Young Writers Society

Shane squinted into the red of the crosswalk stoplight. He was only vaguely confident that he was bound the right way, as Alex hadn't seemed too sure when she'd texted him the directions to the bar. While he was waiting for the light to change, he spared a moment to worry about going to the wrong place. He soon found it didn't really matter to him, for once, if he was a couple minutes late. He wasn't exactly dying to see Santiago.

The light turned. Shane stepped into the crosswalk, taking glances around him as he did.

Alex had referred to this intersection as the Crosslight District, and Shane was starting to see something unique about it. Each corner of the four-way stop had its own gay bar, and they all seemed to have their own distinct flair. Shane looked ahead to the one on the other side of the street, a more upscale-looking bar with dim red lights shining across the building and a rainbow flag hanging proudly over the wooden door. The Rendezvous. That was the one Alex had directed him to.

As he made it to the other side of the street, Shane looked over his shoulder. A person in a leather jacket was opposite the crosswalk, waiting even though the light was still for them. They were watching him, hands hanging loosely at their side. Shane gave them the barest of nods. His bodyguard for the day, Acelin, nodded back just as slightly. With that, Shane turned away and pushed open the door to the bar.

He heard the piano music as soon as he had it open more than a gap. Past the room filled with tables and counters serving loud, chattering people, a stage was against the wall, where a musician was playing and singing a piano version of a classic song. Shane stood near the entrance for a moment, scanning the area. It was okay. It was dimly lit, and not as loud as it could've been. Still, it was more than he wanted.

He was here for Alex, not Santiago. Alex mattered. That was all that mattered.

Even so, Shane couldn't muster up any enthusiasm as he crossed the bar.

Alex and Santiago were at the bar, already chatting. He'd gotten there right on time, so they must've shown up early. The stool next to Alex had her bag hanging over the back, reserving it for him. Given that every other seat at the counter was taken, he wondered if he'd had to ask for it from someone else. She certainly could've gotten her way.

Alex was dressed in her usual summer style, wearing a flowing green button-up shirt that she'd folded up to her elbows and a black pencil skirt. Her mid-length dark hair hung in waves around her face, swishing whenever her head moved. She was turned to Santiago, talking intensely to him about something.

The last time he saw Santiago was in the spring, right before he graduated. That was only two months ago, and of course he also moved to Starlight City post-graduation. Santiago didn't look or dress too different from last they talked. A strand of wavy, brown hair still swooped over his face, and he was wearing a brown turtleneck despite it being in the middle of summer. He wore a thin silver necklace with a quill charm, which Shane recognized as one Alex had too. Everyone in her inner humanities-study friendship group got matching necklaces before the group broke due to graduation.

And of course, Santiago didn't treat him any differently, either. It seemed like ever since Shane failed his first conversational "test" the first day he met him, he was bored of him. It was like he only ever gave him attention because he was partners with Alex.

Shane had hoped that this time, after not having to see Santiago for a while, he would have a different immediate reaction to being around him again. He didn't. Instead, the familiar feeling that he was about to be made uncomfortable returned, and so did a sensation vaguely akin to dread that settled in his stomach. Alex's back was turned, but Santiago was facing his way, and he didn't seem to notice Shane there. It probably wouldn't be any different once he was sitting down.

He'd find a way to live through this.

Shane traveled to them, sliding into the seat left for him. "Hey," he said, and even though his voice wasn't that quiet, he knew it was hard to hear over the volume of the music.

Alex turned, putting a hand on his shoulder as he took his spot. "Oh, right on time," she said. "Hopefully you didn't wander around the intersection too many times looking for the right place."

Shane mustered a forced, faint smile. "Only worried that it would happen."

"Do you often get lost, Shane?" Santiago asked, skipping his greetings. Although, that was also not unusual.

Shane tried to settle into his seat, even though it would make no difference in how comfortable he felt during this gathering. "I wouldn't say so."

"So good to have you join us," Santiago said with a half-smile. "Wouldn't want you to miss the music."

Shane nodded stiffly, still with the thin smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Back to what I was saying..." Santiago went on, ignoring Shane and diverting his focus back on Alex.

Well, that had been about ten seconds before he got ignored by Santiago. It wasn't bad, considering he'd calculate the average at eight.

Alex kept her hand on his shoulder, but her attention was all on the conversation again. Shane knew the odds were slim of them asking him anything, so he paid little attention to what they were actually saying, letting their voices blend into the bar chatter. He snapped briefly back into focus when their drinks, which Alex and Santiago must've ordered before he arrived, were served. Alex had ordered him a mojito, which was thoughtful of her. He thanked her and the bartender, but that was the most he engaged before he went back into his dissociation. Alex also pulled her hand away to hold her whiskey sour, which left him to be a fly on the wall. Every now and then, he saw Santiago gesture with the Negroni in his hand while speaking out of the corner of his eye, but he noticed it less and less as he stared straight ahead, feeling his vision blur at the sides.

Distantly, he thought the piano music had stopped, likely because the musician playing had gotten a lull in requests. He hadn't noticed that it was the nicest thing to focus on until it was gone, and he felt a shred of disappointment.

Then, there was the sound of tapping on a microphone, causing a slight squeal to ring through the speakers.

Shane turned his head to the stage. A bartender-- wasn't it the same bartender who had served them their drinks?-- was sitting at the piano, hands over the keys. He was dressed with a black collared shirt and a black vest, and the only splash of color on him being his red nametag, which Shane couldn't catch from here. He had neat, dark hair that reflected the gleam of the spotlights, and his smile was warm and friendly. His brown eyes, framed by glasses, traveled over the crowd. Shane thought he saw his gaze settle on him a couple times.

"If there are no requests, then I'd like to play a song for a special guest in the crowd," the bartender said with a warm smile, and for a second there, looked right at Shane.

The bartender ran his fingers over the keys, playing a melody that Shane suddenly recognized as familiar to him. The crowd seemed to realize it too, judging by the whoops and cheerful laughs that rose from his audience. It was the tune of a popular Aphiran folk tune, one that you couldn't go through childhood without learning it by heart. The song had been around for centuries, and even though the House ruler it was written about was long gone, Shane couldn't imagine this song dying out. The bartender played with passion, performing the notes with an ethereal musicality. Mesmerized, Shane watched as he sang, his voice ringing out with the melody as he seemed to pour his soul into the song.

Oh, hear the legend of our royal, brave and bold:
In the tapestry of time, his story is forever told.
With courage and love, he stood strong and tall:
In the annals of history, oh, he conquered all.

The bartender kept the same passion for the chorus and later verses, often earning cheers whenever he did a little extra vocalization. Shane, meanwhile, couldn't do much but watch in awe. It was a song he'd heard so many times-- and before this, he would've said too many-- but he'd never heard it performed like this before. He felt like he was swelling with emotion.

The bartender's words from earlier came back to him. Special guest. By saying that and then playing a song about royalty, had he meant... Shane?

He spent so long on this stunning thought that he nearly missed the powerful ending of the song, and reacted just in time for the final chord by clapping wildly.

"Thank you, thank you. My name is Alvaro, and I'll be here until midnight. If you want to request anything from me, I'll be at the bar with my tip jar," the bartender said with a grin and a slight bow when the crowd cheered, flourishing his hand in front of him. "You can find me, buy a drink, or ask for Alvaro. Or all of the above."

He smiled brightly to the audience in a way that almost looked teasing, waving as he moved off stage. He looked back at the crowd, though, and for a moment, they made eye contact.

Then Alvaro winked at him.

"Shane," Alex said suddenly, snapping Shane out of his daze as she shook his shoulder intently. "He was totally playing that for you."

"Do you think so?" Shane asked, turning back to her.

Alex paused, seeming to scan his face for a moment, before she grinned slightly. "Saints, Shane, you're smiling."

"Am I?" Shane asked, with a bit of a surprised laugh.

"You look like sunshine right now. Santiago, look," Alex urged her friend. "When was the last time you saw his face do that?"

Santiago finally settled his eyes back over to Shane. "Not since he saw a bear at the zoo."

"Oh, that was a smile, alright," Alex agreed. "You would've thought he was ready to run into the enclosure."

"I wasn't that happy," Shane defended himself.

"Well, you sure looked the part," Alex said. "Looks like it now, too." She sat up suddenly, pulling her hand away. "He's headed our way."

Shane quickly turned his head to see his serenader moving towards them, something in his hands. The first thing Alvaro did was smile warmly at them. The next thing he did was slide three shot glasses for their taking, which was filled with a murky white liquid, paired with a small slice of a lemon. They were likely lemon drop shops.

Finally, Shane could read the red name tag, spelling out his name in black lettering. A. Alvaro.

"On the house," Alvaro said, elbows on the counter as he slouched forward, signaling that he was now here to converse. "But of course, if you want a different drink, then all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you for your generosity," Alex said, offering him a slight smile as she passed the shots out. "And for your playing. You made this one very happy." She nudged Shane's foot with her own, even though he didn't really need the reminder to speak.

"It was wonderful," Shane agreed, looking at Alvaro with what he now knew was a soft, beaming smile. "Thank you, Alvaro, or..." He let out a slightly shy laugh, gesturing to his name tag. "Can I call you by the other A?"

"Oh, I can go by any name. Other A. Alvaro. Alias. Alibi. Alan." He smiled playfully, meeting Shane's eyes. "Take your pick... Shane Hawking."

Shane found himself grinning slightly. "I'll go with the last one."

"Wise choice," Alan said with a teasing grin of his own, but then turned to Alex. "Now, I do have a question to ask you, Miss...?"

"Alex," she said lightly, swirling her shot glass.

Alan hummed. "Beautiful name. I'd even venture to say that it has great alliteration."

Alex chuckled. "Perhaps I need a list of alibis."

"Always." Alan's grin widened, leaning in a little more. "Alex," he began steadily, "do you often make your man happy?"

Shane let out a faint laugh, suddenly feeling a little awkward as though he were the one put on the spot, while Alex playfully narrowed her eyes at Alan.

"Well, I would sure hope so," she said in a way that seemed like she was expecting a joke, her hand rubbing circles on Shane's shoulder blade again.

"I admit I am a little disappointed, because had you said no, I would have offered to play another song. But it sounds like he's plenty happy, so I'll back off and go back to bartending," Alan teased, standing upright again and pulling out a metal shaker from under the table, ready to begin making a different drink in front of them.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Alex said with a slight smile, looking to Shane.

Shane felt painfully shy from the attention as he kept smiling, looking down at the counter with a slight laugh. "I think you need a tip for the earlier performance first."

Alan innocently shrugged, measuring a shot of vodka to pour in the shaker. "I may or may not take bribes."

Still smiling, Shane reached into his wallet, taking out a hundred and passing it over the counter once Alan appeared to have a hand free. "Then this may or may not be technically a scandal."

Alan froze for a second, staring at the bill, clearly caught off guard by the amount. "Oh," he said with a faint laugh, shaking his head as he smiled appreciatively at Shane. "That's awfully generous of you, but I can't accept this." He paused. "Unless you want me to sing and dance to a ridiculous song. I think my pride could be worth that much."

Shane hesitated, looking at him with his hand still out. "Well, I'd like you to accept it," he said, a little gentler. "Is that what you'd have to do to accept it?"

Alan was quiet for a moment, staring at Shane, but smile softening before he resumed to making his drink. "What's your favorite song?" he asked instead.

"Uh..." Shane laughed awkwardly, even though he knew full well his answer. He just always felt like he could be judged for his favorite song around musicians who were more talented than him-- three of them-- even though there wasn't much to judge.

"Everlong, by the Foo Fighters," Alex completed helpfully, and Shane nodded.

Alan smiled, hesitating again, but then finally accepting the tip. He placed it in his pocket, flicking his eyes to Shane as he closed the shaker with all the ingredients in it. "In that case, thank you for your generosity. Enjoy the show, and--" he gestured to the shots in front of them, "-- enjoy the drinks."

"Thank you," Shane said, still smiling gently.

As Alan moved to a different part of the bar, shaker in hand, Alex threw back the lemon drop shot.

"I almost thought he wouldn't take the tip," she said with a shake of her head once Alan was out of earshot, mostly speaking to Santiago.

Santiago scoffed, finishing his shot as well. "That was clearly an act. He knew who Shane was, and so he knew he had money. Of course he'd pretend to not want it."

For some reason, that stung. But Shane wasn't about to tell Santiago that it did, even if he had an explanation as to why.

Alex let out a huff. "You think he'd accept a tip like that from you?"

"You think he wouldn't?" Santiago shot back.

"I haven't seen it happen," Alex mused.

"Then look," Santiago said with a nudge of his head towards the direction behind Alex, where Alan had walked off to.

Alan had finished pouring out his drink into a martini glass, leaning in with a smile and smooth talking an older gentleman sitting alone.

"He follows a pattern, as most bartenders do," Santiago continued. "He's now talking to single, older man sitting alone. Clearly, he knows his audience. He's working, Alex. All of this is deliberate. He knows what he's doing."

"You could wait to grow old," Alex suggested. "Or you can go talk to him, like I know you want to do."

Santiago smirked, still eyeing Alan at the other side of the bar. He idly swirled the straw in his negroni. "I'm not just going to talk to him."

"Oh?" Alex asked, smirking as well.

Shane thought this was a good time to take the shot. He did.

"If he likes to dance, then we'll dance," Santiago said, not having averted his gaze off Alan. "I'll talk to him when he come back."

Alex hummed. "Don't get cold feet."

Santiago huffed out a puff of air. "Never."

Time passed, and Shane stayed mostly silent, finishing the last sips of his mojito and then the waterier parts as the ice melted down. He knew he was being boring when he was around Alex and Santiago's conversations, but he wasn't about to see a reward for participation if he spoke up.

Soon enough, Santiago started flagging Alan down, waving his hand around. Shane noticed they'd all finished their drinks, but he doubted that was Santiago's reason for getting Alan's attention.

"Another round?" Alan asked, eyeing their empty cups.

"Four shots," Santiago said simply.

"You got it," Alan said with a nod and a smile. "Of?"

Santiago leaned forward, elbows perched on table, hands clasped together. "Surprise me."

Shane had to suppress something that might've been a groan. Unless Santiago was planning on having all four shots to himself, he'd much rather be consulted first before his next drink was decided on a flirting match.

Alan hummed, mirroring his posture as he slouched forward, elbows on table to be more at eye-level with Santiago. "How about I make a guess?"

"You mean an assessment," Santiago corrected.

"Sure. We can call it that. An assessment." Alan playfully smiled, pointing at him. "Of your poison. Obviously, you're taking all four shots?"

"Incorrect," Santiago said without wasting a beat. "One is for you."

"Three for himself? And here I thought he'd share with the table," Alex whispered in Shane's ear disappointedly, and Shane had to force another smile.

Alan hummed again, tapping his finger against the counter. "Only one?" he teased.

Santiago leaned back, smirking. Amused. "Is this your way to buy you more drinks?"

"Is it working?" Alan asked.

"No."

Alan blew his lips together in defeat, quick to smile as he stood up straight again. "Do you really want a surprise?"

"And here I thought you were doing an assessment," Santiago quipped back.

Shane took interest in a random bottle on the shelf, wishing he were anywhere else right now. Preferably home.

Alan grinned, narrowing his eyes at him. "Alright," he said, clearly amused as well, taking out another shaker. "One assessment, coming right up."

Santiago didn't hesitate to continue the conversation. "I haven't seen you here before. Are you new?"

"Observant," Alan said as he measured out a shot of gin. "It's my second day on the job, actually."

"Where did you work beforehand?" Santiago asked.

"Around here? Nowhere. I moved to Starlight City last month," Alan said.

"From?"

Alan paused, slightly narrowing his eyes at him, the playful smile returning. "Awful lot of questions to ask your bartender. Are you going to ask for my number next?"

"It depends. Are you going to sloppily write it on a napkin before I close out my tab?" Santiago shot back.

"Amber City," Alan responded with an amused laugh after a longer pause.

Santiago slightly tilted his head. "You travelled across the country to become a bartender."

It was supposed to be a question, but from the way he phrased it, it sounded more like a statement.

"What can I say," Alan said with a shrug and an innocent smile, shaking the drink in front of them. "I'm a stupid musician with a heart too big and dreams that are too high."

Santiago huffed out another breath of air, not commenting further since Alan was shaking the drink. He took out a glass from under the table, pouring its contents inside, and then garnished the drink with a lime before sliding the glass across to Santiago.

Alan had made him a dark and stormy.

He had also poured out three shots of gin that he distributed to Shane, Alex, and himself. Based on the bottle next to him, it was a more expensive, higher quality gin with a floral aftertaste.

"To stupid musicians?" Alan said with a smile, holding up the shot glass for a group toast.

