At 10:30 on Sunday night, Alfie Willow was at his breaking point. Koda had gone home with Morlen after they shared the afternoon together in the park. Alfie had let the dove's soul pass on a few hours ago and he accidentally forgot to close his mind to the paranormal. Ghosts continuously appeared until his head felt like it would explode.
"Leave me alone!" Alfie screeched and Molly's hand hovered by her pocket, unsure on whether to call Connor to relieve her son of some ghosts. A loud crash came from Alfie's office and Molly barged into the room to see Alfie throwing a plant at someone she couldn't see.
"Alfie! I'm calling-"
"No!" Alfie yelled, turning to his mother with eyes so hard, Molly saw the pain he was keeping back from containing so many souls.
"I'm calling Connor."
"I want Koda!"
"Koda's probably sleeping." Molly searched through the contacts on her phone as she spoke. "You'll see Koda tomorrow at college."
"I won't. We don't have art together tomorrow."
"Then maybe you can see him after." Molly lifted her phone to her ear, listening to it ring.
"I have clients." Alfie ran hands through his hair and threw himself onto the couch.
Molly rested a hand on her hip when the ringing stopped. "Connor-"
"I'm outside." Connor hung up and Molly was left stuttering. Every time Alfie had a fit about too many ghosts, Connor was always able to tell. She heard the front door open and close, then the light tapping of Connor's cane against the wood. He always edged around the long hallway rugs for more stability and reassurance.
"Alfie, no!" Molly launched herself at her son before he ripped a shelf off the wall. She contained him in her arms as he struggled for freedom.
Connor heard the scuff of shoes on wood and the grunting of struggling bodies. Alfie yelled and Molly yelled back. Connor was no stranger to Alfie's breakdowns.
"Right, which ghosts are annoying you the most Alfie?" Connor asked, feeling the presence of a grumpy old woman. He pictured her leaning over Alfie with a walking stick pressing painfully against his chest, demanding that Alfie helped her first.
"Take that old hag before I fling her at the demons!" Alfie yelled, kicking at someone Molly couldn't see.
"Who else? Dorinto?" Connor asked, feeling his presence in among the chaos.
"No, Dorinto stays. just take the rest. Please!" Alfie begged, curling up against his mother with his head wrapped in his arms. "Shut up!" he growled when thirty different voices tried to talk to him all at once. "I'm keeping the one asking for Ronnie Birch, but take the rest now please, Connor! Please!"
"Alright." Connor stood with a palm facing the ceiling. He opened his mind and imagined many ropes flying from his hand and wrapping around the ghosts in the room. Some resisted, but most were attracted to his energy and directed their concerns to him. Once Connor had tied the rope securely, he shut his mind and the room silenced immediately.
Alfie relaxed like the ghosts left with his muscles. His heavy breathing was the only sound left. His lungs were wheezy and stiff.
"Are they gone?" Molly asked when the two mediums didn't say a word.
"They're gone." Connor sighed, unbuttoning the top of his navy blue shirt. Colours to him were now a mystery, but as long as he ordered dark coloured clothes, he knew he couldn't look that bad.
Molly rubbed her sons back as exhaustion washed over him like a large wave claiming the sand. "I wish your father was here," she grunted and lifted Alfie in her arms. Her legs struggled to straighten. "You're heavier than you look."
"Allow me," Connor said and folded his cane, tucking it under his armpit. He held out his arms and waited for the weight of Alfie to be handed to him.
"I have legs you know," Alfie whispered with eyelids too heavy to open.
"I'm very capable, as is your mother, but I presume it has been a long weekend for you both," Connor smiled, holding him tighter and waiting for Molly to grip his bicep and guide him to Alfie's room, despite him knowing the way.
* * * * *
Koda thought he was free for the evening when College finished on Monday. His mood had levelled out enough for him to get through the day without wanting to cry or beg for the college to somehow close so he could go home and spend eternity in bed. Morlen had texted him a few time to ask if he was okay which Koda found extremely strange.
It was 3:30 in the early evening and Koda followed Miss Pecan down the corridor after she plucked him out of the sea of students who were going home. He had missed more lessons than what he would have liked, and Miss Pecan was always pushy about spending a lot of time on coursework.
"You'll be pleased to know that I made Alfie stay behind too," his teacher said, glancing at Koda from the corner of her eye.
"Alfie has a tight schedule today. I don't think he can afford to stay behind." Koda entered the room and Alfie looked unmistakably miserable. If he were a cat, his ears would lie flat with annoyance. The whites of his eyes blended to red at the bottom with tiredness, and his hood pulled far over his head to make him look angry with the shape of the shadows on his skin.
"Hey," Koda said and seated himself heavily next to him. "I see even you couldn't escape Pecan's hawk eyes."
Alfie mumbled a reply and stared at his blank page like it said disgusting things to him.
"You told me you had clients this evening," Koda said, rummaging through his bag. "Have you told Miss Pecan that? Surely she'll let you go?"
"Mum cancelled them." Alfie was in a foul mood, and not even Koda could rise him from his death-like state.
Koda nodded and placed drawing pencils in between their sketchpads. "You can borrow-"
"I brought my own."
Koda closed his mouth, staring at Alfie with hesitation. Alfie had always said he was a difficult person to like, but Koda was yet to experience his difficult side. Maybe this was it.
"So," Koda said, pressing on through his quest to make conversation. "Do you still have the dove soul? I thought about it all last night."
"No." Alfie rubbed his eyes. They felt better closed but sleep was far on his horizon. "It wanted to go."
