Scoops Of Heaven [Kodi, later Oriel]

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

There was no denying it, Gryph was pretty damn nervous.

He'd planned something pretty simple, because a movie or something along those lines felt like it would be tedious or boring, and he didn't want to get this wrong. Like, he really didn't want to get it wrong, it was scaring him how anxious he was. All the same, Gryphon decided on something simple and sweet, something everyone loved... ice cream.

Yes, yes, it was the middle of winter, but ice cream always tasted better in winter anyway. And he did remember the fact that Kodi didn't like sweet things, but come on; if that boy didn't like ice cream, his soul would shatter. 

Anyway, back to the present, where Gryph was constantly wondering if he had made the right desicion. It was a little late to turn back on it now really, what else could they do? They'd be the fun part of the date, that was the point of arranging to go out with someone, it was to see them, if nothing else, right? He knocked on Kodi's door, and assuming he opened it shortly after, flashed him a smile, "Y'ready?"

[Deleted]

No, Kodi hadn't been trying on different clothes for an hour to decide what would look best for his first... Date.

It'd been closer to one and a half.

He'd finally settled on something dark and sort of simple, but then again, Kodi wasn't the flashy type. And, well, he thought he looked pretty good, all considering. His new piercings were no longer red and inflamed from getting them in, and his hair was still the same blonde with faint blue streaks that he'd gotten on Valentine's Day. Yeah... Kodi was ready.

.... Oh who was he kidding. He was never going to be ready for this. He'd been mulling over it ever since Gryphon had asked him, tossing and turning at night trying to decide if he'd made the right choice in accepting, wondering what they were going to do... He was going to drive himself crazy.

He was pacing around his room, trying to calm his nerves (what, no, he wasn't nervous), when the knock came. Kodi froze, then turned and stalked cautiously to the door, trying to appear nonchalant when he opened it and was met with Gryph's... Glorious smiling face. The southern boy struggled not to grin like a little kid. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready," he replied, grabbing a jacket to tug on over his shirt for the walk (at least he assumed they were walking somewhere). "What'm I ready for, anyway?" he asked, shutting and locking his door behind him. "I ain't exactly... Experienced with this stuff," he mumbled, shooting the other boy a look. "So you better make my first time fuckin' fantastic." No pressure. Kodi gave a broad, teasing grin.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryph didn't remember eating butterflies for breakfast, but there they were, fluttering around in his stomach. As soon as he saw Kodi, they multiplied by a large number, so now, he was possibly extremely nervous. But not showing it, not showing it. He smirked, "Its a surprise." Mainly because they were gonna get the ice cream and then see what else happened. Yeah... guess who else wasn't exactly experienced with this? So... he wasn't sure if it would be 'fucking fantastic', but it would at least be fun, right?

"I'll tell you same for my first time." He joked, smiling back. But he really... Kodi seemed to have pretty high expectations for this, he didn't wanna let him down or anything... ugh. Gryphon began walking, from the exit of the common area to the hallway. Assuming Kodi followed, he looked down at the other boy's hand and toyed with the idea of holding it... fucking hell, how difficult was it to just do one simple gesture? He took up the blonde's hand next to him.

And then he was stuck. He kept walking with a faint smile permanently on his lips, thanks to the fuzziness he felt inside, but he didn't know what to say. The amount of times Gryph didn't know what to say were stupid and frustrating. He could only think about the main hobby he knew Kodi had; reading. But... how did you slip that into conversation? Fucking hell, what Kodi did to him...

[Deleted]

Kodi gave a scowl, but it was almost... Playful. He didn't even know he was capable of such an expression. Stupid Gryphon and the stupid flutters he felt in his stomach. "I don't like surprises," he grumbled, but it lacked any real sort of discontent; if he was honest with himself, just the fact they were going anywhere was enough for him; it would be an experience, if nothing else.

