He laughed

"Yeah"

"Oh, you can."

"What were you doing before?"

"Just looking. Uh-"

"What?"

"If you move your head too fast everything just looks blurry, like a lot. It's got a slight delay when you change what you're looking at."

He chuckled

"I bet you look like a nerd"

"You are a nerd. You can have them back. To complete your look"

He hummed

"Yeah sure"

James placed them on his face and smiled. He blinked a couple times to get used to the change.

"You look so.."

"What?"

He forced a cough and glanced away. James laughed and nudged his shoulder.

"What"

"Giddy. Awe-sruck. Proud"

"What if I am?"

He rubbed a hand behind his neck and his eyes flicked to the wall.

"That's so cheesy. Don't look at me like that"

"Can't help it"

He rubbed his cheek.

"You're pretty to look at"

A breathless laugh escaped his lips.

He hugged him close and rested his cheek on his head and mumbled into his hair.

"You're eighteen in a couple hours"

"How much is a couple hours?"

"Like 3 if you're counting to midnight"

He hummed

"Not too bad"

"Anything you want do?"

"Keep your jacket"

"Hah. No"

"You can't stop me"

"Can. You're ticklish"

"You can't tickle it off of me"

"Wanna test that theory?"

"No-"

He clenched when his fingers barely traced over his palm. The hairs at the back of his neck prickled. He tried to grab his wrist but James snatched it away.

"Stop."

He laughed and pressed his fingers into his sides and he squirmed. He whined and grabbed his hands, this time he didn't pull away.

"Stop"

"Okay"

He heard the edge of laughter in his voice and he rolled his eyes. He interlocked their fingers and squeezed. "What's the problem with me keeping it. I thought you like me wearing your clothes"

He scoffed

"I do, makes you look really small and cute."

He huffed

"But I really like that one. I don't want to share it."

He laughed

"I really like it too"

"Noo, it wasn't meant for you"

"Think of it as a birthday present"

"I already gave you a present!"

"Technically, it was a shared present"

He poked his finger into his cheek and he giggled.

He sighed and squeezed his hand.

"How's your sister?"

"Oh. She's.. Nadia's getting better.."

He smiled

"At least someone is"

He rubbed his wrist

"You are"

"Obviously.."

"Well you were getting better. Your dad showing up definitely shocked you, but that doesn't mean you can't move past it"

"Is she walking around? Or still needing crutches?"

He huffed and pressed a kiss to his forehead

"What a way to avoid talking. Yeah she's walking. Her arm's out of the cast but sometimes she still needs the arm brace"

"That's good"

"She hasn't been to school for a while but I don't know if she wants to continue going"

He chuckled

"I know the feeling"

"Really? What's up with you?"

He looked up to the celing

"Well I wasn't going because I got nightmares again. But that was.. I dunno anymore"

He hummed

"I can't even do the work. I kinda feel like it's useless because I already learned most of what we're doing currently anyway"

He sighed and rubbed his thumb over his hand. His eyes fell closed and he leaned against him

"Oh!"

He sat up suddenly and looked at him.

"What?"

"We should do some drinking games!"

He smiled

"What you think that since now you're an adult, I'm gonna give you alcohol?"

He grinned

"Change your voice all you like, I can see now and that face is betraying you"

"Ah, man. Its gonna be so weird now. Me and Axca used to have entire conversations about you with you in the room, and you had no idea."

He elbowed his rib

"Bet you talked about me when I wasn't around too"

He laughed

"Bet she did it with Lance too. You know how I know all your fidgets and body language and stuff?"

He hummed

"I know exactly what certain looks and subtle changes mean with Axca now"

He chuckled

"Nerd"

"Jerk"

"I'm magical"

He huffed

"Sure"

"I am. I can predict lightning"

He laughed

"What??"

"I can. Lance and I figured it out earlier in the rain."

"Bet you complained and didn't want to go out"

He pouted and looked at the wall. He huffed and brushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear.

"Do you want to see him"

He stilled and his tongue felt like concrete in his mouth. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He rubbed his thumb along his hair and pressed a kiss to his temple. He jolted and sucked in a breath.

"Of course I do.."

"If you're not ready you don't have to."

"I'll never be ready"

He hummed and he glanced at him. He frowned and fiddled with his fingers. He chuckled and opened his hand. He braced his own against it. Keith glanced at him.

"Come on then"

"What?"

"Let's go see him"

"No- I-"

"Come onnn"

He moved backwards and he slid to the floor. He offered his hands and he grabbed them with a frown. He heaved him up and started moving to the door.

"James."

He stopped and turned around. He hummed and squeezed his hand.

"I'm.. What if, if I pictured him wrong.."

"What if you pictured him right?"

"Lucky guess then.."

"Look"

He grabbed his shoulders.

"You should live in the present. I think you'll enjoy it more"

"What if I forget, if the glasses break.."

"You can probably think of hundreds of reasons to not do it. To avoid looking at him forever. But can you think of even one as to why you should?"

His eyes shut and he sighed.

"I want to see him. I don't want to miss out. But I'm scared that I'll-"

"That's just the voice in your head. That's just stupid Bruno"

"Luca? Really?"

"Oh don't lie. You love that movie"

He chuckled and rocked on his feet.

"I do"

"Don't listen to Bruno. If you want to do something, find at least one thing convincing you to do it. I know you aren't the best at ignoring the negative, but start listening to the positive"

"When did you become a motivation speaker? And you used a Disney quote"

"But did it work?"

