"Everett? What are you doing here?"

"I live here, dumbass," Everett replied, lip curling.

"You-you live here? You guys are the Mayor's children?" Alistair stared dumbfoundedly, wide-eyed in confusion, at the two siblings. They nodded their heads simultaneously, albeit looking a little bored, Everett picking at his nails.

How had Alistair not known? Although to be fair, he had only stolen from the O'Hamington Mansion twice and news articles about the O'Hamington family never featured the children, so it was fine, he still knew who his enemies were. He was calm and cool.

"Okay so, after you finish your little breakdown, shall we go?" Lili asked, more like demanded pointedly, her foot tapping impatiently on the marble floor.

"Y-yeah, we can go now. Where to? A nice restaurant, although judging by our attire it would be unlikely that they'd let us in-"

"I was hoping to go to Botanical Gardens, to get some good pictures of me," Lili winked. How did people manage to pull off winks? Alistair always looked like he was cringing, or squinting angrily at the sun.

"O-okay then, so, shall we go? I can call an Uber-" Alistair was cut off by Everett.

"No need, no need, I'll drive you two there," Everett smiled tightly, extending his hand towards the front door. Alistair stared at in confusion, scratching the back of his neck. Lili merely raised her eyebrows, opening her mouth to object.

"Shall we?"

His words were drowned out by protests from Alistair and Lili. Well, mostly Lili. 

"You can't do that Everett, I'm going on a date. A date. you are not allowed to be the third wheel." Lili whined. Alistair winced at the high pitch Lili managed to reach. 

Everett simply waved away her complaints with his hand, dragging a hand through his hair as he took out a car key from a box at the side of the foyer.

 Alistair let out a sigh, staring at the obnoxiously big chandelier hanging from the dome-like ceiling. Everett trying to be an over-protective brother was cockblocking him. But honestly? He was cool with it. He wasn't entirely sure why.

"Let's go, Alistair, Lili," Everett beckoned them, giving Alistair a quick nod, biting the inside of his cheek. Alistair hummed, trailing after him, leaving Lili standing alone in the foyer, frowning. 

As they walked toward an expensive-looking car that was probably customised since Alistair didn't know the brand of his car, Lili chatted his ear off about the most mundane of things. Alistair guiltily started to tune her out when she started expressing her love for all things vanilla.

If there was one thing Alistair couldn't stand, it was vanilla.

Starting to get into the backseat of the car after Lili had slid in, he was stopped by Everett's hand on his wrist.

"Sit in the front. I don't want any funny business going on in this car." Everett fixed his gaze on Alistair, as though daring him to say no and sit in the back anyway.

Rolling his eyes, Alistair smiled apologetically at Lili, whose eyes were narrowed, lips were pressed together in a tight line, sharp thoughts probably slicing up the Everett in her mind.

As Everett started the car, Alistair looked in the rearview mirror at Lili, who was pouting as if someone had just taken away her toy.

She was pretty cute for a sixteen-year-old.

When Lili caught his eye in the mirror, the corners of her lips turned up, a mischievous look in her eyes. She began to mouth something but was interrupted by an annoyed Everett. 

"For goodness sake, don't eye-fuck each other please."

Alistair immediately looked away, focusing his attention to the scenery outside. He stared at the pedestrians and the groups of friends and the dates going well, the dates going badly.

He loved people watching. It made him feel like he was part of something bigger than himself. A whole world out there and Alistair was just one. One of many people. At the same time, it put him in a sombre mood.

How many of these people were in fact, struggling? Trying to keep afloat, but were being pulled down by things? He would notice them once and carry on with his life, but theirs' would continue. Their suffering would remain, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Guys, we're here," said Everett, pulling Alistair out from his mildly depressing thoughts.

Lili opened the car door, jumping out of the car.  Pulling Alistair away from the car, she spoke to Everett as she walked away. "Thanks for the ride! Bye for now!"

The two were halted by Everett rushing forward and putting his hands on their shoulders. "Not so fast. I'm coming with you."

