Ryker was silent and returned the hug, holding Eke close to him.

"....I know." he said.

"And... it's hard for me to say it, but I need you, too." he told him.

"For the longest time, I lived for... well, I lived for myself, but even then, it was... a tenuous grasp on WANTING to actually live." he mumbled, shaking his head. "But you changed that." he went on.

"I actually want to live now. And I enjoy being with you. Having you as a brother in my life." he continued.

"No matter what happens... I'm glad you were a part of my life."

"Good night!" Ryker called to Eke, before looking at the time.

"...suppose I should sleep soon, as well." he said to himself.

"I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow." he mumbled, shaking his head a little.

".........hmmm." he then muttered, thinking about something.

"I wonder when I'll be able to get them...?"

Ryker heard Eke tossing and turning and coughing in his room, and bit his lip.

He hated hearing Eke like this.

He hated not being able to help him.

And it made him wonder how long before it went... too far.

"...damn it." he whispered.

"Damn it all." he cursed to himself.

Ryker heard the music filling the house, and sighed quietly.

'Guess he can't sleep.' he thought.

He then made his way to the room with the piano in it, and stopped at the doorway.

Once he was there, he leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

He just wanted to hear the music right now.

As soon as he finished, he head soft clapping coming from the doorway.

"Bravo." Ryker said.

"That was beautiful." he told him.

"Tell me." he then said further, pausing for a moment.

"Are you going to bring your new friend back home?" he asked.

"Play some piano for her?"

Ryker chuckled at first when Eke was embarrassed, but froze when he made his parting statement.

".......hm." he mumbled.

"....a girlfriend. Me?" he muttered.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"That'd be the day." he said further, before making his way to his own room.

"She'd have quite the future ahead of her."

By the time Eke had awoken, Ryker was already gone... presumably to work.

Eke made his way to the bookstore, and when he got there, he found it rather quiet and empty.

Sure, there were customers, but it was hardly crowded. At all.

He also didn't see Aly anywhere, but that could just be because he got there first.

"Welcome." a kindly elder man said from behind a desk by the entrance, presumably the owner of the store.

Eke had been reading for about 15 minutes, before he heard Aly's voice.

"Yoo-hoo!" she called, keeping her voice down.

She approached him quickly, a spring in her step and a smile on her face.

"Sorry, got caught up getting ready." she apologized.

"Have you been waiting long?" she asked.

"Well, I was thinking of getting a coffee here, and then going to the central park." Aly responded.

She was then silent, her expression becoming a bit on the concerned side.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"You don't look very well." she commented, moving so she could see his face.

"Your face is red. Do you have a fever or something?" she then asked him further.

"Oh... all right." Aly responded.

"So what kind of coffee are you getting?" she asked him.

"I like mine sweet." she said. "I put sugar and some caramel drizzle in it." she went on.

"Sometimes I just get a mocha with whipped cream on it." she then said further.

"What about you?"