Ten: Shadow

*thanks to TeddyBearLL, B, bleh_bleh, and Lesbian_Pixie for your support!*

***

The man followed Sage. That was when Sage started to become unsettled. Because he was pretty sure the man was done shopping? So why did he come back into the store?

Despite how tall the man was and how his black combat boots thumped on the floor with every step, it took Sage a moment to notice him. He moved very quietly and smoothly, more shadow than man. As Sage was taking out a carton of milk to set in his basket, he half turned and saw the man hovering between the shelves, pretending to look at something nearby, but his toes were pointed toward Sage.

Sage turned back and pretended he hadn’t seen him, a sliver of anxiety putting him on alert. Sage didn’t know why the man was following him, but given what Sage did in his spare time, it wasn’t out of the question that someone had figured out his identity. If that was the case, his intentions probably weren’t good.

Then again, even if this had nothing to do with Sage being a villain, it could very well be a regular person with bad intentions. Robbery, murder, whatever. Sage wasn’t too concerned about that, but he still wasn’t going to let his guard down.

Sage moved to a stand with a bunch of cereals on it and dumped a couple boxes in his basket, all while peeking at the man in the convex security mirror hanging in the corner between the fruits and the vegetables. He had moved a bit closer, browsing a shelf at the end of an aisle, but Sage could see the man watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Now that he had more time to examine him, he wondered if the man was a vampire or something. Black, button-down silk shirt with the first few buttons undone, showing a lot of smooth, but pale skin. Black, fitted slacks, and black boots. His hair was also black, but his skin was so pale all over that it was practically bloodless. He didn’t get much sun, clearly.

Wearing black didn’t make one a vampire, certainly, but something about his bold eyebrows and the deep sorrow that Sage had glimpsed in his eyes before gave him a unique aura. He felt other, like something not quite human. Whatever it was, it was unsettling, but in a very magnetic sort of way.

That didn’t make much sense, but Sage wasn’t going to analyze it. He was much more interested in the man’s motives. However, Sage figured he was going to hang back until Sage left the store. He would make his move then, so Sage finished his shopping and went to pay, keeping tabs on the man the whole way.

Sage didn’t have any weapons on him, but he was pretty good in a fistfight, if it came down to it. And he could always run or use his power to hide. Not that he particularly wanted to hide. If some asshole was going to follow him around, he wanted to know why.

Sage finished paying and left the store, walking down the street in the opposite direction of his apartment. No way was he going to lead this creep to his house.

And sure enough, the man was still following him. Sage wondered if he knew that Sage knew, because he wasn’t being very subtle about it. He was only ten feet behind Sage, and making no effort to hide or blend in with the late afternoon crowds milling the streets.

Sage turned a corner onto a less crowded side street, and kept walking, waiting for the man to do whatever it is he was going to do. He expected to be pushed into an alley, or attacked from behind, but nothing happened. Curious, Sage slowed down, and then stopped, turning around.

The man stopped as well, meeting Sage’s gaze head on. He didn’t even have the decency to look startled at being caught.

“Well?” Sage said, raising an eyebrow. “What did you want from me that you need to follow me like this?”

The man’s lips slowly flattened into a thin line, but he didn’t say anything – which, rude, but Sage was expecting it. Sage sighed.

“Okay, whatever. Just get it over with, whatever it is. I’m fucking hungry, and I don’t have the time or patience for this – ”

“Come have lunch with me,” the man blurted, cutting Sage off. Sage’s eyebrow twitched erratically.

“Excuse me?”

“Have lunch with me,” he repeated, but no matter how many times he said it, Sage still had trouble believing it.

Don’t tell him this guy literally stalked him for thirty minutes to ask him on a date. Sage had been fully expecting to be mugged, not propositioned, so he was left floundering, staring at the man in complete disbelief.

…Maybe he was just awkward? Yeah, Sage thought. So awkward that he had to follow me for three blocks before mustering up the courage to ask me out. He didn’t look nervous at all, standing confidently with his hands in his pockets and not an ounce of embarrassment on his face.

He was weird. But Sage must be even weirder, because he didn’t outright reject the guy.

“Um…right now?”

The man nodded.

“Why?”

The man shrugged.

Sage stared at him. The man stared back. And it was curiosity that pushed Sage’s decision.

“Okay. But not right now. Some other time,” he said, eyeing the man up and down. He was a weirdo. A grade A freak. Unfortunately, that was Sage’s type, and he was hopelessly intrigued.

The man nodded, walking a few steps closer as if he’d expected Sage’s response. When they were a few feet away, the man took out a piece of paper with his name and phone number on it, handing it to Sage.

Ash.

Right there, in the middle of the street, Sage burst out laughing, causing several people to cast him funny looks. The man, Ash, tilted his head curiously, unsure what was so funny. And truthfully, it wasn’t really that funny, but come on. Ash? Sage and Ash? It was like a bad joke. Like they were wannabe witches giving themselves cute little themed names to cover up real boring names like Bill or John.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Sage calmed himself and shook his head at Ash’s curious stare. “It’s nothing. Just, my name is Sage.”

Ash’s lips twitched and then he grinned. “Like we were meant to be,” he joked, and Sage chuckled.

“I’ll text you,” Sage said, and Ash nodded before taking Sage’s hand. Sage’s smile faltered, confused, but Ash just brought Sage’s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it, like he was some kind of Victorian aristocrat greeting a noble lady. He smirked at Sage, looking at him from beneath lowered lashes. Sage suddenly didn’t feel like laughing.

“I’ll be waiting.”