Reviews :

twistee the dark : We'll see!

faolan1230 : Ohhh my god I laughed so freaking hard at this! Thank you so much, I really needed that xD

BanannaSammich : TRUEEEE

chuckiboo : I'm glad you're intrigued! And, I'm sorry to say, we won't be seeing much of Beaux. He's much more boisterous than Mara. He has Libby's personality and Ace's charm.

Snake557 : LOL! He definitely is a character, that's for sure. Thank you! I'm glad you like her :D

Lyssdoodle : Thank you! Aw, LOL That guy never really gets mentioned again, he was just a crush. I appreciate your support!

Awesome Stories May Occur : I appreciate your kind words and support. I appreciate that you think the things that are "wrong" with the story don't take away with the other things that you enjoy, that's at least a relief. Are you talking about 18? She's already been introduced into the story, you mean reintrodued sort of as a solid character? I'm glad you remembered her, she's pivotal. Thanks for your patience and your support. As I said in the DM, I'm not in a good headspace right now. It's convoluted and I'm desperately struggling, this story, aside from my marriage, is really the only thing keeping me going, at this moment. Thank you, friend. Much appreciated.


Song Listened To :

Wonder by morgxn


*Chapter 221*

In the warm envelope of Sugar Rush's cozy, summer morning breeze, Rancis marinated in the sound of song birds that greet the sunrise. Having taken the morning off to spend with Wren, Rancis's shoes scuffed the chocolate earth beneath him with a gentle crunch. Dressed lightly with his infamous candy cane swords, he patiently waited for his son to arrive. Instructing the two meet up, via code room teleportation, out in the deeper, steeper areas of the candy cane forest, Rancis pulled out his phone and checked the time, just to double check that he maybe was out here too early. Just as he heaved a heavy, anticipatory sigh and lulled his phone back into his pocket, a nearby spot on the grid buzzed with life, and Wren's figure came to fruition; Rancis grinned as him and Wren finally locked eyes.

"There you are," Rancis blurt with a soft chuckle, he gave his son a loving smile and pat his broad shoulder as he neared; both men were dressed lightly, though prepared for a solid morning of sword wielding lessons and techniques.

"Sorry, I accidentally left my swords at Throttle's and forgot," Wren mumbled as he rubbed his eye and gave his father a sheepish look; Rancis cocked an eyebrow in almost fatherly dismay, though he was purely teasing, "Don't give me that look, I was showing off, okay?"

"We really need to get Throttle out here to join in on the fun," Rancis's deep voice encouraged as he bobbed a nod, and with said lull of camaraderie, both Rancis and Wren fell into step as they embarked on the trail that lead higher up the mountain they had found themselves on. In search of their typical clearing in the woods, a plateau more near the top of this smaller mountain, both men enjoyed the small hike to said location. A way of getting into the right mindset and unwinding with each other before they stepped into a teacher-student role. As the two pressed on, Rancis kindly smiled and looked to Wren, who was on his right, "Y'think he'd be interested? Maybe he could earn some swords."

"Yeah, he'd be interested," Wren stated thoughtfully with a nod, Rancis noticed Wren's gorgeous, handcrafted, jade candy rock swords tidily strapped to his back, clean weapons that Wren very clearly loved and cared for, and although Wren was caught up in touring and musical business as of late, Rancis looked forward and was thrilled that Wren had taken time out to educate his own swap mate about the things he truly cared about. Wren inhaled a deep breath as both men peered forward on their path, all laden with foggy sunshine that filtered through the candy cane's higher, thinner canopies, "He was more fascinated about the material of my sword... He was sure it'd all just crumple upon impact."

"Y'tell him the jade candy rocks are amongst Sugar Rush's strongest materials?" Rancis mumbled cutely, Wren bobbed a nod and grinned.

"Yep, gave him a good demonstration," Wren encouraged, "He was blown away."

"Next time, bring him along," Rancis chimed warmly, their shoes equally crunched dry leaves along their incline of a trail, one of which that easily weaved up the side of the mountain, an easy-going hike that they enjoyed.

Rancis felt his heart jolt into a few different emotions that quickly sprung up, reminding him of the massive iceberg underneath the icy waters of his emotions. He furrowed his eyebrows and was swiftly reminded of the conversation he had previously had with Tessa, Penny, Ace and Mara a few days ago. He bit his lip in the silence both men fell into and wondered if it'd be too forward of him to ask Wren the dreaded question about having children, a selfish desire that Rancis was eager for, and although he knew it to be something that was entirely not his business, he looked down to his feet and knew he at least could politely inquire about it. He knew whatever reaction he got out of Wren, he'd respect it, and either run with it if encouraged or drop it if otherwise. Rancis knew it wasn't something so easy to bring up, such a delicate situation required very slowly stepping into. He pondered his thoughts and wondered just how he could slip into something like that, though he knew it wasn't impossible; well aware Wren wasn't entirely an open book, he felt his heart surge with nervousness.

