~Recap~

And one way or another, she was blessed for whatever that happened. The wide curve on her lips was a literal proof of it. And the sparkling eyes of hers just confirmed it as well as she absentmindedly saw the direction where Theo went.

She then shifts her attention to Theo's sweater. She leans her face to feel the fabric's touch and it felt so like Theo. Only if it was him for real.

“Thank you…” Azura breaks on her sentence as she trembles if she should say it ahead or not. Nonetheless, she whispered. “Theo.”

It was the second time she called Theo's name because yes, Theo wasn't daydreaming when he heard Azura calling his name but, who's gonna know? Not at least Theo. That was more than enough for Azura.

______

When Azura arrives back at home, Frederick is surprised to see his daughter in a pair of clothing which wasn't hers. And it didn't even seem to be her type.

This is what happens whenever Azura decides to shop alone. Call Frederick an old schooler or a boomer. But his fashion from ninety's could still fail all these vague and dark clothing of the youngsters nowadays.

“Hey, Dad. I'm back."

“Well, I can see that since you're standing in front of me. In some weird and dull pair of sweaters.” The father remarks with a quirky tone and Azura looks down at the fabric over her body.

Well, Frederick's unimpressed reaction to Theo's outfit was understandable. The age and generation gap between the two men said it all.

Just the difference was that Frederick's sense of clothing was actually better than Theo's as Theo's clothes were super vague and dull as if they belonged to a dark clan or something. Centuries old fashion probably that even Azura thought she could be more fashionable than him with just her baggy outfits!

The only reason that Theo still slayed them all was his undeniably physique and mesmerizing charms. He was like a supermodel who looked just stunning even in a gunny sack.

“Hello? You still here or have you gone to the multiverse?” Azura hears her father taunting and a giggle comes out of her lips automatically.

Frederick's eyebrows rise skeptically. Now Azura's giggles turn into a slight tremble. “N-no. I'm right here. In the Barnes verse. In the backyard.”

“Hmm… Seems like you're too lost in your own world that you are not even able to differentiate between backyard and front yard. Which is the entrance. Just think to yourself. How can you go right away to the back side when you're entering the house from the front side?”

Azura wonders for a moment before a perfect reply hits her mind. “Just like how you shift from complaining to Mom to confessing how much you love her right away.” Although Azura felt as if she gave a savage comeback, deep down she knew that she just literally cracked a line that was lamest even than her father's pickup lines.

“Never knew that daughter jokes could fail dad jokes in being lame but thanks to my lovely daughter to spread the awareness.” Frederick purrs sarcastically as Azura just rolls her eyes in defeat and begins walking past the man as she knows there is no use to argue anymore. Especially when Frederick was right. She really just made a fool of herself. Well, she was a fool anyway, no?

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway. I'm hungry, what's in the snack, Dad?”

“Of course. Get fresh and get to the table. I'll serve the food.” Motions the man to the direction of the table as the lady is in a rush to slip away. But Frederick wasn't too smooth to just let it slip like that. “By the way…” Frederick perks and Azura is already trembling when he hasn't even said anything further.

Probably she just knows what he is going to say, anyway… “Where and when did you get this sweater?”

“Oh, this?” Azura points at the stitched piece of wool. Frederick nods. “It was actually…” The young lady breaks as she realises that she has almost spilled the beans. “It was actually on sale!”

“Oh really? How much discount did you get?” Frederick interrogates.

Azura purses her lips for a second before she speaks, “It was for one fifty bucks, but I only got it for fifty!”

Frederick almost chokes on his own saliva in disbelief. “You got it for fifty?”

“So affordable, I know, right?” Beams Azura.

Shaking his head, Frederick replies. “No, no. Sweetie. It's not affordable. I mean it is. But this odd sweater definitely doesn't justify the price. Besides, it doesn't even look your type.”

“What do you mean by not my type?”

“I meant to say, or more like ask, who gave you this?” Frederick asks and Azura is sensibly hitching.

“N-no? No one gave this. I mean, who could even? Think to yourself, Dad. I'm a loner at college. Nobody is even aware of my existence and then how come one can gift me something?”

Which was somehow true. At least to Frederick as he knew how Azura lived in her own world or could say even void where nobody could reach her. He wondered if she was just shy or blatantly antisocial.

But that's also because he didn't know of Theo. At least, not yet.

“You are right, but I feel otherwise.”

Azura sighs at the thought of her father. “Then you should have a thoughtful night with Mom because you're probably struck by mixed feelings and abnormal thoughts. Yes, me having a friend is abnormal, no, Dad?”

It seems as if the father does try to revert or just react but he really can't because part of him agrees with what Azura said while at the same time the other part still feels otherwise.

But anyway, “Yeah… That makes sense. Maybe I'm just being abnormal.”

A sigh of relief comes through Azura as she is assured that she finally twisted her innocent father's mind. “Great! So, now that you've realised, shall we go back to being normal because I'm literally dying for the snack that you made.“

Frederick smiles and nods and of course, Azura dashes in less than a second. As soon as Azura was absent from the scenario, Frederick turns around and begins mumbling to himself. “Is it normal or abnormal? Or maybe everything is normal and it's just me who's abnormal? Gosh… I always knew I didn't belong to this planet. I must be a Greek god. Right, Vivian?”