What do you do when the whole world is against you?
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Aria woke slowly, trying to remember where he was. He couldn’t remember anything about being kidnapped, and even if he was kidnapped, he certainly would not be on the most comfortable couch he had ever been on. He was faintly aware of a blanket on him, and Aria debated just going back to sleep. He was warm, and he didn’t want to face wherever had happened yesterday.
It all hit him then, right in the chest. Rayelle, what she had done, and where he had gone afterwards.
Aria finally opened his eyes, looking around the room. He had to admit that he was a little shocked. He had never pictured Calixte as someone who would live in such a...warm place. He thought it would be more doomish and gloomish. But looking around the room, it seemed like the kind of place that Aria would gladly live in, and probably never leave.
He was also convinced that Calixte owned literally every book in existence. There were so many, and even though Aria was not an avid reader, he could still pick out some books he had read and enjoyed greatly.
He was distracted from his scan of the room by the sound of humming. He looked around, but no one was in the room but him. So he unwillingly got up and started moving towards the noise. He went down a very large hallway (with books lining the walls), the humming getting closer. Aria turned into the kitchen, marveling at the room . There were more books still, so many pots and pans on the open shelf cupboards, and a wide assortment of cooking utensils . And there, at the stove, was Calixte. They were humming to themself, making some pancakes. Aria watched as Calixte laid the pancakes on a plate before turning to the fridge. They grabbed fruit baskets and laid them on the table beside some plates. They grabbed a knife out of seemingly nowhere (literally nowhere, Aria checked and there was no knife holder or drawers near them) and started cutting the tops off of strawberries, putting them on the plate next to blueberries and raspberries that were also produced from the fridge.
Calixte turned and handed Aria a plate, still humming, before turning and getting some juice. Aria was a little confused, because he had made no noise coming in the kitchen, and yet it seemed like Calixte knew the whole time that he was there.
After Calixte got the juice, they ushered Aria to a table in the corner of the kitchen.
“So I’m assuming that part of the reason you are here is because of the news last night? Who’s that girl? She seemed like a jerk.”
Aria stared at Calixte for a second before clearing his throat.
“Um, yeah. She, she kind of-”
“Took the town square over? I know. I saw. Are you okay?”
Aria hated the pity he heard in Calixte’s voice, but nodded anyway.
“Yeah. I couldn’t face the people after...that. It was kind of, um, not that good of an outcome.”
“I know. Again, I saw.”
“You saw?”
“О боже ты и идиот,” Calixte mumbled to themself. “Yes, I saw. I woke up really early this morning and went out to get stuff to make breakfast and saw, and even if I never left my house, it’s all over the news. People are wondering where you are. They’re kind of scared that you just disappeared. Or that you’re in the state building with the girl.”
Aria stared at his pancakes. Calixte sighed before shaking their head and starting to eat their food, which Aria noticed was significantly less than what he was given.
For some reason, that got Aria thinking. He had no idea what Calixte was like beyond him being born in Russia and being fluent in the language and that he was a villain. But beyond that, Aria knew nothing about Calixte. He knew that Calixte knew all about him, simply because they’re Calixte and they know everything about almost everyone. And he doubted that Calixte would willingly tell him anything about themself if asked.
“So, your house is really nice,” Aria said after he finished his pancakes.
“Thanks. I built it myself. Do you want more pancakes?”
Aria shook his head. Calixte got up and put the plates in the dishwasher before walking back to the living room, Aria close behind. Calixte sat on their chair and Aria sat on the couch. They sat in silence for a while before Calixte spoke up.
“So, why here? What do you want me to do?”
“What?”
“You came here, and usually if someone comes here they want something from me. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not the most enticing person. What do you want?” they asked.
Aria was shocked for a second, a little hurt that Calixte thought he had only come because he wanted something from them, before he realized that Calixte was right. They didn’t really give off the most pleasurable vibes, and the house didn’t seem like it was made to make anyone happy but Calixte. I mean, Aria had even seen books on the kitchen counters. And the sides of the hallway. And literally everywhere. Aria took a deep breath.
“I'm not here because I want something. I just needed somewhere to go where people wouldn’t ask question after question. Also, I didn't even know I was coming here until I was knocking on the door, so technically my brain just kind of led me here.”
Calixte just stared at him.
Aria smiled shyly, unsure if Calixte would kick him out or start crying. Calixte sighed.
“Fine. How long do you need to stay?”
“Um, like until I can get rid of the Rayelle.”
“The Rayelle? That’s her name?”
“Yeah. She’s actually kind of attractive.”
“Eh. I saw a flash of her on the TV earlier. I don't know how I feel about her. She seems like one of those spoiled kids.”
“Mhm.”
Calixte sighed again.
“Okay, I’m done talking for like an hour, so feel free to read or to go in my room and watch TV. if you talk to me before an hour is up, you will be either starved in the basement or kicked out of the house. No inbetween and no other options.”
And with that, Calixte picked up their book again and opened to a page close to the end, curling their legs up and sitting slumped in the chair. Aria, once he had processed, snorted to himself before getting up and looking for the books he had seen earlier that he knew he liked. He picked one up (almost knocking over a tower of books in the process) and sat down on the couch to read.
Calixte stayed true to their claim. There was no noise at all for an hour, save for when Calixte got cold and made a fire in the fireplace before retreating right back to their chair and continuing with their book.
When the hour was finally up, Calixte sighed and placed a paper in their book before closing it and standing. They stretched quietly before turning to Aria.
“If you are going to stay here, you are going to have to help out.”
“Um, okay. Help out with what?”
Calixte just smiled and gestured for Aria to follow them. Aria cautiously followed Calixte out the door, into the soft wind, and behind the house. Aria looked around for what he was supposed to see, but the only thing he could find was…
“Oh, no. No no no. I don’t garden. I can’t grow plants, I kill them. It’s like the only skill I have beyond the tech world.”
“So your talents consist of tech wizardry and killing plants.”
“And burning kitchens, yes.”
Calixte gave him an incredulous look before sighing.
“Well, I will show you what to do. You better not kill my plants, or you don’t get any food.”
Calixte started towards the garden and started pointing out plants.
“Okay. that vine is watermelon, those there are beans. That plant there, tomatoes. These here are peppers. Those bushes are raspberry bushes. And these here are the strawberries. You are under no circumstances allowed to touch these.”
Aria’s head was spinning. There. Were. So. Many. Plants. Most of the plants you could tell had a lot of things growing on them.
“So, it’s almost winter and we are supposed to get a frost this weekend. We are going to pick the things ready to be picked.”
“How- what- how can you tell that they are ready?”
“I’ll show you. C’mon.”
So Aria followed Calixte to the raspberry bush, trying to listen as they told him about the raspberries.
And even though Aria knew that if he didn’t pay attention he would definitely get yelled at, he just couldn’t help but look at Calixte’s lips.
He didn’t know why. He had never really felt anything for Calixte before, or anything for anyone, really. He’d never gotten close enough to anyone to. And even if he had felt for someone, he had never determined what the feelings were.
So Aria just kept watching Caixte, the way that when they turned their head, their curly black hair seemed to have a halo from the sun, how his lips moved when he talked, and how his eyes shone when he talked about making raspberry yogurt pie.
And Aria found himself wondering why he felt like he was at home with someone he didn’t even know.
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Peace out,
-person