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Chapter Text

When Fritz first moved to Oak Tree Town, he had quickly befriended most of the people living there. But that was to be expected, given his friendly, carefree personality, so he hadn't any trouble fitting in, even if some of the townsfolk found him overbearing at times... Regardless, that certainly didn't mean he got along well with everyone. There were a few, namely Elise among others, but none of them quite rubbed him hard enough the wrong way...except for Raeger. Now, there was nothing wrong with the guy, at least not anymore, but back then...Fritz was sure he was a two-timing jerk. And it wasn't just the rumors that had lead him to believe that, but the way girls would, without fail, swing by his restaurant at every minute of the hour, chatting him up in an endless storm, all giggly and quick to turn red whenever he would smile at them, and sometimes him leaning over the counter as if to draw nearer to them and flirt back. Ugh. So annoying. The worst part was when they didn't even order any food! Fritz had confronted and accused him of these actions once before, but that was the last time, as Raeger had somehow managed to politely tell him that if he believed in such lies, he must be an idiot, and that he should leave, or something like that... (Fritz didn't know if he called him an idiot, but he was pretty sure he was thinking it...) But it didn't really matter either way, because for the longest time, he had never been completely cool with Raeger... In fact, if he had to be entirely honest, he even felt like he hated him!

So, for two months, Fritz's mind went unwavered... It wasn't until Fritz had collapsed from overexertion on his farm one night that his opinion of him started to change. When he came to, what he found out was...unthinkable. Raeger had taken him into his own home, set him into his own bed, and had prepared a meal for him, all free of charge. Wow. To say that Fritz was shocked would be an understatement... Wasn't Raeger still upset that Fritz had basically labeled him a playboy? And why would he do such a thing, even if Fritz hadn't? Was he really that kind? Apparently he was, for it wasn't long before he had heard tales of him doing similar acts for other people... Just wow. No one had ever done something so nice for Fritz before...

After that, the two got along just fine. Fritz apologized so profusely to Raeger that Raeger wasn't sure how many times he did it, while also thanking him just as many times for his troubles. The commotion got so bad that night that Raeger had to go to bed early because of a headache... And before too long, Fritz decided that he really liked Raeger. He liked the way he did favors for him in ways that Raeger thought were no big deal. For instance, he let him use his kitchen once (though there was much begging and pleading to be had on Fritz's end), and he continued to take care of him every time he passed out from exhaustion on his farm or otherwise (which happened so often anymore that Raeger had started charging him for it, or at least for the meals)... He even began to think that maybe the reason Raeger was so friendly towards women was because, well, he was just a really friendly guy, and apparently had no real intention of cheating on his girlfriend (which was good, but also bad because it meant that he wasn't even trying to hit on the girls, and Fritz knew that if he tried, he wouldn't get any attention from any girls)... Not to mention, Raeger's food was amazing! Fritz would try eating at his restaurant almost everyday, provided that he had the funds.

There were many more ways Fritz found himself liking Raeger, but those ways were much more embarrassing to think about. In particular, he really admired the way he was so serious about his work, and that sometimes he would work himself sick because of it, and that if Fritz tried to help him by telling him to give it a rest, he wouldn't listen because he that hardworking. It was worrisome, no doubt, but Fritz couldn't get angry at him... After all, Raeger didn't expect any pity from anyone... And it was just one more reason why Fritz liked him so much.

And... All of this lead to...this. Whatever this was. A feeling, to be sure, but what exactly?

Fritz poked mindlessly at his food with a fork, his forehead in one hand with his elbow propped up on the table, deep in thought. He hadn't even noticed that the time had slipped by from evening to night, or that the place had cleared out long ago, making him the only customer left in the restaurant.

He liked Raeger now, sure, but it wasn't the simple "I wanna be friends with you!" kind of like... It was more...intense.

He buried his face in his hands.

Why?

There was no use denying it anymore. He knew the feeling. He was sure. The only reason it took him so long to realize it was because he had second-guessed it far too many times... He wasn't the type to do that. It wasn't in his nature. He was the type who knew what he wanted the second he saw it, the type who based his entire life around intuition.

And... The only reason he had second-guessed it far too many times was... Well... To put it simply, because they were both guys. Fritz was pretty sure that a guy could only ever like a girl that way, or vice versa... That is, he was pretty sure... But... Apparently, he had been wrong. The life he had been living in was a lie...

He put his head down on the table.

Nooooo...

It wasn't that he was particularly bothered about being attracted to someone of the same sex (although ideally, he would've preferred having fallen for a girl instead), it was just...going to be that much harder if he were to ever confess to him. For one thing, Raeger was completely out of his league, and another...Fritz was 99.9% sure Raeger was straight. He figured this could only end badly.

Should he risk it anyway, he wondered? Did he even have anything to lose? Like, friendship, maybe? Fritz wasn't sure... If one were to ask if he and Raeger were friends, he would happily answer yes. But Raeger, on the other hand... Would he just sigh? Fritz didn't know...

"Okay, let's hear it, I guess..."

Raising his head to the sudden voice, Fritz found Raeger setting up two wine glasses on the table, each side by side one another, with a red wine bottle in one hand. The chef began to professionally pour the contents of the bottle into both glasses.

At this, Fritz immediately paled. "H-hear what?" Was Raeger somehow reading his mind?

But Raeger remained cool, passing one full glass to Fritz before taking a seat across from him at the table. "You've been sitting here picking at your food all night," he remarked. "And...every night before that for a week." He paused briefly, putting aside the wine bottle. "There must be something on your mind. What is it?"

Still unsure of whether or not he could read minds, Fritz faltered. Then he began with, "Waaait... You mean you actually care about what I have to say?"

"Well... Let's not put it that way, exactly... Rather, think of it this way: My restaurant closes at nine-thirty, and you've been working me overtime non-stop, so..."

"... Sooooo..." Fritz didn't know where he was going with this, but he didn't think he liked the sound of it.

Raeger stared at him for a moment. "Um... Never mind the details. My point is, are you alright? If anything's wrong, you can tell me. I may not give the best advice, but I'll try to help out in any way that I can."

"Wow, you'd do that for me, Raeger? That's really kind of you, thanks!"

"I don't know if kind is necessarily the right word, but... In any case," Raeger broke off to lift his glass midway, "Let it out when you're ready." He took a sip before lying back in his chair, relaxed, with his head tipped towards the ceiling and his eyes shut.

"Ha ha, thanks a ton!" Fritz laughed, then promptly quieted when he remembered just what it was he was troubled about. "Ummm..."

Was it really okay to tell Raeger about that?

