Aloe doesn’t know where he’s headed, but he just lets his frantic mind direct his feet to wherever. 

But with his heart beating like a maniac and his breathing ragged, he runs out of stamina quickly. 

He looks around and sees he’s in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, and though his rationality tells him otherwise, it feels as if the mass of passersby all look at him, mocking the pathetic state that he’s in.

It churns his stomach, so in a desperate attempt, he turns to some dingy alleyway to hide.

Having escaped their prying eyes, Aloe crouches down with his head in his hands. He tries to collect his thoughts, to just calm down and stop acting like a fool, but it’s to no avail.

He groans.

Reality is hitting him hard right now. 

It seems it’s not that Basil isn’t into guys, he’s just not into Aloe, period. 

And why would he be? Compared to someone pretty like Poppy, Aloe pales in comparison. 

He’s an awkward piece of shit that keeps making trouble for all the people around him. No matter what he does, he brings nothing but awful luck followed by a fucking breakdown.

Basil had to put up with his shit for years, and surely, someone like Poppy must have been a breath of fresh air.

That must be it, right? 

He’s tired of Aloe. 

It explains why their time together has been growing less and less frequent, because now, there’s actually someone who could love and attend to him the way he does to them.

How could Aloe ever compete?

Groaning, he tries to push back the rising bile from the pits of his stomach.

“Maybe you should get yourself checked. Last time I saw you, you were pretty sick, too.”

The voice pulls Aloe back to reality, if only for a bit. It’s a familiar sound, but he can’t quite put a name to it. 

Where had he heard it before?

But with a pat on the head, he suddenly recalls the faint memory of a stranger taking care of him when he had been drunk.

Heat begins to pool at his cheeks upon remembering the humiliating memory. When he looks up, true enough, the reddish-brown hair and golden eyes give him a sense of deja vu.

The man crouches down beside him, smiling. “Do you need my help again?”

Aloe jumps back, trying to put some distance between them, but he nearly stumbles backward and lands on the dirty ground beneath. Fortunately, strong arms catch him on time, then pull him up.

Without a second thought, the stranger dusts off Aloe’s clothes. 

“Um, thanks.”

“For what?”

“For helping me out,” Aloe watches the stranger pull away, pouting at the teasing grin. “Back then, too.”

The man chuckles, patting Aloe on the head once more. “I’m flattered you could remember someone like me. I’d be sad after being led on like that.”

Hearing this, Aloe turns his head away in a rather vain attempt to hide the growing blush on his face. The stranger, however, taps the tip of Aloe’s ears, causing him to flinch.

“No use hiding. It shows on your ears,” as he says this, his finger moves to tap the back of Aloe’s neck. “And here, too.”

Aloe jumps, leaning away from the man. He frowns at his smug grin. “If you know, then please don’t mention it.”

“Why not? I think it’s cute.”

“Ugh. You and that mouth of yours.”

The man laughs as he places a hand on his back. It feels warm to the touch, but Aloe tries to shoo away that thought before it can manifest any more into the redness of his cheeks. 

“Come on. Let’s go get you something to cool off with, yeah?”