Notes: Written for a friend on tumblr. Set a while post-PL3.
"It's good to meet with old friends again after so long."
Layton only wished that he could share that sentiment with Aldus. Which wasn't to say that happening across the friendly man hadn't been a nice surprise, but the recent years had brought him little more than misery in regards to being reunited with other old faces. First Randall, then Desmond and most recently Claire... These events had hardly brought only the happiest times for him.
Of course, it was Layton's nature to shelve his worries and carry on. But his shelf had started to become a bit too loaded to bear as of late.
When a few moments went by without any response from the Professor, Aldus pressed on; "I get the impression that whatever's troubling you will take more than just tea to cure."
"Nonsense," replied Layton, as he delicately grasped the handle of his cup, "There's nothing that a good cup of tea won't help soothe."
"I'd like to think so," Aldus doubtfully agreed, "But all the same..."
He reached down into a bag by his seat and retrieved a wooden box. After setting it on table, he pushed the box towards Layton. To anyone else this might have seemed like unusual behaviour, but Layton knew Aldus well enough by now that it would have been more out-of-place if the box hadn't made an appearance at some point.
"What's this?" Layton hummed, mostly because it was expected of him.
"Why don't you open it and find out?" instructed Aldus. He watched Layton through lidded eyes.
Not wanting to disappoint, Layton pulled the lid off Aldus's beloved box. Inside he found many sheets of paper, haphazardly stacked on top of each other and practically bursting out of the top. Each one had notes and diagrams on, with spaces at the bottom seemingly to write answers. They almost looked like the sort of test papers that Layton might give his students.
He took out the first one to check it more thoroughly and once he realised what he was looking at his face broke out into a genuine smile.
"Aldus, you're a devil of a man," he chuckled.
"A good puzzle does wonders to distract the mind," confirmed Aldus, "They might not take away your troubles, but forgetting about them for even a short while can be helpful."
"Thank you," said Layton. And he meant it.
"Think nothing of it, my kindred spirit. Though if you'll excuse me, I should be heading off," Aldus replied. He got up from the table so suddenly that it took Layton by surprise; "As much as it has been nice to catch up, I sadly have errands to run and can't hang around. I do appreciate you taking the time to share a cuppa with me all the same."
"Usually it would be me being the one who's so busy that I have to dash off from you," observed Layton, "I suppose the tides have turned now."
These days he had very little adventures to attend to outside of marking essays and making sure Flora was able to make the most of her life. Though these tasks could prove to be just as challenging as saving London could.
"I do feel it is our fate to never quite have the time for each other," Aldus concluded. His voice sounded almost mournful about this.
"Wait a moment though, you can't leave without your box. Just let me empty these puzzles out of it," Layton insisted.
He got up and took hold of the box, but before he could tip it over, it seemed that Aldus had already reached the door.
"Keep the box. Consider it part of my present," he called.
"But it must mean so much to you! I've never seen you anywhere without it," argued Layton.
"Yes," confirmed Aldus, "It does mean a lot to me."
With that he left Layton feeling slightly confused and more than a little alone. For the first time it was indeed him wishing that Aldus hadn't been too busy to talk. Was this what Aldus had always felt like during their chance meetings? It was a cruel feeling.
But instead of dwelling on it, Layton instead looked down at the puzzle he'd picked out before and felt his mind already whirling to find an answer to it. Aldus was right, this would be a much needed distraction for him. At least enough of distraction to keep him busy until Flora gets home from school. After that he should probably think about getting dinner ready for them both...
A busy life, it seemed, was just what the doctor ordered to help Layton through his troubled times.