After watching Lumina having a breakdown over why the wedding cake wasn't there yet, Nia decided to take pity on the woman and volunteer herself, Val, Fenix, and Owen to go down to the bakery and see what was taking so long.
"Can I take the car—"
"No, Fenix. You're not driving, I don't think Xander would appreciate finding out you wrecked the car on his wedding day. We can walk," Val grabbed his arm and started dragging him off with her, grabbing Owen as well, "Don't worry Lumina, we'll be back soon!" She called back.
Nia looked back at Mina, who was stroking her girlfriend's back, "Go ahead," Mina said, "I'll calm her down. Just try and get that cake here within two hours or we may have an issue."
The younger girl nodded and turned back to her friends, before sighing, "Val, the back of your dress is unbuttoned!" She called after her, running to catch up.
"Oh? Whoops, I forgot. I meant to ask you to button it for me earlier but it slipped my mind. You looked so pretty," She teased.
Nia and Owen simultaneously rolled their eyes as the boy leaned over and buttoned the dress, "There. Now, come on, let's go before Lumina has a panic attack. And Fenix is not driving, we can walk. It's not that far anyway," He responded.
The four started making the walk down into the city, with Fenix complaining the entire time about how he could have easily driven them down there. As they entered the street with the bakery, Owen sighed, "If you had driven here, we wouldn't have gotten here faster, we would have gone to our death faster," He scolded his boyfriend.
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"
As they walked by, Owen's eyes widened and a smile rose to his face. He grabbed Fenix's hand and dragged him along, waving to someone. Nia looked at Val and the other girl shrugged and grabbed her arm, "Might as well follow them. It would be better not to get separated, hm?" She started running, pulling Nia along with her.
"Calm down, you're gonna pull my arm off!" Nia called after her, and Val looked back at her, grinning.
"Then hurry up or you're gonna lose an arm!"
When they both finally caught up to the boys, Owen was speaking happily in rapid Spanish to an older woman who seemed to be threading a pendant into a necklace string, while Fenix looked slightly confused but fondly supportive of his boyfriend.
"He's telling her about how excited he is that Fenix is his partner now. It actually sounds so adorable. She's saying that she knew it would work out and how happy she is for him, and how they should both treat each other well," Val said, smiling softly, leaning on one foot and putting her hand on her waist.
"You know Spanish?" Nia asked her.
Val looked at her, "I'm not the best at speaking but I understand a lot more than I can speak. As much Hyunwoo downplays how much Spanish he knows, he's practically fluent. He taught me a lot but I kinda struggled with the speaking part," She giggled. Owen turned back to look at the two of them, gesturing for them to come over as well, "Well, we should go introduce ourselves."
As they approached, Owen grabbed Nia and pulled her closer, also pulling Val, "Abuelita, these are my friends Val and Nia!"
"Hola, soy Val. Ella es mi mejor amiga, Nia," Val said, smiling cheerfully.
Abuelita turned to Owen and said, "¿Ella habla español tambien?"
Val laughed at this, "Yo entiendo mas de que puedo hablar—Was that right? I'm not sure. Was that right?" She turned to look at Owen who was giving her a thumbs up, "Oh, okay, that was right. I'm kind of surprised by this."
"It's alright, we can speak in English," The old woman laughed as well, before turning to Nia, "It's lovely to meet you as well, dearie."
Nia was a bit shy, "It's…Um, nice to meet you, too," She said, playing with her fingers a bit nervously.
"Cute," Val leaned over to whisper to her.
"Shut up," Nia whispered back, blushing.
Abuelita smiled at Owen, "It's nice to see you have friends who love you. I was worried the first few times you came here alone. After all, a kid like you must have more to do than talk to a silly old lady like me for hours!"
Val pouted at this, "But ma'am, who wouldn't want to talk to you? Whoever it is, they must have no sense at all!"
"Oh, what a charming young lady," Abuelita laughed, covering her mouth, "You've certainly chosen good friends, mijo," She said towards Owen, "Well, I won't keep you too long, I just have something for the young couple," She reached over and pulled out a beautiful pair of resin earrings with small gear charms in it, "I did tell Owen to bring you back here when you two finally got together. Here is a gift for you," She handed them to Fenix.
