Chapter 9: Parallelism

Morning started rather smoothly in town.

Differently from the usual tasks about selling products to the market, I found myself busied with the groceries, the acquisition of some more fertilizer and maybe something to start fixing some of the broken bits by the barn.

I didn't expect to complete the entire work, knowing that the state of disarray was just beyond anything I could accomplish in a month, maybe even two, and so I just settled to have it improved to an acceptable degree.

Nothing too big, but nothing negligible to notice.

Humming quietly, I ventured through the roads of the settlement, my focus fixed right to the little general shop sited by the town's outskirts as I had yet to see if Minos had decided to go early at the pub or he had merely decided to stay home for today.

I didn't actually have any means to contact him in case of emergency or anything important and… that sure did sound like a troublesome issue I had to solve at once.

Things had just been fairly complicated nowadays that some simple questions had just eluded my perception of things, but I suppose I could go and see if he was sick or anything related that if I hadn't found the Prime back at the saloon.

Maybe to cheer him up or something, he didn't seem much of a lone wolf that much to deny some friendly talks.

Breakfast turned out to be enlightening over Diana's improved positiveness, the woman even going as far as to once again try and get to help Randal with the kitchen but, just like it was usual as I knew after spending more than a week at the farm, the Collie would merely politely and carefully try to get his mother dissuaded from pursuing such attempt as to avoid any accidents in the kitchen.

Pouty Diana is a very cute one, but also incredibly grumpy given the proper chance.

Yet the chirpy greeting I've received once I arrived at the room where the two were and the overall happiness displayed by the lady of the farm was more than enough to assure me that yesterday's lunch had influenced her a fair lot, her eyes almost glowing in amusement at the mere mentioning of Alej and Tootsie during our early morning bantering.

It was actually surprising from my perspective to see that the owner of Las Lindas had reacted well about the Mouse Prime's presence, I could only guess that the blonde's bubbly and eccentric personality had gained some intrigue and respect from the fellow woman.

But that was but a polite assessment and if I had to be honest, I could hardly understand some of the lady's curious quirks sometime.

Returning back to my current mission, the main task of the day proved to be incredibly complicated than I had initially thought as I had to overcome two grand issues:

1) The general shop was close to empty about products' availability as it was the time of the month where things were close to be refurnished;

2) The shop itself lacked any major tools I needed to make some successful reparations before the end of the week;

Luckily enough, the necessary items in the list were all here to be purchased, the owner pointing out that a day or two more and I would have found anything of the kind that we required.

This second problem was what truly ended up being the most difficult to solve because the shop specialized to sell this kind of instruments was right on the other side of town and… it was the same where I had gone with Randal days ago to buy the tools required for the normal farm work.

I almost facepalmed at that brain-fart, but I was quickly going out of the shop with the grocery bags on tow and already walking towards the right place.

Time passed, I managed to avoid two crowded streets as the mayor had called for another town meeting about the general state of things, which technically wouldn't matter to me as a citizen of the place right now as I was working just outside of town and didn't live here.

So, ignoring the noises coming from the direction where the meeting was happening, I ended up finding the shop I was searching and I ended up entering moments before it closed for a premature end of the shift.

I thanked the owner profusely while also apologizing for the sudden necessity, ending up picking what I needed in a speedy manner, rushing at the counter to pay everything I've just taken and then I put the objects on the already-available bags on me.

Biding a good day to the grumpy clerk, I proceeded to walk towards the pub, seriously hoping that I could place the bags somewhere safe while I enjoyed some time there.

But just as I turned the corner to change street, I ended up bumping onto someone just a little shorter than me. The relative closeness of the impact allowed me to preserve my balance, but the same didn't happen to the other individual which fell on his butt and stared up at me with a drunk-looking expression.

“W-Wha- Oh," Miles blinked in surprise while he massaged his butt, getting up slowly but wobbling in the process. “H-How's doing… Mark?"

“Matt," I corrected him with a small smile. “And I'm doing well, Miles. Good morning and..." I frowned at the noticeable smell of alcohol on him. “Do you come from the pub?"

The young Prime looked awed, maybe he was unaware of the numerous signs about his drunk state. Really, what was going on with him and why he was trying to… drown himself in beer and only beer.

“Oh- yes, I mean. I, uhh… the place is right now closed for the town meeting or… something like that." He nodded to himself as if to remind to himself that, which got a perplexed look out of me as it further increased my growing concerns regarding his current conditions.

