He was at school, backpack crammed full of homework and spell books. He was thumbing through his latest acquisition as he wandered through the halls. Everyone steered clear of him. He didn't care. Soon he'd have friends. That's what this new book was for. He made his way to his locker and put away what he wasn't going to need for his first half of the day, then went to his first classes.

The teachers just prattled on and on, and all that he could concentrate on was the new spell he was working on. After lunch he had his free period and decided that outside might be a nice place to work on his spell. He sat in the shade with the books spread around him. He was staring intently at one when he saw the boots. He looked up at the owner and his jaw dropped a little when he saw Kankri. He had a lit cigarette dangling from his lips and a look of disdain on his face. "Cronus."

He swallowed. He remembered his name! "Uh, hey Kan."

Kankri slid down next to him, the cigarette still in his mouth. "Who am I?"

He furrowed his brow, confused. Wasn't he... not supposed to say anything? "Well you're the Suffe—!"

"Wrong!"

"But you asked...?"

"And you're wrong." He pointed the cherry of his cigarette at him. "Now. Who. Am. I?" His expression was unreadable.

He swallowed. "You're... Um. You're Kankri."

"Wrong again." He turn the cigarette around. "Smoke."

"What?"

"I said smoke not talk." He shoved the cigarette in his mouth with a smirk and Cronus couldn't do anything but to sit there completely dumbfounded.

He sat there with the cigarette in hit mouth, confused as to what he should do. He put his hand to the bottom of it and took a drag, but he started coughing it up almost immediately. He pulled an inhaler out of his pocket and took a deep breath, holding it in and letting it out.

Kankri snorted. "A lonely, asthmatic nerd is the one that knows my darkest secret." He shook his head and sighed as he took the cigarette back. "Isn't that just fucking precious." He hissed on the end of word then took another drag of his cigarette. He leaned over a little and scrunched his nose.

Cronus leaned in, his mouth a little open. That lean in was the sign that they were going to kiss again wasn't it? But oh shit he still had the cigarette in his mouth! He just stayed there, mouth agape, not sure what he was doing.

"Cronus what the fuck do you think you're doing." His voice was flat. He took a drag from his cigarette and blew it in his face, holding the cigarette in his hand.

He coughed and took another deep breath from his inhaler. "Um, I don't know?"

He smirked and huffed a laugh. "You're a strange one." Cronus took the opportunity and leaned forward quickly, pressing a kiss to his lips. After a few brief moments he pulled away, ginning meekly. Kankri frowned. "What was that."

He bit his lip and looked down. "Uh, sorry. I guess I thought that you leaning in was a sign that I should kiss you?" He laughed a little. "Was that okay?"

He rolled his eyes. "You kiss like a twelve year old."

"Why do you know that?"

"Because when I was twelve I kissed them," he deadpanned.

"I see..." He looked down and swallowed. "So, um, last night..."

"Oh. Fucking no. That was not your first fucking kiss."

He shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah it was." He scratched the side of his face with a nervous laugh.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." He sighed. "I hope you realize that that kiss didn't mean anything except that you need to learn to not call for daddy when strange men climb into your bedroom. It won't end well for anyone."

He frowned a little. "How did it not mean anything? I mean... You don't just go around kissing people..."

Kankri rolled his eyes and pulled Cronus back to him, pressing a kiss against his lips, moving his lips slowly and then pushing him away. "I do. See? It doesn't mean anything. At all."

Cronus's eyes were wide. "Why did you do that?"

"To prove a point." He took another drag of his cigarette and leaned back, blowing smoke rings as he did. "Now. One last time. Who am I?"

He swallowed and looked away. "Someone I... Someone I shouldn't tell anyone about."

"Exactly. And do you know what I'll do if you tell anyone?" He glanced at him with an eyebrow quirked again.

He swallowed. "I don't know." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Let's just say that I know people. People that could fuck you up." He ran a hand through his inky black hair.

"What?"

Kankri didn't answer him. Instead, he asked his own question. "So what the fuck were you doing last night when I came in?"

He smiled. "I'd just finished casting a spell!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, right. I forgot that you're a huge nerd."

"I"m not a huge nerd! I just..." His smile widened. "I'm a warlock!"

"A wah-wah?"

"A warlock. You know, a wizard."

"I know what you said. I was hoping that you misspoke."

He furrowed his brow. "I am a very powerful warlock, I'll have you know."

"Prove it."

Cronus laughed. "Well the spell I cast last night obviously worked."

"What were you trying to do?"

He shrugged. "I... I cast a spell to bring me a friend." He looked away, his face flushing. "Or at least I thought it worked. You don't seem to be very friendly."

"That's because I'm not."

"And that's why I know my spell didn't work..." He frowned.

Kankri made a face. "You sure deflated quickly."

An alarm chimed and a monotone voice read over the intercom. "Kankri Vantas Report the guidance office. Kankri Vantas to the guidance office."

Cronus looked at him. "Shouldn't you get going?"

"I will once I finish this cigarette." He took a long drag and let it out. "Besides, I like to make them sweat it out." He chuckled manically then laid back in the grass.

"But... you were paged. You have to go!"

"Do you do everything that you're told?"

He laughed a little, nervously. "Um, I think so?"

"Then lay back in the grass. Relax a little." He frowned. "You look like there's a ramrod shoved up your ass." He grimaced. "There isn't is there?"

Cronus laughed again. "No, there isn't." He laid down in the grass and Kankri flipped on top of him, putting his hands at his throat. "What are you doing?"

"I'm showing you that I could hurt you if you don't do what I tell you to." He smirked, the cigarette still in his mouth. Cronus's face flushed again as he stared at Kankri's lips. He really couldn't help it. He just wished that he could kiss him more. It was just so wet and soft, he wanted to feel that again. He swiped his teeth against his lower lip. Kankri put his hand to the cigarette and took another drag. He leaned forward and blew the smoke in Cronus's face. "I think it would benefit you to stop staring at my mouth like that." He put his cigarette in Cronus's mouth and stood. "Later, nerd." He went into the school, leaving Cronus in the grass.

He stayed there, not quite sure what just happened with the cigarette still dangling from his mouth. He took it out and smiled as he talked to himself. "I think I'm in love." He laughed a little and rolled onto his stomach to look in one of his spell books. He knew just the charm that he was going to need.