He blinked and was brought back to the present when Gryphon spoke again, and he let out a laugh, shooting a look of expectation over at the other boy. "If it's with me, I'll make sure you enjoy it," he promised. Wait, if? If? No, when! Kodi needed to have more confidence about this. He'd get to Gryph eventually, he just knew it. Because, well, look... He was already taking Kodi's hand, and the southern boy looked down at their linked fingers, panicked for a moment that someone might see them walking down the hall looking like a stupid couple or something. But since the hall was clear, he relaxed after a few moments, and let his hand curl more naturally into Gryphon's. Ughhh.... He was getting so soft. He needed to beat something up after this.

And then... They slipped into a couple minutes of silence. Kodi could feel his heart thudding dully in his chest, and he swallowed, looking around them as they went down the stairs and into the common room. He let his hand slip away as they passed by the students milling around down there, but as soon as they got outside, he brushed their hands together again, craving the touch. "So, uh... How's your day been?" he finally asked, hating the silence. "I'm, um, likin' the hair, by the way," he added, pointing up at Gryph's darker strands. Compliments? Really? Kodi had hit a new low.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

"Poor you; I'm sure you'll survive." Gryphon teased, smirking. He almost flicked him on the arm but y'know... he didn't. His fingers were itching to do something though.

If? Oh, Kodi had no idea, did he? He almost questioned why it would be with anyone else, did he seem like the player type? ...maybe, but still, he wouldn't do something like that. "Glad t'hear it." He smirked, scratching the back of his nerves. Yes, he was the one who brought it up, but it still made him feel a little awkward. He... had no clue about that. Flirting? Practically a breeze. Teasing? Remarks (usually) rolled right off his tongue. Anything actually sexual? ...no.

He felt that fuzzy feeling in his core multiply once Kodi's hand was more attached to his. And the silence... wasn't too bad. It was awkward, but comfortable at the same time. In other words, Gryph never knew what to think anymore. He didn't realize that Kodi was no longer holding his hand until they were almost outside again... hmm.

How was his day? They needed something decent to talk about. "Not bad, just did some practise, y'know... dancin'." And flying. But when he thought about flying at the moment, all he could remember was helping Millie... fucking hell, where had that tree come from anyway? He still felt very responsible, and pretty terrible... this was why people didn't trust him with important things, like, I dunno, the life of a little girl! Ugh... "...what 'bout you?"

He smiled at the compliment, it was a pretty drastic change of colour, but he preferred it when it was darker anyway, "Heh, thanks." He ruffled it with his hand and then turned his head to look at the boy beside him. Soft or not, he liked being around Kodi. His unpredictablility was almost... fun.

[Deleted]

"Don't be so sure," Kodi retorted with a smirk. Nah, he'd be fine. He just had to tease... Ugh.

He was quite aware of the awkwardness that seemed to settle over his companion whenever the topic of physical intimacy came up, and his smirk broadened slightly as he glanced up at Gryphon. "Man, you really are a virgin, huh?" he asked, as though it hadn't been obvious before. He paused, then added,"Don't... Worry 'bout it though. Most of the gay guys at this school suck anyway." Only Oriel had managed to keep him interested more than once or twice. But then again, he hadn't got to experience everyone, just a good chunk.

As the subject changed, Kodi tilted his head and nodded, interested. "If I'd've known, I might've come t'watch," he replied, grinning. "'Specially if you were goin' bareback." And bare everything else. Mmmm... He should learn how to dance, maybe. Kodi probably wouldn't be any good though, he had next to no rhythm and was more like a raging bull than a graceful feather most of the time. "Me?" Kodi had done very little, considering a good portion of his day so far had been trying on clothes, and he sure as hell wouldn't admit that. "Uh... Read a bit. Stared blankly at homework. The usual." None of that homework had gotten done, of course. As much as Kodi was actually capable of passing classes, he never tried hard enough to do so. He needed to keep up his appearance of contempt for this school. Which, ironically, meant he'd likely be staying here longer...