Lili let out a groan of frustration, exclaiming, "I'm over this. I'm going to the bathroom. Don't wait for me." Alistair watched her as she sauntered away in a huff, handbag swinging on her wrist. 

"Well that was a tad dramatic, wasn't it," joked Everett, breaking the silence. 

Alistair pushed out air from his cheeks, rubbing his freezing hands together. "To be fair, it did seem like you were purposely trying to ruin her date."

"Mm well, it's true, in a way. Remember when she said 'Don't wait for me'? That means she's hooking up with someone as we speak. I doubt she even liked you in the first place." Everett took a seat on a bench, Alistair strolling behind him.

Letting out a dry chuckle, Alistair responded, "I resent that. In my defence, however, I never did like her very much either." He sat down next to Everett, looking into the distance.

"So I guess I saved both of you from something you didn't want. Although if you didn't like her, why'd you agree to go out with her?"

"I wanted a distraction."

Everett scoffed, "That's a horrible reason to mess with people. There are plenty more fish in the sea, you know that, right?"

"See Everett, what you don't get is she is my sea." Alistair buried his hands in his hair, forcing out a laugh. "I'll get over her soon, don't worry."

Everett leans back on the bench, staring at the hands that were tugging at a mess of black curls, the action seemingly regretful, frustrated.

"Anyway, why did you never say that you were the Mayor's son?" Alistair asks, the small crack of vulnerability in his facade gone.

"I thought you knew, many people comment that my father and I look alike."

Snickering, Alistair replied, "I never thought I'd say this, but, I have to agree with those politicians. Now that I think about it, you both look quite similar. Bot quite pompous, but you're more awkward."

Everett scowled, knocking the back of Alistair's head, Alistair still chuckling to himself.

The two joked around and insulted one another for a good twenty minutes before Everett stood up demanding some food and drinks. 

They picked a vintage-looking restaurant with a nice view of the garden, choosing to sit outdoors to better enjoy the scenery.

"Hey Everett, want to share a pizza?"

"Absolutely not. I hate pizza. It's the most basic of basic," Everett recoiled at the thought of it, lip curling.

Letting out a deep chuckle at Everett's answer, Alistair nodded, opting for a portion of pasta instead. 

"And a hot chocolate please!" piped up Everett before the waiter left. Grinning, the waiter nodded. "Sure thing! Your food and drink will be served shortly."

"A hot chocolate? Seriously? That's basic too, sweetheart." Alistair pointed out.

Glaring at the endearment, Everett defended, "It's cold, okay?"

Lifting his hands in surrender, Alistair nodded, "Sure, sure."

- - -

"Thanks for paying, Everett," Alistair gave him a striking smile as he exited the car at the O'Hamington Mansion, making Everett blush.

"I'm paying for it, dumbass, and that's final!" Everett scowled.

Alistair chuckled silently at the memory, Everett really was quite adorable. As Everett walked away from him after shooting a quick, "Bye,"  in his direction, Alistair stopped him, grabbing his wrist. Everett turned back, an eyebrow raised.

"And um, could I get your number? You know, because we're friends now, right? Despite, you know, everything," Alistair asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, of course."

They exchanged phones, the nervous energy surrounding the pair enough to fizzle a lightbulb. With that, Everett bid him farewell and disappeared into the foyer and up the stairs.

Too curious for his own good, Alistair trailed in his wake, fingers gliding over the paintings on the wall that he'd been too distracted to notice before.

If he stole it, would anyone notice?

There was a disembodied shout from upstairs that shocked Alistair, making the painting he was trying to lift from its hook quietly clatter loudly against the wall.

"Alistair if you steal anything I swear on my grave I will come down there and kill you."

Laughing to himself, he exited the mansion with a smile on his face, bigger than it had been in a while. And when his phone buzzed in his pocket later, he didn't need to check to know that it was Everett.

It always was, wasn't it?

---

a/n: double update because of my insomniac ass. votes, comments and feedback are, as always, very much appreciated. merci. 

-sky