Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sebek is scared of going back home.

He has gotten so used to being with his friends at every waking moment, that the thought of being apart from them for two months makes his heart race. This time last year, he hadn’t known who any of them were—this time last year, Yuu didn’t even exist to this world—but they had survived so much together, he felt as though it made up for all the years they hadn’t known each other.

On the last day of their freshman year, he says his goodbyes curtly, but they know him well enough to know what a baby he is. When they all hug, because Yuu is touchy-feely like that (not because he likes hugs), he swallows back tears. Silver gives him a knowing smile. He simply purses his lips, half-heartedly fussing when Lilia ruffles his hair. Malleus is quieter than usual; pensive, but of course he is. Sebek has heard whispers of his plans for the senate.

Briar Valley is as ethereally breath-taking as he remembers, he thinks once he passes through the mirror, a sight for sore eyes with its natural beauty and olden flora. Yet, he remembers the dreamscape he had survived with Yuu, Silver, and Grim, and wishes the two others were with him as well to hold his hand (again, not because he wants that! Yuu would just force him to). 

“Bekky!” His mother is the first to welcome him, squashing him with a bone-crushing hug. He leans into it, perhaps for too long, because she pulls back with her hands on his shoulders and concern laced into her expression. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“I’m fine,” he manages to say evenly enough, though her sharp gaze lingers on him for a second longer before releasing him. 

He turns his attention to his grandfather, who has been standing next to his mother, and he recalls biting insults about humans sitting prettily on his tongue four hundred years ago. Baur makes a joke about how he’s glad to have his favorite grandson back with that stoic visage of his, and Sebek feels like the worst halfling in the world for how abruptly he cuts off their embrace and moves on to his father. Thankfully, Malleus, Lilia, and Silver engage his mother and grandfather in conversation so they can’t linger on the action long enough to flag it as something being wrong.

“Father,” he greets, clearing his throat. His father holds out his arms, smiling as he always does when he offers the hug that Sebek always rejects. But years of hating humanity wash away, and he melts into his father’s embrace, whispering, “I’m sorry.” 

And his father, in all his graciousness despite being human—or perhaps because he is a human—whispers back, “It’s okay, Sebek.” 

“Is it really?” His father’s expression clouds with worry, just like his mother’s had, and he notices them exchange a glance that makes him nervously chew the inside of his cheek. Yet, he nods, still smiling, and Sebek feels like a weight is lifted from his shoulders.

If Sebek was trying to be subtle about how much the school year had changed him, the way he simply bows to Malleus and peacefully lets him, Lilia, and Silver go absolutely shatters that image. Most of the time, whenever Malleus has to leave, Sebek waxes poetic about him with tears in his eyes. 

“Are Harsiesis and Rosetta home?” He asks after his siblings before anyone can ask him what has happened, if he is traumatized from Malleus’ overblot or if it’s something else entirely. He really doesn’t want to explain.

Sebek just wants his friends.

His mother is the one to answer. “Rosie is, and Harsie should be coming back from a business trip sometime today.”

He nods, making a mental note to visit his sister after he drops his bag back into his room. “Very well, then. I will go settle in.” 

They all exchange glances at how he is not regaling them with tales about Malleus and occasional anecdotes about the funny little humans in his year as he had done during spring break, and he waits a moment to see if anyone will say anything. When they don’t, he gives them a tight-lipped smile before entering his home.

The first thing he notices is that his home has an earthy, mildly smoky scent, intermingled with a subtle sweetness. Just like Yuu had said he smelled like. 

Mentally swatting away the thought before he wallows in the absence of his friends for too long—it hasn’t even been half an hour yet—he proceeds through the familiar hallways adorned with elegant classical woodland decor before finding his room, name engraved in Ancient Fae in his younger self’s fragmentary writing. He pushes it open, finding it as neat and tidy as he left it, and beelines for the one thing he swore he would never rely on more than necessary because of its humanity.

The outlet in his wall. 

For probably the first time, he is grateful his father is a human and that his parents had three children because it means that they have these installed not just in his father’s home office, but sprinkled throughout the house. He finds his phone charger in his bag, plugs it into his wall, and connects his dead phone. When it is charged, he intends to lecture Grim about the rudeness of using all of someone’s battery to watch sensory videos.

In the meantime, he makes his way to his sister’s room the next door down, knocking before pushing it open. She looks up from her laptop, myrtle hair cascading over her shoulders and bangs shrouding her eyebrows. Her expression splits into a grin when she sees him, and she shuts the laptop, beckoning him over before hugging him.

“Sorry I couldn’t come out to see you, I was just finishing a project.” He nods understandingly, and she looks him up and down. “You had a growth spurt.”

“Have I?” Amidst everything, he hadn’t bothered to pay attention to something so insignificant. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“How was school?” She crawls back onto her bed, patting the spot next to her until he sits. “You seem sad.”

“I’m not.” He says it fluidly, practiced, quickly—though that only serves to make her raise an eyebrow. “Not… about what everyone thinks, at least.” 

“So it’s not about his highness or Lilia?” Her sharp nails soothingly scrape across his scalp as he shakes his head. “What happened?” 

“I…” It sounds pathetic. When compared to how he almost died several times, or to losing his mentor, it sounds so pathetic. But his sister, mild-mannered and quiet yet always there for him, gently strokes his head, and he mumbles, “I miss my friends.” 

She’s quiet for a moment, likely in stunned silence, before a soft laugh escapes her nose. “That’s normal,” she tells him. He knows it is, but he’s so used to being, well, not normal. “What are they like? You never talk about them much.”

“Obnoxious,” is the first word that slips out of his mouth before he can think about it, but he doesn’t rescind it. It’s apt. “Poorly mannered. Very obstinate in their individual beliefs. The group of us hardly have anything in common.” He hesitates, swallowing hard. “…We survived together.”

His sister hums knowingly, all too aware of the events of the year her baby brother has been forced to go through, and the two linger in silence as Sebek’s mind drifts off to all of the memories he has been blessed to experience. Big memories, like the panic of the magift tournament, Malleus’ overblot, Yuu’s sickness. Smaller memories, like studying together, practicing magic, countless sleepovers. All are memories Sebek holds dear.

The door clicks open, revealing their brother, Harsiesis. His toothy grin is as wide as ever, and when he sees his siblings seated next to each other, he tosses himself on the bed and squeezes them both in his strong arms. “Welcome back, lil’ man!” 

Sebek finds the nickname he has spent years trying to get his brother to drop comforting, and he doesn’t protest it. “Hello.”

“Bekky was telling me about how he misses his friends,” Rosetta says somewhat teasingly, and he looks askance as a blush rises to his cheeks.

“Bekky has friends?” Harsiesis exclaims incredulously, earning a smack from Rosetta. “Hey! He knows I’m joking!” He turns to Sebek. “Found a Malleus Draconia fanclub?”

“If only,” Sebek sighs. “Most of them are humans and hardly any of them appreciate the greatness of Briar Valley, let alone Master Malleus himself.”

“You’re actually friends with humans?” This time, his shock is not teasing. “What about your whole hating humanity shtick?” 

