#actually i hope i run into geoff specifically because i need to Tell him about the experience of catching them for the first time last year

[wavernot4love]

thursday tuesday 2nite and after checking setlist fm and seeing this is what they played in scranton the other night it is safe to say they are bringing the thursheat for these shows

[vagrantblvrd]

Strange Luck (1/1)

Summary: The problem with living in the city is that sometimes it makes getting your hands on rare ingredients for spells a goddamned ordeal.

Notes: This wasn't supposed to be a Thing, but I kept thinking about this post and it happened anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(Read on AO3)

The problem with living in the city is that sometimes it makes getting your hands on rare ingredients for spells a goddamned ordeal.

Always some vital component to it that no one’s seen or even heard of for at least a generation or two, or it’s so rare it’s only known to grown in a certain climate in certain conditions.

Half the time there’s a complicated riddle or bit of prose Michael has to untangle to even figure out what those conditions are.

Pretentious as fuck about it too like, “blooming under the light of the second full moon of the month as it fights against its celestial confines in a bid to join with the Earth, shining red as blood” or some bullshit like that he has to explain to someone to see if they have it in stock.

If he’s lucky one of his contacts for that kind of thing will know a place that might carry said ingredient or know how to get it for him.

Take this little shop hidden away between a used bookstore and a trendy hipster coffee shop in what used to be a bustling strip mall. Renovated after who knows many years and shuttered businesses thanks to a changing city and economic ups and downs. The whole thing’s been turned into one of those outside malls and that’s bouncing back.

Michael goes past it almost every on his way for one job or another. He’s sure it wasn’t here a yesterday afternoon taking up space in what used to be an ice cream place, but shops like this tend to have what he needs.

There’s a bell over the door that rings when he walks in, something off about them that has him glancing upwards -

“Oh, a customer, how lovely!” someone says, pulling Michael’s attention from the bell towards the guy behind the counter.

Tall, broad-shouldered and against what Michael's used to seeing in shops like these he’s wearing a graphic print t-shirt and a hoodie. What looks like a pair of jeans and while Michael can’t see his shoes from here, he’s betting on sneakers or something similar. (Maybe.)

The counter he’s standing behind is the same one Michael remembers when he used to stop by when it was still an ice cream shop. Refrigerated glass cases and everything else, which.

It gives him pause for a moment, wondering if he stepped into the coffee shop instead, but there’s no smell of coffee or a single hipster to be found. No poor beleaguered college student bemoaning their life choices in the middle of exams or soccer mom on her phone chattering to her friend about the latest neighborhood scandal.

There is, however, a cat.

An orange tabby curled up in a cat bed at the end of the counter watching Michael curiously, little purple collar with a bell around its neck.

Something just slightly off about it in the same way the bells over the door that tells Michael he is in the right place after all.

The shelves along the walls where the booths and tables used to be are full of little glass bottles and vials filled with dried plants and flowers and things Michael tries not to think to hard about sometimes.

A skull or two that seem to be decoration and not for sale. An actual skeleton in a corner that is for sale, and the shop itself smells like Geoff’s workshop.

Candle wax and incense. The lingering scent of the potions he and Jack brew to sell. Flowers and herbs and other things hanging up to dry.

When Michael looks back at the guy behind the counter he’s smiling at Michael in this deeply unsettling manner, which is another sign he’s in the right place.

All I’ve seen things your puny mortal mind cannot hope to comprehend and foolish mortal, dealing in things you don’t yet understand, with a side of step into my parlor which is on the rarer end of the spectrum and something he only sees in the creepier shopkeepers.

So.

It’s going to be one of those days.

“Hey, uh,” Michael says, fumbling for the piece of paper with the list of ingredients and other things he needs as he walks over to the counter.

Some of them are for Gavin, the lazy bastard, and Geoff asked him to pick up some stuff to restock his stores if he got the chance. He promised to pick up a new mortar and pestle for Jack to replace the one Gavin broke last week too.

It might be smarter to go to one of his regular shops for the rest of the things he needs, but he has a busy schedule filled with clients and other errands as it is. Doesn’t feel like driving to the other end of the city on top of everything else.

“I have a few things to get, and one of them is hard to find. I saw your shop and thought maybe you could help?”

He hands the guy the paper, watches him read it and sees the slight frown as he hits the part where Michael had to stop and do some research to figure out what the hell the spell was asking him to get.

In hindsight, he should have written his shopping list on a seperate piece of paper, but he was too fucking irritated at the time to bother. (Took him a goddamned week buried in Geoff and Jack’s extensive library of spellbooks and other bullshit before he found his answer.

“Oh, wow,” the guy says, looking up at him. “That’s an incredibly rare ingredient.”

Yeah, Michael kind of figured, what with the very specific circumstances it needs to grow.

“It’s for a spell,” Michael says, decides it’s really none of the guy’s business what the spell is for, because hey.

Not to be rude?

But yeah, none of his business.

The guy hums, giving Michael this look Michael's also familiar with in places like this.

The last time situations were right for that ingredient to grow was about a year ago, and the time before that was over a hundred and fifty years. The chances of finding someone who has it or knows where Michael could find someone who does are – no pun intended – astronomical.

If this guy doesn’t have it and Michael can’t find it anywhere else, he’d have to wait at least that long before it grows again, maybe longer. (At which point Michael will be super dead and it won’t matter, so there’s that.)

“Yes, I will warn you...every item comes with a price,” he says, like all the other assholes before him Michael’s run into in shops like this.

Michael stares at him.

“...Yes,” he mimics, because he’s not in the mood for this bullshit. “I know how shops work.”

He’s not in the mood for this bullshit, but he’s also not an idiot. Knows better than to piss someone like him off, make an enemy of him or whatever. (Well, for the most part.)

The guy blinks at him like he’s not sure what’s going on, or just thinks Michael's an idiot.

He rallies quickly though, clearing his throat and looking around like there’s anyone else in the shop watching them. (Besides the cat, that is.)

“No,” he says, putting more emphasis into his words. “The price may be more than you expect to pay.”

He gives Michael this look, raised eyebrows and please tell me you’re not that dense and dear God, please don’t be that dense and a little why are you doing this to me?

Michael doesn’t know why he does it, he really doesn’t.

Maybe it’s the fact the guy seems relatively normal for someone running a shop like this. Maybe it’s the fact he’s already getting riled up and Michael hasn’t done anything yet. Maybe it’s the fact that Michael’s that much of an asshole, who can say.

“Yes,” he says. “I know how US taxes work too.”

There’s a tiny sneeze, this little jingling chime that has Michael looking over at the tabby just in time to see it hide a smirk as it gives itself a little shake.

From the corner of his eye Michael catches the shopkeeper shooting it a scowl, but when he turns back to him the guy has a polite smile on his face.

Too polite, like he’s not thinking up curses and hexes to place on Michael and everyone he holds dear or whatever else creepy bastards like him do for fun.

Michael should be worried. Shouldn’t be fucking with him at all, but he just. Can’t not, for whatever reason. Is, in fact, enjoying himself watching the poor guy try to keep his cool while his stupid cat laughs at him.

The guy laughs, and it’s. It’s a nice sound. Weird, too, kind of croaky in a way?

But just.

Nice?

Like his voice, and those eyes of his, and okay, look.

Michael’s getting sidetracked, but it’s been a long week and bound to be a long day and he’s just.

Yeah.

The guy makes this noise in the back of his throat, and plants his hands on the counter in front of him, strained smile on his face.

“I’m trying to tell you that I’m evil and offering these wares with no regard for the harm they will do!” he says, voice cracking on the end because apparently he’s never had to deal with something as exasperating as Michael's proving to be.

Probably used to people showing him the proper reverence and whatever the hell after his first warning. Rethinking their decision to set foot in a magically (literally) appearing shop with a creepy shopkeeper and a cat that is definitely not a normal cat and all that. Making the right choice (or not) when it came to their reason for walking in when they should have known better and just. All that.

Instead, he got Michael and his low tolerance for bullshit of any kind, but especially the shopkeeper’s after the week he’s had.

Michael crosses his arms and scowls at the shopkeeper.

Normally at this point he’d be sharing the guy’s exasperation, but he’s having too much fun fucking with him.

“I know what capitalism is too, goddammit,” he says. “Now do you have the stuff I need or not?”

The guy stares at him, quietly seething and for a moment Michael sees something moving around in the back of his eyes – dark, sinister – before it gives the fuck up and rolls over. Shoulders slumping as he lowers his head to stare at the faux granite counter with its scuffs and scratches, little nicks.

Mutters something that sounds less like a dread curse or something along those lines and more like for fuck’s sake.

Michael glances over at a light chiming noise to see the tabby walking over to the shopkeeper, trilling softly as it bumps its head against his face, makes these little noises that definitely isn’t laughter.

Really.

The shopkeeper leans into it at first, and then sputters as the tabby continues walking arching its back to shove its fur into his face before hopping down and wandering off.

“Thank you,” the guy says, wiping fur out of his mouth as he scowls at the cat. “Really, no. Thank you ever so much for that.”

The cat shakes itself again, and meows in smug satisfaction.

The guys sighs, and looks up at Michael.

Seems wary, almost.

“As a matter of fact, I do happen to have the things on your list. If you don’t mind waiting, I can get them out of the back.”

He looks like he’s expecting Michael to give him more grief about things, which is both hilarious and kind of sad.

“Sounds great!” Michael says with a smile, all nice and friendly and perfect customer who would never dream of being difficult.

The guy eyes him, like he thinks it’s a trap of some kind. But when Michael just stands there smiling at him and waiting patiently, he shakes his head and heads off to the back storeroom muttering to himself.

Michael waits until he’s out of sight before he laughs, tries to hide it because the tabby’s watching him, but come the fuck on.

He doesn’t know how long it will take the guy to gather all the supplies on Michael's list, so he explores the shop. Looks into the glass cases around the counter to see they’ve been altered. No tubs of ice cream now, just neatly labeled bin full of spell and potion ingredients.

One of the cases is humming quietly, stocked with ingredients that require refrigeration to keep them fresh, which goes a long way to explain why the guy decided to put his shop here instead of the other empty stores around it.

Michael goes over to the bookshelves, and almost trips over the cat who lets out a sad little noise that has Michael staring down at it.

Looks like a normal cat in all the right ways, but the way its been acting is a dead giveaway it’s most likely the shopkeeper’s familiar or assistant. Too much of an asshole to be anything else, given it’s allowed to roam the shop freely.

Another sad cry and Michael rolls his eyes as he crouches to give it pets and scritches. God knows Gavin and Lindsay would find out somehow if he didn’t, give him shit about a cruel and heartless monster.

There’s a little pet tag on its collar, and curious, Michael catches it in his fingers to see what it says. The tabby flicks its ears but allows it, and Michael frowns at the name engraved on the pet tag.

“The fuck kind of name is ‘Rimmy Tim’?” he asks, because fucking really.

The cat gives him this look, ears swiveling back as it steps out of his reach with this little sniff, tag slipping through Michael's fingers.

Walks away in clear dismissal and jumps back up on the counter to curl up in its bed and turning its back to Michael as it does.

Michael sighs, because the cat has to be the shopkeepers familiar with that kind of attitude.

He goes back to exploring the store, making a mental note to ask the others if they need some of the things he sees being sold here when he gets home. (Assuming he can find the shop again after this, that is.)

There’s a wide array of rare and hard to find ingredients and other components here. A shelf of books he knows for sure Geoff and Jack would give a lot to add to their own collection. Other bits and bobs, as Gavin would put it, any of them would give a lot to have.

It’s that thought that finally has the reality of the situation sink in for Michael, odd shopkeeper out of the picture where the atmosphere of the shop sets in.

Little tug at the core him drawing him towards a small table in a corner, gem stones and crystals and other things laid out.

A cool whisper in the back of his mind pulling his attention towards one of the skulls on the shelves by the windows.

A raven from the look of it.

Creeping unease from the corner where the skeleton stands on display, runes carved into its bones and a wreath of dried flowers resting on top of its skull.

A dozen other little things calling for his attention, quiet whispers and murmuring that builds, and builds, and builds -

“I think I have everything here,” the guy says, voice startlingly loud in the cloying silence of the shop. “Do you - “

Michael looks over at him, heart beating double-time in his chest. Feels a little wild-eyed and expects to see a smug look on the guy’s face, or cool satisfaction at the way his shop and its wares have affected Michael, but.

He seems...confused at first, and then concerned.

Sweeps a look around the shop and the chaos in Michael's mind quiets, retreats like morning fog when the sun appears to chase it away.

Michael sways towards him without conscious thought, crosses the few feet to stand across from him to escape the faint chill that set in without his realization.

“You know better,” the guy says, and for a moment Michael thinks he’s scolding him, but then he realizes the shopkeeper’s frowning at the tabby.

In response the tabby curls up tighter in its bed, ears flat against its skull and lets out a pathetic mew in apology or explanation, Michael can’t understand it. Just knows whatever it is has the guy letting out a heavy sigh.

“Yes, well,” he says, setting a box down on the counter. “What do you expect when you insist on using that ridiculous name?”

The tabby makes an annoyed noise, but it gets out of its bed and comes to the edge of the counter where Michael’s standing and looks up at him.

Guilty, remorseful, tail flicking as it meows at him in apology.

Michael stares down at it.

He could, maybe should, be annoyed at it for that slip.

There’s an understanding, when customers enter a shop like this things like that aren’t allowed to happen.

A gesture of trust, or something close enough to it for certain transactions to take place. For those who are inexperienced enough, unwary, to enter and leave without trouble. (In good faith.)

But.

Michael insulted it, and things like that allows things like it an amount of leeway. (Loopholes.)

And to be fair, nothing permanent, damaging, took place while the guy was out of the room.

Just...a reminder.

One that Michael clearly needed because he let his guard down in here. Got so caught up in things that he forgot the danger to places like this, or made the mistake of underestimating it because the guy seemed so normal.

Human.

Dramatic, maybe, but not like the usual sort Michael’s met in shops like this.

Michael looks at the guy, surprised that he seems to be on Michael’s side in this after all the shit he gave him earlier. The guy tips his head to the side, eyebrow raised and leaving things in Michael’s hands.

Which.

“It’s fine,” Michael says, because things could have gone worse.

He’s seen it before, less scrupulous shopkeepers than this one and his familiar and their deals with the unwise. Has had to clean up the mess afterward and inform the unfortunate victim’s family and friends who hired him to find out what happened to their loved one.

Michael should be the one who knew better in this case.

“Just a miscommunication.”

The guy hums, something thoughtful to it as he reaches out to the tabby and gives it a scritch under its chin. It leans in to his touch in relief, eyes closing briefly before it decides its had enough and hops off the counter to disappear into the storeroom.

Michael snorts, eyeing the box the guy brought out with him.

“Oh,” the guy says, almost sounding sheepish, “sorry about that.”

He holds Michael's list in one hand as he goes over the contents of the box.

Glass bottles with the ingredients Gavin and Geoff wanted and little paper parcels for the rest. The replacement mortar and pestle Jack wanted, and most importantly the stupidly rare ingredient he needs for his spell.

When he’s done he hands Michael his list and smiles at him.

A normal smile.

No creepy shopkeeper with his mysterious shop and even more mysterious wares. Cat familiar and all kinds of secrets waiting to be discovered, for a price.

“Were you looking for anything else today?”

He’s still smiling.

None of his dramatics or theatrics, just a guy in a t-shirt with the NASA logo behind the counter of his little shop and it’s.

It’s certainly something.

“Uh,” Michael says, clearing his throat and giving himself a mental shake to let everything settle back into place. “No. No, that should do it.”

The guy shrugs and starts ringing him up using the cash register, pauses before he hits the total and smiles again, this crooked little thing.

“We don’t take checks,” he says.

There’s.

He’s the one laughing at Michael now, gleam in his eye and very, very much an asshole.

Michael snorts as he pulls his wallet out.

“Credit card alright?” he asks.

The shops he regularly go to have started to accept them, though most still prefer cash Older ones will trade in favors, little ones that don’t cost much.

Places like this, though?

Hit or miss.

The guy laughs, and points at a sticker on the side the register with logos for the major credit card companies, so that’s one question answered.

Michael hands over his card and the guy finishes ringing him up, wishes him a nice day as he hands him back his card and a receipt and Michael picks up the box, ant turns to leave.

Gets a few feet away before he stops. Thinks about things in the kind of way where he really, really doesn't, and turns back to see the guy watching him with that crooked little smile on his face.

“Are,” Michael starts, not sure how to do this because wow, no. “Uh. Are you going to be here later?”

He glances around the shop and back to the guy, because it’s a valid question with places like this.

People like him.

They come and go and most times you never see them again. For the best, considering what they are, but sometimes...

The guy gives him an odd look, which is fair.

He probably doesn’t get questions like that all that often, and Michael doesn’t even know his name.

Has been referring to him as the guy and the shopkeeper in his head this whole time. (Maybe that asshole a time or two, he wouldn’t put it past himself.)

Michael watches as the guy – Jesus, there he goes again – takes in his shop before looking back at Michael.

“It’s possible,” he says slowly. “The location seems pleasant enough.”

Not a no, or even some frustratingly vague and cryptic answer about fleeting permanence or what the fuck ever Michael was expecting.

“Okay,” Michael says. “Great. Thank you.”

Jesus, he’s an idiot.

The guy must think so too, with the smile on his face, but thankfully he says nothing as Michael gets the hell out of there before he says or does anything else stupid.

Doesn’t risk glancing back to make sure the shop is still there once he’s outside, but he catches sight of the coffee shop sign next door to as he heads to his car.

Michael’s never been to it before, no time or reason to in between everything else going on in his life.

But…there’s this half-formed thought in the back of his mind maybe the guy wouldn’t be horrifically opposed to checking it out with him sometime if he and his shop do stick around a little longer.

...Or something, fuck if Michael knows.

Michael slams the trunk of his car harder than he means to, and stares at it for a long moment trying to untangle his thoughts.

Ridiculous, is what they are.

Stupid as hell.

Dangerous, too, considering what the guy is. (Might be? Michael doesn’t have a goddamned clue other than the usual.)

But.

He hadn’t reacted badly when Michael gave him shit, and.

He’s unfairly attractive. Has a nice smile, and an amazing voice and why not, really?

Can’t hurt to ask, right?

Later.

Michael sighs, laughing at himself as he goes around to the driver side of the car.

No need to get ahead himself right now anyway.

If the shop’s still here after he’s done with work, he can figure things out then.

Start by getting the guy’s name so he can stop calling him that in his head, and see where things go from there.

[raywritesthings]

What Have They Lost? 1/?

My Writing Fandom: Arrow, The Flash Characters: Barry Allen, Iris West, Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen, Connor Hawke, Cisco Ramon, Ted Grant Pairings: Barry Allen/Iris West, Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen Summary: "I can definitely tell you that there’s a way we’re going to bring [Laurel] back and she’s going to be alive and well. And Flashpoint might have a little bit to do with that." -Wendy Mericle AKA: The AU where that wasn't a blatant lie, and Flashpoint has bigger repercussions for Barry's friends and allies than he first realized. Notes: So, probably not wise to start yet another WIP without finishing the one I have going but...I got really excited about this idea and wanted to see what people thought. If this is continued (which I hope to do so), things may get a little confusing as certain characters will be going by different (more comic book accurate) names, but I'll do my best to make that clear when introducing them. There are characters referenced in this chapter who will have a bigger role going forward, and when that happens I will add their character tags. Similarly, if some characters haven't been mentioned at all yet, that doesn't mean they won't be in the story. Their character tags will be added later, too. Much thanks to @colorofmymindposts for beta-ing this chapter and helping me restructure some things. It's a much better beginning as a result. Title is pulled directly from a line in DC Rebirth by Geoff Johns while song titles and lyrics were pulled from both the Black Canary solo book and Green Arrow Rebirth, and I make no claim of owning any of them. I hope you all enjoy and let me know your initial impressions! *Also can be read on my AO3*

Barry felt that, all things considered, life was treating him fairly well lately.

Of course, he’d had to fix the mistake he’d made going back in time to save his mother, and even now there were consequences from that. The team hadn’t been happy to learn that truth, and he worried his and Cisco’s friendship would never again be quite what it was. There were things that had resulted from his meddling that he would always feel guilt over.

But not this. Not him and Iris. Despite an awkward first attempt at a date and the second getting interrupted as well, they were falling into a better pattern now as a couple.

She found him in his lab one late morning while Julian was out at a crime scene, so they had the space to themselves for a bit. Iris wrapped her arms around his middle from behind and placed her chin on his shoulder, though he doubted it was to see the spectrometer he was working with.

“Any plans for tonight?”

Barry shook his head. “Nothing specific. You know, just,” he waved a hand to indicate general Flash stuff, which Iris understood with no trouble.

“Think you could take a break for one night?”

Barry raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because I got concert tickets and I want you to go with me.”

A concert? That wasn’t usually his scene. “How’d you get them?”

“Daria in Arts and Entertainment gets sent them sometimes and she can’t make tonight work, so she offered them to me.”

Daria in Arts and Entertainment? That probably meant this was some kind of pop thing, didn’t it? Barry’s face scrunched up.

“I don’t know, Iris…”

“Bear, come on.” She squeezed him tight for a moment before letting go and taking a couple steps back. “It’s Birds of Prey!”

“Am I supposed to know them?”

“They’ve only been my favorite band since college, so I would hope so,” she remarked, and Barry turned around with a frown. He could have sworn Iris always said she liked the pop star Cassidy best. “They do some slow stuff, too. I know how you like your jazz,” Iris added  with an indulgent roll of the eyes. “So are you in or out?”

He knew Iris still wanted to do some normal couple stuff as well as more extravagant dates. And if she was happy, Barry was sure he could put up with some music that might not be his taste.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m in. It’ll be fun.”

“Great.” Iris leaned in and pecked him on the lips. “Gotta head back to work, but I will see you later for our date. I’ll text you the details.”

“Okay.” Barry watched her go, his smile falling off his face as she disappeared down the stairs. If this was Iris’ favorite band, he was going to have to do some research.

He went to his computer and searched the name Birds of Prey, only finding articles about a band and their lead singer, a woman only known as Dinah.

“Triumphant return to Central City after particle accelerator accident,” he read aloud to himself from the bit of preview text from one article. What did that mean? And why did the name Dinah sound oddly familiar to him?

A knock on his lab door called his attention, and he was busy the rest of the afternoon with casework, even with Julian’s added assistance. Rather than resume his internet search after his shift ended, Barry decided to pursue a different avenue of inquiry.

Cisco was present when he rushed into STAR Labs. His friend barely looked up from the computer monitor he’d been studying.

“Cisco, hey, what do you know about Birds of Prey?”

That question caught the engineer’s attention. “Uh, you mean one of the greatest musical groups of our time?”

“Yeah. Sure.” How did everybody already know this band besides him?

“They’re stopping here on their comeback tour. I think it’s tonight, isn’t it? I missed the online bid for tickets.”

“Iris got two from her coworker, so we’re going tonight,” Barry revealed.

Cisco groaned. “Lucky. I only saw Dinah live once, back when she was doing open mic nights around colleges, you know?” Cisco’s gaze got a faraway look. “I had a poster of her on my wall all through grad school. I’d give anything for a picture with her.”

“Well, I can’t promise that, but I can try and get you a picture of just her.” Barry checked his phone. “I’ve got to meet Iris at the house.”

“Yeah, have a good night.”

“You, too.” It hadn’t been perfect, but Cisco had at least been willing to open up to him about some topic, even if it was one that made little sense to Barry.

He arrived home and changed quickly into clothes better suited for a concert. Iris already had the keys to the car, so she drove them over rather than him running them. They parked on the street near the venue and joined a fast-growing line to get in.

“So, everybody keeps calling this the comeback tour,” Barry began. “What’re they coming back from?”

“You really didn’t hear?” When he shook his head, Iris continued, “They were performing on stage the night of the particle accelerator explosion.”

“And there was an accident,” he said, repeating what he had read before.

“Yeah, the sound equipment and everything, you know? I mean, the band manager got them all off the stage before anyone got too hurt, but there were all kinds of rumors about Dinah’s voice being damaged or the trauma being too much to let her go back on stage.”

“Wow,” was all Barry could come up with. 

“Yeah. But, she got back in the game. This is their last stop on the tour, at least for now. People are wondering if they might go international next.”

They had passed through the doors and now were too busy looking for their seats to talk. They weren’t right in the front row, but Arts and Entertainment writers were clearly given a good spot, probably in hopes the review would be better.

The lights dimmed, and a voice came over the systems. “Central City, here tonight is the band that needs no introduction. This is...Birds of Prey!”

The obligatory fog machine obscured things as the musicians all got into place. He counted two redheads and a woman with hair so dark it almost bordered on black. Nothing about them seemed to stand out in his memory.

But he didn’t need the large screens on either side to tell who the woman was that strode confidently downstage to the mic in the center. Even if it should have been impossible.

“Laurel?”

The crowd was too loud around them, and Iris was busy with cheering and didn’t hear him or see his distress.

How could it be possible? He still remembered standing in front of Laurel’s grave, watching as Oliver tried to hold back the anguish that had been in the wet sheen of his eyes and the deep lines of his face. He didn’t think he could ever forget that look. It hadn’t just been Barry’s team who’d loved her.

And yet she was standing above him on a stage, so alive.

“Hello, Central City! It is good to be back.” Laurel paused to let the cheers subside. “I wanted to make sure we stopped here on tour. Had a bit of a fight for it. You can ask Ted.”

Iris leaned over to tell him, “Ted’s the band manager. He’s practically a father to her.”

“He is?” Who was Ted? Where was Captain Lance?

Iris nodded but gave him a second look. “You okay?”

He felt incredibly faint, actually, but there was no time to explain anything to Iris. There were people all around them and Laurel was speaking again.

“But Ted agreed, because we don’t walk away from things. Right, Central City?”

Laurel paused again for cheers. Someone out in the crowd shouted a, “We love you!”

“I love you, too!” She replied with a beautiful smile. “No matter how many times we get knocked down, we get back up. So let’s get up and get things started!”

She motioned back to the band, and the dark brunette hit her drumsticks together four times before the rest of the music started up. People were already on their feet, and Barry stood as well to see better. Now that he was over the shock he started taking more of her appearance in. There was still her blonde hair cascading down her back, but that was about where the similarities ended in how this Laurel styled herself. She had on a blue tank top, ripped up jean shorts, and fishnet leggings on under those. Fishnets!

Was it Siren? Was this all just some trick? And yet even as he thought that it made little sense. Iris’ favorite band since college, Cisco’s poster in grad school...somehow, Laurel Lance had been a member of this band for years. 

But she’d been a hero. They all knew that. Or they had.

The song they were performing now seemed to be called Fish Out of Water, judging by the chorus. Barry could relate to that feeling. Then it hit him that Laurel actually had a really good voice. He’d never known that about her, whether it had even been true before...all this.

Because it was dawning on him what this was. Just like the changes that had occurred to his friends’ loved ones because of his meddling, the only explanation for Laurel not only being alive but drastically different than he remembered was the timeline being altered. But how could he have missed this?

If this much was different, what else had changed in Star City? He’d spoken to Felicity briefly since returning to this timeline and realized John now had twins instead of a daughter, but what about Oliver? Were he and the others okay?

“I’m gonna slow things down a bit,” Laurel was saying. “Even if I know you guys like things fast around here.”

Iris nudged him in the side with a big grin. It faded as he looked at her, though. “Seriously, Bear, you okay?”

“It can wait.” Now wasn’t the time or place to get into it. He wasn’t even sure how to explain to Iris that a woman she had never met but admired was now still a woman she had never met but admired just in a different way.

“If ya broke the wings of a blackbird, baby...it’s a joke to think she’ll look backward, baby,” Laurel sang. She looked...sad, somehow. Not in an obvious way. The confidence was still there, but it was like something was missing. And Barry thought he knew what it was.

His mind raced as the band closed out with another louder number to get people cheering right at the end.

“How do you feel about pretending to be from Arts and Entertainment?” He asked at more of a shout in Iris’ ear to be heard.

She raised both eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Barry ran instead, back to her office at Central City Picture News to grab a camera and a couple of press passes. When he reappeared at her side, she blinked in surprise.

“Barry—”

“It’s kind of important that we talk to her. I’ll explain on the way home.”

Iris looked unsure, but she nodded, trusting him. Barry felt a boost of confidence at that; the rest of his teammates weren’t that willing to trust in his ability these days.

They made their way backstage with the passes and waited as Laurel and the others exited the stage. Barry felt a little stunned to watch her approach this close despite seeing her up on the stage. She was real and alive and a part of him wanted to rush forward and hug her — but that would probably get them kicked out.

There were a few lucky fans with special passes there, too, and he watched as the woman and sometimes-teammate he’d known signed autographs and took selfies with them. He snapped a couple of pictures with the camera he’d borrowed for appearance’s sake.

“Great show tonight, Dinah,” Iris called out to get her attention. She held out her hand when the other woman approached. “I’m Iris West with Central City Picture News. Huge fan, really.”

“Thanks for coming out,” said Laurel, her eyes only briefly passing over Barry, and it was so strange not seeing even a hint of recognition there. Had they never met in this timeline? What did this mean about whether she knew the others?

“So what’s next for the band?” He asked. “International, somewhere else in the states? Star City, maybe? It’s our, uh, sister city,” Barry added when both Laurel and Iris gave him odd looks.

“Funny you should say that. We’ll be taking some time off in Star, yeah. Ted and me, anyway. The other girls are stopping home in Gotham, but Ted’s got a place there.” She nodded back towards an older man with flecks of gray in his hair and a few lines in a deeply tanned face.

“Great,” said Barry.

“Your new song, Blackbird. It’s really good, and the lyrics, uh, what’s the story behind that?” Iris asked. Barry knew he’d put her on the spot and that this style of interview wasn’t exactly her specialty. He thought she was doing a great job, though.

Laurel shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of false starts in life. A lot of things I’ve had to walk away from. You learn to live with it.” She glanced over at Ted again who made some kind of motion. “Listen, there’s a girl scheduled to meet me in the green room, so if we could wrap this up?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I’ll message your people if I think of anything else to ask,” Iris said quickly. “Thanks so much for your time.”

“Yeah, thanks Lau— uh, Dinah,” Barry remembered at the last second. Her eyes jumped to his with a sharp look.

“Yeah. You too.” Laurel said quietly. She turned and walked away, glancing back at them over her shoulder once.

“So what was that actually about?” Iris asked in his ear. Barry gave a start and looked away from the hallway Laurel had disappeared down. They went through a side exit and started the walk back to the car.

“I know her. Or knew her. Um, before I changed the timeline.”

Iris’ eyes widened. “Really? How?”

“She wasn’t a singer. She was the Black Canary. A hero, part of Oliver’s team. She died last spring—” Iris stopped in her tracks, expression one of alarm. Barry reached for her hand to keep her moving down the sidewalk. “—or she did in that timeline. I don’t know how this happened.”

Iris was quiet for a few moments, processing the information. “Well, at least she’s here in this timeline?”

“Yeah, but,” Barry began. He shrugged. “It’s so different. She doesn’t even go by the same name!”

He remembered seeing Dinah on the gravestone, only then realizing they’d all been calling her by her middle name the whole time. What made a person decide to change names? How far back did this divergence from the timeline go?

Iris was frowning, discomfort showing on her features. She had defended his actions in changing things to the rest of the team, but was this a step too far? What did she think of him now? “Well, Bear, I think you’re just going to have to leave this be,” she said eventually. “It’s too late to change things.”

“I know. I just — I need to check on the others in Star, okay? Just so I know what’s been going on if we ever have to team up sometime.”

“Okay.” Iris let him go with a kiss, and then Barry was off running again, first to get his suit and then to Star City.

What was Team Arrow like without a Black Canary? What was Oliver like? He didn’t know too much about the other man’s relationship with Laurel, but they’d obviously been close judging by how affected he’d been at the funeral. What would Barry be like without one of his teammates? He couldn’t even imagine it.

He entered the cave and stopped, calling out to make sure the space wasn’t as empty as it appeared. “Hey, Ollie, you in? Really need to talk to — woah!”

Barry didn’t quite dodge out of the way of two arrows connected by a wire that shot out and pinned him to the wall behind him.

A young man, teenager really, with blonde hair and dark skin emerged from behind a support beam. He carried a bow and quiver of arrows and was grinning as he approached. “Gotta watch your surroundings better, Flash.”

“Connor,” said a familiar voice, the tone only slightly warning.

“I’m only messing, dad,” said the teenager to Oliver as the older man approached. Barry felt his mouth drop open. Since when did Oliver have a second son?

Oliver himself seemed different, somehow, in ways that were hard to define. The stubble he usually had could more accurately be called a goatee, and there were lines in his face that Barry could have sworn hadn’t been there. But he didn’t look as abjectly miserable as the last time Barry had seen him.

“What’s going on, Barry?”

He decided to just cut to the chase. “What do you know about Dinah Laurel Lance?���

Oliver’s face scrunched up. He frowned, though it was more in confusion than anything else. Then the worst possible answer left his lips.

“Who?”

[fivesaucekisses]

RARE || Awsten Knight Fanfic 1

Chapter Two:

I introduced Waterparks effortlessly and quietly walked off the stage as the curtain drew showing the three men behind me.  They apparently just released an album two days before the show and from the response of the crowd at least a good handful knew about it already.  The crowd roared excitedly as the sound of guitars filled my ears.  The beat made my head bob, but the voice that came out of lilac man was something I was prepared for.  It was rare, you could tell he meant every word he was singing.

I stood behind the curtains, not taking my eyes off of the stage just as infixed as the audience.  My foot started tapping to the beat as I reached for my phone and quickly typed a note to myself: "Waterparks."  I'd have to check them out later.

"Sophia, let's get you back to your seat," Isabel states, coming up from behind me.

"Actually," I smiled, turning around to face her.  "Could I maybe stick around back stage just for a little while?"

She gave me a look that made it seem like I had just inconvenienced her plans, but she sighed giving in.  "I mean I guess you could hang out back here for just a few more minutes, but please be back to your seat after the next commercial break," she pleaded.

I tried to hide my excitement as I eagerly clapped my hands, turning back to the performance just in time to see both guitar players bouncing around the stage.  A few moments later, Otto, the drummer finished with an impressive solo before the lights went out and the crowd erupted yet again.  The curtain fell and the three men came jogging off stage, goofing off as they did so.

