Welcome

Sophomore year was coming to a close, the drama club having just wrapped up their end of year play. Everyone in the club was feeling the post-performance buzz as they worked together taking apart the set and getting everything cleaned up and put away before the end of the day. Cleaning up usually meant joking around and putting off the work for as long as they could because once it was cleaned up, then they weren't allowed backstage until the beginning of the next year. So everyone liked making the most out of the time while they can.

Roman hummed softly as he scrolled through his phone, hitting play on a Disney playlist and music started drifting out through the stereo had set up. He couldn't keep a smile off his face, loving this time of year even though he was always a little sad when a play ends, but it was worth it to see everyone laughing and having a good time together afterwards. He let his gaze flit from group to group, eyes landing on Virgil where he was talking with Logan, perched up on one of the prop boxes and legs swinging idly, feet tapping along to the music. He must have felt eyes on him because he turned his gaze over to Roman, raising an eyebrow when their eyes met. Roman grinned brightly, lifting a hand in a wave, which prompted an eye-roll and a sigh from the other.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Patton asked, coming up beside him, a dress folded over his arm. "Maybe the person you're making flirty eyes at?" His tone was teasing, a grin tugging at his lips as he watched Roman sputtered.

"I'm not flirting with anyone!" Roman huffed out, crossing his arms. He knew Patton was just teasing him, he knew their relationship wasn't like that at all, but he still felt the need to defend himself. Patton just wiggled his eyebrows at him playfully and he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine. I guess Virgil is looking a little cute today." he said, deciding to play along for once.

"Oh? So you do think he's cute!" Patton grinned brightly, clapping his hands together. "Do you think Logan is cute too?"

"Ha! As if!"

"You are aware that Virgil and I look the same, don't you?" Logan asked, making his way over to them. He lifted an arm when Patton moved forward for a hug, rolling his eyes fondly down at him.

Roman definitely didn't jump when he suddenly appeared, thank you very much. Even if he did press a hand to his chest dramatically. "You don't look that much alike you know. For example, you wear glasses, like a nerd."

Logan just raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly in confusion. "You do know Virgil wears glasses too, don't you? He just prefers to wear his contacts whenever he's out of the house."

Roman blinked once, twice, confused. "He does?" He glanced at Patton for confirmation, frowning slightly when he nodded. "How come I've never seen him in them?" He watched as the other two exchanged a look, already knowing he wasn't going to get an answer. If he wanted to know why, then he was going to have to ask Virgil himself.

Which is how he found himself quietly making his way into the Clarke household, having received a confirmation text from Logan that Virgil was home and in his room with his glasses on. He did feel a little bad about sneaking up on him like this, but this really was the only way to see him completely relaxed. He carefully made his way up the stairs, easily avoiding the creaky parts, slowly inching his way down the hallway. He could see Virgil's bedroom door open and if he leaned just right, he could see him sitting on his bed.

If Roman hadn't know it was Virgil beforehand, he would have thought it was some stranger sitting on the bed instead. Virgil's long hair which normally hide his face was pushed back by a headband, glasses perched on his nose and, from he was able to see, he didn't seem to have any makeup on his face. His lips were barely moving, probably mouthing the words to whatever song he was listening to from the earbuds tucked neatly into his ears and a sketchbook was open, resting on his propped up knees. He looked so... relaxed, unbothered, and Roman found himself slowly inching forward, wanting a closer look but not wanting to startle him.

Unfortunately or him, he forgot about the dog. The second he took another step closer, a small dark head perked up from the end of the bed, looking over at him and wagging her tail. Virgil glanced at her before following her gaze, eyes landing on Roman. Their eyes locked and there was a long moment of silence stretching out between them before he let out a startled yelp, shifting quickly and pulling his blanket up and over his head.

"No! No no no no Virgil!" Roman rushed forward quickly, hands up in a nonthreatening way even though he couldn't be seen. Scaring him like that had been the last thing he had wanted to do and he cursed his curiosity. "It's okay! I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that!"

"What are you doing here Roman?" Virgil's voice sounded small under the blanket and he didn't know how to help make him feel better.

