Heart to Heart

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Well this was a fine and dandy fucking situation Luke had got himself into. The young man knew where he was headed, and knew where he was supposed to meet Luna and when. The problem was- the job the Bartender sent the young punk on only lasted less than five minute. Out of every job the boy had ever taken, that was one of the quickest. Well, aside from that one time Luke fixed something by smacking it with a wrench. That was dumb. That was really, really dumb. Worked- but it was so dumb. 

    With no idea how long Luna take at her interview, the punk techy was left alone, wandering the city with nothing but his thoughts. And his thoughts hated him. I'm such a damn idiot. The young man thought bitterly. For the first time in years, the guy had no clue what he was doing or where he was going. All the habits that had kept him safe before, now were actively working against him. Luna had come back into his life with a righteous fury, and Mike had managed to pry Luke's secrets out by force. It all combined into a shit show that Luke didn't know how to deal with. Mike now knew his real name, which left Soren- who Luke had begun to see as closer than Mike- out of the loop. 
    
    The techy could see how hurt Soren would be, if Mike said Luke's real name amongst the group, likely feeling some sort of betrayal of trust. And if either Mike or Soren said Luke's nickname around Luna- there would be hell to pay. The guy would have to hire a team of lawyers and body guards just to help try and explain the boy's reasons why, and even then there was no way the girl was going to accept the fact that he was using the old Lost Boy's nickname of "Mini-Io" as a valid excuse as to why. 

    And he didn't want to lose her again. Not so soon after he got her back.

    He didn't want to lose any of them. 

    Luke felt the inkling of fear creeping in. Like tendrils of darkness, creeping around him. Taking root. Spreading. Darkening the world around him. Mike would leave him because  Luke pushed to far. Soren would leave because Luke didn't open up to him. Luna would leave because of all the habits Luke had gotten into to protect himself. The walls he'd built up and hid behind.  

    I shouldn't have talked to any of them. I should have kept my distance. Kept them away. I should have just left. That was the whole reason why the boy never told anyone his name. Why he didn't tell anyone about himself. Why the techy kept himself closed off. It made things easier to leave behind. But that wouldn't fix anything... would it?

    Do I even want to fix anything? Footsteps stopped, silver eyes locked to the ground. 

    The boy knew his head wasn't right. Knew that how he lived, how he treated people, wasn't healthy. But isolation- it kept the young man safe. He'd already been hurt so much. Betrayed so many different times. Was it worth opening up to people if it meant risking being hurt all over again?

    There was no answer that Luke could confidently say was the right one.

    Fingers combed through the boy's raven colored hair, only for the wind to ruffle it back up again. Even the cool, gentle breeze wasn't enough to bring the techy calm. Trust had always been hard for Luke, and yet here he was faced with the consequences of that. The threat that everything he'd built up may be torn back down around him. An action performed by his own two hands. Hands lowered from the boy's head and lifted into view. Gloved palms open and empty. Like a reminder that despite all his efforts, the techhead still felt as though he had nothing. Yet, for the first time in his life, these past few months, he felt like slowly but surely, bit by bit he was building something back up for himself. 

    And yet... at the same time... he was scared of that fact. You don't have anything to lose if you already have nothing in the first place. Maybe the reason why the young techhead was so scared to put faith in Soren and Mike was simply down to the fact that he was scared to have something to lose. Luke closed his hands and sighed. I'm not smart enough to figure this out. He didn't understand people as well as he understood machines, and that included himself. Any logic the boy applied, he really wasn't certain in. Namely, was he really scared to lose those two?
    
    Well... he really didn't know. But, there was still something he had to do. Even if it meant opening up. At least just to save his own skin around Luna. And that meant Luke had to do something he really didn't want to do; be honest with someone. Luke's head swiveled about, scanning the area for landmarks. In his absentminded pondering, he'd inadvertently already wandered in the right direction. 

    At least his feet had more guts than Luke did. 

    When even was the last time I went to Soren's home?  The boy pondered. He knew the address, certainly. But had Luke ever been inside? Had the guy even at least approached the front door? If you answered no to any of these, you'd probably be correct. But, as Luke stared down the house in question and approached the front door, there really was a first time for everything. Shakily, the young man took in a deep breath. Collected himself. Rapped his gloved knuckles heavily against the door. 
   
    "Soren it's me." He called through, hoping the bird-brained dork would hear. "We gotta talk." 
    