"Good job guys!" a man yelled as he met up with the three of them a few feet from me.  He had a camera around his neck and a head of bright red hair.  A colorful bunch, I note.

"I got so nervous just as the curtains came up," lilac guy admits, letting out a breath it seemed like he had been holding.  "I can't believe we just did that," he's suddenly beaming, jumping up and down some.

A smile spreads across my face as I finally take the opportunity to approach them.  "Hey, I just wanted to say that you guys were really great out there," I say as nonchalantly as possible.

"Really?" lilac man questions, shooting me a wide grin.  The other two say 'thank you' in unison before turning to their friend with the red hair who seems intent on not speaking at all as he blatantly stares in my direction.

I give him a smile, trying to hold in my laughter before responding to his question.  "Honestly, I put your bands name into my phone halfway through the song because I wanted to hear more later," I admitted, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Do you want to hear more right now?" he asks tilting his head to the side just slightly, reminding me of a very cute dog.

"Definitely," I grin, knowing full well I was going to get in trouble with Isabel when I wasn't back in a few minutes.

"I'm Awsten by the way," he says, holding his hand out to me for a simple handshake.  "That's spelled with a 'w'," he clarifies as I nod.

"Noted."

"That's Geoff, and Otto," he says pointing out the other two members of his band as we walk back towards the dressing room I had first noticed him.  "Oh and Jawn, he's our photographer.  He spells his name with a 'w' too, in case you were curious."

Forty minutes later I was sitting cross legged in my Versace dress on the floor in their green room, listening to demo's off of Awsten's lap top he just happened to have on him.  We'd gotten past the star struck phase and gone straight into Awsten's universe and I was so okay with it.

"And right here, I was thinking I could add in some cool harmonies and it would add this dope effect to the sound, so I decided to throw something together and, well just listen," he's talking quickly, quieting down when he wants me to hear something specific.  His music is good, better than good, it's fantastic and his passion speaks for itself.

"Hey Sophia," his friend Jawn says, pulling me out of my trance.

"Hmm?" I hum, looking up at him from the ground where Awsten and I were crouched.

"Is it weird if I ask for a picture?" he asks, clearly trying to tread lightly.  I appreciate his asking and not just doing.

"Oh yeah, totally," I say, running a hand through my hair some in preparation as I began to stand.

"No no, you can stay down there, I just-" he pauses, looking down at Awsten and over to me.  "you two looked really candid, and it'll make the band look pretty cool," he stated as Awsten's face began to get a red tint.

I look over at Awsten who's just a few feet away from me and smile some.  I guess I didn't always have to have the exact right angle for a photo.  Falling back down beside him, I gesture towards his lap top.  "Alright, what's next."

We stay that way for a while, all five of us talking as the music continues to play in the background.  The longer I'm there, the more they seem to relax around me.  They begin kidding with each other, talking about anything and everything, laughing loudly and occasionally embarrassing themselves or each other.  These are the moments I missed the most when I was working 24/7.  Every person I spoke to was normally older, my boss, or a coworker who acted like they liked me for the sake of a film.  A content sigh leaves my lips as my head bobs to the music.

A knock on the door causes us all to quiet down.  It opens seconds later and I see a familiar face come into view.  "Sophia are you kidding me right now?"  Isabel says in a very similar tone to that of my own mother.

"Isabel," I say, standing up quickly, flattening out the ripples in my dress, "Hey."  The four guys stand up, trying to clear out as fast as possible, causing me to frown some.  "Way to ditch," I mutter as Awsten waves at me, a playful smile on his lips as he runs for the door.

"Do you even know what time it is?" She's now shrieking as she grabs my wrist and begins pulling me out the door.  "You have to be at Andy Cohen's after party in less than 30 minutes.  The award show is over and you dipped literally half way into the show.  Not a good come back for you, Sophia."  Her lecture seems to have ceased for now as we walked in silence towards the exit.  I look around in hopes of spotting Awsten or Jawn's bright colored hair but they're nowhere in sight.

A few minutes and a lot more lecture later, I had finally made it to the overly crowded club.  It's now becoming clear to me that I missed the memo of free booze at the event making me one of the only sober people in the room.  As soon as we're through the door's Isabel is gone, probably already beginning to network.  More power to her if she wants to spend every waking moment of her life working.

"Sophia, so good to see you!" I hear a slurred voice say as a clearly drunk Andy Cohen makes his way over to me.

"Hey Andy, this party is amazing.  Thank you for the invite," I say giving him a hug and a smile.

"Oh stop it, you know you're always invited to my parties babe, you're one of America's favorite faces, who by the way has to make an appearance on my show now that you're back in the spotlight" he laughs, shooting me a wink.  I had to hold back the urge to roll my eyes.

"You're too sweet, but I'm only back for the night." I wave off his statement as best I can, patting his arm.

"That's a real shame Sophia.  Don't let that dumb boy stop you from being the true star I know you are," he coos, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.  "I've got to go make my rounds sweetie and you've got to get a drink in that hand of yours," he states, turning me towards the bar before letting go of me.  My eyes can't help but notice a familiar head of purple hair.  No way.  "Go have some fun," he mutters into my ear before disappearing into the sea of people.

Third time's a charm right? I wonder to myself before taking a deep breath and walking over to him.  He's leaning against the bar, staring at the bar tender who keeps blatantly ignoring him and taking other's people's orders.  "Need some help?" I ask, squeezing in beside him.

He glances over to me briefly, smiling some when he does.  "Hey Sophia, are you stalking me?"

I laugh at his comment, trying to hide the redness in my cheeks.  "Actually, I was going to ask you that."  I look back over at the bartender and catch his attention with a quick wave and a smile.  "Hey, could I get a glass of champagne? And whatever he wants," I say gesturing over to Awsten who's just staring at me incredulously.

"Water please," he says, breaking eye contact with me to look at the bar tender who just scoffs at him.

"Water?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows together.  "Bold choice," I grin.

He lets out a slight chuckle, looking down at his hands in front of him.  "I'm a risk taker, what can I say?"

The bartender hands us our drinks and I take a small sip, looking over at Awsten.  He was attractive and his purple hair looked good against his lighter skin tone.  He peers up at me from his glass, noticing that I'm staring.  "Do you have two different colored eyes?" I ask, flicking my eyes back and forth between his.

He lets out a laugh at my bluntness and nods, "yeah, look!" he says excitedly, opening his eyes a little wider and leaning into me some.

I giggle more than okay with him closing the gap between us.  I stare at his eyes intently, noticing the slightly darker hue of his right eye.  "Your eyes sort of remind me of the ocean," I smile some as I see pupils dilate.

He leans back a little, a smile spread across his lips.  "You're very smooth," he admits honestly, laughing some as his cheeks slightly redden.  He grabs his glass off the counter and takes a quick drink.  "For the record, your eyes are a much prettier blue," he says with a nod.

I lean on the bar some, taking another sip of my drink as I bat my eyes at him playfully.  "You think so?"

"You got something in your eye?" he quips back, causing me to drop my act and begin giggling.  He smiles wide again as the silence falls between us, "you're pretty cool," he states matter of factly, seemingly happy with his discovery.

"Do you not think I was cool before this?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"No, I've always thought you were cool," he clarifies, "it's just been that most actresses are fake these days," he winces some at how that came off.  "Wow, uh I'm sorry, that was the worst way I could have said that.  You're great, I swear I think you're the coolest, you're talented, you're beautiful, I mean you're you, you know?" Awsten is full on rambling, trying to dig himself out of a hole and I can't help but smile.

My face is starting to hurt from smiling so much in one sitting.  I cover my mouth with my hand to try and hide my amusement as he continues.  He doesn't stop until he's completely out of breath.  "Can we pretend I stopped talking after I said you were cool?" he asks, red in the face from talking so fast.

"And ignore the fact that you said I was beautiful?" I grin as he scratches his head, now avoiding eye contact with me. "Absolutely not."

"Awsten!" I hear someone shout as we both jump apart.  Jawn comes plowing through the crowded bar and over to the two of us, camera still hanging from his neck.  "We thought you'd gotten lost," Jawn states, shaking his head at Awsten before turning to see me.  "Oh hey Sophia," he smiles and gives me a quick wave.

Awsten shakes his head some rolling his eyes at his friend.  "I've literally been gone ten minutes."

"I can let you get back to your party," I interject, "I've got to make my rounds anyways."

"Hey before you go," Jawn says, turning towards me.  "Can I actually get a picture of you and the band?"

"What he's asking is for you to give us free promo," Awsten says, nudging my side with his elbow.  "Which I think is a fantastically generous thing to do with your social media power," he states holding his hand over his heart.

Jawn laughs as he leads us away from the crowded bar to the tables near the edge of the club.  "Otto, Geoff, come here for a sec," he beckons.  The two are sitting at a booth talking back and forth with drinks in their hands.  They look up to see the three of us and walk over.  "Hey Sophia!" Geoff waves happily as he approaches.  I wave back with just as much excitement.

"Group photo," Jawn states, the four of us come together, Awsten's on one knee in front of me, his elbow resting on his knee and his chin resting on his hand.  God.  Otto and Geoff are on either side of me, smiling wide.  The camera goes off and we all relax before Awsten stops us.

"Wait wait, I need one on my phone, Travis will never believe this if I don't text him immediately," he insists handing the phone over to Jawn before hopping up and standing directly in front of me.  "This is the perfect picture," he says through laughter, his entire frame blocking me from view.  What a nerd.

"Funny," I fake laugh, pushing him to the side a little to pose for the camera a beaming smile on my face as Awsten looks down at me still laughing at his own joke.  Jawn takes the picture amid the chaos and nods with approval at his job well done.

He hands the phone back to Awsten and starts looking through his camera at his other photos.  "This is great!" Awsten shouts, laughing at his phone before turning it to face me.  It was a pretty great picture.  The two of us are in the center, both smiling extremely wide, while Geoff and Otto are on the outsides, with looks between a smile and confusion.  "Please tag me in this if you post it."

"I'll tag you in it, but you can't get a follow from me," he states seriously.  I stop smiling for a second and furrow my eyebrows.

"What? Why?"

"I don't just follow anybody," he says as if I should somehow know this.  Meanwhile I'm literally following thousands of people.

"How many people do you follow?" I ask, now completely curious about this.

"Like 350 maybe?" he says, thinking for a moment.

I stare at him for a moment, in awe.  "You're pretty cool," I laugh, quoting his statement from earlier.

He takes the compliment with an eye roll and a scoff, "I'm posting it right now."  With that he unlocks his phone and opens Instagram instantly.

I try not to stare at his phone too intently as he begins editing the photo, looking up at me briefly.  "What's your handle?" he chuckles before adding.  "God what a millennial thing to ask."

"It's 'thesophiamontgomery'," I say leaning in some to take another glance at the picture.

"Hey hey, look away, you'll see it soon enough," he says, shooing me away, turning his back to me.

"Sophia!" I hear Isabel shout over the noise.  "Sophia, we've got to get going.  There's another party I want to hit before we're done for the night," she says as she approaches me.

The smile I had been sporting almost all night slowly fell from my face.  "Another party?" I ask, trying my hardest not to sound like I was whining, even if I was.

Isabel looks behind me at Awsten who's turned around now, phone slid away.  "Again?" she whispers to me as if he couldn't tell she was talking about him.  Shaking her head some she sighs, "say goodbye to your friends, we have to go," and just like that she's gone again, holding her hand in the air wiggling her fingers around to indicate I had exactly 5 minutes to say my goodbyes.

I turn around to face Awsten who's giving me an understanding look.  "If I follow you on twitter, will you at least consider giving me a follow back?" I ask, as his eyes light up.

He nods, "Absolutely."

Before I know what's come over me, I wrap my arms around him and give him a quick hug.  "It was really great meeting you," I smile as I pull away.

"You too," his cheeks are still flushed pink and I can't help but smile.

I give a small wave to his bandmates and Jawn who wave back.  "Goodnight Awsten," I say, tucking some hair behind my ear as I turn and walk back into the crowd of people, towards the exit.

Chapter Three X

-------

This was a long one, but it was also super Awsten heavy so you’re welcome.  This story can also be found on wattpad if that’s more your scene for fic.  Also I’m picturing Sophia as Barbara Palvin, but you’re welcome to picture her however you please.  This story will eventually have some social media stuff and I needed someone, you know?  Anyways, I hope you enjoy and I’ll see you with another chapter in a week.

[ragehappysecretsanta]

Author: http://meganna2525.tumblr.com

 Recipient: http://teethhunter.tumblr.com

 Summary: It's Gavin's 21st birthday and he needs to find a suitor. Enter Princess Lindsay, who quickly captures his heart, and her guard, Michael, who Gavin can't get out of his head. Slowburn, eventual Mavinsay with a side of Jeremwood.

 Warnings: Underage (18+) drinking, swearing.

 WordCount: 45,175

Gavin was in his room, posing before the mirror as he checked his outfit for the umpteenth time. The party was starting soon and he wanted to be sure he was looking as good as possible. His stomach churned with nerves.

 He was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. Dusting himself down, he called for them to enter, which Geoff did only a moment later.

 "There's the man of the hour!" he exclaimed as he pulled Gavin into a hug. "Happy birthday, buddy. Can’t believe you’re 21 already. You’re a proper adult now. You can drink, and uh… You can drink!”

 “As if I didn’t already.”

 “Not legally, you didn’t. But congrats! And how’re you doing?"

 "Eh, I’m alright. Also nervous, but y'know. Could be worse." He made sure to smile as he pulled back, asking in a playful manner, "How do I look, Geoff?"

 "Absolutely fantastic. ‘Tippy-toppers’, one might even say."

 "Well, thank you!"

 Geoff's smile fell, expression becoming serious for a moment. He placed his hands on Gavin's shoulders to look him in the eye, ring digging in, and said, "But seriously, are you okay with this? There's still time to back out. I can tell everyone to clear off and we can just have a small celebration."

 "Kinda ruins the point of the whole thing, dunnit?"

 He shook his head. "Gavin, this is meant to be your birthday celebration. If you’re uncomfortable with anything, then the guests can go fuck themselves."

 He laughed. "Geoffrey, that's rude, Geoffrey!"

 "Well, it's true. Just say the word and I can make it happen."

 It was Gavin's turn to shake his head, still smiling. "It's fine. In fact, I'm looking forward to this shindig! Should be interesting, yeah?"

 Geoff paused, searching Gavin's face for any sign he was lying. A moment later his smile returned. "Well, if that's the case, let's head on out."

 He gestured to the door and Gavin exited the room with a spring in his step. The nerves had failed to clear up, but he wasn't lying about his excitement. He was sure this would be a fun evening!

 They walked down the hall in silence and were soon standing before the doors to the ballroom. Geoff gave him one last questioning look and Gavin put on a bright smile in response. The doors were pushed open.

 The first thing he saw was all the of the guests turning towards the door and bowing or curtsying. Gavin stood beside Geoff as he gestured for them all to rise again and spoke, thanking everyone for attending. Gavin’s eyes drifted over the crowd, noticing several guests who had a golden rose incorporated into their design. He winced internally. There were a lot more suitors than he was expecting. Thankfully, he also noticed several people he actually knew dotted around the room.

 It wasn't long before Geoff fell silent, not being one for speeches, and soon the room returned to normal, the volume rising as conversations restarted. Geoff gave Gavin's shoulder a quick squeeze before heading over to Griffon, leaving him alone. There were quite a few people sneaking glances at him. He stepped fully into the room, throwing a few of them his most charming smile. Time to mingle.

 ---

 Several hours passed as he talked to the guests. Some of them were just well-wishers, but most of the people he ended up chatting with had that golden rose design. The conversations with them ranged from interesting to mind-numbingly dull, though Gavin tried his best to represent Geoff well and not let on how bored out of his mind he was. He also got a few requests to dance, though he turned those down. If he started dancing he knew he'd get tired out before long. As it was, he still found himself drained and in need of a break.

 He stepped out onto the balcony, his sigh of relief interrupted as he noticed two people already out here. One of them had a golden rose pattern on their dress. He made sure he had a smile on his face as he stepped forwards.

 "Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said. They turned to face him, a flicker of surprise passing over their faces before recognition appeared on the suitor's.

 "Not at all, your Highness," they said, sinking into a curtsy. The person beside them, a guard based upon their stance, gave a stiff bow. "I'm Princess Lindsay of Ruby Kingdom, and this is my personal guard, Michael. It's a pleasure to meet you."

 "The pleasure is mine." Gavin gave his own bow. When he rose he noticed the guard slipping back into the room, leaving the two of them alone. He took the opportunity to lean on the balcony beside Lindsay, casting about for a topic of conversation. "The Ruby Kingdom, huh? That's a ways away. I wasn't sure they'd send anyone."

 "It was quite a trip to get here. We only arrived a few days ago."

 "I see. Have you visited Achievia before?"

 She nodded. "I've been to all of the Kingdoms. Yours is a beautiful one."

 "I'm honoured you think so. I would return the compliment, but I've not had the opportunity to visit Ruby Kingdom yet."

 "Well, if you ever do, I hope you enjoy your time there."

 He inclined his head in thanks and silence fell between them. She was gazing out at the landscape with one hand raised to twirl a lock of red hair. Gavin remained watching her, trying to gauge her emotions. She'd seemed pleasant in conversation, though stiflingly formal, but now there was a slight tremor to her hand that suggested nerves even as her face remained composed. Still, he was hardly going to judge her based on one short conversation. He opened his mouth, planning to ask more about the Ruby Kingdom, but before he could say anything she jumped and turned to him.

 "Oh! I forgot to wish you a happy birthday!"

 He smiled and said, "Thank you."

 "Still, I'm surprised. I wouldn't have wanted a bunch of people flirting with me on my birthday." The words fell from her lips with an absent-minded air. Her eyes widened a moment later. "Oh, crap, I spoke without thinking, I'm-"

 "No, no, it's fine!" Her flustered expression startled a laugh out of him, which seemed to soothe her somewhat. "You're right, it is an odd choice. It made sense at the time, but y'know. Hindsight and all."

 As they both calmed down his words filtered through to her. Her brow furrowed. "You haven't enjoyed the party?"

 "It's been fine. Under other circumstances, I may have enjoyed it. Well, certain parts of it. But I haven't had the chance to talk with my friends yet, and... I'm sorry, I shouldn’t be complaining to a guest."

 She shook her head, moving closer. "No, it's alright. This party is meant to be about you after all, but instead you've got people clamouring for your attention without listening to you. It sucks."

 Her last statement, spoken with simple vehemence, made Gavin chuckle again. "True. But I don't feel like I'm being a good host, unloading my problems onto you. We barely know each other."

 Lindsay tilted her head and just stared at him, not saying anything. He met her gaze a moment later and was startled to see pure understanding. He belatedly realised that she was a Princess and has probably been in similar situations. Embarrassed, he felt his cheeks flush. At that, she smiled.

 "Maybe we should start over," she said, finally looking away. "Try this again. Only less awkward and stuff."

 "Feels a bit like cheating. But yeah, let's give it a go." He straightened himself up and turned to face her fully. When she also turned he gave an exaggerated bow. "Prince Gavin, of the Achievia Kingdom."

 She giggled before sinking into a curtsy. "Princess Lindsay, of the Ruby Kingdom." When she rose there was a twinkle in her eyes. "It's a lovely party you've got here. Almost as lovely as the host."

 He fought back a blush, instead laughing and saying, "Why Princess, that sounded like flirting."

 "Probably because it was." She tilted her head. "Isn't that what this party is about?"

 "Well yeah, but..." He floundered before a moment before shrugging. "I got nothing. You are completely right. Sorry to have questioned you."

 "All will be forgiven if you promise me one thing."

 "Which is?"

 The playful air vanished momentarily. "Talk to your friends? The party can wait, and the suitors can go fuck themselves if they disagree."

 He laughed despite himself. "Sorry, it's just that you sound like my dad. He said the same thing before the party."

 "Well, I've heard that King Geoff is a wise man, and this only serves to prove that,” she said with a mock-serious tone before pausing. "Seriously though. I've enjoyed talking with you, but I know what it feels like to do," she gestured vaguely, "this. So instead, enjoy the party and screw everything else!"

 He hesitated, a genuine smile settling on his face. "Thank you, Lindsay."

 "Anytime," she said, returning the smile.

 He went back into the room, the conversation still running through his head. He approached Jeremy and Ryan, throwing one last look at the balcony and spotting the guard, Michael, heading back out. He couldn't quite see Lindsay herself from this angle. Shaking himself, he turned to his friends.

 The rest of the evening passed well. After hanging out with his friends Gavin did make an effort to talk to some other suitors, though he was unable to find Lindsay again. She must have left shortly after their conversation. Still, he enjoyed himself and made his way back to his room in the wee hours of the morning with high spirits.

 Lying in bed, he found himself ruminating on the party and, more specifically, the suitors. He'd liked some of the other suitors well enough, and before talking with Lindsay there’d been a few he was considering, at the very least, talking with again. But since then... well, certainly none of them had made the impression that Lindsay had. He hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. She’d seemed different, had talked to him rather than at him. Which was a pretty low bar, but considering no one else had met it he felt it was justified. He ended up falling asleep, still thinking of laughter and fiery hair.

 ---

 In the morning he made his way down to breakfast, still trying to think of anyone else that had piqued his interest in the slightest. There had been a baron's son who’d had some pretty interesting stories to tell, then there was that noble who’d blushed so prettily when he complimented them, and a duke who had given him a flower as a birthday gift. And several others who had similarly made themselves stand out. But they all faded in comparison to Lindsay and her direct nature.

 He sat at the table, shaking himself out of his thoughts to greet Griffon and Geoff. The latter was beaming.

 "There he is!" he said, smile only getting wider. "You were the talk of the party last night. Enjoy yourself?"

 "Yeah. It was pretty fun."

 Geoff's smile faltered slightly. "'Pretty fun' from you is a death sentence. What went wrong?"

 "Uh, no, sorry. I'm just distracted."

 Griffon cut in, resting a hand on Geoff's, gold ring glinting. “He's probably nursing a hangover. Do you want coffee?" That last part was directed at Gavin, who shook his head.

 "No, I'm fine. Didn't even drink that much. Just. The suitor thing, y'know?"

 Realisation crossed both of their faces, quickly followed by concern on Geoff's. "What's wrong? Anyone give you trouble?"

 "No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm trying to figure out who to go forwards with, though."

 The concern eased up slightly. "You know, you don't have to figure it out right away. And if none of them work, then we still have options. It isn’t necessary to choose if none of them had that spark, y’know?"

 "I know. That isn't really the problem." He poked his food, thinking about how to phrase it. "It's more, there's one I definitely want to get to know better. But I want options. If this goes tits up, then it could be several months down the drain. Eggs and baskets and all. I dunno, I'm probably overthinking it."

 "You definitely are. Look, it doesn't matter if you find someone a few weeks from now or in a few years; you're not on a time limit. If you really don't want to make a decision yet, that's fine, but don't limit yourself just ‘cause you think something might go wrong. It's counter-intuitive, if nothing else."

 Gavin cracked a smile. "Yeah, I guess so. Alright." He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. "I've made a decision then."

 "You have? Great!" Geoff's smile returned and Griffon leaned forwards with an interested expression.

 "Princess Lindsay, from the Ruby Kingdom. I really enjoyed talking with her."

 "I'll see if I can't track her down later today to discuss things. Unless you’d rather be present?"

 Gavin shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

 “Alright. Then we have a plan.”

 Griffon spoke up next, asking, "The Ruby Kingdom? That's quite far away, I didn't know they'd send anyone. Honestly, I didn't even know they'd received an invitation."

 Geoff shrugged. "I didn't want to exclude anyone. And I'm glad I didn't, considering."

 She inclined her head in agreement. "Well, we'll see how it turns out. Do you have any plans for today, Gav?"

 "I dunno," he said, "Probably head into town. I hear that the markets have got a bunch of new things what with people arriving from all over for the party and all. They might have some tea!"

 "Oh, in that case," Geoff cut in, "do you think you could invite Jack to supper? I want to keep him up-to-date on all this."

 “Yeah, I can manage that!”

 “Great. Now, eat up.”

 ---

 After breakfast he bid his parents farewell and left the castle, heading out to the training grounds. He'd learnt the hard way that heading into town without some guards was a bad idea, and since then he'd bonded with Jeremy and the others so they didn't just provide protection, but also company. Nowadays he barely even entertained the idea of heading out alone.

 As he drew near he saw that Jeremy and a couple other guards were helping train the new recruits, but even Gavin could tell that they were messing about and having fun more than actually sparring. Still, he decided not to interrupt and leant against the fence nearby to watch them for a bit. A few moments later, he noticed someone else entering the training grounds. Michael.

 He went immediately to the dummies and, after doing some stretches, drew a sword and started his exercises. Gavin found himself entranced. The blade itself was a thing of beauty, a strange blue in colour and seemingly too large to be wielded with ease. And yet Michael proved did just that, holding it as though it was light as a feather, moving through the actions with grace that rivaled the nobles dancing last night. He could barely tear his eyes away.

 "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."

 His thoughts ground to a halt and he turned to glare at Jeremy, who was now leaning against the other side of the fence, though there was no heat behind it. "And good morning to you, too."

 "Yeah yeah, morning. What're you doing here?" Jeremy asked, taking a swig of water. Behind him the rest of the guards were also taking a break, still chatting amongst themselves and laughing.

 "I came to see you, actually."

 "Really? It seemed an awful lot like you were just ogling some hot guy. Not that I blame you, but you can't go toying with my emotions like that, Gav." Jeremy had a hand on his chest, pouting.

 Gavin swatted at him, saying, "Oh, shut up. And go get changed, or I'll head into town without you."

 "That's an empty threat if I ever heard one."

 Gavin raised an eyebrow. He'd thought Jeremy would have learned by now just how stubborn he could be. As the smile curled across his face Jeremy rolled his eyes and relented.

 "But just because I love you, I'll do as you ask. Your Highness." He said the last part mockingly and gave a deep bow, his forehead almost touching the floor. Before Gavin could retort he was jogging across the grounds, dragging the a couple of guards along behind him, much to their surprise. The rest resumed their sparring.

 As he waited, Gavin found himself watching Michael again. He had always enjoyed watching fighting and, though watching Jeremy and the others was fun, Michael was in a completely different league. Gavin completely lost track of the time as he stood there.

 "Eyup!"

 For the second time that morning he found himself startled out of his thoughts by Jeremy’s voice. He whirled around to see the three guards running up, now dressed in casual clothes. Jeremy was leading the charge with a wicked smile on his face.

 "Don't scare me like that, Lil J!"

 "Not my fault you were distracted."

 He rolled his eyes and walked past them towards the gate. "Well, now that you're here, let's get going."

 The centre of town was bustling when they arrived, even more so than usual. They could barely move for the crowds. The cause of this soon became clear as the markets were indeed boasting a new selection of wares. Gavin threw himself into the crowds to look at it all, sometimes grabbing whichever guard was nearest and pointing something out. He noticed Jeremy drifting away from them on occasion to buy a few things for himself, but neither of the others did, instead sticking close to him.

 Though he liked the look of a lot of things, the only thing Gavin bought was tea. This was one of the few times that the markets actually sold it and he was hardly about to miss this opportunity. He also ended up chatting to a lot of the people there, mainly stall owners who had come to recognise him over the years.

 By the time they finally left the markets it was just after midday. Despite the guards’ vigilance, they encountered no trouble and Gavin was in high spirits. He led the others to Jack's house, whistling to himself.

 Jack lived in a beautiful wooden house on the edge of town attached to a stone forge. Being the town's blacksmith brought in a lot of work and even now there was smoke billowing out the chimney. It was a stark juxtaposition to the quaint house beside it with little flowers growing outside. Gavin knew that Jack had not only built the house, but also that he tended to the plants in the front and the back and that they were a particular source of pride for him, for good reason. In fact, the time and energy he’d put into making and looking after all this might be the only reason he didn’t live up at the castle with Geoff. The two certainly spent more than enough time together. Gavin knocked on the door of the wooden house and it was quickly flung open to reveal the man himself.

 "Come in, come in, it's great to see you. Have a seat. How are you four doing?" He swept them into the house and got them situated near the fire as he was speaking, firelight reflecting off the silver ring on his finger. He then went through to the kitchen to grab them some food. When he came back out he asked, "Well? Are you doing okay?"

 There were general murmurs of assent muffled by food. Jack let them eat for a few seconds before saying, "So, Gavin, how do you think the party went last night?"

 Jeremy instantly turned to Gavin, food forgotten and a twinkle in his eye. "Yeah, how did it go with a certain Ruby Kingdom Princess?"

 Gavin fought back a blush. "Really? That's what you're asking about?"

 "Well, it's been the talk of the barracks since last night, and all through your conversation with me you couldn't stop looking for her. Not to mention how happy you seemed out on that balcony."

 "Oh, congrats Gav!" Jack cut in, "But… you were actually flirting with someone?"

 "Please," Jeremy said with a laugh, "Have you seen Gavin try to flirt? He needs more alcohol than blood in his system to not trip all over himself. From where I was stood, it looked more like she was trying to flirt with him and he was trying to spontaneously combust."

 "If you're quite finished," Gavin said before he could continue, "I don't think it's any of your business. Just like it's none of my business what you and Ryan were doing in that corner all night."

 Jeremy turned bright pink as the others laughed. "Hey now, let's not get personal about this..."

 "Still, Gavin," said Jack, "I think you need to consider that this party was for you to find a suitor. It's only natural to be curious how it went. Would you mind telling us?"

 Before answering Jack's question, Gavin raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. "See? Now that's how you ask tactfully.” He turned back to Jack. “And I think it went well. Geoff's talking with her right now to try and arrange something. I, uh, think she enjoyed talking with me, too. So, y'know." He shrugged, trying to play off how nervous he felt.

 Jack beamed. "That's great, Gav!"

 "Yeah. Speaking of, Geoff wants to invite you to supper tonight. To bring you up-to-date or something. Might find out more then."

 "I'd love that."

 It was Gavin's turn to smile. He quickly changed the subject and the rest of the conversation passed without mention of the party, much to his relief. They ended up having lunch as they spoke since Jack found out they hadn't done so already and by the time they’d finished and were getting ready to head out it was late afternoon already. Jack bid them goodbye, telling them that he still had some work to do, though he made sure to affirm that he'd definitely be at supper.

 Once they were back at the castle they split apart, the guards heading off for their shifts and Jeremy to do a bit more training. Gavin ended up heading to the library to read for a bit. He'd recently been loaned a book which talked about potions, trying to explain the magic that went into them in a more scientific way, and he found it absolutely fascinating. It passed the time well until supper.

 He eventually got up and headed to the smaller dining room, knowing that if Jack was over they'd be eating in there as it was more 'intimate'. Geoff's words. It didn't take long to arrive and he saw Griffon already inside. He greeted her as he took his own seat.

 "Evening, Griffon!"

 She smiled at him. "Evening. How was your day?"

 "It was good. I managed to get some tea in town and read more of that potions book!"

 "You're enjoying that a lot, aren't you?"

 "Yeah. It's really interesting. Like-" He was cut off from continuing by the door opening once more. Both Geoff and Jack entered, already engaged in conversation. "Oh, hey guys!"

 "Hey, Gavvers!" Geoff said at the same time as Jack said, "Evening."

 Once they were sat down the food started being brought in. Gavin paid enough attention to Geoff and Jack's conversation to realise they were talking about some Baron the both of them knew, quickly deciding that wasn't for him and continuing his talk with Griffon. She seemed happy to let him natter away about the book. A few minutes passed.

 "...and so that's why the milk can be used to-"

 "Gav?"

 He turned to Geoff. "Yeah? What's up?"

 "I was wondering if you wanted to talk about Lindsay."

 "Oh! Right. Uh, yeah, go for it." He glanced momentarily at Griffon, who was also directing her attention at Geoff, before turning back to him.

 "Well, I talked with her and her parents earlier about the whole courting thing and they're on board with it. Lindsay even went so far as to suggest she remain in the castle for a while instead of returning home with her parents, which they agreed to, so she's going to be here for the next five months. That alright with you?"

 "Yeah, absolutely! Unexpected, certainly, but not unwelcome."

 "Glad to hear it, buddy. They'll be at breakfast tomorrow, so we can finalise things then. And if you do have any problems with it, then be sure to let me know, okay?"

 He nodded as he said, "I will. Thanks, Geoff!"

 Geoff smiled. "No problem."

 The topic was dropped and Gavin returned to his conversation with Griffon, almost forgetting about the whole thing. So much so that when he exited the dining room he was startled by Lindsay calling his name. He turned to face her, noting Michael trailing behind her.

 "What's this I hear about you asking to court me?" she asked once she'd drawn closer, smiling.

 "Well, what did I hear about you asking to stay for five months?"

 She shrugged, smile not faltering. "It's all or nothing. If you haven't adequately wooed me in five months, then you're hardly going to manage it long distance, are you?"

 "That's fair."

 "But you didn't answer my question," she said, voice dropping into something a bit more serious.

 "After our conversation, do you really have to ask why?"

 She stared at him in silence, searching his face for something. After a few moments her smile softened. "Guess not. But, uh," her playful tone returned, "how are you planning to go about this? Grand gestures and priceless gifts?"

 "Eh, not really my style." He glanced down the hallway, thinking to himself. "How about we start with a tour of the main garden? It's beautiful, especially at sunset."

 She moved to loop her arm through his. "Sounds grand."

 They went outside like that, maintaining light conversation as they moved between the flower beds. Gavin tried to name a few of the flowers before realising he didn't know that much about them and promptly resorted to making things up. An upside to that was Lindsay's laugh, which knocked him breathless for a few moments in its beauty.

 Eventually they reached a tree on the edge of the garden and Gavin detached himself from her to gesture at it.

 "There's a great view from up there, if you want to climb it?" he said, voice lifting up at the end to turn it into a question. She surveyed him and the tree in turn before looking down at her dress. A moment later she was shrugging and hauling herself up into the tree.

 "This better be worth it!"

 He was startled into laughing and quickly followed her up. When he glanced down he noticed Michael taking up a stance at the base of the tree. He shook that from his mind to pay more attention to where he was placing his feet, continuing up until he was sat on a branch near Lindsay.

 "I think it should be," he said, glancing at the horizon. A few more minutes until sunset. "Anything you want to talk about while we wait?"

 She tilted her head, asking, "I heard the whole party thing to find you a suitor was 'cause you're an illegitimate child, what's up with that?"

 He blinked. "Uh, what?"