Minutes passed. Fritz's eyes wondered onto the chef uncertainly, where they stayed glued. He took in his appearance. His hair was flying off in more directions than usual and he looked tired. It wasn't very noticeable but it was enough to have Fritz worried that he may be getting sick again. He watched him tug at the knot in his tie and loosen it, which lead to the discovery that the ring on his left ring finger was missing... But Fritz wasn't surprised. He knew for a while now that he and his girlfriend had broken up weeks before. He had been keeping track through rumors and such. This was the third time that he had broken up with a girl since Fritz first moved here two years ago. He heard it was mutual. It was always mutual. And he wondered if it was mutual this time around too... Granted, he could ask Raeger about it, but he knew Raeger better than that. He was too "keep-to-himself" about these sort of things and he didn't particularly like it when people butted in to his business. Although, that wasn't to say that Fritz didn't try asking him once before... But it made little difference. Raeger still answered the same way. It was mutual.

Then, something else dawned on him. Raeger was drinking wine. Fritz was pretty sure that he heard somewhere before that Raeger didn't like wine... So why would he be drinking it if he didn't like it?

But... Rather than asking that, what came out instead was...

"Wh-what kind of wine is this?"

It slipped out without much thought, really, as he had just taken a sip of the wine and was genuinely interested in what flavor it was.

Raeger answered on cue. "Cherry. You can't tell?"

"Ah, no..." Fritz spoke into the glass, eyeing the red liquid. "My taste isn't really...as good as yours, I don't think... But this wine... 'S pretty good... I think."

Raeger nodded slowly. "Everyone tastes things a little differently. That doesn't mean that anyone can taste any better or any worse than anybody else." He sat up straight now, taking his glass into his hand. "You probably just can't taste it 'cause you're nervous, is all." He took a swig, all indifferent-like, as if what he said was merely common knowledge.

"Oh – uhhh... That... Yeah... Th-that might be it..." Fritz took a drink also.

To his surprise, though, Raeger laughed. It was the first time that he had heard him laugh all week, and it was all light and real and wonderful.

"I've never seen you so shaken up before. Whatever it is, it must be pretty important to you... Shall I play the guessing game instead?"

Fritz swallowed. "Uhh... I kinda doubt you'd be able to match it, but... You can give it a shot, if you'd like..."

"Hmm..." the chef thought, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "I'll bet it's a girl..." he said, reaching for the red wine bottle. When Fritz didn't respond, his smile grew brilliantly. "Did I hit the mark?"

"Ummm... P...Pretty close, actually..."

Raeger began pouring more wine into his glass, still slightly amused. "Ah, close, but no cigar, huh..." Then he stopped. Then he thought. Then his smile started to fade. Pretty close? What exactly does that... He was looking away, his expression contorted in intense wonder.

"I-it's you."

Oh.

Time stood still as Raeger simply stared back at Fritz with widening eyes. The wine that he had been pouring had long since overflowed his glass and was now seeping like blood from an open wound. It traveled across the table and around the edge and down onto...

Raeger leaped to his feet the instant he felt the wet liquid hit his legs, the heels of his chair screeching quite noisily against the tiled floor.

About a minute ticked by as he stood there, gawking at his own mistake: the stain on the table, and now on his apron too... He was positively embarrassed. Mortified, even. A part of him didn't even want to risk sending a glance Fritz's way, though he knew that at some point he had to... So he did. He didn't know if it eased him any more or less to find Fritz the same way.

"Um, s-sorry, will you excuse me for just a..." He lifted a finger, unable to keep the words from dying in his throat. He sauntered away from the dining area and into the restroom.

Oh, no, this couldn't be happening... Oh, no, no, this couldn't be happening...

He paced around the room like a caged animal, grabbing at his hair, pulling at it. Then he went to the sink and tried indignantly to scrub the stain out of his apron with a damp towel... But it was futile. The stain wouldn't leave, and he didn't know why he had even bothered... He draped the towel over the sink and took off his apron. He didn't know what to do with it, so he just dropped it on the floor. Then he remembered what had caused all this mess and he didn't know anything about any of that either...

In all his time living here... No. In all his entire life, he had never had a single guy confess to him... He had had some hit on him, once or twice, maybe (if he was reading between the lines correctly...and to which he chose to completely ignore)... But he had never had one actually confess any sort of feelings for him... So why...

This was too unreal. It didn't make any sense... What was Fritz thinking? Wasn't he aware of the implications? The meaning?

He took in a deep breath and calmed down a little, fervently wishing that it was all just a misunderstanding, that he had somehow misheard what the farmer had said, that everything would go back to normal as soon as it was all cleared up...

Then, to help relieve the stress, he thought momentarily about filling the sink with water and dunking his head in it and just holding it in there forever... Too bad that wasn't as funny as he thought it sounded...

There was nothing left to do and he knew he couldn't stay in there forever, so he left. By the time he had made his way back to the table, he had somewhat hoped that Fritz would be gone. Of course...he wasn't. The farmer was still there, very real, with his arms folded on the table and his face buried inside... And, as though to miraculously sense Raeger's presence, he lifted his head to make eye contact with him. It lasted only a second or two before his eyes fell again, his face a glowing red. Raeger could easily tell that he was uncomfortable... That wasn't a very good sign...

Raeger sat opposite from him once more. A heavy silence began to drag on, so he coughed stiffly into his fist to end it.

"S-sorry about dumping that all on you at once, Raeger... I just...didn't know of how else to tell you..." Fritz replied sheepishly at long last.

"It's...quite alright... But... Just to clarify, you mean..."

"I like you, yeah..."

"Like...as a friend... Or... Like...as a... Ahem."

"Ummm... Like, as in... I want to date you?"

Well.

Raeger frantically reached for his glass, but he kept pushing it aside each time he grabbed at it, all the while trying to keep his gaze pinned on Fritz. Eventually, he caught hold of it and downed the entire glass in one go, the intake so strong it made his head pound.

"Ah, but! Y-you don't have to worry! I don't expect an answer or anything like that!" Fritz explained. "I was just, uh... Looking to get this off my chest, that's all... So, really, uhh – thanks! Al...Although... It'd be kinda nice if you thought about it, maybe?"

Another silence lingered. At some point, Raeger had almost wanted Fritz to suddenly burst into some hysterical laughter and say that it was all a joke, and that Raeger had fallen very blindly to it. He wouldn't even care if he made fun of him, just so long as he didn't look and act so serious anymore. But Raeger knew Fritz. He wouldn't do anything like that. His sense of humor involved the watching of people slipping and falling on ice (never mind that he often did it himself). Although a little cruel, he would always be there to help them to their feet after his fit of giggles was over. He was too sweet to toy around with anyone's feelings...

"... Fritz..." Raeger began gently, carefully. "... You...do realize I'm a guy, right...? And... So are you... So..."

"Huh? Yeah, I know," Fritz answered innocently. Raeger waited for him to laugh. He didn't.

"... And... That by being together, it would be ten times more serious than any heterosexual relationship."

"... Ummm..."

Raeger forced a laugh. "Surely, you understand this, right?"

"... I... I think so..."

Raeger dropped his head into his hands, his elbows on the table. He tried to piece together everything that was happening, but his brain couldn't function properly due to the ever-building pressure the alcohol had induced... And he wasn't sure if it even made a difference... So he just tangled his fingers in his hair and sighed.

"Th-thanks for the meal. It was great, as usual..." said Fritz. He stood up. It was probably time to go... He looked at Raeger. "Um... Should I pay for the wine too?"