Kodi simply nodded at the thanks, feeling his stomach churn at the unfamiliar word. He rarely had any reason to be thanked; it was weird. He glanced up as he felt Gryph's eyes on him, and felt his face get warm for absolutely no fucking reason. "Uh... So, lead the way, I guess," he mumbled, waving Gryph on. Fortunately, the walk to the mall wasn't too far, and it would only take them a few minutes to get there from the school. Still, Kodi wracked his brain for something to talk about; it was hard, considering most of his interactions with people were aggressive. This normal stuff was... Weird. But not necessarily in a bad way. "Ah... What's your favorite song t'dance to?" he finally asked as they passed around a corner. It was as good a question as any, right?

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

"Man, you really are a virgin, huh?"

Gryphon sent Kodi a look - no, he was a motherfucking squirrel. The only way Gryph could've been more of a virgin was if he had never kissed anyone, but that'd happened. Kodi knew that, he knew that quite well. He didn't know why his subconscious created such a... distance between the two situations. Sex was like... an intimate hug, really.... ok, it was so abundantly obvious that Gryph had no idea what to think. At least Kodi was helping... kind of. He just bit his lip and chuckled a little anxiously; he knew it wouldn't be happening anytime too soon, but... ugh. "At least... it might not suck then." Yup, his brain wasn't working properly.

The change of topic couldn't have come soon enough. He chuckled, "Nah, I kept muckin' up. Unless watchin' someone trip over their own feet's hot for you." And he had been topless, he felt better with his wings in the open, they helped his balance after all. Gryphon chuckled at the homework comment. Unless he cared about the work himself, he wasn't a fan of completing it either.

He nodded, "Right," he began walking in the direction of the mall, turning back when another question was aimed his way, "Hm... I like dancin' to electro-stuff. And KPOP, 'cause the groups usually have pretty good choreography anyway." He smiled, he was trying to hold himself back from an almighty ramble. Dancing was a pretty huge part of who he was, and he wasn't ashamed of that fact at all.

A short while later, they came to a stop in front of an ice cream parlour; Gryph smiled, "Well... this is it." He stated, kind of awkwardly. He had no idea what Kodi would think. He stuffed one of his hands into his pocket and opened the door with his other. The fact alone that this place was open was almost a miracle. He stepped inside, assuming that Kodi did as well, and walked up to the counter.

Holy shit, there were a lot of flavours of ice cream.

[Deleted]

Man... Gryph was just so different than what Kodi was used to, he was starting to feel awkward about the subject as well. Most of the guys he'd shown interest in before (and only physical interest, really) were as familiar with the topic as himself; Gryph was just... Ughh. "Yeah, don't... Don't worry 'bout it," he finally said, scratching the back of his head. They'd cross that bridge when they got there. Unfortunately, Kodi had just never been a very patient person.

He smirked and shrugged, shooting Gryph a look. "I dunno, hard for me t'believe Mr. Twinkletoes would be that clumsy," he replied. Ah, another nickname... "I bet you do look hot even when you mess up." He glanced down at Gryphon's lips for a moment before looking away again. Nope, don't do that, not here... Not yet.

Kodi's brow furrowed curiously. "KPOP?" he asked, unfamiliar. "Whassat?" Sounded weird. Of course, Kodi wasn't particularly musical, so he didn't go out of his way to listen to whatever was popular these days; all he really knew was the hick stuff he'd grown up on in the south, and he hated that shit. So it was no surprised he'd never heard of music from another country before.

He glanced up at the shop as they reached it, totally unexpecting their final destination. It was... Sweet. Not that Kodi would say as much. "Ice cream? When it's freezing outside?" he asked, but the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips gave away that he wasn't opposed to the idea. Ice cream was... Good. Kodi was more just not a fan of baked goods most of the time. He followed his... Date... Into the place, trailing behind him and glancing over the assorted flavors. Fuck... How was he supposed to choose? "Uh... I'll get..." He pondered for a moment. "A scoop of dark chocolate, an'... One of raspberry sorbet," he finally decided.

While Gryph ordered his own, Kodi reached for his wallet, reaching in to pull out the amount due, but he froze when he realized,".... I don't have any cash," he mumbled, stomach sinking. "Shit, I didn't realize..." Kodi didn't get a lot of money to begin with; it wasn't a surprise he was out. Those piercings had cost a lot. He looked up at Gryph guiltily. "... I'll owe you..."