 "Just a rumour going around. If you don't want to talk about it-"

 "No, no, it's fine. You just surprised me. Uh, how much do you know about law?"

 "Enough to know that Achievia law is different to Ruby law."

 "Fair enough." He leaned back against the tree, organising his thoughts. "Well, first off, I'm not illegitimate. I'm adopted. If the accent and the fact that I look like neither Geoff nor Griffon didn't give that away."

 "Adopted? Is that allowed for the Royal family?"

 "Eh, it's complicated. Geoff had to change a bunch of laws to get me recognised as his son. Before that point I just hung out in the castle. Worked as a jester. It was a lot of fun, actually!" He kept his tone light-hearted and his gaze fixed on the horizon.

 "How old were you?"

 "About 14. Got legally adopted at 17, and that's when I got Jeremy as a personal guard. And a few months ago Geoff was looking into inheritance laws and found out that, even though he’d managed this much, I still couldn't legally inherit the crown. So, uh, I'm trying to get hitched in a loophole. Nobles by marriage still count as nobles, and I need to be a noble to be able to inherit, and it's stupid and complicated and Geoff is trying to change the laws again but-"

 She put a hand on his shoulder, cutting off his ramble. When he looked at her there was pity in her eyes. "What was it like before then?"

 He hesitated. He was so used to people looking down on him when they found out he'd been a commoner that he didn't know how to respond. His gaze dropped to his hands and he cleared his throat before saying, "I don't remember my parents. I grew up in the unconquered lands. Then, when I came here, I lived on the street. And that was horrible, to say the least. But Geoff took me in, and he's been great. Everything's been great."

 There were a few moments of silence, as though she was expecting him to continue. When he didn't she squeezed his shoulder and said, "I'm glad he did. He sounds amazing."

 "Yeah." He didn't stop affection from leaking into his tone. "He is. I really love him."

 Lindsay didn't say anything. There was nothing more to say. Once Gavin had collected himself he looked at the horizon. It was almost time.

 "Hey, Linds?"

 She turned from where she'd been staring out at the garden. "Hm?"

 "Close your eyes."

 A smile quirked her lips as she did what he asked. And just in time, as the sun sank down a moment later and the lighting dimmed. Gavin leaned forwards, turning her head to look at the gardens once more and, when the time was right, said, "You can look now."

 A moment later she gasped, leaning forwards to stare at the garden, which was now lit up in a colourful display to rival that of the sunset. Soft, warm colours emanated from a variety of flowers. Others twinkled and threw light out like stars. The little stream that ran through the garden caught all of these colours and more, making them dance as it ran along. When the sun completely disappeared the colours faded only slightly. Indeed, some of them seemed to brighten, lighting the entire garden up without the need for lanterns.

 Gavin, who had enjoyed this display many a night, was more captivated by Lindsay. The colours playing over her face, the sparkle in her eyes, the awed smile she didn't hold back. The tension in her arms as she braced them against the branch, leaning further and further forward. The hair spilling over her shoulder, a bright splash of colour that none of the flowers could compete with. He was pulled from his contemplation as she turned that bright smile on him.

 "This is beautiful! Holy shit, I can't believe- I just- I never knew flowers could glow!" She laughed in disbelief.

 "Yeah. It's the Kingdom's best kept secret, how they were made. Lotta research went into those."

 There was a flicker of disappointment across her face that made his chest tighten. "So, I don't suppose I could take some home with me."

 "Well, our Kingdoms are supposed to be uniting here," he said slowly, "It would be a great symbol of that unity if we were to gift you some."

 Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

 "I mean, we could at least ask Geoff tomorrow and- mmph!"

 Arms wrapped tightly around him, her face pressing against his neck. "Thank you!"

 He hugged her back, a warmth igniting within him. When they separated the warmth faded somewhat, but the smile that still shone on Lindsay's face kept it fizzling. To distract himself from the blush he could feel rising in his cheeks he turned to look out at the garden. A few moments passed in silence.

 "So, uh," Gavin eventually said, trying to keep his voice even, "you've heard about my childhood. Could I hear about yours?"

 "Yeah, of course!" She leant back against the tree and he chanced a look at her. She was still watching him, smiling slightly. "For the first few years it was a pretty normal childhood. Well, normal for a Princess, I suppose. Lessons in everything from politics to sword fighting. Then, when I was older, we visited the other Kingdoms for meetings and whatnot, but the different Kingdoms piqued my interest. As soon as I was given enough independence I started travelling."

 Her gaze drifted to the stars, expression softening as she became lost in thought. "I went to every Kingdom, hung out with the Royal family, chatted it up with the nobles. It was very informative. But as my travels continued I started staying in the countryside more and more. It just felt more freeing, y'know? I didn't have to talk to anyone but Michael."

 "They let you travel with only one guard?"

 "After the first few trips, yeah. Helps that Michael's such a good fighter. About equal to five regular guards. On a good day he could even fight ten!" Her face lit up as she talked. "I've never seen anyone fight like him. So, uh, yeah. They figured Michael was more than enough. And, y'know, I could fight too."

 "Fair enough. So you travelled about...?"

 "Yeah, I stayed to the countryside this time and it was absolutely breathtaking. I've even been to some of the unconquered areas, though my parents are pretty against that. Say it's too dangerous. I've only done it twice. Mostly it’s been travelling round different Kingdoms, unpopulated areas, y’know." She shrugged. "And that's been taking up a lot of my time. Have you done much travelling?"

 "Not nowadays, no. I've never even been to another Kingdom. I've always wanted to, though."

 "You could visit the Ruby Kingdom someday! We'd love to have you. And if this," she gestured between the two of them, “whole thing goes well then you really should come to visit me."

 “That sounds lovely. How much travelling have you done within the Achievia Kingdom?”

 "Not much, honestly. I've seen the South and the East, mainly when travelling between other places. I was meaning to head North to see the mountain range at some point this year. Apparently a sunrise up there is like no other. Plus I know Michael grew up in a mountainous area, so I thought it would be nice for him. Give him a taste of home."

 "We could probably head up there together. It only takes a week to get to the Southernmost range, if you're here for five months that's more than enough time to properly experience them."

 "That would be great!" A moment later her expression became sly. "But I must say, with the sunset and the offer of flowers and now this, you certainly are doing well at the whole 'wooing' thing."

 His face started heating up. He quickly stared up at the stars and hoped his voice wasn't strangled as he said, "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

 He heard her giggle, though she didn't say anything. When he looked at her she was gazing at the horizon, expression wistful. She said a moment later, "I should be heading off, though. It's getting late, and if I don't sleep now I won't be up for breakfast tomorrow."

 "I'll walk you to your rooms, then," he said as he slid down the tree. She followed a moment later. He wondered if the flush in her cheeks was from exertion.

 "I’d like that, thank you." And once again she looped her arm through his.

 They started walking, Michael following silently behind. Soon enough they arrived at the guest quarters and Lindsay pulled him to a stop outside one of the doors.

 "This has been a lovely evening," she said, voice soft. "Thank you."

 "It was my pleasure."

 "I'm sure we can share." In a swift motion she pulled him into an embrace. "Goodnight, Gavin."

 "Goodnight," he managed to get out, face red. She pulled back, smiling, and left. Michael was at the door beside hers, but his eyes were on Gavin. When their gazes met he turned away and entered his room without saying anything.

 ---

 The next morning as the sun was just barely cresting over the horizon, Gavin was already up and getting dressed. Once he was ready he made his way to Geoff’s room, knocking on the door. Geoff opened it. He was more than used to Gavin's early morning visits at this point.

 "Yeah? What do you want, Gav?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

 "Could I ask the gardeners for some clippings of the glowing flowers to give to Lindsay's parents before they leave?" The words came tumbling out of Gavin's mouth.

 "Woah, slow down, it's too early for this." When Gavin fell silent he sighed. "What did you want? Slowly, this time."

 This time he made sure to enunciate every word. "Clippings of the glowing flowers from the garden. To give as a gift to King Jonathan and Queen Lily. If that's alright with you."

 Geoff was quiet for a few moments. "I paid a lot to get those created, Gavin.”

 “Well, yeah, but me and Lindsay are courting and…” He let his words trail off, not knowing what to say to convince him.

 Geo sighed. “Okay, fine. But lemme get dressed, I'll head down with you."

 He lit up, words spilling out again as he said, "Really? Thanks Geoff! Oh, can you ask Jack to come too?"

 "What do you want Jack for?"

 "Well, he knows about flowers."

 "Fair enough. We'll meet you in the garden in about half an hour, alright?"

 He groaned. "Half an hour? It'll be almost breakfast by then!"

 "So you better make sure you're not late. Now scram." He made a shooing motion with his hand before closing the door. Muffled voices came from it only a moment later.

 Gavin left quickly, not wanting to listen in, and wondered how best to pass the time between now and then. He ended up grabbing a book from the library and waiting in the garden so that he definitely wouldn't be late. It paid off as only 20 minutes later Geoff and Jack were walking out of the castle. As Jack laughed at something Geoff said, Gavin approached, bouncing with nervous energy.

 "Morning!"

 "Gavin! You're here early."

 "Yeah yeah, can we get the flowers now?" he asked, giving a quick nod to Jack as a greeting before turning to head down the path. He heard Geoff sigh and start speaking to Jack again as they followed.

 Soon enough they found the gardener and Jack spoke to them, writing up instructions regarding caring for the flowers as the gardener jogged off to get the clippings and some soil. It didn't take long for it to get all wrapped up, at which point Jack handed it to Gavin. He looked to Geoff questioningly.

 "Hey, this is your gift. You should be the one to present it," he said, ruffling Gavin's hair. He ducked out of reach and looked back down at the gift. "You okay with that, bud?"

 "Uh, yeah." He looked back up, flashing them both a quick smile. "Thanks for your help!"

 "Anytime," said Jack as Geoff merely shrugged.

 "Well, we'd better hurry if we want to make it in time for breakfast," Geoff said, turning to Jack. "You will be joining us, right?"

 "Yeah, of course!"

 Geoff's face broke out in a smile. "Let's go, then!"

 They made it to the dining room, more opulent than the one last night, with time to spare. Lindsay and Michael came in a few minutes after them and were the last ones to arrive. As the food started being plated up, Geoff cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

 "Now, I know we have a few things to discuss today, but before we do that my son has something he'd like to give you."

 Welp, guess he was being put on the spot. Gavin got to his feet, bowing to the King and Queen in turn and presenting the box to them. "From our Kingdom to yours."

 Queen Lily was the one to take it, taking the lid off and peering curiously at the contents within. "May we ask what this is?"

 "It's clippings from our garden. A number of flowers that your daughter seemed quite taken with upon her visit there. We've also included information on caring for the flowers and some soil, just in case." He clasped his hands behind his back to avoid fidgeting. Hopefully they'd appreciate the gift.

 They apparently did as their eyes widened in shock. King Jonathan was the first to collect himself, saying, "We've heard about the wonders of your garden. It is truly an honour to receive this gift. We thank you." He then stood to bow to him, Geoff, and Griffon in turn.

 Geoff smiled. "We are glad that you like it, and hope they bloom well in your gardens."

 Jonathan and Lily returned the smile, settling themselves, and Gavin took that as his cue to sit back down, chancing a look at Lindsay. Her eyes were wide, staring at the box, but she seemed to notice him staring at her and turned to smile at him, mouthing 'thank you'. He smiled back.

 The conversation shifted to finalising things regarding Lindsay's stay here, which Gavin listened to but didn't feel the need to take part in. Everyone seemed to be happy with the five month suggestion, though Griffon did ask if Lindsay had belongings with her or if she'd need to be lent anything. Lindsay was the one to answer, saying that she always packed well in case she was struck by the urge to travel, so she'd be fine. No further problems arose.

 It was finally agreed that Lindsay's parents would return after five months and spend a couple of days here to recover from the trip before heading back with Lindsay. Not long after that the meal was over and Jonathan and Lily went back to their rooms to pack. Lindsay went with them, Michael following after, and Gavin went to pass time in the courtyard by reading once more.

 Midday rolled around. Gavin put down his book as people started coming out, moving to stand beside Geoff. Things started off pretty formal, with a lot of bowing and curtsying from both parties, but then they pulled Lindsay aside for a more private goodbye. They hugged tightly, said a few indistinct things, and then were gone. Geoff tossed a look at Gavin before heading back inside with Griffon and Jack. He found himself alone, Lindsay and Michael a small distance away. He walked over.

 "You okay?" he asked, cursing himself internally for asking something so stupid.

 Lindsay shrugged. "Probably. This isn't the first time I've said goodbye to them."

 "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

 She met his gaze squarely. He could see sadness in there, but the stubborn set to her jaw and the smile on her lips were both stronger. "No, I think I'd rather be distracted. You any good at that?"

 He smiled back. "Depends what you like."

 "I like spending time with you."

 "Well, yeah, but… anything else?" Nevertheless, he offered his arm. "You mentioned sword fighting yesterday. Want to try your luck against our Royal Guard?"

 She took his arm, smile growing stronger. "I think I would, yes."

 He led the way to the training grounds. Jeremy and the new recruits were sparring with Jack and Griffon looking on, shouting tips every now and again. Gavin drew closer, leaning against the rail to chat with Lindsay as he waited for them to finish. Her gaze was on the onlookers.

 "That man, Jack?" she asked. When he nodded she continued, "Is he a guard, or...?"

 "No, not anymore. He and Griffon both used to be guards. Geoff's personal guards, in fact. But now he's a blacksmith. I think. He's had several jobs over the years, it's difficult keeping track of them all."

 "Were they personal guards at the same time? I thought it was usually only one."

 "It was Jack first, when he and Geoff were thirteen, then as they got older Jack realised he really didn't like being a guard and left, at which point Griffon was appointed. I think they were about twenty or something. So he didn’t get that much actual guard training. But they stayed very close, as you can tell."

 She nodded, gaze now turning to the sparring guards. "And your personal guard is...?"

 "Jeremy." He pointed at the man in question.

 "He's so young!"

 "He’d be offended to hear you say that! He’s 19, and seems to think that makes him mature and stuff. I'm guessing your personal guard is Michael?"

 She nodded. "Yep! Has been for eight years now. How long has Jeremy been your personal guard?"

 "Well, he only officially got the title when I was 17, as I said, but he's been protecting me since I first arrived at the castle. So he would've been about 12 when we first met? Of course, back then he was more for companionship than anything else. Geoff thought we’d get along great. Which we didn’t. It was a rough start. But we’re good friends now." He turned his attention from the sparring to Lindsay, "When did you first meet Michael?"

 She glanced back at Michael as she thought, brow furrowing. "Oh, I don't know. It feels like I've always known him. I think we must have been about 6, possibly? He was already sure he wanted to be a guard, though he wasn't able to get appointed for a few more years, or start training for several years after that."

 Gavin also glanced at Michael, trying to picture the guard as a bright-eyed young child. It seemed incongruous. "Was he like that back then?" he asked, trying to keep his voice quiet.

 She turned back to him, a laugh in her voice as she asked, "Like what?"

 "Y'know. Stoic. Stiff."

 "He's not stiff!"

 "He is kinda."

 She looked between him and Michael before shaking her head. "Nope. You're wrong. And I'll prove it to you."

 Before he could respond, Jeremy cut in. "Hey! Lovebirds!"

 "Yeah?" they both asked, turning towards him. He faltered for a moment.

 "Uh, just wondering what you're doing here."

 Lindsay smiled and said, "Well, I was hoping to spar with you, if that's not too much trouble."

 "No, absolutely not! You guys can take a break, I got this."

 "Oh, thank gods," one of them muttered, hopping the rail to stand near Gavin. The others took up similar positions.

 "But you should be watching closely and taking notes! This is a valuable learning experience," Jeremy said, leveling the practice sword at them all. He then returned his attention to Lindsay. "You ready?"

 She straightened from the quick stretches she'd been doing and grabbed a practice sword before giving a decisive nod. "Come at me!"

 She ended up doing pretty well against Jeremy, scoring a few hits on him before tripping over and calling an end to it as he held the sword against her neck. He was grinning as he helped her to her feet.

 "Not bad, not bad. Best two outta three?"

 "You won't win this time!"

 He did. And the next. The fourth time Lindsay did manage to beat him, though she herself admitted that she got lucky. After that she relinquished the sword and headed over to Gavin.

 "I'm definitely rusty," she said as she drew closer, "but I'm pretty proud of that. Went out on a high!"

 She reclined against the rail next to him, body facing the fighting but head turned towards him. He smiled at her.

 "You did well. Think Jeremy might’ve let you win, though."

 She made a face, asking, "Really?"

 "Yep. When did you last train?"

 "Only a month ago!" she sounded indignant.

 He struggled to hold back his laugh. “Sorry. But he is damn good.”

 She sighed as she looked away again. “That he is.”

 They watched the sparring for a bit in silence before Lindsay turned to him once more, asking, "You gonna take a round?"

 "Oh no, not for me."

 "Oh, come on! You can't make a bigger fool of yourself than I did."

 "I can and I probably will. At least you've had some training, even if you're rusty."

 Her brow furrowed. "You haven't had training? Not even basic?"

 "Nope. Like I said, not for me."

 She turned away again, frowning.

 "Uh, did I say something wrong?" he asked.

 She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

 He turned back to the sparring, fingers tapping on the rail. He couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.

 It was a few rounds later when the new recruits and Jeremy took another break. After a brief conversation Jeremy came over to where Gavin and the others were, having a drink before speaking.

 "Anyone interested in trying their luck again?" he asked, cocky grin in place. Both Gavin and Lindsay shook their heads mutely. "Seriously? What about you, big guy?"

 Gavin glanced back at Michael, whom he'd all but forgotten about, to see him also shake his head. Jeremy huffed.

 "Alright, what if you went up against one of the newbies? I think they could do with fighting new people." Behind him their faces dropped. Once again, everyone shook their heads and they slumped in relief, muttering amongst themselves. Jeremy, however, was looking concerned. "You guys okay?"

 "Yeah, we’re good," Gavin said, shrugging. "I think you should be more worried about that lot, they look about ready to drop dead."

 "They'll be fine! You two, however, were chatting up a storm earlier and now you're not even looking at each other. What happened?"

 "It's really none of your business." Lindsay's voice was even when she spoke. Jeremy continued scanning Gavin’s face. Whatever he saw, it didn't convince him and he became stubborn.

 "Well, Gavin's my friend, so I'm making it my business. Now you two are going to talk about whatever happened and if you try leaving without it getting fixed, I will personally fight you. Again. Come on, you lot. And, uh, you too, Abs."

 With that he walked over to where Jack and Griffon were chatting, Michael and the others following. Gavin and Lindsay stewed in awkward silence for a bit.

 "Um," Gavin coughed, turning towards Lindsay, "so. Why are you... upset?"

 "I'm not upset, your Highness."

 "Okay, what are you then?"

 "I'm perfectly fine."

 "Bullshit."

 Her head whipped around. Gavin cursed internally. There had probably been some way to handle that better. But it was out there now and so he forged on.

 "If you're fine, why have you been so silent and tense?"

 She looked away again, brow furrowing. He didn't say anything more, letting her think. Eventually she sighed.

 "I'm worried, I suppose. The fact that you don't know how to fight is concerning. What if you got attacked?"

 "Well, that's what Jeremy's for, innit?"

 "Yes, but you can't rely on him all the time. And you don't even take him around with you when you're in the castle! What if someone were to break in?" She was building up steam now, gesturing as she spoke. "You could get seriously hurt because you'd be on your own and unable to fight. It just strikes me as stupid that you wouldn't take measures against that! Why wouldn't you-"

 "I have."

 She ground to a halt, cheeks flushed, and let her hands drop to her sides. "Enlighten me."

 He sighed. "I don't know if I can. State secrets."

 "You seem to have a lot of those." Her tone was sarcastic and Gavin couldn't hide his flinch. She was quiet for a bit before saying, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

 "Thanks for the apology. And I should probably offer one of my own. I would tell you if I were able, but. Well. Regardless, I'm sorry for worrying you."

 "Thanks." Her voice was quieter now. The anger on her face had died down. Now concern wrinkled her brow, as much as she tried to suppress it. Gavin couldn't just leave it like that and wracked his brain for some way to make it better.

 "Actually, hold on a sec," he said, standing taller and looking over to where the others were. He managed to catch Griffon's eye and signed a quick question at her. She signed back, lips pursed. After a bit of back and forth she eventually nodded, though her disapproving look didn’t falter. He turned back to Lindsay. "Just asked and I can tell you, but you have to promise, hand on heart, that you won't tell anyone else."

 "Uh, yeah. I promise," she said, looking confused. "What are you telling me?"

 "The protective measures in place. But if word got out people could figure out ways around them, so you seriously cannot tell anyone, okay?"

 Her expression became more serious as she nodded. "I already promised, didn't I?"

 "Yeah, okay. Have you ever heard of Lord Haywood?"

 "The Mad Sorcerer? What about him?"

 His mouth twisted at the name. "Well, he's a good friend of mine. Saved my hide more than once. That's actually how Jeremy and I met him. And while he and I are friends, he and Jeremy are far closer. Neither of them really liked how much time Jeremy had to spend protecting me, cause it meant the two of them could never hang out alone, but Ryan knew that Jeremy wouldn't abandon his post, either. So he worked to ensure my safety by other means."

 Her eyes widened in understanding. "So, he really is a sorcerer?"

 "Yep. And probably the best in the Kingdom. The entire castle is under his protection, and he's gifted me a few charms that I can also use when attacked. The magic, especially on the castle, does have to be renewed every few months, but fortunately that just gives him more opportunities to come here and visit Jeremy. So it's a win-win."

 "Right. So that's why you just saunter around the castle grounds without a personal guard?"

 "Exactly. And I think it should be obvious why this really shouldn't get out."

 She smiled and made a lip-locking gesture. "I won't tell."

 "If you do, you’ll have the Mad Sorcerer after you.” he said, finally smiling. “But I believe you. So, uh, does that make things better between us?"

 "Well, I don't suppose I can argue with state secrets and sorcerers. I still think you should learn to fight, but yeah. We're good."

 His smile turned into a grin. "I'm glad to hear it! Now then, we should probably head on over before Jeremy comes to check on us."

 She agreed and they went to join the others. After a brief interrogation from Jeremy to check that they really had patched things up, the conversation flowed smoothly. Gavin was happy to see the others all hit it off with Lindsay, but in turn that made him more aware of Michael's silent presence. It was later that evening as they were walking through the garden that he broached the subject with Lindsay.

 "Do you know why Michael's being so... y'know?" he asked.

 She tilted her head. "He doesn't really like meeting new people. And especially so many at once. I could talk to him. And maybe if we have more time just the three of us he'll feel less overwhelmed, as opposed to all the people today."

 "I hope so."

 "Me too. I'd really like you two to get along. And I think you would, if you actually talked." Her gaze became more contemplative. "Yeah, I can see you two becoming friends."

 "But there is that barrier of talking to get over still."

 "Like I said, I'll talk to him."

 And they let the matter drop for that night. In fact, it was a couple of days before any headway was made. The intervening time had been taken up by the other nobles leaving and every farewell had required Gavin's presence. But now he finally had some time to himself, and so he'd decided to hang out with Lindsay in the garden, which meant Michael would be there too. As a result, Gavin was on his best behaviour. Or some approximation.

 "One million gold coins, but all your toes are replaced with dicks."

 Michael's confused expression was priceless. After staring at Gavin for a few moments he asked, "What. The actual. Fuck."

 Gavin brightened instantly. That was the first time he'd actually heard Michael speak. He continued pushing. "Come on, answer the question!"

 Michael opened and closed his mouth a few times before sighing and turning to Lindsay. "What the hell do you see in him?"

 She lowered her hand, which had previously been muffling her giggles, and shrugged. "I dunno. He's funny though, isn't he?"

 "If you have a child's sense of humour, sure."

 "Michael!" Gavin cut in, trying his best to look shocked. "What children have you been hanging out with?"

 "Oh, shut up." But there was a smile tugging at his lips. Gavin decided to change tactics, turning to Lindsay.

 "What about you, Linds? Would you take the money?"

 She tilted her head, actually considering the question. "Hm, are they toe-sized dicks or dick-sized dicks?”

 “Toe-sized, of course.”

 “Then I think I would. That's a lotta money, after all, and I’d probably still be able to walk."

 He made a face. "But imagine if they got boners, Lindsay!"

 "It'd certainly be an experience."

 "Fair enough. But seriously, Michael, are you going to answer the question?"

 "Are you going to say my name right?" Michael retorted.

 "Huh? What do you mean?"

 "You keep saying Mi-coo. My name is Mi-chael. There's a difference."

 He pouted. "I have an accent, Micoo, of course I'm going to say your name differently!"

 "But you just emphasised it! You deliberately did it wrong!" His tone became accusatory as he gestured angrily at Gavin. "Lindsay, back me up here."

 "I don't know what you're talking about, Micoo!" she said, grinning.

 He faltered for a moment, staring at her, before dropping his hands and sighing. "Well, that's on me. I should have known better than to ask for help from you."

 She patted his arm sympathetically. "Yeah, you should've."

 They continued walking for a little bit in silence. Michael was scanning the rest of the garden while Lindsay had looped her arm through Gavin's again. Gavin was wondering what to do. He'd made some progress in the Michael department, in that they'd actually had a conversation and he believed Michael enjoyed it too, or rather, he hoped he did. But Gavin still didn’t know what to do next. As he thought about it he heard a familiar sound coming from under a nearby bush.

 "Wait!" He kept his voice low even as he pulled Lindsay to a stop, staring wide-eyed at the bush in question. She followed his gaze to the bush before looking quizzically back at him. Whatever she was about to say next was cut off by the sound coming from the bush again.

 "Cat!" she gasped, dropping Gavin's arm to move closer. Gavin did so too, keeping low to the ground, and noticed the cat in question. It was very small and very grey and its mews were pitiful. He fell in love immediately.

 "Here, kitty kitty. Come on, we're not going to hurt you." He kept up a steady stream of words in a low, soothing voice, reaching one hand out towards the cat. It shrunk back but didn't run away. He continued with, "I promise we'll feed you and look after you and love you forever, just come on out, there's nothing scary out here, I promise, and-"

 "What are you two doing?" Michael asked.

 "There's a cat, Michael!" Lindsay said before proceeding to make little kissy noises.

 "You won't be able to keep it."

 "Nonsense!" Gavin was the one to respond, still trying to keep the same tone of voice. "This is hardly the first cat I've brought home. Geoff's learnt that it's just easier to let me keep them at this point. Speaking off, you have to meet Egg and Smee and Columbo and Lloyd at some point." He directed the last part at Lindsay, whose face instantly lit up.

 "That sounds amazing! I know what we're doing for the rest of the day."

 Gavin grinned back at her. "Sounds like a plan."

 Behind them, Michael sighed. "It's going to have bugs," he said, but his tone was far more resigned.

 "We have potions to help with that," Gavin said, following it up with another stream of words to the cat, who had calmed down quite a bit and was edging out of the bushes towards his hand. "Nearly there," he urged, "come on, it'll all be fine, I promise!"

 It finally reached his hand and sniffed it curiously. Gavin stayed very still as it explored. When it butted its head against his hand he moved, gently petting it as his other hand reached for a bag of meat scraps he carried around for this very purpose. He grabbed a bit and moved his hand slowly towards the cat, still petting it. It once again flinched as the hand drew near, but perked up when the scent of food hit it and moved of its own accord to start eating. He heard Lindsay make a soft squealing sound.

 "It's so small and fluffy and cute!" she said, squealing again.

 "I know, right! It's so itsy and bitsy, and soft too!" Gavin chimed in. Upon noticing that the cat had finished eating and was now sniffing both of his hands he picked it up, careful to not move too swiftly. It remained calm and once he had it situated he gave it some more food. "Come on, let's head in."

 They went to the healer's room and managed to get the cat sorted out quickly. This really wasn't the first time Gavin had brought an animal in for them to tend to, so by now they were pretty used to it. They gave him the usual instructions regarding how to feed her and what potions to use and to keep her away from the other cats for a few days and then they were finally allowed to leave. They ended up in Lindsay's room with the new cat, watching her play with a bit of string as they talked.

 "Fork."

 "What?" Michael asked, staring at Gavin incredulously. "That's a stupid name for a cat."

 "Okay, how about Teacup? Tea for short."

 "Why do you want to name it after things?"

 "Codger?"

 "Now you're just making words up."

 Gavin pouted and bemoaned, "Lindsay, he's making fun of all of my suggestions, Lindsay!"

 She hummed, not taking her eyes off the cat as she wriggled the string. "I don't think you should be allowed a veto unless you offer an alternative."

 As Michael huffed, Gavin beamed. "Does that mean you like my names?"

 "Gods no. How about Smudge?"

 "Too boring. This lovely lady deserves a far more regal name."

 "Like Fork?" Michael muttered, rolling his eyes. Gavin ignored him.

 "Well, what's your alternative?" Lindsay asked.

 "I came up with three names already, I get three vetos."

 "Alright. What about... Munchkin?"

 "Nope. Still not regal enough."

 "Little Bear?"

 "She's not a bear, Linds!"

 "Bush? Since that's where we found her?"

 Gavin leveled a look at her, but before he could veto Michael cut in. "What is it with you two and naming it after objects?"

 "Don't like it, offer an alternative, remember?" Lindsay pointed out. "And don't call her an 'it'."

 "Seriously? I don't even like cats, why should I have to name it?"

 "'Cause you seem to care so much about what it's named," Gavin said.

 He dithered for a bit, looking between the two of them and the cat on the bed, before looking away and asking, "How about Zelda?"

 Gavin tilted his head. "That's the Princess from the old fairytales, yeah?"

 "Look, if you don't like it, you don't have to-"

 "I do like it!" He looked over at Lindsay while Michael was still floundering. "Your thoughts?"

 "Definitely regal. I think it suits her."

 "Well, there you have it," Gavin stated triumphantly, grinning at Michael. "Happy?"

 "...at least it isn't a fucking object."

 Lindsay shook her head fondly before sitting up straighter and saying, "Since we're all in agreement," she raised the cat to her face, nose to nose, and said in a serious tone, "I dub thee Zelda. Cherish thy name."

 Zelda stared gravely at her for all of two seconds before biting her finger. Not hard enough to break skin, thankfully, but it definitely broke the mood. As Lindsay chastised Zelda, laughing, Gavin glanced at Michael to see him watching Lindsay with a smile. He couldn't keep the grin off his own face at the sight.

 They spent the rest of the day hanging out in Lindsay's room, playing with Zelda, until it grew late and Gavin had to leave. As he lingered in the door, Michael having already ducked into his own rooms to give them some semblance of privacy, something Michael asked earlier came back to him and he found himself asking, "What do you see in me?"

 "Huh?" She tilted her head. "Where did this come from?"

 He shrugged. "Just wondering."

 "Well, you're funny. Not too hard on the eyes, despite the nose." She was smiling and Gavin relaxed, allowing himself to smile back. "And, I dunno. It's just nice to have someone who gets it. Or parts of it."

 He thought back to their first meeting, the advice Lindsay had offered him and the understanding in her gaze, and nodded. "Thanks."

 "What about you? Why did you choose me out of so many suitors? You had a lot of choices, y'know."

 He clasped his hands behind his back. "The same, really. Like, this is all something a lot of my friends don't get, and while Geoff is great… It’s still nice to have someone else."

 "Do you mind if I ask what this," she gestured between them, "thing is? I know we're courting, but..."

 "I don't know. I like you, a lot. You're a great friend. I could see it becoming more, definitely. But that’s about it at the moment. And, uh, not really something I was expecting, to be honest."

 "What, did I give that bad of a first impression?" she asked, laughing.

 "No, I meant in general. I was just looking for someone to marry for political purposes, callous as that sounds, and that I managed to hit it off with you, that I actually enjoy spending time with you and could see this thing being a, a thing, is... Well, it's nice."

 Smile softening, she said, "Ditto."

 He struggled to hold back laughter. "Ditto? That's what you have to say?"

 She rolled her eyes. "Well, you said it so nicely, and I knew I wouldn't be able to match that. So, ditto."

 "Thanks."

 "No problem. Thank you too, for giving me a chance."

 "Trust me, there was never any doubt."

 Her face lit up. "Aw, you."

 He glanced down the hall, face falling. "But I really should be heading off. Goodnight, Linds."

 "Night, Gav. Tomorrow, I'm meeting the rest of your cats." She leveled a finger at him before closing the door. He wandered back to his rooms, smiling the entire way.

 ---

 The next day they did just that. Jeremy was enlisted to keep an eye on Zelda since she still couldn't meet the other cats yet. And things went well. Lindsay adored the cats, and they liked her in turn. Gavin always loved spending time with them. The only sour note was Michael, who seemed to have retreated back into his shell. Gavin once again found himself discussing it with Lindsay.

 "I'm just saying, he's very, y'know, stiff around me."

 "Well, maybe it's you. Have you ever considered that? I mean, he's not stiff when he and I are hanging out."

 "Maybe he's stiff in other ways," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

 She laughed, cheeks flushing slightly, and shook her head. Her tone became pointed as she continued. "But have you tried talking to him, or have you just been complaining to me?"

 "Well, what about yesterday?"

 "He was talking yesterday, wasn't he?"

 He fell silent, thinking to himself, before offering a sheepish smile. "Whoops."

 She smiled, cuddling Smee to her face, much to his annoyance. "Just try talking with him. He gets up at dawn to train until breakfast, maybe you could try then?"

 "Yeah, I'll try. Thanks, Linds."

 ---

 The next morning he woke at dawn, as per usual, and went to hang out in the training grounds. Not long after, Michael showed up, at which point Gavin put his book down and went over to watch him train for a bit. After a few minutes of definitely-not-ogling he was jolted out of his thoughts by Michael's voice.

 "What are you staring at?"

 "Just watching you train." He put on his most innocent smile. "Do you not want me around?"

 He stared back at Gavin for a moment before rolling his eyes. "Don't interrupt me."

 "I'll be quiet, promise!"

 He went back to wailing on the dummies. Gavin kept his word and remained silent throughout. When Michael stepped back and lowered his sword, obviously taking a break, he hopped the fence and offered him some water.

 "...thanks," Michael said, taking a swig. "What are you even doing out here so early?"

 "Reading."

 "You can read?"

 He pouted, pushing back the flutter of hurt that arose at his words. "Michael, that's mean, Michael!"

 "Yeah, yeah. What're you reading?"

