Chapter 16

Midnight Sun

There were few things Nyx loved more than seeing Drautos in action.

Such a rare sight, and such a good show. Shame it only happened once in a blue moon. All these long years in Insomnia now, and Nyx had fought side by side with Drautos maybe a dozen times. A real shame, for sure, because the man was like a machine. Nyx's dream was to be even half as bad-ass as Drautos.

When Drautos had come into headquarters that afternoon, Nyx could see right away that something was off about him. Somber, quiet, not making eye contact with them right off. Pensive and somewhat out in space. Nyx's first thought was that there was trouble in paradise again, another fight, and it wouldn't have shocked him because Drautos was a piece of work and the fact that Ignis could put up with him at all was a minor miracle.

The kid was a saint, had to be.

Then Nyx remembered the damn Imperial ships creeping up, and worried about what the hell Drautos had in mind. Guess they weren't just going to sit back and watch. That sucked.

A bit later, Drautos called all Glaives into the briefing room, an equally somber Luche standing beside of him. Drautos looked them over, and said, "When I call your name, step forward."

Words none of them ever wanted to hear.

Nyx glanced at Libertus, who was shifting and shuffling and looked so nervous.

Drautos began rattling off names then, and Nyx jumped a little when Drautos called him forward. Nyx stepped up, glancing once more at Libertus. Pelna was called shortly after. Sonitus. Tredd. Axis. Crowe was called, and Libertus looked horrified. She tried to smile at him, to calm him, and was very unsuccessful. And then Drautos stopped speaking. Libertus hadn't been called, and Nyx knew that Crowe going anywhere without him would cause a bit of grief.

No time to panic then; Drautos lifted his voice, and commanded, "If you weren't called, you're dismissed."

Everyone trickled slowly out, and Nyx looked around to the thirty or so of them left standing.

Drautos looked them all over, and finally said, "This is a fatherless mission."

A sink of Nyx's stomach.

Great. Hadn't had one of those in a long damn time. A fatherless mission was precisely what it sounded like—a mission so dangerous that no parents were sent on it unless there was no other choice. Where your chances of survival were equal to or less than your chances of death.

Libertus would pitch a fit when he found out that Crowe had been selected for one of these.

"We're going to sink that armada before it lands. All of you were chosen for certain skill sets you have. I trust that, with a little bit of caution and common sense, all of us will return. I don't intend to lose a single one of you, but with that said..." Drautos looked them all over once more, and continued, in a softer voice, "I suggest you all go home now and call who you need to. Tell whoever needs to hear it that you love them. If you have any old grudges, now's a good time to stop being an ass and apologize. We leave tomorrow. I'll be going with you, because I would never send you somewhere I myself wouldn't tread."

With that, Drautos walked away, the meeting ended, the other Glaives were allowed back in, and Nyx and Luche shared a look. Crowe glanced over her shoulder at Libertus, who was already barging nosily forward. After a very quick rundown, Nyx wasn't shocked when Libertus immediately darted after Drautos.

"Captain!" Drautos paused, turned around, and Nyx shook his head when Libertus said, far too eagerly and too loudly, "Sir! Let me take Crowe's place."

That dumb bastard—

A furrow of Drautos' brow, and a very succinct response.

"No."

With that, Drautos meant to walk on, but Libertus was actually bold enough to go after him again and grab Drautos' arm. Nyx lowered his eyes, chest heavy and stomach churning, as Crowe hissed air through her teeth and seemed mortified.

"Please, sir!" Libertus implored, as Drautos stared him down and pulled his arm back.

Thought that Drautos' face was softer, though, when Nyx had the stomach to look back up.

"No. You can't warp. Your magic is weak. You can't wire explosives. You can't hit the broad side of a barn with a firearm. You're clumsy. You're hotheaded. I wouldn't be shocked now if you told me you can't even swim. I am sorry, but I'm not taking any cannon fodder with me on this mission. That's all. The matter is settled."

With that, Drautos left headquarters, and everyone lingered in silence.

Libertus stood there for a long while, eyes downcast, and Nyx bailed out when Crowe crept up to his side. Didn't have the heart for it, and spent his night tossing and turning.

