He had been in the lab a lot longer than Aciel, and truthfully he couldn’t imagine knowing how incredible the outside was and then being thrown into a place like that; being in there was all Dmitri ever knew, and so never made him sad because being poked and prodded was something normal to him. Sure he knew it wasn’t all that fair, but he had nothing to compare the hell that was the lab to up until now. It was insane how different things were, hell even the showers were different. This was like paradise, and there was a part of him that was happy he never knew it before going to the lab. A place like the lab was hell, but having an entire world of pleasantries to compare it to would easily bring a whole new meaning to what hell really was. Dmitri was beyond glad he had accidentally woken Aciel up that night before, out of a lot of those kids including himself he could see now how much his fellow had to mentally deal with. He himself knew of things that would have happened if they stayed, seeing as a few of the workers at the lab had modifications to their senses just as they had; it didn’t leave much to the imagination that if the two had stayed they would have ended up being just as bad as the head professor of the lab. It pained him to think about, and so hearing Aciel’s comment provided him with an excuse to let those memories drift from his mind.

``You saying I looked bad or something?`` he shot with sarcasm running through his voice.

Dmitri knew he needed something to both brighten up the mood in the room and to brighten his own, and so he landed upon being sarcastic in hopes Aciel would get it and maybe even smile a little. The both of them admittedly looked better than they had before, after all they were no longer soaked with rain water. It felt nice to be warm and dry again, even more that he didn’t feel sticky from the saltwater anymore either. Dmitri could appreciate the ocean because it was truly a sight to behold, but being in it was something he would have to get used to. He hated how the sand stuck to his body when he got out, and even more when the salt painfully burned his eyes. In retrospect the day hadn’t gone all that brilliantly with the storm, so maybe it was just a bad first impression. Although Aciel seemed to like the ocean and the salt water, so the next time they went Dmitri would try to deal with the ocean and all its problems. Somehow hearing Aciel’s response surprise him; the color he was told wasn’t at all the one he had even expected. Humming in contemplation for a few moments; Dmitri soon brought the room out of the silence he let it fall into.

``It's just bugging me how much I’m supposed to trust you, yet I would have guessed you liked green not orange.`` Dmitri stated, obviously reluctant to admit this, ``I wanna know you better, that's all.``

He wished that he hadn’t admitted that first part, but his words had already been spoken and there was no way to take them back now. Hopefully his words didn’t come out as heavy as he thought they did, because it wasn’t like he didn’t trust Aciel. Hell the person next to him was just about the only person he had a figment of trust in, and so the ball in his stomach flipped in anticipation as he waited to see some sort of response on Aciel’s face. `I didn’t mean it that way` Dmitri mumbled to no one in particular, he didn't say it loud but he doubted he had to. Mumbling this aloud put his mind at ease as he knew how badly his phrasing came off as. He trusted Aciel, maybe not as much as he could but he at least did if only a little. To his core Dmitri hated admitting that he wanted to know more about his fellow, it sounded so gushy and made him cringe inside. Falling into the bed with a faint creak his eyes trailed Aciel closely as the others' voices whipped into his ears.

``Yeah sure, I’m down.`` he replied, his hunger was much too great to revoke the question

Sitting up once more his back cracked in several places. He was happy to follow the smell, although as they ended up in the kitchen it was extremely strong and almost irritating. Nevertheless he would eat just about anything in that moment even if the smell was extremely strong. Dmitri would separate from Aciel, following a line of pictures as he couldn’t see them from far away like his fellow. He listened in as his fellow talked, although listening was all he did.

``Oh it's fine boy I already got it goin’,`` the Doc spoke with a gritty chuckle mixed in between, ``and of course you are going to have some, why do ‘ya think I made so much.``

It wasn’t that the Doc was a man of few words, moreover it wasn’t all that easy finding anything to interrupt the silence with. Even more so that Aciel seemed to be the only one even able to look at him. He had made up three plates, all of equal large portions. The Doc didn’t know how much the two of them would be able to eat, but it was better to have extra than not enough. It was a sort of stew like dish which had a surprisingly good presentation once set down on the table. Aciel had already sat down by the time Dmitri got within a few feet of the table, but he was hesitant and stood back for a few moments contemplating sitting down or not. Sooner or later his hunger got the best of him and he sat down beside Aciel; he moved his chair over some so he would be closer to his fellow although he tried to do so as inconspicuously as possible.

