Chapter 13 : The only one who shined that night

Mason quickly finished his food, finished his beer in one go, and slammed it on the table hard. Kieran was startled by this and stared at Mason, who seemed to be just a little tipsy. It seems that he was a lightweight, and couldn’t really hold his alcohol.

“Hey, are you okay?”, Kieran asked

Even in his past life as Edward, though he was 17, he sometimes drank with his friends after school or during the weekends. His mother never paid attention to him, so he was able to get away with it. Jonathan would buy the drinks since he had a fake I.D, and had a good relationship with the owner of the liquor store.

“Kieran..”

Mason said, not entirely drunk, but definitely hazed and tired. He was tipsy, and was slurring his words.

“Come live with me. I have a son, he's around your age. I know this is sudden, but you don’t have anywhere else to stay right now. My wife will definitely welcome you, since she was a good friend of your mother.”

“Why are you so kind to me?” Kieran asked, not confused, but curious.

It was weird that a random man would offer a random child housing, and to be in his house. Not for just a bit, but to live with them long term. Did him saving Kieran give him some guilt and sense of responsibility? Mason had his own child as well, and the economy of the village was not that great either. Though he definitely lived better than Kieran and his mother, would they be able to afford another mouth to feed?

“Is kindness a bad thing? Why can I not be kind to you? I am a human, and so are you. A child of your age, and especially your age, should not go through that kind of trauma.”

Mason seemed to be extremely kind hearted. Though he was massive in size and intimidated everyone, Kieran included, this was not his intention at all. He was but a gentle giant, wishing for peace and joy for everyone. He joined the Watchmen because he believed he would protect the joy of the villagers. He believed he could solve everything, and that if anything bad happened, he would resolve it. Kieran thought in his mind that if he was as big as Mason, he would think that way as well. But obviously, nothing is perfect, and things will always go wrong, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Sometimes, things can't be fixed. But even so, one must move on. 

Kieran stayed quiet for a while. He was in thought, spaced out once more. 

He had nowhere to go. This was his only option. They could provide food, shelter, protection, and warmth. He had a son as well, so Kieran could get along with him and learn about the world from him. Since he had no school either, Kieran could spend his time investigating what happened after the incident. How come they didn’t find the journal? Why was it thought to be suicide? There were clear indications of a fight. It didn’t make sense.

“Sure”, Kieran replied, in a soft yet confidence tone of voice

“I’ll come with you.”

Mason looked up, blanked out and dazed, then smiled like a puppy. He had this charm about him, this warmth. It made you want to hug him like a dog, and it was nice to be around. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time. His mother in his past life never showed this affection. Though his friends in his past life hung out and laughed with Edward a lot, he never felt this warmth. It felt like genuine care and affection. How could someone show such affection, especially to a stranger, and not someone of blood? Kieran could only wonder and smile.

Mason stood up from his chair, patted himself down, then offered his hand to Kieran. Kieran got off his chair, and took it immediately. They walked outside together, hand in hand. Mason had to bend down a little since he was a bit too tall to hold the boy's hand, but it was manageable. The rain had stopped pouring, and the night sky was visible. Stars were shining upon the dark infinite canvas of the night. Each star, different, shining brightly. 

But even though so many stars were there, the closest star and the one that shone the brightest was right in front of his eyes.