DAMN, MAN! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I'VE SLAVED OVER THIS CHAPTER! It's seriously one of my longest yet, twelve pages on Word. Twelve! The highest must have been ten, but twelve? Damn, son! Anyways, sorry this chapter was a bit late (and sorry that it's long if you guys don't like long). I had a lot on my plate and couldn't find the time to write it. I actually stayed up a night when I shouldn't have in an attempt to finish this (did not work out). Still at the very least I managed to finish it, so hurray for that! :D Chapter 5 might also take a while in warning, but I will finish this story. You can be sure of that.

Anyways, we last left off with Marth agreeing to Link's request to watch Pit. So how did the babysitting day turn out? Hope you guys enjoy, especially you, Paradigm!

That Invisible Door Somewhere

It was a lie. Marth's to-do list on that specific day had the most out of all his days. He had two lectures to attend and work right after. Knowing his job, somebody probably ditched that day to force Marth into doing more than he was required for his normal wages. Even then he wouldn't get any compensation for his extra work. And if Marth chose to really remember that mental list of his, he also had a few midterms that he should be studying for.

So what was he doing at six-forty in the morning heading down 64th Avenue? Why, Marth was simply keeping his promise of watching Pit to Link of course. Did he need any other good reason? Meta would have answered with a scolding yes and a lecture on priorities. And Marth would have answered back with a shrugging no. In all honesty, Marth knew that he shouldn't have told Link that he was able to watch Pit today. However he could not help himself. When he found a chance to break his initial promise to Link with the older man's consent, he simply had to take it. After meeting Pit, there was no way Marth could let him go. It was a strange sensation, he admitted to himself, one that he hadn't experienced before. It was almost as if he never wanted to leave the boy's side…there was something about Pit that just drew him in. Maybe that's why Marth wanted to meet up with the boy again. To find out exactly what was happening to him. He already solved the mystery of the bubble blower. Now he had to determine the reason for this strange wanting.

Despite that thought, Marth doubted that was the true purpose of his seeing Pit again.

When Marth knocked, it took a while for Link to open the door. Marth hid a grin at the surprised look at the older man's face. The student could clearly see from Link's rumpled attire that he had just gotten into the groove of his morning rituals. Second thoughts stabbed at the green-clad man to reconsider, but Link quickly shook those thoughts away. "You're here pretty early," he commented, an eyebrow raised.

Marth shrugged in response, "I didn't want to be late." Link thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. Granted he himself wouldn't be able to wake up as early as the younger man for a simple enough request such as the one he asked him to do, but he truly appreciated Marth's dedication to the bubble blower known as Pit. Link stopped that thought. Now that he pondered about it, he was slightly creeped out by it more than he appreciated it. Who showed this much enthusiasm to a person they just met? The man couldn't fathom why Marth spent so much of his time in an attempt to see the bubbles and their maker. Still, at least the young man simply stood by instead of actually breaking into their house. Link opened the door wider to admit the college student inside. Marth stepped in, this time without the hesitation that he first came in with yesterday.

Link closed the door behind him. "You can go ahead and sit in the living room," he muttered as he quickly stepped into the kitchen. Marth nodded his head in acknowledgement. The college student moved into the familiar room. Spotting the couch, Marth sat in the same spot as he did yesterday. The only thing that was missing was Pit standing at the stairway and the awkwardness between Marth and Link.

The house retained its usual silence. It was as quiet as it was yesterday. Though supposedly soothing, Marth found it slightly eerie. It was as if there was no life at all to occupy the place despite the presence of the family. The morning light reached in through slight slits, lightening the gray area just a bit. The house still looked a bit gloomy though. Marth shook off that forbidding sensation as he leaned back in a more comfortable position. His mind wandered at what the day had in store for him. After Link left, Marth would probably have to get Pit to school and pick him up afterwards. Probably make sure that the boy finished his homework before he was allowed to play any games or such. The college student wondered briefly where Pit went to school before dismissing that thought as he was sure Link would tell him later. His mind then went back to thinking about what they would do the rest of the day. Though he wished to simply watch the boy blow his bubbles, Marth was sure that if they did that whole day, Pit would be bored. Maybe he should think up of activities for them to do? Or perhaps Pit simply wanted to be left alone. Considering his age, it would make sense that Pit wouldn't want to do anything with his "babysitter". For some reason Marth hoped that wasn't true.

