A/N: First Maid-Sama story! Also, I know that this pairing seems a bit odd and unpopular, considering how the two have never met xD, but something about it appealed to me, such as how much Aoi and Suzuna's personalities contrast as well as the fact that they're both the same age and bizarre in their own way.

In this fanfic, Aoi has grown (ch 81) so he doesn't cosplay as a girl anymore, settling for making clothes, instead. (Just to clear up any confusion).

Please read and review! They help me update a whole lot faster!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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A if for Awkward

adj. 1) causing difficulty; hard to do or deal with

2) causing or feeling embarrassment or inconvenience

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Their first meeting was awkward.

To say the least.

Brooding over nothing in particular, Hyōdō Aoi left his aunt's café and decided to take a stroll along the pavement instead of walking directly back home. Though Satsuki, the manager as well as his aunt, had offered to walk home with him soon since Maid Latte was closing early today, he refused, wanting to spend some time alone.

My old man probably doesn't want to see my anyway…

He sighed to himself, wondering what he should do for the remainder of the day when inspiration struck him and he imagined a new design for an outfit. But before he could actually plan out his idea, something brushed against his feet and he looked down to find an apple rolling about his shoes.

Aoi picked the fruit up in confusion, glancing around him.

Ah.

A dark haired woman with a bag of groceries immediately caught his eyes. He saw that she had accidentally dropped some of the apples in her bag and was walking off, leaving the fruit behind her unnoticed.

"Um, excuse me, Miss," Aoi moved forward a few steps, causing the woman to turn around and face him. He still felt strange using his developing voice but was learning to cope with it, despite the fact that no one else except him really noticed it. The woman gave him a curious look before setting her gaze on the apple in his hand.

"You dropped this."

He held out his arm and returned the apple, earning a polite smile from the woman. Though not often very concerned for the wellbeing of others, Aoi did have moments when he unwittingly helped out others and this was one of them.

"Oh, thank you, young man. I'm grateful to witness such kindness from today's youth!"

Aoi only shrugged, not sure how to respond as he rarely did something like this. He was about to turn away when something about this woman made his eyes linger on her face a little longer. She was young-looking for the most part, a few wrinkles here and there, with dark hair pulled into a messy bun. He was not much taller than her, perhaps by a few inches, but it seemed as though he towered over her from her somewhat frail and delicate form.

But it was her amber eyes that seemed the most familiar to him.

He was only given a couple of seconds to observe her before the bag in her hands suddenly collapsed from the bottom and all of the apples showered to the ground from her arms.

Both Aoi and the woman froze.

She flashed him an uneasy smile and his expression fell further.

Crap.

So much for a nice walk alone.

"I have to say, it was very thoughtful of you for helping me out, Aoi-kun," the woman exclaimed happily to the indifferent boy beside her as they carried her groceries back to her home. "You wouldn't believe how many times this has happened to me already!"

She's incredibly oblivious to the fact that I hate this.

Aoi fought the urge to sigh and managed to weak parody of a smile back to her instead, clearly trying not to be rude but failing considerably. The woman didn't seem to mind though for once they reached her home, she was pulling the boy inside, much to his chagrin.

"No, um, I have to head on home," he protested, attempting to slip himself out of her grip, but the woman only beamed kindly at him and led him inside anyway.

"Oh, you must stay for some tea," she insisted. "Such consideration simply can't go unpaid! Please come in!"

"But…" Aoi had no idea what to do but follow this kind woman, noticing the creaky wood floor and the stains on the walls in the hallway. He slipped off his shoes, opting for some worn slippers as he was pushed into the dining room and told to wait until she finished cutting the apples. Before he could refuse her offer, the woman had disappeared into the kitchen.

He let out the sigh that had been bothering him.

…What am I even doing here?

Aoi briefly wondered if his aunt was worrying about him since the café was closing early today and thought about calling her when the sound of a door opening suddenly caught his attention. A young teenage girl that looked about his age stepped inside casually, only to freeze momentarily as she noticed him sitting at the table.

She blinked.

"Hello," the girl calmly greeted him, walking over to the table, some magazines clutched in her hands. She already knew the reason this boy was here; it had to do with her mother dropping something in the street again, but she didn't pry and pretended not to care.

