"Now there's a thought," Lea snickered. "I dunno, there's not a lot of resemblance beyond the hair color..." He rubbed his chin. "Though, does that mean I'm adopted? Or maybe she is. Pretty sure her grandma wasn't mine--she didn't look a thing like the photos my ma showed me."

And as expected, the compliment sent Riku spiraling into a flustered storm of blushing and muttering. He scooted his chair forward, the legs scraping against the floor, and then reached out, taking Riku's face in both hands and lifting it gently.

"When somebody gives you a compliment, you just say 'thanks'," he said, no teasing in his tone this time. "As much as I enjoy watching you bluster, it, ah..." He shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, it's a little sad the way you react. Like nobody ever said anything nice about you before."