Mikhail's hand squeezed Eden's tighter than he'd ever squeezed before. He didn't shy away from prying eyes, but the grip on his hand was all he needed to know that he was actually shy.

"It's alright sweetie," Eden bent and whispered to him.

Mikhail nodded despite holding his hand tighter. Eden could tell he wanted to see it through, it's how he learned that the little boy wasn't really a quitter. And that's how much progress he was making.

Eden put the bottles of milk on the counter, with a few bills next to them.

"Cute kid," said the cashier. "Yours?"

Eden was flattered at the mere suggestion. The thought did cross his mind sometimes; silly notions like if Mikhail was his child. Nothing short of silly of course.

"No," he smiled back at him. "Isn't he the cutest though?"

"Totally," he replied. He was a chubby teenager who looked really uninterested and took way too much time looking at his nails when he wasn't attending to a customer.

        Eden told him to keep the change because he seemed nice enough.

         And maybe just a little because he'd taken the time to notice Mikhail clutching his hand and trying to hide behind him.

     Eden had decided they were walking that morning, where Mikhail had seemed just a little thrilled, but everything changed when they actually got outside.

          The walk back was more pleasant. Mikhail seemed eager to get back home but at least he was more at ease.

"Where did Tadishi go?" Asked Mikhail.

"Work, but he'll be back before you know it," said Eden with a hand ruffling his hair.

    Mikhail didn't say anything to that, so they walked in silence for a while longer.

    Until Eden felt his palms were a little clammy. He didn't have to ask, Mikhail answered his unvoiced concern.

    "Everything is suddenly so loud," said Mikhail. He pulled his hand away from Eden's to cover both his ears.

    Eden immediately crouched and ran a comforting hand down the boy's back.

     When he briefly looked around. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary; a little boy walking a dog, a few cars moving here and there, a girl on a skateboard.

The laboured breathing brought him back to the direness of the situation.

"Breathe sweetie," said Eden, his own heart thumping. "You've got this okay?"

      Mikhail shut his eyes tight. "I... I don't like... loud sounds." His hands still covered his ears. "Loud things mean... Lily," the breathing was a little more ragged. "A-and Lin are getting... hurt."

    Eden threw his arms around him and pulled him close, tucking his head protectively at the crook of his neck. "It's alright," said Eden. "Everything is alright, just breathe in for me okay? Deep breath."

    Mikhail attempted to, but failed. "Linder and Lily are fine, we'll call them when we get home... just take a deep breath sweetie, you can do it."

    Mikhail inhaled for the longest time. Until Eden told him to let it go. "Again," he said.

         Mikhail calmed down after the third time and Eden lifted him up. "I'm so sorry my love," he said. "Let's get home huh?"

     Eden carried him the rest of the way.

    Until they were now home and the front door was shut behind them, as if warding off the evil beyond it.

  "Are they... are they really okay?" Asked Mikhail in a timid voice.

    "Of course sweetie," Eden replied immediately. "In fact, what do you say we invite them for dinner?"

  "Really?"

  Eden could tell he was delighted. Anything to soothe the boy. Anything he wanted.

"Really," he answered truthfully. "And we won't go for any walks you don't want to."

  "No," Mikhail quickly said. "I want to. It's just... sometimes, that... happens. By accident, I'm sorry."

"No no no! You have nothing to apologize for my love," Eden said. "We'll keep going then."

"Okay," Mikhail replied. If Eden didn't imagine it, then the boy had sighed in relief.

At the moment Eden got his phone to call Tadashi, the doorbell rang. It couldn't have been more perfect.

   When Eden pulled the door open, the first thing he noticed was that it wasn't Tadashi.

"Hey," the stranger said.

       The first thing he felt was shock at seeing him. For one, the man almost towered over him. He wore a black cap and the hair hiding beneath it was black too, but seemingly darker.

    His lobes were adorned with two shiny earrings and his skin seemed to have way too many tattoos. He was more than just good looking, he'd give him that.

       Another thing Eden didn't see coming was the white cloth that was immediately pressed up against his nose, forcing him to inhale.

          He had so many questions but he was losing consciousness fast, and through it all, Mikhail was the one constant thing at the forefront of his mind.

"No..." he said weakly, his voice almost barely a whisper.

His vision was swimming but he'd do anything to stay awake, keep Mikhail safe. Eden dragged his body on the floor with the last of his strength in the direction where he'd left him, but it was all in vain.

     Carl smiled when the man on the floor stopped struggling, knocked out; unconscious.

       He wasn't who he was expecting to find, but he'd seen him get in with Mikhail, and that was good enough.

      The kid was easier. He stood frozen looking up at him when he got to him.

    He didn't know what it was he saw, it was either a momentary panic in his eyes or it was nothing at all. With the little boy, he never could tell.

      He didn't care anyway.

   Carl walked around and inspected the house with his hands crossed behind his back. A couple? He wondered.

        He was curious because he was expecting to see someone else. Carl decided it would be fine, he had what he wanted right there, so he made to leave.

            He found Mikhail frozen in the same spot he'd left him, staring at nothing. The boy didn't fight  when he carried him up.

       He didn't even cry out.  It's almost like he didn't even blink, he only complied.

       It was perfect.