-1 year later-
I've never been afraid of the dark. All the terrors that little children face in their nightmares, monsters and demons come to nick them from their beds... They've never held any special place among my fears. I'm more afraid of what happens when I'm not asleep.
I walked along the sidewalk, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. I had my collar turned up against the wind, but it was in vain it seemed. The city was in the throes of winter, with a near constant flurry of snow falling all around. Gusts of chill wind ripped to and fro in the narrow lanes that passed as streets in the city. Despite the ill weather, they still bustled with activity. People shuffled about, pushing their way through the crowds on the sidewalks or clogging the already snail-paced traffic with more cars. Skyscrapers stretched upwards on either side of the street, looming over like watchful guardians of the citizens who stood in their shadow.
A sudden cry rang out from behind me, and I began to walk faster. "Somebody stole my wallet!" A woman howled, shoving her way through the crowd a ways behind me. I ducked my head down, pulling my collar up a little more and staring at the sidewalk as I hurried along. I was so used to these streets by now, I knew my way around without having to see a thing. I could slide through any crowd that I came across, smooth as a snake. The woman was still raising a fuss down the sidewalk behind me, bowling through people and shouting at the top of her lungs. "Thief! Thief! Stop him!" I wasn't too worried about her catching up.
She was a boulder of a woman, wearing thick fur and silk designer clothing. She didn't have much in the way of a neck, just a squat head on her shoulders with beady almond shaped eyes and no hair to speak of. On top of her head or anywhere else. Under her furs and silks she wore a bulging dress and shoes that seemed three sizes to small that squeezed her ankles. She had the air of one of the rich folk in the city, stinking of gaudy perfume and powder. She didn't need this money, I was certain of it. What was a bi-fold leather wallet to a city girl like that anyway?
My heart skipped a beat when I heard her next words. "The white-haired rat! Stop him, somebody! The one with the white hair!" My blood froze, and for a split second I stopped. I hadn't been counting on her seeing me nick her wallet, or being able to identify me. Stopping in a flowing crowd was never good, and people started to crush into me, packing me in like a sardine with the rest of the crowd. I managed to regain my thoughts, and I snapped back to reality right as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I wrenched away from it, driving my elbow back blindly and darting away. A gasp of pain came from the hand, but it sounded deep and gruff. Definitely not the woman. 'The cops?' I wondered worriedly as I weaved my way through the tightly packed throng of people to the corner. Now was my chance to escape, and I took it. Dashing across the street, I let myself be lost among the many heavily-clothed shoppers out to fulfill their Christmas lists. I did not feel anyone else try to grab me as the shouts of the rich girl faded away.
I slipped into a nearby alleyway. Immediately, I felt more at ease than I did out in the street. The walls of the alleys were tightly packed together, and I took a deep breath. I dashed forward to the end of the alley, where a single length of chain link fence stood. I leaped up onto it, gripping the metal links between my fingers and clambering up over it. I dropped to my feet on the other side, and scurried to a hole in the wall. I got down on my hands and knees, squeezing through with a grunt.
When I came out the far side, there was a whole other world. It was a small room, not 10 feet by 10 feet, with hard concrete floors. Long rugs had been laid over them, displaying vibrant colors to brighten up the monotone brick walls. On the far wall, posters decorated every inch of bare brick. Movie posters, sports posters, circus and gun show posters, and everything in between. A fireplace nestled in the bottom center of the wall, a decent flame crackling in it. A rocking chair sat next to the fire, and in the chair, a boy sat. He wasn't more than 5 feet tall at most, with brown hair that fell into his eyes. When he heard me coming in, his eyes opened halfway. They were a leafy green, and they shone with happiness as they met mine. His pale skin danced with light from the fire as he rose from the seat. A smile crept onto his face, and I stood up as he came to greet me. He would have knocked me down had I not been against a wall, with how hard he hugged me. As it was, he pushed me flat against the wall and buried his head in my chest. I grunted in surprise, before wrapping my arms around him in return and going to kiss the top of his head. He tilted his head up at the last second, catching my lips with his. My face flushed, though from the heat of the fire or from what just happened I wasn't sure. I held the kiss for a moment longer, feeling his arms loosen around me before I pulled away.
"Hehe.. If it isn't Lucas Greene, come to greet me at the door." I murmured, and he beamed up at me. "How is Victoria?" He looked away towards the corner, where a large pile of blankets rested as a sort of makeshift bed. "She's asleep." Lucas looked back up at me, taking my hands with a gentle tug. Everything about him was soft and easy, and I loved it. "We shouldn't wake her up then." I let him lead me over to the blankets, which were spread out over at least 1/4th of the room. Victoria preferred to sleep in a little ball in the corner, fully clothed in her thick jacket and pajama pants. 'More room for us', I thought absently as Lucas laid down. He wore pajama pants and a Homestuck T-Shirt, with thick wool socks that had several holes in them. His big toe popped comically out of one such hole, and I loved to tease him about it. He would always tell me to shut up and then kiss my cheek. 'Man.. It's good to be back. If only for a while.' I pulled my shirt up over my head, undressing from the days stress. Lucas watched me with an almost hungry light in his eyes, and I unzipped my jeans and slid them to the floor. I was left standing in my boxer-briefs and a pair of black knee socks. I quickly scurried over to Lucas, who was already laying down. I dove under the covers beside him, already shivering despite the warm crackle of the fire nearby. The small covering they had found to plug the hole in the wall wasn't airtight, and chill air sometimes blew in. Lucas wrapped his arms around me, curling up with his forehead pressed to my chest. "G'night, Kaiden.." Lucas mumbled sleepily. I found myself drifting off in his warm embrace, my face turning a shade crimson when I felt one of his hands come to rest over the front of my boxer-briefs. "G..Goodnight, Lucas." I stammered under my breath, and heard him laugh barely above a whisper. He didn't move again, and I eventually became drowsy under the blanket with him. Dreams of Lucas and snow and a bald woman draped in furs filled my mind as I faded into sleep.