"For me?" Fenix looked surprised as he took the earrings and looked at them. Owen looked embarrassed, to Nia's surprise.
Abuelita smiled, "Aw, look at him, he's turning red! He made these the first time he came to one of my jewelry-making classes, and that's when he told me about you. He made these for you but he didn't like how it came out. I kept them and turned them into earrings. I thought you'd appreciate them."
Fenix was looking at Owen, his voice soft as he spoke, "You made these? For me?" Owen nodded shyly and was almost thrown off balance by how tightly Fenix hugged him, "I love it, they're beautiful," He whispered.
"It reminds me of your tattoo," Val pointed out, watching them with a smile, her hand still around Nia's wrist.
Owen wrapped his arms around Fenix's waist as the other buried his face in his boyfriend's neck, "That's why I put the gears in it. Because it resembles his tattoo."
Abuelita turned to Val and Nia, "And you two as well. Cherish each other. It's clear you love each other very much."
Val went to let go of Nia's hand at this, her face dropping a bit, "Ah, no, you misunderstand, Abuelita. We're not like that—" But she seemed surprised as Nia grabbed her arm in return, fighting back the heat on her face.
"We will. All of us," Nia said softly, a smile on her face.
Abuelita smiled at Val, "I didn't mean romantically, necessarily," She said, and Val seemed to relax, her hand reaching for Nia's again, "Take care of each other, all four of you. I feel you all have a difficult journey ahead. Just know that if you ever need a place to rest, Abuelita will always be here."
Owen let go of Fenix and leaned over to hug Abuelita, kissing her on the cheek, "Thank you, Abuelita. Now, we really need to go or we're going to be late for a wedding."
They said their goodbyes and began making their way towards the bakery. With Owen and Fenix walking ahead, the earrings dangling from Fenix's ears while the two of them laughed and talked. Val and Nia followed from behind.
"So, you…love me?" Val asked softly.
Nia shrugged, "You're one of my best friends. Why wouldn't I?"
"It's just…You've never said it before."
She paused at this, "I haven't?" Val shook her head, "Well, it's…iI's not easy for me to say. But yeah, I do. Love you, that is. And Owen and Fenix. And the others too. You guys are the only family I've ever had."
Val hummed, "Well, then. I love you, too."
Nia stumbled slightly on the sidewalk, her face completely flushed.
As they walked into the bakery, Owen was the one to approach the big, red-faced man at the counter, "Excuse me, sir, we have a cake under the last name Varshini? It was supposed to arrive an hour ago, we're here to see what the hold-up is?"
The man was pretty intimidating looking but it seemed that Owen had no problem standing his ground as the man gruffly replied, "Another order came in, they were paying more. They're a bigger priority. Come back in a couple of hours and we'll have your cake ready."
Owen's eyes narrowed, "I didn't realize this was such a shallow business, bending their own rules for the sake of money. When we booked the cake, you said it was by appointment, not by payment."
"Things change, kid."
Nia tensed a bit, stepping forward to intervene in case the man decided to try and harm Owen. Fenix seemed to have the same idea. She looked behind her to see Val standing right behind Owen, a pleasant smile on her face but her eyes…Seemed to be glowing a little. She stepped forward and moved Owen behind her, covering him, "I'm sure we can sort this out fairly, no?" She said, her voice sounding amicable but with a certain undertone.
"Get lost, kid, before I make you," The baker glowered at her. Nia, Fenix, and Owen were all on edge, ready to attack at any movement against Val. The other girl just sighed before pulling out a card from her bag. A sleek black card, which the baker gaped at.
"How much did the other person pay?" She asked.
Owen whispered to her, "Who's card is that?"
"Your brother's," She whispered back, "He gave it to me just in case before we left," The baker showed the receipt for the other customer's cake and Val agreed to pay just a singular dollar above it. She looked at him, "First, the cake. Then I'll pay."
"You'll have to pay first, little girl. Then we can make the cake," The baker responded, a grin on his face.
Val raised an eyebrow, then pointed behind him, "Pretty sure that's our cake right there. Just bring it over and I'll pay."
The man's face darkened, "Pay first."