[Soren]

For a moment there was silence. Two moments passed, then three. Was he not home? Then there was a noise of what sounded like shuffling, talons clicking on the floor and then the sound of a lock at the other side of the door. "Oh, hey there Io! What's up?", he said rather cheerily before opening the door a bit further and stepping to the side. "Come in, come in. Sorry, place is a bit of a mess." It really wasn't. The only thing that seemed to be messy was a tangle of vines from a shelf of plants and the kitchen but it seemed like he was still involved in the kitchen mess.

He left the door open, and went back into the kitchen. Luke knew how to close doors right? Whatever, it's not like he was running AC or anything anyways. Soren picked up a wooden spoon, and turned back to whatever it was he was doing. "Something bothering you or just coming by for a visit between your mechanics jobs?", he asked. He looked about ready to stir in a bowl but bat a plant creeping one of its leafy tendrils towards it before proceeding to scold it like it was a child or younger sibling as it recoiled. The head of this plant was a grand flower whose center was lined with... are those teeth? Either way it drooped a little like it knew it was in trouble and felt guilty for trying.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Waiting for so long, Luke genuinely wondered  if Soren was actually out and about right now. The two had talked a lot and hung out at the ∇ri∆ngle a few more times after the house call Luke'd taken everyone along on, but Luke didn't exactly have Soren's schedule committed to memory. Just as the punk techy was about to back out completely, sounds started coming from within. Luke swallowed hard. Last chance to back out. You can just run away, and if he catches you you can say it was a prank. Soren probably knows you well enough to know that's in your character. You don't even have to mention it at all. Just hang out and everything will be fine. Don't have to mention it at all. As the clicking of talons got closer and closer, Luke thought of how Luna would react to Soren calling the boy Io. She'd kill me. No, no she'd fucking erase me. I... I don't have to introduce Soren to Luna. I can keep them away from one another until... until maybe...

    Closer and closer the steps came. What about Mike? The redhead knew how to keep his mouth shut. But if Mike was going to be the only one going inbetween Luna and Soren, something was going to slip eventually. Either Mike was going to slip and call the punk by his name, or he was going to mention Luna. Soren would be hurt. I know he would. Lying to him about my name but telling others? Keeping him hidden from an old friend and not Mike? It'd make Bird-boy feel like I trust him less. I... I can't... Soren was a good man. The young man didn't know a whole lot about his story, and the same could likewise be said in the reverse. Luke because he never talked about it, Soren because... well... probably because the tech-head never asked. I should have asked more. But regardless, the bird-boy had a familiar air. One that the young techy felt comfortable around. 
   
    Despite having no issue in burning bridges with people, for the first time in a long time, the young man couldn't bear the idea of doing the same with Soren. And that was a whole different can of worms that, right now, Luke wasn't sure he was ready to open. Even the idea of facing that demon made the boy's mouth go dry. As the footsteps got closer, time felt slower as realization began to wash over his mind like a wave. His heart roared in his ears. Fists clenched and shaking, knuckles white, the tech-head came to realize one key aspect about Soren he'd neglected to face. The whole reason why the punk techy felt bad about the idea of hurting him, why he didn't want to burn that bridge. 

    I want to be friends with him...

    The realization shook Luke deep to his core. He'd kept people away for so long, snapped at everything that moved, closed himself off with enough rage to scare a dragon. And somehow without knowing it, he'd let the bird-brain slip through the cracks. The guy was different from Mike, from most of the lost boys. The redhead was similar to Luke in ways that made it difficult for the both of them, and Mike was content at leaving things like that. Soren... wasn't. And that was likely how the guy managed to get through the defenses. The-bird brain genuinely cared and it felt like the guy actually wanted to be close to Luke. The young techy pressed the palm of a shaking hand to his face. He'd been able to push people like Soren away before. Easily and without any sense of guilt. He should have been able to do the same. Right now, it should have been as easy as telling Soren to fuck off and keeping just Luna and Mike. And yet, the punk found himself unable to do so. The boy actually wanted Soren to stick around, and the thought of a group without him in it troubled the techy deeply. 

    Clicking closer now, Luke hurriedly collected himself, just in time for the door to open. And there it was. Unlike the disconnected sarcasm of a certain redhead, or the aggression of an ever present young woman, there was a genuine warmth that came from Soren. Luke swallowed and put the emotional mask back on, replying in his usual tone. "Was worried you weren't home for a minute there. I really need to get you a ResLink or something." 

