His stomach has yet to settle, so he eventually goes back to retching. And all the while, the stranger stays to comfort him—one hand patting Aloe on the back, the other keeping his hair from sticking to his sweaty forehead.

The way he’s being taken care of is a bit embarrassing. He’s just not used to such a thing.

But at the same time, he feels a warmth bubbling up in his chest from the man whispering comforting words into his ears.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” he says.

Eventually, he does let out the contents of his stomach. And it’s really, really gross. He’s sure some of it got on the stranger’s nice-looking shoes.

But even so, the man just pats him on the head, chuckling. “There you go.”

The action is really simple, but for some reason, it causes his heart to flutter and his mind to go fuzzy. It feels nice, like a warm memory from a long, long time ago, back when things were much more simple for him.

He feels something prick the corner of his eye again.

But just as the tears well up, that warm hand brushes away the tears, and when Aloe looks up, those golden eyes are looking at him with gentleness. 

“You think you can stand? Why don’t we go get you some water, then we can figure out how to get you home, yeah?”

Aloe takes in the sight of the stranger. 

Being so close to the other man, Aloe can easily see every little detail of his features. Auburn hair, golden eyes, two moles underneath his left eye and then another on his left cheek. It’s only a shame that his alcohol-addled mind can’t articulate the full depth of how he feels about this man’s appearance.

But there is, however, a single word that sums it all up.

“You’re really handsome, mister.”

As Aloe smiles at him all stupid, the man remains silent. It seems he’s stunned by Aloe’s forwardness, but Aloe is just too drunk to even care. And even worse, he willingly falls into the man’s hold, circling his arms around his neck as he nuzzles closer. 

Luckily, the stranger is able to keep them from falling backward.

“And strong, too..”

The stranger huffs, but he does pull Aloe up and helps him walk out of the alleyway. 

“Carry me!” Aloe demands.

“That’s a little…”

Aloe continues to cling to the stranger’s neck, while his foot tries to remain rooted in place. “Carry me! My feet hurt and I’m cold, so spoil me, mister!”

Eventually, the man relents, lifting Aloe up as if he were some damsel in distress. He shouts in triumph, uncaring of all the eyes that are on him. All he could care about now is that a handsome stranger is taking care of him.

They stop at a convenience store, and after complaining over and over about being cold, the stranger finally places his coat over Aloe’s shoulder. Giddy and satisfied, he clings onto the man's arm as he buys Aloe a bottle of water and a hangover drink.

The cashier stares at them weirdly, but Aloe just smiles at him while the other man waves his concern off.

“Where do you live?” 

Aloe doesn’t even think about how dangerous telling a stranger about that is. 

Eagerly, he fishes his wallet out of his pocket. He opens it and raises it to the stranger, pointing at the address written on one of his IDs. “Here, here! Take me here, mister.”

“You…I’m really worried about how easily you trust people you don’t know.”

He giggles. “It’s okay. Mister’s really nice, yeah?”

“Right…” 

The stranger takes the wallet and begins to dial a number on his phone. As he speaks to someone on the other line, Aloe remains glued to the man’s side, nuzzling close and taking in his warmth. 

Getting used to his antics, the stranger just puts an arm around Aloe to keep him from falling over.

Eventually, the cab arrives, and he hands the address to the driver along with the payment. He buckles Aloe into his seat and places the wallet back into Aloe’s pocket. 

With a pat on Aloe’s head, the stranger bids him goodbye. “Take care of yourself, okay? Try not to trust others too much.”

“Thank you, mister! You should come home and play with me.”

Though the implications of his words are lost on him, both the stranger and the cab driver become flustered at the forward suggestion.

Once again, the stranger pats him on the head. “Maybe next time.”

And with that, the two part ways.