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Yeah, a little"

"So let's go"

He twitched and he squeezed his hand. He slowed in the hallway and he tugged his arm.

"I can't do this"

"You can"

"I can't"

"Do you want to go back then?"

He frowned

"..Fuck you"

He smiled and tugged his arm again. His feet carried him to the lounge. His feet felt like concrete. The closer they got to the kitchen, the harder it was to move. He rubbed his thumb across his wrist.

"It's okay"

He sucked in a breath.

He pushed him forward the last couple meters. He stumbled and shot him a glare. He gave a bright smile back. He sighed and leaned against the doorway. His fingers clenched and he pressed them against his sides. Red sat on his shoulder, bunched up over his hood. He was looking at his phone and chewing his lip. His sleeves were pushed up against his elbows and there were little doodles on his arm. His pants were tearing at the knees and a couple of his fingers had plasters on them. His hair was cut short against the sides and he had studs in his ears. He glanced up towards the general direction of the drum room but his eyes flicked towards him instead. He gave a small smile.

"Hey"

"Hi"

Red stirred and jumped off his shoulder. She padded over to him and climbed up to his shoulder. He huffed and scratched her head. When he looked back he had a slight frown and his mouth twitched.

"You okay?"

He pushed off the wall and dropped his head onto his chest. He put his phone on the bench and wrapped his arms around him. He hummed.

"You eat anything?"

"No"

He smoothed a hand over his hair

"Yeah, I thought you wouldn't have much appetite"

He leaned his head back and rested his elbows on his shoulders.

"You really do look like Sokka"

His eyebrows furrowed

".. What?"

His mouth tilted up slightly and he shrugged.

He picked him up and spun him around with a laugh. He let out a yelp and he set him back down, grabbing his shoulders.

"What!? Can you see me?? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two, stop that"

He grabbed his hand and pulled it down.

"You can see me"

"I can"

"Is that.. Are those the gift glasses"

"Yeah, I'm not quite sure how it works. Basically getting the lighting from whatever I'm looking at and like, I don't know what it's called but it feels like high pitched light. Mainly just outlines, it's pretty weird"

"Wow"

She peeked her head around the corner

"Sorry to interrupt, but I hear the glasses work"

He laughed

"Axca"

"Happy for you"

She held her hands up and he rolled his eyes.

"Come onnn"

He scoffed and high fived her.

"Yeah! You have no idea how long I've wanted to start a high five."

"Dork"

"How is it?"

He twitched and tilted his head slightly

"Can you go buy alcohol?"

"No, I can't. I'm not old enough"

"Mm take James, he'll know what it's for"

"Right because I can drive you're going to exploit that?"

"Exactly"

She rolled her eyes and walked away

"Alcohol?"

He smirked

"Yeah, don't worry about it"

He hummed

"Didn't know you had earrings"

He brushed it with his thumb.

"I can't really wear them much, sometimes I do at work, but school and home are a bit dodgy with it so I'd prefer not to. I'm taking the opportunity to wear them"

He scoffed

"Yeah.. Especially since you're not out"

"Exactly"

Lance brushed his finger around the edge of his ear. His fingers twitched.

"What happened to yours?"

He blew out a breath and turned away. He stared at the floor and shut his eyes. A couple moments passed and he dropped his hand. He paused for a bit and tried to silently get his breathing back to normal.

"Seems like something bad.."

He shook his head and glanced back at him.

"No. Just got a bit bored of them"

He laughed

"Seriously?? I don't know how"

He tipped his lips up

"My ears were also a bit sore. They can get heavy after a while"

He hummed and brushed his thumb over the faint bruise on his cheek. He smiled slightly and grbbed his hand. He rubbed his thumb across his knuckles

"You were frowning at your phone before, everything alright?"

He sighed

"Things going on at home, ma wants me back soon. Vero says it's getting pretty bad and I should stay away if I can"

"Sucks. You wanna try convince her to let you stay over?"

"I don't think I'd be able to. I've been home late a lot"

"Might as well try, can't hurt, right?"

He hummed

"As long as your mum doesn't mind"

"Nah, she's chill. Besides.. I think she'll be left to her own devices tonight"

"Right. I'll check"

"Either that or join the party"

"Party?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear? It's my birthday"

He stilled.

He rubbed the back of his neck

"Yeah. Yeah, I heard"

"Do you also need to ask if you can have alcohol? How old are you?"

"Seventeen"

"So young"

"You're still Seventeen for 40 minutes"

"It's that late already? How long ago were you told to go home?"

"I didn't want to leave before making sure you were okay"

He smiled

"Thanks"

He rubbed his thumb across his temple.

"Are you?"

He dipped his head

"I will be"

He waited for more but he didn't say anything. He sighed

"James said you hadn't seen him for 2 years"

"Oh. Yeah"

"Sounds pretty serious"

His mouth twitched

"Yeah"

His jaw clenched shut and he closed his eyes. He rubbed his shoulder

"Well, ma says I can stay over, and I can drink but not too much and I have to be supervised."

He laughed

"You'll be fine"

He pulled out his phone and stilled. He huffed and sent a text.

'Get juice as well, and invite matt and pidge while you're a it. I know Pidge will definitely be awake'

"Do you mind if I invite Allura?"

"No, go ahead"