Dorothy
It was pitch-black as Gabriel waited outside for Ares to meet him by the Cradle entrance, donned in a surprisingly good outfit considering the fact it was a) *Two goddamn thirty* And b) *Freezing cold*. Denim jeans and a nice striped polo hid behind a black jacket as Gabe fiddled with his phone absentmindedly. 

Having nothing to do always made Gabe haywire. His feet were tapping in converse sneakers, shifting his weight between each foot as time dragged on. 

It was *Cold*, but Gabe dug his hands further into his pockets in stubbornness. Hopefully, Ares would be here soon, and he wouldn't be waiting for too long...
Ken
It didn't take long for Ares to make his way down the stairs and out of the building. The text was sudden, but Ares wouldn't complain. It was late into the night sure, but that was never an issue for the boy. In his hand was an energy drink, just to make sure the fatigue didn't hit him early. 

The cold of the night greeted him, and snuck beneath his bulky jacket and hoodie, but it didn't bother him. Even someone like Ares would eventually get used to the very common chill of Sweden. With a few steps, and quickly making his way around the building, the front gate came into view. There was Gabe, standing there. In all his underwhelming glory. Ares assumed for someone so dramatic there would be some bigger entrance now that he wasn't sick and bed ridden. 

"You look terrible." Ares had his free hand in his pocket, the hand holding the drink tilted slightly towards Gabe. His face was plastered with a smirk, a teasing sort of expression. Typical for Ares.
Dorothy
At the teasing comment, Gabe scoffed. 

"Maybe check your eyesight, doofus." Gabe rolls his eyes, even if there's no heat in the insult. Nevertheless, he takes the drink anyway, taking a guilty sip of the acidic tasting liquid before handing the can back to Ares. 

"You're lucky it's your birthday," Gabe lightly flicks Ares in the chest, an action completely contradictory to the smirk on his face. "It means I can't be an asshole back." 

Still, he's smiling. The buzzing of doing something besides work and chores from back home is electrifying, and its evident in Gabe's mannerisms. He's whistling a tune— something blues— as he starts down the path leading away from the Cradle.

"Got any plans?" A curious look back Ares' way. He's always had issues with staying on pace with others— either walking too fast or too slow, always racing.
Ken
"Aye man, I'm just saying you look like you haven't slept for a week." 

He laughed, and was sort of surprised that Gabe took up his offer. At least the other had some faith Ares wasn't the type to spike a drink... Or he didn't care. Interesting. 

Gabe was already turning out to be much more fun than Ares had originally thought.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Save your insults for tomorrow." Ares scoffed, in a lighthearted sort of way. Gabe started walking, and Ares made sure to match his pace. They were similar in height and build, so keeping up wasn't an issue. The heaviness of sleep was already disappearing as the cold shocked Ares back awake, it would hit him later he was sure. 

"Plans? Weren't *You* The one that invited *Me* Out?" Turning to look at Gabe with a dramatic display of surprise, Ares laughed. "If anything I should ask *You* That."
Dorothy
"Plans? I mean for the *Morning*. You know, when it's not the buttcrack of dawn. Unless your only plans were to have an overworked actor take you for a midnight adventure." 

It was said... Rather fondly. Gabriel missed doing things like this with his friends, spontaneous things where he didn't have to worry about the stressors on the other side of the sea. 

Ares was *Normal*, too— one of the only people Gabe could even somewhat relate to. Everyone else seemed strange, and weird, and *Confusing*, but being able to speak the same language as the well-built Puerto Rican at his side made Gabe smile to himself. 

Perhaps that was why his tongue was looser around the other— his accent slipped through in every syllable, with no worries about seeming *Lower* Because of his southern twang. 

Speaking of speaking the same language, Gabriel winks at Ares as a wolffish grin grows on his face. "If you're really looking for something to do tomorrow, I could always carve out time for a dinner date." 

His voice goes low, and he leans into Ares' ear. "Pay for it all and I'll even surprise ya at the end," Gabe whispers, and he lets the preposition dangle for just long enough before pulling away in a fit of boisterous laughter. 


"Sorry," He snickers, "Sorry," Gabe's hands attempt to cover his mouth. "I just wouldn't want *Poor little Ares* To be all alone on his birthday." He jabbed the other in his ribs, affectionately.
Ken
"Oh-" Ares let out a snicker, almost embarrassed but you wouldn't be able to tell. "Shut up- I totally knew what you meant. 

Ares made note of how similar the two were and how easily they interacted. They had only interacted once before in person, and it was so that Ares could shove a sick Gabe a bottle of vodka. They had joked and teased the other many times over the Intranet, but people were always different outside of their screen name and online persona. Ares found people to be awkward in person, less smooth. Guess being able to backspace made people sound more confident. 