After a few minutes Link stepped into the living room. At the sight of the older man Marth straightened up in attention. He watched Link shake out a brown jacket to wear it. While pulling his arms through the sleeves, the older man said:

"Pit's still sleeping upstairs. His room's the one on the right. There's leftover spaghetti in the fridge and a variety of other things. Help yourself to anything in there for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, Pit always has his butter spread in a picture or something on his toast. Nothing too fancy. A star would suffice. I don't want him watching too much TV but an hour of it is fine. And don't let him blow his bubbles inside. His bedtime's at nine thirty. Make sure he's in bed by then. If you have any trouble with him or questions, my number's at the phone."

Marth listened carefully to everything Link told him, storing it away safely in his mind for the near future. When the man finished his rules and his dressing, the college student frowned. Something strange stood out to him.

"His school?"

"What?"

"Pit's school. Where does he go for school?"

At that question, Link shook his head solemnly, "Pit doesn't go to school." The quizzical look was clear on the student's face, yet either Link didn't see or he chose to ignore it. He quickly disappeared into the foyer for his shoes. Marth blinked in surprise at the news. The boy looked younger than him, about high-school age, yet why didn't he go to school? Marth stood up from his spot and walked to the foyer. He saw Link finish forcing his feet into his shoes. His curiosity urged him to ask the reasoning for why Pit didn't go to school, yet something held him back. He simply stood by and stared for Link to finish. When he did so, the older man then straightened and opened the door to step outside into the chilly wind. However before he left, Link turned around to fix a critical eye on Marth. "Also…Pit is not allowed outside. No excuses. No exceptions. I don't want to hear any of it."

The door cut Marth away from the outside world before he could stop it. Link's last statement surprised him so much that he stood in the same spot for the longest time. It was only until a branch from the outside hit the side of the house did Marth snap out of his confusion. The college student looked around as if he had been startled awake. The house was as silent as ever, making Marth question what Pit's life was like without school to occupy him. Although he knew that he himself could simply sit around all day doing absolutely nothing productive at all, Marth found himself hoping that Pit's life didn't reflect his own.

Speaking of the boy, Marth debated whether he should go on upstairs to wake him up or let him be. The college student returned to the living room, the question still in his head. The room clock told him that seven o two marked the time. Since the boy didn't have to go to school, Marth felt no need to wake him up so early. He would allow Pit to sleep for as long as he wanted to. In the meantime perhaps he would sit back on the couch to contemplate about whatever stole his mind at the moment. Should he hear the sounds of Pit getting up, then Marth would make breakfast for the boy. As a result the college student ended up simulating a usual afternoon at his own place. He entertained himself slightly with the notion of how his butt print already marked how long he stayed in the same spot on the sofa. He spent the passing minutes staring at the seconds' hand of the mini-grandfather clock hanging on the wall. The clock chimed seven times once the hands clicked in place.

It took until seven thirty did Marth hear the creaking of a door opening carefully. The young man sprung up from his seat a bit more vigorously than he would have liked. He headed towards and upwards the stairs. His way lacked light for a few moments until he reached the top. Light streamed in from an open door amidst the row of closed doors. There Marth smiled slightly at the sight of Pit stumbling towards the bathroom just a little way down his room. The boy's shirt displayed rumbled signs of sleep along with his more-than-usual messy hair. His grogginess prevented his sixth sense from notifying him of the person observing him from behind. When Pit closed the door, Marth started back downstairs. Instead of returning to the couch, he headed into the kitchen this time to prepare breakfast for the little guy.

The college student grabbed the bag of bread and a pack of butter from the fridge. He stared inside the fridge for a brief moment before closing the door. Their refrigerator held some interesting ingredients, and he was sure he would be able to make a good dinner for them. He looked over at the counter briskly to ensure that there was a rice cooker for him. Taking out two pieces, Marth placed them into the toaster oven. One twist of the hand got the machine heating. He left the bread be to locate the dishes and utensils' whereabouts. It took a while but he managed to find them without turning the kitchen upside down. In the process he also checked inside the rice cooker frowning when there was nothing inside. He'd do something about that, he decided. After setting the plate down close to the toaster oven, Marth searched the kitchen again for the rice bag. He found it and scooped up one and a half cups of rice. He set out to washing the rice thoroughly but not before he checked on the bread and turned them to toast their other side. He finished up with washing the rice but didn't start the machine even after putting the container back in. The blunette exhaled slightly through his nose when everything was good and done. He leaned against the counter, his eyes trained on the toaster oven.

