Chapter 15
Eddie and Jackson had gone to work for the day.. Hakeem is left in the apartment alone since he didn’t have to leave for an hour after them for his usual Friday shift.
As he gathers up his phone, keys, subway pass and his bag, Hakeem’s phone begins to ring. He pulls the device out of his pocket and takes a peek out of the corner of his eye at the caller I.D. as he puts his shoes on.
“Allu, Hakeem?” His aunt’s voice comes clearly out of the speakers as he holds it to his ear.
“Hi, Khalto Bahera. Everything okay?”
“Yes, habibi. Just calling to check on you.”
Hakeem smiles as he locks the door behind him. “Hamdella, all is good, Khalto Bahera. I’m just leaving the apartment now for work.”
“Ah okay, tell Charlie hi from us. Next time you have a break tell them to come, it’s been too long.”
Riding the elevator down Hakeem nods and lets his aunt know he will do just that. Charlie had become family over the years they spent working and living together. “Yallah, okay okay. I’m sure Charlie would love that.” He hears his aunt laugh lightly over the phone, he’s glad she seems well.
Hakeem exits the elevator, waving to Steven at the desk as he strolled past. “Hi, Steven, hope you’re well.”
Steven gives a polite nod and waves back, “Good afternoon, Mr. Al-Najim. I am. The same to you, sir.” Hakeem still isn’t used to Steven’s formality even after a little more than a month at the Alexandria Building.
“Hakeem,” his attention snaps back to his phone at the concern in his aunt’s voice. “How are things with….. The Nocturne and LaLune boys?”
Hakeem picks up the pace so as to not miss the train.
“Hamdella, they are great. Jackson and Eddie have been so friendly, we’ve grown close really fast.” As he heads down steps to the subway Hakeem feels the smile on his face, he never expected to grow so close to his new roommates, especially not like this.
“Just be careful, okay? Those boys come from very different worlds. Your Khalo Shadi and I are just a little worried.” Hakeem can tell, the worry laces her voice.
He knew his uncle had reservations about the apartment, especially after Eddie had moved in.
What he didn’t know is where all this was coming from.
Jackson and Eddie had been perfect gentlemen, kind and caring.
“There really is no need to worry, Khalto Bahera. I know Khalo Shadi has reservations about the exceedingly wealthy, but Eddie and Jackson aren’t like that.
They never treat me as lesser.” Hakeem didn’t bring up the grimoire, the wand or the magic lessons.
Jackson hadn’t said to keep them secret, but something told Hakeem his uncle wouldn’t like the idea.
“Okay, habibi, if you say so.”
“I do. Yallah, I have to go. I won’t have service on the train. Love you both.”
“Okay, Hakeem, Bye bye. We love you too.” Hakeem hangs up the phone as he swipes his subway card, boarding the train to work. One day he needed to talk to his uncle to clear the air, but it would have to wait for now.
* * *
“Shadi,” Bahera puts her phone down on the kitchen table and turns to her husband.
Shadi is reading a paper, pretending to have not heard his wife’s call.
“Hakeem says he’s okay. The boys seem to be getting along fine.
You don’t need to worry so much.” Her eyes are soft, her smile gentle.
She goes over to her husband’s side and rests a hand on his shoulder.
Shadi closes his paper and puts it down on the table in front of him. He places his hand over his wife’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. “If you say so, habibti, if you say so.” He sighs as he gets up, needing to head into work himself. “Love you, see you tonight.”
Bahera can hear the tiredness and concern in her husband’s voice. “Love you.”
Shadi leaves the house, his coat zipped up against the February chill.
He lights a cigarette with a snap of his fingers as he walks to his truck parked in the house’s two-car driveway.
He leans on the driver side door and takes in a deep inhale.
Smoke mingles with frosty breath as he exhales, letting his mind settle.
Bahera says Hakeem is fine, but he can’t stop his worry.
A part of him knows this is what Hiba wanted, to give Hakeem a chance to live the life she died to give him freely.
He hates that Hakeem’s best chance at a full future came in the form of Jackson and Edmund.
But as soon as he heard of the mana match Hakeem had found, he knew fate had made its choice.
Shadi finishes his cigarette and settles into the driver’s seat. He starts the engine and begins the drive to work, worry still haunting his mind.
* * *
On Sunrise Blvd, inside of ‘LaLune Gym’ where Eddie works part-time, Wendy gives him a run for his money in the boxing ring.
Wendy is easily a foot shorter than Eddie, if not more, but as a sylph, she’s fast. Quick, nimble and oddly ferocious.
