bored by the chore of saving face

by ihatemyson

Summary:

“You're running a fever.”
“Thanks.” As if he couldn't already tell. With how his head started to sink into the pillow below his head, it felt more like William was pushing him down.
“How long have you been… laying here?”
“Since… noon.” Vyncent mumbled miserably. “I was gonna leave tonight…”
But then he took a nap. And, since then, he's been motionless. William frowned.
-
After taking his finals, Vyncent gets sick. William takes care of him.

Vyncent's friends only liked to call him at night.

In the mornings, none of them were awake. Onwards, and into the afternoon, Vyncent and Ashe had classes to attend, and William and Dakota had their own things to get up to. But at night, as two of them were loosely set on studying, and the other two weren’t, they’d put aside some time to either hop on a call, or watch a movie. Sometimes both.

That night, they were watching Evil Dead, and Dakota was much more enthralled in the movie than the rest of them were. Apparently, Ashe and William had already seen it a couple times before- and while Ashe seemed to like it enough to watch it again… 

William and Vyncent did what they did best, whenever they watched a movie together. They talked, and chatted throughout the entirety- going from picking apart the moving from its threaded details, to going on tangents that sometimes had nothing to do with the movie.

And while the two of them were in their element, and enjoying themselves, in all of this…

“I’m muting you guys!” Dakota announced. “You’ll get speaking privileges when the movie’s over.”

“I already had them muted.” Ashe muttered, and when Vyncent looked down at Ashe’s webcam, he saw him leaning his head against his hand, and struggling to keep his eyes open.

Usually, they’d all be talking- but now, the hours had slipped by them without any of them noticing. And after a long talk, they started the movie, and they all seemed to get tired, as they winded down. Dakota seemed tired as well- since that heart transplant, the transition from being awake to being tired was much more natural, and slow, and perfect for this sort of night.

But William seemed fine. Miffed, over being muted by Dakota, but otherwise just as awake and present as Vyncent was.

“It’s just us now.” Vyncent said, and William’s mouth moved in a weird way, like he was trying not to laugh. “Do you think they’ll fall asleep, or leave the call first?”

William blew out a breath anyway.

“How are you doing, Vynce?”

“Movie’s fine.” He sighed. “I like it.”

In all honesty, he hadn't been paying too much attention to it. On any other night, his eyes would've been glued, and unblinking on the television screen- but tonight, it seemed, all he really wanted to do was talk to his friends, and use that movie as background noise to go along with it.

“College treating you well?”

Vyncent turned back and forth in his chair.

“It hasn’t- not- been… treating me.” He stumbled through, only realizing afterward that he used a double-negative, and that it didn’t make sense. But then, just as he tried to fix it, the sentence left his brain, and he just ended up saying, “It’s. Yeah.”

William gave him an odd look. The sentence- whatever he said- didn’t even make sense anyway.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” He doubled-down. Maybe he was getting tired, too.

“Didn’t say much when we were talking earlier.” William pressed, since leaving any questions unanswered was like leaving a pot on a stove, to him. “Finals are coming up, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“And…?”

“I'm doing fine..?”

William didn’t look like he was getting the answers he wanted. But in Vyncent’s defense, he didn’t know what kind of answers he was looking for.

“Really? The workload isn’t getting to you?”

Vyncent's eyebrows furrowed, and he thought about it. 

Sure, his desk was stacked high with notes, and littered with broken pencils, and he had to find a way to neatly shove all of it off to the side every time the rest of his friends wanted to call him… But it wasn't that difficult. In his mind, when he tried to imagine something that could’ve been stressing him out, there was only one thing that came to mind.

“The only thing I'm having trouble with is my laptop…”

“It won't turn on?” William guessed. “Vyncent, if you don't plug it in every once in a while, it's just going to die…”

“No…” Even though that was a very real problem he had ages ago, it was something he kept up with, now. “I'm using it right now. It's alive.”

“What's the problem, then?”

Vyncent tried his best to describe it to him- saying that his professors wanted him to sign up for specific websites to turn all his assignments into. And the names of those sites were all meticulously written down in a notebook he had to rummage around to find, but he couldn't figure out how to get to those websites, or how to navigate them properly…

And William helped him.

Sometimes, William liked to poke fun at Vyncent for not knowing some of the things he considered to be basic. Especially in the early years of their friendship, where he was baffled at just about every strange thing that came out of Vyncent's mouth- 

But since being with him every day for the last two years, and since being his friend for almost three- after William sat through Vyncent describing what his home was like, and after actually being able to go there- there was a very subtle, and quiet appreciation. Now, whenever Vyncent asked dumb questions, he'd know that they were dumb because William would make a funny face… but the teasing usually paired with it would just be light, and brushed over easily.

He'd explain it to him, and he wouldn't make him feel stupid for not knowing. Sometimes, Vyncent thought, William even seemed to like to tediously explain simple things to him- which helped him more when he was trying to understand something (and would only backfire, and become slightly annoying if they had any disagreements… but, for the most part, it worked out.)

William explained what he needed to know, promised to go through it in much more detail later, and Vyncent closed out of Discord to briefly handle a couple things. Then they went back to the movie, and Vyncent curiously checked in on the facecams.

Dakota was fast asleep. Ashe was rubbing his eyes, and still hanging on- for the most part. And William was just as awake, and alert as he'd been throughout the entire call- ready to talk again, once they were back on the movie.

“Ashe called me a few days ago, and he's been talking about dropping out-”

“He’s-”

“He's not.” William tacked on, just as Vyncent was going to ask, “But he’s stressed. And with finals coming up, I figured I'd check in with you too. Just in case.”

Vyncent sighed, and leaned against his chair- swiveling it around so that he could get a better look at his blank ceiling. 

Back at home, it was easy for Vyncent to keep busy.

Before the lich ravaged his world, and when everything was perfectly normal, Vyncent had chores. He and his mom lived comfortably, but they still had to work for that comfort. And if they wanted anything simple- like fresh food on the table, clean bowls to eat out of, or a clean house to live in- then they'd have to work to upkeep it. And without his dad around, it wasn't something that was particularly easy…

But they managed. And then- if Vyncent was still free, and his mom told him to go enjoy the air outside- he'd have to keep himself busy then, either practicing his aim with throwing knives, or working at the general store down the street for some extra money- not coming back home until it was time to eat, and go to bed immediately after.

He had friends, but they were more like kids he just knew, and nobody he was set on hanging out with. He had dreams- he wanted to be in an adventuring party, just like his dad and the Greats. He wanted to make a name for himself. But Vyncent understood from an early age that it wasn't something achievable without putting a lot of effort and work into it… and thus, his habits began.

On Prime- right when he arrived, and joined the Prime Defenders- Vyncent was busy. He had a whole new world to navigate. They all spoke the same language, but used completely different words, and had different environments, and customs… it was like the rug got completely pulled out from under him.

He tried fitting in, and that occupied most of his time- watching movies and playing games, and indulging in art to get a better understanding of everything (though, in the end, it mainly hindered him). Then he tried school, and hero work- and then, for ten months, it was just him and William, and they were either training, or delving into hero work of their own.

Then, after Dakota came back, it was constant chaos. The trips they made with the Winnebago, going to his homeworld, then hunting the lich, and finding Ashe- and with constant danger being all around them- it was just a constant state of go, go, go, and Vyncent thrived in it. Constant adrenaline, keeping him awake and alert, and keeping a lot of his thoughts occupied…

After their battle with the Trickster, and saving Ashe, there was a brief reprieve- and Vyncent had options. On Prime, it was easy to relax, and not have to worry about as many things if he didn't want to. People didn’t have to work as hard to live here.

But Vyncent would never let himself become complacent like that. And while that sentiment was only a quiet nagging in the back of his head just a few years ago- fresh on Prime, and mourning his old routine- it was something that festered in the forefront of his mind as he became more used to his new life.

So there was a reprieve, and then there was college. Vyncent threw himself into his schoolwork. And even though he struggled with it just as much as he struggled with school the first time around- if not more- it kept him at the right amount of busy that he wanted to be.

Whenever he was studying, and his friends called him in the middle of it, and he got that feeling where he wasn't sure if he wanted to let loose with his friends or keep studying, Vyncent felt a weird sense of pride. He busied himself to the point where it was almost impossible to dig himself out of it. And yet, instead of completely drowning in it, or stressing out, it'd feel… nice. He was hardworking. Productive. Sticking his hands into this strange, foreign thing, and just managing to get ahold of it long enough to almost get himself stuck- but never actually getting stuck in it.

He'd always drop whatever he was working on to hang out with them, but that wasn't the point. It was the struggle that mattered, and the work he was putting in- keeping his brain and his hands busy, and keeping himself from doing nothing.

William would often ask if he was doing okay, since college was infamous for stressing out its attendees, and as far as he was aware, he was still working hard, and getting average grades… but Vyncent wasn't stressed. He didn't want to tear his hair out, and he didn't feel that pit of dread in his stomach every time he knew he had to dive into something head-first. He wasn't sure if he was just separated, or if it was something else- but he liked to believe that doing a lot of things all at once was good for him.

So when William expressed his worries, all Vyncent said was, “I'm doing fine. I like keeping busy.”

And William believed him. Vyncent noticed his face changing on the screen, relaxing into an expression that’d only been commonplace recently. When it was just them, without Dakota’s rampant energy, when there wasn’t a horrible, looming threat over them, and whenever William wasn’t thinking too much… 

He liked it when William was happy. He liked it when all of his friends were happy, but for William, it always seemed like an occasion that was much more rare. That must’ve been why Vyncent’s mood changed, and his shoulders dropped, and he found himself mirroring William’s expression.

Then, it changed further. He looked a little more coy- eyes narrowing, and smile widening a little as he tapped the side of his head. “No brain melting over there?”

“No brain.” He said, solemnly, and William's cackle rang out from his laptop. Vyncent’s shoulders straightened out, feeling a little pride creeping in over making William laugh.

“Speaking of- how's Origami doing?”

At the mention of his name, the mood immediately dropped. Vyncent sighed, and rubbed his head again. 

Usually, it was easy to keep his brain busy- and thus, it was easy to tune out whatever Origami was doing up in his head, and it was easy to act like he wasn't even there in the first place- but at the mere mention of his name, he'd suddenly be at the forefront of his attention.

He didn’t say anything. He was just there. And thus, Vyncent didn’t pay him any more attention than he deserved.

“He’s still in here.”

William scratched his chin, “Do you think he could help you on-”

The movie paused, and both of them immediately sat up.

“Guys, I’m gonna end call.” Ashe’s voice cut through with a loud yawn, “And I’m going to bed.”

“Night, Ashe…” They both said at the same time.

Then, it was just the three of them, with Dakota snoring softly in the background.

“Night, Vynce. See you next movie night-”

“William?”

“Yeah?”

He paused, and waited until William’s face notably creased- curiosity amping.

“...Do you think Origami could help me cheat on my exams?” Vyncent eventually asked.

William rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, Vyncent.”

And then he hung up- and Vyncent spent the next five minutes trying to figure out how to do the same.

And after all of that- when he was a little too tired to keep studying, but not quite tired enough to go to bed- Vyncent decided to clean off his desk.

-

Studying for his finals left Vyncent in a really odd state.

He'd never been so focused (or, at least, trying to be) in his whole life. He spent hours pouring over notes, and staying up late into the night- even going as far as to study during the movie nights. (Even though, more recently, it was just William, Vyncent, and Dakota in the call, since Ashe was busy.)

And then, on top of all of that, Origami wouldn't stop bothering him- and no matter how many times he knocked on his head or verbally told him to keep it down, he dragged his feet with every action, and thus, Vyncent was left having to work twice as hard as usual-

So, when he found that he was having trouble learning and retaining information, Vyncent found himself spending an afternoon in a study group with a lot of his neighbors in their lounge area. 

They weren't his friends- after the Prime Defenders, he found that he had a strict criteria for whoever could be considered that- but they were acquaintances. He saw them in some classes, around campus, and they knew his name. That was mainly it.

But they invited him to study with them ages ago, and they greeted him very warmly when he sat down in one of the chairs alongside them… so Vyncent made himself comfortable, and prepared to be just as involved and focused as the rest of them.

But to his dismay, they spent most of their time chatting, instead of actually studying. And even though Vyncent was set on studying… At the same time, after spending so much time doing it already, it was like a block was steadily starting to form in his brain, and instead of keeping his eye on his laptop, or his notebook, he found himself tuning into some of the conversations.

One of the girls in the group- someone he accidentally forgot the name of- had an ‘on and off’ relationship with her friend. And currently, during one of the most important points of the year, he'd apparently decided to go back to the ‘off’ period, which stressed her out.

Every time she talked about it, Vyncent's attention would tune into it. He was giving mixed signals. He didn't appreciate her enough... Vyncent felt bad for her, but at the same time, seeing her surrounded by her other, seemingly better friends was also really encouraging.

It was in one of those study groups- after getting through most of them, relatively unscathed and not talked to- when he was finally regarded for something other than the answer to a simple question.

“What about you, Vyncent?”

“Huh?” He asked, eloquently. His finger twitched against the side of his phone, and with a click, it shut off. The few seconds he wasn't paying attention, and instead texting William, and suddenly, he was missing out on parts of a conversation… now directed towards him.

The person who asked- who was smiling a little, for whatever reason- gestured towards the phone in his hands with a simple nod of their head.

“You texting your girlfriend?”

The words slotted easily in Vyncent’s mind. Girl. Friend. Friend who was a girl. Except William wasn't a girl.

And so, he said, “He's my boy friend.” And left it at that. And aside from a murmur or two, nobody had anything more to say about it. He couldn’t tell what they even wanted in the first place, and he wasn’t really set on finding out.

William kept texting him throughout the study session, and Vyncent kept picking up his phone to respond to him, even though he wasn’t supposed to get distracted… but, then, the rest of the group seemed to be easily distracted as well.

