#okay yes it's emo o'clock and i have a lot of feelings after i finished my fic

[alamanyar]

marti and nico are both soft, we all know that.

this one is for nico though.♡

i want to talk about nico’s softness for once. it has touched me tremendously. while he’s full of energy and ideas, he carries this emotional strength inside of him that i find inspiring.

there are  characters i love and admire for their badassness, for their   confidence, and for their determination. and when i see softness under   all these attributes, you can bet your ass that i won’t shut up about   it. especially, when softness is ultimately the prominent attribute a character is made of. sometimes i think softness is underrated, when in  reality, it’s one of the most badass attributes in the world (in my humble opinion).

it starts right from the beginning. first look at  nico and he just stands there talking to some guy outside of school and then greeting sana. sure, we see him from afar through marti's eyes,  but he looks like the softest bean, ever smiling while talking. nico has the most genuine smile. that’s how we meet him.

his first words to marti though? “why did you stop?” and that look.  you can see he’s flustered, because he’s talking to this boy he already is so keen on!! (my headcanon is that he didn’t stare back at marti outside of school (i guess he didn’t see him. who knows) nor during the   radio meeting, cause nico wears his heart on his sleeve, alright? just   re-watch niccolò [for instance]. marti is oblivious sometimes).  anyway. during the whole talk he’s happy, so soft, like he’s begging  for attention in the most adorable way: being cute with the boy who got his  attention immediately. and then they talk on the terrace where he  hopes they can be alone for a while and they are, and nico asks  questions, carefully checks out marti. he glances at marti every now  and then even when emma arrives and he’s all flustered again when they  sit in silence, the three of them. head down, head up *look* *blushes*  head down again. touching his hands nervously, tapping his feet to an  imaginary beat.

when he sees marti on the bus, he stands up at once. ‘wahh, there’s this cute boy again i can’t stop thinking about. quick, talk to him. be suave.’ and he is, but he’s also shy. alas.

of course he’ll help out marti and “lend” him some weed.

he  draws skulls, but also giraffes and i see softness there, too. he crafts his own things. little experiments. he has brushes and drawing utensils all over his room. there's an ukulele on his shelf. and just outside of his room, there's a piano waiting for him. i imagine him playing the softest tunes (some celtic music?) even when he's upset. maybe. but what stands out is that he’s artsy. his room looks soft, too.  light yellow curtains, pastel-ish walls and wooden furniture.

he  cooks carbonara for them and it’s a disaster, but hey, he’s already so soft for   marti, he’s gotta try, alright? and when he tells marti he put honey in the pasta while he was on his phone... well, even though he's obviously  jealous here, he's soft. his little shake of the head? a puppy who was  denied attention.

he’s soft when he touches his lip after he gives the headphones back. hey babe, seems like the guys don’t know what’s up. it’s okay. i’m saving your ass with a white lie, no biggie. call me maybe?

during  sylvia’s party he’s hurting on the couch when marti and emma leave to  dance. re-watch the scene and look how soft he still is while hurting!!  nervously playing with his fingers again, looking defeated. it hurts  me. because after he lashed out (at emma and said some dumb stuff to marti), he tries to gather himself on the couch. he’s introverted, but he tries, okay!!

the infamous pinky touch, yeah. of course. he gazes at marti softly after his joke while marti starts gazing at the night sky. and then he extends his pinky. his ringfinger trembles. have   mercy. and when marti looks at him, nico looks at their hands, as if to  say: this is real, alright? i’m gonna make a move right now, you   can’t stop me. but i’m also asking for permission with this gesture, okay??? he wears an earnest look on his face when he moves in. marti smiles and then, nico smiles, too. soft boyfriends in the making.

“why not? we can go together if you want?” (...) “okAy?“ “okay.” “OKAY!!”

well,  during the talk with the girls on halloween, nico is moping. softly. he’s also hurting after maddalena berates him on the drinking. but when  the girls are gone, he’s back on his soft ass, pointing out that his   and marti’s glasses are in the same position. nope, i didn’t make that   up.

[while i never like it when people ditch people (or try to   kiss ‘em) in order to go for someone else, i have forgiven nico. i have forgiven them both. nico was already so soft for marti and when i look at the outcome of this/their story, when i look at how things  turned out, i’m certain it was inevitable. and because i am soft for their   love, i am able to forgive them.]

let’s carry on.

i find   nico’s suggestion to go to his place and take his bike for a ride   soft?? excuse me, what a wonderful idea! and while they’re driving he   looks content. bless. i’m thinking he really loves his bike. (does he   take his bike for a ride on a regular basis?) when they arrive at their location, he takes his time to park it thoroughly, i mean.

his "undress, or you won’t have a chance at beating me" it’s soft. especially the way he says “undress.” his voice is like an octave higher, but it’s not shrill. it’s calm and steady.

he’s soft when he’s challenging marti “ah-ah”

he’s soft when he starts tickling marti underwater, never losing his smile.

he’s soft when he keeps his promise that he won’t touch marti this time and then instantly grasps marti’s head when he’s being kissed.

he’s   soft when they lose themselves in their kiss and he holds marti’s   ellbow and then supports him when he pushes for the surface.

when they wake up in his bed, he’s gazing at marti, embracing him carefully like he’s fragile goods. waking him up with a sweet kiss. nuzzling his nose. bringing them breakfast. tracing a coffe heart on his arm.   goddamn.

and when we witness his vulnerability, it’s so palpable. he lets us see. he lets marti see. he’s open and soft and i just want   to wrap him in a blanket and give him a hot beverage, telling him   everything’s okay. it’s okay being soft, it’s okay being vulnerable.   here, have a cookie, too. take care of yourself, you soft, soft soul.

he's  so very soft, because he hangs up a red thread of fate for marti to   follow. he already left, but he makes sure that marti will wake up with a smile at least, leaving him little notes to read. he tells marti how cute he  looked sleeping. ufff. he tells marti to have breakfast. he wants to  take care of marti even though he can't be there with him when he wakes  up.

he nervously plays with his hands (again) when marti arrives  for their secret meeting. i love that detail, but it also makes me  sad. i think he’s soft when he notices marti’s upset that he didn’t  text earlier and he tries to make it up. he reaches out with caution,  touches him on the shoulder, showing his affection while saying sorry.

