#or in my asks courtesy of that one sketch that saved my day haha

[ratstuckinamarble]

See what happened here is that you captured her creature energy too well so the drawing came alive for juust a bit to crumple the paper.

Every time Lagoona growls a part of my soul heals.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Albedo. I just rolled him and finished his quest.

I would love to talk about travelling with him, or at least being someone who brings in the ingredients for alchemy. Someone who goes out of their way for him and gets the best. Maybe the only gardener in Mondstadt to grow alchemical roots and grasses.

I'm happy for you, rolling the cute alchemy boyo ywy I only rolled in his banner to get Bennett in five rolls I'm sorry Albedo, my primogems are for Xiao and Hu Tao- *shot*

Back to business! I really, really like this cute idea awww thank you for distracting from the angst fics in my head haha (TUMBLR DIDN’T SAVE IT PROPERLY AND SO THE POST IS HORRIBLY SHORT WAIT- FIXED IT WOOHOO)

Albedo's Personal Botanist

Background

Most ingredients in alchemy usually come from ores and liquid ingredients formed by chemistry methods. Stuff like Tuttia, Bismuth, all that shindigs-

So while plant life can be useful for alchemy, not everyone recognizes its utility straight away, and provide for the common plants for arrangements rather than scientific inventory

I can imagine that you'd be a normal gardener at first but very passionate of their properties.

Might be a Dendro vision wielder too, the Dendro archon loves those who wield the power of knowledge, more so when they use it on nature.

You carry with you a lil book about all the plants and shrubs that you've personally cared for, down to their finest detail and properties. But you're a gardener, not a master of Alchemy, so some parts of the notes you couldn't really figure out yourself.

The first time you met Albedo, he was around a year into staying in Mondstadt. He was forced to go out and take a breather because of his workaholic schedule, and instead of relaxing in a bath, he ended up drifting to the market area to get more ingredients local to Mond.

Unlike the other flower stalls, he was pulled into yours because of the wide variety of your wares. Roots, grasses, shoots, plants you couldn't just find outside of the walls.

You were tending to your mini greenhouse in the back and left your botania book on the shelf outside, and this LIL SHI- Albedo, having no proper training for social interactions, straight up just opened that shit and read it all.

"Oh, hello there, mister- HEY, THAT'S MY STUFF, WHAT THE HECK"

Flustered, confused and alarmed, Albedo tried his best to quickly reason with your garden-spade-wielding self. And with his pretty boy self, you managed to calm down and listen.

You may or may not had smacked him with a bouquet of horsetail for good measure.

"Such vast knowledge and detail orientation, why waste away your talents in selling productive fauna when you can wield them into something more?"

Master Phytologist of the Knights of Favonius acquired!

Working with Albedo!

Your greenhouse in the Knight of Favonius HQ is most definitely connected to Albedo's laboratory! And very spacious too.

More than one occasion, you've seen the Chief Alchemist casually sneaking around the area, plucking a Flaming Flower or scraping dandelion seeds from the pot while you were busy tending to other flowers on the other side of your area.

65% of the time you caught him red-handed and you will be met with the rare sight of a fumbling, queasy Albedo.

30% of the time you just find out something is missing after checking inventory for the day, usually ends up with you hunting and shouting for Albedo. Because the guy seem to have a sixth sense as to when you find out his thieving adventures.

5% of all of that, Kaeya would be the one stealing from your 'safer' floras to woo a random citizen in Mond. And as a master of botany, your precious babies are always in tip top shape. Top quality bouquets all day, all night.

Those moments are the ones Albedo hate more than getting smacked with your spade. Those are your flowers, and by association, his. Grown to their maximum potential by your calloused yet gentle hands FOR HIM-

Kaeya: *reaching out to pluck a perfectly healthy glaze lily*; Albedo: *his short ass of a shadow looming over him*

NOW IT IS HIM WHO WIELDS THE POWER OF THE GARDEN SPADE

The atmosphere of your work area is significantly different from his own messy laboratory. The glass walls and roof that lets in just the right amount of sunlight, with a perfect view of the scenic landscape of Mondstadt and beyond.

When Albedo reaches a wall on his research, he picks up his sketchbook and just- waltz in to your workshop through the door connecting your workspaces.

The fresh air, the soft kiss of the sun, your humming, it was all a symphony of heaven concocted just for him.

He’ll find himself sketching your babies, dozen or more times you are included.

Your notebook’s illustrations are mostly courtesy of him, and he greatly basks in your pure admiration of his drawing.

To help him focus, you once took on the great task of organizing his laboratory, to no avail. Even if you manage to fix and align his inventory, it’s gonna go back to chaos after three days minimum.

It’s okay tho, it’s normal for him, more excuse to visit you-

Guilty, he wants your spacious and refreshing greenhouse and often asks for a redesign of his laboratory to share similar workspace with you.

Acting Grand Master Jean had to decline this idea just because it costs more than a million mora.

He’s definitely gonna sulk in your greenhouse after that, back leaning on the warm glass wall as he does nothing but sketch you and your plants the whole day.

Don’t stop him

Just admire the pout

Actually Working with Albedo! (Finally)

Whenever Albedo discovers/explores a new area, you’re always sure to tag along whether willingly or by force

YOU BET YOUR FROZEN ASS YOU’RE COMING WITH HIM TO DRAGONSPINE

DEFINITELY BY FORCE

I imagine that despite being his assistant/student, Sucrose and Timaeus are more focused on research and the application of Alchemy, so they’re not much of the resource gathering type. That said, Albedo is very thankful of your existence, it’s a breather to his already full schedule.

Albedo is both considerate and inconsiderate unconsciously : While he may run off to experiment on the traveler and leave you scouting the area yourself, he doesn’t willingly set you on fire from the inside.

Every time he comes back to camp after finishing the step by step experiment with/on the Traveler, he makes sure to check up on how you are doing.

TAKE NOTE: Our prince is very occupied and busy with his own work a lot, so he’s never really seen you in action when you go out to get the the materials he needs-

So he is purely horrified when he saw you hanging off the cliff with nothing but a rope around you to keep you safe, carefully investigating a petrified tree branch up close.

Suddenly, elevator.

Again, Imma bet, he’s gonna be accompanying you in all your expeditions after that. He’ll need to know where and how you acquire every ingredient outside of your greenhouse.

Does it require you to climb a mountain? Are there any Hilichurl camps nearby? Maybe mobs that are attracted to that type of flower?

