The next day had begun. Alexander was back where they belonged, in a shitty apartment hallway, holding a bouquet of sunflowers and a huge Walgreen's bag of candies. They were going to apologize to their only best friend in the world that they weren't related to, who at the end of chapter three was a bit... Pissed off, to say the least. But Alexander wasn't always the bigger person, and they really shouldn't have yelled at Kitty, so it was their job to go apologize since they did sort of cause this mess in a very, very tangled web of events.

   Here they were, standing outside Kitty's door with a decently sized bundle of sunny yellow flowers, knocking lightly as to not disturb neighbors. Alex hoped that this gesture of peace would be well received...

   Hazel perked up after the sound of a small knock. She hadn't been expecting anybody, but she got up to see who was knocking out of sheer curiosity- And because that is the normal thing to do in this situation.

   "Wha-?" She said, before she even bothered to look up.

   "Oh... Alexanda'. Wha-what are you doin' here?"

   "Apologizin'! 'Cuz y'know, I was sorta an asshole and I shouldn't have yelled at ya." They held out the bouquet. "I got ya "I'm sorry" presents!"

   Hazel giggled. "Yeah, you were. I mean, I was too- But you deserved it." She looked down and shuffled her feet a little. "Thanks for the gifts though. I'm real sorry for yellin' at you."

   "No, you weren't bein' mean at all! I was bein' an asshole," Alex whined. "Please grab the flowers, I'm tiny an' they're heavy." Alex gave a little smile, as the weight of the bundle of flowers was starting to knock them backwards.

   "I met a boy. At a party."

   Hazel took the flowers and was very interested in Alex's comment. "Oh, really? What's his name?"

   "Roman, I think. I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure his name is '627', but I like Roman better."

   "Uh, why does the kid have numbers for a name?"

   "H-He's a hitman," Alexander stammered hesitantly. "Alright, maybe because he's highkey a murderer an' I'm pretty sure they don't feed him."

   "Well then let's make him a sandwich," Hazel enthusiastically offered.

   "He can't come visit me often, or else his owners might kill me. Or at least beat the shit outta him."

   "Agh, that sucks.." Hazel was distracted, as she was checking her cupboards for a vase to put the bouquet in.

   "Also I can't communicate with him other than him breaking in to say hello!"

   "Damn," Hazel remarked, pulling out a plain glass vase out of a cupboard and placed it next to her sink.

   "Oh, and he's Dutch." Alex, at this point, seemed to be rambling a little bit, but then came to a conclusion. "Mmhm! A slightly unhinged hitman knows where I live, and can now break into my apartment at any time — and I know nothin' about him! I would've expected some red flags... But good to know you're okay with the fact I murder people too!"

   As Hazel was pouring water into the vase from the sink, the glass slipped from her hands, and a loud smash was heard as the glass slammed into the sink and tiny bits of glass flew up into the air.

   "Hold on, what the fuck?! You? No." she hissed, trembling.

   Alex beamed, "Aww, glad to see you're payin' attention!"

   "Hey hey, you said Satan gave them to you. That's why I let you keep your refrigerator!"

   "Thaaaat-That's a lie."

   Oh yeah, the fridge? Alexander's fridge was full of corpses. Another reason why Alex killed people was because they had to eat something, right?

   "Alex...you know that's a part of our roommate code of conduct. We can't kill people. That doesn't show good morals," Hazel cautioned, taking the act of murdering people far too lightly.

   "Roommate?! I technically live alone! How else was I gonna pay for my rent?!  Besides, I'm both America's sweetheart an' one of the best on the black market now! You're no fun," Alex pouted, crossing their arms. "I even have a cool gun and everything!"

   "Alex, no! Why do you do things like this?! I can't deal with this shit," Hazel fumed.

   "Because it pays my rent..? And it allows for me to meet cute people! Besides, after 100 years of fuckin' around you sorta... You sorta don't have many morals left." They held up the bag of assorted chocolates and other treats that they had been carrying.

   "I'm-sorry-for-being-a-hitman candy...?" They offered.

   Hazel laughed, taking the whole ordeal way too lightly for comfort. "For fuck's sake, kid, I don't really care. As long as you're happy! I have some extra drugs in the floorboards if you want any. I'm gonna make lunch."

   "I don- Kitty, I don't do drugs. Like, I mean I commonly overdose on my medication — used to keep my issues together — in hopes of dyin' so I can finally fuckin' get to bitchslap my dad- but like why the fuck did you just offer a child drugs?! You maniac," They remarked. Alex stepped inside, following her and gently setting the bag down on a countertop.

   "A child?!" Hazel snickered. "Child my ass, like you said, you're over 100 years old!" She continued walking around, picking up stray pairs of underwear and socks.

   "Kitty your apartment is a fuckin' messsss... Christ, just lemme clean it sometime," Alex whined, setting their umbrella down and leaning on it. It made a loud crack, and no more was it an umbrella, but a six foot, glittery, hot pink sniper rifle.

   "Alex, you seriously shot a bullet through my floor? I'm never getting my deposit back." Hazel complained, crouching down and looking at the floor as she attempted to pick up a large bundle of miscellaneous laundry.

