Reviews :

Snake557 : ... I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but you're unfortunately the only one who requested drawings, so... Unless I get more, I don't think I'll be doing a sketch dump, unless I maybe do a few of my own favorite scenes. I've lost a lot of friends and readers along this journey, probably due to straying from the main 4 so far, and I get this is all super unimportant to others, but this is kind of a sad day for me. I'll potentially post a sketchdump of scenes I genuinely enjoy, including the 2 you requested, but yeah. Sorry about that :( Hopefully the next story has more traction, but I almost doubt it. I carry on regardless, but it's still heartbreaking. I'm used to feeling forgotten about anyways, so, I guess I should've seen this all coming. Thank you for sticking around, friend, and for caring. It means a lot to me. This is also the chapter you've been waiting for, Gideon and Novus make nice :D


*Chapter 201*

Upon stepping into the casted shadow of the lighthouse's massive, towering spire, Gideon and Kepa were sweetly greeted by the lot of everyone around, lazily lounged in either beach chairs or on the back deck of the lighthouse's common room, the double french doors that looked out to the ocean. Gideon's eyes swept the area and took note of everyone's lazy demeanors, although a typical beach day would be brought with loud music, delicious food and lively spirits, this particular beach day was still and calm, something Gideon was almost jarred by. Although it was different, he knew that this next season of their lives were due to being mildly somber, especially if Taffyta or Rancis were involved in get togethers. Still grieving, still processing, the whole group seemed as if having way too much fun was illegal. Although Gideon was home and everything was on the up and up, the massive, gaping hole of Callum's absence was still a very real issue, it had Gideon feeling ferociously protective over his Uncle Rancis. With such, Koko cutely called Kepa over, who stood with Tessa and Lickity, to which Gideon slowed his footsteps as Kepa pressed on, he changed directions so to approach his Uncle Rancis.

"I'm glad you guys came to hang out," Gideon's voice pressed over the sound of the crashing waves beyond them, he grunted to a sit in the sand, on his rear, next to his aunt and uncle who simply lounged on a big beach blanket nearby.

"Me too, it's been a long time since we've been to the beach," Rancis stated with a nod, he inhaled a huge breath and lulled his eyes closed, "I think the last time was... EZ Living, long before you and Callum started at Pre-A."

"Feels like a million years ago," Taffyta murmured, she brushed her choppy white hair out of her eyes, she wore one of her colorful pink bikinis, though it was covered by the cloak of one of Rancis's bigger t-shirts.

"You guys are welcome to come out here and relax whenever you want, I'm sure being back on palace grounds isn't easy," Gideon mused gently, his golden eyes hooked into Rancis's with brimming authority, "No one has given you any trouble, have they?"

"Um, well..." Rancis stated through a huff of a sigh, though Gideon sharply raised his eyebrows and held his breath in the hit of realization that going to war, for his Uncle Rancis, was now a firm reality. Rancis heaved a nasally sigh, looked down, grunted to a bit of a more upright sit and brushed his forearms free of sand, "No one's technically given me trouble, I just... Was in the dining hall with your mother, and I didn't get much of a welcome home from the other racers."

"Minty and I had become close, right up until you and Callum left, and... She hasn't reached out to me, at all," Taffyta and Rancis both peered into Gideon's eyes with gentle plea, to which he furrowed his brow and felt a protective rage slowly boil over him.

"No one's tried to welcome you home or ask if you guys are doing okay?" Gideon stabbed in frustration for the situation, Rancis shrugged and shook his head.

"Not really... No hate, but no love, more just neutral... I guess I wouldn't expect anything less, but," Rancis trailed off, ruffled his messy, golden hair and shyly peered into Gideon's sharp stare, "How did they treat you upon your return?"

"Oh, my mom has warned me to stay away from the dining hall," Gideon blurt a trembling laugh and shook his head, "I'm... Wondering if it's for this reason, or similar reasons. I'm not technically someone you'd want to be shooting dirty looks at, though."

"I don't think any of the other racers would even know what to do with themselves seeing Game Over's fifth winner welcoming himself into the dining hall like it's normal," Taffyta murmured, "I'm shocked they're all still living on palace grounds, if I'm being honest. They probably assume Gideon is waiting on a single excuse to become unhinged."

