The streets were quiet as the two figures slipped through the shadows, the glow of neon signs reflecting in puddles from an earlier rain. Aldon tugged the hood of his oversized sweater tighter around his head, casting a wary gnce at his companion.

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” he whispered, his voice a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

  Dabi, smirking as always, gave a casual shrug. “What can I say, firefly? You’re easily persuaded by my charm.”

  “This isn't charm. This is borderline criminal activity,” Aldon muttered, stepping around a suspiciously sticky spot on the pavement as they approached the cinema.

  Dabi stopped short and spun to face him, one hand gesturing dramatically toward the dimly lit marquee. “Oh, please. It’s not like they’re going to miss a couple of tickets. Besides,” his grin widened, “you could use a little excitement in your life. A hero sneaking into a movie with a vilin—sounds poetic, doesn’t it?”

  Aldon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Touya, I’m pretty sure this is just you trying to avoid paying ten bucks and getting arrested.”

  Dabi ughed under his breath, the sound low and raspy, as he motioned for Aldon to follow him toward the side of the building. “C’mon, stop whining. We’ll be in and out before anyone notices. Think of it as… part of my therapy.”

  Aldon stopped dead in his tracks, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Therapy? How on earth does sneaking into a movie count as therapy?”

  Dabi gave him an innocent look—well, as innocent as Dabi could manage. “It’s obvious. Breaking rules, loosening up, stepping outside of the box—it’s character development, firefly. Isn’t that what your little programs are all about? Making me a better person?”

  “Okay, first of all,” Aldon said, crossing his arms, “therapy does not include committing minor crimes. And second, I think you’re misunderstanding my rehabilitation methods.”

  “Am I, though?” Dabi asked, his grin turning sly. “Maybe you just need to expand your approach. What’s a little harmless trespassing if it gets me in touch with my softer side?”

  Aldon sighed, shaking his head as he followed him toward the building. “You are impossible. This isn’t therapy; it’s enabling your bad habits.”

  “Details,” Dabi replied with a shrug, pushing open the creaky side door. “Now hurry up before you ruin my character growth.”

  Aldon muttered something under his breath about rethinking his life choices as he stepped inside, the dimly lit corridor enveloping them in the familiar scent of stale popcorn and disinfectant. “You’re lucky no one’s caught us yet.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Dabi said with a smirk. “You’re starting to sound like you’re enjoying this.”

  “I am not enjoying this,” Aldon said, though his lips twitched upward. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t make this worse.”

  “Worse? Me? Firefly, I’m a model citizen tonight.” Dabi grinned, gesturing to the nearby concessions stand. “See? I haven’t even stolen a candy bar yet.”

  “Because I would stop you,” Aldon shot back, trying to hide his exasperated smile. “Do you even know what’s pying?” Aldon whispered.

  “No idea,” Dabi admitted with a grin. “But that’s the fun part.”

  They crept past a stack of popcorn tubs and an industrial-sized soda fountain, Dabi barely resisting the urge to grab a bag of candy from the counter. Aldon caught the look in his eyes and whispered, “Don’t even think about it.”

  “You’re no fun,” Dabi muttered, but he relented, leading the way toward one of the smaller theaters. He peeked through the door, his sharp blue eyes scanning the rows of empty seats. “Looks like we’re in luck. Private screening.”

  Aldon sighed but followed him in, settling into a seat in the middle row while Dabi sprawled out a few seats away, one foot casually propped on the back of the seat in front of him.

  “So,” Aldon began as the movie started, the faint glow of the screen illuminating Dabi’s smirk. “What are we even watching?”

  Dabi squinted at the screen, where a cheesy title card announced Attack of the Cosmic Zombies 3. His grin widened. “A masterpiece, obviously.”

  Aldon groaned, sinking lower in his seat. “You dragged me out here for this ?”

  “Rex, firefly,” Dabi drawled, tossing a piece of popcorn—where he’d gotten it, Aldon didn’t know—into his mouth. “Sometimes you’ve gotta appreciate the finer things in life. Like low-budget horror.”

  The movie began with a poorly animated spaceship crashing into a cornfield, the dialogue so bad that Aldon couldn’t help but ugh. Dabi’s chuckle joined his, and soon they were both stifling giggles as the so-called “cosmic zombies” emerged from the cornfield, looking suspiciously like extras in green body paint.