    The young black haired man followed the other man inside, using his foot to shut the door. It helped make him look more casual, while the boy let his shaking hands calm down with his pockets. The boy's silver gaze swept along the home. It was comfortably clean, which helped set Luke at ease as he continued. "Even heard along the grapevine that there's a way to compact it into a watch format, which is pretty bangarang if I do say so myself. Though I can't figure out how still. Prolly be a bit bulky you'd think." 

    Gaze returning to the other man's back, the young punk thought for a moment that he saw a flash of black hair instead of the usual orange. A quick blink erased the image. Mind's playing tricks on me. He thought, shaking his head out. Luke peered into the kitchen, watching the man scold the plant for getting impatient. The boy didn't know what type of plant it was, but he ha to imagine it was fairly rare. While not unusual, plants showing sentience of that level usually were scarce, hard to find, or secluded to certain habitats. Of course, the guy knew technology a lot better than botany, so he could be completely wrong. 

    "Lil' a both I guess." The raven-haired techy stated, letting out a sigh. He opened his mouth, but struggled to find the right words to begin. How the hell do people even start with these things?The boy wondered as his gaze darted away. "Honestly, I need to talk with you." 
   
    But where to begin. 

    "Some shit has come up recently. Kinda... out of the blue. An old friend from my old home is in Hurricane Keep now. She's gonna be staying with me while she get's settled in. Obviously, I wanna introduce you to her eventually. I'm sure you n' Mike both would get a kick out of the childhood stories she'd share with you both. But before that happens... I need to actually be honest with you." The boy didn't know if he should sit or not, so he settled for leaning up against the entryway. His silver eyes kept stuck to the floor, the young punk techy finding it difficult to unglue them from anywhere besides Soren. 
    

[Soren]

Soren turned a bit to look back at Luke before going back to cooking something. Luke's gaze told him enough that sitting down and staring at him while he talked might not be the best to keep him calm enough to say what it was he needed. The orange birdman seemed to be pondering something about it and then shrugged, moving to the fridge and taking out a couple more eggs and a few thick cuts of meats that were marinating in a bag and setting it on another pan.

"Honest, eh? What about?" If it was keeping secrets, everyone had them. But it seemed like Luke had a secret that he wanted to share. His attention snapped up to the plant seemingly edging closer towards the already cooking food and his eyes squinted in a glare. Even without eyes, the plant seemed to jump and recoil back into its container a bit more as Soren went to cooking up more food on another heat coil on the stovetop. It was actually interesting for those not too accustomed to magic appliances. The stove looked like a generic oven-stove nonmages would use, but with a space for fire mages to cast flames on and heat it that way.

As the other pan started to heat, a soft hissing grew alongside the crackling of the other. Soren opened a cabinet door and pulled out two plates, dishing up the already cooking foods and placing the first near the plant when it wasn't going to snap at his hand. Thing needed to learn restraint.


He pulled open a drawer and got out a fork and a knife, setting it on a plate and then setting it down on a table for Luke before going back to the kitchen. The plates were terracotta, accented with a golden glaze marking out phoenixes and fire. The handles of the fork and knife were golden pinion feathers. "..In case you haven't eaten yet.", he said before letting Luke speak his piece. Although with the dish provided, it's clear it was breakfast time.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    It was a simple gesture, but Luke seemed appreciative of Soren offering the meal. It reminded Luke that he hadn't had anything to eat since visiting Io and returning with Luna. The boy did hesitate slightly, but ultimately stepped over and quietly took a seat. The cutlery was a lot more ornate than Luke was used to, but given Soren and his personality, the techy probably should have expected as much.  His silver eyes wandered the plate, looking past the food and studying the terracotta. With a nod, the black haired boy silently agreed with himself that, yes, this did indeed fit the other man's aesthetic pretty well. It too was about as much as he'd expected. Though, to be frank, even if it wasn't surprising, it was still unusual to have the level of fine china that Soren did for just normal meals. Fancy stuff or holiday events, sure? Daily breakfast? Bit strange.

    After a bit of further hesitation, the young man picked up the utensils and cut a little bit of both the meat and the eggs, eating both the pieces at the same time. Both a habit to save time, and a genuine interest in the taste. After the first bite was down the hatch, Luke shut his eyes and steadied himself with a small breath. "It'll take a little bit of set up for you to understand it, so... I guess just... give me a moment." The young man inhaled deeply and once again, searched for the starting line. As long as he could find that, then the rest would be easy. Well... as easy as tearing down walls that were built up carefully over years could ever be. 

