With the sun up high in the sky, Michael walks through the town of Kuyamba with a curious look. The brunet coming back to fulfill his promise of hanging out with a certain red-eyed boy.
"Ah! Mason!" Running over once spotting the boy leaning against the wall with a cup of tea in hand, Michael tackles the taller boy into a hug, smiling up happily. "Good morning!"
"Oh. Morning, Cupcake." Looking down lightly with a subtle smile that quickly turns into a smirk, Mason lightly rests his hand on Michael's head with a chuckle. "Missed me that much?"
"I did not." Turning away with his face slightly flushed, Michael puffs his cheeks out, attempting to remove himself from the blond before yelping lightly at being brought right back into an embrace, staring up in surprise. "M- Mason?"
"I missed you too, cupcake." Laughing lightly yet smugly, Mason lightly flicks Michael on the forehead before letting go and crossing his arms, smirking lightly down at the pouty boy before shaking his head. "So, is there anywhere you would want to go? I remember you vaguely mentioning that you are ever only here for shopping."
"Hmm...." lightly tapping his chin with a small hum, Michael looks back at Mason before subtly fiddling with his hands. "I guess I would just like to take a look around to see what else there is...."
"Sure then." Closing his eyes for a mere second before opening them again, the blood red eyes look into the ones of ocean blue and hold out a hand which the other happily takes without question. "Let's go to Stella and Orion's bakery again on the way, then."
The rest of the town beside the marketplace is completely new to Michael as he doesn't remember what his homeland looked like besides brief descriptions from his siblings, the brunet looks all around with his eyes shining with curiosity, pulling Mason into every interesting shop he sees.
Following behind with amusement and not a single complaint, Mason lightly intertwines their fingers together and does his best to keep up with the boy, for once truly glad that they are holding hands, or the other would be long lost by now from how fast he is going from a shop to another.
"Mason! Mason! Look!" holding two bracelets in hand, Michael beams happily as he lightly slips onto Mason's hand before putting one on himself, looking back at a man in grey that just waved at them with a smile. "That nice people gave them to me for free!"
"That's nice. Peaks of being cute, I guess." Humming lightly as a small smirk appears on his face to cover up the flutter in his stomach, Mason looks smugly down at the flushed boy, that just turns away with a huff. "I'm not cute, Mason. I am a scary person. I can easily kill you in your sleep."
"I mean this in the nicest way possible, Mike. I feel like I'm being threatened by a cupcake." Laughing lightly with his hand lightly patting Michael on the head, Mason smiles playfully as the brunet turns away with a small pout.
"Awe~ Come on now, don't be mad, Cupcake!" Trying his hardest not to laugh, Mason lets a fond smile onto his face as he continues to tease the pink grapefruit in front of him, who just signs lightly and reconnects their hands with a pout. "Meanie...."
"Yet, you seem to still enjoy my company." Bringing their conjoined hands up with a small smirk, Mason lightly remarks before bursting out laughing as Michael wastes no time shaking it off and walking away. Following behind with a shake of his head, Mason can't help but enjoy this a little too much. "Wait! Mike!"
Huffing while biting off a smile of his own, Michael quickly walks through the town before he abruptly stops in front of the familiar shop filled with the smell of fresh bakeries. Catching up with small pants and wondering just how the other doesn't seem affected one bit, Mason straightens up before looking at the shop and smiling lightly. "Want more cupcakes?"
"Yes, please...."
With the bell ringing as the two boys enter the store, Orion looks over from where he had just finished sending a customer off and smiles brightly once spotting the two waving happily. "Mason! Mike! Welcome!"
"Our little bean is here again?!" Rushing out of the kitchen before almost slipping on her own foot, Stella smiles brightly before giving Michael a hug that the boy gladly returns. Sweat dropping lightly once receiving a light glare from the red-eyed boy, Stella backs off and gives the boy a rather happy smile. "It's so nice to see you again, Michael!"
"It's nice seeing you guys too!" Beaming, Michael answers with a bright smile.
"Now, what can I get you two today? It's on the house!" Heading back behind the counter, Stella asks as she lazily lays against the table with her cheek resting in her hand. Eyes widening in both surprise and gratitude, Michael smiles back with a smile that might just as well be from an angel. "Really?! Thank you! I would like a cupcake, please!"
"Of course, precious!" Laughing lightly and taking three cupcakes to hand them over to Michael, Stella turns over to Mason with a light smirk once Michael gets too focused on eating his cupcake. "What about you, lover boy?"