Very early the next morning, before the sun had risen, they all found themselves sitting in the briefing room and waiting. Nyx wasn't surprised to see Libertus there, too, even though he wasn't going. He had come to see his friends off, and Nyx glanced over at Drautos, who looked pale and tired, eyes red from lack of sleep and circles heavy beneath them.

Imagined they all looked that way.

Nyx sat down in front of Libertus, who glanced up but didn't immediately speak.

The air was heavy.

Libertus lowered his eyes, and muttered, "If anyone can come back from a fatherless mission, it's you and Luche. I'll be waiting for you. You guys take damn good care of her, or else."

Before Nyx could say anything, someone sat down next to them. Nyx turned his head to see Drautos, but Drautos was staring only at Libertus.

Another lecture?

Drautos suddenly lifted his hand, and slid something across the table. A small black box, plain, and Drautos stared Libertus down painfully hard as he said, "Keep that safe for me. If I don't come back, give it to him."

Ice down the back of Nyx's neck. If Drautos of all people worried he wouldn't come back, that sure as hell didn't bode well for the rest of them.

Him—Ignis, and Libertus stared at the box for a while with pursed lips before accepting it. A determined look, and then Libertus met Drautos' eyes and nodded.

"Yes, sir. You have my word."

Satisfied, Drautos stood up and walked away without once more looking at them or speaking to them. Why Drautos had entrusted Libertus, Nyx couldn't say, but he imagined it had something to do with Libertus' attempt to take Crowe's place. Drautos was a strange man. Hard to earn any of his trust, but willing sacrifice might have done a bit of the trick.

Nyx and Libertus stared at the box and somehow, someway, neither of them needed to open it up to know what was inside.

Sad.

All this wedding talk had gotten to everyone's heads.

Nyx wondered how Drautos had spent his night, how he had followed his own suggestion to tell 'those who needed to hear it' that he loved them. Only one person would hear that from Drautos, and Nyx hated thinkin' too much about it. Above it all, Nyx wished that Drautos hadn't given Libertus that box. Last night—wouldn't that have been a good damn time to propose, on the brink of death? Maybe Drautos didn't wanna get the kid's hopes up only to dash them by going out and dying.

No time to think about it.

Two hours later they stood there, thirty strong. In three groups. Sonitus in charge of one, Luche in charge of the other, and Nyx was happy enough to be in the last group led by Drautos, and happier that Crowe was with Luche, who would take good care of her.

The briefing was short and simple.

"We split up when we land. Sonitus' group goes north up the beach and takes out the port and carriers. Luche, you go in the middle. Take out the missile cruisers. I'll head south, to the flank ships. Expect heavy gunfire, and heavy artillery. No man leaves this building without a bulletproof vest. If I fall, Luche is in command, and Sonitus after him. We go down rank from there. There will be no retreat. Either those ships go, or we do. Is that clear? No man turns back until the job is done. Stealth is our objective, but impossible for the duration. Be quick, be careful. Luche, those missile cruisers have to go, whatever else happens."

Luche nodded his head.

"Good. That's all. Gear up. You'll receive mission details en route."

They did as instructed, everyone was armed with a handgun and bulletproof vest, two things Nyx wasn't accustomed at all to carrying, and another long hour later when everyone was as ready as they could be, they set out. Nyx saw that Drautos was in common uniform now, the black garb of a regular Glaive, to make him less of a target.

Nyx wasn't too surprised when Drautos chose to get in the van that Nyx was in. Considered it an honor, as much as he had that he had been chosen to begin with.

Each group had two medics, and two snipers, and Nyx sure as hell wasn't one of them. He was alright with a firearm, but not great, and didn't how to use a band-aid hardly, let alone a pair of forceps. Nyx was just there to be brawn, like all the rest, but he excelled at that, thanks a lot. If it was good enough for Drautos, then that was all Nyx needed.

Drautos sat next to him that entire day long ride out to the coast, and the briefing they got in the meanwhile was passable. Passable, barely, but hardly comforting.

Sonitus' group would wire the port with explosives, and Luche's would attempt, under cover of nightfall, to creep up to as many cruisers as possible and wire them up too before they got caught. Blowing them all at once would be ideal, but impossible. Drautos made it clear he'd be happy enough if Luche managed to creep up on even one of the damn things and wire it.

As for Nyx, he would wait in the wings with Drautos, and when the first explosives detonated, they would work on taking out the support ships.

Waiting. One thing Nyx was very bad at.

