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Chapter Text

Moon Dancer

The title stared up at Chase like a cheshire cat waiting to pounce. It looked innocent enough, if thicker than his usual thrall of childhood classics. In truth, Chase only picked it for the title; something about dancing sounded like fun. Though he didn't bother reading it, like usual, which he knew usually ended fine, how hard could it be?

"What book are we doing today, Chase?" A small, but enthusiastic voice piped up from the cardboard box next to him. Chase turned the cover to show Silver. It had no illustration, just a nice, deep blue laced with gold accents. A pretty boring look, actually. Chase wondered if the author actually wanted people to read it with creative artistry like that on the cover. "Moon Dancer? I did not know one could dance on the moon."

Chase gave her a half smile, "I guess I'll find out, huh? That would be pretty cool though, maybe it's about a bunch of astronauts on the moon!"

"Yes, perhaps it is! Oh, I imagine I'll have a lot of fun designing an outfit for this one." Silver pressed her fingers together excitedly.

"Make it your best work yet, Silv!" Chase said enthusiastically, admittedly excited to see what she might come up with that was 'moon themed'. "By the way, do you and Violet purposely match outfits?"

"What do you mean?" Her little head tilted just a bit.

"Well, it sorta seems like Buddy and I's outfits always seem to match, weirdly. Like you guys made em together or something," Chase scratched the back of his head, wondering if maybe telling Silver that their outfits felt similar might make her feel bad.

"Nnno, Violet and I cannot communicate with one another, even if our Keys are in the same story. But we always used to think about outfits together, remember? I guess our styles just… Complement one another? Oh, I wish I could see her work again…" Her voice trailed off in a wistful, sad sort of way.

Chase pressed his lips together, feeling somewhat guilty. If only Buddy weren't so stubborn about everything, then at least Sivler and Violet could be reunited. "Well, tell ya what, Silv, since I can't take pictures in the stories, I could try and describe what he's wearing to you when I come back?"

"Oh, would you?" She lit up immediately at the offer, and Chase obliged her with an eager nod.

"You ready then?" Chase asked, happy that Silver seemed to cheer up for the moment. Maybe once he saw Buddy, he could try and get more information out of him. Silver seemed really lonely without her sister.

With a flash, Silver transformed into a key, landing delicately in Chase's hand. He took a breath to steady himself for the weird vertigo feeling of entering a book, and plunged the key into the cover and letting himself vanish into a new universe.

When Chase landed in the book, he thought it might have been night outside. Floor-to-ceiling windows ran down the corridor he stood in, lit bowl torches standing between them along the way, though the corridor seemed brighter than it should have been. Stars shown uncharacteristically brightly outside, he could even see hints of purples and blues, as if galaxies danced around outside. It wasn't entirely uncommon for books to have extravagant night skies, Chase thought, but when he actually walked up to the glass, he realized the reason for its unrealistic beauty.

In the sky was the large crescent of a distant planet. So not night, just space. And the planet wasn't Earth, he recognized. This planet had a large ring around it. The surface of it looked dusty and orange, almost red in the little light of what he assumed was the sun. If he'd paid any attention to astrology in school, he might have guessed that the planet was Saturn. But he wasn't sure if any other galaxies were visible other than the Milky Way. Then again, maybe the rules were different from the perspective of some random moon. And the whole part about suspending belief because he was in a book. For all he knew, this wasn't even their solar system.

His eyes adjusted, and he could see his character in the reflection of the glass. Blonde hair cascaded elegantly down her shoulders, curling in a way that implied she needed no curling iron. Half of it was pinned up, and the rest parted to fall mostly on the other side of her head. She wore an elegant, if simple, tight-fit silver gown that trailed behind her a few inches. She was beautiful, he thought idly before remembering that he hadn't yet seen how Silver had dressed him.

Chase looked away from his character's reflection in the glass to really look at his own outfit. Silver had a valid right to be excited for this one, it seemed, because Chase could not stop smiling and giggling down at himself. He wore a loose white blouse with a deep V and a ruffled collar. Gold roses and wild flowers embroidered the shoulders, sending vines of gold down the puffed sleeves that tightened around his wrists. He wondered if the thread was real gold with the way it shimmered even in the dim light.

Around his waist, he wore a dark, layered train, the wrapping of which came up past his belly button. Like a belt, more golden chains and embroidery wove themselves into the fabric, riveting down against the skirt-like train. The train itself looked like a galaxy caught in the ruffles of it; deep and bright blues bleeding into purples like smudged puffs of cloud. Where the train nearly touched the ground, it had faded into a mix of white and gold. The entire thing had a splattering of golden stars throughout it.

The pants he wore beneath were black, save for the same gold embroidery, trailing lined patterns all the way down to his ankles like vines. He wore tall, knee-high boots, also black and lined in gold, as if to blend perfectly into the pants.

Chase did a few twirls, watching the elaborate train spin and dance behind him in a cascade of the most beautiful parts of space. Mirroring the void outside the windows. He may have also skipped down the hallway before him, glad he was alone and Buddy didn't seem to be in sight just yet.

"My Lady!" A harsh voice cut into his frolicking, and he turned grumpily to face the old, crotchety sound that had called him. A much older woman dressed in what he assumed was a maid's outfit, a simple layered dress with an apron tied to the front, stood with her arms on her hips and a scowl on her face. What were the chances she didn't just see Chase running, jumping, and skipping down the hallway like he was in Beauty and the Beast? "You know that is no way to conduct yourself! What would your poor mother think?" None then.

"Uh, that her beautiful and amazing daughter had a uh… Adventurous spirit?" He tried weakly, glad that books had filters for fallen sentences. Really, he didn't know why Buddy went through the trouble of quoting and getting completely into character; the book basically did it for you!

"Come, my Lady, enough of this frivolity. Your betrothed has just arrived on the express." She bustled Chase along down the corridor.

"The express?" He asked mostly to himself. Most of the stories he entered were set in the medieval ages or at least, a time before electricity. And as if to answer his question, he heard the distant hoot of a train whistle before it zoomed past the window they stood in front of. "Whoa!" Chase escaped the frantic bustling of whoever this woman was to press his hands to the nearest window.

He watched as a gold and silver express twisted and snaked into the distance, running on nothing but starlight along a non-existent track. He watched it slowly disappear into the distance, off to its next destination among the stars.

"Hey, wait, if this is some sorta ultra futuristic book with flying space trains, then why…" Chase glanced up at the torches flickering against the wall. Squinting at them, he supposed he couldn't actually see any flame or smoke coming from the light. "Right… The mood of old-timey, but the tech of sci-fi… Neat."

He let the older lady usher him the rest of the way down the hallway. They passed by mostly starry-looking tapestries. He was sure that if he looked closer at the images woven in silver, they told some sort of story. But mostly they seemed to be vaguely humanoid figures holding various weapons or staffs. He didn't get much chance to take them in before he was all but shoved into a room.

Immediately, he found himself looking around for Buddy. Not for any particular reason, of course, other than general curiosity. He did promise Silver he would describe Violet's outfit to her. And he couldn't very well do that without seeing him. And perhaps staring at him for a long period of time to take in the details. For Silver.

But Buddy wasn't in this room either, and Chase found himself scratching the back of his head in confusion. The room they were in was small for what he assumed was where they were to meet his 'betrothed'. The walls, like the hallway, were lined with floor-to-ceiling windows showing the stars outside. Tapestries were hung between them, and above a massive stone fireplace was a large portrait of what he assumed was the royal family. His own character, much younger and more childlike in the portrait, stood between her parents, all four clad in star-themed outfits that looked far less intricate than they did in person.

Next to him, or her, in the portrait was a darker-haired girl, taller and more angular in the face than the heroine. She, unlike her sister and mother, was dressed in a darker gown that matched closer to what their father was wearing in the portrait.

Chase hummed at it and looked around the room. Whoever he was meant to be marrying wasn't there yet, either, it seemed. He tried not to roll his eyes at having to deal with another drooling Prince Charming. Though maybe it would be better this time, since it was in space and futuristic? Somehow, he doubted it. But Buddy wasn't who Chase would normally suspect he'd be, that being the Queen. She was standing facing away from him in front of the fireplace. Matching the portrait and her daughter, cascading curly blonde hair rolled off her shoulders. She wore a similar outfit to Chase's character. A tight-fit shimmering silver ballgown, though the train was much longer than her daughters, and on her head she wore a crown of starlight and suns.

Next to her was the king, dressed in a deep blue suit splattered with a seemingly random pattern of small silver dots meant to resemble the stars, he assumed. Atop his head of copper hair, his crown was golden, and instead of starlight and suns, it seemed it much more resembled the moon and planets.

"Ah! Adhara," The King started, turning to face his daughter. Chase straightened at being addressed. Adhara was evidently his character's name. "Quickly, they'll be here any second." He advised, waving him over to stand in front of the fireplace with them.

Careful not to stand too close, lest his gorgeous outfit catch the flame, Chase shuffled his way between the King and Queen. "Right, my fiancé or whatever," He murmured. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen my sister, or maybe a jealous maid, right? Or does my fiancé have a sister, maybe?"

At first, he thought they had ignored him before the Queen spoke, "Your sister decided to stay in her room again today, dear." Her voice was soft, as if afraid to be overheard, while she fussed with Chase's sleeves. Apparently, the book had filtered out the rest after he'd mentioned a sister. But if that's who Buddy was, then maybe he'd have to go snooping around this space palace to find him after this.

"Right, right uh, how long is this going to take again?" He asked, looking around at the door at the other end of the fireplace. Not the one he entered, which was smaller and now being blocked by the older woman who'd ushered him in. The door he assumed their guests would come through was the much bigger, showier door, laced in gold and silver, slung open before them.

They didn't answer his question, though, not as some announcer bellowed, "Introducing, his and her majesty, King Altair and Queen Amalthea!"

King Altair and Queen Amalthea entered, both dressed quite differently from those within this kingdom, at least that he'd seen so far. While he and his character's family seemed to be dressed in motifs to match the stars and planets, the two who just entered were dressed in motifs of the deep ocean and dark chasms.

They both had black hair and dark eyes, and both wore nearly black outfits. The Queen's very much matched by the other Queens' dress in shape and style, only it was a deep color of blue and purple. Ripples of lighter blues, like waves, cascaded down the dress, almost giving it the illusion of running water. The King's outfit matched in every way except that it was a suit.

"And their daughter, betrothed to Lady Adhara, the Lady Calypso!" Chase nearly took a step forward in his fumble.

Daughter? Aren't I supposed to marry their son?

But as his brows furrowed in confusion, he leaned forward to watch as the third guest stepped out of the shadows and into the room. Suddenly, his throat dried out entirely, heat surfacing his cheeks and warming his ears.

Chase, if he was paying attention to any of his facial features, should have noticed his mouth fall open when he saw Buddy entering at the other end of the room. Violet had dressed him in a dashing deep blue suit. The tight neckline, gloves, and tall boots showed little skin aside from his neck and face, unusual for his outfits, but somehow made it much worse for Chase.

Like his own outfit, real gold threads seemed to be the highlighting theme. Golden patterns of diamonds and stars peppered his right shoulder, fading down the front and sleeve. On the other side, embroidered the pattern of what looked like a sun shattering over the left side of his chest, ripples of the shock cascading down the shoulder and sleeve.

Chains and belts of silver and gold draped elegantly from his waist, framing the tailcoat of his jacket behind him, which looked less like a tailcoat and more like the ruffled train Chase wore. Though much shorter and with far fewer ruffles. That was the only part of the outfit that diverged from the deep, spacy blue of the rest, fading out into a light sky blue and purple, with the same bright golden star patterns lining the bottom.

Chase groaned, shoulders slumped uselessly. "Great! Of course you're the fiancée Buddy!"

Chapter Text

Buddy scowled, dragging his icy gaze over Chase, then quickly looking away, covering his mouth with a gloved fist.

Rude! Silver worked hard on this outfit, and I look amazing!

At first, Chase didn't want to complain about Buddy being his character's fiancée. At least it made it more convenient for him and Buddy to stick together in this story… For plot reasons… Obviously. Because Chase hadn't read anything about the book except for the title and having Buddy next to him to help nudge him in the right direction was helpful. But now Chase wondered if that notion was wrong. If Buddy was just going to sneer and hiss at him the entire book, it almost made it not worth it.

"Amalthea, my friend," The Queen purred from behind Chase, interrupting his thoughts and moving to embrace the other, who took it jovially.

"Lyra, my dear!" Amalthea responded in kind, voice much more enthusiastic than her initial impression would give off.

"Altair, I trust your travels have been well?" The king started, clapping an arm around King Altair's.

"Indeed, never a dull moment traveling halfway across the universe, Orion!"

While the royal parents greeted one another familiarly, Chase, who admittedly hadn't taken his eyes off of Buddy, noticed that he was now making his way toward him, arms characteristically crossed. Chase couldn't help but feel like he should be shrinking away from his approach.

"I'm guessing you didn't read the book beforehand, right?" Buddy asked, one gloved hand moving to rest idly on his hip. Chase rolled his eyes. Drop dead gorgeous outfit that framed Buddy in a perfectly attractive way aside, he was still Buddy. "Because if you had, I doubt you'd have chosen it." Buddy looked away at that, as if inspecting the room they were in. Like its very existence was exhausting.

Was that a hint of red on Buddy's ears? Chase could have sworn it was there. Then again, there was a fire raging behind him that set everything in this room to a warmer tone despite the cold, dark walls. Buddy, being as pale as he is, absorbed all of the color, like Christmas lights on snow.

"Ugh, not this again," Chase grumbled, crossing his own arms defiantly. "I never read the books, and they always turn out fine, right? What's the big deal?" He turned his head away, mumbling, "At least I didn't bookmark it this time, you're welcome."

Buddy either didn't hear or ignored the last bit of what Chase had said, because he forged ahead, "The big deal is that I'm always the one who has to babysit you through it. And doing that for this particular book is going to be…" He closed his eyes, trying to find an adequate word to use: "Difficult."

Chase just rolled his eyes. Maybe if Buddy just told him the story, then it wouldn't be so bothersome to him. But Chase had been down that route before, and despite having to 'babysit' him in stories, Buddy seemed to enjoy watching him squirm. He likely wasn't going to help Chase any more than he needed to. And even then, Chase had a feeling he'd mostly be figuring it out on his own, "You don't have to, Buddy. I'm a grown adult, I think I can handle a story! Besides, you're supposed to be my fiancée, right? So like, I bet we're supposed to spend a lot of time together or something." Chase shrugged idly.

Buddy just scoffed and looked away, "You're an idiot."

"Yeah, and you're an asshole," Chase retorted.

"Arsehole," Buddy said, as if correcting him. Chase furrowed his brows, about to ask what the heck he meant by that, but was interrupted.

"Adhara, you will show Lady Calypso to her room, will you not?" Queen Lyra, Adhara's mother, had turned to ask. Buddy seemed to cross his arms again, as if the idea of having to be taken anywhere by Chase was entirely obnoxious. And perhaps because he guessed that Chase would not be leading him anywhere, and it would be quite the other way around.

"Tch, whatever," Chase replied and turned to Buddy, eyes expectant in a way Buddy must have been anticipating because his eyes tried their best to roll into the back of his head before they turned to leave the room.

"Dinner shall be ready in about an hour, dear!" The Queen called after them.

They left through the side entrance into the long corridor Chase had been in before. Buddy walked ahead, absolutely seething with the inconvenience of having to lead Chase around by the hand. Well, they weren't actually holding hands, but the thought made Chase look down at where Buddy's hands were anyway. One was propped against his hip, pushing and pulling along with the casual sway of his gait. The other hung limply on his other side, swaying gently in beat with his stride.

Chase got a good chance to study the back of his outfit, he realized, and didn't balk at the opportunity to do so. For Silver. On his left side, where the front had a sun bursting, the back showed a delicate golden moon surrounded by stars that traveled and dispersed along the back of the coat, turning into what looked more like shooting stars on the tailcoat.

Chase didn't notice he had started chewing on his lip. Or that his cheeks were a bit flushed. Even in an outfit that showed off as little skin as possible, Violet had still managed to wrap it around Buddy's body in a way that felt more intimate than any exposed thigh or waist.

Oh, you're fucked, his mind seemed to snicker against his will, making him swallow. And as if on cue, Buddy had stopped to turn. His icy eyes were in such contrast with his black hair and dark clothes. They seemed to shine like lights in a storm. Like, there was some sort of glow to them that could draw anyone in. Cold as the vacuum of space. And just as dangerously beautiful.

"Are you even listening?" Buddy snapped, and Chase blinked a few times. The truth was, he had heard Buddy talking as they walked along. He just hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying, lost in the sound of his voice… Because this space castle corridor made it echo weirdly, and for no other reason.

Chase scratched the back of his head guiltily, a sheepish smile playing on his lips while he tried desperately to avoid eye contact. It only half worked. "I-well uh… No, not really?" He tried, which was apparently the wrong choice because Buddy just pressed his fingers into his forehead as if trying to ward off a migraine. Maybe that is what he was doing.

"I said, once you enter your room, the story should just skip along to dinner, which is good for me because the sooner we get done with this ridiculous book, the better," Buddy repeated through gritted teeth.

"Oh, come on, Buddy. Is the book really that bad?" Chase taunted, leaning back on the heels of his feet and redirecting his gaze out one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. "I mean, we're in space, how cool is that?!"

Buddy just made a strangled sort of noise, like it was physically painful to have to endure his presence, and began walking down the corridor again. Chase followed quietly now, keeping his gaze out the windows as they went along. Eventually, though, they turned into an inner passageway that had no windows to the outside.

More tapestries lined the walls, and this time, not wanting to make conversation with Buddy, Chase actually paid attention to them. They were the same deep blue as the rest, woven through with silver thread. They were a series, he realized, playing out some sort of star-laced story. The first showed a comet falling to the surface of the ground, this moon, he assumed. The next revealed that the comet wasn't a comet at all, but a woman. The sequence showed the woman rising like a star into the sky, surrounded by planets and suns. Then it seemed to show a dark cosmos taking form around the cosmic being. It took the form of another woman, 'hair' of starlight flowing endlessly off the edges of the tapestry. The first seemed to embody light, the second seemed to embody darkness. It was a different version of yin and yang, he realized as the sequence continued. The two seemed to bend and pull against one another, a silent battle of wills. On one tapestry, the darkness tried to snuff the light, and on the next was the opposite. Eventually, they found equilibrium in an eternal embrace. A dance that shared the tapestry. Hand in hand, twirling through the cosmos endlessly.

When the sequence ended, Chase looked back ahead of him to Buddy, who'd already begun ascending a large spiral staircase at the end of the passage. Something about the silent story that had been told made his heart ache. His gut twisted in that weird way when you know something big is going to change in your life, but you don't know what it is yet.

Chase climbed the staircase after him. The second floor was much less showy than the first. The hall was lined with doors instead of tapestries, and most of them were clones of each other. Guest rooms, maybe? Usually, when he was a princess in a story, she got some sort of elaborate room up in a tower, or at the very end of a long hallway. This floor looked a lot more like the floor of a hotel than a royal castle.

Suddenly, Buddy turned to face one of the doors and opened it. Chase peeked inside, but before he could get a good look, the door slammed shut in his face.

"Wh- Buddy!!" Chase cried, backing up a step from the loud bang. "Hey, wait! I don't know where my room is!" He tried calling through the door, which Buddy seemed to be ignoring. But Chase wasn't going to take silence as an answer. He tried jiggling the handle, and when it turned out to be locked, he pouted. "Buddy? C'mon, dude, don't just leave me out here!"

No response.

Chase's face screwed up in indignation, and he pounded his fist against the dark wood. "Buddyyyyyy! I can do this all night!"

After longer than Chase expected, the door swung open to reveal a glare that could kill the sun. "It's right next door!"

SLAM

Chase took a step back and scoffed, "Geez, what soured his dough?" He mumbled under his breath, turning to enter the next room over.