"Uncle Rancis is my excuse, why don't you and I take a visit to the dining hall later tonight, then?" Gideon pressed cheekily with a daring little smile, a rouse of trouble Rancis was almost smiling about as well, though he scoffed a noise of guffawing dismissal, bent his knees, draped his forearms over them and looked down in an aimless stare to the colorful beach blanket they sat on. Gideon narrowed his eyes for emphasis and leaned a bit closer into Rancis's bubble until both men caught eyes, "I promised I'd protect you. From everyone... This includes my sister, Zed, any of the racers... Sure, I don't have children of my own, but I've been on the other side of this mess. I understand you got swept up, because, well... I did too."

"Thanks, man," Rancis's deep voice clipped with the onset of tears, he bobbed a nod and looked down in the act of trying not to grimace into full-on crying, though Gideon huffed a small chuckle of understanding and rubbed his bigger hand to his uncle's upper back.

"We all have made mistakes, here. Some big, some small, mine being, well... Astronomical," Gideon bugged his eyes and looked off, though he smiled as he tossed his gaze across the way and took note that Tessa was cutely introducing Kepa to Lickity. He sighed through his nose, narrowed his gaze in revival and shrugged, "But... We're all doing our best to bounce back. If those other racers are living under this roof, and you feel uncomfortable acclimating back into palace life and feel trapped to just your wing of the palace, well... They'll shape up once I pay a visit."

"It's really not necessary, Giddy, I think it'd just cause further issue," Rancis cautioned, though Taffyta bugged her eyes and looked off.

"I don't know, I think setting them all straight might be best," Taffyta mumbled with a shrug, "We tried to extend the olive branch in the hopes that we could speak our peace, but..."

"Tonight, ten pm, that's usually when everyone gathers in the dining hall for a wind down and hang outs anyways, right?" Gideon gently tapped Rancis's arm with a nod, to which Rancis joined in nervousness, "You and me, aunt Taffyta can join if you feel lead. I'll see to it you get your community back."

"Thanks, bud," Rancis sniffled and shook his head, "I just... Want to start the healing process. If Callum has taken a turn for the worse and there's no hope he'll come back, I-I... I just don't want to tackle all these feelings by myself, I know Taff doesn't either."

"If I can come back home and begin garnering everyone's trust again, then you most certainly can too," Gideon hummed lovingly, "I'll protect you. I can even warn Zed before hand, has he given you your job back?"

"No," Rancis meeped, Gideon stiffened and dart his eyes about the group, in search for Zed, though he wasn't currently present.

"Mkay, well... Tonight's gunna be busy," Gideon muttered in mild annoyance, though he gave Rancis a loving smile and nodded, "Don't worry. I've rearranged this whole group and put it back together once, I can do it again."

"You're the best," Rancis mumbled sweetly, Taffyta gave Gideon a small look of tender gratitude, though she, too, watched as Kepa and Lickity erupted into giggling that carried down the beach side.

"How are you and jungle queen getting along?" Taffyta wondered warmly, Gideon softened and tossed his eyes to Kepa, once more.

"Great, actually, it's... Almost too great," Gideon muttered nervously, to which Taffyta and Rancis's faces sloped to warm confusion.

"Too great? What do you mean?" Rancis wondered, Gideon heaved a hard sigh and looked out to the ocean, his cheeks began to turn from their sunkissed state to a beet red show of mild embarrassment.

"Well... If you want my honest opinion, coming back home and cleaning my coding, making nice with everyone has been hell, but now that things are beginning to smooth out and Kepa and I are taking things slow and really biding our time, I'm... Now feeling the itch," Gideon shyly muttered.

"The itch?" Taffyta prod, Rancis bugged his eyes and looked down as he erupted into a happy chuckle his figure almost couldn't afford.

"THE itch, the worst itch of all," Rancis grumbled cutely, he eyed his bride and nudged her bare thigh in a loving show of nostalgia, "You and I endured it, once upon a time. I kept you at bay and abstaining had us clawing each other's clothes off the second we were alone."

"Ohh, oh, THAT itch," Taffyta shyly rubbed her forehead and gave Gideon an apologetic little smile, "Aw, bud, I'm sorry. Is she the one holding you at bay?"

"I mean, we both came to the conclusion together, we both discussed that taking things really slow and not diving right into full intimacy was wise," Gideon shrugged, "And, I mean, it's true... My mainframe isn't as stable as it once was, I have to discuss all of this swapping nonsense with Lash before Kepa and I even remotely move forward with that, but... Even though we're both agreeing to drive the speed limit, I can tell it's killing her."

