The Little Things

The next morning, the loud clang of metal jerked Lanet awake. His eyelids felt heavy as he cracked them open, squinting against the unforgiving morning light flooding the room.

"Mommy, mommy, he's up! Can I give him his breakfast now?" Star's cheerful voice rang through the house.

Lanet groaned, rubbing his face as he sat up. "Oh god," he muttered. He wasn't used to mornings like this. At home, he woke up to peace and quiet—not this whirlwind of energy.

"Tone it down, buddy. Not everyone's a hyper machine in the morning," Beau's calm voice cut in.

"Okay! But can I give him the food now?"

Beau glanced over from where he stood at the kitchen stove. "Of course, once I'm done with the eggs."

Lanet couldn't help but smile to himself. He rubbed his eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep as he looked around. Though his groggy mind still craved a moment of stillness. It seemed peace wasn't on the menu this morning.

 The open layout of the living and kitchen space quickly explained the source of the morning clatter.

Maybe I should make myself useful, he thought, swinging his legs off the couch. He folded the blanket neatly, a small effort to blend into the household routine.

"Good morning to you too, sleepyhead." Beau's voice drew his attention. Leaning casually against the kitchen island, Beau looked far too put-together for someone who'd been up so early.

"Good morning," Lanet replied, stifling a yawn. "I didn't realize I overslept."

"You didn't. We're just early risers around here."

Before Lanet could respond, Star dashed over and grabbed the neatly folded blanket from his hands, sprinting off with it.

"Star! What did I say about running around the house?" Ariel's sharp tone rang out from somewhere behind him. The sound was soon followed by a loud thud and the clatter of something hitting the floor.

"Oops! I'll clean that up!" Star's sheepish voice called out.

"Star!" Ariel groaned, annoyance evident as she marched into the room. She thrust a steaming cup of black coffee into Lanet's hands before heading toward Star.

Lanet watched her leave. "I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble," he said, taking a cautious sip of the coffee. It was bitter and strong, exactly what he needed to kickstart his morning.

Beau chuckled as he placed three plates on the dining table. "Oh, he definitely will. Even I'm scared of my little sister when she's in that mood." He added glasses of juice to the table before gesturing toward the food. "Anyway, breakfast is ready."

"Thank you. This looks delicious." Lanet sat down, eyeing the simple yet hearty spread. "I can't even remember the last time I enjoyed a nice homemade breakfast."

"You don't cook much?" Beau asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Barely, but when I do, I go all out."

They ate mostly in silence, a peaceful silence settling between them. It was a comfortable stillness, one that didn't demand conversation. When they were done, Lanet helped Beau tidy up the dishes.

"We'll be heading out in less than an hour. Go raid my closet for some clothes if you want," Beau said as he dried his hands. "I'm going to check on my nephew."

Lanet hesitated. As tempting as it was to wear something that smelled like Beau, he didn't want to take advantage of his kindness. "It's alright. I'll just wear my suit."

Beau turned to him, cocking his head to the side, his lips pressing together in an expression that clearly screamed no way.

"Yeah, no. Come on." Before Lanet could protest further, Beau grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs to his room. Without hesitation, he began sifting through his closet.

"Here. I think these will do." Beau held out a neat bundle of clothes and then crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze expectant. "Go ahead, try them on."

Lanet raised an eyebrow, feeling a warm flush rise to his cheeks. "You want me to change here? With you watching?"

Beau sighed dramatically and shook his head before heading toward the door. "Fine. I'll give you your precious privacy." 

As the door clicked shut, Lanet let out a small nervous laugh. Privacy I don't need, he thought to himself. Because honestly, I wouldn't mind if he stayed.

Lanet changed into the jeans Beau had lent him. To his surprise, the material stretched, though not without clinging in a way that left very little to the imagination. He turned to the side, eyeing himself in the mirror.

"I look like one of Zane's gigolos," he muttered under his breath, debating whether to swap back into his suit. But then again, it didn't hurt to try something new. He adjusted the fit awkwardly before heading downstairs, determined to explore the town with Beau and Star.

As Lanet entered the living room, Ariel was tidying up, gathering scattered toys from the floor. She glanced up at him as he approached, her serious eyes giving him pause.

"Beau and Star are waiting outside," she said, her tone neutral, though her gaze lingered on him in a way that made Lanet self-conscious about his appearance.

"What is it?" he asked, tugging slightly at the hem of the borrowed shirt. Beau was smaller than him, sure, but the clothes weren't that tight, were they?

Ariel sighed, scooping up the last toy before standing upright. "Why are you still here?"

Lanet blinked, unsure of what she meant. "Well, Beau said some things to me last night, and I want to understand him better. Star's got me curious about a lot of things—"

Ariel's laughter interrupted him mid-sentence.

"I meant, they're out there waiting," she clarified, shaking her head. "Why are you still here?"

"Oh. Uh, right," Lanet stammered. "Well, see you later." He waved awkwardly and headed toward the door, his steps a bit quicker than they needed to be.

Lanet stepped outside and immediately spotted Beau and Star passing a soccer ball back and forth in the open yard. 

As he took the first step down the porch, he expected the fresh, crisp morning air to greet him, energizing and clean. Instead, a damp, cloying heaviness brushed against his face, carrying with it the faint, acrid tang of something burnt. His nose prickled, and he wondered how he hadn't seen anyone in this district wearing a respirator mask.

Lanet furrowed his brow, his thoughts swirling like the murky air around him. Had he passed any factories on his way here? He didn't recall seeing smokestacks or the telltale industrial sprawl.

Star's gleeful giggles as he kicked the ball with all the force his legs could muster pulled Lanet's.

"Hey, boys," Lanet called out, drawing their attention.

Star lit up and ran over, grabbing Lanet's hand with both of his small ones. "Mr. Hines, are you ready now?"

"Yep, I'm ready." Lanet smiled down at the energetic boy, then glanced up at Beau to ask the same. But the words stalled in his throat when he noticed Beau's gaze fixed on him.

"Beau, ready?" Lanet teased, his tone playful, expecting Beau to look away in embarrassment. But instead, Beau smirked, his eyes full of mischief as he bit his bottom lip.

"Yes, I'm ready," Beau replied smoothly, his smirk growing.

Caught slightly off guard, Lanet chuckled and shook his head. Before he could respond, Star grabbed Beau's hand too, pulling them both forward. The three began walking together, Star happily skipping between them, holding onto their hands as if he were leading the way.

Lanet, although happy just being by Beau's side, wondered how ignorant he may have been to not even be curious about the world's division, about classes.