Reviews :

ThoreLB : YES! I'm excited too. I've had the chapter written for about two weeks now and I'm dying for you guys to finally get there haha

BanannaSammich : I know lmao. It was hard to write. I had to go back and erase her name quite a lot and was super paranoid that I accidentally left any straggling 'Kepa's lol

Snake557 : Thank you so much :)

Burgie : Aww that's sweet. Yeah poor kid definitely has earned it.


Song Listened To :

Ivy by Taylor Swift


*Chapter 65*

"Hey, you," Lash's deep voice cutely cooed in Mara's direction; she perked up from what she was doing, buried in paperwork in their lovely little office space inside of the backroom of their confectionary. She beamed, heaved a long sigh and rubbed her forehead as she sagged in her rolling office chair, as if Lash was the lovely break she needed from the drape of business paperwork. He chuckled, pressed into their cute, warm office space and welcomed himself into her presence. He bent over, scooped his arm about her little shoulders and pulled her upper body into a hug as he firmly kissed the side of her head, a few times, "How's today going?"

"Ah, good... Two workers accidentally showed up on their day off," Mara giggled, she shook her head and flinched as Lash gingerly dusted some flour off of her jawline, "I sent them home with donuts."

"Good," Lash huffed, he stood straight to correction, bobbed a nod and looked down to the splay of paperwork on their desk.

Although Mara had it under control, he could tell she was due to taking a break and handing over responsibilities for the afternoon. Having been relieved from game day via Throttle, Lash fell into his routine of going home for a shower, change of clothes and a mental switch in preparation for running their lovely little shop for the rest of the evening. Mara flashed him a cute, though tired toss of her beautiful, nearly translucent blue eyes and gingerly slipped her hand into his.

"How was game day?" Mara cutely questioned, Lash inhaled a big, deep breath and shrugged with a lazy bob of a nod.

"Eh, same 'ol, y'know. Turbo's on a roll today, Nox and I can't seem to get him out of first," Lash muttered, though typically a notion that he used to be sore over, him and Mara shared a laugh as Lash carried on through the roll of his gold eyes, "He probably got some last night."

"... What are you trying to say?" Mara snipped in playful irritation, Lash defensively put his hands up as Mara continued on through a sharp side-eye, "Just because I was too tired to put out last night, you're now a sorry bronze medalist?"

"Hey, I placed second at least five times today," Lash defended as Mara cutely swat his chest and muttered him some indecipherable, purely playful insult, though just as Lash was due to continuing, one of his and Mara's loyal workers cautiously poked her head into their office.

"Hey, Mr. Black, uh... There's someone here to see you," She mumbled shyly, she dusted her hands on her apron and blurt a nervous little giggle, "Says he knows you, I don't know... His name is Gideon, he looks lost."

"... OH! Gideon!" Lash urged in hot surprise, although he had lovingly gifted Gideon this extension to come visit him at any time, he was shocked that his first day at Academy was the day he chose. He politely excused himself from Mara's presence and joined their employee in pressing out of the office, he gently pointed back to Mara and urged her a parting notion, "I'll be back, babe, but you can leave that paperwork for me, get yourself a coffee or something."

"Well-" Mara halted her words, raised her eyebrows in plucked delight and looked down to the mess of paperwork as Lash diligently left her presence. She huffed a notion to herself and cutely shrugged, "I guess I won't argue that."

"Gideon, my man!" Lash urged with a hard laugh as he pressed out of the backroom of his work area; a gorgeous bakery and kitchen area all diligently ladened with pastry chefs, waiters, bartenders and the works. Although the day and afternoon wasn't the busy time, their confectionary was still decently housed with happy customers. Lash assessed Gideon and grinned, and though Gideon looked thrilled to be here, he looked strangely weathered. Lash pressed around the front of his rounded counter and joined Gideon on the customer side of the glass, he firmly pat Gideon's shoulder and jostled him a bit, "Y'made it. Y'lookin' to hang? What's up, you want a drink?"

"Yes please, I'm parched," Gideon huffed, he bashfully tried to tidy his hair, he was well aware he likely looked beach-worn.

"C'mon, come on to the back," Lash directed as he squeezed Gideon's upper arm, released him and kindly gestured for him to follow.

On the way, Lash kindly grabbed a clear cup, filled it to the brim with frosty iced water and gave it to Gideon. With sheer gratitude, he took a few hefty gulps of said water and chuckled to himself as Lash began to playfully banter with one of his more louder, gutsier workers. Gideon shyly began to follow Lash beyond the customer side of things and deep into the foreign back, preparatory area of Lash's lovely confectionary. Gideon could feel the curious glances of Lash's employees tossed his way, and though Gideon did what he could to seem unassuming, he felt his stomach clench with the realness of this situation.

