The sun hung low in the sky, painting the streets of Soleil with hues of gold and pink when the two boys had finished shopping and walked back to Adrian's home. Aiden walked beside Adrian, their shopping bags swaying with the rhythm of their steps. The leather jacket Adrian had bought him fit snugly, and for once, Aiden felt a strange sense of belonging, though it was unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable.
He glanced at Adrian, who was cheerfully humming to himself, his energy seemingly endless.
Aiden cleared his throat, his voice softer than usual. "Thanks. For today, I mean."
Adrian blinked, pausing his humming to glance at him. "What's this now? You? Actually being polite?"
"I'm serious," Aiden continued, his gaze dropping to the marble street. "You've done… a lot. More than you needed to. It's-"
He hesitated, the next words sticking in his throat before he forced them out. "It's nice. Having a… friend."
The word hung in the air awkwardly, like it didn't quite fit coming from him. Aiden wasn't used to saying it, let alone meaning it. He never had friends.
Well, there's Kacela, but she was more of an acquaintance than a friend and he doesn't see her as anything close to a friend.
There's also Blaze, his younger brother. He'd probably feel ashamed to know Aiden is a Magi. While the Chase Family was suffocating, Aiden loved his family. He missed them.
He hoped they missed him too.
Adrian stopped walking, turning to face him with a wide grin.
"You're calling me a friend? Bloody hell, must be my lucky day!"
"Don't get used to it," Aiden muttered, though there was a faint smile creeping at the corner of his lips.
"You're lucky to have me as a friend," Adrian said, puffing out his chest dramatically. "I'm the best one you're going to get."
"Don't push it."
Adrian laughed, slinging an arm over Aiden's shoulder. "Ah, come on, Chase. Admit it. You're stuck with me now."
Aiden didn't reply, but his silence spoke volumes. He was grateful, more than he could easily put into words.
The moment was broken when Adrian suddenly stopped and snapped his fingers.
"Hold on. You're being way too nice. What's the catch?"
Aiden shook his head.
"There's no catch. I just-" He faltered, his voice quieter now. "I just wanted you to know I appreciate it. That's all."
"Well, you're welcome, Mr. Posh. But if you keep being this sentimental, I might start charging you for my emotional labour."
Aiden rolled his eyes, but the faint warmth of Adrian's words lingered.
They continued walking, the quiet between them companionable now. Aiden adjusted his jacket absentmindedly, looking down at the street as he spoke again.
"Still, I don't think you need to spend so much. It's… a lot."
"Not this again! I already told you- it's not a big deal. You needed new clothes. End of story."
"I didn't ask for new clothes," Aiden replied calmly, though there was a touch of steel in his voice. "You're doing too much. I don't want to feel like-"
"A charity case?" Adrian interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "You're not. You're my friend." He emphasised the word pointedly, smirking at Aiden. "Or did you forget you just said that a minute ago?"
Aiden opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, someone barreled into him from the side, sending him sprawling onto the floor with a thud!
"Aiden!" Adrian exclaimed, quickly dropping his bags and crouching beside him. "Oi, are you alright?"
Aiden groaned, sitting up and brushing himself off.
"I'm fine," he muttered. "What the-"
Standing before them was a man unlike anyone Aiden had seen before. His skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent, catching the fading sunlight in an eerie way. His dark eyes were sunken yet piercing, as though they could see through him, and his wavy black hair fell loosely around his face. A tattered, dark cloak clung to his slender frame, its frayed edges shifting with a faint motion.
"Apologies," the man said in a low, smooth voice, devoid of much emotion. "I wasn't paying attention."
"Clearly," Aiden replied coldly, a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanour.
Adrian, however, was far less forgiving of the situation. He stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Aiden.
"Oi! Is that all you've got to say? 'I wasn't paying attention'? You just knocked him flat! Say sorry properly, you git."
The man's dark eyes flicked to Adrian, his expression unreadable. "I said apologies," he repeated, his tone devoid of sincerity.
"Saying apologies is not an apology," Adrian shot back, crossing his arms. "You knocked him over. Try again, sir."
The man tilted his head slightly, as if Adrian's demand was a foreign concept. His gaze shifted back to Aiden, lingering in a way that made the air feel heavier.
