Steak for Lunch

It was pretty rare for Oliver to be invited to social occasions if they weren’t organized by himself. But in a turn of events, inside his small hand was a clutched invitation. It was from an ally he had made a few weeks prior. The meeting he had that day had resonated something within him. The weeks after had resulted in a brighter mood from Oliver. A peace of mind he hadn’t felt in ages thanks to a burden held on by a terrible mistake he made. He at least felt his age again, and allowed himself to be happier.

Now it appeared he was being called back for lunch with him. It honestly surprised Oliver, as he didn’t know that he’d want his company after that day. It made him wonder why he was needed in the first place, though he figured that question would be answered soon enough. He had made his way downtown by himself, and was dressed neatly for the occasion. Nothing too formal, but something as special as this required him to not look like he had woken up extra early to work on a school project, in which he did. As he neared the cafe that was on the address of the letter, he ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair to get it straight. Adjusting his glasses, he opened up the door to the cafe. Approaching the waiter inside as he told him that he was here for company.

Oliver then proceeded to look around before spotting the man in question. He was easy to find, after all his appearance was rather distinguished. Slowly, he made his way the other tyrannosaurus shifter. A soft smile baring on his face.
”Good afternoon Mister Ignatius.” He greeted politely, bowing his head a small bit. ”Thank you for the invitation. It’s really nice to see you again.”
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Oliver shook his head. This meeting was more than welcome, and the chance to meet people he’s allied himself with was always a pleasure. Besides, he was already caught up with schoolwork for the next few classes, since he had some side products he had been working on. ”Not at all sir. I just got off not too long ago actually.” He smiled pleasantly. ”It’s perfect timing.” With that, Oliver got comfortable, but not too comfortable. He still wanted to consistently put his best foot forward and not drive away the older man. He really liked his company, after all.

”Oh! That’s very kind of you, sir. Are you sure? I did bring enough money..” Offers made to him like this were rare, so certainly he treasured it. But, he didn’t want to go in a fit of denying Ignatius’ generosity over paranoid guilt, so he accepted in gratitude.

”Well, I really appreciate it. Thank you Ignatius.” After all, he was a CEO. Oliver was just a kid trying to make it by without supervision. So really, having a figure around like Ignatius was for the benefit of him. Emotionally, more than anything.

Upon asking for his well-being, Oliver perked himself up a bit. He certainly emanated a less gloomy aura, instead replacing it with a feeling of hope. His tone had also reflected this. ”I’ve been doing… A lot better, actually. Thanks to your advice, I’ve felt a lot more at ease with my ability and such. It really has made a difference.” But enough about him. He cared to know more about his host, after all. ”What about you? I hope business is going well for you.”
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Oliver nodded in agreement. Though the school had quite the funds and the cafeteria supplied much more than the average public school, it was still hard to find good cuts of meat. So in his extra time he had done odd jobs and such to try to amass the money to get what he needed for himself. Too bad he was too young to be hired for an official occupation. ”Oh no, not at all.” He assured, in attempts to keep him from possibly worrying. ”I’m really fortunate that the school really does try it’s best to accommodate everyone no matter what their ability is.” And it was really fortunate that he was invited to stay there. Lord knows where he’d be had nobody come to rescue him.

”I think it’s interesting.” He assured lightly, though grew invisibly flustered at the reactive thought that he may be being a kiss-ass. He’d been called that before when he complimented a teacher when they looked down in the dumps. ”I mean, my mother ran a family business. It’s something I’m used to, and would have inherited eventually.” Oh. Shoot. He may have spoke a little too much. Quickly he followed the question about his schooling.

”It’s going well, thank you. Most of my classes do open deadlines with assignments so I did most of my work ahead of schedule so I have more time to myself.” He smiled. ”I’m caught up for the next few weeks, actually. Today was my last day coming in for a while.” Hence why he was here instead of being hunched over a trigonometry textbook. It was a worthy celebration, anyway.
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Oliver nodded. What Ignatius spoke of was something he agreed with, as slacking off often had devastating consequences. Been there, done that, and never going to go through it again. Late-nighters under stress didn’t mix well with the already anxious boy. But now that he was finished everything, he had time to relax and enjoy himself. Though the next question the other posed had risen some long tucked-away feelings.

”Oh, um...” He brushed some hair from in front of his glasses, pulling a nervous smile immediately on his face. ”Yes it is.” But… ”I may take a class or two, otherwise I’ll just stay here.” He felt a bit of heat burning in his cheeks. This may be paranoia speaking, but something told Oliver that this question was very much attempting to what he accidentally eluded to prior. Though personal, Oliver was compelled to keep a brief yet honest explanation so that perhaps he didn’t have to explain further. Or at least not bore him with what could be a sob story. ”I can’t… I can’t exactly go home. At least, I don’t think I can.” He explained awkwardly, though tried to keep the mood light.

”But I don’t mind. There’s plenty to do here over the summer break that I’m sure I’ll be occupied for the time being. Do you have any vacations coming up, Mr. Ignatius?”The question was used as deflection, though he genuinely was curious on how adults like him managed to take it easy every now and again.
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Upon his admittance, a feeling welled up within him that he hadn’t experienced in awhile. It was a sensation of emptiness, or at least that’s how he felt he could describe it. He really was on his own out here, and even if he had powers Oliver couldn’t help but to feel defenseless. Going away for school was nothing for him. After all, before the academy he went to a private all-boys boarding school. But he always could come home during breaks, and at least have some sort of safety net. Here? It was himself against the world.

He still tried to keep his upbeat politeness by paying attention to the older man and keeping those thoughts locked tightly away. It was interesting to listen to how his life went, so why focus on himself anyway?

”That’s very admirable. I know a lot of my classmates tell me that they usually work through the holidays and get fired if they call off, even if they did so months in advance” Maybe that was just teens and young though? He wasn’t quite sure, since he wasn’t quite old enough to apply for any jobs yet. ”I hope you get to relax over your break.”

Before he could go back to pondering what he was to do, Ignatius proposed an offer he was stunned to hear, to the point it took him off guard. There was astonishment in his eyes, and a slight, almost innocent tilt of his head. ”Do you.. Really mean it?” He asked, overwhelmed by the act of kindness. To have a place to be surrounded by people similar to him.. And not be alone during the break. ”Sir, you’ve done plenty to help me already. You really don’t have to.” He looked down. Usually he was an advocate for friendly eye contact, but he didn’t want to directly admit that this was something he really, really wanted. ”But… I would sincerely appreciate it.”
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