"I just.. I was thinking that we never really spend time together. Just the two of us." Roman came to a stop by the bed, crouching down next to it and hesitantly reaching a hand out, hand hovering over Virgil's covered form. "I should have asked if it was okay for me to come by, and I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence before Virgil let out a soft sigh, forcing himself to sit up. When he pulled the blanket off from his head, his glasses were no longer on his face and Roman figured he was hiding them for some reason. "It's.. fine. I would have liked a little warning, but I don't mind spending time with you." He grabbed his thrown notebook, flipping the cover closed and fingers playing with an edge, not looking directly at him. He did pat the bed, scooting over a little in invitation.

Roman waited a few seconds before taking up the offer, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed, wanting to give Virgil some space. "You can wear your glasses you know. I'm not going to, you know, judge you or anything." He may just want a closer look at the sight, but he did want him to see.

Virgil just gave a little shrug, pulling the glasses out from beneath the blanket but not putting them on. "I don't really like the way I look in them, so I try not to wear them that much."

"I think you look good!" Roman had to mentally scold himself for sounding a little to enthusiastic. He didn't want to make him feel like he was just screwing around with him. "Not to say you don't look good normally! But -" He cut himself off when Virgil huffed out a laugh, shaking his slightly.

"I get it. Don't get all tongue-tied there princey." He reached over, nudging him slightly before sighing and putting the glasses back on. "Better?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! You look..." Roman turned to face him fully, feeling the words die in his throat. He couldn't help but notice the splattering of freckles across Virgil's cheeks and nose and he was finding it hard to look away. "You have freckles."

"I do." Virgil gave a little shrug, gaze very pointedly looking at his lap. "They're kind of -"

"Cute." Roman cut him off, already knowing where his train of thought was going and wanting to cut it off before it could fully form. "You look very cute right now."

Virgil blinked, an embarrassed flush spreading across his face, cheeks slowly turning pink up to his ears and he glanced at Roman from beneath his lashes. "You think I look cute?"

Roman could feel his heart thump heavily in his chest at the look, his mouth going dry. 'Holy shit I'm gay..' How was he supposed to respond to that? He couldn't exactly lie about it, and he didn't want to anyway. "Uh.. yeah. I do. You look cute like this."

Their eyes met and silence stretched between them, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as Roman would think it would be. He had the overwhelming urge to lean in for a kiss, and he had to tear his gaze away before he actually gave in to it. Him and Virgil were just friends and he wasn't going to risk ruining it for some impulsive feelings. He turned his attention to the sketchbook still on Virgil's lap and he remembered seeing him drawing something in it when he first came in. "So um.. what were you working on?" he asked, nodding towards the notebook curiously.

"Oh! It's nothing really. I was just.. making something for Patton for his anniversary with Logan next month." Virgil flipped the pages open and Roman very pointedly didn't mention seeing glimpses of drawings that looked kind of like him. Even if he was curious. He could always ask about it later. He came to a stop of drawing of Logan and Patton in what appeared to be Hogwarts robes.  He held the notebook out to Roman to take, and he looked away self-consciously.

"Virgil! This is really good!" Roman praised, taking his time admiring the work. He could tell it was still just a rough sketch, but the details were easy to see and he could tell a lot of work was going in to it. The quality already alone was enough to tell that the finished product will be amazing. No wonder Virgil was in the art club.

"It still has a lot of work left to do for it, but it is reassuring to know it's looking okay." Virgil flickered his gaze over to Roman, hesitantly returning the bright smile being directed at him. He could only hold it for a moment before he looked away again.

Roman wasn't offended though, but he felt the need to get some space between them before he did something he'd regret. So he hopped up from the bed and held out a hand in invitation. "It's getting close to lunch time. So how about we order some pizza and put on a movie?" he offered, giving his eyebrows and over-exaggerated wiggle to elicit an amused snort from Virgil. He considered it a victory when he agreed and they made their way downstairs, Lilith following behind with the bell on her collar jingling cheerfully.

Roman pressed a hand to his mouth as he muffled a yawn, shuffling slowly down the hall towards the kitchen. It was way, way too early for him to be up at four in the morning, but he woke up, desperately thirsty, so he followed the calling of a nice, cold glass of water. After that, he could return to his room and his dreams of defeating his foes in the most heroic of ways. He was just stepping past the laundry room when the sound of the washer shutting caused him to pause. A frown tugged at his lips and he backed up to peek into the room, seeing Patton sorting through a pile of dark clothes. That was strange... Just what was he doing?

"Um... Patton? Isn't it a little early to be getting started on laundry?" He stepped into the room with a little knock to announce his presence, not wanting to scare the other. Even so, he saw him jump at the sudden noise.

