Dominic stood at the Clarke gate, leaning lazily against his car, watching the door of the house with hands shoved in his pockets and a faint crease between his brows.

When it opened, he straightened — and nearly froze.

Sasha stepped out, a soft baby-blue button-up tucked loosely into baggy jeans, his dark hair fluffy and slightly mussed. The pastel color made his skin glow, the whole look so soft and sweet it was almost unfair.

Dominic’s eyes swept over him slowly, from head to toe.

Cute as hell. Dangerous as hell.

Sasha stopped in front of him, his lips already puffed into a pout, his lashes fluttering as he looked up.

“Well?” he demanded, planting his hands on his hips.

Dominic raised a brow, still staring at him.

But before he could open his mouth—

“I look great, don’t I?” Sasha cut in sassily, rolling his eyes as though Dominic had already said the wrong thing. “Of course I do. Don’t even bother saying something rude, grumpy.”

And with that, he stalked right past him, snatching the keys right out of Dominic’s hand on his way to the car.

Dominic stood there for a beat, stunned, his jaw tightening as Sasha clicked the key fob, unlocking the car and slipping into the passenger seat like he owned the damn thing.

He even leaned out the window and shouted sassily:

“Well?! Hurry up, slowpoke! Or are you gonna stand there glaring all day?”

Dominic blinked. Slowly. Then his lips twitched — not quite a smile. Not quite a frown.

Behind him, the door creaked again. Brie stepped out, arms folded, looking like she was ready to fight him herself.

“That’s what happens,” she said flatly, “when you break your promise and hurt his feelings.”

Dominic glanced at her, completely unruffled, and gave a single, curt nod.

“Noted,” he said dryly.

Brie’s eyes narrowed. “Take care of my baby brother, Dominic. And don’t you dare come back here if you don’t.”

His jaw ticked, but all he said was, “Fine.”

Harper popped her head out next, waving playfully.

“Bye, scary man!” she called.

Dominic didn’t even bother responding. He just turned on his heel, his coat whipping slightly as he headed for the car.

The passenger window was already rolled down. Sasha was sitting there with his arms crossed, his pout perfectly in place as he watched Dominic approach.

When Dominic opened the driver’s side door and slid in, Sasha huffed and turned his nose up, mumbling:

“Took you long enough.”

Dominic glanced over at him, taking in the soft shirt, the glinting buttons, the little bow tied at Sasha’s collar he hadn’t noticed before.

The boy was sitting there looking like sugar and sky and attitude all at once.

Dominic’s hands tightened faintly on the steering wheel, but his voice stayed low and even as he muttered:

“You’re adorable when you’re mad.”

Sasha’s cheeks flushed pink as he whipped his head toward the window to hide his face.

But Dominic caught the faintest little smile tugging at his lips as he softly whispered back:

“Shut up.”

And when Dominic put the car in drive, the boy didn’t stop pouting — but he also didn’t stop playing with the little bow at his collar, sneaking glances at him from the corner of his eye.

Dominic just smirked faintly to himself and thought:

Oh, you’re gonna make me pay for this, aren’t you, sugar?

And for once, he didn’t mind.

***

Dominic wasn’t sure what possessed him to take Sasha to the mall.

Maybe it was because the boy had sat there in the passenger seat all morning — in his baby-blue shirt and pout, playing with the bow at his collar like he was tying it tighter just to spite him — and Dominic couldn’t stand the thought of taking him somewhere boring.

So here they were.

The biggest mall in the city.

Sasha was quiet at first, still sulking, arms crossed — until his eyes caught sight of the glass doors and the bright colors spilling out from inside.

He gasped faintly — then immediately composed himself, glancing at Dominic with narrowed eyes.

"…This doesn't make me forgive you," he muttered sassily, already reaching into his pocket.

Dominic raised a brow as Sasha pulled out a tiny silk pouch and — right there by the entrance — started pulling out fancy, colorful beaded bracelets one by one, slipping them on his wrists like armor.

Dominic's eyes dragged down, watching his long fingers adjust each clasp, the soft clinking sound of beads filling the quiet between them.

Pretty.

Too pretty.

Dominic had always been a sucker for jewelry but it had to be on the right person.

And watching Sasha's little wrists glinting, hearing his tiny huff of satisfaction when he'd finished stacking them just so — Dominic knew this boy was exactly the kind of person who made jewelry look good.