 He raised the book, showing the title 'Stars and Their Movements' to him. "It's all about stars and how they move through the sky and stuff. It's pretty interesting. Not quite as interesting as the folk stories about the stars in my opinion, but still! I only picked it up this morning, up 'til then I'd been reading about potions and... I’m rambling, aren’t I?"

 "Huh?"

 "Uh, nothing. It's just a book about stars." He lowered the book again and turned to examine the dummies. "You're a pretty good fighter, aren't you? What kinda sword is that?”

 “...long sword.”

 “Nice. You ever spar?"

 "No."

 "Why not? It's a great way to test yourself!"

 "How would you know? You can't even fight."

 His mouth twisted. "You heard that, huh?"

 Michael rolled his eyes and raised the sword again. "You should get out the way."

 He did so and went to sit on a bench to continue reading. The bell for breakfast tolled before he looked up again. Upon doing so, he noticed Michael lingering by the door, watching him. He approached, plastering a smile on his face.

 "Bet you worked up an appetite, huh?" he called out as he drew closer.

 Michael snorted. "No shit."

 They entered the castle. After taking a few steps Gavin couldn't contain his curiosity anymore and asked, "Why did you wait for me?"

 "Wasn't sure you'd actually get up in time. Wouldn't want Lindsay to be missing you."

 Gavin noticed his features soften as he mentioned Lindsay. Looking around, he recognised a room he knew was always empty and, before he could change his mind, grabbed Michael by the arm to pull him into it. Despite his confused exclamation, Michael went easily and soon the door was closing behind them. Gavin turned to face him.

 "What's your problem with me?"

 "What?" Michael asked, confusion deepening. Gavin plowed on.

 "Look, I know I'm not the easiest to get along with, but at least I'm bloody making an effort! You've been silent since we met and kinda rude to me this morning and I know you care about Lindsay and she you but if this is the way you act I have no idea how that could have happened, so I can only assume it's something to do with me. So, what is it?"

 He huffed. "You really love the sound of your own voice, huh?"

 "Answer the bloody question!"

 He looked away, emotions warring on his face, before finally saying, "I'm not good at this whole 'talking to people' thing. Lindsay was the last person I really did this with, and that was when we were children. So I don't know how to go about this."

 "So this is just awkwardness? Really?" He tilted his head, anger slipping away.

 "Partially. I also don't know what you want with Lindsay, and it is my job to protect her, so."

 "I mean, I was bloody asking for suitors, wasn't I? What do you think I want with Lindsay?"

 "But why? Why would you want to get married? Why so young?"

 "Political reasons. Law reasons. Complicated, boring reasons." He sighed, debating how much to tell him. "Long story short, I need to marry a noble so that I'm eligible for the throne."

 "Does Lindsay know?"

 "I mentioned it in one of our first meetings, so yeah."

 "So this is a practical marriage."

 "I'm pretty sure it is on her side, too." He hesitated. "But that definitely isn't to say I don't like Lindsay. She's a dear friend, and I could honestly see myself falling for her. And if I do, I'll tell her that, too."

 Michael's face softened. "...okay. I believe you."

 He lit up. "Aw, thanks Micoo!"

 "Don't call me-" He took a breath. "Y'know what? Fuck it."

 "Seriously though. Thanks. I know you and Lindsay are close, so this means a lot."

 "Yeah, well. I won't have to do the whole 'hurt her and I kill you' thing, right?"

 "Oh no, definitely not. I've seen you train, I can fill in the blanks for myself."

 He grinned. "Good."

 They left the room again, tension between them dissipated, and it wasn’t long before Gavin started nattering away to fill the silence.

 "But seriously, you were just being awkward? This entire time, you didn't know how to talk to me? Am I that intimidating? I can't believe this! I've lost all fear I once held for you. How can I be afraid knowing that your stoic badass persona was just you being scared to say 'hi'?"

 "Shut up!" Michael reached out to punch his arm, but it was gentle and there was no heat to his words, so Gavin continued.

 "No, seriously. Are all silent and intimidating types secretly huge dorks? 'Cause between you and Ryan, that's two for two. Are you all in some kind of club?"

 "Hey guys!" Lindsay called out, jogging down the hall towards them. "Why aren't you at breakfast?"

 "Why aren't you?" Gavin retorted, leaning in to give her a quick hug.

 "Well, I was, but when I saw my two favourite boys weren't there I had to come find you!"

 "Aw, Linds!"

 She pulled back, grinning, and turned to hug Michael too. "So, does this mean you two are actually talking now?"

 "Yep!" Gavin said, turning his smile on Michael. "Turns out he's just a dork."

 "I could've told you that." She ruffled Michael's hair to soften her words, then grabbed his and Gavin's hands. "Now come on, breakfast awaits!"

 ---

 It was a couple of days later when they finally decided to introduce Zelda to the other cats. It went better than expected and soon they were relaxing in Gavin's room. They talked about nothing much for a while, Gavin trying to find out more about Michael who kept giving non-committal answers, until Lindsay cut in to say, "Gavin, you suggested heading up to the mountains at some point, yeah?"

 "Oh yeah! I'll talk to Geoff about it tomorrow." He pet Zelda for a moment. "You'll be coming, right Michael?"

 "Uh, yeah? If Lindsay goes, I go."

 "Are you looking forward to it?"

 He shrugged. "Don't have any strong feelings on the matter. Are you just going to interrogate me all day?"

 "Maybe."

 He rolled his eyes and turned to Lindsay. "Can you stop him?"

 She smiled. "Why would I?"

 "Ugh, forget it."

 Gavin sat up, dislodging Zelda who scurried off to Lindsay, and turned to face Michael fully. "This isn't a one-way thing, though. You got any questions you wanna ask me?"

 “...Why did you throw the party in the first place?"

 "Didn't I already-"

 "Yeah, you gave me the short version but there's still a lot that doesn't make sense. Like, how come you weren't legitimate in the first place?"

 He picked at the bedding beneath him and shrugged. "Probably 'cause I'm adopted?"

 "You're adopted?"

 There was a beat of silence before Gavin laughed, unable to hold it back. Michael turned pink again. Gavin calmed down enough to say, "Sorry, sorry. But doesn't the fact that I have an accent tip you off?"

 "I- oh, yeah. Uh. I forgot?"

 He shook his head, laughter dying. "That's ridiculous, Michael."

 "Well, how does getting married change anything?"

 "There's a loophole where if I'm noble, whether by birth or by marriage, I can inherit the throne. It's kinda stupid, to be honest. Geoff is working on changing it, but-"

 "Wait, you're not noble, either?"

 "Great powers of observation there, Michael."

 He was scowling, glancing at Lindsay as if asking her for help. She just shrugged, looking between him and Gavin with a concerned look on her face. Michael turned back to him and said, "Ignoring for the moment that I don't notice jack shit, how about you take this from the top? How did Geoff adopt you and why, if you're not noble?"

 He hesitated, debating whether to tell the truth or not, but soon decided to go for it and gave a shortened version of the story he’d already told Lindsay. He found it was easier this time, though he still found himself watching the cats rather than the two of them. Once he was done they were silent for a few moments, processing his words.

 Lindsay was the first to speak, asking, “You alright Gav?”

 He nodded. “Yeah. Just wondering if Zelda’s gonna fall off the-”

 His words were cut off as Zelda fell off the chair she’d been scaling. Lindsay burst into laughter, scooping the cat up to coo over her even as she tried to wriggle away. She finally released the cat so they could continue chatting, the tension effectively broken.

 ---

 The next morning Gavin finally discussed the trip to the mountains with Geoff. He seemed fine with the idea, but not with Gavin's plan to only take the personal guards as protection. It took a lot of wheedling until he managed to convince him, but he ended up heading to Lindsay's room in high spirits. She was overjoyed at the news and, despite Michael's more tepid response, they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the preparations. It was almost a week later when they found themselves at a side gate in the early hours of the morning saying their goodbyes.

 "...and you better have packed warm clothing, I know it gets cold as dicks up in the mountains, and are you sure you don't want more guards?" Geoff finally finished his ramble, looking up at Gavin on his horse. He tried to give a reassuring smile back.

 "We'll be fine, Geoffrey! Promise."

 "If you come home with even one scratch on you I'm never letting you leave the castle again, I hope you know that."

 As he rolled his eyes, Griffon draped an arm over her husband's shoulder. "Leave them be, Geoff. They're adults, they'll be fine."

 "Jeremy isn't!"

 Jeremy pouted as Griffon patted Geoff one last time. "You lot had better head off, though. If you stay here any longer, Geoff'll never let you leave."

 "Yeah, okay," Gavin said, raising his hand in a wave. "Bye, Griffon! Bye, Geoff! Bye, Jack!"

 They all waved back, Geoff sniffling slightly. Gavin then turned his horse and started out of the gate with the others following close behind.

 ---

 The first leg of the journey passed with a few hiccups, chief among which being Michael's terrible sense of direction and inability to read a map and Lindsay continuously dozing off on her horse, but when they decided to stop for the night they’d still managed to make good progress. After a bit of trial and error, Lindsay took charge setting up the camp as Michael cooked them food and that remained their routine during the next few nights. Their days started long after dawn, much to Gavin’s annoyance, since Lindsay refused to wake up any earlier. Once they were on the road Gavin was in charge of directing them as the air was filled with idle chatter.

 One night, Gavin broke their routine by suggesting they stop early. Though the others seemed suspicious, they complied. Most likely the nine days of travel had worn on them enough that they were grateful for the rest and they all retired not long after the meal.

 The next morning, an hour or so before sunrise, Gavin was awake and starting the fire. The sound of him rummaging about drew Michael from his tent, sword clasped in one hand before he realised who it was and lowered it, still staring at Gavin in confusion.

 "I know you like to get up early, but this is too much," he said. “What the fuck.”

 Gavin gave a half-smile, gesturing to the path before them. "It won't take long to reach the mountains today."

 "That's not an answer."

 "I kinda wanted Lindsay's first view of them to be at sunrise. She heard the view was like no other."

 Michael was silent for a few moments, then sighed and came fully out of the tent to sit beside Gavin. "Okay, first of all that was sickeningly adorable and how dare you. Second of all, there's no way in hell Lindsay is going to wake up early enough for that."

 He poked the fire. "Thanks, and I was hoping the early night would help with that. And have you noticed that she's been getting up earlier during this trip anyway? It wasn't long after dawn that she awoke yesterday."

 "There's still a huge difference between that and an hour before dawn."

 "Yeah." He continued poking the fire. "Either way, I like getting up early. No skin off my back."

 Michael muttered something under his breath and went back into the tent he shared with Lindsay. Not long after, a commotion arose which resulted in Lindsay stumbling out of the tent, dressed and bleary-eyed and, above all, confused. Michael followed her and crouched by the fire, getting a start on breakfast as she sat beside Gavin.

 "You have any clue why Michael woke me up so early?" she asked around a yawn, leaning into Gavin's side.

 He went to shrug, realised it would jostle her, and ended up saying, "Not really, no. But we're getting breakfast out of it!"

 She hummed in agreement and nuzzled closer to Gavin. "Wake me up when it's ready, 'kay?"

 "Will do."

 A light snore came from her moments later. Gavin looked across the fire at Michael, who spared a glance away from the food to raise an eyebrow at the two of them, a smile pulling at his lips. Gavin smiled back and rested his head against Lindsay's to wait.

 The smell of food pulled Jeremy from his and Gavin's tent as it was being plated up, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. This was soon replaced with a look of confusion as he noticed how dark it was and a look of shock as he noticed everyone else, even Lindsay, was up before him. He stumbled over and sat down beside them, staring blankly at Lindsay but remaining silent even as he grabbed his food. Gavin shook Lindsay awake to pass her a plate. She smiled her thanks and dug in.

 "Okay, what kind of witchcraft is this?" Jeremy eventually said, staring at the others as they ate. His own food was untouched. "Why the hell is everyone up so early? Why the hell are you, specifically," he pointed at Lindsay, "up so early? It doesn't make any sense!"

 Lindsay shrugged and continued eating. Gavin smiled at him between bites, but similarly didn't deign to respond. Michael just ignored him. Jeremy huffed and went to cross his arms before noticing the food and, glaring at each of them one last time, started eating with gusto.

 Once they'd finished eating they packed up camp, Michael and Jeremy doing most of the work as usual while Gavin steered Lindsay towards a horse. Soon, they were saddled up and ready to go. Lindsay quickly fell into a half-doze and Michael steered her horse, moving closer to Gavin.

 "I hope this plan of yours is worth it," he muttered, glancing back to make sure Lindsay was still in her saddle.

 "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

 Jeremy pulled up on Gavin's other side, looking between them curiously. When it became clear they weren't going to say anything more he said, "So, is anyone actually going to explain why we're leaving so early? Is this punishment for the early night last night? Need I remind you, that was your idea."

 Gavin shook his head, smiling. "Wait and see, Lil J. Patience is a virtue."

 He scoffed. "Yeah, sure, you’re doing this for virtuous reasons!"

 "Oh, shut up." He leant over to give Jeremy a light shove. "This is a surprise!"

 "So it was planned, hm?"

 "Yeah, kinda."

 Jeremy shook his head slowly. "You are a cruel, cruel man, Gavin. Plotting against your friends for your own amusement. I hope you're ashamed of yourself."

 Gavin shoved him again, hard enough to momentarily unbalance him, and turned resolutely to Michael. "So, million gold coins but you can't wear gloves anymore. Instead, you have to wear tiny hats, one for each finger, and a specially designed shirt for the palm. You in?"

 Michael rolled his eyes but joined in the conversation and soon Jeremy was cutting in too. They kept their voices low to avoid waking Lindsay and managed to make it out of the forest with time to spare. Before them, the mountain range stretched. Horizon to horizon. It was still dark so they were nothing more than dark shapes against a darker background, but Gavin could almost imagine how spectacular they'd look in the light. Speaking of.

 He double-checked his compass to be sure, and found that his calculations were correct. At the expense of a day or so they'd managed to come out to the West of the Southernmost mountain range, planting East and, therefore, the sunrise directly before them. And behind the mountains. It would be after dawn already if they'd been looking at a flat horizon, but here they still had a few moments before the light would start to appear. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face and leant over to give Michael a one-armed hug.

 "Thanks, for this morning," he said quietly. "Couldn't have done this without you."

 "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome." He returned the hug for a moment before drawing away to look back at Lindsay. "You gonna wake her?"

 "Wake who?" came Lindsay's voice as she lifted her head, blinking. "'M awake, I swear."

 Gavin drew his horse back until he was level with her and gestured at the mountains. "Here we are, love."

 She turned to look at them just as the first rays of light peeked through. Whatever her response was going to be died on her lips as she just stared at the mountains with wide eyes. More and more light came through, painting the sky a multitude of colours and revealing more and more of the mountainous landscape.

 Lindsay glanced at him after a moment and, when their eyes locked, gave him a brilliant smile that rivalled the rising sun. She quickly returned to staring at the mountains. He followed her gaze. A head dropped on his shoulder. Peeking down he saw Lindsay still staring at the view, now reflected in her eyes. However, despite the beautiful display before him, Gavin found the awe on Lindsay's face even more so.

 Eventually, the sun had risen fully into the sky. The mountains were still gorgeous, wreathed in clouds, but they didn't compare to that first clear view of them.

 Lindsay straightened, turning to face Gavin once more with a soft smile. She stared at him, seemingly on the verge of saying something, before simply leaning in and kissing his cheek. He smiled back, lost for words.

 As Michael drew near, almost hesitant, whatever spell had entranced them shattered and the morning became just a morning. Lindsay started speaking, asking Michael for his thoughts on the sunrise. Gavin sat there and watched them, one hand partway to his cheek as he mulled over what had just passed between them.

 "You okay, Gav?"

 He looked over to find Jeremy at his shoulder, staring curiously at him and Lindsay. He dropped his hand and smiled. "Yeah, why?"

 "I dunno, looked like the two of you were having a moment." A teasing tone crept into his voice and Gavin couldn't suppress his flush.

 "Jeremy!"

 "What? I'm just saying, it's awful romantic up here. Pretty lights, isolation, cuddling." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Someone could almost fall in love."

 "What're you two talking about?" Lindsay cut in, sparing Gavin from having to dredge up a response. Unfortunately, he still couldn't stop blushing or even find words, so he just shrugged helplessly as Jeremy cackled. She raised an eyebrow. "Ooo, were you two gossiping?"

 "I guess you could say that!" Jeremy said, still giggling.

 "Do tell!"

 "Uh, later," Gavin managed to get out, gesturing at the path before them as a way of saying they should move on. She paused, looking him over with concern in her eyes, and nodded. They started off towards the mountains.

 ---

 Eventually they managed to find a good spot to set up their camp for the next few weeks. Once that was done, Gavin asked to walk with Lindsay, the earlier conversation with Jeremy still on his mind. As they left the camp Jeremy gave him a knowing look while Michael's face was carefully blank.

 "Copper for your thoughts?" Lindsay asked once they’d been walking in silence for a while.

 Gavin paused, leaning against a rock wall as he gathered his thoughts. "Uh, you know what Jeremy and I were talking about?"

 "No, you didn't tell me, remember?"

 "Well, now is later."

 "Right then." She leant against the wall beside him. "Whenever you're ready."

 "I guess I should start by saying that this," he gestured between them, "whole thing between us is confusing and weird. And I haven't done this before."

 "This being courting, or...?"

 "Well, yeah. But also just. Feelings in general?"

 "What do you mean by that?"

 "I mean, Geoff preaches communication and being open, but he's the one to start those conversations and I can get by with anyone else by just not getting into that. Keeping it surface level, y'know?"

 "Yeah, I get you."

 "Suffice to say, starting a conversation about feelings is new to me. So if I mess up, that's why."

 She tilted her head, staring at him. "Are you expecting to mess up?"

 "It seems to happen a lot, whether I expect it or not."

 "Well, it's been taken on board. What were you and Jeremy talking about?"

 "He was teasing me about falling in love. With you."

 "Are you?"

 "I think so."

 Something flickered over her face. Silence stretched between them. Eventually she shrugged and broke it, saying, "Okay."

 "Okay?"

 "I don't really know what else to say. We're courting each other. Nothing really changes."

 "I think you're being a bit blase about me bearing my heart,” he said, aiming for a teasing tone which fell flat.

 She looked away, hair falling between them. "Sorry, I just don't know what to say."

 "Well, we can drop it if you want?"

 "...Yeah, okay."

 He pushed off from the wall and started down the path. She fell into step beside him. They walked on without saying a word as Gavin mulled over their conversation. Part of him felt his fear of serious topics, of talking about his emotions, had been justified. Another part of him, which sounded far too similar to Geoff, was telling him to stop moping and take a step back. Maybe there’s a reason. Maybe there isn’t. Regardless, he stands nothing to gain from shutting himself off or lashing out. So he bit his tongue.

 Once they got back to camp Jeremy seemed ready to grill Gavin, but the look on his face must have deterred him as he made some excuse about fresh air and quickly left the camp. As he did so he threw a look at Michael, obviously expecting him to also leave them alone. Instead, he pulled Lindsay aside. Gavin soon heard their hushed voices, though he couldn't make out the words. He pulled a book out of his bag and sat to read for a bit to distract himself.

 After a while, Michael reappeared and asked Gavin to walk with him. Gavin obliged and they went down the same path he and Lindsay had taken earlier.

 "I'm speaking on behalf of Lindsay here, and also as her friend," was how Michael opened the conversation, still walking. "But I want to ask if you meant what you said to her."

 "Yeah, I do."

 Michael looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Really? You talked to me about viewing her as a friend."

 "A friend whom I could see myself falling for, and whom I promised to tell if I did."

 He nodded, looking back at the path. "I believe you."

 "Does Lindsay not?"

 "She wants time to think about it. You're not her first suitor, though. And definitely not the first to profess feelings to try and speed things along."

 Gavin stopped in his tracks, mouth dropping open in shock. "That's awful!"

 Michael turned to stare at him, gauging his reaction. When he spoke his voice was softer. "Yeah, it is."

 "I'm not trying that, I swear. I just wanted to get things out in the open. Nothing more."

 "I figured. And I told Lindsay that. But she still wants to think about it. My advice is to not rush her, for obvious reasons."

 "Yeah, yeah okay. I can do that."

 Michael smiled and continued walking. Gavin hurried to keep up. It was a few steps before his thoughts got too much to bear.

 “Why didn’t she say so?”

 “She doesn’t like talking about things that bother her. Especially when she’s not sure of another’s intentions.”

 “Okay.” He hesitated before pushing himself to ask, "Do you... like me?"

 "What?" Michael's voice rose. "What do you mean by that?"

 "I mean, are we friends?"

 "Oh. Uh, yeah. Why?"

 "'Cause I'm wondering why you'd back me up to Lindsay." He scuffed his foot on the ground. "I'm betting I'm not the first suitor to act nice. Or to try and befriend you."

 "Actually, you are. Most of them viewed my friendship with Lindsay as wrong. Thought I should be a walking meatshield and nothing more."

 "Really? That's horrible, Michael!"

 He shrugged. "But not uncommon. You tried to get on my good side, you're friends with your own personal guard, you said that you wanted to be friends with Lindsay even if you were doing this for political reasons. And you were even upfront about that! You seem a decent sort. I think you'd do right by her. And I definitely think you and Lindsay would be good for each other." He snorted. “Even if you do share shortcomings. That’s a disaster in the making.”

 Gavin was silent for a bit, just staring at him. "Thanks. That means a lot."

 "Just do me a favour and take my advice, okay? I don't want you to screw this up."

 "I will, don't worry." He leant in to butt shoulders with Michael, who smiled back at him. The rest of the walk passed with amicable conversation.

 When they got back, Lindsay was avoiding him. Gavin didn’t push it, instead going to chat with Jeremy, who seemed concerned about the situation. As supper approached with no change in atmosphere, Jeremy seemed ready to trap them together again but Gavin assured him that things were under control. Relatively. It seemed to placate him for the time being.

 ---

 It was approaching sunset on their fifth day when Lindsay asked to speak with Gavin. Instead of them leaving for a walk, the other two made themselves scarce by going to check the perimeter. They sat next to each other by the fire.

 "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, first," Lindsay said, staring into the embers. "I know it was rude. I wanted some space to think."

 "I forgive you."

 She inclined her head. "Secondly, I don't know how I feel about you. I don't think I… love you back."

 Gavin nodded. "I was expecting that. And it's fine! I wasn't trying to change anything. I like how things have been, and if you're okay with that...?"

 "Yeah, I am. No worries about that."

 "Then I'm fine to continue as we have been."

 A smile of relief broke over her face as she finally looked at him. "Thank you."

 "No problem," he said, smiling back at her.

 She moved to sit a bit closer to him, tension easing. "So, if you didn't want things to change, why did you bring it up?"

 "Honesty. Geoff, Griffon, and Jack all say it's key to any relationship."

 "Right. I probably haven't been doing a great job at that." She squared herself up, staring him straight in the eye. "But I promise I will from now on. If I need space to think, or if my feelings change, or any of that. I promise I'll tell you."

 "I'll do the same."

 Her smile returned and she leaned into his side. "Now then, shall we talk about something lighter?"

 "Yeah, alright. Any ideas?"

 "How about..." she looked about before her gaze landed on the sky, where the sun had set and twinkling lights were starting to reveal themselves, "the stars? They seem like an interesting topic."

 He nodded and she started pointing up at stars and naming them. He joined in, telling her the different names that Achievia had for them. Eventually they started exchanging their Kingdom's various stories about the constellations. Jeremy and Michael's return went unnoticed, as did the relieved smile they shared at the sight of the two of them chatting away.

 ---

 After that, the rest of the trip seemed to fly by. One moment they were exploring a cave or charting stars or laughing around the campfire, the next they were having to pack up their camp and start on the long road back home. As they left, Gavin felt strangely hollow. It had been great out there. They'd all grown closer, shared stories with one another and created new experiences. Time hadn't seemed to touch them. And yet...

 They arrived back late one evening and were swept into hugs before being shuffled off to hot baths. After that it was a quick meal and bed, Geoff asking for their stories the following day once they were more awake. That took up most of the day, and the evening was spent relaxing with Lindsay and Michael and the cats in his room, happy to be home again.

 After about a week, Gavin found himself settled into a routine. Mornings were spent with Michael, since they both got up at dawn, watching him train or chatting or even just sitting nearby to read a book. Michael quite often asked him about the book he was reading and rarely understood what he ended up prattling on about, but that never stopped him from asking. Likewise, Gavin asked Michael questions about his training and bore out the ‘you should learn how to fight’ comments that inevitably arose.

 Then breakfast with Lindsay, Michael, Geoff, and Griffon. Sometimes other people joined, such as Jack or Jeremy, but it was always a quiet affair.

 The rest of the day was spent with Lindsay and Michael. Activities ranged from horseback riding to playing with cats to exploring the castle. If they ended up near the training grounds, that would invariably bring one or more of the guards over to chat with them or challenge them to a fight. Lindsay was the only one to ever accept.

 Then supper, which tended to be similar to breakfast but on occasion a noble had come by to speak with Geoff and Griffon, which meant that they had to be on their best behaviour. That didn't stop Gavin and Lindsay from kicking each other under the table and whispering. Thankfully, nobody seemed to have noticed yet.

 Evenings were quiet, just the three of them in the library or someone’s room or walking the garden. These were Gavin's favourite moments. Oftentimes, Michael would head back to his room early, giving Gavin and Lindsay some time alone to talk about things. Eventually, they would fall silent and just lie there, enjoying the other's company. The worst part of the evening was when one of them had to leave. Gavin's bed always felt far too big and far too cold, though he didn't say anything.

 ---

 Almost three months passed without change. But one night, as he and Lindsay sat in her room together, Zelda curled up between them, Lindsay broached the topic of feelings once more.

 "I know I promised to be honest about things, so I have something I need to say," she said, gaze fixed on Zelda.

 "Go on."

 She grimaced and steeled herself. "I, uh, kinda think I might have feelings. Of the romantic sort. For you."

 His breath caught. "Oh."

 "And I know you feel the same for me." She glanced at him then, scanning his expression.

 "Uh, yeah. I do."

 "So." Her voice trailed off.

 "So?"

 She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face before gesturing widely. "I don't know! But it feels like something should change, right? Like, that should mean something?"

 He paused, thinking carefully and paying careful attention to what the Geoff voice was saying, before he said, "I don't think we should change things just for the sake of changing them. Rather, if things change it should be because we want them to. I personally like how things have been. If you want to change anything, though, I'm open to discussion. I’ll be sure to do the same."

 She was silent for a long while, mulling over his words. "Okay. That makes sense, yeah."

 "Do you want to change things, though?"

 "I know one thing I want to change."

 "Oh?"

 She grinned at him. "Do you want to stay the night? Sleep. Cuddles. Zelda.” She held the cat aloft and wiggled her, much to Zelda’s alarm. “It's an offer you can't refuse!"

 He laughed. "Yeah, I think I’d be up for that!"

 "Great. Run along and get some clothes. You'll need something for the morning."

 "Right." He got up and prepared to leave.

 "Oh, wait! You forgot something!"

 He heard her running up behind him and turned back. "Wha-"

 She kissed him on the cheek. "Love you."

 "Uh, I, uh," He could tell he was turning bright pink. "Love you too."

 A grin spread across her face. "That was all."

 He made his exit, still blushing, and got to and from his room as quickly as possible. When he got back she was already in a nightgown and playing with Zelda on the bed. She smiled at him when he entered. He got changed and settled into bed beside her, extinguishing the lights. He felt the bed dip as she drew closer.

 "...you really okay with this?" Lindsay asked softly.

 "Yeah, definitely."

 "Good."

 And then she was tucking her head under his chin and wrapping her arms around him. He let his arm drape over her, stroking her hair. She hummed, content. He fell asleep warm and happy.

 ---

 After that, he ended up staying over every single night. His clothes found their way to her dresser, his brush and makeup on her vanity, his cats curled up around her room. And eventually it stopped being 'her room' and became 'their room'. They slept soundly every night, or sometimes ended up talking until the wee hours of the morning. And Gavin loved waking up next to her. When he mentioned this she rolled her eyes.

 "I would return the compliment, but you're always gone when I wake up."

 "Well, some of us like to do things in the morning," he teased.

 "And some of us like to wake up at a reasonable hour, when there's actually light in the sky," she responded. He snickered.

 It was one of the best times in Gavin's life. But the passage of time stopped for no man. Days became shorter, the trees started changing colour, and Lindsay and Michael started looking melancholic as they inched ever closer to that fateful day.

 Gavin lay awake one night, unable to get to sleep as his mind dwelled on that thought. No more morning chats with Michael as he trained. No more sunsets in the gardens with Lindsay. No more stupid questions as they explored, no more boisterous conversations, no more private moments, no more playing with Zelda and sneaking longing glances at them both. Because somewhere along the line he had realised that Michael was as stunning and funny and great to talk to as Lindsay was and that he would miss both of them when they were gone.

 For the next few weeks he managed to push those thoughts to one side and enjoy the time he spent with them. And he was definitely enjoying it. They were both so amazing and he wanted to spend every single second of every single day watching Lindsay's sweetest smile curl her lips or hearing Michael laugh so hard that he couldn't speak. And he began noticing more things about them, things that suggested he wasn't the only one with their departure on his mind.

 How Lindsay frowned at the sight of the leaves changing colours. How she started refusing to talk about the Ruby Kingdom. How she'd started waking up earlier and earlier to hang out with him and Michael. And how they'd been staying up each night later and later. Michael, too, seemed always on the verge of saying something in their mornings together, but he hadn't done so thus far. And time continued marching on.

 ---

 It was another lazy day in Lindsay's room when Gavin brought it up, asking, "Are you looking forward to heading home, Linds?"

 She jolted. "Wow, could you have said that with any less tact?"

 "Sorry, I was just wondering."

 She fell silent, dragging a piece of string along in front of Columbo. Michael was looking between the two of them, concerned. Just as he was about to say something, Lindsay shrugged and said, "I mean, there are things I'm looking forward to. My parents. My friends. The food. But I like it here with you, too. And I'm going to miss you a lot."

 "I'm going to miss you, too," Gavin said, gaze dropping. "Both of you."

 "Same, boi," Michael said. Gavin smiled sadly back.

 Lindsay straightened, dropping the piece of string to look at him. Columbo pounced. "But it's not forever. We can send letters, arrange meet-ups. Hell, we're courting. I don't think anyone's expecting us to drop all contact."

 "Well, yeah, but..."

 "But?"

 He shrugged. "But I'll still miss you."

 Her face softened and she moved to sit next to him, pulling him into an embrace. "It really won't be long, I promise."

 He made an effort to smile as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know. Thanks."

 They didn't continue the conversation that evening, but it continued to weigh on Gavin's mind. Unfortunately, Geoff was off visiting one of the nobles on the outskirts of the Kingdom so he didn’t feel like he had anyone to turn to. Still, he made himself a promise that he would bring it up with Geoff upon his return.

 ---

 "So, Gavin." Geoff leant forwards, lacing his fingers together. The stern look was offset by his smile. "What's eating you, buddy?"

 He looked down at his hands, wondering how best to broach the subject, before eventually saying, "It's just that Lindsay and Michael are going to be leaving soon, within the month even, and it's too soon! I only just got to know them, and they'll be leaving?” He sighed and quietly admitted, “I'm going to miss them. A lot.”

 "Aw, Gav. That's adorable."

 "Geoffrey," he whined, "I don't think you're very sympathetic to my plight!"

 "Oh, no, I definitely understand. I've had to deal with this a lot. Me and Griffon both travel around a lot 'cause of the job, y'know? Always sucks. But!" He stood and moved to a table nearby upon which was a small box. "It's not forever. And there are ways to remind yourself of that."

 "What're you proposing, Geoff?"

 "Oh, I'm not the one who'll be proposing." He presented the box with a grin. Without even opening it, Gavin could guess at what was within.

 "What? Geoff, no, I-"

 "Just, consider it. Okay?" Geoff asked, hands raised. He replaced the box and sat down once more. "I mean, that was the purpose of all this, wasn't it? Finding a noble to marry?"

 "Well, yeah, but..." His voice trailed off as he tried to get to the root of his feelings. "Isn't it too soon?"

 "There are some nobles who get married after mere weeks, Gav. Especially if it's political."

 "But Lindsay and I-"

 "Entered into this knowing it might end in marriage if all went well." He gave a half-smile. "I’m not going to push this. And it's great that you love her, really. This is just one option."

 "...okay. Thanks."

 "Do you want to talk?"

 "Not right now."

 "Alright. Take care of yourself, ��kay?"

 “Yeah.”

 ---

 Over the next few days he found himself withdrawing, too caught up in his own thoughts to pay much attention to what was going on around him. And he could tell both Lindsay and Michael were worried about him, among others. Still, it took a few days for things to come to a head.

 "We need to talk."

 It was early in the morning. Gavin had only just sat down to watch Michael spar when the guard in question approached and spoke. Gavin raised an eyebrow.

 "About...?"

 He rolled his eyes and sat beside Gavin, saying, "You know what about. Why've you been acting so weird lately?"

 "I dunno."

 "That's bullshit. Something's got you thinking, so what is it?"

 He looked down at his feet. "I don't know if I should say."

 "Because of your phobia of serious conversations or something else?" When Gavin's gaze snapped to him, wide-eyed, he cracked a smile. "Lindsay told me. Not that I couldn't have figured it out on my own."

 "Well, that's part of why I don't know if I should speak. I don't want this getting to Lindsay."

 "I can keep a secret, if I should. Gonna have to be a pretty good case, though."

 He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and said, "Geoff wants me to propose to Lindsay."

 Michael fell silent, just staring at Gavin. His expression was blank. After a few moments his brow furrowed and he said, "Well, do you want to?"

 "I don't know. It feels too soon. And it wasn't that long ago that Lindsay started saying she loved me, and I don't want to rush into this."

 "Then don't. Simple as." Gavin said nothing and Michael sighed, changing tack. "Why did Geoff suggest it?"

 "Because I told him I was gonna miss you two. He said it was a way to remind ourselves we'd be seeing each other again," Gavin said slowly, trying to remember Geoff's exact words.

 "It'd do a good job of that."

 "Whose side are you on here?"

 He laughed. "Yours! I'm trying to figure out what you want, boi."

 "Can't you just tell me that it'll never work out?"

 His smile faltered, expression changing into one of concern. "Gavin?"