Raeger didn't move. "No, it's alright..."

"You sure? Okay..." Fritz stepped away, leaving money on the table. He made it to the door. He froze. "Um... Raeger?"

Raeger still didn't move.

"Um... I know I tend to joke around a lot, but I really mean it this time... I really do like you... So... In case you were wondering... A-and this isn't the alcohol that's talking, either! I mean, this is really me! S-so..." Fritz shifted around awkwardly. "Anyway... Thanks for listening. I don't know if I feel any better or worse now, but I didn't want to, err... Well, I'm sure you get the idea. I, um, better get going now. See ya!"

The sound of the door opened and closed, and Raeger was left to himself again. There were no feelings, no thoughts, no words... Only oblivion. And Raeger was too scared to think about what that meant.

Chapter Text

There wasn't any joy in attending a festival with a hangover, especially when looking for someone. And that was just what Raeger was presently going through.

Why he thought it'd be a good idea to drink so much last night was beyond him... It's not like it solved anything... Really, it had only made things worse... He should've known what to expect of the deadly poison... He chided himself for being so damn hypocritical at times...

Well, at least the pain was easing up by now. Now, if only he could find...

"Yooooo, Raeger!"

Him.

A lively-looking guy approached Raeger, stopping right in front of him. "Did you see me up there? I was trying to win for you but I guess Annie still won it by a mile. She sure is something, isn't she?"

Raeger blinked at the farmer. Fritz was becoming increasingly full of surprises as of late, which left Raeger with little time to keep up. Did he just hit on him...? More importantly, did he just hit on him in public?

"Not that it matters much, anyway," Fritz continued cheerfully. "I'm still gonna be the world's greatest farmer, after all!"

Fortunately, it didn't look like anyone was close enough to have heard him...

Wait. What was that he said about Annie?

Raeger scanned around to see Annie still on the stand, now attempting to climb down it. Below her on the ground stood a dark-haired man dressed in formal attire. It was Klaus. Raeger overheard him, commenting something like, "Careful, now," as he held Annie by the hand and pulled her close, sweeping her off her feet (quite literally). Annie was blushing like mad.

"Were you looking for someone?" Fritz asked, snapping back Raeger's attention. Raeger stared at him. The farmer was certainly...different from last night... Surely, he hadn't forgotten what happened, right?

"Yes..." Raeger answered strangely after what felt like forever. "You, actually... Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure! Go ahead!"

Honestly... Was this guy for real?

Raeger sighed. "In private, I mean..."

"Oh – ummm... Really? O-okay. Where to?"

"Just... Follow me."

The sooner that Raeger could get this over with, the better. That's what he kept telling himself as he guided Fritz from the festival grounds to anywhere he found suitable.

It should be easy – he'll tell Fritz that he can't go out with him, give him his reasons if need be, and then be done with it. It should be the simplest confession he had dealt with all year.

Then... Why was his heart pounding?

He should be used to this, he reasoned. He had girls cry on him all the time. This time shouldn't be any different. Sure, it was different from the usual "Sorry, I don't date anyone I just met" kind of answer, as the majority of girls who confessed to him happened to be those who came from out of town, but the "Sorry, I can't date you because I'm not gay and I don't want to be the cause of any complications in my life" was just as good an answer not to go steady with someone, right?

Well...maybe not... Maybe it wasn't the reason that was giving him a hard time, but the person...

Oh, fine. He'll admit it. Somehow, someway, the loud, overbearing, troublesome farmer had grown on him... But not in the same way the farmer had mysteriously grown onto him, of course! No, the chef merely thought of him as a friend, nothing more. That would explain why Raeger was having so much trouble turning him down... He didn't want to hurt his feelings... Although, truth be told, he highly doubted Fritz had any ounce of romantic feelings for him at all. Fritz was more than likely confusing these feelings for something else. He had never been the type to thoroughly think things through, instead relying on instincts to guide him.

But... If he actually did feel that way about Raeger, then...rejecting him as soon as possible would be in his best interest too. That way, he wouldn't have to keep wondering if his feelings were returned and could instead move onto someone else... Besides, he would be better off this way, anyway – uninvolved in any danger... Both of them would.

The place that Raeger lead Fritz to was a little way out of town, situated not too far from Fritz's house, next to one of many trees that spread throughout the land and a river that stretched from east to west. The atmosphere was quiet, desolate and secluded, despite the warm, sunny weather, and Fritz couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of what this all meant.

It looked somewhat comical, the way Raeger carefully inspected the entire area, making certain that no one was around to eavesdrop on their impending conversation. Finding no one, he concluded that everyone must still be at the festival. Good. He let out a short breath, turned back around to face Fritz, then gazed at him intently. "You...may know what this is about already, but... Just to be clear, this is...my response to your confession last night."

Fritz's heart stopped, then sped up. He shyly looked away, nervously tapping his fingertips together from one hand to another, an evident blush on his face. "Oh... You... You thought about it, then?"

"Yes." Raeger paused. "I thought about it." When he didn't continue, Fritz contemplated on whether or not to urge him on, but eventually decided against it. Instead, he just waited patiently, fully submerged in anticipation. "My answer is no. I can't go out with you."

Fritz felt a tug at his heart, possibly even a tear, but he wasn't going to spare a moment to figure out if it actually had or not – not one, single, tiny, little moment – only to focus on what response to give in return. So he settled on, "Ah, okay..." His eyes fell to the ground. "Wait." His eyes flashed back up to Raeger. "You can't or you won't?"

Raeger blinked. "Both." He glanced up in confusion. "When did you..." Get so keen? "Oh, never mind..." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Fritz... If you want me to be completely honest here, I think you're confused. I mean, maybe you're mistaking good friendship for something more. Or maybe... You're mistaking your love of eating with me?" He laughed despite himself. "Since, you know, you're always eating at my restaurant..." He cleared his throat, taking note that Fritz wasn't laughing. "Or, uh... Maybe... You're just acting impulsively on a feeling you don't understand."

That seemed to have done it. Something about Fritz changed. It was different. He was standing still, his arms crossed, frowning and glaring at nothing in particular. And were there...tears in his eyes? Raeger had never seen this side to him before...

"How would you know...?" Fritz said at length. "You don't know how I feel... Sure, maybe my feelings for you started at an impulse, but that doesn't make them untrue... In fact, if you wanna know the whole story, I've been denying how I feel for you for about a year now – maybe even longer – since I thought for once I should ignore my gut feeling for something so important. But of course I was wrong about that. I guess I'm just so hung up on you that I'm overthinking things, and-"

Why wasn't he finishing? Raeger's eyes were fixed on him in a daze. "... And?" Raeger pushed on, seemingly enthralled by his words.

"S-sorry, Raeger!"

And before Raeger knew it, he was being pushed into a long line of bushes by a forceful Fritz, causing him to squeak an "Eep!" in surprise. He was on the other side of them now, lying on his back, and was about to get up when Fritz followed suit, tripping over a root and clumsily landing on top of him. Oh, for goddess' sake... Raeger found himself quickly losing patience already.