Eddie can barely block her blows, the ones that land aren’t strong, but there are a lot of them.
“You are getting intense, Wendy,” Eddie says between breaths as he dodges her small but mighty flurry of blows, “Bad day at work or did I do something to piss you off?”
Wendy smirks as she dodges a jab from Eddie, “Oh no, Eddie, I am just pumped! Why do anything half assed if I have to pay to do it? Less talkie, more punchy!” Eddie grins as a small laugh escapes him.
As Wendy and Eddie go at it, she gets lost in the moment. Her last punch, laced with wind magic, finds Eddie’s chest before she realizes she’s leaking mana. Eddie gets launched into the ropes bordering the ring, knocking the air out of him. “Oof!” He slumps to the floor in a daze.
Wendy is wide eyed as she throws her gloves off and rushes to his side. “Eddie! OHMYFUCKINGGODSAREYOUOKAY?!”
Eddie shakes himself out of a daze, body not aching nearly as much as it should. “Woah, uh yeah, I’m good. I call foul though.” He tosses his gear aside as he stands up.
Wendy relaxes, shoulders dropping, a hand over her chest. “I’m glad. I’m sorry, Eddie, I got lost in the moment. I didn’t realize I was casting.”
“My roommate could probably go off for hours on the multitude of reasons people cast subconsciously.”
Eddie can’t help the shy smile that blooms across his face; the thought of Hakeem giving a passionate lecture on magic, the warmth in his voice, the glow of those silver eyes. Wendy notices and quirks her eyebrow, was something going on between the two of them?
“Wendy!” Wendy flinches at the realization that Seamus is tapping his foot, arms crossed over his chest, giving her a disapproving look with a raised eyebrow from where he stands besides the ring.
“Accident or not I’m afraid there is a fine for using magic against one of my employees. I’m just glad no one got hurt.”
Wendy hangs her head, knowing Seamus is right. “I know, I take full responsibility.”
Seamus’s eyes glimmer, amber eyes that charmed any client of his who dared stare into them for too long, a mischievous smile forming on his face.
“Since we know you, Wendy,” Seamus twirls his ginger mustache with one hand, the other behind his muscular back, “How about you pay the fine by getting coffee for the staff. That should even things out. I know you have to get back to work so take Eddie with you, he can carry it back after you pay. That okay, my boy?” He glances over to Eddie who looks confused, but shrugs and nods regardless.
“Sure, Seamus. Don’t you need me here though?”
Seamus brushes the concern off with a wave of his hand. “We can spare you for thirty minutes. That work for you, Wendy?” He winks at her, that knowing glint shimmering in his eyes still.
Wendy wonders if Seamus sent Eddie to get coffee often at this time, when she knew Hakeem would be working at ‘Shape of Brew’ as he did most Fridays.
Jackson certainly looked forward to his Friday afternoon coffee more often these days.
Was there something going on between all three men she wasn’t aware of?
Wendy is terribly nosy and an awful gossip, part of her charm really.
She knows Seamus is no better. Was this his way of getting info on the situation he couldn’t get off Eddie?
Did Eddie often return with pep in his step from coffee runs if Hakeem was working?
She should resent being used as a means for obtaining office gossip, but then she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t dying for the inside scoop as much as Seamus.
She winks at Seamus, understanding filling the air between them, the unspoken bond of gossips. “Sure, great, I’ll have him back to you with caffeine in no time.” They both laugh heartily leaving Eddie suspicious, his eyes narrowed, head tilted to the side as he towels off.
* * *
‘Shape of Brew’ is having a small crisis, the espresso machine is making weird noises instead of espresso.
Charlie currently has the form of a large, burly man in a flannel button down.
Thick arms, a full beard split into blonde and blue to match the hair on their head, with a broad back and shoulders.
They look like a lumberjack in a barista apron.
Tanned skin speckled with blue and blonde arm hairs make them stand out even more. Charlie would have it no other way.
One hand on their waist, the other scratching their head of scruffy hair, Charlie looks at the broken machine with exasperation.
The late afternoon rush is imminent and they hate the idea of being unable to serve any espresso based drinks.
“Oh gods, what are we going to do, Hakeem? Friday afternoon and no espresso? Ugh, I could faint from the stress.” Charlie sighs as they close their eyes and rub their temple.
Hakeem has an idea, one Charlie hated to consider. “You could always wish it fixed. I don’t mind, really.” He rocks on his heels, hands behind his back.