ROY STRODE OVER THE THRESHOLD, greeted by a current of warm air that carried the nearly spicy scent of his abode with it. He shut the door behind him, defending the warm innards of his home with the heavy front door. He slipped off his tried and true green Converses and lazily climbed the tightly spiralling staircase up to his second-floor room. He dragged himself onto the carpeted floor before dumping his too-heavy messenger on his leather couch and massaged his right shoulder; carrying a bag back and forth that was half your weight for eight hours every day took its toll on you quicker than anticipated. He walked, still soothing his sore shoulder, to the closed door of his parents' bedroom. He ceased his motion; dropping one had to turn the knob of the salmon pink door. Roy had only cracked open the entrance enough to peek inside when he saw his mother, in all her gracefulness, asleep in the queen-sized bed. The redhead quickly backed away so as not to disturb her, and silently shut the door again. He retraced his path, back into his room, and collapsed into his worn computer chair.

The redhead let out an exhausted sigh, resting his head on the back of his chair, and staring up at the popcorn ceiling above him. He let his eyes slide closed and lifted his hand up to his forehead, feeling his unusually high body temperature, even for the naturally hot-blooded boy.

"Marth must have been right," Roy thought, standing up to raid the cupboard for Advil. "I think I have a fever…"

Easily swallowing the gel-coated pill without the aid of liquid, the teen set his alarm lock to wake him in a couple of hours. He then swiftly stripped down to his boxers, and piled numerous blankets onto his mattress to help him sweat his fever out before climbing under them. His radio, which was almost always softly playing from his nightstand, was playing a soft song full of angst about love. Roy briefly recalled Marth, and the light-headedness he felt around the older boy. He blamed his reactions towards the icy youth on his fever, which was obviously exhausting him to such an extent that it even made him think he actually had a crush on his new friend. With that final thought accompanied by a long, hard yawn, Roy shut his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

It was 5:40 when Roy finally woke up, only after nearly smashing the snooze bar on his alarm clock into oblivion. He got up and re-dressed in a pair of loose red sweatpants and a t-shirt, his half-lidded eyes somehow matching his matted hair. He walked back to his computer, kicking it into a slow and laborious start, and deciding that the remedy for a fever was definitely sleep. He yawned, wiping the last bit of sleep from eyes as his monitor flickered to a boot up screen. The redhead knew for a fact that his computer, being as old as it was, took a while to load, and glanced around for something else to do to entertain himself while he was waiting.

His azure eyes settled on his guitar case, and he leaned towards it to retrieve the acoustic guitar that lay inside. He tugged the light instrument into his lap and ran his slim fingers along the frets, pulling them into a quiet rendition of Coldplay's God Put a Smile on Your Face. He was careful not to strum too hard in fear of waking his mother, but he played loud enough to hear himself. His eyes flicked up to pass over the computer screen occasionally, checking the status of it's loading. He lazily flipped between songs, imagining the rhythm Link provided, backing his lead with percussion, and the smooth voice of an anonymous singer that rang in his mind. He was soon whispering backup vocals as they came, and finally, he glanced up to meet a login screen.

With practiced speed, Roy typed in his password, the generic characters lagging, showing up slower than Roy had pushed the keys. He hit the enter button and went back to his guitar, almost perfectly playing the introduction of Heart's Crazy on You while his desktop took it's time loading. Icons were soon slowly populating his computer screen, and the MSN login window had appeared once Roy finished playing through half of the song. He hit enter again, and his PC hummed into a connection with the internet.

In the hours from 6:00 to 8:00, the flame-haired youth had quickly finished his homework and was now Googling guitar tabs. His mother had woken up half an hour ago, rambled on about how late it had gotten, how Eliwood would be home soon, and shuffled downstairs. Roy promised to be down soon to help her, and was about to carry out said promise when the phone rang.

"Hello?"
"Royskieeeeeees,"
"Hi Link."
"Damnit. I was sure you'd think it was Lilina."
"Lilina like, never uses the phone."
"… true."
"So, how was the photoshoot?"
There was a shuddering exhale of breath and Roy assumed that it was overly good. "That good, hu-"
"Do you know that Zelda looks beautiful in the sun?"
"Jesus, Link."
"It's true! Her hair catches the sun so well that it looks like a complete different shade of blonde, and… and the tips of her hair get all absorbed by the sunlight and… she looks like she has a halo… oh Roy… she's so beautiful!"
"… okay Link."
"And Sheik had her in this dress- because the assignment was to mimic a music video- and… the dress was all flowy and ratty- but not THAT ratty, like, rags ratty… you know the video for "My Immortal" by Evanescence? Yeah, that dress… and they went to the cemetery and… and she sort of… draped herself over the tombstones and- and Sheik just kept on looking at me with these sly and knowing eyes… the kid is kind of an ass sometimes- and--"
"LINK. BOYFRIEND. I HAVE ONE."
"Yeah, I- WHAT!?"
"I said I have a girlfriend!"
"… you said boyfriend, Roy."
"I did not."
"You did."
"Did I?"
"Yes."
"… well, I meant girlfriend."
"Is there something you need to tell me, Roy?"
"……… no."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"… yes! Stop interrogating me."
"All right, fine…"