“He’s gotten over it, it looks like,” Rosetta fondly chuckles. A deep-seated instinct tells Sebek to refute her, but she is right. It is the very thing his friends have been working with him on since they became friends in the first place. 

Harsiesis lets out an impressed hum as he ruffles his hair. “Look at you, growing up.” 

Sebek huffs but allows his siblings to continue to tease him, and he feels as though he is slowly but surely floating back into normalcy. Briar Valley is home, but he’s found a home outside of it as well. Perhaps that is what Lilia was trying to teach all of them. He allows a small smile to sneak onto his face as he recounts silly anecdotes with his friends of waking up later after a slumber party and rushing to class, getting sidetracked by who can balance on their head the longest while attempting to study, grinning hard despite no mention of Malleus to be found.

Things are different now, but maybe different is good. 

Chapter Text

“Father, what is it like to be old?” 

Ortho’s father chokes on his coffee, and Idia and his mother double over in howling laughter. The three of them are, peculiarly enough, enjoying breakfast together. It is not a privilege Ortho remembers ever partaking in, but since the events of this year, they have made it a point to set aside time every day to eat with their children.

Well, most days. They’re still incredibly busy.

“Do you really think I’m old?” his father responds, wounded. 

“Maybe it’s the eye bags,” his mother teases, wrapping her arms around one of his. “My old man.”

“You’re a year older than me, dear.”

Idia retches, and Ortho brings a fist to his mouth to hide his giggle. Idia has always expressed disgust when people, especially their parents, are lovey-dovey, but Ortho’s not sure he agrees with that. He thinks it’s cute. 

“What is it like having been in existence for so long?” Ortho corrects. “I am curious as to how the average human develops, and you are the only one here that fits that criteria.” He whirs slightly, pulling up his database of information on their family. “Though I will have to correct this error. For some reason, I have you listed as older than Mother.”  

“KO,” Idia cackles, him and his mother devolving into laughter yet again. “Absolutely diabolical work, Ortho.” 

“One of us has to be the token normal member of the family,” he grumbles before turning to Ortho, eyes thoughtfully narrowed. Appraising him, perhaps. “Why the sudden interest?”

“My friends at school have been encouraging me to explore who I am, so I am curious to hear how the average man goes through the journey of self-discovery.”

“Everyone’s different, Ortho,” he chuckles, shooting Idia and his wife a dirty look. “One average person develops completely differently from another average person. That’s what makes humanity humanity.” Under his breath, he adds, “And that’s why machines are easier to be around. They’re less fickle.” 

“That’s why humans are fun, though!” their mother interjects in her usual boisterous fashion. “They’re unpredictable! You can’t make them do anything they don’t really want to do!” 

“I mean, you can.” Idia is next to join the conversation, serrated teeth shimmering as he grins in that way Ortho only knows from memories that are not his. “There are ways.” 

“Maybe if there are ways, you could get them to socialize with you more,” she playfully counters. Ortho lets out a giggle as his brother’s hair indignantly flickers, and he sits back in his seat, observing everyone around the table. His father, wearing a fond smile as he watches his wife and son argue. His mother, impishly teasing his older brother. Idia, gesticulating as he defends his honor. 

Himself, laughing along instead of merely observing from the side. 

Ortho likes the fact that he isn’t just a robot anymore. He likes having feelings. He likes being a changed creation. 

“Ortho, help me out!” Idia drags him out of his thoughts. Thoughts. What a lovely phenomenon. 

“Mother is right, though,” Ortho says, much to Idia’s dismay. Idia dramatically grips his chest through his shirt, as though experiencing a fatal heart wound, and they all laugh at his expense. When they settle down, though, Ortho turns to his mother and Idia. “What about you both? What are your thoughts on your individual developments?” 

“Mm…” His mother tilts her head to the side, pink hair draping her soft features as she thinks. The way her sharp teeth dig into her bottom lip reminds him of Idia when he’s particularly concentrated, and Ortho is reminded of a psychological concept—nature versus nurture. Some habits are born, and some habits are gained. He wonders if as an android, that principle is still applicable to him. “I think my social skills took the longest to develop of everything the average human is supposed to be capable of.” 

“Seriously?” It is Idia who asks. 

She rapidly nods. “Not like you, though.” On principle, Idia lets out an affronted ‘hey!’ and all of them laugh before she continues, “I’ve always loved socializing with people. I didn’t realize when I was younger, however, that not everyone feels the same way. People like you and your dad, for example, wouldn’t find a ten-hour conversation with a stranger to be a fun time. People like me and Ortho, though? Absolutely compelling. Right, Ortho?”

Ortho takes his time to think about it, because the entire point of this is to discover more about himself, and how is he meant to do that without thinking? “I think so,” he settles on. “Maybe not ten hours—your social battery has the rest of us beat by a long shot, Mother—but I enjoy talking to all different kinds of people.” His shoulders sag slightly. “I have to admit, I have trouble discerning when people are interested in conversation or when they want to be left alone, though…”

Idia waves his hand dismissively. “Eh, don’t worry about other people like that. They’re not worth your energy.” 

“And this is why your older brother here has no friends,” his mother lightly comments, taking a long sip of her coffee as Idia gasps in chagrin for the nth time this conversation. 

Amidst their bickering, his father leans toward him. Ortho leans in as well, shifting the other two's dialogue to the back of his mind to focus on him. “Were we able to help you a little?”

Ortho nods, eyes crinkling into crescent moons. “Yes, very much so! I still have much to learn, but every bit of knowledge I gain through experience instead of from online databases helps me feel a bit more…” He trails off. A bit more what?

“A bit more human,” he finishes in a whisper. 

His father’s brows knit together slightly, but he smiles nevertheless, and in an equally gentle voice replies, “You are human, Ortho.”

He’s not. Ortho knows he’s not human. So why is his chest cavity radiating such warmth? 

Because I have a heart. 

Ortho may not be human, but he has the heart of one. He knows he does because he feels such vivid emotions. Happiness, anger, disappointment, exasperation, concern, apprehension…

Love. 

Love might be his favorite emotion. He was hesitant to label it as such at first, but he doesn’t know how else to describe the way he feels for Idia and his parents. The way he feels for Yuu and Grim, for Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade and Jack Howl and Epel Felmier and Sebek Zigvolt. The way he feels for anyone who has ever cared for him in his life, who has shown him that he is so much more than a mere robot. He is alive. He is human—even if he isn’t really. 

Things are different, and that difference is more wonderful than he could have ever imagined. 

Chapter Text

The minute Epel returns home to Harveston for summer break, he is put to work.

He doesn’t mind; that’s simply how it is and how it has always been. Whenever he is in town, he occupies himself with laboring in the apple fields, helping his neighbors with something or other, or providing some company to the old folk down the street who helped raise him. His youthful vim and vigor are in high demand, and he is more than happy to provide—especially considering most of them played a hand in his growing up. 

This summer, though, he is more jittery than ever. He doesn’t quite feel right, like something is missing. And he knows exactly what it is, too, but he doesn’t want to come off as a cornball, so he brushes it off and centers all his focus on working hard so he doesn’t have time to think about it. 

It’s impossible to avoid, though, because when he and his grandmother are peeling apples together and she asks, “How’re those friends you brought ‘ere from school for the Sledathon doin’?” Epel’s hands go still. 