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Not even thinking about it anymore. But worried? Gryph wasn't... nah, he wasn't -worried- at all. Just anything that was a synonym of being worried.

Gryphon chuckled, Mr. Twinkletoes... such a stupid nickname. And he wasn't clusmy, per say, it was just the fact that when he mucked up, he'd try to keep going and then something else would go wrong. Usually ended in him looking like an epileptic seal or something, it was weird if people watched. He smirked, "I'd beg to differ." As if the mental image he'd created didn't illustrate that well enough. He looked at the boy... just as he looked away. That wasn't fair, he wanted to look at his eyes again.

Ah, yes. He minorly forgot the fact that not everyone knew about every genre of music. "KPOP, its Korean pop music," he tried to find the words to describe it, but music was pretty difficult to interpret without actually listening to it. He looked around to try and discover some visual aid to help him, but there were none. "Its... unique." And that was all Gryphon was saying on the matter. Maybe they could listen to it together sometime.

"Hey, ice cream always tastes better in Winter." He defended, smirking. At least, that was his opinion on the matter; but he saw Kodi smiling and felt more comfortable. That was good, he was happy. Kodi said his order and Gryph spoke, "And I'll have one of cookie dough and one of Rainbow Sorbet." ...it wasn't like Gryph came here quite regularly or anything... nope. There was just... never a bad time to eat ice cream. And if that was at least once weekly... so be it.

He furrowed his brow, why was Kodi fussing over money? Oh right... he wasn't used to this, "You'll owe me nothin'." Gryph assured, looking into his eyes, "That's how a date works." He smiled and kissed the boy's cheek before getting his own wallet out and finding the dough to pay for the noms. After all, hadn't Kodi bought him something a while back? He couldn't really remember, but in any case, he was paying. He got his change and smiled politely at the cashier, taking both of their orders in his hands once his wallet was away. He held out Kodi's so he could take it, "Don't worry about it."

[Deleted]

"Yeah, well, I bet you at least look better than me if I tried," Kodi shot back, shaking his head with a small chuckle. Nope, he was not a coordinated person. He was more of a brawling bull than a graceful swan, or whatever. He fought that way too - not thinking before he did anything, just diving into a scuffle head- (or fist-)first. It wasn't a surprise he usually ended up with a bunch of battle wounds even if he won.

"Korean pop music...?" Kodi repeated, still bewildered. What the fuck was that? "... You'll have t'show me sometime, 'cause that sounds..." Well, unique was a word. He only spoke rusty Mandarin. But hey, maybe it wouldn't be bad. Better than country shit, at least.

"Mmm... Well, I'll expect someone t'keep me warm if I end up freezin' on the inside as well as the outside," Kodi retorted, his smile widening. Any excuse to get cozy with the other boy was good in his book. Growing up in the south, Kodi still wasn't particularly used to cold weather as it was, anyway. "So... Just forewarnin'." Kodi, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time he'd had ice cream; it wasn't something he went out of his way to get. But.... Well, he might be able to get used to it. At least he worked out nearly every day, so it wouldn't show.

You'll owe me nothin'. Kodi wavered as he put his wallet back in his pocket, somehow feeling guilty still, but couldn't help the smile that touched his lips. Which was accompanied by a blush at the small kiss. "If... If ya say so..." he replied, feeling like a stupid girl or something. "Th... Thank you." He gingerly took the cone from Gryphon's hand, still grinning like an idiot as he took the first lick. "Mmm..." Kodi nodded appreciatively, starting to head towards the exit that led to the rest of the mall. "This's really good," he told Gryphon, hesitating a few seconds before linking his fingers lightly with Gryph's free hand. He loved the jolts he got from their contact. And... They wouldn't see anyone that Kodi would worry about seeing him like this, right? Nahh... "What else's there t'see in the mall?" he asked, looking around. He'd only been in here a time or two before.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Now that was an idea - he'd like to see Kodi trying to dance. In the nicest way possible, the shorter boy seemed a little... heavy on his feet. Dancing for him probably came in the shape of a war cry or something... that was mean, he thought, but he never said it out loud, so it was fine. "Ah, whatever." He grinned.