"Oww... Sorry, Raeger..." Fritz apologized again as he adjusted himself to his hands and knees, still very much on top of Raeger.

Just then, a tan, white-haired guy wearing a purple headdress strolled pass where Fritz and Raeger were previously standing, muttering, "Buncha weirdos livin' around here... Seriously..."

"Are... Are you alright?" Fritz asked, obviously blushing at the suggestive position he found themselves in. Raeger just considered it annoying.

"Honestly..." Raeger spoke through a sigh, "Must you be so rough?" There was agitation laced in his voice as he looked away, his eyebrows drawing together in what Fritz thought was the cutest way possible.

Fritz gave a tiny smile at that. "... 'M sorry..." He pushed himself to his knees. "Hang on, I'll go check to see if the coast is clear." He peaked over the bushes, earning him another disgruntled sigh in return.

There was a small girl running up towards a bridge, opposite from Fritz and Raeger. "C'mon, sis, this way! I saw it go this way!" she beamed. Chasing far behind her was a much older-looking girl in a yellow dress, who didn't look as enthusiastic, but more worn down. "Melanie, not so fast! Are you sure the cat went this way...?"

Fritz got back down, his body almost even with Raeger's. He smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry, it'll be a while longer..." Raeger really wished he would stop apologizing so much. It was annoying. Everything about this was annoying. His seemingly honest eyes, his questionably red cheeks, his supposed, odd infatuation with him... He didn't understand one bit of it... And he was annoyed at himself for getting so unreasonably annoyed with it all.

Eventually, the conversation had between the two girls drowned to dull, senseless noises, almost inaudibly heard. They were much further away now. Raeger glanced to Fritz in expectation, hoping that by now he'll get off of him for good... But he didn't move. He just stayed there, his head hung low, his expression obscured by his hair... Then his shoulders started to shake, and Raeger noticed a tear dripped onto his own chest. Raeger looked away. He tried to block out Fritz's soft sobs beside him. He tried to block out his feelings and his innocence and everything about him that was gaining effect on him. He had to, because he didn't know of what else to do. Nothing he could say nor do could possibly make this any better. He knew that. And he knew that that was why he was truly annoyed.

But this was for the best. He knew that too. If Fritz really felt this way, then this was for the best. Raeger knew he couldn't just force himself to have feelings for his friend, and that Fritz would be much better off with someone who actually did – someone who honestly shared those feelings for him and made him feel loved... Fritz would be happier with someone like that. And Raeger hoped that one day that he would.

By this point, the chatter between the two girls had stopped completely, leaving left only the chirps from birds and the rustling of leaves blowing from the wind. Fritz took this opportunity to sit up and wipe the tears away from his eyes. "Wow, uh... Sorry." He strained a laugh. He was trying to mask a smile, but it wasn't really working. "It's, uh...been a long time since I've last...done that... Sorry." He strained another laugh. He was obviously trying to make light of the awkward, embarrassing situation. "I thought I could hold that in 'til I got home..." He was obviously kidding himself; he was obviously losing. "Um. Wait a sec. I'll see if they're gone yet." He checked to see if anyone was still around, completely avoiding Raeger's gaze.

"Fritz."

"Looks good. Here," Fritz started to stand, offering his hand to Raeger, "Lemme help you up."

"Fritz," Raeger said again, a little more clearly this time.

"What?"

"... Are you going to be alright?"

Fritz looked like he was about to nod, but then he hesitated. A cluster of tears formed in his eyes. He pathetically fought to control himself, to keep himself together... But it was no use. The tears flowed anyway, like water from a faucet, and he dropped to his knees, hiding his burning face in his hands while shaking his head. He fell apart.

How many times had he been rejected? Raeger wasn't sure, but he knew the answer was quite a bit. Was this time really any different? Did he cry like this all the time? What were his true feelings?

"Are you really that serious about me?" Raeger solemnly asked, pushing himself up to sit. His tone was deadly serious.

Fritz nodded, his face still covered by his hands.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Fritz answered verbally this time, though his voice shook a bit.

"Really sure? Like... Really, really sure?"

"The answer's not gonna change, you cad!" Fritz barked, growing quite annoyed with Raeger's constant disbelief and questioning.

Raeger let out a short breath of laughter. He probably deserved being called that. Burying his face in his hands, he sighed. "Oh man... I can't believe I'm going to say this, but..." he trailed off, and Fritz looked up at him curiously. He thought about what he was trying to say, then cursed himself for believing that true love was blind. Then he looked up at the sky and decided he wasn't going to think anymore, just talk. "I want a ring. Give it to me by next Sunday and I'll give you a chance." He glanced back to Fritz and paused, unable to hold back a smile. "If you still want me by then."

The look on Fritz's face immediately brightened. "What, really? Wait, you're serious?" He didn't give Raeger any time to answer that question as he hopped to his feet, pumping his fist into the air. "Hell yeah! Just wait – I'll get you the best goddamn ring the world's ever seen! It's gonna be so awesome, Raeger, you're gonna fall in love with me! But why wait, I'll go get started on it now!" And with that, he bolted off, leaving behind Raeger in ruin, who just sat there wondering just what the hell he had just done.

Nervous laughter escaped Raeger's lips. I hope...I didn't just make a mistake...

Chapter Text

On Tuesday Raeger had successfully managed to screw up three of his customer's orders, while on Friday he ingeniously burnt his tongue by taste-testing a new dish that he forgot to let cool first. And by Sunday...he was a nervous wreck. It seemed that his life had taken a turn for the worse, and now he was doomed... Funnily enough, all of it was his fault.

He should've just apologized to Fritz and told him that it was alright – that they still could friends... Maybe even make it up to him by cooking him a free meal (as if that would help any)... He was suppose to let him down easy, not let empathy take the best of him and cave in... And he most definitely wasn't suppose to give him false hope for a chance that didn't even exist...

Well, it was too late for that now... At first, Raeger thought that he could solve this mistake by buying every ring from every vendor in town, but then he figured that not only was that idea highly unrealistic, but it was highly unfair too...

Raeger sighed. With nothing better to do, he started to clean the tables. He really wished he had some customers right about now; he could really use a distraction...

Why him, though? Why, out of all the people living in town, did Fritz have to fall for Raeger? It was a question that Raeger truthfully couldn't put an answer to, no matter how many times he thought through it... Fritz could've had any pretty girl, but no, he wanted Raeger...who was a guy...and who, to Raeger's knowledge, was fairly certain that Fritz didn't find him very pretty... Uh, did he?

Raeger shook the thought from his head. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. In fifteen minutes it would be time to close up the restaurant... So why did he still feel so anxious?

If anything, he should feel relieved. It didn't look like Fritz was going to show, because if he was, then he would've done so already. And that was a good thing. It meant that Raeger didn't have to go out with him, or even have to worry about potentially going back on his word. It also meant that Fritz probably wasn't really interested in Raeger after all, because if he was, he would've at least showed up to apologize or something... Right?

