Now that Lonely had recognised his ability to feel, Confidence wouldn't take no for an answer when he asked to come out and meet his friends properly. He had no choice in the matter and while he was still scared of what Sadness and Disgust would do, he couldn't use the need to keep what he was doing secret as an excuse anymore. Sadness and Disgust knew exactly what he was doing and while the thought terrified him, it would be good to go out and meet new people.

They walked side by side down the path towards Zajed. Confidence was talking to him about one of the books he'd just finished and out of nervousness, Lonely found himself unable to speak. Still, he listened intently to everything his friend said, finding his voice soothing and relaxing. There was always a voice in the back of his head that reminded him of what he was about to do, but he tried his hardest to ignore it.

"I'm sorry I'm not talking much," he said when Confidence took a moment to breathe.

"No, no. I don't mind," Confidence replied, a smile on his face. "I know you're listening." He continued on about the book after that and Lonely smiled at the ground. Confidence was kind to him, kinder than anyone had been to him before. That could explain the strange feeling he got in his stomach whenever he saw him, but a small part of him knew that it was more than that. He just didn't have a name for it yet.

Zajed looked the same as ever and Lonely found himself searching for Sadness and Disgust as they walked through the crowds. It had been more than a week since his confrontation with them and nothing had happened. It was making him nervous, jittery and paranoid. All he wanted was for them to show themselves so he could deal with. He wasn't going to let them isolate him, not without putting up the biggest fight of his life.

If it had been a few months ago, he would have accepted it without argument. But he knew the truth of who he was and he wasn't going to let that go. And Confidence had promised to protect him and help him. Nothing was going to happen, he wouldn't be taken away when he had finally found happiness. Even as he thought the words, his stomach curled with anxiety. He didn't believe his own thoughts.

With a deep breath, he tried to push the thoughts away. They were nearing Zajed, nearing the little group he was supposed to meet. He hadn't talked to any of them except Love and he hadn't done much talking then. Part of him wanted to run back to his home and hide away, but there another stronger part that remembered what he had been like when he first woke. He wanted friends, wanted people he cared for and they cared for him. He was finally getting his chance to make them.

Confidence still talked even as they walked down the busy streets. Some people stared at them, but Lonely didn't know if they were staring because they didn't know who he was or because Sadness had told them all what he had done. The former was the more obvious answer, but he couldn't push the latter idea from his mind.

"The communal gardens really needs some work, but they won't let me touch it," Confidence was saying when he tuned back in again. Lonely let the words wash over him and smiled softly.

"Why?" he asked.

Confidence shrugged. "Most people like how it looks. I think it needs a makeover. It's looked the same for centuries," he explained with a wave of his hand.

It didn't take long for Lonely to learn that he was right. The communal gardens were plain in comparison to Confidence's lush garden. Most of it was dirt paths lined with flower bushes of purple, pink and red that led to picnic tables overshadowed with tall trees. It was pretty, but he much preferred Confidence's.

Down by a pond covered in lily pads were a group of people sitting on a blanket. One of them waved and Lonely's heart fell into his stomach. It was only three people but it was still more than he had spoken to in centuries. He still wasn't allowed to be doing what they were doing, but it was nothing compared to what he had already done.

"It's going to be alright," Confidence said as if he could read his thoughts. "Trust me."

"Of course," he replied as they headed down the small hill towards the group. Confidence wouldn't take him somewhere that could possibly harm him, it wasn't what friends did.

Happy was the first to greet them. Lonely had met them a few times when he first awoke, but they had looked different at the time. He hadn't seen much of them since Sadness and Disgust began to isolate him. Happy took on the appearance of someone from Central America if Lonely remembered correctly. It suited them.

They jumped to their feet and hugged Confidence tightly, their long black hair whipping around in the wind. "It's so good to see you!" they said as they pulled away, ignoring him when he returned the sentiment and turning to Lonely. "Are you alright with hugs?"

The last time he'd been hugged was when Confidence had found him in his room. It had been a good hug, but it hadn't been under good circumstances. "Yes," he said before he could overthink it and smiled when arms wrapped around. For a second, Confidence watched him with a smile before turning to the other two.

Pride, who was introduced to him as Happy’s partner, smiled sweetly at him when he sat, her auburn hair tied in two long braids and decorated with flowers. He nodded awkwardly to Love, who didn’t seem all that fazed by it, giving him a short wave.

Confidence sat next to him, smiling reassuringly at him. There hadn’t been much conversation yet, but everyone seemed nice. Even so, there was still an awful nervousness in his stomach that wouldn’t go away for a long time. He stayed silent as Love pulled a picnic basket out from behind him and opened it up, trying to calm his breathing.

“Confidence told us that you like to read,” Happy said in their sweet voice. “Have you read Dickens? He’s my new favourite.”

The excitement that welled within him was almost embarrassing. “I have!” he said and inched forward a little. “He’s not my favourite, but I do like what he’s written so far.”

“Who is your favourite?” they asked, curiosity in their dark eyes.