“i want to be with you. don’t you want to be with me?” he whispers, especially the question. goosebumps. he’s so gentle here. and brave. because his display of vulnerability   is out in the open. he wants to go all in, even if that could mean to   be rejected. nico fears rejection.

something that touched me deeply is when he realizes  what marti’s words could possibly mean. he doesn’t get angry. no, he just continues listening and even though a part of him shatters into tiny pieces right there in the school bathroom of the second floor, he doesn’t let it show. he smiles at marti and goes in for a kiss. a good-bye kiss if you want. look at his eyes and tell me you didn’t feel   his pain. his eyes say so much in this scene, it fucks me up. i have trouble breathing watching it. eff you, rocco. this scene belongs to you  entirely.

and then they leave the bathroom giggling and he  kisses marti’s neck. even though marti hurt him to the bone with his  words, he doesn’t want to leave (him) in anger.

he’s soft when  he meets marti after his recording for the radio. he pretends  everything’s alright, but we all know it isnt. marti can’t see it, but  we can. nico makes a joke, tries to get his attention, tries to  apologize, tries to make him see how much he misses him. i’m very  sorry, okay? please believe me!? we could go up to the terrace again  some time. maybe i'm brave enough to explain myself. but marti’s  wrapped up in his own hurt (understandable) and he doesn’t see. nico  tries so hard to reach out, but it just wouldn’t work.

he’s a  soft soul when he hides a strip cartoon on post-its (how long did he  work on that?) in nico’s backpack, asking him to hold on for him, look  out for him, because he’s trying to figure it all out. he’s a soft soul  when he hides the antidote in marti’s dictionary, telling him that he  misses him. “davvero.” and that he understands that he’s not easy to handle, but that he’s working on it. just wait for me a little longer, please?, he asks him and hopes that marti will hear him after he didn’t see how sorry he was at the radio. maybe words will get through to him.

he’s  soft when he takes marti’s words to heart and works on figuring out   how to talk to him. how to get to him. cause marti’s in bracciano. he’s all soft when he’s standing in front of him when they finally reunite. he smiles shyly and looks down at his feet.

while he’s set on   making marti understand how real this all is for him as well, and   basically ravishes him, he’s also soft, cause he’s a man on a mission.   he drove to bracciano, because that’s where marti was and he had to see him. he had to make him see. just that.

[still, because i bet the words marti uttered in the bathroom of the shool building lingered in his mind].

he’s  soft when they wake up the next morning and it’s marti asleep on his   chest. he’s soft when he tries to make him understand that it isn’t easy  to leave a relationship like he has/had with maddalena. that he wants   to figure out by himself what he feels and duh, isn’t it obvious, amore mio? you know what i feel, don’t play hard to get. but it’s okay,   i’ll serenade you anyway. i sing to you while planting little kisses on  your lips and face, and grazing my thumbs over your cheeks. i’m  holding you like this, because you mean so much to me and i don’t want  to lose you again. do you understand?

he feels sorry that  the boys haven't had a comfortable night while him and marti where  sharing a bed. so of course he proposes to take them out for breakfast.  it's the least he can do.

he’s soft when he’s thrilled that  marti’s about to meet his mom. he’s soft when he apoligizes later,  because that didn’t go so well. he’s soft when he asks for him to wait  outside of school so  they can walk in together. he covers marti's eyes  and asks him "who am i?" he'd love a kiss, but marti's not  ready for pda. that's okay though, he'll wait. he’s soft even when he’s hyper  and wants to escape the real world. after all, he wants to escape  together with martino. only with him.

he’s soft when he kisses  him on the cheek when they take a selfie on the train. he happily  shares little kisses and smiles here and there in the streets of milano  and on the balcony of their rented apartement. he’s cheeky, but also  soft when he steals a kiss from marti in front of the red neon light.  and he’s so very soft when he kisses marti’s heart. when they're  standing with naked torsi in front of each other, he kisses marti's  heart. just like that. he's soft when he shows marti his utter happiness during the red scene of love. always smiling, breathing him in. he  gently asks marti if he can take that last piece of sushi. and right before he runs off into the cold night, he looks at marti with this broken look, but he says “it’s only you and me.“ he always thinks about marti. even in a moment like that.

he’s  soft because it probably took him hours to draw a giraffe on his   mobile phone from the last century. he softly tells marti that his   heart isn’t the one betraying his feelings. it’s his brain. he tries to make marti understand that, even though he must have felt ashamed.   he’s soft, because he still keeps reaching out to him.

he softly   underlines this statement by telling him that he’s on the terrace where they more or less met and that he’s thinking of him. that he’s fallen   in love with him, but that he doubts that marti will believe him. he’s   so very open and soft and brave in that moment. he really is. and he   stays there for what? yes, he stays there for hours thinking about   marti. because he knows he’s in one of those shining lights he can see   from up there. i imagine that makes him a bit less sad.

and when   marti finally understands and reaches the terrace, he does not hide his vulnerability. it’s not as if he is able to. nico can’t quite grasp   that marti really came for him. but marti’s answers with his own piece   of softness and so he lets himself fall into his embrace.

he’s vulnerable when he struggles with marti’s devotion to make him feel better.  he’s brave when he lets marti in and he lets himself be soft with him  even though he’s not feeling well. he would never turn down marti's  kisses on the nose. because he's soft for marti and marti deserves soft  kisses on the nose, too.

he’s soft when he asks how marti’s exams went. his exhaustion doesn’t stop him from thinking about marti’s life.

he’s  soft in his braveness. he will kiss marti good-bye. he doesn’t care where. he doesn’t care who could see. all he wants his a good-bye kiss and a promise to talk later.

he’s soft when he comes up with an idea how to help the boys. he’s soft when he tells luchì that he could still be the first one to talk to sofi. he gazes at marti when the boys  leave the kitchen. heart eyes at its finest.

he’s soft when he tells marti that his mother wants to meet him again. that she’s sorry. maybe that’s even a metaphor for him still being sorry for everything he’s put marti through, so he thinks. he cautiously checks if marti’s sure “si?” you’ll come over tomorrow to meet my mom? you sure?

he gives the softest panettone flavoured kisses. they both do.

he’s soft for marti taking care of him. it’s all in his eyes. in his body language.

he softly admits defeat when marti tells him he’ll flush down the weed. because marti knows it’s not good for him. and in the end, he appreciates   it.

he fell hard for marti when they talked in the radio booth  for the first time, separated by glass. and now, that they both got rid  of that barrier together, he falls even harder for marti with every  day, because marti wants to be with him no matter what (happend in the  past).

so, imagine, if nico hadn’t be soft on so many occasions.  imagine. would marti x nico have overcome their misunderstandings,  their [own] barriers? would they be together now?

nico could have  just let marti go after they talked in the school bathroom. but he was  already so far gone for marti, he held on to the hope that marti didn’t  really mean what he said. if nico just showed him how much he cared  for him and that his mental illness didn’t hinder his love for him,  that it was all real for him, one day marti could love him, too, no?

who  would have blamed him, if nico hadn’t tried again with marti after this?  but he did. for deep inside of him, there lingers a softness that asks  him to try again. with marti. with life in general. he could give up so  easily, and maybe he thought about dismissing his emotions and turning  cold in the process, but he tries and tries and tries. nico doesn’t  give up, he always tries again. it touched me deeply.

season two  was about martino, and i have so much love for his character in my  heart, i could write endless essays about it. but nico? if marti is  soft, so is he. it was all there in the open for us to see. it was in  the little moments and details, in the silly moments and in the ‘grand  gestures.’ nico’s softness was visible, but it was so very palpabale,  too; i swear i could feel it in my own bones when i followed him on  screen. and i’m so incredibly glad, that in spite of all those  struggles, i could witness him grow bit by bit, reaching acceptance  step by step.

so, in conclusion:

being soft is not a  weakness, on the contrary, it’s brave being soft. it's brave being  gentle and open. and it's brave trying to continue being soft even when  things look bad. especially then.

nico embodies that to the bone. and for that he has my ♡

i  wish there were more people in the world who also carry softness in their heart besides their strength like nico. perhaps i haven’t paid enough attention in the last months. i know those people are out there.  they have always been existing. and they will continue to. i know that.  so perhaps this hasn’t been a wake-up call on a personal level, but  more of a reminder. i can say this now with conviction after seaosn two   ended, i know i needed it. it evoked a lot of memories, feelings, and   well, hopes. i have seen a little bit of nico in myself. i hope i can rediscover my own softness. and i hope i can be as brave as nico one day, as brave as all the nicos in the world. i see you. even more clearly now and you all have my ♡ truly

[imlovethomassanders]

Eyes are the Windows to the Soul(mates) - Chapter 4

You can also read on ao3

Thank you to @strongindependentcheesecake for beta reading

This work is complete, and new chapters will be added everyday until completion:

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 5 (FINAL)

Summary: The lucky few who have a soulmate are born with heterochromia, with their left eye being the color of their soulmate’s eyes and their right eye being their own color. Not only was Virgil one of the lucky few to have a soulmate, but he was given four. His left eye changed colors every time he blinked, rotating between his four soulmates’ eye colors. His rotating eye colors caused him to be a bit of an outcast growing up, but when he finally leaves for college, things start to fall into place. This is the journey of five strangers finding each other.

