Rylan sneaks a peek into his brother’s
room seeing them both asleep, deciding to not wake them and just head
to work. Reminding himself to just not mention certain things again
as he walks through the snow. As he reaches the shelter he realizes he is the first one there, shrugging his shoulders, just starting on
the general morning routine of feeding everyone.
“I guess he won’t
be here today…well done me!”
“Oh! Rylan. Isn’t today Christmas
Eve?
Looks at her clock.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh, ehm… I figured the animals
still needed the standard care regardless off the day, and I have
nothing better to do right now. I hope
it’s okay?”
“Yes, of course. So you haven’t seen River, have
you? And did you invite him for Christmas?”
“No, not seen him since he left
yesterday after the decorating.”
He looks at the food he is carrying in his arms.
“Yeah, I did, if you want him home I’d understand of course.”
“So he wasn’t lying… “
Sighs mostly just talking to herself.
“Just, I
grounded him yesterday and he said he couldn’t be grounded because he
had Christmas with you. I had hoped you had seen him, because when I
went to check him this morning he had sneaked out and took all his
savings with him and now I’m worried…”
“Oh… No I’m sorry I haven’t seen
him…”
Wonders why he was grounded.
“I’ll just go back to what I
was doing, if that is okay?”
“Yes. Of course. Sorry.”
Rylan nods and goes back to what he was
in the middle off excusing the delay to some of the dogs that had
been waiting. Picking up his phone when he was done, but instead of
messaging River he puts it back down again and keeps working.
“Hay Hay?”
Hayden moves slightly having woken Vy by mumbling in his sleep, then by a well-known growling sound from his stomach.
“
Vy?“
“Morning, hay hay!“
Stretches just like a cat as Hayden moves off his lap.
“You talk when you sleep!”
“I do? About what?”
“
I don’t know. I don’t understand it
most of the time… You mumble mostly!”
“
Hmh.. I don’t remember speaking.. How much energy did you give me..”
As he sits up stretching, he realizes he
feels almost well compared to how tired he was the day before, and he knows there is only one person who would be able to pull that off.
“I was cold and you were warm…”
He stretches a little more and sits up, placing his hands on Hayden’s
cheek, to get a feel for him and smiles, happy to see he’s better
then when he went to bed, a green glow forming around him.
“You’re cold again, good cold!”
“And all thanks to you”.
Leans
against Vy’s hand, before his stomach reminds him why he woke up.
“Are you hungry?”
Vy nods pulling his hand back and
smiles at Hayden getting off the bed.
“Think there’s still some sweet
bread? And mocha!”
“Mocha I think I can guarantee,
sweet bread not so sure, but I know if he is home my dad can go… No… A better idea! Let’s go to a cafe for breakfast, would you
like too?”
“Yes!”
“I know a place, I think you will
like it.”
Smiles, pushing himself out of bed stretching, his body
making a creaky sound from sleeping so long.
“Just let me get dressed
after a quick shower, do you want one too, shower I mean?”
Rummages through his drawer to find some clothing, then looks back at Vy.
“Yes, I’ll shower in my room, don’t
worry!”
He smiles, aware he has a room right next to Hayden’s despite
spending most of his time in Hayden’s.
So, shower, clean clothes, and
breakfast!”
Hayden nods, watching as Vy walks out of his room and over to his own. He almost forgets he has it, as the generally tends to be in his. His parents sometimes making the joke that he doesn’t need it. After a quick cold shower, he stands just looking at himself in the mirror, lost in his own thoughts.
“
I wonder… Should I maybe tell
him…
“
Shaking his head, he hangs the towel back up, and walks back to his room, waiting for Vy to join him so they can head out. Vy takes a hot shower and gets
dressed quickly, walking out, hair still wet waving when he sees Hayden.
“Hay hay!
I’m ready!”
“Good, we’ll just tell my dads where
heading out and then we are off.”
Takes Vy’s hand as he walks down
the stairs a little because he is a little vary of stairs, but mostly because
it feels right.
“Ehm… were going out into the cold Vy, your hair is still wet?”
“Oh.. Yes! Let me just fix that!”