Maybe this whole study group thing was a sham. He could do it perfectly fine by himself, and in his dorm room.

And so, when William asked if he wanted to call, Vyncent happily packed up his things. With short goodbyes, and no plans to ever come back to one of those study groups, he left- and called William as soon as he was outside. Walking, and talking on his way to get something to eat.

At first, Vyncent complained about the group, and how he wasn’t getting anything done. But he didn’t complain for very long until William brought up a good point.

“When’s the last time you took a break?” He asked it to be playful- more specifically, to egg Vyncent into a conversation that wasn’t about his schoolwork- but Vyncent considered it. Then, when he couldn’t remember the last time he intentionally went on a break, he pivoted the conversation into something else.

Vyncent then talked about the study group, filling William in on some of the drama that was being talked about by everyone else, just as he'd been telling him (mainly over text) since he started the whole thing… And then, it seemed, some things got mixed up, and misinterpreted.

It was a common problem Vyncent had. He wasn't from around there. Sometimes, even after being told about something over and over, it still wouldn't stick in his head. So sometimes, things got lost in translation. 

In this case, he mixed up the whole “girlfriend/boyfriend” thing- the girl wasn't talking about a friend, she was talking about her partner. And, after Vyncent told the story, he just as confidently told William that he was his “best boy friend” he was immediately corrected.

“Vyncent…” William said, slowly, before he burst out in laughter. “Oh, God, that makes so much more sense…”

Vyncent put a hand up to his forehead. Usually, he wasn't so easily embarrassed- but after confidently telling both William and a group of strangers that William was his partner, he had every reason to.

“It's- why would you even call it that! Friend is in the name!” He cried, and William’s laughter on the other end did nothing to help him, “I just got it confused- I've never heard those words used like that before I came here.”

“What would you call your partner, over there?”

“Husband. Wife. Life partner.” He added the last one sternly, since William had already mentioned it. “And those are just the words we share.”

“What if you're not married?”

“Fiancé?”

“No, like- not committed to marry, but not off the table. Dating. What would you call that?”

Vyncent took a second to think about it.

“Courting…?” He said, slowly, then he shook his head. “It’s different, William…”

“How so?”

From what Vyncent's picked up on movies and television, dating was something casual. Dating had the capacity to be whatever they wanted it to be. Serious, unserious, meeting with strangers with the intention of forming a bond and seeing where it went, or going in head-first, with the intention of marrying them, if everything worked out. It just entirely depended on whatever the parties wanted.

Courting was much more serious. It was hardly a downgrade from a proposal.

The process was very simple. And, since he's heard the story a million times before, he easily relayed it to William on the way back to his dorm.

When Vyncent's parents met, his dad was an adventurer- an amateur, along with the rest of the Greats, but still pretty famous- and his mom was just living with her parents. When he was younger, she'd always tell the story so fondly. He saved her from something, and even though the rest of his team wanted to leave town, he insisted on seeing her again.

Thus- after knowing her for a while, and getting permission from her parents- he started courting her. On his adventures, he'd write her wonderful letters, and send her gifts. When he was over, he’d cook her certain dishes, and eat it with her… and then, after a few months of that, they got married. Had a son. And the rest was history.

“Didn't know he was such a romantic.” William said, and he couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

“It's just the process.” Vyncent corrected him anyway. “With courting, you already have plans to marry each other… It's not just something you can turn on and off.”

As a kid, it was easy for Vyncent to assume that his parents were happy. 

They were married. His mother kept every gift he gave her while they were courting, and every time Vyncent asked about it, she'd happily tell him how they met. When his father stayed over, they'd talk, and at the end of the night they'd sleep in the same bed. And, maybe first and foremost- they both loved him, and told him so every time they got the opportunity to.

As he got older, he was more exposed to how their dynamic actually was when he wasn't around. Arguments that constantly needed to be shut down whenever he was nearby, with added promises to talk about it later. A strange distance kept between them, even when his dad was home- with his dad putting his arm around her, and his mom pulling away from him. More often than not, by the end of the day, they'd be fine again, but Vyncent had these moments burned into his memory.

It was strange. They both loved him before he became a traitorous bastard- but as Vyncent understood it, he wasn’t a normal parent. He was more like a celebrity that they let into their home, and fed, and cared for- someone to be respected, and looked up to- but not someone to love, or be truly loved by. He came and went as he pleased, pretending to play the attentive dad Vyncent previously believed him to be.

His mom said many times (to friends, and neighbors, but never to him specifically) that his father's one true love was adventuring, and that nothing was going to change that. Not a family- wife, or son- or a home to settle down in. In the end, it seemed, she was right.

Of course, he didn't tell William all of that. Just how they met, tying in how courting worked, and then as he continued, it naturally developed into him talking about how his dad's constant adventuring eventually put a wedge between them.

And when he gave that brief explanation, William breathed out a sigh.

“Yeah, I get it- my parents got divorced when I was younger.”

“...divorce isn't really a thing where I'm from.” They could split up, end their partnership, whatever they wanted to call it- but it wasn't something that was so pleasantly viewed. 

“So your mom's still married to your dad…?” William asked, slowly, and Vyncent considered it.

“I think… nobody will care if they separate now, because of the circumstances.”

Vyncent eventually made it back to his dorm. And as William chatted his ear off, he unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

The inside of his dorm room was… crowded. It wasn't a mess- Vyncent made sure of it, last time he was in there- but taking a step back, in the midst of all the stress he was putting himself through, he realized just how much better things could be once he had the time to pick things up, and move them around.

He'd fix it later. He collapsed onto his bed. And just as he was settling into bed- with the conversation changing lanes, and dipping, and him giving short answers that weren't properly thought out- William asked a question that made Vyncent pause.

“Do you think you'll ever date anyone?” He sounded tentative, like he wasn't sure if he should ask.

And all Vyncent could say was, “I don't know.”

It was a whole can of worms, and if he thought about it for too long, then it'd leave a weird sort of pit in his stomach that'd make him nauseous…

But if William wanted to talk about it, then he would. Vyncent felt like, out of anyone he knew, this sort of personal thing was something that he would only confide in with William. And, it seemed, he wasn't ready to drop the conversation just yet.

“I meant, since it's not the same over here…” He continued, “If you found somebody, and you wanted to be casual about it, I mean…”

“If I had the time…” He eventually settled on, ignoring the fact that the majority of his busy nature was all on his shoulders, and how he personally managed his time, “And with the right person…” He tacked on the last bit, and William made a noise in agreement. “Then… maybe. I guess.”

He imagined William hanging onto every word. There was a pause before, eventually, he said, “Yeah, I get it.”

Vyncent's eyebrows furrowed. And, now, he might not have been completely keen on everything that William thought- he might not have been incredibly perceptive, or too smart for his own good, and he sometimes had trouble reading faces, and gestures, and knowing how people were feeling- but if one thing was for certain, Vyncent knew William.

Vyncent knew this wasn't just some casual icebreaker. This meant something to him. Maybe, he thought, he was plagued with similar anxieties. His parents were separated, weren't they? And sure, dating was much more casual on Prime, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a pressure to get the right person…

“What about you?”

William's weird laugh just about confirmed his suspicions. 

“Ah- uh- um… Well.” He breathed out a long sigh, “Uh… I don't know, either, really. I think I could manage it, or whatever.”

“You're busy too, aren't you?”

“I could make time for it.” William said, maybe a little too quickly, because he immediately backtracked, “But it's- y’know, it's not- something I'm looking for. I think. So. Not really something that's… on my mind.”

Something deep down told Vyncent that William was lying to him.

“Really?”

William breathed out a sigh, trying (and failing) to sound casual. “Totally.”

…but he didn't know what he could've been lying about. So Vyncent decided to drop it.

“Alright, well, I'll get back to it. Night, William-”

“Vyncent?”

“Yeah?”

There was a pause. 

Then, there was quiet cursing that Vyncent couldn't pick up.

“Have a good night, Vynce.” He ended up saying, “Good luck on your finals.”

“Yeah… Bye, Will.”

William hung up. Vyncent put his phone to his chest, and stared up at his ceiling. After his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see it perfectly.

-

Vyncent studied, kept himself constantly busy, and he took his exams- and when it was all over, he collapsed onto his bed for a well-earned nap…

And when he woke up again a few hours later, he was in pain. 

It was beyond the usual setbacks he felt whenever he woke up from a nap- like the major dry mouth, or the inability to discern anything for a few minutes after waking up. On top of that, his limbs felt weak, and he wanted nothing more than to turn over, and go back to sleep. But Vyncent couldn't move- he couldn't sit up, or leave, or turn over- and so instead, he stayed staring at his ceiling.

The feeling didn't go away, even after a couple hours had passed- going from around mid-noon, to later in the afternoon, to creeping in close to the night. Vyncent’s arm would raise weakly- pulling over the blanket, or adjusting his position, and presently ignoring that he had so many things to do- but it wouldn't go much further than that.

He had to leave the dorms after his last final, meet up with the others at a restaurant nearby, and then they were supposed to go to Harttawa Island. That was the plan for his break- him, Dakota, and William all spending their time there with Tide, just like the good old days. Possibly training, and stopping crime… Ashe also promised to visit for a day or two, whenever he got the chance, but he said he wanted to spend some time back home first to see how everything panned out.

And Vyncent was excited, initially. Maybe a little downtrodden, since it was going to be three out of the four, but otherwise happy- 

But now, he was stuck in his dorm room, and unable to move a muscle. And, as the hours drew on, and he didn’t get any better, he let his eyes fall shut.

-

Just as the day dipped into night, Vyncent got a phone call.

He didn't know who it was from, since his phone was laying face-down, but because it was on vibrate, and hidden under a couple blankets, it wasn't as loud as it could've been. He had no incentive to move it, or answer it- so he didn't.

It rang. Then it stopped. Then it rang again. And then- just as Vyncent was about ready to fall asleep again, and more than prepared to hear that muffled noise in his dreams- there was a knock instead. And suddenly, he knew that it was William trying to call him.

“Vyncent?” As if to confirm, he heard his voice on the other side.

“...” As Vyncent turned his eyes over, he realized that his door wasn't fully closed.

It wasn't cracked open, and he certainly couldn't see outside- nor could anyone outside look in- but it wasn't closed all the way. And, as soon as William seemed to realize this strange detail as well, he pushed open the door with a horrible, piercing creak. He poked his head around the corner- face pinched, and worried-

And then, as soon as he saw Vyncent, he was immediately relieved. Then he was upset. Then he was confused. All cycling around in different expressions that Vyncent could barely pick up on, since he was squinting and couldn't really see his face. As William stepped closer, and saw Vyncent looking at him, his eyes widened a little.

“Oh- you're awake.” He then started looking around the room a little, “Have you been getting my calls..?”

“...” Vyncent could manage a quiet grunt in response, but otherwise, he didn't want to talk, or even move.

Unfortunately, it wasn't normal for him to be acting like this, and thus, he couldn't somehow convince William that he was fine, actually, and could sleep in just a few more hours until he felt better.

“Vyncent?”

“...”

Then, he was worried again. Suddenly, he wasn't curious about looking around his room anymore- and instead, he was getting close to him. Vyncent felt cold hands lightly touching his wrist, then neck- and after a sigh, presumably upon finding a pulse, William leaned over, and waved his hand in front of his face.

“Hey, Vynce?” His head tilted, “You okay, buddy?”

“No.” Vyncent managed.

William's hand brushed against Vyncent's bangs, and gently pushed them out of the way. His palm stayed pressed against his forehead, putting a minimal amount of pressure there for a second before reprieving, and Vyncent sighed a big breath of relief afterwards. His hand was just cool enough to offset the heat radiating from his head. Even with a light touch, it was refreshing.

“You're running a fever.”

“Thanks.” As if he couldn't already tell. With how his head started to sink into the pillow below his head, it felt more like William was pushing him down.

“How long have you been… laying here?”

“Since… noon.” Vyncent mumbled miserably. “I was gonna leave tonight…”

But then he took a nap. And, since then, he's been motionless. William frowned.

“I could bring you over there.”

Vyncent sighed like a weight had gotten taken off his shoulders, and he nodded. “I need to get my stuff together.”

William looked back at his room, hands settling on his hips. He spotted Vyncent's suitcase, already partially full of things, and almost ready to go, for their break. Then, wordlessly, William started pacing around his dorm room- going through his closet, and his desk…

When William faced him again, Vyncent glared at him. 

“What are you doing?”

William looked around his dorm room., “...getting your stuff together?”

Vyncent opened his mouth to say something- assuring him that he was fine, and could do it himself, and even wanted to do it himself… or maybe tell him that he didn't want William going through his stuff, which wasn't necessarily true- he didn't mind it- but something felt weird about watching William putting his stuff away.

William's visited plenty of times. Maybe not as much as he's visited Harttawa Island, with Tide and Dakota- but he helped Vyncent move in, and every time he came over, he always kept an eye out on his surroundings, to see what had changed. So William knew which places to check, and from his bed, Vyncent watched him move things around, and lovingly pack away some sets of clothes into his suitcase.

Vyncent tried to tackle the feeling- wondering if he felt bad because he was a little too helpless, being sick and with William helping him out, rather than the other way around- or, maybe, the feeling was just from him being sick, and William had nothing to do with it.

Either way, he closed his eyes, not quite asleep, but not quite awake either. There was a nice state in between, where the normally uncomfortable mattress suddenly felt a million times softer, and the blankets were just the right pressure, and Vyncent almost felt like he was floating… of course, the novelty wore off every time he realized he was too hot to be comfortable, and his throat was impossibly dry, but it was better than being fully awake.