He would be very attentive of your inventory reports and would recognize if a dangerous gathering journey is near. He’ll be right there with you.

Violetgrass x1000

He’s gathering more than a month’s worth just to make sure you don’t go back to make that dangerous trip. It’s very impractical, but let him rest his heart.

You and Albedo: Resource Gathering Expedition; Other Knights: Outdoor Dates Disguised as Work-Related Outings

Flower crowns are good and all but have you heard of flower bracelets?

Omg so cute hhh imagine a Flaming Flower Stamen bracelet for his Dragonspine expedition- it’s not gonna last forever but it’s so precious he’s definitely keeping that shit even when the heat already dissipated from it gah-

“Paimon wonders, what’s that thing around your wrist?”

“A flame bracelet, made to keep the cold away.”

“Woah! Sounds very useful! Sure would be handy for exploring, you think we can borrow it-”

“No.”

Something angst-y: Albedo has yet to make a Dendro affinity potion and he’s really, really devastated about it and himself. You’ll have to forcibly pull him out of his self-deprecation, force him to get a breather.

Overall, Albedo greatly appreciates not only your utility but also your consistent company. He values your tenacity and comfort, sharing unadulterated curiousity as you both venture the great unknown. There’s a lot of stuff he can pray about to thank whichever archon has graced you. And despite his Vision lacking the function to actually help in the advancement of his research, he is now thankful for it, for he has found with it a greater purpose: Ensuring the safety of his precious Gardenia.

I CANT BELIEVE IT, THIS THING WAS 30 TIMES LONGER BUT TUMBLR DIDN’T SAVE THE DRAFT PROPERLY AND HAD TO GET EVERYTHING BACK THROUGH MEMORY, AND MY MEMORY IS B A D. I’M SORRY I KNOW YOU JUST WANTED TO TALK BUT IT ENDED UP BEING SUPER LONG AND LOOKS LIKE A HEADCANON THAN ANYTHING, MY FORMATTING IS REALLY LIKE THIS AAAAAAAA- I hope you enjoy ywy I like your brain, it brings good ideas and gives me good ideas too!

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN SMITH

Filled up sketchbooks of distorted portraits of passer-bys, mundane objects, personal notes, weird thoughts and meanderings are just a couple things in artist Brian Smith’s sketchbook and works. Textured with black and gray tones, Brian’s drawings are often personal, humorous, and observational. We’re excited to chat with Brian to find out more about his background, drawings, and what he has coming up for the rest of the year. Take the Leap!  

Photographs courtesy of the artist. 

Introduce yourself? My name is Brian Smith, I’m from a town called Hicksville, New York. Now, recently living in Los Angeles, California. I’m currently the sole employee of a warehouse and I like to draw.

What was your introduction to drawing and/or art in general? What were your early influences?  I’d had a babysitter who showed me how to draw actual hands and not just the turkey ones you make when you’re little. That was pretty big for me. It got me interested in figuring out how to draw other things just by looking at them for a bit.  I always had sketchbooks as a kid, and in turn would forget them somewhere. My Nana who was kind of a closet artist would find them and leave little watercolor drawings of shore birds, ladybugs on tall grass, pond habitats etc. That seeded some notion I wouldn’t come to until much later about the intimacy of sketchbooks and how good it feels to give and receive drawings. Early influences would definitely be those two women. There was also a lot of adolescent suburban troublemaking, the inevitable introduction to skateboarding and cartoons like Rocko’s Modern Life and Ren and Stimpy.

How would you describe your work now to someone who is just coming across it?  I generally stumble through an explanation if I’m ever asked.  I recently looked back at like two years of drawings for a show. Seeing a good chunk of what you’ve drawn over a period of time all at once is wild. I still don’t think I’ve got my answer. It’s all kind of vague, sad, funny and personal. I like it to be just so, where people can attach their own meaning to it or ask questions about it.  

How did you find yourself going from maybe keeping a journal to actually getting work creating art or selling artwork?  I’m still getting there.  I think so far those things for me have a mutually beneficial relationship. Drawing in sketchbooks is where I’m most productive.  Everything after that is selected and isolated into its own drawing. That isolated sketchbook drawing might become a print or an image someone wants to buy or use for something which is always great.

How do your ideas take shape? How do you get from start to finish? What’s your process? It’s a total crap shoot haha. Sometimes I’ll blast through something in a night and others, a half inked drawing will sit in a drawer for months before I’m ready to get back into it. I get my ideas from a lot of things and in a lot of different ways though. I have a very distracting internal dialogue from time to time, I don’t know what it is. Sometimes I’ll just hang on a phrase, words that sound funny strung together in a sentence and put it down on paper and save it, maybe draw what it makes me think of later on. This croucher character I started drawing came from a thought I had of how dumb I must’ve looked a few days earlier, scrunched down taking a photo in the city while a wall of people moved around me. 

When are you most inspired? And what is your favorite subjects or things to draw and why? Inspiration strikes at random. I mostly like to draw at night or very early in the morning. I like drawing dogs and people, they’re emotional critters.

What artists inspire you these days?  The artists in my immediate circle at Bill’s Bar (@billsbarla). Those people are constantly creating and progressing. It’s insane.

You moved to LA not too long ago, how has living here influenced your artwork if at all? What do you think about the art community in LA?  I got out here in November. Lots of sketching and a few finished drawings in the bag since then. I’ve got a few ideas that’ll have to cook a bit longer before I figure out what to do with them. It’s definitely been a receptive town for me, showed a bunch of drawings I’d been sitting on and got a nice response. I’ve been to a few art shows and they got me pretty excited on what’s going on and what can be achieved with some elbow grease. 

Tell us about a favorite project or collaboration you’ve done. What kind of challenges do collaborations pose and what do you love about them?  My favorite collaboration has been with Austin England (@mochelife). We started sharing drawings through the mail over a decade ago. We did that for years before we actually met in person 6 or 7 years ago. Now we share a studio space with some other great artists and I’m currently babysitting his dog Lola. Collaborations for me can tend to lead to overthinking. Not always, but sometimes.. and when it gets to that point it’s tricky to dig yourself out and just relax and work with what the other person is doing. I love the whole process of it though, it’s fun and you never know where it’s going to go. You usually learn something new and wind up with something cool. That’s the best.

What was your last adventure that showed up in one of your illustrations, thematically or just visually?  Driving through the midwest. Indescribable. I drew a bunch of roadkill from memory that was pretty fun and weird.