"I can tell it's killing YOU, what are you saying?" Rancis joked cutely, Gideon rolled his eyes and looked off as he stifled a grin, but failed.

"Yeah, she's pretty irresistible," Gideon grumbled, "I don't know what to do. I want to make sure we build healthy boundaries, I want to make sure I'm not just putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, she still has moments where she's angry with me, as well as moments where if I'm out of her sight for too long, she panics. My troubles are vastly different..."

"Well, what are you dealing with?" Rancis wondered, Gideon tiredly sighed and began to pile sand onto his big bare feet in aimless fidgeting.

"My issues are more rooted in unreasonable anger, I feel the urge to snap and be mean over the tiniest things, I get massively overstimulated, I... I crave the substances I was used to, I now have to navigate weird boundaries surrounding Kepa panic-calling me at all hours of the night," Gideon listed, his tone held in tepid agony, "On top of this, I... I have near-debilitating night terrors I don't want Kepa to know about, Beaux and I are constantly going through coded therapy due to it, and... I just have a lot of responsibility to upkeep a positive image."

"You know what would solve your problem, my dude?" Taffyta mused, Rancis choked out the answer and grinned.

"Sex," Rancis and Taffyta erupted into cute, happy laughter that had Gideon shyly grinning to his now-buried feet in grinning annoyance.

"It just feels counter-intuitive," Gideon grumbled shyly, Rancis shrugged.

"Well, maybe full-on code swapping in this raw instance might be, and maybe it is too soon, only you two can decide that," Rancis sighed through his chuckling and eyed his nephew with a great amount of love, "All I know is... Having that intimacy with the one person you love, having their arms and their body and their soul to fall into at the end of a long day is healing in of itself. I commend you two for abstaining and taking things slow, but... Don't torture yourselves in the name of saving each other from pain you guys should likely be navigating together, y'know?"

"Mhmm," Gideon hummed warmly, his intelligent eyes held tight to his uncle's, and although Rancis wasn't ever loud and proud about dolling advice or being a mentor, Gideon felt a strange swing of camaraderie begin to glue him to the Fluggerbutter family.

"I get wanting to be a polished being for Kepa, so that when the time comes, she downloads the BEST version of you, but..." Rancis shook his head and long-blinked in softness, "Life is messy... Love is messy, it's meant to be shared, I think hardships should be endured together. I'd think on it, Gid. Maybe give it a week or two, and if the tension is so bad that you two are about to explode, I'd say dip your toes in and see what becomes of it."

"That tension is felt and built for a reason, if both of you guys are about to dive at each other, that simply means you two are on the same page," Taffyta shrugged and gave Gideon a sweet, motherly look, "I'm not encouraging you to forget trying to solve your own problems and dump them onto Kepa, but... She's your person, you came home for her and solely her. I know she'd be honored to receive you, that cat will bend over backwards to aid you and help you heal."

"A night of licked wounds," Rancis mused as he waggled his eyebrows and looked up with a dorky little grin that Gideon choked out shy laughter at.

"I know talking about it, with her, probably would dampen that spark, but... Maybe just see what this week or two brings you," Taffyta shrugged.

"I DO have a date planned with her, on Friday," Gideon added sweetly, Rancis brightened.

"Oh, perfect! Gage how you two feel after that," Rancis stated with zest, though he sagged and looked off as a few moments of silence passed between the three, "Although, I'm nervous for our date night, tonight."

"Our date night," Gideon repeated with a snarky chuckle as he eyed his uncle, "What, the event of lighting the whole dining hall on fire?"

"Yeah, I'll probably watch from the side lines," Taffyta mumbled slyly as she sagged her sun glasses over her eyes and laid back in a relaxed slouch, "Close enough to watch the show, far enough away not to get scorched."

"I'll do my best to keep it tame, I'll speak with Zed before hand..." Gideon softened and peered to his uncle for emphasis, "I'll see to it you get your job back, uncle... I know Zed temporarily took it away from you due to your sneaky connections to Callum, but... I'll talk to him."

"Thanks, bud," Rancis mumbled, and even though Zed wasn't present in this get-together, it still had him anxiously looking over his shoulder.

"Giddy," Kepa called from across the way, the lilt in her voice sounded almost delightfully concerned, to which Gideon, Rancis and Taffyta stiffened in the wretch to look over their shoulders.