Wait. Apologize? Why should Fritz have to apologize? Did he even need to? Raeger was the one who proposed the idea in the first place, so...

Paying no mind to the task at hand, Raeger wiped harder at the table, his scrubbing becoming so rough it threatened to chip the paint off.

What was Fritz suppose to do? Say he was sorry for losing interest in him? That, in the end, he decided not to go through with it? That Raeger just really wasn't worth all the trouble?

Why do these questions even matter?

Confused, Raeger froze. He could make out his reflection on the table's smooth, clean surface: the look of frustration on his face... This was ridiculous. What was he getting so upset over? He resumed polishing the table, more gently this time. Then, the sound of a bell jingling caught his attention and he quickly froze again, entirely immobile. All day – all week, actually – he had been checking to see if it was him, but now, with it as late as it was, he couldn't will himself to do it anymore, and he wasn't sure why.

"Hi, Raeger!"

Okay, that didn't sound like Fritz; it was way too feminine of a voice.

Raeger lifted his gaze to witness Annie emerging from the door of his restaurant with a box in hand and a smile in place. She looked pretty peppy considering the hour. Raeger mustered a smile, though it was belated. "Ah, it's you. Hey there," he said. The intrusion was sudden, but inwardly he was actually very grateful to finally have a distraction.

"Um," Annie brushed back a few strands of hair from her face, "I wanted to thank you for the recipe you gave me the other day, so I brought over some fresh ingredients from my farm." She placed the box she was holding on the kitchen counter, and Raeger went over to peek inside of it. "I hope you can find them useful."

After curiously rummaging through the box for a bit, Raeger looked up to meet Annie's eyes at last, then smiled graciously. "Thanks, Annie. That was very sweet of you..." Annie's face heated up while Raeger's already handsome smile grew. "Buuut, you really didn't have to, you know."

Annie laughed softly, almost uncomfortably. "Well, for you, yes, I did." Raeger frowned and merely stared back at her, expressionless. A moment passed by where neither one said anything. Then Annie's face covered in red and she immediately bowed her head as if horridly ashamed. "Oh! I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like... I'm sorry... Klaus is always scolding me to watch my tongue..."

It was Raeger's turn to laugh awkwardly this time. "It's okay, don't worry about it," he said. He grabbed the box and started storing away a few of the ingredients in the kitchen, still near to Annie. "How is Klaus, by the way?" It was the first time he had ever asked about her boyfriend, despite having known they were dating close to a year now...

"Oh. He's good. Work has been keeping him pretty busy lately, so unfortunately we haven't had much time to... Ack, jeez, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be saying all this when you just broke up with your..." She clutched the front of her dress, her palms beginning to sweat. "Goddess, I'm so, so sorry; I'm such an idiot, honestly..."

Well, she had obviously heard about Raeger's breakup... It was hardly surprising, given how small the town was... Rumors spread around like wildfire in their town, and Raeger's popularity just added to the fuel... It sometimes made Raeger uneasy, though he knew that he hadn't anything to be worried about, and hopefully never would.

He wanted to laugh again, but he could only smile. "Nah, it's all good. I'm over it anyway... Besides, I was the one who asked you, remember?"

"... I suppose that's true..." Annie laughed lightly once more.

There was about a half of a minute of silence before Raeger spoke up again. "So he's the one, huh?"

Annie released her grip on her dress and put her hands behind her back, her eyes wandering to the floor. There was a deep smile on her face, a little blush too, almost as if she were remembering something blissful. "... Yeah..." she answered quietly. Raeger turned his head to look at her. Nothing.

Another silence.

"Anyway, um..." Raeger scratched his head. "Thanks again for the ingredients. But like I said, you really didn't have to... I get more than my fair share of gifts from girls whom I fear are potentially stalking me." Barely smiling, he recalled a time where he could have sworn he saw a girl staring creepily into his window late one night while he was eating dinner.

Annie stifled a laugh. "You mean your fangirls? Oh, I've heard all about them... Actually, I hear your reputation attracts quite a number of boys to your restaurant as well."

Color flooded Raeger's face. "Uhh – well..." He pretended to be busy with straightening out his shirt. "There's the occasional few... I guess..." he mumbled. For some reason, he was instantly reminded of Fritz. It bothered him.

"Ha ha! Well, I should probably be heading back now before it gets too dark, otherwise Klaus'll scold me for that too." Annie pushed open the door, lastly waving goodbye to Raeger. "Toodles!"

"Please be careful!" Raeger called after her as she left, to which she retorted back with, "You and Klaus worry too much!" Then she was gone.

And there Raeger was again, distraction-free. The feeling was almost nauseating... He regretted not chasing after Annie to accompany her on her trip back to her farm; he regretted ever telling Fritz he had a chance...

Ugh, and why did his thoughts keep pointing back to Fritz? It didn't even make any sense...

Again, he went about wiping the tables, hopeful that the chore would take his mind off of things... When that didn't work, he decided to glance out the window because just maybe there was a tourist who needed directions, or perhaps there was a bird that just happened to fly by, or possibly even...

Holy goddess, this was pathetic.

He checked the time on the clock. Nine-thirty. The day wasn't over yet, but still...he should've been here by now... His eyes flicked back towards the window.

And then...there he was. He was walking in between the restaurant and Elise's house. Everything but him seemed to blur and fade around Raeger as his heart pumped wildly into overdrive. Half of him wanted him to walk right pass the restaurant and straight to Elise's house, while the other half wanted him to keep on walking in his direction. He also wanted to run, to bolt upstairs and lock himself in his room, but his feet were too cemented to the floor and they wouldn't budge even an inch... And all the while this was going on, all the while he simply stood, staring, he was pretty sure that he had never been more confused nor conflicted in all his life.

When it became clear that Fritz was going to enter the restaurant, Raeger instantly looked back down at the table again, attempting his best to focus only on cleaning it.

"Hey, Raeger. You busy?"

Raeger didn't like the tone in his voice. It was too...serious. Too...not-cheerful. It wasn't very Fritz-like at all...

"The kitchen closes at nine-thirty, Fritz. I've told you this...how many times now?"

"Huh?" Fritz looked confused. "I'm not here to eat..." His eyes drifted away in embarrassment. "Jeez, did you forget already? That's kinda cruel..."

Raeger finally forced himself to look up at him. The uneasy look on his face made his stomach twist into knots. "... Oh... That... Yeah, I guess I completely forgot all about it. Oh well." He made his way into the kitchen. "Did you manage to get the ring?" He started putting away dishes.

"Uhh... Well... A-about that..."

"Ah, so you didn't get it? Well... Suppose that's that then, huh? Though, I can't say I'm really surprised..."

Fritz took a step forward. "Um... Actually... I was wondering if you could make an exception..."

An exception? What was this, a game? Did Fritz think this was funny? He clearly wasn't laughing, but... What other reason was there? He didn't get the ring, so he couldn't possibly...