He might be just an acquaintance, but I couldn't just ignore the fact Miles was still a good fellow deep down that wall of drunk.

Still, I was now aware that the saloon was closed because of the town-wide meeting and… that meant I had only one last place to visit before returning back to the farm.

I was about to tell goodbye to the young man but… then I realized how bad he looked right now by the way his eyes looked so unfocused and by the fact he looked close to collapse any moments now.

I remembered Taffy's words about the cat-calling, but I could now see why the Bunny was seriously not nervous about the comments. Thinking well about my chances, I sighed and nodded to myself.

“Miles, do you have anything to do right now?" I inquired calmly, thinking properly how should I formulate this attempt.

I wasn't much experienced as the one that helps drunk-men, but rather I was mostly the drunk in need of help from time to time.

Maybe I could 'reverse-engineer' this to my advantage? Difficult but it could work with proper caution and wording.

The Prime straightened up at the query, blinking in minor surprise at it. “Like… now? I- N-No, I've nothing to- why?"

Quite the erratic guy too with some beer…

It does bring back some unpleasant memories. Even some recent ones.

“I wanted to visit Minos," I replied quickly, stopping just a moment as I noticed his confused look. “The big guy from the pub. I wanted to see if he was alright today and if he wanted to speak a little," I lifted a little the bags. “But I'm also dealing with some weights and..."

“You- You want to… have me help you with that?" Miles asked back with a small frown, a skeptical tone alternating with the slurry one relative to his current state. “W-Why?"

“Just wanted to… have some company?" I shot back quietly and with some hesitation.

I mean how was I supposed to tell him that I just wanted to make sure he just didn't wound up in some unfortunate situation while wandering alone. Still, I decided to go further and point out what I had noticed about his attitude.

The way he looked this much sad, his propensity to drink so early in the morning and… the lonely undertone I could see from his body language.

One couldn't just ignore the clear call for help, but I was also aware that going in bluntly would only worsen things up rather than bring the much-needed help he required.

“Plus, you seem like you would need to talk to someone," I said with a well-paced voice, trying to not sound too much condescending or even pitying him over the matter.

I braced for a sudden refusal as I wasn't much of a genius about emotional stuff of this caliber, but I saw him thinking about my suggestion and then he blinked, looking at me with some new lucidity.

“Do… do I look that I need to… to talk?" Miles questioned slowly, eyes narrowing at me before slowly nodding. “I guess talking… would be nice."

I paused just a moment to recoil from that tense situation, part of me surprised at the acceptance of support from my side but I was still cautious enough to not give up the tentative approach I had while speaking to him.

The prime had given me an opening, he didn't certainly offer me his whole backstory all at once and so I had to be wary that he could close himself up at the wrong step I took.

I carefully handed him the lightest of the cargo and started to walk right where I knew Minos generally lived, this section of the town being quite nearby where we were and the walk proved to be shorter than I had initially thought.

Still, I managed to talk a little with the younger fellow and I got some glimpses of what could have happened to him and why he had decided to come here of all places rather than stick to the urban scenario.

Miles had dropped out from college, specifically from the prestigious Prism University.

The establishment was considered top-notch education and was sited right in the capital of the continent, yet I was still unaware of the true reasons behind his quick departure and the guy had yet to explain what could have gotten him so angry at himself.

And while I had very little to work with, I could see the familiar bitter touch of self-disappointment now that the young man gave me the chance to look at it and… I was a little surprised to notice the curious amount of similarities about our not-so different stories, how I could see myself in some of his bad decisions and the aftermath he was experiencing.

While I had gone through with my studies, unhappily but determined to make my parents proud for the last achievement they had supported me to the very end, the paper I then received was almost as quickly forgotten as it was given to me.

I remember ditching the idea of making use of the degree for a prosperous offer for my life, just for the sake of ignoring the painful memories that were even now latched to it.

People could easily condemn this decision of mine as foolish and excessive, to leave a well-paid future for some unhealthy attachment to the past, but logic and common sense weren't something that played strongly against my stubborn self about that specific detail of my life.

A point where that wound was still bleeding and hurting the more I thought about the matter.

I ended up seeing guilt too, regret coming close too but I finally saw something that I too had to endure during my first few years spent living alone and isolated from the world. It was always there, nagging and reminding me of my current predicament.

