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The thud of the bass was still ringing in Gladion’s ears, even though he was sat a fair distance away from the dance floor. Guzma and Nanu’s wedding was in full swing and he’d been left to his own devices when Plumeria had tottered off to the bar for her fifth drink of the night and Aleia had wandered off somewhere, probably to find cake, and hadn’t come back yet. The laughter and music that echoed through the banquet hall was starting to get a bit overwhelming and he was toeing the line of sensory overload. While he’d been used to parties, three years ago anyway, he certainly hadn’t ever been to one this loud.
Aether only ever had fancy balls or banquets where you were expected to sit politely and make small talk about the decorations or discuss business dealings while eating off delicate hundred dollar china – and the only music that played was soft classical that made you want to fall asleep. This, this was absolute chaos compared to the parties of his youth and it left him feeling like a knotted ball of raw nerves.
Puffing a tired sigh the witch lent back in his seat, eyes drifting shut. He was getting a headache. The telltale throbbing at his temples threatening to morph into a full blown migraine… He was so tired...
The clink of something hitting the table in front of him had him about jumping out of his skin, eyes flying open to see a piece of cake had been set before him. Aleia slipping into the chair across from him with a slight frown on her face and her own cake plate in hand.
The daemon had taken on human form for the night to be his plus one and was dressed in a lovely off the shoulder midnight blue gown – the waist cinched with a thin bejeweled belt. Her hair done up in a loose updo at the base of her skull with a delicate cherry blossom hair pin tucked artfully into the knot. All of it tied together with light, simple, eye makeup that made her eyes pop and a lacy black choker.
She looked stunning. Not that he’d tell her that. It’d go straight to her head and the daemon was smug enough as it is. (It would also mean having to analyze his feelings for her. He wasn’t ready for that).
“There some reason why you almost hit the ceiling a moment ago?” She asked, taking a small bite of her cake. Worried black eyes seemingly staring right through him. Easily picking up on his tension and anxiety.
“No.” He bites out through gritted teeth, “All of this is… just a lot. I’m not used it to.” It was a sorry excuse. He just didn’t want to admit why he was so jumpy. Didn’t want to say it out loud.
“Mmm.” She hums noncommittally. Another forkful of cake passes her lips. She’s not buying it. (He’d honestly be surprised if she did.)
“You’ll think it’s stupid,” He mumbles. And it was stupid. Stupid and irrational and about to drive him insane. (Like the damn itchy too stiff suit he’d been forced into).
“Try me.”
He glances up at her to see her staring him down with a serious look on her face, cake forgotten, pushed off to the side. Her entire focus is on him. It leaves him feeling awkward and off balance. Cheeks burning for some particular reason as he tried to collect his thoughts enough to articulate an answer.
“I.. you see…. Ugh! I’m afraid mother’s going to show up!” He snaps, “I know! Like I said it’s stupid… She has zero reason to be here! I just.. can’t seem to get over this… I should be over it.” His voice trailing off into a shamed whisper.
Gladion ducked his head, unwilling to see her reaction, her disappointment.
He felt so dumb but, the paranoia was always there when he went out anywhere. Was mother going to turn up around that corner with that creepy smile that chilled his blood? Were Aether employees going to come spilling out of the van parked on the corner and snatch him up, drag him back to that hellish mansion that still gave him nightmares? The fear wasn’t logical but, he had no control. He was two eight hour flights and boat ride away from Aether, there was no way she could find him. No way Aleia would allow anything to happen to him. He could tell himself that til he was blue in the face but, the fear was still there.
“Glad..”
“Look at me, please?”
The gentle plead in her voice had him dragging his eyes up from his cake plate. Cheeks still hot as he struggled to meet her unwavering gaze. He didn’t want to deal with this, wished he hadn’t said anything. He was ruining her night.
“It is not stupid.” She says firmly, once she’s sure she has his attention, “Your fears are perfectly valid and I don’t want to hear you trying to write them off like that again.”
“Your mother tried to kill you, Glad.” She continued, “You don’t just get over something that traumatic. So please don’t beat yourself up, alright? And remember I’m always here if you wanna talk.”
Swallowing thickly around the lump of emotion in his throat Gladion nodded. The thudding music and laughter feeling a little less loud as some of the tension eases from his chest. Headache starting to dissipate along with it.
“Thank you.” He whispers, voice catching embarrassingly in his throat.
“You’re welcome.” Aleia murmured, her eyes glittering softly with a rare show of warmth and affection. The world seemingly narrowing down to just the two of them and their cozy little bubble of comfortable happiness.
So, maybe he wasn’t ok. Maybe he wasn’t ever going to be ok. Maybe he was going to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life but, as the daemon prodded his lips with a forkful of sickly sweet cake and a teasing smile, he decided that was alright. As long as Aleia was by his side to chase the monsters away, life was ok enough. He was content.
Well.. at least until a drunken Plumeria came staggering back to the table and started cooing at them about young love… That he could do without.