Then, when he was done, William shook his shoulder a little. For Vyncent, each moment between opening his eyes felt like seconds passing, and he was slightly miffed over being disturbed so soon…

William must've mistaken his annoyance for just him being tired. When his eyes opened, William’s eyebrows raised.

“Come on. Dakota's gonna be really happy to see you.”

At the reminder, he winced.

Vyncent loved Dakota- he was one of his best friends in the whole world- and yet, he also knew that Dakota had a bit of a volume problem. It wasn't his fault, really, and Vyncent wouldn't blame him for it- but when the Greats were still in his head, and he'd get a migraine from it, the only thing he could remember was wanting to lay in a dark room for hours and hours on end, with his sensitive hearing picking up on every single word that Dakota said…

And their new base was bigger than the hotel rooms they'd stop by, and the Winnebago, and thus, there was more room for him… But the headache persisted, and Vyncent wished he had a lonesome, quiet room to lay down in until it stopped… 

Somehow, William must've noticed it. Perceptive as ever. Vyncent envied that.

“We can also stop by my place, before that. Situate… everything.” William said, “I've got some really nice curtains to keep my room dark… and it's really quiet, over in Deadwood.”

Vyncent nodded eagerly. “I'd like that.”

-

William made a few portals, and within minutes, Vyncent was in an unfamiliar bedroom- standing upright, only because of his friend’s help.

“Sorry about the mess…” William muttered, as Vyncent’s eyes immediately went to look around the room. “I'll clean it up later.”

It was dark, as promised- there was still some minimal light outside being covered by William’s dark curtains, but it was better than how it was in his dorm room. He didn’t turn on the light, and it only took Vyncent's eyes a second to adjust to it.

The room looked relatively normal. It had a bed that looked messily thrown together rather than made- and as they stood there, William immediately walked over to it, and readjusted the thick blanket on top to make it look somewhat normal. There were pictures on the walls, a desk in the corner- with a computer, likely to use Discord on- and when Vyncent turned, he saw a closet in the corner that was completely full.

There was a backpack collecting dust in the corner, propped up next to a TV pointed directly at his bed. There were some things on the floor- tripping hazards, Vyncent realized- but before either of them could say anything, the room suddenly lit up a little.

William’s bedroom door was open just a crack. So when the hallway light turned on, some of that light filled the room that they were in. The two of them immediately looked to the door- Vyncent wincing, while William was otherwise fine- and they waited.

“William! Are you there?” He heard a familiar voice coming from down the hall, and William quietly muttered something under his breath. 

Vyncent frowned, and looked to his friend. “Your parents don't like me…” 

“I'll tell her that you're here- you just…” 

William probably meant to gently guide him onto his bed, but instead- with his head turned towards the door, and his hands insistent on pushing him away from it- he accidentally pushed Vyncent towards the bed instead. It wasn't a strong push, and normally he would've been just fine- but because of how sick he was, his knees easily buckled, and he fell right onto William's bed.

And because he fell, his body’s natural reaction was to hold onto the nearest thing to keep himself upright, which just so happened to be William’s arm. William similarly lost his balance, tripped over his own two feet, and fell over right on top of him- his chin hitting the base of Vyncent's neck, and his arm pressed next to his head on the mattress.

They stared at each other for a minute. Vyncent felt his face heating up, and his head get a little foggier- surely, from the fever- and in their silence, he saw William's face go beet red. Then, for the first time in a very long time, William went blue, went intangible, and fell right through the floor without so much as a noise.

Vyncent heard footsteps coming down the hall, along with William’s mom still calling out to him- and it was then that he realized that his heart was beating anxiously. For a moment, he considered getting up, and hiding behind something- just so she wouldn't have to see him in her house, and he wouldn't have to explain himself.

But then- arriving quickly, as if he was similarly worried about Vyncent being seen first- William rose through the floor, and immediately opened the door.

Vyncent couldn't see him properly, but he still noticed William’s head leaning against the doorway- that horrible, and obvious attempt in trying to keep casual, while it seemed like every other bone in William’s body wanted to panic and run in the opposite direction.

“Hey…”

He heard his mom's voice, loud and clear. “Honey, I thought you were seeing your friends on that island…”

William looked back at Vyncent for a second. Then he stepped out. “Mom, I need to…”

Whatever else he said was cut off by William closing the door behind him. The rest of the sentence was muffled, and Vyncent was tempted to close his eyes yet again, to fall asleep… But he was tilted in William's bed, and his legs were still hanging off. So, with about as much strength as he could muster, Vyncent slowly but surely readjusted himself.

Then, as his head hit the pillow, he sighed.

It only took a moment for him to hear voices coming from down the hall, slowly crawling towards the bedroom again- muffled, and indiscernible until Vyncent opened his eyes again, and actually strained his hearing to see what was going on.

He heard William’s mom first, talking a little loudly- most likely, to a retreating William. Then he heard William responding, growing much closer to his bedroom door-

Until, finally, the door opened, and he poked his head through before he entered it full.

“And if I see any weapons in my house, I’m taking it outside- I don’t care who y’all are saving!” She told him sternly. And then, just as William was about to close the bedroom door, she called out again, “You better leave that door open!”

“Mom!”

“Just a crack!” She insisted, and when William finally walked over to him, his face was red- but just as she asked, he left the door open a little.

He was holding a glass of water, along with two pills in the other hand. And in Vyncent’s state, consuming anything felt like a death sentence- so instead of looking like he'd been eagerly waiting for his arrival, he glared at William.

William then gave him a similar look, standing over his bed. His face was still flushed, and maybe, if Vyncent were better at reading faces, he’d pick up on some of that stray, classic William Wisp embarrassment- but for now, in his eyes, he was stoic.

“Sit up.”

“Eugh.” Vyncent said, eloquently.

“Come on, up and at ‘em.” William held Vyncent by his elbow, and slowly helped him sit up, “I'm not drowning you, but if you don't drink water, you will probably die.”

Vyncent reluctantly did so, but he was right. So he drank water, and his throat felt a little better- but right before he formally offered the pills, his hand backed away.

“Have you eaten anything yet?”

After setting the glass on the nightstand, Vyncent happily laid back down.

“No.”

William clicked his tongue, “These aren't good to take on an empty stomach… you craving anything?”

Vyncent scowled. “No.”

“Okay… if I were to, somehow, acquire some soup, what would you want that soup to be?”

Vyncent's mind drifted off. William's hand was back on his forehead, and he sighed. It felt nice.

“My mom made me soup when I got sick…”

“What would your mom make?” William asked quietly, and Vyncent was just thankful that his voice was quieter than his usual whisper. He made sure his own voice matched the volume, as he responded.

“Rat soup…”

William visibly flinched. Then, his eyes darted away, and back to him- like he was trying to figure out whether or not he was joking with him.

“Rat soup?” He repeated, and Vyncent nodded solemnly. “Is that just…”

“It's like chicken noodle soup without the noodles. Or chicken. And with rats in it instead.”

“...and did she add anything else to it? Any seasonings? Or… vegetables?”

Vyncent tried to think of the recipe. In all honesty, it was only the sort of thing she made whenever someone in the house got sick, near the warmer season. It had a few ingredients in it that they didn't grow in their garden, and thus had to buy from elsewhere- so the dish was rare…

And while she cooked, he usually cleaned. But when he was younger, and a little more lax with his responsibilities, Vyncent would sometimes peek over to watch her cook, and his mom would smile at the pot fondly, and pretend like she didn't notice him creeping around corners.

He could remember a few things, very vaguely… but with his brain being so foggy, it was hard to recall all of them. (William being at his side, and pressing his hand against his forehead helped, somewhat. The pressure and temperature made him feel just a little more awake.)

“Salt.” He said, after a brief silence.

He tried thinking of anything else that was in the soup- the way his mother would skin the animal, or the way she'd simmer the broth for hours and hours on end, to get the flavor just right… but his mind was foggy, and he let the sentence end there.

William nodded, but he stared at him like his thoughts were a million miles away.

“I'll see what I can get you, alright?”

-

The soup William got for him was pretty good.

Vyncent first tried eating it by himself, but with his hands being so weak, he almost dropped the spoon, and spilled it all over the bed. William then offered to feed it to him, but like a habit he just couldn't break, he wouldn't stop making noises with his mouth- saying things like ‘here comes the airplane’ before making a droning noise that made Vyncent's head pound, and moving the spoon around in a way that left him feeling disoriented.

So when that spoon made contact with his mouth, Vyncent bit down on the metal, and refused to let it go.

William tried pulling it back multiple times, and Vyncent just grit his teeth- and, in the end, William had to make the spoon go intangible to get it out of his mouth. In the end- after Vyncent grabbed his wrist, and forced it still- they came up with a weird compromise. William still helped, but Vyncent kept a hand on his wrist to prevent him from moving it around so much.

He didn't finish it, but he came close enough. Then William gave him the pills, which he also reluctantly took- and in the end, Vyncent was lying down under the covers, much more comfortable and feeling much better than he had in his dorm room.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” William whispered, and when Vyncent muttered something incomprehensible, he said, “Loud and clear.”

And then, after closing the door behind him, Vyncent was fine- fed, given medicine, and put in a quiet, dark room- and so, he fell asleep for the night.

-

When he woke up in William’s room, it took a second to remember where he was. And then, when he did, it took another second for him to realize why he was there- and maybe, more importantly, get a sense of his surroundings.

William was on the floor in front of his bed, quietly watching TV, and from the smell of it, eating something that was just a little too pungent for Vyncent’s senses. He could only see the top of his head- the full head of white hair, with a few patches of black that were still present from his old body.

When Vyncent rolled over to get a better look at the movie he was playing- thankful for the brightness being low, and the volume being even lower- he almost keeled over at the horrible wave of nausea that hit him all at once. And when he inhaled sharply, William's head whipped around.

“Hey, Vynce…” Even with the shine from the screen behind him, Vyncent could see the way William’s eyebrows furrowed, “You okay?”

“...” Vyncent shook his head. “I think I'm gonna…” He didn't say anything further, but William understood, somehow.

From the time on the clock, he could see that it was around 3 in the morning. And, with William’s help- one of Vyncent's arms wrapped around William’s shoulders, while one of William's arms rested on Vyncent's waist- Vyncent was led over to the bathroom just across the hall.

He felt nauseous, and horrible. His head was spinning, and it constantly felt like he was falling forward, even when William quietly assured him that he was standing completely upright. Then, he was helped near the toilet.

Vyncent did not throw up. He almost did- and, during a particularly rough close call, William even held Vyncent's hair back, until he could find something to tie it back with- but then his stomach settled, for the most part.

“This is just like the movies.” He warbled miserably, when he felt fine enough to speak.

“What movies have you been seeing recently?” William said in a joking tone. When Vyncent picked up on it, he shook his head- he was being serious.

“You know, like in those movies… they're partying in college… And they stay up all night, and drink too much… and they end up throwing up in the toilet…”

“...Vyncent, if this was caused by you drinking, we might have to take you to the hospital.” A hand to his forehead, another small relief, “You might have alcohol poisoning.”

Vyncent ended up laying on the ground. William stayed next to him, sitting perfectly still, and keeping on high alert- just in case Vyncent had to sit up quickly. He was just thankful that they weren’t going back to the room just yet, and that William was fine with keeping the bathroom light off.

“I don't drink. You know I don't drink.”

“Anything can happen in college, Vyncent.” Then, he muttered, “Honestly, I thought you'd have a lot more friends by now, too…”

It was either an example, or something he just said under his breath, and too himself- but in that quiet bathroom, Vyncent heard it perfectly.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you-” William stumbled on his words, in trying to explain himself. “You're friendly, Vynce. And college is a great place to meet a lot of new people.”

“I don't have time for that kind of thing.”

William's eyebrows furrowed, “What do you do all day?”

“Study… clean…” He sniffed.

“All the time?” 

“I hang out with you guys, sometimes…”

“No parties?” He pressed further.

“No…” He glared at William, like he was upset over him not knowing him that well, and William raised his hands defensively. 

“Maybe you should've.” William said, and Vyncent knew that he was being playful, but he did not want to hear it. “If you're too busy working all day, you could be stressing out that immune system. I used to get sick all the time, before I was…”

Torn in half. Vyncent didn't want to imagine it, but it came to the forefront of his mind, and his stomach churned- and he was fine- but the nausea persisted, and it left him wanting to stay completely still in this dark bathroom for the rest of his life.

Vyncent didn't speak for several beats. He wondered if William- who couldn't see as well as Vyncent could, in the dark- thought that he was giving him a supportive, thoughtful silence, instead of trying not to puke.

“I'm not stressed.” He insisted, after a long time. “I just don't like parties. I don't know why you'd thought I would be…”

William sighed, “It’s just… College is notorious for being a place to find yourself, and grow- and I know you've never gotten a chance like that, over here.”

“I haven't grown?”

William sighed, a little wistfully. He was giving Vyncent a weird look, almost like he pitied him. He wasn't sure if he liked it.

“No, you just… ever since you've gotten here, you never got the chance to just… be a normal person.” He gestured to nothing, “Well- you had one, when we went to school, but then our base blew up, and since then…”

“It was all work, work, work…” Vyncent’s head moved around with every other word, to emphasize them, but he wasn’t even sure if William could see him that well.

“And now you've got free time, and you're around a lot of people your age- maybe even some that are far away from home, too. And I just thought you'd meet some of them…” William's eyes trailed downward, “And… some part of me thought you might want to make some other friends, you know?”

Vyncent sighed.

Long ago- back when the three of them first met- there was no question or competition about who was the closest among them. William and Vyncent, were two teenagers that were very far from home, and navigating a new town (or world) entirely. They bonded quickly. During the first couple of months, aside from team-building or working, it was the two of them sitting on the same couch, with William trying his best to tell him how everything worked, and with Vyncent standing by his side in turn, since making friends was difficult for him. 

