Reviews :

chuckiboo : I agree! The whole thing is a learning opportunity. The whole crew is thrown into a mess of lesson's learned the hard way, no one is spared. Thank you so much! Their getaway will reveal a bit in terms of the people Gideon is choosing to surround himself with.

BanannaSammich : Thank you SO so much. That really means the world to me, because navigating all the he-said-she-said and just whose side every different character is on is SO exhausting haha. In a good way, but I'm putting an asinine amount of work into the weave of this tale and I'm so glad it's not only understandable but enjoyed and appreciated. So, thank you! Truly. It's so funny you say that because I absolutely hate souring you guys to genuine good characters, such as Oliver. Things get solved and hearts eventually heal here, but taking you guys along for the ride in these trenches is really difficult lol. I'm glad I can evoke these emotions in everyone, even though it's hard, I don't want any one character to seem perfect and I appreciate you guys holding on for the chaos in hopes for the storm to pass!

Snake557 : Oops, I can't tell if your review got cut off or what happened, but I appreciate your input nonetheless! Yep, Gideon's holdin' on to those papers and keeping them for a rainy day... They get brought up shortly, here.

Burgie : Although she's made mistakes, I wanted to make clear that she plays fair and will do anything to make sure there's peace on her lot. I'm glad that's coming through! Thank you so much.

Firesong-Writes : Thank you SO so much. That really means the world to me. Tessa nearly breaks in half in attempt to keep Gideon at base camp - she's eventually successful, though the road is definitely long and difficult. As for Oliver, him and Gideon come to a point of understanding. Oliver has demons that haven't been vocalized, and once he does, it'll probably all be eventually obvious. Callum, on the other hand... His and Gideon's relationship is far more strained, and only really begins to source healing MUCH later down the road.


Song Listened To :

Sticky Honey Roast (Genshin Impact Lofi Remix) bySuperDope


*Chapter 84*

Having yet to stay out this late due to the company Gideon had chosen to keep, he heaved a shaky sigh and glossed his eyes about the easy-going, dim restaurant the five were sat in. Due to it being a Friday night, the place was packed, the air was filed with the delicious smell of Chinese food, this being one of Lash's favorite restaurants in Vidrix City. Although a place that could get pricey, Gideon felt it surreal he was actually in the middle of a night out with friends, genuine company that fully cared about his well-being and everything on his mind. He nearly reeled in shock as the crew patiently waited for their server to bring them the food they had already ordered. Having already gotten a swathe of drinks and small appetizers to pick at, Gideon sighed in full contentment and brought his eyes back to the table the five were sat at. With Mara and Lash sat across the table from Gideon and Kepa, Novus was aptly stationed at the head of the table. Grateful to be put in an area for Novus to reside, amongst other bigger gamers, he looked thrilled to also be included. Kepa's nose was buried in her brand new phone as she tried to set it up, Mara and Lash sweetly began to bicker about something beyond Kepa's and Gideon's concern, though Gideon's ears perked to the gentle, inquiring tone of Kepa's sweet and girly voice.

"Gideon, what's this mean?" Kepa urged cutely, she held the screen of her luxurious smart phone for Gideon to see, her scary, long claw pointed to the opened messages between her and Gideon. The digital keyboard was up, though above the keys were suggestive words as the curser patiently waited for her to type Gideon a message, "Like... Cue words?"

"Oh, that's predictive text," Gideon instructed as Mara and Lash erupted into quiet laughter, with one another; their bickering had swiftly turned into cute banter, though their attention came back to Kepa's and Gideon's open conversation.

"Predictive text?" Kepa questioned as she sagged out of Gideon's bubble tightly next to her, and tossed her gaze to Mara and Lash, across the table.

"I love predictive text, I'll sometimes send nonsensical messages to Lash just to screw with him," Mara muttered into her drink, she blurt a giggle as Lash bugged his eyes and shook his head.