Pairings: DLAMP with background Remile

Warnings: None I believe

Words: 3924

Taglist:  @touchstarvedvirgil @lamp-calm-sanders @ninjago2020 @confinesofpersonalknowledge @secret-novelisthost18 @phander-sides @sherlock-lives-on-bakerstreet @bookbingingproblem @viana-dascolli @sharktryingtofly @crofters-n-falsehoods @turnedthefreakingfrogsgay @little-kat07 @romano-hottopic​

Logan had been too worried about Roman and his eyes to talk to Patton and Virgil. It had been two weeks since they last video called, and Patton and Virgil were getting worried. For the first few days, Logan said he was sick. Then he had a lot of homework, then he had a migraine, then he had to study, then he had to help Emile with studying, or whatever excuse he could think of. He knew Patton and Virgil didn't buy it, but he was grateful they didn't push him.

Patton: How are you feeling today sweetie? Virgil: think you can talk to us today? Logan: I'm in the apartment elevator. As soon as I get home I will turn on my laptop and call you. Patton: !!!! :D <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Emile wasn't home yet, so Logan assumed he was still out with Remy. He went to his bedroom and opened his laptop, and a video call request popped up as soon as Logan came online.

"Hello-"

"LOGAN YOUR EYES!!" Patton exclaimed, Virgil wincing next to him. "Who?? When?? Where??"

Um, a couple weeks ago," Logan admitted. "We... had a bit of a rough start."

"You okay, Logan?" Virgil asked.

"Yes, things are getting better. We actually have a date tomorrow."

Patton squealed. "Oh, when can we meet them?? I can't wait to meet them!!"

Logan texted Roman that they were excited to meet him. Even though Virgil waited to meet Logan in person, that wait was only a couple days. Since Patton and Virgil probably wouldn't be able to meet Roman in person until the end of the semester, they decided to video call tomorrow.

Logan got to Roman's apartment a little before noon, and Remy was already gone. Roman said he wasn't too upset about being kicked out, since he got to use this as an excuse to go see Emile. Logan remembered Emile being particularly giddy as he left.

Logan was surprised when Roman pulled him into a hug as soon as the door opened.

"Hello," he said, muffled against Roman's chest. He prayed his cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"It's wonderful to see you," Roman said as he let go of Logan. "I made tea. Do you like tea?"

He started talking again before Logan got a chance to respond.

"Oh, I'm so excited. You're going to love these. Which ones do you want to watch first?" Roman asked as he shoved a mug into Logan's hands.

"Show me your favorites."

Roman beamed.

A relaxing afternoon passed into evening. Roman and Logan had spent much of the time poking fun at inconsistencies in the movies, or Logan holding back laughter as Roman dramatically sang along to the songs.

Logan's phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Patton and Virgil are almost back to their dorm. They will be ready to call us when they arrive."

"Oh, wonderful!" Roman said.

Their moods had been so playful, it was easy to notice Roman's mood shift as his leg started shaking.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked.

"I'm fine," Roman said, but winced when his voice cracked.

"There is no need to worry," Logan said as he pulled his laptop out of his bag and Roman paused the movie. "I know they are very excited to meet you."

Roman gave him a grateful smile as Logan clicked the "Accept Call" button.

The few moments it took for the video to load dragged on for what felt like forever before the image of two men appeared on screen, one with pale skin and dark hair and the other covered in freckles with golden curls.

Roman's breath hitched at how absolutely gorgeous they were.

"Ohmygosh! Hello!!" the curly one exclaimed with a giant grin. "I'm Patton! It's so so wonderful to finally meet you!"

"Hey," the other one said, not nearly as energetic. "I'm Virgil."

"I'm Roman Kingsley. I'm so glad to finally meet my soulmates," Roman said as he flashed a grin. "And may I just say, that you two are two of the most beautiful beings I have ever been blessed enough to see."

Patton squealed in delight as he grabbed Virgil's hand while Virgil's cheeks grew a dark shade of red.

Conversation followed easily for them, and all of Roman's worries melted away. Roman glanced over to see Logan looking at him with eyes softer than he'd ever seen before. Roman smiled back and took Logan's hand and the two turned their attention back towards Patton and Virgil.

They were all so incredible. Roman swore he was in love.

*

"Logan?" Roman asked. He was laying on the couch with his head resting on Logan's lap. It was late Saturday night, and the two were exhausted after spending most of the day unpacking boxes. Roman and Emile were switching places so they could each live with their soulmates (Emile made sure he and Logan kept in touch - plus, double dates with them were now a common occurrence).

"Hm?" Logan hummed as he ran his fingers through Roman's hair.

"How long until winter break?"

"Thirty more days, dear."

It had been almost two months since Roman and Logan first met. And since Roman had met Patton and Virgil, too, he had been counting the days until he would finally get to see them in person.

"That's too long."

"I know."

Roman reached for Logan's hand that wasn't in his hair, but he didn't take it. Instead he just held his hand out for Logan to grab. Roman had been prepared to move at a fairly fast pace once he met his soulmates, but Logan clearly wanted to take it slow. So Roman was patient and let Logan set the pace. It took a couple weeks for Logan to hold his hand in public, a couple weeks more for Logan to cuddle with him. Some days, Logan didn't feel like being touched at all, so they'd sit in the same room on different chairs, just enjoying each other's company.

"Not that I'm not content with you," Roman quickly added. Logan opened his mouth to speak but Roman didn't notice. "I'm so unbelievably happy when I'm with you. Though I'm excited to meet Pat and Virge, you make me so much happier than I ever imagined I could be-"

"I know, Roman. I'm excited to see them, too."

Roman smiled up at him as he squeezed Logan's hand.

"...You're gorgeous," Roman said softly as he gazed up at Logan. Logan's face tinted pink as he glanced away.

"I-... you-... Thank you," Logan managed to stammer as he looked back at Roman, letting go of his hand just to run his hand down the side of Roman's face. "...May I kiss you?"

Roman's eyes widened as he sat up. "Are you sure? Because if so, then yes. Absolutely yes. But I don't want you to feel rushed or-"

"I want to, Roman," Logan assured, a tad embarrassed. Roman gave him a gentle smile as he placed a hand on Logan's cheek. He leaned in slightly but let Logan close the gap. Roman sighed happily as his eyes fluttered closed. He went to raise his other hand to Logan's cheek but Logan' separated, eyes wide and cheeks red.