It was like William had a habit of sticking around whoever was in the same boat as him, anxious and having trouble making friends. With Dakota being (as he so lovingly put it) “Every introvert's worst nightmare", and with Vyncent being very unsure about where he was or what to do, William stuck himself to a fellow fish out of water- and now, he was expecting Vyncent to do something similar in college.

But Vyncent wasn't the same person that arrived on Prime so many years ago, nor was William the same person he was when he first showed up in Rockfall. On second thought… Maybe that's what William meant. As Vyncent grew up, and came to know himself, and recognize his hobbies, or his wants- maybe William thought he'd outgrow the rest of the Prime Defenders.

What a sobering thought. Outgrowing them, as if they weren't the most important people on this world, to him. As if he didn't leave his home and family to stay with them- which he absolutely wouldn't have done with anyone else. Vyncent might've been busy, and not very thoughtful- manifesting in ugly ways, and keeping him from ‘finding himself’, or whatever that could've possibly meant- 

But he knew without a shadow of a doubt that these people were a part of his family. And it was going to take a lot more than college, or a few more friends to pry Vyncent away from them.

Vyncent didn't say all that, of course. He wasn't the type of guy that could spill his guts out so easily, metaphorically speaking- and even if he wasn't lying on the bathroom floor, waiting for the nausea to quell so that he could go back to bed- he probably wouldn’t have been able to place his thoughts in a way that sounded just as meaningful in his head-

But he tried.

“I'm not gonna outgrow you.”

“That's not what I meant.” William huffed, and Vyncent guessed that he was probably lying to him.

“Really?” 

William breathed out very slowly.

“Even if I thought you were going to outgrow us…” His voice lowered, like he was trying to mutter just to himself, but Vyncent heard every word of it, “And even if I thought you'd hypothetically find better friends, and hypothetically would not want to hang out with us anymore…” He cleared his throat, and raised it again, “Dakota would never let you pull away like that. So, you're stuck with us.”

“Just Dakota?”

“I wouldn't either. Clearly.” He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Whatever happens with us, I know we're gonna be friends for a long time. I just… I don't know, I don't want you feeling like you're being held back, or something.”

Vyncent's eyes narrowed, and his focus honed in on the first part of that statement. Said so casually, like it was definitive.

“What does that mean?”

A clear look of panic flashed over his face. “What does- what?”

“Whatever happens with us- what's that mean? What's gonna happen to us?”

William's face very quickly went red. Vyncent could see it perfectly, in the dark- his eyes going wide, almost bugging out of his head, and sweat slowly starting to form on his face. Despite himself, Vyncent smiled a little- sometimes, it was really funny how easily flustered William would get. Even if it just came to clarify a simple question.

“I'm just saying!” His voice was a little high, and Vyncent winced at the change of pitch, “If something changed- or if something didn't, even if I-” He exhaled, inhaled, “Whatever happens, we'll always be friends. You mean a lot to me. So much more than you know.”

“Doubt it.” Vyncent muttered.

“Hey.” William slapped his knee, and Vyncent smiled, and whacked that knee against William’s stomach.

Vyncent considered it. Either it was just casual talk of them splitting off, and eventually straying from each other- like William was expecting it to happen any day now- or it was a reassurance that he wasn't going to let it happen. Vyncent couldn't tell. (But, knowing him, it was probably the first one.)

In their silence, Vyncent's mind wandered. And eventually, just as they started getting comfortable again, he asked, “Why didn't you go to college with me?”

William gave him a weird look. Eyebrows raised, and looking at him like he was trying to figure out if he was being serious, or not.

“Was I supposed to?”

“We could’ve been roommates, or something.” Vyncent muttered, words coming out before he could think to keep them to himself, and then he imagined it.

Him doing finals, and cleaning while William played movies, or games in the background… Maybe, Vyncent would be focused, and William would get annoyed over being ignored- and he’d slink over, and bug him while he was studying to take his attention off. Resting his chin on his head, since he’d finally be tall enough to do so, or maybe leaning against his desk, and trying to catch his eye…

Or, maybe he would’ve been studying just as intently as he was. Helping him with assignments- one hand hovering over Vyncent’s, while he explained something to him- just like he’d done when they still went to school together. Vyncent could picture it clearly.

It wouldn't have been much different than the ten months they spent together, with just the two of them. And honestly… maybe it even would've been better. Having some in-person company.

William has visited before. He's bugged him, taken walks around the campus with him, and watched a movie or two in person on Vyncent's laptop- but he didn't spend the night. And Vyncent never asked him to. He wondered how much things would've been different, if they bunked together.

William seemed to wonder about it too.

“Well. My life’s just…” William waved his head around, like he was trying to figure out what to say. When he finally figured it out, he kept his voice low, “When I was, like, 16, I didn't really know what I wanted. And then I died, and I got ghost powers, and now…” He shrugged, “I'm a superhero now. And I got all that… Wisperer stuff to do. My life's pretty much set. No need to go into all that debt, right?”

“Debt?” Vyncent repeated.

William opened his mouth. Inhaled sharply. Then he closed it. And, with a strained smile on his face, and a light pat on his shoulder, he said, “Let's talk about that when you’re feeling better, alright?”

-

They didn't leave the bathroom for a whole three hours.

Sometimes, William would prompt Vyncent to talk about something. Like the study group, or just college in general- and, when he realized that Vyncent was just going to keep responding with short, stilted answers, William shifted the conversation.

Then, once Vyncent confirmed that he felt better, William stood, and offered out his arm to help him up.

Vyncent immediately noticed that William hadn't been training for a while- at least, not the sort of training they got up to, back when it was just the two of them running around Rockfall. Because even though he helped Vyncent stand up, there was a slight stagger, and an obvious struggle with holding him up.

It was a gesture they've done plenty of times before. One, helping up the other- usually, after training, or wrestling, and after managing to get the other one down- as a show of good sportsmanship. And even though it was a stark change from how William used to be (weak arms, unable to help him up in the first place) it still could've been better.

Maybe Vyncent should've brought it up. He was going to, saying that with everything going on, funneling some time away to train could've been really good for the both of them…

But then Vyncent remembered how most of those training matches went. 

At first, it was William and the Greats, and their only goal was to help this lanky, sweaty kid get better at defending himself. Then- after a few too many losses, and with the Greats being a little too cocky, in trying to motivate William to do better- William pointed out how unfair it was. He couldn't use his powers, but Vyncent could?

And at the time, William being unable to fully harness his powers was commonplace, while getting the Greats out of Vyncent’s head was an unattainable thought… But he had a point. And so, for a while, it was just him and Vyncent-

But to William's immediate chagrin, Vyncent was still better than him. Unlike William, Vyncent had already practiced self defense, and was somewhat of a seasoned hunter- and so, even without a knife, or anyone else at his side to physically help him out- Vyncent still won matches, more often than not.

William had won. Once. Vyncent was left lying prone, and with William on top of him, and restraining him- tired, and with his appearance being completely disheveled- and for a few beats too long, they were both silent, and still. William eventually declared victory, and eventually, he helped a bewildered Vyncent stand up…

And with the Greats gone, training would've been like that. More hand-to-hand combat, in tank tops and on hot days. And with William being improved in his own ways, it gave him more opportunities to win, and thus…

Vyncent's face heated up, and his stomach swooped. Then, with his hand rapidly tapping William’s chest, he was guided back down, just in case he had to throw up again.

He still didn't. But the weird, fluttering feeling in his stomach didn't leave him for a while.

-

Vyncent fell back asleep the minute his head hit a pillow. His sleep was dreamless, and to him, it was fast- but he knew better than to take it at face value.

When Vyncent was feeling a little more lucid- William took his temperature. Sticking a thin metal rod under his tongue, and holding his head still by his forehead when Vyncent (reasonably) turned away from it.

“Definitely a fever.” He muttered, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world, “And it’s getting worse… You're not vaccinated, are you, Vyncent?”

“I am against…” It took a long while for him to remember, since it was something that happened while he was still on Fauna. “Smallpox… and Rockjoint.”

“Shit.”

And then, for the next few hours, William tried his best to calm down Vyncent's fever. First and foremost, he tried opening his window, to let in some fresh air. But when the frigid winds from the outside came in, and Vyncent started shivering- he closed the window again. Then, he took to his phone, and started frantically scrolling through something.

They tried a few things, like drinking liquids, and putting a wet towel on his forehead- nothing seemed to be working. Vyncent was in this weird state, where he was either too cold or too hot, and rapidly switching between the two phases instead of finding a perfect middle. Either sweaty, or shivering- curling in on himself, or trying to push the blankets off…

It was miserable. William continued looking.

Then, at one point, he went a little quiet. His thumb stopped moving, so it was clear that he found something, but his eyes weren't crossing the screen. He just… stared at something. And it seemed like he was a little hesitant to say what it was.

When Vyncent lightly prodded, William told him that a website suggested that a lukewarm bath could help get his temperature down, and regulated.

“Okay, let's try it.”

But William still seemed hesitant.

“...Vyncent, I'm worried that if I leave you alone, you'll drown. Somehow. And drowning is much worse than having a fever.”

Vyncent scoffed. 

Then he thought about it. His muscles were sort of weak, and William had been helping him get up, whenever he moved from place to place… and sure, he's never fallen asleep in the bath before, but right now he felt like he was going to fall asleep, and if he did in the bath-

Well, William was right. But he was burning up, and he hated it.

“Can you help?”

“You want me in the bathroom-?”

“Yeah?” He deadpanned. Then, he muttered, “If you’re fine with it…”

That was another culture shock that Vyncent experienced, on Prime. In his world, bathing with people wasn't something that was so… taboo. Here, it was- there was a certain level of modesty- and he understood William’s hesitance. And if William didn't want to, he'd be fine, either way…

But he would take any chance to get better. It was normal, to Vyncent, and if William played along, and pretended that it was normal as well, then they'd be fine. 

And thankfully, William agreed to it, and led Vyncent to the bathroom again.

As William started the bath, while keeping a close eye on temperature, Vyncent went ahead and took his shirt off. There was a small stumble, and he put a hand down on the counter to steady himself- but he was otherwise good enough to keep standing.

And when William turned around, he made a startled sound- and right before Vyncent could continue, William held his hands out to stop him. His eyes were darted off to the side, and kept on the sink for a minute.

“You can just… keep those on, if you want.”

“In the bath?”

William opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but then he closed it just as quickly. “...”

Vyncent frowned, “We used to change in front of each other. All the time.”

“Yeah.” William didn't have a retort. So, after a brief pause, he repeated, “Yeah.”

With that- thankful that he wouldn’t have to keep his pants on, and feel the uncomfortable texture of it sticking to his skin- Vyncent was helped into the bath. 

And when Vyncent laid in the bathtub, it felt… good. 

His feverish skin cooled down, and he relaxed further in the tub as the chill settled. After almost completely dunking his head in, he stuck his head in the groove between the wall and the edge of the bath, and he sighed. When his eyes opened, he saw William frantically looking through the cupboards below the sink. Pulling out different bottles, and products- and the more he pulled out, the more concerned Vyncent became.

William explained it to him- earlier, when he looked it up, they only had a short amount of time to keep Vyncent in the water before it got too cold, and did more harm than good. But, while he was there, William said that he wanted him to wash his hair, at least, since it was a little greasy.

As William approached with a few bottles, he gestured for Vyncent to sit up. And then, when it became abundantly clear that he would have trouble with it, William held his elbow, and helped him up.

“Are you washing my hair?” He asked, and William froze up a little- sitting right outside the tub.

“I thought you’d want me to. Since you’re…”

Vyncent frowned at the reminder, “What am I doing?”

“What?”

“Am I just… gonna sit here?”

Vyncent must’ve been pouting- and as soon as William saw it, his own mood soured a little. He stopped to think for a second- and even though his own brain was a little foggy, he was trying to think of anything he could be doing in the bath… and thought of nothing.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want him to do it. Vyncent wasn’t sure if it was him being queasy, and sick, or something else, but he was actually happy for the suggestion- he’d been weak since the start of the break, and he appreciated (and, maybe, even wanted to go through with) William’s offer…

But after a certain point- needing help with eating, and now, needing help with washing his own hair- that want was drowned out by something much more terrible. An ugly urge, that didn’t want him to be pliant, or cared for, and that insisted that he could do it himself. Something trying its damndest to keep him from doing something as simple as relaxing in a bath, and having his hair washed for him.

(Something that didn’t want to be there in the first place. Because, sure, this was harmless. But if the habits continued- if he wasn’t constantly active, or productive, and he let himself become the sort of person used to the peace, and reveling in it- then would he be ready for if something bad happened?

The fate of the Greats was in his hands, and he couldn’t even lift the sword they’d left with him. Vyncent was a little pathetic, and if it kept up, and he did nothing, then it was going to drive him crazy.)

William’s face lit up, and he gave Vyncent that familiar, beaming stare.

“Vyncent, do you know what a bath bomb is?” And when Vyncent slowly shook his head, William rushed to the sink, opened up another drawer, and pulled out a colorful, little ball that was covered in plastic.

He struggled a little with the plastic, but after tossing the outer layer in the trash, William was then right beside the bath.

“I need you to do me a favor- don’t drop it.” Vyncent’s hands raised from the water, and William handed over the bath bomb. It was cold to the touch, and felt a little weird, but he didn’t drop it just yet, “This will change the color, and scent of the tub- and it’ll dissolve when it touches the water- but you can’t drop it in all at once. I need you to make sure it dissolves properly.”

When Vyncent inhaled through his nose, he picked up on the scent of roses- nothing as overwhelming and pungent he thought it was going to be, instead something subtler- and he nodded.

Then, as Vyncent carefully dipped the bath bomb into the water, and watched and listened as it fizzled in the palms of his hands, William popped open the cap of one of the bottles.