 "Just, Lindsay's not going to accept. I know she's not. So there's no point in asking, is there?" he said, kicking at the ground and refusing to meet Michael's gaze for fear of what he'd see there.

 "I can't tell you how she'd react, only she can do that."

 "But she hates rushing into things."

 "She hates being rushed into things. There's a difference." A pause. "Are you only hesitating because you're afraid of what Lindsay will say?"

 "Well, duh! This is the biggest, scariest conversation there is. I have to bare my soul to her and place all power in her hands, to accept or to..." he stumbled over his words and quickly changed what he was about to say, "to not."

 Michael sighed and leaned back, staring at the sky. "I don't know what to tell you, boi."

 "Justify my fears? Dash my hopes? Better you now than-"

 "Stop it." He fell silent. "Do you want to marry Lindsay?"

 "...yeah, but-"

 "Do you want to propose before she leaves?"

 "Kinda, but-"

 "Then do it."

 "But, but what if she says no?"

 "Then she said no, and you're going to have to deal with it." As Gavin looked away Michael continued in a softer voice. "But chances are, she's not going to stop loving you just 'cause you misjudged a proposal. She didn't drop you when you told her you loved her, did she?"

 "...no."

 "Because she likes you. Because she sees you as a friend. And now, because she loves you. You're going to make mistakes, that's a given. But unless you really, truly screw up, you'll be able to recover."

 Gavin let out his breath, resting his head against Michael’s shoulder. "Thanks, boi."

 "And besides, it’s not like proposal is the only thing you can do. There are other ways to promise something like that. Hell, promise rings exist!” When Gavin didn’t respond he nudged him. “Promise me you'll think about it?"

 "...yeah. I promise."

 "Good."

 Michael remained where he was, just staring up at the sky. After a few moments, when it became clear Gavin wasn’t going to be moving, Michael draped his arm over him. They stayed that way until breakfast.

 ---

 For the next couple of days, Gavin made an effort to shake off his melancholy and threw himself into his time with Lindsay, making the most of every second of it even as he found himself dwelling on what Michael had said. Meanwhile, he found that Michael was staring at the two of them a lot. Whenever he caught Gavin's eye, he just smiled and raised an eyebrow. Gavin always looked away pretty quickly. Lindsay remained oblivious to the whole thing, enjoying her time spent with the both of them. And still Gavin's thoughts swirled round and round.

 Early one morning, as he lay awake in bed and watched Lindsay sleep, Gavin finally came to a decision. It was easy to escape her embrace despite how tight she clung, knowing by now the best way to ensure she wouldn't be disturbed, and he dressed quickly and left the room.

 First stop, Geoff's office. The box was still sitting on the table, so he grabbed it and left. After that he went down to the training grounds, finding Michael and telling him that he was spending the day with Lindsay. The way he kept nervously tapping his pocket probably gave his intentions away. Michael wished him luck. He thanked him, then went to the kitchens to have some breakfast, grabbing a second serving to take back to their room. Best to start this right.

 Entering, he found Lindsay stirring in her sleep, close to waking up. He placed the tray on the bedside table, patted his pocket to ensure the box was still within, and then leant over to shake her.

 "...hm? What is it?" she asked, voice thick with sleep.

 "I got some breakfast for you."

 She opened her eyes, looking between him and the tray. A confused smile spread across her face. "Why?"

 "I kinda wanted to spend today with you?"

 "...okay. Thanks." Sitting up, she pulled him into an embrace.

 Once they parted she tucked into the food. Gavin reclined beside her to chat and to try and keep Zelda from stealing anything, though Lindsay still gave her little bits and pieces. The morning sped by.

 ---

 It was midday when they left their quarters. They got some lunch before deciding to head to the garden. By this point, Gavin's nerves were getting to him. He kept reaching for the box, fidgeting, and forgetting what he was saying. Lindsay had obviously caught onto this. They settled onto the bench and she opened her mouth, preparing to speak. However, before she could say anything he cut her off, needing to get his own words out.

 "Lindsay. I know I've been acting weird all day, and I'm sorry. I wanted to, to do something nice, but..."

 "It has been nice, Gav. Even if I am worrying about you," she said, looking at him with concern. He forced himself to meet that gaze.

 "I wanted to do this because I love you, Linds. Because you're amazing. You're funny, and sweet, and just everything about you is wonderful. I love your laugh. I love how direct you are. I love how you act with the cats. I love watching you spar. I love the look on your face when you see something beautiful. If I were to list everything else I loved about you we'd be here all day."

 She was laughing, confusion now creasing her brow. "I love you too, Gav. What is this-"

 He steeled himself and took the box out, clasping it in his hands and looking down at it. A gasp cut off her words. Dredging courage up from deep inside him, he pressed on.

 "I know this is soon. I don't want to rush you into anything, trust me on that. Which is why I'm not asking you to marry me. This is more a promise that I love you, and that we'll see each other again."

 "Gavin, I... I really don't know what to say." There was some unidentifiable emotion in her words. Gavin risked a glance at her and found her also staring at the box. "I do love you, really. I... Could I have some time to think about this?"

 "Yeah, of course." He put the box away, folding his hands on his lap after to have something to do with them.

 "Thank you."

 No one said anything for the next few minutes, an uncomfortable silence settling over them. Lindsay eventually broke it with a nervous laugh.

 "Sorry, sorry, I just. Wasn't expecting this. Like, at all." She sighed, still not meeting his gaze. "I think I'm going to go talk with Michael. Thank you, for this. For today."

 "You're welcome, Linds." He managed a smile. "Love you."

 "Love you too. Really." She grasped his hands, finally looking him in the eyes. "I love you."

 Some tension leaked out of him and his smile became more genuine. "I know."

 "Good." She kissed his nose and stood.

 Alone in the garden, Gavin slumped over with his head in his hands. His stomach was all twisted up in a knot. He could already feel the worries creeping up on him, whispering to him that she was just letting him down easy, that she was going to laugh about it with Michael behind his back. Shaking those thoughts away, he pushed himself to his feet and went to find something to distract him.

 His feet eventually brought him to the training grounds. Neither Michael nor Lindsay were anywhere to be seen. He sat on a bench, staring at some people sparring without really seeing it. Someone sat beside him.

 "Hey, Gav," came Jack's voice. Gavin leant into his side without saying anything. "Woah, you alright?"

 "'M fine."

 "Really? You seem more spacey than usual. And no one's seen you or Lindsay all day. Is something going on with you two?"

 "Don't want to talk about it."

 Jack was quiet for a bit before wrapping an arm around him and pulling him closer. "If you change your mind, I'm here."

 Soothed, he closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift away. "Thanks, Jack."

 "Anytime."

 ---

 The supper bell rang, startling Gavin awake. He looked about, disoriented by how much time had passed, and his gaze landed on Lindsay and Michael, who were approaching them. He froze up. Jack rubbed his back, looking between them with concern.

 "Hey, Jack," Lindsay said as she drew close. She was shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Could you, um, give us some time alone? We'll be along to dinner in a bit."

 "Yep, that's fine." He stood and patted Gavin's shoulder. "You okay, Gav?"

 "Uh, yeah,” he got out, trying on a smile. “Thanks."

 "No problem." He smiled and ruffled his hair before leaving. Michael trailed along behind him, throwing looks over his shoulder every so often. Gavin stared after them until they were out of sight.

 Lindsay sat beside him, turning to face him fully, and said, "This isn't easy, is it?"

 He was startled into laughter. "No, no it really isn't."

 She smiled too, her expression soon fading into something serious. "But that doesn't mean it isn't worth it. I really like you, Gav. Love you, even! Which is wonderful. And if it were marriage you were suggesting this soon, then my answer would be a firm no. But..." Gavin's heart swelled with something close to hope. She tugged on a strand of hair as she hesitated before dropping it in favour of smiling at him. "A promise I can definitely do."

 "Really?"

 "Yeah. I love you, and no force is going to keep me from seeing you again after all this. So I wholeheartedly accept."

 Unable to hold himself back, he wrapped her up in a hug before the final words were even out of her mouth, squealing. She hugged him back with a laugh. Once the laughter faded they continued sitting there, just enjoying the other's embrace.

 "What now?" Gavin asked, pulling back slightly.

 "How about that ring?"

 "You sure?"

 "I think so. Just be prepared to correct everybody who thinks we're betrothed."

 He laughed, pulling the box out. "You were never going to make this easy, were you?"

 She flashed a smile, but there was something melancholy about her eyes which only grew as she said, "I can't help but feel as if I’ve made this too hard for you, and I'm sorry for that."

 Shaking his head, he put the box to one side and cupped her face. "It's fine, Linds. I was expecting it, and I forgive you. No harm done."

 Her smile strengthened. She turned to press a kiss to his palm. "Thank you."

 "Anytime." He kissed her forehead before reaching once again for the box. "One last time, are you really okay with this?"

 "Yes, I really am."

 "Okay then." He opened the box, for the first time revealing the ring that lay within.

 It was a beautiful thing, two swooping lines of silver metal twirling around one another and meeting with a scattering of tiny fragments of gems, sparkling like the stars themselves had been caught. It had Jack's signature about it and Gavin could almost picture him putting the tiny details to it late one night. As expected, it fit perfectly on Lindsay's finger. She stared at it for a few moments.

 "It really is lovely."

 "You can thank Jack for it."

 "I'll be sure to. And speaking of Jack," she rose, holding her hand out to him with a smile, "we should get to dinner."

 He grasped her hand, feeling the ring press against his finger, and followed her to the castle. They entered the dining room to find the food already served and the others engaged in conversation, though they all paused when they entered. At the sight of the two of them holding hands they seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief. It was only when they seated themselves that someone noticed the ring.

 "Is that-?" Geoff's voice cut off as he stared at Lindsay's hand.

 "Uh, kinda?" was Lindsay's reply. The others were now looking her over, trying to figure out what Geoff had noticed, and so she raised her hand, wiggling her fingers so that it caught the light. Geoff looked like he was about to cry, Jack was beaming and looking oh-so proud of himself, Griffon was rubbing Geoff's back and smiling at the two of them. Michael's gaze dropped to his plate, expression blank. Lindsay lowered her hand, reaching for Gavin's and giving it a squeeze before saying, "We're not actually engaged."

 "What?" Geoff's voice cracked. Where once he had looked happy, he now looked worried, almost scared. Gavin chimed in, trying to put him at ease.

 "It's meant as a promise. Neither of us want to get married yet, but we want to see each other again, and we want to continue courting each other. This is our way of showing that."

 Lindsay was nodding, still holding tight onto his hand. When he was done she added, "We're fine, we promise. We just want to do things our way."

 "I think that's admirable," Griffon said, glancing at Geoff for his opinion. He nodded, giving them a thumbs up but saying nothing. His eyes were brimming with tears, once again of the happy variety. Gavin was kind of worried that the emotional whiplash was going to give him a heart attack or something. Griffon continued with, "Of course we support you. We'd be the last ones to judge you for an unconventional relationship." This was said with a wry smile. "If there's anything you want or need, feel free to come to us."

 "We will," Gavin said, glancing at Lindsay. She looked slightly confused, but also pleased. Her grip on his hand relaxed. Meeting his gaze, she smiled before turning back to the others.

 "I think there is something that I, at least, would like."

 "Name it."

 "A celebration. This is a mark of our union, regardless of convention. I think it should be celebrated as such."

 Gavin was nodding by this point. "I'm never one to say no to a party."

 "Then a party you shall have!" Geoff said. "But this is not the place for that. Eat up, we can have this conversation tomorrow."

 Lindsay relinquished her grasp on his hand to dig in and so Gavin did the same, sneaking a glance at Michael to gauge his reaction. He had been continuing to eat throughout the entire discussion, but when he met Gavin's eyes he gave him a smile and mouthed 'Congrats'. Gavin smiled back and returned to his food.

 That evening, as he and Lindsay were relaxing in bed, she raised her hand above her head and turned it this way and that.

 "Y'know, you really should have something too," she eventually said. "A ring, or something like that. I wouldn't want you forgetting about me when I'm gone."

 "There's no risk of that, trust me. But I wouldn't say no to some sparkle."

 "Okay." She lowered her hand and smiled at him. "I'll surprise you."

 "I look forward to it."

 ---

 The next morning they stayed in bed until breakfast, Gavin too busy admiring Lindsay and enjoying her embrace to even think of leaving, and at breakfast Michael ribbed on him for being too caught up in the honeymoon phase to spend time with him. And then, once they were finished eating, it was to Geoff's office to discuss the upcoming party.

 "Alright, have either of you given this any thought since yesterday?" Geoff asked, grabbing some paper and something to write with.

 "Well," Lindsay said, glancing at Gavin, "I've thought about it, but we haven't really discussed it. Would you mind terribly if it were more than one party?"

 As Gavin shook his head, Geoff sighed and started writing. "You two never like the simple path in life, do you? You just love making things difficult for everyone around you."

 "If it's too much-"

 "No, I'm only kidding." He let his face relax into a smile. "This is huge! Let's make the most out of it, yeah? How many parties did you want?"

 "...seven?"

 There was a pause. "Alright. Why seven?"

 "It's a lucky number. Plus, that way there are going to be two parties with my parents in attendance."

 "So you want this to be at the very end of your stay, then?"

 "Gives the most time to prepare, doesn't it? And the aforementioned parents thing."

 "Yeah, I can manage that." He scribbled a few more notes. "Gavin, you got anything to add?"

 "I think there ought to be a theme. Like my party was golden roses. Any thoughts for the theme for these ones?"

 Lindsay tilted her head, thinking. "How about... nature? Like, stars and flowers and all that."

 Something nostalgic welled up in him. He nodded and hoped his voice was even when he said, "Yeah, that sounds great."

 Geoff was nodding along, continuing to write. "And do you want a particular dress code?"

 "Masquerade, definitely," Gavin said.

 "Lindsay?"

 She nodded. "I like the sound of that."

 "And... flowers? Do you have any preference?"

 "Glowing ones, from the garden," Lindsay said, now leaning forwards in her chair. "If that's not too much problem?"

 "It should be fine, don't worry. Might even make it easier to light the place." He flashed them both a smile. "Anything more?"

 They continued on for a while, asking for various different things and answering all of Geoff's questions. It was almost midday when Geoff sat back and looked over the notes.

 "I think that looks great. We're all done here, unless you've got anything more to add?" They both shook their heads and he smiled and said, "In that case, you can go. Feel free to tell me if you think of anything else, okay?"

 "Will do!" Gavin said, grabbing Lindsay's hand as he stood. They left and went to grab some lunch before heading to the training grounds, where they hoped to find Michael. Thankfully he was there, chatting with Jeremy as some guards sparred. As they drew closer, the two of them broke off their conversation and Michael turned towards the castle, pausing when he noticed their approach.

 "And hello to you two. How goes the party planning?"

 "It went well," said Lindsay, grinning. "We're now having seven masquerade parties during my last few days."

 Something sparked in Michael's eyes, disappearing as he started grinning. "You just don't do things by halves, do you?"

 "Where's the fun in that?"

 He shook his head fondly before his expression dropped into something more serious. "But actually, I was just coming to look for you. Um," he paused, glancing at Gavin, "do you mind if I grab her for a sec?"

 Gavin shrugged. "As long as she is."

 "Yep, that's fine!" Lindsay said, dropping his hand. She then followed Michael up to the castle. Gavin went up to where Jeremy was to start up a conversation.

 "So, have you heard the news about the parties?"

 Jeremy nodded. "Hard not to, considering you were standing right next to me when you were discussing it."

 "Well, you do remember when your boyfriend is next coming to visit, right?"

 He turned bright red. "I, uh, we're not, I mean- shut up!"

 Gavin laughed. "But seriously, you have to dance with him at the parties. Royal orders."

 "...fine."

 "Great!" He draped an arm over Jeremy, pulling closer and grinning victoriously. "I'll be sure to remind you."

 He sighed. "Of course you will."

 ---

 Michael and Lindsay returned, both of them looking teary-eyed and Lindsay beaming. Gavin pulled away from Jeremy to give Lindsay a hug and a kiss on the forehead in greeting. Drawing back, he looked between her and Michael.

 "Is everything alright?" he asked, allowing some concern to leak into his voice.

 "Yeah, we're fine. Great, even!" Lindsay said, shooting a smile back at Michael who returned it. "Just talking about things."

 "Glad to hear it."

 "I wanted to speak with you, too,” Michael cut in. “If you don't mind?"

 "No, not at all." He dropped his arm from around Lindsay's shoulders and waved at her and Jeremy as they left. "See you in a bit!"

 "Bye!"

 Inside the castle, Michael entered a room that Gavin recognised as being the one he'd pulled Michael into months ago. Oh, how times had changed. The door was closed behind them and Michael stood facing him for a few moments, expression unreadable.

 "I know you and Lindsay aren't getting married," he eventually said, "but still. I wanted to congratulate you for your courage in actually asking her and her acceptance. It's great news, honestly." He finally smiled and some tension fell from Gavin's shoulders as he smiled back.

 "Thanks, boi!"

 "Yeah, I, uh, feel kinda like I should be threatening you or something? Don't hurt her, or else?" He shrugged. "But by this point I know you pretty well. I don't think you're going to hurt her on purpose, or she you, so I'll leave that be and just say that," he took a deep breath and met Gavin's eyes squarely, "you've got a great thing here. Both you and Lindsay are wonderful people and you love each other a lot. Don't take that for granted."

 Gavin was silent, not having the words to respond to that. After a moment Michael let his gaze drop and continued speaking.

 "That's pretty much all I had to say. I wish you all the luck in the world going forward."

 "Michael, I..." Still not knowing what to say, Gavin gave up and moved to pull Michael into a hug. He squeezed him tightly, trying to convey just how much this meant to him. Michael hugged him back.

 After a few moments, Gavin found his voice again and said, "I can't believe we're friends, Michael!"

 He snorted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

 "I mean," he said, pulling back enough to meet Michael's eyes, "I expected a shovel talk here, not this whole heartfelt 'the thing you two have is great' speech. It's like you care about me!"

 "I do care about you, boi."

 A grin spread across his face and he nuzzled into Michael's neck, making little squeals of delight. Michael was laughing.

 "Aw, boi!" Gavin said, "You're lovely, boi!"

 "And you're a dork."

 Gavin shook his head, trying to reign his emotions in, and said, "No, but seriously, Michael. You're so lovely! You're so nice to me, and you've helped me and Lindsay so much. I honestly love you so much, boi. Thank you for everything."

 There were a few moments of silence from Michael, who continued holding him tightly, before he said, "You two are worth it. I care about you so much."

 "Aw, Michael."

 "Yeah, yeah." He heard a sniffle from Michael. "I know, I'm a dork."

 "You're lovely."

 "You can stop calling me that any day now."

 He pouted, turning his head so that Michael would be able to feel it against his neck. "I'll only stop calling you lovely when it stops being true. So be prepared to hear it for the next forever."

 "...yeah, okay. I could get used to that."

 "Great!" He pulled away, pausing when he noticed the tears gathering in Michael's eyes to wipe them away, leaving his hands cupping Michael’s face. "Do you want to head back out?"

 Michael nodded, backing out of Gavin's grasp completely to open the door. "After you, your Highness."

 Gavin looped his arm through Michael's to drag him out the room alongside him and, together, they went back outside.

 ---

 Over the next couple of weeks, the party planning got fully underway. Decorations were made or imported, flowers were chosen and arrangements planned, invitations sent out, musicians ordered. Gavin tried to involve himself in as much of it as possible, trying to take some of the load off Geoff, and as such found himself exhausted whenever he had some spare time. In fact, he quite often fell asleep when working with Geoff and would wake up in his own bed in the morning, much to his surprise. Eventually he asked Geoff, flustered, if he could be returned to Lindsay’s rooms if he fell asleep again. He was surprised, but, after a bit of teasing, agreed.

 Speaking of Lindsay, she did her best to help out too, accompanying him into town when he had to pick things up and coming to collect him when it was getting late or taking over when he found himself in a long discussions with various people. Other things she did on her own, such as arranging things with Jack. She actually spent a lot of time with Jack. And, of course, Michael followed Lindsay wherever she went. Both of them helped Gavin stay sane during the organisation, but they didn't really have any time just the three of them without something else getting in the way. So when Geoff gave him the day off to collect Ryan and spend some time with him, Gavin jumped at the opportunity.

 It ended up being Michael who went to collect Ryan per Lindsay's suggestion, meaning that Gavin spent the morning in bed with her and the cats, just relaxing. He had missed this greatly. The feeling of her in his arms, the way the morning light played over her hair, her content hum as she drifted from her half-doze into full waking. She stretched and smiled at him, moving closer to press a kiss to his cheek.

 "G'morning," she said, resting her head back on his shoulder. He used the new position to play with her hair, prompting another hum.

 "Morning. Sleep well?"

 "Yep. Always nice waking up next to you."

 He found himself smiling. "I asked about your sleep, Linds, not the waking up part."

 "Shut up, I was being nice."

 "And that's such a rare thing from you." His voice dripped with sarcasm. She gently hit his stomach.

 "Well, that may be the last time I'm nice to you, specifically. I've learned my lesson. Early morning Gavin doesn't deserve compliments, 'cause he's a snarky git."

 He snickered at the accent she put on for the last couple of words. "Nice."

 "Thanks, I've been practicing."

 They lapsed back into silence, but it was a comfortable one. He could feel each of her breaths across his chest and her fingers drumming on his stomach. Out the window, he could see the sun making its way across the sky. A bird sang.

 The moment was broken as Smee came to stand on his chest, staring down into his face and letting out a loud meow.

 "Oof, Smee move!" He pulled his arm out from under Lindsay to scoop him up, moving into a sitting position. Smee wriggled as he was cuddled, still meowing. "But I guess that's our cue to get up."

 "Aw, Smee," Lindsay complained, still curled up on the bed. "You couldn't have waited a few more minutes?"

 Smee's only response was to mew, still squirming. Gavin let him go and he leapt off the bed to sit beside the door, pawing at it and looking back at Gavin. He stood to let Smee out and, once the door was firmly shut once more, started getting dressed.

 "Come on, Linds, it'll be the bell soon."

 "One more minute!"

 "I guess I'll just have your food, then."

 She sighed and hauled herself out of bed. "You monster."

 He grinned and sat on the floor to play with Zelda while she got ready. When she was almost done, just running a brush through her hair one last time, the bell did indeed ring. They ended up running, arriving at breakfast out of breath but on time. Geoff, Griffon, Jack, and Jeremy were already there. Jeremy looked up at their entrance, but went back to staring at his food when he saw who it was. They seated themselves and waited.

 It wasn't that long before Michael and Ryan arrived, still wrapped in their coats. As they pulled them off and sat down, Ryan started apologising for their late arrival. Gavin got up to pull him into a hug, which he returned with a quick, “Hello, Gavin,” before launching straight back into his spiel.

 When Gavin pulled he offered Michael a hug, which was refused, so he sat back down with a wrinkle in his brow. By now Michael had more than gotten used to Gavin’s affectionate nature, or so it had seemed. He brushed it off as just Michael being nervous around someone new and retreating back into his shell and looked back at Ryan in time to catch his glance to Jeremy. It seemed to perk Jeremy up as a smile appeared on his face, the expression mirrored on Ryan. Gavin smirked to himself. The fact that either of them still believed their feelings were secret was adorable. He just hoped that they were actually in a 'secret' relationship and not just dancing around one another.

 The flow of words from Ryan finally halted as he turned to Lindsay. "Ah, I don't believe we've met before. You must be the Princess Lindsay that's got our Gavin so entranced. I'm honoured to meet you." He stood to bow.

 "And I, you."

 He smiled and seated himself again. Shortly thereafter, the food arrived. As they started eating, Gavin struck up a conversation with Ryan.

 "So, how was the trip? There's been pretty good weather recently, that must have made it easier."

 Ryan nodded, swallowing his bite of food before saying, "That it did. A real str- stroke of luck, I must say."

 He snickered a bit at the flub but let it slide, saying, "Glad to hear it! And you got along with Michael alright?"

 "Yes. I managed to take the opportunity to pry into his training as a personal guard. Jeremy's accounts are interesting and all, but the more information the better. Speaking of, in some roundabout and tangential way, have you finished reading that book on potions I lent you?"

 Gavin nodded along, used by this point to his tendency to use ten words where he could use one, and prepared to launch into a spiel on his thoughts on the book. Before he could, though, Lindsay cut in. "Ah, I was wondering what your friendship was founded upon."

 "What do you mean by that, Linds?" Gavin asked, tilting his head.

 "Well, he's from an old noble family and the other side of the Kingdom, you're an illegitimate Prince, he's a sorcerer with rumours of the macabre variety, you can't even fight, he's far older than you... You can see how the differences stack up. But books, that makes sense."

 "Less books, more an interest in the world around us," Ryan said, "I haven't met another person with a mind quite like Gavin's."

 "Which sounds like a nice way of saying 'I didn't understand what the hell this idiot was saying, but by the Gods was he funny'."

 "Lindsay!" Gavin pouted. He noticed Ryan bringing a hand up to hide his smile, which caused his frown to deepen.

 She beamed at him. "Yes?"

 "When have I ever asked something idiotic?"

 "The other day you asked what would happen if legs didn't know they were legs. I think that speaks for itself."

 "No, but-"

 "Oh, now you've done it!" Ryan cut him off, still smirking. "He's going to be arguing for hours."

 "Ryan, you're meant to be on my side, Ryan!" Gavin said, tone indignant.

 "Am I? I wasn't informed of this."

 He sighed and sank back in his chair. "Fine then, have a natter about how stupid I am. I'm going to talk with someone who actually values my input!"

 "Good luck finding one of those," Jeremy said, grinning. Gavin turned to him, looking aghast.

 "Jeremy! I was talking about you!"

 "I don't know when I gave the impression that I valued your input, but I'd like to formally apologise for that."

 "Well, how about Michael? You like talking to me, right boi?"

 "Huh?" He looked up from his food, startled. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

 "I was saying that you liked talking to me, right?"

 "Uh, yeah, sure. Why?"

 The others were laughing to themselves at this point. He pointed at them, pout still in place. "Because they were being mean to me!"

 "So, I'm your last choice?" Michael asked, quirking an eyebrow.

 "No, not at all boi, why would you think that?"

 "Right..."

 Lindsay shook her head, fighting back giggles as she said, "Looks like even your last resort has failed you!"

 "Linds... you know you love me really, Linds," Gavin said, leaning against her with pleading eyes.

 She relented. "Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean you can't be an idiot sometimes."

 "You said you loved me, that's all I wanted!"

 A soft smile pulled at her lips. Beside her, Ryan looked on with amusement. "It really is impressive," he said, "that you've mang- managed to find someone who puts up with you. I wish you all the best."

 "You're being mean again."

 "Sorry, I'll rephrase it. It's impressive that you've found love, considering the attitude you went into all this with."

 “What do you-”

 “Well, I remember the night before the party you were trying to stave off Geoff's insistence that you not court someone you don't have feelings for. You maintained practicality above all else. A far cry from the love-struck idiot you find yourself today.”

 Gavin's face fell into something more serious. He could remember that conversation, but it seemed as though from another life. The juxtaposition between his conviction that night and the love he had found in Lindsay. A hand grasped his under the table and he squeezed it back, shooting a smile at Lindsay. She returned it, looking relieved.

 "You were getting pretty lost in thought there, Gav," she said, tilting her head. "Anything we should be worried about?"

 "Nope! Just thinking about what Ryan said."

 "Alright." She let the matter drop. Ryan raised an eyebrow but changed the topic, for which Gavin was thankful.

 After that he focused more on his food, letting Lindsay and Ryan chat and only jumping in when Ryan flubbed, much to his annoyance. Ryan was someone who liked to give off the impression he was well-educated and intelligent. Flubbing made that difficult, being teased for it even more so. It always made Gavin laugh to see how wound up he’d get.

 As he ate he also noticed Michael lost in thought, staring at his food and only rarely eating. Every now and again he'd glance at someone else, usually Lindsay but sometimes Ryan or Gavin himself. Whenever they locked eyes, Michael would drop his gaze and start eating. Gavin didn't say anything.

 ---

 Once the meal was over, he, Lindsay, Michael, Ryan, and Jeremy went to the library to continue talking. The conversation eventually shifted from Gavin and Jeremy catching up with Ryan to the upcoming parties, a topic which Lindsay threw herself into, both her and Gavin rambling on about every last detail.

 "...so I've already made Jeremy promise to have a dance with you, no backing out of that!" Gavin said, staring Ryan down. Jeremy was flustered, bright red and with his hands over his face. By contrast, Ryan just had a faint flush in his cheeks and managed to respond with an even tone.

 "Well, dancing is to be expected. However, I may not be at the parties long. The travelling has tired me out, and with the errands I have to carry out during my time here, I expect I'll not have enough energy to dance late into the night."

 A puzzled frown pulled at Gavin's face. He knew the spells Ryan was referring to didn't take that long or that much energy to renew. He'd usually gotten them done in only a few hours and, after a good night's sleep and a lot of food, had been right as rain again the next day. He glanced at Jeremy, who had dropped his hands and was also staring at Ryan with a furrowed brow. However, this wasn't the time or place to discuss it, and so he opened his mouth, preparing to change the subject. He was cut off by Michael.

 "While we’re on the subject, I don't think I'll be attending the parties at all."

 Gavin turned to stare at him and saw Lindsay's head snap round too, a shocked expression on her face. She was the one to speak. "But, why?"

 He shrugged. "I just don't like parties. With all the guards there, you should be perfectly safe, so there's no reason for my presence. If you say so, I will of course attend, but-"

 "I don't. I won't. You know that." A pinched frown had now settled on her features. "If you don't want to attend, that's fine. But if something's bothering you..."

 "Nothing is, don't worry." He smiled, but it was somewhat strained. After staring at him for a few moments, Lindsay let the matter drop and asked Ryan what he knew about the Ruby Kingdom, but she shot Gavin a worried look as the conversation picked back up.

 ---

 That evening, Gavin and Lindsay were sat together in her room. Her face was serious, hands folded in her lap.

 "I mean, it's not just me, right? He's been acting weird today," she said, looking to Gavin for back-up. He nodded.

 "Yeah, he's been very quiet. And that whole thing about the party." Here he paused, thinking over what he knew of Michael. "But he is prone to being quiet in unfamiliar company... You know him better than I do. Is this normal?"

 "On its own, kinda? But this is a different type of quiet. Like, thinking quiet as opposed to stoic silence. And he's not asked not to attend a party before, no matter how much he hates them. He never entrusts my protection to someone else if he can help it."

 "So, how do we approach this?"

 She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know! I've not had to deal with something like this before. Michael doesn't... come to me with his issues. He doesn't go to anyone. He just blocks himself off. Refuses to say anything." She looked crestfallen, the expression causing Gavin's stomach to knot. He reached out to comfort her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and running a hand through her hair, and she gave a weak smile in thanks.

 "So... he won't talk to us. But we can't push the matter."

 "I just want to help him!" she said, flinging her hands up. "I just, he, he's done so much for me, and I-" She cut herself off, hands balling up. "It's impossible, I don't know what to do!"

 "Getting angry about it isn't going to help, love." He kissed her head again, sighing. "But I agree. This doesn't seem to have an easy solution."

 "What do we do, then?"

 "...I don't know that there's anything we can do at this point. We wait, ask the others for advice, keep an eye on him to try and find out what's bugging him. Hopefully we can figure something out."

 "And if that doesn't work?"

 "Then we try something else."

 She was quiet for a long time, just breathing in and out. Eventually she slumped, hands relaxing again. "Fine. We do this your way."

 "Okay. Thank you."

 "Yeah."

 She turned and pressed her face against his chest. He continued stroking her hair. Nothing more was said that night.

 ---

 The next morning they woke up to Michael knocking on their door, clothes in hand. Gavin was confused. He and Lindsay were supposed to collect their clothes later today from the tailor, so what was Michael doing with them? As he opened his mouth to ask, Michael cut in.

 "You and Lindsay have the day off from preparations. His Majesty’s orders. Since you're the guests of honour, you need to be well-rested. So here." He held them out. Gavin took them, still confused.

 "Um, thank you, but-"

 "The ballroom is already decorated, the food is being cooked as we speak, the band have arrived and are testing the acoustics of the room. Jack does want to speak with Lindsay later about something, but that's all. Everything's under control."

 "Again, thanks, but-"

 "So I'll see you later."

 "Wait, Michael-" He reached out, grabbing Michael's arm before he could leave. "Is something wrong?"

 "No."

 He hesitated, but changed tack. "Well, if everything's sorted, you can spend the day with us, right?"

 It was Michael's turn to hesitate. "I, uh, wouldn't want to get in the way."

 "What's that about? You've never gotten in the way, don't be daft." Michael looked down the hall, indecision in his eyes. Gavin gave another push. "And you'll have plenty of time away from us during the party, after all."

 "...yeah. Okay. What were you going to do today?"

 "Hang out with Ryan and Jeremy again. Jeremy wanted to talk with me about something, actually, so you and Lindsay can go ahead to the library, we'll catch up." He let go of Michael's arm and went back into the room, finding that Lindsay had been getting ready during his conversation with Michael. She nodded in response to his words.

 "See you later, Gav!" she said, kissing his cheek before pulling Michael down the hall after her.

 Gavin quickly got changed and went out to the training grounds, where Jeremy was watching some guards fight with an anxious expression. The faraway look in his eyes suggested it was nothing to do with the scene before him. Gavin drew closer and tapped Jeremy on the shoulder, startling him.

 "Eyup, Lil J. You wanted to talk with me?"

 "Yeah. Can I ask you for some advice? About, uh, Ryan?"

 "Ask away."

 He shifted from foot to foot. "Well, the thing is, you heard him yesterday, right? About the errands? I'm pretty sure he's not got any reason to be here except to renew the spells-"

 "And to spend time with you," Gavin interjected. Jeremy waved him off.

 "-to renew the spells, and you and I both know that doesn't take a lot out of him. And I tried to ask him what was going on after the conversation, but he just changed the subject. And I..."

 "You're worried."

 His face fell. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

 "Me too." He rubbed the back of his head, wondering what to do. "But if he wouldn't talk to you, then-"

 "But maybe he'll talk to you!” Jeremy said in a rush. “You two are far closer, so-"

 "We're really not-"

 "But you guys are both smart and share books all the time and have so much to talk about-"

 "And you're the reason he visits here so much, Jeremy. Don't sell yourself short," Gavin said emphatically.