"Are you okay?"

Logan nodded. "That was... really nice."

Roman smiled.

"Can I... Can I kiss you again?"

Roman nodded as he placed his hands back on Logan's cheeks. This time Logan placed his hand on the back of Roman's neck to pull him just a bit closer, not that Roman minded. Logan was the one to pull back first again, but only for a couple seconds before he pulled Roman back to him.

Roman kept the kiss slow and soft as Logan's hands held tightly on him, firm grip trying to pull them as close together as he could. Roman moved his arms around Logan's waist, aiding in pushing together. Soft gasps were escaping them both as their chests were pressed together.

The next time Logan pulled away, he just wrapped his arms around Roman and buried his head into the crook of Roman's neck. Roman smiled as he placed a kiss onto the side of Logan's head while rubbing soothing circles on his back.\

"Roman, I... I think that I... I0" Logan huffed out a frustrated sigh as he struggled to finish his sentence, his grasp around Roman tightening.

"I know, Logan," Roman assured him with a smile. "I know. Me, too."

*

Roman groaned and shut his laptop. He had done enough school work for tonight. Probably.

He ran his hands over his face. His eyes stung slightly from staring at a bright screen for so long in the dark room. Glancing at the clock, he was surprised to see it was already nine o'clock. Logan had gone out to attend some seminar for extra credit, not that he needed it. With Roman no longer tapping away at the keyboard, he noticed the light pattering of rain.

He pushed his chair away from his desk and fell onto his bed, reaching for his phone. He didn't know when Logan would be back, but he hoped it would be soon. The apartment got lonely when he wasn't around.

Roman was about to text the group chat to see how Patton and Virgil were doing when he got a phone call from the emo nightmare himself.

Surprised, but in no way complaining, he happily tapped the answer button.

"Hello, my darling. How are-"

"Roman," Virgil gasped out, and Roman was immediately worried. He sat up in the bed, mind racing with what could be wrong. Was he hurt? "I'm sorry. This is so stupid, but Patton's not at the dorm and- Oh, it's getting late I shouldn't have called I'm sorry-"

"Virgil," Roman interrupted. Virgil was already breathing heavy - Roman didn't want him to work himself up even more. "What's wrong, dove?"

"It's stupid," Virgil muttered.

"Virgil."

"...It's storming. And thunderstorms make my anxiety spike."

As if on cue, Roman heard a loud clap of thunder in the background followed by a sharp intake of breath from Virgil.

"That's not stupid," Roman said, affection dripping in his voice. "Just focus on my voice, dove. Follow my breathing."

Roman took a few deep breaths, listening as Virgil followed, and his breathing eventually grew steadier.

"Perfect. You're doing wonderful."

Roman led Virgil through breathing a bit longer until Virgil's breathing was back to normal.

"Thanks, Roman," Virgil said quietly.

"Of course, darling. I'll always be here for you, to protect or comfort. Whatever ails you, I'll work to destroy it."

"Sap."

Roman couldn't help but smile. The sound of rustling blankets came through the phone.

"...Hey, Ro?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you, um, sing for me?" Virgil asked quietly. A large grin grew on Roman's face, his heart burning with so much love for the man on the other end of the phone that it almost hurt.

"Of course I can."

Roman started to sing softly all the love songs he knew, anything he thought could even begin to portray how much he was already in love with him.

"I wish you were here," Virgil said, his soft voice making it evident he was getting sleepy. "So your voice wasn't muddled by the phone."

"I wish I was there, too. To hold you and let you know that as long as I'm around, nothing is going to harm you. Not even thunder."

Virgil chuckled softly.

"I wish you could hold me."

"And I will, love," Roman said earnestly. "As soon as I can."

Virgil yawned.

"Sing me to sleep?"

"Anything you need, Virgil."

*

Fluffball <3: Everyone get on video call!!

Roman shook Logan's shoulder, who was sitting by him, to get his attention. He showed Logan the text and Logan grabbed his laptop.

"Hey sweeties!" Patton said the same time Virgil said "'Sup."

"Hello, dearests," Roman said the same time Logan said "Salutations."

"So we all agreed to get together the first couple weeks before Christmas so we could still go see our families on the holidays, right?" Patton started, smile wide in excitement.

"Yes, Patton." Logan said.

"Well, I found a place in my home town we could rent for those weeks. So we can spend the time by ourselves instead of making our schedule around my parents," Patton said sheepishly. "If we all pitch in, I know we could afford it."

"That sounds incredible, Pat," Roman answered with a large smile. Patton's grin grew wider.

"I'll email y'all the details."

*

Roman was shaking his leg as Logan drove. He was finally, finally, after far too many months, on his way to see Patton and Virgil.

"There's nothing to worry about," Logan assured him. "They are both very fond of you. Just... be prepared for a really big Patton hug when you walk through the door."

Roman was looking forward to it.

Roman knew Patton and Virgil almost as well as he knew Logan due to the constant texts and video calls, though that could never compare to finally being able to see his darling soulmates in person.

Logan held Roman's hand as they walked up the path to the front door. He didn't have time to knock before the door flew open and Logan was pulled inside, yanking Roman in with him.

"Roman!!" Roman heard someone shout before they threw themself into his arms. "Oh my gosh it's so wonderful to finally meet you in person!"

Roman pulled back to see Patton looking up at him, absolutely beaming. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Virgil and Logan hugging while exchanging "I missed you"s, but right now all he wanted was to focus on the little puffball in his arms.

"Hello, dear," Roman said with a large smile as he pulled Patton back to him. Patton let out a loud squeal of laughter as Roman picked him up and spun him around.

"I can not express how ecstatic I am to finally hold you," Roman said as he put Patton down, taking the opportunity to cover his face in kisses. "My dear, my darling, my love, I've been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember, and oh, how gorgeous you are in person."

Patton's face was very red as Roman finished talking, Logan and Virgil watching in amusement. Roman panicked for a moment, thinking he had gone too far, but Patton just threw his arms back around Roman and pressed kisses to his cheek.

"You're so sweet! I'm so happy you're here," Patton said as he pulled back.

Virgil gently placed a hand on Patton's arm, and he let out a little "oh" before stepping aside, turning his attention to Logan.

"Logan! I've missed you!" Patton exclaimed as he threw his arms around Logan, but quickly pulled away once he remembered Logan's occasional aversion to being touched. But Logan wrapped his arms around Patton, and Patton smiled before hugging him again.

"I've missed you, too."

"Uh, hey, Roman," Virgil said a bit sheepishly as Patton turned to Logan.

"Hello, Virgil,"  Roman said with a grin as he stepped closer. There were a couple of moments of silence, then Virgil threw his arms around Roman and Roman quickly reciprocated, placing a hand on Virgil's back and pressing him against his chest.

"It's lovely to finally see you, darling," Roman whispered as Virgil took a shaky breath and hid his face in the crook of Roman's neck. "I'm here now. It's okay."

"We're all together!" Patton squealed happily as he wrapped his arms around the two of them, and Roman felt Virgil smile against his skin.