Sure enough, as soon as Drautos had finished giving his group their orders, Pelna, at Nyx's other side, teased aloud, "You chose Nyx for the group that has to do the most waiting?"

An effort to lighten the mood. Scoffs and weak laughs, but no one really smiled, Drautos least of all. He just stared off out into nothing, and seemed to get lost up in his head.

Come late evening, they arrived at the drop-point.

The smell of the sea, salt heavy on the air. The sound of waves crashing upon the beach. They were high on the cliffs, in the cover of the thick forest, and they were alone here, the ten of them, for who knew how long. They crept up to the edge of the cliff for a vantage point, and when they could see the horizon, the ships were close enough to be visible without binoculars.

At the sight of them, Drautos seemed to wake up, for the first time since word of the armada had come.

Drautos' piercing eyes settled on those Imperial warships, and it was honestly like watching a coeurl find its prey amongst the brush. Swore that Drautos' hair stood on end as hard as he bristled, nostrils flaring and lips parting ever so slightly. So intense, and yet also oddly...excited? Kinda looked a little happy, Drautos, against the somber mood of his men.

So easy to see, Drautos' intent, that Pelna uttered, "The Captain looks pleased."

Drautos, still bristling end to end, never taking his eyes from those ships, just muttered back, in the thin tone of excitement, "I got a real special place in my heart for Imperial battleships."

Obviously.

Really was like watching a cat about to pounce on a mouse, and so Nyx just held back and waited for the show to inevitably start late at night.

For now, they found a safe location and made their dugout and their camp.

The sun lowered on the horizon, opposite the sea, and Nyx glanced over frequently at Drautos, who had stepped upon the edge of the cliff and was watching the moon glinting over the cold ocean. Stood there for hours on end, without saying a word, and didn't return to the group until the moon had suddenly been obscured by a heavy cloud front. He sat down atop a rock close to Nyx, and Nyx watched Drautos turn his gaze up to the trees, close his eyes, and swallow. Couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on up in that man's head.

Night crept on. Everything was still.

Nyx impatiently played the waiting game, as Pelna and Drautos distributed rations. In his boredom, Nyx took to kicking pebbles, and from the glare Drautos sent him it was clear Drautos was about to start kicking Nyx. What the hell else was there to do? They had to lay low, didn't even have any damn phones except the emergency satellite.

Pelna saved the day (and probably Nyx's life) by pulling a deck of cards out of his pocket.

With a little entertainment, time went faster.

Most of them had gone to sleep by the time the very first explosion broke the silence. They all jumped upright, and Drautos returned to the vantage point, this time lying on his stomach as he observed, Nyx right at his side. Flames on the horizon, very far in the distance.

Their earpieces crackled soon after.

Sonitus, uttering, "Captain, the port is destroyed. No docking for these sirens."

Drautos snorted, and then Luche's voice.

"Ready to fire! Take cover, if you're close—"

They ducked back behind the edge of the cliff, just in case, and waited.

From the six extremely powerful explosions that followed, Nyx would say Luche had done a very damn good job of being stealthy. Six out of eleven, when Drautos had expected one or two. Guess Luche was in for another promotion when they got back, the jackass. At this rate, Nyx would soon have to call Luche 'sir', and that would fuckin' suck.

Sure enough, when it was quieter, Drautos uttered, "Hell of a job, men. Luche! You exceeded my expectations."

"Good to hear, sir. Now exceed mine and get back to us alive."

Drautos' strained smile.

"I'll see what I can do."

Time for them to act, at last, and Nyx bristled up as much as Drautos had earlier as he awaited instructions.

The snipers were sent up on high ground to cover, and their job as a whole wasn't too complicated. The ships they were after were support; no heavy artillery to worry about, but machine guns would be an issue. It was simple in theory : the Glaives with better magic would freeze up the sea and create a passage for the rest to reach the ships and destroy them.

Sounded great, but Nyx still felt those jitters when Drautos said, "Nyx. You're with me. Cover me."

"Yes, sir!"

A lot of pressure, to cover the Captain, and when the ice started forming over the water, Nyx waited on Drautos' move.