It whined and it huffed, it gnawed and then kept quiet in proper times.

It was clear to me that, just like I felt back then about the sudden change in my past life, Miles didn't want to go back to his previous time at Prism.

He either didn't have the luxury to do that or something powerful within him had him set to follow this lonely path, which made him even more regretful and sorry for 'lacking the strength' to consider the matter properly.

A messy road was in front of him, one that would bring him some undeniable distress and pain but I was perfectly aware that he wouldn't suffer if someone decided to stick around to help him in the looming challenges.

But would I dare to go that far for Miles? Even though I couldn't exactly leave him alone about it, I wasn't certainly giddy of going down that route once again. May it be as an observer or… a helper.

Still, I guess only time will tell if I can or not help him around.

Maybe the Prime will miraculously recover and avoid things from escalating but that was just an empty hope of mine at best.

Once we reached the specific spot where Minos' house was supposed to be, we were both graced with the curious sight of a three-floors wood-made cabin that looked as tall as it was large.

I remembered the Bull mentioning that the house was bigger than his own needs but to see it by myself… I could see the issue the man would have with so much space left for him to use.

Miles' jaws had dropped low and his golden eyes were directed at the size of the place we were going to possibly enter soon.

It was an amusing sight for sure but I was just too focused on reaching the doorbell and-

Ding Dong~!

I retreated my index away and we were standing by the porch when we started to hear footsteps approaching, the wood floor creaking as soon the door opened to show Minos. A sweaty, sleeveless shirt-wearing Minos that seemed to have gone for three to four consecutive marathons.

His red eyes widened in surprise as he noticed our frames and a small smile appeared on his tired face. “Oh, hello Matt-" He then looked at the wobbly Cat. “And Miles?"

The younger Prime waved back, while I sighed and nodded. “He helped me bringing the bags and… I see that you decided to spend the day indoors?"

He shrugged. “Wanted to catch up with some training and I see that you didn't go to the pub." He shot back with a blink.

“There is a town's meeting," I pointed out, smiling a little more. “So, you actually train?"

“Only once or twice in a while, nothing much," Minos admitted with a simple sigh, then he blinked. “Still, is this a courtesy visit or-"

“Normal visit to give you some company," I interrupted him with a nod. “Felt like I could have visited by now since you know where I live."

He didn't look annoyed by the situation, rather the Bull seemed flattered if not embarrassed by it.

“I-I suppose it's fine," He replied slowly. “I should have invited you earlier but I think it just passed over my mind." He paused just a moment, then he made way. “Please, do come in."

I smiled and nodded. “Thank you," I said quickly in return before glancing at the confused Miles. “And I think our new friend here need some rest by the couch."

The Cat looked right back at me with a frown. “I- I thought that it was only bringing the b-bag-"

“That was the case… until you started to look like you are going to faint from the alcohol," I finally admitted with a grimace.

Seriously, the wobbling had gotten so bad that he seemed really ready to crash down while walking and that would put him to some dangers since we were pretty distant from any frequented roads from town.

“How much did you drink this time?" I also decided to ask, hoping that the answer would be something similar to one or two cups.

The young man blinked. “Twoooooo..." He prolonged the word for a while, then he flinched and gave the proper answer. “Bottles."

'Dangit Miles.'

“B-But it can't be that bad," The Prime tried to assure, looking at Minos for help. “R-Right?"

The Bull snorted. “You reek."

The comment made him flinch again, but this time, after giving a quick sniff at his shirt and recoiling in disgust at the smell, Miles decided to accept the offer and follow inside the house.

Minos' home was as big as it had appeared back outside, but I was mesmerized by the quality of the furniture and domestic appliances in display, some even going beyond the level of technology I was more accustomed too.

I was aware of the impressive advancement considering the two hundred years of difference, but I wasn't expecting to be introduced to this predicament this soon or within the limits of this town.

We were taken to the comfortably-sized living room and Miles was quickly settled on one of the two sofas directed at the curious-looking TV, face drowning in one of the pillows as he groaned happily at the general comfort provided by the couch.

Just as I sat down on the same sofa, the little space left there allowed me to fit in just perfectly, I noticed that Minos hadn't moved from the doorstep of the room, causing me to blink at him.

