Chapter Text
He had almost forgotten just how fun Adia could be.
From the day they reunited in the mountains of Japan, it had been one incredible experience after another. Scuba diving with dolphins off the coast of Yokohama, walking along the Jade Garden in South Korea, attending the Ubon Candle Festival in Thailand, and naturally sampling the local cuisine during each stop.
It was everything they'd ever dreamed of since they were kids, and finally they were living this dream together!
Right now, they were in a Chinese marketplace, stocking up on essentials and preparing to join in the celebration of the upcoming Moon Festival that night.
Todd Mortenson had certainly changed in the past few months since he woke up from living on autopilot for so long and decided to finally get out there and live his life. He was a lot more open, braver, healthier, and in his own words, "more enhappified". He still wasn't entirely sure how he came up with that word, but it just seemed to fit.
"Sweet baby corn, I can already smell those moon cakes," he said, licking his lips in anticipation, making Adia chuckle.
"Same old Scratch," she said. "Always thinking with your stomach."
On the other hand, there were some ways he hadn't changed, either; at least in the eyes of his best friend. He still preferred going by his childhood nickname, retained his avid love of food, especially the deep fried variety…
"What can I say? I go with my gut. Now food first, questions later."
And his sense of humor was exactly as she remembered.
It honestly boggled Adia's mind just how much time had passed since she'd last seen him, and yet it felt like none had passed at all. It was like they were a couple of kids playing adventure in her old attic again, only now they didn't have to rely on their vivid imagination to take them where they wanted to go. They were where they wanted to be; living both their lives to the fullest, even if it had taken him a little longer than she liked.
But that didn't matter now; he was here, they were together again, and they were gonna see all the world had to offer.
"Well, it's your lucky day, buddy," she said with a smile as she hooked an arm around his shoulders. "I know some great food stands around here while we wait for the celebration to start." That got a good, hearty laugh from him.
"Then lead the way!"
It had been a very productive afternoon; seeing the sights, finding souvenirs to send to family, and of course sampling the local food stands. Todd was always one for supporting local food vendors. They had to make a living somehow, and knowing how much time and hard work they put into making good food that makes others happy earned major points in his book.
After getting everything they needed done, he and Adia made a quick stop at their hotel to drop off their purchases and get a quick power nap in before the celebration started. They wanted to have all the energy they needed to join in the festivities. By sunset, they were in the town square as the celebration for the evening began.
Todd couldn't help but marvel at the numerous colorful lanterns that not only lined the streets, but were carried by almost everyone. Adia was quick to point out a nearby stand that was selling them, and the two were quick to go over. She was more fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and struck up a conversation with the owner, and soon bought a cylindrical lantern that was the same shade of pink as a Surly Sid's strawberry soda, with a full moon, clouds and a white water lily painted on it. He smiled at her choice as he continued to browse the lanterns. There were so many different shapes, sizes and colors to choose from! He couldn't even begin to decide which one he wanted.
That was when he caught a glimpse of bright, familiar colors out the corner of his eye.
He turned to see a round, sky blue lantern in the top right corner of the stand. It had a blossom tree design covered with golden yellow flowers.
The same shade of golden yellow as the ghost from his recurring dream.
"I'll take that one," he finally said, pointing up to the lantern that seemed to just call to him. Adia followed the direction he pointed in and her eyes lit up once she caught sight of it.
"That one is so pretty! Great choice, Scratch!"
She pointed to the lantern, letting the own know that her friend had chosen it. The owner replied the price, and Todd took out his wallet, taking out the amount of Yuan he needed before placing it on the countertop. The owner handed him the lantern, along with a couple of tea lights to put into them and the two headed off to further enjoy themselves.
Late into the evening, Todd and Adia were still wide awake and taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the festival.
And it was around 1:30 AM that he began to feel a sudden tickle in his nose.
"ACHOO!" He sneezed, and rather loudly, making Adia and a few passerby people jump in surprise.
"Bless you," Adia said.
"Thanks."
"Bǎisuì!" He heard a man call out to him.
"Um…" He wracked his brain for what little Mandarin Chinese Adia had taught him before he called out in response, "Xièxiè!" He then looked to Adia, silently pleading he said the right thing. She shot him a thumbs up, and he sighed in relief.
"Hǎoxiàng yǒurén hěn xiǎngniàn nǐ," an old woman next to him commented with a smile. Todd looked at her curiously, before leaning towards Adia.
"What did she say?" He whispered. Adia smiled.