Inside, it was simpler than he expected. Just like the rest of the castle, there was a motif of celestial bodies. One of the tapestries he'd seen in the hall, the last one of the two cosmic women dancing, hung above a stone fireplace that looked much like the one in the room downstairs. On the other end of the room was a large king-sized bed. It was made simply, a comforter and pillows, both the same blue as the cover of the book, threaded with silver around the edges, and two golden throw pillows sat at the head.

The head and footboard were both a black metal, woven between the bed posts in a somewhat elaborate pattern that only paused to weave into stars and moons. Between the posts, thin iridescent curtains canopied over the bed, tied back on one side. They were threaded with silver and gold, mimicking the shooting star look of Buddy's tailcoat.

The thought reminded Chase that he should probably take notes on Buddy's outfit for Silver. Too bad he didn't think about that before. Still, even if he couldn't leave the book with it, Chase looked around for a pen and paper.

He didn't get a chance to find it before there was a polite knock on his door. But before he could answer it, the old maid from before entered. Something about seeing her at the door, even though he didn't know who else he expected, dragged his shoulders down in mild disappointment.

"Dinner will be served momentarily, my Lady." She crooned, guiding Chase from the bedroom, once again fiddling with his outfit as if it needed fixing.

When he stepped out into the hallway, Buddy was already walking down the other end, one hand casually buried in his pocket. He did not turn to look at Chase before descending the spiral staircase. Chase and the maid followed after him, down the stairs and back across the long windowed corridor. This time, they walked past the small door Chase had been ushered into before and continued. At the end of the passage, two large, intricate doors that matched the ones Buddy had come in through were swung open.

Within was a large dining room. At its center, a long table that you only ever saw in castles presented itself. Platters of dishes seemed to cover the entire table. Filled with different assortments of breads and soups. Some sort of poultry in the center that looked like it might have been a large turkey. Did they have turkeys in space? Space turkeys?

But where Chase's eye was immediately dragged to was the other end of the table. Pastry dishes filled his vision. Cinnamon rolls, croissants, small cakes, and sugar-coated bread rolls. Easily his favorite part of books, the dinners.

Immediately, he finds himself at the end of the table, shoveling as many of the glutenous delights onto a plate as he possibly can. Chase tells himself to make sure he builds Silver her own indoor garden, built with a greenhouse and everything, in thanks for giving him a deep-V'd looser-fitting top in which he can shove an endless supply of bread rolls. Which he is in the middle of doing when a very pointed cough sounds at the other end of the table.

Adhara and Calypso's parents are staring at him. Eyes wide with shock at his behavior. Buddy has already taken his seat on one side of the table next to the visiting King and Queen. He isn't looking at Chase, and a fist is covering his mouth, but he can tell he's laughing by the shake of his shoulders.

"Oh, shub ub, Bubby!" Chase says around a mouthful of food. "You know this is my favorite part!" He added after swallowing. Buddy just continued to laugh at him under his breath.

"Right well, why don't you come and sit down, darling. We've much to discuss." Queen Lyra chimed in.

"Oh?" Chase asked around another biteful of some sort of blueberry pastry. Buddy had finally stopped chortling at him by the time Chase sat down with his enormous plate of sweet breads, though begrudged amusement still danced in his eyes.

"Yes, I assume all preparations are in order for Antares?" King Altair, Calypso's father, spoke up from where he sat.

"Indeed, the Stella Express should be arriving tomorrow morning for the journey." King Orion stated. Chase blinked and paused in his ravenous devouring.

"Wait, we're riding that train? Oh hell yes!" Buddy watched him carefully from the other side of the table.

"Yes, my dear. I assume you're already packed?" Adhara's mother asked. Chase grabbed something that looked like a strawberry shortcake from his plate and tried his best to shove the entire thing down his throat.

"Mmhmmph! Shure thfing!"

"You're disgusting." Buddy wrinkled his nose at Chase. Chase just politely flipped him off, earning another exaggerated eye roll from the raven-haired boy.

"We should arrive at Antares within two days' travel, all arrangements for the ball should be set up before we get there," King Orion elaborated, ignoring the two boys glaring across the table at one another.

"Ha!" Chase smiled after finally being able to swallow the strawberry shortcake. "Looks like I don't need you to tell me the story, Buddy, cause they just explained it!"

"If you think this story is just about a pleasant train ride and a ball, then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought." Buddy drawled, sipping his wine in the most sophisticatedly sassy way he could.

"Whatever, riding a magical train through space for a few days is awesome, Buddy. Plenty of interesting stuff there!" Buddy closed his eyes into another pompous sip of wine, evidently done with this conversation.

And so seemed everyone else. The royal parents continued to prattle on about the preparations for tomorrow's travel. What time the Stella Express would arrive, early apparently. They spoke of sleeping arrangements and how they have their finest chefs catering the entire journey, and other boring things about Antares itself. Apparently, the ball was meant to be the happily engaged announcement to the rest of the universe of their two people's uniting across the stars.

Chase learned that Antares was a small moon orbiting some planet called Nosfera within the Wrath Galaxy, which didn't sound ominous at all. It was the exact center point between the two kingdoms. Why the two royal families didn't just meet there and spare Calypso's family the extra travel, Chase didn't know.

Well, until they continued. Apparently, the other royal family was on some sort of an… Intergalactic tour, and instead of returning to their home (Ilichi, it was called), their trail took them right past the kingdom of Adreovis (Adhara's kingdom), so they decided it would be easier to travel together for the last leg of the journey.

Likely bored out of his mind, Buddy stood, excused himself in a lilted tone that indicated he was trying to act in character, and left the dining hall. Calypso's parents waved him off, and as Chase tried to get up to follow him out, they spoke up to Adhara, "I trust our daughters' accommodations are in order, Adhara?"

Chase paused, half standing, half shoving last-minute pastries down his shirt. "Uhm, yeah, he's good." He tried to leave again.

"Good, as her future bride, you should know that Calypso is quite… Particular about everything. Things must be just so," Amalthea nodded curtly to emphasize her point.

"Pff, tell me about it," Chase mumbled half under his breath, finally turning to leave.

Buddy was long gone by the time he entered the windowed hallway. Chase assumed he must have had to sprint down the entire corridor to reach the stairs and climb up them before Chase left the dining hall. The image that flashed in his head had Chase laughing out loud while he casually made his way back to his room.

When he finally made it, he opened the door to his room, wondering how long the night would really be and if he could sneak in a quick hour nap before time jumped to morning. The door swung closed behind him, and he made his way over to the bedside table with a breath. "You got this, Chase. Buddy doesn't know what he's talking about. This story doesn't sound too hard. You don't need his help, and after a quick nap, you'll be good to go," Chase reassured himself, quickly dumping the contents of his shirt onto the small surface. He'd eaten most of what he'd stowed away on the way up, leaving him about five croissants, three different flavored pastries, and a handful of chocolate-chip cookies.

"You're unbelievable," A voice came from behind him, and Chase turned around quickly, standing in front of his pastries protectively.

"What?! I didn't steal these, they were already here- Oh Buddy, it's just you." Chase seemed to relax, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait, why are you here?" Buddy stood leaning back against the door, one hand in his pocket. His chest rose and fell with a slight heaviness to it, like he was just at the tail end of catching his breath. "Oh my god, you did run all the way here." Chase burst out laughing. Buddy just glared at him until he was done.

"Well, I had to get up here before you did for… Plot reasons." He elaborated, waving his free hand in an explanatory circle.

"Plot reasons? What sort of plot reasons would you have to be in my room? What are they supposed to hook up on the first night? Geez, I didn't know I picked that kinda book." Chase shivered, and Buddy looked incredibly confused.

"What are you-"

"Look, Buddy, as hot as you are and all, that's just a bit too fast for me, so maybe we should try a different book that's more… Teen rated?" Buddy flushed, seeming to finally catch on to what Chase was talking about.

"N-No! You idiot!" He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a small knife glinting against the dim light in the room. "My character is supposed to think about killing you while you're asleep, but ends up chickening out for… For reasons." Buddy swallows, looking away from Chase, trying desperately to recover from what Chase had implied.

"Oooh… That makes more sense." Chase nodded slowly.

Eventually, he finally realized what he had said, blinked, and quickly tried to recover, cheeks red. "Oh man, you know it's been a long day, and eating gluten, you know I don't get to do that normally, so I think it just puts my head in a weird place, and you can just kinda… Forget I said any of that… Right?" Chase rambled, eyes trying to find anything else to look at than those devilish blue eyes.

"That's a bad habit to have, you know," Buddy seemed to purr and started walking toward Chase, knife still casually in hand. He seemed to have recovered from his own embarrassment just fine now. "Saying things you don't mean." Chase blanched a little and backed up into the nightstand as Buddy got closer.

When they were only breaths away, Buddy slowly brought the knife in his hand up to Chase's cheek, pressing it there gently enough not to cause any actual pain or damage. There was a brief moment where Chase was left wondering what Buddy was going to do. He wondered if he'd actually use the knife on him, if that was supposed to happen in the story or not. And he also wondered why his breathing suddenly felt labored. Why his hands grew sweaty against the wood. Why he couldn't look away from Buddy's eyes.

"See you in the morning, Chase." The sound of his name on Buddy's lips sent butterflies soaring through his abdomen, even if Buddy's tone seemed less than friendly. Buddy said nothing more as he reached behind Chase to grab one of the chocolate cookies before turning and leaving the room entirely.

Chase was left there, blinking, dumbfounded, before sinking onto the plush bed. All at once, he took a deep breath, and all the blood in his body flushed from the top of his head down to his neck while he replayed what had just happened over and over again in his head.

Face in his hands, Chase collapsed backwards onto the mattress and realized something.

When had he told Buddy his name?

Chapter Text

The next morning, or really, about thirty minutes later, when the lights in Chase's room brightened to signal a day cycle starting, he hadn't taken a nap like he had wanted to. Instead, he found he'd lain on the bed rolling from side to side, groaning now and then. He didn't even eat the rest of his cakes and sweets. This, of course, was the direct product of what he'd started calling 'What Ever the Hell Buddy was On'.

Thoughts danced and twirled around in his head, out of reach and infuriatingly out of control. The sound of Buddy saying his name was on replay in his ears, stuck like the chorus to a beautiful song. He'd realized, somewhat embarrassingly, after Buddy had left, that he'd called himself by name when he was talking to himself. And also, he was talking to himself like a lunatic in front of Buddy. For what felt like the millionth time, his palms pressed into his eyes, as if he could erase the memory of it.

Alas, they did not leave his cursed psyche as he stood to get ready for the train. He wasn't entirely sure where they would be meeting to board the express. He also wasn't entirely sure how the four or five suitcases ended up packed and ready to go just outside his door. Story reasons, he supposed.

He didn't know where the Express was. Still, he was sure that if he started walking in the direction Buddy had entered the night before, he'd either eventually find it or eventually find those who were already headed in that direction and follow along. It was a massive express, surely it had a massive… Express station in the castle, right?

Nevertheless, he found himself giddily smiling as he made his way, and vehemently told himself that it was because of the excitement of getting on a space train. And no other reason whatsoever.

Instinctively, his gaze traveled to where Buddy's room was as he passed it, right next to his. The door stood there still and quiet. Chase glared at it like it was laughing at him before heading down the hallway.

But he didn't even get to the staircase before his world was suddenly tilted. Something had grabbed him and was yanking him into a side room, forcing a "Hurrk!" from deep in his stomach. With a whoosh, he was flung into the dark room, left to stumble and regain his balance while the door, providing the little light available, slammed shut.

He was closed into complete darkness, with wide eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden change. "Whoa! What the hell?" He tried. Silence answered.

"Ah… Hahaha, very… Very funny." He said, arms reaching out blindly. The sound of fabric shuffling answered close in front of him, as if someone was shifting out of his reach. Chase adjusted his arms wider, trying to catch whoever it was. "B-Buddy? Is that you? Neat trick, dude, but I've kinda got a train to catch. And so do you, for that matter. If you wanted to play seven minutes in heaven, you could have just-"

Click

Chase froze. He may have never been in the presence of a gun before, but the telltale sound of one cocking was unmistakable. He swallowed hard, hands reaching up beside his head on instinct. His breath felt labored all of a sudden, lungs tight in his chest. Trapped behind his ribcage. He could feel sweat beading on his forehead. Chase waited. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but his heart had leaped its way into his throat, rendering him mute.

His eyes were finally, if slowly, adjusting to the darkness, and the small amount of light entering the room from the edges of the door cast light in a way that made this room feel larger than a closet. Another bedroom, perhaps?

Whoever it was didn't speak, only shuffled around behind Chase, in a way that felt somewhat unsure. Slowly, his head turned. A line of light guided Chase's eye up dark cloth, then pale skin and a strikingly azure eye.

A breath was released from him that he didn't realize he was holding, and Chase dropped his hands. "What the hell, Buddy?" He wanted to sound harsh, but his voice came out strained, like he was trying to catch his breath. He heard something gently thud against wood, like it was being put down gently. "First a knife and now a gun? Really?" He turned now, inexplicably trusting that Buddy wouldn't actually shoot him.

Eyes fully adjusting to the darkness now, and the little light from the door helping him along, Chase could see Buddy standing, half leaning against a small table, hands braced on it. Chase just glared at him. "Why'd you shove me into a room just to point a gun at me?!"

"What gun?" Buddy asked, eyes narrowed accusatively, but his tone was casual, as if he was surprised Chase would even ask such a thing.

Intelligently, Chase shoves him, as if in retaliation for scaring the shit out of him, "What the hell, dude!" The force behind the shove wasn't harsh, but Buddy still fumbles at the movement and backs into the table hard enough to tilt it back.

"Wait-wait-wait!" Buddy suddenly turns to lean over it, like he's trying to grab something, and Chase hears a sliding noise and then a loud thump and a crash-

BANG

White light splits the room in a fraction of a second, and Chase nearly jumps out of his skin, his hands instantly holding his ears and ducking to the ground. High-pitched ringing fills his head in the seconds of silence after, and he has to blink back the inky blackness that the flash reignited in his eyes. He thinks he hears shuffling. He thinks he hears the table righting itself to stand on all fours again.

When the initial shock leaves his body, fury launches him to stand up. "BUDDY, WHAT THE HELL!"

Chase can't really see anything. It's still murky and dark, even with his eyes readjusting again. But he could swear Buddy shrinks. Just a little. But Chase is too startled, too filled with adrenaline to care right now.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE A GUN?!" Chase was shaking a little bit, but at least the ringing in his ears was finally starting to calm down.

"I didn't, it was on the table! Which you pushed me into! It wouldn't have gone off if it hadn't fallen!" Buddy retorted, but Chase was hearing none of it.

"Why was it in here in the first place?!" Chase demanded, and when Buddy didn't answer right away, he added, "Exactly!" Chase could see the glint of Buddy's teeth in the light as he opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Chase interrupted, "I swear if you tell me it was for plot reasons…" Buddy's mouth shut, and Chase thought he could see him swallow. "You know what? I don't want to know!"

Chase turned and opened the door, illuminating the room. The gun on the floor behind the table. An ominous black scar on the ground near it. The shattered vase. He looked at Buddy only once. He thought he looked sad.

Then Chase left the room, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach.

Later, Chase had eventually found where the station was. Attached to the castle as he had assumed. Unfortunately, though, the castle was huge and confusing, and way too many of the halls looked the same. He had to find a group of people hauling luggage to follow before he finally found it. Buddy would probably say something about the author, clearly not writing much about the castle layout. But Chase wasn't thinking about Buddy right now. He was angry at him.. And rightfully so.

For some reason, though, the image of Buddy's face before Chase left the room, guilty and avoiding his eyes… He couldn't get it out of his head. He gritted his teeth against it, trying to convince his subconscious that he was mad right now, and he didn't need to see stupid Buddy or his stupid, sad eyes.

Thankfully, though, the train station he was now walking into gave him a good distraction. It was large enough that the light within was creating a sort of distant, hazy effect. Stone walls reached up to the domed ceiling, which was at least a hundred and fifty feet up, and nearly all of it was made up of glass panes to expose the starry, galaxy-filled sky above. The whole thing was like a long cylinder, which he supposed was the general shape of most train stations. At the far end where the train entered, there was a large, dome-shaped opening. Above it, reaching the ceiling was a wall of intricate domed latticework, like stained glass in a church, though the glass between was clear. Tall, steampunk-looking lights lined the stone walls, casting a warm glow onto everything.

But really, it was the train that had Chase's jaw dropping. The engine of the train was black with copper and gold striations. The various piping flowed in the way someone might pin cables against a wall. It didn't have a telltale horn at the head of it, which he supposed made sense. Who would even hear it in the vacuum of space? Instead, at the top of the engine car was a large headlight that blended easily down into the rest of it.

Behind the engine, many cars followed. All of them looked the same, though. That same black with copper accents, and windows that all seemed to have light within them. His gaze followed the cars back to the end of the actual building and beyond that.

The people he'd been following slowly started to make their way down the path, walking toward various entrances on the train to store the luggage they carried. Chase began his journey to the first car, where he could see Adhara's mother poking out of the car, ushering him in.

"What sort of time do you call this, young Lady? You were meant to be on board an hour ago! The train is about to leave!" She scolded. He actually doubted the train was literally about to leave. It was going to take time for the last people with luggage to get into the cars and then pack them. He dipped inside anyway with a mumbled apology as he entered the express.

The outside of the train, he realized, didn't hold a candle to the inside. The main reason was, it was bigger on the inside. Chase let out a low, impressed whistle, head on a swivel while he looked around.

Above him was a skylight like the ones in the station, stretching from one side to the other. The difference was that this was all one pane of glass, unobscured by beams or rivets of metal. It was simply an open view of the sky. He imagined it would be quite peaceful to sleep in this room. Something that you could theoretically do, too.

On either side of the car were two moderately sized step-down seating areas. And not seating areas like you would find on a train or plane. These were set up like miniature living rooms, two leather couches and two matching loveseats all facing one another, centered by a shin-high table that was covered in idle magazines and knick-knacks.

But the biggest tell of its warped perception of size was the large imperial staircases at the end of the car. On the landing above and down between the staircases were two twin doors. Both were black with gold designs, winding up the doors like delicate vines. The one on this floor was thrown open, and he could see the start of the next room through it.

If this were a video game, Chase would like nothing more than to explore every inch and secret this place had.

His enthusiasm dropped when he started walking over to one of the seating areas. Chase, in his awe of the inside of this train-car, hadn't noticed Buddy, who was sitting facing away from him on one of the couches.

Hesitation slowed his approach, and the image of Buddy's guilt-ridden expression flashed in his mind again. Chase ringed his hands together, then looked away from the back of Buddy's head. Even if Buddy did feel bad about the whole gun thing, and even if it was an accident… One of them could have seriously gotten hurt, and Buddy hadn't actually apologized for it. Looking guilty and feeling bad didn't count as an apology.

So Chase continued past him, down the center walk of the first train car, and out the open doors at the end. He didn't look around at what he thought was the sound of someone standing up.

The doors led seamlessly into the next car, as if it were just another room in a large mansion. There was no space between the cars that he had to step over, like on any other train he'd been on. He supposed that if this train was bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside, he could also believe that its train-like shape on the outside was only a basis for the inside, in that its layout was long instead of wide in any other manner.

The second car was smaller than the first, and Chase thought its only real purpose was to be a space filler between the first and third cars. Aside from two long couches on either side, some tables set before them every few feet, this car was rather simple. It also had no grand staircase like the first one. Another long, seamless window on either side lined the wall, giving ample view to the universe outside. Chase glanced up, and as expected, the ceiling of this room was much lower than the first one also. He wondered how long the second floor stretched on.

He soon got his answer, though. After about three more cars that duplicated the second, he came out into another car that looked more like the first, only this time he was on the side beneath the imperial staircases and their platform above. Instead of sitting areas on either side, though, this room had dining areas. Four total sections, two on each side, each with a round table and chairs that looked entirely like they were bought by rich star people. Golden bases with shining silver vines, backs that looked like they might be encrusted with jewels.

