So, here's the thing: Dew is poor.

His mother is rich, obviously. She has her own talk show, and she's had that talk show for upwards of twenty years. She also offers to send him money constantly, and even does sometimes, but he refuses to use it. Every time she sends him a check or some cash he puts it in a little envelope and forgets about it until she sends him more.

Considering the fact that his only source of income (until the castle pays him for his Origin work) is from a fast food restaurant, he's not exactly living lavishly. In fact, all of the furniture in his apartment was already there when he moved in. This is why all he needs is a suitcase for his clothes and a backpack for his art supplies, cat toys, and blanket... and he's fine.

The rest is Amy's. Aside from Spike's litter box, which he just left there because it's not like he can lug that around while he searches for a place to stay. If Spikes has to use the bathroom she'll just need to make due with the grass outside.

Anyway, currently Dew is on the road in front of his apartment complex, with his suitcase and bag, with Spikes in his arms. He is seriously thinking about delving into the funds his mother sent him, and finding a hotel or something.

However, then she'd win. Then he would have to admit that he relies on her. No thanks.

But Spikes...

This isn't just about Dew. Spikes is affected by this change as well.

Crap.

As Dew sits there, he watches a car pull into the parking lot. It's a black car, a government vehicle, and a glance at his phone reveals that it is currently 8:00.

Rowan.

Oh god. He can't see Dew like this. All... homeless and unshowered. This is why Dew gets up and begins walking in the other direction. He's decided that he's probably just going to need to use the money his mom gives him, because when he adopted Spikes he promised to take care of her. She comes first, even above his mental infatuation with not relying on people for things.

Dew sighs, and feels a rain drop on his nose. Suddenly, it begins sprinkling. In response, Spikes huddles further into his jacket. It's a good thing that she's a relatively small cat, or else he'd get so tired from holding her with one arm like this. He needs his other to roll his suitcase.

Okay, if Dew isn't mistaken there is a hotel about two miles from his apartment complex. He can deal with that. Dew begins making his way in that direction.

The roads clear out while everyone heads inside to get out of the rain—which is now coming down pretty hard. This leaves Dew alone on the sidewalk as Spikes shivers in his arms.

Boy, does Dew just have the best luck in the world!

At least there aren't any more people on the road, and he doesn't have to deal with their emotions. Small mercies.

Dew gets about halfway there, before he hears a car slow down on the side of the road.

"Mr. Price?"

Oh yeah, screw that. Dew doesn't acknowledge the driver and keeps his head down, but the car just begins following beside him slowly. Finally, the passenger side door opens and there Rowan is, standing in the rain. Dew takes a minute to notice that the rain makes a strange sound when it hits Rowan's skin. Almost like a sort of sizzle.

"Dew? What are you doing?"

Finally Dew gives up, and turns to face Rowan. Spikes peeks her little head out of his jacket to catch sight of the familiar voice. Dew is pretty sure Rowan looks down at her, and his face softens a bit. Yeah, Dew and Spikes probably look totally pitiful, as they're both soaked from the rain and homeless and tired.

"What? I'm going for a walk."

Rowan frowns, "did you get kicked out?"

Wow. Maybe Rowan is a bit smarter than Dew gives him credit for.

"No. I'm going for a walk. Sorry, I don't think we can work today."

Rowan seems to take in the situation and Dew and Spikes' appearance, before he comes to a decision.

"Come on. Get in the car."

Dew wants to disagree, but again, this is about Spikes. He'll do anything to get her out of the cold, and he realizes that he's going to lose this. As much as he hates to admit it, he does need help, and Rowan seems ready to come to his aid.

Ugh.

Dew sighs, and Rowan helps him load up his things in the trunk before Dew and Spikes climb into the vehicle, Rowan following in behind them. The driver hands him a towel, and he immediately wraps it around Spikes as they drive off. Slowly, the small cat ceases her shivering.

"Did your landlord find Spikes?" Rowan inquires, and Dew just gives him an absent nod. How did he fail in taking care of Spikes? Dew really is a shitty cat dad. Maybe he should have given her up, then some people who actually know how to take care of a cat would have gotten her. Maybe she'd be happier.

The thought makes him a bit sad, and he sighs, cuddling Spikes to his chest as he leans back in his seat.

"Where should we go, Captain?" The driver asks, and Rowan looks at Dew.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"Yeah. The hotel up on third."

"That place is expensive."

Dew shrugs. It's not like his mother didn't give him the funds to deal with it. He could honestly probably stay there a while. Finally, Rowan addresses the driver;

"Crest View Condos."

Dew frowns. Condos? Why are they going to a condo? Last Dew checked, he doesn't have enough money for a condo. At least, probably not, so—

Unless... that's where Rowan lives?

The rest of the drive is spent in silence, until they pull up to Crest View Condos, and the driver parks the car. Rowan grabs Dew's bags, and the two make their way inside. They take the stairs up to the second floor, and they enter a room that has the label 34-A on it. Once they step inside, Rowan leads Dew to a bedroom.