"Get your glasses up, that's us," Alex urged Shane and Santiago, raising her own. Shane reached for his glass, putting another smile on his face as they all clinked them together.

"To stupid musicians with stupid big hearts," Santiago confirmed, the last one to clink his glass.

They all took their drink at the same time, including Alan who took it back effortlessly. He looked at Santiago for few moments with a growing amused smile, but then picked up the shot glasses so it was out of their way.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Alan said breezily, glancing down the bar where others were waving for him. But before he could walk off again, he paused to smile and tell Shane, "I haven't forgotten your request, by the way. Stick around and you might like what you hear."

Shane smiled back, feeling touched again. "I'll be here."

Alan gave him another charming smile before moving away again to attend to another customer.

"You weren't so flirty when you were asking about his life," Alex said to Santiago. "Was that a missed opportunity, or are you trying to play a different kind of game here?"

Santiago let out a huff of air, stirring his new drink with the straw. "Perhaps I am simply playing his own game to get free drinks."

"I won't protest," Alex said, flicking a strand of dark hair over her ear.

"I know you won't," Santiago said matter-of-factly.

"You better get his number, though," Alex said. "It'll be a disappointing night otherwise."

Shane thought about tuning them out again, but found that he couldn't. He wouldn't call this night disappointing anymore. But that was him, not Alex.

At that, Santiago scoffed. "It would be disappointing if I merely got his number."

"Bit early to get his last name," Alex said. "Something in between, then?"

Shane let out a weak huff of laughter at that.

At this point, Santiago wasn't even hiding that he was checking out Alan, his eyes slowly scanning over his body across the bar. "There will certainly be something between us," he said. "He's charming, but also able to be charmed."

Alex raised a brow. "Think you've got what it takes?"

Santiago smirked. "I know I do. I can already hear him moaning my name."

Shane barely suppressed a groan, instead resting his forehead on his palm with what was probably a pained expression. Alex, meanwhile, only smirked back.

"Oh, so it's being between his legs you want," she said, as though she'd cracked the code.

Santiago's smirk grew at that. "That's the forefront of the journey. But the destination is behind."

Alex let out a quick, cackle-like laugh, and Shane wished he didn't have a brain to understand.

He managed to filter out their words as they kept talking, but he caught a sense of the plan as Santiago took out a sticky note and another hundred bill, wrote a short message on the note, and went away with Alex's encouragement.

Santiago successfully flagged Alan down at a more isolated part of the bar, and the two mirrored each other's body language again, attention on each other as they bantered and flirted.

"Is this for real?" Shane muttered to Alex.

"Just watch," Alex said, as if that hadn't been the only thing he'd been doing all evening.

Just as he said he would, Santiago slid a one hundred bill along with the song request note on top, eyes on Alan the whole time, watching him. The surprise over the amount washed over Alan again, especially when he read the song request note.

Which of course, wasn't a song request-- unless "MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM IN 10?" was actually a real song.

Alan seemed slow to process as he stared at the note and bill, but as Santiago continued to lean forward and flirt, Alan matched his energy, pocketing the bill. Alan playfully smiled, and based on Santiago's own slower reactions, Shane wondered if he was getting teased again.

Shane couldn't watch for the full minute Santiago remained there, so he turned away, allowing himself to sigh softly. He heard Santiago as he returned.

"Well?" Alex asked expectantly. "What will it be between you?"

"We don't need to go into that again," Santiago said with a sleazy smirk, relaxing into his seat as he finished his drink. "He agreed, but at the end of his shift. I don't blame him for wanting more time."

"Looks like we'll be here longer," Alex said with cheer, and Shane closed his eyes with a weary expression.

"I know you're enjoying this," Santiago teased Alex, still with the same smirk. "The music, obviously."

Alex swept her hair back with a toss of her head. "Let me enjoy the music. You enjoy the musician."

Santiago huffed out puff of air as he watched Alan go back on stage for a different song request. "Oh, I will. Especially when the clock strikes midnight."

Shane felt a headache starting, and he closed his eyes tighter, letting the sounds of the bar wash out in his ears. He could stand up and leave, maybe, or hang around his bodyguard. He didn't know. He just didn't want to be here.

He didn't even realize it was nearly midnight until he heard another tap on the microphone, and looked up to see Alan at the stage again.

Alan played a melancholic melody on the piano, looking up at the crowd with a smile as he talked over the background melody. "I hope everyone is having a great night so far. I wish I can stay, but sadly, all things come to an end eventually. But If I may, I'd like to close my time here with a special song for a special someone. You know who you are. It's a sad song, but I selfishly request that you leave here happy."

Alan played out a chord, eyes searching the crowd, and Shane swore he stopped when he found his gaze.

"Welcome to The Rendezvous," Alan went on with a playful smile, now starting the beginning chords of Everlong.

Again, the song was one he'd heard many times before, but the way Alan played it felt... different. Like he was bringing a new soul to the song, an energy that made Shane's heart ache somehow. He even felt breathless in some moments, when Alan's voice rose more powerfully, and by the time he reached the instrumental bridge, he had to remember to inhale.

It felt like an eternal performance, one he could sit in awe of forever.

Alan held the last notes of the song, the crowd cheering when he looked back up at the crowd with a proud grin. He didn't say any more commentary as he left with a wave, but before he completely left the stage, Shane caught his eyes again. This time, Alan held his gaze and smiled warmly, as if was saying, "Thank you, and good night."

Or perhaps the farewell was only Shane's interpretation, because Alan's eyes then drifted over to Santiago, where they exchanged a knowing look.

"Yep, that's an even brighter smile," Alex said as they clapped, and Shane realized she was talking about him. He let out a shy laugh, but didn't know what to say.

Shane watched as Alan chatted with the other bartender, closing out tabs and preparing to end his shift. Santiago watched him too, especially since it was now a few minutes passed midnight. He exchanged a few curt and impatient words with Alex, who snickered and teased him back.

Until, finally, Alan finished and looked across the bar to Santiago. They locked eyes. Then Alan smirked, exchanging a few last words to his colleague before tearing his gaze away, disappearing into the back door.

"And that's my cue," Santiago announced, finishing the last of his drink, the ice nearly hitting his face.

Alex drummed her fingers on the counter eagerly. "We'll be in the wings. Now go and take the spotlight."

"No need to wait for me. I'll text you and let you know how it goes," Santiago said, standing back up on his feet, patting down his sweater.

"Oh, I'm sure we can hang around," Alex said, looking to Shane, and even though he really wanted to shake his head, he merely nodded.

Santiago let out a sharp laugh. "Then you may be waiting for a while."

"No issue," Alex said with a smirk.

Santiago exchanged the same smirk, then silently took his leave, predictably giving Shane no attention.

"Are we really just going to wait around for him to get back?" Shane softly asked when he was gone.

Alex blinked. "What else? Bail on a friend?"

"He gave us permission," Shane said, deciding not to say that Santiago wasn't even his friend.

Alex sighed, looking at him with something that seemed like... pity. And impatience.

"You know, it's not actually an impossible task for you to enjoy yourself when you're out," she said. "I mean, you literally got serenaded twice this night. How is that not fun?"

"I'm sorry," Shane said with a sigh, resting his hand over hers on the counter. "Those times were enjoyable. It's just--"

Alex sat up a little, looking at something over his shoulder. "He's back already."

Shane turned, frowning in confusion. Santiago was indeed returning, visibly upset and irritated, hand in his hair as he hurried back, lips tensely pulled back.

"That was... fast," Alex noted, but not so bluntly, scanning his face with curiosity and the slightest concern.

Santiago half rolled his eyes with a scoff. "I was played. He didn't show up."

He then slapped a crumpled bill on the counter. It was the one hundred, this time with a different note on it, but on a napkin. Shane squinted at the napkin, barely making out the messy scrawl that said, "Maybe ask for my number first next time."

In the overwhelming surprise, Shane couldn't help but let out one shocked, short laugh, staring at it.

Santiago groaned, sitting back on the bar with his heads in his hands, rubbing his face. "That's right, laugh it out. I'm sure you find this hilarious," Santiago said cooly.

"I don't--" Shane said quickly.

"Oh, I do," Alex said, now smirking with a playful mockingness as she jabbed a finger at the note. "Bet that's not how you thought you'd be seeing a number on a napkin."

Santiago scoffed, giving his face one last rub before he looked back at Alex with annoyance. "He is still flirting, but he's playing hard to get. Alvaro is practically begging me to ask for his number."

Alex tilted her head, and Shane could tell she was thinking of something. "Well, how are you planning to get him?"

"How else do you think? He bested me once, but I won't let that happen again. I'll come back and play his little game," Santiago said with a swirl of his hand.

Alex smiled, with a determined light in her eyes.

"Alright," she said, crossing her legs over the stool. "Let's make a bet. If within the next three times we come back here, you can ask him on a date-- a date, not just getting his number-- I will owe you a hundred. If you can't, however, I get that hundred you tried to give him."

Santiago scoffed. "I don't do dates. You know that."

Alex raised an eyebrow, looking confident. "Really? I'd say there could be more between you than whatever could happen in a bathroom stall. I know you wouldn't bother asking where he was from otherwise."

That seemed to cause Santiago to contemplate her words, staring at her with his usual stony expression.

"I knew I was onto something," Alex said, leaning back with a satisfied look as she'd just solved a complicated math problem.

"You truly want to place money on the line? This won't be difficult to do at all," Santiago snapped back with a tilt of his head.

"Trust me, I'll be more disappointed if I win," Alex said coolly.

"Why bother with a bet at all?" Shane asked softly. "It's not like either of you care about this sum of money."

Santiago shot him an irritated look, but didn't comment on his question. "I'll take your bet," he said to Alex.

Shane bit his lip, looking away while Alex smirked. "I hope you win," she said.

"I always do," Santiago replied with a cheeky smile.

Shane didn't say anything for the rest of the night, until their goodbyes on the streetcorner. Alex gave him a hug, and then she and Santiago both teased each other about how they were a bore before she stepped into a taxi. Shane knew he'd get no such goodbye from Santiago, so he offered him a civil, blank-faced nod before turning and leaving him to wait for his mode of transportation. He didn't see whether Santiago made any sort of returning goodbye.

Shane didn't wait to check whether Acelin was following before he crossed the street. His bodyguard was sure to be there. There was no escaping this life, after all.

Alan's new life in the city was going pretty well so far. His jobs were secure and they paid consistently, which was nice. More notably, though, he got to reconnect and live with his dad, which really warmed his job. And this was only month one.

Today was busy. It was a successful second day on the job, and Alan had high hopes for this one. Considering the thick wad of bills he received today, not to mention the hundred he received... he was sure this was going to be his highest paying job.

Not only that, but this job was also fun. Alan got to do what he did best, and that was to connect, play music, and sing. Bar-tending was only secondary.

Plus, he met one of the heirs of the Houses, which he still couldn't get over. And that was just his second day, too. Who else was he bound to meet in the future?

It was past midnight, but Alan was used to working into the late hours of the night, so the night still felt young. If he were still in Amber City, he may have been inclined to initiate a night out with his brother and cousin, but Alan had to remind himself that he was in a new city, which also meant new people.

And new foods.

Alan treated himself corner restaurant that was open late, taking his time to eat the fried fish and fires, enjoying his food inside so he could unwind and create a to-do list for tomorrow.

There was a lot, but most of it could be pushed back. But Alan was ambitious.

Upon finishing, Alan thanked the clerk again. He humbly slid a few small bills in the tip jar, exchanging one last friendly smiles and farewell nods before he took his exit, the door ringing as he left.

Time to go home.

Alan ran his hand through his hair, and with his free hand, checked his phone to look up when the train would arrive. Nineteen minutes. Ah. He just missed it.

As Alan idly made his way to the train station and was wondering what he ought to do to pass the time as he waited, he stopped in his tracks as a familiar flannel-wearing figure was approaching, heading the opposite direction as him.

"Shane?" Alan called with a laugh, the two of them recognizing one another at the same time. "I mean." He grinned, dramatically flourishing his hand in front of him with a dip of his head. "Your royal highness. I bask in the glory of your presence."

Shane's eyes widened slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face where there had been none.

"Alan," he greeted, tilting his head humbly as well. "I didn't know you were an escape artist, but I'm glad you are, because now I get the chance to thank you for that song."

"A shame my dramatic humble exit plans have been foiled," Alan said with a teasing smile. "But no need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you since you requested it. So." He smiled wider, hand out, gesturing towards Shane. "Thank you."

Shane let out a soft laugh, but his expression suddenly turned shyer, like he was almost uncertain of what he was about to say next. "No, really, thank you. I haven't had anything like that happen in a while. It meant a lot."

Alan beamed. It always warmed his heart to hear when his songs inspired or moved other people. It meant even more coming from a public figure.

"In that case, you're very welcome. I'll try to serenade you more often, then," he said, then looked past him, just now realizing that Shane was walking alone. "Are you waiting for your group?"

Shane paused, still smiling in a touched way, seeming to realize what he was getting at. "Oh, I'm by myself. We all went our own ways."

Alan hummed. "Heading anywhere next?" he asked, then added with an airy laugh, "Just curious. I promise I won't follow you home."

Shane laughed as well, tucking his hands in his pockets. "It is home. You could find it pretty easily, though."

Alan was a little embarrassed to realize that it took him longer than normal to understand what Shane was referencing. And then it hit him.

Right. Shane was an heir. Heirs don't live in normal homes.

"In that case, I'll definitely not follow you home and arouse suspicious," Alan said with a little laugh, glancing past Shane one last time, wondering if he was actually alone. Was his girlfriend not accompanying him? "You're not walking back by yourself... are you?" Alan asked.

Shane smiled faintly. "I am, actually. We all had our own places to go."

Well, that was mildly concerning. It was late, and the thought of leaving Shane-- an heir of the whole country-- to walk by himself past midnight, in the dark, in a completely different neighborhood... that didn't really sit well with him. Alan had a bad feeling he couldn't shake away.

"Do you want company? Or maybe need a ride?" he asked, then decided to also more openly add, "I feel like you shouldn't be alone, walking by yourself."

Shane paused, and Alan noticed he looked hesitant, but not unwilling.

"Just offering. No pressure at all," Alan gentle added with a smile.

"It is very late," Shane said. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It's no trouble to me," Alan said with a nod. "Except, my words to you earlier would now be void; I would be following you home. So, I humbly request that I don't end up on some list."

After another moment of observation, Shane's expression softened into another faint smile. "If you really don't mind, company on a walk back could be nice," he said. "No charges will be pressed."

Alan breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Now I can enjoy a moonlit midnight walk with Aphirah's heir in peace on this beautiful night."

Shane laughed softly again, and they both walked together side-by-side. "You said you've been here for a month, right? How much of this walk have you been on before?"

Alan glanced at Shane with a smile. He didn't realize Shane had been paying attention when he said this. Alan had almost forgotten that Santiago even asked.

"I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't actually gone to a lot of walks, so I haven't seen much of the city yet. I use the trains whenever I can since they're faster." Alan paused, pursing his lips for a second. "At least, when you don't miss them."

Shane nodded. "Consider this a city tour, then, with more freedom to wander around than a track-bound journey."

Alan softly hummed, grinning playfully. "Does this mean you're my private tour guide?"

Shane smiled a little at that. "Well, if I am..." He turned his head to the left, indicating a green park a few blocks ahead that was illuminated by warm streetlamps that glowed with Flare magic. "The Cypress Gardens, Starlight City's largest park. It has thirty fountains, twenty of which operate with magic, and one of the East's oldest trees, which has been around for four thousand years."

Alan gazed at the gardens in awe. He didn't really know much about it other than it being a public green space, so it was nice to hear the context and background.

"Four thousand years. Wow," Alan breathed out, admiring the outline of the sleepy trees. "To withstand the test of time for that long is marvelous and impressive."

"It is," Shane said, smiling a little more passionately now. "Not many things do. It's so valuable to have something that has stood over and witnessed four millennia of history for us to see today."

"What do you think life was like back then when they were planted?" Alan asked curiously.

Shane hummed. "This city was only a few centuries old, and the land we're standing on now wasn't even built on. That cypress was just another tree in the forest outside of town. We had a very different relationship with magic back then, but I would guess life at the time was exciting, full of new discoveries and inventions as people sought to create things that would add to their lives."

Alan nodded. Shane seemed passionate to talk about history. It was nice to see and listen to.

"Wouldn't you say that that excitement also applies to the current day as well? I'm certainly no expert, but I'd like to think that creatives exist across all of time for as long as humans existed." Alan smiled and shrugged. "I use that term loosely, though. Creativity could be art. Or it could be figuring out how to use sticks as cavemen."

"You're absolutely right," Shane said, smiling back. "We've always had creativity and art, from cave paintings to what you can find in museums today. I don't think we've ever gotten less excited about new things as a species."

