Eventide ~ a spicy noodles fanfic

Chapter 15. Sunset

The two walk down the long pathway, beside each other as the sun shines brightly above them.

"I could always vault on my staff to get there, but I like the scenic route." Mk laughs.

"Speaking of which, where are we going? You still haven't said anything except for "can I show you something?" What exactly are you showing me"

Red son was rather impatient.

After a few hours, it was almost 8 and they had arrived. Red son opened his exhausted eyes to see the same hill they had first chatted on that one night.

"Hurry up! It's starting soon!" Mk ran ahead to sit on the hill. Red son slowly followed and sat next to Mk who stared ahead at the city they had came from.

"What exactly-"

Red son was cut off as Mk hold his finger to Reds mouth.

"Just look!"

Suddenly, the sun fell from behind them and the sky turned orange and yellow. The buildings began to shine and almost glow as if glitter were poured on them.

Red son was shocked by the beauty of it. The orange sky, the shinning buildings, the fading sun, for once, everything was beautiful to him.

"I told you the city looked the prettiest in the eventide!"

Mk looked at Red son who was fixated on the buildings shimmering glow and sighs.

He suddenly grabs onto his hand and stares him in the eyes.

"Red, please tell me what's happening. Please tell me why you were on that bench alone last night."

Red looked back and somehow, Mk's desperate look, his eyes full of sun, begged him to tell everything.

"M-my mother.. she... " he struggled to find words.

Mk waited patiently with a patient yet desperate face.

"Look, my mother and father aren't really..shall I say.. nice to me. The punishments are brutal for every small failure and I was scared. I know it's weird. I shouldn't be scared of my own mother because she loves me and she gave me life but I was scared. Each time I showed that I was scared or felt like crying, I was punished. So, one night, I failed again, she told me to leave and it happened to be late at night."

Mk stops and thinks for a moment.

"Had she..kicked you out before?"

"Yes. That wasn't the first time..."

Mk grabs onto his hand and holds it tightly.

"Red, I am so sorry.. I didn't know.. "

"Sorry for what..?"

"Red. That's not normal. Your mother isn't normal."

Those words crushed him. His mother wasn't normal? But she loved him, didn't she? He was so confused.

"It's okay. Thank you for telling me."

Mk wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him tightly as the bright eventide slowly faded into moonlight.

This time, instead of quickly backing away in embarrassment, red son sat still. He suddenly felt something he hadn't felt in a while. Safety.

Red son felt safe with Mk. He sat still for a moment, before leaning his head to Mk's shoulder, tiredly. They sat in silence and admired the moonlit night for a while.

Mk turned to face Red as he did the same and they stared at one another.

Red stuttered before opening his mouth to say something regretful.

"Thank you."

Mk gasped slightly before smiling.

"No, thank you. You're a hero, Red."

Red blushed slightly from such a compliment. A hero? Him?

Red looked back at the city which no longer was glowing but appeared shadowy as if it was never there. Despite this darkness, he smiled.

A genuine smile. Mk's compliment had made him happy.

Mk admired his smile but didn't dare say anything to ruin it. He simply watched his happiness.

"Red, I'm happy we met."

Mk holds his hand tightly.

Red looks at their hands and back at his face which stared at his. Blush coated Red son. He couldn't handle the kindness.

They stared at each other without a single word for what seemed like an eternity.

The sky soon turned completely black around them and Red son stood to his feet.

"Well.. I better head home.. "

"What? No way! You can't tell me about how awful your family treats you and expect me to let you go back! That's an awful idea!"

"But-"

"No buts! You are staying with me!"

Mk grabs Reds arm and his staff in the other.

"W-wait-" red tries to speak

Mk quickly vaults his pole off of the ground as they flew through the air. Red grabbed onto Mk in fear and in a matter of seconds, they were a top a building in the city.

Red son opened his eyes as he gripped on to Mk and quickly backed away.

"If your parents ever come looking for you, I won't hesitate to smash them to the ground!"

Mk laughed.

Red remained silent still unable to believe his situation wasn't normal.

"Hey! No more being sad!" Mk reassured grabbing onto his arm again.

"We still have to make it back home!" Mk prepares his staff and Red sighed loudly.