"Dude, you shoulda SEEN what she sent to me this morning," Lash barked as he began to wrangle his phone out of his jean's pockets, "Look at this shit..."

"I don't know if I want to know," Gideon loudly urged as he held up his hand in playful apprehension, to which Mara was now lost in a giggle fit.

"No, you do, it was so funny," Mara choked, to which Kepa grinned as Lash cleared his throat, tabbed to his and Mara's messages and read said message out loud.

"Lash out and get my hair cut off of my chest cause I'm good I'm just exhausted," Lash dully and tightly recited, to which the whole table erupted into loud laughter.

"Uh?!" Novus cried as he flattened his ears and eyed Mara, "Y'got chest hair you want Lash to cut off of you?"

"She's too exhausted to do it, Novus, don't be rude," Gideon playfully argued, everyone was lost in laughter.

"Holy shit, I was crying laughing as I sent that," Mara nearly was inconsolable, as was Kepa.

"As someone who has fur on her chest, I can tell you getting it off by yourself would definitely make you MORE exhausted," Kepa firmly stabbed as she wiped her eyes of tears, both girls wildly giggled with one another.

"Do yours, click your predictive text and see what it says," Gideon urged through their happy fit of laughter as he gestured down to Kepa's phone, on the table.

"Okay, how do I do it?" Kepa whimpered, she coughed a bit and desperately tried to conceal the immense amount of giggling Mara was still wrangling her into.

"You just press the middle suggestion over and over and it'll form a sentence," Gideon instructed as he, too, was getting sucked into their stifled laughter. Lash rolled his eyes and lifted his drink to his mouth, he eyed Kepa with the stab of his creepy though charming eyes.

"Don't tell her, now she's gunna torture you with nonsensical messages, too," Lash muttered before he took a hefty few swigs of his beer.

"Yeah, you're not wrong," Kepa giggled, to which she quickly tapped the center of the predictive text a few times. She furrowed her eyebrows and repeated what was written out, "I just woke him and I want to have a good time... Sounds sexual."

"Maybe we should give your predictive text some space," Mara blurt with a cry of a laugh, to which Kepa grinned and equally erupted into another fit of laughter, alongside Mara.

"User, right out the gate, your Siri woke up and chose horniness," Novus joined in on the sudden eruption of laughter.

"Yeah, she got plans," Kepa staggered through their laughter, to which Gideon was all grins, though his phone lit up as Kepa sent him said strange, predictive-text message.

"Oh, don't actually send it to me! What the fuck," Gideon cried with a hearty laugh, Kepa and Mara were now entirely lost in laughter, hunched over themselves with tears, of which Novus easily cheesed a grin too and shook his head.

"Yeah, you're screwed, my guy," Novus muttered.

"It was YOUR grand idea to get the girl a phone," Lash volleyed with a playful smile, Gideon rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Guess it won't be ME bugging YOU at three in the morning, after all," Gideon stated cutely to Kepa, to which she giggled and eyed Gideon through the act of wiping her tears.

With such a statement, Mara cocked an eyebrow and eagerly watched the two. Happy that her, Lash and Novus had a full, front row seat to their cute antics, Mara continued to quell her giggling as she easily began to dissect Gideon's and Kepa's cute relations. Kepa's sweet, little voice continued to ask Gideon questions about her phone, the subtle lean the two had into each other's shoulders, the adorable dynamic of Gideon's much bigger fingers so carefully showing her about her brand new phone coupled with the sharp, cute quips of sassy urgency tight into the side of Gideon's face. The way he'd scrunch his shoulder and huff shy, playfully annoyed laughter out into the air with the way her voice, as well as the fluffy little strands of fur on her shoulder, reached out and tickled a sweet spot on Gideon's soul, Mara sagged and was certain this display was like watching flowers in bloom. Well aware Lash was cued in, as well, she subtly caught eyes with Lash in sharp side-eyes and, with cocked eyebrows of full understanding, both Kepa and Gideon continued to so cutely bicker with each other, as if they were all perfectly set up for crushy displays, romantic notions they could so easily sag into, though it was clear they were both trying to keep the other at bay; however obviously they were failing, it was a clear display to everyone but them.