“They’re fine,” he quietly says, not wanting to linger on the thought of his friends. He had brought along Idia and Jade, but they are but background characters in his memories. He remembers snowball fights with Sebek, Yuu, and Grim. He remembers them all laughing when Grim ate so much apple pie he got sick. He remembers quiet nights of huddling up against Sebek, who runs cold, and piling the blankets on top of him despite his insistence he didn’t need it. His body revealed his true feelings, anyway, with how he leaned into their touch.

Idia and Jade were present, sure, but they weren’t important. They were mere shadows drowned out in the light of his friends. 

Thinking about warm memories of his friends during the Sledathon makes him think about all the other fluffy memories he has with his other friends, too. It was a rough year, for sure, with how hellbent Vil was on restricting everything he did and trying to squash him into a shell of himself inside the stifling environment of Pomefiore, and that’s not even mentioning all of the life-threatening events he survived. At times, Epel wasn’t sure if he was going to make it throughout the year, if he was going to crack under the pressure someday and run back home to Harveston. 

But Epel hates backing down from a challenge, and his perseverance has been rewarded by seven people who made him realize he might just be okay after all.

“Just fine?” His grandmother asks, matching his hushed tone. In their family, they’re usually brash, loud, and ostentatious. That’s all spoken with love, of course—he savors being able to express himself to the fullest, relishes knowing that he could climb on top of an apple tree and holler just for the hell of it and no one would bat an eye. But right now, his grandmother has attuned herself to him, and he knows he can’t just leave it at that. 

He deeply sighs, slowly continuing his motions of peeling apples. “Idia ‘n Jade weren’t actually my friends,” he tells her, and instead of reacting with incredulity, she merely nods, urging him to go on. He thickly swallows. “Ah made some others. They…” He struggles to finish his thought, not because he doesn’t know how to, but because it makes him blush. 

“...They remind me of home.”

His grandmother chuckles, fond and gentle and nothing like she usually is. “That so?”

“Yeah.” His eyes follow the apple peel as he cuts it, watching it coil and spring before falling into the bucket. “Don’t even know how we became friends in the first place, considerin’ we don’t got hardly anything in common, but…” 

He blankly stares ahead, thinking, before chucking the apple he finished peeling into the bucket of peeled apples. He glares at the knife as though it has personally wronged him before stabbing it into the table and yelling, “CONSARN IT! AH MISS MY FRIENDS! AN’ THE INTERNET HERE SUCKS, SO AH CAN’T EVEN TALK TO ‘EM! I DON’T EVEN CARE ABOUT THE GODDAMN INTERNET FOR ANYTHIN’ ELSE, AH JUS' WANNA TALK TO MY FRIENDS!”

When he yanks the knife out of the table, chest heaving, his grandmother laughs heartily. “That’s my boy,” she beams at the emotional volcano that would certainly have earned him punishment from Vil if he was at school. “Let it all out, Epel! Maybe if you shout it from the rooftops, they’ll hear you from wherever they are!”

“Oh, can it, Granny,” he laughs, cheeks red with both bashfulness and relief as he reaches for another apple. He didn’t realize how much he had needed to get that off his chest, but it feels good, acknowledging that his heart has opened up to something more than his family and Harveston. “Ah’m gonna take Ortho up on his offer to send down a router. I dunno how much longer I can handle only half of my texts goin’ through and not bein’ able to join calls.” 

“I don’t understand a darn thing about technology nowadays,” she drawls, expertly flicking her peel off of her knife into the peel bin with a flourish. She smiles up at him, saggy cheeks lifted with affection. “But ah’m glad you ‘n yer friends get to stay connected ‘cause of it. Maybe it’s not so bad.” 

“It’s not,” Epel agrees, rushing to the sales pitch he always has ready in his mind to try and convince the elderly folk in Harveston that they can use technology to bolster their industry instead of living in fear of it and falling behind. “Technology’s great! Y’know, ah was just learnin’ about this thingamajig in class we could maybe use to help us during harvesting season…” 

His grandmother playfully rolls her eyes as he begins his spiel, but for once, she actually listens, and he feels himself puff up with some mixture of pride and joy. 

Things are different than they used to be, and that’s okay. 

Chapter Text

Before Jack is able to step through the mirror to return home, he feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to find his housewarden—no, former housewarden—behind him. 

Jack startles, stepping backward. “Housewarden!” He clears his throat, forcing himself to return to a relaxed stance. He thought Leona had already gone home. “Did you need something?”

Leona shoves his hands into his pockets, casual as ever as though they’re not blocking everyone else from returning home. “Not really.” He’s silent for long enough that Jack can tell the people behind are starting to get annoyed, and he opens his mouth to say something when Leona continues, “Your lone wolf bit will only serve you well for so long.”

He presses a hand flat against Jack’s chest before pushing him into the mirror, and everything around him whirls before he falls flat on his back against his family’s front lawn. He groans, wincing as he sits up. His uniform is soiled with grass stains, but he won’t need it until after summer vacation, so it’s fine. He fumbles in his pocket for his house key, fishing it out and unlocking the door.

“Jack!” his sister Luna excitedly cries out, turning around on the sofa to beam at him. He smiles as he shuts the door behind him, taking in the sight of his two siblings seated in front of the television playing a fighting video game, and when the KO sound effect rings out, Luna whips back around and kicks their other brother. “Ethan! You were supposed to pause!”

“You didn’t tell me to,” Ethan shrugs, earning another smack from Luna before they both turn around on the couch to stare at Jack.

He approaches them, patting both of their heads between their ears and chuckling when Ethan cringes away from it. “Are Mom and Dad out?”

“Yeah, they’re shopping,” Luna answers once he retracts his hand, dashing toward the drawers under the television and pulling out the third controller that had been collecting dust over the past year. “Play with us!”

“Gimme a sec to put my stuff away first, okay?” He taps her on the head once more when she pouts. “You can set up the next round. I’ll be back by then.”

As he goes to his room to set down his bag and change into home clothes, his mind swirls with Leona’s final words to him. Why would he stop Jack just to say that? Was that all he had to say? Was it really so important?

He knows he’s the lone-wolf type. He knows he likes working things out on his own if he can help it, and sometimes he struggles to push past his ego and admit that even he needs assistance at times. He doesn’t like relying on others for things, even if they don’t expect anything in return, because that’s simply not who he is. If anything, he likes it when others are reliant on him. 
Like his friends.

Yuu aside, but also including them because sometimes they get a bit too engaged with their other friends’ dumbassery, Jack is the most reliable one. He prides himself on it, really, because where he formerly would have preferred to be fully left alone, he admits that he enjoys the company of his friends and having to look out for them. Perhaps it’s the older brother instinct.
Maybe this is what Leona was talking about. Jack should lean on his friends every once in a while. He should allow them to support him instead of seeing himself as the caretaker figure of the group. He shouldn't repeat the mistakes Leona made that almost led him to an early grave.

If he thinks about it, though, he already does.

Jack accepts a controller from his brother when he returns to the living room, playfully shoving them to the side to make space for him on the couch. It’s big enough for all of them, of course, but a little roughhousing never hurt anyone. He merely chuckles at the pile of flailing limbs that attempt to kick him, painless when they make contact and accompanied by screams and squeals.

