Once the reminiscence of Orion's past was complete, all three lay sprawled out along the lawn just below the tree. Adults they may be, however, they acted as if they were still children.

By cloud watching.

It just happened after each flopped over in attempts to relax.

"That one looks like...a whale!" Roxas exclaimed, arm raised towards the air and a single finger pointed at the cloud in question.

Beside him, Albel scoffed. "Obviously, that's a cake. Can't you see the frosting oozing off the sides." Ever the food fanatic.

In an effort to prove them both wrong, Orion lifted himself off the ground, appearing above both momentarily and pointed back to the cloud. "You're both wrong! It's a turtle!" He even attempted to draw an outline to further prove a point.

This caused Roxas to break out into giggles. He found himself laughing until his sides hurt and he rolled from side to side.

"A turtle he says! I guess things like this require lots of imaginative juices flowing." He grinned then sat up. "Is this...your first time experiencing something like this?" After asking, the blond winced and prepared for a sudden outburst retort.

One which he never received.

Instead, Orion shook his head, melancholy building up in his expression. "I have done things like this. But I'm not entirely sure if it counts if done alone? I'm not sure about this whole friend thing. I don't even understand families either."

Albel, though he may not have been able to hear, drew himself up as well and shot a look of sympathy towards him.

"He says he doesn't understand family nor friendship. Why, if I could I'd find these parents of his and beat some sense into them. I won't, but I want to!" The irritated blond huffed, folding both arms over his chest.

Orion immediately shook his head from side to side. “It doesn’t matter. I have...you both now, right?” He was hesitant while speaking, afraid of what their response could have been.

“That’s right! You have us!” Roxas beamed, forgetting his own situation, this whole situation. Anything that wasn’t the three of them mattered not.

“We’re your friends.” Albel chimed in. “Your family.” He was debating on adding another set relationship himself and Roxas would have preferred, yet he felt it was too soon.

Just this, however, was enough to perk Orion back up. “Friends? F-family?” He stumbled through repeating while bringing his hands to his chest above where his heart would have been had he still had one. “Am I still allowed such things?”

By this point, Roxas had forgotten his duties of a translator. He continued on with his somewhat one sided debate without relaying everything said.

It was lucky for him that Albel was a master of reading expressions as well as people themselves. He was able to somehow piece their conversation together on his own. “We’re the only family you need. You're the only family we could ever ask for. Sure we all have birth families, yet this-” He pointed between them. “-This is all we want. All we need now.”

Orion felt tears well up inside him from who knows where. “I-I want to be with you both too.” Selfishly, he reached out to embrace both humans. Roxas instantly leaned in while Albel took a few seconds to adjust to the cold touch once again before finding himself doing the same. “I want to be selfish. I want you both for myself. I want…”

‘I want to be human again.’

“Just worry about now. We can forget about the future and drink in the present.” Roxas started.

“We’ll be together no matter what has to be done in the process.” Albel finished.

The ghost felt the strong urge inside him to pull them ever so closer. So, that he did. He even placed a gentle kiss to both of their cheeks. His revenge for when they had caught him off guard before. As heat rose in their cheeks, he let a giggle slip past. “Is it too soon to say that I might love the both of you?”

As if blessed by some god or supernatural being of some sort, Albel was given the ability to hear that one phrase and was the first of the two to respond. “It’s never too soon. In fact...what does a guy need to give to hear it again~”

“Ew, did you pick that cheesy line up from a romance manga? You nerd.” Roxas joked and elbowed the other in the gut. “But Ori, I agree with him. Say it again!” He brought his face closer to the transparent one beside him.

“No! You only get one! I demand you both give me one in return! I want to be completely sure this is real.” Orion puffed his cheeks in defiance; deflating them as he finished his sentence.

Both locked eyes, giving a silent nod as if they understood the only thought floating through their minds alike.

Together they effortlessly gave their response to Orion’s confession. “We love you too!”

If only they were able to live in this moment forever.