Every artist has a different way of making his or her artist career work. How do you make it work for you? Do you spend time maintaining an online store or just draw when you want when you have free time?  I pretty much draw when I can. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it, which is always tough. I just draw in my sketchbooks, turn those pages into zines or actual finished pieces and let people know they’re for sale on instagram. I haven’t quite dialed in the online store thing just yet, but I’ll get there. Every now and again a drawing job or commission will pop up. 

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue art? Don’t follow in my footsteps. Go to lots of museums and art shows. Keep a pen in your pocket. Take the extra time to get an image to look the way you want it to. 

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks?  Don’t write your artist statement in the 3rd person. 

When you aren’t drawing or hustling, what do you do to relax or just stay fresh in life?  Beers, talks, books and walks to relax. Going to a museum, taking a trip and or getting out of the old comfort zone to stay fresh.

What are your favorite style of VANS? I like the white Vans Authentic, especially all worn in and pretty raggedy looking.

Anything you can share that is coming up? I don’t have anything coming up which is nice. Everything’s pretty wide open creatively, so I’m just gonna keep my antennas tuned and try and get productive.

FOLLOW BRIAN | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

[extremelyslappy]

Thousand Years

Pairing: Ritsu/Shou

Word Count: 7655 words

Summary: It's been five months since Shou left to go somewhere. He didn't say where, but it's been so long. Ritsu's slowly losing control of his life. Mob, Teruki, and Reigen are concerned and attempt to save him from drowning in his emotions. But it seems that the only lifeline that can save him is Shou himself.

Read on AO3!

"Ritsu, come on and stay with us. It'll be fun!" Shigeo pleaded as he gripped his brother's hands. Ritsu sat on the edge of his bed with the curtains drawn shut and the lights completely off. The uncharacteristically messy room unnoticeable in the dark.

The teen looked up and glared into his brother's eyes as they gleamed with innocent hope. He looked away and squinted at the open door that's letting in light. A figure rested against the doorway.

Ritsu quickly knew who it was at the sight of the awful, neon Ty-dye crop top and leggings with ripped short-shorts over them.

"Yea brother-kun, a night at Reigen-san's place will help you get away!" Teruki chirped with a plastic, cheeky grin he always carried when Shigeo was around. The second his brother was gone that facade quickly fades. It was amusing to Ritsu.

He eyed his messy desk with papers and pencils scattered.

"I... Uhm... I'm busy. I have to study and do homework..." Ritsu mumbled before pulling his hands away from his brother's.

"Oh... I guess you're right..." Shigeo mumbled. Shigeo turned away and was close to walking away.

"Hey! It's an extended weekend this week! An extra 2 days! You don't have to worry 'bout anything!" Teru quickly interrupted. Ritsu and Shigeo flinched at the sudden change in tone. Ritsu looked at Teru and saw the piercing glare. He knew Teru wouldn't let him say another word.

"I... Well... Fine, I'll come with you." Ritsu reluctantly agreed. Shigeo flashed a quick smile before helping Ritsu pack any necessities for the stay.

Five months ago, finding Ritsu's clothes and other necessities would've been a breeze. But somehow it seems like Ritsu's self-control slipped away.

Old clothes laid under the bed and wrappers and empty soda cans littered his desk. Dusty old books lined the shelves. Had they described Ritsu's room to anyone at school, they wouldn't believe them.

Shigeo and Teruki shared a glance as they saw Ritsu lazily throw a shirt into his backpack. His usual foreboding silence now heavier than before. They both knew why.

-----

"What do you mean you're leaving again?!" Ritsu screamed at the young esper. Shou simply rubbed his neck and gave his trademark smile.

"I'm not leaving! That implies I'm gonna be gone for a long time!" Shou responded. Ritsu, Teruki, and Shigeo faced Shou. Scratch that, surrounded him.

"You have a bad habit of 'leaving' with your definition of that word." Teru retorted with a slight cock to his hips as emphasis.

"Suzuki-Kun, we miss you when you're gone, that's all..." Shigeo said.

"Tch, as if." Ritsu scoffed.

"I know you love me. You can just tell me, Rit-chan." Shou said as he stuck out his tongue.

"God, no and don't call me that!"

"Besides, the longest I've been gone is like what... three weeks? That was only because of extensive travel delays." Shou explained.

"Travel delays? You probably have inherited billions of yen to waste. Can't you just call a private jet to take you back here like a taxi?" Ritsu sarcastically asked.

"I have to save my money. Pops gives me a bit for my allowance during the years. I knew that if I wanted to take down pops I'd have no source of income. So I've been saving up for several years." Shou casually elaborated. "Can't spend all of it on elaborate wants. I wanna go to college!" Shou shrugged.

The rest of the group was taken back by Shou's sound logic. It's often hard to forget that he knows how to manage his rough lifestyle.

"I'll only be gone for a while. I have to take care of some unfinished business..." Shou began to trail off. He quickly noticed his own changing mood and perked back up. "I'll call y'all when I'll be back, I promise!"

-----

It's been five months since then. Neither one got a single call or text from him. Hell, even a letter sent from a fucking carrier pigeon would be reassuring.

Shigeo and Ritsu both waved goodbye to their mother as they stepped outside. The sun burned Ritsu's eyes as he adjusted to the sudden brightness. He could've sworn it was late at night. But by the looks of it, it only seemed barely passed 12 PM!

Ritsu turned to face the other two. They seemed unfazed by the sunlight.

It pissed him off for some reason.

The trio silently stood at the front gate of the Kageyama household as they waited for Reigen.

They saw a sweaty man in a suit and tie walk calmly towards them. It was Reigen. He was right on time. 12:45.Though they wondered why he was so sweaty when it wasn't even that hot. (Truth be told, Reigen woke up late and sprinted here. Being on time is a life lesson that's important to teach! He must be a shining example to the kids! Or at least as much as he can be...)

"Master Reigen, I'm amazed at how you're always on time."

"Punctuality is key to success, Mob! Haha... Anyway, I'm gonna bring you guys to the apartment so you can drop your stuff. Then we can explore the bigger part of the city. How does that sound?" Reigen asked.

He scanned the kids' faces. Shigeo and Teruki seemed on board. While his younger brother paid no attention to anything; he seemed rather interested in the loose string of his shirt.

"Yea, that sounds good!" Teru responded.

"It sounds like fun." Shigeo agreed.