The sea froze over in patches quite quickly, then to the closest ship, which was encased at the base and lifted a good meter out of the water from the pack-ice suddenly surrounding it. Nyx watched in utter awe, breathless and captivated, as Drautos warped right over to it, appearing and disappearing and jumping across the ice so effortlessly. Nyx was probably better at warping, faster and more graceful, but Drautos made everything seem just a little bit more bad-ass. When the support ship was close enough, Drautos abandoned his daggers and summoned his great sword, Nyx flew in front of him to summon a barrier as the gunfire started, and there were no words ineloquent Nyx knew that could have ever described how astounding it was to see Drautos take that sword and slice right through that ice-locked ship's hull.

The coolest (literally) goddamn thing Nyx had ever seen in his life, and Pelna musta felt the same way because he shouted, as he struggled hard to create more ice, "Captain! You make this look good!"

Drautos, clearly in a very good mood by being able to rage on Imperial ships, called back, "Likewise!"

As much of a compliment as one could usually get from Drautos.

It was always nice, anyway, when Drautos could take his rage out on something that wasn't one of their legs.

As the ice broke up and started dissipating, the ship sank fully back into the sea, and the gash Drautos had created was well below the water line. That thing was takin' on water and fast, and a half hour later or so it was already listing heavily.

They only knocked out four ships that day, and that was more than enough, thanks, because none of them could walk straight by the time they tumbled back onto the beach and made for their cover up beyond the cliffs. They were sheltered from the ship turrets by the cliffs, yes, but they weren't safe from the missile cruisers, all of which hadn't yet been destroyed, and it was only because they were all so mercilessly tired that they slept at all.

Nyx called to the others, on the brink, "Hey, if we get nuked by the Niffs tonight, it was real nice knowin' you guys."

"Thanks," Pelna drawled. "I needed that in my head right now."

Drautos huddled up beneath the dugout earth, and muttered, "Quiet."

They were, because they all fell asleep. But not really in night, because the flames on the sea lit up the horizon like a midnight sun, and kept the sky bright.

They weren't struck by missiles in the night, which Nyx always considered a success.

Dawn broke, as smoke darkened the horizon from the smaller explosions still occurring. Luche and Sonitus, still doing their job fairly well from the look of it. Everyone was tired as hell, but there was no rest for the wicked.

Drautos was the first awake, naturally, and Nyx came to when Drautos' voice came into his earpiece.

"Sonitus, Luche. Report—any men down?"

No one wanted that news if it was bad. Nyx was ever worried about Crowe. But so far so good, as both of them quickly replied in the negative. No man was lost yet, and Nyx breathed a sigh of relief.

Far from over, however.

The ships had pulled back from the shore, now visible from the cliffs only with binoculars, but hadn't yet retreated. Nothing for it; had to go after them. A long, exhausting, hard day of fighting. Five ships down that day, and Luche only had two cruisers left on his end. Nyx collapsed back against a boulder that evening, closed his eyes, and was out like a light.

Restless sleep.

He cracked his eyes open sometime later, when night was well on and the stars were visible in the distance, beyond the orange smoke and fire on the sea. Nyx sat up, looked about, and saw Drautos standing off on the edge of a cliff again, watching the stars.

Nyx pulled himself up, looked around, and saw everyone else sleeping. Everyone except the one man who likely needed it most.

Dutifully, Nyx walked over to Drautos, observed him for a moment, and then rasped, "Take some rest, sir. I'll take the watch."

Drautos glanced over at him, stared at him tiredly, and then just silently turned his eyes back to the sky.

Always seemed to be lost in his head, and Nyx plopped down on the dead grass, observed the cold waves breaking on the beach below, and asked, "What's keepin' you up?"

No 'sir' then, because it was just the two of them, and when it was, Drautos always wanted to be less formal. His fondness for Nyx hadn't ever really been a secret to either of them, though it was to the other Glaives.

A long, heavy silence, and then Drautos sat down next to Nyx, rested folded arms atop his knees, and finally whispered, so softly, "It's past midnight. Hm. It's his birthday. It shouldn't matter to me. But it does, and I don't know why."

Nyx snorted, and teased, quietly, "You got it bad."

Drautos scoffed, and Nyx felt sorry for the man then just because he looked so utterly exhausted but refused to rest.

Another long silence, and then Drautos uttered, "It's different than I expected. I thought I would be immune to such things. It's ridiculous. For the life of me, I can't explain precisely how any of this came to pass. I never wanted it."

