungry. Assuming that Jae was ready, he started his car again, and drove to his apartment building. This time the demon knew where he was going, so it wasn't any trouble at all. He parked the car in the back alley behind the main building, and lead JaeJoong inside. The building was rather tall, but had only three separate floors, along with a basement. Each floor itself however, had it's own floors within the lofts. Shinji silently took his guest to the second floor with the elevator, and opened his front door for the young man to enter first. "You may put your things anywhere you like. The ice shouldn't take too long to thaw."

Jae followed after him when they got out of the car, making sure to grab his backpack before Shinji locked the car. Even if it was only an apartment building of some sort, to Jae, the place was like a palace. And it was far above anything he'd ever had the chance to stay in. And that included where Shinji stayed. Jae nodded, setting his backpack down next to the couch and putting the bag of food on top of it.