"I don't think so," Owen stepped up, "Since we already know you don't abide by the workings of your own bakery, who's to say you won't just make us pay and then refuse to give us the cake?" At the baker's blanched face, he smirked, "Or did I just spell your entire plan for you?"
The baker's face was entirely red now, "You little brats," He growled, "Wasting my time with stupid shit like this, why if it weren't for the royal forces being moved out of Sector, I would—"
Nia didn't hesitate. She launched herself onto the counter and swung hard, decking the man in the face, "Someone grab the cake, let's go!" She yelled.
"Jesus Christ, you fucking idiot!" Owen yelled back before the other three vaulted themselves over the counter, and rushed into the back of the bakery. Fenix grabbed the cake, and as they got to the back entrance, they looked at each other.
"Since Nia has decided to screw us over—" Nia glared at Val, "—Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. Nia and I will distract them, you two get that cake back to the mansion," She said. Fenix and Owen nodded and sprinted out the door, and Val turned to Nia, "Well, you started this. Might as well go all the way," The baker practically bulldozed into the back area of the bakery. Val took a deep breath, before yelling, "Hey dickhead! Over here!"
Nia whirled to face her, eyes wide, "What the fuck are you doing?" She hissed.
"We're the distraction. This is all your fault, now come on!" She grabbed Nia's hand and dragged her out of the bakery and into the back alleyways, "I hope you know that all the adults are gonna kill us for this!"
"All three of you are adults!"
"We don't count! The oldest here is Fenix, do you really want to consider him as our responsible adult figure?!" Val yelled back. As they entered a narrow alleyway, she pushed herself up on top of a few metal boxes and grabbed onto the fire escape ladder, using her weight to pull it down, "Come on, come on, hurry up!" She practically bodily hauled Nia up. They continued running through the elevated walkway, the baker pursuing them from underneath. As they reached the end of the walkway, Val threw herself over the side of it, bending her knees and landing perfectly, turning around just in time to catch Nia in a bridal carry.
As they entered the crowded main street, they both zigzagged through, trying to lose the baker. Just as they thought they had lost them, they heard an angry yell and someone grabbed them both by the arms, pulling them forward.
"Keep running!" Owen hissed, Fenix right beside him with the cake in his hands, "Nia, I fucking hate you."
"I hate myself, too. Now, what the fuck do we do."
Suddenly, they heard someone yell, "Hey, kiddos! Over here!" Nia turned to see a big, built, man, probably in his late thirties or early forties waving them over to a store. Owen and Fenix's eyes widened in recognition and they immediately grabbed the girls.
Owen tugged them along, "Come on, we can trust him!" He called back to the girls before turning to look at the man, "Hello, Mr. Sam, I'm very sorry for the trouble we are about to cause you!" He dragged Nia and Val behind him, Fenix already inside the building.
The man sighed, "Just Sam is fine. What happened to you four?"
"There was a misunderstanding—"
"We stole a cake," Fenix said without hesitation, and Nia smacked the back of his head, "What, we can't lie, we did! The guy was being an asshole and refused to give us the cake when we paid for it. He had it all made and everything he just wouldn't give to us because someone else paid higher. And then he tried to scam us by making us pay and not giving us the cake!"
Sam rubbed his forehead, exasperated, "...Alright, go inside. I'll deal with it. Besides, Alya seems to really miss you two," He looked at Owen and Fenix, "And you can introduce your friends to her as well."
"Alya?" Nia asked, looking at Owen and Fenix as well, the question in her eyes.
"Come on, you'll see," Fenix grinned as he hid the cake under a table and guided the two girls towards the pets. Owen opened the gate and the moment Fenix closed it and kneeled down, a small black cat zoomed out, pawing at Fenix's pant leg, "Hello, Alya! I missed you, too, come here, girl!" He immediately knelt down and pet the kitten.
Val gasped, quickly dropping to the ground, "Oh my god, she's so cute! How dare you guys hide this adorable baby from us for so long," She said in whispered mock anger, so as to not scare off the kitten. Alya didn't seem to be bothered though, she padded over to Val and jumped into her lap. Val cooed, "Hi, baby, look at you! You're so pretty!" She stroked Alya's soft fur.