When his eyes dipped lower, catching a glimpse of soft socks and sneakers and the way Sasha's cropped hoodie rode just a little above his waistband — his thoughts drifted lower still.

An anklet, he thought absently.

Something shiny on his ankle, maybe little charms that clink when he walks, with his toenails painted soft blue or pink…

Fuck.

Dominic's fingers twitched faintly at his side.

Then Sasha caught him staring.

"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Sasha blurted, stomping one sneakered foot. "You're being weird! Grumpy and weird and stary! Don't look at me like... like I'm a thing to look at!"

He flapped his hands once, then caught himself and crossed his arms tight. "I'm still mad at you and your staring doesn't change that!"

He stormed ahead, leaving Dominic to follow at his own pace, fighting the faint smirk tugging at his lips.

***

🛍️ First stop: the stationery & gift shop.

The bell above the door jingles and Sasha immediately covers his ears for a second until the sound stops echoing. The faint scent of paper, ink, and something sugary—maybe scented candles—wraps around them. 

"Oh! Oh oh oh," Sasha bounces on his toes, eyes lighting up like a magpie spotting treasure as he spots the display of glitter pens. "Dom, look! Look at all the sparkly ones!"

He picks one up, then another, uncapping them just enough to test the sparkle under the shop lights. His fingers move quick and precise, like he's conducting a very important scientific experiment.

"Okay so this gold one is really gold-gold, not fake gold. And this pink one is like... like cotton candy pink but shinier. And oh my gosh this purple one has actual glitter bits that move around when you shake it!"

He's talking fast now, half to himself, half to Dominic, though Dominic just stands a few paces back with his hands tucked into his pockets, his face unreadable.

"But wait, wait wait," Sasha holds up two pens, one in each hand. "Which one writes better? 'Cause sometimes the pretty ones don't write good and then what's the point? Pretty is nice but if it doesn't work then it's just... just broken pretty and that's sad."

For twenty whole minutes, Sasha meanders from aisle to aisle, touching things with just his fingertips first to test the texture. He picks up each glitter pen and tests how it feels in his hand, sorts through sticker sheets by organizing them into little piles of "yes," "maybe," and "too scratchy-looking."

"These ones feel wrong," he mumbles, putting back a pack of stickers. "Too bumpy. They'd feel weird under my fingers when I write."

After much debate—complete with him holding two planners up and comparing them side by side for five full minutes—he settles on a tiny pink one. "This one has the right kind of paper. Smooth but not slippery. Perfect for gel pens."

When they reach the counter, Sasha launches into a cheerful conversation with the cashier. "Hi! These pens are so pretty, right? I'm gonna use them for my journal and maybe for making lists. I love making lists. Do you like making lists? Lists are the best 'cause they help my brain remember things in the right order."

The cashier smiles, clearly charmed. "They are beautiful pens. And yes, I love lists too."

“Right?! And look at this washi tape—it has strawberries and they're all perfectly round and red and I might just put it on things to make them prettier even if they don't need tape."

He's already pulling the roll toward the register, fingers drumming a little rhythm on the counter while he talks. The cashier laughs, scanning each item slowly, and Sasha rocks slightly on his feet while he waits.

"Stationery is like... it's self-care but for your hands and your brain," Sasha declares seriously. "Pretty things make your thoughts feel prettier too."

Dominic shifts his weight, still silent, a faint smirk ghosting over his lips as he watches Sasha explain his philosophy to the very patient cashier.

🛍️ Second stop: candy boutique.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Sasha stops dead in the doorway, eyes going wide. "Dom. Dom, look at this place. It's like... it's like a candy rainbow exploded but in the good way!"

He's bouncing again, hands flapping briefly before he catches himself and grabs Dominic's sleeve instead.

“Look at all the colors! And they're all organized by type and color and— wait, do you smell that? That's chocolate and vanilla and something citrus-y and it all smells good together instead of too-much-smell.”

Sasha was in his element, moving from shelf to shelf but not rushing—stopping to examine each display carefully. He picked up a box of truffles and held it close to his ear, shaking it gently.

"You can tell good chocolates 'cause they don't rattle around loose," he explained to Dominic. "Good ones fit snug in their little spots."

He scooped up fancy truffles, pastel bonbons that were all the same exact shade of pink ("Look, they matched them perfectly!"), and gummies shaped like hearts. Each selection involved careful consideration.