"Shut it, Stella." Throwing a glare over before signing once Stella just laughs in amusement, Mason leans back against the wall with his arms crossed. "I'll take a muffin."
"Alright! Here you go!"
"Say, Mikey? Do you have any siblings?" asking as she puts another basket of pastries onto the display, Stella looks over with a smile as Michael and Mason eat at the table nearby.
"Yes, actually! I have... two." trailing off lightly as the memory of a small brunet boy enters his mind, Michael stops eating his cupcake and stares down at his hands. Noticing it without issue, since it really isn't subtle, Mason gently reaches a hand over to place it on top of Michael's with a concerned glance. "Is something wrong?"
"O- oh! It's nothing..." giving Mason a light smile, clearly trying to hold back his sadness, Michael lowers his head once more once Orion and Stella both look over with a concerned glance. Not wanting to worry his new friends, Michael speaks up once more. "It's... it's just that I used to have a twin...."
"U- used to... meaning..." eyes widening in realization, Orion's face frowns with sadness, wearing his heart on his sleeve just like, if not more than Michael. Nodding lightly and not wanting to speak further on this issue, the burnet smiles over. "But I still have two older siblings that I love very much! One of them is on a business trip right now, though... I hope I'll get to see him soon!"
"I'm sure you will, Mikey." Smiling back lightly yet with a hinge of sadness to what they had just been informed of Michael, Stella decides to hand him another cupcake and decides to change the topic. "You know, I have an older sibling as well."
"You do?" Asking curiously as he thanks Stella for the new cupcake, Michael stuffs another cupcake into his face as Stella nods at him with an amused smile. "Yup. Though she is currently still back in our home country with Mom."
"You moved here... with your dad?"
"Mhm, since there are a lot more business opportunities here compared to our homeland, which has so many shops already that it becomes really hard to survive as a bakery." Nodding lightly with a small shrug, Stella walks back into the back but talking just loud enough for the others to hear. "We would visit every few years, though. I did miss them no matter how much Vanessa annoyed me."
"I'm sure she misses you too." Giggling lightly with a happy nod, Michael finishes up his cupcakes before looking over at Mason, who nods at him and stands up from his seat, looking back at Orion and Stella with a small smile. "We'll be on our way, then."
"Okay! Enjoy the date, you two!"
"Date? What does that mean?" Tilting his head in light curiosity as they walk out of the shop, Michael looks up at Mason, who just shrugs lightly in return with a flush ever so light resting on his cheeks. "It just means hanging out one-on-one, don't look too deep into it."
"Somebody, stop that thief!"
As someone runs by the two boys at an inhumane speed leaving only the mental image of something yellow, Michael quickly snaps out of his shock and follows behind without missing a beat.
Chasing the figure without fail right into an abandoned alley quite far away from the market, Michael grabs them by the shoulder before pulling them in and holding his dagger against her neck.
Stopped struggling under the dagger, the person peeks up at Michael before, in a swift motion, getting out of the grasp and jumping off to the side. "What do you want?"
"For you to give back what you stole." Answering with his arms crossed, Michael looks the person up and down. This person is fit. You can see that even though the sick layer of clothing. In a ready stance in case the other decides to flee, Michael holds the dagger tight in his hands.
"Wait...." With the hood falling off their head, revealing brown hair tied in two buns. Dirty yellow eyes way darker than Frederick's stare at Michael with them being wide open, the person, now presumably female, speaks up again in a more surprised tone. "That dagger... did Boss Rence take you in as well?"
"Boss Rence... you know my brother?!"
"Your brother... You are Michael?!"
Staring at each other in surprise, Michael slowly puts his dagger away and wonders why he is even surprised that his brother has found more children to take care of, he smiles over a bit more nicely this time. "So... Brother took you in?"
"Yes, a few months ago, actually." answering as her figure relaxes lightly as well, the girl with buns stares over with a softer expression as well before nodding lightly in greeting. "The name is Althea."
"So... Thea. Why did you steal?" asking lightly with his face filled with curiosity, doubting that Terrence would leave one of his 'children' without giving them any coins to spear, Michael tilts his head lightly.
"I did not steal. This belonged to my friend before someone stole it from her and put it on the market. I was merely retrieving it." showing the comb in her hand, Althea meets Michael's eyes before putting it away once again, crossing her arms as she observes the boy in front of him with a hum. "You look soft."