Gideon raised his eyebrows in sweet, baited wait and peered to Kepa across the way. She stood with Tessa, Lickity and Libby, she held an almost apologetic smile on her face, though as Gideon's eyes trailed to where Kepa was pointing, Gideon shot his gaze to the access point from the beach into the flyer's enclosure. Slowly filing through said entry way were all of the flyers, and once the last body was out, being Royal, Novus came to a scuffling, timid halt right in the mouth of it, as if he was nervous to fully commit to approaching. Gideon held his breath, raised his eyebrows high and wondered if this was potentially his chance to make nice with Novus. The second Novus perked his big ears high and sourced Gideon from across the stretch of sand was Gideon's silent cue to get to his feet and dare to approach. With a real amount of caution, Gideon stumbled to his feet, ushered his uncle a small parting notion and turned to glance to Kepa, Lickity, Tessa and Libby. All four women held their gazes tight to Gideon in a show of almost bittersweet warmth, as if they were thrilled Novus was now making steps to aid in his and Gideon's road to healing and forgiveness.

Gideon scuffed up to Kepa and firmly tossed his gaze through the bumbling crowd of flyers. As Marble, Boss, Balba, Chester and Royal slowly filed past Gideon, inside of ushering Gideon kind greetings, Gideon pressed through the group and finally arrived at Novus, who bravely pressed on with his pack as well. Everyone slowly filed away from Novus and Gideon in full understanding that both boys likely needed a few minutes alone, a hope that clearing the air wouldn't get ugly. Gideon inhaled a huge, trembling breath, sagged his thumbs into the gape of the pockets on his surf shorts and slumped his shoulders amidst the huge, raspy exhale he delivered in the air between him and Novus, stood about a dozen feet apart. Novus tenderly sagged his ears and peered his teary eyes tight into Gideon's, and though Gideon was certain he could hold his own through this impending conversation, Gideon finally bobbed a nod, sucked in his bottom lip a little and firmly tried to blink back tears, but ultimately failed. His heart leaped clear out of his chest the second Novus could be heard whimpering a small chuckle out between them.

"Y'big baby," Novus grunted, his deep, crackling voice aided in the fact that he was also due to succumbing to tears.

"Yeah, I'll own that," Gideon mumbled as he beamed a bittersweet smile down to his bare feet, he shyly scuffed the pillowy sand underneath him before hooking his teary, hopeful gaze tight into Novus's. He narrowed in cheeky wondering and huffed Novus a soft plea, "Truce?"

"Can it be called a truce if I'm still incredibly angry with you?" Novus mumbled, Gideon beamed and looked off, though wiped a few tears that escaped him.

"I guess not," Gideon sighed as he quietly looked back down to his feet and felt the urge to frown come upon him, though he pleadingly peered into Novus's huge, glassy blue eyes and felt his heart tug at the sight. Yet another loved one he had let down, Gideon felt guilt plague him, unending. He gave Novus a humbled smile and bobbed a nod, "You have every right to be angry with me, I'm also incredibly angry with myself, so... This works out."

"I can finally look at you, so... Guess we're getting somewhere," Novus grumbled sweetly, he lowered his head a little, and much to Gideon's whole surprise, Novus took a gentle step forward and peered his anticipatory eyes up into Gideon's, "It's nice to see you and Kepa getting along... I-It's also nice to see the lighthouse. Having it close by, like this, has been a huge comfort."

"I agree, I can see the beams from mine and Beaux's spire," Gideon smiled as he looked back to the lighthouse, though the lamp wasn't currently on or turning due to it being midday.

"I miss you guys, I miss taking flights, I-I miss lounging in the common room and eating a million pounds of gummy bears and wasting the entire day telling stupid stories," Novus gently rattled, his voice wavered as more tears began to spill down his velvety dark brown cheeks, "I-I miss... I miss you. I hate you for leaving, I hate that Kepa and I weren't enough..."

"I know," Gideon eased humbly with a nod, he knew to let Novus get it all off of his chest.

"It's clear Kepa was finally able to tell you that she loves you, cause she molted," Novus whimpered as he rubbed his bigger bat nose with his clawed paw, he thumped said paw to the sand and sagged his wings, which were held tight to his sides, "I-I'm... I have so many questions and so many bones to pick with you, but... I just miss you two so much, I want stuff to go back to normal."

"Well, it sorta can, I'm here and I'm willing to uh, well... Allow you to pick bones with me," Gideon cutely chuckled through his tears, to which Novus sucked in a huge breath and took another brave step in Gideon's direction.

"Can I start now?" Novus mumbled cutely, to which Gideon opened his arms and pressed into Novus's bubble.