"Oh! Roman! You're up early!" Patton flashed him a quick grin before turning his attention to the clothes in front of him, sorting them into neat little piles. "It is a little early, I suppose." He took a moment to get the washer going and pressed start on the dryer before turning to face Roman fully. "I'm helping Anxiety with his laundry and I kind of wanted to get it all done so he has something clean to wear when he wakes up later."

Roman frowned, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. "Why are you doing his laundry? I'm pretty sure he is more than capable of doing it himself."

"Well, he asked me to! Or, more accurately, I asked him if I could help and he said yes." Patton said with a little shrug and a cheerful grin. "He's got a lot going on right now, with Thomas taking on more responsibility than he should like he always does, and I'm more than happy to help him out when he needs it!"

Roman just shook his head, a spark of annoyance showing on his face. "Sounds to me like he's just using that as an excuse to make you do something he doesn't want to do." That sounded just like something Anxiety would do. He was always complaining about having to do anything, and Patton was just too kind-hearted to say no. He's going to have to have a word with him about this, because being the dashing prince that he was, he couldn't just stand by and watch someone take advantage of his dear friend.

Patton frowned at that, shaking his head. "That's not it at all!" He let out a sigh, pushing his glasses up further on his nose. He couldn't shake the image of Anxiety from a few weeks ago, looking so... unlike himself. His heart ached as he remembered and his thoughts drifted back...

Patton rubbed his eyes tiredly as he made his way down the dark hallway, blindly making his way to the kitchen. He had been sleeping peacefully until he had woken suddenly with an uncontrollable urge for something sweet, so he decided to grab a few cookies from the kitchen before heading back to bed. It was supposed to be just a quick errand, in and out and back under his cozy blanket, but something made him pause. The light was on in the laundry room, and he tilted his head curiously. Had he forgotten to turn it off earlier? Or was someone in there? He couldn't hear any noises, so he crept closer to investigate.

"Anxiety?" Out of anything he was expecting to see, the darker side wasn't one of them, and definitely not expecting him to be wearing a short sleeve shirt and pajama pants. He made his way into the room, a small frown tugging at his lips. There hadn't been any response from the other and he couldn't help but think something was wrong. "Anxiety?" He tried again. "Are you okay?"

There still wasn't a response, and Patton came up beside him. Anxiety was gripping the handle of the washing detergent tightly with one hand, the other holding the little measuring cup that was half full. His eyes were staring blankly ahead, not reacting when Patton waved a hand in front of his face. He frowned at that, reaching out to try and take the detergent from him, shocked at how cold his hands were. How long had he been standing here like this?

"Anxiety? I need you to let go please." He kept his voice soft, gently rubbing his thumb along Anxiety's knuckles to loosen his grip and carefully taking the items from him when he complied. Something was clearly bothering him, but he wasn't sure that he would be open to talking to him about it. Thomas did have a lot of events going on at the moment, a lot of big projects being planned. All that put together must really be taking a toll on him and it was easy to tell now that he was actually taking a moment to look at him. "Come on, let's go get you some tea, okay?" He tugged gently on Anxiety's arm, moving him away from the washing machine and wrapping an arm around his back. He led him to the kitchen, flipping the light on as he went.

He directed him to take a seat at the table, moving over to the stop to start the kettle. He turned to study the other as the water heated up, arms crossed. Anxiety looked... small. Unsure. Shoulders hunched and gaze down on his hands as his fingers twisted together. His brows were furrowed, a frown on his face, his eyes still a little unfocused. He didn't look like himself, and Patton really didn't like it. But he didn't know what he could do to help.

"Do... do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" He asked cautiously, turning back to the stove to pull the kettle off. He quickly put together a cup of chamomile tea, having read somewhere that it was good for stress. He brought the mug over, making sure Anxiety had a firm hold on it before letting go and stepping back.

"There was a long moment of silence between them before Anxiety slowly shook his head. "No.. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me." He wouldn't look at Patton though, and he lifted the mug to his lips, taking a sip slowly.

Patton frowned at that, but knew he couldn't force him to talk. Maybe he could do something else for him, even if it was something small. "How about you finish up your tea and head to bed. You look exhausted. I'll go take care of your laundry for you."

Anxiety quickly shook his head, making to stand up but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. "No! It's okay. I can do it myself." He was quick to deny the offer for help, hands trembling slightly.