Roman gave Logan an expectant smile, holding out his hand for Logan to take. And when he did, Roman pulled him into the group hug.

"It's really nice to finally be with all of you," Virgil muttered against Roman, voice cracking just slightly. Roman tightened his arm around him.

"It is," Patton beamed. "I'm so happy."

*

Roman groaned as he stood up off the couch and stretched his arms up, hearing his bones pop in the process. The four of them had gone out to eat that night, and it had been pure magic. It wasn't a particularly grand place, just a small diner around the corner, but the four of them being in the same place for the first time was just wonderful. Roman could put his arm around Patton, or reach over to take Logan or Virgil's hands. The way the four of them clicked together so naturally made Roman feel like he was walking on air.

Oh, how lucky he was to be blessed with soulmates.

When they got home, they had put a movie on the TV. But after a long day of travelling, Logan and Roman didn't last half the movie. When Roman woke up, Virgil had also fallen asleep and Patton was gone, but Roman could hear humming in the kitchen.

"Oh, hello, sweetie," Patton said as Roman walked in. "I'm making tea, would you like some?"

Roman nodded as he reached out towards Patton but hesitated. Patton then gently grabbed his arm and pulled Roman towards him.

"You don't have to worry about me. I always want cuddles," Patton sighed happily as he rested his head on Roman's chest. "You don't have to ask."

"But what if one day you don't-"

"Then I'll make sure to tell you. Though there's never been a day in my life I didn't want hugs."

Roman rested his cheek on Patton's fluffy hair and sighed. "I... I'm honestly sort of relieved. Obviously I'm not upset about Logan's boundaries, but..."

"You can tell me, honey," Patton urged as he tightened his grip around Roman. "It's alright."

"It's just... I've been fighting my insecurities for as long as I can remember. And physical affection just makes me feel better, I guess. It makes me feel secure and wanted," Roman said, voice getting softer from embarrassment. "And when I feel like I need it but Logan doesn't want to be touched, I just keep my mouth shut on how I'm feeling to not make him feel guilty."

"I get it," Patton said as he stepped back to cup Roman's face. "Virgil's the same way. Less often than Logan, but the same.

But I don't think you should hide how you're feeling from Logan. He'd feel bad you felt the need to hide from him. I just know he would want to know so he could find a way to help you. He loves you, Roman."

Roman huffed a bit as he pulled away from Patton to sit on the counter.

"But I don't want him to think I'm trying to pressure him."

"I know, I know. Roman... I get sad often. For no real reason in particular, sometimes. And physical affection helps me feel better, too. And just like Logan with you, Virgil is usually more than happy to help me. But for a while I, too, felt like I needed to keep it to myself because I didn't want to bother him."

"And?"

"He figured out, and he told me to tell him whenever I'm feeling sad. And we've found other ways. I'll sit next to him and we'll watch cat videos, or he'll show me his favorite music. Sometimes he'll say he can handle a little bit of touching and he lets me hold his hand or rest my head on his shoulder. But nothing is going to get better if you keep it to yourself."

Roman ducked his head as Patton gingerly pushed hair away from his face.

"Yeah, you're right," Roman said quietly. Patton pressed a kiss to his cheek. A smile grew on Roman's face. "And one day, we'll all live together, and we'll all balance each other out and love each other in our different ways. We'll never be more than a name call away from all the affection we need. Plus, while I'm here with you, I'll always be more than happy to give you lots and lots of attention."

Patton returned his soft smile as he cupped Roman's cheek. The two gazed at each other for a moment before connecting their lips, pulling the other towards them as close as they could.

The kiss was so incredibly soft. The two had to break apart for a moment just because their smiles grew so big, but they immediately reconnected their lips. It was gentle, just like Patton. Roman couldn't help but melt against him, promising himself that he was going to get as many Patton kisses as he could in his lifetime.

"I don't think I'll be able to handle another semester away from you," Patton said with a melancholy smile as they parted. Roman kissed him.

"Only a couple more years, darling. Then I'll be all yours."

*

Over the following days, Roman had the three of his loves in arms reach at all times. He could finally cuddle Patton against him or wrap Virgil tightly in his arms (and he'd never get tired of holding Logan). But the bliss couldn't last forever, and the day for them to leave for the holidays arrived.

Logan and Patton didn't have a far drive at all considering they were already in their hometown. Virgil had a good few hours, but Roman had to drive to the airport to get home, meaning he had to get up early in the morning and leave significantly sooner than the others.

"I'll see you soon, Specs," Roman said with a sad smile.

Logan met Roman halfway for a kiss. "See you soon."

Patton had been holding back tears all morning. But when Roman pulled him into a tight hug, he couldn't help that a few tears fell down his cheeks.

"Hey now, it's okay, darling. We'll see each other again soon. I lo- I'll miss you."

Patton's eyes widened and Roman tried not to wince at his slip up. But Patton gently placed a hand on Roman's cheek and pulled him down into a kiss.

"I love you," Patton whispered. Roman kissed him again.

"I love you, too."

They shared one more brief kiss before Patton let him go.

"I'll bring your bag out for you," Virgil said and walked out the door before Roman could say anything.

Roman gave one last goodbye to Patton and Logan and followed his other love.

"Call me when you land," Virgil said. "Want to make sure your plane didn't crash."

Virgil put Roman's suitcase in his trunk and slammed it shut. He wasn't looking at Roman.

"And drive safe. I know you like to play your music loud but be careful."

"I will."

"Well, um. I guess this is goodbye," Virgil said, staring at the ground.

"...Please look at me, darling."

Virgil huffed but slowly lifted his head, showing his red cheeks and puffy eyes.

"Oh, my dear," Roman said as Virgil let him pull him into a hug. "It'll be okay. We'll see each other again soon."

"I know," Virgil muttered into Roman's shirt. Virgil pulled away slowly, then placed his hands on Roman's cheeks to pull Roman down into a kiss. Roman pulled Virgil as tightly against him as he could, wishing this didn't have to end.

"I love you," Virgil whispered, surprising Roman. But he smiled.

"I love you, too. So much."

"Call me," Virgil said as he let Roman go.

"I will."

Virgil pressed one more quick kiss to Roman's lips before walking inside. And Roman smiled.

This is going to work out perfectly, he thought.

[panic-at-the-fiction]

Hello Darling pt3

Summary: (y/n) is the salvatores younger sister and she is low key in love with one of the originals. You know which one. The only problem is he is a low key psychopath and neither of them remember that this isn’t their first meeting.

Warnings: just harmless flirting

A/N: I’ve been in love with Kol Mikaelson for 3 days now. I’m being forced to watch vampire diaries with my mom and Kol and the rest of the original family are like the only reason I’m still watching it.

You hadn't gotten any sleep last night. You spent 3 hours in the emergency room with Matt because he wouldn't drink your blood. He didn't want to risk becoming a vampire. But you were trying to be a nice person nowadays so you respected his decision and waited with him at the ER. You didn't get home till 4 in the morning, and it took you at least an hour to get out of that stupid dress you had worn. You really wish you hadn't had gone to that stupid party. It had been filled with one disappointment after another, but now you were home in your apartment. With no annoying brothers, no doppelgänger sluts, and no originals. The sun was coming up and you were finally able to get some sleep for the day.