This room was also a bit wider, and maybe that was why he heard the cli-clack of a footfall behind him within the echo of this room. He glanced back, only enough to catch a golden-lined blue suit and dark hair in his peripheral vision. His lips pursed stubbornly, and he continued through the cars. If Buddy was determined to follow him, then let's see how long this train actually is.

Most of the cars simply looked like the first sequence of them. One room with stairs that led up, followed by several single-floored rooms in between, and ending with another room that had an exit point for the upstairs. If he had to guess, the second floor was likely where the rooms were. There were about three sets of these, and each time he entered a vacant dining area, he heard that same cla-clap behind him.

At one point, he fully turned his head to the side, making it more than obvious he had seen Buddy. Buddy just stood there, eyes averted. He looked brooding, and Chase wasn't entirely in the mood to see what that was all about, so he kept walking.

He thought he must be getting closer to the end of the train when they passed yet another sequence of the same six cars, and the door at the end of this one was closed and looked plainer than the others before it. Still elaborate, but with more wear and tare, like it had been entered and exited many times more than the others.

The workers' quarters, he realized when he entered. This first one was filled with dining carts all stacked with trays or dishes. Racks with aprons hung from them, lining some parts of the walls. Basically, anything you would need to run as a server, he imagined. This car also wasn't as long as the other ones, he realized when he reached the end of it quicker than he had expected.

A few workers dressed in black tuxes buzzed about. Some greeted him with a polite smile and small bow of their head, some avoided him and his gaze altogether, and one or two did a full bow, to which he dipped his head awkwardly and moved on. He might have stopped to tell them they didn't have to bow to him, but there was currently a moody goth cloud still following him, and he didn't want to slow his pace to meet it quite yet.

The car, after it was the same, more things anyone could imagine a large crew of service staff would need to run around the entire train.

The three cars following, he guessed, were the workers' actual living spaces. The hall thinned out considerably, looking much more like a hotel. Doors that lead into separate bedrooms lead him down between them.

Another glance confirmed that Buddy was still following him. Something like the ghost of a smile tugged at his mouth, but he simply rolled his shoulders and continued.

At the end of the last hotel-esc car, Chase pulled open the door to reveal a less elaborate, smaller version of the second car all the way at the front of the train. A couch that spanned the length of it ran down either side, windows open to the outdoors. He thought maybe a 'break room' of sorts for the workers. A few people were seated inside, but when he entered, they all shuffled out slowly. He felt a little guilty about that. Did they think he was here to tell them to get back to work? He hoped not.

But the real reason soon revealed itself, and Chase jumped as an intercom sparked to life somewhere in the room.

Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Let us take a moment to honor our Royal guests. Welcome, King Orion, Queen Lyra, and their daughter, the Lady Adhara, generously accompanied by their esteemed guests, King Altair and Queen Amalthea, and their daughter, the Lady Calypso.

The Stella Express will be taking off shortly, and we humbly ask all guests and staff to return to their rooms or remain seated for the initial jump!

We hope you enjoy your time on the Stella Express.

The intercom clicked off, and Chase looked around. He was quite far from the sleeper-cars and didn't even know which room was his anyway, so he took a seat on one of the available couches in this room. During the announcement, Chase had almost forgotten that Buddy had been following him until he watched him take a seat on the other side of the car. Buddy's arms were crossed, and he wasn't looking at Chase. He seemed… Pensive, still brooding as he was earlier.

He could just apologize. Why does he have to be so 'I'm Buddy and I'm so cool cause I don't show my feelings' all the time?

Chase crossed his arms too and mimicked him, looking away and instead out the window behind him.

A lurch, and the train was moving. Even Buddy's moodiness couldn't stop Chase's eyes from widening in awe at the view. He watched the train station slip away, and as they exited, the train slowly lifted into the air. From above, he could see the sprawling castle they had left behind. It looked akin to something you would find in any fairy tale book, except there seemed to be more of a focus on sci-fi elements about it. Rings around the tips of the towers, glass elevators on the outside. Domed walkways that Chase hadn't seen from the inside. And so so many of the roofs were just glass.

What he didn't see was a Kingdom surrounding the palace, as he might have expected. After a moment, he thought perhaps this might just be where their palace was. In a universe with magical flying space trains that could take you across galaxies in the matter of a day, he supposed they could afford to live separated like that.

There was another lurch, and the intercom clicked on again. This time, the voice sounded much more computerized.

Entering hyperdrive.

Chase braced his hands beside him, opting now to look out the window above Buddy's head for the sake of his neck, and watched as the universe washed around them. Colors he didn't think he'd ever seen before flashed and spun around the cabin. The light of it casting rainbows and swirls of light over the walls. He thought it sort of looked like that old lava lamp he used to have. And he couldn't help but gape at it in absolute wonder.

Then the colors began to slow, and the train lurched for a final time. All at once, the universe around them returned. Chase didn't have to be an astrologer to know that they were in a completely new part of space. Far off galaxies glowing blues and greens, some pinks and even yellows, stood stationary. Still an unimaginable distance away, but close enough to be observed.

Stars twinkled and cascaded around them. Some zoomed across the sky in the distance. Some clustered together, creating a light haze around their collective form. Some were brighter than others, and if he were to look closely enough, some were different colors, likely from far-off planets.

Chase caught sight of Buddy again, and it snapped him from his awe. Looking over, he remembered there was still a door left to open.

Stubbornly, he stood and walked over to the back door. Through the small porthole window, he could see it led out into a balcony of sorts. He went to push the door open, but hesitated a moment. That was space out there. Like, the actual cosmos. If he opened the door, wouldn't that just suck him and Buddy out into it?

But there was nothing special about this door. No heavy latch or locks. It didn't even look like those airlock doors you would see in space movies. It was just… A door. He was sure that if opening it would kill everyone, they would have at least put a warning sign on it or something, right? That and his hand was on the handle, and Buddy hadn't said a word, still seated behind him, but Chase could almost feel that piercing blue gaze on the back of his head. Moody or not, if opening this would kill them, Buddy would say something.

So Chase opened it. And it was entirely uneventful. The door swung open on a hinge that sounded like it could use some oiling, revealing the balcony at the end of the train. It was a fairly large space, Chase thought. The kind of space you could host a small birthday party in, if it were a large gazebo. He walked out to the edge of the railing; black and solid, twining with golden bars in the shape of intricate loops and bends between the top rung and the floor.

Chase leaned out over the guard and took in a deep breath. He could live out here, he thought. But his moment of tranquility was short-lived with the sound of footsteps and that old hinge squeaking again. Chase finally turned to face Buddy, who was leaning against the doorway, watching him cautiously. Buddy's eyes flickered down Chase's body and then back up to his eyes. Then he seemed to settle for staring out at a distant star instead.

"It's… Quieter out here than I would have thought," Buddy decided to start.

"Well… It is the vacuum of space and all." Chase answered sarcastically.

"Right… Wait-the what?" Buddy's brows knit together. The mildly guilty look he'd decided to wear all day suddenly fell away.

"What do you mean, the what?" Chase asked, now thoroughly confused. "Space is quiet, there's like, no atmosphere."

"How do you know that?" Buddy was looking at Chase as if he'd just sprouted a second head.

"What do you mean, how do I know that?" Chase asked, returning the same look to Buddy. "It's like, basic science! You learn it in elementary school, dude." Chase blinked. Why wouldn't Buddy know about something as simple as that? Everyone knew that space was a silent void. Worry ate at his stomach, and he couldn't help jumping to different conclusions about Buddy's situation with Ex Libris.

Buddy's eyes darted around Chase's face for a moment, bewilderment stark on his expression. Then he looked away with a sigh that sounded like he'd deal with it later. "Right… A lot on my mind, is all… Must have forgotten."

Chase wasn't entirely convinced he was telling the truth, but it did entirely seem like Buddy didn't want to delve into his lack of space knowledge due to living under a giant evil key book organization, so Chase shrugged and let the conversation lie. For now. Plus, he was still totally mad at him for the whole gun thing.

"Okay, well…" He started, scratching the back of his head, "Out with the real reason you've been following me around like a sad puppy all over this train, then." Chase said, putting on his most convincing neutral tone and crossing his arms.

Buddy seemed to take a deep breath and then returned his gaze to Chase. "The… The gun wasn't meant to go off…" Buddy started, pushing off from the door and taking a few cautious steps toward Chase. "It was a part of the scene, but… Calypso… She doesn't actually end up using it at all." A shrug. "Adhara isn't even supposed to find out she had it."

"This is sounding more like an excuse than an apology, Buddy," Chase grumbled, feeling a seed of doubt build in his stomach.

"Well, let me finish," He said, scratching the back of his head, as if Buddy, of all people, were nervous. His tone wasn't harsh, though, just… Pleading. Chase stayed silent but gave a small nod.

"In the story, the gun doesn't go off, and Adhara doesn't even find out Calypso had it until… Later on. So… When I pulled you into the room, I wasn't really thinking about it as an actual… Weapon… I guess… I-I guess I wanted to mess with you." Buddy looked away, and Chase could swear there was a dusting of pink on his cheeks when he did. "I didn't mean to scare you with it. Not really. And I definitely didn't mean for it to fire." He elaborated. "Honestly, I didn't even know it could go off since it was basically like a prop," He added quietly. "But, regardless," Buddy looks up and into Chase's eyes. "I'm sorry… Chase."

Chase swallowed back against the tingles his spine seemed to produce of its own will at the sound of Buddy using his name again. "That was…" Chase coughed into his fist. "Thank you, Buddy. That… Means a lot." A smile bloomed over Chase's features, and now he was sure he wasn't imagining the tint of pink on pale skin. "Do you think you could just… I don't know…" He waved his arm around to add emphasis, "Warn a guy before you drag him into a dark room and pretend to be scary with a loaded gun?"

At this, Buddy laughed, and Chase wasn't sure he'd ever heard something more endearing in his life. "Sure. I'll remember that next time."

"Oh no, there's a next time?" Chase asked with a lift of his eyebrows, unsure why the thought of Buddy trapping him in a room again caused his stomach to flutter. Probably just the movement of the train.

Buddy chuckled, "Not in this story, but… Maybe I can make it up to you?" Buddy moved to stand in front of Chase and extended his hand. A suitor asking for a dance.

"What?" Chase asked, keeping his arms crossed and eying Buddy skeptically, somewhat bewildered at the offer.

"Come on, I thought you were a dancer." He teased, waving his extended hand up and down as if assessing Chase. "Take my hand."

Chase looked Buddy up and down. "Whyyy do you want to dance?"

Now it was Buddy's turn to look exasperated, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the universe. "Because our characters are meant to dance in this scene. Actually, it's Adhara who asks Calypso to dance, but…" A shrug and another incline of his hand.

Chase didn't know why that reason felt a bit disappointing. "You mean we were meant to end up at the back of the train together?" Buddy just smiled, hand still extended. "Fine," Chase complied and placed his hand in Buddy's, "But you're leading this time! I can't see over your shoulders." He said and let Buddy pull him into a starting position.

Chase adjusted himself to Buddy, placing his other hand on his shoulder. His heart felt like it wanted to tear through his chest. "Wait, there's no music."

"Then we'll dance to our own beat."

Chase felt skeptical of this, even though his red cheeks seemed to disagree with that notion, but Buddy was already stepping. Chase followed his lead. It was slow, just a simple square turn around the balcony.

But, as they got used to each other, they both started to add some more flair. Buddy led him into a few spins, and their turns started to speed up. Without a song to guide their rhythm, Chase was sure they looked like they were all over the place. But they were keeping pace with each other.

If Buddy stepped, so did Chase. If Buddy lifted his hand, Chase knew to spin. Without really noticing, they both began to smile, laughing softly when Chase grabbed his train and made it twirl dramatically to the silence around them, or when Buddy dipped back, as if in a bow, or spun him more than three times.

Eventually, as their breathing grew more labored, they slowed again, falling back into the simple square turn. Then, unexpectedly, Chase felt Buddy's hand gliding to the center of his back, his other pulling Chase's hand down toward his thigh. Chase followed the bow smoothly.

Buddy's eyes never left his. He held Chase there for a moment. Both were breathing a little heavy. The artificial air around them suddenly felt too thick. Like someone had turned the humidity on. Against his will, Chase's eyes darted to Buddy's lips, and he could have sworn Buddy's did the same. Then he blinked and looked away from Chase.

Suddenly, he was being lifted out of the bow and back onto his feet. Buddy let go of him, and Chase felt colder because of it. He watched as blue eyes vanished behind raven hair, and Buddy bowed deep at the waist.

"Goodnight, Chase." And with that, he was gone, walking casually back through the train, leaving Chase feeling like his heart wanted to climb out of his throat.

Chapter Text

Cold metal bites into Chase's arms, draped casually over the railing on the patio at the back of the train. Casual though he may look, his mind is anything but. He finds he can't stop looking down at his hand, imagining pale, slender fingers gliding through his own. It feels cold now, he thinks, pursing his lips as he turns it over.

Even surrounded by stars and galaxies, things most people could only dream of seeing… Chase can only allow his eyes to catch on the specific blues; the golds woven throughout star systems so reminiscent of the thread woven between them.

The last time they'd danced was so starkly different from this. It was clumsy and unfeeling. True, that was mostly because Buddy had forced Chase to lead, which was a ludicrous idea to begin with. And because they had been arguing… But this dance? It was… Different. Light and giddy. He felt like Buddy was different, too. Friendlier. And maybe that was because he was still feeling lingering guilt from what had happened in the room, but… It was certainly a start.

Chase had let Buddy walk away, thinking it might be awkward if he were to catch up to him so quickly after that departure. And it would totally ruin Buddy's smooth exit, and Chase knew that would make him snooty. But he wasn't sure why he stayed back here so long. Idly walking over their dance, humming some faraway melody to the stars who couldn't hear him. He felt light, and he couldn't entirely tell if it was due to the artificial gravity being just slightly off, or something more that was left unsaid.

It wasn't until his stomach began grumbling to him that he was woken from his stupor. It had been a few hours now since he'd eaten last. It still spooked him that you could even feel hungry inside the book's timeline, even though time in the real world seemed to pass much more slowly. Maybe he would ask Buddy about it sometime. If Buddy was up to answering his questions.

Back through the train, Chase wondered what time it was meant to be now. It was always hard to tell in books, but when the outside world was nothing but star systems and far-off galaxies, it was harder. Well, he'd passed at least five different dining halls on the way to the back of the train; one of them was bound to have something to eat.

His assumptions were proven correct when he began his journey back through the cars. Servers in black tuxes buzzed about the worker cars like a hive of well-trained bees. They avoided him easily, focused on their task of running carts, carrying dishes, or tidying up. A few stopped to look at him questioningly, but were soon swept off into tasks that needed to be done. Serving rich people on an exquisite space train… Now that sounded like one hell of a summer job.

The very next car, the last dining car, he found to be filled with people. Nobles, he assumed, sat at the round tables, dressed as if they were all going to some sort of space prom. Chase refused to acknowledge his own very space-prom outfit in that moment.

At one of the tables, he spotted the kings and queens. Adhara's mother looked up when she spotted Chase, and he knew he was a little late, judging by the look on her face. Chase wondered if this dinner scene was already meant to be over by now and was just waiting on Chase to finally get the memo and stop ogling the stars.

There was only one seat available around the table, and of course, sitting right next to it was his favorite mall goth. Buddy's gaze seemed to be nowhere in particular, his chin resting on his palm. With all his manners and pompousness, Chase was surprised he was actually slouched.

"And where have you been, young lady? This is the second time today I'm finding you running late. It is so unlike you." Adhara's mother was shaking her head as Chase approached the table, dragging both he and Buddy's attention. Chase watched him sit up quickly, as if he hadn't just been daydreaming about something, and scoot his chair to let Chase into his seat.

"Right, sorry, I was just looking at…" A glance at Buddy as he sat down, "The stars."

"Yes, well… I suppose it has been a while since we have traveled this quadrant. I myself had forgotten how beautiful it is. Just make sure your stargazing doesn't cut into your time too much, Adhara. We're not here on some leisurely trip." The queen scolded him from across the table.

"Right, sorry about that." Chase mumbled before turning to Buddy, "That goodnight seemed pretty final, Buds. You coulda just invited me to dinner with you," Chase moved to lean his head on his palm to better look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Buddy asked, stabbing his fork into some sort of frosted pastry on his plate.

"Well, you were all," Chase pressed his hands to his chest dramatically and put on a voice, "'Goodnight… Chase." He put his hands down, "Like I wasn't gonna see you again for a while… But here we are, having dinner."

Buddy rolled his eyes, "I forgot about the dinner…"

"You? Forgot part of a story? Kinda like how you forgot that you can't breathe in space?" Chase couldn't control the smile that pulled at his face.

Buddy raised an eyebrow at him and opened his mouth as if he were going to say something else before sighing and saying instead, "Well, I w-am… Human. I just forgot," Buddy looked away, taking another bite of his fruity-glazed whatever it was.

"Mhm," Chase shoved another beadroll into his mouth, feeling giddy. "You can just admit that I distracted you," He taunted.

"You certainly did not," Buddy was glaring now. Chase just continued to smile.

"Are you just angry because your cool exit was ruined? I did try and give you time to walk away; it isn't my fault you have the memory of a squirrel." Chase shrugged.

Buddy scoffed, "I wasn't - it wasn't a - I just said goodnight."

"You bowed and everything, dude." Chase chewed idly on a chocolate croissant, and he could have sworn Buddy was staring at it like it might just jump out of Chase's mouth and into his hand. "You know, you could just ask," Chase said, already breaking off a piece.

"What?"

Chase broke the croissant in half and handed one side to Buddy, "You got a sweet tooth or something?" Buddy just blinked and took it slowly.

"Something like that," He answered simply, stuffing half of it in his mouth in one bite.

Chase shrugged and began shamelessly piling all of the baked goods immediately in front of him onto his empty plate. Buddy seemed too preoccupied with the chocolate croissant to comment on it this time.

The table fell into an easy silence as people ate. Chase was stuffing his face less than he had the night before, eyes far too occupied with stealing small glances at the boy next to him. Buddy had his own assortment on his plate. Aside from the main dish, there were a few chocolate muffins, some more of those chocolate croissants, and a few cookies. Chase raised his eyebrow at the pattern and may have commented on it had his view not been obstructed.

One of the wait staff had just stepped between them to fill both of their empty glasses with red wine. Buddy sat up straighter in his chair when the man left and was eyeing the glasses of wine as if they had personally insulted him.

"Don't tell me Mister High Class doesn't like wine." Chase chuckled to himself.

Buddy fixed him with another glare and grabbed his glass. "It's… Not my drink of choice, no." Buddy sipped at it and couldn't entirely hide his grimace. "And it's never good in books."

"Oh, really?" Chase reached for his glass. "I mean, I'm not a huge fan of wine myself, but reds aren't that bad." He tipped it up to take a sip, but it very quickly turned into a waterboarding attempt.

Buddy had put two fingers at the base of the glass and tilted it nearly upside down, emptying the contents all over Chase's face and down his front. Chase sputtered, coughing through the mouthfuls that now spilled over everything.

"Buddy, what the hell?!" He coughed, making to stand from his chair, which, of course, just allowed the wine to pour down his legs, soaking into his boots, completing the absolute ruin of what Silver had designed. Most of it, though, was soaking deep into the white shirt. Chase watched as it ate away at the clean fabric inch by inch.

"Ugh! Are you kidding me?" Chase directed a glare at Buddy that could turn off the sun. Buddy wasn't looking, though. His eyes were closed while he took another sip, as if he hadn't just dumped an entire glass of wine all over Chase. Everyone around them was dead silent, watching with shock and awe.

"Oh, darling! You should really be more careful." King Orion gasped.

"I should be more careful?! He's the one who did it!" Chase protested to no avail.

"Really, Chase, you should be more careful," Buddy piped in with an amused lilt in his voice.