 There were a few moments of silence before Jeremy said, "You really are worried, aren't you? You didn't even make a short joke."

 He cracked a smile, but it soon faded. "Look, Jeremy, you and Ryan are close, even if you don't have a lot in common on the surface. You still spend a lot of time together. You're still friends, right?"

 "Yeah, that was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Um, we're not together."

 "Really? But you do have a crush on him?"

 "Uh, yeah, but I don't know how to, y'know, ask him out. And especially with the whole 'errands' thing, it feels like he's keeping something from me, or... making excuses to not be around me."

 Gavin sighed. He really wasn't equipped to deal with this. "That's definitely bullshit right there. If he didn't want to be around you, he wouldn't be staying at the castle so long. He'd just be in and out. The keeping things from you, I'm not sure about. But you trust him, don't you?"

 "Well, yeah."

 "So trust that he'll come clean if it's important. Apart from that, I really don't know what to say. You want relationship advice, go to someone else. You know I'm rubbish at that."

 "I mean, you did manage to get a Princess to fall in love with you, that's gotta count for something, right?"

 "Honestly, I've got Michael to thank for that. We probably would've fallen at the first hurdle if not for him,” he said, looking away. It hadn't really occurred to him just how important Michael was to him, how large a role he had already played in Gavin's life. He really hoped that whatever was bugging him at the moment was nothing to be worried about. He shook his head and continued. "Or Griffon, or Geoff, or Jack. They're far better at this stuff than me, go pick their brains."

 Jeremy's shoulders slumped. "Okay. Uh, thanks for talking with me."

 "Yeah, anytime. Sorry I couldn't be more help."

 He waved his hand, still looking dejected. "Let's just go meet up with the others."

 "...okay."

 They went inside, Gavin now plagued with worries of Jeremy as well as of Michael. He ended up zoning out through a lot of the conversation itself, too wrapped up in his thoughts. He noticed Ryan and Michael exchanging looks quite a lot, which piqued his interest. He wondered if Ryan's 'errands' had something to do with whatever was going on with Michael. But since he didn't know anything about either topic, he let that theory be for now and just watched as the conversation continued.

 ---

 Later that evening they parted ways to get ready for the party, or in Michael's case, to head to the training grounds. Gavin and Lindsay started heading towards their room when she asked, “Do you know where I could find Jack?”

 “Oh, right. Um, probably Geoff’s room.”

 “Great, thanks! I’ll catch up,” she said, pecking his cheek before heading back the way they’d come. Gavin made it all the way back to their room and started getting dressed before she showed back up, a satisfied smile on her face. They finished getting ready quickly.

 When Geoff knocked on their door to check if they were ready, they were just putting the finishing touches to their outfits, namely placing their masks on. Each was a golden half-mask made to look like vines and flowers curling over their faces. They'd been made by Jack, of course, and they looked amazing. Gavin couldn't keep himself from admiring it in the mirror. Lindsay was the one to answer the door.

 "Hey, Lindsay. You look amazing!" he heard Geoff's voice say.

 "Thanks! You don't look so bad yourself, old man."

 "Hey now, let's not go throwing insults about. Today is a day of celebration. Uh, where's the other one?"

 "Gav?" Lindsay called. Gavin took one last look at himself before making his way over.

 "Hey, Geoffrey. Party time?"

 "Party time. Shall we?" He gestured down the hall. Lindsay and Gavin looped arms and followed him to the ballroom.

 When they entered, they were hit with a wave of noise which quickly cut off. Eyes turned to stare at them, some belonging to people Gavin recognised and several not. As usual, Geoff welcomed everyone to the party and made a short speech about why it was being thrown before handing off to Gavin and Lindsay. As they'd rehearsed, Gavin stepped forwards to say much the same, holding Lindsay's hand tightly. It was far easier than he'd expected it to be, and soon Lindsay was saying her piece, Gavin watching the crowd. As she came to the end, however, she started deviating from her script. He tuned back into what she was saying.

 "...and this is about the union of our two Kingdoms. Even if we're not getting married it is still an important union, one forged of love. One symbolised by the ring I wear, gifted to me by my beloved. And which I reciprocate, as symbolised by this necklace," as she said this she reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace, a golden glittery thing which Gavin couldn't make out the details of, "which I, in turn, gift to him."

 She turned to him and looped the necklace around his neck, fastening it, before resting her hands on his shoulders and smiling at him. He couldn't help but return the smile, holding her hands to kiss each palm.

 "Thank you," he muttered quietly. Her eyes sparkled.

 But their quiet moment couldn't last, as she turned to face the crowd once more. He dropped one of her hands, but kept a firm grip on the other, rubbing little circles into it with his thumb. She rounded off her speech before dipping into a curtsy, and he into a bow. Geoff nodded and clapped his hands.

 "Now back to partying with the lot of you," he said, and the volume rose once more. He patted each of them on the head, sparing a particularly proud smile for Lindsay, before heading over to where Jack and Griffon were chatting. Gavin turned to Lindsay.

 "This what you were collecting from Jack earlier?"

 She nodded. "He really does make beautiful stuff, doesn't he?"

 "That he does. I'll have to thank him later. But first," he bowed over the hand he still held, pressing a kiss to the back of it before smiling up at Lindsay, "would you do me the honour of a dance?"

 "I think that can be arranged, yes."

 He straightened and they went to the centre of the room where several people were already dancing. As they drew close to one another a waltz started up. It had been a while since Gavin's last dance lesson, so he might have paid more attention to not stepping on her feet than the dance itself to begin with, but soon his muscle memory kicked in and they were twirling around the room gracefully. One dance turned into two, to three, to countless, and then they were collapsing into chairs, breathless from the dancing and laughing from the adrenaline, hands still clasped between them.

 It wasn't long before they were swarmed by guests. Gavin was drawn into a conversation with a few nobles, Ryan included, and paid little attention to what was happening with Lindsay. Every now and again he'd squeeze her hand to remind himself that she was still there and she'd squeeze back, causing a smile to creep across his face that had nothing to do with whatever joke had just been told.

 A squeeze turned into a tug and he found her leaning in to talk to him, voice low so that no one else could hear. "Hey, this noble just asked me to dance, do you mind if I say yes?"

 He was already shaking his head as he turned to look the noble over, but as their gazes met Gavin held tight onto Lindsay's hand, senses suddenly on high alert. She gave him a curious look, but he turned his gaze on Ryan, who was watching the three of them with an amused expression. When it didn't falter he released her hand.

 "Yeah, no, go have fun," he said, putting on what he hoped was an encouraging smile. She hesitated for a second.

 "Are you sure?"

 "Yep."

 Her eyes roamed his face, searching for something. Whatever she saw prompted a sigh and a nod. "Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

 "Don't hurry on my account."

 "Sure." There was still worry in her eyes, but it vanished as she took the noble's hand and stood. Not gone, merely hidden, if he knew Lindsay.

 He stood and excused himself from the group of nobles to go and grab a drink. As expected, Ryan followed. His eyes were following Lindsay and the unknown noble as they danced. Gavin kept his on the cup.

 "I hope you know what you're doing, Ry."

 "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he said, a faux-innocent expression on his face. Gavin sighed. There'd be no arguing with Ryan when he got in one of these moods.

 "If this going horribly wrong, I'm blaming you." He took a sip, ignoring whatever bluster came out of Ryan's mouth in response. Once he was silent again, Gavin lowered the glass and faced him. "I'm being serious, Ryan."

 He paused, meeting Gavin's gaze. His smile grew. "I know."

 "You're impossible."

 "I know."

 He sighed again, frustrated. "Just, forget it. Where's Jeremy, then?"

 "Now that, I don't know. I saw him earlier in the evening, but, as you know, my recent time has been taken up by noble company and, of course, yourself."

 Ignoring the insult, he said, "Well, you better go find him. I made him promise to dance with you; you're not leaving this room until that promise is fulfilled."

 "Ah. So this is the nature of your revenge."

 "Not revenge, you pleb. This is as far from revenge as you could possibly get." Well, maybe a bit of revenge. He took another sip. "It's called helping out a friend. I'd ask if you were familiar, but you'd have to have both friends and the desire to help others."

 "Ouch. You wound me." He pressed a hand to his heart, a twinkle still in his eye. "But, despite your mach- mu- machinations, I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave without seeing them come to fruition. I think my errands are taking their toll on me."

 "Speaking of-"

 He held up his hand. "Speak no more. All the answers you seek can be found elsewhere, and if I were to utter them I would be doing a dear friend a disservice." A wry smile was pulling at his lips.

 "Again, you have friends?"

 "The dear friend I speak of is you. Trust me; hold thy tongue and thou shalt be rewarded."

 Gavin was silent for a long while, just staring at Ryan. "Alright, what the hell."

 "The toll I mentioned. I'm coming over rather faint, I fear the words I speak are not my own."

 "So, this isn't just you being melodramatic as always?"

 It was Ryan's turn to be silent, that smile still lingering. "I fear I have said too much. Adieu."

 He was gone before Gavin could argue, tailcoats disappearing out the door. Another sigh escaped him. But actually, while he was on the subject...

 Scanning the room, he located Jeremy on the far side and made his way over, deflecting conversation attempts from other people. It wasn't long before he was at the other's side.

 "So... the Ryan topic," Gavin said, leaning against the wall beside Jeremy. A cloud came over the guard's face.

 "The Ryan topic. I saw you talking with him."

 "Yeah, he was being his usual obstinate self. Couldn't make heads or tails of what he was saying."

 "But he left pretty sharpish, didn't he?" A melancholic look was starting to descend upon his features.

 "Through no fault of yours. He wasn't feeling well."

 A pause. "Was he unwell, or tired from his 'errands'?"

 "The latter, but-"

 "We don't know what those are, how can we know it's not just an excuse?"

 "Trust me, if you saw the way he'd been acting, you'd know it was no excuse."

 "Well, I didn't, because he didn't want to talk to me!"

 "Jeremy-"

 "Sorry, are we interrupting?" Lindsay asked. As Gavin turned towards her, Jeremy slunk off. A moment later he was out the door. Gavin sighed and shook his head.

 "Not anymore. You alright, Linds?"

 She nodded, the concerned expression she'd been wearing melting away into something more friendly as she turned to the noble she was still on the arm of. "Yes, Lord Edgar here's been absolutely charming. Edgar, you know Prince Gavin, of course!"

 Gavin stifled his laugh when he heard the name, somehow managing to maintain a neutral expression as they bowed and said, "This party of yours is magnificent. Your Kingdom even more so."

 "Thank you, Milord,” Gavin said.

 They rose, standing only a bit shorter than Gavin. Their face was hidden behind a wolf's mask, face contorted in a snarl. Only his eyes were visible, dark and shadowed. His hair was brown and pulled in a ponytail over one shoulder. There was nothing obviously off about his appearance, though Gavin still felt uneasy. He tried a smile.

 "I take it you're not local, then?" he asked, making an effort to rid the tension from his muscles. Edgar nodded.

 "I am from Ghossia, down south. I have just been talking with her Highness about her last trip there, as she has seen corners of my Kingdom I did not even know existed. It's been informative."

 "I can imagine. Lindsay sure has seen a lot of the world." He shot a fond smile at Lindsay as he said this, and she beamed back.

 "That she has. Have you ever visited Ghossia?"

 "No, I've not been beyond my Kingdom. Always wanted to visit, though. How long are you in Achievia?"

 "I am reaching the end of my stay and should be returning home within the week. I was happy to learn that the parties fell at the end of my journey; it seems a great way to close out the visit."

 Gavin nodded, head tilted slightly. "Yes, quite fortuitous that. Are you going to be at the rest of the parties, then?"

 "I hope so."

 "As do I."

 Edgar inclined their head, giving nothing away about their thoughts. Gavin glanced at Lindsay. She was looking between the two of them with a satisfied expression. When she noticed Gavin looking at her, she gave him an impish grin and said, "Edgar was curious about the folktales of Achievia; I told him you'd be the one to talk to about those. If you're happy to talk, that is."

 "When am I not?" Gavin said, letting his own smile grow wide. "We should probably take a seat, though. Ah, what topic did you want to begin with? We have a vast array of stories." He led the way to some chairs on the side of the room as he spoke. Lindsay sat between him and Edgar, head still swiveling back and forth as she continued to smile.

 "Well, it's probably easiest to start with the stars?" There was slight hesitation in Edgar's tone. "Every culture has stories about them. I'd be interested in hearing yours."

 "Of course. Someday, you'll have to repay the favour though. Now then..." He tilted his head back as he collected his thoughts, almost missing the look of alarm that flashed through Edgar’s eyes, but pushed it from his mind to launch into the first of many stories he ended up telling that night.

 ---

 They continued talking through to the wee hours of the morning, when Geoff came over to suggest they head to bed or risk falling asleep over breakfast. They obliged, Lindsay wrangling a promise from Edgar that they'd talk more the next night.

 As they lay in bed, curled around each other and on the edge of sleep, Gavin finally remembered the necklace Lindsay had given him earlier that evening. He extracted an arm to lift it up to what little light was available and examined it.

 It was gold, as he'd thought it was. It appeared to be several tiny flowers wrought out of the metal and strung together, similar to the necklaces and crowns he'd made out of real flowers as a child. There were tiny gems nestled in the heart of each flower which even now reflected light, the stolen sparkle reminiscent of the flowers in the garden outside.

 Above all, it was beautiful, and Gavin nestled closer to Lindsay to press a kiss to her hair and mutter 'Thank you’. She hummed and pulled closer to him. He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not. Still, his own eyelids were drooping, so he wrapped himself back around her and allowed sleep to finally embrace him.

 ---

 The next day Gavin went to go hang out with Michael in the morning again, still kinda droopy from his late night but looking forward to telling Michael about the party. When he arrived Michael was already training, but he stopped and came to where Gavin was sitting when he noticed him.

 "Morning, boi. Party go well?" he said, sitting down. Gavin nodded.

 "Yep! It went great. Lindsay gave me this pretty necklace, see?" He held the necklace out, twisting it to catch the light better. Michael nodded appreciatively. "We danced a lot, talked with a lot of people, it was great fun! How was your evening in?"

 He shrugged, taking a drink of water. When he lowered it he said, "I ended up coming out here to train for a bit, then had an early night. Nothing special. Must have been a lot of interesting people at the party, though."

 "Yeah, well. A lot of them I knew already, even if just from other parties Geoff's thrown, and I had fun catching up with them. There were a couple unfamiliar faces. Or, uh, voices? I only ended up talking to one though, a noble by the name of Edgar. Seemed pretty nice. Then there was also Ryan and Jeremy, of course. So yeah, quite a few interesting people. What are your plans for the evening, then? Same as yesterday?"

 "Probably. Why?" He took another drink.

 "Just wondering if there's anything more interesting you'd rather be doing."

 He snorted and stood. "I think I'll be fine, thanks. Training is plenty interesting. Speaking of."

 "Right. Have fun, and give that dummy what-for."

 Michael was shaking his head, but there was an amused smile on his face. The rest of the morning passed with little further conversation.

 ---

 After breakfast they hung out with Lindsay. She ended up nattering away about the party for quite a while, mostly just background noise which Gavin tuned out, right up until she asked Michael a question.

 "So, are you attending tonight?"

 He shook his head, frowning slightly. "Nope. Why do you ask?"

 "Because you're our friend, we'd like to spend time with you!" she said, leaning towards him. "Also, there was a noble there, Edgar, who promised he'd be here tonight and I think you two would get along."

 "Well, I'm not going."

 A frown tugged at her lips, but she nodded and leant back. "Okay then. What, uh, what do you want to do?"

 "Right now or this evening?"

 "Now."

 He shrugged. "Aren't there preparations for the party tonight? We should probably have a hand in those."

 "Yeah, okay then. Let's get going."

 ---

 The topic of parties was dropped for the rest of the day, as much as it could be, and when they parted ways with Michael the tension had eased somewhat. Still, Gavin could tell the conversation had upset Lindsay.

 He clasped her hand as they entered the party, nodding towards the dancing guests with an inquisitive expression. She paused, glancing around the room, and nodded a moment later. When Gavin looked around he noticed that Edgar wasn't there yet. Ryan was, though he was looking rather pale, and so was Jeremy, who seemed to be attempting to start a conversation with him. Gavin was soon distracted by the dancing.

 They stepped to the side a couple of dances later, spirits raised, and Gavin went to grab them both a drink. He ended up chatting briefly with Ryan and Jeremy while he was there. Both of them seemed pretty distracted, Jeremy by Ryan and Ryan by something unknown. As Gavin was about to make his leave, Ryan mentioned getting a headache and left the room. Gavin lingered, wondering if Jeremy was alright, but he was waved off and went back over to Lindsay, who was now talking with Edgar. They both looked up at his approach.

 "Hey, Linds! Here you go." He handed the drink over, pressing a quick kiss to her head as he did so. She took the drink with a smile.

 "Thanks!"

 Gavin sat on Lindsay's other side, turning a smile on Edgar. "Lord Edgar, right? It's great to meet you again."

 "And you, your Highness." He fell silent. Gavin couldn't tell what he was looking at behind the mask.

 "Just Gavin. What were you guys chatting about?"

 "I was just asking him about Ghossia," Lindsay said, sipping her drink. "It's been very interesting!"

 "I can imagine. Whereabouts in Ghossia are you from, then?"

 "I own some land on the outskirts, but generally live near the capital."

 "Right, okay. You more of a city person then?"

 He spread his hands with a shrug. "It's where I live. I enjoy visiting the countryside, but couldn't imagine staying there for very long. Though Lindsay's descriptions of her travels may be enough to convince me otherwise."

 She beamed. "Thanks, but I really can't begin to do justice to what it's like out there."

 "If your words only capture a portion of its beauty, then I will have to travel there to experience it for myself."

 "If you do so, I recommend these hills in the West of your Kingdom; there are some gorgeous water features over there. My favourite is this waterfall which cascades down into a valley. It was absolutely stunning." She was leaning towards Edgar, one hand raised to gesture and the other holding her cup. Gavin sat back to watch her as she continued to speak. The sparkle in her eye, the flush in her cheeks, the enthusiasm in her every move; it was captivating. She rounded off her words after a bit, finishing off the drink. "So... yeah! That would be my plan."

 "I'm afraid that I'm terrible with geography, so I didn't manage to keep track of what you were talking about," Edgar said, giving a little laugh. "But it sounds like a wonderful plan. I hope to put it into action someday."

 "I'll write it down for you, then!" she suggested, already looking around for something to write with. "Uh... Tomorrow. I'll give it to you tomorrow."

 "I look forward to it." He looked round at the rest of the room. "But first, a dance?"

 "You fine with me abandoning you?" she asked Gavin jokingly, but there was a genuine question in her eyes. He nodded.

 "Yeah, go for it! I was planning to talk with Jeremy, anyway."

 "Okay. See you later." She stood and kissed his forehead before taking Edgar's hand. Gavin stayed where he was for a bit, watching the two of them dance, then went to find Jeremy.

 He found him over in the corner of the room, staring down at his drink. As Gavin drew closer he was hit by the strong scent of alcohol.

 "Oh, Jeremy. Please tell me you're not drunk."

 He looked up in surprise, forcing a smile. "No, no, not at all! Merely a bit tipsy."

 "Well, be careful. You are technically underage.” As Jeremy waved him off he tilted his head and asked, “Are you being sad about Ryan?"

 His smile wavered. "Maybe a bit. But I'm fine! Honest!"

 "...okay. I'm going to trust you on this, Jeremy." He leant against the wall beside him and changed the topic. As they talked, he found his attention divided between Jeremy and the dancers. He shook his head and tried to focus.

 "Hey, Gav, you seem pretty distracted. You alright?"

 "Uh, yeah."

 "Really?" Jeremy looked skeptical, glancing over his shoulder towards the dancers. "You haven't been able to stop staring at them. Is something up with you and Lindsay?"

 "Nope, we're good!"

 "If you say so. But I'm gonna hit the sack. Night, Gav. And, uh, thanks for talking with me."

 "Anytime, Jeremy. And goodnight."

 Jeremy smiled, brighter than his previous smiles had been, and left. Gavin remained where he was, surveying the room at large and checking the clock on the wall. It was getting pretty late. He came to a decision and went to tap Lindsay on the shoulder. She followed him to the side of the room, head slightly tilted.

 "You alright, Gav?"

 "Yeah, I’m just still feeling the effects of the late night yesterday, so I'm gonna go to bed. Thought I'd let you know."

 Her concern melted into a smile. "Thanks. Do you mind if I stay here, though?"

 "Not at all, you have fun!"

 "Okay. Goodnight, Gav. Love you!"

 "Night, love you too."

 They embraced. He felt her kiss his cheek and, when they pulled away, he kissed the top of her head. She was smiling as she returned to Edgar, who was lingering on the fringe of the dancing and looking in their direction. Gavin waved at him and he returned it, and then Gavin left. He fell asleep quickly, a cat curled on his chest and the sheets smelling of Lindsay.

 ---

 When he awoke it was morning and Lindsay was curled up next to him. As usual, Gavin extracted himself and went to spend time with Michael, being sure to not mention the party. He was pretty sure he'd drive Michael sick if he kept bringing it up. They ended up having a pretty fun morning.

 After breakfast they ended up in the library with Lindsay, waiting for Ryan and Jeremy. While they waited, Lindsay started talking about the party last night, filling Gavin in on what had happened after he left and talking an awful lot about Edgar, even grabbing some paper to scribble down her notes regarding the traveling she’d recommended. Once again, she asked Michael if he'd attend tonight.

 "Once again, why?"

 She shrugged and said, "Same reasons as last time. Plus, I really do think you and Edgar would get along. If you don't want to, it's fine, I just-"

 "I'll go."

 Lindsay stared at him, mouth snapping shut before lifting into a smile. "Really?"

 "Yeah, why not. If I do it, though, can you stop asking me to attend?"

 "Yeah, of course!" Gavin noticed guilt flash through her eyes. "But I'm not going to hold you to this, Michael-"

 "I said I'm going, that's that." He stood, heading to the door. "I'm just going to see what's keeping the others. Back in a bit."

 Once he was gone, Lindsay turned to face Gavin, guilt now clearly spread across her features. "Did I force him into that? Should I have not asked?"

 He shrugged, staring after Michael, and said, "I don't know. Probably. But it's done now, so just stick to your promise, yeah?"

 "I will." She was also staring at the door now, brow furrowed. "I'm still worried about him."

 "Me too."

 "Is the ‘wait and see’ plan working at all?" she asked, a sarcastic edge to her words.

 His mouth twisted. "Well, no. But it hasn't been that long-"

 "In case you're forgetting, Michael and I are leaving in a few days." Her tone turned hard. "We haven't got long. So maybe we should start looking at other options."

 "Do you have any?" Silence hung in the air. "Okay then."

 A frustrated groan left her. "This isn't just up to me-"

 "You do know him the best, you know how to approach him-"

 "I've already said I don't-"

 "Uh, guys?"

 They both looked round at Jeremy, who was lingering in the door and looking worried. There were bags under his eyes, a droop to his stance. Gavin instantly felt guilty.

 "Oh, uh, hi Lil J," he said, gesturing to a seat. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

 He sat, shrugging. "Yeah. You?"

 "I'm fine! Well, mostly. Linds?"

 Lindsay, who had been staring down at her hands, plastered a smile on her face and said, "Yeah, I'm good. Do you know where Michael and Ryan are?"

 Jeremy nodded. "I was just at Ryan's room, but he's feeling really ill today. Got a migraine or something. Michael came to remind us about this meetup, but when he heard about Ryan I think he went to get him some medicine or something? I don't know, he said he'd catch up in a bit."

 "Right. Well, how's your day been? Apart from that, I mean."

 "It's been okay. I was training the new recruits this morning. They’re really coming along." He hesitated. "Do you know why Michael doesn't train with anyone?"

 "Think it’s like a strength thing. Doesn’t want to hurt other people," she said, looking confused. "Why do you ask?"

 "'Cause if he's not attending the parties, I thought it'd be good for him to help them out in the evenings. Even just giving them pointers, or using the dummies to demonstrate moves. Doesn't have to be sparring if he's got a problem with that."

 "That's... a really good idea. You can ask him when he comes back." She had brightened considerably upon hearing Jeremy's plan. Apparently, Michael not having much to do had been weighing heavily on her mind. Perhaps it had even been a factor in her asking him to attend the parties.

 Michael showed up a while later and, upon seating himself, was asked by Jeremy, "Would you be up for helping the newbies out during the parties? Since you're not attending them, and they’re not, I thought it could be a good idea."

 "I, uh, can't tonight. I promised Lindsay I'd be at the party."

 "Oh. Well, how about tomorrow night?"

 "I'll think about it," he said, with a finality to his tone that stopped Jeremy from pressing the matter. Lindsay's brow furrowed, and she seemed ready to pry when Gavin changed the topic, not wanting to provoke Michael.

 ---

 It was early afternoon when Lindsay suggested she and Gavin head back to their rooms. Gavin obliged, guessing that she wanted to talk with him about the Michael situation. Indeed, when the door closed behind them she sat on the bed with a sigh and asked, "What are we going to do? Waiting and seeing isn't getting us anywhere, and we need to do something! Michael is acting weird and closed off and-"

 "I know. I'm worried too, Linds." He sat beside her, hoping for a solution to occur to him in the pause. Nothing did, so he said, "But I don't know what we can do, and neither do you. Unless we ask the others for help-"

 "Why don't we?"

 "...we could. But Linds, if you don't know how to deal with this, chances are the others won't either."

 Her hands gripped the sheets. "But there has to be something we can do!"

 "Talk to him?"

 "He won't listen. He never does."

 "Figure out what's bothering him?"

 "Isn't that what the waiting and seeing was about? And that's gotten us nowhere."

 "Ask him what's bothering him?"

 "Again, he won't respond."

 Gavin spread his hands helplessly. "I really don't know what you're expecting, Linds."

 She sighed, all of the tension draining out of her as she leant against him. "I'm sorry," she said after a pause. "I know I'm being awkward."

 "You're worried, I think that entitles you to a bit of awkward behaviour. And I forgive you." He rubbed her back to try and soothe her.

 "I just don't know what to do."

 "If you're really that sure talking to him won't help, then I say we just continue with the wait and see course of action. Either he'll bring it up on his own, or it'll resolve itself, or the circumstances will change in some other way. Hopefully for the better."

 "And if nothing changes before we leave?"

 "...I don't know."

 She sighed again, frustrated. "I hate this."

 "Do you want to ask the others? Maybe they'll see something we can't."

 "Yeah, okay." She stood, looking down at him. "You coming with?"

 "I could do with a nap. If it’s alright with you?”

 “Yeah, sure. Look after yourself.”

 He smiled. “Thanks. Let me know how it goes, though."

 "Will do." And she finally smiled, kissing his forehead before leaving. Gavin fell back on the bed, trying to will himself to sleep. To his surprise, it worked, and when he next woke it was to Lindsay getting changed. She looked round when he sat up.

 "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. I was wondering if you were gonna sleep through the whole party."

 He clambered out of bed and started getting ready too. "Were you just going to leave me alone?"

 "Yeah, I didn't want to disturb you. You're adorable when you're sleeping."

 "Thanks. How'd the afternoon go?"

 Her playful expression fell into something more serious. "Not well. Some had no idea, some suggested things we'd already discussed, some were too busy with their own problems to help. Looks like we're sticking with wait and see."

 "Sorry."

 "Thanks." She shook her head and put on the mask. "At least this party should take our minds off things!"

 "True." He finished getting changed quickly and placed on his own mask. "Shall we?"

 "We shall."

 They left and arrived at the party before long. It was already in full swing. Looking around, they noticed Michael sitting in a corner glowering at the room. Lindsay made her way over. Gavin went to lean against the table beside Jeremy, checking for Ryan and finding him absent.

 "Hey, Lil J. Ryan still feeling unwell?"

 "Yeah. Uh, about that argument between you and Lindsay earlier-"

 "We've already sorted it out, don't worry."

 He looked relieved. "Ah, good. At least someone's happy!" His attempt at a joke fell flat, and Gavin raised an eyebrow at him.

 "You alright, Jeremy?"

 He hesitated, grabbing a cup of something alcoholic and taking a swig. "I, uh, I know you said Ryan feeling ill has nothing to do with him trying to avoid me-"

 "And I stand by that. He's just ill, it happens! No reason to get your panties in a twist."

 "No, yeah, I know that... But what if-"

 "No buts." He shoved off from the table and held his hand out, making a decision. "Come on, let's go dance to take your mind off things."

 After staring at him for a bit, Jeremy shrugged and took his hand. They danced for quite a while, for long enough that Jeremy was winded and no longer had a furrow in his brow, long enough that Gavin's feet were hurting and the room was spinning around him. They stumbled over to some chairs.

 "Feeling better?" Gavin asked between gulps of air.

 "Yeah, I just love making a fool of myself in front of everyone!"

 Even though his tone had clearly been sarcastic, Gavin grinned and said, "I know you do."

 Jeremy scowled. "Shut it. Why'd you have to ask me to dance? You know I can't dance!"

 "You were the one who accepted, Jeremy! It's not my fault!"

 His scowl deepened, but there was no argument to be made so he let it drop. Gavin looked around the room, smiling at the sight of Michael and Lindsay leaning towards one another, deep in conversation, and pausing upon noticing Edgar lingering near the edge of the room.

 "You going to be alright if I leave you be, Jeremy?"

 "Yeah, no need to hover. I can look after myself!"

 He stared at Jeremy unwaveringly. "Jeremy."

 "...I'll go talk with them for a bit,” he said, gesturing at a couple guards.

 "Thanks." He gave Jeremy a hug before heading over to Edgar, who turned at his approach.

 "Prince Gavin. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

 "Just Gavin. I thought you'd know this by now? And I was checking you were doing alright. You seem pretty lonely over here."

 "Not lonely. Merely watching."

 Gavin tilted his head. "Right... Watching what?"

 "The people."

 He had nothing to say to that. "Wanna talk to Lindsay?"

 "She seems otherwise engaged."

 "Nah, it's fine. She wanted to introduce you to Michael anyway." And before Edgar could say anything more, Gavin had grabbed his wrist and was dragging him over to Michael and Lindsay. "Hey guys!"

 Lindsay turned, face brightening upon seeing them. "There you two are! Lord Edgar, this is Michael, my personal guard. Michael, this is Edgar, the noble I was telling you about." She stood to steer Edgar into a seat, beside Michael, before tugging Gavin down to sit next to her and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Edgar, how are you this evening?"

 "Quite well, if a bit tr- tired. Yourself?"

 "I'm grand." She glanced between Michael and Edgar. "Uh, Edgar, didn't you say that your Royal family has done away with the personal guard tradition?"

 "That I did. I actually don't know that much about them." He turned to Michael. "Could you perhaps fill me in?"

 Michael did so, talking mainly about the training he'd undergone and only touching lightly upon the history behind the tradition. Edgar interjected every now and again with questions, which Michael answered to the best of his ability. Lindsay looked at Gavin with a pleased expression.

 ---

 For the rest of the party, the four of them chatted away. After Lindsay pressed a piece of paper to Edgar’s palm with another promise of the beauty of the locations upon it, she seemed to be focused upon twisting the conversation so that Edgar and Michael talked a lot, not that the two of them seemed to notice, and as such Gavin spent a lot of time just watching the others.

 There was a faint suspicion in the back of his mind regarding Edgar, one that he'd tried to suppress during the first party, but it had reared its head again tonight. He wasn't sure what had triggered it until he realised that Edgar was acting differently. Since he hadn't spent that much time with the man, he couldn't put his finger on what exactly the difference was, but it was definitely there. Seeing Lindsay's happy expression once more, he shoved those thoughts away and focused on the current conversation. There'd be time enough for paranoia later.

 The conversation continued on until Michael made his excuses and left. Edgar went to get a drink shortly after, leaving Lindsay and Gavin to talk.

 "So, what's all this with Edgar and Michael, then?" Gavin asked.

 She shrugged, smiling. "I just thought it'd be nice to introduce them to each other. And look at how well they hit it off!"

 "They did indeed." He paused, glancing about the room and noticing Jeremy standing in a corner by himself. "Do you mind if I go talk to Jeremy real quick, love? I just want to check he's doing alright."

 "Yeah, go for it. I should probably mingle anyway. I've not talked to most of these people." She, too, was gazing out at the room. "See you in a bit, Gav!"

 He kissed her forehead as he stood. "Bye, Linds."

 Making his way across the room, he made idle chit-chat with those he passed but remained steady on his course. Soon he was by Jeremy's side.

 "How you holding up?"

 He jumped and looked up at Gavin. "Uh, fine?"

 "Really? What happened to talking to the guards?"

 "They’re busy guarding and stuff, I didn't want to keep them too long."

 "Jeremy, please tell me you haven't been drinking by yourself this entire time."

 He paused. "I... haven't?"

 "Tell me the truth."

 "Now that's contradictory."

 "And there's my answer." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "You are a disaster, Jeremy, a complete and utter disaster."

 "No need to spare my feelings."

 "Why are you busy moping about Ryan? You're fine whenever he's not around, it's just that he's in the castle but not spending time with you that's got you so worked up! What’s changed?"

 "Nothing, really, but... forget it, it's silly." He drank, not meeting Gavin's gaze.

 "But?"

 "It's just, I was planning to actually ask him out this time? I mean, what better time than a party, right? But he's shown up and been avoiding me and making excuses to not be around me and it feels like the universe itself is telling me that I shouldn't go ahead with this, and-"

 "Stop right there." Jeremy's mouth snapped shut. Gavin continued. "I'm proud of you for trying, Jeremy, but you can't give up just 'cause he's ill or has got other things going on. The universe doesn't get a say in what happens with your relationships. That's between you and Ryan." He paused, watching Jeremy and feeling like the words weren't getting through to him. "Jeremy?"

 "But I mean, he's a noble, he's expected to marry highly, and I'm not expecting marriage but it does make it difficult to even start anything with those kind of expectations around him, and why shouldn't he marry highly anyway? He's so smart and strong and funny and, and, I don't deserve him."

 "Again, no one gets a say in your relationships but you and whoever they're with. Not the universe, not some nebulous expectations. I should know. I mean, I was born lower than low, and look at me now! Courting a Princess and son of a King. Status doesn’t matter. And besides, why shouldn't he want to be with you? You're the personal guard to the Prince, you're funny and strong and loyal and so many more amazing things. He'd be lucky to have you."