"I will, he mentioned coming today, but..." Wren huffed a chuckle and bobbed a nod, "He assumed we'd just want our alone time."

"That was nice of him, I DO value our time together," Rancis's deep voice pressed to Wren in fatherly delight, he pat Wren's shoulder and bobbed a nod, "We should plan for next time. Y'got that crazy show tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, holy crap," Wren bugged his eyes and breathed a laugh as they continued on to their destination, which they knew was almost upon them, "We're heading out to Arcadia tonight. I'm nervous all over again."

"Well, you guys killed it last time, I'm sure this time will be no different," Rancis encouraged.

"You coming, right?" Wren innocently wondered as he eased his gaze up to his father's, Rancis wrinkled his nose and shot Wren an incredulous look.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Wren, and neither would your mother, Penny or Orph," Rancis choked a small laugh and shook his head, "I'm only your father, y'know. Everyone else's dads will be there. What kind of an idiot would I be if I didn't attend your show?"

"Sorry, I know," Wren mumbled cutely as he rubbed his jaw in shyness, to which Rancis eased a happier laugh and lulled his arm about the tops of Wren's shoulders so to squeeze him into a cute, stumbling side hug.

"I'm proud of you," Rancis concluded as he was able to manage sneaking a small kiss to the top of Wren's head. He inhaled a revived breath, unhanded Wren softly and eased about a steeper corner of their hike as they pressed within a hundred yards of their destination, "You been practicing at all? Outside of showing Throttle a few things?"

"This week has been easier to do so, yeah," Wren said with an honest nod, "Prior, though... All that touring. I really missed this."

"I missed it too, I can come out here, by myself, all day long, but..." Rancis shook his head and heaved a soft chuckle as they approached their sunny clearing, full of candy trees that were cut up with scrapes and files of sword marks, a loved area by the Fluggerbutter and Kalivar family, "Penny and Orph sometimes join me, but Orph has his whips. Bit different than swords."

"You can count on me to come out here as much as I can, dad," Wren mumbled sleepily, though he gave Rancis a kind smile and rubbed his eye, "Can't guarantee it all the time, but... I love it, nonetheless."

Rancis smiled and peered into Wren's lovely eyes, a sweet soul so full of sunshine and warmth, a coy, secretive being that gave you the feeling of being in a constant state of reading a story's climax, as if just one more turned page would be the last of it, only to find out it carried on for much longer. A feeling Rancis knew everyone craved about Wren, he almost choked a small laugh and was beside himself that this little ball of sunshine was his own creation. Realizing he was likely peering to Wren for too long, now, Wren shrugged his shoulders in soft confusion as both men came to a gentle, scuffing halt at the mouth of their lovely, misty, enchanting clearing.

"Dad, y'okay?" Wren wondered lightly as he peered his curious, child-like eyes tight to his father's, and it was here did Rancis furrow his eyebrows and understand that he probably couldn't be so subtle with his desires, here, with the way his heart was so blatantly on his sleeve.

"I'm okay, I just... Have been thinking lately," Rancis mumbled, he rubbed the back of his head and now understood that he was vulnerable here, vulnerable to scrutiny, available for judgement and ran the risk of pushing Wren away. Rancis breathed a shaky breath and looked out into their lovely clearing, he knew he had to just be brave and let Wren know what had been weighing on his heart, "I really don't know how to ask you this, because... It's kind of personal, and convoluted."

"... You're freaking me out, what's wrong," Wren muttered now in hot concern, Rancis grinned and flagged his hand.

"No, no, nothing's wrong, I just..." Rancis peered into Wren's eyes and almost grew sore with bittersweet nostalgia; the adorable little boy peering back at him was now an incredibly handsome adult, one with a swap mate, a career, his own interests and his own goals, Rancis sagged and wondered just when he had grown so incredibly soft past the point of normal softness; a gooey goop he had melted into that now had no structure, something he was certain having children could only do to a rigid soul.

"Are you and mom okay?" Wren suddenly worried, to which Rancis rolled his eyes and grinned in smiling, teasing dismay.

"Oh we're fine, you don't have to worry about us," Rancis mumbled in shy delight, though he shook his head and gave Wren a sweet smile, "I have to be honest with you. I'm kind of having baby fever."

Wren's eyes and whole demeanor suddenly lifted from the dead in a slow gradient of a slope to a stiff, clenched-fist show of unmitigated excitement.