You didn't wake up till about 12 in the afternoon. By the time you showered and left your apartment it was already 1 o'clock so you were shocked when you arrived at your brothers house in time to see Rebekah Mikaelson leaving in the same dress she had worn to the party the night before. She only ignored you and walked out of the house. Not even making eye contact with you.

Damon walked down the stairs barely dressed after having obviously just taken a shower.

"What was Rebekah doing here?" You knew exactly what she had been doing, but you needed your brother to admit it.

"She was just leaving." He smiled and walked away trying to ignore your question. You followed him into the library.

"No Damon, I mean why was she here in the first place?"

"I may or may not have gotten drunk and brought her back here after Elena shut me down last night." He poured himself a drink.

You couldn't help but laugh at your ass of an older brother. It was only a couple hours ago that he accused you of sleeping with an original and here he is brushing off his one night stand like it didn't matter that he's a big fat hypocrite. "You know what? Eat Shit Damon."

"Aww come on (y/n) so what if I slept with Rebekah. Why do you care?"

"I care because last night when you weren't busy fawning over Elena you were slut shaming me for being around an original but today you're sleeping with one of them like it's no big deal. So yeah, Damon. eat shit and see if I care!" You stormed out of the house, not wanting to be around your brother any longer. He was a jerk and he never made an effort to apologize for it. Not like he did with Stefan at least.

You decide it was best if you went back to not caring and day drinking. So you headed back to the mystic grill and picked back up where you left off yesterday, half way through a bottle of whiskey.

By the time ten o'clock rolled around you were on your fourth bottle of whiskey and you were starting to crave something stronger, something that didn't come from a bottle. You looked around the room eyeing everyone in the bar. It was really packed since it was ten-o'clock on a Saturday. You were sizing everybody up to see who you could snatch away and take a bite out of. You notice some girl walking towards the bathroom. You quickly finished your drink and tried to go after the girl. But when you turned to leave your seat Kol was standing in front of you, blocking you from going after the girl.

"Hello Darling, I see your day drinking again. Whiskey of all things. Most girls are into champagne and fruity cocktails nowadays but you really aren't must girls are you." He set his coat on the back of the chair and set down next to you at the bar.

You really didn't want to see Kol right now or really ever. You saw another girl head to the bathroom so you gave up trying to feed from them and refilled your whiskey glass. "Not like most girls? Was that supposed to be a complement? You're gonna have to do better than that after what you did." You kept staring at the wall in front of you. You didn't want to look at him right now. Hell you didn't want him to be there right now.

"Oh yes how is the quarterback? All hyped on vampire juice and healed now?"

"No, he wouldn't take my blood. I had to sit in the ER with him all last night."

"Oh so is that why you're here drinking?"

"Why are you here Kol?" You turned to face him.

"Would you believe if I said that I care about your problems?" You rolled your eyes and you could tell he was just being sarcastic. "Yeah I wouldn't either. I'm not usually the one to care about other people and their problems. That was usually Elijah. Though I do feel different after having been daggered and living in a coffin for so long maybe I can give it go. So how about you tell me your problems and I'll tell you mine?"

You ignored him, just went back to staring at the wall and drinking your whiskey. "Well fine then I'll start first. Today my brother and my mother tried to kill me and all of my siblings, but then your brothers accidentally stopped them by killing my brother, permanently this time, before my mother could complete her spell. So now she's off in the wind trying to figure out how to finish us off."

He took the whiskey bottle from you and grabbed an empty glass to fill it up. You just stared at him, you felt bad about what had happened to him. You couldn't even imagine what he must be feeling right now. "I'm so sorry about what happened with your mother and for what my brothers did. I had no idea they were planning any of this. Which one of your brothers was it?"

"Finn." He downed what he could of the whiskey and refilled. He was obviously having a bad day.

"Were you two close?"

"No not really. He was a lot older and he spent the better half of the last millennium in a box for having a stick up his ass."

"Your family is something else."

He laughed a bit "You're telling me. So what happened to you today? Couldn't be any worse than my day."

"No but it wasn't any good." Kol just kept drinking and nodded along. "Went to my brother's house this afternoon to check in on them and make peace after last night. Turns out he and your sister hooked up last night. So I called him a hypocritical dick for yelling at me last night and for accusing me of sleeping with you then stormed out of the house and came here."

"So that's where Rebekah was last night. I'll have to remember to torment her later with that." He raised his glass and clinked it with yours, "Cheers."

"Cheers." You couldn't help but to stare at Kol. Despite everything he did last night you didn't hate him. He was different tonight, he wasn't cocky and confident he seemed genuine. About an hour and a bottle later. You were both pretty drunk, even for vampires. You found yourself once again wanting to spend more time with the jerk. After everything he did to your friend you still liked him, more than you probably should have. Everything about him just seemed so familiar and comfortable.

You decided it was best that you left before you tried to do anything you might regret. "I should probably get going, it's late."

"Do you need me to walk you home or get you a cab?" Kol started to laugh, "I'm trying to be nice here, I'm not sure it's working for me."

"No, I'll be okay. I don't live far from here." You got up and started to walk towards the door as Kol stopped you about half way.

"Hey (y/n) wait!" He grabbed your wrist and turned you around to face him. "I'm sorry about what I did at the ball yesterday. I was mad at my sister and I took it out on your friend Matt and your brother."

It fell silent between you two for a moment. Kol was still holding your wrist in his hand. You started to laugh, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just, you're apologizing for trying to kill my only friend and my brother and I've just forgiven you. I'm not even upset about it, Because I've been there before, when you're so mad at someone that you take it out on someone else. It's just so weird I should be mad at you right now but I'm not. Part of me likes you even more now." You just kept laughing at yourself. You were totally drunk off your ass. You didn't even realize you said you liked him out loud.

"Wait did you just say you like me more now? So you actually did like me before?" Kol smiled at you. You were mad at yourself for saying that out loud but glad you got Kol to perk up a bit. You noticed him moving a bit closer to you.

"Maybe" the alcohol was really kicking in. You felt more confident than you had in a long while.

Kol leaned down a bit so you two were closer together "Does that mean I still have a chance?"

"Maybe." You saw him glance down a few times to stare at your lips too. You both were waiting for someone else to make the first move. You were as close as you two could get without touching.

Tired of the waiting, Kol closed the gap between you. He pulled you closer by your wrists before moving his hands to the side of your face. Your hands ran up through his short brown hair. You could already taste the whiskey on him. It didn't take you long before you both were gasping for air and had to pull apart slightly. Neither of you could seem to decide what to say next.

You broke the silence, "You know on second thought I might need a walk home. My place is just two blocks over."

Kol pulled away from you and laughed. He quickly grabbed his coat from the back of his chair. He smiled and held his hand out to you "Well then, lead the way."

I just want to say thanks again to @hellish-ramblings-of-an-emo for helping me edit these and get these first few chapters out here. You have been such an inspiration to me and you make me want to write more everyday!

Also thank you to all the people who have been liking this story and I’ll be posting new chapter from now on every week! I would also love to take request for fic ideas to help me fill up this blog with stories.

[skepticalcatfrog]

Aurora High School (Introduction Part Two)

Introduction Part One Introduction Part Two Masterpost

Summary: After starting their junior year in high school, the Jones twins find themselves meeting new people, setting them on a track towards new friendships, new romances, new heartbreaks, and many new adventures.