His friends, he thinks as he selects his character, are naive at best and ignorant at worst. They’re stubborn for things they hardly know anything about, like getting infuriated when someone calls him a mutt, even though he reassures them that’s just how some people think and there’s no use wasting energy on them. Sebek had countered that argument by asking how he would feel if he insisted Jack stay calm when someone calls Sebek a mongrel because of his lineage, though, and when Jack indignantly argued back, Sebek’s smirk showed that that was exactly the reaction he was looking for. Jack bashfully shut his mouth after that.

Back to all of his friends, though; they ignore the boundaries of what is seen as normal for friends at Night Raven College, too—for which Yuu deserves all the credit. They decimated the barrier of awkwardness brought along with physical affection like a mallet to glass. Now, Jack isn’t surprised when Deuce claps a hand on his shoulder when he runs a good time during track, when Ortho shyly asks to hold his hand, when Grim hops into his lap and comes to rest there. He isn’t surprised when Yuu leans against his arm, merely smiling at him when he stares down at them with wide eyes, or when they force the entire group to hug despite their insistence that they would rather do anything else. No one is uncomfortable with cramming onto the Ramshackle sofas despite there being not nearly enough room for all of them, limbs and bodies tightly nestled together like a pack of sardines.

It’s not only physical affection, but verbal, as well. Late-night conversations during sleepovers have unearthed things about himself that Jack didn’t even know before saying it aloud. Tears may or may not have been shed recounting overblots lived through—respective housewardens, their school’s token world-class mage, a magicless friend. Jack still gets embarrassed, but when he hears he isn’t the only one who still gets nightmares and watches his other friends get choked up, he thinks it might be okay to show a bit of his heart. Just this once.

“Ha!” Ethan laughs, chest puffing up with pride as Jack’s character is knocked off the stage. “You’re rusty!”

Jack merely hums because it’s not like he’s going to spoil his brother’s fun by telling him he’s distracted, but he senses his sister’s eyes repeatedly swiveling to him, and he inclines his head slightly to her while keeping his eyes on the screen. “You okay, Luna?”

“Are you?” she returns, and his eyes widen ever so slightly at the query. “You’re really quiet.”

“I’m always quiet.”

“More than usual!” she insists crossly. She’s silent for a bit, but Jack can tell she’s coming up with something to say, so he patiently awaits her. “Did you… Are you really fine after that big thing that happened at your school?”

“Luna!” Ethan hisses, not even complaining about how his character falls off the stage. “Mom and Dad said to wait for them to come home before talking about that!”

“It’s fine,” Jack says, game unpaused yet long forgotten as both of them stare at him. His lips press into a thin line as he thinks, trying to figure out how to sum up the entirety of the school year in just enough words to satiate their curiosity.

With a faint smile, he decides on, “Some people I met at school made things a lot easier to get through.”

Things are different, but he’s willing to admit that it's for the better. 

Chapter Text

The first thing Deuce does when he returns home to Clock Town is begin looking for a part-time job he can take up over the summer. 

He doesn’t intend to loaf around his house. His mom works so hard, and even if she can’t be home as much as she would like for him, he understands. He’s endlessly grateful for her, and he wants to show it by contributing at least a little. 

Problem is, he has a bit of a reputation around town. The White Rabbit Fest lightened that impression a little, but it wasn’t enough. He hates it, but he understands. It’s the consequences of his actions, and a true honor student accepts the consequences of their actions without trying to wriggle their way out of them. 

“I don’t think ‘honor student’ encapsulates everything you’re striving for,” Yuu once told him. “You just want to be a good person. The fact that you’re trying so hard now is proof that you already are.”

Deuce may or may not have cried at that.

Still, he thinks he can do more to be better. Not for himself, but for his mom. So he goes around town to all of the places with hiring signs up, apologizing to those who turn him away at the door and accepting their decisions because honestly, he would agree with them if he were in their shoes, and moves on to the next location to inevitably be rejected. 

Noon comes without the hint of even a smile from any of the locations he visited—which, again, he understands, but it still hurts because he genuinely is trying—and he collapses onto the park bench with a sigh. His mom doesn’t come home from work today until four in the afternoon, leaving him to stew in his waning determination and growing regret. 

Middle school him screwed everything up, didn’t he?

He doesn’t think about the action as he pulls out his phone and calls the group chat. He knows it’s the right thing to do when his frustration melts away as Ace and Yuu pick up on the first ring, then Sebek after a few. Ortho sends an automated text—“Hello! This is Ortho Shroud! I regret to inform you that I am currently powered off, but I will get back to you as soon as possible!”—which reminds him that Jack and Epel are probably asleep as well, though Epel wouldn’t be able to join anyway because of his crappy connection. Deuce hopes he gets over himself and accepts Ortho’s offer to send him a router so they can all talk. 

“Hey, guys,” he greets, and he must sound super dejected from how they all barrage him with variants of ‘are you okay?’. “I’m fine, I’m just… trying to find a job, but no one wants to hire me.”

Instead of teasing him like Deuce was so sure he would, Ace grunts in acknowledgment before saying, “Well, they’re missing out.”

“Someone will come around soon,” Yuu reassures him, and though there’s no way they can really know that, it makes him feel better, anyway. “And once you’re hired, they’re gonna realize what a hard worker you are and never wanna let you go!”

“Psh, who spends summer working?” That’s Grim. “You’re supposed to chill out!” 

“Some of us need money, Grim,” Yuu deadpans, earning laughter out of all of them and indignant screeches from Grim. “Can’t sit on our laurels and just get fed tuna.”

“Myah?! I work very hard for my tuna, thank you!”

“Like what?”

“I let you pat my ears!”

“Excuse me—you let me do that? Is that right? You don’t enjoy it? If you don’t enjoy it, I’ll just stop.”

“N-Now wait just a minute, hench-human! I didn’t say that!” 

Their bickering fades into the background as Ace questions, “Sebek, you there?”

“I’m here,” Sebek says, his first statement in this conversation. His voice is hushed, hardly above a whisper. “I’m meant to be studying right now, so I have to be quiet.”

“Your parents are strict like that?” asks Deuce.

“No, but…” Sebek trails off, silent for a few moments before continuing, “It is unlike me to shirk any of my responsibilities.” 

“Ohhh.” Deuce can hear the smirk in Ace’s voice, which has him grinning on reflex as well. “You don’t want anyone to catch you slacking off to talk to your human friends!”

“THAT’S NOT—” Ace and Deuce both laugh as he sharply inhales and clears his throat. “That’s not what I meant..!”

“That’s fully what you meant, dude. It’s okay, we won’t judge you for slacking!”

“I’m not slacking! Merely… multitasking!” 

From Sebek’s end, an unknown voice suddenly emits through the speakers. “Bekky, Mom said—are you on the phone with your friends?”

“Bekky?” Ace and Deuce both incredulously echo.

Sebek quietly grumbles, “I’m busy, Harsiesis…”

“You are talking to your friends!” the voice exclaims, filled with delight. “Can I talk to them? Hey, guys, I’m Bekky’s older brother! He talks about you guys a lot!” 

