Chapter 43: A day of preparation

 "I still can't believe you landed a deal with the rune shop, and didn't give up your secret to do so," Andiel said, as he waited for the rune shop to open bright and early.

Darius had insisted that this had to be their first stop for the day. Then, the bank, the patent office, and finally, Orion's house, to give him the news, and to have him recognize Darius as a runesmith. 

"My tail didn't wag until the deal was through," Darius said proudly. His tail twitched behind him, but he stopped it from wagging. He wasn't a puppy, and so he shouldn't act like one. 

"You are all grown up, then," Andiel pretended to brush away a stray tear from his eye, and Darius giggled. 

"Hey, Loreth family," Alek said, coming closer to the shop. "In here for the deal?" 

"Bright and early, just like how you asked me to come," Darius said, doing his best to stop his tail from wagging. Just the sight of the Fey made him whop with joy. 

He gave me a chance. Believed in me when I said that the runes will hold forever. Now, he is one of my precious people!

Despite Darius's best efforts, his tail wagged when Alek patted him on the head. 

"Good to know you are such a dutiful kid. Now, let me just open up the store, and we can get the things out of the way," Alek told them, and fumbled with his keys. He took one out of the keychain, and unlocked the front door. He was the first to go inside, and the Loreth family waited in the doorway. 

After Alek had turned on the lights, and put on his uniform, he poked his head out and motioned the two inside. 

"I got the documents done yesterday. Now, all you need to do is read them and sign," Alek said, and motioned them to the counter. He handed the documents to Andiel, and pointed at a table and two chairs which were to the side. "You can go over there to read." 

Andiel nodded, and walked towards the table, Darius close behind. 

"Always read your contracts," Andiel told his son. "Even though Alek is nice and honest, there are people who are not. So be very careful whom you trust." 

"I will, dad," Darius said, and Andiel began to read out loud. The royalty was good. Alek would keep thirty percent from the winnings, but the rest were for Darius. As the one who was going to hold the patent, Darius could make use of the Fairstar patent laws, which held water even in the Realms of the Forgotten Times. 

After the elf finished reading, he looked at his son. 

"Do you like the conditions?" He asked, and Darius nodded. 

"I can easily make twenty runes per day, every day. Even if I have to go to bed a bit later," Darius said. With the time difference between the realms, Alek would be supplied with more runes than he could sell soon enough. That was something that hadn't escaped the knowledge of either Loreth. "Would Alek sell the extra runes to different shops?"

"I suppose he wants to be your exclusive distributor," Andiel suggested, and then looked to the Fey, who was talking to a customer. "Nothing wrong with that. Alek had been in business for more than four-hundred years." 

"Dad, there is something I have to tell you," Darius said, and he sniffed the air once more, just to be sure. "You and Alek smell alike." 

"We...do?" Andiel blinked then. Did that mean they used the same body wash, or that they were...

"You do," the demon said, tail wagging. "So, when are you going to ask him out on a date?"

"Now, now," Andiel whispered, leaning in closer to Darius, so their heads were touching. "Are you certain?"

"I am never wrong about these things," Darius touched his nose. "This never lies. So, can I get you two together?"

"I..." Andiel said, not sure if he wanted this. "You are my priority." 

"Doesn't mean that you can't find love. He is fun, and yesterday we played a haggling game that he gave up on," Darius said, wanting to make the good qualities of the Fey obvious. "Look at his wings. See what a nice green hue they are. And he now had a titanium armor rune on him, so you know he will live long." 

"You might be right," Andiel spoke, still uncertain. "But I want to get to spend some alone time with you, while you are tiny." 

"I am not tiny," Darius protested. He had grown some, after getting regular food and having a warm bed, that was big enough for him to stretch without touching the boards. "And I want another parent." 

"Is that so? Well, I don't negotiate with terrorists," Andiel spoke, flicking the child's nose. Darius touched his nose, and then got a mischievous look in his eyes. He hopped off the chair, and went to the counter. 

"Alek, we are done," Darius said, just as the Fey was packaging the rune for the customer. Darius noticed that it was one of his. "Do you want to come by our house for dinner tonight? Then we can tell you all about our day and the tasks we did." 

"Is your father ok with that?" Alek asked, and he looked at Andiel. 

Andiel sighed, and then nodded. 

"We could use more company in the evenings. I will make roast chicken," Andiel spoke, and Alek grinned.

"Then, I will bring over the fruit salad. I make a killer fruit salad with cream and caramel sauce," Alek boasted, and Darius smiled, resisting the urge to lick his lips. 

"Then, I will make sure to set the table," Darius told the two, not wanting to be left out from the date's preparations. 

"What a nice kid," the customer, an old lady who had bought a cream rune, spoke. She patted Darius on the head, and giggled when his tail began to wag. "Adorable. You are both very lucky to have him." 

"We are not really together," Andiel protested. 

"We are just business partners," Alek said at the same time. 

Their eyes met, and Alek gave Andiel a slight smile. Darius took that as a good sign. He signed the papers, and ushered his father out of the shop. They still needed to get through the bank, the patent building, and Orion.

 It was going to be a long day, but at the end of it, Darius was going to get his father together with Alek. Because they were soulmates, and the demon boy wanted yet another parent to love, and to be loved by.