"Yes, which bone are we startin' with first, then?" Gideon sweetly joked as Novus flattened his ears and urgently scooped Gideon into a big hug with his strong paw tight about Gideon's upper back.

Gideon grunted a teary chuckle and grappled his arms about Novus's fluffy, irresistibly soft mane, he sagged into the comfort of Novus's loving embrace and was shocked to hear Novus whimper a small cry over Gideon's shoulder. Before Gideon knew it, Novus unfurled his big, lovely wings and swiftly scooped Gideon into a much bigger swallow of an embrace, to which Gideon upped the ante and grimaced as he grappled his strong arms about Novus in a squeeze only his muscles could afford, due to his wrecking powers being muted. Both boys unravelled into nasally, teary chuckling as they finally unhanded one another and remained tight to each other, with enough room to keep eye contact.

"What the heck, that was the weakest hug you've ever given me, Mr. Game Ender," Novus staggered through his boyish laughing, to which Gideon grinned in annoyance and looked off.

"My wrecking and manifesting have been muted, I have my glitching abilities," Gideon relayed in warm regret, Novus sagged and stood a bit straighter.

"Wait, why?" Novus worried, Gideon sighed.

"Well... Not only does no one really trust me with all my powers to the fullest, I also don't even trust myself to the fullest," Gideon rattled through a cute chuckle, he shrugged and lulled his eyes closed, "I'm not offended. Just doing time."

"Good, you deserve it," Novus teasingly muttered, Gideon rolled his eyes and looked up with a sag of defeat, he was well aware Novus was now due to torturing Gideon with this whole 'you deserve punishment' nonsense; it was something Gideon was almost grateful for, the fact that Novus was now able to ease into teasing about this whole fiasco.

"I know I may not deserve this, but I'm wondering if I can ask you to do me a favor in exchange for something?" Gideon perked up in remembrance, to which Novus flattened his ears and side-eyed Gideon in cheeky authority.

"You're not in any position to haggle or wager, my friend," Novus dully muttered, Gideon waved him off.

"Look... I'm going to sit Zed down tonight and ask him to give uncle Rancis his job back," Gideon pressed, "I'm also going to take uncle Rancis into the dining hall, where all the other racers and palace residents reside in the evening, to give them a bit of a talking to... I guess since uncle Rancis has moved back home, he's been given the cold shoulder. So, I offered to kinda shake some sense into them."

"... I'm listening," Novus mumbled as he fingered his lip in contemplation.

"I could use back up, if you wouldn't mind, on both fronts," Gideon shrugged his bigger shoulders and looked off with a knowing smolder, he finally returned his golden eyes tight to Novus's and mumbled him a kind glimmer of promise, "Afterwards, you, Kepa and I can go for a night flight, like old times... Whadoyahsay?"

"Sold, you had me at needing me as back up," Novus grunted with a fang-filled grin.

"... I could've sworn I'd have to add more stipulations onto the end, I didn't think even the night flight would be enough," Gideon gawked with a cute smile, Novus sagged his ears and peered about Gideon, so to sweetly source where Kepa was.

"Look, I may hate you currently, but I'll scorch anyone who isn't falling into line with your standards," Novus mumbled in only teasing disinterest, his beautiful eyes scanned the sand far behind Gideon in searching to which he sagged once he found Kepa, closer to the front door of the lighthouse, having sweet conversation with Libby and Balba, "My mom told me pretty much everything... I don't think it's right that Rancis is treated unfairly. If you have his back, I got yours."

"...You really do love me, don't you," Gideon's sweet voice only barely teased in a lilt of showing promise that he was giving Novus a brotherly hard time, though mostly was genuinely serious about his statement; Novus largely rolled his eyes and looked off.

"Don't push your luck, that night flight could easily turn into 'man overboard' situation for yah real quick," Novus grunted, Gideon erupted into happy laughter and wrangled Novus into another big hug about his neck, one that Novus swiftly succumbed to with a huge smile. He sighed through his big bat snout, sagged his ears in submission and lovingly wrapped his arm about Gideon's back once more. For Gideon's ears, he thud his cheek against the side of Gideon's head and ushered him all the secretive, brotherly warmth he could offer, "I love you, dude. I'm so glad you're home."

"I love you more, I missed you a lot," Gideon mumbled shyly through his tears, he grappled Novus in a tighter squeeze and sighed his conclusion into the fluff of Novus's mane, "It's good to be back."