``Oh my boy? Like I said he was late to life, but he was a good kid. Real good attitude to `em, last I heard he had a kid on the way to.`` The Doc spoke proudly.

It was a topic he could talk for hours on; the Doc obviously loved his son. Dmitri had kept a straight face when Aciel had asked the question; having assumed sense the son was previously mentioned that it would be fine to ask about. He would only give Aciel a foul look if he pried too much, such as asking about other of the man's family members. Dmitri would poke at the dish for a while, shifting the vegetables away from the meat before stirring it all back together several times; eventually he would eat, and once he started he wouldn’t stop until he had wiped the plate clean. Even if it was poisoned, it sure as hell tasted good. Looking over at him, the Doc smiled before continuing on his own food. It meant a lot that the both of them at least tried the dish, seeing people enjoy something you made was one of the best things about cooking. It was good that the two of them ate, especially because The Doc fully planned to put them to work on the boat early the very next day.

Dmitri was happy that the subject got changed to food. It wasn’t all that bright of a topic, and it brought down his moral hearing how passionately Aciel spoke of his family. The family that his fellow would surely never know again. The worst thing of hearing it all was that all he could respond with was a measly `sorry to hear that`. Dmitri wouldn’t add anything about own past. Not that he could share anything in the first place. There was nothing to add, and so he wouldn’t even try. Gulping back as his mouth watered; the smell of the cooking food was taunting him. Eyes trailed along the wall and around the occasional shelf; Dmitri did wonder why it was only Doc and his son, but he had seen first hand by Aciel how past memories can make one feel...he had seen first hand how such happy memories could bring such sorrow. When his companion spoke of his own childhood it even made Dmitri feel down realizing how quickly something so important could be taken away in a mere instant. It gave him an all new perspective. And so as long as there was a chance something tragic had occurred resulting in the loss of those missing family members in the pictures, there was no chance he would ask about it. At least in the pictures the two looked happy, and so long as that was true it didn’t matter to him if there was an absence of other people in the pictures or not. Unconsciously letting a subtle smile onto his face, it made Dmitri almost envious how cheerful the kid looked. Such happiness was something he wished he could one day feel as well. Eyes looking over to the side; Dmitri turned his head, eyes scanner around the room in search of where Aciel had gone. One moment his fellow was right beside him, and the next he was already sitting at the dining table. Standing idle for a few moments in shock of how swift his companion was, he too soon stepped forward cautiously approaching the table. He would stay cautious even when letting his guard down enough to eat, at the drop of a hat Dmitri was fully ready to spring up from his seat if need be. Which luckily he wouldn’t have to. For a while his attention stayed locked with downing the stew as quick as possible, although hearing Aciel’s voice made him freeze. His companion was being dangerous with how his words inconspicuously pried at the Doc’s family. All the same Dmitri looked eagerly over to the man awaiting his answer.

``Oh my son comes round sometimes, but I’m usually here all ‘lone.`` the Doc chuckled with that same gritty tone, obviously trying to make light of something was rather sad.

Dmitri perked up as he gazed over at the man. There was no ‘they’. It was just his son. Although now he found himself having more questions than he had answers. Looking back down as his spoon was plunged back into the small amount of stew he still had left; Dmitri started back at the food, not stopping again until he had finished it all. He stretched back in his chair having now been finished eating. The house had so many little knick-knacks lying around it was easy to get distracted as his eyes looked at them all. Despite having been immersed with looking at the knick-knacks; just as usual the one thing that always seemed to bring him back was Aciel’s voice, this time being no different. Hesitating briefly as he opened his mouth as if about to speak, his eyes shot over to the Doc.

``We are staying together.`` Dmitri barked, making clear that the two wouldn’t be split up into separate rooms.

