They closed up the cafe, putting all the chairs in their appropriate positions and turning off the lights, before herding the cats into the house. The cats ran forward full of energy and stumbled over each other as they entered through the cat door.
Once the cats had buried their heads in their food, Felix disappeared into the kitchen to cook.
For dinner, they had a spread of grilled fish, steamed greens, and mashed potatoes.
"Isn't this too much for two of us?"
Felix looked at the plates on the table. "I was worried it wouldn't be enough."
It turned out to be the case. Adrian ended up eating more than he expected. The meal was delicious. For the first time since he could remember, this was the first time he felt completely safe while eating dinner. Since he first entered the cafe, everything he had eaten and drank had been untested.
Adrian went back to his room to shower and searched through his clothes for something comfortable to wear. He settled on one of the plaid pajama sets Clark had slipped into his luggage before leaving. He chose the green one, Felix's favorite color. Felix did the same, he wore a soft white T-shirt and green cotton pants patterned with tiny white cat heads.
After Felix had tucked in the cats and turned off the lights in their room, he padded up the stairs and gently knocked on Adrian's door.
"Hey," he called as the door swung open.
Adrian leaned against the frame. "Hey."
"I want to open a bottle of wine."
Adrian arched a brow, stepping out. "You want to drink?" The report he was given didn't mention that Felix particularly liked drinking. Did his men miss something?
"Yes. Ehn... No…" Felix rubbed the back of his neck. "It's to celebrate your onboarding."
"There's not much to celebrate."
"There is. You're my first staff, and I read about it online. It's a way to make your employees feel like part of the family. Luckily, I happen to have a few bottles. So I thought, Apple pie and red wine, I wonder if they go well together."
Adrian smiled faintly. "Well, let's find out."
They walked down the stairs together, shoulder to shoulder. Felix went to get the wine and glasses, while Adrian took over slicing the pie and placing them on plates. They settled on the long sofa in the living room, their plates balanced on their laps, and slowly ate.
The wine was fruity and mellow, and surprisingly, it did pair nicely with the tartness of the apple pie.
Felix stood up and walked to the TV. "Want to watch a movie?" he asked, already switching it on.
Adrian hesitated. He'd never really watched movies. Growing up, his days were filled with lessons— lessons on self-defence, using weapons, as well as his regular school work— and danger. His father couldn't afford to let him grow carefree– not as the heir of the Stone family— and especially not after his mother died.
Later, when he went to Germany, he was only focused on his studies, earning him multiple distinctions and honors. Anything to avoid being pulled back into the mafia lifestyle.
Jack, on the other hand, had lived a more colorful life, visiting different cities, making friends, watching movies as they came out, and somehow he still managed to not fail. He always found fun no matter where he was.
"I don't mind," Adrian said after a beat.
"'What do you suggest? Do you have a favorite movie?"
"No." Adrian shook his head. "I'll watch whatever you pick."
Felix grinned. "I have great taste, you'll love it," he said, as he started flipping through the TV menu.
"Found it," he announced as he hit play on something and rushed back to the couch.
Soon, upbeat music filled the room as the screen lit up. The camera panned across a long, winding road. In the car, a family of four rode together, laughing and joking with one another, their faces beaming with joy as sunlight streamed through the windows.
Suddenly, the music stopped.
The bright and sunny sky suddenly turned grey, and fog rolled in.
One of the children looked out the rear window and screamed.
A shadowy figure stood on the road, looking back at him.
The screen went black, and in sharp red letters like dripping blood, the title appeared:
"The Lonely Road."
Then the full figure of the shadowy figure was revealed— a tree-like humanoid monster.
Adrian stiffened.
What he thought was a lighthearted family drama turned out to be horror.
As the movie went on, it only grew more gruesome and dark, with sudden jump scares and painful death, Adrian found himself gradually shifting deeper into his seat. In the dim room, the only light came from the flickering screen, and the only sound was the continuous scream from the TV.
He turned to Felix, who was calmly sipping his wine, fully engrossed in the movie.
Felix felt his gaze and looked over.
"Is something wrong?" he asked casually.
Adrian looked away quickly. "Nothing."
Felix narrowed his eyes, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Are you scared?"
His breath blew over Adrian's ear, causing him to turn around.
Scared? He had seen real people die. He had even escaped from the jaws of death multiple times. He knew all this was fake.
And yet… the tension, the way the characters reacted, everything somehow got to him.
Felix shifted closer and nudged him gently. "Don't worry," he said, grinning. "I'll protect you from any monster that comes out of the screen or whatever might be hiding under your bed."
Adrian blinked.
The weak cafe owner was offering to protect him. He didn't know the monsters Adrian had to deal with. Real ones that actually caused harm. Felix couldn't beat them. The absurdity of it made him want to laugh.
But still, it made his heart warm.
"I'll count on you then," he murmured, shifting closer, close enough that their thighs were almost brushing.
Through the cotton of his trousers, Adrian could feel the heat radiating from Felix's body.
Maybe it was the wine.
He couldn't tell.
Somehow, it made him feel safe.
Felix didn't move away.
Instead, he shifted closer.