Nearly dropping a plate on the floor, Raeger suddenly realized that he was acting very, very irrationally, which only seemed to confuse and provoke him even more. "No. No exceptions. I'm done." There came an unbearable amount of silence, and he knew that he was being foolish now, that he was assuming too much, that he was being unfair, that he should shut up before it got any worse, but... "I-I don't know what makes you think I'd want to date you anyway. You're annoying, you're clumsy, you're – I don't know – just..."

No, this wasn't what he wanted to say...

"... Raeger, are you okay?"

He couldn't breathe.

"... I'm fine, I..."

None of this made the least bit of sense. He wanted to know why. But more than anything, he just really wanted to know why it hurt so much...

Looking up, he was surprised to see Fritz suddenly there, right next to him. He watched him as he swept up bits of plate that he wasn't even aware he was responsible for. Then he found himself leaning, face-forward, with his hands planted on the wall.

He backed away, feeling disoriented. "Fritz, I'm sorry, I don't know why..."

Fritz shook his head, disposing of the broken dish. "It's no big deal. I know you didn't mean it. At least, not that last part..." He looked to Raeger, searching for a confirmation. "You didn't mean it, right?"

Raeger stared back at him. "... No, I didn't mean i-"

"Oh!" Fritz exclaimed, going wide-eyed. "Before I forget, this is for you!" He picked up a bowl of something that he must have set down earlier to sweep up the mess, making Raeger wonder why he had never noticed it before. "I know you don't wanna give me a second chance and all that, and that's cool, I understand, but, uhh... Here." He handed the bowl over to Raeger, who just peered down at it wordlessly. "It's your favorite, isn't it...? When I found out I couldn't, um...afford a ring... I asked, um... I asked, um..." Blushing, he ruffled his hair in frustration. "Ugh! Those stupid girls that are always hanging around you!"

Uh-oh, that was... Raeger could barely think of anything else as the word "cute" screamed at the back of his mind. He bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from smiling, but he was steadily losing control over both his thoughts and actions. His smile cracked a little.

"I asked them about you, and, um...what your favorite dish was... And... Um..." Fritz glanced up at Raeger, then made a puzzled face. "Raeger, are you smiling?"

Raeger's heart skipped a beat. His smile widened. By this point, all of his logic had swept far out the window, leaving him with only an overwhelmingly light-headed and giddy feeling. He slipped his fingers into his hair, unsure of what else to do, his cheeks tinting a pink, his heart hammering against his chest. "Oh goddess, yes." He tried to soothe his rapid heartbeat by taking an almost-audible-shaky breath. "Do you... Uhh... I-I made a pie – earlier – I... W-would you like some?" Smooth. Real smooth. This was quickly turning into a nightmare... But none of what he said was actually registering in his head anyway. It was like his mouth was moving on its own accord.

Fritz was quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Then, after a moment or two, he opened his mouth to speak and Raeger panicked.

"It's apple," Raeger quickly interrupted, remembering that Fritz liked the aforementioned flavor.

Fritz pondered again, more deeply this time. He looked perplexed as he gazed restlessly at the floor.

"It's free," Raeger interjected again.

Fritz immediately perked up. "Whoa, really? Say no more; I'm sold!"

"Great, um," Raeger pushed back his hair, "Want to wait at one of the tables? I'll be out in just a sec." He went to retrieve the pie, hearing Fritz chirp something silly like, "Okie-dokie!" as he left the room.

The earlier event kept replaying in Raeger's head. Was Fritz jealous? He probably didn't even know what jealousy was, which made Raeger chuckle to himself. He wondered what Fritz looked like when he asked the girls about what he liked. Had he been blushing? Did he stutter? Raeger's heart fluttered at the thought. He smiled down at the Sea Urchin Rice Bowl Fritz gave him. This was the happiest he had been in weeks. Months? He wasn't sure. But he knew this was ten times better than getting a ring.

With a piece of pie in one hand and his favorite dish in the other, he went to the table with Fritz, completely oblivious to the smile still plastered on his face. "So. Did you make this yourself?" he asked, setting the pie down in front of Fritz with a fork.

"The pie? Oh, wait, you mean... Err... Yeah. I had to use Agate's kitchen, though... And it wasn't exactly easy finding all the ingredients either," Fritz admitted.

"Ah," was all Raeger said as he sat across the table from him, though on the inside he felt like his heart was ready to give out, or possibly even explode. "Did the girls mention that I like it when people cook for me too?"

Fritz was cutting his pie with a fork when he looked up at Raeger, clueless. "Oh, no. They didn't mention anything...like that..."

Raeger's heart beat impossibly faster. This was it. He was going to die of a heart attack. Fritz's cuteness tipped the scales.

"No? Then... You're naturally this cute, hm?"

A bite of pie slipped from Fritz's fork. Fritz's face turned at least ten different shades of red.

"... Wha...?"

Raeger just laughed. "I was only teasing, Fritz."

Oh boy, he wished he was only teasing...

Fritz slid down in his chair, his arms crossed, disappointed. "Heeey, you shouldn't tease when you know I have feelings for you... Jerk."

"Feelings, huh? I wonder about that." Raeger picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks and broke them apart. "Well, let's see if any of those feelings went into the dish you prepared for me. If it passes my critique, I'll go out with you. Sound good?" He saw Fritz's slack-jawed expression and smiled more. "Get ready, okay?"

Fritz could only nod, speechless.

Without further ado, Raeger picked up a bit of Sea Urchin Rice Bowl with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

Fritz had stuck with the original recipe. That was the first thing Raeger noticed as he mulled over the flavor. As far as tastes were concerned, it could be better, it could be worse, in his experience... He chewed on the food for a while longer, his mind automatically cooking up ways to make the dish taste even better: what spices to add, how long to cook it for, etc...

"H-how is it?" Fritz abruptly asked, knocking Raeger out of his train of thought.

"Hmm..." Raeger pondered more, his eyes cast up towards the ceiling. "It's not...half bad... More like average, really." He smirked playfully at Fritz. "Lucky you. You pass."

Fritz nearly tipped his chair over when he stood up. "F-for real!? You're not just joking around again, right? Y-you mean you're actually serious?"

"Yup. I'm serious."

Wait a minute. Did Raeger just make himself a prize? Oh man, he didn't know how he felt about that... That couldn't be good...

"Against my better judgment..." he added under his breath. His voice returned to its regular volume. "Um, congrats."

"Woo-hoo!" Fritz embraced him around his neck, then pulled back, cupping his shoulders at arm's length. "I-I promise I'll take great care of you – and, um, I'll get you a ring too! I-I don't know when exactly, but..." The warmth of his touch was oddly enjoyable to Raeger, and soon Raeger felt the heat somehow spreading up the back of his neck and to his face. It was making him feel more and more uncomfortable by the second...

"Ahahaha... Oh, that won't be necessary." Raeger plucked his fingers away from him as if they were diseased. "I wouldn't bother wearing it anyway." He turned in his chair and made an escape towards the kitchen.

Fritz followed him like a lost puppy. "Why not? I'd wear mine."

