Ever since their first real interaction, Caelum and Alaude had met up occasionally, mostly it was a coincidence. They had never planned to meet each other, but whenever they bumped into each other, they would somehow decided to spend their day together, either talking or enjoying each other's presences. It wasn't everyday, but they had seen each other on the street every now and then.

It was no different, on their nth meeting. This time, however, it was planned from the week before. Apparently, on the day they met the week before, Alaude was about to go off to the neighbouring village for his job and had no time to stop and chat, so they had moved it to the day after Alaude returned. They met up in the meadows and simply talked about literally anything.

Alaude wasn't much of a talker, so he mostly just listened, giving his opinion once in awhile. Caelum didn't feel uncomfortable and merely stayed the chipper one between the both of them. It was rather unusual for Alaude, as most would be uncomfortable with one-sided conversation. 

He had realized during their multiple meetings, that Caelum wasn't, by no means, a pushover even with how easily he had gave his trust to Alaude. At first, Alaude thought that the ginger wore his heart on his sleeves, but he was wrong. Caelum had not wore his heart on his sleeves, had never done that and probably would never do it. He had told Alaude a lot about himself, about his viewpoints, belief and perspectives, about almost everything that one would think it was all of him, but it wasn't.

Alaude had came to realize that whatever Caelum had told him was merely a scratch on the surface, merely a small chip of who Caelum truly was.

He was fascinated, in short. Alaude had never met someone so complicated before, so he was definitely fascinated. Even the blond wasn't as complicated as Caelum. In fact, the blond was merely a simple man with complicated ambition.

As he stared at Caelum talking animatedly, he noticed the bandage on the man's shoulder, briefly peeking out from under his shirt. "What happened?" He asked, pointing at his own shoulder as an indication.

Caelum stopped short, mouuth clicking close as he gently touched his shoulder, a wry smile appearing on his lips. "Oh this? Hm, how should I say? I got into a fight?" He grinned sheepishly. Alaude's eyes narrowed but he merely shrug it off. "A traveller from a far away village came last week when you weren't around. He, wasn't the most polite traveller? He was looking around my father's shop when I was on duty. Tried to bargain a tad bit too much to be acceptable and was too rude.

"I had had enough and politely ask him to leave, to which you can guess what happened." He shrugged again. "Got nicked on the shoulder by a twin dagger. Nothing much." 

Alaude was ready to kill when Caelum finished, but apparently it wasn't necessary when Caelum grinned in a feral way, a feat that Alaude didn't think Caelum could do. "I had tied him down and balded him with the same dagger. He may or may not lost a teeth or two--- or four by the time he left with a warning."

Caelum left out the fact that he was actually stabbed on the shoulder by the twin dagger. It wasn't deep since the traveller didn't get too far before Caelum had brought him down. He had lived with his brother- and his uncle before he passed- for his whole life after all. (His brother was a fighter when he was younger, to which he had soften as he grew up, and had taught Caelum how to fight somehow. His uncle, well, gave him lessons on general weakness of a human body, pressure points and all.)

And it wasn't much of a lost for him because he had gained a twin dagger, which he had gave his father to melt into something new or whatever his father did to it.

He could see Alaude was speechless since he had not told him that he could fight. Well, he never told anyone before actually, and no one asked him before. His lean frame had most people thinking that he was weak, most of the time, not that he mind. It was in his favour this way.

Alaude contemplated. "You know how to use a gun then, I presume?" He got a hum and nod in reply, and somehow, he wasn't surprised anymore. "A little, only because my father had taught me before. It has been a long time since I last used one." Caelum sweated to himself. "Then again, I've only learned it once."

"Shall I teach you then?" He blinked at Alaude in surprise. "Why?" Alaude twitched. Why indeed. He would never bothered with anyone before, and he doubt that he would ever bother with anyone, much less teaching them. He wanted to teach Caelum, however. The urge was so strong that those words slipped out of his lips before he could stop them.