“Is that so?” Ace deviously chuckles; Deuce gets the distinct impression that Ace and Sebek’s brother would get along. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Deuce politely says.

“—GRIM, YOU SET THE CURTAINS ON FIRE! PUT IT OUT!”

“ YOU CAN USE MAGIC NOW! YOU PUT IT OUT!” 

“That would be Yuu and Grim,” Sebek sighs. His brother laughs, an exuberant booming sound before yelling something that has Sebek quickly floundering, “No, don’t call for Rosetta..!”

Another unknown voice rings through the speakers mere seconds later, this one a lighter, more delicate sound. “Harsie, stop embarrassing Bekky,” she scolds, though there’s an unmistakable note of humor in her voice. It reminds him of how Yuu often tries to conceal their laughter when Ace pokes fun at one of them, but it always manages to bleed through.

“Is that your sister?” asks Ace, and when Sebek confirms it, he follows up the query with, “Is she single?”

There’s a beat of silence filled only by the crackle of static before Sebek shouts, “WHAT?!” 

“Dude, chill!” Ace cackles, “It was a joke!”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY SISTER IN SUCH A MANNER, YOU UTTER BUFFOON! OF ALL THE CRUDE THINGS—”

“I’m literally joking!” Ace repeats. “You should start watching your blood pressure, Bekky. This much stress can’t be good for you!”

“WATCH YOUR TONGUE, HUMA—”

“I thought we were past the racism, dude.”

“TRAPPOLA—”

“Only last name basis? After all we’ve been through?”

“Guys, what did you do to Sebek?” Yuu asks, joining the conversation once more. “His siblings are with him, right? Hi, I’m Yuu!”

“YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT ACE JUST SAID ABOUT MY SISTER!”

A voice speaks from behind Deuce, “Looks like someone’s having fun.” 

He is jolted out of his laughter, stiffening and dropping off the call before whipping around. His expression melts into a relieved smile when it lands upon the speaker, though, and he greets, “Good afternoon, Officer!”

“Hey there, Deuce.” He returns with a tip of his hat. “Back for the summer?”

Deuce nods, pocketing his phone and standing. The officer is shorter than he remembers, or maybe he got taller. It was in middle school when they met, anyway, when Deuce discovered he wanted to be a magical enforcement officer. “Yeah, I just got back today. How have you been?”

“I’m doing good as always.” He glances Deuce up and down, and Deuce suppresses the urge to squirm under the scrutiny. “Talking to your friends from Night Raven?” When Deuce nods, he smiles. “Good, that’s good. Seems like you’re doing well! Got any plans for the summer?”

“Ah, well…” Deuce finds his gaze falling. “I wanted to get a part-time job somewhere, but no one’s willing to hire me.” He lets out a weary sigh filled with all of the disappointment from today, brows tenting. “I understand why, but it’s… discouraging.”

The officer hums in acknowledgment. “Yeah, you’ve got yourself in quite the predicament.” Deuce wilts a little until he continues, “I think I might just know somewhere for you… There’s a flower shop run by an old lady that’s a bit of a walk from here, but they’re looking for young, spry employees.”

“Really?” he gasps, hopeful. “That wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

“Not at all,” the officer reassures, patting his shoulder in a fatherly way Deuce has never known. “You know, Deuce, it’s real admirable how you’re trying to be better. I don’t know why anyone would wanna hinder that.”

He swallows hard, heart growing tight with a sappy mixture of admiration and gratefulness. “That’s kind of you to say, Officer. Thank you.”

“You wanna be an officer too, right?” Deuce rapidly nods. “How about next summer, since you’ll be eighteen by then, I try to get you in for an internship with our police force?” 

Deuce thinks he feels himself tearing up, lips stretching into a smile so wide it makes his cheeks hurt. “Thank you so much, Officer!” He forces some of the giddiness back, mouth relaxing ever so slightly. “Really, I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve done so much for me…”

“You can thank me by not getting into any more trouble,” the officer chuckles, eliciting a sheepish smile out of Deuce. “You’re a good kid, Deuce. You’ll do great.”

Things are different than they once were, better than anything he has ever known. 

Chapter Text

Ace is bored out of his mind at home. 

There’s nothing to do in this mundane town. His older brother, Chance, only stops by about once a week. His dad, well-meaning as he is, spends most of the day at his nine-to-five. They have dinner together every night, but there’s not much they have in common to talk about, and Ace usually retreats to his room immediately after. 

He would hang out with his old friends from middle school, but, well, he’s made some better ones. It’s not that he has any issue with them; they’re just not the same as the people he’s shared several near-death experiences with. He knows he’ll just get bored, so there’s no need to waste anyone’s time with a pointless hangout.

'You guys have ruined friendship for me.'

That is what he sends to the group chat when ruminating on the thought. He’s probably the most active on it out of their entire group, with the rest of them being busy, having poor technology, or enjoying the presence of people they don’t get to see year-round. 

In a way, he feels like he’s being clingy, but he genuinely can’t think of anything that would be more entertaining than being around them. Even if they were all stuck here, holed up in this boring old town, they would make it fun. 

His skin crawls at the direction of his train of thought—he’s so corny. 

It’s Yuu’s fault. And the rest of them. It’s their fault he’s become like this. 

He’s at a local ice cream parlor, the one Chance used to take him to all the time and joke that he wouldn’t buy him ice cream until he was all but reduced to tears. He gets butter pecan with a bunch of extra maraschino cherries and sits at one of the tiny tables with the parasols outside of the parlor. Idly, he begins thinking about what flavors his friends would get before chasing away the thought, scolding himself for being as obsessed with them as his middle school girlfriend was with him. 

Then his phone begins buzzing, and when his mood flips like a switch upon seeing that it’s from the group chat, he relents and accepts the fact that he just really loves his friends—though it’ll take a lot more for him to admit it to their faces.

“Hello?” he greets, voice coming out somewhat thick thanks to the spoonful of ice cream melting in his mouth.

“Ace! Thank goodness you picked up,” Yuu exhales, and at the slightest note of distress in their voice, the alarms in his head go off. “I hate to ask, but can I ask you for a super big favor?”

“Shoot.” He can at least act nonchalant, even though concern is bubbling up inside of him. Are they okay? Is this like winter break? Do they need him to come to campus to help them?

“Crowley wants to clear out campus for renovations,” they scoff as they always do when talking about the headmage, “for the rest of summer! And it’s fine if the answer’s no, but… would you happen to have an extra room—”

“Yeah,” he interrupts, his enthusiasm leaking through much too fast. Heat rises to his cheeks. “Sorry, I just… Yeah, you can stay.”

“Really?”

“For as long as you need.” 

Ace really is a dork for his friends, isn’t he?

“Thank you so much,” they gush, and he feels his lips settling into a smile as they relay the news to Grim. “We’re gonna stay with Ace!” 

It warms his heart how excited they sound too, even as Grim yowls, “But what about all the tuna dishes the ghost chefs have been whippin’ up for us?!”

“You’ll live,” they chuckle. 

The ping of someone else joining the call sounds, and seconds later, Jack’s voice says, “Hello?”

“Jack!” Their elation is palpable. “You’re always asleep when we call! Hi!”