William shampooing his hair felt like a godsend. Vyncent thought that he could fall asleep like that- the quick, efficient method he was using growing slower, and slower, until William’s fingers were practically massaging his scalp, and Vyncent was leaning into his touch to get a better feel for it.

“How are you doing, Vynce?” William asked after a certain point, and when Vyncent murmured a short, incomprehensible response, William hummed, but didn't say anything else.

The bath bomb fully dissolved into the water, but by that point, he was just enjoying the massage- his anxieties far behind him, and the focus on his hands in his hair.

Then William helped him lean back, and dip down into the tub again. His hand stayed cupping his head until Vyncent situated himself. Then- after some lukewarm water was poured over his eyes, and William’s hand pushed it back- Vyncent opened his eyes.

At first, William’s focus was stuck solely on the state of Vyncent’s hair. Scrubbing the shampoo out of it, and brushing his hands through his hair just to make sure it was clean. In this state, with the majority of his head submerged in water- his hearing dulled, and the edges of the soapy bathwater lapping gently near his eyes- he stared very intently, right back at him.

William had a nice face. It was, more often than not, pulled into a pinched, stressed expression- eyebrows furrowed, lip worried between his teeth, and eyes in full focus- but when it wasn’t, and he was calm, it was pleasant. It made Vyncent inexplicably happy.

William’s face had been stressed the entire time he’s been there, and has been taking care of him. From picking him up that one time in college, to staying up all night with him in the bathroom- holding back his hair, and making sure he was okay.

He was stressed when he helped Vyncent in the tub. And right in the beginning of him washing his hair, with how he was scrubbing, it felt like William was just going as fast as possible, and trying to get this over with- but then, as he continued, it seemed like he leapt into a slow, certain rhythm, becoming something relaxing instead.

And then, as William slowly dipped him in the tub, and as Vyncent intently watched him, he noticed that William had that pleasant, easy-going expression on his face instead. And it wasn’t like he hated William’s face when he was stressed (that was also, similarly, nice to look at), but with it showing up now… 

It just seemed like he was enjoying this. Taking care of him. Like he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now, just like Vyncent. And as he stared at William, Vyncent’s stomach suddenly swooped, and a cold feeling rushed through him. 

He wondered if he was actually going to throw up this time… but instead of feeling the sort of nausea that stayed in his gut, this one mainly formed as a weird, choked up feeling in his throat, and a strange lightheaded-ness that only got worse. Less like he was going to throw up, and more like he was- what- nervous? But what in the world would he be so nervous about? He was just looking at William.

Then William was meeting his eyes, and smiling a little upon seeing Vyncent looking back at him-

And then, suddenly, Vyncent’s shoulders contracted, and he submerged his head, and William panicked and scrambled to bring it back above water. Some water shot up his nose, and William had to help him sit up, and cough out the water- but he was fine, otherwise.

This time, as Vyncent had his hair conditioned, there were much more pressing matters at hand- like how his heart wouldn’t stop beating so quickly, and how he was worried of William noticing it, somehow. Pressing his fingertips near his temples, or his neck, and feeling that rabid pulse, and knowing that he was nervous, for some reason- or worse- knowing that he was nervous because of him.

But he didn’t. Or, if he felt it, he didn't say anything. He just laid Vyncent's head back down, helped him wash the conditioner out of his hair, and then started to leave the bathroom.

“Head above water, Vynce.” He heard before the bathroom door closed, and Vyncent stuck his head in between the groove, and closed his eyes.

When he woke up again, William was tentatively shaking his shoulder- and as he opened his eyes, Vyncent caught the sight of a bright rubber duck gently floating in the soapy water. 

“How’d that get in there..?”

“I thought you’d find it funny. I don’t know.” William hit the duck, and it submerged for half a second before it rose to the surface yet again. “Come on, the water’s cold- and we gotta get out of here before my mom finds us.”

Though confused, William helped him out of the tub, and gave him a towel to dry himself off with.

“But- she knows I'm here, right?”

“She doesn't know I'm helping you… wash your hair.” William opened the door, and poked his head around the corner. “If she did, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.”

“It's normal on Fauna…”

“Not here. Are you feeling better?”

Vyncent stopped to think. He was still sluggish, and his skin was still warmer than it should've been- but it was cooling significantly, and he could actually move around.

Could've been better. Could be worse. “I'm okay.”

“Good- get dressed.” William looked back at him sternly, “If you get lightheaded, or you feel like you're going to faint, knock on the door. I'll be right outside.”

And then, as William left, Vyncent finally noticed the folded clothes sitting on the counter. They weren't his- they were clean, smelled like fabric softener, and had weird patterns printed on them.

They both fit him well enough. As long as he didn't raise his arms above his head, his midriff wouldn't show. And the pants cuffed around his calves instead of his ankles, but they were baggy enough to be comfortable, regardless. It made Vyncent feel like he was wearing hand-me-downs that were a little too small on him, and obviously so…

But it was better than his other clothes. So he left the bathroom. William gave him a look-over (likely to make sure that the clothes fit him) and then, after quickly turning his face away, William led Vyncent back into his bed, and took his temperature once again.

“It's… better.” He rolled his eyes, and shook the thermometer, like he was hoping it'd give him a different answer, “But it's still not good.”

They tried many things to regulate Vyncent’s temperature. He made sure he was drinking plenty of water, and that the soup he'd give him wasn't too hot- lukewarm, bordering on cold. (And, when Vyncent told him that he was craving his mom's soup, William very told him that he mentioned that to his own mom, and that she very sternly told him to never make that in her house, or else he'd be sleeping on the porch that night.

Vyncent pointed out that he could enter and leave as he pleased. William laughed, and didn't respond further.)

He turned on a fan, then he opened a window. Then he covered Vyncent with his heavy blanket. Then he closed the window again. Then he got him a thinner blanket instead. 

In the end, when Vyncent was finally comfortable, he dozed off.

-

Vyncent was in and out of consciousness for the next couple of days. 

When he was awake, William was bothering him- giving him water, or medicine, or soup, talking to him when the words weren’t completely reaching him. And in his sleep, he must’ve been tossing and turning, since he’d wake up on completely opposite sides of the bed…

Either way, he didn’t get nauseous again, and having taken that bath- even if it was just his hair that got washed- made him feel a lot less gross about staying in bed all day. (And with him being asleep for most of the day, and drowsy when he was awake, it was much harder for him to feel bad about himself for not being productive.)

William also seemed to be moving around a lot. Sometimes- when William wouldn’t wake him up, but Vyncent was awake enough to turn over and head back to sleep- he’d spot William at different points of the room. Sometimes watching TV, sometimes going through his own things, but not bothering Vyncent unless he wanted to give him something.

At a few points, it sounded like William was trying to talk to him, but as he spoke, it sounded like he was underwater.

Vyncent would respond, talking back and forth with him, but with how he spoke, it almost felt like he was sleep talking, and only answering his friend’s questions in a state of half-consciousness. He remembered William walking away. He remembered grabbing onto William’s hand, movements almost frantic-

But he was asleep not much longer after that.

-

When Vyncent woke up again, and he remained conscious for longer than a few minutes, it was slow.

It took him a long time to realize that William was on the bed with him. Lying down, with Vyncent’s head casually laying on his chest, and his arm wrapped around his torso. William had a hand on his forehead, and every once in a while, he was lightly brushing his hair away from his face. Movements absentminded, like he didn’t even know he was doing them.

He was a little thrown off by the lack of a heartbeat, and his temperature- like laying on an unused mattress, and waiting for it to warm up- but with how warm this fever made him, it was a good balance. Comfortable, even.

And Vyncent was tempted to get more comfortable, readjusting himself, and watching along with him… But he was worried that if he moved, then William would realize what he was doing, and he’d stop.

Then came those pesky feelings.

The rabid pulse, beating a mile a minute- and with his neck touching William's chest, he worried about him picking it up this time, and knowing that he wasn't actually asleep. The gross fondness. The nervousness that he normally wouldn't let eat him whole, now congealing into a mess that he couldn't ignore so easily.

Vyncent liked William. A lot.

A lot more than William knew, or could ever know. And, sometimes, it was easy to push down, and ignore it- or try and chalk it up to something else, and pretend like it wasn’t there.

His initial excuse, for not confronting it? Plain and simple- Vyncent did not have the time for that sort of thing. 

Back in his world, it was the furthest thing from his mind- intent on helping his mother, comfortable with a stifling, hard-working, but consistent routine- and not even having the time to make friends, let alone forming a bond with someone he'd have to marry someday…

But he knew the truth. 

Back home- marrying someone wasn't casual. If the option was yours, then it was the result of your own carelessness, if you let it be. The culmination of trust between two people, and deciding for sure whether or not you wanted to marry- knowing that you'd either have to spend the majority of your life with this person you chose, or you'll hear about it for the rest of your life if you eventually separate.

There was some talk. His mom thought about setting him up with someone, if Vyncent wasn't so keen on doing it himself- and he knew that she wouldn't press if he told her that he wasn't interested in something like that- but it was a difficult thing to say. 

Not just that he had no interest in marrying someone he didn't know- but also the scary, and real possibility that it wouldn't work out. Just like her marriage hadn't.

And sure, it wasn't all cut and dry. He wouldn't have a bad marriage just because they did, and he wasn't a bad person just because his dad was a complicated man… but there was no way to know for sure how he'd turn out, or what he'd regret. And that was the scariest part of it all. Something so permanent, and unknowing being suggested while his personality and feelings were all still so undecided… it was terrifying. 

So he ignored it as best as he could.

Then on Prime, he was either training, or learning about the new world, or fighting for his life on the daily- and sure, when things were a bit more lax, and he allowed himself to be lax in turn, there was some strange stirring in his chest he felt around William, and some things he said that might've been said before he had the time to think it over- but when things became serious, so did he.

They spent ten months together, and he was serious about it. They were in their destroyed base, stressing about Ashe and Dakota being gone- there was no time to think about how close together they were every single night since then- from morning to evening to night, when they'd retreat for the night, and end up a little closer than normal as they slept. Or when they'd train, primarily hand-to-hand…

Vyncent didn't recognize that same, grossly fond feeling in his chest when William recognized the Greats training with him without Vyncent needing to explain it- calling them by their names properly. He didn't see the look on William's face each and every time Vyncent would come back, subtly happy to see his friend again.

Instead, he was serious- or he believed himself to be, anyway- and every time a feeling came up, it'd either get tucked away as something else, or ignored entirely because of his brain pivoting his thought processes. He couldn't think about his friend this way, while their other friends were in danger, or while he was busy. So he didn't.

But now- thinking back on it, and letting himself do so- it was becoming so much more obvious. And suddenly, with nothing to dig his hands into, and with his head being just foggy enough to keep him from seamlessly pivoting, it was all Vyncent could think about.

They were watching a movie together, like old times. No threat. He was too sick to do much of anything, and William was here to make sure that he was happy and cared for throughout it. Even in his sleep.

So Vyncent didn't dare move, pulse rapid and face warm. And, while he still couldn't do much of anything else, he enjoyed this moment as best as he could.

-

When he woke up again, William was gone, and Vyncent was finally feeling better.

He put his hand up to his forehead, and it took him a second to remember that he couldn't get an accurate read if he was checking by himself, so he quickly put it back down. Then, Vyncent spent another few minutes just laying there, and waiting for William to come back- expecting him to come right through that door, ready to bug Vyncent about drinking water, or taking medicine- just as attentive as he'd been for the past few days…

But he didn't. Not in time to stave of Vyncent's boredom, anyway.

And because he was feeling better, he sat up to test just how well he was doing. There was still a slight vertigo- a pulling, that made his head drop forward, and messed with his balance- but he must’ve just sat up too quickly, since it was there one second and completely gone the next.

Vyncent waited further, but William didn’t show up. So he got out of bed, and he was just on his way to the bathroom when his foot caught on something on the floor, and he stumbled over it.

Looking over it now, William’s room was a mess. He couldn't tell, being completely out of it- but he swore William said something about it. Something about getting around to cleaning it… but instead, he'd been so busy with taking care of him that he never got the chance to.

And now he was out, and Vyncent was bored, and feeling much better. So, hoping that William wouldn't mind when he got back, Vyncent started picking up around his room.

He didn't know where everything went, but he could pick up context, and by the time he was done, William's bed was made, and his floors were cleared- no more tripping hazards to be seen. Vyncent even opened up the windows and pushed aside the curtains, briefly blinded by how much brighter the room was with it open, but then it passed.

It was late in the evening. And it was his first time seeing outside for a while.

Deadwood was always a creepy place- looking like a place from every horror movie that he and William had ever seen. The gloomy atmosphere, the whistling winds (that, somehow, actually sounded like a chorus of people whistling, just outside his window). There were dead trees scattered around the neighborhood and the woods surrounding it, and every house on William’s street still looked old and dilapidated, despite an apparent effort to fix any damages caused by their previous demon problem.

It was overcast when he first came there to defeat the Trickster and save Ashe, and now, it was still overcast- not even a speck of sun to be seen, even while it was still bright enough to see. (For the most part, anyway- on Prime, when the winter months rolled around, it got darker quicker than it did during the summer. So despite seeing a bright sky now, Vyncent figured that it was only a matter of time before he looked out that window again, and saw dark skies.)

But it was William's home. And he knew that it was safe- from most threats, anyway- and that opening up a window and letting some fresh air in was going to do more good than bad.

It did, however, make Vyncent a little chilly. He was still wearing those pajamas William got him that was just too small, and despite pulling on the cuffs of his sleeves, it didn't stave off any of the cold. He just made the bed, and didn't want to wrap a blanket around himself, or get back in… so instead, he went to the closet, and pulled out a hoodie that was previously just laying around on William's floor.

Surely, he wouldn't mind- right? It was just laying around, and Vyncent was already wearing his pajamas. He and William were around the same height, and they sometimes mixed up shirts when they were still living together- so it wouldn't have been too egregious.