Nyx turned his eyes to Drautos, and asked, "Why?"

"It makes me weak."

Nyx imitated Drautos' posture, and offered, "I don't think so. Isn't that what every man wants? Isn't that what we're supposed to be fighting for? So that we can all have that? Being normal men. Getting our homes back, so we can have the chance to fall in love and have families. Thought that was the entire point? Or do you just fight so other people can have that? Why didn't you ever want it for yourself? You deserve it, more than anyone. It doesn't make you weak. Just gives you another reason to fight. I think. I mean... I'd love to find somebody that made me feel that way. Wish I had someone whose birthday I was upset I was missin'."

A very long silence, as Drautos' grey eyes flitted over the dark sea, and then he scoffed, airily, to tease in turn, "That's the most I've ever heard you speak in one sitting. I think lack of sleep is affecting your brain cell."

"Then what's it doing to your brain? Sittin' here thinkin' about a birthday when a missile can drop on us at anytime."

"Careful. I can break your leg out here and pretend it was just the Niffs."

Nyx almost laughed, and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Shortly after, Nyx turned his head to Drautos, and said, more sternly, "Go to sleep, Captain. You're no good to anyone if you fall asleep mid-battle."

That time, Drautos obeyed. Just fell backwards onto the dead grass, closed his eyes, and was out in a second. Nyx watched Drautos sleep, and wondered if he would ever find someone that made him feel that way.

The sound of the waves below.

Dawn steadily broke, as Drautos breathed deeply and evenly.

Not enough rest for anyone, when the silence was shattered by a very loud and very palpable explosion. Drautos shot upright at the waist from that sleep, and Nyx was very certain that he had caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes, in that sleep-shock. Confused. Dazed. That vulnerable feeling of being asleep and then having something startle you awake.

Even Drautos could feel that. Fascinating.

Wondered what had happened in this man's past. Where he had come from. What he had seen. What he had done. All those scars he had.

Nyx calmly watched as Drautos came to consciousness, and begrudgingly stood up and followed Drautos to the other end of the cliff to the observation point. A ball of fire on the eastern horizon, as another Niff ship bit the dust.

Luche had probably gotten little more sleep than Drautos. Running on fumes.

Another awful day began.

Not off to a good start, either. They made it to the beach, started making their icy path back out, managed to fatally wound one ship, and then one of the missile cruiser far in the distance got lucky and the turret managed to fire close enough to them to actually blast them back towards the shore.

One of his more frightening moments.

Ears ringing and dazed, head pounding and knocked senseless. His vision going entirely black for a terrifying, vulnerable moment. When Nyx's vision return, he was lying on his stomach on the beach, mouth full of blood and sand and hearing gone. Sand was jumping up in front of him, and he couldn't figure out why until his hearing and senses came back and he heard the machine gun firing. He rolled onto his back, tried to gather his bearings, looked quickly around, and saw no one else on the beach except for Drautos.

A moment of utter horror.

Drautos lied on his back in the surf, eyes scrunched and brow crinkled, and Nyx crawled over to him in a panic as the sand shot up from the bullets impacting the beach. If they lost the Captain—

When Nyx grabbed Drautos' arm, Drautos gave a great sigh, opened his eyes, and griped, "I ain't dead yet. Get off the beach."

Good to hear!

Nyx hissed, "Now ain't the time for a nap, sir!"

Drautos sat up then at the waist, palms on the ground, soaking wet and back covered in sand, and Nyx was rather breathless when the crazy son of a bitch shouted to the Imperial ship out in the bay, "You guys can't shoot for shit! I'm right here! I'm not even moving!"

As he screeched, soft voice failing him halfway through and breaking because that man's voice was not suited to outright screaming, Drautos angrily slapped seawater towards the ship. Rare to see Drautos so angry, and Nyx couldn't help but bark a laugh, as he grabbed Drautos' arm again and tried to spur him on before one of those panicked sailors actually managed to aim the machine gun right.

With a hiss of annoyance, Drautos summoned his dagger, and they warped the hell off of that beach as quick they could and back into the trees.

As they tumbled into safety, Pelna grabbing Nyx and hauling him farther back, Drautos broke free of the three Glaives trying to help him to his feet, turned once more to the sinking ship, and spat, "If I were their commander, I'd'a drowned them all myself!"