"Because, I..." Raeger searched around the kitchen, sorting through the drawers and cupboards. He didn't even know what he was looking for. "The town can't know about this. I've tried telling you this before too."

"... Oh. Right. 'Cause we're both..."

"Yes," Raeger sighed exasperatedly. "And if you tell a soul I'll break up with you."

"... Fiiine..."

Raeger took a random spice off the shelf and checked its label. "It'd be different if you were a girl, but you're not, so..." He went back to the table and Fritz followed after him again.

"Huh? Why me?"

Raeger smiled. "'Cause you're the girly one, of course."

"What? Nuh-uh!"

"Hee hee." Raeger grabbed Fritz's shoulders and led him backwards to the door, saying, "Now, get going. You gotta start thinking of new ways to impress me, right? Don't let me down now. Good night."

And just like that, he shut the door on Fritz.

His mind went numb as he stood there, trying to grasp the entirety of what just happened. Then about a million thoughts crowded his head all at once.

Did he just flirt with Fritz?

Why?

Ugh, he needed to lie down... He was probably just tired. That had to be it. Because...that was what made the most sense at the moment...

He walked upstairs to his bedroom.

But... Then why did he think Fritz was so...so...cute?

He laid in bed.

Okay, so maybe that was a one-time thing. He couldn't possibly ever think that way again... Could he? Nope, it was definitely a one-time thing.

He threw a pillow over his head and turned on his side, as if doing that would legitimately provide him some comfort. It seemed to have worked...for a little while...

Despite everything, one thing was for certain: he was undeniably dating Fritz now.

And meanwhile, Fritz was walking home, his only concern being that he didn't get a goodnight kiss.

Chapter Text

In the months that followed the start of their new relationship, nothing had changed. It was difficult for Raeger to describe. It was - for lack of better words - strange. They acted more like friends than they did a couple. Like it had all been just a dream. Fritz had never confessed to Raeger, and Raeger had never accepted his proposal. Raeger didn't really mind it. Having regretted his decision to go out with him, it wasn't like he was entirely doing it out of his free will anyway. Fritz could end it right now and Raeger wouldn't even bat an eye. There wasn't any need to think twice about it. So it was strange, really, but it wasn't bothersome. Only a little bit (if Raeger had to be truthful). But that was only because he was used to doing more romantic activities with his past girlfriends. Things like going out on dates, or... Or... Touching...

A shudder ran up Raeger's spine as he envisioned himself touching Fritz in the most intimate way he had ever done before. He was putting his hand to one side of his boyfriend's freckled face, his thumb gliding along his bottom lip as to brush away the imaginary particles so that he could taste him, the real him, before leaning in further and further and further until...

His forehead met the cupboard with a resounding thump. The mental image of him getting so close to Fritz was immediately discarded from the far corners of his mind. On the counter before him laid a half-diced cucumber.

Whoa. Too far.

That aside, it wasn't like Fritz hadn't been trying to make his love known. And goddess, that was an understatement. Raeger was almost certain that the farmer had proclaimed his feelings toward him every single day for the past however long at every opportunity he got. At the very least, he knew he said "I love you" every time he left the restaurant (but only on late nights or early mornings when no one was around). It was frustrating, especially when he said it so earnestly it made Raeger's heart race. His heart wasn't suppose to do that; it was... It was... He didn't know, but it was very confusing.

Fritz also became more clingy. Very clingy. Annoyingly clingy. More so than he was when they were just friends. If Raeger held even the slightest suspicion that any of his past girlfriends weren't, in fact, girls, then he was definitely dating one now. Fritz hung out with Raeger whenever he felt like it, whether that be in the afternoon, at night...at four o' clock in the morning... (Though the latter only happened once when he had forgotten what time it was and Raeger had to resist the urge to close the door on his face and return to bed to remind him.) Sometimes he'd even visit him in the middle of his farm work, and at those times Raeger would ask him, "Don't you have a farm to manage?" Fritz would have to get back to work after hearing that, knowing that his boyfriend was right: he couldn't just slack off whenever he felt like it, regardless of how tempting it was to see him.

And if any of that wasn't enough, then Fritz made sure Raeger knew just how much he meant to him on his birthday. He went all out, decorating the restaurant in balloons and confetti, and of course he made him a cake too. His gift wasn't anything cheap either, but was instead several expensive cooking ingredients. There was no doubt that he blew all his month's worth of income on them... But in spite of all that, Raeger felt more overwhelmed than anything else. None of his past girlfriends had done so much for him on his birthday before... Did he really deserve all of this?

In the end, it didn't matter what Raeger did. He thought that his lack of devotion would deter Fritz eventually, but... Fritz would still love and cling to him like an affectionate puppy. Not that Raeger was really trying to break up their relationship anyway. Which was, perhaps, the most confusing part. But Raeger had learned to stop questioning all of these strange feelings he was experiencing as of late. It was too tiresome to deal with. And it was easier that way too.

By midday the restaurant was packed. Raeger stopped dicing tomatoes to tilt his head up and glance around the tables. As far as he could tell, it didn't look like anyone needed anything. Yet. He resumed chopping up tomatoes. This part of the day was often the busiest, and sometimes he would have to skip his own meals just to fill out his orders on time. Today looked like it was going to be one of those days.

THWACK!

"RAEGER, QUICK! GIVE BACK THE TOMATO!"

Ah, of course. Who else to prolong another exhausting day full of heavy, endless workload but Fritz... Raeger narrowed his eyes at both the sounds of the familiar booming voice and the door practically flying off the hinges as if it had been locked and Fritz's dear life depended on it. Most of the customers in the restaurant just went about their lunch in casual display, while few like Kamil, newer and less acquainted to the norm, very nearly choked on their food. Then there was Nadi who suddenly but inconspicuously up and left the place without a word, right in the middle of eating. Unsurprisingly, this wasn't the first time this happened.

The vegetables burned under Raeger's scowling gaze (or they might've if the expression was actually capable of intimidation). "Fritz, I've told you a million times not to slam the..." Raeger's look softened to concern as he lifted his eyes to meet Fritz at last, though he never ceased his task at cutting the tomatoes. "What?" he asked curiously. Tomato?

Fritz didn't give any delay, walking over to the counter where Raeger stood across from and hurriedly explaining with, "I've made a fatal mistake and..." He abruptly halted when he noticed the freshly cut tomato sprawled out in front of him, his eyes flying open and his jaw dropping an inch. The world stopped around him and faded into nothingness, his life flashing before his eyes. After several, long moments his petrified look found Raeger again, and he gaped at him, too paralyzed to speak.

Raeger eyed him warily, becoming self-conscious by his strange, never-ending stare. "Why...are you looking at me like that? Did I...chop my finger off or something?" He worriedly turned his attention to the ceiling. "Oh no, I'm too afraid to look..." Dread washed over him. He knew the day would come for this eventually; he just didn't think it would be so soon.

"... Raeger..." Fritz choked out cautiously, "That...wasn't the same tomato I gave you the other day... Was it?"

"... Uhmm..." Raeger glanced to the wall and back again to Fritz. "I don't think so... Why?"

