Sea salt and Flaming hot.

"NED!" Garrick shouted as he ran towards the body laying on the floor, "Garrick." Ned weakly called out his mate's name.

"Why are you covered in blood? what happened? who did this?"

"Me...because that's my destiny, Garrick."

"It can't be...I won't let it happen! I don't accept such a destiny!"

"You can't accept it...ugh, because you don't want to be...lonely."

"What's wrong in that! You're dying...I don't want that..." Garrick cried out, "I don't want you to leave me Ned!"

Smiling "It's too late horse face, I'm just happy I lived long enough, to see you again...I'm sorry to...put you through the same pain... you've put me through." Ned responded, a single teardrop fell off his eye.

"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE TO DIE ON ME! Hang in there!" Garrick shouted but he could do nothing other than watch, Ned's dark-purple eyes were losing more and more of their glistening by the second, until they were completely devoided of light, and staring back at Garrick, lifelessly.

"No, don't do this Ned... Ned? NED!" No matter how many times he shook his body, Garrick knew he was cradling a dead body in his arms.

"Why...why me? WHY DOES EVERYONE ABANDON ME?!" he asked hugging Ned's body in his embrace, "I won't let anyone from that family survive...if you don't choose me, then you'll follow the rest of your family to hell." A voice replied to him.

...End of dream...

Waking-up drenched in cold sweat and terrified from his nightmare, Garrick in a hurry grabbed his phone and called Ned.

*Beeb*

Garrick: NED, NED!

Ned: WEH! WEH! WEH?! You're lucky I'm awake at this unholy hour to receive your call, Why the yelling though?

Garrick: You're being mean,*Sighing in relief* thank God, that means you're okay.

Ned: Means I'm okay? how about I'd be nice and ask if you're alright? because you're sounding like shit right now!

Garrick: It's just a stupid nightmare... I'm okay though...

Ned: Hmm, obviously this stupid nightmare was bad since it got you breathing like you ran a marathon at 3am...

Garrick: I'm sorry to bother you Ned, did I interrupt you?

Ned: You're not bothering me horse face! you're my mate...And yeah you did interrupt me, but it's not like I was doing something fun either.

Garrick: Mate *giggling* I like the sound of that...so what are you exactly doing now?

Ned: Conspiracy theory, I'm planning to take over the world...Just kidding, I was taking care of some paperwork for the hospital.

Garrick: At 3 am, on a Monday? this is beyond being workaholic!

Ned: Yesterday was a wild day, I got an unexpected visit from my son's new boyfriend earlier.

Garrick: Jasper has a boyfriend? when did that happen?

Ned: Hours ago.

Garrick: wow! did he meet him online?

Ned: Not really, the guy came asking for my blessings in my own house earlier, he begged me to accept them together.

Garrick: A secret boyfriend?! wow! Jasper is more mysterious that I thought.

Ned: It's not what it seems, and Jasper...well he does keep on surprising me...but not as much as Jade.

Garrick: Don't worry, she's behaving well lately... she's also very happy.

Ned: Good to know she's not dead though, cuz that ungrateful kid cut me off...

Ever since I put a limit on her credit card and took away her cars, She's been mad at me and she doesn't want to contact me anymore.

Garrick: HAHAHA!

Ned: Why are you laughing? what's so funny?

Garrick: You should really cancel her punishment, I told you I forgave her.

Ned: Tch, you always let her off easy! she punched you, cursed you and pulled a prank on you!

Garrick: I can't help it! her puppy eyes are more dangerous than Kimberly's.

Ned: Ugh Fine! I'll give her back her stuff, I haven't sold her cars yet...but tell her to call me at least...I miss that bratty troublemaker.

Garrick: Okay, I'll tell her lovely.

Ned: Uhm, thanks...so are you going back to sleep?

Garrick: I'm going to see if I can get a coffee, I don't feel like sleeping anymore.

Ned: Okay, call me again if you wanted to talk...I can't sleep anyways! and I can't stop thinking about that Faunus.

Garrick: Faunus, such a unique name! is that the secret boyfriend?

Ned: Yeah, the one who asked for my blessings...can you believe that?! we're back to the dark ages!

Garrick: Hahaha! next week he's going to propose!

Ned: Oh God please no!

Garrick: Ohh? you don't approve of him?

Ned: Not really, it's more like I don't trust him...when you meet him, you'll get the idea why.

Garrick: Ohh ok...you know what? is there a chance we can meet now? I mean you can't sleep and I can't sleep? Math equation?

Ned: Hmm, I'll see with Jihi if they can bring you to me right now.

Garrick: So should I wait for Jihi?

Ned: if it's possible, Jihi will bring you to me, actually I could ask Yurei...he and Tacito stayed here for the night but those two are soundly asleep, and I caused the little shit too much trouble today...I don't want to bother him.

Garrick: Did something happen?

Ned: Nothing serious, I'll go see Jihi, if they said it's not possible, I'll text you.

Garrick: Ok! I'll be waiting for you...Lovely~

Ned: *Chuckling* would it kill you to not flirt with me?

Garrick: You're my mate after all...who else should I flirt with?

Ned: Just hang-up horse face.

Garrick: I bet you're smiling my lovely diamond.

Ned: *Chuckling* Lovely diamond? what's with this nickname? Am I a teenage girl in a Tv-drama?

Garrick: You're prettier.

Ned: Ah shit, look at this smooth criminal!... I said hang-up.