"You know how a common superstition is when you sneeze, it means someone's thinking about you?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, she said that someone's missing you very much."
"Someone misses me?" He asked as the woman continued.
"Jùshuō, rúguǒ nǐ zài língchén 1 diǎn dào 3 diǎn zhī jiān dǎ yīcì pēntì, jiù yìwèizhe zhège."
"She said a common belief here is that if you sneeze once between 1 and 3 AM, that's what it means," Adia translated.
"Huh," he muttered to himself. "Someone misses me. Well, I know it isn't you, because you're right here." Adia chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Very funny," she said, elbowing him gently. "I'm not the only one who's missed you, you know."
Todd smiled to himself. No, she certainly wasn't, even if for a long time it had felt like that. He could still remember Ginny's excited shrieks over the phone when he called her that afternoon after he'd bought his bus ticket to Chicago. It had been far too long since he'd called her; nearly ten years! Guilt twisted at his gut at that.
How could he let that much time pass between them? She was his favorite cousin, for goodness sake! Where was he when she needed him?
And that wasn't even getting into Fran's condition. The poor kid was so closed-off, barely speaking to anyone (even her mother) unless absolutely necessary, and spent most of her time in her room. She had become a shell of her former rambunctious self. Granted, she had only been four the last time he'd seen her, but still! He knew the signs of anxiety and depression better than anyone. Her behavior was too distant, even for a teenager. It not only concerned him, but Ginny as well.
And it had finally hit that boiling point when he found her sitting on the floor of the small bathroom in their old apartment, looking dangerously close to just giving up.
He didn't know what had broken his heart more that night; seeing that look on her face, or the fact that all it took was a tight hug for her walls to come crashing down as she finally let out all the emotions she'd been bottling up for so long. He was just thankful that he could be there when she needed it most.
Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he opened his photo album and looked at the photo Ginny had sent him recently. It was Fran and her friends at their first day of high school. The sight of her smiling, excited face made some of the guilt melt away. She looked so much more enhappified than she had a few months back, and it was clear that she and her friends were thick as thieves. The text he'd gotten from her recounting how she ran into an old bully of hers confirmed that. They'd have each other's back, no matter what.
His gaze then fell on the girl standing next to her, grinning just as brightly, the two of them hooking an arm around each other's shoulders.
Every time he had a call with her to swap stories on how each other was doing, be it on the phone or a video chat, Fran would bring up Molly McGee at least once. Just from the way her eyes would shine as she'd recount her friend's antics, it was clear to him that the two were quickly becoming as close as he and Adia are.
He'd never admit, though, that when Fran had first shown him a picture of her during one of their video calls, he nearly fell over in shock.
It was the girl from the bus stop the day he left Brighton.
Small world, he had thought to himself. It was nice to have a face to go with the name that his niece brought up so often, he just hadn't expected it to be so familiar.
Looking at the lantern in his other hand, he couldn't help but think back to their conversation that morning. She was polite and clearly interested in hearing about his travel plans, but something about the look in her eyes was far more bittersweet. In his excitement in the moment, he'd almost missed it. How could a girl that seemed so happy have eyes that looked so sad, especially towards some random stranger at a bus stop? Then there was the last thing she said to him.
"I hope no matter where you go, you always remember your friends, right here in Brighton."
He hadn't expected such a simple, innocent plea to tug at his heartstrings the way it had, but it did. The look in her eyes, the waver in her voice, the hope in her smile… she needed to hear him promise that he would. And for some reason, he couldn't deny her that.
Smiling to himself, he put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Adia.
"It's nice to know someone out there misses me right now," he said. Giving him an understanding smile, Adia pulled him into a hug, resting her head on top of his. Soon enough, she heard a wet sniffle.
"Scratch, are you crying?" She asked, half concerned, half amused.
"It's just all the incense smoke around here," he protested, wiping the corner of his eye as he leaned out of the hug enough to look at her. Despite this, he gave her a thankful smile before holding up his arm. "Now, come on. Those moon cakes are calling our names!"
Laughing, Adia hooked her arm with his, and the two friends walked off to the nearest food stand to stock up on more of the traditional treats.
Todd had meant it when he said he'd come back to Brighton for a visit, and the fact that he had relatives living there wasn't the only reason.
It was because he made a promise before boarding that bus, and he intended to keep it.
And on the other side of the world, with nary a single mention of a Toboggan…
"Achoo!"
Molly McGee sneezed.