There was an awkward silence on both ends of the phone call. Roy questioned himself, examining what he had said. A boyfriend? He had never really found another boy attractive… and he was sure he was straight. As he went through the events of the day, he remembered Marth, and his perfectly pale complexion, framed by that wispy hair-

"Roy? Rooooooy… I can hear you breathing! You can't get rid of me that easily! Wait, do you WANT to get rid of me? Oh, I'm offended."
"Hn? What?"
"You zoned out on me."
"Sorry. I got distracted by… Solitaire."
"Whatever you say, Roy Boy. So… have you talked to Lilina yet?"
"About…"
"About… you know. Breaking up."
"Link!"
"Hey, I'm just saying! You were adorable together at graduation, but when she want to Italy last year in grade nine… she came back and-"
"I know. Studious and work-centered."
"Exactly. Before, you couldn't go out on an actual date because of her dad. But now…"
"I know, Link. I know." Roy said quietly, immersed in his own thoughts.

They were both silent for a few moments; the only sounds that could be heard came from Roy's overly exuberant whirring computer and whatever video game Link was playing.

Roy, finding himself again, sighed softly to himself before telling Link that he would call back later. The redhead decided that he had kept his mother waiting long enough, and plodded down the stairs. He unlocked the door upon passing it like he usually did, spun on his heel, and walked into the kitchen. Roy's mother was stirring a pan of furiously sizzling onions on the stove when Roy heard the front door open behind him. Eliwood, Roy's father, entered the house, camera dangling from his neck, setting down a pair of worn black bags at the foot of the stairs. Roy, who was now emptying a package of spaghetti into a pot of boiling water, yelled a greeting to his father over his shoulder.

Eliwood drove to work every morning, and was sent somewhere different almost every day; his job as a freelance photographer and journalist had taken him all over the city, and on rare occasions, out of the country or even overseas. His ambition was to do as much as he could before he got too old, resulting in several career changes. Fortunately, Eliwood enjoyed and excelled in all those jobs, being a well-rounded individual. Roy had aspired to be like his father for as long as he could remember and often listened to the many stories that he told him. Roy had inherited his father's hair along with his patient, adventurous, noble, and sometimes sacrificial personality. He had inherited the shape of his face and his eyes from his mother, causing him to have a slightly feminine look, and the colour of his eyes from his father. Roy's creativity mostly came from Ninian, his mother. Before meeting Eliwood, she worked as a dance teacher, and currently taught private music lessons. She had a certain "flow" to her, and moved with the same grace that the wind carried. She had secretly hoped that her baby's hair would be a light blue like hers, but she was even more pleased with the outcome of his eyes.

They were shy and demure, but always looked alert, darting around whenever Roy felt threatened. His optics sparkled when he was truly happy, and seemed to grow darker when he was angry or depressed. Roy's eyes were never a single shade of blue. They showed a range of cerulean to a navy blue from the centre, gradating so quickly that it was impossible to tell their true colour.

Eliwood entered the kitchen, kissing Ninian on the cheek. "Hello, my love," he said before turning to Roy and ruffling his hair. "And how are you, Pyro?"
Roy glared jokingly up at his father, who still had his hand on Roy's head and a wide grin on his face, flattening his hair just to spite him. Roy shooed his hand away and messed up his hair again, rapidly running both his hands through it.

"Hey, I haven't managed to burn anything today!"

A small, surprised squeal came from Ninian, who was trying to remove a piece of flaming spaghetti on the burner without burning herself.

"…… I take that back."

Roy had always hated dinner talk. He had learned from Lilina on numerous occasions in the cafeteria that keeping up a pleasant conversation during meals was polite, but when it came to tonight's dinner dialogue, he found that he would much rather be sitting in awkward silence across from Marth. At least the bluenette wouldn't have been interrogating him.

The redhead was intently focused on watching bubbles form in his glass of club soda as he answered the string of his parents' questions. How the conversation had landed on him he was unsure, as he had started thinking about something completely different as his mother and father talked about a trouble student that Ninian was dealing with.

"Meet anyone new today?" Eliwood asked the same repetitive question he did every night, idly spinning spaghetti onto his fork.
"Um… well, he got this new guy switched into our art class…" Roy answered, still focused on the tiny bubbles that were now surfacing in his glass.
" 'New Guy'? I hope you're not teasing him about that, Roy…" Ninian said in a cautious voice, leaning against the back of her chair in a relaxed position, finished with her share of food.
"I'm not, Mom… I got paired up with him for this art assignment, though."
"What's he like?" Ninian asked, interested in his son's new friend.
"Well… he lives on Hilltop Crescent. And he… usually doesn't talk much." Roy continued, trying to recall the aspects of his conversation with his art partner. "But we walked home together and talked a lot on the way. He's a singer. And he says that his parents aren't around very much. You'll probably meet him eventually, because I think we're going to have to get together to finish our art assignment…"
"Ooh!" Ninian exclaimed happily, "Invite him over for dinner! Then we get to interrogate him, too!"
"That's what I was afraid of…" Roy said with a smirk, causing him mother to flick him lightly against his temple. Eliwood excused himself to answer a call on his cell phone, leaving his wife and son to converse.