He pulled it over himself. And then, after it was on and he was finally warm, Vyncent pulled up the front of it, and smelled it. It didn't smell gross, or like it warranted being thrown on the floor. It just… smelled like William. And it was likely worn recently. (He didn't know how recently, since all of his hoodies looked really similar to each other… but it was recent.)

Vyncent sat back down on William's bed, and surveyed his own work. Then he waited… and when William still didn't walk in, he stood back up, and decided to take a look around his house instead.

William wasn't in his room, or the bathroom, and he wasn't in any of the other rooms in the hallway. Vyncent was, distantly, worried about opening a door, and accidentally walking in on something- but for a while, it seemed like nobody was there but him.

Then he walked down the hallway, and his ear twitched- he didn't know what noise was being made specifically, but he knew that there was somebody else in the house. As he walked towards it, he realized that it was coming from the kitchen. William had been giving him warm soup, while he was asleep. Maybe he was just… heating something up again.

When he rounded the corner, he saw that it wasn't William. It was just his mom, standing over a large pot- dipping a spoon into it, and carefully tasting whatever she'd been making. She nodded, like she was content with it, either perfect or on the track of being perfect…

And when she turned, and noticed Vyncent- standing there, a little awkward, but quiet- she jumped.

“Oh- honey! You scared the…” She took a deep breath, and then, it was right back to how she usually looked at Vyncent. A quiet look of disdain. “...living daylights out of me…”

“Sorry.” He muttered, “I'm looking for William.”

His mom just sighed. “He's out. Usually, he stays out for a while… but I don’t know why he’d leave if you were still here.”

Vyncent hummed, and nodded along, but everything still felt a little foggy. He looked out at the kitchen- seeing his mom cooking something, while William was still out- and he could either go back to bed while still being wide awake, and waiting for his friend to come back, or…

“Do you- need help with anything?”

She gave him a weirdly pointed look. It wasn't the glare she sent when he first walked in the room, but it wasn't something completely trusting yet, either. She was still on edge, and the longer Vyncent spent standing around, the more she seemed to consider whether or not she should be sending him off.

“Aren't you sick?”

“I'm coming off it.” He promised. Then, he straightened up a little, “...and I can't sleep. But I used to help my mom, whenever she cooked. And I could help, too. If you wanted.”

“William told me about her… rat soup.”

Vyncent's mouth watered, and he swallowed very dryly. 

“I heard.” She averted her eyes, like she wasn't aware of that. Vyncent picked up on William doing something very similar, whenever he was caught in a lie. “It's very common, where I'm from.”

“And where are you from?”

“...somewhere very far away from here.”

“Like in Freedom City?”

Vyncent opened his mouth, and considered giving her a fake answer- something like: yes ma’am, like in Freedom City- but then Vyncent thought better of it.

The last time he saw William’s mom, a long time ago, it was in the middle of a bad time. He left a bad first, and second impression- and something in his gut told him that he wanted to leave a better one. If he was going to see her again, then he wanted to be that same, semi-polite boy that his mom used to love showing off to her friends.

So, he said, “I’m actually from another planet.”

She didn’t believe him right away. Vyncent could recognize that expression anywhere- looking off to the side, slowly shaking her head, like she knew that she wasn’t going to get a straight answer from him.

Oh, well. William could always back him up later.

“If you want to help, you could clean those dishes.” She said, and suddenly, his goal was set.

-

From there, Vyncent helped out around the house as much as he could.

He washed dishes, after William's mom briefly told him what to do- washing them, then drying them, and stacking them back in the cupboards where they belonged. He worked quietly, and diligently, and there was a little nostalgic pit that formed in his stomach while he was doing it. Suddenly, he was back home, helping his mom out with necessary chores, and knowing that she wouldn't have to do all of it on her own.

(Sometimes, he wondered if she still had to do those chores on her own. He couldn't possibly know how she was doing now, or if she had anyone that kept an eye on her, just as Vyncent would in the younger years of his life… but last he saw her, she was alive and well, and she wanted him to go back to Prime if he felt that his calling was here.

He missed her. Really badly. And even though the chores were supposed to be taking his mind off of those distressing thoughts, he still couldn't help but remember his old routine, and missed when times were simpler.)

After dishes, and with the reminder of his home, Vyncent continued cleaning up around the house.

Any time William's mother would point out an area that wasn't clean- places that needed to be sweeped up, mopped, dusted, or vacuumed- Vyncent would immediately leap to fix it, and make it so the area was sparkly clean by the time she saw it again. (And, sure- there might’ve been a little mishap with the vacuum, and him not expecting it to be as loud as it turned out to be- but after a startled scream that sent William's mom to the living room, he assured her that everything was fine, and he immediately got to using it.)

Vyncent wasn't just trying to make William’s house look nice for his mom, or for the sake of cleaning. William had taken care of him these past few days, and he knew he wanted to do something in return, just to solidify that he wasn't completely useless. (And he knew that it wasn't something William really cared about- but Vyncent did. He liked looking and feeling productive. And if he didn't do something in return for what William did for him, it would've driven him crazy.)

In the end- as Vyncent was looking over a clean house, and admiring his own work, and the sort of zone he could put himself in- William's mom called him into the dining room. He walked in, expecting another area to clean up…

But the dining room, as far as he could tell, was clean. Instead, sitting in front of one of the many chairs at the dining table was a bowl of stew, and some warm bread sitting next to it. There was still steam emanating from it, and even though Vyncent was sick, the smell of it was enough to make him hungry, and remind him that he probably hadn’t eaten for a while.

As he stood there awkwardly, William’s mom gestured for him to walk over, and he did so hesitantly.

“That’s..?”

“Well, go on!” She gestured for him to sit, and he couldn’t tell if she was actually frustrated, or just being playful- similar to how William would act, when he was teetering between the two.

So he sat down, and his hand slowly reached for the spoon. “Thank you…”

“It's not rat soup... but I hope it's still good.”

Then she ruffled his hair, and pulled her hand away- a gesture made so quickly that Vyncent guessed that she didn't mean to do it. 

“Thank you.”

She left, muttering a quiet acknowledgment. Vyncent’s spoon moved around the stew in the bowl- meat, and vegetables, all mixed in the same broth- and it took him a second before he finally took a bite.

Vyncent didn't cry after taking the first bite, but his head hurt, and he felt a stinging pain behind his eyes as soon as he did. The stew was good. Really good. And, after the first bite, he couldn’t seem to stop.

And then, when William’s mom walked back in with her own bowl, Vyncent straightened out. And with the both of them (seemingly) in a much better mood, they made light conversation.

Vyncent told her about college. And when she mentioned how she hoped that William would want to go as well, he then talked about how William was helping him out despite not taking any classes himself. She seemed to appreciate the reassurance.

“I’m happy to see him visiting more.” She then said, rubbing her own hands together instead of eating right away. Vyncent frowned. At this rate, her stew was going to get cold. “After sending him off to live in Rockfall with you boys… I didn’t get to see him much. It didn’t really seem like he wanted to come home, you know?”

“He still called, didn’t he?”

William lied about a lot of things. Sometimes, it seemed like he lied subconsciously- doing it without really thinking about it- but Vyncent remembered a few times on their adventures where William said his parents were calling, and he’d spend somewhere close to an hour or two going outside, and talking to them.

He remembered that every call would end with William struggling to hang up, more so because he’d say a goodbye, and then immediately cut himself off when the person on the other end wasn’t done talking. Vyncent could remember feeling homesick, at certain points, and wishing that he could get calls from Fauna and his mom, to check in on how she was doing…

William’s mom frowned.

“I know he’s grown, but… a few calls, a couple times a month? When I used to see him every day?” She shook her head, and sighed. “Then you'd all go around, and do dangerous stuff, and I wouldn't know if everything was alright until after it was all done… and now, he's…”

She held her hand out, like she was gesturing, and Vyncent somehow understood. It must've been weird, sending her teenager off to become a superhero, and having William coming back… not quite dead, but definitely not alive. And definitely separated from his body, which wasn’t left in a pleasant state.

“...at least he's visiting now?” He tried, but her eyes seemed a little distant.

Then she took a deep breath, and she smiled. “Sorry for… rambling, like that. It's just difficult”

“...you don't have anything to worry about when he's not here. Dakota and I take care of him.”

The reassurance seemed to do more harm than good. Her face twitched in a slight disgust, before it smoothed down, and looked polite again. 

“Charming.” She said, in a similar tone that William would always use with him. Slightly sarcastic, before bleeding into something a little more genuine. “Thank you.”

Vyncent looked back down at his soup. He was more than happy to let the conversation end there, since he was never really the kind of person that'd help with words- much more willing to show through actions- but then, his mouth opened, and he spoke.

He told William's mom about… A lot more than he should have. He skimmed on a lot of details, but the basics were said- him and William were both far from home, and in a town that they've never been in before. Even if it was to varying degrees… it was something they bonded over, at first.

“He did miss you when he was on the road, he was just busy. And I'm happy that he…” Vyncent's eyes narrowed, and he hated that he was stumbling over his words, now- but his head was still a little foggy, and he was ready to lay back down, “...can come over as often as he likes, now. He's very lucky.”

She frowned. “How often do you see your family?”

“I last saw my mom… a long time ago.” Vyncent turned to her, with a straight face, and said very plainly, “She's on another world, and I can't visit her as often as I want to.”

…but William’s mom still seemed a little confused. Which was fine- at this point, he was used to most people thinking that he wasn't telling them the full truth. At least she didn't think that he was maliciously lying to her, or something. She just nodded, and smiled politely.

“Thank you for that, Vyncent.” It sounded much more heartfelt, that time. “Even if you’re a… colorful bunch… I’m happy that he’s keeping friends that make him happy.”

And it was all he needed.

-

In the middle of their meal, the front door opened and closed, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

“No slamming the doors!” William's mom said, like she knew exactly who it was.

“Sorry- love you- bye!” William’s distinctive voice called out as he passed them.

Vyncent stood up, ready to go after him, but William’s mom put her hand up, and he sat back down again.

“Give him a minute.” She said, and he did so. Waiting until those footsteps carried around from the bedroom, to the bathroom, before coming around the corner, and into the dining room on his way to the kitchen.

“Hey, mom, have you seen-” Then William stopped in the doorway, and froze like a deer in headlights, “Vyncent! You're… out of the room. And talking. To my mom.” His eyes dropped, and narrowed a little, “Is that my hoodie-?”

“We're just catching up, honey. Go grab a bowl.”

“I don’t need to…” William started. Then, at the pointed look his mom gave him, he nodded, and walked over to the stove to pour himself a bowl of soup.

He sat next to his mom at the dinner table, and Vyncent ignored the pang he felt when he didn't sit next to him. Face as blank and stoic as ever as he kept eating, and instead paid attention to how good the meal was instead.

“I didn't keep you waiting long, did I Vynce?”

“Oh, I've been up for hours.”

At William's confused look, his mom chimed in. “Your friend over here was helping me clean up around the house.”

“Where'd he clean?”

“I cleaned… a lot of rooms.” It was a blur, by now.

William didn't look very proud, which soured his mood a little. “Aren't you still…?” He prompted gently.

“I'm feeling better.” Vyncent said, maybe a little too quickly, “In fact, I think I'm feeling good enough to go back to Harttawa tonight.”

“Really?” He didn't sound like he believed him.

“Really.”

But William shrugged, and they continued with their meal.

Afterwards, while they were in their room (and after, it seemed, William noticed that Vyncent picked up around his room), he took his temperature yet again. And this time, Vyncent easily let him.

After he was done, William’s eyebrows raised.

“Fever’s gone.” Then he turned around the thermometer to show him, as if Vyncent would know what the little numbers meant, “Way to go, Vynce.”

“So we're going back to Harttawa?”

“Yep.”

Then William sighed. And normally, maybe Vyncent wouldn't have picked up on it- but he was acting somewhat strangely.

“What?”

And, it seemed, he might've been doing it on purpose. He stopped walking around his shelf, and as he turned around, Vyncent noticed something in his hand.

“No, it's just…” William showed off a DVD case, holding a movie that Vyncent’s never seen before, cover and premise unrecognizable. “I just bought this movie, thinking we could watch it tonight…”

“We can watch it on Harttawa…?” Vyncent asked tentatively, and William shook his head.

“Of course.” He sighed, very slowly and very loudly, “But I just… thought we were going to watch it here.”

“...”

They ended up watching the movie in William's bedroom.

He hadn’t been awake for very long- just a couple hours to clean up, then eat, and now to hang out with William- but at some point, he stopped chatting with William about the movie they were watching, and instead just started watching it. Almost 20 minutes, and his eyes were drooping.

But at first, Vyncent was determined to stay up. He could be as tired as he wanted to, back in Harttawa, in the comfort of his own room… He just had to stick it through the movie, which he could perfectly manage. Vyncent sat up straighter and crossed his arms, like it’d prove his point.

Then 20 minutes turned to 25. 30. 31- then, suddenly, with closing eyes and a head that wouldn’t stop lowering- staying just one more night didn’t sound so bad after all.

Vyncent didn't lay his head on William's shoulder, like he thought he was going to. Instead, William laid his head on Vyncent's shoulder, and when Vyncent's head tilted curiously, it laid against the top of William’s head.

Vyncent was out like a light just moments later, to nobody’s surprise.

-

In the middle of the night, Vyncent woke up very briefly.

They were in different positions, but both of them were laying down in the bed instead of sitting upright. And even though he couldn’t hear him, he knew that William was fast asleep next to him- so, with nobody awake but himself, Vyncent curled up closer to him, and fell asleep again.

-

On his last day at William’s house, Vyncent woke up bright and early.