She sat down in the empty chair across of him

"…Hey," Aoi awkwardly replied, chin resting on his fist, cobalt eyes watching her skeptically. This girl, like the woman, seemed oddly familiar to him.

Maybe I've seen her in school… But I'm sure she's not in my class…

She could be considered quite pretty, (ha, not that he'd ever say it), with those large quiet amber eyes and dark hair parted into low pigtails that brushed her narrow shoulders. Her expression, however, was unreadable, solemn, almost as if she was bored. She was clad in a pair of brown capris and a yellow sweatshirt that hung on her thin frame loosely.

Ugh! That outfit is not cute at all!

She definitely needs to be more feminine.

Aoi wanted to say something, he really wanted to just tell her off, but…

He barely knew the girl.

Speaking of which, she didn't look up from the magazines very often, stopping her reading only to tear out some pages and scribble things quickly into the spaces, as if filling out forms. Her methods, Aoi observed, were calm and composed, and it unnerved him a little.

She's not exactly an irritating person—

So, why am I this irritated?

A sudden urge to break the awkward silence stirred within him, and before he knew it, he had quite brusquely blurted out, "What are you doing?"

Immediately following the outburst, a faint tint of red burned his cheeks and he wished he'd never opened his big mouth. The shuffling of papers ceased. At his voice, the girl raised her head to look at him, a hint of curiosity visible in her large amber eyes.

"I'm entering contests to win prizes," she replied apathetically, holding up one of the entries. She pointed to a picture of a very large vegetable. "This one is for a giant gourd."

Aoi stared at her, dumbstruck. His mouth moved to form words after a moment of silence.

"A giant gourd?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

The girl shrugged, glancing down at the photo. "I don't know. Perhaps, they taste better than the smaller ones."

"No, no, why are you entering contests for such stupid prizes?" Aoi interrupted her, clearly annoyed by the lack of sense this strange person was making. It was bad enough that she wasn't cute or girly but she seemed just plain bizarre on top of that!

The question was a rude one and the girl was caught off-guard. But it was only for a moment and Aoi hadn't seen the slight shift in her features. Rather than lose her temper and snap back something, she merely raised her eyebrows and watched him with an almost amused expression.

"Goods are goods, no matter how you receive them," she said, holding up her pointer finger in an instructive manner. "If you must pay, then so be it. But if you can get them for free, then why not?"

Aoi crossed his arms, slumping down in his chair.

"It still sounds pretty dumb to me," he muttered, staring at the table. "When you can just go and get the stuff instead of waiting for it to come through the mail…"

Someone who knew Aoi may have called him a bit of a hypocrite since he rarely bought his clothes and dresses from the store, settling for making them himself.

That's a completely different thing!

When the girl didn't reply, Aoi glanced up to find her immersed in her work again, not even seeming the slightest offended at his comments. He felt his eyebrows furrow and narrowed his eyes at her.

How can she just brush everything aside without a care?

Silence filled the air between them and the only sounds that were heard where the shuffling of papers and the faint tune the girl almost inaudibly hummed under her breath. She didn't seem to mind the quiet, rather enjoyed it, but Aoi only felt more and more awkward as he waited for the woman from before to arrive with the fruit. He wondered if he should just excuse himself now and leave, but his legs refused to cooperate.

In an attempt to ease up the mood, frankly, for himself, he spoke up again.

"So… What's your name?"

She didn't look up. "What's your name?"

Why, you—!

Temper flaring, Aoi's chin left his hand and he glared at the girl to snap, "Oi! I asked first!"

The strange girl smiled for the first time that afternoon, but Aoi could see the complacency behind it and wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of her face. She faced him with unreadable tea-colored eyes that stared directly into his own deep cobalt ones, causing the navy-haired boy to feel uneasy once more.

"This is my house."

Damn! Stupid girl!

Seeing as how she'd won the argument, Aoi sighed, rolling his eyes. "Hyōdō Aoi," he drawled, tapping his fingers along the table.