"So, when do we tell 'em?" Mara mumbled to Lash; grateful Kepa and Gideon carried on with one another, Mara's gentle voice only carried on loud enough for Lash to hear, due to the volume of the rest of the patrons in the restaurant they were in.

"Nah, let it ride, it might be too soon," Lash muttered into his glass, he took one more swig and set it down, though he held his elbows on the table, rested his hands before his face and tightly kept his side-eyeing gaze to his beloved mate next to him.

"Guess you're right, but, User, they're so cute," Mara whispered, Lash bobbed a nod and shrugged.

"Cute or not, y'tell them they're very painfully flirting this soon and it might do the opposite of what we want," Lash rushed gently, he lifted his eyebrows and made sure Kepa and Gideon were still preoccupied, to which Novus now got involved in their conversation, "They're just chit-chatting, there's nothing blatant going on... Then again, what do I know."

"He keeps touching her arm, she keeps leaning closer to him," Mara quietly listed, "They're one step away from whispering into each other's ears, I'm DYING here."

"You're splitting hairs, now," Lash mumbled cutely, although hearing all of Mara's valid points, he sighed and shook his head a little.

"Splitting furs," Mara quipped in cheeky annoyance, Lash rolled his golden eyes and grinned as he tossed his heavy throw of a gaze far across the restaurant in defeated, playful annoyance.

"Marathelke," Lash staggered a hefty laugh, to which Mara scrunched her shoulders in delighted cheekiness and took a swig of her drink with both of her hands in a cute sag into herself.

"Ooo, food!" Novus barked excitedly as their waiter came by; one by one, their food was displayed, and with zest, everyone set their phones aside and began to dig in.

Gideon happily picked up his chopsticks, took one long inhale of his intoxicating food and was due to diving in, though he felt his brain tug him out of his moment as he immediately cued to Kepa. In the split second of wanting to just give her space and not worry about her comfortability with the surrounding space, he also tugged at the idea of potentially needing to encourage her to feel safe to be herself in front of Lash and Mara, which were extensions of Gideon's heart and safety. He watched as Kepa shyly picked up her chopsticks, her adorable nose began to just barely wiggle in little bunny-like sniffles, as if she was doing absolutely everything to refrain from obviously sniffling at her food. Although Novus's food was put on the ground in an easier access for him, Gideon felt bad that Kepa also didn't have Novus's camaraderie, considering Novus also heavily sniffled his food before he ate it.

Eager to really come to Kepa's aid in all forms, he so carefully rested his bigger hand to the middle of Kepa's back and was thrilled to catch eyes with her almost fully-dilated, beautiful round eyes. She took in a shaky breath and shyly peered tight to Gideon's eyes, as if to silently wonder if this was a safe space to be herself. Gideon just barely ushered her a nod, as if to silently communicate that she had nothing left to do but to just do what she felt lead to do, and if any nay-sayers were sent her way, he'd be the one to swiftly handle it. In the few seconds of silent communication, Kepa visibly softened, scooped up some food on her chopsticks, and although mildly reserved, she cutely and unabashedly sniffled at the fried rice she ordered, her faint, little grey whiskers at full mast. In a long-blink of cute assessment, she finally began to eat, and it was only here did Gideon sag his attention away from her and feel right about now beginning his meal.

"You're literally shitting me," Mara muttered tight to Lash's gravity, Lash rolled his eyes and chewed his food, and though he wanted to combat Mara, he now literally had nothing left to give due to Gideon's sweet, outward display of protection for Kepa, and everything she was.

"What? I couldn't hear you over your chest hair," Lash barked, loud enough for the table to hear, to which everyone now had to do what they could to stifle laughter lest food come flying out of their mouths.