 "I guess, but..."

 "No buts. Seriously." He sighed. "Go to bed, Jeremy. If you still feel this way in the morning, let me know. We'll see what we can do. But I'm not continuing this while you're drunk."

 Jeremy took another drink, found the cup was empty, then placed it down and shrugged. "Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow, Gav."

 "Bye, Jeremy."

 He stared after Jeremy as he left the room, wondering if he should walk him to the barracks. He seemed stable enough, though, so Gavin remained where he was. Once Jeremy was gone, he sighed and looked about for Lindsay. He could really do with talking to her right now.

 As he did so, he realised that Edgar wasn't near the drinks table. In fact, Gavin realised, he was nowhere to be seen. He hesitated. It was getting pretty late. Most likely he'd simply retired and not mentioned anything. Or maybe he had said something to Lindsay. No way to know until he asked her.

 And so he resumed his initial search, soon finding her in a cluster of nobles on the far side of the room. She seemed pretty happy. As he watched, she tossed her head back in a laugh prompted by something one of them had said. He ignored the worry clawing at the back of his mind and made his way over.

 "Hey, Linds."

 "Gavin!" She kissed his cheek, grabbing one of his hands. "How's Jeremy doing?"

 "He's alright. Just gone to bed. You good?"

 "Yep! Tippy-toppers."

 A grin spread across his face. "Glad to hear it. I shan't keep you long, I just wanted to say goodnight."

 "You off already?"

 "It is getting late, Linds."

 "Oh, right. Guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

 "Guess so." He lifted her hand to press a kiss to the palm of it, smiling up at her. "Night, Linds. Love you."

 "Goodnight, love you too." There was a flush in her cheeks. He nodded to the rest of the nobles before making his way out of the room.

 Once he was out of sight, his smile dropped. He really didn't want to worry Lindsay with all this Jeremy and Ryan stuff, she had more than enough to worry about with Michael, but it was pretty draining putting on a happy face around her. Not to mention he couldn't help but feel guilty for keeping stuff from her. He rubbed his eyes as a yawn escaped him. He could worry about all that tomorrow. For now, he really could do with some sleep.

 ---

 The next morning he woke up late and dragged himself to the training grounds, feeling lethargic. He tried to smile at Michael when he approached, but the other man was looking down too.

 Concerned, Gavin asked, "Michael, you alright, Michael?"

 "Hm? Uh, yeah boi. Just tired. That party took a lot out of me last night." He grimaced, still looking distant. Gavin mirrored the expression.

 "Sorry about that, boi."

 "Not your fault. It was a pretty fun party, all things considered."

 "Really?"

 "Yeah, it was nice hanging out with you and Lindsay. And that other guy, Edgar, wasn't so bad either."

 "I'm sure Lindsay would be happy to hear that. She was very eager to get the two of you talking."

 "I know." A half-smile tugged at his lips. "I think she was trying to set us up or something."

 "Really? Does she, uh, do that a lot?"

 "Yeah. She seems to have made it her personal mission in life to get me together with someone."

 "Not really your thing?"

 "Nah, only with certain people. And Edgar's nice, but. Not that."

 "Fair enough. Onto other topics?"

 "Yes, please."

 He obliged, talking instead about the latest book he'd been loaned by Ryan. Which reminded him that after breakfast he really wanted to go and talk to the guy.

 As such, an hour or so later he found himself outside Ryan's door, having explained that he was checking on Ryan to Lindsay already. He knocked at the door. After a few minutes of no response, he tried again. And again. He soon figured that Ryan was either sleeping or in no fit state to answer the door, so he left, dropping by the medical wing to recommend someone check on Ryan throughout the day. After that he had nothing really to do.

 He ended up in the library, forgoing the book from Ryan in favour of a book detailing the Ghossia Kingdom. He lost several hours sitting there, reading up on Edgar's land and trying to ignore the worries still plaguing him.

 ---

 It was afternoon when he put the book down to find Lindsay and Michael, who he managed to track down in Lindsay's room. He entered to find Lindsay mid-ramble about the party, or more specifically, Edgar. Michael raised an eyebrow at him. Gavin stepped forwards and landed a kiss on the top of her head, cutting her words off.

 "Hey, love. Had a good day?" he asked, draping arms around her neck.

 She tilted her head back, smiling up at him. "Just got better."

 "Ugh," Michael groaned. "Can you two go be cute elsewhere?"

 "This is our room, Micoo!" Gavin pointed out. "Where are we supposed to go?"

 "...good point."

 "How'd talking with Ryan go?" Lindsay asked. Gavin shrugged.

 "It didn't. He wasn't feeling well enough to answer the door, so I called it quits and went to read for a bit."

 A frown appeared on her face. "That's worrying. Is his illness getting worse?"

 "I've asked a doctor to check up on him later. That's all we can really do."

 "I suppose. I hope he gets well soon."

 "Me too," Gavin said. When Lindsay fell silent he turned his gaze on Michael, whose eyes flickered away. "How was your day, Michael?"

 "It was alright. Had to listen to Lindsay talk about the party since breakfast, though."

 She made a face. "If you wanted me to shut up, why didn't you say anything?"

 He shrugged. "I didn't really mind, I guess. But can we change the subject now?"

 "Yeah, course."

 Gavin sat beside Lindsay on the bed as they changed the subject and ended up zoning out of whatever conversation they were having, lost in thought. Watching them talk, he tried to push his worries aside and enjoy his time with them, but an idle comment about the Ruby Kingdom reminded him of how little time he had left with them. It wasn't long before Lindsay noticed how quiet he was. A hand landed on top of his where it had been tapping on his leg.

 "Gav, you okay?"

 He nodded, twisting his hand round to hold hers properly. "Just thinking."

 "Good thinking or bad thinking?"

 "No comment."

 A frown creased her brow as she said, "That means it was bad. What's wrong?"

 "Just... I'm gonna miss you two. But there's nothing to be done, so." He shrugged. "No use wallowing."

 She was silent, rubbing circles on his hand with her thumb and looking to Michael for help. He was also staring at Gavin with a furrowed brow, but said nothing. She soon turned back to him.

 "Gav, if you want to talk about it, regardless of whether anything can be done, I'm here. Okay?"

 "Okay. Thank you," Gavin said, managing a smile. She returned it. "Now then, what were we talking about?"

 ---

 The ensuing conversation managed to keep him well distracted until the party. Michael said his goodbyes and Lindsay reminded him of Jeremy's suggestion. He waved it off, saying something about wanting some peace and quiet, and left.

 The first thing Gavin did upon entering the room was offer Lindsay a dance. It had done a good job in the past of distracting her and putting her in the party mood, and did the same for him. She declined this time, gaze already locked on Edgar. He nodded, kissing her cheek and letting her go before searching the room for Jeremy, finding him close to the door. He looked resigned upon Gavin's approach.

 "Come to check up on me again?"

 "I can't be concerned about you, Jeremy?"

 He sighed. "Look, I was planning to head off early. No sense in being at a party I won't enjoy. So, since I've told you, I'll see you tomorrow."

 He grabbed Jeremy's shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "You just having an early night?"

 "Yeah, probably."

 "'Cause Michael's doing the same, leaving the newbies out there with no one to watch over them."

 "There are other guards, they'll be fine," he said, waving him off. His eyes, however, seemed more alive. "Though... since I'm leaving anyway..."

 "I really think they'll be happy for your guidance. You are the best at training them, after all. Who knows how they've coped these past few nights?"

 "Shut up, I already said I'd go." He shook his head, smiling slightly. "No need to overdo it."

 "Wanted to be sure it'd actually get through that head of yours, Jeremy!"

 A startled laugh burst from him. "Alright, alright, you've made your point. I'll go be useful instead of moping. Happy?"

 "Very." He pulled Jeremy into a hug. "Look after yourself, alright?"

 "I will. And thanks, Gav."

 "You’re welcome."

 He stepped back, releasing Jeremy, and waved him off. The slump to his posture had vanished and his expression was more relaxed than depressed. Gavin knew he hadn't actually fixed anything, but hopefully Jeremy would be okay for this night at least.

 With his worries regarding Jeremy placated for the moment, he looked around the room once more. Edgar and Lindsay were dancing, a bright smile on the latter's face. He stood for a moment, just admiring her, before heading over to Geoff for a conversation, who was overjoyed to see him. They chatted for a few hours, Jack and Griffon each joining in at various points, before Lindsay came over to loop her arm through his.

 "Hey, Gav! Having fun?"

 "Yep. How about you?"

 "Absolutely. We've been going over the trip I planned for him in more detail. He really is hopeless with maps, it's kinda funny." She was grinning as she spoke, eyes sparkling. Gavin smiled back at her.

 "Glad to hear it."

 "Wait, you've been planning trips? For who?" Geoff cut in, looking amused. "You know you're a Princess, not a... whoever's job it is to actually organise trips, right?"

 "Lord Edgar, of Ghossia." Something flickered in Geoff's eyes when she said the name, but Lindsay didn't notice and barreled on. "I've been talking with him about travelling for several nights now. He's never done much, see, and after hearing about my own adventures he wanted to see the world for himself. Since I did have prior experience, I helped out."

 "Well, that sounds like fun!" Geoff said, his smile now slightly strained. "He, uh, still around or...?"

 "Actually, we were just about to head to the garden. I was gonna show him how beautiful it is. If that's okay with the both of you, of course! Actually why I came over, to ask permission."

 Geoff's eyes darted to Gavin, who shrugged and said, "They're Geoff's flowers, not mine. If he's fine with this, I am."

 "...yeah, go on then. Just make sure he doesn't take anything out of the garden, okay? Not a single leaf."

 "I will! See you later, Gav." She kissed his cheek before running off. Gavin turned back to Geoff.

 "Something wrong, Geoffrey?"

 "Well, I, uh... I'm not that close with the King down there, but I've never heard of a noble Edgar from Ghossia. Is he a young noble?"

 Gavin shrugged. "I dunno, he's always wearing a mask. Seems pretty young, though. Or at least, about my age."

 "Right, right. Probably that, then."

 "You suspicious of him, Geoffrey?"

 "Not for any good reason, no." He shrugged, laughing. “It’s not like there’s a guest list anyway, doesn’t really matter.”

 "Alright then. But, uh, do you mind if I head to the library? I think I could do with a break from the socialising."

 "Took you this many parties, huh?" Geoff smiled. "Feel free, I certainly won't hold it against you. I myself am craving a quiet room and a good book right now. See you in the morning, buddy."

 "Bye, Geoff!"

 He took his leave, heading to the library. When he got there he picked up the book he'd been reading about Ghossia again, before shaking himself and finding something else to read. There was no good reason to look into this. No good reason at all. If he kept telling himself that, maybe it would start feeling true.

 ---

 After an hour or so of staring at the same page and not taking any of it in, he called it quits and went back to his room, yearning for a warm bed and Lindsay's embrace. He opened the door quietly, so as not to disturb her if she was back already, and shushed the cats that swarmed him. Once they were somewhat calmer, he turned to the bed, noticing first Lindsay within it.

 The next thing he noticed were the flowers on the bedside table.

 It was a few minutes he spent just standing there, staring, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Nothing changed during this time. Lindsay remained curled up in bed, one hand reaching for his side of the bed. And she remained illuminated by the flowers that still held a faint glow.

 When it finally clicked in his mind he was out the door and halfway down the corridor before he'd even drawn a breath. His thoughts were awhirl. Edgar had given her flowers. Edgar had given her glowing flowers from Geoff's garden. She and Edgar had been in the garden and he had given her flowers from it. With every passing second, his stomach twisted more.

 Eventually, he found himself in his old room. Once inside, he collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, willing himself to fall asleep despite the worry still clawing at him. As he turned his head, he realised that he was still wearing his mask and tore it off, dropping it to the floor below. His hands were shaking, so he gripped them in the covers. Burying his head in the pillow, he willed himself to go to sleep, go to sleep, just go to sleep-

 ---

 The morning light streamed through the window. Gavin sat up in bed, disoriented for a moment by the unfamiliar room. The events of the evening before came back to him a moment later. He just sat there, processing what he'd seen and how he'd acted and, after a few minutes, came to the realisation he had acted unfairly. The voice that sounded an awful lot like Geoff pointed out that there could be any number of other explanations. Lindsay could have picked the flowers for herself, or for someone else. There was no indication that it was Edgar who'd picked them and gifted them. He shook his head, promising himself that he'd talk to Lindsay after breakfast about it. His mind made up, he got dressed.

 Once he was ready there was still a while to go before breakfast, and so he sat back down on the bed to read his book, not really in the mood to see Michael. When the breakfast bell rang, Gavin left. By this point, his nerves had resurfaced and he found himself considering just having breakfast in the kitchen and tracking Lindsay down later. But he pushed himself on.

 Entering the room, he noticed that Lindsay was already there and that Michael was nowhere to be seen. The latter concerned him, but since he had other things to worry about at the moment he let it slip from his mind as he sat down.

 Lindsay smiled at him, asking, "Hey! How'd the party go once I left?"

 He shrugged. "Dunno. I got pretty tired and went to read for a bit."

 "Really? You feeling alright?"

 "Uh, kinda. Can we talk later?"

 "Yeah, okay," she said, reaching to squeeze his hand. "After breakfast?"

 "Yeah." Sooner rather than later. Made him less likely to lose his nerve. "Thanks."

 "No problem. Have you seen Michael this morning, though?"

 "No, I haven't."

 "Okay." She turned back to her food, shoulders tense. Gavin did the same. He could see the adults looking their way, but thankfully none of them said anything. The rest of the meal passed in silence.

 After breakfast, they went to Lindsay's room. The flowers were now in a vase. She made no effort to hide them as she sat on the bed, barely spared them a look, so Gavin put it from his mind and also sat.

 "What's wrong?"

 "Well, uh, it's stupid. I got kinda jealous? Which is, well, stupid." He tried a laugh. It came out strangled. "But, uh, I'm sorry. To both you and Edgar. And I'll try to not let it get the better of me, okay?"

 Silence. He looked up from his hands to see her looking away, tugging at her hair. Her expression seemed almost... guilty? His stomach dropped. She turned back, eyes widening when she met his gaze. Before he could say anything, however, she raised her hands, words rushing out of her.

 "It's not- we, we didn't. I swear. But I, uh, do have something I need to say."

 "Okay." He cleared his throat and tried again. "Okay."

 "Before I say anything, I want you to know this changes nothing. I still love you. I still want to court you. But for the sake of honesty..." She dropped her hands and sighed, playing with her hair again. "For the sake of honesty, I should tell you that I do have a crush on Edgar. And I think he has one on me. I mean, he keeps flirting and talking to me and he gave me flowers last night!" She gestured at the flowers in question. Gavin's stomach continued to twist. "But I'll tell him to knock it off tonight, I promise."

 "Why... haven't you before now?"

 "Because it seemed harmless. He's leaving at the end of the week and we'll probably never see each other again, and it hasn't gone anywhere. It just seemed... I don't know. I'm sorry."

 "Okay."

 "Can you stop saying that? This is anything but okay." He shrugged. A groan escaped her. "I don't know what you're thinking, Gavin!"

 "I don't either, honestly." It was all feeling kinda distant. Edgar had been flirting with her. Edgar had given her the flowers. And she'd reciprocated those feelings. "I thought you didn't tend to do emotional stuff? Romantic stuff?"

 "I don't. I wouldn't say I love Edgar, far from it. But I enjoy talking to him and... entertaining this. I just saw it as a harmless bit of fun. He's nice to talk to, he seems to get me, and I- I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be saying this."

 He didn't know what to say. A few moments passed.

 "There's more," she said, arms wrapped around her torso. "While I'm getting things off my chest."

 "Go on."

 "Michael. Which is worse, and I'm sorry, and I won't act on it. I haven’t acted on it. He's my best friend and my guard and it would never work, so of course I haven't. And he doesn't know. Probably doesn't feel the same way, either."

 Dimly, a thought started to come to him. "Michael?"

 "Yes, Michael. Please don't tell him." She sounded on the verge of tears. Gavin shook his head and embraced her. She shook in his arms as he stroked her hair and tried to make sense of all this.

 "I... need to think about this,” he said slowly.

 "Do you want me to leave?"

 "No." He reclined against the pillows, pulling him down with her. "I still want to be near you. Just, quietly."

 Slowly, the tension leaked from her. "Really?"

 "Yeah."

 She said nothing else, just shifting so that she was lying more comfortably. The only things that moved after that were the cats, who were unaware of the tension in the room and still did as they pleased. Zelda came to curl up on Lindsay, meowing for attention, which she gave. Eventually, Gavin had gathered his thoughts enough to speak, both about what had actually happened and the theory that had slowly been developing.

 "You haven't acted on either crush?" was his first question, needing to ascertain her previous actions. She shook her head.

 "Not apart from letting Edgar flirt, no."

 "Okay. Then I'm okay with all that."

 "Really?"

 "You can't help crushes. As long as you don't act on them, it's fine. Though, uh, next time, I'd appreciate being told before I confront you about it? Y'know, if it crops up while we're still together."

 "Yeah, yes, I will do that, I promise," she said, determined. "Sorry for not doing that this time."

 "I forgive you."

 "Thank you." A final bit of tension disappeared. "I really did mean what I said with regards to us, by the way. I still love you. I want to continue. If you want to, that is."

 "I do. But," he felt her tense up again and stroked her hair to try and dispel it, "not a bad but, promise. But I do think we need to discuss the Michael thing."

 "Why?"

 "'Cause I think the situation is a bit different from the one you outlined. And I think it links to the Edgar thing, and the Ryan thing."

 "The Ryan thing? Okay, now you've lost me."

 "Consider that Michael might have enlisted Ryan's aid in disguising himself to spend time with you at the parties."

 She was silent. He didn't continue, letting his words sink in. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft. "What?"

 "I think Michael does return your feelings. And I think he disguised himself as a noble, as Edgar, to flirt with you. To have one last hurrah."

 "Why do you think that?"

 "Because Edgar had concealment magic upon him, which I noticed when we first met. That’s why I was acting so weird. You can dance with whoever the hell you wanna dance with, but concealment magic usually means something bad. But Ryan didn’t seem to care, and he certainly would’ve noticed it. And if he’s been casting magic on Michael, that also explains why he’s been so weak recently. And Ryan and Michael have both been acting weird, keeping secrets, and because, well, why not?"

 "But... Edgar and Michael have met."

 "Ryan wasn't there that night, and Edgar seemed to be acting different. And do you remember, after Michael agreed to go to the party, the next thing he did was go to Ryan's room?"

 She sat up, shaking her head. He let his arms fall. There was mounting frustration in her voice as she said, "Okay, say all of this is real, that Michael has feelings for me and is acting on them through Edgar... what does that mean? What do we do?"

 "...I need to talk to Geoff about something."

 Her head snapped round, looking panicked. "What? Why?"

 "It's nothing bad. Just... I need to check something." He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. A sigh fell from his lips. "I think I might have an answer to all this. But I need to check this. I don't want to promise anything, yet."

 "You're scaring me."

 He turned towards her. "No matter what, I want to continue courting you. I still love you. What I'm going to check won't affect that. We'll still be fine."

 She searched his face. He did his best to project his sincerity. "...okay."

 "Could I kiss you before I go?" Receiving a nod, he grasped her hands and pressed a kiss to each palm. "I love you."

 A small smile appeared on her face. "I love you too."

 Once he left the room, he leant against the door for a bit, wondering if this was the right course of action. He couldn't come to a satisfactory answer, but pushed off and went to Geoff's office anyway.

 ---

 From there, the day passed in a blur. After Geoff, he talked to Lindsay again, telling her what he was planning, and then to Ryan, setting said plan in motion. He didn't see Michael all day. He hoped he'd actually be at the party.

 It was evening, and Gavin and Lindsay were preparing for the party. The atmosphere was still tense, but somewhat excited. He kept sneaking glances at her from the corner of his eye, trying to guess how she was feeling. Her face was blank. He sighed, pushing his fears aside, and turned to face her.

 "Linds?"

 She hummed in answer, gaze still fixed on her reflection.

 "Are you okay with this? There's still time to back out or try something different."

 "Is there?"

 "This is our party, we can make that time if need be."

 She sighed, turning to him. Her face was set, stubborn. "I want to do this."

 "Okay. Just checking."

 "I know. Thank you."

 "Kiss for luck?"

 A smile broke over her face. "Absolutely."

 He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in, kissing her cheek and feeling her kiss his in turn. Pulling back to rest his forehead on hers, he couldn't help but smile.

 "I love you."

 "Love you too."

 One final kiss to her nose, and he pulled away completely to look at the door. Nerves started building. "We should go."

 She nodded, squaring her shoulders. "Then let's go."

 "Let's."

 She looped her arm through his and together they left the room. As they entered the room, Lindsay looked around for 'Edgar', soon spotting him on the far side of the room. Before she could make her way over, Gavin's grip tightened.

 "Could we dance?" he asked. His nerves were at an all time high, and he needed some form of reassurance. She nodded, changing direction to pull him to the centre of the room instead. He relaxed.

 They kept it to only one dance, and Gavin tried his hardest to just get lost in the moves, but Lindsay kept looking away and he messed up a move once or twice and by the time the song was over he was only feeling slightly better. He dropped her hand.

 "Are you sure? We can have another dance. There's no time limit, Gav," she said, her head tilted to the side with a look of concern on her face.

 "I'm sure. Thanks, though."

 "Okay. Love you."

 "Love you too."

 She kissed his cheek and left, heading over to 'Edgar' to start up a conversation. Watching her, it was hard to tell that anything had changed between last night and now. She was a great actor. Gavin shook himself and checked the room for Ryan, hesitating upon noticing that he was with Jeremy but forcing himself to walk over anyway.

 "Ryan, Jeremy. Enjoying the party?"

 Jeremy nodded, his face bright and happy. He was leaning towards Ryan. "Yep, great party! Great guests, great drinks, just great. Everything. Great."

 "Great!" Gavin mimicked, prompting a chuckle. "How about you, Ry? Migraine's not too bad?"

 "No, I believe I should be fine. Thank you for the concern."

 "You sure? I think it'd cause a scene if you were to collapse out of nowhere in the middle of a party."

 "If I start feeling sig- significantly worse, I'll be sure to let you know."

 "Good." He shifted so that he could see Lindsay better from where he was standing. "Now then, are you two going to be having that dance this evening?"

 As predicted, Jeremy turned bright red and started making excuses while Ryan raised an eyebrow and let his expression do all the talking. Gavin grinned.

 "What?" he asked, faux-innocence dripping from his voice. "Something wrong?"

 Jeremy finally managed to string together a somewhat intelligible sentence and said, "We didn't, we never promised, we don't need to, there's really no need, at all, for us to do that, since Ryan's feeling ill and all and we really don't need to... do. That."

 He snickered. "It was a Royal order, remember? No backing out."

 "But, I mean-"

 "Ryan? You haven't said anything," Gavin said, cutting Jeremy off. Ryan sighed.

 "I suppose, since it was a Royal order, t'would be treasonous not to."

 "Always have to make a big deal out of things, don't you?" He folded his arms. They weren't leaving this party without making some sort of progress. Not if he had any say in the matter. "Do you or do you not want to dance with Jeremy?"

 "My, so blunt of you."

 "Well, I'm tired of you two dancing around each other figuratively. Time to do something literal."

 "Nice wordplay!"

 "Thanks. Now talk."

 There was a moment of silence in which Gavin wondered if he'd misjudged everything, or if they were just going to play it off, or if something else would get in the way of this finally being solved. After one, long, breathless second, Ryan turned to Jeremy.

 "Wouldst thou do me the honour of a dance?"

 Somehow, Jeremy got even redder. "Wait, seriously?"

 "Here I thought I'd made my feelings pretty clear already. But apparently not. So, for the sake of communication, I do have feelings for thee. If thou reciprocates, we should act on said feelings instead of, as our friend so eloquently put it, continuing to dance around one another. So, one simple question. Dost thou have feelings for me in turn?" He held out his hand.

 Jeremy took it as a smile spread across his face, shaking his head fondly. "Shut the fuck up and dance with me."

 They went to the middle of the room, having eyes for no one but each other. Gavin, figuring that he had some time to spare before he absolutely had to talk to Ryan, decided to lean against the wall and watch the room, smiling. It was about time those two got together.

 Several minutes passed. His eyes kept darting to the dancing pair or to Lindsay’s conversation, though he tore his gaze away from the latter every time. It wouldn’t do to dwell at this point.

 The clock struck the hour, and Ryan and Jeremy had finished dancing for now, standing off in one corner and talking, heads so close together it was difficult to make out either’s face. Jeremy tilted his head back in a laugh and Gavin caught a glimpse of Ryan’s fond smile before it vanished again. He turned away, looking for someone else to talk to, and caught Lindsay’s eye. She smiled, inclined her head towards the clock, and looked back to ‘Edgar’.

 Gavin straightened and placed his cup down, making his way over to Ryan and Jeremy. As he did so, he saw Lindsay disappear out the door with her companion. Ryan looked up as he drew closer, taking in the look on his face, and nodded. Gavin all but ran for the door, the ticking of the clock echoing in his ears.

 In the corridor he followed Lindsay and ‘Edgar’, making sure to hang back to avoid being spotted. They were talking as they walked, arm in arm, though he couldn’t hear what they were saying. He tried to muffle his breaths, hoping that they wouldn’t hear him. Thankfully, they didn’t, and far too soon they were heading out the door and into the garden. Gavin paused for a moment to catch his breath. His finger was tapping against his leg. Balling his hands into fists, he left.

 They were settling on a bench, backs to the door. He managed to get close enough to hear what they were saying, much as he tried to focus on anything else; the sounds of nature, his breathing, or the ticking he could still hear in his head. Still, their words wormed their way into his head.

 “Another beautiful evening,” Lindsay said, taking a deep breath of night air. “I’m going to miss this garden when I leave.”

 “Just the garden?”

 “Well, no, of course not! There’s plenty to miss about this Kingdom. And especially the people I met here.” A pause. When she continued, her voice was softer. “Gavin brought me here when we began courting. He asked me to climb a tree. Me, in my pretty dress. We barely knew each other. I did, of course, and the view was… That view will stay with me for the rest of my life. It really is a shame we came out here so late. You should’ve seen the sunset.”

 “Perhaps we could see it tomorrow? This isn’t the last party, after all.”

 She was silent for a while. Gavin peeked through the bushes to see her staring up at the night sky. A sigh escaped her and she said, “Feels like it might be.”

 “Why?”

 “‘Cause I’ve done something that may upset you.” The ticking pressed in around Gavin. “I hope you’ll forgive me, Michael.”

 “Wha-” Mid-word, his voice changed. One of the figures stood, back still turned. Gavin saw the chestnut ponytail turn into curly russet locks as his figure shrunk. His voice grew louder. “The fuck? Lindsay, what the hell, what did you do?”

 “Sorry, Michael!” She had her hands up. Gavin, by this point, was stepping closer. Lindsay noticed him behind Michael. “We can explain.”

 “We?” He followed her gaze, turning to face Gavin. A scowl was etched into his features, but it was fear and hurt in his eyes, not anger. Guilt chewed at Gavin. “Oh, of course you helped with this.”

 “Sorry, boi-”

 “Don’t! Call me that.” He huffed, the sudden flare of anger dying again. “Just don’t.”

 Gavin fell silent, looking to Lindsay for help. She shook her head, hands clasped tightly in her lap as she stared sorrowfully at Michael. Gavin rubbed his face and turned back.

 “Look, b- Michael. We… We needed to talk to you. We didn’t know how to go about this. We are sorry for upsetting you-”

 “Can Lindsay not talk for herself?”

 He looked away. “I’m sorry, then. Can we talk about this?”

 Michael sat back down, staring at his hands, and says, “Fine. Go for it.”

 Gavin, after dithering for a bit, sat on the floor before them, hands shoved under his legs so that he wouldn’t fidget. “So. Um. Where to begin.”

 “How about telling me how long you’ve known.”

 “Not long. Lindsay and I were talking only this morning about, well, Edgar, and that’s when all,” he gestured to Michael, including the outfit which was now too big for him, “this got figured out. So really not long at all.”

 “Right. And your first thought was to corner me and-”

 “Honestly, my first thought was ‘What the hell’. And ‘That explains a lot’. Didn’t get to the whole planning how to approach you about this thing until later.”

  Michael snorted. His tone was scathing when he said, “Explains a lot, does it?”

 “Well, yeah. You have feelings for Lindsay.”

 Michael’s head snapped round to look at Lindsay, who instantly dropped her eyes. A panicked look spread across his face. He looked back at Gavin. “What.”

 “You have feelings for Lindsay. You disguised yourself as some noble from a Kingdom she’d probably not visit for some time to flirt with her while you had the opportunity. Correct me if I’m wrong?” He saw Michael swallow, not saying anything. “Well. There we go.”

 “So,” he said, voice strangled. He coughed and tried again. “So, you’re telling me to… knock it off? Or is this something else.” His eyes widened further and he turned back to Lindsay. “Fuck, are you gonna be replacing me? I promise you, this does not-”

 “No!” Lindsay finally said, her head snapping up to stare at him, aghast. “No, Gods no. I wouldn’t dream of it!”

 “Oh. Well, I also promise that I won’t do anything-”

 She groaned, shaking her head. “No, that isn’t what I mean either.” He fell into a confused silence. She sent a pleading look at Gavin, who stared right back. He’d done all the talking thus far, she may as well take over for a bit. She sighed. “Look, you know neither of us are good at this whole thing, give us a bit of leeway, alright?”

 “‘This thing’...?”

 “Serious things! Emotional things!”

 “Oh. Right.”

 She hung her head, groaning again. “Gods, we’re terrible at this. Look. Um.” She shook her head and sat up straighter. Her hands were now folded neatly on her lap. After a deep breath she said, “I also have feelings for you. Have done for a long time. And, if you agree to it, Gavin and I have discussed the idea of… me and you. Also being a thing. Like, in addition to me and Gav. Again, if you’re up for-”

 “Wait, hold on a second,” Michael said, holding a hand up. “Seriously? That’s allowed?”

 It was Gavin who answered. “Yeah, it’s been allowed in Achievia for several years now, even if it isn’t well known. Geoff put the laws in place when he realised that he had feelings for both Jack and Griffon. He’s married to both of them. Like, gender, status, all that doesn’t matter either. He made sure of it.”

 His mouth was hanging open slightly. “And you’re… okay with this?”

 “Yeah, of course! You’re my boi, I love you and Lindsay both, and if this makes you happy then, well, who am I to argue?” Seeing that Michael was still dubious he softened his tone and said, “Seriously, I’m okay with this, boi. More than.”

 Michael rubbed a hand over his face, looking from Gavin to Lindsay several times before a grin split his face, cutting the tension. “I can’t fucking believe this. Uh, fuck yeah, let’s fucking do this!”

 Lindsay flung her arms around him before he’d even finished speaking, relieved laughter bubbling out of her. Michael steadied her with a hand on her waist, blushing and glancing at Gavin who was also grinning. It seemed that was all Michael was waiting for, as he swept Lindsay up in his arms and pressed his face into her neck, holding her as if this were his last chance to do so. Warmth spread throughout Gavin as he watched, unable to stop smiling.

 After a moment Lindsay pulled back just enough to look at Gavin, dropping one hand from Michael’s neck to reach for him. Michael was resting his head against Lindsay’s, but his eyes were also on Gavin, warm and inviting. Gavin went easily, one arm wrapping around Lindsay’s shoulders and the other around Michael’s as he felt two arms around his waist. Two hearts beat alongside his own. In that moment, it seemed the world stopped just to give them some time to breath, to take each other in. It was a moment Gavin hoped would never end.

 But it did. They separated after a few minutes and Gavin glanced back at the castle. The party inside would be breaking up about now. He knew Jack would spend the night in Geoff and Griffon’s room, as he always did when visiting the castle, and could almost see the three of them walking down the hall, hand in hand. He can’t picture what Jeremy and Ryan might be up to, but suspected they’d be heading off somewhere to spend more time together, not wanting the night to end. And then there was him and Lindsay and Michael.

 “Wanna come back to our room?” Lindsay asked, breaking the silence.

 Michael stared at her. “Uh, what?”

 “Our room. Cats. Bed. Company. Conversation. Maybe cuddles.” She shrugged. “Like, I don’t want to rush anything, but it’s not the first time we’ve shared a bed, so. Either way, it’s on the table. If, um, Gavin’s up for it?” She looked up at him.

 “Yeah, I’m fine with that.”

 She turned back to Michael. “So?”

 “...Conversation, yes. We’ll see how it goes.”

 “Great!”

 ---

 They ended up chatting until the bell rang for breakfast, so the question of whether he’d sleep there too never got answered. But it was a fun night. They kept the conversation on lighter topics, knowing that before long they would have to talk about the rest of it, but for now they just wanted to enjoy each other’s company. It almost felt like too soon when the bell finally rang, but they got ready and went off regardless of their late night.

 As they entered the dining hall, Geoff broke off his conversation to smile at them. "There they are! Sleep well last night?"

 "Uh, yeah. Sleep. Definitely," Gavin said as they sat down.

 Lindsay gave a charming smile. "Absolutely no all-nighters here!"

 Geoff sighed and shook his head. "Sure. I'm not saying anything."

 They ate in silence for a bit. Gavin kept catching Lindsay and Michael's eyes whenever he looked up. Each and every time, it caused him to smile. Lindsay would stifle giggles, quickly looking back at her food, while Michael would raise an eyebrow despite the fact that he was smiling too. As they neared the end of the meal, Geoff cleared his throat.

 "Don’t forget that Lindsay's family are arriving today. Should be around midday, I believe? So make sure you're in the courtyard by then, okay?"

 Lindsay was in the middle of nodding when her face fell, eyes darting to Michael. He stared back, face now blank. It was Gavin who placed his fork down and spoke.

 "Um, Geoff, do you think you could have a conversation with them about, uh, Lindsay and Michael?"

 He stared at them for a while. Griffon and Jack were also looking up from their food, worry in the latter's eyes. Eventually Geoff sighed and said, "Just so we're on the same page here, the Lindsay and Michael thing being, Lindsay and Michael together? Like, romantically?"

 Gavin nodded. "It's not really a thing in the Ruby Kingdom, so..."

 "Yeah, I know." He leant back in his chair, still scrutinising them. "First of all, I'm happy for you. This is great, seriously. And, uh, I'm guessing it's a recent thing, considering you were asking me about the laws regarding that yesterday?" Gavin nodded again. "Well then, you already know that there are no barriers here. You have our full support. And I'll definitely talk to them on your behalf, if you so wish."