"Self-defense." He answered curtly. Caelum raised an eyebrow at the beige-haired man but questioned no further. He shrugged and nodded instead. "Sure. Why not?" He smiled. "Ah but perhaps not now. Let's just enjoy the peace for now." Caelum all but fell back onto the grass, sighing in contentment. 

He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds, the barely audible shift from Alaude, the rustles of leaves on tree and everything. It was so relaxing, that he had let his guard down unknowingly. Not fully, but he did. The previous week was taxing. Without the presence of Alaude, the merchants and rogues were rowdy. Alaude was actually the reason why their village was peaceful without any major fights or war. The man himself doesn't know, but because of how strong he was, no one dared to touch their village lest they suffer his wrath.

(In reality, the man really did nothing for the village, nor had he protected the village or anything. He wasn't even the village's leader or anything. Everyone was simply scared of him because he was, in fact, the strongest in their village.)

Nonetheless, it was one long week. It was strange, the fact that Caelum found it absolutely relaxing around Alaude. It was a similar feeling he had when he was with his uncle, but oh so different as well. Whenever Alaude was in the village, either for a short while or a long period of time, Caelum found peace and tranquility easily.

Even his brother and sisters had notice the significant change in him, especially returning home after another day spent with the beige-haired man. Which, it led to an interrogation from his older brother, Lucien. His brother had found it strange that he had returned smiling more brightly and more genuinely and in a very good mood after a day outside. Usually, he would return with a blank look and his usual facade, since everyday was mostly repetitive to him.

Lucien had always knew which button to push to get him talking, ending with Caelum spilling everything reluctantly. Lucien was surprised yet happy for Caelum, nonetheless. It was fortunate for Caelum as Lucien was someone who knew how to keep a secret. (Well, it wasn't as though he wanted to keep it a secret on his acquaintancy with Alaude. He just didn't have the time to tell his family.) It reminded him of the time when both of them were younger, more mischievous and playful.

It had also led him to promising Lucien to bring Alaude back sometime soon for dinner. (He mentally twitched at that.)

"So," He started slowly. "Are you free tonight?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Great. Uh," Caelum struggled. He had never invited anyone to his house before. It wasn't as though he had no friends (he had a few, but none that he would call close friends), he just never found the want to do it. He didn't know why but he didn't like the thought of them seeing his private life. He wasn't ashamed of his family or anything, heck he was very proud of his family. It was just, he felt as though inviting them over equate to showing the more vulnerable side of him.

And yet, he was inviting Alaude. He wasn't quite sure yet what Alaude was to him, an acquaintance? A friend? He wasn't sure yet, but he wanted to invite Alaude over. That was a first to him.

"Want to come over? For dinner." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as Alaude blinked in surprise. "My brother has been pestering me to invite you over after he.." He made strange gestures with his hands that Alaude didn't understand. "It's okay if you don't want to though! I'll just-"

His sentence was cut off when Alaude chuckled. His eyes widen, for it was the first time he saw Alaude laughing, or, as close to laughing as he could get. It sounded pleasant, he wasn't going to lie. He liked it. "I will, if you don't mind."

Caelum couldn't stop the wide grin from appearing. "It's an honor to have you over."

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"I'm home." Lucien looked up from his place on the couch with his wife and froze. Caelum, seemly noticing it, gave his brother a withering look as he offered to hang Alaude's coat on the hanger. "Lucien, where's mother?" He asked, breaking his brother out of his trance. Lucien blinked a few times and stood up, brushing his hair slightly. "A-ah. She's upstairs."

Caelum nodded and gestured to his brother. "Alaude, this is my older brother, Lucien, and his wife," He gestured to the woman with dark blue hair, heavily pregnant as she smiled from where she was on the couch. "Colette." The beige-haired man nodded at them both. "This is Alaude." Caelum patted him on the back as Lucien stepped forward to shake his hand. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Alaude nodded and return the greeting, shaking Lucien's hand firmly. It was when they let go that two girls, twins clearly, ran down from the stairs, giggling and gasped when they saw Caelum. "Cael!" They rammed into the ginger's side as Caelum pushed back the wince when they hit his hipbone. Nonetheless, Caelum laughed and return the hug. 

