Chapter 76
The next day at college, Koda's eyes followed his art teacher, who he now had to try and remember was his grandmother. Alfie had laughed his question off about who the Grim Reaper dressed up as for Halloween. Koda was tempted to ask, but he thought he might get the same reaction.
"Don't," Alfie murmured. He was leaning so close to his drawing his nose almost touched the paper. "She'll embarrass you."
"I want to know," Koda said, tapping the table with his pencil. "It's a logical thing to ask."
Alfie stopped and looked him up and down. "Sure."
Koda nudged him with a grin. "It is!"
"What is?" a voice asked and Koda jumped. Miss Pecan startled him often. Koda tried to avoid her but catch her attention at the same time. Now, he often wanted to speak to her, though he was too nervous.
"I have a question," Koda said, and Alfie shook his head, but had sat up to catch their teacher's response. "Do you dress up for Halloween?"
Miss Pecan peered at him from over her glasses. For a moment, Koda thought she would laugh at him, but she merely crossed her arms with a smile. "I don't dress up, because my Death face is scarier than any nightmare. You'll see it if you don't get on with your work. Chop chop."
Alfie watched her glide away, trying to imagine what the face of the Reaper looked like. He wanted to see it while Koda shuddering at the thought.
"Something tells me that she'll be a strict grandma," Alfie said chuckling at Koda's disturbed expression. He leaned back over his work, continuing his portrait of Mister Dorinto.
"I should talk to my dad tonight about meeting with her and trying to sort it out as a family," Koda said, still tapping his pencil against the table. "Also, I think I'll wait until dad has sorted out his medium stuff before giving anyone my mums soul," Koda remembered to keep his voice down. "I bet it'll do my dad good to help her cross over. Maybe he'll be able to see her again."
"I think it'll take your dad a while to find his mediumship again. Are you okay with carrying Enya's soul until he's ready?"
Koda nodded. "I would keep her soul forever if I could."
Alfie squeezed Koda's forearm and shifted his seat closer. He rested against Koda, feeling the hint of Enya's soul within him. "I'm so glad you're the one holding her now. She's happy."
"I know." Koda coiled his arm around Alfie's waist and kissed his temple. He could always feel the glares from his ex-friends group. It was comical to him that they were still so caught up on his time with Alfie. Koda realised how boring their lives must be to spend all their time obsessed with hurting others.
After a while of drawing, Alfie kept drifting back into his natural state of mind where he hated college, thought about ghosts, his clients, and Koda. It was as if there weren't secret tunnels underneath the college that experimented on those who had close connections with the Grim Reaper. It was as if he hadn't seen Enya's body lying on a metal slab, connected to machines that controlled the whereabouts of her soul.
Alfie's life was returning to normal, though this time, he wasn't so alone.
* * * * *
After college, Koda went home to pack a new sleepover bag. When he entered his house, for the first time in a long time, Koda didn't feel like the happiness was sucked out of him. Koda didn't want to leave so that he could avoid his father's hateful attitude. Koda was glad that he could hear his dad's voice, and he looked forward to talking with him.
Koda entered the living room and stopped before he made himself visible. Morlen and Connor were sitting next to each other on the couch with a row of crystals on the table and a bunch of other items relating to mediumship. Koda had seen some of them in Alfie's office, but he couldn't name any of them.
"It'll take a while to get familiar with the cards, and it's harder to read yourself than others because sometimes you want a certain answer and you'll subconsciously search for it. You can practice on Koda, can't he?" Connor looked up and towards the door.
Koda raised his brows. He barely made a sound. "Um, sure," he said and moved to the couch, staring harder at his father when he smiled at him.
"Remember to bless the cards before you use them to remove any negative energy," Conner said, searching for the sage on the table. "You can use this or incense."
Morlen was nodding along to his words. Koda was used to his dad making fun of those who didn't fit into his mould of perfection. Koda realised that Morlen had a reputation to withhold and his 'bully' side was an act to seem like he didn't care. Morlen did care, and Koda wondered if he had always cared about him.
"Dad, can you give me a lift back to Alfie's after dinner?" Koda asked, and Morlen said yes straight away. Usually, Koda wouldn't even ask because his father would yell at him. Now, it was like Koda was looking at a different person; a familiar stranger.
* * * * *
Alfie had a client at 4 pm. He hurried home after college, so he could be done in time for when Koda arrived. Alfie was excited to have a client. He was eager to get rid of the long line of ghosts who kept visiting him in his dreams because they were growing impatient.