“I have to… use the shower," The Bull replied with a hint of embarrassment. “I know I should be more mindful, but you both arrived just as I finished with my training-"

“Oh, then go ahead," I replied back with a small smile. “I guess I could have planned things better and… I will keep an eye on Miles in the mean time."

The Cat snorted before snuggling more his face on the pillow, the Bull accepting the response and disappearing around the corner, leaving just me, Miles and… the vast living room that contained much to see and think about.

And that was what I did to kill some time, my gaze wandering all around as I started from the half-empty libraries standing beside the TV, the large wood constructs having just a dozen or two of books in them and most of those were fantasy-related tomes.

Or at least I thought them to be fiction at first before realizing that some might actually be some real topics as, from what I could remember from Minos' early explanation about the Emperor and the 'Galactic War', magic was a thing now in the universe.

The memo had yet to stick to my brain.

Soon my eyes moved away from the books and right to the glass table in front of the sofas. There were some newspapers folded one up the others, a used mug (which I was fairly sure once contained some coffee), and a remote.

I was tempted to see what kind of channels were around in the 'modern' TV, but then again I considered the circumstances and I was hesitant over turning on the device while Miles was trying to catch some rest.

I glanced once again and just for a moment the feline young man, he was quiet but I couldn't still hear any snoring out of him. He was resting for sure, but not sleeping at all, which wasn't that bad yet it wasn't a complete victory.

Finally, I noticed the small frame sitting by the small wooden table between the two couches and I took a peek at the picture, scanning the people in it.

Minos was standing by the middle, a surprisingly-shy smile on his face as he was being dual-hugged by two unknown Primes.

The first one was a male Prime with dark-gray fur and shoulder-length, curly black hair. He had green eyes and a big smile plastered on his face as he squeezed his arm on the Bull Prime's neck.

The other one was a female Prime with long, slim horns curled backwards, soft-brown hair reaching down below her back and a pair of pink eyes. She was hugging close Minos's arm while giving a kind but mirthful smile at the viewer.

There were some words written on the picture and I started to read them silently.

Remember to call if in need of help, Grace and Kayin.

I blinked at their names and then connected them to their faces, my attention drawn at the interesting relations the three shared (possibly even now) and just as I continued to look at the photo, I heard Miles stirring in his position.

He yawned, his head lifting up for a moment and so did his upper body, his half-closed eyes looking around in a daze as if he was trying to find something important within the room. Then he stopped at me, he tensed up a bit and… lowered his glance at my lap.

“Mhh," The noise left his lips as he fell right in there, head turned up and staring at the ceiling as he fell asleep with a content smile.

My jaws had dropped low at that sudden interaction, my brain trying to understand what was going on, whatever I should have moved the Prime out of there as per Bro-Code's rules but…

Then the purring began. At first it was soft-pitched and difficult to grasp, but then I started to notice the noise coming from Miles as the Cat Prime vibrated a little in his sleep.

...What?

I was tense but stuck still in that predicament, my mind failing to get a resolution out about what I was supposed to do in that exact moment.

It was a mix of 'Oh God, that's a thing?' with a low-pitch because of the particularly cute moment and 'what the heck?' with a confused and concerned voice.

My musings were brief as, moments later, a certain Bull Prime ended up reaching back to the living room.

Minos was now wearing a half-sleeved shirt and a pair of gym pants. His hands were handling a towel on his head, finishing to fix his hair and the man stopped at the scene presented to him.

I opened my mouth, ready to explain the particularly-awkward positioning and reaction from Miles, but the Bull Prime graced me with a knowing smile and a chuckle.

There was no way I could recover from that, so I glanced at Cat and sighed.

'Dangit Miles!'

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~Minos POV~

After a quick shower and the little amusing scene and explanation that Matt was forced to provide over Miles' curious position, a two-hours long discussion ensued.

Normal topics, just like usual, the human didn't stray too far with his comments, questions and replies, but Minos could easily see that something was now nagging the young man, something that hadn't been there before he entered his home.

He was patient, careful to not bluntly try to get this strange shift in attitude during their bantering as it didn't look to be a pressing issue considering the relative calm presented by Matt.

Then, after two hours of pleasant conversation, the human decided to finally ask what had been keeping him this much intrigued for some time.

“By the way, I noticed the little photo with your friends here," He said with a casual tone, eyes blinking at the frame. “Seems like you are rather close with them."

The comment lacked anything suspicious or even remotely implying malicious intents driving it, so Minos merely nodded. “We are," He admitted with a hum.

