Aiden took Damien around the town to his usual go-to spots. He was an abysmal tour guide, especially since he rarely went anywhere beyond the same five or six places, but they were places that had beneficial things necessary for living so he hoped it would be enough to satisfy the stranger. His favorite grocery store was stop number one, an organic place that probably charged too much but had the best pre-made items like salads, smoothies, and soups. They also had a macaron bar and decent sushi that wouldn’t kill you like the ones you find in the convenience store. They made a plan to come back as their last stop before heading home so they wouldn’t have to lug their groceries around all day.

The boba and ice cream shop under Margo’s apartment building was another stop. It was his favorite place for treats and after-class snacks. He and his friends would often grab something before heading to the internet café to work on projects. Which then led the duo to the internet café in question after they’d swapped their empty coffees for some milk tea. The bookstore, his favorite thrift shop that had vintage clothing items, and the record store rounded out the usual spots he ventured to.

Damien seemed to really like the record shop, so they spent some time there flipping through stacks of vinyls both old and new. Aiden discovered quite quickly that Damien was a massive music buff, he played guitar and had been dreaming of writing an album. The smiling stranger mentioned he hoped he’d have the time to do so now that he was in a better spot. Aiden wondered what Damien’s story was, but it felt intrusive to ask something so personal of a guy he’d only just met about twelve hours ago.

His new neighbor found a record that caught his attention and purchased it. It was a Sleep Token album. Not Aiden’s normal taste but he was familiar enough to have a conversation about it nonetheless. Damien seemed thrilled as he clutched the record to his chest with a happy grin once they’d left the store.

“Do you have a lot of records?” Aiden asked.

“No, this is my first one,” Damien replied with a shy voice.

“Do you even have a way to play it?”

“No, but that’s not the point. It’s mine, it’s the thing that cements this as my fresh start. I’ve wanted one forever, and it’s helping me realize that this is it. I did the thing.”

Aiden smiled, heat rushed over his cheeks at the sight of Damien seeming so elated over something so simple. For looking like such a cool, suave, edgy guy, Damien was… gooey. Like a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. Lighthearted and sweet with severe golden retriever energy. His eyes seemed to sparkle when something excited him, and Aiden hoped that this new beginning would be just what his neighbor needed to keep smiling like that.

“I have a record player. You can sample it sometime if you want,” Aiden mentioned.

Damien’s cheeks flushed such a deep shade of red it looked otherworldly. As if his entire skin tone had changed with the embarrassment that came alongside the gesture. Those brown eyes of his sparkled again, and Aiden hated that he took notice. He did not have time for a crush right now.

They continued their tour of the town, with Aiden trying his best to show off the most important things. The nearest medical facility, the library, the best restaurants, and his favorite coffee shop, until Aiden started getting antsy about being away from his schedule and project and asked if they could cut things short and head to the grocery store. He apologized for it, but explained that he was behind on deadline. Damien seemed a little sad but understood. He also apologized for causing issues, but Aiden promised him he hadn’t. This was a him issue, and he’d had fun but was worried about falling behind. Promising they’d do it again sometime soon to help assuage his new neighbor’s fears seemed to help.

The unlikely duo headed to the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends. Aiden grabbed a few pre-made salads and sandwiches so he could cut back on the ramen, along with a few prebiotic sodas and a bag of chips. Damien seemed unsure of what he wanted or needed, he picked up a few small things, but eventually he admitted he was overwhelmed by the options and wanted to leave. They quickly checked out with Aiden’s new neighbor having only bought a box of protein bars and a bundle of bananas.

“Are you sure that’s all you need?” Aiden asked.

“Yeah, this is fine for now. I think I’m a tad more tired than I realized from the trip yesterday. I’m ready for a nap,” Damien said with a nervous chuckle.

“A move is a big deal, you’re allowed to want a nap.”

“It’s a good day for it.”

“Yeah.”

They quietly headed back toward their apartment complex, with Aiden swiping his card to let them into the building as they went. His legs were tired from all of the walking, he wasn’t used to going to so many places in one day and he definitely needed to do more stretching. He was diligent about his hand care, but the rest of his body needed some TLC. Doing some yoga with the patio doors open sounded like a nice way to start his evening. They rode the elevator back up and headed to the far end of the hall.

“Thanks for today, this was fun. Sorry for distracting you,” Damien said.

“You’re so fine, I promise. I just told everyone I’d have a new episode out by Friday and I’m behind so it’s more an issue with my time management skills. I had fun,” Aiden replied.

Damien held his record close and smiled, eyes closing and head tilting with joy. “Same.”

“I’ll see you around, Damien.”

“See you.”