Alfie stressed that they had all the time in the world to cross over, but he didn't know what it was like to wander in the spirit realm without the option of returning to the life they knew.
Fifteen minutes before the clock struck 4, Alfie made his office ready for a new client. He made sure there was tea for them, tissues, paper for himself to write down information about their loved ones, and the essential light of a candle. Alfie had to be calm and in touch with the energies to summon a ghost. Most ghosts followed their loved ones around, so it was easy for him to summon the correct one without giving himself a nosebleed.
Alfie sat on his chair and stared peacefully into the dark wood of his table. He spun the rings around on his fingers and waited. When 4 pm arrived, Alfie propped his office door open so that he could listen out for the doorbell. When the time moved past 4:15 pm, Alfie started picking at his black nail polish. When it was 4:30 pm, Alfie checked his schedule to make sure he had gotten the right time. Someone was booked in at 4, but there was no name written in the book.
Alfie checked his emails for any cancellations. He had none.
When 5 pm went by, Alfie gave up waiting because Koda would arrive soon. As he blew out his candles and walked down the corridor to his mother's studio, the doorbell rung loud and clear. Alfie grumbled to himself and hurried back the way he came, ready to show his annoyance if it was the client.
Alfie yanked his door open with a frown, and his heart froze in his chest. Dorinto's wife stood on his doorstep, staring at him with her sharp icicles for eyes.
"I'm here to talk to my husband," she said and entered without Alfie giving her permission.
"Wait," Alfie spluttered as she marched towards his office. "You can't."
"Why not? I know I'm late, but you can't be that busy," she said with a frown.
"You're an hour late," Alfie said with a heavy sigh. "And you can't talk to your husband. I crossed him over yesterday. I'm sorry; he was ready." Alfie's voice was gentle, despite him hating the woman. The look on her face was like her fist was clenched around his heart. "I'm sorry," he said again when she slowly walked towards him.
"You crossed my husband over without my permission?" she said calmly, too calmly.
"He didn't need your permission. He was at peace with you and ready to go. You don't get to decide that." She kept walking closer, and Alfie wanted to back away, but he didn't. He wasn't going to be intimidated in his own home. "Look, I'm sorry. You booked this slot without even putting your name. How was I supposed to know it was you? If it helps, his spirit will be with you."
Her eyes of ice melted from the raging fire burning behind her gaze. Alfie watched her take her white silk gloves off. "How dare you," she said coldly, and before Alfie could flinch, she lifted a hand and slapped him across his cheek.
Alfie stumbled back, immediately feeling the sting.
Dorinto's wife looked smug. She was about to put her gloves on before Alfie marched up to her and slapped her back. She stumbled in her heels and fell over.
Alfie leaned over her with one red cheek. For once, he could tower over someone. "Get out of my home. If you ever come back, the next time you see me, it'll be time for you to cross over, and there's a special place for people like you. It's called hell," he growled. Alfie grabbed her purse and threw it out of the open front door. That's when Alfie saw Koda standing by the shoe rack.
Koda stood tall with arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a bouncer to Alfie's home. Koda's eyes followed Mrs Dorinto as she ran out of the house, screaming something about getting him arrested. Alfie yelled at her to call the police. They had camera's covering the front door, the hallway to Alfie's office, and the inside of Alfie's office.
The medium slammed the door in a rage. When he turned, he was face to face with Koda's chest. Alfie looked up as Koda looked down. They stared at each other and Koda's hands found Alfie's waist.
"That was amazing," Koda said and leaned down to kiss him. "Are you okay?" Leaving one hand on Alfie's waist, Koda brushed his knuckles softly across Alfie's red cheek. Alfie nodded. He had dealt with more than his fair share of difficult clients, and that wasn't the first time he had been slapped by one. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."
Alfie smiled and collapsed into Koda on purpose. "I love it when people assume that I won't stick up for myself," he mumbled into Koda's chest. He smelt like vanilla incense.
"It's because you're short."
"I'm not that short," Alfie said while craning his neck to meet Koda's eyes.
"You are that short," Koda chuckled and reached for Alfie's coat. "Come on. Let's go to the park."
Alfie was glad to see that Dorinto's wife had left when he opened the front door. The crisp November chill numbed his skin. Alfie tried to shove his hands into his coat pockets, but Koda grabbed his left one and intertwined their fingers.
They walked happily hand in hand down the street and towards the field. Pumpkins still sat on people's porches from Halloween.
