The Altered.

Chapter LXIV.

Two nights following his conversation with Lia, Miles was sitting quietly on his shift and thinking back to everything she'd said. Her words had been swimming around in his head since she'd said them, and he presumed that was because he knew she was right.

He wished he could get some fresh air to clear his head, but he didn't dare go outside. Especially in the middle of the night without company. For a second, he thought perhaps he could go to the roof. But he shuddered when he thought back to what had happened last time, and that option was ruled out in a second flat. Instead, Miles got to his feet noiselessly and started towards the escalator that would take him downstairs. He knew he wasn't meant to abandon his shift like this, but he didn't feel as bad doing it when he recalled that if anything was to enter the library, they'd have to pass through the lower level first anyway. If he was down on that level, he'd still see anything that entered.

Miles picked his way over the bodies of his sleeping companions - Percy was splayed on the carpet as if he hadn't been prepared to fall asleep there when he had, but he did look comfortable - and around furniture until he reached the escalator. Padding down the broken, clunky metal stairs was enough to make him wince at how much noise he was making, but nobody seemed to stir. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Miles ran both of his hands through his hair and leaned against the nearest shelf, taking in a deep breath. His hair was growing longer than he usually let it, since he'd been able to get it cut in so long. It brushed the bottom of his ears and when he tipped his head forward, his bouncy locks were sent tumbling onto his forehead to obstruct his line of sight.

Besides his conversation with Lia, there was something else on his mind. Having checked the time on his phone - which had hardly a single percentage of battery remaining - barely ten minutes prior and finding that it had just passed midnight, Miles felt like he ought to be experiencing one of the biggest changes in his life. Normally, the day would be big; it would be a day where he'd undergo something game-changing. Something that modified him almost completely.

Of course, referring to the Alteration. Today, he would have undergone the alteration. If the world wasn't in havoc, that is.

Pushing his hair from his eyes and trying to decide what he was meant to do now that he was down here, Miles didn't notice the soft sound behind him until it sounded again, louder the second time.

He spun around just in time to avoid letting a vague figure in front of him clasp a hand on his shoulder. In a panic, he grabbed the nearest book and swung it.

Aaron snatched the book from the air in time to save his face. "Miles, calm down!"

"Aaron, you jerk!" Miles snapped, voice becoming more of a low hiss as he realised he might wake somebody else up. "You freaked me out."

A flash of white teeth in the darkness indicated that Aaron was grinning. Miles indignantly shoved Aaron's chest with both hands, and this only led to a burst of laughter from the victim. "You woke me up! I had every right to follow you and see what you were doing down here at this hour."

"None of your business."

"Can I join you?"

"If you're fond of sitting in silence in a pleasant little corner till my shift is over."

Aaron tipped his head from side to side in mock consideration. "I think I can handle that."

Miles hadn't been prepared for company, but with Aaron content to do nothing but sit, Miles didn't feel pressured to come up with some kind of midnight activity that they could do. He wove his way between shelves and Aaron followed, their footsteps nearly silent on the carpeted floor. Miles sat down between two shelves, having taken no care in selecting this location whatsoever. It would do.

Without question, Aaron sat down beside Miles. Close to him. Miles looked at Aaron, who was close enough so that Miles could see most of his features through the darkness. When they were both seated, Aaron didn't have that much height on Miles, which made Miles subconsciously let a small smile slip onto his face.

"What is it?" Aaron asked, noticing the out-of-place smile.

"I'm your height, when we're sitting."

Aaron scoffed at the comment like it had been positively absurd. "Yeah. Only when we're sitting down, though."

Miles' grin grew. He didn't want it to, but it was hard not to let it. "Still. It counts."

Aaron elbowed him lightly, letting out a small one of his laughs. "Geez, Miles. I wished you smiled like that more."

A swarm of butterflies erupted in Miles' stomach. He trampled them all down at once before his cheeks could redden. God, he wished Aaron hadn't said that - now his smile was even broader, and he was feeling suddenly aware of how close they were sitting.

That being said, he didn't move any further away. "Only interesting things make me smile."

"Oh, so I'm interesting?"

"Mildly."

Aaron appeared to be endeared by this information, and clasped a hand to his chest. "I appreciate that. Really." His tone suggested mischief.

Miles laughed, and Aaron did too. But Miles' mind was elsewhere. "Hey," he said suddenly. "Guess what?" He hated the way he made it sound like he was about to reveal something grand or exciting. He wasn't.

Aaron perked up. "What?"

Miles wasn't nearly half as enthusiastic as Aaron as he responded, "I'm sixteen today."

It took a while for Aaron to let this sink in. At first his smile faltered, and then it grew and grew. "You're sixteen and won't have to get Altered," breathed Aaron. "Isn't that like, everything you've ever wanted?"

Miles lowered his gaze, letting a hint of a smile play at the corners of his lips. "Sure. But not really like this. I didn't do anything to earn it for myself, like run away or shut down the system on my own."

"Ah, well. When this is over, you can run away."

"Will you come with me?"

"Only if you want me to."

As a cool breeze gusted through the library, Miles used it as an excuse to shift even closer to Aaron. To be fair, that was a method that provided warmth. Also comfort. When Aaron didn't move away, Miles set down his head on Aaron's shoulder. "I do. Let's go somewhere that hasn't even been discovered yet. And never tell anybody about it."

"I think everywhere has been discovered already," Aaron pointed out.

"Naw," Miles said. "We'll find somewhere."

"Then it's a plan." Aaron's voice was laced with humour.

Miles smiled his agreement, lifting his knees and hugging them up to his chest. He was leaning on Aaron, but Aaron didn't seem to mind. If he did, he didn't say anything.

"Miles," Aaron said, "happy birthday."

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+1200 Words.