"Don't sit there and act like you don't have a wicker basket of hair climbing out of your ass," Mara muttered with a side-eyeing grin of retaliation, to which Lash rolled his eyes and began to source himself another bite of his food.

"I'm literally not offended by that," Lash choked back laughter and glossed his creepy eyes across the table full of steamy, delicious food.

"It's a curse, dude, just admit it, I'm right there with yah," Kepa muttered in playful despair, to which Gideon grinned and eyed her with a tight wrinkle of mild, playful disgust written on his face.

"Yes! Creepy-eyes-wicker-basket-ass gang," Lash urged with whole zest as he reached his hand over their smaller table for a high five, to which Kepa happily and firmly obliged with a pang of a slap.

"Your predictive text is getting to his brain coding," Gideon muttered to Mara with a happy chuckle, Mara heavily nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Creepy eyes is right," Mara muttered, and though she was referring to Lash, she also playfully eyed Kepa.

"I'm proud of it! You know how many creeps avoid me because of my eyes?" Kepa urged loudly, everyone at the table was riled into laughter.

"Y'all just have a lack of fortitude, be brave and look me in the eye, dammit," Lash gestured to his own face.

"I can always tell when my cross-hairs makes someone uneasy," Kepa urged, she waggled her eyebrows and cutely began to elbow Gideon's upper arm. He loudly groaned and looked off, to which everyone began to coo teasing notions his direction, "Ohh, just admit it. When we're in strong lighting, Gideon will hold eyes with me for maybe three seconds tops before he has to look away."

"It's a little unsettling, okay? Especially yours, they're cross hairs! The main thing you see when you stare down the scope of a gun, I mean, come on," Gideon firmly argued as everyone continued to pick at their food.

"It's okay, he does the same thing to me," Novus muttered as he perked his head from his own food.

"It's not like one of your eyeballs is the size of my whole face, or anything," Gideon retort.

"I'm sorry, but I have to side with Gideon, on this one," Mara mumbled, Lash titled his head back and groaned, "I'm sorry! It's true! I'm just used to our family, we're surrounded by mostly human-like gamers, come on."

"Yeah, so wait, speaking of your family, tell me how you two are related again?" Kepa so nonchalantly inquired as she gently waggled her chopsticks about; she perked her ears in steady listening, though looked back down to her food to find another bite.

"Oh, mine and Gideon's mothers are sisters," Mara skillfully ushered, she noticed Gideon visibly deflate in relief, though it was here did Lash look off and seemingly dip out of attempting to fervently hand Kepa fibs unless he absolutely had to, "Our family is kind of small, not very noteworthy."

"So do you guys have siblings? Or is it just you two?" Kepa inquired, she tossed her gaze to Gideon, who was previously ducking in on himself, though had to forcibly unravel to keep up with Mara's lovely facade.

"There are a ton of cousins on my dad's side of things," Mara so easily covered, something that had Lash eyeing her in secretive surprise. As if this was all entirely truth, it spilled out of her little being so easily, a gloss of effortlessness that had Gideon silently thanking her with his determined, intense golden gaze, "Yeah, my dad has a bunch of siblings, and they all have kids that I grew up with. Gideon, unfortunately, was one of the only ones to sort of grow up without other kids in the family."

"Aw," Kepa cooed sorrowfully, she eyed Gideon in gentle contemplation and figured these sensitive topics now were something she didn't want to indulge in whilst in the middle of a fun dinner with friends, "Well, no matter. I guess that's something we can relate on."

"Yeah?" Gideon prod, eager to swing the attention away from himself.

"Yeah, same thing, a billion cousins all eons older than me, I had to grow up super fast," Kepa rolled her eyes and smiled in nostalgic annoyance, "I ended up doing a ton of child rearing, the hierarchy of our clan was... Probably unlike what you guys have heard of, I won't bore you with the details."