"Martha, would you be a dear and help Lady Adhara to her room to… Freshen up?" The old maid from the castle, Martha, came out of seemingly nowhere and guided Chase by the elbows out of the room. Chase started to protest, but realized he didn't actually know where his room was, so he followed along. He shot a death glare back at Buddy, and this time he made eye contact. Something like regret flashed there for a moment, then was gone before Chase could really recognize it. And he didn't care anyway! Buddy should regret it! And he should hope Chase doesn't find where this train stores all its wine.

Indignity and annoyance radiated from him as they made their way up the stairs. The second floor of the train looked much like the living quarters of the other sleeper cars, in that it resembled a hotel hallway, doors lining either side. Unlike the other sleeper cars, though, these had an obvious amount more care put into them. If he saw this hotel in the real world, he'd think he'd gotten lost in a fancy resort.

Chase followed Martha, who fussed and grumbled about the stain it would leave in Adhara's beautiful dress. But Chase was far more concerned about the outfit Silver had made for him. It felt and acted like real fabric, so he could only pray that it didn't stain like real fabric, too.

Martha led him into a room marked with the number 137. When he was ushered inside, he was surprised by the change in scenery. For one, the train's ability to warp size wasn't limited only to the cars. He couldn't imagine a room of this size actually fitting behind its door and thin hallway. And for two, this room was much more sci-fi-looking than anything else had been in this book, though it still held elements of an older feel to it. The bed looked almost exactly like the one in his palace bedroom, except the canopy draping had a much more colorful galaxy look about it. For some reason, Chase found he liked the dark blue and gold of the other one better. His suitcases that he didn't pack were piled at the end of the bed, likely brought up by one of the workers.

Behind the bed was another floor-to-ceiling window. It didn't have curtains that he could see, though maybe there was some cool button he could push somewhere that would close it. Not that he particularly wanted to, though. Light filled the room, mostly from the top rim of the wall where it met the ceiling. The ceiling above him was made to look like a map of constellations, though Chase didn't recognize any up there. Different star system then, so they were likely not anywhere near Earth.

At the other end of the room was an open doorframe that led into a darkened adjacent room that Chase assumed was probably a bathroom.

"Oh, let's get you out of these wet clothes, dear," Martha started, closing the door behind them.

Chase just held up his sticky hands, "A-actually, Martha, I can handle this on my own." Martha looked confused for a moment, but seemed agreeable enough, telling him to call if he needed anything before leaving him alone in his room. Chase chanced a glance down at his clothes. It actually hurt to see how much wine had soaked into the soft, white fabric. With a groan, he made his way into the conjoined bathroom.

It was a long bathroom, he realized, with a two-sink counter. There was a toilet at the end of it, and behind that was a very large oval-shaped tub that looked like it might have a mechanism for an artificial waterfall along the back. "At least there's plumbing in this universe." He wasn't sure why there wouldn't be, but so many of these stories were set in the days before plumbing that he started to expect the worst.

Another glance in the mirror had Chase groaning all over again. Of course, he couldn't see himself, but with the way Adhara's silver gown looked, he could only imagine the full view of the damage he was dealing with. Why would Buddy do that?! And he thought they were starting to get along, too…

Chase grabbed a small hand towel from the rack and soaked it in warm water. He held his shirt out away from his chest and began scrubbing. "Stupid Buddy. Stupid red wine." He gritted his teeth, "Stupid dance."

He scrubbed and scrubbed, but it was doing very little. "With his stupid smug face and his stupid… Mean eyes and… And his stupid smile. And… Ugh! Stupid Buddy!"

"Well, that isn't very nice." Chase nearly fell over onto the counter.

"Buddy! What? Nothing! Why are you here?!" Chase flustered, cheeks going red with the hope that Buddy hadn't heard his angry ramblings. Buddy was leaning, in his usual way, against the doorframe of the bathroom.

"To check up," Buddy shrugged nonchalantly. Chase's fluster was forgotten about.

"To check up! Why not tell me why you dumped half a bottle of wine on me!" Chase demanded, using the wet hand towel in his hand as a pointer.

"It was not half a bottle," Buddy rolled his eyes. He just loved rolling his eyes, didn't he? "And it was also poisoned." He clarified. "Which you would know if you had read the book. I was kinda just hoping you wouldn't want to drink it at all."

Chase just stared at him, dumbfounded. "So-so… Let me get this straight." He put his hands together to emphasize his point, "And let it be one of the only things I ever get straight from you. I'm guessing you poisoned my wine, and instead of, I don't know, telling me, you decided to dump it on me like I wore white to a wedding?"

"Yes."

Chase blinked. Then inhaled deeply. "You know what.. Fine." Chase untucked his shirt from the wrap around his torso. Buddy shifted slightly. "Do the crime, serve the time," Chase pulled the shirt over his head. "You can wash it." And promptly chucks it at Buddy's face.

He actually expected Buddy to catch it, but he didn't. Instead, it hit him right where Chase aimed it with a wet thwup. Buddy quickly chucks it onto the ground with another plop and glares at Chase.

Buddy's face was red now, likely from the wine. He walked over to chase, stood quite close, and promptly snatched the wet cloth from his hands to wipe his face. Chase thought he still might look a bit red, and he wondered if even that small contact had stained his pale skin. "I don't have to, and neither do you," Buddy grumbled into the cloth. "There should be a spare set of clothes in your luggage."

"Right, storybook clothes, it'll poof as soon as I put it on, I've tried that before."

"You-" Buddy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Never mind. And no. It isn't just storybook clothes. Or it shouldn't be. In the story, Calypso does spill the wine on Adhara to keep her from drinking it, so Silver probably packed you a spare outfit in case that happened."

"Oh… You think?" Chase looked up at Buddy hopefully, and Buddy, for once, didn't avert his gaze. "I didn't know they could do that…" He pondered for a moment, "Hey, I wonder if she made me an astronaut suit too." He chuckled at the idea, anger starting to leave him now.

"A what suit?" Buddy asked, raising an eyebrow as if he'd never heard of such a thing.

Chase looked at him, a bit concerned. "An… Astronaut suit? You know, the things you have to wear in space?"

Buddy looked down at his outfit and then down at the rest of Chase's before quickly looking back at his, "These… look like any other clothes we'd wear in stories?"

"Wh-" Chase blinked and knitted his brows together, "Have you never seen an astronaut? Like, ever? Did you not watch the moon landing in school?"

Buddy blinked, "The moon, what?"

Chase looked flabbergasted. "You mean you didn't watch the video of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon?"

Buddy, to his credit, looked quite composed for someone whose entire reality seemed to be reshaping before his eyes. "Guess I forgot…"

If Chase's brows got any higher, he was sure he'd be forcing his hairline to recede. "You forgot one of the biggest moments in human history? Is seeing me shirtless that distracting to you?" Chase might be confused and deeply concerned about Buddy's lack of education on such a topic, but if there was a taunt to be slipped in, he wasn't missing the opportunity.

"Well," Buddy made a show of dragging his eyes down Chase's exposed chest, taking another step closer. "Maybe you're very distracting."

Chase took the bait, hook, line, and sinker, of course, letting all of his conscious thoughts try to dissect what Buddy was saying. He concluded that Buddy was just trying to throw him off topic, which worked, but only because Chase wasn't going to pry if Buddy didn't want him to.

He felt like they were staring at one another for a long time before he felt a warm cloth against his cheek and realized it was Buddy who was pressing it there, "Little idiot." He breathed.

Chase just scoffed, "Jerk," but made no move to stop Buddy as he wiped gently at his likely wine-stained chin. "You could have still told me it was poisoned," He grumbled half heartedly. Any talk of the moon and Buddy's lack of knowledge around it was left behind for another time.

Buddy chuckled a little bit, "What would be the fun in that?"

"Fun like making me angry?" Chase shot back, but there wasn't much bite to it.

"Fun like this." Buddy clarified, and Chase could swear his heart had just entered into a horse race with Boris.

"Seeing me covered in wine and smelling like a liquor store?" He tried to clarify. Buddy just hummed in response. Chase was sure he was holding his breath while Buddy's eyes seemed to drag from his own and down his torso again. Then he was looking away, pressing the towel back into Chase's hand. Buddy's fingers lingered against his for a moment before he turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Chase. Actually, this time." And with that, he was gone, walking out the door in somewhat of a hurried pace. Perhaps he had some other plot things to get to. Chase watched where he disappeared for a beat longer than he thought he should have.

He blinked and took a deep breath before he piled his soggy wine suit into one of the corners of the bathroom. Chase eventually found the outfit where Buddy said it would be. He wasn't sure why he was surprised it was actually there, but he held Silver in his hand and thanked her profusely for her forethought.

The tub at the back of the bathroom, Chase found, did in fact have a waterfall-esc method of filling. Beneath a blind lip poured a line of water, and on either side of the water were two lines of a nice lilac-and-rose-scented soap, mixing into the water and giving him a nice bubble bath to step into.

It was warm against his sticky, wine-stained skin. Perfectly tempered in what Chase would assume was because it was in a book and not actually real. No matter what Buddy said, things certainly seemed real in books. He could smell and taste. He could feel and move, and when he did, he could feel himself tiring. Like if he had to run or do a million chores, he could feel the wear on his body from it.

He could feel when he danced.

Slowly, Chase's hands glided together, and he studied them. He tried his best to get his right hand to mimic the specific feeling of another. Tugging and gripping at his fingers to guide him through the world. His face was suddenly feeling very warm, and he wondered if the temperature of he tub might actually be too high. He pressed the back of his right hand to his lips and let out a long, labored sigh. Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to rest back against the curve of porcelain.

Raven hair and striking eyes.

Dark cloth lined in gold.

Stepping and twisting.

Laughing and spinning.

Ceaseless, his imagination plunged forward. Sending him into untold stories and unknown worlds. Letting him see things that weren't real. Things that hadn't happened yet. Things that, maybe, he'd longed for. Things that had been plaguing his subconscious all day and were finally let loose to roam around this tranquil space, tangling with the suds and rising steam. Allowed to exist in this moment…

And allowed to dissipate to the back of his mind once again when this moment of calm was gone.

Chapter Text

Chase realized two things. The first was that his outfit had far more parts than he had initially thought. Aside from the obvious gold threads, there was also a very long bit of fabric that Chase guessed might have been the wrap around his torso. When he'd taken the other one off, he sort of just shimmied it down. He didn't know it was a whole… Thing.

The second thing he realized was that the shirt and pants, which turned out to be closer to footed leggings, made for insanely comfortable pajamas in place of any actual pajamas. He knew the night likely wouldn't last more than another few hours at most, but he was still hoping to squeeze in a proper nap after nearly falling asleep in the tub. An unpleasant experience, to say the least. So, deciding to figure out the whole wrap thing later, Chase settled for shrugging on the loose-fitted shirt and flexible gold-lined pants.

Eventually, he figured out the lighting of his room. There was an intuitive little pad next to the bed. A swipe of his fingers up and the light grew brighter; a swipe of his fingers down and it dimmed or turned off. Side to side changed the color, which he did play with a little bit… For about ten minutes. Maybe twenty. Okay, he played with the different lights for much longer than he should have, but eventually he turned them off and nestled into the thick sheets.

He felt warm and comfortable. He could never get over how beds felt in books. Sometimes he wished he could jump into a book just to sleep. But Buddy would never let him do that. He watched the shooting stars and twinkling galaxies out his window. His eyelids grew heavy as he watched, and eventually he let them shut.

His world was color and darkness. Bright lights twinkled at him from afar, sending their unknown coded messages through time and space.

He was weightless.

Floating through the galaxies like they were clouds, gliding around his limbs, his fingers, through his hair like caring hands.

His feet came to land upon a surface. It was invisible, reflecting the cosmos around him, and rippled when he moved. Chase walked along this path, small planets and star systems gliding around him. Past him.

He didn't know how long he had been walking before he spotted him. Buddy was ahead of him a ways still, but he was curled in on himself, arms wrapped tightly around his knees, face buried out of sight. He looked to be made of nothing but shadows, like the negative space between the stars. And his skin, the little he could see, seemed muted, grayed as if he'd lost all saturation.

Chase reached out with a hand, and as he did, the scene changed before he entirely noticed. Buddy was standing in front of him now, face blank in the neutrality you might see in a doll, and his eyes stared blankly at nothing. His hand had extended to meet Chase's, and their fingers pushed to entwine, but didn't close.

Chase moved their hands to the side and lifted his other. Buddy mimicked the movement, and now both hands were semi-locked together.

"Buddy?" Chase tried, but no sound came from his throat, swallowed in the nothing. Instead, Chase removed one hand and pressed it to Buddy's cheek. Buddy reacted, leaning into it, but his movements were stiff, cricking like… Like a doll.

Chase stroked his thumb there and realized he was cold. Cold, unlike anything Chase had ever felt from someone before. A tear slipped onto Chase's thumb, and he watched it. It looked like a tiny star, shining and glinting against their skin.

"I can't-" Buddy choked out, blue eyes shifting to look into Chase's. Unlike when Chase spoke, he could hear Buddy. But he sounded far away. Whispering.

And then Buddy dropped, sinking into the water they had been standing on.

"Buddy!" But nothing came from him.

Still, Chase reached, hand delving into the liquid below him. But it was thick, and his arm was stuck at the elbow. Buddy continued to fall through it, and Chase continued to cry out.

"Buddy! Please, let me help you!"

Silence.

Chase inhaled deeply as the world returned to his senses. Honey brown eyes opened, hazily watching the outside world. He was sweating, he realized. And as the dream flooded his memory, Chase sat up, eyes wide and wild as he stared out into the quiet.

It took a moment of heavy breathing, hands in his hair, maybe some rocking, to shake the feeling of dreaming from his conscious mind, but the memory of it stuck with him. It was strange, looking at it awake. And it made his gut twist painfully.

Without a sun, it was impossible to tell what time it was, and of course, the lights in his room were manually controlled and not set on a cycle like the castle seemed to be. But the train felt… Quiet still. And as he sat up, there was a heavy feeling over everything. Like those nights you wake at three in the morning and the world is still resting.

Chase slipped out of the bed and made his way to the door of his room, arms wrapped tightly around himself. A walk. Walking had always helped him after nightmares. It gave him the space to study it without judgment. The hallway was dark. A light lined the pathway just enough to see by. That answered his question of whether this train had a day-night cycle.

Chase stepped out into it, letting the dream wash over him again and again. It was strange, and he couldn't stop hearing the choke in Buddy's voice, or the way his head tilted, like it was an old, rusted joint, fixed in place for so long it had forgotten how to move. And when he dropped-

Chase swallowed back the hollow feeling inside his chest.

He didn't know where he was going, only that wandering the train, pacing around after such a dream, might help him decipher it, or forget it. He was on a weird (if cool) space train with Buddy, of course, his dreams might just be weird. But something about it felt… Foreboding.

Chase continued through the cars, walking from the second floor back down to the first. He paused at one of the common rooms to gaze out at the cold universe beyond the express. He didn't recognize any of the star patterns that surrounded Earth, but it was comforting nonetheless. The very quiet of the train was a comfort to him, and he thought he might just fall back asleep here on the long couch, properly able to stare out at the stars. Maybe it would take him back to that dream, and he could figure out what it was about.

Creak

Chase froze and looked up from where he sat. The stairway that led up to the second floor was illuminated with light as the large two-door opened. Chase stood from the couch and walked over to the stairs, watching the light sink back behind the door as it closed. From this angle, standing near the railing, he couldn't see who stood up on the overlook. "Buddy?" He whispered, eyes watching hopefully.

"We're almost at Antares, Calypso." A stern voice speaks, and Chase thinks he may recognize it. He certainly recognizes the name of Buddy's character, but something about that tone forces him to step back, slinking into the shadow of the stairway.

"I'm aware, mother," Came Buddy's voice, lilted as he spoke in character. Chase could feel his heart picking up its pace, like he wasn't supposed to be here for this.

"What has stalled your hand?" Chase couldn't see the Queen's face, but she sounded suspicious. Implying something she didn't entirely know but was placing a gamble on.

"Adhara is… Different." Came Buddy's voice again. "She's careful about when and where we're alone. Any open opportunities would immediately point to me, to our family, as the culprits." Chase knitted his eyebrows before remembering that Buddy's character was supposed to be trying to kill him the entire time. Thinking on that, he was curious how this book was meant to end. So far, Calypso had thwarted all of her own attempts if what Buddy had been saying was true. Choosing not to fire the gun and spilling the wine before he could drink it.

"And the wine? That was a perfect opportunity." Hissed the Queen. They began making their way down the stairs, and Chase shrank further into the shadows.

"The wine was an accident. I cannot help if Adhara is clumsy." Chase pressed his lips together and shook his head, as if mocking what Buddy had said silently. The other book characters must have only seen Adhara dumping the wine, and missing the fact that it was Calypso who dumped it.

"What is your plan then?" She asked, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm… Working on gaining her trust." Chase stilled. "It will be easier to lure her into a more discreet setting without drawing attention to the family then." There was a long moment of silence.

Chase caught a glance of Buddy's face, which was neutral and unfeeling. Something about it reminded him of the expression in his dream, and he shuddered. But his mind was catching on to Buddy's terminology. Working on gaining her trust.

"Be sure you do it quickly, then, daughter. Time is of the essence." Chase watched them begin walking away, and by the time they were at the other end of the car, Chase quietly made his way up the stairs, thanking his past self for not putting his boots on before he left.

His foot shffed against the hardwood as he stumbled, and he sped his way to the door. A glance behind him confirmed that the two were making their way into another car, and he slipped into the upstairs hallway.

Chase made his way quickly back to room 137 and shut the door hard behind him. He was breathing heavily for some reason, and his eyes were darting around the dark room.

Working on gaining her trust.

Working on gaining his trust.

Chase swallowed hard, and he could feel a familiar piercing sensation behind his nose. Why? He couldn't stop the replay in his mind that churned through him. Before this book, Buddy was mean, pushing him around, downright bullying him to get what he wants.

What he wants.

Chase gripped Silver in his hand. This book, Buddy, was different. He felt it after that first night. The knife thing seemed typical for Buddy. But the gun, and then apologizing for it? And the-

Chase grabbed his hand.

It was different, he realized. A haze over his mind was lifting. It was different. Buddy was acting differently. Friendlier. But was he? Everything that had happened in the story was supposed to happen. It was the book. And Buddy was following it.

Chase ran a shaky hand through his hair and made his way over to the bed. He was breathing hard, and pieces seemed to be falling into place. Anger was boiling to the surface at the realization. At his own stupidity. Because of course. It made sense, didn't it? Buddy had made it very clear from the start what he wanted. What he was after. His strategy before wasn't working, so of course, he would try something else.

Buddy was right.

He was stupid. So… So stupid.

Chase fell back on the bed, gripping Silver tight. Or maybe he was just gripping his chest. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. Not much, before there was a knock at the door. He knew immediately who it was and didn't answer. A tentative, "Chase…?" and then the door was creaking open.

Chase didn't move from his spot, staring up at the ceiling, legs draped over the edge, like he'd dramatically fallen there. He supposed he had.

"I am never believing another goodnight from you again, Buddy," Chase rolled his head to look at him as he entered the dark room. His voice felt hollow, though, dulled.

"Well, technically it's early in the morning, so-"

"Whatever." It was curt, and he thought he saw a flash of surprise behind those blue eyes before looking away.

The door shut, and a moment later, there was a weight on the bed, somewhere on the other side above his head. "I saw you," Buddy finally said.

"In the parlor," Chase stated factually.

"Yes."

There was a thickness in the air between them, and Chase felt hesitant to address it. His heart was twisting painfully, affected by the dream and his sudden realizations... "Was I supposed to be there?" He finally asked.

"Yes…" Buddy sighed. "Adhara is meant to overhear the conversation. But Calypso isn't meant to see her. Or follow." Chase saw Buddy's hand wave to gesture the room from the corner of his eye..

"You? Going out of character?" Chase asked sarcastically, but it felt… Flat.