"You…" the man murmured, almost to himself.
Aiden tensed, his expression guarded as he stared at the guy. "What about me?"
"You don't belong here," the man said softly, his voice almost reverent.
"Neither do you," Aiden replied coolly, his calm tone masking the unease prickling at the back of his neck.
The man didn't respond. Instead, he turned and began walking away, his cloak trailing behind him.
"Oi, where are you going?" Adrian called after him. "You can't just knock someone down, mutter some cryptic nonsense, and leave!"
The man didn't look back. He disappeared into the crowd as silently as he had appeared.
Aiden frowned, watching the figure disappear into the crowd. There was something deeply unsettling about him that made his hairs stick on ends, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
"What was that about?" Adrian asked, turning back to Aiden.
"No idea," Aiden replied quietly, his gaze still fixed on the spot where the man had thrown him off balance earlier.
"Well, that was weird," Adrian said with a shrug. "You good? Did he knock the poshness out of you or something?"
Aiden rolled his eyes, though there was a faint trace of unease in his expression. "I'm fine. Let's just go."
As they continued walking, Adrian kept glancing at Aiden, his usual playful grin replaced with a flicker of concern.
"That guy looked like he crawled out of a coffin. Proper creepy, yeah?"
"He was… unusual," Aiden admitted, his voice distant.
"That's putting it mildly," Adrian said. "Not only is he unusual, he's also a pain in the ass. If he shows up again, you're staying behind me. I've got the leather jacket and the attitude to scare him off."
Aiden looked at him, trying his best not to laugh at what Adrian said. With the straightest face Aiden could muster, he looked Adrian dead in the eye and said, "You're insufferable."
"And you're welcome."
As they resumed their walk, the encounter lingered in Aiden's mind, a faint chill settling in his chest. He tried thinking of other things but he would always go back to the strange encounter in Soleil Plaza.
Who was that man?
How did he know Aiden isn't from Soleil? He now have powers just like any normal Magi, and between Aiden and Adrian, Adrian looks more out-of-place physically.
The guy's straight out of a rock band magazine.
But there had been something deeply unsettling about the man- something he couldn't quite shake.
"Hey, Adrian?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell your parents about what happened."
"If this is about not being a charity case again, just drop-"
"Maybe it's just a rude fellow who's had a bad day?"
"Okay, fine."
"Thank you."
-------------------------
So," Mr. Caleena began, leaning back in his chair with an easy smile as he watched the two boys across the table.
"How was your little shopping trip, then? Your mum's already told me a bit, but I want to hear it from you."
Adrian immediately perked up, a forkful of roasted vegetables halfway to his mouth. "It was brilliant, Da! But let me tell you, Aiden here is absolutely hopeless. I had to drag him into at least five shops before he even looked at anything!"
"That's not true," Aiden said calmly, not even looking up from his plate.
"It is true!" Adrian protested, turning to his father for backup. "He just stood there like a mannequin while I picked out everything. And don't even get me started on the pyjamas situation."
"Hmm?" Mr. Caleena asked. "What about it?"
Adrian pointed dramatically at Aiden. "He doesn't own any. None. Not a single pair! He told me he wears semi-formal outfits at home. Like waistcoats and everything!"
"I don't wear waistcoats all the time,"
"Oh, so just sometimes?"
Aiden shrugged.
Adrian groaned, throwing his head back. "Da, please tell him that's weird."
But Mr. Caleena just chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, it's certainly different, but nothing wrong with wanting to look your best."
"Exactly," Aiden said coolly, shooting Adrian a smug glance before going back to his plate.
"You're both impossible," Adrian muttered before perking up again. "Anyway, I saved him. Got him some proper clothes—and a leather jacket. Now we match!"
Einya, seated beside her husband, smiled warmly at the boys. "That was thoughtful of you, Adrian. And Aiden, how are you finding everything so far?"
The room was silent as everybody looked at Aiden.
"It's… different," Aiden admitted, his voice quiet. "But I'm grateful. Thank you for giving me a chance. It means a lot."
"You don't have to keep saying that," Adrian interjected, leaning back in his chair. "We're stuck with you now, Chase. No backing out."
Aiden's lips twitched into the faintest smile and he chuckled. "Lucky me."