As Gabe leaned into Ares' ear, and whispered a tease, Ares felt a little bit of a shock jolt through his body. He pushed the other away with a booming laugh. It cracked like a firework, and sounded stupidly genuine.

"You fucking wish! You can't afford me." Ares spoke through a laugh. The two clearly had very similar senses of humour, because they just walked laughing together for a moment. 

"I wont be *Alone* On my birthday, ya asshole. I do in fact have plans, I haven't confirmed with them but they wont say no." He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. 

Ares knew this, Finley wouldnt say no to any sort of offer, but he would never in *A million years* Let Gabe know that he was referring to Finley. Gabe doesn't need more fuel for jokes, and Ares would never hear the end of it.

"So Prince Charming, how far away is this store you're whisking me off to." Ares finally jabbed Gabe back, *Affectionately.*
Dorothy
"This store? Well, it's only a first class *Seven-Eleven* With all-you-can-eat candy... And by all you can eat, I mean all you can *Afford*." It almost seemed like a purr, the way the southern tinted words rolled off Gabe's tongue, pronouncing the word Seven Eleven will all too much pomp for a convenience store. 

Well, he supposed it wasn't *Just* All you could afford, if you considered dabbling in the darker arts of shoplifting. Gabe was many things— a shoplifter not being of them— and while he was almost certain Ares had no reservations about sneaking a couple of candy bars into his hoodie pocket, Gabe eyed his own necklace and the words of his fading mother for moral guidance.

Not that he'd mention that to *Ares*, of course. What was he, a square?

"And it's only a ten minute walk or so. Nice, right? Means someone like you won't be huffin' and puffin' all the ways to Sunday." Gabe shot Ares a cheeky grin, slyly covering his growing smile with a strong hand. *Oops.* It seemed to say at the joke. 

"No, but seriously..." Gabe shuffled his hands back into his pockets, looking into the Swedish sky. It was beautiful without the light pollution ever prevalent in the U S of A— the Milky Way was visible from where the pair stood, the now-sleeping city allowing for the sky to light up with stars. 

The light of the full moon made the edges of Gabe's face bask in light— the bridge of his nose, the tips of his ears, the edge of his jaw. An oddly peaceful aura enveloped the other as Gabriel inhaled a deep breath of cold Swedish air. 

"It's nice to be able to go out this late. I don't have to worry about getting jumped by a couple of thugs, or having my mom yell my ear off when I slink back home." Gabe chuckled.

A small smile grew on his face. 

"Sweden *Sucks*, but I guess it ain't that bad, eh?"
Ken
Ares snickered at Gabe's dramatic singsong tone of voice. It suited him well, very theatrical in nature. He didn't stutter, or hesitate. Gabe was sure of himself, confident definitely, and it showed in his general demeanour. Ares could respect that. 

"Money is never an issue." 

Unlike Gabe, Ares *Was* A shoplifter, bordering a straight up thief. The boy stole from places all the time, many items that decorated his messy room were pocketed and stolen from numerous places. Ares had even sewed a pocket onto the inside of his jacket for this very purpose; it was surprisingly well hidden. 

"Oh yeah, it's great. Plus, it's open late as hell. I always like to skateboard 'round here past midnight and then stop somewhere for a snack. Always a fun way to spend a night." Ares punctuated his sentence with a shrug. The fun part sounded a bit sarcastic. 

Ares knew there were better things to be doing with his time, but late night convenience store runs and skateboard trips would always beat rotting away between the concrete walls of his dorm. 

The cold and silence of the night greeted them as the two walked. Above, heavy and endless, was a painted array of colours and stars. It was beautiful, Ares could admit that. He looked over at Gabe, who seemed to be looking as well. Ares smiled slightly. 
_ _

"Oh yeah- I totally get that. Its nice to not have to worry 'bout that." Ares took a sip of his already open drink. "My mama used to go absolutely ballistic when I would come home at 5 in the morning." He laughed. "You'd think she wouldn't be scary... But, man she really is." Ares let out a low whistle between his words, and took another sip. 

When Gabe continued on with conversation, Ares felt strangely at ease. The interaction had flowed so smoothly between the two that the boy almost didn't believe they hadn't interacted much before hand. This felt comfortable, like all the other friends Ares has had. 

Interesting. 

"Yeah, Sweden ain't that bad. I thought they would've sent me home by now, but the faculty really doesn't care much about what I do. What, my fuckin' highschool suspended me every two weeks and *Expelled* Me, yet here? I haven't even gotten in trouble once." A sense of pride snuck its way in between his words. 