Patton just gave him a little smile. "It's no problem at all, really. I want to help." He made sure that he put as much sincerity into his voice as he could, wanting Anxiety to believe that he wasn't being a burden to him. "You're stressed out and tired and I know doing your laundry isn't nearly enough to take your stress away, but I really just want to help."

Anxiety stared him down for several long moments, debating with himself before letting out a soft sigh. He could clearly see Patton wasn't willing to back down about this, and his shoulders slumped. "Okay... If you insist.."

Patton beamed cheerfully, reaching out a hand to boop him on the nose lightly. "I do! Now you finish up your tea and get yourself back in bed. I'll have your clothes folded and ready for you to take back to your room in the morning." He waited for the other to nod before he skipped out of the room, all thoughts of cookies long gone.

"Why don't you try looking at things from his perspective for once?" He asked, coming back to himself. "It's not that hard and you might understand why he does and says the things that he does."

"I'd honestly rather fight three dragon witches at once than have anything to do with that mopey ball of angst, thank you very much." Roman reached a hand up to rub at his temple, feeling a headache forming. "I'll talk to him later about taking advantage of you though. So don't you worry about that, my dear friend." He flashed Patton a smile before turning to continue his quest for a drink of water.

When Remus woke up that morning, he could just feel in the air that something good was going to happen today. It wasn't just that he had a good night's sleep, or that when he tripped Roman on the top of the stair's he actually managed to make him fall down several before he caught himself. Their early morning squabbling just added to his good mood and the breakfast their mother made had him. She even made a comment about it while she drove them to school and all he could do is shrug. He didn't even know himself why he was so chipper today, and she just gave him a pleased little smile.

The school day itself was rather boring, nothing really exciting happening. The teacher just went over things they they studied the day before, the same students bickered and joked around. Remus spent his time amusing himself with his friend Dorian, flicking rolled up bits of paper at Roman and his friend Patton, who sat directly in front of them. The more pieces that got stuck in his brother's hair, the more annoyed he became and the happier Remus was. It wasn't until after the class returned from lunch that something different happened.

The teacher called everyone's attention to the front of the room, two boys Remus had never seen standing in front of the room. New students? They do show up on occasion, but he couldn't remember the last time one was placed in his class, let alone two. And, upon closer look, they appeared to be twins... Maybe? They did look similar, in a way. One stood up with his back straight, a hand reaching up to push his glasses further up his nose as they slid down. They other was kind of hunched over, bangs over his face as he stared at the ground.

They were introduced as Logan and Virgil Clarke and directed to take a seat. There were only three empty seats in the class, none of which were next to each other, so the two moved to take the two closest together. One sat next to Patton, who eagerly turned to introduce himself, the other taking the empty seat next to Remus. He turned to regard him carefully, taking in his hunched shoulders and downcast gaze. He couldn't even imagine moving to a new school. Everyone he was in class with, he's known since first grade. He figured he could be nice if they were going to be seat neighbors, so he tuned to face him fully. Who knows, maybe he'll make a new friend.

"Hi! My name's Remus. What's yours?" he asked, voice a little too loud. He got a disapproving look from the teacher and he gave her a sheepish smile, making a note to try and be a little quieter. If only for the new kid's sake, because he kind of flinched away at the sudden noise. He didn't want to scare him after all. That would make the rest of the year unfun if he had to sit by someone who was afraid of him.

The boy looked like he wasn't going to answer at first, shifting slightly as he pulled the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands. "The teacher just said what my name was." His voice was quiet, a little unsure, but Remus wasn't going to let that discourage him.

"Well.. yeah. But she introduced your brother at the same time, so I don't know which one you are." He gave him an expectant look, not turning his gaze away even as he could feel Dorian watching on curiously.

There was another long moment of silence before a soft sigh. "My name is Virgil."

Remus grinned, reaching over to gently poke Virgil's shoulder. "Virgil huh? Well Virgil, I have the feeling we're going to be good friends."

Virgil glanced a little uncertainly at him before hesitatingly returning his smile, even though his was a lot more reserved.  "That would be nice.."

Just a little idea I had, hope you all enjoy!