   "Oh- This thing is ten times louder firin'. That was just the transition noise! I'm like a badass Mary Poppins — my magic umbrella is a gun!"

   Hazel didn't know how to respond to that comment due to the amount of confusion she was currently experiencing, so she dropped the laundry and stood up, rendered practically speechless at the line "my magic umbrella is a gun".

   "You...you didn't expect that? Despite the fact I have a fancy umbrella I take everywhere and apparently don' have to ever take weapons with me?"

   "Errrr... I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's exactly what I should expect from you. You're fuckin' loony, kid."

   "I'm basically a slapstick cartoon on two legs with a death wish," Alex chuckled, twirling the umbrella in their hand.

   Changing the subject, "Aaanyways," they enunciated, "since my ma hates me, I should totally bring my murderer not-boyfriend to meet you two! When he isn't breakin' into my apartment at night, of course." By "you two", Alex meant Kitty and Rory.

   "Breaking into your apartment at night?" Hazel giggled, nudging her elbow into Alexander's rib cage. She seemed to think they were joking?

   "'Cuz if he used the front door he could be seen. And that would get him hurt, I think..." They looked a little sad before getting distracted again by trying to move the gun somewhere less... noticeable. "Did I mention he's Dutch?"

   "You did." Hazel suspected something was up.

   "Oh. I don't know much about him — but I like him and that's all that matters! And now he knows where I live!" Alex giggled, struggling to stand the gun up. There was another loud crack, and it was back to being an umbrella.

   "You seem really happy," rejoiced Hazel, who was quite oblivious to the clear issues of dating a murderer.

   "Mhm... I don' get this opportunity often. Love doesn't find people like me. Y'know... bastard half-demon spawn...murderers... Basically, my tinder bio would look like a criminal record."

   "Hold it kid, love is a big word."

   "But-but I like that word!"

   "I know, it's an amazing word and feeling! And I bet you do. But don't think about it like that quite yet, 'kay?"

   "Why not..?" Alex looked really, really sad. They didn't really understand love. At all.

   "Oh! No no no! Alex!" Hazel wasn't prepared for this.

   "Errr... Love means your stomach is full of butterflies, whenever you see or talk to them! Love is the happy feeling that makes you feel like your world has gotten twenty-seven times brighter! Love is... beautiful. It's created through anything; recklessness, friendship, lust, hope-" Hazel didn't have a very clear grasp on the subject but she knew enough.

   Alex interrupted, "So-so he loves me then?"

   "You can't be sure. Love is never a one hundred percent thing... At least, I don't think so."

   "But you said! And..." Alex was really confused. They didn't get much, and in reality in a lot of ways they were like a child still, even after over a hundred years.

   "Don't rush it. I may not know anything for sure but I know that it's like a... hmm... like a fire. It starts off like tossing a match into kindling, and sometimes it catches really quickly- And for others it slowly burns, and sometimes the flame goes out before it can even hit the wood. That's the depressin'ly beautiful thing about it. That and the fact that they may not love you back." Hazel looked at her feet with glassy eyes. She didn't have much experience, but Hazel still desperately wanted to fall in love herself. Like many people, that metaphorical fire had a chance at one point, but it lacked a spark and never ignited. And at this point, she was in her early twenties and selling drugs. Hazel...didn't see herself with much of a chance. Alex grabbed onto Hazel in a tight little hug.

   "I love you Kitty! You're like, my best best best best best best, bestest of the best, very best friend," cheered Alex.

   Hazel smiled, shedding a couple tears whilst returning the hug. "I love you too Alexanda', you're the best friend I could ask for."

   "Good! If you didn't say that I would'a had to make Rory my new best friend, and he's grouchy all the time."

   Hazel scoffed. "That cunt, why botha'? Just teas'n you, ya dweeb. I don't know him though, and I don't like his vibe, but... I guess he can stay if that's what ya want."

   "He's tall! And he might be grumpy, but he's sweet to me, so he's my friend!" Sweet, childlike wonder. Thankfully Alex wasn't lacking in that area.

   Hazel sighed. "Okay Alex, if you say so."

   "Anyways, Kitty, I gotta go! I have to go home and clean." Even though Alex had an almost always spotless apartment.

   "Better to hide the smells of the bodies, I don't think you can ingest lye." She joked.

   "I eat soap sometimes, but my one hundred-forty-five candles do help. But I need to bleach my countertops again today!"

   Hazel paused, she was a bit surprised by this. Who knows when the last time her counters were bleached at all?

   "Have fun cleaning then!"

   "Thanks!" Alex ran out, holding the umbrella. It was a very odd exit, and... decently suspicious. But Alex was odd, so of course it wasn't really much to think about. Hazel laughed a bit at that. "What a weird kid," she thought to herself.

   And so, we leave where we began. A dim, dirty hallway, with Alexander rushing to do nothing much at all, and our lovely Hazel Finch left with more questions then she had answers to, mostly brought on by this idiotic child who apparently... Had a taste for soap? But that isn't important. All that is important here, is that all is well with these two — at least, for now.