“Then I bet you share some fun stories once in a while," The young man continued with a genuinely happy tone. “I mean, to write it down on the photo-"

“We had some issues with our schedules and I don't wish to disturb them," The Prime replied quickly and curtly, partly hoping that the topic could shift once again to something easier to deal with.

As much as Minos trusted the human about this kind of subjects, the real problem was that he wasn't feeling ready to deal with putting to test the integrity of his current excuses over the matter.

But just as he had also expected from the young man to do, Matt blinked in surprise at his quick answer.

“So you've been 'unable' to call them because they are… busy?" He asked while blinking skeptically at this alibi, the Bull Prime sighing and nodding.

“I will call them once I'm sure they are free to-"

A loud sigh left the human's lips as the young man had his eyes set on him, a dull look plastered on his face as he began interjecting. “How long didn't you talk with them- or better, how long they 'have been too busy to call'?"

Minos almost flinched at that call-out, but he managed to preserve himself from giving away his little hesitation out. “A while."

Matt blinked in response, looking even more interested on the matter but also suspicious over the wording of the answer.

“A while?" The human asked curiously and looked ready to continue along the line… but then he stopped and sighed, eyes moving away from the Bull Prime and at the ceiling.

“Look Minos, you and I are good friends and I will not press you over this subject if you don't want to," He began with a serious tone, his voice paced slowly as he seemed to be putting out words carefully for some reason. “But since I'm a good friend of yours, I think I have to offer at least some support in the form of you giving me at least the reason of what is going on and in exchange I offer you a suggestion, one that you may accept or not."

“What if the reason is dumb?" The Prime asked quickly, almost too quick for his own tastes.

The young man shrugged with a lazy smile on his face. “Then I guess I will have to find a solution to this 'silly' situation," Matt admitted with a small smile and Minos let out a sigh as he thought about the matter once again.

It wasn't too imposing nor too invasive as a request, but the Bull was uncertain if it would truly be a good idea to try and reconnect with Kayin and Grace.

The two were enjoying their happiness within their family and… he wouldn't want to be the one to put obstacles with his own dilemmas.

Decisions, decisions…

In the end, the Prime sighed and nodded at the human.

“Grace and Kaiyn… they are married and with children," He started to explain, hiding the whole 'Crest' and 'former Empire Knight' backstories for the two individuals. It wasn't important regarding the topic and, the lest knew about it, the easier their lives would be.

It's been years now that they had enjoyed some quiet anonymity and it was for the best that they were left as 'normal people' rather than sensible targets of the Empire's remnants.

It would take just a whisper about their identity to the wrong person and… Minos would have had to then don his old armor and help them out.

“They had helped me for several years in the past and, now that they have their own responsibilities, I don't wish to create them any issues." The Prime concluded, waiting for a reaction from the young man.

Matt hummed and seemed to think about the subject for a while, spending some time trying to elaborate what he should tell or not.

Then he blinked and nodded, seemingly ready to pass on his very advice over the matter.

“I think your reason is more noble than silly, Minos," The human began with a sigh. “You wish for them to have some free time to balance out their own responsibilities and you think that asking for help might seem like a… drain on them."

Minos slowly nodded as the rehearsed version of his plight was mostly correct but the young man was far from done with his thoughts.

“Still, I think there is also a little selfish detail you are missing," He admitted with a calm tone, his hand scratching his chin as he continued to think as he spoke.

“You are forgetting that, despite the fact they might want to enjoy some peace once in a while because of their lifestyles, you are also putting them in a state of worry by not calling them once or twice in a while, and so they are still suffering because of this behavior." The young man asked quietly, a curious look displayed.

The Bull Prime frowned at the words, conflicting over his reaction at this strange accusation. It felt odd to hear but, for some reason, it felt also incredibly… correct.

“State of worry?" His perplexity, driven on by the fact that he was still unsure about what the human was talking about, dripped off from his words and the human seemed to notice it by the way his following reply was displayed.

“Hypothetically speaking, if what you are doing with them ended up happening to one of the two, going 'radio silence' for how long you have gone, how you would feel about it?"

The suggestion was surprisingly curious to consider and even though it would be difficult for it to happen as of how things were going now...

Minos started to think about the case, about either of his friends going missing for almost a month, giving him no word about their current whereabouts, whenever they are fine or not and… the Prime felt surprisingly concerned about the situation ever happening.

