They walked aimlessly through the city, stopping inside a few shops to look around. Aster just followed as Jack lead them through the plethora of stores. It was when they came to a furniture store that Jack had a made a point to go inside.

"C'mon Aster, lets go look at some furniture. I've been thinking about getting a patio set anyway!" Jack exclaimed happily

Aster responded with a smile, "Sure mate, I like enjoying the couches."

Jack pulled Aster into the store and went straight to the back of the sales floor to the patio sets. Jack was looking at the prices, only minding them slightly. Aster meandered along side Jack, glancing at a few of the prices. There isn't one piece of furniture less than one thousand dollars.

Aster looked to Jack, "Hey, what do you do for a living?"

Jack smiled, "You know CIC FOX PRODUCTIONS?"

Aster slowly said, "Yyeeaahh…"

Jack stopped looking at the furniture and turned to Aster, "Well, I work at a branch about nine blocks away from the café we were at. I specialize in movie's effects like snow and other winter scenes." he paused to huff a laugh at Aster's surprised face, "I also work in the tech department, fixing crashed computers." Jack thought for a moment if he did anything else, "Oh! I also sometimes work as the CEO's assistant."

Aster held his surprised expression, "Wow, sounds you do a lot."

Jack laughed and tapped Aster's arm, "And I get lots of days off!"

Silence fell between them and Jack started to walk ahead and look at more patio dining sets. He came across an a large nine piece teak dining set.

"This will match my table! And it has an umbrella. Yup I'm getting this." Jack beamed to himself at his find.

Aster looked at the price tag. Holy shit. This kid must get paid extremely well. He let the price tag that read '$4,675' in a crude red marker no less.
Jack began to walk away from the patio sets to find a worker. Finding them talking to another costumer that obviously wasn't going to buy anything today. Jack cleared his throat, getting the man's attention.

"Excuse me, I'd like to purchase one of the patio sets over there." Jack pointed to where he was a few moments ago.

They stated flatly, "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait a moment, as you can see I'm with another costumer."

Jack looked behind the man. He spoke to the married man sitting on a nice dark leather couch, "Sir, you aren't going to be anything are you?"

The man flushed under the eyes of both the white haired man and the salesman, "I'm afraid not, no."

Jack turned to the salesclerk, "See, so follow me."

The sales man huffed in frustration, "Alright. Show me."

Jack lead the man back to where Aster was adorably standing awkwardly. He stopped by Aster's side and pointed to the teak patio set.

"This one." Jack stated matter-of-factly.

The man looked at Jack like he the poorest man alive, "Sir, you are aware of how much this costs right?"

Jack crossed his arms and opened his mouth to speak, "I-" he was cut off by Aster.

"O'course he knows! If he wasn't gonna buy it ya think he'd'a went and got ya!" Aster half yelled at the man.

The man frowned and looked back to Jack, "Okay, well, what kind of payment plan would you like. The smallest amount we offer for this set is four-eighty-five a month with five percent interest."

Jack kept his arms crossed and glared at the man like he stupid, "I'll pay for it in full. Today."

The man was taken aback by Jack's ability to pay for it.

He composed himself as he noticed the taller tan man next to the white haired man smirk at him, "Right, okay. Follow me to the front." As they walked the man spoke to Jack, "How are you going to transport up your purchase"

Jack waited until they were at the front desk to answer the man, "I'll be picking it up later today around five 'o'clock."

The man handed Jack a card reader, "We close at four, Sir."

"Not today, dude. Today you're gonna stay open until five-thirty."

The man looked at Jack as he put in his PIN code, "No. If you want you can pick up tomorrow. Or rent one of trucks to bring it to your house."

Jack snorted, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument, "Well, let me speak to Henry."

The man looked shocked that Jack knew who the GM was, "Yes sir." The salesman begrudgingly walked to the back of the store out of earshot and out of sight.

Aster looked at Jack, "Ya know that guys boss?" Jack nodded his head. "Oh, well, How?"

Jack turned to look into Aster's eyes, "Working as an assistant to the C.F.P. CEO, you meet people, you know?"

Aster nodded agreeing, "Right, I didn't think about that."

The salesman came back, with his boss leading the way to the front. Henry was an older gentleman about fifty years of age. With thick gray hair and stubble.

"Jack!" He held out his arms in exclamation, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, Your employee here," Jack pointed the man standing behind Henry, "Says that I can't pick up my furniture at five today."