"Yea... Probably..." Ritsu also agreed (in response to Teru's sharp elbow jab to his side.)

----

The walk to Reigen's apartment was a drag. The heavy silence was overbearing on the group's backs. The small attempts from Reigen to make small talk failed to even lift the weight that was Ritsu. He tried to ask him how school was or how he was doing in his extracurricular activities, but the most he could stifle from him was a simple grunt or a one word response.

The rest of the walk there was silent soon after. They all lamented on what caused this mess.

Shigeo hoped that maybe getting Ritsu out would cheer him up a bit. Teru thought a little shopping spree/exploration in the city would "engage his senses". (Well, kinda...) Reigen was heavily against forcing Ritsu to do anything he was against, knowing it would provoke him. But Reigen decided to take a shot.

Nothing.

----

Shigeo started to pray for his brother to simply smile. His brotherly instincts couldn't handle seeing how Ritsu was. His mind began to wander as he imagined the worst that could've happened to Shou.

He knew Shou was strong and determined person. He would do anything and everything to get what he wanted. He noticed it when he found out who had staged his parent's murder and why. While the first few weeks he was... hesitant... to interact with Suzuki, once he saw how Ritsu took to him, Shigeo decided to let his grudge go for Ritsu's sake. Suzuki was loud and jumpy and full of energy which threw him off. He would also invite himself into their home randomly. Of course, he got used to it, but it is common courtesy to say you're coming over.

One day Shigeo came home early from his workout. He went to see his if his brother was home and found Suzuki on Ritsu's bed, knees up, with a drawing pad resting against them and with headphones in his ears. He tried to call out to him but Shou had his music up at a loud volume. Shou bobbed his head up and down as he sang along to a song Shigeo recognized.

He decided to just walk up to him and sit beside him. Once he did that, Shou quickly flinched and nearly fell off the bed before he ripped off his headphones.

"You should warn people when you're coming!" Shigeo remembered he shouted. He giggled at the irony.

"Nice drawing." He commented. He pointed at an elegant sketch of two figures dancing. Shou smiled.

"Thanks." Shou moved a bit to allow Shigeo to sit better. He then took one earbud and listened to the song Shou was playing.

"Oh, if you want I can change the song!" Shou offered. Shigeo shook his head.

"I like this song." They soon quickly sparked a conversation. They went on for what seemed like hours talking about whatever topic would come up from drawing, to music, to other interests while they each had an earbud and listened to the same song on loop. It was One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks. An odd song to bond over as Shou said, obviously embarrassed by his love for the song. But he quickly chastised him by saying that if he liked the song, then he shouldn't be embarrassed by what he loved.

He responded by poorly and loudly singing the song.

Shigeo joined in too with his broken English. It was the loudest he had ever sung in front of a person. It was exhilarating. He didn't even notice his brother standing at the door.

He began to wonder what could've happened to Shou that he wouldn't respond or communicate at all with them.

His internal percentage increased at the thought of the worst happening and at the sight of his brother hunched over and staring at the road.

----

By any outsider, Teru would look like any stereotypical teen distracted while texting and walking on their phone. However, well, that's kinda what he was doing.

To Shou: hey suzuki-kun

To Shou: yo suzuki

To Shou: shou wtf

To Shou: hey jackass

To Shou: fuck face

To Shou: away old

To Shou: *asshole i fucking hate autocorrect

To Shou: boi

To Shou: hey

To Shou: why

To Shou: wont

To Shou: u

To Shou: fucking

To Shou: answer

To Shou: god i hate u

To Shou: jk ily

To Shou: ....

To Shou: nvm

Teru grunted before shoving the phone back into the pocket of his shorts. Shou wasn't going to respond, right? What Teruki would give for even a single random message from Shou… He'd take one of those random memes he would send at like 1 in the morning where he would compare it to something that they actually did. (Teru's favorite message was when he sent a gif of a man wearing shades and sprinkling salt and said "lmao i found reigen") Teru would often find himself staying up late and staring at his phone. He waited for his phone to vibrate only to be dragged back to sleep.

-----

Reigen even started to miss the boy. He would often barge into the office when Mob wasn't around or when he was at school. He would lie on the couch and help around the office by filing paperwork and even helping him exorcize some spirits from time to time. Though the amount of time he spent at Reigen’s office concerned him.

“Are you even enrolled in a school?” Reigen had one day asked.

“A what?” He remembered he responded with. Reigen rolled his eyes.

It’s the little things he learned about Shou that made the man connect with the kid. Reigen knows that he liked to drink hot chocolate out of a cup that had little bunnies on them. Shou liked to mess with Serizawa when he was in the office. Often playing lighthearted jokes or pranks at the poor man. But Shou knew where Serizawa’s limits were and the older man admired that.

Shou liked to watch dumb videos of people getting hurt on his computer or some wrestling recaps. Shou would often play cheesy pop songs on blast when no other client was around. They would often end in dance competitions between all three of them. He remembered a specific moment that ended up with a broken wooden chair and a hamster scrambling around in its ball on the floor when a client walked in.

He also liked to draw on Reigen’s laptop. He remembered fondly at how he drew different illustrations. Shou was very passionate about his hobby. Reigen even mentioned at how he should study and find work in that field.

What he found odd was that Shou flushed at the comment. What sounded like a typical offhand comment to most, flustered Shou.

He must have not heard any compliment like that. Reigen thought. Reigen was typing on his laptop when he remarked that. Once he looked back at the kid, Shou was scribbling even faster in his sketch book.

Even when times were slow, he was able to connect with the kid and even help him during his more troubled times. The kid's life was more broken than a shattered mirror, which surprised Reigen at how well he handled everything. During the past few months, he patiently waited for the loud knocking on his window. The potted daffodils Shou gave him still sat by the windowsill.

----

They had soon arrived at Reigen's apartment. The trio placed their bags down on his couch. Reigen offered them water and a small snack before heading into the larger part of the city. Shigeo and Teru had accepted while Ritsu opted to lie on the couch and curl up.

"Are you sure you don't want even a glass of water?" Reigen asked with concern. Ritsu simply curled up even more.

"I'm sorry... I'm not hungry. My stomach hurts a bit." Ritsu responded. Reigen grabbed his small backpack and packed a couple of granola bars and several bottles of water.

--

After a couple of minutes, they had begun to take off and take a bus there. Once they had arrived, Ritsu decided to shut everything around him out.