"I'm not infallible, Chase." It seriously felt like Buddy was going to add something else to that statement. He looked hesitant, leaning and staring down at Chase… Those damned eyes.

"Did you mean what you said?" Chase asked, staring up at him unflinchingly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific," Buddy said into the quiet.

"About… Working to gain trust?" Chase breathed. His chest felt tight with anticipation.

"That's…" Buddy paused, and something like realization slipped into his features for a moment before it was gone. "That's what Calypso tells her mother. But she doesn't mean it."

Chase narrowed his eyes at Buddy and took a deep breath, "But… Did you mean it?" His voice was barely a whisper. The quiet holding out hope. Waiting. Watching. Listening.

"Let's not speak in riddles, Chase." Buddy breathed back. A silent request for clarity. For information. And Chase tended to agree. No one ever got anywhere by talking around things.

"Are you just… Gaining my trust? All you've been… Everything-… I thought maybe..." Chase swallowed, "I thought maybe we were actually starting to get along." He settles on.

"Are we not?" Chase hated how pointed Buddy was being.

"Not if it was all fake, Buddy." Chase ends up snapping more than he intended to, and Buddy looks away.

"You're assuming things based on what I said in character," Buddy points out. As if that's an answer enough. "It wasn't Calypso's truth." He adds quietly.

"But it's yours," Chase said, voice catching harshly in his throat, and he tried to swallow it down.

"I didn't say that," Buddy says quickly, looking back at Chase again. The intent was so strong in his gaze, Chase couldn't help but stare.

"But everything…" Chase pauses. Everything they've done? What have they done aside from dancing? "You've just been going along with the plot. Doing what the story wants." Chase revised, though Buddy gave him a look that said he knew exactly what Chase was about to say.

"How do you know, you didn't even read it," Buddy throws back, and Chase can't help but see his point.

"Because you've told me." Chase grits.

"I've told you when what we do does follow the plot." He answered, eyes flickering down on Chase's face for a moment before he looked away once more.

"Yeah, and that's been after everything," Chase felt himself getting frustrated. Buddy said he didn't want to talk in riddles, but he wasn't answering anything straight either.

"Has it?"

Chase was quiet for a long while. Buddy had checked up on him when he went to change. He was pretty sure Calypso wasn't supposed to do that. And he was here now… He was sure Calypso wasn't meant to do this… Buddy had told him that Calypso doesn't notice Adhara. But those were two instances… Everything else-

Chase could still hear Buddy's laugh as they danced, and he closed his eyes against the sound.

"Answer with only yes or no… Are you… Trying to get closer to me?"

There was another long moment of silence, then a quiet, "Yes."

Chase felt his heart twist painfully. "Are you trying to gain my trust?"

"That's the result of getting closer to someone, is it not?" Buddy reasoned.

"Yes or no, Buddy," Buddy pursed his lips.

"Yes, then." Buddy slowly lay back on the bed next to him, aligning their heads.

"Was this your plan the whole time?" Chase felt like there was a heavy weight pressing into him.

"I-… At first, yes… It was a plan… Of sorts," Chase felt himself flinch. "But now-"

"Now what, Buddy?" Chase asked, and he could feel the thickness in his throat. He hated it. He hated this.

"Now it's… Different."

"Different?" Chase scoffed and turned onto his side to face Buddy. "Different, how?"

"I… I don't know."

"Tell me."

"I can't tell you what I don't know, Chase."

A sigh, and Chase was sitting up on the bed. "One more question, then. And you have to answer yes or no."

"Why do you get to make the rules?" Buddy asked.

"Because I'm not the one on trial here." Chase answers simply.

"I'm on trial now?" Buddy shook his head and sat up with Chase.

"One more question." Chase insisted.

"Fine."

"Are you just trying to get closer, or gain my trust, or whatever, just to get information from me?" He was holding his breath, unable to look over his shoulder at Buddy.

"No." Buddy's answer was almost immediate, and Chase felt something lift from his chest. Just a bit. Of course, he could be lying. But Chase didn't want to think that. He wanted to trust him. He wanted… Needed to give Buddy a chance.

"I trust you." And maybe he needed to say it out loud for it to really sink in.

"Little idiot," Buddy breathed, a sarcastic sort of amusement playing on his lips. "You trust too easily.

"And maybe you don't trust enough." Chase pointed out, turning to look back at Buddy on the other side of the bed. He found that he was also looking back at him.

For a while, or maybe only moments, they sat there in the silence around them. Chase watched in his peripheral vision a bright shooting star pass out the window. The light of it outlined Buddy's figure, catching in his eyes in a way that had Chase leaning toward him in awe. He could have sworn Buddy shifted.

Then his bright eyes were moving down Chase in a slow manner that made his skin feel like it was on fire. "Where's the rest of your clothes?" Chase blinked, not expecting the question, and certainly not expecting how warm it made his ears feel.

"What?" He looked down at himself to see the white untucked shirt and the form-fitting pants beneath, but nothing else. No flowy train or tight waistband, and none of the intricate gold wraps. "Oh," He giggled, and the sound made him feel lighter, officially putting behind all that had been said. "I uh, couldn't figure out how to… wrap it…" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't suppose you could… Help me out with it?"

Buddy's brows rose a bit, and he stood from the bed. "How do you know I know how to do it?" Chase just watched him wryly. Buddy sighed, "Fine," and gestured with his arms for Chase to stand up.

"So… Friends then?" Chase asked as he stood, gathering the pile of intricate gold-woven fabric he'd left next to the bed and placing it out neatly in parts onto the bed.

Buddy examined the clothing and grabbed the layered train first. "Lift your arms." He instructed, and Chase did. Buddy leaned in close, looking down over Chase's shoulder to press it into his back and pull the loose ends forward. Chase found it insanely hard not to take a deep breath of Buddy's scent.

"Can you answer me?" Chase asked softly, looking down and watching Buddy's deft, now gloveless hands work to tie the two ends. When had he taken those off?

"Can we be friends, Chase? We don't know much about each other. And there's still…" Buddy didn't finish, but he didn't really need to. There was still the matter of the keys, always beneath the surface of everything. Buddy took some time rearranging the skirts so they held Chase more evenly.

"Maybe being friends would make things… Easier?" Chase asked.

Buddy grabbed the long wrap from the bed and unwound it, letting the long end of it fall to the ground. He pressed the end in his hand to Chase's stomach, right over the shirt and where he'd tied the train. Chase tried to suppress a shudder at the ghostly feeling of Buddy's fingers moving. "Hold this here," He instructed.

Chase did as he was told and pressed his hand over Buddy's. Electricity zapped through the contact points, and Buddy shifted to look Chase in the eyes. There was a breath, and then Buddy moved his hand from under Chase's and let him apply the pressure. "What do you think?" Chase asked, voice a near whisper.

Buddy slid his hands along the fabric about a foot and held it taut. He began to wrap it around Chase's back and back over where Chase's hand was. "You can move your hand now," Buddy instructed and continued to wrap it around Chase's waist.

"Buddy… Answer me." Chase said, searching to meet his eyes, but Buddy was focused on his task.

Still, the ghost of a smile played at the ends of Buddy's mouth, "How about… Acquaintances?" He proposed, instead, coming to the end of the wrapping.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Chase asked flatly. Buddy moved to stand behind Chase, tucking the end of the wrap into itself.

"No, it means… Not quite friends but… Maybe something similar." Buddy spent a good amount of time fiddling with the wrap, Chase assumed, to make it look seamless. He wasn't complaining. May have even leaned into the subtle strokes of slender, gentle hands on his back.

"I like friends better." Chase amended, looking proud of himself for making such a choice. "Appliances sounds like a coward's word for a friend."

"Acquaintances," Buddy corrected, moving to focus his attention on straightening out the skirts of his train.

"That's what I said," Chase shrugged. Buddy grabbed the golden tassels and decorative wraps from the bed.

"If it gets you to drop the subject, then fine. We're friends. But that's it…" As if that boundary needed clarifying. Chase felt his ears heat, and the reminder of Buddy's hands around his waist while he tied everything in place wasn't helping.

"Well, what else would we be?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he tried to choke them back in, to no avail.

Buddy's hands stilled in their task, and his eyes shifted to look down into Chase's, "What else is there?" He asked simply, if a bit breathless.

"I-" Chase started, but Buddy was looking away again, back down at his task, busying his hands. Chase took a shuddering breath. "Nothing, I guess… Friends then." But he felt somewhat disappointed with that conclusion. Buddy's shoulders slouched a bit, but he continued his work silently.

"There," He said, tying off the final golden strand and stepping away from Chase. He mourned the warmth. "We'll be arriving in Antares tomorrow," Buddy informed him, shifting to grab his gloves from the bed. So that's where they went. "You know how to waltz… Do you know any other Ballroom Dances?"

Chase was taken aback by the question while he shifted his boots back on. "I um… My tango is good… Why? Is there another dance?" His cheeks felt heavy.

"Well, it is a ball to announce our-… Adhara and Calypso's engagement." He stated, gliding over the vocal stumble without looking at Chase.

"Oh, right," Chase said, his mind suddenly galloping at the idea. "What… What kind of dance is it?"

"A tango."

"Right…" He let out a breath, feeling his hands and feet tingle. Tangoing was easily one of his favorite styles of ballroom dancing. It felt freeing, whereas Waltzing felt restrictive and controlled. "Can you… Tango?" Chase asked, suddenly wondering how awkward it would be if Buddy didn't.

"Of course I can, idiot." He snipped back, but there wasn't too much bite to it. Chase smiled.

"Oookay, touchy. We'll see about that. I've had ten years of dance classes, though. I'm practically a black belt." He crossed his arms smugly.

"Isn't that- Never mind." Buddy rolled his eyes, but Chase could tell he was amused. "It's just written pretty…" Buddy circled his wrist as if finding the right word, "Flippantly… in the book. Lots is left up to the reader's interpretation, so…" Buddy coughed, "We could… Have fun with it, if you want. It doesn't have to be a-… Well, it doesn't have to be basic, I guess."

Chase raised an eyebrow at him and did a little twirl, letting his newly secured skirts flutter around him. "Does any of this look basic to you, Buddy?"

"No," came a breathy reply that had Chase pausing in his spin. Buddy held a fist up to his mouth, looking away. "Just obnoxious." But it didn't really sound convincing.

"Whatever, jerk. I know I look fabulous." Chase smiled.

"Fabulously peacock-ish." Buddy corrected with a scoff.

"Hey! You don't look all that bad yourself, mister," Chase crossed his arms with a pout, as if what he said was meant to be an insult.

Buddy let a sly smirk creep over his face, and he took a step toward Chase. "Oh? You think?"

Chase caught himself ogling Buddy. "I-I do." Suddenly, the air felt thick, and something in his stomach twisted again.

Buddy stepped closer to Chase, hands tucked into his pockets, casually. Chase swallowed but didn't move to step away. He could feel Buddy's breath against the shell of his ear, and it sent a shudder down his spine. "See you at the dance, Chase." He whispered.

Chase couldn't possibly help that he was trembling a little bit when Buddy made his way back out of Chase's room.

Chapter Text

Breakfast was already prepared by the time Chase made his way downstairs. Instead of the formal setting from the dinner the night before, breakfast seemed much more… Continental. There was an entire table dedicated to different breakfast pastries. Cinnamon rolls and croissant egg sandwiches, sweet buns and donuts. Chase, naturally, made a beeline for this table, but passed others on the way. Like a table with things he thought might be for cereal, and a whole pot full of oatmeal. There was even a coffee and tea table to make yourself a cup if so desired. It was nice, Chase thought, being in a more modern technology book, even if this was technically supposed to be futuristic.

It was, he'd decided, by complete coincidence that Buddy also happened to be standing in front of the pastries table, piling a small plate with several different things. A brownie, a chocolate-covered croissant, and a chocolate cinnamon roll, which Chase didn't even notice they had—Would it even be a cinnamon roll at that point?—and Buddy was currently reaching for the cookies.

"So- a chocolate sweet-tooth," Chase commented on the pattern from behind Buddy, who stiffened suddenly. Coming up to the table, he only now noticed that Buddy had one brownie hanging out of his mouth. The image made him feel giddy inside, seeing something so normal and casual from Buddy of all people. Butterflies fluttered away in his stomach. "Noted~." He sang.

There might have been a light dusting of pink on Buddy's cheeks that Chase decided to look past, focusing instead on his eyes that were just a bit wide, surprised perhaps, to find that Chase was paying attention to his food choice. Then he blinked and looked away, leaving Chase to mourn the sight of azure meeting honey brown.

"You know, your dramatic entrances are good," Chase remarked, grabbing a plate for himself to pile his own delights onto, "But you really gotta work on your exits. This is the third time that they've been a lie."

At this, Buddy narrowed his eyes, finished the bite of brownie in his mouth, and placed the rest back on his plate. "I haven't been lying."

A half smile crept its way onto Chase's face, "You said 'goodnight' twice, and both times you saw me again within like, twenty minutes. And then you said, 'See you at the dance,' all saucy-like and yet here we are, at breakfast still on the train, and not at a dance."

Buddy's ears turned a little pink, and he looked away. "It isn't my fault you cling to me like a baby monkey." He grumbled.

"Two of those times you came back to me. Maybe I'm just that irresistible." Chase smiled, nudging Buddy's elbow with his own.

Rolling his eyes in typical dramatic Buddy fashion, he grabbed three chocolate cookies. "Vanity, thy name is Chase."

"I thought my character's name was Adhara," Chase replied innocently.

"It's Shakespeare."

There was a pause between them, and then. "No, I'm pretty sure it's Adhara."

A long, labored sigh made its way out of Buddy's lungs, "Never mind, little idiot." He shakes his head affectionately, ruffling Chase's hair with his free hand.

Chase freezes a little, but Buddy lets his hand linger there for a moment, their eyes locked onto one another. Then he's moving his hand away, almost abruptly, like something sharp poked him, and murmurs something about going to sit down. Chase brushes his fingers through his bangs, wondering why the short contact made him feel somewhat cold with its absence.

Watching him go, eyebrows lifted in mild confusion, Chase idly picks out a few more rolls and savory things for himself. With a glance at what he was doing, he noticed a significantly smaller number of chocolatey treats on the table. He smiled, tucking that knowledge away like it was a precious thing, and began walking toward where Buddy was seated.

"Adhara, dear!" Chase blinked, pausing in his tracks, and turned to see Adhara's mother approaching. He cast a glance back toward Buddy, lamenting that he would have to wait to join him.

"U-um, yeah?" He asks, fully turning to face the Queen now, hoping this conversation will conclude quickly.

"Darling, why don't you join me for breakfast this morning? There is much to discuss for tonight's ball, and I would like to do it before we arrive in Antares." Queen Lyra wrapped her arm around Chase's shoulders and began guiding him in the opposite direction.

"Oh, hang on actually… Uh, mother, can I just-" Chase pulled back against the tug on his shoulders, but it seemed to hardly faze the Queen. "I mean, can we maybe talk later? I wanted to-" Chase looks back over his shoulder, and his jaw nearly hits the floor.

In Buddy's place was an empty—and he means empty; no crumbs or anything—plate sitting neatly on the table. There were at least twenty different chocolate pastries and breakfast-y treats on that plate! It couldn't have been more than a few seconds; a minute at most between watching him go and sit down and now. Buddy was already making his way back up the stairs to the second-floor rooms.

Struck stupid by the absolute realization of how quickly Buddy had to have scarfed down that food, Chase was dragged away by the Queen. They sat at one of the far tables, tucked into the corner, and by the time they got over there, Chase had had some time to process what he just—or rather didn't—witness. He shook the rest of it from his mind, saving the information for a later date, and decided to just focus on what the Queen was saying. This must be important to the plot, which was probably why Buddy made to leave so quickly from the scene.

"Adhara, my dear, how are you feeling?" Chase, already tonsil deep into a cinnamon bun, blinked a bit at the question. "It is just, you never returned to dinner after what happened last night." She gestured vaguely at him, and for a moment, Chase could only think of gloveless hands and unfulfilled goodnights. For another moment, he could only think of a shadowed figure and hoarse vocals. Then he realized she was talking about the wine.

"O-oh, right. I'm feeling fine; it was a long day yesterday, is all. I just decided to sleep instead." Chase replied, grabbing another roll.

"Ah, yes. I understand." The queen seemed to fidget with her fingers upon the table. Chase studied it, thinking it an odd thing to do for a Queen.

"Um… Are-are you… Alright?" He asked a bit sheepishly. Chase had never given much thought to the storybook characters before. They were all following a script more or less. Figures on a set path forever circling a clock, only chiming at exact times. He had never really thought of them as… Real. But as Lyra wrung her hands together, brows furrowing in worry and eyes searching through his expression, he started to feel a bit guilty in that mindset.

"I am… Simply worried for you, my dear. I suppose it is any mother's worry to watch their child grow up so quickly." She smiled at him, and Chase felt warmer because of it. "It is natural, I suppose, for me to harbor these feelings. I simply want what is best for you, you understand?"

"Of course I do…" Chase swallowed, unable to help hearing his own mother's words within the Queens. He found himself, halfway through his own plate of bready goodness, slowing down and actually paying attention to her. "But there's something else?" He asked as Lyra continued worrying her fingers, now on the tablecloth.

"Always so perceptive, Adhara," She mused, "But… Well yes. You see, I worry for you as a mother should, but there is something…" Her eyes glanced around as if she did not want to be overheard. "There is something off, I fear. Queen Amalthea—she and I grew up together, you know—and there is something… Different. She is avoidant and… And passive in a way I do not know her to be. Your father thinks it is just nerves for the announcement, and I did agree with him at first… But last night… I am not sure, Adhara. I got an odd feeling in my gut." The Queen held her stomach with a hand, "And you know me, I am not usually one to speculate in such superstition, but a mother's instinct is strong and I cannot simply ignore it." Lyra looked to her daughter, eyes wide and worrying, like she was begging for confirmation in a familiar place.

Chase sipped at water that was already at the table when they sat down, unclogging the dryness in his throat. Of course, Chase knew why Amalthea was acting strangely, and it had to do with conspiring with her daughter to kill her friend's child. Adhara knew it too, he realized. Was Adhara meant to tell her mother? He wished Buddy hadn't run off so quickly; maybe he could have signaled to him for an answer.

But the more he thought about it, the less it would make sense for Adhara to tell her mother. Calypso was constantly thwarting her own plans to kill Adhara. She had lied to her mother about there being little opportunity. Adhara must have known this, too, right? And this story, as far as he could tell, felt like a romantic, not a tragedy or even a suspense piece. It was titled "Moon Dancers" and was set in the most beautiful parts of space anyone could imagine. Not exactly the setting Chase might choose for a murder mystery or a tragedy.

Ignoring the pounding in his heart, he realized that this book very likely was a romance novel and not something else, and that the only romantic interest character for Adhara was Calypso. "I get it," He starts hesitantly, "But really… I'm not sure you need to worry." Chase smiled into his glass as he spoke. "Bud-Calypso and I have a sort of… Understanding now. Maybe it was rough at first, but I think h-she's actually trying to be better."

He didn't know how much of that translated, or what did, but Lyra's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. "You have come to care for her quite a lot, haven't you?" Chase chose to ignore the warming in his cheeks, but nodded. However, something twisted in his gut a bit. Calypso wasn't meant to confront Adhara last night. All Adhara is meant to know is that Calypso is conspiring with her mother to kill her, and maybe she's suspicious that Calypso might not want to, but has no solid proof of that.

"I've noticed things are off with Calypso, too." He amended, hoping his profession of care, however subtle, didn't throw the entire plot out. In any other book, he wouldn't mind, but this one… He actually wanted to see the ending. "She has been acting a bit strange lately. But I'll keep an eye on him-… her and… Let you know if I hear anything?" Again, he wasn't sure how much he was meant to confide in Lyra about what he heard. But he assumed that there wouldn't be such a happy love story ending if the love interest was locked in prison for treason, so he kept his mouth shut about details.

