Aaron woke up the morning after the "non-disaster" date with Kaelyn, still replaying the kiss in his mind. It wasn't like he had never kissed anyone before, but this one felt different. It was quick, sure, but it lingered in a way that had his heart doing an awkward little two-step every time he thought about it.
He was standing in front of a dusty mirror, trying to shake the giddy feeling. "Alright, calm down, golden retriever," he muttered to himself, adjusting his jacket and absentmindedly running his hand over his taper fade. His hair was still sharp, even in this world, and Aaron took a small bit of pride in knowing that despite being stuck in some medieval parallel dimension, his fade was still better than anything the Nostorians had ever seen.
"Look at this," he said, grinning at his reflection. "I'm out here maintaining the cleanest cut in a world where people are still hacking off their hair with rusty swords." He tilted his head, inspecting the sharp line at his temple. "Probably the only person here with a fade this tight. Meanwhile, these guys have got hairstyles that look like they've been using medieval torture devices as combs."
He chuckled, but the thought of standing out so much also made him feel weird. Sure, he loved his look—he'd always taken care of his hair, keeping it crisp and clean—but in a world where most people thought soap was a luxury, his haircut probably looked like sorcery.
Maybe I could open a barbershop, he thought idly. Start a new trend—call it 'Aaron's Fade and Forge.'
Aaron left his room and headed toward the theater, where Tobias had undoubtedly concocted some new insane idea to keep him on his toes. The streets were already bustling with activity, and Aaron nodded to a few townsfolk who were beginning to recognize him—mostly as "that guy who almost burned down the stage."
As he walked, he passed a group of kids playing in the street, pretending to be knights or wizards or something. It reminded him of when he and his friends used to run around with action figures, pretending to be superheroes.
That thought pulled his brain down another random path, and he couldn't help but smirk as he thought about all those superhero movies he used to watch back on Earth. He loved a good blockbuster as much as the next guy, but even he had limits.
"You know," he said aloud, as if talking to an invisible audience, "everyone thinks the MCU is the greatest thing to happen to cinema, but let's be real—after a while, it's like eating the same meal over and over again. You get it. Iron Man saves the day, Thor smashes stuff, and Captain America's whole personality is 'I'm from the '40s and I like justice.'"
He made a mock-serious face and puffed out his chest. "Language!" he mimicked, laughing at his own joke. "Like, we get it, Cap. You're a man out of time. You can't even handle a swear word. But we're out here fighting purple aliens with magic stones, so maybe let the f-bomb fly just this once, huh?"
Aaron grinned to himself as he kept walking. "And don't even get me started on how every villain in the MCU has the same formula. They're like, 'I'm angry because… I dunno, insert tragic backstory here. Also, I'm strong now. Let's fight.'" He mimed punching the air, laughing again. "You're telling me all these guys had no other career options? Like, nobody thought to tell Ultron, 'Hey, man, maybe you could just start a tech company and chill out with the world domination thing?'"
The thought of a villain just opening up a tech startup instead of going full genocidal made Aaron snort. "And then there's Loki. Love the guy, but let's be real: his entire character arc is just him showing up to cause trouble, getting slapped around by Thor, and then being like, 'Oops, my bad.' Repeat for five movies."
He couldn't help but imagine Loki showing up in Nostoria. "Can you imagine him here? He'd probably take one look at the chaos I'm dealing with and be like, 'Nope, too messy, even for me.'"
As Aaron continued to roast the MCU in his mind, he found himself nearing Kaelyn's forge. He hadn't planned on stopping by so soon after their date—he didn't want to come off as too eager—but his feet seemed to have different ideas. Maybe it was the memory of the kiss, still lingering in the back of his mind like an unsolved riddle.
Just as he was about to make a strategic retreat, the door to the forge swung open, and there she was, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Lost?" she asked, clearly amused by his sudden appearance.
Aaron's mouth opened, but no words came out for a solid three seconds. Smooth, Aaron. Real smooth. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. "Me? Lost? Nah. Just, uh... thought I'd check in. See if you needed anything. Maybe help you not break any swords today."
Kaelyn leaned against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised. "You're assuming I need your help?"
Aaron grinned. "No, I'm assuming you'd pretend not to need my help, but secretly appreciate my charming presence."
Kaelyn chuckled, shaking her head. "Sure, let's go with that."
Aaron couldn't help but notice how comfortable it felt, being around her. Usually, he was quick to make jokes, to deflect with humor, but with Kaelyn, it was different. Sure, he was still sarcastic and probably way too witty for his own good, but there was a softness to their banter—like he didn't have to be "on" all the time.
"So," Kaelyn said, breaking him out of his thoughts, "how's the latest show shaping up? Another near-death experience on the horizon?"
Aaron shrugged. "Eh, the usual. Tobias wants me to run a town-wide competition or something. Thinks it'll 'unite the people' or whatever. I'm pretty sure it'll just end in a riot. But hey, that's showbiz, right?"
Kaelyn laughed softly. "Sounds like you've got your hands full."
"Yeah, well, chaos is my brand now. I mean, look at me," he said, gesturing to himself. "I'm a guy with a perfect fade in a medieval world. I was born for chaos."
Kaelyn tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly in playful scrutiny. "Your hair does seem a little too... modern for Nostoria."
Aaron grinned, running a hand over his perfectly sharp hairline. "You know it. This fade's cleaner than Thor's hammer—back when he still had long hair, obviously."
Kaelyn smirked. "I'm guessing that's another one of those Earth references that make no sense here?"
Aaron chuckled. "Pretty much. Just imagine a guy who can hit stuff really hard but also spends way too much time in front of a mirror. You'd like him."
Kaelyn gave him a mock-serious look. "Sounds like my kind of guy."
Aaron's heart did that stupid little flip again, and he found himself smiling like an idiot. "Yeah, well, too bad he's fictional. You're stuck with me."
Kaelyn stepped forward, closing the distance between them slightly. "Somehow, I think I'll manage."
Aaron swallowed, feeling the air between them shift slightly. He wasn't used to moments like this—moments where the sarcasm faded, where the humor took a backseat and he had to actually feel something. But with Kaelyn, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was... nice.
Before he could say anything else, she reached out and placed a hand on his arm, her grip firm but warm. "You're alright, Aaron."
Aaron blinked, caught off guard by the simple statement. "Uh, thanks. You're pretty alright yourself."
Kaelyn smiled—a real, genuine smile that made Aaron's heart race. "I know."
Aaron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, the tension easing out of him. "You wanna grab something to eat? Maybe... actually call it a date this time?"
Kaelyn's smile widened, and for a second, Aaron thought he saw the tiniest hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft but sure. "I'd like that."
Aaron grinned. "Cool. Let's just hope nothing explodes this time."
Kaelyn chuckled, shaking her head. "No promises."