Three months passed since Maliah and Abioye became “friends.” Maliah expected to go back to how it was for that first year but it was that and more. Abioye came around on his own, knocking on the door during the week sometimes. For a little while it was odd for Maliah to see Abioye making an effort in a way that he never before. He even began to take an interest in her life, asking her about her work and then things that happened around her.

The day she went back to work to face Stephen she was happy that they were able to both be adults about it and aside from the initial awkwardness there wasn’t anything to worry about.. He had worried himself that she had gotten sick but she reassured him that she was good. From then on they went back to being good co-workers as they had been before.

Since Abioye came around a bit more often, they gradually came to realize that it became less necessary that Abioye spend the whole Saturday with her. He surmised that by coming around, their spirits were in contact and therefore it was getting filled. That negated the need to do much if any filling on Saturday.

On this November day on a Friday evening, Maliah jingled the keys into her apartment and swung open the door. As she closed and locked it, she started to take her shoes off but Abioye’s voice startled her as he stood from the couch where he was waiting for her.

She blinked to see him wearing a long black coat and a black fedora hat.

“Don’t take them off, we are going somewhere.” he announced.

Maliah wrinkled her nose unkeen on going back out on this cold day, “On Friday night in the cold? Duh, no. I have tea, yoga and dramas with my name on it.”

Abioye rolled his eyes, “They will be there when you get back. I promise you will thank me.”

Maliah looked at him suspiciously, “I don’t feel like driving.”

“No one said you had to.” Abioye held out his hand.

Maliah looked at his hand before looking back at him. He pointed to his hand with his eyes.

“This is new”, she remarked.

Abioye breathed as Maliah finally took his hand. She didn’t expect his hand to feel as warm as it did. She didn't know what she expected. She guessed that as a Death Prince, she thought he would be as cold as death. But it was warm, like molten honey around her hand, warming her on this cold evening.

“We are here.”

Abioye’s announcement made Maliah realize she had been looking down at their interlocked hands the entire time. Quickly she released his hand and tried to pretend she wasn’t doing anything. Abioye smirked and patiently waited until she got a grip of her surroundings. They were standing outside in the evening air. It was twilight with just enough light for Maliah to get a sense that she had been here before. When she looked around she saw a familiar sign. It was the sign of the cafe that she went to a long time ago. The same cafe in a different city. She looked down and could see the familiar bus stop. The one where she bumped into Abioye that day.

Then she looked up at Abioye, “Are we….?”

Abioye smirked and began to walk instead making Maliah run behind him. They got inside and to Maliah’s shock, it really was that cafe two cities over where she got her bubble tea. How did they? So stunned that Abioye ended up ordering both of their drinks. It wasn’t until he had politely thanked the server and handed the same bubble tea drink she had that day to Maliah that she gasped and pointed at him but didn’t say anything right away.

He just rolled his eyes and guided her to a corner table near the window. Then he gave a smirk around his straw. She took a drink, eyes still on him before leaning forward, “You ordered.”

“You're welcome.”

Maliah waved it away, “Abioye, can they see you? Wait….”

She looked around. No one was paying them any attention and there were no girls fighting each other. She looked back at him suspiciously.

Abioye pulled out a necklace he was wearing, “I ask my siblings about it. This will allow me to be seen without all the excess drama when I wish to. So now I can appear in public with you and you don’t have to worry about your sanity.”

Maliah ahhed and took a sip of her drink. Ahh, matcha bubble tea, how she missed this drink so!!

After a comfortable silence she looked up at Abioye, “How did we get here?”

Abioye shook his head, “You forget, I can appear anywhere in the world if I need to. This is nothing.”

“Hold on, you mean I could have had this tea any time I wanted?” Maaliah asked, almost sputtering.

“No.”

Maliah pouted, “Why?”

Abioye shrugged, “We weren’t friends then, remember?”

Maliah scoffed and Abioye chuckled. “I’m also thinking we can go to that restaurant you like down the street.”

Maliah nodded with a smile, “Can we?”

Abioye nodded, “Naturally.” Then he gave a self assuring smirk, “Didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t regret it?”

“Right and I should listen to you more often.” Maliah mocked seriously.

“Naturally.”

Almost finished with their bubble tea, they began to walk down the street despite the cold in the air. She shivered slightly and found an arm wrapped around her. She looked at it before looking up at Abioye who stared ahead as if nothing was admiss. With a small smile she looked away, her eyes catching the bus stop.

They slowled when they were closer. There weren’t as many patrons as when she was there that day. Now she could see that it really was a bus cabinet poll that she had been talking to. She winced at the memory of it.

“Do you regret it?” Abioye asked.

Maliah looked up at him. He was looking at it as well. He must have been thinking about it as well, “I should be asking you that. Do you?”

“I did….in the beginning.”

“And now?” she asked curiously.

Abioye looked down at her, “I don’t anymore.”

And Maliah smiled.

And suddenly she couldn't help but to be glad to have almost a little of her sanity that day.

Fin.