Henry thought about what Jack said, "You know Jack, we do close at four today."

Jack nodded his head, "Yes, I know. But, you see, I'm going to busy today until then. And Then I work tomorrow and until the following Thursday."

Henry nodded understandably at Jack's predicament, "And you can't bring it home now?"

Jack shook his head, "I don't have my truck with me today. Sort of on a date." He motioned his head toward Aster.

Henry nodded with a smile, "I see, well, how about this: I'll have Steve here," He pointed a thumb behind himself at his employee, "Deliver it to your house. Free of charge of course. You are very nice business to have at my store."

Jack smiled at Henry, "That'd be great. I appreciate what you're doing for me."

Henry waved a hand dismissively at Jack, "It's the least I could do for someone who always pays in full."

They shared a laugh, Jack wrapped his arm around Aster's and lead them out the door. He waved to Henry, who gave him a thumbs up to his choice of date.

They started their aimless walk once again, "'Ey, Jack, How often do ya buy furniture from that store?"

Jack smiled softly, "Since I got my house. Which was…two years ago."

Aster hummed in thought, "Where did you live before you moved to your house?"

"A small apartment, right across the street from my work. I started saving up when I turned eighteen and got my job."

Aster shook his head disbelieving, "Wait, don't you need college degrees to do the work you do? Fixing those computers you said?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders as they crossed a street, "I actually don't remember how they found out I was good at that stuff. I just have a knack for that kinda stuff. Which is strange considering I don't even own any type of computer." Man, I should really invest in one of those.

"Ah, I see."

Aster was staring at Jack who was a couple feet in front of him, much to Jack's knowledge. Jack swayed his hips just enough for Aster's eyes to notice. Aster's thoughts wandered to the back of his mind, where the gutter waiting to be sat in. I wonder what he looks like with less clothes on or, with no clothes on. His skin looks absolutely divine. What would he look like panting? And sweating. Underneath my body. His hands grabbing desperately at my back. Aster stepped quickly to catch up to Jack and offered his arm to Jack who politely wrapped his own around it. They walked in a comfortable silence between them. Just enjoying the other's company.

Jack stopped walking and looked to Aster, "Well, we're here." Jack motioned his head toward a large, gray-blue, one story house with a cobblestone driveway with a sidewalk leading up to the front door.

Aster raised an eyebrow, "And where is that?"

Jack started to lead Aster up the driveway, "My house of course."

Aster's jaw dropped, "You. Live here?"

Jack nodded his head, "Yup, you walked me home." They stopped at the front door, "Well, thank you for a wonderful date." Jack let his hand out of Aster's arm and pulled him down. Jack pushed himself up on his toes and kissed Aster's cheek. "I'll call you soon." And with that Jack left a dumbfounded Aster in his doorway. He heard Aster say 'Wow' then steps down his driveway.

Jack walked into the kitchen to see a monster staring at him with a devious smile as it sat in a chair at the table.

Jacked walked and took a seat himself, "Now. I wouldn't say this in other situation but, thank you. For not messing up my date."

The beast nodded its head, "I was hoping my departing words would cause you to do it on your own. Seeing as how you walked in here with that stupid smile on your face. He made you forget that we were watching you both the whole time."

Jack's eyes went wide, then they fell to a glower, "Of course you followed me. You always do."

The beast smiled, "Yes, Jack, always." It reached its disfigured hand towards Jack's own.

It placed its hand on top of Jack's. Jack was all too familiar with this pressure. His bones felt like they wanted to implode inside his skin. He kept composure, he was expecting this sort of pain whenever they touched him with intent. What he wasn't expecting was for the black veins to appear on the top his skin.

The beast smiled wide, "Got you!" it ripped its hand away, pulling with it, the liquid dust of another creature inside Jack's hand. Jack yelped in pain as his hand felt as if it was being split from his hand.
The monster held one of his one strongly in his grasp by the throat.

"You! You have been the one helping our prize!" It yelled as it threw the creature across the kitchen, it slammed into the upper cabinets, falling roughly to the floor.

The beast pushed itself onto all fours and looked to the menacing thing that just threw it across the room, "Yes. How dare you harm me! The elder won't be pleased!"

The standing creature snorting, "Please, he won't be on your side this time, Uphir!"

The creature now known as Uphir spoke, "Agares, you're such a fool."

Both creatures faded into the ground, leaving Jack alone, with an aching hand. They have names? Is all Jack thought as he stood and saw his beautiful patio set.