Marth turned to look at where he thought he heard a slight squeak coming from it. Pit's white fingers peeked from the doorway along with a portion of his face. The curiosity was clear in the boy's eyes. The sight of the boy reminded Marth of Link's instructions, along with the questions that plagued him. However he buried his curiosity for the moment. Now was not the time for him to ask assault the poor boy with his questions. The college student straightened up from his relaxed position. He smiled slightly in hopes of keeping the boy here and not scare him off. "Hey, Pit," he said softly.

Pit's fingers regained their colors as the boy stepped clear from the door a bit hesitantly. "Hi, Marth…it's…good to see you again…" he said shyly, his hands writhing together behind his back.

"It's good to see you too." A slight ding notified Marth that Pit's bread was done. The blunette carefully pulled the bread out onto the plate. He set the breakfast where Pit sat yesterday. Taking the butter knife, Marth proceeded to spread the butter on the hot bread. He remembered Link's instructions at the last minute and drew a star on the food. He returned the bread to the plate before grabbing the next one. Pit finally moved again, this time to actually take his seat. His eyes lit up at the sight of the yellow star contrasting the warm brown of the grain. Marth smiled slightly when Pit bit into his breakfast. The boy made sounds of delight as he continued to scarf down his food. When he was done with the first piece, Marth finished his next drawing. The college student placed the bread in front of him. Pit looked at it joyfully before his expression changed to one of confusion. He tilted his head to the side as he examined the butter etched on his breakfast. He could make out a head along with what seemed to be a dress. However there were two appendages too big to be arms sticking out from it along with something on top of the head. After much deliberation, the boy turned to his babysitter.

"What is it?"

"It's a picture of an angel," Marth explained. He pointed towards appendages. "These are the wings, and here's the halo." His finger moved to the object above the angel's head. Upon closer examination, Pit could now see what Marth went for. Yet his confusion lingered for a moment longer. The boy switched his attention from the angel to the blunette. He blinked.

"What's an angel?"

Marth raised his eyebrow a fraction at Pit's lack of knowledge but he quickly got his expression back under control. Did the boy really not know what an angel was? Perhaps Marth shouldn't be so quick to judge. "An angel is usually a human with wings who serves God," the college student explained. "They have these round things called halos that shine like the sun. It's one of the things that show that they're an angel." From Marth's clear explanation, Pit's confusion cleared away to excitement.

"Dad never drew me things like this! It's really pretty, Marth!" Pit acclaimed. A warm feeling rose in the college student's chest. He enjoyed the look of innocent joy on the younger boy's face. He leaned forward with an encouraging smile.

"Go on and eat it."

"I almost don't want to…will you draw it again?"

"If you want me to, sure."

Once he was sure that he had Marth's promise, Pit carefully ate his breakfast, saving the parts with the butter angel for last. After he finished the last piece of the halo, he smiled shyly at Marth. "Thank you again."

"It's no problem," Marth took the plate and placed it into the sink. He was about to wash it when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Pit reaching for the plate.

"I can do it."

Before he even finished the sentence, Marth was already shaking his head. He moved the slightly dirty plate far from Pit's reach. He hid a smile at Pit's crestfallen face. "It's fine, Pit. It's not that dirty anyways. Go ahead and play." The boy faltered slightly. He wasn't used to somebody doing his chores for him. He always did the dishes after every meal, and it felt strange not to feel the water splashing over his hands to help him clean. However he didn't want to possibly make Marth angry so he backed away. Yet he still stood there, waiting for Marth to finish with the cleaning. When the college student did, he looked at Pit curiously. The boy seemed at a lost of what to do, and so was he, in all honesty. Again Marth questioned what occupied most of Pit's time considering how school didn't distract him. After much consideration, he decided the best way to solve that was to simply ask.

"So, what do you want to do, Pit?"

The younger boy blinked in surprise before looking towards the ground. He shuffled his feet timidly, his hands behind his back once again. "I don't know…" he mumbled. Marth frowned slightly but quickly cleared his expression before the boy could see it. Although Pit seemed to be a bit more comfortable with him, it was still clear that the boy's nerves shook him and stopped him from warming up to Marth even more. If he wanted Pit to relax in his presence, the blunette knew he would have to continue to be slow and gentle with him. From what he saw, it was slightly similar to stranger anxiety.

Seeing how Pit still hesitated, Marth tried a different tact, "What do you usually do? I'm happy with anything."