There was something going on in the room he was staying in. Someone was moving around, or looking for something… And normally, he could’ve turned over, and easily ignored it- 

But then there was a dip in the bed next to him, and then a hand on his face- slowly pushing his hair aside, and feeling his forehead. He knew it was William even before he was fully conscious, and he knew that it was strange that William was checking on his temperature again, even though he said last night that his temperature was fine…

Then the hand left him, and Vyncent almost mourned the loss. He thought about going back to sleep, but William didn't lay down right next to him again- instead staying up, and messing with something on the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that William was sitting on the edge of his bed. When Vyncent turned his head over, he noticed him tying his shoes.

“What are you doing?” Vyncent's voice was a little ragged from disuse, but still carried nonetheless. 

William jumped. Then, slowly, he turned around to face him- like he was worried that any sudden movement would’ve been a death sentence.

“...going for a hike?” He whispered, “Go back to sleep, Vynce…”

Vyncent couldn't see William's alarm clock, but he knew it must've been early. The curtains were open, and there was only minimal light coming in the room. 

“This early?”

“I always go out this early, to watch the sun rise.” He sat up a little straighter, “You're just not awake when I do.”

“Can I come too?”

William hummed like he was unsure, “No, it's fine. Just go back to bed.”

“I'm not tired.”

“I need you here, Vyncent. You'd be doing me a really huge favor…”

It didn't even sound like William was listening to what he was saying, giving him short, half-hearted answers instead of actual ones. So, since he was feeling much better, Vyncent sat up. 

William jumped back, and sounded like he was suppressing a shriek.

“What are you talking about?”

His eyes darted away, then back to him. “You're awake!”

“We were talking, weren't we?”

He suddenly looked a lot more nervous- like a kid, that got his hand caught in the cookie jar.

“You can come with me on my hike. Yeah, sure, come on. Get your shoes on.” He spoke quickly, but before Vyncent could ask about the sudden switch-up, William was already headed straight towards the closet.

-

Vyncent regretted going on the hike immediately. 

William made him wear a coat over the hoodie he was already wearing, and so, he was sweating and shivering all the same. He forgot to eat breakfast, or drink water- so after they were too far to walk back, he started feeling hungry and thirsty… and then, like pouring salt on the wound, Vyncent found himself getting a little out of breath, while William took it like he was out on a leisurely stroll.

The sickness hadn't fully left him, just yet. But he was far too stubborn to admit that. And so, with his face as stoic as he could keep it, he followed William down the hiking trail near his house. Going into quiet wooded areas with beaten paths, until they reached a few scenic spots to slow down near.

For a moment- as the sun rose, and as they stopped to watch the bleeding red skies- it was quiet, aside from the sounds of nature surrounding them.

“...”

“...”

“...” Vyncent then looked over at him, face stern and eyes narrow. “You didn't buy that movie last night, did you?”

William smiled a little coyly. “It was already on my shelf. I picked it up when you weren't looking.”

Then, after another few minutes, William started walking again, and Vyncent rushed to catch up.

“Why'd you lie?”

“I was hoping to keep you another night. Just in case you weren't completely healed from… whatever nasty bug you picked up.”

“I felt fine.” William gave him the same look he gave him at the dinner table, like he didn't quite believe him, but he wasn't ready to argue just yet. Going with the flow a little, which was strange, because that was only a trait he'd developed recently… And yet, either way, he usually got his way.

“Right.”

“What does that mean?” Vyncent pressed again, and it didn’t take much for William to finally say the quiet part out loud.

“You’ve been acting weird, Vynce. Not just sick, but- you kept pushing yourself. And I didn’t want you going to Harttawa if you still felt sick, but wanted to be so… stubborn about it.”

“Pushing myself?” He prompted, but Vyncent was either bad at feigning innocence, or William must’ve just been observant.

“You cleaned my house. The day before that, I had to help you to the bathroom because you had trouble walking- but even then, you were having trouble resting.” Vyncent frowned, William continued, “You know what Dakota was like, when he got sick? You were just like that.”

“Hm.” Vyncent huffed. Surely, he wasn’t that bad- but he knew that he probably wasn’t the best, either. He had faint memories of when it was at its worst. But aside from some blurry images, he didn’t remember much, despite hating how often he was in bed. 

“Well, I know for sure that you're fine right now, so we can head back today. Whenever you're actually feeling up to it.” William patted his pocket, “Dakota's been blowing up my phone like crazy.”

It took a minute for Vyncent to realize that Dakota wasn't literally blowing up his phone. Through context clues, he could place that he was probably just texting him a lot. Excited for them to come over, or maybe, confused on why it was taking them so long.

Vyncent was excited too. Now that he was feeling better, and he could handle the sort of high energy that Dakota brought to most events, he couldn't wait to go back to Harttawa.

“Is that why you didn’t want me going on this hike?” He then asked, “Because I’d be too sick to do it?”

William sounded like he was stifling a laugh. “I didn't think you actually wanted to come.”

“I asked, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but I thought you were just… talking to talk.”

It felt like, with every question Vyncent had, William was just set on getting vaguer, and vaguer with each response. “What?”  

Then, William gave him a different weird look. Something that settled into a look of realization.

“Vyncent… you've been sleepwalking and sleeptalking like crazy, man… After that first night, it just started happening, like…” William rubbed his face, “Sometimes, I'd look over, and you'd just be standing in the middle of my room. Or, sometimes we'd talk, and- I could tell you were sleeping, and not actually listening to me. You were doing it last night too. Kept muttering… I thought you were just talking, so I told you to go back to bed. Which usually works…”

Back in their old base, and the Winnebago, William was usually the one to wrangle Dakota whenever he started moving around or talking in his sleep- especially when he got sick- so it was no surprise that William was pretty knowledgeable on how to handle them when they were like that.

William continued on. Sometimes, Vyncent would mainly stand by his door, or window- the worst of it was after that night in the bathroom. He would stand up, and William would think that he was feeling queasy- but then, sometimes, he'd just stand out in the hallway, and do nothing.

Then he'd guide him to bed. And for the most part, as Vyncent drifted in and out of sleep, he'd get really chatty. Asking William about things, or just muttering to himself, and leaving William to wonder whether or not he was conscious enough to know what he was saying. (And apparently, on multiple occasions, William went to go ‘hiking’, and Vyncent would constantly ask to come with him.

Every time, when William told him to go back to bed, Vyncent would do so.)

“Did I say anything else?”

William averted eye contact. Vyncent didn't know if he was thinking about it, or trying to avoid the question entirely.

“One time.” William looked back at him, “You asked why I didn't go to college with you.”

“...I was awake for that one.”

William got a little flustered.

“Then- no. Just… Standard Vyncent things… Haha.” After a while, probably thinking back to their conversation in the bathroom, his face went a little red.

And, at first, Vyncent believed him.

But then the silence dragged on, and William’s face got redder, and redder- and even though he was never spectacular at reading faces or people in general, he knew William well enough to know that he was lying.

“Really?”

“Mhm…” William hummed.

Vyncent's eyebrows furrowed. Then his steps increased, until he was walking right next to him. And normally, Vyncent would've been the fastest walker of the three of them, simply because of height alone- but in that moment, William was walking just a little faster to be just a little bit ahead-

“What did I say?”

William turned his head, “You mentioned Harttawa a few times, and going there… I don't know. You didn't say anything really out of the ordinary.”

Vyncent put a hand on his shoulder. It phased right through him, and Vyncent was momentarily surprised to find him intangible, but William still turned. And then, when Vyncent stopped walking, William did as well.

He had a weird look on his face. And no matter how much Vyncent looked at it, he couldn't even begin to know what he might’ve been thinking about.

“You…” William paused, and the anticipation was killing him- was he figuring out what to say, or how to say it to him? “When you were sick, you got really… friendly.”

“Yeah?”

His face was still red. His hands were stuck in the pocket of his hoodie, but Vyncent could see them moving around.

“In your defense, I turned on that bee movie- where the lady and the wasp fell in love. And…” He stuck his hands in his pockets, exhaled, and lowered his voice as he continued, “And while we were watching it, you told me that you wanted to get married.” Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, William clarified, “To me.”

…

Vyncent felt a lot of things all at once.

There were the intense emotions- the standard nervousness, and embarrassment over saying something like that, followed by a cold, horrifying realization that the thoughts he kept in his head could never just truly remain there- his stomach sinking to his shoes, and his body suddenly frigid-

And then, as quickly as it'd showed up, it was gone. Mostly. But Vyncent felt strangely calm.

“Did I?”

William's hands raised, and waved, and he said, “I know you were very sick, and delirious- so I didn't want to mention it…”

He tried explaining it further- with Vyncent insisting on it being later, or sometimes insisting that it would've been ‘really funny’ and how William should agree because he was, similarly, ‘really funny’. He also made sure to emphasize that it wasn't a request that he took seriously…

“Right.” But he couldn't think of what else to say.

Vyncent didn't even know what to think. The one thought process he never dwelled on for too long, was just… suddenly happening. And if he hadn't picked up on William trying to save face- or save his face- and lying to him, then he wouldn't have even known it, and…

Thinking of it now, he was much too busy to be courting anyone.

His parents didn't know each other for very long before they started doing it, and he and William knew each other for a substantial amount of time now, Vyncent was still young, and had his whole life ahead of him, and-

He stopped that train of thought immediately. He wasn't either of his parents- not busy, but still willing to keep a distant relationship like his dad, but also not being left behind like his mom. Hypothetically- and only hypothetically- if he and William were to start courting, or to do something drastic like marry each other…

It'd be sort of perfect. They had the same job, and saw each other all the time- and if they were courting, they could even see each other more often. They were compatible. There was a part of Vyncent that really, really wanted it… but at this point, he'd gotten used to pushing it down, and ignoring it- 

And now, it was coming back to bite him.

“...Vyncent?”

William's eyebrows were upturned. Normally, he had the sort of nervousness that made him jittery, and sweaty- but now, it felt like he was waiting for him to say something. (Vyncent also acknowledged that there was no way of telling if it was something William wanted, either. And that, maybe, the initial refusal to say something was enough of an answer.)

The air was weird. A small breeze blew in from the side, and lightly tousled William’s hair.

And Vyncent remained calm.

“...was it the normal Revenge of the Wasps movie that had the lady falling in love with the wasp? Or the director's cut?”

William sighed, and it almost looked like it was one from relief.

“Director's cut.” William answered, smoothly, and just like that, everything seemed mostly back to normal, “They thought it'd be weird to keep it in…”

“Since it's a wasp, and a woman falling in love?”

“Yeah.” But, at the same time, he looked a little out of it. “It was a little… avant-garde.”

Vyncent asked what avant-garde meant, and William told him. They continued their hike, and throughout it, Vyncent wondered if he was feeling bad for dodging the conversation, or if he was just hungry.

-

After eating, he could confidently say that it was not hunger.

But Vyncent still refused to acknowledge it. He was over it. Or, at least, as over it as he could be- as far as he was concerned, despite the pit in his stomach, and slight feeling that something was off- he was normal again.

“You ready to go?” William asked, helping Vyncent's suitcase stand upright, with its handle pulled out and everything.

“...we woke up really early.”

“We did watch the sun rise.”

“I’m gonna sleep in for a little longer. Then we can head out.”

William nodded along. Then, as Vyncent laid down on his bed- getting under covers he’d fix in the morning, and set to only take a small nap- William shut the curtains, and turned on another movie.

He sat next to Vyncent on the bed, but he didn't lay down. And eventually, anyway, Vyncent fell asleep.

-

When he woke up again, it was to the sound of William’s bedroom door slamming open, immediately followed up by a very familiar voice.

“VYNC-” Dakota started, strong as ever, and as Vyncent’s eyes shot open, he also noticed William immediately put his hand over Dakota’s mouth.

“He’s sleeping-”

He wrapped his arm around Dakota- and in turn, Dakota held onto his arm, and pushed him into a wall- and as they bickered, and wrestled, Ashe stuck his head in through the door as well, and waved him down.

“Hey…”

During William's pestering, and insistence on being quiet, they all froze up when they heard the sound of William’s mom in another part of the house- telling them to quiet down.

Still bleary-eyed, Vyncent sat up, and greeted them with a big, bright smile.

-

On Harttawa Island, they were welcomed with the distinctive smell of beef stroganoff, and with Tide happily making it for them. 

Ashe was with them for the day, and going to be there until tomorrow morning- so, set to make the most of it, they ate their stroganoff for lunch, and spent the day in the city. Hanging out, getting takeout for dinner, and texting Tide to let him know that they'd pick something up for him, since eating nothing but beef stroganoff couldn't have been good for him…

And it all eventually (inevitably) led to the four of them watching a movie together. 

In person, this time, instead of over a Discord call, while eating their dinner. And some part of Vyncent highly anticipated, and expected William to be just as chatty as he normally was during a movie, and for Vyncent to fall for it, and be just as chatty alongside him…

But during the movie, he was strangely quiet. And thus, Vyncent was quiet in turn.

And when William got up to leave in the middle of it to go to the bathroom, there was a pause after he closed the door. And then, just out the corner of his eye, he saw Dakota looking over at him.

“Did something happen with you two?”

It felt like Dakota was seeing right through him. Picking every nervous thought and insecurity that Vyncent had carefully settled in his brain- making those gross, fond, feelings pop up again, and push to the forefront of his mind-

And when Vyncent said, “No.” It was really obvious that he was lying.

Ashe looked back curiously, but he didn't ask. And so Dakota did it for him.

“What's going on?” He pressed. The movie was still playing in the background, and they all swore that they hadn't seen it before, and yet, it was obvious that nobody was paying attention.

Vyncent thought of how to put it. He didn't want to tell Dakota what actually happened- nor did he want to talk about it very much in general. He felt a rising sense of a certain feeling, but he didn’t know if he was feeling fear or shame, or if this was something he just couldn’t entirely grasp because it felt much too complicated-

Vyncent pulled his shoulders in and sunk into the couch. In the movie, a woman in a dress was running and crying. The volume was so low that he could barely hear her yell out to someone.