All the bright colors from the neon bright lights and signs just muddied up into some odd and dark color. The sounds of multiple cars passing became mute in his head. Even when they walked into a store that had clothing he wanted, he couldn't seem to find any way to feel anything.

It bothered him so much. All Ritsu wanted to do was just to laugh with Reigen at Teruki's horrible fashion tastes. He wanted to laugh until he started to cramp in his abdomen when Teru put on a large fluffy coat that was a bright pink with lightning bolt shades. When his brother turned to him with a smile, he forced a laugh to ease his brother's concern.

But he couldn't really find anything energy to be honest with his emotions. He still had no energy even when he asked Reigen for the granola bar. Everything seemed to drag on and it pissed him off so much.

Something was missing.

He knew what it was.

But he was powerless to do anything about it.

He missed Shou.

He actually missed that ball of red hair and he couldn't believe it.

Was he going to come back?

He promised he would.

Was he even alive? Ritsu didn't even want to think about that.

Maybe he left on purpose because he hated them? Somehow that thought hurt more.

But, how long was he going to wait and hold out for Shou to come back? It's been five months. The school year is almost over.

How long will he wait and blissfully hope for Shou's return?

"Ritsu? Ritsu? You there?" A soft voice asked. He looked up and didn't even realize they were walking. His brother had a small hand on his shoulder as Teru and Reigen both held concerned expressions. He wiped his wet eyes and smiled.

"Yea, I'm fine. I didn't mean to space out. What were we talking about?" Ritsu asked with a smile creeping a bit.

He finally decided on what he was going to do.

---

Their trip soon came to a close as the sun threatened to set. All of their hands were filled with bags of several knickknacks and clothes. He walked beside Reigen as Shigeo and Teru walked ahead of them to the bus station.

"Hanazawa-Kun?" Shigeo asked with bags covering his entire face.

"Yes, Shige?" Teru sweetly said. Ritsu and Reigen rolled their eyes at Teru's obvious flirting.

"Uhm... Oh! Are you doing anything next week?" He asked, blushing a bit.

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Uh.... My art class... We're doing an exhibition as a final project. I wanted to see if you wanted to come and see what I made. I based one part of my project on you!" Shigeo stated. Teruki was taken back by the offer and blushed a bit.

"Hanazawa-Kun? Are you getting a fever?" Shigeo asked as he placed the back of his hand against his forehead. Teru simply stuttered out an affirmation in response which seemed to please Shigeo. Teru quickly looked away and stared at the ground in embarrassment.

Reigen sucked his teeth and turned to Ritsu.

"Can you believe this? They're so obvious!" Reigen cried out. Ritsu gave the man a confused look.

"I mean, look at how they flirt. It's painful." Reigen groaned. Ritsu now understood.

"Yea, my brother isn't the most... Observant of all people... Don't even get me started about all the times he's asked me about if Hanazawa-Kun talks about him when we hang out." Ritsu commented.

"Ha ha ha! There have been so many times I've had to play therapist for Teruki because he asked me how to deal with his emotions for Mob!" Reigen chuckled. He raised an eyebrow and motioned his thumb towards them. Ritsu knew what he meant and shook his head.

They'll find out how to resolve their feelings in this messy world. So, why meddle with it? Ritsu smiled as he watched them stumble and blush their way in love.

----

By the time they had returned back to Reigen's apartment the sun was a dark, rich red and orange in the horizon. Tired and hungry, Reigen offered to go to a fast food joint nearby and pick up something for all of them.

The three were silent for a while as they all sat on the couch with some random show playing in the background.

"Hey... Let's have a pillow fight..." Teru said and looked at the two siblings.

"We shouldn't mess with..." Shigeo said.

"I'm in!" Ritsu shouted. Shigeo closed his mouth, shocked at the sudden change in mood. Teru quickly grabbed a couch cushion and threw it at Ritsu's face. As it comically slid off, a devilish smile began to form.

"It's on!"

---------

"Hey guys, I brough- Agh!" Reigen screamed as he was hit in the face with a pillow. He looked up from the bags of fast food he carried and saw the entire apartment in disarray. All the kids stood frozen in their tracks. Teruki and Ritsu both had a pillow raised and aimed at each other while Shigeo stood nearby holding one and shaking in his boots.

Reigen laughed and picked up the pillow on the floor.

"You guys could've waited for me!" Reigen laughed. "Hey, Mob!" He shouted.

"Yes, master?" He said.

"Think fast!" Reigen yelled before quickly throwing the pillow in Shigeo's direction. The other two quickly caught on Reigen's scheme.

Ritsu quickly dove and tackled his brother to the ground and landed hard on the ground. While Teru dramatically ran in front of the pillow as it hit him in the chest with a loud thud. Teru fell backward hard on the floor. He placed the back of his hand against his forehead and reached for the ceiling light with his other hand.

"No! I've been hit! I can see the light!" Teru melodramatically shouted.

"Hanazawa-Kun! No!" Ritsu fake cried as he crawled to Teru and placed his forehead against his chest. Teru pulled Ritsu's head up.

"Brother-Kun...."

"Yes?"

"Tell Kageyama-Kun... That I..." Teru dramatically wheezed as he gripped Ritsu's hand.

"You what?"

"I.... I... Ugh..." Teru stuck his tongue out as he rolled to his side with a snicker.

"No! Hanazawa-Kun is dead! Rest well soldier!" Ritsu screamed. He motioned Shigeo to come closer. Shigeo kneeled on the floor, confused as to what was going on.

"Oh, Shigeo! What are we gonna do now?!" Ritsu continued to fake cry as he tightly hugged his brother. He was still confused, lightly patted his back.

"Bury him?" Shigeo answered. Ritsu immediately stood up and pulled him up.

"You're right!" Ritsu cried as he went to pick up all the pillows he could find. He looked at Reigen and Shigeo to do the same. They all began to pick up and find all the pillows they could carry.

With their arms full of pillows, the three surrounded the boy on the floor.

"Does anyone have anything to say about Teruki Hanazawa?" Reigen asked in the same dramatic tone.

"Hanazawa-Kun was a good person. He will be missed?" Shigeo tried to act along, but he didn't know what to do. He could hear a small sniffle from the floor.

"Yea, Hanazawa-Kun was kinda cool. Eh, he's also an asshole." Ritsu flatly stated.

("Hey!"

"Shut up, you're supposed to be dead."

"None of you are invited to my funeral... Except Kageyama-Kun.")