Pairings: (Eventual) Scarlett Jones x Finian de Seel, Tyler Jones x Saedii Gilwraeth, and Aurora O'Malley x Kaliis Gilwraeth

Word count: 2,964

Author's Notes: Part two! This is going to be the last pre-set plot point for a bit, because requests are officially open! I'm going to elaborate on it in a later post, so look out for that!

Important Author's Notes: This story contains a character who uses a wheelchair. I did do some research, but since I don't experience it, it's virtually impossible for me to be an expert on this topic. If you are more knowledgeable about this than I might be, and you notice an inaccuracy, please let me know what it is and I'll try to fix it!

Scarlett and Tyler walked down the street towards the park, looking around at familiar houses and talking as they did.

"So, who did you invite?" Scarlett asked.

"Well, Cat, as always." Tyler told her. "Plus Aurora, and Kal. His sister's coming too, I said it would be fine if she did."

"When did you have time to get Aurora's number?" Scar kicked a pebble that was resting on the sidewalk.

"Turns out, we have the same gym class. I asked her for it there, because I realized that I forgot to when we did that tour." Tyler quickly explained. He looked at the clock on his phone. It was only three o'clock, meaning that they had at least four or five hours until the sun went down. "Did you invite anyone?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have let you pick the entire guest list." Scarlett shook her head. "I'd think that you'd know me better than that by now, it's been 17 years."

"Well then who did you text?"

"Zila and Finian." Scarlett said matter-of-factly. "Oh, and Cat. In case you forgot to."

"Finian is the kid from the principal's office, right?" Tyler's brows drew together.

"That's the one." Scarlett nodded.

"Are you sure he's not…" Tyler trailed off. Scarlett finished the thought for him.

"Am I sure he's not what? Bad news? A troublemaker?" She raised an eyebrow. "You were in the principal's office too, you know. And I don't hear anyone calling you bad news."

Tyler was quiet after that. He knew she was right. That, and he didn't feel like arguing about it right now. Scar was smart, she would be able to deal with things herself. And hey, maybe he shouldn't judge this guy so quickly. He probably hadn't even done anything too bad.

Ten minutes later, they got to the park. It was a wide open space with paved paths crossing through it, all leading to a wooden gazebo in the center. There was a parking lot on the opposite side with a few cars in it. Trees were scattered along the border of the park, as well as a few within the grassy area. It was a little windy, so the warm colored leaves were bristling in the trees, and the fallen ones were tumbling across the ground.

Tyler and Scarlett walked to the gazebo, where Cat was already sitting on a bench waiting for them. She smiled as she saw them approach.

"Told you I'd get here first, Ty." She teased.

"You're on the track team, it's not my fault you're faster than me." Tyler shot back as he and his sister sat across from her.

"That's no excuse, you're on the football team. Running is a big part of that too." She pointed out. "But anyway, moving on from the topic of who's faster even though it's totally me. What are we going to do today?"

"Well first things first, we're going to wait for the rest of the people we invited to get here." Scarlett gestured to the mostly empty table.

"So it's not just us this time?" Cat's smile faltered for a moment before returning.

"Nope, not just us." Tyler shook his head.

Just as he finished speaking, a car pulled into the parking lot. It was sleek, painted black with white accents. It had a certain look, like it was capable of going insanely fast but it was never really used for that. Kal stepped out of the passenger's seat. From the driver's side door came a girl who was very clearly his sister. They had the same dark hair and eyes, and the same tall and elegant stature. The sister's eyes were lined heavily, and she had black lipstick and nail polish on. The pair strolled over to the gazebo, and while Kal sat down, his sister stood by the edge.

"Tyler, Scarlett." Kal greeted them. "This is my sister, Saedii."

"Great to meet you." Tyler smiled at her.

Saedii held up her hand as a way to tell him to shut up. "Save your breath. I'm only here because my brother needed someone to bring him."

Tyler's smile disappeared completely. It wasn't often that he met someone who seemed that firmly set on not liking him. Scarlett could tell by the look in his eyes that he was definitely going to make it his mission to try and become friends with Kal's sister. But it wouldn't be easy.

"So… what do you guys do for fun?" Scarlett asked, trying to spark a conversation.

"My sister and I both take fencing classes." Kal answered.

"Yes, and I am much more skilled with a sword than he is." Saedii said in a way that sounded both like she was bragging and like she was plotting a murder. "I'm on the wrestling team as well."

"Oh, yeah, I think I might've known that already." Cat smiled, surprised to find an interest that she shared with one of these people she'd just met. "I go to the matches sometimes, just for fun."

"Oh." Saedii seemed equally surprised. "And you… you're on the track team, correct?"

"Damn right I am!" Cat nodded proudly. "I'm the fastest one on the team, too."

"I play a sport too, actually. I'm on the football team." Tyler piped up.

"Very proud of yourself, I see. Are you often praised for what you do?" Saedii raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, I-"

"Then perhaps you should stop letting the compliments get into your head. There's barely any room for the rest of us in this gazebo alongside you and your ego." Saedii deadpanned.

Tyler frowned. He hadn't even done anything wrong, he'd just mentioned that he was on the football team. Kal had mentioned that his sister didn't like football players, but apparently Tyler had underestimated just how much she hated them. "Well you're one to talk."

The conversation died down and became awkward, slightly hostile silence.

Soon enough, Zila arrived on foot. She was carrying her backpack with her, and how she'd managed to walk all the way to the park with a bunch of heavy school books was a mystery. She stopped in her tracks when she saw how many people were there.

"I was unaware of how big this gathering would be." She muttered.

"Hey, Z." Scarlett waved to her. "You can sit down, if you want."

"I think I will be alright standing." Zila assured her. "I do appreciate the sentiment, though."

Scarlett shrugged. "Okay, if you insist. But there's a spot for you if you change your mind."

A few more awkward minutes of no talking went by. Very few of the people in the gazebo actually knew each other. Maybe it had been a mistake to invite a bunch of complete strangers to hang out with each other, but there wasn't really any time to go back. 

After the long stretch of silence, Aurora got there on her bike. It was colorfully decorated, with hand-painted designs covering the entire frame. She chained it to the bike rack and walked over to where everyone else was sitting. She offered everyone a smile and wave, then sat down next to Tyler.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Aurora, but everyone calls me Auri." She said.

The moment he saw her, Kal was smitten. Aurora was beautiful, seemed very sweet, and was probably very creative based on the designs on her bike. Her eyes were unique, unlike anyone's he'd ever seen before. He was very clearly staring, but somehow, she hadn't noticed. Cat did though.

"Hey." Cat whispered harshly. "Loverboy. Might want to pick your jaw up off the ground, or else you might have to ask her out."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Kal's posture straightened and he scowled, glancing at Cat.

"Hm. Guess that's just how your face looks then." Cat shrugged. She didn't know him well enough to debate about this. Plus she didn't really care that much. But she'd make sure to keep an eye out.