“Guess who got kicked out of Ramshackle again,” Ace teases.

Yuu lets out a noise of dissatisfaction, which only elicits a snicker out of him. “I was getting there!”

“Do you need somewhere to stay?” Jack offers, and Ace tamps down the slight pique he feels when Yuu gratefully accepts because he’s just so bored on his lonesome and Jack has his siblings and other things to do, but he can’t be mad because it only makes sense for Yuu and Grim to bounce between all of their homes instead of staying with only Ace. It would be cool if all of his friends came over, but he knows that’s not exactly feasible.

He’s jerked out of his mindless listening when someone grabs his hair, and he whips with a yelp around to find his older brother standing behind him with a wide smirk. He reaches down while Ace is distracted to steal one of Ace’s maraschino cherries, popping it into his mouth before Ace can yank it back. “Hey, that’s mine!”

“Finders, keepers.”

“It wasn’t even lost! And I paid for that!”

“You know how much of your shit I’ve paid for?” He releases Ace’s hair, plopping down into the other seat at the tiny table. “You can spare me a cherry.” 

“Whatever.” He glares at his brother, pointedly wedging his phone between his ear and his shoulder. “I’m on the phone.” 

Chance shrugs, reaching for another cherry and sticking out his tongue when Ace smacks his hand away. “Just pretend I’m not here, then.”

“...don’t have much space, but we can share my room if you don’t mind that,” Ace picks up Deuce’s voice saying once he starts tuning Chance out.

“Or,” Ace suggests, drying off a pecan on his napkin before tossing it at his brother’s head, “The three of you could come over to my house since Clock Town’s only, like, two hours away on the train and we have a guest room.”

“I don’t know, man,” Deuce says to his chagrin, “I don’t wanna leave my mom alone for super long, and I also don’t wanna take too much time off of work…”

“Oh, come on, quit being such a momma’s boy for once.” Ace dodges a pecan Chance had plucked from his ice cream to throw at him in revenge, and both of them gasp when it hits the person sitting behind them instead of Ace. “Nice aim, stupid,” he whispers to his older brother before ducking his head and turning to the side to look as though he has been busy on the phone, forcing Chance to take the brunt of the person’s ire. Ace smirks at the sounds of him profusely apologizing to the poor stranger. 

“Don’t talk crap about my mom,” Deuce growls in typical Deuce fashion. Ace can practically see him smacking his fist into his palm.

“Dude, chill. I was making fun of you, not your mom.” He waits a beat, popping another maraschino cherry into his mouth. “Just see if you can! I’m so freaking bored.” 

Deuce hesitates for a beat before relenting, “Fine.” Yuu cheers, and they discuss the details of when the renovations will start and who will be housing them during what dates before all of them eventually leave the call. Ace can't help the giddy upward curve of his lips.

Chance is no longer getting yelled at by the stranger, but his cheeks burn red, and when he sees Ace is off the call, he grumbles, “You owe me the rest of your cherries for that.”

“No way!” Ace tugs the ice cream carton closer to him. “You’re the one who threw it. I just dodged.”

“You weren’t supposed to dodge!” He kicks Ace under the table, derisively laughing when he winces. “So, your friends are staying over?”

“Yeah.” At Chance’s peculiar look, Ace’s brows furrow. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Chance lightly says, though the curl of his lips reveals his comedy. “Remember in middle school how you were all ‘I’m sick of having to be all buddy-buddy with all these two-faced fakers’?”

“Yeah, and I stand by that. I still hate two-faced fakers,” Ace huffs, crossing his arms. “But my friends now aren’t fake.” 

Chance snorts. “You’re such a cheesy dork.” He reaches over to ruffle Ace’s hair, and though Ace protests, he allows it because he knows, loath as he is to admit it, he’s right. “Lil’ Acey-Wacey’s all grown up, huh?”

"Shut up," Ace returns, though a humored lilt snakes its way into his voice, words escaping as a half-laugh. "You're so annoying."

Things are different, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Chapter Text

There’s something melancholy about the Night Raven College campus being completely barren for summer vacation, leaving only Yuu, Grim, and those who are magically tethered to the campus for the next two months. 

The quiet is uncanny, at first. It’s a college campus, for goodness’ sake; of course it isn’t going to feel right when it’s so barren, with only the ghosts and whatever other magical beings reside here to keep them company. Yuu and Grim manage, though, hearing tales of centuries long past and feasting on enough tuna to make Yuu sick. They put up with it for Grim, falling into a nice, comfortable rhythm and getting used to the serenity.

Then the headmage summons them to inform them that they actually can’t stay on campus over the summer due to some surprise renovations that need to be done to keep the campus up to protocol, doesn’t bother arranging anything for them, and subsequently hangs up. 

Yuu is more surprised they don’t overblot at the news.

Instead, they merely sigh; it’s nothing they haven’t been through before. They’ll make a way. They always do. And though they hate asking so much of their friends, they miss them more than anything and know they probably feel the same way, which leads them to call the group chat. 

A chuckle escapes them at how easily Ace accepts. He must be bored out of his mind.

Crowley, in all of his self-proclaimed magnanimity, arranges for the Dark Mirror to take them to the Queendom of Roses. It’s a little ironic how they’ve been in Twisted Wonderland for almost a year, have integrated so much that they can literally use magic, and still don’t have anything to bring with them besides a small bag stuffed with necessities for them and Grim—but thinking optimistically, at least they have things to bring at all. They have possessions. They have belongings. 

Yuu belongs in Twisted Wonderland, even if they didn’t use to. 

With a tearful goodbye to the ghosts and talking paintings and an excitedly accelerating heart, they hesitate for only a moment before leaping in, arms tightly clutching Grim to their chest to ensure he doesn’t get lost along the way.

As always with mirror travel, they require a moment to collect themself and tamp down the nausea curdling in their stomach. Grim waits silently, large eyes watery with worry, but once he sees they’re okay, he boasts about how weak they are and how lucky they are to have him to keep them safe. They simply laugh and agree as they always do.

The mirror has dropped them off at Clock Town’s train station; pink cobblestone, red roofing, and colorful floral arrangements as far as the eye can see seem to be the norm here. A large clock face resting higher than anything else in the station shows the time, its antique hands groaning with every heavy motion but never reading wrong. 

“Yuu! Grim!” They turn to find Deuce jogging over to them, and their expression breaks from neutral into one of elation. They stretch out their arms, and without even the notion of hesitation, Deuce crashes into their embrace.

“Sorry,” he says after a few seconds, pulling away with pink-tinged cheeks, “that was—”

“No. Nuh-uh.” Yuu shoves a finger against his lips, and when he tightly purses them, they grin, “I missed you, too.”

His features soften at that, coming to rest in a slight smile. “Yeah.”

Their train arrives a few minutes later, and they board, going to the long row of seats along the length of the train. Yuu sits between Grim and Deuce, though Grim is half in their seat, curled up against their thigh. Their hand idly rests on his head, fingers scratching thoughtless shapes that have Grim purring in contentment.

“How’s your mom doing?” Yuu asks, permeating the silence only filled by the creaking of the train. It’s relatively empty, but most other passengers have earbuds in, are asleep, or staring into space.