"You can stay here until you find somewhere else."

"Is this your house?"

Rowan just nods, and Dew looks around. This place is freaking nice. It's borderline a damn penthouse. The bed has an actual bed frame and a nightstand and... wow. This thing is the whole package. Deluxe.

"Do you have cat litter?"

Rowan replies, "my neighbor does."

"Okay. We need to make a litter box."

Rowan nods, and leaves the room.

Dew glances around his new bedroom. Well this is gonna be an adjustment. He is not used to living in such a fancy environment. At least, not for the past four years. He's scared he'll break something.

A few minutes later Rowan comes back in. He has a cardboard box filled halfway with litter in his hand, and an envelope in the other. He sets the box down on the floor beside one of the two other doors in the room. Dew is assuming they lead to a closet and a bathroom. Rowan stands up and hands Dew the envelope.

"It's your paycheck from the castle." Rowan notifies him. "I have to head to work."

Then, the man leaves, and Dew slowly takes a seat on his new bed. He opens the check, then does a double take at the four digit number. Combine that with the money his mother sent that he's decided it's okay to spend, and Dew picks up his phone, dialing Bandy's.

"Bandy's Burgers. How can I help you?"

"Yeah, it's Dew." Dew leans back so that he's lying on the bed. "Can I speak to Nick?"

There is some shouting in the background, and some shuffling sounds. It's about two minutes before Nick's gruff voice says, "hello?"

"Hey, I can't make it in today."

"God fucking dammit, Price—"

"Or any other day. I quit. Fuck you." Then Dew hangs up.

Suddenly, Dew feels like a weight just got lifted off his chest. Sure, that may have been a bit impulsive, but Dew doesn't have a car anyway and Bandy's is at least an hour walk from here. He wouldn't be able to get to work.

Spikes jumps up into the bed with him after that, slightly damp, and lays on his chest. Feeling overall content on this bed that costs more than his entire apartment with Spikes safe and sound with him, Dew slowly loses consciousness.

-

When Dew wakes up again, it is to the smell of something that might as well be heaven. There is a warmth on his chest, where Spikes is still sleeping. Dew slowly sits up, and Spikes flops down into his lap. There is a damp spot on his hoodie from where she'd been sleeping, but he's not even worried about that.

Dew slowly gets to a standing position, setting Spikes down on the bed, and walks out of the guest room and into the hallway. He makes his way down it and into the kitchen, where he finds Rowan in nothing but sweatpants, cooking.

Dew walks over to the little high counter with stools, and sits down, watching the muscles in Rowan's back flex as he makes something in a pan. It's then that Dew notices, the wing tattoo that had been there only a day ago... is gone.

Weird.

He also notes that Rowan isn't wearing his sunglasses, which causes a spark of joy within Dew. He feels comfortable not wearing his sunglasses around Dew! That's improvement. Add in the fact that Dew is staying in his home for the foreseeable future, and the two are basically best friends. Though, from Rowan's perspective, this is a bit strange. Honestly, Dew probably wouldn't have let Rowan stay at his house if the roles were reversed. He doesn't know Rowan very well, and he didn't have a spare bedroom.

"Hi," Dew greets.

Rowan glances back, and his eyes land on Dew. "Hello."

"That smells good."

Rowan nods, but doesn't respond. Dew is sorry, okay? He's sorry, but if he was a girl and there was a shirtless man in his kitchen cooking something that genuinely smells like it was made by a professional chef, he'd probably wet his fucking pants. Obviously Dew is a male, and straight, so he doesn't feel that way, but if he was a girl...

If he was a girl, he'd find this unbelievably attractive.

Dew can feel his face flushing for some fucking reason, so he lays his head down on the counter and watches Rowan cook. He tries not to pay attention to the muscles and and the way his biceps flex as he does so, instead focusing on trying to figure out what the hell this guy is cooking. The man finishes about ten minutes later, and puts some on a plate, before giving it to Dew.

Awesome!

Dew immediately digs in. It looks like assorted vegetables and little steak bites, and it's spiced insanely well. Dew can't remember the last time he had someone's cooking, and man did he miss it. Honestly, it was probably back when he still lived in his mom's house. It feels like forever ago. Rowan finishes before Dew, and he goes into his bedroom. He comes back out with a shirt on and his sunglasses, and says;

"I'm going out. You should probably get some more sleep."

Dew frowns, because he doesn't like people telling him how to live his life, and watches Rowan walk out the front door. Dew just rolls his eyes and does the dishes, before walking back to his room and getting his art supplies set up on the little desk in his new room.

He spends the next few hours drawing, then goes and takes a shower. When he's brushing his teeth, he realizes that he still has paint on his face, so he washes that off. He can't help but to feel a bit embarrassed since he's been walking around like that all day. He ends up falling asleep around 9:00, the events of the day weighing heavy on his mind.

Rowan doesn't get home until much later.