"If we ever do, then humanity is deeply troubled," Alan said with a chuckle. "Joys of discovery is such a human characteristic. Whether it's a hobby, person, place, or item-- it often marks history. Maybe not always in the books. But it definitely leaves a lasting memory in your heart. I think that's more important, anyways."

They were starting to pass by the park now, and Shane looked over to him with a gentle smile.

"I fully agree," he said. "Though I have to say, I'm surprised you're actually entertaining my historical tangents."

Alan quirked a brow, smiling back, but a little confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Shane let out a self-conscious sounding laugh. "It's kind of rare that I get this far into one of them."

Alan was quiet for a moment, processing this. The implications kind of made him sad.

"I think others are missing out, then. I'm very entertained," Alan said with a hopeful smile, trying to meet his eyes.

Shane's step slowed briefly, and it seemed like surprise flashed over his face for a short moment, his eyes widening ever so slightly. When he did meet Alan's gaze, though, it was with a touched, slightly deeper smile.

"...Thank you," he said softly.

"Of course," Alan said warmly. "And for what it's worth, Shane, I think what you have to say is valuable and special. I admire the deep insight that comes with every word. I don't think what you told me was a 'historical tangent.' It was an honest and good conversation, one that is challenging me to think deeply. I think that's an honorable and impressive trait, and I hope you stay true to yourself and don't let that go, even if others don't appreciate what you have to offer."

Surprise spread over Shane's face more and more the longer Alan spoke, and by the end he was staring straight ahead, looking like he was processing.

"You're a very nice person to talk to, Alan," he said, even softer. "And very kind, too. I truly mean it. I'm not sure how to explain how much this means."

Alan couldn't help but beam at that. He felt touched that Shane felt touched, although it wasn't his intention to do this. He thought he needed to hear this, and he was glad that his intuition was correct.

"I'm glad. I think the world can be kinder as a whole. I'm happy to hear that I managed to come through to you twice today. And I truly mean that, too," Alan said warmly, smiling wide as he kept his attention on Shane as they walked.

Shane's smile widened slightly as well. "That's true. You're definitely a force for good out there, one song at a time."

"Now that describes humanity as a whole," Alan said with a playful smile. "At least, that's what I'd like to think we ought to do, at the end of the day. To be a force for good, playing our journey's song, one song at a time."

"I hope you stay true to it," Shane said, laughing quietly. "You'll make a lot of people happy."

"I think I just try to play to my heart's content. And if it makes people happy, well-- how could I not be happy?" Alan said with a faint laugh. "I'm glad you enjoyed the songs at the bar, though. It felt right to play."

"I'll always be glad you did," Shane said, with a shyness to his voice and expression again.

Alan smiled, only partly paying attention to where they were walking since he was so focused on Shane. "You can come by more often, if you'd like." He paused, reflecting. "Actually, maybe not that bar, unless you liked that scene. I only work there because it gets me the most tips. I also work at Sway. I don't know if you've been to it, but it's a jazz club near the Forum. I only play during off-hours on weekdays, but you may like the ambiance more, if you're into improv music with musicians who are practically married to music."

"That does sound like a nice spot," Shane agreed. "I really only went to the bar because my group chose it, although it wasn't bad at all, but that might be about my speed."

"Yeah, I think so too." Alan paused, letting out a weak laugh as he shook his head. "I'm a little embarrassed that of all places, you had to meet me there. I kind of put up an act-- every bartender does, really-- but maybe I need to tone it down." He huffed through his nose, remembering the somewhat comical situation playing out when Santiago came up to him with a proposition. "I had to let your friend down gently."

Shane let out a quiet huff of laughter. "He's not really my friend, but I think it's a good thing you did."

"I definitely have a mental list of all the bizarre ways I've gotten hit on, but I have to say, this only makes it to the bottom of the list," Alan said with a chuckle. "I have to ask you to indulge me, though. What was his reaction when he walked out?"

"He looked like a man scandalized, honestly," Shane said, suppressing a laugh. "Like..." He pondered for a moment. "I have a cat, and one day he found out the truth about laser pointers. He was bamboozled, for lack of a better word. It was about the same for Santiago."

Alan laughed, sounding whimsical and airy as he ran his fingers through his hair, tilting his head up towards the night sky. "Thank you. I can now sleep better at night knowing that he had the reaction of a bamboozled cat."

"It was pretty hilarious," Shane admitted. "He doesn't look that way too often."

"Really? Now it's too bad I didn't get to see," Alan said with a lingering grin. "Ah well. At least it makes for a fun story to tell."

"And you get to hear it," Shane said with a slight laugh. "This is not a story I would share in his presence, though. I'd get a glare."

Alan hummed. "Certainly doesn't sound like a friendly reaction."

"No," Shane admitted. "But while my cat wouldn't feel embarrassed about me sharing, he could. I wouldn't worry, though-- he got over it pretty fast."

"Nothing to worry about if there was none to begin with," Alan said with a friendly smile. "Regardless, it was nice to see you and your partner. Do you think you'll both come back?"

"I think so," Shane said with a slight smile. "The music was nice, and the drinks were good." He let out another slight laugh. "And the service was great."

"Music to my ears. That's what I'd like to hear," Alan said, shining with optimism.

They kept on walking, with the park on the other side of the street, and Alan asked about one of the fountains they were passing by. Happy to inform him, Shane went on about the way it was operated by Force magic and described the silver statue of the Saint it was dedicated to that was in the center. They were well past the fountain by the time Shane started to wrap up his presentation.

Within a blink of an eye, a tall, lanky person emerged out of the shadows, dressed in all black wearing silver chains, the only splash of color being their hair.

Alan hardly had time to process the situation. He hardly thought of the implications. All he knew was that this unfamiliar person sneaked in from nowhere, grabbing Shane by the shoulder. Alan acted fast, eyes wide.

"Shane!" he yelped with urgent alarm, reaching out to grab him and run.

But then the world spun around him, and everything went black.

Shane stepped away with wide eyes as Acelin grabbed Alan from behind, wrapping their arms tightly over his chest. Effortlessly, in only a fraction of a second, his bodyguard lifted Alan up until his feet were no longer touching the ground, then threw him backwards over their head. Shane was too shocked to scream and react as Alan's body flipped in the air, causing him to land back first on the sidewalk. His head hit the ground, and Alan slumped with his eyes shut.

"Acelin!" Shane hissed. "What are you doing?"

Acelin paused. "Oh. Was that not necessary?"

"You showed up out of nowhere! He probably thought I was getting pulled away and kidnapped."

Acelin scratched the back of their head. "Ah.... Yeah. Yeah, I can see why he might have been under that impression."

Shane covered his face with his hands. This was a mess. Alan was unconscious and quite possibly concussed. They were getting attention on the street. Now they had to figure out they were going to do.

"Well, he was being distracting," Acelin offered. "You kept walking right past your turn. I was trying to get your attention."

Ah.

Shane glanced past the bodyguard. Sure enough, the block he should've turned onto was past them.

"Okay, I recognize that," he said, throwing up his hands, then pointing to Alan. "But 'being distracting' is not a good reason to knock someone out!"

"Right," Acelin said, a little sheepishly. "I was just trying to warn him off from making sudden moves like that."

"By flipping him overhead--"

"Well, you can help him," Acelin said, snapping their fingers at him. "Magic guy? Hello?"

Shane sighed. Of course.

"Can you help me carry him to a bench?" he asked.

"Don't even break a sweat." Acelin bent over, scooping up Alan and lifting him up in their arms.

Alan dangled limply, his arm falling towards the ground. Shane ignored the glances from people on the sidewalk as they crossed the street, taking him to the nearest bench in the park.

Acelin dropped Alan down before they stepped back, folding their arms behind their back. Shane tried not to feel too irritated towards them. This had been their purpose for a long time, and they were pretty good at it. But they were sometimes a little hasty, and although it probably wasn't the best call for Alan to interfere with Shane, he hadn't known about Acelin, and a flip overhead felt unwarranted.

Shane lifted the side of his open flannel to find the sleek black box that was on his belt, flipping it open. Inside, a good supply of magic sparkled back at him, ready to be used. Shane removed a cluster, closing up the Mox before holding the magic in his hands. He needed to makes some Salve and heal up Alan. He wasn't sure where he might have been hurt or how bad it was, but his head and back were good places to start.

Carefully, Shane twisted the strands of magic into a simple healing spell, letting the magic float above his hands. It was no delicate spellweaving, since he hadn't ever healed anything seriously bad, but it hopefully didn't need to be for this task.

Shane lifted the back of Alan's head, holding the spell to it. The spell shrank in size as it was used up, its glow dimming. He waited until there was no more change to pull it away, then lifted Alan's shoulders up to hold it against different parts of his back. Eventually, there was only a small shred of the spell left, which he tucked away to use later in case Alan had injuries anywhere that wasn't his head or back.

"You gonna wait for him to wake up?" Acelin asked.

"I'm not leaving him on this bench," Shane said. "And it'd be the hardest thing in the world to smuggle him into the palace while he can't answer any questions. Let's not waste security's time."

Acelin hummed. "Alright. You stay here, and I'll watch from a distance."

Please don't throw any more innocent people, Shane prayed as they walked away.

With nothing left to do but wait, he sighed, sitting on the bench and looking up at the night sky through the trees hanging overhead.

He didn't know how long it was that he sat there, but after a while, Alan stirred. He quietly moaned at first, turning his head. His hand slinked up to his face just as he blearily opened his eyes.

Which widened before he shot up, sitting up straight, rubbing the side of his head.

"Sha--" Alan sputtered in visible panic, snapping his lips shut when he caught sight of Acelin.

"It's okay," Shane said hurriedly, holding his hands up calmingly. "I'm so sorry for what happened. That's my bodyguard. They thought you were trying to fight them and accidentally knocked you out."

Standing over by a tree barely within earshot, Acelin waved apologetically.

Alan seemed to be slowly processing, staring at Acelin. Shane's words must have gone through to him, though, since the panic was quickly dissipitating. "Are you okay?" Alan asked instead, the worry creased in his face as he turned back to Shane.

"I'm perfectly fine," Shane promised, smiling weakly. "Just worried for you. I thought you might have been concussed." He paused, looking at Alan more softly, more worriedly. "I did my best to heal you, but I don't know that I got everything. Does it hurt anywhere?"

Alan relaxed, sighing as he slouched back on the bench, but then slid down on his back so he was laying down again. "I think I'm fine," he said as he rubbed his temple, staring up at the sky with a more vacant expression. "But I have the worst headache right now."

"I'm so sorry," Shane said frantically. "You didn't need to be thrown like that."

"I don't even remember being thrown," he murmured.

Shane decided the story of how Alan had tumbled through the air did not need recounting.

"It was dramatic. I'm just glad you're okay," he said softly. "I was scared for a moment."

"I'm okay," Alan assured, glancing back at Shane with a tired smile. "I don't know what got into me. I thought you were about to get attacked or kidnapped or something."

Shane sat back with an anxious laugh, covering his face. "It's my fault, I told you I was alone. I've really had them following me whereever I've been out today, but it's always at a distance. They're not really meant to be noticed." He shook his head as he removed his hands.

Alan was quiet for a moment, squinting up at ths sky, hand lifting up his glasses to rub his eye. "So... you were safe? You didn't need a walk home?" he asked slowly.

Shane hesitated for a moment before he softly said, "Well, I was safe. But you were so kind in offering, and you also asked whether I wanted company. I did want that. I'm sorry if the situation was misleading, and for what happened. But I'm glad you came along."

Alan moved his hand down his hair, keeping the strands between his fingers as he rubbed his scalp, still staring up at the sky. "Yeah. Me too. It's nice spending time with you."

Shane smiled faintly. "Can I wait with you until you feel alright again, then?"

"I think I just need a minute to..." Alan said, but then trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"It's okay," Shane reassured him. "Take all the time you need."

"...Think," Alan finally finished after a delayed silence.

Shane bit his lip to hide a smile. "Yes."

Alan stayed still, intensely focused on the night sky as the seconds droned on. "I cannot remember how we got here," he finally said with a low voice.

Shane frowned, a hand reaching for his Mox again. "We walked?" he asked quietly.

"Did we? I thought we were only about to go on one," Alan murmured.

"Go on what?" Shane was now flipping the compartment open.

"A walk," Alan answered.

Shane hummed. "No, we did. I think you got concussed, though, so that might be why you can't remember. I tried to heal your head, but..." He took out another cluster of magic, holding it up for Alan to see. "Can I try again?"

Alan turned his head, but instead of looking at Shane, his gaze was taken over by the dazzling glow of magic. He stared at it, completely mesmerized. "You have magic?" he breathed out.

Shane laughed, almost feeling shy. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not all that good with it, though."

"Wow... that's really cool. I wish I can use magic like that," Alan said softly, still hypnotized by the light.

Shane smiled gently. "It can be fun," he said. "I'd like to get better with it, since it can be helpful. Like right now." He shifted, putting one hand on the bench so he was ready to get up. "Is it okay if I heal you?"

"Yeah. You can heal me," Alan said, staying still. "How are you going to heal me? With magic?"

Shane nodded, taking note of how he was definitely still concussed. "Yeah. You won't feel anything. I mean, you'll feel better."

"I do have a splitting headache," Alan muttered.

"This should make it go away," Shane promised. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

He focused on the magic in his hands, thinking through what he wanted to do with it. The last Salve spell he'd done had been mostly intended for bruises, but there were a lot of other things that could be done with that type. He concentrated on making a higher power spell, being more intentional about the weaving of magical strands until he had something he was pleased with.

He got off the bench, moving around to kneel next to Alan again. "Can you lift your head for me, please?"

Alan followed his gaze, then slowly perched his elbows against the bench, lifting himself up just enough to prop up his head.

"Thank you," Shane said, smiling before he held the spell to the back of Alan's head again and activating it with a finger snap.

He could tell he hadn't done it right the first time, because the spell dimmed in glow and shrunk again, indicating it was being used up. Shane breathed a sigh of relief as the spell did its work, and when there was no more change in it, he trusted it now that Alan was actually healed.

"There," he said, tucking the unused remainder of the spell back into his Mox, then looked over Alan. "How do you feel?"

He didn't need to speak to answer that question. His smile said it all, present and warm as he held Shane's gaze, slowly sitting back up again.

"Like myself now. Thank you, Shane. That helped a lot," Alan said, swinging his legs away from the bench so he could sit up properly now.

Shane smiled back, joining him on the bench. "Of course," he said. "I'm glad. I'm sorry it happened, though."

"No, no," Alan said quickly with a laugh, hands out innocently in front of him. "Don't be. It makes for a memorable, humorous memory. There's no harm done, especially since we're both okay."

Shane laughed as well, before quietly adding, "I know I wasn't being attacked, but... thank you, Alan. That was brave, and I appreciate that you had that instinct."

"Oh," Alan said with another laugh, this time faint and embarrassed. He rubbed the side of his neck, gaze resting on Acelin leaning against a tree some yards away. The bodyguard gave him a peace sign. "I'll take the word brave over stupid. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. You're definitely worth protecting." Alan paused, turning away from Acelin. "Even though it should have been fairly obvious to me that, you know... you're already protected."

"It means a lot nonetheless," Shane said softly, still smiling at him. "Thanks for being here and not, you know, shouting and running off the moment you regained consciousness."

"Don't worry. I can control my panic. Sometimes," Alan said with with a small grin, dropping his hand on his lap as he met his eyes for a few moments. He only turned away when he reached for his back pocket, fishing for something-- possibly his phone or wallet. "It must be late. I don't want to keep you up," he murmured, pulling out his phone.

Which was now completely cracked. Alan stared at it for a second, tapping on it. The screen did not light up at the touch.

"Oh," Shane said, staring at it.

He thought he heard a very soft "oops" from Acelin.

"We can pay for that," Shane said quickly. "And we will. The damages incurred on our part, after all."

"Oh, no, it's alright. You don't need to do that," Alan said with a small reassuring smile. "It's no big deal. It was an accident."

"It wouldn't be right to make you pay for it," Shane insisted gently.

"Well... it wasn't like you broke it," Alan said slowly, tapping the dead phone again before hesitantly putting it away. "It wouldn't feel right to accept your money."

"It's only fair that you don't have to pay out of pocket to replace it," Shane said softly, and then said a little more lightly, "Please? I don't want to write it into law that you should let us do this. The fancy pen I use for it is running out of ink."

Alan kept his gaze on Shane, hesitating and opening his mouth to speak, but then saying nothing, instead letting out a sheepish laugh. He shook his head, rubbing the side of his face. "I'm finding it very difficult to say no to you."

Shane cracked a smile. "No need to make things hard on yourself."

"You're not going to back down on this," Alan said with a playful smile of his own, narrowing his eyes at him. "Are you?"

"Nope," Shane said, allowing it to sound teasing.