And finally, the last car arrived. Well, it was actually a van. It was one of those big ones that could fit an entire family in it at once. It went a little bit past 'van' and bordered on 'bus'. Out of the driver's seat stepped a blonde woman, presumably Finian's mother because her features looked nearly exactly like his. Even from far away you would be able to tell that they were related. She went to the back of the car to get Fin's wheelchair, then brought it back around to the passenger's side door and helped him into it. She asked him something, and he replied quickly, but the people in the gazebo couldn't quite hear what they were saying.

Fin said goodbye to his mother and made his way to where the group was sitting. He smiled when he saw how many people were there. "Wow, if I knew I was coming to a party then I would've brought a punch bowl and something to spike it with. Hope I'm not the last one here." He circled around to the other side of the gazebo to use the ramp, then positioned himself at the end of the table and turned on the brakes of his wheelchair.

"Welcome to our little gathering, Finian." Scarlett waved. "This is Cat, Zila, Auri, Kal, and Saedii. Everyone, this is Fin."

"Your hair is so light! It would probably be really easy to dye, have you ever done it before?" Auri asked.

Fin shrugged. "I dyed it black once in 7th grade. Like, fully black, no colors or anything. That was my emo phase."

"Sounds like it could've worked." Cat leaned forward and rested her arms on the table.

"You know, you'd think that it would because my eyes are so dark, but it didn't. I just looked like a vampire. And not even in the hot-and-mysterious way." Fin shook his head. "My cousin dyes his hair black, and it doesn't look very good on him either, but I'd never say that to his face."

"I let these two dye my hair one time." Tyler gestured to Cat and Scarlett. "I had blue streaks in my hair for about a month, but they turned green after a few washes. It took forever to get all the dye out."

"Shampoos that contain sulfates cause hair color to fade." Zila muttered. "That is why color preserving shampoos work, because they don't contain sulfates."

"Huh. I didn't know that." Tyler's brows drew together in thought. "Interesting."

"What, are you planning on dyeing your hair again, Goldenboy?" Fin smirked.

"Never. I'm good." Tyler smiled and held up his hands.

Scarlett bumped shoulders with her brother. "I think that one of us dyeing our hair regularly is enough."

"I don't dye my hair. I have heard that it can be very damaging." Kal offered his input.

"It can be." Zila nodded, speaking louder this time, though her voice was still monotonous. "Because the dye is meant to break down your original hair color, the chemicals in it will dry out the strands."

"Which is another reason why I don't dye my hair anymore." Fin clapped his hands once.

The conversation faded away. For a little while, they'd forgotten that they didn't know each other, and had just been talking like friends. But it had hit like a brick wall that they had been complete strangers up until about 15 minutes ago. Aurora was the first to speak up.

"Anyone want to play a game?" She suggested.

Cat considered the idea for a moment. "I'm down. What were you thinking?"

"We could play truth or dare, except minus the dare part. Basically just asking each other questions, and we have to answer honestly. I'll ask the first question, if that's okay with everyone?" Aurora asked. No one protested, so she continued. "Hm… Fin. What's your favorite animal, and why?"

"I've gotta say that I don't have one. I haven't really thought about it much. But I'll tell you what my least favorite is." Fin made a wide gesture to the whole group. "Fish. My cousin, he's going to college to be a marine biologist. And he doesn't shut up about fish any chance he gets. Knows every single thing there is to know about fish. He could probably list off every single subcategory of fish like they were the damn periodic table song if you asked him to."

"Is this also the cousin who dyes his hair black?" Auri laughed.

"The very same!" Fin grinned. "But, we're officially off topic. Back to the questions. Goldenboy. If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?"

"Super strength." Tyler said as if he'd thought about it before. "It probably wouldn't be allowed in sports, but it would make a lot of other things easier."

"Plus then you wouldn't need to get up at 3 in the morning to do an entire workout routine before school." Scarlett teased.

"No, I'd still do that." Tyler smiled. "Now for a question… Zila?"

Zila looked up from whatever she'd been doing on her phone. "Hm?"

"How long do you think you'd last in a zombie apocalypse?"

"I think that I would die of natural causes in a zombie apocalypse. There is no way of knowing for sure, of course, because my survival would depend on variables such as the running speed of the zombies or how strong they were." Zila explained her thought process. "But in a scenario where they are slow, weak, and unintelligent, I would easily outsmart them."

"Slow, weak, and unintelligent… are we talking about zombies, or the people in my math class?" Cat smirked. That earned a laugh from the group.

The game lasted for a few more hours. They learned things about each other that they might not have thought about before. For example, they learned that Kal and Saedii had been to 63 countries, and after finding that out, Fin encouraged them to go to 6 more so the number would be perfect. They learned that Zila's favorite color was green. That Tyler had broken 10 bones in his lifetime. That Aurora was planning on joining the art club and the track team. That Scarlett had once accidentally downloaded a virus onto Ty's phone, causing him to need a new one. That Fin lived with both of his parents, 6 siblings, 2 aunts, 1 uncle, and 5 cousins, as well as next door to all of his grandparents, 4 uncles, 5 aunts, and 13 cousins. That Cat was already working on a few college applications. All in all, it had been a very interesting game, and before they knew it the sky was turning pink.

"I should probably get going." Fin squinted up at the sky. "My mom doesn't want me to be out past dark, and if I don't text her soon, she's going to come here on her own."

"That's a good idea. Scar and I should head home too." Tyler agreed. "Early to bed, early to rise, as they say."

"Well, if you two are leaving, the rest of us might as well disband too." Cat shrugged.

"How about we exchange numbers?" Aurora suggested, taking her phone out of her pocket. "I'd like to stay in touch with all of you."

Everyone else took out their own phones, and each took turns reading off their numbers. Tyler noticed that Kal's sister hadn't said anything.

"Saedii? Are you going to join the conversation?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No need." Saedii responded coldly, shaking her head. "Why would I need the numbers of my brother's friends?"

"Fine then. If that's really how you're going to think." Tyler waved his hand dismissively.

Aurora made a group chat with all of them in it and sent a quick 'hi', just so it would show up on the others' phones. After that, everyone went their separate ways. Cat and Zila started walking out of the park. Auri went to her bike, Kal and Saedii to their car. Finian texted his mom, then turned off the wheelchair brakes and went back to the parking lot. Scarlett and Tyler began the walk home.

"That went surprisingly well!" Scar said once they were out of earshot. "Usually it isn't the best idea to invite a bunch of people to hang out when they don't know each other, but they seemed to get along great for complete strangers."

"I don't really know if they can be considered strangers anymore, Scar." Tyler pointed out. "I'd even go as far as to say that we've made ourselves some new friends."

"I hope so. It gets so boring not having anyone to wave to in the halls." Scarlett stretched out the 'o' in 'boring'. And as dramatic as she was, Tyler had to admit that she was right.

"Yeah… I'm glad we met these guys."

The sun had set by the time they arrived back home. Adams greeted them when they came through the door, but there wasn't any small talk. Their days had been awfully draining. They figured it would be better to get to bed early, despite the fact that it was officially the weekend. Tyler went to bed early most days anyway, but this was especially rare for Scarlett.

They thought back on how crazy that day had been. First a new kid showed up, then Tyler got into a fight and went to the principal's office, then they'd made friends with a bunch of people they'd never met before. It was only the beginning of the school year. And as Tyler and Scarlett settled into bed in their own respective rooms, they both had the same thought on their minds.

This was going to be an interesting year, for better or for worse.

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