"If that's all, then we shall begin the ceremony!" Reigen said. By ceremony, they meant to drop all the pillows on top of Teruki, covering him in head to toe with pillows till you couldn't see any speck of him.

Ritsu quickly nudged his brother and snapped his fingers and looked at Reigen. He opened his mouth in an O-shape in response. This wasn't their pillow fight. When Ritsu and Shigeo did the same with their parents, they came up with secret signals. "Ambush." That's what that one meant.

"Hanazawa-Kun will be avenged!" Ritsu shouted before he grabbed a pillow in both hands as Shigeo followed also. They charged for Reigen and tackled him to the ground. They both started to smack the man around with the pillows. It seemed like they had the upper-hand until Reigen grabbed them both.

"I can't move!" Shigeo shouted.

"I call this move 'The Bear Hug'!" Reigen proclaimed as he tightly squeezed the two kids. The man began to cackle maniacally. This was it... It's over...

Until Reigen was met with a mouth full of feathers!

"Agh! What!?" Reigen cried as he released the kids out of shock. The brothers looked up at who their savior was.

"Hanazawa-Kun!" They shouted as Teru continuously hit the man with a pillow. The brothers quickly grabbed more pillows and joined in also.

"I thought you were dead?" Shigeo asked.

"Spiritual intervention calls!" Teru shouted as he continued to hit the poor man.

"Ah! Please! No more! I surrender!" Reigen cried as he gripped a stray napkin and waved it like a flag. The kids stopped and were breathing heavily. Man... What a workout...

Reigen sat up and looked at the time on the TV.

"We should eat! We don't want the burgers getting cold." Reigen pointed at bags of food on the table. The three immediately got up and dashed for the food, suddenly remembering how hungry they were.

----

After eating and cleaning up, Reigen pulled out the couch to the bed it can be. The four laid on it and put on some animated movie that Shigeo really wanted to see. They huddled with a large blanket and a large bowl of popcorn in middle.

The movie he wanted to see was surprisingly poignant seeing as it was a movie about sentient emotions in a teen's brain. They continued with a movie Teruki wanted to see, which was a b-rated horror movie. He didn't really consider Teruki to be a horror movie person. The movie was so cheaply made and the special effects were so poor it was hard not to laugh.

By the time it was his turn to choose a movie, everyone else has fallen asleep. Reigen had his head back against the couch, snoring loudly. Shigeo had laid his head on his lap, back on the couch. Teruki snuggled his brother as he had his head snuggled into Shigeo's chest and an arm lazily wrapped around his waist.

Ritsu sighed as he stared at the time. 1:23. Heh. It went in numerical order. He grabbed the remote and lowered the volume and selected some show and a random episode. He didn't get it. It was a show about an office and the people who worked there.

God, he was so tired. Trying to keep a happy face was tiring him out. He didn't understand how waiters or cashiers did it. He found a new gratitude towards them. But he wanted to sleep for the next few days, yet he wasn't tired.

The end of the couch where Ritsu sat at was the closest to the window. He looked up and out the window as he ran his fingers through his brother's hair. He was pretty sure Shigeo was drooling.

The mindlessly gazed out at the stars with the TV being white noise to cover the silence. His eyelids started to become heavy. He'll just... Slowly... Sleep...

Zap!

Ritsu quickly bolted wide awake as he felt a surge of energy invade the air. It felt like another person was near.

His head shot up and he looked at the sky.

A familiar streak of orange ripped the night sky as if the morning sun had shot it with a bullet.

Could it be? It had to be!

He got up and carefully settled Shigeo down and pried open the window. He crawled out and onto the emergency exit. His socks were the only source of warmth against the cold metal. His eyes lit up in wonder as he gazed at the orange streak in the sky.

He had to follow it.

He quickly climbed down the emergency exit's stairs. Once at the end, he quickly jumped onto the pavement. He looked up again. The streak was fading.

Ritsu got up and kept his gaze on the streak in the sky as he sprinted through the streets. His socks were going to be so dirty after this. His attention was so focused on the sky that he narrowly missed a car about to hit him.

He must look crazy. It's the middle of the night and he was running through the streets in an area he didn't even know. He was wearing an old, green, long-sleeved shirt with some gray sweatpants and he was just in his socks! He wouldn't be surprised if someone had called the cops on him and said he was a runaway.

None of it mattered. He was going to follow the fucking streak until it killed him. He continued to run for what seemed like hours.

Hell, he now ended up on a god damn bridge! He hoped to God no one was going to mug him. Wait. He was an esper. He can just fight back.

Ritsu continued to sprint through the city as he followed the orange streak in the sky. He tracked its every move and every turn it did.

His legs were starting to give out as they shook under his weight. His chest was tight and his lungs and throat pierced through his body. His head was pounding and he could hear his ears ringing.

But nothing was going to stop him.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if it was nothing. If he had been running for hours for what was nothing.

No! Ritsu pushed those thoughts out of the way.

"It's him! It's gotta be!" Ritsu cried out to the night.

-----

Soon, he started to recognize where he was. He was... In his neighborhood? Yeah, it had to be! He was near by the road that led to the bus stop they took to get to Reigen's apartment. And he recognized that tree that Shigeo once puked on when they were little! And he recognized the house of a sweet, old woman who would invite them over for tea!

The streak in the sky soon descended somewhere near where his house should be. It had to be! He's not dreaming! With the last of his strength, he sprinted to his home. Ritsu never ran as fast as he had now. Not even when he was competing in the school's triathlon. His chest felt tighter than when Claw had first kidnapped him and when the dreaded fear of never escaping clawed his mind. The wind pierced his face like it was throwing an endless supply of needles. Ritsu would brave it all again and again if it meant he could see him again.

He was running so fast, he barely registered that he almost passed his own house. He skidded to a stop and slammed the gate open so hard, it slammed into the brick pillar with a loud crash. It would've definitely woken up his parents had they been home. The lights being off told him so.

Ritsu looked up and saw a shadowy figure standing on his balcony trying to pry open the window to his room.

Ritsu stood at the entrance, right in front of the gate. He hunched over, breathing in and out harshly as he gripped his knees to maintain balance. His chest heaved as he realized just how tired he was. The security light on top of the brick pillar being the only source of light in the street. His hair was messier than usual as weird strands stuck out in odd places. He could feel drops of sweat running down his face. Ritsu was definitely sure that his feet were bleeding and calloused now.

