Reiji was proud of being fairly observant. It was one of the perks of being a quiet person. People forgot about you or thought that you might as well be a piece of furniture. You could learn a great deal by simply keeping your eyes and ears open.

Still this time he had a fairly good excuse for being oblivious this. His mind had been buzzing about plans for the future, so he had popped in a pair of ear-buds and cracked open a text book to calm his mind. It was during one of the more energetic pieces, he took a break from his reading to lower the volume, only to find Serena climbing through his window.

"Ser-" He was shushed before he could get her name out fully. Instead she motioned for him to wait until she had entered his room.

"I didn't want your father hearing me. He's so strict, I don't know how you stand him," She dusted off her over-sized pajamas and sat on his bed like she owned the place.

"I thought you would be asleep by now. Tomorrow's a big day."

"Well I'm not," She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "It's surprising you're still up as well. Brushing up on your English?"

"Something like that," He ripped out his ear-buds and moved to join her on his bed. "Any particular reason you're breaking curfew?"

"Eh," Serena shrugged. "I wanted to see you before you graduated. I still don't see why Akaba thinks you're ready to leave while he's keeping a genius like me stuck here."

Reiji rolled his eyes at her bragging but couldn't deny it. When you're called a prodigy but a twelve year-old is on the same math level as you, it was hard to disagree.

"Unlike me though, you're horrible at history."

Serena glared at him, and he could see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to think of something witty to say. "Shut up." She threw a pillow in his direction, but Reiji caught it easily and shoot her a smug grin back. He had to hold back from laughing when she decided to stick out her tongue next.

He doesn't know how that was enough to placate her, but her temper seemed to cool down from that. "So do you have any plans once you get out of this prison?"

It was his turn to shrug, "University is likely my destination. I haven't decided on one yet, so I'll have to study for whatever entrance exam I decide on. I'll probably end up hanging around here for a few months anyway."

"How boring," She sniffed. "I would the bolt the first chance I get," Green eyes lit up as she started into her familiar ramblings. "There's nowhere I wouldn't go: London, Rome-"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard about your wanderlust enough," Reiji sighed. "Did you risk detention and my Father's favor to complain about my plans?"

"Pfft, as if it I care about staying in his good graces," However once she processed his words further, it was like a light bulb went off in her head. "Oh yeah! I brought you a present," She fished through her breast pocket and held up a rock. "Here you go!" She handed it over to him like she was bestowing him with riches beyond compare.

"It is a rock, right?" He examined it further in his hands, tan with an orange line across, but that was the only trait that separated it from any other rock.

Serena rolled her eyes, "Duh it's a rock. Is your eyesight even worst than I thought? It's cool, like it's really nice to hold. I thought it might be a good way for you to remember me."

As if she was forgettable in any way. Reiji was going to make a snarky comment about getting such a simple present at that, but her face held such genuine joy and happiness. Instead he replied with a quiet, "Thank you."

"Still if you're gonna end up wasting your freedom while you hang around here, than I guess you don't need it any more." Suddenly, Reiji became very protective about his gift and held it out of her reach.

"Have a few manners," He was grateful for his extra two years on her for the first time in their friendship.

"I guess I'll let you keep it," She backed away from him and headed for his window again. "Make sure you take care of it! I'm off before security reaches this portion of their patrol."

It felt wrong to leave things at this, but Serena was scrambling out as if she had the devil on her heels. His mind just kinda spat out the first think we could think of.

"I'll make sure to like you said." He should have thought of the the implications of caring for a rock, but before they could hit him, Serena flashed him the biggest and brightest grin he had ever seen.

And just like that, she was gone, sneaking off to who knows where.

He may have been a genius, but Reiji was still a fourteen year-old boy. So he gently placed the rock on his dresser like it was the most logical thing to do and went to bed.

A.N. Nothing like prodigyshipping fluff to tide me over while Arc V goes to hell (╥_╥) please let all my children be alright