It was the first time he had spoken with the Doc around sense they had arrived at the house, but for him it was something that needed to be said. If he had to sleep on the floor he would, but sleeping in completely different rooms in some strangers house was not an option. Dmitri regretted saying it as he had though, as his words would easily come off as rude. One could argue his snappy words were just as bad as his companions' subtle prying before. Averting his gaze sideways as to avoid all contact, a sheepish look popped onto his face.

``You guys can just sleep son’s old room, everything is clean in ther’.`` The Doc offered rather cautiously, having been taken aback by Dmitri’s sudden comment.

Nodding to show his understanding he still looked away, eyes returning back to the knick-knacks he had been admiring previously. The Doc would soon get up and gather both his own plate and cautiously get Dmitri’s as well. Looking up suddenly as a figure stepped in front of his gaze; he was plenty happy now to get up and go. The tension he had made between himself and the Doc was making him more uncomfortable by the second, and Dmitri had no reason to continue putting up with it as he had already filled up on food.

``Right…`` he muttered, eyes offering The Doc a last glance over before following behind Aciel.

Stopping at the bedroom door; Dmitri let his hand slide out of Aciel’s, standing there briefly as he became unsure what to do. Should he just go and lay beside his companion? It might come off as weird, but he ended up deciding to do so. After all the worst that could happen was being told off and sleeping on the floor, which for Dmitri wasn’t all that bad. He seemed calmer for the most part, more so that it was just himself and Aciel now. Sitting on the bed; his eyes shot over to his fellow expecting to see some sort of reaction. There was only a single lamp which illuminated the room, and soon he started playing with the idea of turning it off. Although just as he was about to do so; Dmitri halted as Aciel’s words surprised him.

``Thanks...like a lot.`` he whispered in a genuine tone, leaning over once more he clicked the light off.

It helped to have Aciel there, someone he knew and someone he felt was trustworthy. And his companions' words, they were comforting and put him at ease if only for the rest of the night. Sliding down onto the bed, Dmitri couldn't hide the faint smile of gratitude he had plastered on his face. Aciel helped a lot more than he would ever know, and a lot more than he himself would ever admit.

The entire house was soon plunged into an endless abyss of darkness as the night finally took shape. He hoped to get some rest, the lights were off and he could only hear his companions breathing and a few other creaks coming from both in and outside the house. It was the little sounds that set him on edge, having no clue what could be making them. Although as he forced his eyes shut and shuffled subtle closer to Aciel, somehow Dmitri managed to drift onto a light slumber. He was peaceful and aside from his breaths silent as well, and throughout the coming hours he would unconsciously grasp onto the loose bit of his fellows shirt. The moon wandered slowly across the sky as they slept, and the rain gradually came to a halt just leaving a few light clouds to drift mindlessly across the sky in pursuit of the wind.

The night went by surprisingly quickly for Dmitri, and he didn’t stir until the morning hours. Peaking a half-lidded eye open he could just make out the slim figure of Aciel sitting up beside him Trying to make out what the other was saying Dmitri sat up partially with an unfocused gaze seemingly looking straight through his fellow. Mumbling in an attempt to respond he didn’t have a clue what Aciel had said, but he was trying to recall whilst being in such a drowsy state. His hand still had a surprisingly good grip on the edge of Aciel’s shirt, and so when his companion slid from the bed his hand followed until the shirt was pulled away. It took Dmitri a few moments until he finally withdrew his arm once more. Dazing off as his eyes drew over to the window, with a hazy vision he could see the sun just peeking into view. Groaning aloud to no one in particular he could have sworn Aciel was just with him, yet as he came out of his sudden daze his fellow was already off in the bathroom no were in sight. Had it been any other time of the day he probably would have regained his nervous demeanor as being alone wasn’t something he was keen on, but it was much too early for him to even acknowledge this fact. Moreover, his body gathered the blankets Aciel had left and he continued laying there for a while more. Dmitri was still tired and the sun was only just peeking up from the edge of the horizon, so getting up yet wasn’t at all his priority. He still had time, or at least he hoped he did. Although the Doc was already up, preparing a breakfast meal so they could get a good start on the day. Which Dmitri could smell, though he chose to ignore it as his drowsiness got the better of him. Finally sitting up, Dmitri rubbed his eyes lightly trying to lose the heavy nature they had. It was the door creaking open that finally convinced him to sit up, and he greeted the other with a faint lazy smile.