"Yes, I would like that very much, my dear." She smiled and seemed less stressed than she was before. "Now, let us discuss plans for tonight."

Chase rolled his eyes, grateful for the story filter and buckled in for a long conversation about preparations and planning and the entire ball. They, or rather the Queen, talked of all the moving parts of planning. The set of the space, the food tables, which Chase threw in some special requests for, the lighting, and the music that was to be played. He was actually glad he had stayed to listen to this because, apparently, he and Calypso were to have some sort of Grand Entrance and opening dance.

Where it would just be the two of them.

Dancing.

No one else was to be on the floor at that time.

His heart did a giddy little gallop.

When the Queen finally let him get on with his day, Chase quickly made his way back up to the second floor. He only realized when he was in front of his room that he didn't know where Buddy's was. Had Buddy even gone to his room? Chase opened his door, a small kernel of hope in his heart that he would see a dark suit embodied by pale skin and raven hair when he did. But alas, his room was empty.

He would have exited his room to search elsewhere had the intercom not clicked to life when he entered.

Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen!

The Stella Express will be making its final jump shortly. So please, remain in your rooms or seated for your safety.

We hope you have enjoyed your time on the Stella Express!

Chase felt a small lurch in the train, not quite like the one from the first jump, but enough to have him sitting on his bed in the movement. He stared out of the tall window on the wall and leaned back on his palms. He glanced behind him, remembering the sight of the shooting star reflecting brightly in Buddy's blue eyes. And a tear that looked so similar

A minute or two passed, and Chase imagined the first time it jumped. It felt different being in a room than being seated at the back of the train. His room felt colder.

Entering hyperdrive.

Chase watched the world beyond the window. As before, it was as if the universe was nothing but color and light. Splashing the walls in a kaleidoscope of shapes. Though this time, Chase was brought back to the quiet. To the silence of a restless sleep. To the vacancy of an urgent voice and a diluted figure creaking with every movement.

He closed his eyes to the sight and the room. Allowing those colors to shine through his eyelids instead. It was quite a marvelous sight to watch a space train enter some sort of light-speed travel, a sight he was sure he would never see in his lifetime in the real world. And yet, he felt better with his eyes closed to it. Like the certainty of the universe could only shine a light on his bubble, and not actually penetrate it.

The moment ended with another lurch of the train as it appeared at its next destination, and Chase opened his eyes to the darkness once more. Despite being alone, he smiled out into the cosmos beyond the window. Excited, he realized for the first time since he started entering books. He felt excited to see this one to the end.

Curiously, Chase didn't see Buddy when he made his way off the Stella Express. Something about it felt interesting in his chest, like he had to study the fact of it to entirely understand it. He supposed he didn't get much of a chance to look for Buddy, though, not as Martha all but dragged him off the train, going on and on about Adhara's mother wanting to make sure he did and to avoid being late like last time. He bit back that that was in fact Buddy's fault, just as the wine had been, and followed along.

The train station looked much like the one at the castle, if smaller. This one felt more homely. Warmer in ways where the other felt looming and cold. It was welcoming. And maybe that had to do with the fact that there seemed to be actual sunlight coming through the overhanging glass ceilings. Sunlight, but no blue skies. Sunlight, like how he would imagine it looked on the moon. Still no atmosphere to capture it all, but close enough to some star that it wasn't just dark.

This port was also far busier than the one in the castle. People helped unload the train full of luggage and were running about, helping to coordinate things. There were even people carrying things that weren't luggage at all. Vases and light fixtures, elaborate furniture, and flowers that followed a deep blue, gold, and white pattern all made their way to one of the far entrances, Chase assumed led into the event center, or wherever they were.

A part of his brain was tickled into curiosity about the expanse of this universe, and he found himself wishing Buddy hadn't vanished so he could talk with him about it. Absently, his mind milled about the area, watching figures flit to and fro. No one looked particularly inhuman, which he was a little bummed about. Who wrote a story set in outer space if not to include some wacky off-world concepts of life? The closest this book seemed to get was elaborate hair colors and skin patterns that sort of looked like rivers of gold and silver on a few people.

What he wouldn't admit, but of course was entirely true, was that his eyes ended up snagging on every deep blue cloth, every head of raven hair, and every flash of azure. It was a surprisingly small number of people who matched any of those things, and it was always just one or two traits. Nowhere did he spot Buddy.

Disappointment clawed its way into his stomach, and Chase did his best to ignore it. King Orion and Queen Lyra were waving him over toward a different entrance on the other side of the station from where the workers were loading in. "Adhara, there you are, dear. Come now, there is much to prepare for tonight. Martha will take you to your room to get ready."

Chase followed them inside, "Wait, am I just gonna be in my room the rest of the day?" He asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Well, I certainly imagine so, Adhara," Lyra spoke up. "There is so much to get ready for, you know. Your makeup needs to be done, and of course, your hair, and we must make sure your dress still fits you properly. Oh, but then there is the rehearsal… You will not be in your room for that," Lyra continued her list of to-dos, and Chase found himself honestly astonished that anyone could get so much done within the span of what couldn't be more than ten hours.

His head rolled back with an exaggerated groan. He was starting to regret feeling excited for today. Though maybe some of it would just sort of… Skip, as books often did when events weren't written down for long.

Within the building of the event itself, Chase thought it looked like the train just in… Well, castle form. The rooms and hallways were all elegant and high-class. Though instead of red and gold, the scheme was fit with violets and silvers. The walls sparkled as though they had captured the night sky itself within them. Rivers of silver flowed elegantly along the ceiling. Dark marble floors paved each hallway, broken only by the deep violet carpets that matched the wall.

"Now, darling, Martha will take you to your room to fit your gown. Once you're done, meet us at the ballroom for the rehearsal. You remember where it is, right?" Lyra asked over a shoulder.

"Uh-"

"Perfect!" She concluded distractingly, waving Chase off in a hurry as he was dragged away by Martha down another corridor entirely.

He did not, in fact, know where the ballroom was, but seeing as this place was an event center… he figured it was probably near the center of the building and wouldn't be too hard to find if he could find some sort of main lobby. Then again, maybe he would track down Buddy and just follow him.

As if the thought summoned the man, Buddy stepped out of a room in this hallway, suit jacket halfway pulled over one shoulder in a motion that had frozen when he saw Chase. Buddy's eyes drew wide. "Hey Buddy!" Chase called, waving a hand above his head and smiling brightly.

Waving might have been a strong word for the subtle lift of his hand that Buddy gave back, but Chase took it anyway. Buddy's eyes seemed to be flitting across Chase's face before glancing back into the room.

"Say you wouldn't happen to know where-"

"O-one moment… Agatha, I will be right there." Buddy called back into the room, mumbling out a half assed apology and shutting the door.

Chase blinked a few times, taking a moment to register that Buddy had just retreated into the room like a startled rabbit and completely ignored him.

"Ah-Wha-Buddy!" He called through the door. But Chase's attempts to get his new friend's attention were thwarted.

"Now, my Lady, you must allow the Lady Calypso to ready herself, just as you must be doing!" Martha chided, guiding Chase by the elbow to the room right across the hall. At least they were close by? Chase complied and allowed the crotchety old woman to push him into the room.

"Oh. My. God." All thoughts about Buddy's odd behavior vacated his conscious mind as, slack-jawed, Chase entered the room.

It wasn't a bedroom like he had maybe come to assume it was. Instead, it was an elaborate dressing room. Stars appeared in his eyes as he looked around. A wall-length mirror covered half of the far wall, lined with lights. There was even a bar on the mirror, like in a dance studio. On the other wall was a makeup area that lined the entire thing, filled with anything anyone might need. Next to it was a long rack of clothing that he knew no one was touching tonight, and it was more of a statement than an actual functional part of the dressing room.

Near the center of the room was a large chaise lounge, a fluffy robe draped over the back of it. Chase couldn't help but think about all the dramatic entrance poses Buddy could pull on one of those.

In the far corner of the room, a tall divider wall stood, zigzagging to cover the space behind it in privacy. Near it was a doorless opening into a darker room, which Chase assumed was probably an en suite bathroom.

"I have a DRESSING ROOM?!" Chase squealed so loud he was sure Buddy could most definitely hear him across the hall, even between the two thickly insulated oak doors. He was bouncing up and down on his toes throughout the room, admiring every corner of it while Martha buzzed around him, trying and failing to get his attention.

Martha, to Chase's slight dismay, was eventually able to calm him down enough to sit still on the lounge. She held a gorgeous gown in her hands. The train, he expected, made to barely brush the ground, made to dance in. The dress faded from white at the top into a deep amber at the bottom, with sharp lines of black symmetrically placed, and it sparkled in the light.

"Now now, I know you must be excited, darling. I was once young and in love, too, if you can believe it." Chase blinked, ready to protest, but she forged ahead, "But we must make sure your dress fits you properly before tonight! If there are changes to be made, they must be made now. Do you understand, dove?"

Chase just nodded along and took the dress from her, making his way over to the divided corner of the room. He, of course, didn't bother taking his own clothes off as he did the first time he realized storybook clothes were only for the storybook characters. Instead, thankful that this gown could be put on loosely, even with the zipper, he slipped it over his head, pushed his arms through the thin shoulder straps, and looked at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall behind the divider. A few adjustments to get it to sit right on Adhara's reflection. To his surprise, it didn't poof out of existence. "Weird…" Chase mumbled.

Martha cupped her hands over her mouth when Chase stepped out. "Oh, my Lady, don't you look just lovely!" She crooned, pacing around him, scanning the dress for any faults, no doubt. Of course, Chase felt like he was swimming a bit in the thing; Adhara was taller than him, because of course she was. "Hmm, yes." Martha scribbled something down on a notepad and pulled at the skirts of the gown a bit. "Yes, if we could bring this in here," She murmured to herself. When she was finally done, she nodded definitively. "Only a few adjustments are needed, my dear!"

Chase stepped back behind the divider and pulled the dress off. After handing the dress back to Martha, he adjusted his own skirts and the sleeves of his shirt, which had been ruffled around a bit trying to get the other gown on and off.

"Oh!" Martha exclaimed, shooing Chase from the room. "Go, go my dear! You'll be late for the rehearsal! You remember where the ballroom is, yes?"

"Well, actually-"

"Excellent!" She all but shoved him out the door. "Your gown shall be ready before the ball, I'll make sure of it." The door shut behind him, and he felt himself suddenly mourning the loss of his very own dressing room. He wasn't sure he had to do anything else but show up for the rehearsal, though, so at least he could enjoy it after and until the ball at least.

Though he felt he was only in the dressing room for a short period of time, it seemed rather intentional that he should stumble out of his door at the same time Buddy was exiting his own. But Buddy only took one glance in Chase's general direction before beginning down the hallway.

"Hey, wait up, Buddy!" He called, speed walking to catch up.

Buddy glanced back at him only for a moment, and his gait did slow just a bit. But he was unusually quiet.

"I can't believe we get a whole dressing room! Isn't that awesome?" Chase beamed, resting his hands on the back of his head. "It's like we're real celebrities or something! I mean, it even had that whole rack of clothing that you know you aren't going to touch, but it's just there. And there was a whole mirror wall with a balancing bar and everything!" Chase rambled on, "Good thing too. I should probably stretch before the dance, huh? Maybe I should have done that already, though… Not sure if they're gonna have us practice the dance during the rehearsal. Maybe we can just wing it like we did last time, though, that turned out pretty well!"

Buddy continued walking ahead, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't looking at Chase, but Chase could still tell that there was something weird about him.

"Hey, speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know where the ballroom is, would you?" Chase adjusted to peek around Buddy's shoulder. "I mean, I guess that's where we're headed."

Buddy hummed an agreement, chancing a glance down at him. Chase looked up as he did, eyes wide and doe-like in his inquiry. But as soon as they met with the gorgeous blue, Buddy's throat shifted against his tie as if swallowing, and he looked away again.

"Hey man, are you-"

"Ah! Lady Adhara, Lady Calypso, just in time!" A lilted voice sounded from down the hallway. A woman dressed in a golden pantsuit waved them down. She held a clipboard close to her side, bringing it up to check what was written on it before pressing it to her chest as they approached. Their rehearsal coordinator, Chase guessed.

"Right this way, please," The stranger instructed down another hallway that seemed to run alongside what he assumed was probably the ballroom, based on the crescent shape of this path. "Your majesties will be entering tonight's ball from the second floor in a grand entrance for your announcement." She explained.

They turned into a narrow little nook in the wall. Within it was a small staircase that led up to the aforementioned second floor. "Your parents have already finished their rehearsal, but Queen Lyra and Queen Amalthea have agreed to stay behind to oversee the two of you. It shouldn't take too long."

The stairway was dark as they ascended. Chase was surprised by the lack of light until he realized that it led up into a separate room. It looked like a room you might see at the back of a stage. Empty save for some boxes stacked against the wall. To the left was a curtained-off off rounded archway; he assumed it led into the ballroom itself. At the other end of the room was a small passageway that turned out of sight.

"Hey, are we dancing during this rehearsal?" Chase asked.

The coordinator raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Apologies, my Lady. I was told that it is customary for the first dance between a newly engaged couple to be spontaneous instead of rehearsed, so we have not planned for such. Was I mistaken in this?" She checked the clipboard at her side, turning page after page in a hurry as if to find the answer to her question.

Buddy, who still wasn't looking at him, had fully turned his body away from Chase.

Chase thought this room was feeling a bit stuffy when he waved his hands at her, "No, no. That's my bad, I'm uh… So used to rehearsed balls, that's all."

"Ah, of course, my Lady. No apologies are necessary." She turned her attention back to her clipboard.

"So I guess it is a spontaneous dance again." Chase wiggled his eyebrows at Buddy, who still seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

An agreeable grunt was all Buddy really gave in response. Chase noted that his fingers seemed to be tapping anxiously on the arm they were folded over.

"You… Said it was a tango, right?" He stepped closer to Buddy, clasping his hands behind his back. "That's the Chase Hollow ballroom specialty, you know. Hope you can keep up." A knowing smile pulled at his features, and he elbowed Buddy gently on the side.

"Chase Hollow?" Buddy smirked, his unusually standoffish demeanor vanishing for a moment.

"Like and follow!" Chase pointed at him with finger guns and a wink.

Buddy lifted an eyebrow. He seemed taken aback by the statement, eyes wide as he blinked at Chase disbelievingly, "You want me to like you and follow you around?"

"Well, yeah- Wait, what?"

"Lady Calypso, if you'll follow me to the other side?" The coordinator cut into their conversation and gestured with her hand to lead Buddy through the small back passageway that turned out of sight. He followed her quickly, and Chase definitely didn't miss the rosy tint on Buddy's cheeks, even if it was brief.

Blinking away his confused stupor, Chase peeked out of the curtain hanging over the archway when they had gone. It opened up into a round terrace that connected around to the other side. Golden wavy banisters led down an elaborate staircase in front of him, and at the bottom was another platform where a second staircase met on the other side. Down from that platform was a large set of steps that led down into the ballroom proper, which Chase couldn't see much of from this angle. It seemed big, though.

On the other side, he could see Buddy looking out from the twin terrace before backing into what Chase assumed was another backroom on that side. A pout formed on his lips, and he retreated into his room as well. Chase didn't get much of a chance to ponder over how Buddy had been acting lately before he heard footsteps returning from the passageway to the other side.

"Lady Calypso is in place, and I've already explained to her how this is going to look," The coordinator started, checking something off her clipboard full of papers. "I'll head down to the main floor of the ballroom with your mothers. Once you two hear the music and my signal, you'll both walk down, curtsy to one another in the center, and walk the rest of the way into the ballroom side by side." She instructed briskly, shifting Chase into place in front of the curtain before shoving through it herself.

It seemed simple enough. He wasn't used to having to curtsy, but he'd seen Silver do it plenty of times and did technically learn how to in dance class. He was sure it wasn't something he needed to practice. Sort of like riding a bike.

Still, though, as he waited for the music and some sort of signal from the coordinator, he put his left foot back, pointed to the ground, grabbed either side of his train, and half bowed at his right knee in a modern curtsy. He was glad he tried it a few times before the signal, too, because the first two, he had to readjust his left foot so it was aligned with his right. Chase was sure that the book would accommodate any mistake he made, especially one so small, so he wasn't entirely sure why he was so focused on getting it just right.

A simple melody sounded from beyond the thick curtains. He stepped forward and stopped, instead opting to peek through the thick fabric again. She said on her signal, so there must be a specific note she wanted them to walk out on. Sure enough, he heard the somewhat distant voice of the coordinator, "One. Two, and. Right on that note, girls!"

Chase tucked the specific note away to remember for the ball later and stepped out onto his terrace. Across from him, Buddy did the same thing. The flowy railing along the steps followed all the way down to the bottom. They lined the dark marble of the stairs and the golden carpet draped over them. Chase took a moment to glance around the expansive ballroom. It took a significant effort not to gawk at it as they made their way down the stairs.

It was majestic. And there really was no other way of describing it. It was a large oval-shaped room. At the walls, dark violet curtains covered what he assumed were probably windows. The black columns that reached up toward the ceiling were lined much like the walls and their clothing, in golden rivers. Large vases of intricate flowers that he had watched workers unloading earlier surrounded their bases.

The floor was a masterpiece of the deepest blue, filled with shining stones that made it look like the stars above them. Rivers of marbled gold and silver wove their way along the entirety, making it look quite a bit like its own galaxy.

White clothed tables and copper-lined chairs were already arranged around the outskirts. The center of the room was what really caught his eye, though. A black circle, lined in gold. Within the circle was what looked like the ticks of a clock, though unmarked, surrounding a depiction of the moon's cycles. From new moon to full. Surrounded by the moon phases was a dark, messy spiral pattern, like its creator was trying to depict the concept of time in all its infinite intricacies and paradoxes.

Above them, the ceiling opened up to the universe beyond them, exposing star clusters and galaxies far away, letting their light dapple into the space around them. Though the room was currently filled with a harsher glow, as if simulated sunshine was throughout the entire room. Chase could only imagine what this place would look like in the proper lighting.

How the stars on the floor would twinkle with those in the sky.

How the rivers of gold would shine and sparkle.

How two figures might spin and twirl between the moons along that floor of time.

Shaking himself from his awe, Chase made his way down the rest of the steps. Once at the bottom of the first set of stairs, standing on the median, he glanced at the coordinator for a moment, saw a nod, and quickly fixed himself to curtsy at Buddy. When he looked up, though, he couldn't help but giggle. "Buddy, it's a curtsy, not a bow."

Bowing elegantly in front of him, the way he had after they first danced, Buddy tilted his head to look at Chase for a moment. It would be a lie if he said he didn't admire the pose. Buddy was leaning back against his heels, torso low at the waist, one hand curled out over his heart, the other a firm fist at his back. It was quite the handsome look. But not what they were meant to do. "I am not going to curtsy."

Standing from his pose, Chase plastered a smug sort of expression on his face. "How come?"

"I would rather bow." Buddy straightened and turned with Chase to face the staircase they would walk down together.

With a wide smile, Chase started down the stairs, "You don't know how to curtsy, do you?" He teased, glancing sidelong at Buddy.

"Of course I know how to curtsy!" Buddy defended as they continued down the steps.

"You so don't," He tried to swallow back his laugh, but admittedly failed miserably. "I can show you how, if you want?" Chase offered still.

Buddy just crossed his arms with a scowl, "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"What if I would?" His heart skipped a beat, not entirely aware of what he was saying until it was out.

Buddy's ears turned an odd shade of red, and he faltered in his step.

But it wasn't a falter in his step at all, Chase realized, mid-way into a fall. Buddy had straight-up tripped him.

The world was tilting at a rapid pace, and Chase threw out his arms in a failed attempt to regain his balance. They were still a ways up the staircase, and fear laced through his body at the size of the fall before him.

"Whoa wait waiiii-"

He didn't entirely register it, but there was a grip on his wrist as he fell forward, and suddenly he was swooping past the step that was nearing his face and swinging back up with momentum.

"-AHHaiiit!"