The Sides were having a relaxing evening, lounging around the living room of the Mind Palace. Patton and Logan were seated on the couch, Virgil relaxing on the stairs, and Roman singing and dancing along to the Disney movie that was playing on the tv. Patton was paying more attention to the extravagant performance being put on instead of the movie while Logan had his nose buried in a book. Virgil had his headphones on, attention focused on his phone instead of the ridiculous booty shaking happening in front of him.

It wasn't long before the credits were rolling and Patton clapped excitedly, bouncing in his seat as Roman bowed with a sweep of his arm. "That was wonderful Roman!"

"But of course! I am a natural born performer after all. Everything I do turns out wonderful!" Roman couldn't help but brag a little, a proud grin on his face. He wouldn't even let Virgil's scoff distract him from his good mood.

"If we're done for the night..." Virgil sat up straight, pulling the headphones off his head to rest around his neck. "I think I'm going to head back to my room now."

Patton shook his head, standing up quickly. "No! Don't go yet! Why don't we play a game?"

"A game? That sounds like an excellent idea!" Roman perked up immediately, eyes lighting up. "What did you have in mind?"

"Why not something simple to start off? Like..." Patton trailed off, tapping his chin thoughtfully before smiling. "The floor is lava!"

"The floor is lava? What are we, five?" Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow, unimpressed.

Roman frowned at him before turning his attention to Patton. "He's right. We should do something more appropriate for our age. So instead of that, the floor is hating Virgil."

Patton nodded excitedly before realizing what was said, and he quickly hopped up on to the couch while Logan pulled his feet up as well. Roman climbed up on the entertainment center and they all turned to look at Virgil expectantly. He just sighed, rolled his eyes, before dropping down onto his knees and laying face down on the floor.

"Virgil! No!"

Virgil couldn't help but smirk at the outrage his actions caused from the others, but he wasn't expecting was two different sets of arms scooping him up and carrying him over to the couch. He let his body stay limp, allowing them to settle him across their laps while a hand, he didn't know who's, petted through his hair.

"Let's not have any more of that nonsense, okay?" Patton asked, gently rubbing a hand along Virgil's back.

"Patton's right!" Roman exclaimed, continuing his petting of Virgil's hair. "We all care a great deal for you, and you can't expect us to idly sit by while you bring yourself down. Even if it's in a small way like that."

"You're an important part of the group and tearing yourself down isn't going to change that fact." Logan chimed in, having finally put his book down.

Virgil sat on the couch in the living room of the Mind Palace, legs pulled up and arms crossed over his legs and chin resting on the crossed arms as he watched the tv blankly. He'd normally hide away in his room for most of the day, but he wanted to try and make the effort to get out more, be more social to the other sides. He couldn't just hide away again after his big reveal about his name, Patton wouldn't allow it. He could hear the cheerful persona clattering around in the kitchen, making them snacks for a 'family movie night', where they would be joined by Roman and Logan. He could already hear the snide comments that would surely follow when the other two saw that he was going to be joining them. Virgil pulled his hood up over his head as he dug his chin further into his arms.

He shouldn't be here. He could feel his chest tightening in a feeling that was all too familiar to him, and he bit his lip, a scowl forming. His heart was racing, his fingers feeling cold, sharp spikes digging into him. He was just going to end up bringing the evening down, ruining the movie for everyone.

You don’t belong here. His mind whispered to him, the sound sending a chill down his spine. You know you don’t. Just because you told them your name, doesn’t mean you’re suddenly part of the group.

‘Shut up’ He tried to shut the sound out, fingers curling into the sleeves of his jacket, his throat closing up and breathing getting shallow. ‘You’re wrong.’

“Virgil?”

Am I? This is the first time you’ve been invited to do something with the others, and that’s only because you ran into Patton in the hallway. They don’t want you here. It’s be better if you disappeared.

“Virgil??”

‘Shut up!’ Vigil squeezed his eyes shut, unaware of the sound of his name being called. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make the voice go away. Maybe he really should go back to his room, before Patton comes back. He’ll be able to hide away there where he wouldn’t be found until he wanted to.

“Virgil!”

Virgil’s attention snapped back to the present at the sound of his name, coupled with a hand coming down to rest on his head. Patton was standing before him, a concerned crease between his eyes and a frown on his face. When had he come in? He hadn’t even heard him leave the kitchen.

“You okay there kiddo?”

Virgil nodded, wondering just how long he had been standing there and hoping that he hadn’t noticed how quickly he had spiraled. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

Patton reached out, putting his hands on Virgil’s clenched ones and rubbing gently to get him to relax, which he begrudgingly did. “You seem a bit tense, and I know how quickly you can work yourself up over something little.”