"Either it's my lucky day, or you're being awfully generous today. First the tip at the bar, now this. Should I buy a lottery ticket?"

"Well, there's a place that sells them two blocks down. But before you go, I'd say this is all of your own merit," Shane said with a small laugh.

Alan hummed. "Sounds like the lesson here is that I need to break more phones."

Shane couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter. "As long as you stay lucky," he said. "Can I write you a check?"

Alan smiled softly at Shane, hesitating some more. "Yeah," he said after some moments. "That's fine."

Smiling softly back, Shane found his wallet and a pen-- which was a fancy fountain pen, but it wasn't as dangerously empty as he'd joked-- taking out a small checkbook. A new market price phone probably went for two thousand, so that was what he wrote for the sum. After filling out the other information and signing it, Shane carefully tore it out and folded it up before passing it to Alan so he didn't have to look at it right now.

"Thanks for letting me do this," he said with a quiet laugh. "I'd walk away feeling very bad otherwise."

Alan held the folded check in his hand, smiling down at it softly. "I'm still tempted to tear this up then scream and run off like you thought I'd do earlier, but..." He turned back to Shane, smiling more warmly now, sincere and genuine. "I don't want you feeling bad. So, I'll accept this. It's Heir's orders, after all. And I'd rather not go to jail tonight."

Shane laughed quietly again, smiling back slightly. "Good. I hope it helps."

Alan curled the check under his palm, not quite opening it just yet. "Yeah. Thanks again." He smiled, weakly waving his hand in front of him. "For the money, but also for the memorable night."

"I think you're responsible for it being memorable," Shane said, with an amused shake of his head. "I probably would've deleted everything out of my memory if you hadn't made things interesting."

Alan chuckled, intrigued. "Interesting? I can make things interesting. Unless..." He pursed his lips playfully, narrowing his eyes at him. "What's the step above interesting for you?"

Shane shrugged. "Fun, I guess?"

"Noted. Next time, I'll bring the fun," Alan said with a grin.

Shane chuckled. "You already did, in a way. But I won't discourage you from that."

Alan softly hummed. "Well, the night is young. But it's still late." He had tilted his head up towards the dark sky, but then looked back at Shane with a smile. "I'm assuming you can get home safely, then?"

Smiling back, Shane tilted his head toward Acelin. "He'll make sure of it." He paused. "Except... what about you? Are you going to know your way back from here without navigation?"

"Yeah..." Alan said in thought, idly running his hand through his hair. "Um... Do you know the time?"

Shane quickly took out his phone. "It's nearing 2am," he said.

Alan muffled out a groan, now rubbing his face in frustration. "Do you know where the closest red line station is?"

Maybe Alan did have a reason to be back. Shane felt a little guilty.

"There is one pretty close, actually," he said, scanning to his right, then pointing across the street. "I think there's a stop three or four blocks that way."

Alan followed his gaze down the street. "Alright," he said more optimistically, standing up with a smile. "I should probably head back. Thanks again for healing and for also keeping things interesting." He paused. "Are you sure you can get home okay?"

"I'm sure," Shane promised, but he understood the concern. His safety had been... well, it had been a point of interest in his House for a few months now. "I'll be fine, as long as you don't get judo flipped by anyone a little too eager to show off their moves again."

"Hey, I'm sorry about that!" Acelin hollered, having apparently heard that.

Alan laughed, shaking his head. "All's forgiven. It's fine-- really. Next time, I'll keep a closer eye on the invisible kidnapper." He smiled more warmly, meeting Shane's eyes for a few moments before saying, "I'll see you around?"

"I'll see you," Shane confirmed, returning the smile as he slowly stood up from the bench.

Alan's smile widened as he nodded a few times, taking a few steps backwards down the path closest to the street. He waved goodbye, but it was a simple, unique wave with his forefinger pointing upwards, touching his temple before pointing outwards.

With a laugh, Shane found himself imitating the gesture back at Alan. It was strangely fun. Alan grinned at that, holding his gaze while walking backwards for a few more seconds before he finally turned around, completely parting ways.

As Shane watched him leave, he knew Acelin was walking up to stand by his shoulder. He rarely ever heard the bodyguard move, so it was mostly based on a gut feeling whenever he knew where they were standing.

"It is an interesting night," Acelin remarked.

"Not every night it happens," Shane said distantly.

"I bet that's the first time he's met someone that important," Acelin added. "And almost certainly the first time that he's gotten flipped by their bodyguard."

Shane nodded, not answering to that. Alan had now disappeared behind a blur of dark trees.

"It looked almost like the first time he'd seen magic, too," Acelin added.

Shane let out a quiet huff at that. "I doubt it."

"Okay, sure, maybe he just likes shiny things," Acelin mused. "Glowy things. Shimmery, sparkly things."

"Did you get enough sleep?" Shane asked instead of commenting. "You sound vaguely delirious."

Acelin paused. "I might have gotten woken up a little early because Isabella thought there was trouble in the south wing. There wasn't. But it was important to check."

Got it. The family paranoia was taking a toll on the palace staff, naturally.

"We should go back," Shane suggested. "No need to make your exhaustion worse when you could be getting to sleep instead."

Acelin tipped their head. "Music to my ears."

"Shane, wait!" Alan called through the darkness. He was hurrying back, waving the check in hand. He stopped in front of him, extending the check out for Shane to take. "Hey again. Sorry. I just..." Alan softly laughed, shaking his head as he met his eyes. "This is too much. I really can't accept this."

Shane looked between the check and his face a few times, trying to put things together. "Why not?" he asked softly.

"I know you said you feel bad, and it doesn't feel right for me to walk away with nothing. Similarly, I'd feel bad accepting this too-large sum for a phone that isn't even worth half this amount," Alan said with a soft smile. "I don't want to take advantage of you. So here I am, back in front of you. Begging you to not be too generous."

Shane let out a quiet laugh, studying him. "You're... sure? I don't want you losing money because you were generous with your time and got your property destroyed for my sake."

"Positive," Alan said, still firmly holding out the check in front of him. "You don't have to worry about that."

Shane kept his eyes on it, not reaching for it just yet.

"What's the highest amount you would accept from me, if we're making this a compromise?" he asked. "An amount that you wouldn't feel too bad walking away with, and one I wouldn't feel like I wasn't helping out enough with."

Alan softly hummed. "Maybe... a quarter of this amount?"

Shane did some math in his head. Alan had described his phone as being worth less than one thousand, but it was obviously an older model-- maybe one that had been new a decade ago, but could have been bought discounted a few years after that. While he was probably right about the market value at the time, Shane couldn't think of any modern or even semi-new phones worth their salt that cost that much today. If there were good phones at the price of about a thousand, Shane probably would've written him that amount in the first place. But as it was, he didn't feel good about paying him for just the value of his broken phone when Alan might have to take on debt to get a new one.

"Okay," Shane said, taking the check hesitantly with a faint smile. "Wait here. I need a surface to write on."

He turned, hurrying back to the park bench and kneeling next to it, setting out a pen next to the check. He didn't need to tell Acelin to talk distractingly to Alan-- they were already starting to chat with him before he'd taken his first step away.

"I'm so sorry about the concussion, man," Acelin apologized. "And really glad you didn't have to go to the hospital. The medical bills are crazy. But hey, that was actually really brave! Especially since you were helping and, you know, not kidnapping him. Thanks for that. I should hire you."

Alan chuckled. "I'm not sure I'd make a good bodyguard like you, but maybe I should start taking notes. That way I'll be extra prepared in the off-chance a ninja does come out of the shadows to take Shane away."

Shane snuck a quick glance over his shoulder to check that he wasn't being watched, before he quietly reached back into his Mox for another sliver of magic. It would only take a tiny bit, but he had to hope the glow wouldn't give him away. He hid it behind the side of his flannel.

"Excellent idea!" Acelin said approvingly. "Soon enough, you won't even need me there. You'll be a one man army."

"That may take years of training," Alan mused. "But you know, this may very well be my calling. I've always hoped that my career of music would eventually turn a new leaf."

With quick movements, Shane focused over the first two digits in the two thousand on the check, spinning the tiny threads of magic into a Projection spell. Carefully, he covered the two and first zero with it, examining it to make sure it looked real. Sure enough, the 20 now looked like a 5, making the whole check appear like it was for the amount of five hundred to human eyes.

Perfect. Shane quickly used the pen to make a few quick touches to other parts of the check, adding a slight hook to the end of his signature and writing differently over some of the letters in Alan's name, then smoothed out the crease from the fold, so that it wasn't obvious it was the same check.

Acelin beamed proudly. "So it has. You know who to talk to when you're ready for the ninjas."

At that, Shane stood up from the bench, returning to them and holding out the check for Alan. "Here you are," he said with a smile.

Alan returned the smile, graciously taking the check. This time, he didn't wait to unfold it and glance at the amount. Satisfied, he folded it and placed it in his pocket again.

"Thank you. Now I can sleep more soundly at night," he said gratefully with a smile.

Shane grinned slightly. "I'm glad we found something we're both happy with."

Shane's head hit the desk.

Saints, he'd had enough of writing memos. Flint had said he was the best equipped to handle being Heir, but it seemed like anyone should be qualified to be a glorified secretary. Suddenly, it was as though everyone in the House-- distant family members he'd rarely met before this, the troublemakers Flint didn't want in his position, and lobbyists who kept worming their way into his schedule-- wanted him to write all their demands down and mail them off to whatever committee might consider it now that his name was linked to it. This week alone, he'd been asked to write to three different cabinet members. While the House was in session. It was madness, really.

Shane glared at the letter out on his desk, then the laptop next to it, where a half-written memo was in the process of being typed up. Seriously, who in their right mind would send him a briefing asking him to send a briefing about the same thing they'd already written? He wasn't even sure what this person wanted. Memos were supposed to be quickly understood and brief, but whatever this one said, he felt like the message had been lost on him. Something, something, economy. This wasn't what he was meant for.

Shane forced himself to sit up and type the rest of it, only aware that he was clenching his jaw from the pain in his face. He sent it off to a printer when he was done, then closed the laptop, burying his face in his hands.

His head hurt. He felt like he hadn't had a moment to just exist in days.

With a sigh, Shane uncovered his eyes, flipping over his phone on the desk and staring dully at the time. Was it really evening already? He shouldn't be getting asked to do more things when the workday was over.

The time wasn't the only thing on the screen, though. There was also a notification from Alex, which he opened as he rubbed his eyes.

Alex wrote:Santiago and I are at a bar downtown. Do you want to join us?

Shane sighed quietly, reading it a few times. They were at a bar, as in, already there, though he was sure they hadn't just come up with the plan. Alex was only asking him now, knowing it'd take him twenty minutes or more to get there even if he left immediately. This wasn't really an invitation-- at least, she didn't really want him there. It was her way of letting him know where she was for the evening.

She knew he wouldn't say yes, either. This was predictable, and Shane felt like it must've happened before.

Shane wrote:I've still got work, but I can send for a ride if you need a way of getting back safe. Love you and hope you have fun.

And send. Shane set down his phone, glancing around at his desk.

...Did he have work left to do? It felt insane that he might not.

Just as he thought he might be able to stand up and slip off for the evening, he heard a knock at the office door, and he resisted the urge to sigh.

"Come in," he said, trying to keep the tiredness out of his voice.

One of the wooden double doors opened, and someone poked their head in. Felix. Shane relaxed a little.

"Hi!" Felix said brightly. "You're being evicted."

Shane let out a weak laugh through his nose. "Sorry?"

"Mom's orders," Felix said grandly. "You are not to work past six. Mind reading that clock for me, young man?"

Shane's gaze flicked to the grandfather clock in the room, then to the world clocks above it.

"It's earlier than six somewhere," he said. "Take Storm City, for instance."

"If you don't leave this room, Mom said I'd have to carry you out," Felix threatened. "And you don't want that."

Shane nearly laughed at the thought. Sure, he didn't want that, but it was mostly because he didn't want Felix trying to pick him up and causing both of them to fall. He was energetic enough to try, probably.

"Your mom should talk to the Energy and Workforce House Committee," Shane said, remembering who had asked him to send the memo. "They kept me here."

"Uh-uh, you have the right to remain silent as you leave this office," Felix said, wagging a finger at him. "No excuses."

Shane shook his head, but smiled faintly as he stood up from his chair. "I hope you know you're banishing me to do nothing."

"Nothing?" Felix exclaimed. "Okay, new order, delivered on Mom's authority: get out and do something tonight."

Shane rubbed his eyes as he started to make his way out. "You're giving me orders now?"

"No, Mom is," Felix said. "If you'd like to take it up with her, her office is to the right." He put his hands on Shane's back, gently pushing him out the door. "Except she's not there, because she leaves work at a reasonable time. Looks like you'll just have to adhere."

"Alright, alright," Shane said, gently swatting Felix's hands away when his cousin gave him a playful shove into the hallway, which made Felix laugh triumphantly. "I'll do... something."



'Something' turned out to be a half-baked plan to find Alan again and see what he was up to.

He wasn't expecting that to be his idea, but the more he thought about it once it had occured to him, the more he found himself liking it. He could go out, but he didn't want to be lonely while he did, and Alex had already made clear her plans for the evening were separate from his. And going down the short list of other people he wanted to spend time with, he realized with a start that Alan was on the list.

He knew where his second job was, didn't he? And it was probably much easier for Shane to find him than the other way around. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself... well, missing Alan's company. It had been nice to spend time with him, however brief his impression had been, and Alan had seemed open to the idea of meeting him again.

And so even though it wasn't like Shane to show up at someone's work without invitation, when he'd only met them a week before, he found himself following Isabella's proxy order and leaving the palace with Acelin in tow and directions to Sway.

Taking public transport with a bodyguard was always a little strange, and Shane didn't know any other House officials who did it. Flint had warned him it was reckless and dangerous several times, but whenever Shane pointed out that a train that left a station every ten minutes was a much less intuitive target than a private car ride that could be under outside surveillance, he'd always given in. Shane and Acelin boarded through separate doors, and their gaze on him was only one of many in the train car. He did his best to ignore all of them, looking at his surroundings with a distant gaze until it was his stop, and then he got off the train swiftly.

The jazz club Alan had spoken of was on the north side of town, close to one of Starlight City's twin harbors. Between tall buildings, Shane could see glimpses of the waterfront as he squawked. Overhead, seagulls squawked back at the sounds of traffic. Shane kept his eyes on the street ahead, focusing on a blue neon sign that said Sway in swooping letters. When he got close, he could hear the music before he stepped in.

He was surprised by the small size of the room he stepped into. It seemed like it barely contained anything, besides a counter that he could have reached out for while keeping a hand on the door and a set of shelves behind it. Shane glanced around the tight space, eventually looking at the person behind the counter with a hesitant smile.

"Do you have a reservation?" the bulky man in all-black asked. He looked like a security guard. Or a bouncer.

Shane shook his head. "I wasn't aware this place needed those," he said. "Is it full? I came here on an invitation."

"Yes, sir. All tickets are all sold out today. Come back in two hours for the next showing if you want a walk-in ticket," the bouncer said gruffly.

Shane hesitated. Did Alan work that late? He wasn't sure how to kill two hours, either.

"Okay," he said. "If you're able to, then... Can you let Alan Alvaro know I stopped by and tried to see him?"

The bouncer nodded. "Sure can. What's your name?"

"Shane," he said, watching the bouncer to see if he also wanted a last name.

It appeared that it wasn't even necessary since a wave of recognition flooded over him. He looked Shane up and down, eyes going slightly wider. "Are you Shane Hawking? Heir of the House of Courage?" he asked in awe, sounding almost giddy.

"Yeah," Shane said with a self-conscious laugh, tucking his hands in his pockets. "That's me, I guess."

"Oh! In that case, please: come in!" the bouncer said eagerly, gesturing ahead. "You may have to stand by the bar. Is that alright? Your buddy is working there anyways."

"That's just fine," Shane said, smiling back slightly. "Can I take a bodyguard in too? They won't do anything, just watch."

"Sure, sure. You'll have maximum security. Especially since no one gets past me," the bouncer said with a guffaw, cracking a grin. "Go on ahead. Push the blue book back to open the magic door."

Shane smiled, pushing the door behind him open a crack, and Acelin caught it, stepping in behind him. With them there, Shane did as instructed to reach for a bright blue book on the shelf and push on it. The moment he was in contact with the spine, he sensed the invisible ripple of what felt like Projection magic, and the shelf dissolved into illusory mist, revealing a passageway to a staircase leading downwards.

"Very clever," Acelin said admiratively to the bouncer.

"Just wait til you hear the music. Enjoy the show!" the bouncer said with a pleased smile and a wave.