``Morning…`` he mumbled while slightly swaying in place.

Aciel seemed to be a lot farther along on the whole ‘waking up’ thing than he was. Although Dmitri had gotten an extra few minutes of rest, and so to him that was worth not yet being dressed. Reluctantly kicking the blankets off himself, Dmitri stretched his back cracking in several places. He went from being tired to now being hungry. The food smelt far along, and from what he could pick up was only toast, bacon, and eggs so it shouldn’t take that much longer. Sliding to the side of the bed, he sat for a few more moments in a daze before finally pushing himself up. Readjusting himself so that he looked somewhat presentable, Dmitri pushed the hair out of his eyes and straightened the hooded sweatshirt he wore.

``Hey..I’m sorta hungry so do you think we can go ask for some food?`` he asked with an unsure tone, ``If not that's fine, I can just wait till later.``

He added the last part as a means to give Aciel a choice because although he was famished his fellow could still be full from their meal the day before. While he waited for Aciel to answer him, Dmitri went to the closet in search of different clothes. Although he felt comfortable in what he was wearing, he would no doubt need something more durable than a hooded sweatshirt and athletic shorts. Picking a few clothes out, he tried to find things that matched Aciel’s clothing as closely as possible. Having no idea what sort of clothes people normally wore he would just mirror his fellow instead of trying to find something different. Soon he found himself in the living room, cautiously eyeing around at the pictures. The sun was peeking just inside the room, and so he could see the pictures much clearer than before. Dmitri was in a surprisingly good mood. It had been the first full night outside the lab and he had slept remarkably well considering, though he knew Aciel was no doubt the reason. His companion never told him off or made him sleep on the floor, so he was able to at least get some sleep. The Doc was already dressed ready for the day. His clothes look clean and tidier than they had the day before, although they seemed to be the same style. The man stayed focused on the food, and so as he cautiously watched from a distance there was no doubt the Doc had no idea the two of them were even awake yet. Dmitri waited in anticipation hoping that Aciel would say something to make their presence known. The food looked to be just about ready, and so before either of them could say anything the Doc spun around gazing around the room briefly. Freezing suddenly, the man standing there gaze jolted between the two of them with a questioning look.

``I promise I won't bite,`` Doc said before bringing his attention back to the food which he was now moving onto three separate plates, ``Come and get it, we’ll go out to the docks after this.``

Dmitri nodded in agreement, he didn’t mind having to help the man or work for him. After all so far they had gotten the basic living essentials from the man, and had they not met the Doc he hated to think where the two may have ended up. Anyways he hoped by saying “go out to the docks” the man meant go on a boat. It was true that he had taken an interest in them, and he wanted to go far out like some of them he had seen the day before.

"Morning Dmitri" Aciel smiled standing in the doorway watching his friend as he got up and made himself look a bit neater "sleep well? you look like you were dead, had a grip like a corpse too, you were kind of attached to my shirt" he chuckled taking a few steps closer so he could set down his clothes from last night, he had folded them but wasn't sure where to put them so he left them on the bed for now, dealing with laundry wasn't top priority at the moment, judging by what the other was saying food was going to be the focus of right now

"no no, we don't have to wait, let's go, I can hear Doc working in the kitchen" Aciel smiled holding out a hand, he was used to his companion holding onto him while they walked around by now and it gave him a sense of security as well.

Dmitri froze suddenly at Aciel’s words. His grip? Did he actually hold onto his companion’s shirt during the night?

“W-what? I..I mean sorry then,” he stammered with a flustered tone, “ah- I slept fine.”