He didn't care.

The shadowy figure seemed to move its head towards Ritsu. Ritsu's glare pierced the figure's soul. The only thing filling in the silence between the two was Ritsu's heavy breathing. The figure stepped away from the windowsill and move closer to the edge of the balcony. Pale fingers gripped the railing as they looked below. When the security light shined brightly enough, Ritsu could make out a familiar strand of red hair.

A familiar aura invaded his senses. He felt warm. Safe. He couldn't take it.

"Hey, Ritsu! You forget your sh-"

"Fuck you!" Ritsu screamed, interrupting Shou.

"Huh?!" The boy flinched at his response. This was not what he imagined.

"You heard me, you fucking asshole!" Shou was taken back by his harsh tone. This was definitely not what he planned.

"Five months. That's how long you've been gone!" Ritsu cried. His entire body was shaking with adrenaline.

"Do you know... How worried we were?! How long we were waiting?!" Ritsu asked. Shou knew he didn't want an answer.

"You didn't call or text us. Even a fucking letter would've been nice! We asked ourselves so many questions. We started to wonder... “were you ever going to come back?” We even doubted if you were still alive. They clawed at us like a bear." He breathed in harshly.

"We tried to tell ourselves that you were okay and you would be back soon. But more often than not..." Ritsu sucked in another breath. "I thought that you hated us so fucking much that you decided to run away."

"I tried so hard to convince myself you would come home. I wasted these past five months locked up in my room, hoping you would barge in and everything would go away." Fat tears started to stream down his face, mixing in with his sweat.

"I wasted all this time thinking about you while everyone else had seemed to move on. Nothing else mattered. I stopped paying attention in class and doing homework cause I didn't want to miss you if you came back!" He could feel his tears pool at the corner of his mouth as he continued to blubber.

"Earlier today, when we were in the city, I asked myself... "How long am I going to wait?" And so..." The tears began to drip from his mouth like drool. He tried to wipe his mouth but his arm kept shaking.

"Shigeo and the rest of us just looked at me as I spaced out. And then I decided..." Now he could feel fucking mucus dribble down too.

He sniffled and wiped his nose. "I would move on with them. I decided that I would stop thinking about you. I was going to wait for you. Even if I graduated middle school, high school, college, I would wait for you. Even if I was old and gray and filled with wrinkles... I was going to wait for you here." All Ritsu could taste was salt in his mouth.

"And now that I promised myself that you and your fucking face now decide to show up!" Ritsu dropped to the floor onto his knees. He huddled himself as he wrapped his arms around himself. His nails dug into his shoulders. He lowered his head and hunched over as if he was gonna roll into a ball.

"I was so happy that my brother didn't have to worry about me anymore! I was so proud that I decided that on my own! Agh!" Ritsu was full-on bawling now and he couldn't stop crying.

"And now you decide to fucking come home and make me break my promise!" He screamed and cried like a pained animal.

"Just do one good thing in your entire goddamned life and answer me!" Ritsu screeched as his tears started to choke him.

"Tell me you still care! Tell me you still care about all of us!" He heaved one last final breath.

"I'm fucking begging you, tell me you love me..." He was barely able to muster the plea. Ritsu caved in and fell forward. He felt his forehead touch the cold pavement. His head was pounding and his lungs were scrambling for air as he continued to cry. Ritsu screwed his eyes shut as he repeatedly shook his head.

Warmth starts to surround him. He no longer felt any weight in his legs. Everything felt light. He opened his eyes as saw the ground no longer below him. An orange hue embraced him in its stead. There was a small tug at his sleeves before he felt warm hands held his own. He felt a thumb run across his knuckle. He looked up and was met with pale blue eyes that welcomed him and a smile that killed him.

Shou cocked his head and closed his eyes and chuckled. He opened them once more and gave his signature wide smile.

"Of course! I could never forget you! I've always loved you! I have since... like what? Forever!?" Shou cried out.

Ritsu was taken back. A sudden surge of energy courses through his veins. He looked at the aura and saw a mess of orange, blues, and purples clashing. Ritsu smiled and tackled the red head. His arms wrapped around Shou's neck tightly as he still cried. Ritsu's hand gripped his hair as the other grasped his jacket tightly he could rip it.

Shou returned the sentiment and wrapped an arm around him and ran his fingers through Ritsu's tangled hair and pressing light kisses where ever he could reach.

Shou softly moved his hands as he pulled Ritsu back. He placed a hand on each side of his face. His eyes were red and puffy and still crying. Tear stains covered his face. Some hair stuck to his forehead from the sweat. Shou shook his head.

What a mess. He thought. Shou leaned in and closed his eyes. Ritsu did the same until their lips locked.

Their first kiss was messy as they both cried and tasted salt. Their noses bumped into each other and their teeth knocking. It wasn't the most cinematic thing Shou imagined it would be. But after everything, it was perfect to him. It tugged his heart in all the right places. Neither of them wanted to let go. But they still had to breathe. They leaned away as their aura mashed into one solid color.

Ritsu chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Shou asked as he held Ritsu's hand. Ritsu squeezed back affectionately.

"God, I was such a drama queen."

"Really?" Shou said sardonically.

"Shut up. You're not worth it." Ritsu looked away, blushing and with a smirk.

"Well, at least I know you love me now." Shou teased with his tongue sticking out.

"Heh, dork... I love you." Ritsu hushed. His legs tangled with Shou's as he laid his head against Shou's chest.

"So do you wanna meet the rest yet?" Shou asked.

"Gimme a sec, my head hurts and I didn't sleep..." Ritsu mumbled into his shirt. Shou hummed a response as he looked off into the distance. "Hey. Hey. Ritsu."

"I didn't mean that literally!" Ritsu said.

"No. Look at the distance." Ritsu looked up and turned to where he was staring. The sun was slowly rising up as it painted the city with hues of orange, and yellow, and red. He snuggled a bit closer to Shou. They both watched the city slowly come alive as people walked out of their houses and light started to turn on. It was a lovely view. Ritsu's eyes slowly became heavier and heavier. Shou looked down and saw Ritsu fast asleep. He embraced the esper once more, still staying levitated in the air.

-----

Once Ritsu and Shou arrived at Reigen's apartment, (they returned via bus. They got a lot of strange looks.) They were met with an onslaught of questions and hugs and tears.