    But Luke was good at busting shit up, he could manage this somehow. 

    At least, he thought he could. Of course, the thoughts came again. Wanting to back out. Back down, change course. Talk about something else. As long as he could get out of the situation, then Luke didn't care what he did. The boy just wanted out. No. The young man tightened his grips on the utensils until his knuckles were white and his hands ached from the metal being forced into flesh. I started this, now I'm going to finish this. I don't back down. I don't back down. I don't back down. Luke continued to repeat this mental mantra, trying to boil away the anxiety with a determined frustration. As long as he was angry, even at himself, then he wouldn't have any room for fear to creep in. 

    He wouldn't leave any. 

    "When I left my old home I burned every bridge I had. In my mind, what I was doing was running away. Abandoning them. Breaking bonds that I had spent a lifetime forging." Luke paused and sucked in a breath. The images were prominent in his mind but they were messy. Maybe because of the stress of having to dig up old demons, or because of his reluctance towards even getting that far. The picture was scratchy, unclear, like sketches instead of complete photographs. Faces long forgotten with features unclear. Masked by smudges or scratched out by force. "People hurt me bad, and trust never came easy for me. Still doesn't. Never will. But leaving everyone I cared about hurt me deeply in ways I still have trouble coming to terms with. After I left, I promised myself I wouldn't let anyone get that close again unless I was certain I wanted them in my life until the day it left my body." 

    "So... I... closed off. Worked back to zero and then went a couple steps further. Picked fights again, insulted anyone who pissed me off, chased everyone away that I possibly could. And the few people I didn't scare away, I kept around for a little while to make sure I didn't go insane. I never made them friends. Kept them as acquaintances. Contacts. Kept them at arms length and no closer. I gave a name that wasn't my own so that if I ever had to leave, then I wouldn't leave anything behind. That was the plan with you and Mike." Luke set the knife down, rubbed his brow, then worked his hand to the side of his face. "Names carry weight. They're as much a piece of you as your mind or your heart. That's... my belief at least. When people hate you, the name off their lips is dirtied, like an insult or a slur. I didn't want to give anyone that sort of power over me. Everything I've worked for, everything I've fought for."

    Luke set down the fork and looked at both hands, clenching them tight. 

    "I'm the one who has power over it all. Those belong to me. It's my life." Luke looked at Soren as he spoke now. His gaze was hard, never wavering once, but his eyes glistened. There was pain behind the shining silver. A deep wound that never closed. And yet he didn't even shed a tear. The young man returned to the meal, silently eating a bit more of it. 
    
    The boy just needed a moment to calm down. 

    Getting food in his belly was one way to help. Gave him something else to focus on while he let his mind settle and his heart slow. You're getting too excited. Luke reminded himself. The young man just had to let his mind ease down a bit. It was difficult for him. Everything the boy did, he did for a reason. Every secret kept was a different wound that never healed. Talking about it was like picking at it before it even had a chance to scab over. It hurt. It always hurt and it never stopped. 
   
    When he was a little over halfway done with the food, Luke started again. "I've used a lot of names with people. Lotta different ones, never the same one twice. Mutt, Rat, really it always depended on the person. If it was someone I figured I'd have correspondence with or professional communication with regularly, I just used my last name. For you and Mike though. I... guess it was different. Io was... an old nickname I had back in my old home. Specifically Mini Io. Long story, lot more moving parts, and it's not something I'm going to tell you about any time soon, either. Eventually, yeah." He hoped. 

    "So, here's where it starts getting close to the end. My... general preference would have been to keep this going for a little longer, get to understand you and Mike a little better. But a few... major things happened. Three, to be exact. The first, was a game Mike and I played one rainy day. A simple thing. A question game, but not answering a question would mean you'd have to down a shot of vinegar. It was awful. Horrid idea, and it wound up with both of us kinda... not in a great head-space at the end. Mike asked me my name. Against better judgement, I told him. Second. Luna, an old friend from my old stomping grounds. Probably the closest person I know, and the one that destroyed me the most to leave behind. Third, I had an epiphany. One I didn't exactly like having, but had anyways. You see, I don't know what fucked me up so bad about telling Mike my name first. I guess, part of it was I didn't trust him enough yet, but another part felt like I wanted to tell you before him, and some sort of plan I didn't even know I had got fucked up." 

