Key Word; Sometimes

As Malachi sat on the train, he stared back at Luovuta's City Hall building. His brow furrowed as he clenched his teeth.

"Mistakes, huh?" He muttered in an irritated tone to himself before sighing, watching the world flash by him. The train tracks were isolated inside a glass dome, just like the cities, and over the years of neglect, the grass from the Outside had overtaken the sides. It was hard to tell if people still cared about it seeping through the cracks anymore. 

As he watched, eventually the deep crimson plants disappeared, instead being replaced by a light blue tiled wall.

The train screeched to a halt, and Malachi stood, making his way to the train's exit. He shoved past people on his way out, just wanting to get off. 

Continuing through the streets, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and opened it, pulling one out and placing it in his mouth. He got a lighter from his pocket and lit it, taking a puff as he placed the lighter back in his pocket. 

He wandered through the streets, not really focusing on anything. Suddenly, he found himself standing in front of the Euphorium. "Well… now's as good a time as any…" Malachi muttered before letting out a soft sigh. Pushing the doors open, he walked inside, trying to find Zaiden. As he scanned the room around him, he noticed how empty the place was. 

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face who it was. Zaiden was standing behind him with a smirk on his lips. "Hey there, Mal, how've ya been?" He asked, guiding him to one of the bar stools. 

"Exhausted," he responded with a dry laugh. "Sorry to call you on such short notice," Malachi sighed as he sat on the stool, hunching over the counter. "Eh, s'all good. I've been pretty busy myself, but if you ask me for help then I can't say no," Zaiden leaned against the counter next to Malachi.

"You're a good friend…" he muttered tiredly. "Mind if I crash with you for tonight? I really don't feel like wastin' anymore money," Malachi explained with a tired sigh. "She wringin' ya dry again?" Zaiden asked him, nudging his shoulder. With another huff, Malachi nodded, resting his face against the counter. 

"Well, I'm fine with it. Gotta make sure it's okay with the wife first," Zaiden replied with a soft laugh. Malachi nodded, watching as Zaiden pulled up his interface and called his wife, Lyra.

Malachi found himself spacing out, his gaze fixed on the rows of bottles neatly placed on the shelves. The soft hum of their conversation faded into the background as his eyes scanned the various labels, ranging from whiskey to gin and everything in between. 

"Want some?" The sound of Zaiden's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "No thanks. You know me. I don't drink," Malachi replied with a small sigh, smiling at him. 

"...dickhead," Zaiden muttered under his breath in a joking tone. 

Malachi chose to ignore that comment. "So what'd she say?" he asked as he stood up. "She said it's fine as long as ya don't snore," Zaiden shrugged, guiding Malachi out of the bar. "So night terrors are fine? Good to know," he replied with a smirk. "Damn… you're still having those?"

Malachi stared at him blankly. "No. I just said that cause joking about serious problems is funny," he said sarcastically. "You seem to think they are. If you are standing in a room with two hundred people and you all heard some dark shit at the same time, you will one hundred percent of the time be the first person to turn it into a joke," Zaiden deadpanned before sliding into the car.

"Hey, I only do that with my issues. I take other people's shit seriously… sometimes," he muttered the last part. 

"Key word; sometimes," Zaiden laughed, as he typed the address into the car. The engine hummed to life, the headlights flicking on. 

The ride was relatively short, given how close the housing and business districts were (in some cases the two overlapped entirely).

After pulling his car into its respective port, Zaiden shut off the vehicle and stepped out, Malachi following shortly after. The two cut across the street, Zaiden choosing to unlock the door from there so he wouldn't forget later.

The door opened smoothly, and Malachi immediately made himself at home on the couch. "C'mon! At least take a shower before you stink up the place!" Zaiden scolded jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah..." he mumbled into a pillow, reluctantly punching himself up. "I'm stealing some of your clothes though!" Malachi called as he stepped into the master bedroom.

"Of course you are," Zaiden muttered with a small smile, gently shaking his head.