It was only minutes later that Aladdin was sitting in the living room area with Kouha, perched upon his lap while Judal napped once more on the sofa next to them. Kouha's hands were playing with his hair, braiding one small braid after another. The man didn't seem necessarily all that evil to him. He didn't seem that cunning or clever like Sinbad and the others, and yet…
Aladdin wasn't sure what to make of him. He could see Kouha laugh at the silliness on the screen, laughing with him just to make the other feel more at ease.
"Judal, are you going to call the Al Thamen to tell them that you need your medicine?" Kouha looked over at the other man as the commercials started up.
"Nah, I don't need it."
"Don't need it? You always need that kind of thing. You hardly left Kougyoku alone when she took your pills the one time." The man glanced towards Aladdin, "Did you know, Judal is on medicine for his abilities? When he doesn't take them, it's like someone took alcohol from an addict. He gets very grouchy and rude. It's rather frustrating."
"If it's frustrating then why you keep an eye on me so closely?"
"Someone has to. You're trouble on your own."
The two would have argued further had Aladdin's belly not rumbled so loudly in that moment. All eyes went to him before Kouha chuckled. "You should have told me you were so hungry, Aladdin. I would have had food brought as well… actually," he pulled out his phone and began to text really fast. The sound of a beep had Kouha shake his head and switch the TV off. "Nevermind. They're almost here."
"You know, having you come right now was very-"
"Don't tell me that my people and I were inconvenient. You're going into shock and you broke into someone's house." Kouha looked over at him with a raised brow. "You honestly have no idea how to run away, do you?"
"I have no need to run away."
"Says the person who was running away…"
"I- you know what? I don't give a shit." Judal stood up, heading towards the door with his entire arm shaking now. "I really don't care. Get me home, Kouha, and bring my brat with you."
"Your brat? My, he's possessive." Kouha was laughing at him though, standing up as well and holding his hand out for Aladdin. "I'm sorry you had to stand him. He really is a nice person every now and then."
Kouha was strange. A little on the eccentric side in Aladdin's opinion, but he was nice. He was far nicer than some. "You shouldn't pick on Juggly," Aladdin told him as he looked after Judal. The other was at least very open about the situation and things. Even though he knew-
Well, that went along with being in his debt. Aladdin wasn't sure about whether the other would be so honest and willing to travel with him if he wasn't in his debt. Would the other have taken him to the Al Thamen if he had been given the opportunity?
Beside him, Kouha was laughing hard, making Judal come back to look over at them from the entrance to the room.
"What's so funny?"
"Aladdin called you Juggly."
Judal scowled. Any indication at amusement or anything was hidden behind his sour visage as he stormed across the room and grabbed Aladdin. The grip that was on him was tight, those fingers still shaking since it was his bad hand. Still though, Aladdin wrapped his arms around it, holding onto him and trying to lessen his pain.
"Hmm? Aladdin, you don't have to hold his hand. Mine's available." Kouha followed after them, soon enough opening the door as Judal shot him a look. Tension seemed to exist, but it was no doubt due to Judal's mood. They descended the front steps and climbed into the van waiting for them. Aladdin was handed proper clothes, the pants of which he put on immediately. A bottle of pills were handed to Judal, who proceeded to flip the cap off and down them.
He was down about five minutes later, having chugged down a bottle of water.
Kouha meanwhile was back to talking to someone else, leaving Aladdin to look around the dark backseat and frown. There wasn't anything to do. He looked down at Judal, pondering his choices for a minute before he climbed into the other's arms and closed his eyes.
Judal pulled him a bit closer as he slowly eased his shaking. Those arms were cold against his skin, providing a comfort that Aladdin hadn't realized he had needed. Even with the bumps and turns of the car, Aladdin could find solace and respite with the other. He longed for just privacy, alone time. He wanted stability more than anything else. All these strangers and phone calls, secrets and two-faced lies; they were bothersome.
Did anyone else tell the whole truth? Was that such an uncommon thing now? Where were the other people who could go a day without lying to themselves and others?
"Chibi, stop thinking. You fidget when you think too much," Judal growled, making Aladdin looked over at him in surprise.
"Ah, sorry."
The other looked at him before pushing him away, "Sit up and watch what the others are doing, brat."
Aladdin did as he was told, not bothering to try to argue with the others around. Judal had bent the truth or something. The others weren't talking about him at all. If anything, they were treating him like a pet of the other's. Kouha would occasionally throw him an apple or hand him a bottle of water to sip at before he would put it back in the cup holder, but he never asked any questions.
"We should look into more of what that one man was doing in town," Kouha told the front seat. "We know from resources that days ago, a gentleman was killed and the body taken by the Sindrian group. If they took the body, then there must be-"
"There's nothing to know about the old man," Judal replied loudly. "He is of no use to us."
"And how would you know? The Sin-"
"You're being loud, Kouha. Let me sleep."