Pit looked up briefly. Marth's warmth was short-lived as the boy turned to the ground for comfort once again. "…" Marth heard him mumble. The college student frowned.

"Can you speak up, please?" he asked gently. From his high position, Marth saw Pit's ears flushing with red. After what seemed like hours to one of them, Pit finally gathered his courage. He looked up with pleading eyes.

"Can you tell me a story?"

Marth blinked. Out of all the possible answers Pit could have given him, that wasn't something he expected. Despite his initial surprise, Marth quickly recomposed himself. He smiled at the boy, "Of course." Ah, those sapphire eyes were shining with joy again. He could feel his heart beating faster simply from staring into Pit's eyes. It made him want to widen his smile. The college student gently pushed Pit towards the living room, the younger boy following willingly. Pit plopped on the couch quickly, almost bouncing up and down with excitement. Marth settled in his usual spot and made himself comfortable. He turned to see the ocean depths staring at him expectantly. "What kind of story do you like?" Marth asked.

"Can…can you tell me a good story?" Pit replied, his eyes wide. Marth raised an eyebrow. That…really wasn't much for him to go off on. One thing's for sure, he shouldn't even tread into the horror genre. The blunette crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. He could still feel those eyes on him as he searched his mind for an appropriate story. Exactly what kind of story did he have? He figured that Pit wouldn't be at all interested in his own life. Besides, Marth's life was absolutely boring. Perhaps some history? Naw, Pit's interest didn't seem to overlap in that area either. After running through some more ideas, he thought back to how excited Pit was to see the angel on his toast. Perhaps the boy wanted a new story. Marth wasn't sure whether Pit knew about the classic tales such as Snow White and Cinderella. Despite the slim chance that he didn't know, Marth decided to spin his own story.

"…all right. I have one," Marth cleared his throat.

"Are you okay?" Pit asked suddenly. The young man looked at the boy in surprise. His question sounded genuine as his eyes were wide with fear.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"It's…it's just that you made the same sound as Dad does whenever he's sick," Pit muttered worriedly. "I thought you might be getting sick."

Marth furrowed his brow before stepping into Pit's shoes. He had to admit the clearing of his throat did sound like a cough, but the boy should have known the difference, right? Besides, coughing didn't always mean an illness. It was simply the body's way of clearing the way to breathe. Nothing bad about it. "I was just clearing my throat. I'm not getting sick, so don't worry about it," Marth explained. Pit's eyes slowly returned to their normal size as he took that information in. After a moment's hesitation, the boy finally nodded.

"Okay…"

The blunette smiled reassuringly, "It's absolutely fine, Pit. Now let's get on with that story…in a time far from our own, there lived a magnificent being. He was taller than Mount Everest…"

"What's Mount Everest?" Pit asked.

Marth resisted the urge raise another eyebrow. Did the boy not know about the highest mountain of their planet? Apparently, if he was asking Marth about it. Despite his wonderment at Pit's lack of knowledge, Marth answered gently, "Mount Everest is the highest mountain around here, nearing twenty nine thousand twenty nine feet above sea level."

"Is…is that high?"

"Very. Some people managed to climb it though."

Pit's eyes went wide again, this time with amazement, "They did? That's amazing!"

The college student nodded. "They became quite famous for it."

"Can you tell me that story?"

"Which story do you want to hear then?" a teasing smile played on Marth's lips. At that question the boy reared back in surprise. His eyes sliding away from Marth's gaze, Pit bit his lip in thought as he twisted his T-shirt slightly.

"Can…can you tell me both of them?" the boy finally asked in a quivering voice. He didn't lift his head to meet Marth's face. He started slightly when he felt a hand pat his head. The touch prompted him to look up. Marth's cerulean eyes, a tad shade darker than his own, greeted him warmth.

"Of course I can. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"…can you tell me about the people who climbed Mount Everest?"

"Certainly. Many people attempted to climb Mount Everest. Most…" Marth paused on the verge of saying the truth. He quickly revised it, "don't succeed in climbing it. The first people to ever make it were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, nicknamed Nana and Popo by their companions." From there he continued to tell Pit the tale of the first successful expedition for Mount Everest's submit. The boy listened, eyes wide in awe. More than once in a while, he would chime in with a question that Marth patiently answered each time. Pit's questions soon diverged their attention from Mount Everest to snow, the four seasons, a myth how they came to be, and other tales. The time passed quickly for both of them, and Marth realized belatedly how Pit still haven't had lunch yet. It was only until their stomachs growl did they leave the couch to head into the kitchen.

