Legendaryshipping (Timaeus x Critias x Hermos)

. . .

"Leaves are changing," he murmured, as though to himself.

Critias looked up from the thrice damned paperwork that he was being forced to work on. He raised an eyebrow at the short, sharply cut figure of Timaeus standing at the window, leaning his elbows against the sill and staring into the cool autumn morning. Hermos snorted softly from the chair that he had sprawled himself out in despite Critias asking him to sit properly, one leg thrown over the arm beside him.

"No shit," he said. "It is autumn, Timaeus."

He said it with that lazy smile of his, laid-back and teasing. Timaeus seemed to stir out of whatever thoughts had claimed him, rising to put his hands on the sill instead. He laughed softly

"I suppose it is something of an obvious observation," he said.

"Is something on your mind?" Critias asked, returning his eyes to his paper and redipping his quill.

Timaeus shook his head.

"No...nothing I can put words to."

He stared out into the cool day, the trees that were beginning to dust with oranges and yellows, the children who ran out on the hill over the sea that this small barrack office looked out on. Critias imagined he was probably smiling. Timaeus had always had a soft spot for the little ones.

Timaeus let out a soft sigh then. Critias glance at Hermos, who met his eyes. Hermos raised his eyebrows all the way up into the cover of his shaggy bangs. They both knew that sigh. Timaeus only made that sound when he was getting introspective.

"All right, what's wrong?" Critias said, putting his quill down.

He turned in his chair and steepled his fingers so he could rest on his hands.

"Yeah, spill," Hermos said, swinging his leg over the chair and actually sitting correctly in his chair for once.

Timaeus again stirred, as though he had fallen into a trance again. He chuckled softly.

"Nothing's wrong," he said. "I was just thinking."

He hesitated, and then he turned around to face them, silhouetted against the autumn sky. He smiled at them, that small, quiet smile that only he could do, that one that seemed to hold so much feeling and yet, none of it could be described. It was an expression that many had said could take the breath away, and Critias had to agree with them.

"Come on, don't act all enigmatic and then don't say anything else!" said Hermos. "Spit it out already."

"Oh hush, not everyone has to run their mouths like you," said Critias.

Hermos made an obscene gesture in Critias' direction, but still with that easy smile of his, so that Critias had to roll his eyes. Timaeus laughed as he leaned back against the window, the cool autumn breeze fluttering through his silver bangs and sending glimmers of light across the ground.

"I was thinking that this is nice," he said, looking back over his shoulder into the light. "Us. Here."

Critias and Hermos glanced at each other, and then at Timaeus.

"Yeah," said Hermos finally, smiling broadly. "It is, isn't it? We didn't get along too well at the beginning but now things are just kinda laid-back."

"At least when you're behaving yourself in my office," Critias grumbled at him.

He was smiling though, one eyebrow raised, and Hermos met his grin head on with his own.

"Wanna take it out on the practice field? Bet I can still whup your ass."

"You have never 'whupped my ass' in your life, Hermos."

Timaeus smiled at their good-natured bickering, and glanced back over his shoulder at the clear blue sky. Critias noted, then, the way that the light glimmered in the depths of his aqua eyes, the way that the ocean seemed to live within him in a way that it didn't in the others. There was a depth there akin to that of the ocean they worshiped and for a moment, Critias felt a chill—not a bad one, perhaps but...but one that was somehow knowing, knowing that there was something more going on to the world.

"The leaves are changing," Timaeus murmured again, almost to himself. "But I hope...that this doesn't have to change."

That day would be the last time that Critias was able to meet both of Timaeus' eyes, to see both of them reflecting the sun's ray.

It was the last day before the war began.

. . .

A/N: have ALL OF MY FEELS. Idk guys I'm starting to get more and more attached to these three, I should write about them more often. Next is Leathershipping (Keith x Yami no Yugi).