"Oh really...?" asking with the innocent look wiped clean from his face, the ocean blue eyes darken into a shade of sapphire. Before Althea knows it, Michael is back at her throat with the dagger pressed against her throat, breathing right beside her ears. "Don't judge a book by its cover. Ever heard of that saying, Althea? Underestimate me again, and that will be your doom."
After a light gasp escapes, Althea, now with the girl's eyes shining lightly while looks down at the boy who had just earned her respect without fail. Backing away with the dagger back in his pocket, Michael gives her another one of his innocent smiles before tilting his head in curiosity as he hears another figure coming their way.
"Lady Thea!" Running over happily before tilting her head at the presence of Michael, Lavender nods lightly in greetings before turning to the girl who has let a small smile onto her face, handing over the comb that she 'stole.'
"You got it back! Thank you so very much, Thea!" giving the girl a hug which Althea gladly returns with her arms wrapped around the black-haired girl's waist. The new girl turns over to Michael before nodding in acknowledgement. "Hello there! I'm Lavender."
"Michael. I believe you are the friend that Thea was talking about?" Tiling his head lightly to the side, Michael asks before an offended gasp leaves the girl's lips as she pouts at Althea. "Is that really how you introduced me, Thea?"
"I'm sorry, Flower. I didn't want to share too much of my personal life at that moment...." Giving her a light smile and an apologetic kiss on the forehead, Althea turns over at Michael with a light nod. "Mike. This is my girlfriend. Lav, this is Boss Rence and Tyron's little brother."
"Oh! So, you are the little brother they always talked about!" smiling lightly and clearly feeling much better, Lavender walks to the side with her hands held together in front of her once Althea had let go of her waist. "Nice to finally meet you!"
"Nice to meet you two as well. I'm surprised Brother had never mentioned you two before...." Tilting his head in light confusion, Michael signs before tensing lightly as another presence appears behind him.
"Don't... you... ever run off like that again. You got me?" Panting heavily as he had finally caught up to the brunet, a pair of red eyes sends him a warning yet worried glare. Sweat dropping lightly and feeling apologetic, Michael averts his gaze in guilt. "I'm sorry, Mason...."
"It's... fine. I guess. But only for this once." Scolding lightly with a light bonk on Michael's head, Mason shakes his head before the two girls on the back catch his attention, looking back down at Michael with a raised brow. "They are?"
"Thea and Lav! My new friends!" Smiling happily like a boy that is nowhere capable of threatening anyone with a dagger to the throat, Michael slides his hand back into Mason's as he mentions back towards the girls. "Thea told me that the comb belonged to Lav, and she just took it back for her!"
"Hmm... I see." Sharing a nod with Lavender, who smiled at him in her usual gentle way, Mason's eyes scan over at Althea, who has her arms crossed with her expressions cold, looking just about ready to kill him. "What?"
"What is your relationship with Boss?" Althea asks with a cold glare, catching everyone, including Michael himself, off guard. Blinking in surprise, Michael turns over to meet her eyes. "S- since when was I your boss?"
"Since just now!" with a hand on her throat to remind the boy of the threat he had said, Althea's face remains straight despite having everyone's confused stare on her. "You have proved yourself to me, and I see you as my boss now."
"W- we are both under the care of Brother! I'm not on any higher levels than you, Thea...." Sweat dropping lightly, Michael signs when realizing that he cannot change the other's mind and gives in. "Fine then... let me introduce you to my squad soon, huh?"
"Sure." Nodding lightly before smiling over at Lavender, the two nod lightly before leaving the alley and heading on home.
"What do you mean you are both under the care of your brother?" Mason asks with a raised brow. "And what is your squad?"
"Hmm? Oh! It's just that Brother has a habit of taking in helpless children and raising them with the help of Papa. Thea and Lav are apparently some of them that I am not aware of until today. Probably because Brother feels bad for making Papa even more busy by adding children to the stack, so decided to keep them here with some of his money and to visit frequently." Michael explains with a softened smile, lightly squeezing Mason's hand. "And my squad is just my group of friends that I hang out with every day! You already met Frederick and Simon, and there is also Mark, who was busy that day! Maybe I'll introduce you guys one day, and we can all hang out!"
"Hmm... sure then."
If that means Mason can see Michael more frequently. He is more than ready to accept the inevitable third wheeling of Frederick and Simon.