It would have been dramatic if Kayin or Grace went 'missing', his mind trying to assure him that he wouldn't have rushed to the possible rescue but he would go that far for his close friends.

He would have been at least concerned over the topic, maybe even gone as far as to pester Ambar to get more info about the predicament itself and then-

The Bull stopped with this line of thoughts as he could now see what the human was alluding too with this hypothetical scenario.

He could see Kayin being curious maybe even interested over his current state to call Ambar, but Grace would have been the one to go through hell and back to verify if Minos had been fine or not, just for the sake of their friendship.

A heart-warming idea that was balanced by the quirkiness the woman would display when her friends were put close to any possible danger. And that wouldn't be a good sight to see unfold before him.

“You mean that, by keeping myself so distant from them, even for good reasons-"

“You are still going to worry them about your current self," Matt interjected quietly. “And that would create them a continuous concern over your well-being, something that I know you don't wish to cause to them."

The Prime nodded quickly at that, of course he wouldn't want to hurt them in any sort of way and… he paused a moment to properly understand the full extension of the predicament.

He wondered if the town would have survived the worried concerns coming from the Crest of Love herself. Possibly not- surely not.

“Then… I will see to contact them," He concluded with a nod. “Maybe just before lunch or-"

“I hope you do that," Matt said with a small smile. “But alas, I think it's time for me to go and…" He glanced at the still-purring Miles with a blank stare. “I've to drop this Cat off to his home before it gets too late for lunch."

But just as the young man started to shake the younger Prime awake, Minos stood up from his seat and waited for the two to stand up too. The human noticed the action and frowned at him.

“Wha-"

“I will help you with the bags," The Bull stated with a nod. “I think you can't deal with these and Miles."

He looked ready to protest, maybe even try to appeal to some logical fact to deter the sudden offer of help, but soon their attention was taken by Miles as the Cat prime lifted off from the lap.

“Ugh… that was… terrible," He groaned, hand going to his face as he tried to break through the minor hangover he was suffering. Finally, his golden eyes blinked open as he started to remember what had happened until now and then… he tensed.

Slowly turning around, the Cat stopped to notice the stare of the two men in the room and he blinked again as his memories continued to crash onto his brain.

“So… nothing happened?"

The human frowned. “You were expected something from us?" He asked back, the Prime appearing a little nervous at the curious tone.

“Kinda, yes." He admitted curtly and honestly.

“Well," Minos interjected. “I think that sleeping on Matt's lap for two hours was 'something'."

There was silence at first, Miles slowly taking in this comment as he looked right down where his pillow had been, eyes going wide open as a horrified look appeared on his face.

“You- I-" He blurted, his brain failing to properly grasp what had happened, but the human was quick to jump and interrupt him.

“You slept staring up at the ceiling and on my leg, not centered on my lap," Matt said dryly, trying to appease the confused young Prime. “No fun business has happened."

“H-How do I know that y-you are telling the truth?" He shot back with a suspicious tone.

“Other than the fact we are both dressed and that you have literally paralyzed my leg with your constant purring?" The comeback ended up gaining a blush out of the Cat, causing him to pause in the exchange before sighing in defeat at that steely response.

“So… nothing really happened?" He asked again, this time looking quite unsure over the topic.

“I spent some quality time talking with Minos while you napped a whooping two hours," The human replied, getting a nod from Miles. “No, nothing happened to you.

“I guess that was it but… now what?" The feline asked with some curiosity, getting a nod from the young man.

“We get back to town and I leave you by where you live, then I will go back at the farm."

“And I will come too-"

“No, you are not," Matt interjected tiredly and determinedly, frowning at the Bull. “You are going to think about the proper words to tell to 'them', you promised before lunch."

The Prime huffed in annoyance at the refusal but ended up nodding as he took the two by the entrance door, with Miles picking up a little more bags as he had mostly recovered from the alcohol's effects.

Soon the Bull was waving at the retreating duo from the porch, eyes fixed on them until they left his eyesight. Moments of quiet passed, but then the man entered back in his house, silently walking towards the living room and… towards the communication device connected to the TV.

It wasn't something he was much adept to use to its fullest potential, but he was capable of making simple transmissions with other contacts connected to the system.

The phone number to the Ravenhurst's home was already saved in the list and soon he inputted the code in the device.