An arm braced behind his back, and he blinked, suddenly looking up at Buddy's face. His… Very close face. Altogether, Chase realized that Buddy was holding him in a sort of messy dipping motion. The only difference is that Chase had no balance of his own and was entirely supported by the arm across his back and the hand holding his forearm.

Was he breathing?

Could he still breathe?

Buddy was shaking. Pale cheeks red like he'd just stepped out into the coldest winter. Chase felt he looked much the same.

He found himself unable to look away from Buddy's eyes.

And then he was falling again.

Backwards this time, which was far scarier than when he was falling forwards. At least this time, he was more aligned with the stairs, because as soon as he landed with a harsh oof and rolled once, he was able to catch himself with an arm before he could tumble down the rest of them.

One might think that being dropped again right after being caught by an insultingly handsome man might knock oneself out of an 'insultingly handsome face' caused stupor. But Chase knelt there on the stairs, frozen for a few moments, trying (and failing) to will the heat from his face and his heart to calm.

"Buddy, what the hell was that?!" Chase sat up on his knees, forever grateful for whoever's pompous idea it was to put a running carpet down a stairway. "Why did you drop me?" Chase actually looked offended.

Buddy was looking away, cheeks holding strong to that red glow they'd adopted.

"Adhara! Are you alright?" Queen Lyra had finally made her way up the stairs to where Chase was sitting. Queen Amalthea was behind her, face so indifferent she could give Buddy a run for his money.

"I'm fine! Why don't you ask Calypso why she keeps sending mixed signals?" Chase pointed a glare at Buddy, who still wasn't looking at him, but that didn't mean Chase didn't see him annoyingly roll his eyes.

Letting Lyra help him to his feet, Chase noticed the coordinator at the edge of the steps. To her credit, she looked a bit impatient beneath surface-level concern. "Are you sure you are feeling quite well, Adhara? You have been acting strangely lately." Lyra pressed the back of her hand against Chase's forehead. "You are not usually so… Clumsy."

He shrugged and moved Lyra's worried hand from his head. "No, I'm fine really, let's just… Let's try again." He muttered, moving to walk back up the stairs.

"Just a moment!" Called the coordinator from below, turning all four heads to her attention. "Lady Adhara, Lady Calypso, which of you is leading this dance?"

Chase turned to look at Buddy, hand half pointed toward him. Buddy had also lifted his finger to his chest, indicating himself. His heart did an excited little flutter, and he tamped it down quickly, reminding himself that Buddy had just tripped him and now was no time to get giddy about their dance later.

"Perfect!" She mused, walking up to meet them on the steps. "Lady Calypso, if I may," She offered her hand, and Buddy, after a moment, took it. "Lady Adhara?" Chase took her other hand. "If you could hold her hand like so when walking down the stairs," Buddy seemed not to need instruction, turning his hand beneath Chase's to gently grip his fingers as one would leading into a dance.

Chase was suddenly very aware of his breathing, and yet Buddy was still refusing to look at him.

"Alright, let's start from the top!" She announced. Chase watched Queen Amalthea murmur something hurriedly to Buddy before making her way back down the stairs. Lyra fussed at his ruffles, straightening them and pressing her hands to his cheeks as if to check for any damage.

"'M fine, really," He assured her, which seemed to be enough, and she let him walk back up the way he'd come.

Buddy, climbing ahead of him, was gripping his forearm in his other hand. A decidedly guilty look. Well… He could apologize for it later, at least he tried to catch him… Right?

Back on the terrace, Chase waited for the music to reset and started walking on the correct note before the coordinator quite gave the signal. He met Buddy in the center. Buddy bowed, and Chase considered for a moment. Studying Buddy's bow. It was proper, he realized. An adjusted style of a Victorian bow. One of Buddy's feet was pointed in front, but his legs were straight instead of bent at the knee. Both of his hands were also up around his torso as opposed to down at his sides.

It was… Elegant. Elegant in a way that had Chase catching his breath. Even Buddy's movement into the bow was smooth, like he'd done it a million times. Like the grace of it was second nature to him.

It took a moment, and a pst from Buddy before Chase snapped out of his trance and quickly curtsied to Buddy. As they turned, Buddy held out his hand for Chase to take, and he did so before they made their way down the steps. They were silent on the way down this time, and when they reached the bottom (without any trip-swinging this time), they stood hand in hand before the coordinator.

Buddy let go of his hand as soon as she gave an approving nod.

Chase frowned.

"Ah, beautiful!" She beamed. "Now, when you arrive tonight, you'll both make your way to the center of the ballroom," She gestured over her shoulder to the large circle marking the cycles of the moon, "And begin the first dance of the night. Now, unlike most dances, remember, you two will have the floor for the entirety of the song, so make it count." She winked at them and began making her way up the steps. "Now, unless you two feel you need another walk-through of your entrance, I shall release you back to your freedom before the ball tonight." She waved them off over her shoulder before scribbling something down on her notepad and making her way toward whatever she had to do next.

Chase turned to Buddy, but he was already marching through the ballroom down the large doors at the front, boots clacking and echoing with each step. "Not even an apology, really?" Chase called after him somewhat playfully, marveling at how much his voice echoed. Buddy waved a hand back at him but otherwise ignored him.

"Adhara, will you be sure you and Calypso make it back to your dressing rooms? There is still much to be done before tonight!" Queen Lyra called after Chase as he began making his pursuit.

"Sure thing, Queenie!" He called back, marching after Buddy at an accelerated pace.

The doors before them loomed like a great wall. He realized with a bit of a start that the design of these doors wasn't just randomly intricate golden rivers, as other large doors had been in books. One door held the depiction of a woman shrouded in night, the other was a depiction of a woman covered in light.

Just like the tapestries.

He took a moment to admire it, but soon found himself regretting that decision. When he looked back down, Buddy had already vanished from the room, and he could hear the carpeted stomps of his retreating footsteps in the hallway.

Chase hurried after him and caught up, making sure he was actually able to keep pace this time. "What's been up with you today, Buddy?" He started after a while of silence.

Buddy was only pressing his lips together, as if keeping himself from answering.

Chase walked along silently with him for a while. "You can't just go around tripping and then catching and then dropping people like that." Chase chastised lightheartedly. "You didn't have to force me to swoon, ya know?" He pointed out with an elbow against Buddy's arm.

Buddy's cheeks still seemed to hold some color. A glance down at Chase confirmed as much. Their gazes stilled for a moment, and then Buddy was averting his eyes again with a sort of wince, as if Chase was a bright light that he couldn't bear to look at.

Ahead of them along the wall was a smaller door than most of the others; it was slightly ajar and silent inside.

"Alright, fine, I guess we're doing this then," Chase proclaims as they approach the door.

Buddy, for once, actually answers him, confused, "Doing wh-AH CHASE!" He'd already shoved Buddy into the open door with an elbow and a flurry of reactive hands. Following him in he shut it quickly.

Only when they were forced to stand very close did Chase realize this was, in fact, a coat closet. He also realized, a moment too late, that Buddy had grabbed Chase's waist in the chaos to balance himself. It felt tingly and left the skin beneath the fabric feeling hot when Buddy yanked it away.

Chase, in his haste, shoved it away, though, throwing up one hand to press into the wall above Buddy's shoulder, blocking his exit. It probably looked a little ridiculous, though, because Chase only came up to Buddy's shoulder in height.

"Ch-Chase, what are you-" Buddy stammered.

"You've been avoiding me all day, Buddy! What gives?" Chase was very glad for the darkness of this room, but still found himself trying not to think about how he could feel Buddy's breath on his hair. Or the ghost of a hand at his side.

"I-I have not been avoiding y-you!" Buddy fidgets against the wall, hands up against his chest in silent surrender. He can just barely feel Buddy's chest, rising and falling in a messy rhythm against the loose fabric of his shirt.

Chase can't help but wonder if Buddy's eyes are glowing. Just a little. In such proximity, he thinks they might be. It was hard to tell, though, because anytime their eyes met, Buddy was looking away again. And he doesn't get a chance to find out before Buddy just shuts his eyes entirely. His breathing is growing thicker as well, and then Buddy swallows back a harsh inhale.

"Uh, Buddy, you alright?" Gentler now, Chase's free hand brushes against Buddy's, which is currently clutching the hem of his suit. Though his hand seems to lean into the contact, it's clear that Buddy is trying to mentally walk himself through some sort of breathing exercise.

"I-it's a little… Cramped in here… Isn't it?" He manages to grunt.

Understanding widens Chase's eyes, and he immediately moves back from him, shoving the admittedly very little amount of coats back into the far wall. In the dim light, he can already tell that this space is bigger than he once thought. It was a walk-in closet, he realized. If they wanted to, both could comfortably stand at either end T-posing, and only their fingers would brush in the middle.

"Buddy, hey," Chase murmured, taking Buddy's hands in his own and guiding him, eyes still closed, further into the room. "Look, it's not… This closet is actually bigger than I thought it was, weird, huh?" He tries to sound light-hearted about it.

Buddy slowly peeks open his eyes, hands tightening just a little bit around Chase's fingers as he does so. His breathing was still uneven, but Chase could see his shoulders visibly slouch at the open space around them.

Chase felt a pang of guilt seed itself into his stomach, but he pushed it away for now. Instead, he allowed his thumbs to trace small circles against the back of Buddy's hands.

"And look," He whispered, pulling them both down to sit. "When you sit down, it feels way bigger, right? I used to do this in my… In my dad's closet when I was little." He offered, sitting just close enough for one of his knees to brush against Buddy's. His thumbs never stopped their smooth, calming movements. "It's funny, actually. I used to pretend it was all kinds of things. Like a rocket, or a spaceship! Sometimes I would pretend it was my own little universe. And now here we are, in our own little universe inside our own universe. Universe-ception." Chase laughed. Buddy let out an unsure little chortle, and the sound skittered over Chase's skin.

Buddy was breathing fairly normally now, slouching into his cross-crossed seated position. He didn't remove his hands from Chase's.

"Listen… I'm sorry to shove you back in the closet, but there's definitely been something wrong with you today. And I don't want to let you just run away from it," From me, Chase wanted to add.

Buddy hummed in acknowledgement. Whether that acknowledgement was an admission or just an understanding of what Chase was saying, he didn't know.

"You did agree to be friends last night," Chase reminded him with a sly smile, "Friends mean we tell each other when something is wrong." He inclined his head, pressing his thumbs into the back of Buddy's hands for emphasis.

"I was coerced by an annoying idiot who wouldn't stop pestering me about it," Buddy replied, removing one of his hands from Chase's grip only to flick him between the eyes.

Chase was sorry that the warmth in his right hand was gone, but found himself caring much more about the fact that Buddy's voice sounded normal again. And also that his forehead stung a little. "You still agreed, though! And a friendship pact with me is a lifelong commitment!" He beamed.

"I am starting to realize that, yes," Buddy grumbled, leaning to sit back against the wall. "So you dragged me into this room because…"

"To talk about it," Chase said as if it were obvious. "Or at least… To tell you to stop ignoring me." Chase amended.

"You couldn't have done that out there?" Buddy scoffed.

"No? You were ignoring me?" Chase took his free hand and flicked Buddy's forehead, too. Gently. Tentatively.

Buddy batted him away, but not angrily, "I'll make a note not to ignore my little idiot lest he shove me in a closet then." He pouted, but reached forward and ruffled the hair on Chase's head. Chase could feel himself leaning into the touch and the flush rising to his cheeks when he realized he had done that.

"Good!" He moved on from the sensation, still rubbing his thumb against the back of Buddy's hand idly. "Now, you don't have to tell me why, but… Well, we're in this book together, ya know? The only real people here anyways. The only ones who know it's us and not… Adhara and Calypso. So when you start ignoring me, it starts to feel…" Chase scratched the back of his head. "Well, lonely, I guess. And I mean, as cool as the entire expanse of the universe is… Lonely is definitely not something I want to feel all the way out here."

Buddy was silent for a beat, shifting his hand in Chase's only to hold it a bit tighter. "That… Makes sense." Buddy said, though it didn't sound much like he believed it. "I have just had a lot on my mind." Angling his head, Buddy seemed to finally look Chase in the eye. They flickered away for a moment, as if he might retreat again, but chose to linger.

They were glowing, Chase realized.

A flutter of his heart had his voice wobbling a bit when he nodded, "Yeah… Me too."

They sat in silence for Chase didn't know how long before Buddy spoke up. "Thank you, Chase."

Chase's heart did a little skip. "Are you thanking me for shoving you in a closet?"

Buddy shoved his shoulder, "No. Actually, for that, fuck you."

Chase couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from his chest, "Holy shit, you just cursed! Mister 'I'm so prim and proper' just said fuck!" Buddy rolled his eyes while Chase continued to laugh.

"Thank you," Buddy inclined his head, squeezing Chase's hand again, trying to finish his statement, "For-"

He didn't get to find out what Buddy was thanking him for before the door swung open, casting them both in bright light they had to remove their hands to shield themselves from. "There you are, young Lady!" Martha gasped.

"Oh-uh," Chase glanced at the two of them, sitting quite close together on the floor of a closet. "This isn't what it-"

"Ugh! You'll have plenty of time for these sorts of shenanigans once you're properly married!" She scolded, grabbing Chase by the elbow, and with considerable impressive strength, pulled him to his feet. Chase felt his face heat without his control or permission as Martha dragged him out of the closet and into the bright hallway. "Do you realize how much time you've wasted?!" Martha continued to chastise him as she dragged him toward the direction of the dressing room.

"H-hey! See ya at the dance, Buddy!" He shouted over his shoulder toward the figure that started to step out.

He thought he heard a faint see you there, but was bustled into his dressing room before he could confirm it.

Chapter Text

The better part of an hour was spent trying and often failing not to sneeze due to the various powders being shoved up his nose. Usually, these princess stories allotted for magical makeup to already exist on the characters. Assuming they were just so perfect they didn't need any of the priming and prodding. But not this book, because of course, in this book, the author had to write out the makeup process. A process Chase couldn't even see in the mirror. He just hoped and prayed that the stuff they were slapping onto his cheeks and eyes wasn't actually showing up on him. If clothes for the characters poofed magically away once they were wearing them, then he could only hope makeup worked the same way. Mostly because he was 99% sure that none of the colors matched his eyes.

"Now, my Lady, quit your fidgeting." Martha chastised him, though she wasn't the one doing his makeup. Two others had arrived shortly after he was carried back into this room to accost him with various brushes up his nose and creams pressed into his skin.

"I would if they would stop shoving it all into my mouth," Chase gritted through his teeth. "This better not look awful. I sorta have a date for the dance, you know." He grumbled, glancing at the mirror.

Adhara looked fine. But he knew her face was longer than his, just a little. And she had fuller lips, he learned that because when they smeared the lipstick on him, he could definitely feel it around his mouth. Chase clasped his hands together. "Oh, great universe in this story, please don't let any of this show up on my face." He was desperate. Absolutely unwilling to look like a clown, especially in front of Buddy. He'd never hear the end of it.

The two women who had been doing his makeup stepped back from him. He glanced at the mirror once again. Adhara did look pretty all done up. Before the makeup, they had been fussing with her hair, which Chase didn't feel much of because Adhara's hair was much longer than his own. There were a few tugs here and there and a slew of bobby pins, which vanished as soon as they were done. He could only hope that cosmetics also counted as 'a part of the character'.

"Oh, you look simply divine, Lady Adhara." Martha cupped her mouth, and Chase thought she might actually be tearing up. It was a special occasion, he supposed.

"I sure hope so…" He mumbled, glancing at the mirror once more. Adhara's worried expression stared back at him.

"And just in time too," Martha lilted, helping Chase up from where he sat on the pouf in front of the desk. "Let's get you into your dress, shall we?"

Worry clenched his gut tighter. "Oh, no." Realization hit him that when he'd tried on Adhara's dress earlier, it didn't vanish like he expected it would. Did this book not have those rules for some reason? He wasn't wearing any of the other dresses he'd seen Adhara's reflection in, but…

A sigh that sounded more like a groan escaped him, resigning himself to his possible fate, and he stepped into Adhara's dress behind the divider wall.

It didn't vanish.

Tight-lipped and genuinely disappointed, he stepped out. Martha helped him zip it up in the back, and as soon as it was, it vanished into starlight. "Oh, thank God!" Chase let out a deep breath of relief. "At least I don't have to dance in a dress that doesn't fit me!" He glanced at the mirror again. "I hope I don't have to dance looking like a circus clown either…"

"Oh, nonsense, my Lady, you look absolutely breathtaking!" Martha pressed a hand to his cheek, and he could tell how much the older woman cared for Adhara. He wondered absently if Martha had helped raise her.

And despite the nerves bundled up into a tight knot in his chest, Chase murmured a quiet, "Thanks." His shoulders slumped, relaxed just a little.

"Now," Martha started, straightening out the skirts on his train. "You'll be needed shortly." Something like a knowing expression passed over her aged features. "Why don't you run and see if Lady Calypso is ready to head down to the ballroom?" She winked, and Chase felt a small flutter in his chest.

"R-Right, yes. I'll do that… Then." He swallowed nervously. "Might as well get it over with." Chase absently touched his cheek. He didn't feel any of the layers of powders and creams. Maybe it was fine. Maybe he looked fine.

Why was he so worried about this?

Not entirely of his own volition, he was holding his breath on his way to the door. Chase hesitated for a moment before stepping out into the hallway. The breath was released upon seeing that Buddy wasn't out here yet. He sort of doubted that he would have started heading to the ballroom on his own, though.

With a step forward across the hall and tapping a little tune on the door, Chase called out to him, "Buddy? You… Haven't left yet, have you?"

With a click, it opened, revealing a young woman about his height with mousy hair and bright eyes. "Ah, Lady Adhara!" She smiled, greeting him with a half-bow.

"Thank you for getting the door, Agatha." Buddy stepped into the doorway from behind her, taking the door from her hold and pushing it open so he could step out. She gave Buddy a small farewell and good luck before disappearing behind it again.

"So Agatha wasn't made up after all," Chase smirked up at Buddy, who turned to him.

"What? Of course, she isn't. Why would you think that?" Buddy asked, straightening his suit out.

"Well, you were avoiding me at the time so-" Chase blinked up at him. Buddy had gone very still all of a sudden, eyes moving across Chase's face as if he was studying it. "Oh no, don't tell me the makeup on our characters actually sticks." Chase groaned, moving to wipe his mouth on the back of his hand.

Before he could reach, though, Buddy grabbed his wrist.

They both just stared at it for a moment.

Chase finally looked up at Buddy through his lashes. "Is… Something wrong?"

"It doesn't," Buddy said, swallowing a little bit before remembering himself and letting go of Chase's wrist. "I mean… The pai-… Cosmetiques you have on now aren't for Adhara. Silver must have," He waved a hand. "Added her own flair for the ball."

"Wait," Chase let his hand brush against his cheek again, just barely. "So… Silver gave me makeup? Like actually? Like, that wasn't there before?"

"Uhm…" Buddy's eyes were doing an odd thing of snagging on Chase's face and looking away over and over again. "Yes, it appears so."

Chase, of course, was non-the-wiser to Buddy's dilemma, grabbing both of his wrists in earnest, "For real?! Buddy! You have to tell me what I look like!"

A dusting of pink appeared on his pale cheeks, "I do not brat!"

"Oh, come on, please? I can't look in the mirror! How am I supposed to praise Silver's genius on an outfit if I can't even see the whole thing?" He begged, giving Buddy his best impression of puppy dog eyes he'd ever tried.

"I-" Buddy's shoulders seemed stiff, "Fine, you look… Good. I guess."

Chase slouched and rolled his eyes, "Well, duh! Details, Buddy, details!" His eyebrows lifted imploringly.

Buddy took a steadying breath, shaking his wrists from Chase's grip. "Okay, okay! Just… stop looking at me like that." He seemed a little breathless.

Chase backed up a step and tucked his hands behind his back, leaning forward and tilting his face up to Buddy so he could actually study him.

