“SO THIS IS WHAT A HUMAN GROCERY STORE LOOKS LIKE?” JACULUS ASKED, EYES WIDENING.

Abiathar had sheepishly informed him that his house was malequiped for guests, as he only had the bare necessities for himself. The pain in Jaculus’s leg had lessened, and he was itching to get outside.

“Uh, yes,” Abiathar replied, looking out of place within the crowd, “We really didn’t have to go. I could have sent a spirit. They usually do my shopping for me.”

Abiathar had changed his clothes in preparation of their outing, ditching his robes for a loose sweatshirt. He had even taken off his mask, replacing it with a more contemporary cloth mask that covered his entire head, sans his eyes. It caught him several stares from passersby, but Jaculus decided not to question it.

Jaculus peeked around the corner of a long aisle, taking in the massive freezers on either side. There was more food than he had ever seen in his entire life. “I wanted to go. I’ve never been in one of these places. We usually tried to avoid places crawling with humans. It was dangerous.”

But since you’re with me, I’m not in danger, right? Jaculus thought, staring up at Abiathar. Abiathar shuffled from foot to foot and stared down at the grocery basket, never keeping still for more than a second. It was a stark contrast to the meek but serene figure he had been in his home.

Jaculus tapped Abiathar on the arm, emphasizing his point. “Plus, I needed some fresh air. I’ve been cooped up in your house for hours.”

Abiathar was too busy pinching the fabric around his neck to notice. “Right.”

“This looks good,” Jaculus said, grabbing a box from a shelf. The label had pictures of animals on it, but it didn’t appear to be meat. Animal Crackers, it read. He shrugged and started to tear the top of the box off.

“No!” Abiathar gasped, waving his hands, “You can’t do that!”

“Why? Isn’t this where you get food from?”

“I have to pay for it first!” Abiathar lowered his voice when he noticed people gawking at them, blushing furiously.

“Excuse me, sir,” a woman said, smiling.

Abiathar turned around, keeping his eyes on the floor. “Yes?” he choked out.

“I believe your son dropped this.”

“My son?” Abiathar asked, only to catch Jaculus’s glance, “Right, uh, actually, he’s not my-” He paused when he saw the woman’s hand extend, a small ball rolling in her palm.

“She’s right!” Jaculus said quickly, snatching the object from her hand and shoving it in his pocket, “It was mine,” he corrected himself, trying to slow down his voice, “It must have fell out of my pocket.”

Abiathar didn’t question it. Jaculus was thankful.

Scratching the back of his neck, Abiathar consulted his grocery list. “There’s only a couple more things we need to get, and then we can finally go home.”

----

Jaculus watched two spirits shuffle through the grocery bags, placing the objects into the pantry and laundry room. It was nearly nightfall when they arrived at Abiathar’s house, and Abiathar had gotten less and less talkative as the day went on. Abiathar had immediately went upstairs and changed clothes, retiring to the couch with a book.

The house was unbearable quiet as Jaculus let himself sink into the couch, watching the ceiling fan spin with all its might. The morning had been filled with so much excitement that the uneventful evening was becoming unbearable.

Abiathar flipped another page of his book, a thick, aged tome with a leather cover. Jaculus frowned as he took a small sip from his glass. Abiathar had given him tea, but that was the first time he had interacted him in nearly an hour. He had actually gotten used to having someone to hang out with, and he couldn’t help but think that something was bothering him.

Jaculus squeezed a pillow between his hands, lightly tossing it across the room, hitting Abiathar in the chest. Abiathar blinked, a sort of hurt confusion visible in his eyes.

“Is there something wrong? Why did you throw that?”

Jaculus’s shoulders fell. “I was just trying to play.”

“Play?” Abiathar said, flustered, “Right, I apologize. We can play if you would like. Do young higher spirits require physical enrichment?”

“I don’t know what that means. I just wanted to have a pillow fight.”

“We can do that!” Abiathar said, standing up and grasping the pillow in his hands, holding it like it was about to bite him.

Jaculus stepped off the couch, curving his back into a feral stance as he smacked Abiathar with another pillow. Abiathar flailed to defend himself, only to get another hit to the gut. He bent down to collect his pillow, but not before Jaculus struck him again, grinning.

It hit him in the face.

Abiathar’s mask slipped, and a heavy aura surged through the house, slamming down on Jaculus’s shoulders. Abiathar had fallen to the ground, hands over his face, covering his exposed skin.

“Abiathar, I’m sor-”

“Don’t,” Abiathar croaked, an edge to his voice. He stood up, shoving past Jaculus, “I need to go upstairs. I will see you in the morning.”