Prowess

Transparency

TW for mentions of sexual assault/rape

Sleeping was Austin's second favourite activity. The fact that the Aguado home was painfully devoid of entertainment didn't help him stay awake. He didn't mind, of course, except for the fact that someone with a semi healthy brain can only sleep so much... And thus, suddenly what stood between him and his sleep was how much he slept.

The charmer crawled out of of bed and down the stairs on a clear Thursday night. He made his way outside, under the starry sky, and smoked a cigarette. By the time he was done with it, the pungent silence was beginning to creep up on him. The swinging bench was awfully comfortable, though, and he refused to get up. Instead, he pulled out his clunky phone and searched for Nikki's number.

"U up?"

The response came several minutes later.

"Now I am. Jerk."

"The sky looks rlly nice today. Come over and watch it w me?"

In the house across the street, his message brought a reluctant smile to the sleepy girl's face.

"Sure"

Nikki was up and out the window in no time. The Aguado's backyard gate was half open and she tiptoed inside.

-You know,-the girl said once she was close enough to be heard-most guys ask me out to watch more exciting things, like a movie.

Austin shrugged, letting her inside.

-We don't even own a TV-he reminded her with humour.

Nikki laughed.

-I would invite you to watch one at mine, but...-she trailed off.

Memories of the last time the Aguados had step foot in the house across the street flashed in Austin's mind.

-Yeah, no-he agreed.-Couldn't catch me dead at Maya's house again.

The silent consensus was that they'd both rather keep on sneaking out to meet up at the charmer's house.

-You were right-Nikki said, softly, careful not to break the quiet that had formed.-The sky looks nice tonight... I wish I could see stars more often.

-We should take a road trip when all of this is over-Austin murmured.-To see the stars.

The oddness of the statement dawned on him a bit too late. When he looked at Nikki, she was already staring at him with a creased forehead.

-High school-he covered up.-Once high school is over.

The girl's expression remained for another moment, before melting into a smile. She reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together.

The charmer used to think things would never get better. That inhumans were simply created to hide away in misery. In an attempt at survival, Edmundo and Mario had planted the idea into his head. All of that had changed upon meeting the bunch that slept peacefully inside the house, though. Now, he believed that they deserved a better life. Out in the open. They had done nothing wrong... But still, he was not naive enough to think the change would come within the next few years.

Half an hour later, the two were mid make out, Austin's hand all the way inside Nikki's night robe, when they were startled by a light turning on inside the house. When they turned, Abigail was standing at the door that lead to the kitchen. Austin actually tensed a little. Then, she opened her mouth and something dawned on the charmer.

-W-what are you doing down here t-this late, Hugo?

The charmer narrowed his eyes. Blaze...

-We were just hanging out, mom.