The two of them took the stairs, which were narrow and rather steep. Shane had the feeling Acelin was less needed as protection down here and more useful in case he fell face first down these stairs. Shane heard the music as he started to see the glimpse of a dim room at the foot of the stairs, and he took a moment to examine his surroundings once he got to the doorway. The walls were extensively decorated with red wallpaper and dozens of framed pictures in black and white. Some looked like very old newspapers-- from when those actually were in black and white-- while some were pictures of people, many of whom were holding instruments. Upon closer examination, he could see some of the pictures looked like they had been taken in this club. There was a stage against one of the walls, where a saxophonist, a pianist, a drummer and a string bassist were playing a smooth jazz tune, all gently swaying to the rhythm.

The bouncer had been honest when he'd said the tables were all full, but there was indeed space at the bar. He could spot Alan there, wiping down the wood of the counter as he admired the musicians play. With a smile on his face, Shane made his way there.

Alan turned when he sensed him approach, and immediately his face lit up when he recognized Shane. He beamed, letting out a quiet laugh. Or maybe it was a laugh at a normal sound level. It was hard to tell since the music loudly filled the room.

The seats at the bar were full, so Shane stood at the one open spot at the end of it, towards the back of the room. Alan met him there, leaning in closer to his ear to say, "It's good to see you! What a pleasant surprise!" just loud enough that it wouldn't disrupt the people around them.

"You too," Shane whispered back excitedly, finding himself smiling wider. "I was hoping I'd find you here. I was worried they wouldn't let me in for a moment."

Alan grinned wider, still leaned in and hovering his face next to his, just to beam at him. After a few seconds, he pulled away and slid a pen and notepad across the counter. Shane watched him scrawl something on across the paper, noting his wide, quick penmanship that wasn't quite cursive but wasn't quite print either. And then Alan turned the notepad around, sliding it forward for Shane to read.

I know it's loud, but I'd still like to catch up. The show ends in an hour and a half. Will you be free afterwards?

Shane kept smiling, taking the pen and notepad to write back.

Of course. This is my plan for the night.

Reading his reply, Alan leaned forward on the counter, perching his elbow on top so he could rest his head against his palm. He smiled playfully at Shane, flipped the notepad page, and jotted down his next reply before sliding it forward to Shane again.

Oh, really? Well, the night's just begun. Let's make it a memorable one.

Shane found himself grinning as he wrote back.

Looking forward to it.

Sure enough, the music played for another hour and a half, and Shane found himself enjoying simply being there and listening to it. After a round of applause for the musicians, the club started to empty out, and Alan promised he'd be with him soon after he did some closing duties. Shane patiently waited for him at the bar to return.

After about ten minutes, Alan returned, now dressed in more casual attire. "Hey," he greeted with a warm smile. "Sorry for the wait. Are you ready to go?"

"No worries. I'm all ready," Shane said with a smile.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Acelin give him a thumbs up and start to head upstairs.

Alan motioned for Shane to follow him up the stairs. They passed the bouncer who waved them goodbye, and soon enough, they were back outside on the open sidewalk.

"So what do you think?" Alan asked, whirling around to face Shane with a big smile. "The musicians are amazing, aren't they?"

"They are," Shane agreed, smiling back. "I didn't know there were places like that here. It was nice to just sit and listen."

Alan eagerly nodded, gesturing for Shane to walk beside him down the sidewalk. "Turns out, there are a lot of musical gems around here. I'm still discovering them, but it's like every day I hear something new." With a grin, he pointed to his own ear. "For instance: do you hear that? Someone is playing a saxophone, maybe in the park. But music fills the air here, enriching Starlight City in the most delightful ways. There are so many places to sit and listen. You just have to find them."

Shane did think he heard a distant saxophone, playing from some indistinct direction. "This is a pretty great city for new discoveries," he agreed. "I've lived here most of my life, and only just discovered this place today, so it does go to show that there will always be new ways to appreciate music."

"Always. Appreciating music doesn't ever stop," Alan said with a bright smile. "I didn't know you lived here most of your life, though. That makes sense, since you know all about the city. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Feel free," Shane assured him. "It's fun to talk about this place."

Alan hummed, looking ahead as the continued down the sidewalk. He turned back to Shane with another warm smile. "What's your favorite restaurant?"

"There's this Southern restaurant downtown I like a lot," Shane said thoughtfully. "It's called The Oasis. It has really good curry and noodle dishes, so if that's your thing, I highly recommend it."

"You said it's downtown?" Alan asked. "Let's see. That's only one train stop away from here, right?"

Shane nodded. "It's pretty direct, actually."

"Well, what do you think? Shall we change our course to eat your favorite food?" Alan asked with a smile.

Shane looked over to him, smiling back. "Does that sound like something you'd like to do?" he asked with a laugh.

"Absolutely," Alan said, gesturing ahead to the train stop. "Let's go."

Admittedly, Alan didn't eat a lot of curry and noodle dishes. Shane seemed to sense this somehow and narrowed down options for dishes he'd like based on his preferences, which Alan appreciated.

In the end, Alan selected an interesting curry that highlighted different types of herbs and spices he hadn't tried before. He wasn't very picky and had been wanting to try different cuisines now that he lived in Starlight City, so he was glad he could get this opportunity with Shane-- all the while having this be his favorite restaurant. It was a win-win.

After the waiter walked away with their order selections, Alan folded his arms on the table in front of him and gave Shane a smile.

Alan was touched that Shane came to see him. He wasn't sure he'd see him again, and considering that Shane was likely busy doing Heir things, it meant a lot for him to block out his night to spend time with Alan.

Now that they could sit down and talk without distractions, Alan wanted to finally discover who Shane was. The joys of discovering a person was always an exciting journey, and he was sure Shane's story was one most definitely worth exploring.

But it seemed that Shane had beat him to this.

"I've been wondering about something, if you don't mind that I ask about it," Shane said, offering him a smile in return.

"Oh, sure. Ask away. No need to hold back," Alan said with a nod.

"What brings you to Starlight City?" Shane asked. "I feel like everyone's got their own answers to this question, but all of them are interesting."

"Ah. Good question." Alan drummed his fingers against the table, thinking this through. "I think anyone who moves to Starlight City from Amber City has a similar story. It's no secret that Amber City isn't the best place to live right now. But, I think my reasonings are simpler in nature. I still love my home and wouldn't mind moving back if I had to, but I suppose you could say..." Alan paused, slightly pursing his lips as he swirled the straw around the rim of his water glass. "I'm looking for a change of pace. That's all there is to it, really. I thought it would be nice to start a new chapter and challenge myself in the music scene." He shrugged, smiling. "That, and my dad lives here. I wanted a change of scenery, so Starlight City was an obvious decision to me."

Shane nodded, listening intently to him with a fond smile. "A lot of people travel here for their dreams. I'm glad this place offers hope and a chance at something new for you. I think it's really exciting that you've already started making a place for yourself in the music scene, since there's plenty of room for your talent."

"Thanks, Shane," Alan said with an appreciative smile. "The start of something new is always exciting. Although, I am a long ways away from anything professional. But I don't mind it. The people here are so talented, and I'm learning a lot and meeting new people every day." He loosely gestured towards Shane. "Like you, for instance. I'm still relishing in the privilege of having the opportunity to eat a meal with you."

Shane grinned faintly. "I don't think of that as a privilege. I think of it instead as a nice way to spend time with someone kind and fun, not me deciding who I should..." He waved a hand. "...'grace with my presence' tonight or anything like that. I'm here because I wanted to see you, not because I got bored of everyone who would normally be in my company."

Alan smiled softly at that. It was really nice to hear these heartfelt statements from Shane. He was sincere, kind, and gentle. And he was right: he wasn't someone to be admired because of his position. Instead, he was someone to be admired because of the person he was.

Alan could appreciate that. It was endearing and humble.

"In that case, let me rephrase," Alan said as he folded his arms on top of one another again. "I'm still relishing in the privilege to be in the presence of someone so compassionate, gentle, and authentic."

Shane's dimples flashed in his cheeks as his grin turned softer. "On that note, it's an honor to be in the company of someone so kind, heartfelt, and passionate."

Alan huffed out a laugh. "I hope you realize that I have an infinite source of compliments. We can go back and forth all day. Consider this your only warning."

Shane raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Should I be worried?"

"Maybe," Alan said with an innocent shrug. "How well can you take personalized compliments?"

Shane gave that some thought. "I'm trying to work on it, I guess?"

A humble answer, as expected. Alan softly chuckled.

"Maybe we can work on it together," he suggested.

Shane smiled at that again. "It'd be a good endeavor," he agreed.

Alan let the comfort stillness sit between for a bit, keeping his gaze on Shane with a smile. Not wanting to silence to feel too long, Alan sat back on the chair, setting his hands on his lap.

"So, Shane Hawking," he began with a playful tone, "consider this a day where I get to discover who you are. Not the Heir of the House-- but you. I suppose you could say..." Alan paused for dramatic effect, feigning contemplation before turning back to Shane with a bigger smile. "I've been wondering about you, and hope you don't mind me asking questions about you."

Shane kept smiling as he watched Alan, and it seemed like he decided Alan was being genuine, because he seemed to relax after a few moments.

"Of course you can ask," he said gently. "It's only fair, since I've been wondering about you too."

"Ah, now I must preface all this by saying that fairness doesn't matter to me. You're welcome to ask me any burning question, and I'm happy to answer. I don't expect anything but your warm company. So don't ever feel bad about asking me questions. I welcome it," Alan said gently.

Shane let out a soft laugh, nodding. "Noted. Thank you for the preface."

Alan smiled, reflecting on what kinds of questions to ask him. He was more curious on some subjects more than others, but he was fine to wait for a better time to ask. He was just beginning to get to know Shane, after all.

"So, to start: what does a perfect day look like to you?" Alan asked.

Shane took a sip of his water, gaze fixed thoughtfully on the ceiling. "Let's see. First, it would have to start with coffee, so I'd probably go on a morning walk for that. Afterwards, I'd find a library and ready or study there for a few hours. Then I'd get lunch-- maybe street food, so I could take it and go sit at the pier with it. After that, maybe I'd meet up with Alex and we'd go somewhere together for the afternoon-- a museum, maybe, or the city's observatory she interns at." He shrugged, a little shyly. "Just simple, pleasant things like that. Last of all, I'd get to bed on time for once."

"A perfect way to end a perfect day," Alan said with a soft chuckle. "That sounds so lovely, Shane. Your idea of perfect sounds relaxed and peaceful. I also don't think simple should come with a negative connotation. The simple, pleasant joys in life are so important. They make up our every day, after all. I think it's beautiful you find joys in the simple pleasures of life."

Shane beamed a little, his smile sincere. "Thanks, Alan. With where I'm at right now, I find it healthier and more realistic for me to look for those kinds of joys. They're easier to make happen, so theoretically, a perfect or near-perfect day isn't unfeasible."

Alan hummed, tapping his finger against his lap. "In that case... ignoring all constraints of what feels realistic, what does an ideal, perfect day look like to you?"

Shane paused. "Does that include impossible things, or just the unlikely?"

"Maybe just the unlikely. The almost impossible, but not quite impossible things," Alan answered.

Shane was quiet for a few moments, deep in thought.

"If I could get away for long enough, then maybe I'd travel," he said. "Maybe to the northern islands. I'd hop on a ferry, and I'd spend the whole journey watching the coast through the fog. When I got there, I'd probably spend the day wandering through the forests and beaches. Just spend some time in the peace and serenity. And once it got around to sunset, I'd take the ferry back and watch it from there."

Alan held on to every word, taking in the imagery. Imagining it. Forming it in his head. Committing it to memory.

"Is that really so unlikely that it almost feels impossible?" he asked more softly.

Shane hesitated, then nodded. "It's getting harder to see it happening anytime soon," he said.

Alan felt his smile fading completely, letting the implications sink in. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought Shane was trying to tell him that he was stuck in prison.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I hope that changes someday, especially because it's so doable. You certainly deserve that."

"Thank you," Shane said softly, offering him a faint smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be depressing."

"No, no. No need to apologize," Alan said quickly. "Really. I don't want you to apologize for being you."

"I still don't..." Shane faltered, seeming to lose confidence for a moment before he shook his head, giving Alan another smile. "Never mind. It'll work out sometime."

Alan smiled at Shane, thinking through the next question he wanted to ask. "If you don't mind, can you tell me more about Alex? I love hearing about other people's loves."

Shane's smile brightened ever so slightly as he let out a shy laugh, dropping his gaze to the table. "Sure," he said. "Well, she's incredibly smart. Her way of passing time is having someone give her two random five digit numbers and then multiplying them together in her head-- which she's always right about, on top of amazingly speedy. She's also very bold, which I admire, and likes to help others out. We go to college together, and she's currently studying to be an astrophysicist." Shane kept smiling, looking back up at Alan. "She'll be a great one someday."

Alan smiled warmly, adoring how he spoke of her so admiringly and longingly. A trait of someone so in love with the person dear to their heart.

"I love how you speak about her. I can tell you love her so much," he said with open admiration. "She sounds incredibly brilliant and so, so smart. She'll go on to discover incredible things with a supportive, loving partner by her side."

Shane grinned a little wider, dropping his gaze again. "She's great. I'm lucky to have her."

"How long have you two been together?" Alan asked.

"A little over three years," Shane said. "Since our last semester of senior year, pretty much."

"Oh! Highschool sweethearts," Alan cooed, leaning forward against the table with a grin. "That makes my heart so happy. Three years is a long time! It's so impressive you've been together for this long and still be so in love." He smiled warmly, sitting back against his chair and relaxing his posture. "What's the secret?" he teased.

"Secret?" Shane echoed, with a bit of a laugh. "I don't know if there's a secret to it. Just... I don't know, active commitment and continuing to choose each other over all that time."

Alan nodded, mulling this over. "That's the beauty about love, isn't it? Every day you have the privilege of choosing your partner, regardless of the odds, regardless of the situation. I love the idea of that unity, like you are harmonizing with your partner. To be there for each other for every waking moment, becoming more and more madly in love with each passing day-- because every day you discover something new about them, and it's like you fall in love with them all over again."

Shane watched him for a few moments, still smiling warmly. "You seem like quite the romantic," he said. "Have you got someone of your own?"

Alan felt his smile beginning to fade, but he tried to remain optimistic. He rubbed the side of his water glass with his thumb, reflecting back on his own experiences.

"I get that a lot," he began. "Being called the romantic, I mean. I embrace it. But..." He loosely shrugged, gaze settled over Shane again. "No, I'm not in a relationship right now. But I'm excited about the prospect of being in one." His grin returned as he considered the possibilities. "And here, in Starlight City... I mean, the possibilities are endless. Music fills the air, and so will love. I'll continue to pour my heart in music, and maybe, just maybe, a special someone will hear my song."

"I believe in you," Shane said, his smile turning hopeful and encouraging. "It doesn't sound like an unlikely maybe. Things are bound to work out in a lovely way for you."

"I hope so. I'll continue to live every day to the fullest, and if someone special comes along..." Alan smiled softly, thumb rubbing against the water glass again. "Well, then perhaps it's meant to be."

Shane nodded. "Time will tell. But it seems like it's already in the cards for you."

"Maybe. I don't really have any expectations right now. I'm just enjoying life one day at a time," Alan said, then paused as he considered Shane for a moment. "What about you? How did you and Alex first meet?"

Shane hummed, pausing to take a sip of his water. "It must've been the first day of high school. We were in a lot of the same classes and had at least a couple together every year. Our last names are very close to each other alphabetically, so we kept getting paired up in classroom seating charts." He let out a laugh. "It's kind of undramatic, I guess. If it was coincidence, it was a nice one at least."

"I don't believe in coincidences. I think you were fated to find one another," Alan said with a smile.

"Maybe," Shane acknowledged, smiling back. "Whatever the reason for it happening, I'm glad it did."

"Were you friends first? How long did it take before you both started dating? And how did it evolve into a relationship?" Alan asked. "I want to know everything and anything about the story of you."

Shane looked a little shy again as he dropped his gaze, smiling down at the tablecloth. "We were sort of friends at first," he said. "You know, friends in the way that you talk and get along well while you're around them, but don't see very much outside of the setting you meet in. So it was very casual for... well, over three years. Maybe it was because of that that when we actually spent time together outside of school in senior year, it took me five meetings to realize she'd been asking me out on dates." Shane laughed, holding up his hands. "I didn't even know she was interested. I must've been really oblivious."

Alan chuckled, grinning from amusement and endearment. "So what changed? What made you realize she was asking you out?"

"Oh, she had to tell me," Shane said, still laughing. "She asked me where I wanted to go for our sixth date. She says she still remembers seeing the cogs turning in my brain to slowly realize that I'd already been on five of those."

"No. Really?" Alan said through a laugh. "It took five dates for you to realize you've been going on dates?"

