The anomaly in the Kamen Rider Universe

As the date progressed, the atmosphere between Tamaki and the girl slowly became more comfortable. They exchanged small talk, covering the basics—hobbies, favorite foods, and random topics that helped Tamaki ease into the situation. For a moment, he thought maybe—just maybe—he was handling it well. The girl seemed relaxed, and Tamaki wasn't tripping over his words as much as he expected.

Then their food arrived.

Tamaki, feeling a bit more confident, looked up to thank the waiter, only for his stomach to drop. Of course. Aaron, with that signature smug grin plastered across his face, was holding their plates. He had donned a fake waiter's apron over his usual clothes and looked far too amused by the whole situation.

"Your sushi," Aaron said in a mock-polite tone, placing the dish carefully in front of the girl, as if he were the finest maître d' in Shinjuku. He winked at her before straightening up and offering Tamaki a sly grin.

"Enjoy, sir. Don't fuck it up," he whispered, just loud enough for Tamaki to hear but not the girl.

Tamaki's face burned with embarrassment, his jaw tightening. Aaron was really going all out to make sure Tamaki felt as awkward as possible. Why did he even let Aaron set him up? He shot his friend a glare, but Aaron was already turning on his heel and walking off, clearly satisfied with his mischief.

The girl raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching as though she was suppressing a laugh. "Friend of yours?" she asked.

Tamaki scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Uh... yeah, something like that. He's... a character."

She chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. "Seems like it. You guys must be close for him to mess with you like that."

Tamaki sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "Yeah, you could say that. He likes pushing my buttons."

As Aaron disappeared behind the kitchen doors, Tamaki tried to steer the conversation back on track, mentally reminding himself not to screw this up. But deep down, he knew Aaron was watching—probably waiting for the perfect moment to make his grand reappearance and mess with him again.

Not too long after, Aaron reappeared with the drinks Tamaki and the girl had ordered. His grin hadn't faded in the slightest, and if anything, it seemed more mischievous than before.

"Your drinks," Aaron said with mock elegance, placing the girl's glass in front of her first, making sure to maintain eye contact with Tamaki just to further drive in the fact that he was enjoying this far too much.

Then he placed Tamaki's drink down a little harder than necessary, the faint clink of the glass almost a taunt.

"Thanks," Tamaki muttered, trying to keep his cool. He could feel the girl's eyes on him, clearly picking up on the strange dynamic between him and Aaron.

Aaron leaned in slightly, as if to share a secret, and whispered loud enough for both of them to hear, "Don't worry, I won't stick around. Just making sure you two are hydrated for... you know, smooth conversation."

The girl smiled, amused by Aaron's antics, while Tamaki's face flushed a deeper shade of red.

Before Tamaki could respond, Aaron spun around with a little flourish and retreated to the kitchen, leaving Tamaki to contemplate how much of a disaster this could become with Aaron lurking nearby.

Tamaki fidgeted slightly in his seat, trying to shake off the nerves that were building up. The girl's presence seemed overwhelming, and Aaron's meddling didn't help. He glanced up at her—she was calm, sipping her drink casually, while he felt like a complete mess.

"So... uh," Tamaki started, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. "How do you like the place so far?"

The girl smiled warmly, noticing his awkwardness but not seeming to mind. "It's really nice! The atmosphere is cozy, and the food smells amazing. I think you picked a great spot."

Tamaki wanted to correct her—that this wasn't his idea at all—but he held his tongue. Instead, he nodded, offering a shy smile. "Y-Yeah, glad you think so."

The conversation lulled for a moment, and Tamaki could feel the weight of the silence creeping in. His heart was racing as he desperately searched for something else to say. His usual confidence when training or fighting was nowhere to be found.

The girl leaned in slightly, her gaze soft but curious. "You seem a bit nervous. It's okay, you don't have to be. I'm really enjoying myself."

Her words hit Tamaki like a gentle breeze, calming him slightly. "Yeah... sorry. I guess I'm just not used to this kind of thing."

She tilted her head. "Dates?"

He nodded, feeling the embarrassment rise in his cheeks again. "Yeah. I... I don't really do them."

She smiled kindly, leaning back in her chair. "That's alright. I think it's kind of cute, honestly. I like it when people are genuine."

Tamaki's eyes widened slightly at her words. No one had ever called him "cute" before, and it felt like his brain short-circuited for a second. He took a sip of his drink, trying to hide the goofy grin that was threatening to spread across his face.

"Th-Thanks," he muttered, trying to regain his composure. "I, uh... I'm glad you think so."

The conversation slowly began to flow a bit more naturally after that, with Tamaki becoming slightly more comfortable. They talked about random topics—what they liked to do in their spare time, favorite movies, and a bit about their work. The girl seemed genuinely interested in what Tamaki had to say, and despite his initial awkwardness, he started to enjoy himself.

Just as he was beginning to relax, Aaron walked by again, this time with a not-so-subtle smirk on his face. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave Tamaki was clear: *Don't screw this up.*

Tamaki fought the urge to groan out loud, shooting Aaron a brief glare before turning back to the girl, forcing a smile.

"So, um... are you into video games?" He asked, trying to shift the conversation to something he felt more confident talking about.

The girl's eyes lit up. "Actually, yeah! I love them. What about you?"

Tamaki felt a wave of relief. *Finally, something I can talk about without stumbling over my words.*

"Oh, totally," he replied, his shyness briefly melting away. "I play a lot of Minecraft and RPGs—stuff like that."

He was not going to say he started playing Minecraft because a certain someone called Minecraft Steve on a daily basis.

The girl grinned. "Minecraft? That's awesome! I love building stuff, but I'm terrible at survival mode."

Tamaki chuckled, feeling a little more at ease. "Hey, maybe I could teach you some tricks. I'm kinda known for being good at it."

"Really? I'd love that!" She leaned in again, genuinely excited, and Tamaki felt a spark of confidence flicker inside him.

For the first time that evening, he felt like maybe, just maybe, this date wasn't going to be a complete disaster.

A/N