He runs into his room and pulls a
package from under his bed, wrapped in brown paper with pretty gold
thread holding the paper in place, and dried leaves decorating it, "Hay Hay” written on it. Quickly drying his hair, before he sneaks down and puts it under the tree before going back towards where Hayden is, seeing him talking to his dad, turning around as he comes towards them.
“Better, now let’s go.”
Hayden leads Vy mostly the same way they
would walk to the shelter, but takes a left where they would normally
take right, a cozy building coming into sight.
“There, its cafe, a small inn, and somewhere I used to sing on occasion”
The building is
fully Christmas decorated, with a full Santas sleigh standing
outside.
“And they have the best chocolate cake here which is why I wanted to take you.”
“Chocolate cake!
He smiles eagerly
going in with Hayden, admiring all the decorations. Despite living so
close to the place.
“I never came here… I don’t go to a lot of
places… I mean. I go now, with you, which is good. Can we have
mocha?”
“I came here more when we just moved
here, but it became too long to walk mostly. But, I wanted
to take you.”
He opens the door, both greeted by the smell of freshly
made coffee and baked goods, Christmas music playing in the background. Vy getting a little annoyed when the song playing
happens to be “All I Want for Christmas”, but shows it aside, smiling at the scents and decoration.
“It’s pretty here. Cozy.”
He leads Vy to the place where they
can order, the man behind the desk clearly knowing him from before.
“Ah, Ice coffee and I believe our special ice cream macarons?”
“You still remember that?”
“Not many order cold drinks and
food son”
“I guess not. And a large Mocha with extra
chocolate and cream.. and hmh..”
looks at Vy
“What cake or so would
you want.”
“If I may, there is a peanut and dark chocolate cake
that we are quite famous for if you would like to try?”
Vy nods, standing close to Hayden,
trying to appear small and unnoticed.
“Yes… I’d like it.”
“Then we’ll have one really big slice of that as well as the other stuff, thank you.”
He pays and takes Vy with him to a table by the window.
“They really do have
the best cakes here, and its the only place I know that has ice in
some of them.”
At the same time in San Mushyno River is running between shops
looking for the latest DnD campaign set.
“But this isn’t the latest!… Where else can I try?”
The shop clerk gives him a few places
he can try.
“Okay, thanks… “
He scratches the back off his head and looks at his phone, quickly messaging Rylan.
“Sorry that I can’t be with you at work today. Grounded.”
Rylan is just about to take a couple
of dogs out when he feels his phone vibrate, picking it up,
reading the message before messaging back.
“Yeah, your mom mentioned…
She also mentioned you snuck out?”
He puts the phone back into his
pocket and goes back to work.
“Yuss!”
As he finally found the DnD
campaign game set Rylan wanted he takes a deep breath of relief, and wraps it, careful to wrap it as
well as he can, putting a pretty green ribbon that kinda looks like
Rylan’s eye color. Puts it on a store bag and leaves. Then he picks his phone
and flinches as he reads Rylan’s message.
“I had to sneak otherwise she wouldn’t
let me go spend Christmas with a certain dragon merman princess…I mean I’m hoping the princess will still
have me for Christmas?
Rylan finnishes cleaning the last off the
Kennels as he feels his phone vibrate again. Looking at it smiling slightly.
“Can bring Lobo with me home? He could use a day away from the shelter. And yes, I still
want to celebrate with you. Oh.. And your mom was pretty worried
about you, maybe send her a message? I told her I had asked you to
spend Christmas with me. “
Puts the phone back down, walking over to
Lobo.
“I’m sure you’d like to come… Right old boy?”
“Wooooof”
River smiles at the message letting go of
a relieved sigh, messages back as he walks:
“Yes, bring Lobo. he’ll
love your house, and he’s friendly to cats, so it’ll be fine with your
cat. And I’ll message her. I’ll meet you at your place later? At what
time you want me there?”
Looks around the full metro station in San
My, checking at what times the trains leave.
“Well then old man, you are
celebrating Christmas with me, just be nice to Felix right?”
“Woooof!”
Rylan goes looking for Lobos leash, answering
River as he walks.
“In a couple of hours? I need to finish here and
then walk home.”
he winks at Lobo.
“And we need to get his gift, but
he doesn’t need to know that!”
“Woof”
“Exactly!”