-Hiding Behind A Mask- 2 TurkeyXReader

Grumbling, Sadik continued to search for Heracles, having progressed from the market to the residential areas of the town. Shabby homes huddled together on either side of the dusty dirt road, some lit dimly by flickering electricity while others were stuck with candles that shuddered in the wind. Parents were calling to crowds of children that played in the streets, bringing them in for dinner as the hot sun had finally finished setting.

The thought of a fresh cooked meal made his stomach growl, but the idea of it getting dark made finding the boy more important.

When the area was cleared out for curfew, like clockwork, the dull streetlights blinked on, a few cracked and broken, but some still buzzing, struggling to continue burning. Sadik couldn't tell if this would aid or hinder him in his quest to locate the child in his care. On one hand, nobody was there to stand in his way, no distractions, and no one for the kid to hide behind. But on the other hand, nobody was there. Not a soul stood on the streets of this particular neighborhood, and judging by the deafening silence, there was no activity in any other part of town, either. 'They must be really serious about this curfew business...'

He decided the town's restriction was a hindrance. He couldn't call out for Heracles, couldn't threaten him loudly should he go on with this one-sided game of hide-and-seek. He would probably be in some sort of trouble if he was caught out here, anyway. Some strange-looking guy with a weird accent, wandering around in the dark, looking for a young boy? Sadik chuckled darkly, 'Nooo, that doesn't sound shady at all.'

His stomach growled again. 'Dammit.' He wouldn't be able to concentrate on finding anyone, or anything for that matter, with an empty stomach. 'Maybe one of these houses has some nice old people inside who keep their cupboards stocked with sweets and raki... And maybe they just happened to see a brat run by today! Problem solved!' The thought, however unrealistic, was nice, but the idea of asking for help seemed to not have entered his mind before. It was a pretty decent idea, wasn't it? Not all people were like those jerks at the market. Hopefully...

Sadik scanned the houses for a light that wasn't yet burnt out, for someone who was still awake and possibly feeling generous. He got lucky. There was an inn up on the right, nestled between an older building that had looked abandoned, and the beginnings of more run-down houses. The light was bright, signaling electricity and inhabitants. And an inn wouldn't blatantly reject a customer. Well, a non-paying customer, maybe, but Sadik had no qualms about working off his debt or giving up the small amount of money he could find for a warm bed and a few scraps of food.

He quickly started his way to the front stoop of the building, struggling to keep his pace to a brisk walk when the idea of relief was right through an ordinary old doorway. He felt that he could smell the hot soup and bread already, his mouth nearly watering at the thought. 'Maybe there will be a cute lady staying at the inn, as well...' he thought, his mouth watering more at the very idea.

He leaped up the stairs, standing in front of the window that emitted a warm, glowing light, and the sight of a few people inside, tiredly smiling and shuffling around, readying themselves for bed. Pressing his fingertips and nose to the glass, he watched the portly man behind the front counter laugh kindly and hand a key to a young couple with worn clothes and rough looks. They thanked him profusely, the girl holding her round stomach, as if she was pregnant. 'The old man must have taken pity on them and gave them a break,' he presumed, hoping that the innkeep would hold some sort of sympathy for a strange pickpocket in search of a child.

Sadik continued peering through the window, taking in a tall bookcase, stacked high with weathered leather spines and dog-eared pages. There was an old rocking chair beside it, gathering cobwebs as the old woman who probably used to sit in it, reading to the children, has most likely passed away. There were a few sofas with stained, sunken cushions, and end tables that had more chips and scratches than the windowpane where he stood. The lights hung from the ceiling, the electricity steadily thrumming, instead of flickering like the lamps outside. On another side of the front room, opposite of the check-in counter, were small tables and dining chairs, scattered around with different colored vases of purple tulips.

At one of those tables, sat a girl in a burgundy dress, prodding at thick noodles with a fork.

His breath caught, excitement sending a quick surge of adrenaline through his veins. It was the girl from earlier, at the market. He laughed quietly, fogging up the glass that he stood so close to, thanking fate for his good fortune. He watched her eat, slowly, as if she didn't have an appetite. Maybe she was still upset from before. But she didn't seem upset when she smiled, giggling at something she had seen or heard. She had a beautiful smile. Sadik wished he could have seen it when he first spotted her, then he wouldn't have wasted all that time looking for Heracles and would have looked for her, instead. Nevertheless, he could see it, now, bright and wide, as her eyes sparkled in delight.