Gryph knew he was being no help at explaining the genre, he just shook his head, "Yea." He wasn't really sure of Kodi would like it at all. It was a lot of dancing and smiling and electronic noises and occasionally high-pitched things... ehh, you never know. Opposites attract, right?

Gryphon chuckled, "Well, I ain't goin' anywhere, so," he didn't know what else to say. He just looked at the boy to finish his half-spoken sentence. He knew what he meant. He would not mind doing that, not one bit. The warmth would be welcomed.

"No problem." Gryph smirked and winked, as cheesy as it made the moment. It was worth it, after all. He followed the boy's lead and had a taste of his own... mmm, cookies. "No kiddin'." He'd had it quite a few times before, that didn't stop him from enjoying the creamy deliciousness that was cookie dough ice cream. He looked down at their hands when they interlocked, tightening his grip slightly on Kodi's fingers... he would never get used to that feeling, and he loved it.

"Well, there's..." He hadn't planned something in particular, but he looked at Kodi and remembered one place, somewhere the blonde boy would probably be very comfortable, "...y'know." Gotta keep the mystery rolling. He grinned and took the lead, walking round the corner. Ah, there it was.

"I heard you like books." He teased; in front of them was a decently sized book store. Never been in there himself, but at least he remembered it.

[Deleted]

Ugh... Kodi couldn't rid himself of this stupid giddy feeling in his chest. It sounded like maybe they'd get to hang out in one of their rooms after they got back to Hammel too, which Kodi was more than alright with. Hell, Kodi wouldn't have minded having the boy over every night; even though it wasn't what he was used to, it was still... Nice. Just to share someone else's heat and companionship.

.... He really, really needed to beat the shit out of something. This was getting ridiculous.

"I'll pay for... For next time," he promised, realizing too late that he'd already made the decision that there would be a next time. Oops. Wasn't that supposed to be like, a rule? Playing hard to get, or whatever? Kodi still didn't know how this worked. ".... Can I try yours?" he asked, eyeing Gryph's cone. Then an idea sprang to mind and instead of going in for a bite of the ice cream, he lifted himself up to get a taste of the stuff directly off of the boy's lips. Mmmm.... Delicious. "I think it tastes better that way," he teased, grinning as he pulled away.

He focused back on the topic at hand, raising a brow at Gryph's vagueness. "Eh?" he grumped, following after as he munched on his treat. "Whatchu-" Kodi paused as they reached the bookstore, eyes widening slightly. Well, his heart was pretty much won. "Perfect," he hummed, nuzzling his forehead briefly against Gryphon's shoulder before starting forward to go inside. He'd only known about a bookstore further downtown; this was a whole new deal. "Let's go!"

[Deleted]

Oriel's recent trips down to the mall lately have been only to serve two purposes. 1) To get fucking used to being around people again because after three months of not being able to go anywhere, Oriel was finding his new-found freedom a lot more attractive to just sitting around in his dorm all day and night pretending to do homework. Call it cabin fever, he may have had it a bit. 2) Oriel was still doing the "what the fuck do I wanna do for a job" thing and wondering if there was anything around these parts that he could actually do without getting fired the very next day for reasons unknown.

And no, he refused to go the route that Phoenix had and get Dr. Sean to help prep him and make him presentable. If Oriel wasn't presentable enough as is, then he wasn't even sure he wanted to work with such judgmental pricks. He'd probably go get a piercing done in a strange place just to spite them, but he didn't have the money to do that, nor was he going to risk an infection from a friend's dirty needle.

Anyway, the point was, Oriel had no idea what the fuck he was going to do and so had just found himself idly trudging through the masses of people, glaring at them to move out of his way. When they parted, however, he had to stop and look up at the pair that was coming towards him....and neither seemed to have seen him yet. Well, it wasn't like he was wearing anything that would make him stand out. Just the normal jeans, black long-sleeved undershirt, and a open, white and green button-up. Totally average looking. Well, and he'd also pulled his hair back into a lot knot, so he didn't have his characteristic curly locks bouncing about.

