What if... (hfjONE-shots)

...Airy Returned to Earth (Pt.14)

Wassup Edgelings!!!

I've been planning for this chapter forever now! And I've finally managed to get to the point! Yay!! We goin' into the third arc with this one... ;)

Also added a couple fun characters that you may or may not recognize... have fun!

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Bradley eyed the clock hanging to the left of the front glass with one eyebrow raised. It was almost time for him to open his store for business for the very first time, and two of his three employees still hadn't arrived. The slightly tarnished spoon frowned softly, perhaps he should've clarified that they needed to get here before 10...

He had already texted Simeon twice, and he wasn't responding. Bradley didn't even have Aaron's number... Gosh, he really wasn't very prepared was he? Ah well, this whole thing was a first for him, so he wouldn't beat himself down over small stuff like that.

It was indeed an issue that he didn't have a workforce... he had planned to stay until school ended, greeting customers and manning one of the desks on occasion, but if they didn't show up soon he wouldn't have a choice but to stay all day.

Suddenly the newly installed chime above the front door dinged, announcing a new arrival.

Bradley smiled a relieved smile as a familiar bronze lantern entered the small store, gazing at the new products stacked on shelves all around the room. Those hadn't been there when he did his interview...

"Aaron, my guy, I'm glad to see ya." Bradley grinned as he came over and greeted Aaron with a hearty pat on the back. "C'mon into the back, I'd like you to meet Isla, she's one of your new co-workers... Simeon isn't here yet but I'll introduce you to him soon."

Aaron nodded, his blank expression unchanging as he followed his boss into the back. This all felt so... strange... he wasn't sure if it was in a good or a bad way. He liked the thought of working on computers... but he usually worked alone. He wasn't sure how he felt about others being in his workspace, though he wouldn't mind the company. At the same time he felt like they might be distracting...

They entered the back area, which had also been reorganized since Aaron last saw it. There were still boxes of tools and parts stacked along the walls, but now the two chairs that had been in the center of the room were pushed under two long worktables. The workbenches were on opposite sides of the room, and each one was long enough to take up half the wall. Aaron smiled, reminded of his own desk.

"Alright Is-lah, this is Aaron. He's going to be working in the back mostly. He knows computers and stuff." Bradley announced to someone, sounding proud of himself for finding some who 'knows computers and stuff'. It had been a very last minute thing, afterall.

"That's... not my name," A feminine voice objected with a wince.

"Oh uh... sorry..." Bradley chuckled awkwardly, slightly embarrassed, "What is it again?"

"It's pronounced Eye-lah." she corrected gently, though she sounded a bit frustrated, as though she had already explained this.

"Right, right, right, got it." Bradley nodded with a confident smirk. "Eye-lah."

"Mhm..." she sounded less confident in him.

Aaron wasn't paying much attention, staring at the desk as they spoke, reminiscing.

The lighting was better here, so he wouldn't have to turn on his flame to see. He shivered as he remembered when he did that to fix Chaya's computer. He'd rather not use fire... but he didn't think he would have to here, which was a relief. The air was also less musty... and the floor not so slippery, which was reassuring... He had no wish to repeat his accident.