"Aoi…?" the girl repeated the name in wonder, putting finger to her chin. "I've heard of a famous person with that same name… But it suits you better…"

Heart stopping, Aoi suddenly realized that she was probably referring to his former identity as a popular net idol and couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion, unsure of what she meant by his name 'suiting him' better. It was his name, wasn't it? Of course it would suit him!

"What are you talking about?"

"Hyōdō-kun's eyes and hair are a very interesting shade of blue," she explained, openly and apathetically. "So, it suits you."

Aoi involuntarily blushed, clearly embarrassed even though she hadn't really intended to compliment him. He frowned, turning his head away in frustration. "Whatever."

The girl blinked at his reaction and then allowed a tiny smile to lounge on her solemn features, one that made Aoi snap his head back at her, cobalt eyes blazing.

"Well? What's your name, then, huh?"

As she opened her mouth to answer, her mother rushed in with a platter in her hands and a grin on her face.

"Suza-chan! Please come and take this to the table while I go check on the tea!"

"Hai," the girl listlessly replied, standing up and taking the plate.

"And, Aoi-kun," the woman added. "Please don't hesitate to eat as much as you want! The tea will be ready shortly and my daughter will bring it out!"

Her daughter stepped back to the table, setting it on the surface before sitting down as her the woman gave the two a tiny wave and disappeared into the hallway. When she left, Aoi glanced over to the girl, a mischievous glint finding its way into his dark cobalt eyes.

Aoi smirked. "Suza-chan?"

"Suzuna," she corrected with a hint of defiance in her tone. Aoi could see a light, barely visible tint of pink on her cheeks and he snickered, causing her to stare at him hard enough to drill holes through his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

It kind of suits her.

Suzuna stared at him solemnly but didn't say anything. She reached for the platter in the center of the table and Aoi finally noticed the apples. They were cut so that they looked like little bunnies and he couldn't help but reach over and observe a slice more closely.

"Itadakimasu," Suzuna said as she popped the apple slice into her mouth.

"Bunny shaped apples?" he muttered to himself, fascinated by the simple appeal of it. Suzuna nodded at him with her mouth full, folding a form and slipping it into an envelope.

"My mother likes cutting them that way."

"It's cute..."

The dark-haired girl tilted her head slightly at him as she crunched on an apple. "Maybe. Do you like cute things?"

The question was a harmless one, and Suzuna didn't expect much of an answer. Even so, Aoi blushed furiously, glaring at her. He crossed his arms defensively.

"So? And what if I do?"

Suzuna shrugged.

"Fine with me. If that's what you like, then it can't be helped. Everyone's different, so I doubt something like this particularly matters," she said, nonchalantly, biting into another apple while sealing the envelope. "The tea should be done. Would you like some, Hyōdō-kun?"

Mouth agape, Aoi watched with her with an astonished stare. He was sure this girl didn't realize that what she so casually mentioned was an unusual thing to say when a stranger took notice of his habits and hobbies. A warm, tingly feeling started in his chest and stomach and Aoi tried to push the feeling down before he lost his guard. He scowled and looked away.

It doesn't matter.

She doesn't matter.

The girl in front of him didn't wait for his answer as she stood up and disappeared into the kitchen, returning shortly with two mismatched mugs of tea. She handed one to the disgruntled boy and sat down, sipping hers contentedly, her clear amber eyes failing to notice the questioning gaze he threw her.

Something about Suzuna puzzled Aoi. She was different from a lot of girls he had met, heck; she was a lot different than he was when he used to cosplay as one! Quiet, calm, passive. Absolutely unreadable in every way.

It was irritating.

And the worst part was that she still somehow managed to be cute without trying very hard, though that thought only made the adolescent boy's face flare up once more than afternoon, and he glared down into his mug of tea to clear his mind. What was he thinking?

Of course she's not cute! She's too weird to be considered cute!

Right?

The sound of a door opening distracted them from the silence.

"I'm home!" a sudden voice called cheerfully. "Okaa-san, Suzuna!" As if on cue, Ayuzawa Misaki walked into the room, a bag slung over her shoulders. She stopped in her tracks as her eyes fell upon the two teenagers sitting in the dining room. Confusion settled on her features.

"Aoi-chan?"

"M-Misaki-chi?"