Nia knelt down next to her, and it seemed Val could sense her hesitation, and she looked at the other with a questioning look, "I…Uh…Don't really know how to interact with animals…" Nia said awkwardly, scratching her neck.
"Don't worry," Val said with a smile, "Here, sit down properly," She patted the space next to her. As soon as Nia made herself comfortable, Val carefully lifted the kitten and placed her gently in Nia's lap. She shifted a bit but the kitten didn't seem to notice, immediately snuggling against Nia's stomach. Val's eyes crinkled with her smile, "See? She likes you!"
Nia hummed, a little smile on her face, "She's cute."
As they heard someone approach them, the four teenagers turned around to see Sam and another person approaching them, the person holding a small baby wrapped in a bundle in their arms, "Okay," Sam sighed, rubbing his forehead, "The crazy bastard is gone, the coast is clear, although I did punch him in the face. What happened exactly?"
Fenix and Nia high-fived, "Hell yeah!" And Val rolled her eyes.
"It's my brother's wedding and the guy was trying to hold back the cake from us, when we offered to pay more to speed up the process, he tried to scam us. He said he hadn't made the cake but he'd just been hiding it in the back. Thank you for your help, Sam," Owen sighed, and turned to the other person, "I don't believe we've met before? I'm Owen, this is my boyfriend Fenix and our best friends Val and Nia," He said, introducing each of them.
The person waved them off, "Don't worry, I saw the havoc as you came in. So you're the kids that Sangcheol said Alya actually liked," They grinned, "I'm Heqing, you can call me Haven."
"Sangcheol?" Val asked.
Fenix answered for her, "I'm guessing that your English name is Sam and Sangcheol is your birth name?"
Sam nodded, "My parents gave me both Korean and English names, I normally use my English name for people I'm not very close to yet."
"Oh, so kind of like Leon and Fenix," Owen said and Fenix nodded.
"Wait, Leon has a Korean name? Fenix, you have another name?!" Nia half-yelled looking at the boy with wide eyes.
Fenix shrugged, "Yeah, my Thai name is Klahan, which is also my birth name. That was the name I used more often before Owen and I escaped from Sector 3, so I started using my English name after that. Besides, it was a good disguise. Owen's name was common enough but mine was rarer and I was the nephew of a scientist so it was too easily discoverable. I got comfortable with it, but Bella does sometimes call me Klahan from time to time. Oh, and Mina and Lumina when they're mad at me."
"Does your sister have one?"
"Yeah, but I don't know who she's told so you should go ask her yourself."
"No thank you, your sister is scary. What about Leon?"
Fenix laughed, "Oh, his is just his middle name. Sometimes, families will make the birth name the middle name as well if the child is going by another name. In this case, I think Chaewon probably said he could use Leon and keep Minhyuk as his middle name, though I've heard her, Elliot, and Hyunwoo call him that."
"Cool."
Haven cleared their throat, "So, since that's a wedding cake you guys are hiding under that table, I'm assuming you have a wedding to go to—" They were interrupted by the sound of a baby crying, and turned to Sam, sighing, "A'Cheol, can you go help A'Fen with Xingxing?" The man nodded and walked off.
"You guys have a kid?" Nia asked, looking up from the kitten.
"We just adopted Xingxing," Haven ran their hand through their hair, "Our wife Lifen was looking after her but sometimes Xingxing just wants her baba."
Owen looked at the others, "Well, we really should get going. Lumina is probably losing her mind, we've stalled long enough. They do actually need this cake for the wedding…" He trailed off, hesitating, before turning to Haven, "I mean, you guys are part of the reason we're able to get this cake to the wedding. I think it's safe to invite you guys. Xander and Kaedan wouldn't mind after they hear what you did for us."
Haven raised an eyebrow, "You sure about this, kiddo?" When they saw Owen nod, they smiled, "If we can get Xingxing to calm down for long enough, A'Fen, A'Cheol, and I would be honored to come."
As they left the pet store, they heard Sam's voice call out to them, "Hey kiddos, ask your guardians if you can adopt Alya one of these days! She really misses you already!"
The four of them looked at each other before Fenix called back, "We'll definitely try!"