With great hesitance, Buddy swallowed and leaned toward Chase's face a little too. "You have… Rainbows around your eyes. It's a little subtle, but…" Buddy's breath felt a little shaky against Chase's face. "It um… Frames your eyes well."

Buddy's head tilts as he leans closer, "She added small white stars around your eyelids. And…" Chase doesn't think he's breathing when Buddy's gaze slips down to his mouth. "There's a… Shine on your lips."

"Gloss," Chase breathes, noticing a similar sheen on Buddy's mouth as well.

"Right," Buddy replies distractedly. He takes a staggering sort of breath and stands up straight again. Chase didn't notice when either of them started slouching toward one another. "And rose," Buddy murmured. "On your cheeks."

Chase blinked.

Buddy smirked. "Although that wasn't there a moment ago."

Chase knew the color on his cheeks only grew when Buddy's smug look turned into a smug chuckle. "Shut up, jerk!" He waved his hands and leaned back against the wall. "It's your turn."

"My turn?" Buddy raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of him.

"It looks like Violet did the same for you," Chase said, focusing on the shiny dark lines around Buddy's eyes that he would have definitely noticed before if they weren't new.

Buddy looked Chase up and down for a moment and then said, "No."

"No?" Chase's face fell in disappointment. "How am I supposed to describe your outfit to Silver if I don't study your face?" He pouted, ignoring the heat against his ears.

Buddy's eyes narrowed. "Why would you need to tell Silver what I look like?"

"Oh, because I told her I would." He says plainly, unaware of Buddy's suspicions. "She and Violet used to have design contests," He explained, smiling distantly, "And I think she misses Violet a lot… So, I told her I would describe what she had put you in when I got back."

There was a beat of silence, and then Buddy's eyes seemed to relax before he rolled them. "Alright. For Silver's sake, I suppose I'll allow it."

Chase smiled, happy for the excuse to look at Buddy's face longer. He was so focused on the fact that he had his own makeup on that he didn't completely notice that Buddy did too. He leaned toward Buddy, taking a moment to really look at him.

"It's a really dark blue eyeshadow," Chase starts, shifting his perspective around Buddy's face. "Kind of like your outfit. And it's sparkly, like with glitter."

He's smiling.

He can feel himself smiling, and he isn't going to try and control it. "It sort of," Chase points with his pinky and makes a small swooping motion, "Wings out like that. And it's faded into your eyelid. It's lighter toward your nose, too." Why does his throat feel tight? "They kinda look like little galaxies."

He's staring now.

He knows he is.

Not even trying to take mental notes anymore. Just completely captivated by the way the dark contrasts so sharply with the brightness of his eyes. "It um," Chase swallows, and Buddy tilts his head, his own dusting of rose manifesting itself. "It really makes your eyes pop, actually."

Like Buddy, his eyes roved down to his mouth, "You also have gloss on," He remarks and then pokes Buddy's cheek gently, "And a magical blush that appears at random."

Buddy swatted his hand away like it was a fly and averted his gaze, "Whatever, little idiot." There was a smile on his face. Faint, but there. "We should get going, before we're late."

Lightning shot through Chase as he remembered the reason they were out here.

The dance.

The big, improved dance.

Tango.

Technically, the entire reason he picked this book even though he didn't know it at the time. Or know it would end up being with Buddy. Though that thought didn't bother him like it might have if he'd known it before entering.

Suddenly, he felt… Nervous. "Right, the dance."

"Mhm," Buddy replied, shifting to hold out his hand. "Ready?"

Chase hesitated a moment before taking it. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but somehow… He felt calmer. Or maybe just more distracted. "Ready."

They walked together down the now familiar hallway toward the ballroom. As they neared, Chase could already hear the thrall of voices and the deep hum of music above it. He thought that Buddy's hand had tightened around his own. He might have done the same.

"There you two are, just in time." The coordinator from earlier stepped in front of them. "Follow me, your parents are already inside, welcoming guests." She waved them along, and with a glance at one another, they followed.

"Welcoming guests?" Chase asks curiously. "Aren't we supposed to follow them down the stairs or something?"

"Well, yes, that was the initial plan. It seems the Queens thought it best if it was just the two of you, though. It is your night after all. The joining of two kingdoms doesn't happen often, as you know." She pipped, and Chase felt an odd sort of attention toward his and Buddy's still conjoined hands.

Just them then. They were to enter as just the two of them. No buffer of Kings and Queens beforehand.

Around the crescent hallway, they headed toward the thin staircase that led up to the backrooms on the second floor of the ballroom. They were forced to let their hands fall back to their sides as they ascended one at a time. Chase's hand felt cold now, but the rest of his body continued to ramp up in temperature. It was just a dance. And they were both competent dancers. They flowed well together. It would be fine.

So why was he so nervous?

Why did his throat feel so full?

Why did he keep unconsciously chewing on the inside of his cheeks?

He thinks Buddy might be fidgeting with his hands more than usual, too. In that, usually Buddy is cool, calm, and collected and doesn't fidget.

"Alright," The coordinator started when they entered the first room. "Lady Adhara, you remember the signal note?"

Chase nodded and looked to Buddy. He glanced down at Chase, then refocused on the coordinator as she added, "Perfect! Lady Calypso, if you'd follow me, please."

Chase was alone in this room again. The only difference was that the curtained-off archway that led to the top of the stairs was pulled open now, and Chase could see some of the ballroom below.

The windows on the first floor were uncovered, letting in the starlight from outside. The entire room seemed bathed in a silvery glow. The lights are low to match the mood of any typical dance. But this wasn't any typical dance, for this universe or for him. Chase swallowed, taking deep breaths in an attempt to steady the adrenaline in his system.

He saw Buddy appear on the other side, waiting as he was. From this distance, he couldn't see his expression, but he still watched in mild fascination as Buddy lifted one gloved hand to the other and began removing them. He wasn't sure why the movement felt so… Heated.

Chase bit his lip a little and looked away.

The song from the rehearsal started up, and Chase was grateful for the distraction to his mind. It was louder now than it was earlier, and a hush fell over the people gathered below.

Firmly on the platform now, Chase could actually see the ballroom.

It genuinely looked like a galaxy had come down and embodied this room. The rivers of silver and gold along the floor and columns shimmered beneath the starlight, sparking like star clusters. The circle of moon cycles was already cleared of people, as if they knew he and Buddy would be occupying that space in just a moment.

The silvery glow flowed through the entire space, giving him a feeling like he was inside a magical dream.

He wasn't entirely sure he wasn't.

The note he'd mentally marked hit, and Chase jolted a little bit before starting down the stairs. His eyes didn't leave Buddy as he matched his gait. When they met at the center, Chase wasn't sure he was breathing. In the silver light, Buddy's eyes looked brighter.

Like a star had landed in them.

It wasn't until Buddy started into his bow that Chase remembered he was supposed to do the same. Instead of curtsying this time, though, Chase grabbed the skirt of his train in one hand and placed his other in a fist behind his back. Mimicking the bow Buddy performed.

They both angled their heads up to look at one another mid-bow, and he could have sworn the ghost of a smile passed over Buddy's face.

They rose, and Buddy offered his hand. Chase took it without hesitating this time and smiled as they made their way down the main staircase.

"You bowed," Buddy remarked quietly, mild curiosity dripping from his tone.

Chase smiled to himself, "Well, you looked so good doing it, I just had to try my own version of it."

Buddy hummed, amused, and this time Chase definitely wasn't imagining the smile there.

People parted as Buddy led them through the crowd. Their entrance song was coming to a steady finish. As they reached the circle, he could distantly recognize the murmur that floated through the crowd. But it was secondary. 

It fell away when Buddy guided Chase to face him in the center.

The silver in his bright eyes had Chase's breath catching in his throat.

"Ready?" He winked at Chase, and it took everything in him not to falter because of it.

"Born ready, Buds," Chase breathed back, giving him his best winning smile.

As soon as the music started, Buddy drew him close. One of his hands pressed firmly between Chase's shoulder blades. Chase didn't think either of them was breathing.

It was a tango, and therefore started slow and then ramped up. An intimate and intense dance… Chase swallowed and steeled himself for what was to come.

When Buddy drew forward, Chase leaned, and in a whoosh of flowing fabric and clicking shoes, the music took them into the dance.

Then Buddy was lifting him by the waist as the violin sang out its notes. The first crescendo. His body moved instinctively to match his lead, and Chase let his arms spread like wings, spine bending backwards in an elegant crescent, one leg curled around Buddy's back, the other straight against his torso and thigh.

The moon held up by the night. Waiting for the drop.

"Chase," Buddy whispered. Like it was a plea. A request…

Something clicked into place in those seconds. Something that had been there just beneath the surface. Chase blinked in sudden recognition, and all at once, the drum signaled the fall, and they were spinning—two celestial beings morphing and twisting around one another in perfect synchrony.

The song rose and rose, sending them across the floor like running water. Smooth. Elegant. Intentional. Buddy seemed to meet Chase at every turn and spin and step without error. And Chase followed suit, matching each step and leap, leaning into his steady hand, shifting and pressing against his back.

Chase felt like wildfire.

Raging and burning across the dance floor, without control, without order. Moving to the fast beat of the music. Prancing like wildlife, storming like lightning. Beautiful. Untamed.

Buddy was like ice against his fire. His equal and opposite in every way. There to hold him and guide his light. Consistent, unyielding. A perfect match and control in every way. Resolute in his guidance. The only thing capable of taming those flames. A battle of wills. And a joining of balance.

There was something more to this dance. Something outside of the usual haze he entered when focused. Something far more intense that he couldn't put his finger on. The same thing that had clicked in his mind only moments ago. The more they twirled over the floor, the stronger it became. And despite how heavy he was breathing, he found himself smiling as Buddy launched him into another spin.

Joy.

Unrelenting passion.

The music thrummed in his soul, weaving a trance of movement and rhythm. It fueled his heart to beat, it begged his legs to move, his arms to swing. Begged him to spin and twirl and exist within its beautiful realm. Every lilt of the violin, every clash of the cymbals sent a shockwave of energy through his body. The notes on the piano were like kindling beneath his feet.

He was nothing.

He was everything.

He was sound and light and dance.

He was laughter and joy.

He was sadness and longing.

He was an instrument with which the music used. A pawn on a stage meant for two and nothing more. It pulled and played at his heartstrings, willing him to bend and turn against it. Willing him to change and fall and breathe it.

Buddy was his conduit. His anchor. His push and his pull. The harbor wall against which he could break. Firm and just as unrelenting. Strong and eternal, just as this song was. This song is between them. The song rendered all else invisible. Unknowable. This song.

Their song.

Where Buddy lifted, Chase rose. Where Buddy threw, Chase spun—connecting and disconnecting—grabbing and releasing.

Pushing and pulling.

A perfect synchrony that drowned out all else.

They were nothing but souls becoming one in sweat and breath. With nothing but marble beneath them to keep them grounded.

And soon, even the clipping of their shoes on the stone seemed to fall away from them. Their steps met a glowing void of starlight. Like the entire ballroom fell away. No one else. Nothing else.

Just Chase.

Just Buddy.

Just them.

Alone in a universe of shooting stars and faraway galaxies.

Their place.

Their souls.

The second crescendo peaked, and the slow chorus from the start reset. Buddy spun him and lowered him into a deep dip, nearly perpendicular to the floor. Both breathing heavily, and he could swear their noses brushed before he was being lifted again with the rise of the drums.

The sound built and fireworked inside of Chase.

The end of it was upon them, and Buddy threw him into a spin for a final time, releasing him to the wild. And Chase twirled like a star among the cosmos. Buddy was not guiding this pirouette this time; he'd let go of Chase to circle him while his train created the illusion of a bursting sun.

The cymbals clashed, and Chase spun with the following four pounds of the drums.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Just on cue, Buddy's hand returned to his, guiding Chase back into his chest. Chase felt his hand glide down his thigh, and in response, Chase lifted his leg into Buddy's palm, falling backwards toward the ground. Buddy caught him expertly, hand firm against the small of his back. The final dip was the final note that rang out.

.

.

Numbness filled the silence.

They were both panting hard.

And they didn't move.

They didn't dare.

Waiting.

Asking.

Something about the way the hand against his back shifted urged Chase to draw his chin up. His eyes instinctively shifted down Buddy's face. He swallowed tightly.

Two souls.

Their souls.

One.

Buddy's face moves closer.

They're both still panting.

Both still asking.

If his heart was meant to be calming down by now, it certainly wasn't doing that.

Chase doesn't close his eyes. No. He watches. Keeping eye contact with the man currently holding him above the ground.

His eyes.

Gods… His eyes.

So stark against the darkness.

Beautiful.

Chase can still feel Buddy's hand on his thigh.

He thinks he can feel Buddy's fingers shifting. Brushing.

Gentle.

Coaxing.

Their noses touch, and Chase can feel a tremor shaking his lips to life. Everything around them firmly faded into stardust. Into the infinite nothing that Chase thought wasn't really a thing that happened in real life.

He was wrong.

Because all that existed was the two of them.

They were real.

This was real.

Chase closed his eyes then.

Tried to close that distance. Or allow Buddy to at least.

But when his eyes opened again, he was being lifted back to his feet. A chill ran through his bones at the absence of someone holding him.

He stood there, dumbfounded and confused for a moment before his brain entirely registered that Buddy was stumbling back from him, hand clasped over his mouth. Chase thinks he hears him curse into it before turning and quickly making his way to the far doors.

Distantly, Chase can hear the chorus of the crowd gasping and murmuring as he tries to make his way past them.

"Buddy, wait!" He tries, but the tailcoat of his suit is already vanishing into the hallway outside.

Chase made it the last few strides to the door and grabbed the edge of it, using the leverage to hurtle himself into the hall beyond.

"Buddy!" He called, watching him rapidly turn a corner at the end of the hallway. Chase pursued him, heart racing in his chest. His legs felt weak. Shaky. He swallowed back a grunt when he turned the same corner.

Like before, Buddy was already at the end of it. Holy hell, could this guy run. Chase shook his head and groaned, but continued after him. His throat felt thrashed by the time he rounded the second corner, and a door slammed at the end of it.

"What a… Drama king," Chase panted. "I'mma kill him… For making me run like this after a… Full on dance."

Chase made it to the door and pushed it open.

They were… Outside?

It was a courtyard, Chase realized. Trimmed hedges that arched high above his head and rose-filled bushes lined the walkway in front of him. The stars above them seemed to swirl and shine more than usual. The color-filled galaxies leaning in close, as if watching. Waiting. It cast the entire place in a faint glow, not quite unlike the kaleidoscope effect on the train.

But his eyes were open to it this time.

Buddy was turning down the end of the row.

"Buddy!" He called, picking up his pace again.

The courtyard twisted and turned around him. It was a maze, he realized. One he was sure he would get lost in if he didn't have Buddy's bright tailcoat to follow. Chase thought maybe Buddy had slowed down to lead him through it.

His suspicions were confirmed when Chase came to the end of it. The center of the maze, if he had to guess.

A large fountain loomed before him. Two very familiar figures were the center of it—the lady made of night and stars, and the one of planets and suns. They melded into one another, folding and conjoined in places—an infinite embrace.

Before it, Buddy stood, turned to face him. His chest rose and fell with his panting.

"Why…" That was all Chase could manage between his own heavy breathing, taking a few steps forward to close the gap between them.

Buddy opened his mouth as if he might say something. When only silence followed, he let out a sigh. Chase stepped closer.

"Was I just… Imagining things?" A chill ran through Chase, but he didn't feel a breeze.

"No," Buddy answered immediately. Eyes locking with Chase's in earnest. "No, you… Weren't imagining anything."

Chase didn't know he needed the reassurance until he was taking another step closer. "Then, why?" He asked quietly.

"I… Well… In the… Story…" His voice was falling away, and they were standing nearly toe to toe now. Buddy was looking at Chase as if he were witnessing a supernova.

Chase thought maybe Buddy was one. "The story?" The words were barely a whisper, and Chase wasn't entirely sure how or if Buddy heard him over the gentle roar of the fountain at his back.

Buddy took in a staggering breath, and Chase thought he might back away again.

He did not.

"You idiot…" Buddy breathed.

All at once, Chase's face was in Buddy's hands, and he was being coaxed to stand on his toes. Buddy's lips met his own, and Chase felt he might have actually become an erupting star. On instinct, Chase's hands grabbed onto Buddy's waist.

His eyes fluttered closed just as the moment was taken from him.

Buddy had pulled away, eyes a bit wide, lips breathless. "Ch-Chase… I'm sor-hmn!" He didn't get a chance to finish his thought before Chase was wrapping his arms around Buddy's neck and reconnecting their mouths.

Buddy's hands wrapped around Chase's waist now, pulling him ever closer, supporting his weight when he leaned in. They were melting into one another. A mimicry of the fountain behind them.

It was slow.

Tender.

Longing.

And all at once, like a door was open, the yearning both had been feeling for so long released itself. Their lips moved against one another, synchronized and matching. Each movement tested a boundary they had long since crossed.

Each an eruption in Chase's heart.

Buddy pulled him closer, as if he couldn't get enough of him. Chase shuddered as their bodies connected. It forced a small moan from him, and that was all Buddy needed. Their tongues slid against one another with ease, coaxing and drawing upon the other for more.

And fuck if he didn't taste like the sweetest nectar.

Chase's hands found their way into Buddy's hair. Anything to keep him here. To keep him from floating off into the expanse above them. He wanted… Needed more of him. And didn't think he could ever get enough in a lifetime.

Their world was nothing but pressed lips and gliding tongues. Hungry and languished at the same time. Like they were starving but had the entirety of time to fill their desires.

When they finally did pull apart to breathe, Chase wasn't sure how he was still able to. He wanted to come back. To lean in and kiss him again. But Buddy leaned back with a smile on his face and laughed breathlessly.

Chase's mind was a haze. The taste of Buddy was fresh on his swollen lips. He felt light… So very light.

"Little idiot," Buddy breathed against his cheek, eyes lidded and hazy, looking down at him. "Now you have to leave…" He sounded mournful through the tint of amusement on his tongue.

His tongue.

Chase blinked, trying to bring himself back to the ground around them. "Hmm?" He hummed, Transfixed and dazed.

"My lips," Buddy said, and this certainly didn't help Chase's concentration. "They're poison."

"Then I'll die happy." Chase purred easily, leaning up to try and reignite the fireworks inside of him.

But Buddy placed his hands on the back of Chase's arms and gently detached him, like he was removing a sloth from a branch. "No," He said, though his breath still carried the ghost of laughter. "I'm serious. The… Gloss." He explained, pressing his hand against Chase's jaw. "It has poison in it."

Chase finally seemed to be coming back down from his high and blinked again. "You're kidding."

"I'm not." Buddy was just smiling. "Calypso-… I wasn't supposed to kiss you."

"But you did anyway," Chase remarked.

"I did." Buddy's eyes shimmered in the starlight, flickering back down to Chase's mouth. "And may again if you don't go before the poison sets in." He whispered, but pulled away from Chase just a little bit more.

The chill between them seemed to yank Chase from his stupor just enough to really register what he was saying. "That's why you ran," Chase said, a coy smile pulling at his lips. "I knew I was irresistible."

Buddy rolled his eyes, moving the hand on Chase's cheek up to ruffle his hair and playfully push him away. "Exactly. It's all your fault. Now go home before you pass out." Buddy grumbled, but his cheeks were still very red.

Chase begrudgingly grabbed Silver, his heart suddenly racing. His vision felt like it was getting dark around the edges. "You'll be in the next book… Won't you?" He had to ask.

Buddy smiled. "Aren't I always?"

Something like a dizzy spell washed over him, and Chase smiled at Buddy.

His eyes locked into the galaxies there. The stars swirling in the reflection of his irises. Blue glowing near silver in the starlight. He didn't need to look up to see faraway worlds and the intricacies of the cosmos.

They were here.

They had always been right here.

He stayed a moment more. Memorizing those eyes—the constellations within them—and whispered:

"Home."