"Noella, Naeva, don't be rude to the guest and greet him properly." The twins pulled away slightly as they still clung onto Caelum and peeked at Alaude who was staring at them with indifferent eyes, if not amused. They exchanged a look before smiling to themselves. They detached from Caelum and skipped to Alaude, innocently staring up at him. "I'm Noella!" "And I'm Naeva! We're nine!" The twins tilted their heads and asked in unison. "What's your name?" 

Caelum covered up his lips to stop himself from laughing out loud at how Alaude shifted a little at their innocent act. For all he knew, his younger sisters were as mischievous as they could get. However, he was impressed when Alaude calmly crouched to their eye level and smiled a little. "I'm Alaude. Nice to meet you." The twins grinned. "It's nice to meet you too!" 

Caelum shook his head in exasperation when his mother finally came down from upstairs followed by Eleanor who was tying her hair up into a messy bun. "Lucien, could you please inform your father to come home? Dinner will be- Oh my!" Alaude stood up and bowed at her. 

"Good evening. I'm Alaude." Caelum's mother smiled pleasantly at the greeting and returned them before shooting Caelum a look that had him holding his hands up. "Caelum, you should have informed me that your friend is coming over." She immediately changed and bubbled over to Alaude. "I apologize for the short notice of my visit."

She giggled and patted him on his cheek reassuringly. "Oh don't worry, young man. It's a pleasure to have you over. Please, take a sit! Dinner will be done in a few moment!" She looked towards Caelum. "You better help, Caelum." The ginger shrugged with a smile as he headed to the kitchen with his older sister. She ushered him to the couch as the twins pulling him along. 

"Behave, okay, Noella, Naeva?" And she went back to the kitchen. The twins were still grinning up at him as they both settled beside him. "You're the one that changed Cael, right?" Naeva asked. "He must be." Noella said. "Cael never brought anyone home before." 

Naeva nodded in agreement as they said in unison. "Cael must really like him." 

Alaude awkwardly stared at the twins as they conversed with themselves, sharing the same smile. All too innocent yet all too knowing. He could tell that they love their brother a lot, and wasn't the least pleased that Alaude managed to change Caelum, only by a small bit but the impact was there and it was all done unknowingly. And yet, he could tell that they're happy that he did.

They were happy that Caelum was happy.

"Cael is an idiot sometimes." The one with amber eyes said, followed by Naeva. "Yup. He's an idiot sometimes. But he's nice and kind. We love him." 

"We do." They looked up at him. "Take care of him. Don't hurt him, okay?" "Protect him, please?"

Alaude blinked in surprise. He was pretty sure that the twins were merely nine, still pure and untainted. He was sure that they knew nothing of the dirty, dark world. They don't, but they knew it wasn't a nice place. That their brother needed to be cared for, just like how he had cared for them. That their brother needed a shield as well, just as how he always shielded them.

They knew that their brother needed someone to be there for him, and they weren't the one.

Alaude's eyes soften as he nodded. "I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise." They grinned at him brightly. 'They really love him, huh.' 

(Colette chuckled to herself at how her brother-in-law's friend was talking animatedly with the twins, or as animated as Alaude could be. She wasn't all that close with Caelum, despite knowing him for years after she started seeing his brother. She was glad that he has a friend he could trust for she was worried of him. More often than not, she would see him staring into oblivion with a solemn look and a lonely back.

She was glad, and she could tell that her husband was too.)

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Alaude huffed as he followed Caelum to the attic, the dark stairs lit up only by small fire on the candle the ginger was holding. Caelum chuckled as he looked back at the other with an amused smile. "Overwhelmed?" Alaude gave him a withering glare, which was clearly ignored. "Your family is rather," He struggled with his words for a moment. "Eccentric." He earned another laugh, which he had heard from Caelum for the nth time the whole day. (It was nice.)

"Yep. It wouldn't be a family if it isn't eccentric." Caelum gestured him into his room, which was the attic as he held the door for the other. Since their house was rather small with their ever growing family, he took the attic. He liked it, seeing that he liked watching the stars shining and blinking down at him. Alaude was staying over, insisted (read; forced) by his mother since it was really late into the night by the time they realized it.