Marth quickly grabbed the leftover spaghetti to serve as their lunch. As he prepared the spaghetti sauce and noodles, Pit set about getting the bowls and forks. In the middle of preparation, Marth started to cook the rice. "For dinner," he told a questioning Pit. Soon they found themselves facing each other with their own lunch in front of them. Their mouths, occupied with spaghetti, allowed no conversations to be passed. That was fine with Marth for the time being as his mind was spinning.

The questions that Pit asked him throughout the morning made him inquire once again about the boy's life. The answers to Pit's curiosity were usually something any normal person would know, such as Mount Everest being the highest mountain, or animals having the inability to speak their language. There were even times when he had asked Marth the meaning of certain words. Judging the boy's age through his appearance, Pit should have known those basic things. Why wouldn't he then? And why didn't he attend school like the other kids? It didn't make any sense as Marth could clearly see how much Link loved his son. Perhaps that was the reason for his refusal to allow the boy to go to class? The temptation to ask Pit those questions resurfaced, yet Marth quelled it once again.

"I never knew people could do those things," Pit finally muttered. Marth blinked, his eyes refocusing on the boy in front of him. There was an expression on his face that the blunette couldn't really describe. It seemed to mix awe with joy, satisfaction, and sorrow into one. Pit twirled his fork to scoop up the last of his noodles.

"People can do amazing things," Marth commented. It was true. They could do amazing things, but they were also prone to stupid things as well.

"Can I do that too?" the boy asked, the hope clear in his voice. Despite himself, Marth couldn't help but smile at the hopeful boy.

"I believe you can." The light in Pit's eyes brightened for a moment from the support before dimming from an unknown source. He slumped in his chair, his last noodles still uneaten. Marth's smile also faltered at the sudden loss of hope from the boy. "Pit? What's wrong?" he inquired worriedly.

"…Dad won't let me. It's too dangerous outside," Pit whispered.

At the answer, Marth leaned back in surprise. Did Pit really believe that the outside world was a dangerous place? What made him think of such a thing? The memory of Link warning Marth not to let his son outside struck the college student once again. Perhaps it was the boy's father who discouraged Pit from leaving the house. Marth wondered briefly whether he could convince Pit that it was a lie, that despite the dangers the outside world could be welcoming as well.

"Have you…ever been outside before?" the question was out before Marth could stop it. Surprise reflected on both faces. However, on one of those faces, fear mixed in clearly.

Pit shook his head frantically. "No. It's too dangerous."

Although Marth's expression simply changed to wipe away the surprise, inside was a different story. His heart beating rapidly, his mind racing, the college student sat quietly to take it what he had just learned. Pit…had never stepped foot outside of his house. The boy never left this house. He feared what the outside would do to him. Yet thinking back to how he hung onto every word Marth spoke, the blunette never would have guessed that the very idea of stepping outside terrorized Pit. The boy showed a natural curiosity and a requisite to learn more about what petrified him. Perhaps that had to do with how what scared people captivated their attention much like how somebody wouldn't be able to tear their eyes away from a horrid sighting. This new knowledge explained to Marth the very reason why Pit knew less things than an average third-grader. The babysitter suddenly felt the desire to simply take the boy's hand and lead him outside to show that he had nothing to fear. It was slightly ironic, considering Marth's own views with the world. He could care less about it, yet the boy in front of him feared it so. Marth didn't want Pit to be trapped by that.

And he was about to give into that temptation, until his mind reminded him of Link's instructions. "Pit is not allowed outside. No excuses. No exceptions." The memory of the father's stern face stopped him just in time. Should he have done it, Link may have forbid the young man from seeing his son ever again, this time permanently. Marth didn't want to risk that. No, he couldn't risk that. Now that he thought about it again, if he had pushed Pit head-first outside, the boy would undoubtedly be scarred for life. No, now was not the right time.

"I see," Marth simply said. The college student grabbed his empty bowl and moved towards the sink. He heard a slight cry of sorrow the moment he moved yet he didn't turn around. It was only when he felt something tackle his back did he crane his head to look.

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!" Pit cried in Marth's shirt. The boy's short arms wrapped around the bigger body in a tight hug. The blunette tightened his lips not in aggravation but in wonderment of how he would get out of this situation. Pit had trapped him at the sink and it was slightly awkward for Marth to stand like this. He held up his hands to twist his body around. When he felt the older person move, Pit looked up. It broke Marth's heart to see tears gathering at the corner of the boy's eyes.