The screen turned on, at first showing a black background with the words 'Starting Connection...' written on it.

It was a fleeting sight as soon the dark screen was replaced by… a kitchen. On the other side of the call was Kayin, the man looked to be partly busy with the pouty girl looking at him several inches shorter.

Joy, the youngest of the couple's daughter, looked incredibly angry at her father for a brief moment before glancing at the monitor, her old man following her example and starting to greet the caller.

“Ravenhurst family, how may I-" Green eyes widened in surprise as the Coyote Prime noticed who was calling. “Minos! It's been… a month?"

The Bull almost sweatdropped at that sudden and blunt reaction, sighing and smiling a little as he greeted back the two.

“Three weeks, Kayin and… good morning to you and little Joy." He nodded their way, the girl puffing her cheeks at the nickname given.

“I'm not little, Uncle Minos!" She shot back fiercely. “I'm fifteen!"

Which is little, he would have wanted to reply, but then again, he wasn't here to tease the 'child'.

“Indeed? Forgive me, Joy, I can't be quite forgetful nowadays," He admitted with a faux shake of head, causing the teen to finally smile.

“Apology accepted, uncle… that is if you tell me why you didn't call for almost a week-"

“Joy-" His father tried to chide her but the girl merely huffed.

“Uncle promised to call us regularly and he didn't do that, it's the least he can do to truly mean the fact he is sorry!" She replied quickly, her logical response getting a defeated sigh out of Kayin.

Minos blinked at that exclamation, now remembering that he had indeed promised to both Hope and Joy to call regularly just to keep in contact with the family. He felt shame and guilt building up at that sudden realization, enough to have him stall the reply for a while…

Unfortunately dragging up until another figure appeared in the room.

Holding some bags filled with groceries, Grace hummed happily as she placed those on the small table in the kitchen, glancing at the rest of the family and approaching silently as she realized that they were talking with someone through the communication device.

Her sight fixed on the monitor, her jaws dropped the moment she noticed whom in particular was on the other side of the call, her entire body tensing up for a brief instant and… then the woman started to vibrate as she took a few steps forward.

“Minos!" She said loudly and with a sickly-sweet smile, causing her youngest child and her husband to back away as the Crest stared intensively at the nervous-looking Bull Prime.

“It's been… a month, a month of you going into hiding for no apparent reason," Grace continued with a growing tone, one that showed disappointment, irritation and a certain sense of anger.

There wasn't much anger within the woman, but she could make up with some curious expressions that only she could pull and… those weren't fun to be subjected to.

“Three weeks-"

“A month, Minos," She interrupted with a tired sigh. “I tried to get something out of Ambar, but our 'responsible' High Prime knows how to make it difficult to get hold of her nowadays."

Truth be told, the Bear Prime was capable of making long lines of appointments become a social barrier for anyone she didn't want to deal for some reason.

It was something that Minos himself had seen happening right before his eyes, the Crest of Wisdom shamelessly and unabashedly admitting that it was something she had done for years now.

“I wanted to spend some time away from Prism-"

“You could have come here in New Boothbay, we would have taken you in and-" She tried to appease but the Bull Prime sighed.

“I didn't want to impose, Grace, and-" He explained, pausing a moment to let his shoulders sag a little. “I needed to spend some time alone."

The woman blinked perplexed, Kayin finally approaching back to the screen with a curious look.

“Time alone?" The former knight asked quietly. “Any specific reasons for that?"

Minos shrugged. “Just felt some time alone would help me a little and… I didn't mean to miss up with the promise and-"

“You still did, you big dummy," Grace shot back with a huff, arms crossing below her bosom. “Think that Hope was a little sad to not be able to spare some words with her favorite uncle?"

Ouch, that did actually hurt.

“I had to think what to say and I lost some time-"

“A month." Kayin pointed out unhelpful.

“Three weeks of thinking-" Minos tried to continue, but the woman sighed as she glanced at him with a suspicious frown.

“Who did tell you to call us?" Grace finally asked, lifting her eyebrow curiously.

There was silence, his jaws dropping in shock at that surprisingly-correct statement. “W-What?"

“Minos, if there is something I know about you is that when you are indecisive over something, you would need someone to tell you what to do over any big question." The woman explained rightfully, this little habit of his having been perfectly noticed by her during their time together while the War was still raging on. “So… who got you to finally speak with us?"