The last part of his statement was spoken as a just audible murmur. It puzzled him greatly and sent him into a sudden pondering daze as his mind paced over his recollection of the night before. Dmitri didn’t doubt that he had done so as he didn’t see Aciel as the type to lie about such a thing, and so it was deeply embarrassing that he would unconsciously cling to his companion. Although it was true he found holding onto Aciel through contact of any kind reassuring, so maybe his doing such an action wasn’t so out of the blue as he perceived. His companion had chuckled when bringing attention to his actions, and so Dmitri doubted it was as big of a deal as he was making it seem to himself. The sun from the window doused his body as he stood forcing him to squint as he passed by. Regaining his thoughts, he came out of his sudden dazed state having belittled the situation in hoped the lingering embarrassment would vanish. Perking up at Aciel’s words he eagerly grasped onto the other’s hand. Holding hands was somehow normal, despite doing something as holding onto Aciel’s shirt being deathly embarrassing.

“Okay!” he sparked excitedly.

For some inexplicable reason, he was hungrier than usual, although in retrospect he had been moving around a lot more than he would have ever done at the lab. Dmitri was eager to fill the empty void called his stomach, and so while they walked down the hallways he took the lead instead of Aciel. This eagerness would soon be interrupted with the reminder of the Doc and the taunting memories of his foul words from the day before. He mutely prayed that the words from the day before would stay with the day before and not be carried over with grudgeful thoughts. Letting his companion take the lead as the two reached the living/dining area, Dmitri hung back some with a now cautious look in his eyes.

The Doc seemed hyper-focused on the food and cooking it properly, it was intriguing to watch. The man took special care of how he moved and plated the food, it seemed something he did often and was remarkably skilled in. The kitchen was submerged in the bright orange-yellow beams boring in through the windows, making the absence of lit light bulbs in the room unnoticeable. It took Dmitri a few minutes to fully process that the man had caught wind of his and Aciel’s presence, but when he had he tense up.

``Yeah..thanks,`` he offered with a timid voice.

Trailing after Aciel, Dmitri soon sat down as well despite still being cautious of eating the food. He would follow the same routine of prodding at the food before eating it. More or less he played with the contents of the plate for a short while before, at last, he imitated Aciel and started eating at the food. After seemingly an entire life of sedatives coming in the form of foods, drinks, and other consumable items he wanted to assure himself the food wasn’t poisoned or even worse. Doing so should have only been natural for a person who had endured such acts for as long as Dmitri had. His orbs finally uplifted from the plate soon becoming eager with aspirations to hear the man’s answer. Dmitri could care less about fishing, moreover, he wanted so desperately to go out on a boat. They fascinated him, and there wasn’t a word that could even come close to describing how strongly he wanted to go on one.

“Yep- fishin’ is ‘bout the only thing to do out ther’, and how’d we go fishin’ if we ain't away from the docks?” The Doc responded soon after.

It was exactly what he wanted to hear. Dmitri could now only hope that the mildly irritating traits of the ocean wouldn’t interfere with his enjoyment when they went. The man soon shook his head as Aciel asked yet another question. Afterward, the room was plunged into silence with just the scratching of plates as the three of them ate. Doc wasn’t a quiet man nor was he one of few words, although it was difficult to perceive what questions would and wouldn’t be okay to ask. But after a while, the silence turned bitter just waiting for someone to interrupt it. Dmitri was near done with his food and was just eating up the last scraps of his meal.

“So- how’d you boys get out ‘ere?” The man questioned, it was something the Doc had held back on saying the day before although it seemed his curiosity got the better of him.

The question made Dmitri’s once gradually relaxing body stiff once again. Eyes moving onto Aciel in a haste he mutely shifted the weight of answering the question onto his companion. It was - to say the least - a difficult question to answer just by the many hidden questions that went along with it. Would one lie? Or say something only vaguely as to not hint about their relationship in the lab that lay built so close to the town? So, Dmitri’s hoped that Aciel would tackle the difficult task of answering the question.

(No Worries <3)

"hey don't appologize, I passed out before that happened so it didn't bother me through the night, I only realized this morning" Aciel shrugged "and I'm glad you slept well for once" he added smiling

It was true that most of the time at the lab he was left with the constant pondering of which meals had sedatives embedded within them. For the first few years, he had recognized the drugs by the smell of them, but as the advances on them continued this skill of enhanced smell was rendered useless. The once distinctly scented sedatives turned both tasteless and smell-less, and so he could almost never detect which of his meals would result in a lengthy period of sleep afterwards. After having assured himself that this wouldn’t be the case he would promptly eat the food.