"Aw, you babysat a lot?" Mara prod, now eager to get the heat off of Gideon, as well.

"I did, it's... For many different reasons," Kepa sighed, she almost frowned down to her food; Gideon fervently took note of all of this, for he knew the two had reserved sanctuary within their friendship, a safe place to unload and admit hard pastimes, "I've changed a lot of diapers, in my day."

"Bet you're in no hurry to have kids," Lash chuckled as he politely chewed, Kepa bugged her eyes and shook her head.

"Hooo no," Kepa heavily agreed, to which Gideon grinned in fervent agreeing and nodded, "Maybe one day, but that day isn't close enough for me to have eyes on."

"If you have a baby," Gideon started cheekily as he twirled one of his chopsticks downwards, he teasingly eyed Kepa with a playful grin as his deep voice carried on in a silly accent, "You can't BE the baby."

"I ALWAYS say that! It's so true," Kepa eagerly agreed as she lit up, Gideon blurt a kind laugh and nodded as he prod for another bite of his food.

"We're all too young and stupid and irresponsible for kids, anyways, I like the mojo we got goin' on, here," Lash firmly rattled as he gestured to the table, "Let's not ruin it with smelly babies, okay? The only smelly baby allowed here is Novus."

"... Hey!" Novus whined, Mara eyed Lash in sneaky suspicion and choked a small giggle.

"Lash, you're almost forty years old," Mara muttered, to which everyone, excluding Lash, erupted into hard laughter.

"That's still too young, dammit!" Lash urged as he sagged into everyone's contagious laughter.

"Let's all check in next year," Gideon playfully suggested.

"You guys just gunna ignore the part where Lash called us stupid?" Kepa muttered into the glass of water she also had, Gideon rubbed his temple in agitation.

"I'm trying to forget," Gideon crumpled into a playful show of fake tears.

"Whew, I really needed this, tonight, you guys," Lash grunted as he lightly sat back with a look of delightful, full exhaustion. He smiled to everyone in his group and cutely sagged his arm over Mara's adorable little shoulders. She grinned and leaned into his snuggly embrace with a whole wall of warmth fully displayed for Kepa and Gideon.

"I did too, this was awesome," Gideon agreed, he smiled to Kepa and was glad to catch eyes with her.

"I haven't had this much fun in, well," Kepa furrowed her brow and sweetly caught eyes with Novus's lovely, handsome face tight to her left, "... Ever."

"We need to make this a regular thing," Mara instructed with a nod, "Fridays, what do you guys say?"

"I'm totally down," Gideon nodded with a smile.

Although he was excited to embark on this brand new groove he had with the very thing he had been desperate for, solid camaraderie, he felt his airways tighten at one raw, blatant fact; the inevitable of giving Kepa full transparency, about his life, was coming close to brimming overflow, something he was totally unsure how to handle. Although feeling the break and release of just giving everything to Kepa and having to dig through his past hurt alongside her, he was quite enjoying pretending Sugar Rush didn't exist. Although grateful Lash, Mara and Novus were playing along, he began to feel guilty for putting them right in the crossfire of this mess. Uncertain of just where to take this train ablaze with lies, he figured he'd mull it over with himself tonight.

Having previously bookmarked the dreaded task of breaking the bad news, of not attending Academy to his parents tonight, he was well aware his fun and exciting night was very swiftly about to come to a close. Although nervous, he was grateful he now had a way to reach out to Kepa lest he need a friend to lean on at ungodly hours of the night strictly due to her non-sleeping habits. With a heart so full of love, it also encompassed the gaping hole of full dread; the task of keeping secrets was only just barely beginning to rear it's ugly head, and though Gideon was glad to at least try to attempt honesty with his parents, he knew he was only doing himself whole disservice. Eager to sweep it under the rug, like what he did best, he promised he'd pay all of his debt later, a skillful attempt and riding this very vibrant high of love and friendship he was madly desperate to keep under wraps.