"Where were you?! Where did you go?!" Shigeo asked Ritsu as he roughly gripped his shoulders. He had panicked the most as he began to wonder if he had done something crazy and impulsive. He was so close to barging out the open window and attempt to track him down.

"Also you look horrible!" Teruki commented.

"God and were you outside without shoes?!" Reigen cried in concern. "And don't think we forgot about you too, Suzuki!" He added with the tone of a scolding parent.

Teru tackled the redhead and pinned him to the ground. He started flailing and throwing random punches at him. Once he stopped, he lifted Shou and did those types of hugs where they would lock hands and pull each other into a hug with a lot of patting. Teru sneakily wiped his eyes to avoid his mascara running down his face.

Shigeo pulled Shou into a smothering embrace and he dug his face into Shou's hair. He sighed and ruffled whatever part of the elder brother he could reach. Once he pulled away, Shigeo was silent as shameless tears streamed down his face. It must have been the most emotion he's seen him show. Just as Shou was about to talk, he felt large arms wrap around his waist and lift him up.

"Hey! Put me down! What do I look like an animal?!" Shou cried.

"I mean..."

"Shut up, Teruki."

"Sorry, kid! Been saving my strength for this moment." Reigen shouted as he waved Shou around like a new pet. He pressed a soft kiss into the tangled hair. "Miss ya’ kid." Shou smiled at the most parental love he's received so far. Reigen placed the kid down and wiped a stray tear from his face.

"Guess we have a lot of explaining to do!" Shou said and placed his hands on his hips as he looked at Ritsu.

----

After they had all washed up and changed and treated Ritsu's wounds, they all huddled in the thick blanket on the couch as they held a bowl of cereal in their laps.

Ritsu explained how he saw Shou and impulsively followed his aura. He described how he found him and their reunion while leaving out some... details. But they got the picture as Teru nudged Ritsu and Shigeo glared at Shou in that protective manner. He looked away and started to sweat at the pressure. Reigen rolled his eyes.

----

Once Shou began talking, they all leaned in.

He was sent on a mission to take down the last remaining Claw branches and other related institutes such as labs or gathering areas. He went with other espers and even some former Claw members who had changed. They had to travel the world to do so. While whoever sent them on the mission funded the travel and any stays in a hotel, everything else was on them. He wasn't sure who had commissioned them to do so. They assumed it was a government branch wanting to clean up the Claw divisions quickly to avoid any public scrutiny.

Teru called Shou out at how come he didn't invite the rest of them to help.

He sighed and explained at how he was legally obligated to not tell people about the mission. Though, Shigeo easily rebutted that by listing all the laws he had previously broken. Shou had confessed that he didn't want his friends to get hurt even more by what his father had caused. He gripped the sheet before breathing in and out.

Shou retold that it was during his first battle that he had broken his cell phone and thus was unable to call them. Once he had gotten a new phone, he was told face to face by an official that he wasn't allowed to communicate with other people outside of the team he was assigned to. Then his phone was confiscated and he never got it back. Actually, all forms of communication with people outside the group was prohibited.

He was first sent to France with a few other people since he was one of the few fluent French speakers. It was actually because of his fluency in multiple languages that caused him to stay in the program longer. It was helpful for communication and translation. But once the program found no more use in a person, they were essentially shipped out and never heard of again.

"How did you get back here?" Reigen questioned.

"I have no idea. After I completed my final mission, which was to just destroy a lab and collect some stuff there, I was sent to an empty room and I had a bag placed over my head and I felt something poke my neck and I was knocked out. I woke up in a hotel bed with a complimentary gift basket and my stuff on the table which was weird. I checked outside and I was only a couple blocks away from the edge of Seasoning City. And so... Ta-da!" Shou gave them jazz hands. "Here we are!"

"Were you okay though? Like did they hurt you?" Shigeo questioned. Shou took another bite of his cereal.

"I was fine. They only poked me with a needle in the end, see?” Shou turned his head and moved his hair away to show a bandage with stars on it. Once he peeled it away, there was a small scar of a needle poke. He placed the bandage back on.

“There was little interaction between us and the people who were in charge. The most interaction we had was when we first assembled and they placed a tracker on us and when they said I couldn't talk to people outside. Even when we traveled, we were in a black plane that had no windows and we couldn’t even use our powers on it." Shou nonchalantly explained.

"I did make some friends there! The more connections, the better!" Shou exclaimed.

"So... Is Claw completely gone now?" Reigen asked. Shou took another bite.

"Like I said, once they found no more use for you, they kicked you out. I was there the longest out of my group. But only because of the languages I can speak and my connections to Claw. There could still be some remnants of it." Shou said through his cereal.

"Did they know about how you’re... y'know... his son?" Ritsu cautiously asked. Shou took another bite.

"I don't know. I don't know what they know. They could have some of the biggest dirt on me and I'm unaware. That's why I didn't want to get you guys involved. I don't know what they can or will do." Shou slurped the remaining milk and wiped his mouth.

"They seemed pretty sketchy, that's why." Shou finished as he stared at his empty bowl.

"Hey, Reigen. Can I get some more?" He asked and lifted his bowl. Reigen smiled and got up. He grabbed the bowl with shaky hands. Man, Shou has gone through too much.

"Instead... let's get something to eat. Y'know, to celebrate this little rascal returning home!" Reigen happily offered. "In fact, I'll call Serizawa to close up shop instead and to join us!" Reigen pulled his flip phone out of his pocket and called Serizawa.

"Hey, Katsu. Today's gonna be a day off... Yea... Meet us up at the restaurant I took you last time... Oh! 'Cause Suzuki's back!" Reigen immediately flinched and pulled his phone as far away from his ear as loud screaming and talking could be heard from the speaker. The rest of the kids laughed at Serizawa's reaction.

They all began to pack up and walk out the apartment door. The mess that was the apartment can be cleaned later. As they began to file out one by one, Ritsu and Shou stayed behind them. Their fingers brushing a bit before they held each other's hand. Ritsu turned to Shou and smiled. He could feel his face becoming warm.

"I'm glad you're back." Ritsu sweetly whispered. Shou gripped his hand tighter. He leaned in a pressed a light kiss on his cheek. Yep, now his cheeks were burning up. Ritsu hid his face into the hem of his sweater. Shou giggled and blushed a bit.

"I'm glad you have your shoes on." Shou joked. Ritsu gave the redhead a light shove in retaliation. They continued to walk behind the rest of them down the sidewalk, hand in hand, chatting about time they had lost.

----