Somehow Aciel managed to be worse at dealing with the question than he was. Maybe he should have just answered the question. It was an extremely intricate story that Aciel had whipped up from seemingly thin air. Saying something like that found themselves or even eloped would have been the much easier option than what his companion had come up with. The Doc seemed unsure about the entire explanation. It was a little far-fetched. Looking between the two of them, his companion didn’t seem to have picked up on the memo that he should have just said something simple instead of trying to say something half truthful.

“Ah- he’s just kidding, we came out here looking for a new life...I’m sure you understand how stressful the world can be nowadays,” Dmitri spat out with a fake chuckle laced into his words. “Well...we should probably go get ready.”

Extending a hand out he grasped it tightly around Aciel’s wrist. The man sitting across from them couldn’t have looked so confused if he wanted to. Seeing as one of them just said they were kidnapped as children and maltreated, and now the other one was saying this story was nothing more than a joke; The Doc only nodded unsure by what was true and what wasn’t. Dmitri pulled rather harshly at Aciel leading the way to the bedroom. He didn’t attempt to be gentle by any means, moreover as they arrived he lightly shoved his companion into the room before promptly slamming the door shut. Something had irritated Dmitri, he had it written all over his face.

“Aciel...this wasn’t just a random idea I came up with a few days ago this entire plan of getting out took me years to come up with,” he scoffed, “just please don’t go telling random people even close to what happened to us...don’t screw this up, I don’t want to go back and I know you don’t either.”

Dmitri tried to offer his companion a reassuring glance, but it wasn’t easy to muster that up. He was irritated by Aciel’s words and how close they came to the description of the lab. For someone who knew of the lab it wouldn’t be difficult to connect the dots. It wasn’t as if they had come that far from the lab, and undoubtedly at least a few people were aware of the building and what it contained. Sitting now on the bed in an attempt to calm himself down Dmitri’s eyes fell on the floor. Rubbing his face lightly, such an influx of emotions couldn’t be good for him. Stress, tension, irritation, and more; such overwhelming emotions had managed to make him feel suddenly light-headed.

This entire plan of escape had been the sole purpose of the last eleven years of his life, and it wasn’t something he wanted to suddenly fail because of his companion. Aciel more than most of the other kids deserved to be out of the lab, so he didn’t want himself nor his companion to be taken back to such a place. It was difficult even experiencing those taunting images of having to go back, so the last thing he wanted was for those to become real. Undoubtedly the man was waiting for their return, but Dmitri wasn’t sure about going anymore just by the lingering tension he had made between them. Gradually he did seem to calm himself down if only a little.

“Sorry- I lost my head...just forget about all that.” Dmitri offered, orbs glancing briefly over to Aciel

Even his sorry attempt at an apology couldn’t change the words he had let slip from his mouth. Dmitri didn’t want Aciel to be upset or angry, that wasn’t his attention. Reaching over he grasped onto his companion’s hand before bringing it over to himself. Their fingers were intertwined tightly. Letting a long dragged sigh escape him Dmitri finally let his gaze rise from the floor. And oddly enough afterward he had a faint smile on his face.

“I’m excited to go on a boat, you?” he asked.

It was better to just let the words go, after all, what was done was done and it was easier to just move forward. Anyways, thinking of the boats made him happy and he was truthfully extremely excited to go out on one.

Leaning over Aciel was not greeted with the comfort he needed, instead he got a cold feeling from Dmitri that unsettled him, which could mean only one thing, he had said too much or had hinted too much to the lab and before he could open his mouth to murmur sorry Dmitri's hand was around his wrist and there was speaking he couldn't make out, next thing he knew he was on his feet and being dragged roughly off to their room "Wait Dmitri!" Aciel yelped as he stumbled after the other "I-" and now he found himself facing the other and seeing the look in his eyes made Ace want to back away, he pulled his arm back quickly and rubbed his wrist frowning slightly