    "I didn't want you to be left behind, lacking knowledge, and overall I... feel like I trust you more. I trust you a lot easier. I didn't know why, it bothered me for a while, until I realized... I... want to be friends with you. Actual, genuine friends. The idea of leaving you behind was an idea that hurt, where normally there would be apathy. I want you in my group. I want you to meet the girl I looo-" Luke backtracked as quickly as he could. "-iike. Like. As a friend. You know, the best friend I've ever had since... well... childhood? Probably the only best friend I've ever had, to be honest. The idea of not having you around in the mix just... didn't feel right. Didn't sit right and it threw my stomach in knots. So I guess... what I'm trying to say is..."

    The young techy sucked in a breath, shifted uncomfortably, then awkwardly rose. He approached Soren, looking away with an ever shifting expression while his hand stuck out before him. It was almost comical seeing the usual laid back and confident Luke all nervous and jittery. "My name is L...Luke..." His voice shook as the words tumbled out. "L-Luke James Eldon. A...and I... I would like to be... f-f... f..." The young man seemed to struggle to get the last word out. He sucked in a breath, shut his eyes, and forced it out with every ounce of strength he could muster. "...Friends. I would like to be friends. Fuck."

[Soren]

“Mhmm. No need to stress, take your time!”, Soren said, whipping up a little something for himself. It was around the time when Soren was settling down at the same table with his own plate of food that Luke started to talk. Soren was cutting up his meal into bite sized pieces, just so he could munch on food while Luke was saying what he needed to but… That’s not quite what ended up happening.

His ear flicked slightly and Soren stole a quick glance, finding Luke on edge about what he wanted to say. But when Luke started to speak, based on his discomfort and forcing what he wanted- No, needed to say, he had Soren’s full and undivided attention. He was watching silently as Luke seemed to struggle, powering through his internal fight in just speaking, forcing himself to eat.

Soren was now just leaning on the table, resting on his elbows with a hand clasped over the other and resting just under his nose. The air around felt still and heavy. What few plants that had sentience didn’t seem to act up right now either. Everything was quiet while the two were there.

It was after Luke was done speaking and realizing just how invested Soren was, how serious his stare was at the boy that the bird brain was truly listening to the fullest he could. This was important, he had to take it seriously. Though, his expression changed slightly when he mentioned something about a girl he loooo…iiiiiiked. Riight. Loiked. Nice save there chief.

Soren’s eyes followed Luke with almost no other response. It almost seemed like an eternity with how little he moved. Luke could probably feel Soren’s gaze burning through him, and the amount of time it took the bird man to respond to shaking Luke’s hand probably didn’t help. He stayed as he was, waiting for Luke to look in his direction, to make eye contact. And it was probably terrifying to see Soren with a serious expression compared to his usually laidback self.

What was he going to do? Did he hate Luke for not being honest? For not looking him in the eye and telling him the truth all the way? He sighed and closed his eyes, hands moving to the table as he pushed himself up. Of course he was surprised, of course there was shock. But, Soren would deal with that afterwards. That wasn’t much of a reaction Luke had to see, especially after revealing how sensitive he was over something like this.

The bird man opened his eyes, a smile growing on his face as he reached and grabbed the boy’s hand to give it a firm shake. “Nice to officially meet you, Luke! My name is still Soren. I’m more than happy to be your friend, but between you and me…” He leaned in to whisper in Luke’s ear. “Not sure how I’d feel about the fucking part.” There it is. His one time to use the word ‘fuck’. Good job Soren, call it a day, that’s the only time in his life he’s legally allowed to say it. At least he seemed to be taking this well!

[Sparky]

[Refs]

   When Luke was done spilling his guts, he immediately felt every last bit of confidence vacate his body. It felt like his soul was trying to run away with his mind in a vain attempt to get as far away from this moment as he possibly could. As the silence stretched on, and Soren's reply took longer and longer to come, Luke felt his mouth dry up. Did I make a mistake? Repeated itself over and over in the boy's mind. Had he misjudged his actions? Had he really screwed up that badly? Luke's chest hurt from how hard his heart was hammering, practically slamming itself into his ribcage in a desperate fight to jump free. 

    Luke swallowed as hard as he could but his mouth remained woefully dry.

