Day Nine: Friends

Day Nine: Wednesday

Ninth Challenge: Hanging Out With Friends.

Matt shifted in his chair comfortably, silently listening as Touta Matsuda, Samuel Peters, and his girlfriend bickered over work troubles. All four of them. In a booth. Having dinner in the heart of Tokyo - at least, near the heart of it. He was entirely unsure of coming to dinner with the trio, but she urged him to go, not wanting to leave him back home. Finally, he agreed. Matsuda was a fairly alright man, but it was Peters he was wary about. There was something about the brunette man he couldn't trust. Perhaps it was because he was American? But then again, there was more to dislike aside from national and cultural differences. 

His girlfriend was half-German, for crying out loud. 

"Oh, screw this. I'm ordering." Ari rolled her eyes and snuggled up next to Matt, who smiled in response and wrapped an arm around her protectively. Touta smiled at the sight, and Peters merely glanced at his phone, replying to a text that was most likely from his own brutal, yet enticing Romanian girlfriend. "You should talk to them," she whispered in his ear, earning a laugh from him. 

"When the time is right," he murmured back. "I will. And go order something, love. All this discussion might make you lose your pretty voice." she opened her mouth to speak, but he said firmly, "And no alcohol." This made her pout, yet she nodded with a disgruntled sigh. 

"Fine, fine. But excuse me, I need to go to the ladies' room. My make up might be running." he pulled her in for a kiss before she left, making her flush and glare (playfully, at least) before standing and going to the desired destination. Matt watched her walk off with a slight smile before looking back at the two men, one Japanese and one American. It was practically a table of nationality. 

Here, you had an English hitman. 

An English-German alcoholic detective.

An American ex-playboy.

And the Japanese superior. 

Matt cleared his throat. 

"So, hooked up with A, did you?" Peters started. He wasn't texting anymore, but was giving Matt a small smirk. "How long have you two been together?"

"A long time," he replied. "So long I can't even remember when we met. She's my life now." his voice drifted off and he smiled once more, taking Peters by surprise. "And you're with Jinx, right? How long have you two been together?"

"Also for a while. Probably as long as you and A." Peters peeked around before lowering his voice and asking, "Is she really that brutal? Not that I'm complaining. I like a good challenge." 

He cocked a brow. "That's just Jinx being Jinx." he leaned back. "You'll get used to it in the mean time." Matt's blue eyes went over to Touta, who offered him a warm and polite smile of his own. 

"You seem to be very serious with her. Do you...?" Touta didn't finish his sentence, but the two men knew what he implied. Matt looked up to check if Ari was there, and upon seeing she wasn't, answered. 

"When the time is right."

"But what if you two, you know..." Peters help up two fingers and slowly made them into a V-position, in other words, separated them. Matt sighed and closed his eyes.

"If it's for the best, then I'll leave it be. I came back to her, though, and I'm guessing you've heard quotes about loved ones going away. If they come back, they're the one. Ari seems fully content with me, though, and –” he blushed, making the American snicker and the Japanese even giving a chuckle, “– she wants no one else." 

"Well that settles it." 

"I'll say. But I don't want to scare her off. I'll give it time. Maybe when she's twenty-three or twenty-four and we're still together..." he mused. Touta, on the other hand, had ventured off into his own thoughts. He could remember Matt fiercely demanding why Ari had come home one night, injured and shaken, but alright. He could remember the Brit's cold gaze and harsh tone, and the slam of the door.

He remembered hearing the arguing start almost immediately and rushed away, not wanting to hear any more of that. 

Peters broke his train of thought. 

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." 

The conversation stopped when Ari came back, and Matt pulled his arms protectively around her in a warm, tight embrace. She was surprised but pleased nonetheless, and the rest of the night was something he definitely didn't expect.

Her friends were alright, after all.