  “This is terrible,” Aldon whispered, wiping a tear of ughter from his eye.

  “It’s art,” Dabi replied, his voice mock-serious. “You just don’t understand the yers.”

  “Layers?” Aldon repeated, nearly choking on his ughter. “What yers? It’s a guy in a rubber mask pretending to eat someone’s arm!”

  “Exactly,” Dabi said with a grin. “Cssic cinema.”

  Their ughter echoed softly in the empty theater, and for a moment, Aldon forgot about the absurdity of sneaking into a movie with a wanted vilin. It was just the two of them, sharing stolen moments and ridiculous jokes in the flickering light of the screen. Almost as if Touya grew up alongside him, and this was just them messing around.

  Toward the end of the movie, as the protagonist delivered a dramatic monologue about the power of friendship (while fending off a horde of cosmic zombies with a broom), Dabi leaned closer, his voice low.

  “See? Even this guy gets it. Friendship is magic, firefly.”

  Aldon rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t hide his smile. “Pretty sure he’s about to get eaten.”

  As if on cue, the protagonist let out a scream, and the screen faded to bck. The credits rolled, accompanied by an overly dramatic orchestral score.

  Dabi stretched, standing and offering a hand to Aldon. “Well, that was enlightening.”

  “You mean ridiculous,” Aldon said, taking his hand as they made their way back toward the exit. “But I’ll admit, it was… fun.”

  “See? Told you,” Dabi said with a wink. “You’ve got to let loose sometimes, firefly.”

  As they slipped out into the cool night air, Aldon gnced at Dabi, his expression softening. “You know, for a criminal mastermind, you have terrible taste in movies.”

  Dabi’s grin widened. “Oh, we’re doing this again, firefly. Next time, I’ll pick something even worse.”

  Aldon ughed, shaking his head as they walked off into the night. “I’m almost scared to find out what that is.”

  The Next Day: Shopping with Mirko

  The sun was bright, and the city buzzed with energy as Aldon and Mirko wandered down the streets of Musutafu, the light chatter of people and the occasional scent of street food adding to the atmosphere. Mirko, as usual, was walking a step ahead, her sharp eyes scanning every shop window with a predator’s precision.

  “I’m telling you, Aldon,” Mirko said, gncing over her shoulder, “you need some new clothes. Something that says, ‘Hey, I’m not just a sidekick; I’m also hot as hell.’ You’ve been wearing the same vibe for years. Let me help you evolve.”

  Aldon rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a grin. “What’s wrong with my style? It’s practical, comfortable—”

  “Boring,” Mirko interrupted with a snort, spinning on her heel to face him as they stopped outside a shop window. “Look, you’re cute and all, but that oversized-shirt-and-bck-pants combo screams ‘I’m trying not to be noticed.’”

  “Maybe because I’m not trying to be noticed?” Aldon quipped, raising an eyebrow.

  “Uh-huh, sure,” Mirko said, opening the door to the shop and pulling him inside. “You’re coming with me, mister. We’re finding something that’ll make you pop.”

  Aldon sighed but let himself be dragged in, secretly enjoying her infectious energy. As they wandered between racks of clothes, Mirko held up outfit after outfit, making exaggerated faces of approval or disapproval.

  “Now this,” she said, holding up a sleek red jacket, “this says, ‘I’m bold, I’m confident, and yes, I do have great taste.’ Try it on.”

  Aldon eyed the jacket skeptically. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Nope.” Mirko grinned, shoving the jacket into his arms.

  “So,” Aldon began, tilting his head toward her, “how’s it been since... karaoke night? You know, with Rex?” He tried to keep his tone casual, though his curiosity was genuine.

  Mirko’s ears twitched, and a smirk spread across her face as she tossed a gnce over her shoulder. “Oh, that. ” She let out a short ugh, clearly reveling in the memory. “Well, snake boy hasn’t stopped texting me. He’s so awkward it’s adorable.”

  “Awkward?” Aldon repeated, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, you know,” Mirko said, waving her hand as if expining the obvious. “Like, he’ll send me this super serious, deadpan message about something random, and then three minutes ter, he’ll apologize for bothering me. It’s cute. He’s trying, but he’s so... Rex about it.”

  Aldon chuckled. “That actually sounds exactly like him. So, are you into him?”

  Mirko shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Maybe. He’s different. I kinda like that he doesn’t sugarcoat stuff. Plus, he’s got that quiet, mysterious thing going for him, which is always a bonus.”