“Dante,” he said almost sheepishly.

They raised an eyebrow at him. “Not what I expected at all. I like that,” they said and settled against Pride’s side.

A hand brushing against his arm made him jump. Confidence sat there with a plate of sandwiches and a kind smile. “I don’t know what kind you like, so I grabbed all of them,” he said with a shrug.

“I usually don’t eat,” he said. They didn’t need to. Sometimes he did if there was something new he wanted to experience, but he found that having a meal was something the others did with each other. If he was going to start being like them, then he needed to fit in. “Might as well try them all.”

It didn’t take him long to discover that tomato was disgusting and he quickly handed the half-eaten sandwiches back to Confidence with an embarrassed smile. He didn’t seem to mind and ate them without issue.

“Confidence grew most of the vegetables,” Love said, pouring freshly squeezed juice into glasses for each of them. “There’s a little vegetable garden not far from here where he and I grow stuff.”

He stared down at the sandwiches curiously. He hadn’t known that. “I didn’t know you gardened too, Love,” he said in an attempt to start some kind of conversation.

“Sometimes. Confidence is teaching me, but I’m not very good,” he said, sitting back against the grass.

Confidence scoffed. “He’s awful,” he said and laughed. “All he does is make a mess. It’s a wonder everything was ready for today.”

“I might have magicked the fruit,” Love admitted and laughed at the look on Confidence’s face. Lonely chuckled, but he couldn’t help but feel out of place. He’d missed out on centuries of inside jokes and friendship, but at least they weren’t excluding him. They were trying to welcome him, he was just too awkward for it all.

As time wore on, he settled in next to Confidence, their hands brushing together on the blanket, and was content enough to listen to the group of friends talk. Sometimes they would ask him something but for the most part, they didn’t seem to mind that he was silent. When he felt the need to, he would add something to the conversation but the majority of the time, they talked about people and events he had no knowledge of. Asking for clarification just made him feel more out of place.

Once all the sandwiches were gone and Love was passing around slices of cake that he’d baked, Pride turned to Lonely and raised her eyebrows at him. “So, how long have you and Confidence been together?” she asked.

He froze, ice in his veins. “What?” he said, his eyebrows furrowing and his cheeks darkening.

Confidence laughed, but even Lonely could tell that it was forced. “No, no, Pride. We’re not together. Just friends,” he said. Lonely should have been able to unfreeze then, but somehow, the sentence made him feel worse.

Pride’s pale face turned bright red. “I’m so sorry! I thought that’s why we were here, to meet your partner,” she said and buried her face into her hands. “You talk about him so much… Even Happy thought you two were…”

“I was waiting for them to say it. I wasn’t going to ask them out of the blue,” Happy said, laughter in their voice.

Lonely didn’t dare look at Confidence, scared of the expression that was on his face. Instead, he watched Happy tease their partner and the bright blush on Pride’s cheeks. Even Love was shaking his head, smiling when he handed the plate of cake over to him. “This is normal,” he said. “Pride doesn’t think before she speaks.”

“It’s- It’s alright,” he said to all of them. It was an honest misunderstanding if what Pride said was to be believed. Confidence talked about him and he wanted to know how much but didn’t dare ask. Pride’s blush forced another question from his lips. “You all feel, too?”

It was a stupid question, but one he felt he needed to know. “Of course,” Happy said and frowned. “Is it new for you?”

Confidence finally spoke up then and he sounded normal. “Remember his little row with Sadness? He’d just figured it right before then,” he explained, earning a nod from him.

The three of them stared at him sympathetically and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. “It can be hard, can’t it?” Happy said with a shrug. “If you need someone to talk to because it’s overwhelming, we’re here. I think we were some of the first to realise after Stress so I’d like to say we understand best.”

“And don’t worry about Sadness and Disgust. We got the same threats, but they can’t do a thing to you unless you let them,” Pride added and for a second, his fear abated, but he knew it would come back the moment he was alone again.

“Thank you,” he whispered and smiled. That smile dropped immediately when he looked over at the dirt path nearby. As if they knew they were being talked about, Sadness and Disgust watched them in disapproval. He froze where he sat and ever so slowly, a tremble came to his hands.

The others turned and soon they were having a strange staring contest that didn’t seem to ever end. Lonely knew they were staring at him, not at Confidence or any of the others sitting with him. The look in their eyes told him that they had something planned for him, ready and waiting for the right time to strike. He would never know when it would happen, but it would be soon and he had to do something about it.

Then they were gone, walking down the path without another look at them. Lonely let out a deep breath and his body finally moved again. “I… I can’t…” he said but he couldn’t finish the sentence, didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

An arm wrapped around his waist and there was a hot breath against his ear. “Don’t worry about them, I’ll help you,” Confidence whispered, running a hand up and down his back. “We’ll all help you. Nothing is going to happen.”

He sighed and leaned back against him even though he knew he shouldn’t. “I trust you,” he said but he couldn’t help but feel worried about what was to come.