Yet for the life of him, he couldn't fathom what made Pit start to cry.

"Why would I be mad at you?" the astonishment was clear in Marth's tone and eyes as he asked that question.

"You're…you're not mad?"

"I couldn't get mad at you," Marth said truthfully, smiling gently. Feeling that his smile was not enough to reassure the boy, he patted Pit's soft head tenderly. The touch seemed to soothe Pit as his sniffles lessoned.

"R-really?"

"Really. Now why don't you bring your bowl over so we can clean it? I'll tell you more stories when we're done."

Marth's proposal sounded very appealing to Pit, yet he still hesitated slightly. Although his babysitter did say that he wasn't mad, Pit still wasn't sure. It was only until Marth pushed Pit towards the table as a hint did the boy finally move. He grabbed his own bowl and placed it into the sink. This time Marth allowed Pit to help him with the dishwashing. They finished that chore quickly, allowing them to head into the living room for another session of story time. Marth spent the rest of the day telling Pit multiple fairy tales. Some of the more popular ones, the boy knew. Thankfully Marth remembered a couple of stories from an old childhood book he still kept today. He enjoyed Pit's enraptured attention and the way his eyes widened in awe. Similarly to their earlier session, Pit asked multiple questions concerning not only the context of the tales but also their history. His babysitter happily answered all of them. For certain parts of his anecdotes, Marth also drew out some of the things he described so that Pit could visualize them better. The discovery of Marth's art led to Pit begging the college student to teach him how to draw as he did. Marth had ruffled Pit's hair and made his promise. He always felt a flush of satisfaction whenever he saw that blissful twinkle in the boy's eyes. He liked how he was able to introduce Pit to so many new things that were far from the boy's imagination. Marth found himself wishing that the day would never end.

Of course, a wish like that could not be granted as evening fell. From the corner of his eye, Marth saw the streaks of orange and pink that signaled the amount of time that had passed. It was time for dinner, and Marth remembered about his plan for it. He ended his tale of Rapunzel on a happy note of her marriage before standing up from the couch. Pit also straightened up, shooting his babysitter a mostly questioning and slightly disappointed look.

"It's time for dinner, Pit," Marth answered the silent question. He strolled into the kitchen. Quiet pitter-patter alerted him of Pit's presence behind him.

"What are we having?" the boy asked curiously. He remembered how they had finished the spaghetti from yesterday and knew that that wasn't an option. "Is Dad going to joining us?"

"Sorry, but your father's going to be late coming home tonight," the college student replied as he opened the fridge for the third time that day. "I'm going to make something nice for all of us." Grabbing all the necessary ingredients without a blink of an eye, Marth closed the door and headed towards some of the cupboards to get other items. Pit watched with his head tilted to the side at the assortment of different foodstuffs Marth placed on the counter. "Pit." At the sound of his name, said boy jumped. "Can you wash these for me?" Marth handed him two stalks of broccoli and an onion. Pit nodded, excited that he would be able to help. He usually stayed out of the way while his dad made dinner. His only use in the kitchen was to set up the table. The boy hurried over to the sink while Marth worked on the beef with cornstarch, water, and garlic powder. Soon afterwards, Marth had the beef over a stove. He was still cooking it when Pit held the washed broccoli and onion towards him.

"I'm done with the washing!" he said happily.

Marth couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Pit. Could you go and stir the rice a bit?" Pit nodded. He grabbed the rice scooper and headed towards the cooker. Marth himself set out to cut the broccoli and onion to stir-fry them. His hands moved in a blur, the vegetables soon in the desired pieces. The college student added them to skillet for another four to five minutes. He returned the beef to the stove along with a few new seasonings. "You can go ahead and scoop out bowls of rice for us, Pit," Marth said, mixing the beef and broccoli together. The boy nodded obediently. Now he was back to his usual job. Pit didn't mind, especially with dinner so close to finishing. His mouth salivated simply from the wafting aroma of Marth's skillet. When he deemed that the main course was ready, Marth turned off the heat. He took the skillet off the stove to pour a portion on their rice for both of them, ensuring that there was a decent amount left Link in case the older man was hungry. As he went to return the skillet, Pit sat down. He fidgeted slightly, his eyes trained on the bowl in front of him. It didn't help that the food smelled absolutely delicious and listening to Marth's stories made him hungry. Yet despite the boy's obvious hunger, Marth was impressed to see Pit showing such restraint. It was only until Marth was seated and picked up his spoon did Pit dig in.