Well, Vyncent felt like he was doing something wrong. Just fundamentally. And quietly he thought that he’d much rather have his teeth slowly pulled out instead of talking about this.

“I think I said something weird.”

“As in…?”

“It’s- not important, it was just weird. It wasn’t bad, it was just weird, and William said it didn’t matter but- I guess I just don’t want William to feel weird.”

Ashe turned the volume off completely, turning around and leaning his elbows on the couch. “Did you insult him or something?”

“Of course not.”

“Did you say anything mean at all?”

“No, it wasn’t mean, or bad, or anything like that at all it just- I guess it just implied weird things. Not bad things. But weird things.”

Dakota raised his eyebrow. “This would be a lot easier if you told us what you said.”

Vyncent was not doing that. He shook his head sternly.

“Well-” Dakota still seemed less tense than when William first left. “You know Will. Actually, you know him best. If anything strange is going on, you know William will never first think that you’re the weird one. And besides-” Dakota stretched his arms over his head and cackled. “William loves you, man, you’ll be fine.” 

Normally, it was a comment that Vyncent could easily ignore. In fact, his first instinct was to ignore it, and to pivot the conversation into something else, like it was never brought up in the first place-

But then his brain stuck on it. He honed in on the words- William loves you- and no matter how much he tried shaking it off, he couldn't.

Does he? Vyncent almost asked the question out loud, but then, he realized that he didn't know if he wanted the answer to that.

Because if he did, then that meant-

Well. A lot of things made sense. And then it didn't. And Vyncent was overwhelmed, feeling a lot of things all at once- and it wasn't washing away into that calmness that he usually felt whenever things got to be too much. He felt the urge to clean up, or distract himself…

And it eventually led him to just… Sitting there. Ashe and Dakota continued watching the movie, and without either of them realizing it, Vyncent was zoned out on the couch next to them, and not paying any attention.

Because if William loved him, and Vyncent proposed- then that must've been really, really terrible. On Fauna- drunk, or sick, or otherwise- that sort of declaration would’ve had someone's father knocking at his door, and setting boundaries for an inevitable courting. And William was nice, and in the future, Vyncent could consider it, but he was not ready for it right now.

Thank God they were on Prime- Vyncent thought- because if they were on Fauna, and if William took him seriously, then they would've had to get married sometime next year.

Then Vyncent froze. 

And, slowly- while leaning his elbow onto the arm of the couch, and holding his head in one of his hands- he pushed his bangs back, and kept a steady hand pressed against the side of his head.

They weren't on Fauna. They were on Prime.

And even though those traditions had been ingrained in his mind since he was a kid, and something he carried with him long into adulthood, seeing how it hadn't worked out for his own parents… It was different, on Prime. It could be different, if he wanted it to be.

Something… casual. And slow. Something that let Vyncent back out if he didn't feel like it'd work, or something that'd let Vyncent lean in, if he wanted to. He could take his time, and it wasn't permanent- and if it didn't work out, then he could use it. That was all he needed, he eventually realized. A back door, just in case. Not something he was ever planning on using, but something he could, if he needed to-

Then, suddenly, the majority of those anxieties ebbed away. 

They could date. If it was just as he pictured it- he could have it. Or they could work something out.

“I'll be right back.” Vyncent said, a little too quickly. He ignored Dakota's laugh.

-

William was not in the bathroom, nor was he in his own room. When he asked Tide about it, he said that William talked about getting some fresh air on the beach-

And when Vyncent went out to find him, he found him there, sitting on the beach of Harttawa Island. It was beautiful outside- dark skies, with the sun set but not quite gone, and instead flooding the entire outside world with a beautiful, deep shade of blue. There were a few pinpricks of stars scattered throughout the skies as well, but not nearly enough to get a full constellation…

But Vyncent's (and, maybe even William’s) main focus was on the city, in the distance. Already lit up, and shining like a beacon, in the distance. The glow reflected off the water- and it was unnatural, and Vyncent's seen a better few from the starry, unpolluted skies of his own home- but he supposed that this was beautiful as well. In its own way.

Vyncent thought of something to say. Coyly asking William about the view, or the stars, or the night in general- or asking if he was okay- but instead, all he could think to say was, “Hey.”

William whipped his head around, face vividly alarmed- but then, upon seeing it was just him, it relaxed, and faced towards the city again.

“You’re not watching the movie with the rest of them?”

“You’re…” Vyncent’s head was blanking. He was nervous- why now, of all times? “...not going to the bathroom.”

“Nope.” William looked back at him briefly. Then he patted the spot next to him, and Vyncent took it as his cue to sit down.

Where he was sat didn’t change the view of the city. But, sitting next to William- being on the same level, and with a whole lot more things on his mind- something changed. Or flipped. And suddenly, he was looking at William’s thoughtful face, and he found that he couldn't look away.

Until he looked over at him. Then, Vyncent was happy to look at the underwhelming city view. While staring at it, his eyes traced the ups and downs of the buildings, ignoring the burning gaze in his periphery. William did not back away, continuing to stare, as if he was waiting for Vyncent to turn back. He didn’t.

“I need to explain-” He looked down onto the sand and traced a circle into it. With his flat palm, he brushed over it, and drew a small smiley, almost as if he was trying to hype himself up. Confused and frustrated, he also brushed away the face. “We need to talk about- I mean, I need to talk about-”

“...” William seemed just a bit more on edge now, and as Vyncent continued to be silent, he opened and closed his mouth, as if he was trying to ask what he was going to say.

Vyncent sighed. “I need to explain my thought process, okay?”

“...O-kay…?” He tried really hard not to sound confused, but it came through anyway. 

“On Fauna, the whole courtship ritual is sort of strict and- well, it has rules to follow, and not following these rules are very detrimental to your social life, and- well- what I’m trying to say-”

“...is this about what you said when you were asleep?” William started.

Vyncent gritted his teeth. “So on Fauna- let’s say you’re a girl from Fauna. I mean a boy. And if I’ve said what I’ve said, I could’ve expected your father at my door within hours looking very expectant. Expecting a gift or an explanation, and then we could’ve gone on to plan the wedding, and then, William, there are a lot of requirements for a wedding, a lot, and- you have to understand, I am simply not ready for this, also, I don’t have any money, and everytime I think about it, just- my heart starts beating way too fast, but not in a good way, but in the way where I feel like I have to move the country and change my name-”

“Vyncent, I-”

He still wasn’t looking over at him, and just raised his hand to indicate to William to keep listening. “But, and you have to forgive me, I only realized this a few minutes ago-” He laughed, and it was a bit mocking, but only at himself. “We don’t have to get married.”

“We-”

“Not now at least. And also not in a year. Or two years. People get married with- 30, here. That’s crazy!”

“...Are you saying that-”

“I don’t need to be your husband. Yet. I can just be… your partner. And if we get too scared then we are partners but- well, no vows till death do us part, right?” Vyncent finally looked over to William, but this time they missed their gazes once again. 

“...” William was looking at the crashing waves, both hands dug into the sand and his eyes far-away. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning. It looked… incredibly neutral. 

Vyncent wrapped his hands around his knees, and opened his mouth again. “Or. We don’t. And we ignore this. If you want me to stop talking you have to tell me, man. Please tell me to stop talking, I don’t know if I read this all so wrong-”

“You want to be my boyfriend?” William asked, quietly. His head finally snapped over, showing Vyncent a shaky and nervous smile. “Is that what you’re telling me? You know what that means- you want to- go out with me?”

“I had to give you my thought process. And yes.”

William breathed out, closing his eyes and visibly relaxing. “Wow.”

“...Don’t just say that.”

“Vyncent Sol- Virion Sol is my boyfriend. Could be my boyfriend.”

“You don’t have to speak about me as if I’m not here.”

“I just wanted to test out how it sounds.”

“...”

“I like you a lot, Vyncent.” The water was rushing. The sky was growing darker, with the city only shining brighter, bathing William in this brief golden glow. His face was turned slightly towards him, but not entirely, and it was giving him this mischievous air, his smile felt like a smirk, but it wasn’t unkind, just sort of knowing. “I’ve started liking you a short while after we first met. Because you were kind of cool, and we had to spend time together, and you were nice to me. And I didn’t think much of it, because I always got crushes on people who were nice to me, or who were cool but not mean.”

“...”

“But then we kept spending time together. And you became one of my best friends. You are my best friend. And it’s not like I like you. I love you. As a friend, first and foremost but also- but also-” Now, after getting through the speech with gusto, he was getting choked up, nervousness taking up his lungs. “As a partner. That'd… be nice.”

Vyncent had to take a moment to take it all in. And then, automatically smiling at William as he seeked eye contact. And they spent a minute looking at each other, and out onto the ocean, both probably trying to sort their thoughts, their feelings, the revelation-

After a moment, William’s hand slowly inched over the sand. Vyncent looked at it like it was a weird animal, before his face set pleasantly, and he put his palm over William’s. Their fingers intertwined, sand flowing out from between their enclosed hands, and happily, William leaned into his side.

“Thanks for taking care of me when I was sick..”

William moved his head to try and look at him from a strange angle. “Thanks for being there for me when- well, everytime you’ve been there for me.”

“...Thanks for being my friend.”

“Well- thanks for being my-” He frowned, his face red. “My boy… friend.”

“What have I managed to do in- two minutes that you need to thank me for?”

“You’ve been awfully honest with me, and you’ve made me very happy- You’re holding my hand and letting me lean against you.”

“See, we couldn’t do these things if we were on Fauna and unmarried.”

“Really?”

“It depends… If it’s clear that we’re doing it in a friendly way, it’s whatever, but holding hands and cuddling and- god-forbid kissing- if you do that before marriage you’re going to be called some… uncouth names.” He wasn't sure how else to phrase it.

“So- if that isn’t allowed, how did people get married?”

“Depends, again.” Vyncent thought about it. “When my grandfather wanted to court my grandmother, he killed a bear with his bare hands, and gave her family the pelt.”

William looked like he was having trouble deciding whether or not Vyncent was being serious. 

“But kissing was off the table?”

“It's taboo.”

“It’s not taboo here.” William elbowed him lightly, and then looked between Vyncent, and their stellar view.

“Ow.” He rubbed his arm. “What?”

“...” William looked at him expectantly. For a moment he looked down quietly and William’s words sunk in.

“Were you subtly trying to tell me that we should kiss?” Because, socially, they could. It was okay and normal. And it wasn’t something Vyncent had to spend too much thought on, whether or not he was kissing William because kissing William seemed like a fun idea, or if he was kissing him because he wanted to marry him and spend the rest of their lives together. 

“I mean-” William scratched his head, looking very flustered. And for the first time, without strange fears or shame accompanying him, he could say that William looked nice when he was flushed red. Cute, was the first word on his mind, and his mouth curled upwards at the thought of saying it out loud. “Do you want to kiss?”

“You’re cute.” He said anyway.

“Vyncent!” He put his hands over his face, fingers digging into his hair. “Answer the-”

“I mean. Maybe. I’ve never done it before.”

“Me neither.”

“...Let’s try?”

“Don’t say if I suck at it.”

“You know I’m too honest.”

William's face pinched and he laughed. And as he observed his friend- boy, friend, boyfriend- it seemed he had a picture for how he wanted to go with it.

So, carefully, he turned onto his side, and scooted forward as slowly as possible. Vyncent could tell that he was giving him plenty of time to call it off. But because he really wanted to know what it felt like, physically and emotionally, he let William get as close as he could get.

He held Vyncent's face in his hands. His hands were on his cheeks, but not in a way where aunties would pinch them and call him cute, and certainly not in the way where someone would gently pat the side of his cheek to wake him up or get his attention. It was careful and sweet, and his thumbs were placed by the corners of his lips, pushing in once before brushing his hair out of his face, and working it behind his ear…

And then he finally kissed him.

Slow, steady, careful. Vyncent didn’t move for a moment, just trying to categorize the feeling, trying to save it as a memory and holding onto it- and then, as William seemed to lose confidence, he angled his head and slotted their lips together in a much more pleasant motion. 

It didn’t make Vyncent’s heart beat nervously, and it didn’t make his stomach swoop. Instead, it lulled him in, this no-brainer activity that made him feel thoughtless and content. And while it probably wasn’t the intended effect, he felt like he could fall asleep like this. Maybe if they were lying down, their foreheads pressed together, their eyes closed and sharing oxygen, arms wrapped around one another-

Without his own notice, his hand had started running up and down William’s arm, his fingertips brushing over goosebumps. William exhaled shakily as they separated. His eyes remained closed.

“I… feel nice.”

Vyncent hummed. He didn’t want to open his mouth, still bathing in the feeling. It was nice. He’d do it again, if William allowed him.

A moment later, he wasn’t just bathing in the feeling-

At first he didn’t understand what had happened, and for a split second he got this awful feeling like this was all just a dream, and he was going to wake up in his dorm room in a cold sweat, the multiple weeks he had lived through lost to this dream- but then William’s ringing laugh assured him that truly, this was reality- and truly, he just got soaked in cold salt water.

A particularly large wave hit both of them when they weren’t paying attention, and soaked them from head to toe. William got up first, laughing and swearing, and a moment later he offered Vyncent a hand. 

“Very unromantic from the beach.” He grinned. “Please change your clothes before you get sick again.”

“...You don’t want me to propose again?”

“I’d rather you propose completely lucid.”

Vyncent grabbed his hand, and was hoisted up by William. As he stood, he put one hand in his pocket, the other one still in William’s hand. “I’ll think about it. Give it a few years.”

And with this brilliant grin- when William’s smile was usually so small and shy, especially when they first met, he said, “Take your time, Vynce.”

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment if you enjoyed it <3

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of my jrwi fics <3