"You could sleep for a week and not be recovered yet," Kouha complained, leaning closer to the other. His gaze narrowed at the other. "Your eyes are bloodshot, Judal. We should send you back for a few-"
"I don't need to see them. My eyes are bloodshot because I can't sleep with you all talking and the damned heat in the car. Hurry up and get us back to the safe house or my hotel or something. I'm sick of these-"
"Hakuryuu is planning to take a look at your hand. He just texted me to tell me that-"
"I don't need anyone to look at my damn hand. It's fine."
"It shouldn't be…" Kouha moved to the floor, grabbing Judal's hand and pulling the bandages off, his eyes widening as much as Judal's did. "…what the hell?"
The hand, the blackened mess of a hand, burned horribly shut by the stove only the night before, was now pinkened. Scarring was there, criss-crossing his hand in a strange wrinkled manner; but the hand was otherwise looking mostly healed. It looked as though it had been a horrible wound not a day, but months ago, years even.
"Judal… Did you go to get any new medications or anything recently?"
The others eyes closed, his hand being pulled away to be set on his chest. "Leave me alone, Kouha, unless you want me sending your old hag of a sibling into the streets to buy me dinner again."
"It wouldn't necessarily matter to me one way or another, just leave my older brothers alone," Kouha told him, laughing before he looked over at Aladdin. "This is probably the first time you've seen one of your father's creations. Judal is the closest to complete. He's a magi. The best of humanity, although he is pathetic at acting the part. You will probably be able to work on him a bit if you learned anything from the late doctor." He laughed, making Aladdin stare at him in surprise.
"Yes, I want a eight year old working on me."
"I'm fourteen," Aladdin piped up to exclaim, making Kouha shake his head and wrap an arm around him.
Arguing was set aside as the car came to park. Aladdin grabbed one of the remaining apples from the front seat, taking the opportunity since they were there and he was hungry. They were hurried into the building, being blocked from view by the three that had been in the front seat. The trio's bandaged state only seemed to attract attention though.
"Brother En!" Kouha moved across the room they entered as they came inside, kneeling down in respect before he motioned behind himself. "We found Solomon's son. I told you I had brought someone interesting."
Brother En was immediately looking at him, moving around Aladdin and looking at him carefully. The other's gaze was much more difficult to read. Those sharp eyes of his were stoic, his visage cold. There was no way to really read him like Kouha. While Kouha had been very vocal, the other was silent. Where Kouha was a mass of emotions and charm, Kouen was much more reserved.
"Welcome to the Kou Jiātíng."
"I don't know what that means, old man," Aladdin told him, frowning. Everyone seemed to stop breathing, the room becoming filled with anxiety as Kouen looked down quietly at Aladdin for a full moment. Judal was bursting into amusement, slinking past them and heading to another part of the property.
"It means family," Kouen explained calmly. "Judal will be looking after you for the time being. We have other matters that concern us at the moment."
"We do?" Kouha looked over at him.
"It would appear that someone has been taken from Sinbad's home during the middle of the night. Then when called, they proceeded to boast that he would not return the one taken."
Judal looked over at Aladdin from the door. "Brat, get your ass moving before I leave you here. If you are staying in here, then tell me so I can get going already." The other looked as dead as he was sounding. His eyes would droop shut, like he couldn't quiet stay away long enough to manage to find his way to bed.
Aladdin moved across the room as he saw Judal sway slightly on his feet.
He stopped where he was standing, unsure about what to do. Judal moved away though, heading into the building and disappearing.
"Aladdin, come on." Kouha smiled at him, pulling him along towards Kouen.
"Where's Judal going?" Aladdin picked up his pace once more as Kouha pulled him along. He looked around towards the various artworks and sculptures. The large rooms with their high ceilings caught his attention off the bat. He clung to Kouha's arm as they headed in some random direction.
"The boy looks familiar."
Aladdin froze as he heard the other's voice. His eyes drifted across the room to where Judal was standing. The figures around him had white veils over their faces. Their attire was completely covering, completely white.
"He was just Sinbad's recent acquired person. I took the chance to take him."
Aladdin couldn't breathe. He stumbled back slightly, falling against Kouha.
"Aladdin, are you alright," Kouha leaned over him, holding him close as Aladdin felt his heart racing, his body shaking. He couldn't hear anyone anymore. He couldn't focus on anything. It felt like he was feeling his heart beating hard against his chest. Was he wheezing?
"Chibi!" the voice was loud, Aladdin's mind racing.
He had to run, he had to get away.
Turning around, he held Kouha's chest for a moment before he tried to run, but his feet weren't working with him. There was nothing keeping him fully on his feet. He felt the world drift around him as voices were happening, but the words were lost on him.
He tried to say something, anything, but the words weren't coming out.
He couldn't see much until he felt the familiar dark aura that was Judal's abilities swarming around him. He leaned into the arms that had grabbed him, shivering until the darkness pushed at him once more.
He could feel Judal pull him closer, feel the other's slow casual breathing.
"Ease down, Chibi. Relax before you do something stupid."
He felt his senses slipping as Judal spoke to him quietly. He clung to the other until his grip was loosening, the lights becoming too bright before he was out cold.