Their earpieces suddenly crackled, and Drautos lifted his hand when Luche's voice came over.

"Sir! The last cruiser is destroyed. But I got a ton of Niffs swimming up to the beach. What do you want me to do?"

Nyx waited, as Drautos stared off at the sea, and seemed to be deep in thought.

With their last friendly surface sinking, the Niffs were risking unfriendly surfaces.

For all of his prior anger, Drautos just crinkled his brow, and finally uttered, "Leave them. They're no threat now. Destroy any MTs you may see, but leave the soldiers alive."

Well—so much for drowning them himself.

"Yes, sir."

Nyx didn't know why Drautos didn't give the order to kill the Niff sailors trying to reach shore, and didn't ask, the way Drautos was staring off as he was.

Always so pensive, that odd man.

They were almost done, so close Nyx could taste it. More than ready to go back to the city.

Just a handful of support ships left, then, and most of them were already turning tail. One carrier lingered, and was creeping back down south.

When Drautos led them up the cliff side to observe, Nyx noticed he was limping. Kept his mouth shut until they reached the top, and when Drautos sat himself down on the closest rock, Nyx snapped his fingers in an effort to quietly snag the attention of one of the medics. It worked, and Nyx just inclined his head in Drautos' direction, as Drautos placed both hands atop his left thigh and seemed to be applying pressure.

The last thing anyone needed was Drautos out of commission.

The Niffs couldn't shoot for shit, but sometimes one lucky bullet was all that was needed.

The medic darted over, followed by the other, and they stood Drautos forcibly up and pulled his pants down far enough to see the wound. Yep—one lucky bullet, right through the thigh. No exit wound. Nyx grimaced when the trauma kit was summoned and the tourniquet and forceps came out.

Couldn't stand the sight of it. Made his stomach churn.

Drautos was unbothered, and didn't wince or flinch once, even when that bullet was pried out of his leg with no medication and the wound was aggressively packed full of gauze. Nyx shook his head to himself, as he remembered why he idolized that man so. An absolute tank. Nothing could take him down, it seemed. May not have been immune to love, but seemed immune to pain.

The day ended, and the next morning that last carrier lingered, too wounded to do more than sort of drift down the coast. An easy target, and easily dispatched.

An hour later, the carrier was sinking, and, at long last, after five awful days, their job was finally done.

Time to go home.

They regrouped at last over the next several hours, and Crowe ran up to Nyx as soon as she saw him and clapped his back. Luche looked like absolute hell, bloody and uniform torn up and hair singed, but alive and well. He swaggered up to Nyx and they clasped hands, jostling and teasing each other. Seeing his friends alive was the best feeling, especially after hell like this.

Nyx was astounded that no single man had been lost.

Drautos would get his box back come tomorrow.

Dusk came. Another bright night, lit up by flames, as the burning ships sinking in the bay cast embers into the sky. Nyx turned his head, and saw Drautos standing off to the side, weight mostly on his right leg and ever silently staring off.

Nyx crept up to him, as the setting sun behind them and the flames on the sea lit up Drautos' auburn hair orange.

At last, after so many years, Nyx gathered up his courage, turned to Drautos, and asked, very quietly, "Where's home, Captain?"

Drautos stared at him, face blank and shoulders slumped. Seemed frozen in time for just a moment, some lost man who didn't know where the hell he had even come from. Dazed and confused. And then an inhale, Drautos lifted his head and turned his eyes to the setting sun. Gathering his bearings, observing the horizon, and then Drautos turned his back towards Insomnia, and raised one arm to point to the already dark north-east.

Nyx followed his hand, to the dark sea.

North.

Insomnia behind, north-east ahead—must have been from the archipelago. Those little northern islands, lost long ago. Nyx could begin to grasp, perhaps, why Drautos so loved burning Imperial battleships. No doubt he had encountered far too many in his youth and was making up for it.

The ships burned away in the bay, steadily sinking under the surf, as black smoke plumes billowed up and turned the sky as orange as Drautos' hair. Embers, floating all around them like fireflies.

Drautos stared, and was ever silent.

That was something that stuck with Nyx for a long while after. Hard to say why; just one of those images that got caught in your head and never went away.

Drautos' hair lit up orange in the setting sun, as he stared off into the north, embers flying all around.

All a man ever really wanted was a home.