Aoi's eyes widened as he stared at the older girl. She looked back at him, equally puzzled. Suzuna only glanced up in acknowledgment with her usual emotionless expression, giving her sister a little wave.

"Welcome back, Onee-chan," she greeted, receiving a gentle smile from her older sister.

Onee-chan?

"What are you doing here?" Aoi interrupted their sisterly moment before he had the chance to realize that she lived there. Realization dawned on Misaki and she looked at the boy with a cocky smile on her features.

"Well, this is my house," she explained, grinning knowingly. "Did my mother ask you to come in after she dropped her groceries or something?"

Her voice held a hint of playfulness, but Aoi only scowled at how he hadn't seen the resemblance at first. Of course that woman and her daughter were related to her! They all looked so similar! How could he have missed that?

"Yeah, but I should be getting home, anyway," Aoi muttered, playing with the handle on his mug of tea. "My aunt is probably looking for me."

"Actually," Misaki murmured, setting down her bag and throwing her jacket across a chair. "She's wanted you to enjoy yourself for quite some time, so she probably won't mind."

Turning back to face them before she stepped into the hallway, the older Ayuzawa smirked and winked mischievously.

"Besides, the two of you look pretty adorable sitting there together."

Aoi choked on his tea.

"What?" he spluttered angrily, face reddening. Suzuna only blinked as her older sister started cracking up, her voice fading up the stairs, while the boy in front of her grumbled something about 'manly old hag' under his breath.

"Hm…" Suzuna hummed, lightly tapping her chin. "Onee-chan's husband seems to be rubbing off on her. She's been teasing me more often."

Calling Usui Takumi, 'Onee-chan's husband' must mean that she's very aware of their relationship... Even so...

Aoi glanced at her, unable to believe that Suzuna even felt like she was being 'teased', what, with that obnoxiously apathetic look on her face. Most people would at least look slightly annoyed, but this girl was as composed as ever.

…She doesn't look like she cares at all.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence.

"I… should go," Aoi finally said, standing up as he left his unfinished tea on the table. Understanding the situation, Suzuna also stood and nodded, leading him to the front door and opening it. Slipping his shoes back on, he stepped outside and turned to look at Suzuna, unable to voice his appreciation for the tea and apples.

"Well, that was…" he began with his hands in his pockets, avoiding Suzuna's expecting amber eyes. "…awkward."

Idiot! Don't say that!

Aoi mentally scolded himself for ruining the moment even more. Why didn't he just lie and say it was 'nice', 'fun'—anything? Suzuna remained expressionless as she rested her palm against the door.

A moment of silence passed and Aoi desperately wished she'd say something.

"Your face is red," the girl deadpanned.

Great.

"Huh? It is? I'm just, I mean, um—"

"Hyōdō-kun," she interrupted, getting his attention. The navy-haired boy raised his head at her voice, obviously displeased by her earlier accusation but curious nonetheless.

"W-What?"

"Are you embarrassed?"

Shut up! I'm not embarrassed!

"No! Of course not!"

To his surprise, Suzuna laughed very softly at his flustered expression, an enigmatic smile spreading across her features.

She removed her palm from the door.

"Good-bye, Hyōdō-kun."

Her amber eyes bore into his cobalt ones. Aoi paused for just a moment trying to decipher that unusual look she wore before

She's so different from Misaki-chi…

I mean, both of them wear unfeminine clothing and are not cute at all, but, still, she's…

He refused to think about it.

Aoi lowered his head slightly in a bow before straightening himself a second later.

"Yeah. See you."

"Oh!" the girl suddenly realized. "The giant gourd will arrive next week. Just so you know."

He turned on his heels without another glance, raising the back of his hand in a small wave of dismissal as he started along the path. The sky was darkening and the sun was setting, causing him to be late for dinner, but Aoi ignored it all as he pondered Ayuzawa Suzuna's words.

The giant gourd will arrive next week. Just so you know.

Was she just trying to show him up?

Or was she inviting him back?

He hadn't the slightest idea. And again with the stupid gourd? Aoi had to admit, that girl was almost as strange as he was…

Their first meeting was awkward.

However.

He promised himself that the next time he saw her, he'd work on her fashion sense.