What once was a cool idea of palling around with Lash in his shop was now the real deal of worming past employees he paid, a carefully crafted establishment, a world of responsibility Lash had on his shoulders, he glanced to the back of Lash's head and felt a swathe of great respect coat his soul. Gideon and Lash rounded past their open, airy office and to a main back room area that held a massive break room, as well as a tidy mop-sink area and hefty, alarm-armed back door with a peephole. Lash turned a key inside the handle of the huge door, disarmed the door and with a firm push, Lash popped open the door, letting in a splay of sunlight. Gideon narrowed his gaze in a squint of light difference, though as both men stepped outside, he sagged in smiling relief. Out the backside of Lash's shop, securely hugged by the sheer gape of nearby sky scrapers, was a lovely sprawl of a sitting area casted in the shade of a massive, twisted-trunk tree all lush with huge green leaves. Lash heaved a hard sigh, smiled in Gideon's direction and gestured about the area.

"I usually would be cool about you palling around inside the shop and doing whatever you want, but afternoons and evenings get really busy, and, well... I want my workers to be able to move about freely and not be distracted by, well, you," Lash chuckled, Gideon stepped out on the cooler cobbles and turned to face the building they had just come from. A massive sprawl of white wall Gideon was well aware had his name all over it, Lash gestured to the big, concrete table and benches off to the side, under the huge tree, and eventually put his hands in his pockets, "This back area's all yours, if you want, man. I have a few guys that come out here for smoke breaks, but they're chill, they won't bug you. Can't promise I can stay out here for huge stretches at a time, but... I want you to have a safe place to hang, y'know?"

"Thanks, man, I just... Stopped by because, well," Gideon heaved a shaky sigh and gestured his hand outward, though Lash furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"I offered, you're welcome here no matter what," Lash side-eyed Gideon in brotherly tease, "Anything to keep you from doing illegal shit elsewhere."

"At least now I'm of drinking age," Gideon mumbled in annoyance, to which Lash laughed and tossed his eyes to the crisp white wall before him.

"You can have this wall, do whatever you want on it. It's not seen by the public, so feel free to destroy it with works in progress or whatever that looks like," Lash gestured to said wall, though he waggled his finger in Gideon's direction and smiled, "Though, I think Mara had a few ideas for artwork on the front of the store, which we'd pay you for, if you're interested."

"Oh, yeah that'd be awesome," Gideon huffed excitedly, he glossed his eyes along the huge splay of wall Lash very kindly gifted to him, "Thanks for this, seriously..."

"Anytime, man, c'mon, sit," Lash gestured to the concrete table, both men strolled to it and sat loosely across from each other. Lash's vividly glowing eyes hooked tight to Gideon's in soft, kind curiosity as they grunted to adjusting sits, "Tell me how your first day was. What classes do you have?"

Gideon drew his eyes to the table, bit his tongue in his mouth and felt his face wash white with guilt. After a few moments of silence, he sheepishly tossed his gaze tight to Lash's, which was growing increasingly suspicious.

"I, um... Ditched," Gideon bravely admitted, to which Lash inhaled a thick, already annoyed breath through his nose, shoved his elbow to the table before him, sagged his chin into his hand and looked off in sarcastic, smiling defeat.

"Great, I love that," Lash muttered in further sarcasm, to which Gideon blurt a shaky laugh and shrugged. Lash stiffened and firmly gestured his hand outward, "You're gunna give me ONE good reason why you thought ditching on your very first day was a good idea, dude. Where the hell did you go, then?"

"To the beach on the shoreline from Juniper Forest," Gideon muttered, he heaved a long, heavy sigh and shook his head, "I don't know, dude, I just... The closer I got to the doors of Academy, the more there was something in me just screaming to turn around, to choose a different path."

"... So, you're NOT going back?" Lash narrowed his gaze in nervous suspect, "Bud, you... You can't just quit, what are you going to tell your parents?"

"I have no clue, mom looked to be so proud of me, she said goodbye to me with tears in her eyes," Gideon mumbled in whole regret, though he desperately peered into Lash's eyes, "I just... I want to do something different with my time. The only reason I was so hell-bent on going was because everyone above me was going. I don't want to follow the crowd, I don't want to do the typical, cookie-cutter things everyone else is doing."

"So, you'd rather be a beach bum?" Lash mumbled in annoyance, and though Gideon sharply wanted to protest and reveal the grand discovery of the infamous lighthouse, he backtracked and urgently kept his precious lighthouse as his own little secret.

"I mean, I just went there to clear my head, it was a nice escape," Gideon begged, he shook his head and shut his eyes tight, "Look... I don't know what I want to do, all I know is I want a fresh start outside of the norm. I'm... I'm trying to branch out on my own and do my own thing."

"I can give you a job, is that what you want?" Lash stated in whole annoyance; although not prepared to take on another employee, he was almost relieved when Gideon sighed and shook his head in polite dismissal.

