Sticking Around [Critical]

@"Critical"

Eros was there because he needed to be there.

He was new to this island, hasn't gotten used to the place, so he decided one afternoon to go out and check out all places he could. This time, he didn't forget his glasses. He didn't want to have another fangirl mobbing incident, and so he's been careful ever since.

But for some reason, he felt like he wasn't entirely safe. The nervousness didn't show on his posture nor on his face, it only seeped out through his constant fixing of his glasses on the bridge of his nose, so he could reassure himself that he had it on. He felt like someone was eyeing him from somewhere, so he decided, he had to go back to the dorm now.

His strides were long and fast. He made different turns to make sure he'd lose anyone who could be following him, but he somehow still ended up being surprised and pushed into an alley. He had no idea how it happened, but in just what seemed like a second, he was there stuck in a dark place, back against cold concrete, him facing a complete stranger that was a slightly bigger man than him.

"What the hell..? Let me go, asshole. I know judo."

But could judo help him if he was pinned to a wall and stuck between two strong-looking arms? He decided he had to make it happen. After all, he was the only person who could help himself in situations like this.

He tried to trip him but the guy only kicked him back on the knee and grabbed his arms, pinning them over his head. And then one hand travelled to his glasses, meaning to take it off. Panic quickly took over.

"No..! Dammit let go!"

Eros felt a little pathetic for a moment. But dammit, the guy pinning him down was strong, and his mind had gone blank when his glasses were taken off.

He didn't recognize the shark man's features immediately, but he did see his huge silhouette, and he heard his assailant click his tongue before dashing off. Eros rubbed his almost twisted wrists, and then quickly picked up his glasses from the ground to wear it again. But...

It was broken.

Eros' eyes widened in terror, staring into the junction of the glasses where the nose was supposed to fit, where the whole thing was broken in two. Biting his lower lip, he tried his best to stay calm, and folded the glasses before putting it inside his pocket.

He looked up at the shark man, nodding and smiling at him to show his thankfulness. "I probably looked pathetic. But... thank you, sir."

However, Eros knew he'd be a wreck from now on. He could try having his glasses fixed, but he wasn't sure the enchantment on it that protects him would remain. He hoped his savior was strong enough not to be lured.

Eros squinted a little at Lelei, realizing only then that he had shark features. He mouthed a quiet 'Oh!' before holding out a hand for a shake, since he thought it was only proper to introduce himself that way. "I'm Erasthai, sir. Uh... People call me Eros. Sorry if I don't recognize you, I'm a student in the academy but I just moved here so... not really familiar with people yet."

He still worried about his glasses at the back of his mind. He needed to get it fixed. Thankfully, he always ends up with people who seemed able to resist his ability whenever he had fail moments with his glasses. Lelei surely seemed like he was okay.

Eros looked towards the opening of the alley. "Guess we better get out of here," he muttered awkwardly, before taking the lead towards the better parts of the city where everything was brighter. And then he looked over his shoulder for the shark man. "I owe you one, Mr. Lelei. How can I thank you?" he asked.

"Ah, right."

Eros wasn't the secretive type, mostly. Once they were back to the busy sidewalk, he momentarily slowed down his pace so he'd walk side by side with Lelei. He was a little taken aback by the huge guy's appearance, but he did expect all kinds of people in this island and he was absolutely okay with him.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Lelei. As for what happened back there..." His right hand unconsciously reached for his glasses. It didn't show, but he was devastated enough to lock himself in the dorm, with his only encounter forever being with his roommate only. Of course he wasn't going to do that for real. "...I have this weird tendency to... attract people. I don't really mean for it to happen, it causes me nothing but trouble." He shrugged.

He looked around. He could already see more pairs of eyes directed at him as they walked, and they were not approaching him most likely because of Lelei's presence. Meaning he had one more reason to owe the shark man. He bit his lower lip nervously, but quickly let it go afterwards as he looked up at him. He was certain Lelei could at least feel something. "See, lots of people are staring at me. I'm used to it but... it's still stressful."

Eros' attention was already fully pulled by Lelei when he showed him his head fin. The young man blinked, giving the pink tip a good brief stare, before nodding at Lelei with slight awkwardness. "I... I see." Pink shade on one's body usually had a fixed meaning more or less, and this assumption together with the context of their conversation confirms Eros' guess that Lelei was feeling something towards him. But he appreciated how the guy pointed it out and decided not to push him to another dark hallway, and was keeping up a casual conversation instead.

But because of that, a part of him became even more curious about Lelei and actually wanted to ask things, but he let it go almost right as he thought of it. How do you do it, was his thought mostly. But that was too dangerous a question to bring up.

He gave Lelei a curious look at being nudged. The offer was great, normally, and Eros would actually love that, but this time, part of his brain suddenly started shouting at him. Bad idea, bad idea!

But despite the warning siren, Eros nodded. "I'm going around getting myself used to the place, I guess checking out a café is a good idea." No it's not. Still, he tried to convince himself that things weren't going to go bad for him. That Lelei wouldn't pin him on the wall just because of magical seduction. In any case, it was a café. Just a café. "Just a little drink might probably help. Ah, coffee is probably out of the question though, isn't it?" He stubbornly insisted on it to himself.