    The expression on Soren's face only worsened his growing panic. Soren hated him now, didn't he? This was a mistake. This was a big mistake. I shouldn't have said anything at all. Luke ran through the situation over an over again. Was Soren going to kick him out now? Punch him? Insult him?  Maybe the techy should just leave. It was obvious his attempts to make friends were a stupid endeavor anyways. Luke didn't make friends. He didn't deserve them. Why did I open myself up and show my fucking weakness Like that? That was stupid, this was a mistake, I need to fucking go. 

    But before the pitifully panicking punk properly pulled away, Soren's hand clamped down around it with a firm shake. In that moment, Luke's heart stopped, mind shut down, soul ejected, stomach twisted, knees weak, palms sweaty, arms heavy, mom's spaghetti.
    
    Any semblance of composure evaporated off the punk's body, as he stepped away from Soren looking as though he'd aged seventy years. Shaking, unsteady, and feeling utterly fucking ill, Luke stumbled backwards, literally stumbled. Thankfully catching himself on the table before he actually fell, Luke lowered himself into a chair, gripping a clump of his shirt in a white knuckled grip, while his other hand could have crushed coal into fucking diamonds. Every part of him was shaking.

    That was how heavy the situation weighed upon him. 
    
    How badly it tore him apart.

    The words jumbled about in Luke's mind head, bouncing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The young punk understood them but nothing seemed to click or connect. Nothing seemed... real. 

    Something finally stuck, though, and a smile cracked and crawled. It looked like a poor imitation of his normal smile, his expression twisted somewhere in the no man's land between relief, grief, and joy. The hand resting upon the table practically cracked as he unclenched his fist, fingers still tensing almost mechanically. Luke pressed the hand to his face as he began to laugh. Lightly at first, but growing in volume. 

    The boy pressed himself against the table as he doubled over, laughing desperately. His hand left his face again and instead grasped onto the edge of the table. "My gods." Luke muttered. The boy shook his head and looked at Soren, disbelief muddling the already confusing expression.

    "Did you really just swear? Did you really just say that to me?" Luke's laughter calmed into a chuckle as he covered his face with both hands. The young man's voice was muffled as he continued, simply ending with. "Unreal, what a fuckin' day."

[Soren]

In a twisted way, seeing Luke's expression was priceless. That didn't mean Soren didn't feel bad for doing it to him, but he had to pull the boy's leg a little bit. But, Luke's growing realisation was even better. He smiled, he laughed, he looked like he was completely relieved. The bird man seemed pleased with himself, sitting back down and started to work on his breakfast while Luke was more or less struggling to calm down. 

The air around the room seemed to lighten up. Things felt less stuffy. Though, for Soren, he'd deal with the shock of this after Luke had gone off to do his own thing. It's not something he'd need to see, the underlying stress from this.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

   "I'm sorry about dropping this on you all at once. Like I said I originally wanted to ease into this with everyone involved. I'm sorry I gave you a nickname instead of my actual one." Luke stated as his stress died off. If there was anything left on his plate, he'd lost his appetite for it. Too much stress'll do that to you. The punk rolled his shoulders with a sigh, trying to relax as best he could. He Looked to Soren and cleared his throat. "I'll let you sort your own stuff out. I'd like you as a friend, but if that's something you can't manage, then I understand. If you decide to stick with me, then I'm planning on doing a get together."

    Luke took out a piece of paper and a pencil, scribbled some stuff down. A date, a time, and an address. Once done, the young man slid the piece of paper over to the bird man silently. "I found a good restaurant, figured it'd be nice to hang out with everyone. Get a bite to eat. Talk. I'll leave you be now though." 

    The young man rubbed the back of his neck and turned, heading towards the exit. "If you need me, Soren, you know where to find me." He paused before he reached for the door. The boy cast his glance back towards Soren. "And... seriously... thank you for listening to me. That's it. Peace, man." 

[Soren]

"Hey hey, it's cool.", Soren said, trying to sound reassuring. Was he bothered? Of course he was. His attention flicked to the paper with the address on it. He lifted the paper to read it more properly. He smirked a little and looked at Luke. "Sounds good man, set up a day and time and I should be ready to go." 

Soren gave the boy a wave goodbye as he left. As soon as the door latched, Soren placed the paper down and sighed, sinking back into the chair and tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. What was he getting himself into? Hopefully not something majorly serious. Still, someone needing to feel so guarded about themselves who lied about their names meant there's something behind that and well... Luke told him what. Yeesh. Though, Soren felt glad that Luke trusted him enough to want to come clean and make a honest effort at being friends. That's something, right?