There was a pause that lasted a few seconds, then he decided to come out clean.

“It's one of the friends I've made here in this town," The Bull admitted honestly. “Someone that I've known for a little more than a week."

Grace blinked, a little teasing smile appearing on her face. “Oh? A friend or a 'friend'?"

“Mom!" Joy exclaimed with a little blush. “Can you not?"

The woman giggled. “Sorry, sweetie, but mommy has to know if your uncle is finally trying to-"

“It's a friend," Minos replied curtly. “A worker at one of the local farms."

Kayin hummed. “Tough job being a laborer for a farm. Is it one of those big companies or-"

“A family-owned one, not that much big." The Bull interjected. “He is the only worker here and I sometime join him while he spend some task by the local market."

“Alone with that kind of job?" Grace commented with some surprise. “Isn't that a little too much even for a Prime."

“It seems so to me too," Minos agreed, remember how tired the young man would look like after a normal day of work.

“Still, I bet he has to be a strong Prime," The woman guessed. “By the way, which kind of is he?"

More silence, this time a little briefer than before. “He isn't a Prime." He replied, gaining some surprise on the other side.

“A human, uncle Minos?" Joy asked with renewed curiosity. “But mom and dad said that it wasn't a good work for a Prime… so why would he do that?"

Minos hummed. “He promised the owner that he would try and help her out with her farm," He reckoned with a calm voice. “And he has been working for her for more than a week now."

“That's some determination," Kayin whistled at that. “Still, I bet that he has to have ask for help, especially from you."

“Actually, it's usually starting from me," He replied with a blink. “I've to ask to help him with some of the things he has to do and he would always end up wanting to pay me for that."

“Some people can't just accept friends working for them, Minos," Grace explained with a small smile. “I think he cares enough to not 'exploit' your friendship for labor."

Then the woman's face let out a serious expression. “I hope that he actually takes care to not overwork himself."

The admission was legitimately concerning, something that made Minos' eyes widen up a little as he realized that, while the human was mindful of not exerting himself beyond his limits in single tasks, he could easily forget to do the same with the overall daily routine.

Something that was worth to study properly with someone… maybe with Taffy's help.

“I will make sure he doesn't and..." He smiled at the trio. “I think it's time to conclude this call, there is lunch to do and-"

“Hold up a moment, you big dummy," The Gazelle Prime interrupted with a pout. “You think you can just call once and give us a little summary of what happened to you in this last month?"

Uh?

“Tomorrow," The woman nodded steely. “Around the same hour, I will call and you will explain 'everything' that has happened to you. Everything." She ordered confidently. “Understood?"

He nodded slowly and tensely at the unexpected demand.

At this response, the Crest's face softened and she gave a happy smile. “Good, then. See you soon, dummy~."

“See you tomorrow, Minos," Kayin nodded at him with a sympathetic smile.

“To tomorrow, Uncle!" Joy waved quickly at him and then the call collapsed, leaving Minos to properly understand happened in that call.

In the matter of a dozen of minutes, precious time that was devoted to the family he was surrogatively attached to, the Bull realized that while he wasn't fully forgiven by the little mistake he made about not calling them and talking to them early on, he still managed to salvage enough to be able to recover from this in due time.

Now that this was settled, his next thought went to Matt Newcastle.

Grace's comment was legitimately putting him to a singular worry, one that stemmed from the fact that the young man fairly devoted to his job, maybe a little too much and…

Overworking was still a non-negligible issue that could still impact on his life and strain it subtly but radically.

This is why, instead of starting to prepare some lunch, Minos decided to leave his house for a while to try and do something important before he lost the opportunity to elaborate some plans about it.

Taffy had to be around and… maybe she can help him out about the matter. Hopefully, something will come out before the end of tomorrow and… Matt would receive some proper rest just for that day.

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AN

I commend AND condemn you for writing this much with two burned thumbs.

It's nothing- generally, I don't make use of those and-

Spacebar, dots and commas.

I'm careful-

Like Miles is by unconsciously ending up to sleep in the couch owned by his best-friend's surrogate uncle, the best friend that he hurt by running away-

You know, you are terribly good at this-

Look, just pass me your hands and-

I'm fine, I've already applied some paste on 'em and-

Let me take a look!

N-No-

YES! And by the way, lovely readers, next chapter will have the long-promised lemon~.