For the thousandth time that day, Pit's eyes widened. "This is delicious!" he shouted as he scarfed down his food. Marth smiled at the boy's enthusiasm for his food. The thought that it needed a bit more onions passed briefly before disappearing. Marth ate his food moderately compared to Pit. He was only halfway done when the boy sitting across sighed happily. Marth looked to see Pit's bowl completely empty.

"Was it really that good?" he asked teasingly. To his mild surprise, Pit nodded excitedly.

"It was really delicious! I didn't know you could cook like that, Marth!"

That little statement made Marth chuckle a bit. As it was the first time he heard it, Pit flushed slightly at Marth's laughter. He looked to the table in order to hide his beet-red face. "Well…I'm glad you liked it," Marth said, the smile still on his face. At the sound of the blunette's voice, Pit couldn't help but look up to return the smile. He admitted to himself that he was a bit tempted to ask for seconds. However he thought about how his dad wasn't home at the moment, so the rest of the food was probably meant for him. Instead Pit leapt from his chair to wash the dishes once again. Marth soon joined him at the sink, repeating the afternoon with the roles of soaping and rinsing reversed. They worked quietly side-by-side as they swiftly cleaned up the kitchen. When everything was good and done, Marth turned to Pit with a question, "Do you still want to hear more stories?"

At Marth's prompting, the boy nodded excitedly. The warm sensation returned to Marth as he led Pit back into the living room. Despite how the only activities they did were tell, listen, and question, both of them enjoyed the time they spent together. It wasn't by all means productive, but it warmed both of them and allowed them to relax in each other's company. Marth carried on his fairy tale stories, Pit hanging onto every word intently. When Marth finally ran out of old childhood tales he began making up his own. He continued the very first story he started with, about the being as high as Mount Everest. As he told that story he noticed how his fiction enraptured Pit in a way unlike the other tales. Pit displayed more emotion at every twist and turn of the plot, more so than with the other stories. Just as Marth reached the part about the magnificent being meeting a young woman after shrinking itself to mingle with the people, he heard something chiming. Two heads, one blue, one brown, snapped up in unison to eye the clock hanging on the wall.

Pit sighed when he recognized the positioning of the hands. The clock read nine, thirty minutes before his bedtime. Marth recognized it as well. However, unlike Pit, Marth didn't see it as a time to go to sleep. He saw it as the time for this day to end, and for him to leave. The air of adventure and romance quickly dampened to one of sorrow and misgivings. Despite that noticeable change, the college student attempted to remain as light-hearted as possible.

"Looks like it's time for bed, Pit," Marth hinted softly. Pit was simply too obedient to ask for a few more minutes of wakefulness. Instead he nodded and stood up from his spot on the couch. Yesterday he had bounced up the stairs. Tonight he seemed to hesitate at every step. Marth craned to watch the boy leave. Even after he disappeared, the college student continued to watch the entrance to the stairs. It was only until he heard the echo of a door closing that he turned back to blankly face the TV.

Now what? Truth to be told, Marth had lost track of time. Before he actually noted the correct time to have lunch and dinner. Now, if the clock hadn't chimed as a reminder, Marth and Pit probably would have been sitting in the same spot until ten o'clock at night. And that wouldn't fare well with Link. Speaking of Link, Marth wondered when the older man was going to return home. He neglected to give a specific time. Either way the college student had no intention of leaving Pit alone after the boy had gone to sleep. He would wait until he was certain that Pit had another person he trusted in the same house as him.

Marth turned his mind back to his own recent time-keeping failure. Usually he had an excellent sense of time-keeping. This time he was completely distracted with Pit. But how? And why? They practically did the same thing three times today. The first two times Marth was able to time the meals correctly. However this last time the babysitter almost completely forgot if it hadn't been for that cursed clock. Perhaps it was because in the back of his mind, he knew that once that clock struck nine-thirty, Link had no use of him watching over his son anymore? Was that why he overlooked the time-keeping this moment? That explanation he thought of sounded logical and possible to him.

The sound of feet moving downstairs prompted Marth to snap out of his thoughts. He turned to see Pit standing nervously at the bottom of the steps. The boy shuffled his feet as he stared at the floor instead of Marth. Seeing how the boy wasn't going to make the first move, the college student decided to do so. "Yes, Pit?"