"Really?" Fritz chuckled and wiped invisible sweat from his forehead. "Whew! You had me scared there for a minute, man! Don't do that!" He went around the length of the counter and into the kitchen, seemingly ignoring Raeger's question. Or maybe he just didn't catch it. Or maybe...he had selective hearing? Sometimes Raeger never knew.

"Fritz? What are you doing?"

"Lookin' for my tomato," Fritz hummed, as if the answer was obvious. He picked up a tomato from a pile of vegetables next to Raeger's side. "You have it over here somewhere, right? Don't worry, I'll find it, just keep working," he said, waving a hand dismissively in Raeger's direction while he inspected the tomato all around.

Raeger laughed humorlessly. "That wasn't exactly what I meant, dear..." His voice dropped at once. Violet eyes bore into him. "Friend." Across from him stood Mistel waiting patiently, presumably to be served. The blonde had his hands clasped leisurely behind his back.

Fritz arched an eyebrow at the tomato, though it was intended for his boyfriend. "Did you almost call me-"

"AHEM!"

Mistel held a steady gaze. "Business working you harder than usual, Raeger?" he asked evenly. His gaze finally broke from Raeger to shift onto Fritz. Raeger saw Fritz's reflection in his amethyst eyes like a mirror.

"Uhhh - yes. He's quite a handful..." the chef answered uncertainly, but then quickly caught himself with, "BUSINESS, I MEAN! Is...quite a handful..."

The blonde flashed a friendly smile. "Hee hee..." He then held up two fingers in the form of a peace-sign. "A seat for two, please." Behind him stood his sister, Iris, who Raeger had just come to mind the presence of. She was jotting something down in a notepad, seemingly ignorant of her surroundings and lost in her own little world.

Raeger couldn't help but stare at her, trying to decipher what exactly Mistel had meant by his earlier remark, before snapping back to reality at last. "Of course. Right this way." He moved past Fritz, muttering to him, "Get out of my kitchen," in a voice that only he could hear, which sounded more like a warning than it did a demand.

"But," Fritz began, about ready to turn around and rebut with the saddest-looking pair of dejected puppy-eyes, but Raeger was already out of the kitchen before he could do much of anything else.

"My, you are busy today," Mistel noted as he followed Raeger, observing every detail he passed by, from table to table, from person to person. "I'm sure if I had even half as many people in my antique shop as you do in your restaurant I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"Please don't advertise in my restaurant," Raeger stated coolly. He stopped at an empty table and passed out two menus at either end of it.

"Was that advertising?" Mistel asked innocently, before he and his sister seated themselves down. "You have my apologies, Raeger. Like you, I suppose I haven't been very mindful of my speech as of late."

Raeger's cheeks brightened to a deep red. What did Mistel mean? Could he have possibly heard Raeger's slip-up too? The part where Raeger almost called Fritz "dear" and left it at that? And why would he even call him such a thing anyway?

"Mistel!" Iris snapped. Evidently, she was finally paying interest to the conversation. She slouched somewhat over the table and cupped a hand to the side of her mouth as if to conceal it from Raeger's view, then mouthed the word "behave" at her brother. In return he glanced off to the side and crossed his arms with a sour look, much like a child would. Then she straightened out her dress, flustered and distressed. "I'm sorry, Raeger." She pried her eyes from her lap to settle on the chef. "Please forgive my brother. He means it all in good humor, I'm sure."

"It's, uh... It's no problem," Raeger stammered. He took out a pen and a pad of paper, already looking down to write. "Can I get your orders?"

"The usual for me, please," Iris answered smoothly. She turned to her brother, who was drawing a cat head on the table with a packet of sugar he dumped out, his cheek resting tiredly in his other hand with an elbow propped up to support it. Her lips curled slightly upwards at the display. Maybe he went too far sometimes, sure, but her brother had a unique childish charm, one that was so unlike the rest of him. She nodded back at Raeger when she knew they weren't going to hear him comply. "And Mistel." She crossed her legs, and Raeger nodded in turn before scribbling down the orders and setting off. "Thank yooou!" she sang after him.

By the time Raeger made it back to the kitchen, his face finally cooled down. Well, that was a relief. Still, Mistel's words rang in his ears...

Thinking about it is only going to cause me unnecessary stress, he thought.

Yawning, he brushed past Fritz to where he was working earlier, not even aware that Fritz just about dropped his tomato. Fritz sneaked a glimpse at him to make sure he didn't notice. One mistake and he'd be out of the kitchen for sure. He watched him as he rubbed one eye and looked around the area for something, then quickly snapped his head away when he saw him turn in his direction.

"Fritz, could you... Never mind." Raeger let out a light sigh, then rested a hand atop Fritz's shoulder as he reached around him, his chest barely swiping across his back. Fritz jumped a little at the contact, the tomato fumbling in his hands again, but it didn't seem like Raeger was paying any attention. "It's probably best if you...don't touch sharp objects," Raeger finished, finally snatching a knife that was on the other side of Fritz. After that, he went back to where he was standing prior, and Fritz resumed his stare.

He yawned and rubbed at his eye again. "So what was it you said you needed again? Something about a tomato? Explain it to me in detail, please. Full detail. And in English."

"Uhmmm - well... It's...k-kinda embarrassing..." Fritz chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, uhhh... Well... I...accidentally sold all of my tomatoes to the vendors."

Raeger stopped at his work to glance back at Fritz. Only Fritz was capable of "accidentally" selling anything... Raeger rolled his eyes away. He figured he must've forgot he needed them, though it still seemed unlikely... But with Fritz, anything was possible... Like how he was...almost...cute...when he confessed about things he was embarrassed about.

Stop thinking about that.

"... What a plot twist," he added dryly.

"I know, right!? And the festival's tomorrow! So that's why... Y'know... I was wondering if you still had the one I gave you the other day." Fritz picked up a different tomato and examined it. "Sooo... Yeah... Umm... S-sorry to give and take and all that..."

"... Festival?" Raeger thought aloud. Then it all clicked. "Oh. You mean the Harvest Festival, right?" He left for a second and then came back with a tomato, taking Fritz's wrist and placing it in his palm of his hand. "There ya go."

Fritz was blown away. "Whoa..." His eyes darted back and forth from the tomato to Raeger. "How did you know? Are you hiding magic from me or something? That's...awesome!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"... Uhhhhh..."

"... Wait..." Fritz's face fell. "You just gave me a random one to get me out of the kitchen, didn't you?"

"... Uhh, ummm..."

"... Or... No. Wait... You...kept this for me just in case...something like this happened?"

Raeger blushed profusely, but didn't say anything.

"What, really? Did I get it right?" Fritz beamed brightly, his smile growing so big it felt like it'd split his face in two. "Aww, really!? Raeger, that's so cu-"

To make sure no one heard him, Raeger cut him off by shoving him out of the kitchen. "Yes, yes... Just get out," he nearly growled.

When he was by himself in the kitchen again, he went back to work, trying to no avail to get his embarrassment to die down.

It was going to be a long day.