"Since you don't eat sweets, somebody has to keep this place alive," he said, shooting Dominic a glare over his shoulder, lips in a dramatic pout. "And that somebody is me 'cause I appreciate good candy and also sugar makes my brain feel happy-buzzy."

Dominic just raised a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Sasha narrowed his eyes. "Don't give me that look like I'm being silly! Food is supposed to make you feel good and sugar feels good so that makes it good food. That's just science."

He crossed his arms, cheeks puffing out. "I swear, if you keep being all grumpy and grown-up about candy, I will... I will sit on your lap and make you try every single truffle until you admit they're amazing. And I won't get up till you say it with a smile!"

When Dominic didn't answer, just kept looking amused, Sasha huffed. "Don't test me, mister. I'm little but I'm very determined. Ask anyone."

Third stop: bookstore.

The bookstore was quieter, which made Sasha's shoulders relax immediately. He took a deep breath through his nose.

“Books smell good,” he announced. “Like... like old paper and new ideas all mixed together.”

He wandered toward the romance section with purpose, fingers trailing along the spine of each book as he passed. When he found a spot on the floor, he sat cross-legged right in the middle of the aisle, completely unbothered by the fact that people had to step around him.

“Oh my gosh—Love in the Time of Lattes!” His eyes lit up as he grabbed the book. “Dom, look at this cover! The colors are so soft and pretty and look—" He held it up so Dominic could see. "The letters have little swirly bits that look like actual latte foam!”

Dominic peered over his shoulder. "That's… a title."

"It's the BEST title!" Sasha gushed, flipping the book over to read the back. "I had this book before but it got ruined when I spilled juice on it during a thunderstorm. I was hiding in my closet with snacks and my book light and I got scared when the thunder was really loud and my hands went all shaky and—" He gestured vaguely. "Bye bye book."

“You were hiding in a closet eating—why did you have juice in there?”

Sasha gasped, covering his mouth in mock offense. “Emergency snacks are very important! You gotta be prepared! What if the power goes out and you get hungry?”

He turned away, stroking the paperback like it was a kitten. “You don't understand survival.”

Dominic sighed. “…Sorry.”

“Shh shh shh.” Sasha waved a hand dramatically without looking at him. “Don't talk to me right now. I'm trying to read the preview and your voice is interfering with my brain-reading process.”

He opened the book and immediately held it at exactly the right distance from his face—not too close, not too far. His lips moved silently as he read, and every few sentences he'd make little pleased sounds. "Mmm, good sentence. Oh, that's a pretty way to say that."

Then, out of nowhere, Sasha started humming softly under his breath—a wordless, repetitive melody that seemed to help him focus. When a group of teenagers walked by talking loudly, he covered his ears with his hands but kept the book balanced on his knees, still humming.

"Too many voices at once," he mumbled to himself. "Brain gets confused when there's talking-talking and reading-thinking happening together."

Dominic didn't think much of it—just moved to stand between Sasha and the louder part of the store, blocking some of the noise.

When the teenagers passed and Sasha dropped his hands, he was practically glowing. "This book is perfect perfect perfect," he announced, voice spilling over with excitement. "Look, Dom—the main boy makes coffee art and the main girl writes poetry and they're both scared to tell each other they like-like each other and it's gonna be so good when they figure it out!"

He dove right back into reading, occasionally making commentary: "Oh no, don't say that, that's gonna make her sad... Yes! Good choice! Tell her the true thing!"

Dominic leaned against the shelf, arms crossed, watching him with quiet amusement. Thirty minutes passed before Sasha finally snapped the book shut with a satisfied sigh.

"Okay. We're getting this one for sure. And maybe..." He looked around, then grabbed two more books. "These ones too 'cause they have pretty covers and I like when my books look nice on my shelf. Colors gotta go in the right order or it bothers my eyes."

They walked toward the checkout counter, Sasha clutching his books against his chest and still talking. "I'm gonna read the coffee one first, then the one with the blue cover, then the one with flowers. That's a good order 'cause it goes light to medium to really emotional and that's how feelings should be organized."

Dominic didn't complain once—because Sasha was enthusiastic about things he loved, and that enthusiasm was infectious. And honestly? He liked seeing Sasha light up over simple pleasures like books and candy and sparkly pens.

At checkout, Sasha carefully arranged his books in a specific order for the cashier to scan. "This order is important," he explained seriously. "You gotta scan them in the right sequence or the book spirits get confused."

The cashier played along with a smile, and Sasha beamed like she'd just made his entire day perfect.