"I just need to be alone, I want to do my own thing, but... I don't want anyone to know I'm ditching," Gideon mumbled, "Though, I'm grateful I have the option to come here once you're relieved from game day. That still stands, right?"

Lash peered to Gideon in soft defeat and was well aware he was now preciously blessed this rare being's trust. Not something that Gideon seemed to take lightly, Lash knew he had to keep Gideon's fragile soul safe in his presence, lest he wander away without a trace. Lash heaved a long sigh through his nose and looked off in further contemplation. He nodded softly and was now aware he'd likely have to make some phone calls, though eternally eager to keep ahold of Gideon's very fragile, wavering trust, he pat the table in further contemplation and shook his head in smiling defeat.

"Alright, dude, look... I get it," Lash eased quietly, the wind briskly rustled the gorgeous, huge green leaves overhead, "You want to march to the beat of your own drum, you want to do your own thing, I understand. It's probably not the smartest thing to ditch, like you're doing, but I made clear you're safe in my shop, and that extends to being safe inside my own game. If you want to do your own thing on Juniper's shorelines, and then meet up here after I'm relieved of game day, I support that. Just please, promise me something."

"Sure," Gideon eased, eager to now give back to Lash due to all the back-bending compromising going on.

"Just promise me that you'll come straight to Turbotime or Sugar Rush, if you're not going to attend Academy. You're safe to game over in either place, I can't afford to give you this leeway if you're going to go game jumping to foreign places," Lash rattled in tight authority, "Just... Come straight to Turbotime. I don't care where the hell you go in the meantime, while I'm partaking in quarter alerts, just keep your happy ass inside this game, okay? I can't afford you dying on me."

"I will," Gideon assured with a nod, he was relieved he didn't have to reveal the security of his precious new lighthouse location.

"Alright, dude... I have to give Mara a break and regroup my team," Lash instructed as he began to stand, "I'll be back out here with lunch for us in a bit, maybe you can manifest us a beer or two, if you're feeling up to it."

"Absolutely," Gideon encouraged with and nod, and as Lash began to step away, Gideon hurried a gentle notion, "Thank you, Lash, seriously... Thank you."

"I gotch'your back," Lash assured with a nod and a flag downward of his hand, he kept the back door propped open as he vanished back into his shop.

Lash heaved a long, exhausted sigh and sloped his face in hot dread. He rubbed his temple, pressed to his office and was thrilled to see Mara sat comfortably in their cozy office chair with her knees tucked to her chest. She sipped an iced coffee, like Lash suggested, and browsed on her phone. Lash heaved yet another long, tired sigh, pulled up a nearby stool and sat down next to Mara. She raised her eyebrows, warmly sagged her bigger hand to the broad of Lash's upper back and removed her pink lips from the green straw of her iced coffee. She cutely trailed her fingers on the cy-bug markings that peaked from the back of his neck and scalp.

"Whatsamatter, bubby?" Mara cooed sorrowfully as she set her drink down, though Lash picked up their hefty office phone and tucked it to his ear with the scrunch of his strong shoulder.

"I have to call Tessa," Lash muttered in dread, Mara sharply furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why?" Mara urged as Lash's strong fingers rapid-fired Tessa's phone number into the phone's base, which the line rung loud enough for Mara to hear through the receiver; they both were silent until Tessa kindly answered the phone.

"Hello?" Tessa cued; knowing Lash's shop was calling, she was well aware it could be either Lash or Mara.

"Hey, Tessa, it's me," Lash started, to which Tessa chirped a kind greeting. Lash heaved yet another tired sigh, eyed Mara in dread and cleared his throat, "Hey, I just... Wanted to call you and tell you that, uh..."

"Is everyone okay? Who is it?" Tessa's voice immediately switched to full, concealed terror, though Lash squeezed his eyes shut and urgently shook his head.

"No, no, everyone's alive, everyone's fine, it's all good," Lash rushed to reassure, which had Tessa eased in relieved silence, "I just wanted to let you know that I have Gideon here, at my shop."

"... Oh? Odd, he usually goes right back to Sugar Rush, after school," Tessa mumbled, "I haven't heard from him all day."

"Tess, Gideon ditched Academy today," Lash laid delicately, tender dread he tried to recover with a lilt of pleading nervousness, "I need you to listen to me, though, please... PLEASE don't tell your parents."

"Gideon ditched?" Tessa volleyed in hot authority, such a tone that had Mara gritting her teeth and sinking hard into herself; the sound of her grandmother, the Queen, no less, rising into a flame of stern anger had her stiffening in youthful dread.

"Yes, but, please... Please hear me, I've offered him to hang out with me at our shop, he's safe in Turbotime," Lash assured, "He didn't really give solid reasoning as to why he didn't attend, but... He's pretty firm in the fact that he doesn't want to attend, anymore."