Koda loved the decorations. Alfie lived in one of the prettiest parts of their town, so the decorations looked expensive and very impressive. One house had a full graveyard in their front garden with plastic arms sticking out of the grass, bloody and covered in mud.
"I feel like we need to make some sort of tradition for Halloween, like some ritual or something that's only special for us two," Koda said, breathing in the bitter air.
"Me too. We'll think of something." Alfie started to get excited at the thought of spending an entire year with Koda, never mind the rest of their lives. They weren't tied together with some mythical bond, but they were drawn together by fate.
The sidekick needed the medium. That was good enough for Alfie.
When they reached the park, a few younger kids played on the swings. The boys aimed for the small collection of trees and sat on the fallen leaves. Birds sang happily above them, and the wind occasionally whistled through the branches.
The boys sat close, pleased to spend some time together.
"Autumn is my favourite season," Koda said, picking at a golden leaf.
"Yeah. It means that I can wear all black without boiling in my own clothes."
Koda chuckled, eyeing Alfie's very dark clothing. He poked the hole on Alfie's thigh.
"Will you stop doing that," Alfie laughed.
"I honestly can't help it," Koda said and did it again. Alfie slapped his hand away, but Koda grabbed it and yanked him closer. Alfie's hand landed between Koda's legs to stop himself from clashing their heads together. Koda rolled onto his side, wincing.
"You deserved that," Alfie grinned.
Koda lunged for him again and dragged Alfie onto his lap. Koda trapped their bodies together with his arms. "kiss me to say sorry."
"No."
Koda squished their faces together, and Alfie couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Alright," he said and connected their lips with a long kiss. "Happy now?"
Koda reconnected their lips with another long kiss. "Hmm," he said with a thoughtful expression. "Not quite yet." He kissed Alfie again and again until their kisses tugged at their affection. When they separated, Koda's hazel eyes glistened. "Apology accepted."
Alfie's arms wrapped around Koda's neck and their faces remained pressed together. "You're so... loving."
"Are you getting used to it?" Koda asked. He had always parented people, even from a young age.
"I will." Alfie had started to love the feeling of being held. He loved having Koda's eyes on him.
When a strong gust of wind forced between them, their bodies pressed even closer. Koda's hand found Alfie's red cheek. He rested a warm palm on his skin, and Alfie pushed his cheek against it. His touch shivered his spine.
"Do you want to go on another date this weekend?" Koda asked. Alfie's soft eyes made him weak at the knees.
Alfie nodded against his hand. "Can we go to the cinema this time? There's a horror film that I want to see."
"That's not really date material-"
"It is if you're dating me," Alfie grinned.
"Right, I forget I'm dating a spawn of Satan," Koda said, and Alfie pretended to be hurt.
"At least I'm not the actual grandchild of the Grim Reaper."
"I walked into that one, didn't I?" Koda was learning that challenging Alfie's quick comebacks was not wise. "Fine. You choose the film and I choose the food we have after."
"Deal."
Alfie turned and settled his back against Koda's chest. Koda's arms were always around him, offering eternal security and comfort. Alfie knew that no matter what, he would crave Koda's calming presence.
The boys stared at the sky as the sun started to set. The clouds were a light pink, and the kids in the park had left to get home before dark. Even in the cold temperatures, Alfie felt warm in his core. He knew it was the love he had for Koda tangling around his heart.
When the boys first stepped onto each other's path, it might have been a rocky one, but sometimes, meeting in the face of chaos resulted in the strongest of relationships. They had been through so much in so little time. Koda knew if he could get through the loss of a mother, he could get through anything. Especially with Alfie Willow by his side.
The End
My new book:
Restless Waves
(You can find it on my profile!)
When I did the final read-through of this chapter, I was whispering 'don't cry, don't cry' but teared up anyway and downed my cup of coffee. There's always that weird proud feeling whenever I finish a book. I'm not only proud of getting to the end, but I'm also proud of how far my characters have come and I'm proud of those readers who have followed me to this point too.
Without the brilliant comments (trust me when I say I read EVERY SINGLE ONE), love, support, and dedication of my readers, I'm doubtful that I'd still be writing on these sites. Every single one of you makes it worthwhile. You've given me a sense of purpose, and the ability to go after my dreams of being a successful author.
I cannot thank you enough. I cannot be grateful enough. All I hope is that by continuing to write, you know how much you mean to me. Thank you for coming with me on Alfie and Koda's journey, and maybe you'll join me on 'Restless Waves' journey too!
Your Author,
Sian
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