Chapter 46: Picnic

It had taken some convincing, but Anastasios and Prisila were now before Darius's house. They each carried a basket. Their mother had made various sweets, and had packed them all up. The two stepped away from the teleportation array, and headed towards the door. After knocking, the door opened. Out came Andiel.

"Hello. You two are a bit early," the elf said, and the two gave him wide grins.

"We wanted to speak with Dari before we went out," Anastasios said, and then touched his nose. "It is a secret."

Andiel chuckled, and let them inside. The two rushed up the stairs, and then disappeared in the corridor. Anastasios opened Darius's door without knocking, and saw the young demon hunched over his desk, and drawing runes.

"Hey, nerd, what are you doing?" The young vampire yelled, and Darius jumped in his seat.

"Don't startle me like that, Nastia," Darius yelped, and then sniffed the air.

"Banana cake and chocolate cookies?" Darius asked, hopeful.

"And a couple of other things," Anastasios said, and placed his basket on the ground. "Now, will you tell us for what you called us two hours early?"

"Come over here," Darius said, and the three did a group huddle. For two hours straight, their whispered conversation filled the room. When Andiel came to call them for the outing, they nodded conspiratorially to one another, and then went out of the room. On the way to the field, they picked Alek from the shop.

The Fey stared at the children for a long while, before going closer to the elf, and nudging him in the ribs.

"Darius has brought out the big weapons. Against one child, you might resist. But against three sets of puppy dog eyes?" Alek asked with a smirk.

"Never mind that," Andiel said, having already figured his son's plan. "How have you been?"

"Since yesterday, you mean?" Alek asked teasingly.

"Well, I..." Andiel began, his face heating up.

"Did you put on the ribbon? Did it change its color to white?" Alek asked, and moved to walk a little closer to Andiel.

"I am yet to try it on," the elf admitted, and Alek tsked.

"Don't believe in soulmates?" The Fey asked, and then tilted his head to the side. "Or, don't you believe that I can be your soulmate?"

"You are a wonderful person, Alek," Andiel said, and then sighed. "But I am just too busy with life at the moment, to think about soulmates."

"You will always be busy," Alek countered bitterly. "I am busy too, but I still want to give us a chance."

Andiel whipped his head around to stare at Alek with a gaping mouth. The Fey winked, and then looked ahead. The blue of the forget-me-not field was to be seen. After another five minutes of walking, the five pulled out the picnic blanket out of Andiel's basket, and placed it on the ground.

"Ok, kiddies, go and play. We can have lunch after an hour," Alek said, and the three children shared a look. They huddled together, and began to whisper. Then, they nodded as one, and left.

"Adorable little gremlins," Alek commented, and then looked at Andiel. "Don't you want more than one gremlin?"

"My gremlin will be an adult in a couple of months," the regret was clear to be heard in Andiel's voice. "By the time I see him after he has finished with the academy, he would be about my age."

"You are two-hundred-years old?" Alek asked. "I pegged you for someone older."

"And you must be five hundred," Andiel said, and then busied himself with setting up the food on the blanket.

"Four hundred and twenty. I was twenty when I took up the family business," Alek told him, and reached out in the basket, to help Andiel with the setting up. Their hands met, and Andiel took in a sharp intake of air. "You can feel it, can't you? Demons are not the only ones that can recognize mates."

Andiel shivered, when Alek took his hand in his. The Fey gave it a gentle squeeze, and looked into the elf's eyes.

"Do you want to know what I see in our future?" Alek asked, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Andiel's eyes widened, when the Fey moved closer to him, so their noses were touching.

"Flower crowns," the Fey whispered, and then distanced himself as if nothing had happened.

"Flower crowns?" Andiel's heart was threatening to break out of his rib cage. He had never felt so confused in his life.

I have never touched Alek before, so, this is the first time that I feel it. The electricity between us is clear to be felt. The feeling of a soulmate, before it has been recognized. What does that mean?

Andiel's shaky hands reached out in the basket, and he pulled out the red ribbon. He handed it to Alek.

"Yes, flower crowns, and... wait, why are you giving it back?" Alek sounded ready to protest, when Andiel just reached out, and held his hand before him.

"Put it on me," Andiel commanded, as if in a trance. Alek looked into the elf's hazel eyes, and then nodded. Slowly, he tied the ribbon on Andiel's wrist, and watched as the red bled out of the fabric, and white replaced it. "Well, would you look at that?"

Three pairs of feet came back, with their owners carrying flower crowns of forget-me-nots. When Darius saw the white ribbon, he giggled, and then clutched the crown closer to himself.

"I knew it," the demon boy exclaimed, and then looked between the adults, who were staring at each other as if in a trance.

"What does that mean?" Andiel asked, confused about his future for the first time in his life.

"It means companionship, a warm bed, someone to come home to," Alek said wistfully. "It means the world, to the two of us."

Darius tiptoed behind his father, and pushed him closer to Alek. At the same time, Anastasios tiptoed behind Alek, and pushed him towards Andiel. The two adults sat there, on the blanket. Their noses touching. Prisila giggled, and clapped her hands.

"Now kiss," she said, and that broke their trance.

"Manipulative little gremlins," Andiel said, distancing himself from Alek.

"Oh, no you don't," Alek said, as he reached out, and brought Andiel in for a kiss. The children covered their faces with their hands, but they peeked through their fingers.