"Should I talk to him, then?" Tessa wondered in rising concern, to which Lash opened his mouth and grasped at words.

"I mean, I'm not sure... Tess, I'm doing everything I can to just give him refuge and not scare him away, his trust is SO incredibly fleeting," Lash urged, to which Tessa groaned in sighing dread.

"Yeah, he's... I think he's dealing with far more than he leads on," Tessa mumbled, "Well, thank you for giving him a safe spot, Lash, I'm... I'm pissed that he ditched, today, I mean, mom was really emotional about him starting school. That makes me mad."

"I genuinely don't think he was trying to hurt anyone, I think he's just desperately trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life," Lash shrugged, he aimlessly peered to Mara as she cutely sipped her iced coffee, "He admitted to me that he ditched, I had offered him to come hang out at my shop after he let out of Pre-A a few weeks ago... I guess today is the day he thought he'd take me up on that offer."

"So, he's just going to pal around your shop until he figures out what the hell to do with himself?" Tessa argued, Lash rubbed his forehead in exhaustion.

"Look, just... I think he needs a guy friend, I'm just trying to be a safe spot for him," Lash urged, "I offered him a job, he declined but I'm just doing whatever I can to take him under my wing and just give him a safe space to figure himself out. I'd rather him be here than wandering Arcade, lost and lonely... If there's anyone who understands isolation and having desperation for friendship, it's me."

The call went silent as Mara pouted a frown and lovingly rubbed up and down Lash's back, once more. Tessa could be heard heaving a long, tired sigh of defeat in the receiver, to which Lash lazily rubbed his hand atop his head in a ruffle through his short, lovely, light grey hair.

"Just... Let me see where this goes, I have it under control," Lash delicately assured with a nod, he rested his elbows on their loved work desk and eased his golden gaze into Mara's curious, icy blue eyes, "If you could just... Please act like you know nothing. The pressure is off of you, I'll talk to your parents later tonight about all of this, okay?"

"That's brave," Tessa mumbled, to which Mara equally bobbed a stunned little nod of bug-eyed apprehension that Lash caught on to.

"I'm the one due to be taking care of him, it's only right that I be the one to assure them that Gideon's in good hands," Lash argued gently, to which Tessa put out Lash's fires.

"Lash, I'm not saying I'm not grateful, I really do appreciate you reaching out to me and letting me know what's going on," Tessa assured, the sound of papers rustled on her end, "Thank you, truly. I'm... I'm really sad, about this."

"Well, how come?" Lash wondered.

"I just... I don't know, I want Gideon to thrive and come into his own, I feel awful that he thinks ditching Academy is the choice he has to make in order to feel whole," Tessa sorrowfully pleaded, Lash shrugged.

"Well, I mean... I guess Academy isn't for everyone," Lash ushered as tenderly as he could, "It's good he's learning this about himself now, and not when he's so deep into his studies, y'know? I would be absolute ass at school, I would be ditching left and right, as well. It's a good thing I'm a User-made gamer, because I wouldn't have the patience or drive for Academy. It's a wonderful thing, but it's not for everyone."

"You're right, you're right," Tessa stated in sighing, realizing defeat, "Well, thank you, Lash, seriously... Thank you. I'm glad he's found solace with you. The poor guy needs a buddy that's not family, so... I'm glad he's safe with you and Mara at the shop."

"Yeah, he's here right now, he's out back behind the shop, I'm about to get us lunch and stuff," Lash confirmed, to which Tessa's voice grew a bit more confident in Lash's loving reassurance.

"Okay, good. As long as you're cool with him being there and vice versa, I won't say anything to my parents," Tessa stated in wary promise.

"Thank you, I'll call them tonight," Lash reassured.

"Alright, let me know how it goes or if you need anything from me," Tessa volleyed, to which Lash rubbed his forehead and lulled his eyes closed.

"I will," Lash cooed, to which they gently ushered each other kind, conclusory, departing notions.

"Well, well, well," Mara started in a drone of sweet, charming delight as she held her mouth to the straw of her creamy, frosty iced coffee, "The isolated lost boy grows up and, in turn, uses his past trauma to become a life-coach."

"... I KNOW you're not talking about me," Lash mumbled after he clanked the hefty receiver back to the base, Mara eased a giggle and readjusted her sitting position.

"You've taken on a lost boy, Dub. You've learned a world of things since being trapped in The End, with Turbo," Mara shrugged and began to ease her body to a stand, "You should be really proud of yourself. You've gotten past all your hardships and are now basking in the greatest pleasure of helping someone else through their hardships. Gideon is a good guy... He needs you, and it's clear you see something in him that resonates with you."

Lash bobbed a nod, breathed a steady sigh and allowed a little smile of humility down to his hands as he finally pressed Mara a shy, hushed notion of acceptance, "Can't argue with that."