"Maybe I'm just that good, aye?" Ares tilted his head with a smirk, clearly he was having a fun time playing a game of cat and mouse with the admins.
Dorothy
Ah, the familiar mention of maternal wrath. At that, Gabe laughs alongside Ares, snickering at the old fond memories. 

"No, I understand— *Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned*, and alla' that. Parents are nothing but nuisances, sometimes." *Didn't I know that.* 

Not that Gabe was ever a difficult child— in contrast to Ares' record of delinquency, the only thing on Gabe's record were years of honor roll and accolades. He'd worked his ass off for a spotless record, and he wasn't going to throw it away for Ares' sake. 

Still... Not that he'd mention his preppy nature to Ares. Even if his spotless record did make him him with pride, a familiar, rumbling feeling at the sense of being better than Ares at one thing. 

"So... What d'ya have your eyes on? You more of a chocolate guy, or a synthetic candy guy?" Gabe exclaims as the rush of stale, air-conditioned air hits them both upon entering the Seven Eleven. Almost annoyingly showy, he takes a dramatic bow and gestures to the candy aisle. 

"And here, on your left, only the finest energy drinks for our Highness." Was it the *Best* Idea to be so loud and boisterous in the middle of the night? Hopefully so— the cashier seemed more like the walking dead, too busy watching a video on their phone to pay attention to the duo.
Ken
"Absolutely." They were pretty annoying, Gabe was right about that. 

Ares let himself laugh at the lighthearted jabs at parental figures. Although his mother was a kind woman, she *Hated* How tainted Ares' record was. She claimed it wouldn't get him very far in the future and things similar to that. It always made Ares scoff, although she was right in the end. The boy got thrown out of highschool and expelled before he could even set his eyes on any sort of university.

Although Ares loved to boast and caw about his *Achievements,* There wasn't much to be proud of. At least, not if you were a stick in the mud like every authority figure Ares had ever encountered. The boy's fellow delinquent buddies always cheered and laughed when Ares successfully made trouble. It was almost like he had a talent for it, striking a spark with careful precision and setting a fire ablaze; a warmth for all the bask in. Nerds with good grades and tongues superglued to teacher boots never thought Ares' behaviour was anything to praise. Good thing he didn't need their opinion, they were the people he was living to spite. 

A mechanical singsong tune rang out when the two stepped through the door. A short, two note melody that started high and went low. A familiar sort of sound. The fluorescent lights were jarring as always. Home sweet convenience store. 

"I'm a fan of pretty much anything but my usual is whatever will melt my tastebuds off." Ares snickered, and with steady hands tucked a bag of sour skittles into the pocket flesh against the inside of his coat. "What about you?" He flicked one of his eye brows up with the question. 
_ _

Ares grabbed a few more bags of various other sour candy, stopping before his jacket got noticeably bulky. Ares may have managed to fail all of his academic classes, but he was a damn good thief. Lots of practice and street smarts, he claims. 

"I miss Puerto Rican candy." He sighed, in a playful sort of sense. "Sweden doesn't have any good spicy things, I gotta make it all myself." With a scoff, Ares dismissed the disappointing display of candy and turned over to the drinks. 

"Ah yes- wonderful." Ares gave a half bow towards Gabe before snickering and throwing the door open; a blast of cold air hitting him in the face. "You gonna get anything other than cigarettes? Those aren't very nutritious y'know." As if what Ares was buying was a full balanced meal. 

The boy grabbed 5 energy drinks, since his dorm stash was shockingly empty. This time, Ares held and paid for them straight up. A tactic he used frequently. It always seemed to work. The person tiredly tucked behind the desk didnt mutter a word about the things hidden beneath Ares' muscular arms.
Dorothy
"Cigarettes? Come on, I wouldn't want my pretty lungs to get coated in tar. Besides, I'm not nearly rich enough to pay for cancer treatment, and the last thing my family needs is *Another* Person in the hospital." It was an odd, uncharacteristically vulnerable admission, one that surprised Gabe himself— but he was quick to cover up the whole affair, giving a loud, jovial snort at his own dark joke. 

"Naw, what I'm after are *Those*." His eyes trail to a display of Juul pods behind the counter, and he lets out a satisfied grin. 

*Nicotine.* It was so close, and Gabe had almost wept with joy when he heard the legal age to buy e-cigarette refills was eighteen in Sweden. 

Hallelujah.

"*And* They have the best flavor. They did a recall recently, but this place still had some mango flavored ones, for whatever reason." It only takes a moment of pleasantries with the cashier who clearly is too tired to deal in order for Gabe to acquire the tobacco laced refills and dangle them in front of Ares' face. 

"These are the only candy I need." Gabe's low voice says to Ares, and he winks.
Ken
Haha mayhaps, ive forgotten about it