“Still working too much,” he sighs, picking at his cuticles. “I think she’s happy I got a job, but she won’t let me give her more than half my paycheck. She makes me keep the rest.”

Yuu’s eyes widen. “You wanna give her more than half?”

“Yeah?” His brows begin knitting together. “Is that… bad? Should I try to make her accept more?”

They quickly shake their head, fondly poking his cheek. “You’re a better person than me.”

The train ride to Ace’s city is filled with banter, perhaps a bit too obnoxiously, considering the occasional glares the old man seated a ways away tosses them whenever they laugh too loudly. With every stop, the populace of the train shifts from homely elders to stylish young adults, and Yuu is certain Deuce feels the difference as well from how he fidgets. 

“I knew he lived uptown,” Deuce murmurs when a man in a well-known Luxe prêt-à-porter suit currently going viral on Magicam boards the train, “but not this uptown.”

“At least we’re getting off on the next stop and not at the last one,” they return, hand idly scratching Grim, who had fallen asleep not even half an hour into the train ride. The further along they go, the closer to the heart of the city they get. Yuu absolutely intends to make rich boy jokes to Ace, to which he will most certainly insist he’s merely upper-middle class. “He says he might take us to visit the capital while we’re here.”

After what feels like an eternity, the train screeches to a halt at their stop, and Yuu gently attempts to nudge Grim awake before hoisting him into their arms as they squeeze through the crowds to exit the station. They’re grateful for Deuce keeping a tight hold on the crook of their arm, because theirs are full of Grim.

“He says to go down to the second floor,” Deuce relays, the hand that isn’t holding them close clutching his phone and clumsily sending a text message. When it vibrates, he raises it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hi!” Yuu exclaims, hoping their voice will be picked up amidst all of the clamor of the train station. Grim remains fast asleep in their arms, somehow; they have half a mind to just shake him awake so he has to suffer navigating this packed-like-sardines train station with them.

“Yeah, we’re going down the stairs—wait, we have to do what?” Deuce’s brows furrow as the two begin descending the first flight of stairs they encounter. “Can you explain that again? I’m confused.” His expression grows more tense as he listens to whatever Ace is telling him on the phone that Yuu is not privy to. “Stop talking so fast! I can barely hear you!” A beat of silence, then, “and don’t call me stupid!”

“Here,” Yuu says, momentarily tugging their arm away from his grasp and thrusting Grim toward him. “Your turn on Grim duty. I’ll take the phone.” 

They make the brief exchange, Yuu linking arms with his once he’s holding Grim secure—from the tight squish of his eyes, he’s obviously pretending to be asleep so they won’t make him walk, but they’ll chide him later—and bring the phone to their ear. “Hey, it’s me. You said to do what?”

“It’s not even that complicated!” Ace groans, words dripping exasperation. “You guys are on the fourth floor, right?”

“Right.”

“When you get to the third floor, there’s gonna be multiple staircases you can go down, and they all go to different areas. You’ll wanna go down the north one, okay? The west one leads to the wrong place within the station, and the other two are exits. I’ll be waiting for you guys in the north sector.”

“Okay… That’s it?”

“Literally! That’s it! Deuce is dumb if he doesn’t get that, right?”

“Ace,” they admonish, lightheartedly rolling their eyes. They turn to Deuce once they reach the bottom of the next flight of stairs. “North staircase, okay?” He nods, and their eyes drift down to Grim, who is squinting at them. They simply huff as they smile, shaking their head, and turn their attention back to the phone. “We’re almost there.”

“Hurry up,” Ace dramatically drawls.

Yuu’s lips curl into a smirk. “Someone misses his friends.”

Ace lets out a few mild protests, but Yuu won’t make fun of him for it because of how quickly his lamentations die when he exclaims with glee seeping into his voice, “I see you guys! No, not—don’t turn around! Just keep walking in the—yeah, keep walking in that direction!”

“Look, it’s Ace!” Deuce exclaims, and Yuu finds themself being dragged by Deuce breaking into just short of a sprint. They don’t mind, though, quickly adapting to his pace with building excitement. Grim finally fully rouses as they run toward the last member of their quartet, yowling about being jostled in Yuu’s arms, but their one-track mind is locked on one thing.

“Ace!” they all unanimously cheer, Yuu tackling him into a hug with their free arm and forcing Deuce along with it. Ace laughs as they stumble backward, a broad smile plastered on his face.

“Someone missed me, huh?”

“Like you weren’t the one begging us to come over,” Deuce returns with a snarky smirk.

Ace rolls his eyes, but there’s no mistaking the way he beams. “Yeah, yeah. How was the train?”

“Everyone here is so posh,” Yuu says, Deuce fervently nodding in agreement. They give Ace a once-over, taking in the sight of him merely in ratty sweats and a hoodie, and a teasing grin overtakes their features. “Except you, apparently.”

He exaggeratedly reels at the jab. “Hey, I know there’s a time and place to dress up.” He scans over them, the corner of his lips further curling upward. “And you’re one to talk, literally wearing your pajamas.”

“These are not my pajamas, and you know it, jerk!”

Familiar banter fills the air as Ace leads them to the parking garage, guiding them to a red minivan (because apparently he can drive?!) and cranking their shared playlist up to the max volume they can set it without shattering their eardrums—specifically Grim’s, having more sensitive hearing than the rest of them—as he drives them to his house closer to the outskirts of the upbeat city. The trip is warm, comforting, and though it’s nothing they’ve done before, being with their friends feels like home.

“Hello?”

“Epel!” Yuu half whispers, half exclaims at their phone, huddling further into the chair they are seated in in the corner of Ace’s room. “You finally got the router!”

“Guess who else is here,” Epel says, tone holding an anticipatory lilt.

Before Yuu can guess, a familiar voice holding a smooth quality only possibly produced by a synthesizer exclaims, “Hello, Yuu! It’s me!”

“Ortho! You’re in Harveston?”

“Yeppers!” They smile at how joyously he speaks. “I figured he may need some help installing the router, so I decided to make the trip down!”

Pointedly, Epel clarifies, “I didn’t need the help, but the company’s nice.”

The chime of another caller joining the call sounds, and when Jack gruffly asks, “Have you guys been on for long?” Yuu lets out a quiet squeal of elation.

“Jack!”

“S’me.” He yawns, and their grin widens; it must be past his usual bedtime. “Is my phone glitching, or is Epel on?”

“I’m here, alright!” Epel announces, sounding wide awake despite being in a similar time zone to Jack. “An’ Ortho’s with me! All y’all should come down to Harveston sometime! Maybe we can all do the Sledathon together this year!”

“Hello, Jack!” Ortho greets. “You sound tired. Should we let you go to sleep?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” He suppresses another yawn. “Wonder what Sebek’s doing. Should I ping him?”

“We’re on it,” Epel says, and the sounds of him and Ortho deviously snickering accompany the statement. “He’s gonna hate us when we’re done with him.”

“And that’s a good thing..?”

“Hey, Yuu,” Jack starts, grabbing their attention, “You’re with the others, right? At Ace’s place?”