Virgil shook his head, his chest seeming to tighten further at the concern he could clearly see shining on Patton’s face. “It’s nothing. I just think it would be better if I went back to my room.”

Patton shook his head quickly, giving Virgil’s hands a gentle squeeze and smiling at him. “Nonsense! We can’t have a party if you’re not there!”

"I'm sure you'll have a much better time without me there to bring the mood down." He slid his legs off the couch and was preparing to stand, wanting to slip away before anyone else came in. He only really had the chance to slip away when there was only one person to dodge. He wanted to slip away to his room so he could continue his downward spiral alone without having to worry about others worrying about him.

"Falsehood." Logan came in just then, arms crossed and making his way over to the couch. He took a seat next to Virgil, regarding him closely and reaching up to adjust his glasses before reaching out to pat his arm, letting his hand rest there in a comforting manner. "Patton here has been talking about having you join us for the last several days, and I myself enjoy your company. You not being here would surely bring down Patton's mood, which would then make the whole evening unenjoyable."

Virgil was slowly shaking his head, pulling his arms further into his sleeves and hunkering down further. "Even if you both want me here, surely Roma-"

He was cut off by the man in question swooping in the room and plopping down beside him on the couch, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Is more than happy that you're joining us, my dark and brooding friend. I'm more than excited to discuss the movie with you afterwards, if you're feeling up to it."

Virgil tensed up at the initial contact, a frown tugging at his lips, but he looked around at the other's, taking in their open and accepting faces, and found himself relaxing. Slowly, sure, but he was relaxing with the friendly contact he had with each of them, and the voice in his head grew to a distant murmur. The tightness in his chest loosened considerably and he let out a big sigh, rolling his eyes if as the corner of his mouth twitched up. "Fine. Twist my arm about it, I guess."

The case was over, Engarde was begging for the chance to go to jail to escape De Killer, and the truth had come to light. Miles would consider that a victory on any other day, but there was still something that was bothering him. Something he didn't want to voice in front of the young Fey, Pearl. Would Maya be let go, despite the guilty verdict? Or would they be finding her body sometime in the next couple days? Just the thought caused his stomach to twist uncomfortably, and he didn't think he'd be able to find the words, even if he wanted to. But it seemed like he not worry, as they gathered in the lobby.

"Nick!"

Maya's voice, strong and clear, sounded out moments before she rushed over to them. She didn't appear to be hurt, just a little worse for wear for being held captive like she had, but unharmed. There were tears in her eyes, her hands clenched at her sides as she stood before them. She was beautiful, and Miles couldn't help but think of how she's grown since the last time he's seen her. It made his heart give a funny little thump in his chest and he drew in a breath to speak to her, but he couldn't find the words.

"Maya!" Phoenix took a step forward, the relief clear on his face and in his voice, a hand lifting towards her almost uncertain that she was even standing before them.

"Mystic Maya!" Pearl cried out, wiping at her eyes, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

Maya's lip wobbled as she held in her own tears before she stepped forward, wrapping her cousin in a tight hug. She held it for several long seconds before pulling back. She gave her a reassuring smile, wiping the tears off her cheeks, before turning her attention to Phoenix. She stepped towards him, not hesitating before wrapping him in a hug, burying her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, resting his cheek on the top of her head, breathing her in. "Thank you for saving me Nick." Her voice was soft, but clearly audible to those around them.

"I would never abandon you Maya. No matter how long it took, or what I had to do, I'd make sure you were safe."

The carnival was always a fun thing to check out during the summer, even more so when it’s with someone you love. That’s the way Tomoyo saw things. The heat of the day didn’t even bother her as Sakura held her hand, swinging them idly between them as they walked from stand to stand. Sakura was holding a stuffed rabbit close to her chest that they had one at a ring toss game, and Tomoyo could feel her heart warm when she remembered the smile the toy brought.

She had her eye on an ice cream stand up ahead when Sakura pulled her to a stop and she turned to see what had caught her attention. She couldn’t immediately see just what could have stood out, but then her eyes narrowed in on a photo booth. She had seen a couple scattered around the fairgrounds, but the lines for them were always long, so she didn’t think that they would have been able to get a picture.

“Can we?” Sakura asked, turning to face Tomoyo with hopeful eyes, and honestly, how could she say no? 