Okay, so maybe he was trying to look somewhat presentable. Don't judge!!

In any case, the pair, both of whom he knew(one quite well), were looking like they both just came out of some gushy chick flick movie where they got to share candy and apparently ice-cream on a fucking swam boat.

Fuck, is that what Phoenix and Oriel looked like? Lost in their own world and so sweet just looking at 'em would make you vomit? Oriel decided to do something about that later.

In the meantime, he had this unbelievable scene presented before him and was tempted to...interrupt them. Oh, yes, this was a good idea. The chance to bug the both of them, kill two birds with one stone, or in this case, one turkey and one werewolf. God could not have set it up any more perfect. Oriel pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and quickly pulled up the camera. The first picture was a candid. The second one, though, he gave a little shout out. "Oy! Lovebirds! Show me them pearly whites!" A flash followed.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

Gryph felt terrible. In the sense that he hadn't actually set anything in stone for this date, minus the fact that they were gonna get ice cream. Really, other than that, he was just rolling with whatever happened. Honestly, that seemed looked the best course of action anyway. They would end up wherever they ended up, as long as they were enjoying themselves, really.

Gryph chuckled, "Nice t'know there'll be a next time." he quipped. Kodi gave him the opening, the comment was staring him in the face! It did actually make part of him flutter inside though, the fact that the other boy was already considering doing this again.

"Can I try yours?"

Gryphon was gonna say 'Yes' or 'Sure' or 'Why not?' but lips were on his before a word could be spoken. It was short... it almost felt too short. Maybe he deserved that, for the cupcake-icing thing (yes, he was still thinking about that). "Stolen food always tastes better." It was true! And it was even better if it was on someone's lips first... mmm.

He ignored Kodi's questions and confusion, just wracking himself up for the reaction he was expecting. His chest fuzzed when Kodi uttered that word, perfect, and he felt the boy nuzzle his shoulder. It was better than what he expected. He had no hesistations to go right in, when the blonde boy said so...

... until he heard that voice, that fucking obnoxious - Oriel. The fuzzy feeling in his core became as heavy as a 10 ton weight and dropped inside him. He caught sight of the boy with the phone (and realized for the first time how many people were actually around), and a lot of emotions took over his body; anger, annoyance and probably most of all, frustration. He was pissed off enough that this guy was even around, the fact that he would interrupt them by doing something like... that? It was completely and utterly disrespectful (huh, as if that guy had an ounce of respect for anyone in his life). Before he really knew what he was doing, his hand was away from Kodi's and he aimed a punch right at the guy's hands, at the phone.

Because he looked so intimidating when he was holding an ice cream cone.

[Deleted]

"Ain't that the truth," Kodi chuckled, licking his lips as he relished the after-taste of the sweet (literally) kiss. Mmmm... That wouldn't be the last, he was sure. He went back to his own creamy goodness a moment later, but he kept glancing up at his... Companion... Date... Whatever, just waiting for the perfect opening for another.

Kodi was already a few steps closer to the bookstore when that horrible, unexpected, sickeningly familiar voice rang out, and he froze, eyes wide, with a sinking feeling in his chest as he slowly turned to catch sight of the new arrival.

Of course this would happen to him. Of course, right when he was actually happy. There had been no way this date could have gone flawlessly, could there?

Kodi was torn. Should he run? Punch? Act like nothing had happened? Before he could think of something, Gryph was acting first - he felt the boy's hand slip out of his own as he aimed it towards Oriel, even while Kodi was still standing there gawking like an idiot.

Finally, finally, Kodi's trademark snarl fell into place, and he took several steps back, easing away from the action, for once not diving into violence headfirst. Gryph had already done that for him. "Fuck off, Oriel, this has nothin' t'do with you," he growled, edging towards the bookstore, as though he could hide within the shelves of books. "You better delete those or I'll... I'll..." Kodi's threat fell flat. Having Gryphon there between them was really throwing him off. All he wanted to do was... Run. And he always chose fight over flight.