“Geez!” Emil tapped the top of the kitchen door frame as he entered. “Where the heck is he hiding? We searched this place top-to-bottom at least 3-4 times since yesterday.”

“It was nice seeing everything again.” Leon sighed dreamily. “If only I could commit this place to memory…”

“Leon, you alright, buddy? You’ve been talking like you’re gonna die soon.”

Roxie practically jumped in front of him. “Are you experiencing any worrying symptoms? A strange mole or perhaps a lump? I can check on them! And unless it’s something really aggressive, we should be able to treat you at the Moon Base within a week!” She snagged Emil’s arm. “If you’re uncomfortable with me checking it, my lovely assistant can–”

“Oh, no, Roxie, I don’t need anything checked, I don’t think.” Leon cut in. “It’s just… Well, you guys’ll probably hear about it soon enough.” He walked ahead of them. “Anyway, I’m gonna hit the shower. I’ll let you know if I have any weird moles if I find any!” Judging by his smile, he completely missed the point of her asking.

“Yes! Please do!” She shouted after him.

Leon made his exit, finally leaving the two of them alone so Emil could ask what the heck that was about. He decided to go for a more delicate approach in the hopes that she didn’t run from the conversation.

“Hey, uh, Roxie?” He pivoted toward her. “How’ve you been? I haven’t really seen you around before we all started searching together.”

Roxie gave him a 1000-watt smile, bright and artificial. Something about it seemed almost knowing. “I am well, but, waaaugh,” she yawned dramatically, “I’m so, so sweepy~”

“But it’s only 8:30.” Emil read from the microwave clock. As far as he knew, only Lorenzo was a good enough boy to go to bed before 9.

“Oh my! So close to my bedtime!” She backed away toward the hallway door. “I hear my pillow calling meeee~ It’s important not to disturb your circadian rhythm, you know. So I bid you a goodnighty-bye-bye!” With one last wave, Roxie disappeared into the hall.

“...’Night, Roxie.” He might as well have been talking to the door.

She ran away. Of course she ran away, he would’ve done the same a few months ago. So strange of her to reach out to him when burnout had him feeling down, only to not take a helping hand in return. That’s what he thought until he realized he also would’ve done that a few months ago. Maybe even now, depending on the circumstance.

Did she think people would leave the second she stopped making them smile? He only had his own experience to go off of. She shouldn’t feel the need to be held to such an exhausting routine. He, on the other hand, liked the results too much to stop.

That didn’t mean he never felt tired. Between his everyday duties, the party planning, the searching, and the situation he spent so much energy trying to ignore, he felt stretched out in all directions.

With no one around to see it, he slumped on the kitchen table.

Someone entered the kitchen.

“Whoops, did I wake you?” It was Jun.

“No, I’m just goofin’ around.” He sat back up. “What’s up?”

They looked around. “Still haven’t found him yet?”

“Nope. Why? You have any ideas of where he might be?”

Instead of answering right away, Jun sat down next to him, motioning for him to lean closer. “I have a hunch.” They spoke in a hushed tone. “Did you hear about the box you asked Aiden to sort yesterday?”

“Oh yeah. Lorie said something about someone dumping packets from one box into the other.” Emil remembered him being weirdly suspicious about it, as if it were part of the Summers’ secret sinister schemes. “We couldn’t figure out why anybody would do that. What’s the point?”

“I didn’t bring it up ‘cause I thought he wouldn’t hide in the same place twice, but–”

The door opened again. This time, Aiden stepped into the kitchen.

Jun’s seriousness evaporated. “‘Sup, Aiden?”

Aiden eyed the two of them suspiciously.

“Hey, we were just talking about–” Emil changed course after feeling a tap from Jun’s foot, “–how Jun gets their hair in that cool style, but I guess it’s a mystery!”

“I don’t get what’s so mysterious about curlers and a fade.”

“How’d you know about the curl–??” Jun cleared their throat into a cooler persona. “Aw dang. I guess the secret’s out.”

“Do you… need anything?” Emil got the impression that this situation was a lot more tense than Jun tried to play it off as.

“Forgery’s not as bad as fraud?” Aiden completely ignored Emil.

Jun sighed for reasons unknown. “...Yeah.”

“That’s all I needed to know. I just wanted to make sure since you’re the expert.”

“Hello, hey, I can’t help but notice the weird atmosphere right now.” Emil spoke up. “Is something going on with you guys?”

Jun stood up, shrugging. “Eh, it probably doesn’t matter anymore. Sorry to leave so soon, but I think I’ll crash early tonight.” They held open the door for Aiden. “After you.”

“You go first.” offered Aiden. “Wouldn’t want you snoring at the table again.”

There was a brief pause.

“Won’t have to.” Jun left the kitchen without another word.

Aiden leaned against the closed door, shaking his head. Under his breath, he muttered, “I don’t even know why I bother.”

“With what exactly?”

He stared at Emil for what felt like a solid minute, not annoyed, but focused. His mouth nearly opened to say something, but he looked away before he did. “He’s right. It probably doesn’t matter anymore.”

Aiden left the kitchen.

“No one’s having a normal night tonight, huh?” Emil asked no one in particular.

Awake and alone, he stood up to commit to his least favorite part of the day: Night watch. Emil patrolled the ship every night from 8:00 PM until 2:00 AM to watch for ‘threats’ or issues.

Only boredom kept him company during these nights. Frustration and confusion decided to tag along tonight. Thanks to Jun and Aiden’s psychic mind games, he was left without a clue of where Angelo might be hiding.