"That's good, then."
Alfie didn't look at Koda, he couldn't. He was too sunken down into a mood so dark, nobody could find his smile. Alfie wouldn't usually busy himself with the presence of other people, but shutting Koda out was not an option. He moved his hand from the table until he felt Koda's arm.
Koda watched Alfie's hand slide down until their palms touched and their fingers blended together.
"It's a tough day," Alfie mumbled and Koda squeezed his hand.
Koda moved close enough for Alfie to feel his breath against his ear. "I understand," he whispered then planted a tiny kiss onto his temple.
Alfie would dare say the touch of Koda's lips simmered something within him, something other than his negativity. "Ghosts," he sighed. "They don't have an off switch."
Koda nodded, thoughtfully tapping his pencil against his paper. Alfie had occupied his days constantly for the past three weeks, yet there was still so much about him that Koda didn't know. "We should go on another date," he said, blinking at his own confidence.
Alfie peered at him from under his hood. Koda's goofy smile sparked another lighter emotion. "Tonight?"
"If you're feeling up to it. It's okay too if you want to be alone tonight. I know I do when I'm not feeling great."
Alfie's senses buzzed from Koda being close. He wanted to spend as much time with him as he could. "I guess it'll do me good to hang out with people who are actually alive for a change."
Miss Pecan snorted but didn't look up from her work.
Koda leaned close again, suddenly aware of their teacher's presence. He lowered his voice and said, "I've heard it's pretty normal to go on dates with your boyfriend." His eyes lapped up the sight of Alfie's tiny smile, subconsciously smiling with him.
"I think you might be right." Alfie peeled down one of his defensive walls. Not even his parents could tear them down when he felt so empty. Alfie had waited for Koda to notice him for years and it was about time he took his own advice. Pushing those away that meant the most wasn't a wise idea, especially when Alfie so desperately wanted his stormy mood to pass on. "Where are you taking me, then?" Alfie asked and pulled his hood down. The bright art room shined on his milky skin.
"I haven't figured that out yet." The thought of going on dates and kissing another guy in real life made Koda want to cry with happiness. There were times when he never thought it would happen, but now his life was falling into place despite it falling apart at the same time. One day he was able to put the stresses to another place, while other days, the sadness and anxiety consumed him entirely until he believed he would never be okay again. Today was a good day, and Koda decided to make the most of it.
"Are you good at cooking?" Alfie asked.
"Well... I'm better than my dad. I can cook a pie?"
Alfie picked a pencil up when Miss Pecan started to glare. "Fancy teaching me how to cook? I can barely handle instant noodles."
"Sure," Koda chuckled, "but I think my dad will be home."
"Hmm, Morlen hovering while on a date. Not the kind of romantic mood I had in mind."
"No? What did you have in mind?"
Another one of Alfie's protective barriers started to crumble. Maybe having Koda close was necessary, just like the Grim Reaper predicted. Also, the heat rushed to Alfie's face when his head filled with not so innocent thoughts. Koda's smirk didn't make it easier to push them away. "Dimmed lights, an empty house, unnecessarily long eye contact. You know, all the cliche stuff."
"An empty house?" Koda's face was close enough for any passerby to think they were a couple or that Koda didn't know personal space.
"Well, a Morlen-free zone." Alfie wanted to say a parent-free zone so they could kiss without interruption.
"After last time, I doubt my dad will bother us at all."
"Good." Only for a second, Alfie saw a glint of desire flash in Koda's eyes like someone shone a torch directly at him. Then Koda's eyes traced down Alfie quick enough for the medium to almost miss it. "Subtle," he grinned, and his facial muscles stretched when he did like Alfie had to warm them up before moving them so quickly.
"I don't know what you mean." Koda's amusement-filled tone was also easily detectable as he started moving his pencil across his paper. It felt almost unnatural because Koda was in such a state of anguish yesterday and in the early hours of the morning. Alfie seemed to make him forget.
"I can hardly complain. It's not like I didn't look at you like that for years." Alfie always felt particularly bold when his mood was low.
"Now it's my turn." Koda rested his cheek on his palm. His eyes pinned to his paper because he tried to hide his blush. Though Alfie blushed twice as red and scolded himself for it.
"I should take more care in what I wear then," Alfie said, glancing at their teacher who had thankfully put the radio on, but she always seemed to be watching them when he looked her way. Alfie didn't like that she knew about Koda. It felt like she knew too much and he didn't know her well enough to know she wouldn't use it against them somehow. Alfie had never been good at trusting people.
"You look great in everything." Koda's hand moved down under the table and he dared to link a finger in the rip on Alfie's knee.
Koda's touch zapped Alfie's leg with a fluttery hot bolt that nobody else was able to give him. To describe Koda's touch as special would be a distortion of the real thrill Alfie felt when their skin brushed together. It felt as right as the flow of a river, the rise of the sun, a wild animal in its natural habitat.
Alfie watched Koda smile to himself and almost rubbed his hands together as he thought of a reply that would surely make Koda's eyes pop out of their sockets. "I look even better in nothing."
As expected, Koda's eyes widened suddenly and he choked on his inhaled breath. Miss Pecan looked up and Alfie pretended like he was drawing with a concealed grin waiting to burst free. Luckily, she couldn't hear them over the radio presenter.
Koda sat up straighter and recovered very quickly. "I don't doubt that," he said and cleared his throat, peering at Alfie through his eyelashes, almost sheepishly. "I don't doubt that at all."