"Oh," Ichiro replied, wondering if there would be plenty of meat. Their tightened belts had lead Jiro into shopping late in the evening for bargains; hugely reduced cost bread and meat, vegetables on special and the cheapest of staples he could find. Breakfast was usually plain porridge or congee and dinners were whatever Saburo could create with what they had to hand. Fruit was a luxury that they couldn't grasp and sweet things were definitely not on the menu. Ichiro wasn't too bothered about this, Jiro didn't say anything about it either and Saburo was scrounging sugar treats from his girlfriends, so they were getting by okay. If there was meat at this place Zandre was taking him to, Ichiro hoped he could take home a doggy bag afterwards... The other thing that hadn't been available in Ichiro's life style for a very long while was alcohol. It hadn't been too big a thing before; maybe a glass of wine at dinner with a date or a cocktail... so Ichiro wasn't one who could hold alcohol too well. And the results were quick to show. Zandre glanced over at the Omega who was giggling with a group of females around a table, their men all ignored as they joked about. Zee couldn't say he wasn't jealous, but these women were mostly wives and girlfriends of the players, taken. So he quietly sipped his beer as he watched his Omega happily mingling. Ichiro was definitely a social butterfly type, quick to integrate, happiest in amongst group, but Zee could also tell that his flirty behaviour was light-hearted. Ichiro had no other intentions towards these women. He'd not noticed it before, just thought Ichiro was trying to keep him at a distance due to his issues with their genders, but actually, with the exception of his brothers, he clearly raised a thin wall between himself and everyone else. Zandre just pushed against that wall too much hence Ichiro fought more incessantly against him. However, Zee had also begun to breech the Omega's defences, Ichiro was no longer as guarded against him and his affections were not being so quickly rejected. Zee felt the loosening of his inhibitions as his eyes grazed over Ichiro's flushed cheeks and glazed eyes thanks to the wine glass beside him that had been refilled more than twice. He caught the Alpha staring at him and his colour deepened, but he met Zee's eyes with a genuine smile. Zandre was a heartbeat away from throwing his empty glass to the bartender and tossing Ichiro over his shoulder to steal him away from here. "Yo, so you haven't introduced me to your friend," Lewis lifted his arm to wrap it over Zee's shoulders. "Who says I plan to?" Zee growled beneath his breath. "Possessive much!" Lewis laughed and indicated the redhead that happened to stand next to Ichiro. "You know I'm here with my girlfriend, right? We've been dating for two months and I'll have you know that for me, that's already a record!" "Should I ask why?" Zee asked him, curious. The girl was attractive, but had nothing on his Omega. "Apparently, I am more than one night stand, less than husband material," he shook his head dismissively, before taking a gulp of the deep coloured beer in his glass. "Whatever that means. Anyway, spill the beans. Who is he?" "He is the person I am pursuing," Zandre admitted. Lewis's jaw dropped as he turned back to look at the young man, who'd clearly not having stepped into adult shoes for more than a handful of years. He couldn't be more different from Zee's ex, Elani. She was an actress, a small starlet with ebon skin, curvaceous with a tiny waist, pretty, though not exceptionally so. Not at all like the exotic, dark blond-haired youth with jade white skin and stunning coal-black eyes wearing clothes from a cheap chain rather than some luxurious brand. He'd not been actually been serious when he had suggested Zee was being possessive, but apparently he had spoken the truth! "I didn't see that coming," he said with a low whistle. "Since when?" "I met him when I was dating 'Lani," Zee sighed, recalling that fateful meeting that turned his life upside down and sent it down a completely unexpected path. In retrospect, that had been for the best, he never could have made a lasting relationship with 'Lani with his half-assed feelings towards her. His heart had never beat for her. "Nothing happened," he added when catching Lewis's questioning stare, not admitting that actually it might have if not for the interruption that time. "But it wasn't long afterwards that I called it off with her, I just couldn't ignore my attraction to him." Being a fated pair, to ignore him was impossible. Lewis slid over to the bar, ordering two more drinks. "You said you're pursuing him? So you're not dating yet?" Zee frowned, glancing away as he was unable to clarify their relationship completely and could only give an ambiguous reply. However at that moment, an arm curved around his and the slightly intoxicating scent of warm spices hit his nose and stirred his blood. "They're gonna start Karaoke!" Ichiro slurred as he tugged Zee's unmoving form with effort. "Come sing with me!" "Can't sing," Zee admitted. "Then come listen to me!" Ichiro laughed, his face lighting up like a firework in a moonless sky. "I'm fabulous!" Zee could not turn down such an invitation and was easily drawn away from the bar. Abandoned, Lewis took his own drink and joined his girlfriend. "Aw, they make such a cute couple!" She cooed, delightedly as she leaned into him. Lewis couldn't help but agree. Even if Zandre wasn't certain, their relationship was clearly much more than just friends, even if they hadn't officially become partners. His arm curled around his girl's waist and together they winced as out of tune crooning hit their eardrums.