“Welp, Ange, I guess it’s just you and me again.” Recently, Emil had taken to talking as if Angelo were in any room with him. It’s always a possibility. “You’re tuning to Emil’s Late Night Stories. I’ll be your host this evening and every evening. It wouldn’t be the same show without me. I mean, my name’s in the title! But let’s get to the story of the night. Any callers wanna make a suggestion?”

Emil strained his ears, hoping to hear Angelo’s tiny voice, but it never came.

“No callers? No callers. Okay. Guess I’m gonna hafta pick again.”

While making his rounds, Emil told a meandering recount of something or another–he’d forgotten the original story by the third or fourth tangent. He amused himself a little by responding to “Angelo’s” silent reactions, but he’d give anything to be talking to the real deal even if neither were ready to deal with the other. Still, the one-sided conversation continued.

“...And that’s how I showed him what happens when you mess with my big bro!” Emil made a triumphant return to the kitchen, flexing his arms.

Someone clapped, freezing him on the spot.

“I only caught the tail end of that, but I’m sure the rest was great.” Leon closed the hallway door behind him. He wore his pajamas. “Were you talking to someone?”

“Y–No…? Sorta.” Emil struggled to explain the situation in a way that looked good, so he gave up. “I’m kinda just losin’ my mind over here.” He noticed the microwave clock crawling toward midnight. “Anyway, what are you doing up?”

Leon frowned. His eyes wandered the ceiling and the floor as he fiddled with the box in his hands. The constellation map? “I was hoping I could talk to the captain about something.”

The air grew heavier. It weighed down on both of them.

“Is he still up?”

“He’s… working on something important right now.” Emil answered as Lorenzo would’ve wanted him to. He called it authorized lying, his brother called it a technicality: Sleeping was important.

“At this time of night? But he’s up so early…” Leon’s eyebrows scrunched up with the most sincere concern. “I hope he’s getting enough sleep.”

“Me too.”

“Do you think I’d be able to talk to him for a moment? It’s something kind of–super important.” He shuffled his feet. “Also, does my hair look neat enough?”

“It looks fine.” Emil smiled calmly to reassure him. To reassure both of them, actually. It took every muscle in his body not to shake from nerves. “But you prolly won’t be able to catch him until later in the morning.” He stepped forward, though he felt backed into a corner, running out of ways to run away from this situation. “Get some sleep.”

“Actually,” Leon also stepped forward, “since you’re still up, do you mind if I tell you first? I figure at least one of you should know.”

Such a pleading face prevented the word ‘no’ from forming on Emil’s lips. “Why not?” He tried to give him a smile. “Have a seat.”

“Sure.” Leon set the constellation map down, but stopped before sitting. “Wait… I don’t think anyone will get up at this time, but…” He looked back at the hallway door.

“Afraid someone’s gonna hear us? We can talk in Spanish if you want.” Emil took a page out of Leon’s book.

“Oh, good idea!” Leon sat down at the opposite end of the table. “I mean, buena idea!”

Emil let out a chuckle. Leon sounded so much more like himself this time around, nothing like the cold, emotionless tone he took on in the incinerator room. It still sent a chill up his spine.

“Qué pasaaaa?” He leaned back calmly.

Leon continued in Spanish. “It’s about Angelo. He…” He fumbled for a moment. “Sorry, I thought I had this more prepared in my head.”

“Take your time.” Emil didn’t try to stop his leg from bouncing under the table.

“Angelo… isn’t my twin brother. He’s only 15 right now. I-I didn’t know he was–I thought he was just going to visit for a little while and go back.” Hurt and confusion welled up on Leon’s face. “Next thing I know, I find out he ran away from home, he’s been lying to you guys, lying to me, lying to our family, he almost threw my mobile phone into the fire, I don’t even know how he got into the IF, and… and…”

“That’s a lot to be going through alone.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Leon. I wish I could help you out.”

He took a deep breath, smiling a little. “You are. It’s all still too much, but I can’t tell you how much better I feel finally telling someone. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my mom and dad. It’s killing me inside. Telling you,” hope shined through his watery eyes, “makes me feel like I can do it again. And again if I have to. I just really needed to get this out of my head.”

Emil wanted to tell him how much braver Leon was, but that would open up questions he’s too cowardly to answer. “I don’t feel like I’ve done much at all. Glad I helped, though.”

“Ah, and the party!” Leon’s smile grew bright. “That party really kept me going, you don’t even know! I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Not just now, but… everything! I’ll always think of you as my friend.”

“Of course, man.”

“Everyone here, you’ll always be my friends.”

Unease crept over Emil. “...Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?”

Leon pushed the constellation box back and forth with his hands, seemingly unsure of whether to slide it across the table. “More than anything, I want my brother to be safe. If I get kicked out of the crew, then I’m happy I got the chance to be here.” He slid the box over to Emil. “And I won’t be needing this. I hope you’re able to get a refund.”

Emil let the box hit his hand. “Kicked out?? What the heck are you talking about??”

“I don’t know how the captain’s gonna react to me not telling him right away.”

“But you didn’t know!” Not that Lorenzo was in the mood to believe that.

“I had the past 5 days to tell him.” Leon made the exact point Lorenzo would’ve. “Jun told me punishments are often decided by commanding officers. Oh right, that’s what I meant to ask you! Since you know him best, what do you think he’ll do?”

Emil stayed silent.

“Emil?”

He avoided Leon’s eyes. His hands tapped against the table.

“...Is it complicated?”

“I can’t guarantee he’ll let you stay.” The words hurt to say. “He’s already in kind of a weird mood right now.”