"Really," Shane said through an amused groan. "I don't think I'll ever live it down." He shrugged bashfully. "I mean, I was clueless to the point of it being ridiculous. I'll admit that. I guess it goes to show that she's such a cool person that I was completely taken off guard that someone as amazing as her wanted to date me."

"You'll have to bring her next time you drop by," Alan said, smile widening. "I'd like to get to know her outside of working hours."

"I can try," Shane promised. "She thought you were cool."

"Oh, really?" Alan mused. "Glad I left a good first impression. Now, on to the second impression."

Shane laughed. "It'll serve to prove the first one true."

Their food arrived soon after that, and both of them agreed it was fabulous, with neither of them leaving any leftovers. They kept talking as they ate, and even when their plates were cleared, Shane was absorbed enough in the conversation that the arrival of their waiter with the bill surprised him. They split the check, and just as both of them were returning their credit cards to their wallets, Alan spoke up.

"Can I ask you another question about Starlight City?" he asked unprompted.

Shane nodded, tucking his wallet back into his pocket. "Of course. Fire away."

Alan smiled. "Is there a place you have always wanted to go, but haven't yet? If so, what and where is it?"

Shane pressed his lips together, trying to think. This was an easy question for the world as a whole, but harder for the city he'd lived in for most of his life. He knew he'd been to most of the major and minor highlights of the city, and while there were always new things to be discovered, they weren't places he knew of yet. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he opened it again.

"I've never been to the top floor of the Summer Palace," he said. "Of course, no one has, not in nine hundred years. It's still magically sealed off."

Alan tilted his head in curiosity. "Why is it sealed off?"

Shane shrugged, but he was smiling slightly. He was excited for the question. "No one knows exactly. There's a lot of theories about what was or is up there-- valuable treasure, a powerful magic artifact, maybe even a secret library-- but ultimately, the knowledge of what's kept up there died with the mage who sealed it off. Which was Theo Summer, by the way, the same guy who started the Summer War here around the same time. Historians have looked into it extensively, but no written record of the top floor has ever been discovered."

Alan hummed. "It's ironic, isn't it? To be able to stand so close to a floor that holds the secret's past, but be unable to access it. So close, yet so far."

Shane nodded with enthusiasm. "Right? I know whatever it contains could change our entire understanding of that conflict and the leadership behind it. No one's been able to get through ever since it was first sealed, though. So we might never know."

Alan nodded along, mulling this over. "How often do you visit the monument?"

"Maybe yearly," Shane said. "It's a favorite landmark of mine."

"Have you visited it this year yet?" Alan asked.

Shane shook his head, smiling slightly as he guessed where this was going. "Not yet."

Alan's smile grew. "What do you think about going there next? I haven't visited yet, and I think I can learn a thing or two from you."

Shane felt his grin spread as well. "You'd like that? I think that sounds great."

"I would like that very much, actually," Alan said, getting up from his chair. "Are you ready to go?"

"All ready," Shane said, his smile lingering as he stood. "The best part is it's only a short walk."



The irony of tickets for the Summer Palace being completely free was not lost on Shane, seeing as his own House subsidized the revenue for the monument rather than it getting money through charging admission. It was a bit funny, he thought, that his House would dedicate funds to the very building that had briefly replaced them as the highest power in this city. It had never made much sense to him as a kid, until he figured out that the free admission didn't have the effect of showing visitors that rebellion against the Houses could be successful to some degree. Rather, it spread the message that no matter how powerful an anarchic force could have once been, it would end by being brought to its knees and on the wrong side of history.

Unnerving messaging, certainly. But at least it meant there was no ticket office to stop at.

Shane stopped with Alan on the plaza in front of the palace, taking in the view from outside before they would go in. The palace took up a city block, towering over them, and yet appearing short and squat next to the downtown skyscrapers that surrounded it. It was still undeniably grand, with a wide set of marble stairs leading up to the entrance that was framed by polished stone pillars. The top was domed, high enough that Shane had to crane his head a little to see it all. At night, its walls were illuminated by Flare-enhanced spotlights from below, and the shadows cast by the texture on the walls somehow made it more dramatic.

"Does it look anything like the pictures?" Shane asked as he turned to Alan, smiling wide.

Alan was awestruck, peering up at the tall buildings and side-stepping to walk in a 360 spin to take it all in. He flashed Shane an excited grin. "No, it's better. Much better."

Shane grinned back, his heart feeling warmed. He hadn't really ever been the first person to show someone around here, and he had to admit that he liked it.

"The entire thing was built by Summer himself over the span of a week," he said, still admiring the building. "With magic, of course. The parts were telekinetically assembled through Force, piece by piece. It was a pretty impressive display of power."

"I can imagine," Alan murmured, admiring the building. "It's amazing what one person can do by themselves."

Shane hummed, nodding. "This guy made a name for himself, that's for sure." He ventured forward a step, glancing at Alan over his shoulder with a smile. "You ready to see it from the inside?"

Alan grinned, eagerly moving ahead of him. "Yeah, let's go," he said excitedly, gesturing for Shane to follow.

The two of them hurried up the steps as if they were going to be late for something, even though Shane knew they wouldn't be. Even though the palace stayed open until midnight-- another feature of his House funding it-- he usually didn't go here past nightfall. Seeing how thin the crowd was once they were inside, he had to wonder why he didn't. During the day it was busy, loud and chaotic, but it was far calmer at this time, with visitors slowly and quietly walking around while exchanging words in soft voices. Shane made a mental note to visit during the later hours the next time as well.

Somehow, the palace looked even more vast on the inside. The floor was checkered marble, looking clean and pristine despite thousands of people walking over it this day alone. Gold carvings of leaves trailed up the white stone walls like ivy, seeming to grow up all the way to the high ceiling. Ahead of them, two elegant staircases curled up at the corners of the farthest wall, leading up to the floor above. A raised platform sat between them, covered in a velvet red carpet that was fenced off, and a regal-looking throne rested on it.

Shane tore his gaze away from their surroundings to glance at Alan, and he let out a little laugh when he saw Alan's awestruck expression. Maybe he did like shiny things.

"Hard to believe it could get cooler, right?" he asked.

Alan grinned, meeting his gaze. "I believe it can, since you haven't told me any more historical facts of this place."

"Have I not? I've let you down." Shane glanced around another time, recalling all the trivia snippets he'd gathered from his various visits. "Where to even start?" He pointed up at a luminous crystal chandelier. "The light in there is from Flare magic, since electricity wasn't yet used for power. At the time, there was a rumor they could turn on and off through vocal command, but investigations since then haven't found any Chant magic in the spell, so no one's sure if that's true, how it would've been done, or what the command might have been."

Alan nodded along, gazing up at the chandelier as he listened attentively.

Shane then turned back around towards the entrance, where on either side of it, there was a smashed statue. Both were of people: one was a pair of legs intact up to the waist, while the other one was full height, but most of the right side of its chest was missing.

"And then believe it or not, those broken statues were animated to be guards," Shane explained. "They were pretty dangerous too, since they were difficult for people to fight, especially with the weapons of the time. The statues were pretty notorious until someone figured out they were able to be broken by Tremor." He hummed. "Yet again, it's another case of Summer coming up with entirely new uses of magic that we don't understand today and can't replicate. Some people say he used Force to give them motion, but some people think he used Rationale to give them a mind of their own somehow." He glanced back at Alan with a laugh. "Which sounds crazy to me, but no one's disproven it yet."

Alan hummed, attention now fixed on Shane. "What do you think happened?"

"Sounds like my doctorate thesis one day," Shane said with a chuckle, but shook his head and answered. "I don't know, honestly. I'm not a very good mage, and I don't know much magic theory. But if there's a way to use mind magic on something that doesn't even have a mind, I wouldn't put it past him to have discovered it."

Alan watched Shane with a smile. "Are you a history major, perchance?"

Shane realized he'd never actually shared that he was, and he let out a laugh. "Maaaaaaaaaybe," he said with a grin, holding up his hands.

Alan grinned, playfully bumping his shoulder. "This should have been obvious to me when you gave me the history of the park. But I'm not surprised. It's impressive how much you know, and I love your passion. You'd make a great historian."

Shane's smile warmed, even though he felt a pang at the reminder that he never would be one. He had to let go of that sometime. Every now and then, he'd think he'd come to terms with the likely scenario that his education ended in a year from now with his early graduation, and then a new wave of passion for his interest would come crashing in and leaving him with longing for greater knowledge and understanding. And right now, it felt too heavy to admit to Alan that he could have been a great historian. Would have been.

"I'm glad you like hearing about it," he said instead, still smiling. "It's much more fun to talk about it than write about it in an essay."

"Then let me be your soundboard," Alan said warmly. "Keep talking. I like listening."

Shane grinned at him excitedly, then looked around the room for the next part of the tour.

"The throne is one of the few artifacts here that we actually understand," he said, walking towards it so they could both get a better look. "It's been deactivated, but it used to have both Force and Rationale. And its only magical purpose was that if someone who wasn't Summer sat there, it would detect the mind of an intruder, and..." Shane pointed to the throne, then drew an arc in the air, before pointing at the ground between their feet. "Launch them out. You can see why they deactivated it, because every year there are tourists who try to sit there, and they're trying to avoid a lawsuit."

"That's smart. Wouldn't want that," Alan said with a chuckle.

Shane laughed in response, looking up and turning in a circle. "Ready to go upstairs? There's a library with-- and I am entirely serious-- flying books."

"What?" Alan said with a laugh. "I'm sold. Let's go."



Some flying books and a little less than two hours later, they were back on the plaza. The exterior of the palace was still brightly lit, but the sky had gotten darker, shifting into a summer twilight that was hazy with the city's own glow. The two of them sat down on a bench facing the palace, and Shane thought he saw Acelin take a seat on another across the plaza, keeping an eye on them from a safe distance.

"So, what'd you think?" he asked Alan, turning to him with a smile. "Is it fun to be a tourist?"

Alan smiled back at Shane and dropped more bread crumbs on the ground in front of him, gathering more pigeons to congregate and peck away at the ground. "Very fun. I'd like to give a special thanks to my personal tour guide for showing me around."

Shane laughed, pulling back his feet so a pigeon wouldn't feel threatened as it hopped closer in search of crumbs. "Don't forget to leave a rating. I'm thinking of starting a tour guide business."

"Oh, really?" Alan hummed, grinning. "Where can I leave a rating?"

Shane huffed a laugh, suddenly getting an idea as he took out his phone, opening a new contact before holding it out to Alan. "If you'd like to do that, I use a number ranking scale."

Alan stared down at his phone, processing for a second. Then his smile widened and he let out a soft laugh, reaching for the phone. His fingertips brushed his before he gently took the phone from his hand, smiling down at it.

"I've heard a lot of pickup lines in my life, but I've got to say, that was the smoothest I've heard someone ask for my number," he said with a breathy laugh, filling out the contact fields. "But yes, you can have it, and I'm glad you asked. We can't always keep running into each other like this."

Shane laughed softly as well, feeling a little bashful at that. "Now I feel like I've set a high standard for myself. The timing felt right, though. I think each of us could use a friend in town."

Alan nodded, still smiling as he kept his gaze on Shane. "As much as I enjoyed being a tourist today, I have to remind myself that I live here now. I'll eventually graduate to being a local, and what better way to do that than befriend the other locals? Bonus points if they are curious, passionate, and study history."

At that, Alan offered his phone back, the screen showing his contact page that was now filled out.

Shane smiled as he took it back. "Well, I'd be happy to help you get to that status. Especially since you left--" He squinted playfully at the screen. "--a rating in the billions. And I had a good time too."

Alan grinned, flourishing his hand in front of him. "What can I say? I really enjoyed you."

Shane's smile warmed as he tucked his phone away. "I did too," he said. "You know, I almost didn't do anything at all tonight. I'm really glad I took the chance and checked in on you, not knowing how it would go. I've got no regrets."

Alan beamed. "I'm glad you listened to your heart. You ought to listen to it more often. You never know where it'll take you, but if it's anything like today, it will lead you down a path full of memorable days with no regrets."

"Hopefully we'll find time for another day like that," Shane said with an airy laugh. "You'll be a local in no time."

"For you, I'll always find the time. So you don't need to hope for another day, because there will be another day," Alan said as he threw more bread crumbs on the ground. He looked back at Shane with a smile. "That is, if you'll have me."

"Of course I will," Shane said, meeting his gaze with a smile before he turned it on the happy, well-fed pigeons. "I'll be looking forward to it."

There was a natural lull of silence, but Alan used this time to feed the remaining crumbs from his hand, dumping the remains on the ground. Several pigeons flocked to the spot, cooing and pecking by his feet. For some reason, the sight and sounds warmed Shane's heart.

"I really enjoyed spending the evening with you, Shane," Alan suddenly said, voice sincere. He turned back to him with a soft smile. "And I don't want it to end, but sadly, I do have to leave shortly since I start work soon."

"That's okay," Shane assured him, smiling back. "I really enjoyed it too. We'll make some other time work."

Alan nodded. "We will. I have no doubts." He paused. "There is something I want to give you, though."

He reached in his messenger bag, pulling out a small, square, silver box wrapped in a white ribbon.

"It's nothing big, but I'd like you to have it," Alan continued, offering the present to Shane. "My only request is that you open it at home while looking at the moons."

For a few moments, Shane stared down at the box, processing. The box looked similar to one that might come with the jewelry he'd bought for Alex as gifts, which he associated with a fancy product. It was possible Alan was reusing the box, but for some reason, he felt like it came with the gift.

There was the strangeness of the request, too. Opening it at home made sense, since it meant Alan probably wanted him to have his reaction without him around, but the moons? Maybe the present needed it somehow. But what needed the moons?

...The tides?

No, that wasn't even how tides worked.

And maybe the most mysterious thing about it was that... well, Shane hadn't given Alan any warning that he'd stop by. It had been a week. And yet, he seemed to have been holding onto it in anticipation of meeting him again.

Shane tore his gaze away to look up at Alan with a soft, hesitant smile.

"...What's the occasion?" he asked with a soft laugh.

"Seeing you again," Alan said warmly, then poked the box against his arm. "I'd like you to have it. That's all."

Shane slowly took it, still meeting Alan's eyes with a smile before he felt like he had to drop his gaze.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, smiling more shyly.

"You are very welcome," Alan said with a brighter smile. He checked the time on his watch, then lightheartedly slapped his palms against his knees before standing up. "I should go so I'm not late. I wish I had time to walk you back, but I know you're safe with your body guard who has killer flip instincts."

Shane let out a laugh, glancing at Acelin's figure on the bench. "They'll do their job right. I'll be safe from people who try to kidnap me and those who try to save me from kidnappings."

"Excellent. Those are the most dangerous types. You're in good hands," Alan said with a grin. He let out a puff of air through his nose, gaze still settled on Shane. "Have a good rest of the night, Shane. We'll see each other again soon."

Shane smiled, mimicking the little salute he'd seen Alan do last week. "You too, Alan. I'll see you then."

Alan grinned brightly, walking backwards while also giving him the same side-salute. After a few steps backwards, he turned back around, following the sidewalk that led to the the Red Line train station.

Shane watched him go, until he'd merged with the evening crowd, and he was no longer sure he was looking at the right person. He glanced down at the present, then the pigeons that were starting to move away, realizing that there was still a faint smile on his face. He stood up slowly so as not to disturb or frighten the birds, gift in hand, as he started to walk back to his own train station. He saw Acelin do the same, shadowing him from a distance as usual.

Shane wasn't quite sure what to make of all this yet. It didn't make full sense. But whatever it was, he knew he liked it.

It was late, but not desperately so, when Shane got back to the House. He said some quiet goodnights to staff as he passed them, but he didn't see any close family. At least he didn't pass any irritated cabinet members who were mad he hadn't worked four hours late.

He slipped through dimmed hallways, grateful for the rugs to muffle his steps as he made his way past rooms his family stayed in, then up a flight of stairs. He and Flint had suites on the top floor of this wing. He'd had a room in Flint's suite for a few years, so that he'd have somewhere to stay when visiting his parents. But now, he had Flint's old suite, the one meant for the Heir. And although he hadn't always thought of this wing as lonely, it certainly felt that way.

Shane unlocked the door, stepping inside and letting it close behind him with a gentle thunk. He took a few moments to take off his shoes at the door, then drifted over to the kitchen to set down the box, leaning against the counter to take a look out the window.

Well, he could see both moons from here. No stars, although that wasn't new. The irony of Starlight City now being a place that stars could hardly be seen from was overrepeated.

Shane took a glance at his phone. Alex had left him on delivered. Maybe she'd seen it on her screen, maybe she hadn't, although he had the feeling it didn't matter. She would've already known what he'd say back.

He put his phone away again, picking up the box again to hold it up and look at it again on all sides. It still baffled him. Alan was certainly the thoughtful type, but... a gift this early? Shane's best guess was that he wanted to show some gratitude for the money.

