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Nervously, Ashe adjusted his hair as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Blind dates had never crossed his mind, but if Ingrid suggested it, he shouldn't have a reason to worry. She knew him well enough, and she would never do anything to hurt him. That being said, he was still as nervous as a little kid on the first day of school.
"Ingrid, are you sure about this?"
She nodded with a pleased hum. "Very sure. You two share interests in many things. Cooking, journaling, sweets." She turned Ashe away from the mirror, focusing his sight on her. "You worry too much," she said as she fixed Ashe's hair. "If it doesn't work out, I'm sure Yuri will be a great friend regardless."
"I know you're probably right, but I can't help but feel uneasy."
"Don't be." She placed her hands on Ashe's shoulders, and squeezed them gently. "Marianne and I will also be there during your date, so if the dinner becomes awkward, we'll salvage it."
After a deep breath, Ashe's trembling hands and thumping heart settled down. Besides, he knew a person nicknamed Yuri once, and he had been very kind to him as a kid. Maybe it was a sign that everything would be okay.
"Thank you, Ingrid."
Yuri examined his nails as Marianne applied blush to her cheeks. He wasn't one for blind dates, but when Marianne suggested the idea with such confidence, how could he turn her down? She rarely expressed her own interests so passionately, so just this once, he could make an exception for a double date with a man he didn't know.
Normally, he would worry about whether this man would leave him alone after the date, but if Marianne trusted and knew the guy, he could afford to drop his defenses. Well, only a little.
"So, how do you know the guy?" Yuri asked.
"We both took a sewing course in college."
"Fashion major?" Yuri guessed.
"No, it was an elective. He said he wanted to take a cooking class, but his sister began an online shop to sell her sewing crafts, so he chose sewing to help her with orders." That was...That was pretty sweet. Yuri couldn't keep his lips from curling into a faint smile. Marianne's eyes glanced in his direction, and it seemed like she picked up on his change of tune. "You'll enjoy Ashe's company."
"Ash? Is that short for Asher or something?"
Marianne closed her compact, and tucked it into her purse. "No, just Ashe."
Just Ash? Well, he knew an Ashe before, and as far as he could remember, he had been a sweet kid. A bit naïve, but he had his heart in a good place. Maybe this Ash would be the same.
"In any case, I hope you're right."
Ashe paced back and forth in the restaurant's waiting area while his friend chuckled. He had hoped Marianne and Yuri would arrive before them, but Ingrid had a penchant for arriving early. At the very least, he would make a good impression with his punctuality, and while the idea soothed his nerves, it wasn't by much.
"Have a seat, Ashe," Ingrid said as she patted the spot beside her.
"I'd love to, but I think I'll ruin the cushion with all my sweat...I think I'll step out for a bit of air."
As he turned his attention to the door, he spotted Marianne. Right beside her was a man with violet hair tied into a neat ponytail that rested on his shoulder, and from this distance, he appeared to be about Ashe's age. Ashe was frozen in place as the man—Yuri, he assumed— opened the door for Marianne. He couldn't keep from squinting as Yuri came closer, and he noticed that the other was also doing the same.
Ashe found his feet, and stepped closer to the other. Yuri did as well.
When they were about an arm's length apart, their eyes widened, and they pointed at one another.
"Ashe!?"
"Yuri!?"
Ingrid and Marianne were just about to kiss, but paused to see what was going on.
"Do you two know each other?" Ingrid asked, eyes glancing back and forth between Yuri and Ashe.
Yuri nodded. "We do, actually. We were friends way back when."
"I moved, and since we were just little kids at the time, we didn't exactly have phones or email addresses to exchange," Ashe added. "I had no idea you lived in the city, Yuri."
"Same to you. What are the chances?"
"I think Ashe moved here not long ago if I recall. About two months?" Marianne asked, turning to Ashe for confirmation. He hummed a yes, and she continued, "Maybe you two would have met at some point."
"Yuri lives on the opposite side of the city, so I'm not quite so sure," Ingrid said. "Still, it's nice to see we reunited two old friends."
"On a date," Yuri laughed. "You sure do know how to pick them." He turned to Ashe, and calmly asked, "Mind me indulging me for a moment?" He held out his hands, and Ashe knew what he was asking. With Ashe's permission, Yuri took his face between his hands, and turned his head to examine him. "You grew up to be such a handsome man." His thumbs brushed over his freckles. "Can't say I'm happy about the new height difference, but I do like that these haven't faded with time."
Ashe's face grew warm, but he stood there patiently for the other to take in everything. They hadn't seen each other in years, after all. He didn't mind giving in to an old friend's request. Besides, while Yuri took in his changes, Ashe was doing the same. Yuri had been pretty even as a kid, but now, he knew how to flaunt his charm without much effort. Lashes curled and fluffed just right with a little eyeshadow was more than enough for someone with a naturally stunning face.
Marianne sniffled, and Ingrid coughed awkwardly. Not picking up on the cue, Marianne piped up, "We should probably ask to be seated."
Embarrassed, the two backed away. "Right, sorry. Sorry," the men apologized together.
"To dinner?" Ingrid asked.
"To dinner," they all answered.
Marianne and Ingrid held hands as they approached the counter. Ashe tried to follow after, but stopped when he felt a tap on his right shoulder. He turned to see who tapped him, but found no one was there. Then, he felt someone near his left. He found Yuri beside him, who took the opportunity to hold Ashe's hand.
"Shall we?"
"Yes, let's go," Ashe said, smiling as he held Yuri's hand a little tighter.