Garrick: Aye Aye captain!

*Beeb*

Laying back on his bed, Garrick stared at the ceiling with a much lighter heart than before, hearing Ned's voice made him relax.

"I wonder where his mark is at?...he still hasn't showed me." Garrick said to himself chuckling.

...Few Minutes Later...

"I'll bring you back before anyone notices, so don't worry...you better buy him some ice cream." Jihi said as they dropped off a fully dressed Garrick outside The gate of Ned's house.

Smiling at the cloaked figure, "Thanks Jihi, you're awesome!" Garrick replied.

In seconds, Ned came out wearing a plain shirt and jeans, with a long coat hanging over his shoulder.

Garrick directed his smile at Ned as he came outside the gate, "My workaholic lovely!"

"My horse face Trainee!" Ned responded, sticking his tongue out.

"Look at you two...you make having a mate look like heaven." Jihi said sarcastically, before taking off.

"Bye partner!" Ned said waving goodbye at Jihi as they teleported.

"Wow...Jihi is so cool!"

"Why are you so easily amazed by everything Garrick?"

"That's what makes life special! a normal person like me, can never dream of knowing Someone like you or Jihi." Garrick replied, "I guess I understand where you're coming from...

I was like you Once! everything was fascinating to me...Until it wasn't." Ned said as he grabbed Garrick's hand, making the trainee agent smile happily.

The two started walking together, side by side, until they exited the neighborhood.

...Few minutes later...

"Jihi said, I should buy you ice cream...do you know anywhere here we can have some?"

"I don't feel like eating ice cream...I had some with Jasper earlier, unless you want to have some."

"No, not my thing." Garrick replied, "How about a drink?"

"Hmm, Soda!" Ned replied excitedly, making Garrick giggle at his cute reaction.

Noticing a nearby grocery store, The two walked inside and Ned instantly went to pick a soda for himself while Garrick grabbed a pack of gummy bears candy and two bag of chips, one was flaming hot flavored and the other was sea salt flavored.

"Do you want anything to drink Garrick?" Ned asked him, "Get me a bottle of water please!" Garrick responded, "Ok horse face!"

Chuckling, Garrick walked-up to the cashier and Ned joined him right away, carrying two mint sodas and a small water bottle.

"Can you put our stuff in separate bags please?" Garrick asked the cashier who nodded, "Why? we can use the same bag?" Ned asked.

"It's less complicated this way, btw I'm paying." Garrick said before turning his attention to the cashier, "Put the Mint sodas and sea salt chips Together, the rest is mine." he explained to the cashier who gladly separated their items onto two plastic bags.

Paying for his and Ned's snacks, Garrick held Ned by his hand while the other one was holding his plastic bag, and exited the store.

"You got me chips, why?" Ned asked as he opened the bag of chips, "I would've felt bad if I ate and you didn't." Garrick replied earning a chuckle.

"Btw, I'll pay you back next time." Ned said.

Munching, "No need to! it's just snacks." Garrick spoke with a mouth full of chips.

"I'm a millionaire, I can buy every company that make these snacks if you ask me to." Ned said proudly.

"And I'm just satisfied by getting a single bag of chips Ned...I don't find joy in owning lotta money or buying things that I don't need.

I like using money in a sense where I can make good use of it, without feeling too greedy or selfish." Garrick responded.

"It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

"I know lovely, I'm selfish in many ways."

"Really, like what horse face?"

"Like how I Don't want to share you, with anyone else." Garrick said, chuckling at the clever response, "Classic, I like that!" Ned replied.

And while the two stared at each other smiling, someone approached them quickly.

Ned immediately recognized the older looking woman, it was the bookshop lady and she didn't appear to be in her usual high spirit.

"Oh! Valentino!" the woman said, "Madame Shanice? It's unexpected to see you at such hour?" Ned replied confused.

Garrick noticed how the atmosphere became colder all of the sudden, thinking it was a sign for him to not interfere, he stood silently watching them from the sidelines.

"Dearie please, you must save that poor girl!...a dark shadow is looming over her."

"Calm down Shanice, what girl are you talking about?"

"Belmonte...her soul is in grave danger! if she breaks the bond, she will pay a big price!" Madame Shanice spoke in a genuinely worried tone.

"Socorro?! did she come for a letter?" Ned asked.

"Not her but her mate...the girl who is usually by your side, Jeannette."

"Matilda doesn't know you?! how did she find the shop?"

"Clarkson, she brought her to get a letter for Belmont as a gift."

"Kimberly?!" Ned said, it was then when Garrick opened his mouth, "Our Kim? she did say she spent the day with Matilda, and apparently Matilda got into more trouble with Socorro out of it." he said.

"Mister Delun, right?" Madame Shanice said surprising him, "Yeah! how do you know my name?!" Garrick asked.

"It is clear as water, I am a Seer." she replied, "Oh? those people who can predict stuff like the future?" he asked to which she nodded to.

"Your life is filled with tragedy dearie, I can see your path is covered in blood and ashes, Delun you must-!" she said worriedly, "Thank you for the warning Shanice, have a good day." Ned said cutting her off.

Realizing that Ned didn't want her to talk to Garrick, "I see, He's your mate...I suppose I should go now." Madame Shanice said making a quick escape from a visibly angry Ned, "Why did chase her away? she was about to tell me something!" Garrick whined.

Shaking his head, "It doesn't matter what she was gonna say, we have a bigger problem to solve." Ned replied.