"You know." She continued. "The day we met in the office."
Pann and Arceus had, oddly, become rather swift friends after their initial encounter. Pann had lurked outside the office door, waiting for the boy to exit so she could pounce him and give the boy a second chance: to hear Arceus out. But instead, the boy had been all smiles ...
Pann's initial perceptions of him melted away, and soon she found herself wanting to spend more and more time with the boy.
Now, he was over for their usual afternoon snacks.
* * *
Arceus took the plate of tapas and walked it over to the low table in the middle of the room, setting it down neatly on the table runner. His mouth was practically salivating. He hadn't eaten lunch and was absolutely famished.
"What happened?" The boy mimicked back, sitting down on one of the floor cushions placed around the table. "You still want to know? After all this time?" Arceus couldn't help but to laugh. The years had started to fly by, and yet one thing always remained. Pann always wanted to ask the same questions about the day they met.
* * *
Pann felt herself giggle despite herself. Arceus seemed in such high spirits. "I've been curious since we met," she admitted openly. "Is it so wrong that I still want to know? It has been the biggest mystery of our relationship."
Pann grabbed the castiron pot off the stove and placed it on the trivet, removing the cap to add in the strainer with the oolong tea leaves.
"Tea?"
* * *
"Please!" Arceus chirped, sliding over his cup for when the pot was ready. "Where did you ever find such a beautiful cast iron pot, anyways? Devanerus?" It was a deflective question, and Arceus knew that Pann would see right through it. Arceus wanted to keep the magic alive, the mystery as shrouded as possible.
Pann was the first to ever really show him any interest. He feared once Pann knew she'd lose that interest.
"I need to get myself one."
* * *
"With what money?" Pann chided playfully, grabbing a garlic cracker from the plate and slathering it in some spreadable aged applewood smoked cheddar.
"You couldn't afford a new pair of socks let along a castiron pot." Pann gave a rather feline grin before nibbling at her cracker. The deflection had not gone undetected.
"Why don't you want to tell me?"
* * *
Arceus shoved a piece of meat in to his mouth — salami — and swallowed the food hard with an audible gulp.
"Yah, yah. I've always been poor. We all know that!" Arceus leaned forward, lifting the lid off the pot. He grabbed for the bamboo tools to remove the straining without burning himself.
"Perhaps if I'm a good boy a dear friend will gift me one for my birthday~?"
* * *
Pann was a bit agitated now. Arceus often ignored questions about that day, and today seemed no different. Why did it have to be so difficult? Why couldn't he just ... share?
With a soft sigh, Pann lifted the pot bu the handle and poured them both a cup of hot tea, the smell of jasmine fragrant and sweet.
"Maybe for my birthday you can tell me what happened ... " she muttered under her breath.
* * *
Arceus sucked on his lower lip, watching Pann closely. Oh, she was mad. Arceus could practically feel the anger rolling off her. Yet. in true Pann fashion, she wouldn't let it show. But her aura betrayed her.
"Sure." He caved, sliding his cup towards himself. If it would make her happy ... perhaps it was time. Arceus just hoped it wouldn't be too underwhelming ...
"If that's what you really want ... "
* * *
"Oh, Arc!" Pann cooed. "Truly? You really mean it~?!" He couldn't go back on his word now. Not once he confirmed it. Finally, Panns' curiosity about that day would finally be satiated.
... in about six months.
But would be well worth the wait!
"Thank you!" She breathed happily.
* * *
Arceus was at a loss for words. She just seemed so ... so delighted? It worried him. Maybe trying to play the part of the mysterious man was an awful idea.
"Just don't get too excited ... it's not a big deal ... " Arceus trailed off before taking a deep, grounding breath. "You know me ... always mellodramatic. Like the suspense and all that. Believe me, had it been important I would have told you ages ago."
Arceus let his words hang in the air for a long, lingering moment before quietly sipping at his tea.
She would figure it out eventually. And Pann would share in his truth>
Hopefully she wouldn't be mad ...