"So, what's the assignment, Roy?"
"It's just… this dream-like scene. I think it's supposed to just get your ideas flowing and out onto paper."
"How's it going?"
"Fine," Roy shrugged. "We haven't gotten very far yet, though."
"Don't worry. I'm sure your teacher will still accept the assignment even if it's late; she's very laid-back. So, anything else about your friend? I don't have a name or anything, even. Does he have a girlfriend?"
"His name is Marth. And he… he's gay."
"Really!" Ninian said, surprised. "… is he cute?"
"How should I know, mom…?"
"Oh, I'm sure you have an opinion. Even your father does."
"But you told me that dad and Lilina's dad dated once…"
"They did," Ninian answered with a certain nod.
"Doesn't that mean dad… goes both ways, then?"
"So?"
"Well… I don't!"
"You probably just haven't realized it yet."
"Mom!"
"I'm just saying! Genetics and all, I mean."

With that, Ninian stood up and started to clear the table, with dutifully Roy following her lead. As Ninian stored leftovers in the fridge, Roy travelled back and forth between the kitchen and dining room, delivering dirty dishes from the latter to the former. He vaguely wondered what his mother thought about Marth, and then realized that she had slight suspicions about Roy's sexuality. That wouldn't do, he thought, as he made a mental note to talk about Marth less often. It soon dawned on him that Ms. Valyko loved playing a subtle matchmaker with her students…

"HAHA. She put you and him together?! Oh you're practically destined to end up together now, Roy. Just accept it." Roy, after finishing helping his mother with the dishes, had called his best friend back as he promised; he quickly found that it might have not been such a wonderful idea after all.
"Link… how important is the whole GIRLFRIEND factor in your little "Roy is gay" theory?"
"Not very."
"That's what I thought…"
"Bah! You'll realize your undying love for Marth sooner or later. I have to meet this kid. Introduce us tomorrow, will you, Royskies?"
"No."
"Why not!?"
"Because you'll tell him that I'm gay and cause problems or something. And you'll get on his nerves. He's got such an icy personality that you'd just annoy the hell out of him."
"I would not!"
"Link, who knows him better?"
"You… awww! You're SO cute together!"
"You haven't even met him! How can you be… ugh. Just drop it Link, seriously."
"But it's fun teasing you."
"Alright, look. I have a girlfriend. You might not have noticed, her name is Lilin-"
"And you're going to break up with her soon."
"You don't know that!!"
"Oh ho ho, but I do, Roy. I do."
"… her NAME is Lilina. And I……… love her."
"Roy… in all honesty, I don't think you do. Your voice was practically dripping with the fact that you're lying to yourself."
"Okay, okay. That's… that's your opinion. I'm going go to sleep where you and your headache-inflicting logic can't reach me."
"Night, Royskies."
"Stop calling me thaaaat…"
"No way, Royskies."

With a frustrated sigh and an eyeroll that remained unseen by the blonde on the other end of the line, Roy hung up and began shutting everything in his room off. He powered down his computer and disconnected his MP3 player, then shut off the Gamecube that had been on for God knows how long, doomed to loop the music at the Super Smash Bros. Melee Menu Screen for days on end. He lastly packed all of his schoolbooks back into his bag, set his alarm clock, and shut his light off on his way out of his room.

The redhead wandered into the second-floor bathroom, flicking on the light and catching his reflection in the mirror. He ran a hand through his hair, noting that it took on more of an auburn colour than a crimson one when there was no sun to bleach it to a lighter colour. He quickly brushed his teeth, staring at his reflection as he did so, and looking into his own blue eyes. He knew many people with the same eye colour, he thought as he made his way back to his room. Link had blue eyes, and so did Lilina and her sister Thany, Pit, and Marth. The redhead's thoughts dwelled on the older boy for a while, and he was reminded of the fact that he would have to spend the next day- at least- by his side finishing their art assignment. Roy's eyelids were growing heavier by the minute as he lay on his side, nestled under his blankets, listening to his radio and staring into one of the dark corners of his room. His thoughts spun and juggled topics, and finally landed on Lilina. Did she feel the same way he did? Was she thinking about the same thing he was right now? Were they really destined to break up? He didn't want to admit it, but Link was right- Ms. Valyko played a cruel game of matchmaker, and most of the students she placed in partners ended up together.

Roy decided that things would eventually work themselves out as always, and he finally let himself drift into the embrace of sleep.