Aika opens the front door of her apartment and sees Aidan running to her with a broad smile on his face. She greets him happily, hugging him after she had put her things on the floor.
"Welcome home, sis! I missed you!" He says.
"Me too, bro. Bo sent you gifts." She tells him, holding his cheeks and then kissing his forehead.
She stands up to greet a lady of around 55 years old and a man of around 30. The lady wears a simple long dark green dress with her long hair braided on her shoulder, her smile is gentle and warm.
"Thank you so much for staying with Aidan, Elle. Thank you." Aika says, hugging her tightly.
"He was a sweetheart all the time. Even helped me with the chores and knitting." Elleanor answers. Elle is her nickname.
"Good! He's always an amazing boy. I brought food for everyone. I imagined you would come to pick up Elle, Mark, so I brought some for you too." Aika picks up the paper bags, then puts them on the little dining table. "Let's celebrate Aidan passing the advancing test!" She excitedly speaks while organizing all the food on the table.
Everyone cheers for Aidan, clapping hands, and he looks to the side shyly, but also smiling happily.
Aika takes a picture of Aidan in front of all his food to send to Bones. Bones laughed out loud back home. All of them start eating good fast food.
"How was your training, dear?" Elleanor asks Aika.
"Mom told me you got promoted. You're now an airport supervisor. Congratulations." Mark says.
"Thanks. It was nice. Good that I was so used to helping Grant with his chores that most of the things in the training I was already used to. Nothing was a new role." She answers. She chuckles when she remembers her weekend again. "It was a trip full of things I didn't imagine too."
"What? Met someone and relaxed a bit?" Mark jokes, laughing as it was something rare for Aika.
Elleanor pokes him under the table, but that just made him laugh more.
"Yes." Everyone stops with their mouths full to look at Aika. "I'm dating someone now, actually." They're now looking at her in shock.
"But you were in Saint York. How come? He lives here and went there too?" Aidan asks, confused.
"I've met him here in Cankyoto. He also works in Alpha Airways. But he lives in SY." She answers.
"So it's a long-distance relationship?" Elleanor asks.
"Yeah." Aika answers, nodding.
"Well, how do you feel about this?" Elleanor asks.
"I was actually scared. I still am, but… something is telling me to take the risk. It feels right. It feels good. I don't know how to explain the connection I feel." Aika answers, sincerely and from the heart.
Elleanor could only smile, happy to see Aika in love and allowing herself for this even after everything she went through. Elleanor knows Aika since before Danielle, her mother, died. She's also an Enchantress, and Mark is a wizard, and she helps Aika the most she can since Danielle's death.
"That means nature is telling you to follow your heart, sweetie. The Gods are telling you something." Elleanor affirms.
"I think so… The thing is… He's the CEO of Alpha Airways." Aika shocks them like a train horn. "That's one thing, actually. The other thing is that he's an elf." And now, they don't know what to say next.
"Isn't it dangerous? Elves already tried to use our kind, right?" Aidan asks.
"Many kinds tried to have our powers, not only them." Elleanor corrects Aidan. "Even knowing he's an elf, do you still feel this connection?" She asks Aika, who nods in response. "Did he tell you he's an elf?"
"No… We just started dating. I think that he might be hiding until the time comes. The same as me, I guess." Aika answers mostly to herself.
She rubs her face with her hands.
"Maybe this was a mistake, but… why does it feel right?"
"Is he good to you at least?" Mark asks, knowing her past.
"Very. He's kind and sweet. He said he will come here Friday to meet Aidan and just spend time with us. Seeing our place will make him show his true character, I believe."
"Aika, I'm happy you're letting yourself enjoy love, even if it's an elf. We can't say everyone is bad. We know well that even from our kind there are many bad people. But if you're feeling this way, it's because it will mean something. Do be careful, but do what you feel you want and need. If he ends up being someone bad, you know the rules…" Elleanor tells.
Aika nods, appreciating the advice.
"If you feel any threat, Aika, don't hesitate to call us. I will gladly whip out his memories." Mark says with a grin.
"If this turns out to be needed, I'll do it myself. Don't worry, but thanks." Aika chuckles.
Aika looks at Aidan and passes her hand on his back.
"Do you want to see your gifts?" Aika asks him to lighten up the mood.
He nods excited and smiling. Aika takes her luggage, opens it, and then pulls a big gift box. She takes her phone and starts recording. She gives the box to Aidan, and he curiously starts to feel it.
"Bo and I bought this for you." She tells him.
"It's heavy. What is it?" Aidan asks.
"Open it!" She giggles.
Aidan rips the gift paper to face the box of a laptop. He gasps for air looking shocked at Aika, making her laugh.
"A laptop?! Really?!"
"Congratulations. We're proud of you." She says. He stands up and hugs her tightly.
"Thank you! I love you!" He happily says.
"I love you too."
"I love you, Bo!" He says to her phone, then runs to take the box.
"Hey, wait!" She calls him back, pulling the smaller gift from Odir and giving it to him.
"One more?!"
"This one Odir sent you."
"Your boyfriend?"
"Yeah." She nods.
He opens the gift paper, then gasps for air again when he sees the amazing mouse full of tools and gadgets.
"All right. This is awesome! Thanks, sis' boyfriend." He speaks, taking both boxes in his hands and running to his bedroom.
Aika stops recording, then sends the video to Bones and Odir. She talks a bit more with Elleanor and Mark, then gives a gift to Elleanor too to thank her for spending the week with Aidan.
After they left, she trashes the food paper bags, and other trash, then goes to put down some other things. After a nice shower and wearing light clothes, she checks on Aidan and he's still focused on his new gifts. She helps him with some things, then she tells him to go to sleep, and on the next day finishes setting everything up. He nods, checking the time.
Then she goes to her bedroom and throws herself on her bed. It's actually a mattress on a carpet. She checks her phone, seeing messages from Bones and Odir. She answers Bones, and then she video calls Odir.
He was on his bed thinking about her, and when his phone started ringing he answered happily. Feeling so anxious knowing she was far from him, he was fearing someone taking her and marking her first, even knowing she was being guarded. Losing her would be the same as killing him.
He's sure he will move to Cankyoto soon, he can't handle this feeling for too long. When she appeared on the screen, his heart instantly calmed down, but not enough.
"Hey, beautiful… I miss you so much." He says, with a big smile.
He wants to tell her he loves her and bursts out everything about who he is, but now not being with her physically could mean her turning off the phone and not wanting to talk to him ever again.
"Hey… I'm missing you too. Since we got together, we spent every night together at least. It's strange without you." She feels an emptiness in her, even more knowing he's in another city.
"It's true. I was thinking the same that I even got the tickets to go see you already. I'll be arriving on the last flight your team works on Friday. I don't even know if I'll go to a hotel or not, because I just want to spend the most time with you."
"You can stay here if you want, but like I said before, it's little and simple. My bed is not a king-size bed, but it fits us." She says.
He's happy to know he will be with her all the time when he gets there.
"Will Aidan be ok with that?"
"He will be quiet about it like I told you before, but he will probably thank you for the mouse. He sleeps in his bedroom, so he will not come with you here… Only if we're loud of course."
"I'll have to shut your lips then?" He asks with a playful smile, making her giggle. "You said it first!"
They talk about many things, and Odir watches her falling asleep. He takes a screenshot, then keeps watching her completely in love until he can't hold anymore and falls asleep too.