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Eclipse followed Aseko down a flight of stairs and to the entrance of the house before he threw a cloak at him. "Cover yourself up. Are you feeling cold? Should I get you a thicker cloak?"

"There's no need, you can just carry me in your arms like you did before." He said, smiling brightly at him.

Aseko just stared at Eclipse blankly before turning and calling one of the maids to him, "Get my fur coat and give it to him."

"Yes, sir." She said and immediately scurried away as though he is timing her running.

"Most of the people here seem to be quite terrified of you." Eclipse remarked, watching Aseko fix the sides of his collar and shirt as well. "Well, those that I have seen anyway."

"Then they know their place." He said, looking up and down at the man before walking to him and fixing his clothes. "Are there no clothes here that fit you properly? Perhaps it is because you are so small."

"I am not small, you all are just massive." Eclipse said, crossing his arms over his chest before holding his arms up. "I am quite built, myself."

Gently tracing his fingers along Eclipse's muscles, the man nodded, "I suppose you have some meat in you, but … I don't know if you will be able to beat anyone if you have to use your strength alone."

"I am sure I would be able to." He said, shrugging. "Besides, I do not necessarily think fighting means to use brute strength all the time."

"You make a fair point." Aseko nodded, stepping away from him as the maid came running to them, holding the fur cloak in her arms. "You did quite well but you could have been faster."

"I apologise, sir." She said, breathing heavily as she tried to help Eclipse wear the cloak. "I did not mean to take so long."

"Hey, it's alright." Eclipse said, waving his hands dismissively in the air as he stood still, allowing the maid to clasp the cloak in front of her. "Thank you for bringing the cloak to me."

"You are very welcome, sir." She said, giving Eclipse a small smile before scurrying away immediately.

"You do not need to pay them any mind, you know that right, kid?" Ash asked, fixing the cloak properly before he placed the hood over his head. "They are doing what they are paid to do."

"I know, but that does not mean I can't be a little nice ever now and then." Eclipse said, grinning at the man. "By the way, where did you put this cloak anyway?"

"On the far right of my dresser in the inner part of the room." He said, looking at the clasp at the front of the cape. "Why?"

"Well, she looked quite flustered so I assumed that she was busy looking around for it." Eclipse said, playing with the ends of the cloth as he did a twirl. "If you do not tell her where it is then you can't expect her to come back much faster than you want."

"Are you reprimanding me right now?"

"Yes." Eclipse stood only inches from Aseko and looked him right in the eyes, smiling ever so slightly. "It is like your mind. If you do not tell people what you are feeling, they will never know what you are thinking."

"And why would I need anyone to know what I am thinking." He asked, holding the door open for Eclipse first before walking out himself, the cold winds blowing on the two.

"Do you not feel lonely?" Eclipse asked, turning to him with a slight smile on his face as his bangs fell over his eyes, the red colour standing out from the white cloak as well as the white surroundings. "Do you never wish that there is someone, just one person, that understands you?"

"No."

"Liar!" Eclipse chuckled, walking on the snow-covered areas instead of the pathways already cleared of the snow, jumping around like a child. "You know that you want someone to look at you with understanding."

Aseko rolled his eyes at this man in front of him. How can he even say or believe that he is older than me?

"Perhaps I might have wanted that when I was much younger." He said, picking Eclipse up and then placing him down on the clear path, dusting the stubborn snow that insisted on clinging onto his clothes. "But I do not care about that now. You have to learn to not expect much from other people."

"True." Eclipse said without hesitation, much to Aseko's surprise. "What? Did you think that I was going to say no and try to convince you to trust others?"

"You seem like the type that will do that." He said, admitting his thoughts.

"What type do I seem like to you??"

"Well … those happy go lucky people that like to talk about the power of friendship and are unnecessarily kind, which leads to some problems in the future."

"That is oddly specific." Eclipse chuckled as they continued walking down the stone pathway. "But I do not think I am anything like that. My outlook on life and people are … shaky to say the least."

"Do you even know your outlook on life? With your memories and all that." Aseko asked, giving the man a slight grin as Eclipse turned around and gasped at him.

"That was a low blow." Eclipse said, smiling at the man. "But since you look cute, I will forgive you."

"I look cute?" Aseko scoffed, pointing to himself as Eclipse walked a little ahead of him, skipping like he as nothing better to do. "Kid, did you just call me cute?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Because you are cute." Eclipse said it in a matter of factly tone. "Don't you think so?"

"No. There is nothing cute about me." He said, grabbing Eclipse and looking him right in the eyes. "If anything, you are the cute one."

An awkward silence filled the place as some people walked past them, took one look at Aseko and then disappeared somewhere else.

"Oh~." Eclipse's eyes turned mischievous as he smiled at this person in front of him who moved away from him as quickly as he could. "You think I am cute?"

"Of course you are," Aseko said, clearing his throat, not understanding why everything feel so awkward all of a sudden. "Look all around you. I don't think anyone else can be classified as cute."

"What about Brick?" Eclipse asked as they continued walking again, passing people walking around in uniform and quite a big group.

"What about Brick?" He asked, making sure to walk beside Eclipse while the others that passed them seemed to take some kind of interest in the red-haired man.

"Isn't he cute?"

Aseko's face contorted slightly for a couple of seconds before he turned to Eclipse. "You think Brick is cute?"

"Don't you?"

"No. He is a little freak of nature."

Gasping again, Eclipse lightly hit Aseko on the arm, "That was rude, Ash. How could you say that about him?"

"I am telling the truth. Why am I getting hit?" He asked, lightly rubbing his arm as the people that passed them stared at Eclipse and then Aseko, almost as though they are asking how the former is still alive.

Eclipse seems to notice this as well but refused to say or do anything about it, it is not anything important anyway.

"Because you are being mean." Eclipse said, arms crossed over his chest. "I don't mind if you want to keep your fears and thoughts to yourself, but … just don't be mean."

"How am I mean?"

"You are always mean." Eclipse said, throwing his arms in the air. "Even to the maid … you could have been a little more patient or, you could have been a little clearer in your instructions."

"How did this turn into you scolding me?" Aseko asked, trying to sound annoyed but Eclipse can tell that he is just teasing. But it did not help that his teasing voice and expression is still … serious.

"Well, I have to say something." Eclipse side with a grin on his face. "Anyway, what is this place? It looks like a little town with houses everywhere. Is it some kind of enclosure?"

"Well, this is where we live. We are a family of several … groups." He said, hands in his pocket as whoever passed them greeted at them with their heads bowed, eyes lingering on Eclipse who did not pay them any mind at all.

"Groups meaning?"

"I'll tell you some other time." He said quickly before Eclipse could ask any more questions. "We are the main group and that is why we are here. The other … branches are in another place."

"You are very confusing, Aseko." Eclipse said, chuckling though he understood what he was trying to say while still being as subtle as possible.

They are gang members, huh?