 "I'd appreciate that," Lindsay said. "Thank you."

 He smiled. "Okay then. Your wish is my command, as they say."

 They returned to their meal, but the silence was now rather more tense. Once they were finished, they headed off to the courtyard and chatted amongst themselves. Lindsay kept glancing at the gates through which they'd arrive, a nervous expression on her face. Gavin grasped her hand and kissed it. When she looked at him, he smiled.

 "I'm sure it'll be fine, love. Your parents care about you, right?"

 "Yeah."

 "Then they'll be happy with something that makes you happy. They may need some time, and they'll probably have a lot of questions, but it'll be fine."

 She sighed, leaning against him and reaching for Michael's hand with her free one. "I hope you're right."

 He kissed the top of her head in lieu of saying that he hoped so too. The hours passed far too quickly.

 ---

 Soon, Geoff, Griffon, and Jack were coming out. They took this as their cue to also stand, Lindsay and Gavin about to head over when Michael dropped Lindsay's hand. She stopped, staring at him. He made an aborted gesture to the door and the crowd gathering there, consisting of Jeremy and Ryan, among others. She shook her head and took his hand again, dragging him along. This time, he didn't resist.

 The gates opened and a procession came through, King Jonathan and Queen Lily at the head of it. They dismounted and drew closer, exchanging pleasantries with Geoff that Gavin failed to take in, too busy watching Lindsay and rubbing circles on the back of her hand. They were over before long and, after Gavin squeezed her hand, Lindsay dropped theirs and stepped forwards to talk to them. Gavin found himself now watching Michael, who was staring at Lindsay with a slight downturn to his lips. Gavin stepped closer and took his hand, squeezing it gently. Michael squeezed back.

 "I'm sorry to interrupt," Geoff said, stepping around them to talk to the King and Queen, "and I promise you'll have plenty of time to catch up with your daughter soon. But there are a few things I need to discuss with you. If you'll come with me?"

 "Of course," King Jonathan said, smiling at Lindsay as he stepped forwards. Queen Lily followed.

 Once they were gone, Gavin pulled Michael over to Lindsay. She was staring after her parents, one hand raised to twirl a lock of her hair. Gavin rubbed her back.

 "Linds? You okay?" She nodded slowly, still not looking away. "You wanna head to our rooms?"

 "...yeah." She shook her head, dropping her hand. "Yeah."

 ---

 And so they did. A few hours passed, just sitting with each other and trying to provide support, before the knock came at the door. Jeremy poked his head in.

 “Uh, Lindsay? Your parents wanted you.”

 “Thanks.” She stood and made her way over. Jeremy, who had been giving them an assessing look, stepped back and they both left the room. Gavin looked to Michael.

 “Wanna go ask Geoff what happened?”

 He tore his gaze away from the door and shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

 Gavin got up and held out his hand without thinking. Michael paused, looking from his hand up to Gavin’s face. Deciding to just go for it, Gavin put on a cheerful grin and wiggled his fingers. Michael rolled his eyes and took it, following him from the room. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the door to Geoff’s office, which Gavin rapped on.

 “Come in!”

 He swung the door open, noting that the room was empty of anyone apart from Geoff, but there were still cups on the table with some dregs and a plate with a couple of untouched biscuits. Geoff was sat by the window. He placed his book down when he saw who it was.

 “Ah, you two. I’m guessing you want to know how it went with Lindsay’s parents?” They nodded, Michael clutching his hand a bit tighter. He sighed and said, “Well, good news. Her parents took it pretty well. Eventually. But yeah, they said they weren’t going to grill Lindsay over it, so hopefully they’re having a pleasant conversation. Not much else to it.”

 “Thanks, Geoff!” Gavin said, a weight lifting from his shoulders.

 “No problem. Now, if that was all you wanted, how about giving me some peace and quiet so I can finish this book?”

 “Right. Thanks again.” And they left.

 Picking a random direction, they started wandering, Michael staring at the ground in silence. Gavin jostled his shoulder to get his attention.

 “Why the long face?”

 He shrugged. “Just thinking. I’m glad that their Majesties took it well.”

 “Yeah, me too. Gonna make heading back home easier too, I imagine.”

 “Why’d you have to remind me of that?”

 Gavin’s face lit up. “Aw, you gonna miss me, boi?”

 “Yeah, guess I will.”

 He laced their fingers together, treasuring the blush that then appeared. “I’ll miss you too, boi.”

 Michael nodded, not saying anything, and they continued walking.

 ---

 As the day wore on, they eventually went back to Lindsay's room, Michael heading into his own to grab a change of clothes, and relaxing on the bed soon turned into an impromptu nap, their lack of sleep the night before catching up with them. When they woke it was evening and Lindsay was already there, dressed and brushing her hair.

 “Hey, Linds,” Gavin said, sitting up. She turned to beam at them as she placed the brush down. “I’m guessing it went well?”

 Nodding, she pulled them both into a hug, laughing in relief as she said, "They're fine with it! With us!! Oh my gods, I can barely believe it!"

 "That's great, Linds!"

 Still beaming, she pulled back just enough to kiss their cheeks. Michael was blushing. She giggled at the sight and kissed him again before pulling away completely.

 "You guys had better get changed. Unless, uh, you don't want to go?" she said, looking to Michael for the last part. He shook his head.

 "No, I'm going. It'll be nice to experience these parties as myself.”

 "Great!" Her smile was brighter than ever. "Let's do this, then."

 They got changed quickly, Lindsay putting some finishing touches to her outfit while she waited, and soon they were heading out of the room, hand in hand. She was still overflowing with relieved energy, bouncing about as they walked and pausing every so often to kiss one of them.

 ---

 And then they arrived. Gavin considered asking Lindsay for the first dance, as usual, but instead he turned to them and asked, "You two gonna take first dance?"

 Lindsay shrugged. "Yeah, I'm down for a dance. Michael?"

 "Don't you two normally...?"

 "Yeah," Gavin said, "but I'm bequeathing first dance to you tonight."

 "Why?"

 He sighed. "Because, you two just got together. So go, enjoy each other's company, have fun. I'll be probably hanging out with Ryan and Jeremy when you want me."

 Michael opened and closed his mouth a few times before turning to Lindsay. She started pulling him towards the centre of the room. "Come on! Let's dance."

 "...Yeah, okay," he said, finally following her. Her smile in response was radiant.

 Gavin stood there for a bit, watching the two of them dance. They looked good together, something Gavin hadn’t noticed when Michael had been disguised. Michael was obviously not that used to dancing, but still managed to follow the moves with the fluidity of a warrior, while Lindsay was as graceful as always. It was hard for him to look away, but he finally did, heading over to Ryan and Jeremy.

 "Hey guys, how went the dancing last night?" he asked, grabbing a cup from a nearby table.

 "It went well," Jeremy said. "Y'know, good dancing partner. Fun all around. How's your evening? Not dancing with Lindsay, I see."

 "Yeah, she and Michael are having first dance." He gestured to them. "Speaking of, they're together now. Just last night. So, uh, you and they share an anniversary, I guess!"

 Jeremy brightened before hesitating. "So it's like an all-together thing, right? Like Geoff and them?"

 "Yep. She and I and she and Michael."

 "Then I'm happy for you! And them!"

 "I'll pass it along."

 Ryan, who had been watching them talk in silence, finally piped up to ask, "So, not going all the way yet?"

 Jeremy spluttered on his drink as Gavin gaped. "Uh, what?"

 "Sorry, let me amend that. No you and Michael action yet?"

 He continued staring at him, silently reeling. Ryan merely raised his eyebrow, which finally got the words from him. "I forget what a crude prick you can be sometimes, Ry. You're very good at pretending you're refined, aren't you?"

 "Avoiding the question?"

 He sighed. "No, there's nothing between Michael and I."

 "You want there to be, right?"

 "Yes, but I'm not gonna do anything. He and Lindsay took long enough to get together, and I don’t want to get in the way of that."

 "And Gavin's not drunk," Jeremy added. "Big problem right there."

 Ryan sighed. "Look, you did a good thing for Jeremy and I in telling us to get our heads out of our asses and act on our feelings. Michael is leaving the day after tomorrow. At the very least ask him and see how he feels."

 Gavin was saved from having to respond by Lindsay and Michael showing up, Lindsay announcing her presence by launching herself at Gavin in a hug. "Gavin!"

 "Woah, what the hell?" He managed to disentangle himself enough to kiss her head. "Nice to see you, Linds, but that was terrifying."

 "Come dance with Michael and I!"

 He paused. "Are you drunk? How did you get drunk, you've been dancing."

 "Nah, sleep deprivation and happiness, not alcohol. I still wanna dance with you and Michael, though! Come on!" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him along. Michael was shaking his head, smiling, and Gavin made sure to grab his hand on the way. Behind him, Ryan and Jeremy laughed. He ignored them in favour of figuring out how dancing with three people worked, but any actual attempt soon devolved into laughter.

 After a lot more dancing, Gavin excused himself to the balcony for some fresh air. Out there, he saw Queen Lily looking over the land.

 "Sorry," he said, causing her to turn and face him, "is it okay if I join you?"

 "Feel free."

 He took the opportunity to lean against the rail, glancing at her from the corner of his eye and wondering if he should say anything. She answered that for him by saying, "The flowers you gifted us have taken to the garden well. They started glowing a few weeks ago. Startled the gardeners."

 "I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure Lindsay will be happy to see them upon her return."

 "I hope so. It means that she has something from here, at least, which should ease the ache. I know she’ll miss you.”

 “I will miss her, too.”

 “And Michael?”

 He stumbled a bit, Ryan’s words haunting him. “Uh, yes, of course.”

 "We really are happy for you and Lindsay and Michael," she eventually said. "That the three of you have found each other. Even if it was... unexpected."

 "Thank you. She really means a lot to me, so I appreciate your blessing."

 “It’s clear in the way you look at them.” She turned to smile at him. "She told us it was you who came up with the idea."

 "Well, I merely brought it up as a possibility. It's Geoff you have to thank for that."

 "Still, I'm thankful that you did so. We knew, of course, that Lindsay had feelings for Michael. We were so worried that she'd end up pining after him her entire life." There was an odd note in her voice. When he looked at her, trying to figure out what it was, he found her looking down at her hands. A moment later she squared her shoulders. "When we return, we'll work to change our laws. It shouldn't have to be that way. As happy as I am for you and Lindsay, I wish that she could have been with Michael sooner."

 "I... do too, honestly. Thank you, for promising to ensure this doesn't happen again."

 "And thank you, for making us aware we could. But I’ll leave you to your thoughts. Thank you for talking with me.”

 “Thank you, too. You’ve certainly given me much to think about. Enjoy the rest of the evening, your Majesty.”

 “And you, your Highness.”

 Once she was gone, Gavin remained out there for a while, lost in thoughts about Lindsay and Michael. Speaking of, they showed up not long later, flanking him as they leant against the rail.

 “So… enjoying the fresh air?” Lindsay asked, head tilting.

 He nodded. “Yeah. What’s it like in there?”

 “Loud. Warm. No Gavin. It sucked, really.” Her head fell on his shoulder. He kissed the top of it, smiling.

 “Aw, love you Linds.”

 “Love you too!”

 “What about you, Michael? You miss me?”

 He shrugged, watching Lindsay. “Yeah, maybe a bit, boi.”

 “Thanks, boi.” As he found himself staring at Michael and blushed, turning his attention to the view.

 “Y’know,” Michael said, “I believe I was promised a sunset view of the gardens last night?”

 “Bit late for that,” Lindsay said, gesturing at the sky. “Tomorrow, promise.”

 “I’ll hold you to that.”

 “Good.”

 They stood for a while. Gavin was happy to stay there, each of them warm against his sides and the view beautiful before him, but soon Lindsay grew bored and pulled them back inside to dance some more. That took up most of the rest of the evening.

 In fact, Gavin only remembered his quandary as they were finally heading to bed and Lindsay once again asked Michael if he wanted to stay with them. He hesitated.

 “I don’t want to intrude. Or, uh, rush anything.”

 She shook her head. “No intrusions! You’re being invited. And it’s just sleeping.”

 “I dunno… Gav? You okay with this, boi?”

 “Uh, yeah!” Gavin said, fighting back his blush. “The more the merrier… that sounded better in my head.”

 Michael snorted. “Well, if you’re really okay with it, then fine.”

 “Oh,” Lindsay said, already walking into the room, “should warn you, Gavin’s as much an octopus as I am. And the cats will do their own thing, no matter what time it is, and it might wake you up.”

 “Is it too late to back out?” he joked, taking off his cloak.

 They were soon under the covers, Lindsay in the middle. Gavin went to embrace her as he usually would and jumped when he ended up bumping arms with Michael. After a bit of faffing, they finally managed to situate themselves.

 “Night, Linds. Love you.”

 “Night Gavin, love you too. And night, Michael.”

 “Goodnight, Lindsay. Goodnight, Gavin.”

 “Night, boi.”

 ---

 He slept peacefully that night, possibly because of his lack of sleep the night before, and he woke feeling refreshed as the sun peeked through the bedroom window. Lindsay was curled up and facing away from him, head buried against Michael’s neck. Michael himself was awake and staring down at Lindsay as though he couldn’t believe his eyes. The light framed them both, setting fire to their hair. Gavin was entranced.

 After a few minutes Michael looked up at him, jumping when he noticed Gavin was awake.

 "Hey," he said, voice low.

 "Morning," Gavin said, also keeping quiet.

 Between them, Lindsay remained still, undisturbed by their conversation. Michael glanced at her before looking back at Gavin.

 "You been awake long?"

 He shrugged. "A bit. You?"

 "Yeah."

 Gavin settled against Lindsay, brushing a hand through her hair. "I'm guessing we're staying here 'til breakfast?"

 "...yeah, probably."

 "No complaints here!"

 Michael smiled. "Thanks. For being so okay with all this."

 "I meant what I said, Michael. I love both you and Lindsay. I'm happy that the two of you are together, seriously."

 "Still. Thanks."

 "...you're welcome, then."

 They fell into a comfortable silence. Michael kept tearing his eyes away from Lindsay, glancing at Gavin as though expecting to see him upset, so he made sure he had a relaxed smile on and busied himself by playing with Lindsay's hair. Michael relaxed soon after.

 The bell rang overhead an hour or so later and Lindsay finally stirred, looking between the two of them with a soft smile.

 "G'morning."

 "Morning, Linds," Gavin said, pressing a kiss to her hair.

 "Morning," Michael said.

 She stretched, kissing each of their cheeks before falling back into the bed with a groan. "We have to get up, don't we?"

 "'Fraid so, love." He kissed her again to try and soothe her. "But there'll be food!"

 "But moving!" she whined, nuzzling into Michael's warmth and shooting him a pout.

 "Sorry, love, but I'm not bringing it to you again."

 "Why you gotta betray me like this, Gav?"

 He shrugged and swung his legs over the side. "Hey, it's up to you whether you come and have food with me and Michael or whether you stay here alone and starve to death."

 She looked up at Michael. "You're not leaving, right?"

 He dithered, looking from Lindsay's puppy-dog eyes to Gavin, who was too busy getting dressed to try and convince him. Surprisingly, Gavin still won, and Michael eased himself from Lindsay's grasp with a quick, "Sorry, Linds."

 "No, why?"

 "'Cause it might get you to move. And I want food."

 She sighed before heaving herself upright. "I want you to know, I hate you both."

 "Love you too, Linds!" Gavin called, already dressed and playing with Zelda.

 ---

 They arrived late to breakfast, which Lindsay's parents were attending, but didn't get much more than a disapproving look from Geoff in response. After breakfast, Gavin and Michael were left alone as Lindsay went off with her parents, her promise to show them the garden the last thing they heard as she left the room. Gavin turned to Michael.

 "What d'you wanna do?"

 He shrugged. "Dunno."

 "Okay, let's just wander, then."

 Once again, he offered his hand. Michael didn't even hesitate before grabbing it this time, and they started walking in a random direction. As they did so, Gavin found himself dwelling on his conversations with Ryan and Queen Lily last night, wondering what he should do regarding his feelings for Michael.

 "What's on your mind?" Michael asked, snapping Gavin out of his thoughts.

 "Hm? Oh, just... nothing, really."

 "That's bullshit. Your fear of serious conversations acting up again? I promise I won't judge."

 He swung their arms gently, bracing himself. "Well... I kinda have feelings for you?"

 "Huh."

 "I know you might not feel the same, I just wanted to say-"

 "No, I do feel the same."

 Gavin came to a stop, turning to stare at Michael. Michael stared back. "You... do?"

 He nodded, looking slightly ashamed. "Yeah. I just didn't want to say anything 'cause, well, it felt greedy enough being with Lindsay."

 "That's daft, boi."

 "I know. Well, I know now."

 Gavin swallowed down his nerves. "Well... if you like me, and I like you... should we...?"

 "Uh, I guess?" he said, laughing nervously. "You know more about this kinda thing than I do."

 Slowly, Gavin reached for his other hand. Michael let him take it. Their joined hands now swung between them, Michael staring down at them. Gavin used the leverage to lean in and press a kiss to the top of his head. He jumped, staring at a grinning Gavin with wide eyes.

 "You alright with this, boi?"

 "Yeah." He nodded, grasping Gavin's hands tighter. "Yeah, I am."

 “Good.” He kissed him again.

 ---

 After spending an enjoyable morning with Michael, Jeremy tracked them down to see if they wanted to have lunch with himself and Ryan. They agreed, following him. Along the way, Gavin asked, "Is Ryan feeling better then?"

 A smile broke out on Jeremy's face. "Oh yeah, much better. Whatever was happening was really taking a lot out of him. I'm glad it's over. Even if he won't tell me what it was." He muttered the last part to himself as he led them to the library.

 Inside they found Ryan reading a book, indeed looking far better. He gave them a smile as they entered, putting it to one side, his smile turning sweeter as he watched Jeremy sit. Gavin and Michael also seated themselves and Ryan spoke.

 “Hello to you two. You’re looking well.”

 "As are you! Much healthier!" Gavin said, grinning.

 "Yes, I think the rest has done me good. Though I finally found out about Jeremy's actions in my absence." He turned a stern look on the man in question, who was looking rather sheepish.

 “Whoops!” he said, shrugging.

 Ryan's expression melted into something softer. "It shouldn't happen again. We have talked about it, and I think he's also learned the importance of communication." His tone became pointed as he stared at Michael.

 Michael rolled his eyes, and said, “Hey, you were the one helping me avoid talking about my feelings, remember?”

 He hesitated. “Well, yes-“

 "What book are you reading?" Gavin interjected, taking pity on Ryan.

 He allowed the subject to change, picking the book up to show its cover as he said, "I was reading up on the history of Achievia. Though I must admit, it is rather more boring in written form."

 "What were you expecting, Ry?"

 "I suppose you have set my exp- expet- expectations quite high in regards to stories,” he was interrupted by Gavin’s snigger, raising an eyebrow before continuing, “though I have still managed to find some written tales that live up to your skill. Unfortunately, this is not one of them." He placed it back down and looked at Michael once more. "And how have you been?"

 Michael shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. Don’t really know what you want from me here. "

 "Well, I’d heard that you are someone who takes a rational approach to conversations. Given the present company, I was hoping for that level-headedness."

 As protests burst forth from both Gavin and Jeremy, Michael cracked a smile. "Yeah, I can see that. Especially Gav. How the fuck do you come up with your questions?" he asked Gavin, who pouted.

 "What's wrong with my questions? I think they're perfectly rational!" Ryan quirked an eyebrow yet again. Gavin's pout deepened. "Alright, no need to get rude about it."

 Jeremy cut in. "Hey, hey, I think we can all agree that Gavin's weird as fuck, but why are you ganging up on me? What’s wrong with me?"

 The look Ryan gave him was full of exasperated fondness. "Absolutely nothing."

 As Jeremy blushed Michael mimed gagging, prompting Gavin to burst out giggling. Jeremy turned even redder.

 ---

 They talked until supper rolled around, and afterwards they went back with Lindsay to their room to get changed. As they did so, Gavin realised they'd not told Lindsay about him and Michael getting together and so halted her actions by placing his hands on her shoulders.

 "Linds, Michael and I have something to tell you."

 Michael looked away as she tilted her head. "Yeah? What's up?"

 "We're kinda... together too? Just this morning."

 "Really?" Her face lit up and she pulled them both into a hug. "That's great! Honestly, I was hoping for this."

 "You were?" Michael asked, spluttering. She nodded.

 "Yeah, I kinda thought the two of you liked each other, and since Gavin brought up the idea of us three I was kinda thinking, well, why not us three? But I didn't want to push you into anything. Especially since I wasn’t sure if Gavin’s affection was flirting-affection or friend-affection." She pulled back, still smiling. "But I'm happy. Especially happy that it happened before we left."

 Michael's face fell and Gavin felt his do the same. "I'd almost forgotten, Linds."

 She shrugged, looking down. "Yeah, I'm sorry. But hey, at least we got tonight!"

 "...yeah, we got tonight. Speaking of," he said, looking down at their half-changed bodies, "we really should get finished."

 She glanced down at herself, laughing. "Oh! Yeah, we really should."

 ---

 It wasn't long until they were ready and heading out the door, but Lindsay paused once outside and started pulling them in another direction, ignoring their questions. They were answered soon anyway, as they found themselves in the garden. The sun was still above the horizon.

 "Last chance, boys!" she said, making her way over to the tree. "Time to climb a tree in fancy clothing to look at pretty lights."

 Gavin laughed as he followed her, Michael shaking his head fondly. It was a bit of a kerfuffle to get them all settled in the tree, especially since they were definitely not wearing clothes meant for climbing, but they managed it before sunset.

 "So, I know we're not really meant to be talking about tomorrow," Lindsay started, "but who's getting Zelda?"

 Gavin sighed, leaning his head back against the trunk. "...you two. Michael named her, and I've got a ton of cats already."

 "I'm not sure... I don't think she'll appreciate being carted halfway around the world. You've got stability, you keep her." She shrugged, grinning. "'Sides, it gives us a reason to return!"

 "As if my beautiful mug weren't enough of a reason," Gavin said. She laughed and he grinned, looking Michael's way to see him grinning too. "But yeah, I'll keep her. She's gonna miss you, though."

 "Well, yeah, who wouldn't?"

 "I was talking to Micoo! She loves him more than us, Linds, we have to accept that."

 She sighed. "I can't believe this. He doesn't even like cats!"

 "It's not like I dislike them," he said, "They're probably my favourite animal. I'm just not an animal person in general."

 She sat up, crowing in delight, "They're your favourite animal! You heard it, right Gav? He definitely said it!"

 "He did!"

 Michael rolled his eyes. "You two are idiots."

 "Yeah, but we're your idiots," Lindsay said with a grin, leaning over to peck his nose.

 "...really? You really said that? That's the cheesiest line ever, Linds," Michael said, receiving no response. He sighed. "I can't believe this. I'm courting two completely ridiculous, dorky idiots. And don't you dare say that line again." He levelled his finger at Lindsay, who was wearing an impish smile. She obliged, keeping her mouth shut.

 "Guys!" Gavin called, interrupting them. "Sunset."

 They both turned. He heard Michael's breath audibly catch in his throat at the sight before him, and ended up turning to watch Michael's response as he had Lindsay's all those months ago. It did not disappoint. His mouth had fallen open as he stared, leaning forwards. The lights glittered in his eyes. He looked completely floored by the sight, the most open Gavin had ever seen his expression, all the lines of stress and anger falling away. It highlighted his youthful features. As Gavin continued to stare he noticed light freckles across Michael's face which he'd never seen before and couldn't hold back his croon.

 "Micoo, you're adorable!"

 He sat up, snapping his mouth shut as he turned his attention to Gavin. It might have been a trick of the light, but Gavin thought he was blushing. "Shut up."

 "It's a compliment, boi! Aren't I allowed to compliment you?"

 "Just... Why aren't you looking at the sunset?"

 "I was busy admiring you."

 He was definitely blushing now. The lights playing across his face dimmed slightly and changed hues, signalling the end of the spectacle. Gavin looked to Lindsay to find her also staring at Michael, smiling. Her smile grew as she noticed Gavin looking at her and she reached into a pocket.

 "So... I talked to Jack earlier today." Michael had now turned his attention to her. "Or rather, he cornered me. Said he was happy we were together, and that he didn't want you to feel left out. Apparently, he'd been expecting this for a while and already had something made."

 She pulled out a chain, golden and glittering here and there with gems. Michael was speechless as Lindsay put it on him, revealing it to be a bracelet, simple in design but still absolutely stunning. He turned his arm this way and that, staring down at it before swallowing and saying, "Wow."

 Lindsay caught his hand, drawing her attention back to her, and smiled softly. "We love you, Michael. I love you. Just as much as I love Gavin. I promise you that."

 He looked away again, bright red. Gavin caught his gaze. "I love you too, boi. And want to see you again as much as I want to see Lindsay. I know that we haven't spent as much time together, like, courting, but still. You're one of my best friends."

 Michael let his gaze drop, taking several deep breaths. "...I don't know what to say."

 "You don't have to say anything," Lindsay said, squeezing his hand. He rubbed his thumb over it, tracing her ring. "No pressure."

 "But I want to say something." He looked up again. "I want to, to let you guys know how much I love you. How thankful I am for any of this! You two mean the world to me."

 Gavin grinned. "I think that did the trick, boi."

 He shook his head, but he was smiling. "Love you. Both of you."

 "Love you two, too!" Lindsay said, giggling slightly. She pressed a kiss to Michael's hand and another to Gavin's forehead. He grinned at her.

 "And I love you both, too." His grin faltered slightly. "Gonna miss you."

 "Aw, why'd you have to make it sad?"

 "Sorry."

 She shook her head, kissing him again. "Let's just enjoy tonight, yeah? This is what we did it all for. So let's make the most of it."

 And so they did.

[sunshinesunsethappiness]

Theory Time!

After Mark Waid’s tweet about The Flash’ storyline being similar to Terminal Velocity I decided to read Terminal Velocity. Afterwards I also read Geoff Johns’ Rebirth for the first time. Both have got my head spinning with all kinds of theories, so I decided to write some of them down. All of this is just speculation (and probably has lots of typos!) Major spoilers for both comic runs!

There has already been a lot of speculation that Barry might sacrifice himself to save Iris by merging with the Speedforce (and then Iris being his lightning rod, will bring him back). I think I like that theory, especially because it would make sense thematically since the season began with Barry messing up and trying to fix his mistakes. Plus I don’t want any character to die and I think this could be a possible route to not underplay the seriousness of the storyline, but still have a happy ending when Barry comes back. I hope at the very least that the show explicitly explores Iris being Barry’s lightning rod and it’ll be interesting to also see how that affects the other speedsters on the show who haven’t found their own Lightning Rods yet.

Though when you think about it Barry already made the ultimate sacrifice last year. It’s glossed over a bit because it was a time remnant. But it was still Barry with all the memories our Barry had (save a few minutes) and all the love he had for Iris. He sacrificed himself, died, to save them from Zoom. But he did know that future him would live on, which is not something he would think this year.

As for my own theories: I wonder if the show might combine elements of Terminal Velocity and Rebirth. In Rebirth Barry has returned (seemingly from the dead?) after years of absence, but Thawne did something to him so when he touches another speedster they disintegrate. They find the Black Flash dead and they think Barry has become the Black Flash I’m not sure if he actually has become the Black Flash, or if they just think that because of what Thawne did to him.)  This is interesting because the Black Flash is going to be in this season of the show and by going up against him Barry will realize what he needs to do to save Iris........dun dun dun. (

In order to save everyone from his Black Flash like powers Barry ends up running away/back to merge with the Speedforce again (without saying goodbye to Iris because it’s too painful. Barry, Barry, Barry). The scene that follows is the famous ‘As long as I remember Iris I’ll be all right’.

Barry makes it to the other side with his memories intact (helped, strangely enough, by Thawne it seems). Thawne is waiting for him with evil villain explanations. And he’s holding this:

A spear of some sort. Now I still don’t really know what it was or what it does. I think he used the spear as a lightning rod to recreate Barry’s accident that gave him speed, but other than that I don’t know why he carries it around. What I do know is that over on Legends of Tomorrow we have Eobard Thawne looking for the spear of destiny. Is it a coincidence? Probably. I know what Thawne is holding in this comic is not the spear of destiny, but what if on the show the story at first follows the Terminal Velocity storyline (at least when it comes to Barry sacrificing himself like Wally) and then it moves into Rebirth and we get an ‘As long as I remember Iris’ sequence, followed by Thawne waiting for Barry in the Speedforce to mess with him?

With the spear of destiny you can apparently alter reality. But it’s supposed to be more subtle than changing history.  You change change specific things without causing time aberrations. An once it’s changed it can’t be changed back.

In the comic Eobard then decides to go after Iris. He wants to kill Iris before Barry and Iris’ first date. Make Barry forget Iris and his love for her.

What could Eobard do to mess with Barry on the show? I don’t know, while the interviews make it sound that Eobard is mostly seeking the spear for self preservations it’s hard to believe that he has left his grudge behind him. (Maybe he’ll try to take away Barry’s memories of Iris. I don’know how to feel about something like that, but it would be an interesting turning the tables situation with Iris, not Barry, remembering this time.)

On an unrelated note, this page really shows how petty Eobard is. He starts to say something about Iris and both Wally and Barry tell him not even to say her name. And then Eobard goes - Iris, Iris, Iris -  in the next still 😄

-Another interesting thing: Rebirth reveals that Barry is the one that created the Speedforce. I always felt that Speedforce Iris’ answer to Barry’s question about why the Speedforce chose him was strange.

Because you’re The Flash, Barry.

What does that even mean? I don’t know if they’ll have Barry be the one that created the Speedforce on the show, but there’s definitely an importance to Barry there that is yet to be explored.

[foeyayshippingweakness]

So I’m an idiot and I was reading old subreddits and got a teensy but scared that Gavin might actually be an asshole. And then I have this doubt building up inside me because anxiety for the win, ha. If I don’t release this anxiousness and reaffirm myself I’m gonna blow up or have a heart attack or something. And I know that this was from so long ago (several years in fact), and that’s it’s probably blown over by now, but this thing is really for myself. I just really need to tell myself…

When the part of the internet I run into starts saying shitty things about certain someones (not just gav), with semi-discernible truths and evidence, do I jump on the bandwagon because of the 1% chance that it could be true? Hell no. If you ever doubt your love/belief in credibility of Gavin Free, or see a sarcastic joke fall flat (because of British humour, but I usually get ALL dry humour so the possibly of this certain event is less than likely), look to the absolute truths that you’ve seen, and don’t listen to an anonymous identity aboard the internet.

So they say Gavin is an asshole because of ‘Shenanigans: Cleaning Out. Breaking In’ where there’s a photograph in a frame and a request to sign in and send it back, and it stands on Gavin’s desk instead, unsent. The comment section is full of angry and disappointed people saying Gavin is actually a horrible person for not taking ten minutes to comply with the sender's request. A thousand people have sent him that exact photograph, it seems. Gavin’s explained in a podcast that he lost the return address. There, a discernible truth. Unless someone wants to call him out and say that he was lying? I highly doubt it.

“I’m worried when you guys say things like that, people will start to think I’m actually a piece of shit.”

“Because you are actually a piece of shit.”

People who think Gavin’s an asshole would quote this, saying it was an interaction between Gavin and Michael, proving even Gavin’s friends think he’s shitty. First off, whether this was an interaction between Gavin and Geoff, or Gavin and Michael doesn’t really matter, but the OP who quoted those two lines said they remember Geoff being the one to say it to Gavin, while there were plenty other times Gavin’s been called a piece of shit by the other members of Rooster Teeth. So maybe people who quote this and say Michael’s saying the second quote might want to fact check, but then again, so do I. I just have the fact that, yes, Gavin’s friends over at Rooster Teeth and Achievement Hunter do call him a piece of shit often. Some say this is proof that his friends know his true nature, or whichever else version of that. So his friends called him a piece of shit. That that actually mean he’s a piece of shit? No. Have they suddenly forgotten that friends banter all the time? Most especially Rooster Teeth, FunHaus, Let'sPlay, and Achievement Hunter because they’re being recorded for content, and almost any content is good content. Who hasn’t called at least one of their friends a piece of shit, at least once? It’s friendly banter, I say, which happens a lot over at Achievement Hunter and co.

And then there was the subreddit that accused Gavin of mocking them for bringing a hat to Barbara, Burnie, and Gavin for a signing at a booth/table area while they were packing up. The OP claimed Gavin said, “A hat? That’s the best thing you brought?” And then rolled his eyes.

And that is where the link comes in. Gavin saw the subreddit and posted his own response to the very much made up comment. It should explain itself quite clearly. Gavin and any other member of Rooster Teeth and co were not packing at booths at any given time, among other truths. Unless people also want to call Gavin’s response an utter lie? Where other members of Rooster Teeth accounted Gavin's statement being true? (which they have) Would they then say those members of Rooster Teeth are also lying and covering for Gav? Rubbish, I have to say.

Jokes are fine. Jokes are sometimes blatant, sometimes quirky, sometimes a bit inappropriate, and even sometimes dry and flat. Which you can see has happened in several Rooster Teeth videos where Gavin makes a really dry joke (ha British humour) and then it falls absolutely flat, and then there’s a bit of quiet and confusion. But he never truly means it. No one truly means a lot of what they say. That’s why it’s called a joke, ‘innit?

They are people. They have awkward social interactions sometimes. They get tired. They have bad days, and if you happen to catch one of them in it, and also because you are only meeting them once, you may get a bad real first impression. But if you interact with them on a daily basis, you’d see that they’re not a shitty person, and that just that specific moment was just really not good. Which goes for all celebrities. But then there are people who are actually real 100% determined assholes, so why wasting your time hating and being disappointed in someone who’s not really one?

The only real disappointing thing would be accidentally catching ‘em in a bad mood so they’re not as cheerful as they usually are in your interaction with them, or going to ask them for a signature or a handshake and not getting one because there are thousands of people with the same hopes as you. Not because they were a real shitty person towards you. That hasn’t happened yet, and until the day it does—

I’m still speaking about Gavin, just using the general ‘they’ term because this could apply to plenty of people.

But I do agree with the original subreddit topic, sometimes meeting your heroes just isn’t all that it’s fleshed out to be sometimes