Alaude tried to explain that he would be fine and he could take care of himself but the older woman wouldn't take no for an answer. Caelum wasn't much of a help as he was laughing his wits out from the side while his mother fussed over the beige-haired man. After a series of puppy eyes from the twins and persuasion from Caelum, he relented. 

"I've only one bed so we'll have to share." Caelum said nonchalantly, not minding the fact as he dug through his closet to find some clothes that would fit Alaude for the man to change into. Alaude's built wasn't that much different from Caelum's beside the fact that he was fitter than Caelum, who was lanky in comparison. He was used to sharing his bed with his brother and sisters after all.

"It'll be cold up here so change into these." Alaude stared at the clothes that Caelum handed to him and took it gingerly. Caelum was being so casual about this that it unnerved Alaude a little. If Alaude didn't know better, he would have thought that Caelum was lying about him being the first person he had invited.

"Thank you."

Caelum nodded stiffly at that and walked out of the room, giving him some privacy to change. How strange of him when they were both males. It was greatly appreciated, however. A moment later and a series of muffled shouting downstairs, he came back into the room with two cups of warm tea with flushed face. By that time, Alaude had changed into the clothes he was given, his own clothes folded neatly beside him as he raised an eyebrow at how distraught Caelum was.

Caelum shook his head and handed the man a cup of tea before sipping his own cup. "Here." Alaude thanked him as he peered out of the window. "I, uh, just realized that if you're uncomfortable with sharing the bed, you can have it. I'll sleep downstairs."

"No, it's okay." Caelum did a double take. "I admit that I'm not used to this but I'll manage. Besides, it's your bed." He pursed his lips. "Well, if you say so." He finished the tea in one go and placed it on the small night table beside his bed. He shifted the pillows he had on the bed just so that they would have more space to fit the two of them comfortably. Fortunately, it was a rather large bed seeing that it was the one he used to sleep in with Lucien and Eleanor when they were younger.

They soon settled on the bed, staring up at the night sky through the window in silence. "I like your family." Alaude suddenly said as Caelum traced the stars with his eyes before turning his head to look at Alaude.

He shifted to his side and chuckled. "I'm glad. They can be a bit weird sometimes." Alaude nodded, could clearly tell. Caelum's father surprised him the most, having to notice that he wield weapons for a living at first glance. Then again, Caelum's father was a blacksmith and a weapon maker. Caelum's mother, on the other hand, saw the person he used to be when he was merely a kid, naive and innocent. Eleanor and Colette showed him the hospitality one would give to a family and the twins, well, they were unique in a way he couldn't describe.

It was a loving family, reminding him of what he had until it was robbed away from him. It reminded him of the emptiness he felt for years, the lost warmth of a family until he met a certain blond and his friends. 

He liked Caelum's family, truthfully and sincerely.

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A/N= Weeeeeeeee- 

Noella and Naeva are actually the characters that I've hard time writing. They're like, oblivious but then not. I get a bit crept out sometimes when I imagined them. They're a bit like chaotic Reborn whenever he's up to something with that grin on his face. Yep. Definitely.

Fun Fact= Noella and Naeva likes to secretly play tiny little tricks on people that would unnerve them. The twins would always get away with it because the victim wouldn't even realize what had happened. Well, except if said person is Caelum. He had watched over them ever since they were born. He knew what they did 99% all the time.

Fun Fact= Caelum went back to his room with a blush was, well, his brother had about now clinging to Alaude when he sleep. Caelum has bad sleeping posture and whenever he sleeps with someone about the same age or older than him, he would outright cling onto them. [Actually, I've no idea why he was embarrassed about because I (re)wrote this chapter a month back. I can't remember what happened.]

(Alaude's actually two years older than Caelum.)

Fun Fact= When they woke up the next day, Caelum was actually clinging onto Alaude. Imagine the awkward morning they had. Caelum couldn't even look at Alaude without blushing for like, the whole day.

[I apologize for any grammar, spelling, etc. etc. mistakes]