"DAD," Wren gasped with a grin, "Are you and mom trying?"

"No, not even! She won't come near me with a ten foot pole!" Rancis barked a laugh, to which Wren deflated in their cute laughing fit.

"What the heck," Wren choked, Rancis wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and sighed in smiling relief, "Sorry, dad... Maybe bug Penny."

"I already did," Rancis cocked an eyebrow and softly peered his now knowing eye contact tight to Wren, and though Wren opened his mouth in the to-be delivered conclusion of cutely giving up hope, Wren snapped his mouth shut and peered into his father's eyes in coy, surprised delight.

"... Have you bugged Wren about it yet?" Wren wondered in dry nonchalance, though the sentiment behind his words had Rancis's soul lifting from the dead.

"Not yet, I've been too nervous," Rancis muttered as both boys fell into a synchronicity of sarcasm, a language they both tightly understood, in this instance.

"You should ask him, what's the harm?" Wren eased with a shrug as he cutely smiled into his father's eyes, "What do you think he'd say?"

"I'm sure he'd be freaked out, I mean the idea of it isn't something normally accomplished," Rancis crossed his arms, much enjoying how this was all unfolding, he gave Wren a cute side-eye and grinned in fatherly warmth, "You think he'd be open to the conversation?"

"Yeah, I'm positive he would be," Wren cutely delivered with a nod, he eased a soft chuckle and gestured to his own chest, "Dad, you can be honest with me. I'm not going to bite your head off."

"Yeah, I thought the same with Penny," Rancis mumbled as his eyes aimlessly looked off in defeat.

"Dad, it's because you KEPT bugging Penny about something that she doesn't want right now," Wren gently ushered, "I mean, it's not something Throttle and I want immediately, right now, anyways, but... I mean, Throttle was the one to bring it up, first."

"... Seriously? Why does that shock me?" Rancis narrowed his gaze with a cute, interested smile, Wren blurt a laugh and shrugged.

"It shocked me too, but... The guy's been a professor for his whole life, he loves to teach," Wren's sparkling eyes peered to Rancis's in true warmth as he narrowed his gaze and gave his father a knowing look of cute conclusion, "Isn't that what being a good dad is all about?"

Rancis huffed a small laugh, bobbed a nod and urgently looked away from Wren's eyes; he knew had he stared into his loving eyes for a moment longer, he'd burst into tears. Rancis rubbed his forehead, cleared his throat and felt his voice shake as his messy grin did everything to hold it all together.

"For User's sakes, why am I so emotional over this?" Rancis huffed shakily, to which Wren shrugged and took a small step of showed camaraderie closer to his father.

"Because this is your future grandchildren we're talking about, I mean... Surely that's insanely special," Wren encouraged gently, he tilted his head and peered into Rancis's glassy eyes, eyes he tried to hide but finally gave up in doing so, "Bottom line, you'll have more luck with Throttle and I. Berri told me all about how it's done, between two guys. Another cool thing is we BOTH would get to sport loading bars, and we can pick where it goes."

"You should put it on your forehead," Rancis blurt, both boys suddenly fell into soft, teasing laughter with one another.

"I was thinking maybe my inner forearm or somewhere NORMAL?" Wren retort, to which Rancis bobbed a nod and heaved a shaky breath.

"Thanks, son, this... Satiates me," Rancis smiled, to which Wren tilted his head further and allowed their tender intimacy to continue.

"We're not thinking about it any time way too soon, I... Think we'd want to be married first, and get touring out of the way, but," Wren trailed off and gave Rancis an encouraging smile, "You already are an awesome dad. Whatever kids either me or Penny give you, you'd be the best grandpa ever."

"Against Wreck-It Ralph, yeah right," Rancis rolled his eyes and playfully looked off, to which Wren firmly nudged Rancis's upper arm, "Whose Rancis Fluggerbutter?"

"Stop it, you'd be the best and you know it," Wren muttered, he pointed to Rancis and, although he began to step closer to the mouth of their clearing, he walked backwards so to continue their tender conversing, "Let Throttle and I get married first, and... Shortly after, we can discuss it. Does that make you feel better?"

"Yeah, I'll lay off the bugging, now," Rancis cutely mumbled as he began to draw his swords, the sharp metal eased out of the sheaths with the slicing noise that could simply slice the atmosphere clean in half.

"No you won't, and you know it," Wren choked with an incredulous laugh as he, too, revealed his own long words; Rancis shrugged and bobbed a nod of agreeing as both men stepped into the center of their sunny clearing.

"Yeah, you're not wrong," Rancis concluded with a cheeky grin.