“Yeah, but the rest of them are asl—” Their voice is abruptly cut off with a gasp when their gaze rises to the bed, finding Ace’s large cherry eyes staring into their soul. “Ace is either awake or having a sleep paralysis episode, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t get sleep paralysis. Jeez, that’s terrifying.”

In response to their question, Ace slowly detangles his limbs from the blanket, haphazardly tossing it over Deuce and Grim before slinking over to where they sit on the phone. He sits on the cushiony arm of the chair Yuu is seated in, leans down to the phone, and whispers, “Hey.”

Jack lets out a sharp huff of laughter. “Did all four of you share a bed?”

“Yeah,” Ace and Yuu both synchronously respond, but Ace continues, “They kicked me out of my bed.” 

“Hey,” another voice from the bed grouses, and they both jerk over to see Deuce blearily looking up. “No one kicked you out! You voluntarily slept in the bed with us!” Despite the energetic indignance in his tone, his head falls back down against the pillows again, eyes fluttering shut with a finality. 

Both Yuu and Ace exchange a look before cackling, and Epel doesn’t bother suppressing his snort. “How did you guys even fit?”

“Dude,” Yuu responds, gesticulating despite Ace being the only one who can see it, “when I tell you Ace takes us to the guest room with this eensy-weensy bed, then he takes us to his room with this massive mattress—”

“The guest room bed isn’t eensy-weensy!” he interrupts. “It’s queen-sized!”

“Why do you need a king-sized bed for your room?” Yuu counters, and he purses his lips. “Yeah, that’s right. You were gonna shove Deuce, Grim, and I all onto the queen-sized bed while you slept all comfy in your king-sized bed!”

“Well, it’s my house! I could kick you all out right now!”

“Do it, then! I dare you!”

Before Ace can think up another retort, the chime of another using the call sounds, and all of them simultaneously gasp, “Sebek!”

“EPEL?” Sebek exclaims, much too loudly for the early hour. Ace and Yuu both flinch away from the phone. “DOTH MINE EYES DECEIVE ME?” 

“Jeez, man,” Deuce sleepily grumbles, nudging Grim away before rolling to the edge of the bed. “So loud… s’morning…” 

“MORNING IS THE BEST TIME FOR TRAINING AND INVIGORATING THE BODY! AND BESIDES, IT IS MIDDAY IN BRIAR VALLEY!” There is mild shuffling on his end, and in a significantly quieter volume, Sebek says, “Master Malleus would like to speak to you, Yuu.” 

“Mal!” Yuu cheers, while the rest of them let out various murmurs of uncertainty. “Hi! How’s your summer?”

“Can they hear me?” a familiar dulcet voice asks, and when Sebek grunts in affirmation, Malleus greets, “Hello, Yuu. And the rest of your little friends.” He lets out a soft sigh. “This summer is much more eventful than the last, though that’s nothing but the consequences of my own actions. How are you?” 

“I’m good!” While they talk, Deuce slowly pulls himself out of bed and sits on the other arm of the plush seat Yuu is in, opposite to Ace. “Crowley kicked me and Grim out, so I’m staying with Ace and Deuce right now.”

“He did, did he?” Malleus’ speech holds an ominous undertone. “Should I have a word with him?”

“No, no, that’s okay!” Better to not risk the entirety of humanity (again) because of Malleus’ wrath. “Staying with everyone is more fun than being alone at school, anyway. Speaking of, we’ll be coming to Briar Valley in a few weeks!”

“Truly?” A small giggle slips out of them as they imagine the vivid look of shock that must be on his face right now.

“Mmhm! Sebek said I can stay with him.”

“You both should come stay in the palace,” he quickly says, and Sebek loudly gasps. “Sebek, you have stayed in the palace before. Why are you so stunned?” When Sebek bumbles, a soft chuckle escapes Malleus. “I’m only teasing you. I’m glad to hear you’re so delighted.” His attention returns to Yuu. “It would be a pleasure to show you around my nation. We can work something out closer to your arrival date; in the meantime, I’ll return Sebek to you.” 

“Bye, Mal!” they cheerfully say.

“Master Mal—ah, he’s gone.” There are a few moments of silence before he continues, “Well then, I suppose that’s that. How are all of you faring?” 

While everyone takes turns relaying how their summers went, Yuu hands their phone to Deuce, who is still blinking the bleariness out of his eyes. They rise, making their way to the bed and gently shaking Grim through the blanket. 

“Hey, Grim.” He lets out a dissatisfied mewl, and they smile. “Wake up, Grim.”

“Nyooo…” He bats their hand away, curling further into himself. “Don’t wanna…”

“But everyone’s on the phone!” They tug the blanket back, and he irritably cries out, though he keeps his eyes clamped shut. “It’s the first time all of us have been able to join a call at the same time!”

“I don’t care!” They can’t help but laugh when he covers his eyes with his paws. “Sleepy!”

“Oh, but Grim…” Their hand settles atop his head, gently scratching. “Everyone misses you. You know, we’re all happy to be hearing from each other, but I think they miss you the most. They’re dying to hear from you—won’t you spare just a moment of your time?”

He growls again, though one of his eyes slowly opens to watch them. Their lips curl upward. “We’re gonna grab breakfast soon, anyway. That place Ace was talking about, remember? The all-you-can-eat place?” 

Both of his eyes slowly open, though he still wears a grumpy frown. “We won’t bother you if you wanna sleep on the way there,” they add.

Grim’s expression lifts into a slight smile, still addled by sleep. “I guess I’ll say hi.” 

Score. Grandeur, food, and sleep—Grim’s holy trinity. It was a foolproof plan that left Grim none the wiser as they reeled him in hook, line, and sinker. 

They hoist him up into his arms with a smidge too much vigor for his liking from how he whines and raise him above his head. “Look who’s awake!”

“Good morning,” Deuce says as he and Ace make their way to the bed, where there’s more space for all of them. He looks like he’s mostly awake by now. “Guys, Grim’s here.” 

“Grim!” Grim puffs up at the enthusiasm in Ortho’s voice. “How did you sleep?”

“Were ya havin’ a dream about tuna?” Epel snerks. 

“Nope!” Grim eagerly answers. “It was about that all-you-can-eat breakfast place Ace said we’re going to for breakfast today!”

Ace drags a hand down his face. “Dude, we’re gonna get kicked out because he’s gonna eat so much it’ll be a net negative in profits for them.” 

“REMEMBER, GRIM!” Sebek boomingly joins the conversation. “GLUTTONY IS UNBECOMING OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST MAGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT EXCESS TIME SPENT EATING COULD BE USED FOR TRAINING!” 

“You still gotta eat, though,” Jack reminds with an audible grin, “though I don’t think Grim has any problem with remembering that.” 

As Grim lets out an indignant yelp and argues to defend his honor, Yuu relaxes on their side, smiling affectionately at the phone placed in the center of the bed. All of their friends’ voices filled the air, laughing and bantering as they always did. If Yuu closes their eyes, they can almost convince themself they’re back at school with all of their friends in person. It’s enough that it’s just the four of them together right now, though, the four that they started this whole journey with. Life has thrown them so many curveballs, and they still have no idea if there is a way to return to their original world, but they find they don’t care all that much anymore. 

Things are different, and they would do it all over again just for this.