'What's got her so smiley all of a sudden, though?' He thought, wiping the window with his sleeve to clear away the fog that had formed from his hot breath. He saw it.

The girl was sitting across from a child, tipping a bowl up to his lips to drink the soup's warm broth. The liquids trickled down his chin, where they were lapped up by the scraggly cat in his lap. The boy's clothes were in tatters, and his hair was a mess. He was dirty, and she was feeding him, laughing with him. Sadik's heart lifted at the sight, knowing for sure that he would now have a place to gather his bearings, get a hot, tasty meal, and spend some time with a kind and beautiful woman.

He threw his hood back, carefully carving a disarming smile on his face, and pushed the door open, sounding the bell overhead. The innkeep called out a welcome, the poor couple with the unborn child smiling politely, the girl turned to him with curiosity, and the child greedily eating his soup lowered the bowl.

All friendly charm was sucked out of the Turk's expression as his eyes narrowed on the child. He instantly stormed over, ignoring the questions of the innkeep and the worried look from the two women. He glared at the kid, who looked back onto him with an equal amount of animosity.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?! Where have you been?!"

"Uh! E-Excuse me, s-sir?" The innkeep stuttered, hesitant to step between the shouting man and the stoic child with the shaggy hair and the soulless green eyes.

"Don't you know I've been looking all over this damn place for you?! I told you not to leave my side, not to get lost, and you go off and get lost!"

"Hey," the girl started, trying to intervene before something happened. He shouted over her shoulder.

"What am I supposed to do if someone takes you, huh?! Do you think your mother would have been happy for her only son to get picked up by some sicko?!"

That was enough for the boy to drop his cold front, peering down into his soup, then at the cat that pawed at his bowl. He snuggled the creature against its will, burying his face in its fur to hide from the man he'd been hiding from all day.

"Hey! What's your problem?" The girl in the dress asked, moving to stand beside Heracles and hold him, protect him. The child took a handful of her dress, clinging to her and the cat in his lap as the young woman berated him. "You can't just barge in here and start yelling at poor children!" Her voice had shocked Sadik, as it was the same one she'd used earlier on the fruit vendor. He took a second to calm down, looking back at the frightened faces of the innkeep and the pregnant couple. He turned around and caught the distrustful eyes of a Greek boy, peeking up from behind a wall of matted fur and a pretty, angry girl. He became frustrated once more.

"He's no 'poor child', he's just some brat that keeps wandering off!"

"I told you, I was going to pet the cat," Heracles defended, frowning and snuggling deeper into the girl's tight embrace.

"And I told you not to move," he growled back. "I thought I already had this discussion with you! I'm taking care of you, so what I say, goes! If there's something I have to do, I don't want you to leave from that spot, do you hear me?!"

"And what exactly was it that was more important than watching the child in your care?" The girl asked, surprising Sadik once more. His cheeks flushed a dark red.

"I-I... I told him not to move... I was going to be right back!"

"He was trying to get money." Heracles pulled back from the burgundy-clad girl, staying close, but distant enough so that he could speak. The young woman looked down to him, concern and comfort laced throughout her gaze as she urged him to go on. Sadik shot him a glare that told him the exact opposite. "He takes people wallets."

"You stinking brat! You aren't supposed to tell!" He lunged for the child who was trying to get him in trouble, but the boy instantly rushed back to his guardian angel's hold, allowing her to pick him up and keep him away from the strange thief.

"S-Sir, I'm going t-to have to ask you to le-leave!" The man shouted from behind the counter, ordering Sadik out.

"Well, I can't leave without the kid! I promised his mom I'd watch him!" He screamed, furious that his chance at a good night was shot to hell.

"And where is his mother, then?" The young man asked, the mother of his child shuddering beside him. Sadik said nothing, only turned to gaze at the couple, his heart torn between telling the truth and keeping the words off his lips.

The boy took up the duty to break the sudden quiet, uttering sadly into the shoulder of the girl who held him.

"My mother is dead."