"Alright," he murmured, carefully slipping the ribbon off and setting it on the counter. "Opening it at home, looking at the moons, as per request."

He took off the lid and set it next to the ribbon, peering inside. There was a folded piece of thick stationary inside, which he took and unfolded. It looked like a letter-- although Alan's handwriting looked less rushed than the sample of it he'd seen on the bar napkin.

Shane,

Funny story: after I deposited your check, my bank account had an impossibly larger sum of money. I can't explain it, but I'm fairly certain this is your fault.

Shane let out a laugh. He'd known that would get discovered, but at least it had been at the right point.

So obviously, I had to get back at you. Please: enjoy your gift.

P.S. The moons look quite lovely tonight, don't they?

-AA

Shane glanced up at the moons-- both of which were half-full-- with a faint smile, setting the letter aside and reaching into the box.

To his surprise, he pulled out a sleek, silver mechanical watch, weighing it in his hand.

He knew at a glance it was expensive. It didn't look like the price of a car, of course-- he had no idea why anyone would value a watch that high-- but it must have cost several hundred. Maybe even over a thousand. He felt the shock seeping in.

Would Alan spend the money on a watch that could've cost fifteen hundred just to make a point about not wanting the two thousand?

...Probably. Shane wouldn't put it past him.

He thought the watch might be artificed, too-- he felt a slight aura of Salve magic around it. He knew that was a thing, for people who wanted a watch that could track biometrics but didn't like the look of a smartwatch. Alan probably made a guess about his own tastes, and Shane had to admit he was on point.

He was stuck between wanting to keep admiring it or calling Alan and telling them he couldn't accept this, before he turned it over in his hands, and something on the back of the dial caught his eye. He squinted, holding it up to the light to see it.

It was a customized circular engraving that read Every second counts.

Shane hesitated, reading it a few times.

Well... Maybe he couldn't give it back. It was one thing to return an overly expensive gift, but Alan had made it sentimental and personal, and he didn't think it was right to return something that came from the heart.

It was clever. It was really clever, but most of all, it was sweet.

Shane smiled, carefully setting the watch and letter back in the box, deciding he'd wear it tomorrow before taking the box back to his room. He crashed on the bed, setting the box on the nightstand before opening a new message chat for Alan.

...What should he say? People often had very different texting patterns compared to their speaking ones, and he often felt better replying to a first message so he could mimic its style rather than writing the first one. Maybe it would've been better for Alan to get Shane's number, but that wasn't how things had worked out.

Shane stared at the blank message screen for what felt like maybe a minute, but the clock ticking away suggested it was more like five.

This was difficult.

He sighed, deciding sending something at all was better than sending nothing, and started to type up a message.

Shane wrote:I did as you asked, and the moons were indeed lovely. The gift was, too. Almost too lovely. I know I should object to it, but I can't for something that thoughtful. So instead, I thank you very much for it.

And send.

He hadn't said it was him, but he figured it would be obvious to Alan. All he had to do now was hope Alan didn't mind grammar, punctuation and and capitalization in texting.

Shane set his phone on the nightstand, then let his head fall back as he stared at the ceiling. He thought it must be getting later, but he wasn't sure by how much. He wasn't even trying to sleep, really. Just... sort of waiting on something indeterminate.

The sound of the door to his suite opening alerted him, and he sat up slowly, getting up and leaving his bedroom. He saw Alex at the door, closing it behind her and kicking off her heeled boots, the keys jingling in her hand.

"Hey," he said softly, starting to walk towards her. He hadn't been expecting her to show up here instead of her own place in town, but he was glad to see her. "How was it?"

"Hmm?" Alex raised her head as she tucked the keys back in her purse, shrugging when her gaze found him. "Oh, it was fine."

She sat down on the couch heavily, and as Shane joined her, she went on.

"That bartender was there again," she continued. "Alan. We talked some more."

"Oh?" Shane asked, furrowing his brow curiously. He hadn't known Alex and Santiago had gone back to the same bar as the week before.

"Yep." Alex grinned. "I'm one step closer to getting a hundred from Santiago."

So Santiago's attempts had once more been unsuccessful. Honestly, Shane was glad for it. Alan was after a heartfelt romance, and he had the feeling that with Santiago, Alan would be... settling for less, to say the least. He didn't want that for him.

"That's exciting," he offered, somewhat half-heartedly.

"And then Santiago called it a night," Alex went on. "So I decided to head out too. And it took forever to get a taxi. I was waiting for twenty minutes."

Shane frowned gently. "I'm sorry. I offered to get you a ride if you needed it."

"You did?" Alex asked bluntly. "When?"

"When I texted you back." So, she'd never read it.

Alex took out her phone, going to her messages. "Oh," she said after a few moments. "Huh. Sorry."

If it were possible for hearts to sigh, Shane's heart might've done so in that moment.

Instead he reached over, resting an arm over Alex's shoulders. "It's okay," he said softly. "I'm glad you got back. It's good to see you."

"Mmh," Alex agreed, letting her head fall back on his arm. "You too." She yawned. "I'm tired. Where's a cat to cuddle with when you need one?"

Shane huffed a tired chuckle. "I think Shrimp is with Phoebe today. She keeps luring him over with treats."

"Aw." Alex sighed, but she leaned against him, letting him hold her. Shane brushed some hair aside from her face, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Feel like getting some sleep?" he asked gently. "It's getting late."

Alex sleepily nodded, and he helped her up from the couch, turning off the lights on their way out. As they stepped into his room, Shane thought back to the watch on the nightstand, and wondered if he should explain it to her. But Alex slumped on his bed without sparing it a glance or even changing into pajamas, and with the realization that he felt quite tired too, Shane took that as his cue to join her and turn off the light.

Alan stifled a yawn as he walked through the dark, empty streets. In the stoplight district, the street would be spilling out with drunken people at all hours of the night. If one bar closed early, there was another one they could go to. The city never fully went to sleep, even if most of the bars did close at 2am.

Though that was certainly isolated to certain neighborhoods, and the violin shop was in one of the quieter ones.

It was nice, though. To walk from the train station to the shop with peace and silence, passing by sleepy residential houses and quaint local shops that he'd been meaning to visit. The doors were closed and the lights were off, which enticed Alan to come by another time when the sun hung high in the sky.

When Alan reached the shop, he quietly unlocked the door and used his phone as a flashlight so he could take silent steps up the stairs. His father was very likely asleep, and he'd already heard a stern warning about coming in at late hours with quiet dignity and grace.

And of course, Alan would still have to get up to open the doors promptly at 9am. Today was long, but tomorrow was a new day, and he wondered what new surprises it may bring.

After cleaning up and changing into night clothes, Alan finally slumped into his bed, laying down on his side, gazing stare out his window. He purposefuly didn't put up any curtains so that he could rise with the sun, but that means glaring street lights shined as well. Regardless, Alan found it to be strangely poetic, like a night's sun peeking in to shine light for all hours of the day.

He pulled out his phone and rolled to lay on his back, arm bent with his hand perched behind his head. It was nearing 2:30am, but... he should answer Shane.

Alan half-composed a message while on the train, but didn't get the chance to finish. Now that he was still and had a clearer mind, he could polish it up and send.

Alan rolled back to his side, holding the phone with both hands to type the final two sentences.

Alan wrote:You made the right decision, considering your gratitude is all I ask for in return. The time is now in your hands. Now, you'll always have the answer whenever I ask for the time.

I hope you're sleeping well!

And send. Hopefully Shane didn't mind the time and truly was asleep. Still, Alan stayed on the screen for a minute, wondering if he'd see the chat bubble appear. A minute passed, and his phone screen automatically dimmed.

No reply, which meant Shane was asleep. Good.

Alan sighed, placing his phone and glasses on the nightstand. If he slept now, he could get a solid six hours of sleep.

Pulling the blanket up to his chin, Alan faced away from the window, letting deep slumber weigh heavy on his eyelids.



It was past opening hours now, but the morning schedule was fairly sparse today due to cancellations. His father was out this morning to restock supplies, and he didn't task Alan with anything specific. So unless there were walk-ins, the morning was going to be fairly quiet and uneventful.

There were things Alan could do to pass the time, though. He could help his father with bookwork, which was always needed. He could re-tune all the instruments. Practice violin. Or maybe even practice viola, which he picked up recently to learn.

Instead, Alan sat back the front desk chair, finally checking his phone. Upon seeing a text notification from Shane, Alan grinned, leaning forward on the desk with the phone in hand, eagerly opening up his messages to read.

Shane wrote:Speaking of time, I sure hope that 2am timestamp means you slept okay. Rest assured I did!

Shane wrote:Also, Alex says hi and thanks you for the free drink last night.

Ah, right. Last night, he worked at Rendezvous again after parting ways with Shane. To his surprise, he saw Alex and Santiago again. Disappointingly, he didn't see Shane again, but of course he didn't voice that. It was nice to chat with them again, even if Santiago did try to aggressively flirt with him again-- although, it wasn't aggressive as last week's attempts. Alan couldn't say he wasn't entertained and amused by it, though.

Alan relaxed his posture and sat back on the chair again, typing up his response.

Alan wrote:Good morning! I did rest well, but waking up wasn't so bad since I woke up to a message from you.

Tell Alex I say hey back and that she absolutely deserved the drink since she was fun to talk to. Still waiting for the day that I get to get to know you both together, not separately.

Bundled in one text message, Alan pressed send, then set his phone to the side. He was studying a difficult sectional piece of a solo he kept fumbling during his lessons when he heard his phone vibrate against the table. He smiled when Shane's name popped up again, eagerly picking up the phone and reading his reply.

Shane wrote:Morning! I'd like to find the time for that as well, too. Hopefully our schedules align soon enough.

Alan was quick to reply this time.

Alan wrote:What does your schedule look like this week? Even if you're busy, I think having even a little bit of time to relax is important. Don't worry about me, I can work around your schedule.

If Shane was busy at this moment, he didn't let that affect the speed of his reply.

Shane wrote:I think I have a vote on the sixth and a couple meetings on the eighth and ninth, but I should be able to move around things outside of those. Ideally, you would be able to rescue me from those meetings, but I don't think they'd buy that excuse.

And so Alan was just as quick to reply back.

Alan wrote:Unfortunate that we don't live in an ideal world. I'd have gladly rescued you from that. Maybe I'll find a horse and wear shining armor as well.

Alan wrote:But in all seriousness, name your date and time, and I'll be there.

Shane wrote:How do you feel about the seventh? I can try to keep my schedule clear of commitments that don't understand the importance of meeting with friends.

Alan wrote:The seventh works with me. Are you free in the evening again?

After sending, Alan checked his schedule to verify that he was indeed free on the seventh. He had a smaller available window that day due to work, but he could switch shifts with Lucas so he could be free the entire night. Alan made a mental note to talk to him about this later.

Shane wrote:That sounds good! I'm ninety percent sure Alex is also avaliable then.

Alan wrote:Perfect. And if she isn't, we can always find another time in the future. I'm fine with just spending time with you, anyways. Even better if people special to you can be there, though.

Shane wrote:I'll check with her soon, but either way, I'm looking forward to it. Is there anything you'd like to do, or anywhere you'd like to go?

Alan wrote:Yes, actually. I'd like to spend time with you and also go to your favorite second place to visit.

Shane wrote:Hmmm. You know, one day you're going to have to pick a spot sometime. But I'll let it slide until you've got a favorite place of your own.

Shane wrote:Have you seen much of either harbor yet?

Alan smiled, almost wanting to tell him that he already had a favorite spot, but that was bound to come up sooner or later, so he let it slide for now.

Alan wrote:I haven't yet. Do you visit often?

Shane wrote:I used to, yeah. The north one's got a nice public market and a view of the islands, but the west harbor has a shipyard waterfront and the best sunsets. We were close to there yesterday. I love both, so you can choose which one is more your speed.

Alan wrote:I do love seeing the sun set in serene environments, so you have me sold on the west harbor. I'd still like to visit the north one with you some other time though.

Shane wrote:Can't go wrong with both. Especially if the goal is to have lots of good times together.

Alan wrote:That's one of them, though I'd like to think the overarching goal is to simply enjoy and appreciate the presence of someone you care about. It doesn't really matter what we do or where we go as long as we're together.

Shane didn't reply right away, so Alan's attention drifted back to the music book. That was, until a minute later when his phone vibrated again.

Shane wrote:That's a goal I'd like to work towards. I really do appreciate your presence, and I don't care so much about where we meet or what it's for as long as it's yourself you're bringing.

Alan smiled fondly, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his cheek squished against his palm. He had to pause for about ten seconds, thinking of a proper response. Shane certainly deserved that.

Alan wrote:For you, I can do that. But I humbly request that you do the same, especially because there is still so much to discover about you.

Alan wrote:For instance: what's your favorite flower?

Shane wrote:I was about to joke that the internet is free, but turns out you can't look that one up. My favorite flower is irises. Orchids are a close second.

Alan wrote:Even if I could look that one up, I wouldn't, because I'd rather hear it from you. The joys of discovery shouldn't be rushed, after all.

Alan wrote:Duly noted, though. Next question: what's your favorite coffee drink?

Shane wrote:Hold on, what if I want to know your favorite flower first? This joy of discovery thing goes both ways.

Shane wrote:You seem like a roses kind of guy, but maybe that's just me.

Alan chuckled, drumming his fingers along the table before composing his response.

Alan wrote:Forgive me, I got caught up in the moment of you.

Alan wrote:But it's not just you, because you're absolutely correct. What does this say about us? Your intuition is keen, and I'm a walking cliché. But I wear this badge proudly. (Sometimes.)

Shane wrote:I knew you were someone of good tastes. What color of roses, though?

Alan wrote:No one said that discovery couldn't be fun. Based on what we know of each other, I'll guess your favorite color of flowers, and you can guess mine. And of course, we can let each other know the true answer.

Alan wrote:I like how you think, so consider this my way to remain intrigued by your thought process.

Shane wrote:Deal. For you, my guess is red, but I wouldn't be surprised by coral or pink.

Alan wrote:Red is correct, it's a timeless classic. Though depending on the mood and occasion, coral or pink could also be preferred. There's something special about receiving flowers that feel fated for the moment.

Shane wrote:All three are lovely colors. I'm not sure yet what I'll do with this information, but you can be sure I'll remember it.

Alan wrote:I don't doubt that at all. Now, concerning your favorite flower color for both irises and orchids... I was choosing between blue or violet, so naturally, I have to go with indigo. If souls had colors, yours would be this rich, deep, beautiful hue.

Shane wrote:Now, that is uncanny. I had the feeling you'd land on blue or purple, but hardly anyone thinks of the color in between. It just so happens to be indigo. Can I get you a medal for that guess or something?

Alan wrote:No medal is needed, especially if I end up making more uncanny guesses about you. For instance: your favorite coffee is one filled with subtle but sweet flavors. Not too sweet, not too bitter, but something in between. A mild flavor with complex, sophisticated undertones. Since we are chatting about flowers, I am committing to the floral palette being your favorite.

Shane wrote:I guess I should stop being surprised that you know all this. Where it's available, my favorite coffee to order is a latte with lavender syrup. I feel like I'm being read like a book.

Alan wrote:If that's the case, then you're a book I can't put down. And to think I've only read the beginning chapters. Further proof that discovery is indeed very exciting.

Shane wrote:If I didn't know any better, I'd think you got granted some secret knowledge about me after that knock on the head. It means more that you've been doing it with more intention instead, though.

Alan wrote:Of course, Shane. Although, I can't say that I intend to impress you. I am simply observing and getting a grasp of the person you are. If it impresses you along the way, even better, but I'm also happy to learn about you and humbly listen to your stories.

Alan wrote:The History of Shane Hawking may be long and unfinished, but I'm patient and looking forward to every chapter. I plan on sticking around until the end, whenever that may be.

Shane wrote:I hope it's not anytime soon. I've got your story to pay attention to as well, don't I? Even if you wouldn't, you could still look up most of mine-- but even if I wanted to use it, I wouldn't have that shortcut for you. You're the only person I can get your own story from, and I hope to hear it from you.

Alan wrote:Then it's a deal. We both refrain from learning about each other from all sources except each other. I promise to tell you my story as long as you promise to tell me yours. And if it takes days, months, or years: so be it. I still want to hear it.

Shane wrote:It's a promise. You have my word.

Alan was looking forward to meet Shane again, and he was looking forward to get to know Alex in a more relaxed environment. He was still in awe that he managed to befriend an Heir, but he didn't want that to be a definitive factor of their friendship-- or really any factor. It was more of a background fact that hit him every once in a while during random moments of the day, but gradually, the fact felt less intense. It was simply a matter of life.

Fortunately, Alan was able to switch shifts with Lucas, so he was able to get the full night off. He had already finished his shifts in the violin shop and jazz club, so finally, he could now relax.