  “Well, good luck,” Aldon said with a small smile. “You’re probably the first person who’s managed to crack that tough exterior of his.”

  “Oh, please,” Mirko said, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t crack it—I smashed through it. I mean, who else would dare to kiss him while he spits venom around? The man didn’t know what hit him.”

  Aldon ughed, shaking his head. “That’s one way to describe it.”

  Mirko’s smirk widened as she stopped in front of another set of jackets. “Alright, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. ”

  “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this?” Aldon muttered as she shoved another one into his arms.

  “Because you’re not,” she replied cheerfully, dragging him toward a rack of jackets. “But it’s happening anyway. So, what’s the deal with you and Mr. Mystery Crush?”

  Aldon froze mid-step, his face flushing. “W-what? There’s no deal. Not more you already know.”

  “Don’t even try to deny it,” Mirko said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. “You’ve been extra smiley today. That ‘I’m thinking about someone but trying not to look obvious’ kind of smile. So, spill.”

  Aldon sighed, realizing there was no escaping her interrogation. He pretended to focus on a nearby jacket, his voice hesitant. “Fine. But you can’t... you know, freak out.”

  Mirko’s eyes lit up. “Oh, this is going to be good. Lay it on me.”

  Aldon hesitated, gncing around as if the racks of clothes might offer an escape route. “Fine,” he said eventually, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “But you can’t tell anyone.”

  Mirko’s ears twitched, and she leaned in eagerly. “My lips are sealed.”

  “Well,” Aldon began, his cheeks reddening slightly, “yesterday... we went to the cinema.”

  “Ooh, a te-night movie date? Romantic,” Mirko teased.

  “It wasn’t exactly a date,” Aldon said, though the memory made his heart skip. “We kind of... snuck in.”

  Mirko’s eyebrows shot up. “Snuck in? You? Mr. By-the-Book Hero? Who even are you?”

  “It wasn’t entirely my idea,” Aldon admitted, fidgeting with his sleeve. “But it was... fun. It felt kind of... freeing.”

  Mirko burst out ughing, spping her knee. “Oh, this guy’s trouble, isn’t he? I love it. What else?”

  “Well,” Aldon said, his voice softening, “a few days ago, we cooked together. He’s terrible at chopping vegetables, by the way.”

  Mirko gasped dramatically. “Cooking together? How domestic. Do I hear wedding bells?”

  “Stop,” Aldon said, though he was ughing now. “It’s not like that.”

  “Yet,” Mirko added smugly, tossing a bold, patterned jacket onto Aldon’s growing pile of rejects. “Alright, out with it—what’s the most ‘I can’t believe this happened’ moment so far?”

  Aldon hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “Some time ago he got hurt pretty badly, and I... I cleaned his wounds. In the shower. While he was... naked.”

  Mirko froze mid-step, the jacket she was holding slipping from her hand. “ What? ” She blinked, then burst into cackling ughter, doubling over as she clutched her stomach. “Angie, you’re living a soap opera ! What’s next? Secret love confessions in the rain?”

  “It wasn’t like that!” Aldon said quickly, his face a deep shade of red. “He was hurt, and it was the most efficient way to—”

  “Efficient, huh?” Mirko cut him off, wiping a tear from her eye. “That’s one hell of a word choice. Admit it, you’ve got it bad for this guy.”

  Aldon groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Rumi, you’re impossible.”

  “And you’re adorable,” Mirko shot back, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “But seriously, he sounds... interesting. When do I get to meet him?”

  “You don’t,” Aldon said firmly, lowering his hands. “It’s... complicated.”

  Mirko tilted her head, her teasing smirk softening just slightly. “Complicated, huh?” She squeezed his shoulder. “Alright, I’ll back off—for now. Just promise me you’ll be careful. And if you ever need to vent or, I don’t know, scream into a pillow, you know where to find me.”

  Aldon smiled faintly, his chest warming at her sincerity. “Thanks, Rumi.”

  “Anytime, Angie,” she said, squeezing his shoulder. Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, “Now let’s find you something that’ll knock Mystery Guy’s socks off.”

  Aldon couldn’t help but ugh as she dragged him toward another rack of clothes, her energy as infectious as ever. Whatever complications y ahead, he was gd to have Mirko by his side, pushing him out of his comfort zone and making life a little brighter.