They hurried over to the booth and slid some money in the slot once they were settled in the seat. They would be able to get five pictures, with a five second window between each shot, which was more than enough time to move between shots.The timer started on the screen in front of them and they were ready and waiting.

The first picture they took was just one of them smiling, eyes bright and shining. The second they shifted to doing goofy faces and giggling to each other. The third... Sakura quickly leaned over, pressing her lips to Tomoyo’s cheeks, her eyes widening in surprise caught on camera. The fourth, they were facing each other, one confused, the other smiling. The fifth, a soft kiss, both feeling a little flustered. 

There was nothing Kurogane found more soothing than the feel of blades on ice, of the chill in the air of the rink, the ache in his muscles after a good run and the way his heart would race during competition. He’s still considered a rookie when it comes to competing, having only come in only two years ago, but he has been making a name for himself as some serious competition.

It would almost be too easy... if not for one competitor in particular. Fai Flourite. It seemed that no matter how hard Kurogane trained, no matter how flawlessly he landed his jumps of spins, he couldn’t beat the man. No one could. 

When Fai skated, he had the whole audience captivated, everyone on the edge of their seats and all the competition unable to look away. Kurogane wouldn’t admit it, but he found himself caught up like everyone else. Fai had a way of moving across the ice that made it seem like he was flying. Each spin was graceful, each jump feeling like he was about to grow wings. 

Fai flipped frantically through the pages in front of him, eyes jumping from spell to spell, desperately looking for something to fix the mess he found himself in. The words were starting to merge together, his heart racing in his ears, He only had a short amount of time before the king would be coming by to check up on his progress. He was going to flip when he’s seen the mess he’s made. 

He tensed up as he heard cheerfully whistling coming down the hall and his eyes widened. He was out of time. He slammed the book shut and hurried to the door, slipping out and quickly closing it behind him just as Ashura was approaching the door. He put a smile on his face, hoping that the man wouldn’t notice how tense he was.

“Good morning Fai.” Ashura smiled softly at him, leaning down slightly and eyeing him curiously. “I hope you don’t mind me coming by a little early. You’ve been progressing wonderfully with your magic and I’ve found myself curious to see how you’re first self-taught lesson is going.”

Fai felt his smile tighten, his chest feeling tight. Ashura had placed so much trust in him, and he had screwed everything up. It was such an easy lesson too! But he couldn’t for the life of him figure out where he went wrong and he was absolutely terrified that he was going to be in trouble. “You didn’t need to take time to come down here early. Everything is going just fine! I’m sure you have much better things to be doing than checking in on me.”

Ashura raised an eyebrow, taking in how Fai was leaning back almost protectively against the door. “You know I’m always happy to see your magic. Why don’t we step inside this room here and you can show me what you can do.”

“No!” The protest was out before Fai could stop it and he clamped his mouth shut quickly. An embarrassed flush spread across his cheeks and he gave a sheepish grin, “I mean, I would love to show you! Just... some other time, when I’ve gotten a little more control over what I want to show you.”

The look on Ashura’s face showed he clearly wasn’t buying his excuse, and he straightened up with a sigh. “Fai... What did you do?” 

“Nothing!” Fai quickly defended, but the no nonsense look on his king’s face, and the fact that he didn’t appear angry just yet took away a lot of his steam. “I kind of.. overdid it with my multiplication spell.”

“Overdid it how?”

“I... don’t know how to make it stop?”

Ashura opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words to ask what he needed to know. But words were not needed when Fai stepped aside and pulled open the door. The avalanche of bubbles that piled out of the room said more than enough. And, instead of being angry like Fai feared, Ashura couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh.

“Of Fai. This is nothing to be stressed out about!” Ashura reassured, reaching out and giving Fai a pat on the head, ruffling his hair before reaching up to pop a few bubbles. “Accidents like this happen all the time, especially when you’re still learning.” He crouched down to get level with the boy to show him that everything was going to be okay. “I promise you, okay? Why, when I was learning, I once filled the ballroom with pillows and flooded the entire third floor. And, just like those mistakes, we can fix this one.” His smile grew as he watched Fai relax, the relief that he hadn’t completely screwed up clear on his face. “But first, there’s nothing wrong with enjoy your little mistake, okay?” He reached out to pop a bubble that landed on Fai’s nose, smile growing at the small but happy grin that formed.