Alan was newer to this side of town, but he had studied the map on the train ride over here. Shane had told him to meet at a specific marker, and unfortunately, he was running a few minutes late, so Alan hurried to meet him.

It was early evening and the sun laid low in the sky. Alan had to squint to see their silhouettes against the sky, but he was fairly sure he saw the outlines of Shane and Alex waiting for him at the base of the dock. His suspicions were only affirmed when they waved at him, flagging him down.

Alan smiled wide, waving back and hurrying over. It brought him a strange amount of joy to finally see them more clearly, standing side by side together so close.

"Shane. Alex. Hello," Alan greeted with a warm smile. "It's so good to see you both again. Sorry for being a little late."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Alex said, with a smile and a dismissive wave of her hand. "Glad you could make it."

"Hey, Alan," Shane said warmly, beaming at him. "We missed you. How have you been?"

"Fantastic, now that I'm here," Alan said, feeling that their enthusiasm and warmth was contagious. "It's about time we see each other outside of a work setting, don't you think?" He turned to Alex with a loose gesture. "And I've heard so many good things about you, Alex. I'm really glad we could all meet up."

Alex hummed amusedly, turning to Shane. "Heard a lot? Well, what did you tell him?"

"That you think harps are superior to violins," Shane said, suppressing a laugh.

Alex shook her head in mock disapproval. "You better not have."

Alan made a mental note to return to this topic-- especially since he thought the harp was a heavenly string instrument that he greatly admired-- but he didn't want the importance of the subject to be left unsaid.

"He didn't mention anything about a harp, but now I wish he had," he said with a smile and glance at Shane, then shook his head. "But no, rest assured, Shane only said good things. He greatly admires you, and I can tell he really loves you. And I'm only putting it lightly."

Shane's smile turned shy as Alex playfully nudged his side.

"Well, he's only had good things to say about you too," she said. "Such as, you're quite brave. Thank you for saving him from that scary kidnapper."

"Sorry," Shane said with a sheepish laugh. "It had to be shared."

Alan released a breathy laugh, rubbing the side of his neck. "Strangely, I haven't yet shared this with anyone. But maybe that's because there's a fine line between being brave and being dumb. I'm glad you think it's the former."

"Hey, the only dumb thing to do there would've been to let him get kidnapped," Alex said with a laugh.

"I know that Shane's covered with protection. But Alex, if you're looking for a body guard with a speciality for false kidnappings..." Alan clicked his tongue and gave her a finger gun after a snap of his fingers. "You know who to talk to."

Alex grinned. "I sure do."

"Do we feel like walking around the docks for a bit?" Shane suggested. "We've got a while to find a spot before sunset."

"I'd love that. Do you have a favorite route you like to take? Or a favorite spot to watch the sunset?" Alan asked.

Shane shook his head, smiling. "It's different every time I come here. The single best spot to watch it from is a myth."

Alan hummed. "It could be a myth. Or perhaps you haven't yet discovered your favorite spot yet."

"Either way, I think the fun will be in looking for it," Shane said with a laugh.

"Absolutely," Alan agreed warmly. "Let's do that, then."

They picked a direction along the boardwalk haphazardly, but it wasn't long until the conversation resumed.

"So what have you been doing lately between the bar and meeting Shane under increasingly unusual circumstances, Alan?" Alex asked curiously.

Alan chuckled, glancing at Shane with an amused smile before fixing his attention back on Alex. "I wish the answer were more exciting, but it's mostly been work that's keeping me busy. Today is my evening off for the week, though. And lately, I have been spending my pockets of free time with increasingly unusual encounters with fun people."

Shane grinned faintly at him, before turning his head and smiling off at the waves.

"Hey, no one said that wasn't fun," Alex chuckled. "Do you really work there so much, though?"

It took a second for Alan to realize that they weren't on the same page here. He let out a soft laugh and shook his head, smiling.

"No, not at the bar. That's just my night job. I also work at a violin shop and a jazz club," he said. "Maybe you can catch me in the other two settings some time. I can't promise a free drink, though."

"Your violin shop doesn't have a bar?" Alex asked with a tsk of her tongue. "Consider adding one."

"Oh, it does. But it's not open to everyone. Only for special people," Alan teased, then flourished his hand in front of him, "since the liquor cabinet is part of the living space. I live there with my dad."

"Oh, neat," Alex said, laughing before she paused. "You do play violin, right?"

"That's right," Alan said with a nod. "And you do play harp, right?"

"Yep," Alex confirmed. "Sorry, I really do think the harp is better. But the violin is still quite nice."

"Hey, you're entitled to your own opinion, and it's a beautiful one, because the harp really is quite heavenly." Alan softly hummed, briefly glancing towards the sea. "I can't say I've met a harpist before, which is quite a shame. But at the same time, you have the pleasure of being the first one I've met. You'll have to let me hear you play sometime."

"I'd be honored," Alex said with a smile. "It'd be nice to hear you play too, although I don't know if you also play violin at the bar or just the piano."

"At the bar we met, I only play piano. I'm not actively playing violin in public yet, but... well, I sometimes bring my violin at the jazz club on days the floor is open for all instrumentalists to jam." Alan smiled, flicking his eyes between Shane and Alex. "Maybe if you both visit me on a lucky day, I'll bring my violin to play."

Alex chuckled. "That sounds nice, actually. We could try that sometime." Shane nodded his agreement, also smiling.

"Do you play an instrument, Shane?" Alan asked. "I can't believe I'm only asking you this now."

Shane paused, thinking with a faint smile. "I guess," he said with a bashful laugh. "I play some guitar. But I'm only in my third year."

"Only?" Alan echoed with a faint laugh. "That's quite a while. I'd also love to hear you play sometime."

Shane looked a little shy as he shrugged. "Sure, maybe sometime."

"I've got to say: I love that we all play string instruments," Alan said, smile growing. "They're all in different families, but still string instruments nonetheless. Great choice, you two."

"We could be a strings trio," Alex mused. "That'd be an interesting sound."

"It would, wouldn't it? Interesting and new. We certainly could and should do that," Alan said.

"It'd be a interesting quartet, if we had a pianist too," Alex said, and for a moment, it looked like Shane was frowning at something in the distance. But if he was, it passed quickly.

"Well, I suppose I can play either, but it may be better to pull someone in for that," Alan said. "Unless you want me to do a bad job of playing both at the same time."

Alex let out a laugh. "As funny as that would be, we could see what Santiago thinks. He plays piano too."

Alan raised a brow, intrigued. "Does he now? That's good to know. I'll keep that in mind the next time he puts in a song request."

"Oh, you should totally show off," Alex said, grinning. "He'd get competitive."

Alan grinned back. "Well then, maybe I will. I can't say no to a friendly music competition." He paused. "Or an angry one."

"I wouldn't say angry." Alex snorted. "I mean, maybe he would be grumpy if you kept doing better, but it'd probably be more funny than anything. Have you ever seen a mad penguin? Even if you haven't, you can probably imagine it. Santiago gets penguin mad."

Alan barked a laugh, trying to imagine this. Yet, based on the little information he did know of Santiago, he could not.

"Okay, I'd love to see this. Let's make it happen," Alan said with a playful smile. "I intend to win this silly competition just to see what his angry penguin face looks like."

"Yes," Alex cheered, pumping a fist excitedly. "Let me know when it's happening. I want a front row seat."

Alan huffed air out of his nose, amused but endeared by how excited Alex was about this possibility.

"Well, I don't have his number yet, so let me know when it's happening, and I'll be there," he said teasingly.

Alex winked playfully. "Leave it to me. He'll say yes."

Alan narrowed his eyes at her. "Should I be concerned?" he said playfully, even though there was a hint of actual concern in him.

"Not for yourself," Alex said airily.

"Ah, my mistake. You're right, I'm concerned for his well-being after I completely destroy him," Alan said, still grinning.

"He'll be one grumpy penguin," Alex said, grinning back. "He'll have to waddle away in defeat."

"Now I must see this," Alan said with a chuckle. "If not for the pout, then the waddle. I'd have to cheer him up with a happy melody afterwards."

"Can't promise he won't give you the penguin glare instead," Alex said. "Which is nothing to be scared of, by the way."

"We'll see about that," Alan said with a smile, then paused. "I assume you two must be good friends since you've seen this penguin glare enough times to not deem it scary."

"Oh, yes," Alex said with a swirly wave of her hand, still smiling. "It's not half as intimidating as he thinks. Right, Shane?"

Shane shrugged. "Well..."

"Sorry, guess I asked the wrong person," Alex joked, elbowing his side playfully. Shane let out a laugh, but it sounded a little automatic.

Alan recalled Shane mentioning that he wasn't really friends with Santiago, so he decided to change subjects.

"Did you all meet in college?" he asked.

Alex nodded. "Oh, yeah, we met him there. He graduated earlier this year with a music degree."

Alan hummed. "In piano performance?"

"Composition," Alex said. "I wouldn't challenge him on that. He'd be a smug penguin."

"Tempting, but I'll keep that in mind," Alan said with a chuckle. "And you're majoring in astrophysics, right? Shane mentioned that to me."

Alex nodded eagerly. "That's right. We graduate next year."

"Oh, that's very exciting." Alan paused. "Will you both still be in Starlight City after graduation?"

"Unless his House grows legs and walks away elsewhere," Alex chuckled, with a glance at Shane. Shane smiled, but didn't say anything.

Alan pondered this for a moment. "You know, Shane, we surprisingly haven't talked too much about you being Heir. What's life like in the big palace?"

Shane hummed. "Kind of strange. It's a nice place to work, building-wise, but I haven't gotten used to working in the same place that I live, or to the fact that I live there at all. It's busy already, but it sort of feels like the work doesn't stop that way." He hesitated. "It's not all bad, though. I like being near my close family, and I get to see them a lot this way."

"That's so great that you get to see your family often. How many of your family members live near you?" Alan asked.

Shane frowned, then glanced over at Alex.

"Extended, it's one hundred and fifty six in the city," Alex said.

"Thank you," Shane said, sounding relieved.

Alan stared at Shane, processing. "One hundred and fifty six?" he echoed, completely baffled.

"Or maybe it's sixty, not fifty," Alex murmured. "No, no, it's definitely fifty."

Shane let out a faint laugh. "Well, some of them are like... they married my second cousin twice removed, so it's a very distant family link for me. I don't know very many of them overall. I guess it makes sense that there's so many of us, since we're basically the politicians for this region, but... yeah, it doesn't make that number any less insane."

Alan mulled this over. "How many of them are you close to, then?"

"I'm really close to maybe a half dozen of them or so, and familiar with maybe twenty," Shane said. "Everyone besides that is... well, a colleague, almost."

"It sounds so amazing to have a family that big, yet it's a bit sad that everyone isn't familiar with each other," Alan thought out loud, then paused, turning back to Shane. "Do you often meet with everyone? Family reunions, perhaps?"

The corner of Shane's lips raised in a thin, somewhat dry smile. "...Do debates and votes count? I figure no, but I should ask anyway."

Alan shook his head with creased brows. That certainly wasn't a quality way to bond. "No. I wouldn't count that."

"Then..." Shane ran his fingers through his hair, laughing sheepishly. "No. No, not really."

Alan gave him the barest nods, imagining a life where he wasn't close to his whole family. He couldn't. Not even a little bit.

"That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear," he said softly.

Shane smiled weakly. "I know. I don't like it either, but I guess it's what happens to a family when you decide only that family gets to run the politics of that area."

Alex shot him a warning look, although Alan wasn't sure what warranted that.

"If there's anyone who can get away with saying that, it's me," Shane said with a shrug. "I stand by it."

"Guess you're too in demand for them to let you go," Alex murmured.

Alan was quietly listening, feeling the rise in tension. Maybe politics wasn't a great conversation to be having, which was a little ironic, but he made a mental note of this anyways.

Shane smiled, but it looked forced until he was looking back at Alan. "What's your family like? I've heard your dad lives here, but not much else."

Alan smiled brightly at Shane, glad for the conversation change to one of his favorite topics.

"Oh, almost my whole family still lives in Amber City. I'm very close with my mom, and even closer to my brother. We're twins, but not identical-- though that only makes life more fun growing up, in my opinion. My mom has two brothers and one sister. They're all married, so I have quite a few aunts and uncles, and even more cousins. I adore all of them, but I am closer to a few of my cousins, mostly because of age. One is the same age as me, so I see him often. Another cousin was born six months ago, and it's been so precious to see her grow up so fast. I treasure every day I spend with her. With all of them, really."

Alan smiled wider up towards the sky, chuckling and waving his hand in front of him, turning back towards Shane and Alex with dialed down enthusiasm.

"I can go on and on," he continued. "Family means a lot to me, so it's one of my favorite subjects to talk about."

While Alex was nodding along, Shane's expression had softened, with a gentle light shining in his eyes as he smiled warmly.

"That sounds really great," he said with soft admiration. "Your family must be lovely."

"They are. I love them so much," Alan said with a warm smile, but it was already beginning to fade. "I do miss them, though. I haven't ever been this far away, for so long, without any of them by my side. It's strange, sometimes. I'm so used to getting woken up by my cousin, I swear I hear her in my sleep. And sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm not sharing a room with my brother, who is still at the other side of the country." He sighed, but then forced a sputtered laugh. "I think I'm just getting homesick after... one month. But it's fine, I'm adjusting, and I keep in touch fairly often."

"It'll get better," Shane promised, his voice warm with empathy. "You'll adjust and have two places to call home, not just one away from where you live. I'm calling it ahead of time."

Alan smiled at him with appreciation. "You're right, I will. And I'll let you know as soon as it happens." He softly hummed, kicking a pebble to the side and watching it tumble over the dock. His gaze then settled on the series of boats that lined the dock, reading but not registering the boat names. "I like the idea of having multiple homes, anyways," he continued. "People are always moving, growing, and changing. The place we call home is too."

Shane nodded. "Hopefully, you won't feel homesick for long. The more at place you feel here, the more that feeling will ease. And once that's happened, you'll always belong."

"That feeling will come the more I spend time with the lovely locals," Alan said with a teasing smile as he gestured betwen Shane and Alex. "But you're right. I'd say I can't wait for that day to come, but truth be told, I welcome the slow and steady journey. I rather like to play the tourist and experience everything new for the first time, in awe with all the wonder. And when that wonder fades... perhaps then I can consider myself a local and go on to find joy in seeing other people experience the city for the first time."

Shane smiled back. "If you'd like to see more touristy wonders, you should take a look to your right."

Intrigued, Alan raised a brow then hesitantly turned to his right.

The three of them were passing a gap in the boats, where a dock led down between them, like a road turning into a dead end into the sea. With a direct view ahead, unobstructed by the tall masts of boats, Alan could see the sky turning pink and orange over the horizon and reflecting on the waters of the North Sea, where there was no land ahead for miles and miles and miles.

"Touristy wonders," Alan said distractedly with complete awe, "or a beautiful blessing by nature?"

"Whichever it is," Shane said with a laugh, "you can see why people across time have sailed here just to see this."

Alan grinned, eagerly walking ahead and gesturing for them to follow. "We didn't sail here, but we can still get a great view. Let's go up the dock!"

Shane grinned, taking Alex's hand and leading her along. She let out a huff and took her head like she didn't understand their hurry, but she was smiling as they followed him. They came to a stop at the end of the dock, the water lapping at the support beams below them just a foot away.

"It never gets old," Shane said admiratively.

Alan took a moment to admire the two of them standing close hand-in-hand, smiling as the golden rays washed over their faces like a warm, delicate watercolor painting. There was nothing more peaceful than watching the sun set with someone you love.

"Timeless and beautiful," Alan murmured in agreement, gaze settling over the sunset again, admiring how the sun cast a breathtaking reflection over the water. "I've seen the sunset plenty of times, but I've never seen it against the water before."

"It's special," Shane agreed, glancing at him with a smile. "I'm glad you like this spot."

"I do," Alan said, smiling back. "But I'm not yet convinced this is the spot. I guess we'll have to keep coming back to discover it."

Shane hummed. "Do you want to keep wandering? Or will this do for this time?"

"Right now, there's no place I'd rather be. Let's stay until dusk," Alan said.

Alex let go of Shane's hand to sit on the edge of the dock, folding her legs up to her chest and tilting her head back. Shane sat down as well, but he let his legs hang over the edge, feet a few inches above the calm waters. He reached over and tapped his hand on the dock boards as he looked up at Alan with a smile, inviting him to sit on his other side. Alan did so wordlessly with a smile, crossing his legs and setting his hands on his lap as the three of them watched the sun set with gentle awe.

Alan already had a few new friends in the city, but here, right now, he could proudly say he made two more.

And he had a strange, unshakable feeling that they were going to be special.