Pit jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Marth's voice. Despite his initial scare though, he gathered his courage to look up and meet Marth straight in the eye. "Can…can you tuck me in? Dad usually does it," he murmured. Marth blinked twice before a slight smile showed itself on the normally blank face.

"Of course. I'll tuck you in," Marth said as he stood up. Pit's anxiety gave way to relief and happiness. He waited until his babysitter was near before bounding up the stairs like a rabbit. The smile still on his face, Marth followed the boy up. The college student saw his little friend go into the room where the light streamed in from this morning. Marth shadowed close behind, stepping carefully into Pit's bedroom.

Naturally Marth began to examine the room for any other possible information about the boy. A small lamp hung from the ceiling, its bulb lighting the room just enough. A simple bed waited patiently in one corner with a small nightstand while two wardrobes stood on the opposite side of the room. A table was pushed against the wall left to the closed window with a chair accompanying it. The young man blinked in recognition of the bubble bottle standing on the table Pit used to blow those soapy spheres. Seeing it brought a brief wave of nostalgia to the college student. His attention was snapped away when Pit leapt onto the bed. Marth hid a grin as the boy bounced up slightly from the springs of the bed. He made his way to the bed and draped the covers over the boy, making sure that Pit was comfortable. The boy pulled the blanket up to his chin, his fingers peeking from underneath.

"Can you pull the curtains, please, Marth?" Pit asked in a small voice. Marth looked to the window. He saw how the moon shone through, illuminating an invisible rectangle on the wooden floor. He turned back to Pit.

"Why don't I leave them open? The moon's very pretty tonight."

Pit shook his head frantically, "I don't want anybody crawling through…" Marth blinked at that. However he knew that by now he shouldn't be surprised by that fact. He looked back to the window. Though he didn't want to scare Pit, he also didn't want to leave the boy in total darkness when he turned off the light. He might be used to it, but a little bit of light went a long way in a child's developing mind. After a moment of debate, Marth turned his attention back to Pit.

"How about I leave the curtains open but lock the window? Would that be all right?"

"Would…would people be able to get in? Big brother told me how some people could climb through the windows," Pit said in a small voice. Oh, Marth almost forgot that Pit had a brother. Almost. Again, Marth may be whimsical but he wasn't stupid. The college student smiled and shook his head reassuringly.

"That's why we lock the window," he explained as he went to the window. He checked the lock mechanism, attempting to pull up the window without success to demonstrate to Pit. The boy still looked unsure though, so the babysitter had no choice but to pull the curtains slightly. It covered the moon a bit, but there was still a reasonable amount of moonlight left on the floor to serve as a natural nightlight. Only then Pit seemed to relax. "Anything else?" Marth asked.

Pit blinked once before twiddling his thumbs. Marth smiled at the familiar hesitation that the boy always showed before making a small request that required no nervousness. "Can…can you give me a good night kiss like Dad?" he asked nervously. His face flushed slightly, though Marth could tell the flush was not involved in embarrassment. More of fear that his request would be denied. Marth smiled good-naturedly.

"Of course," he moved to the bed's side once again. He leaned down to kiss Pit's forehead lightly.

Yet Marth did not expect Pit to lift his head up to meet Marth's lips with his own. The college student's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden development. It was a quick kiss as Pit's head fell back on the fluffy pillow, yet the shock was still on Marth's face. Pit's innocent smile turned fearful as Marth still wouldn't move from his frozen position.

"Is something wrong, Marth?"

At the sound of the boy's voice, Marth finally snapped out of it. He blinked before shaking his head. "No. Nothing's wrong," he said. He smiled slightly as he stroke Pit's forehead, "Good night, Pit."

"Good night, Marth," Pit smiled cheerfully. He watched his babysitter leave the room before closing his eyes and slowing his breath. Marth lingered outside the room, his eyes still trained on the boy. After that moment's hesitation he clicked the light off and closed the door, the last thing he saw in the room being the small strip of moonlight.

Marth slowly walked down the stairs, his mind buzzing and blanking at the same time. Of the things that happened today, what just transpired was something he did not expect at all to happen. He felt the need to drive the memory away from his mind for the moment, let his thoughts shimmer down before he could approach it rationally. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Marth sat in the same spot as he did the whole day. He leaned back in a relaxing position, his eyes trained on the hanging grandfather clock. He again wondered when Link would return home more for the sake of thinking about something than anything else. It would have been troublesome for anybody else, yet Marth didn't mind it at all. Even if Link came home at this moment, Marth would still simply go home and do the same thing as he was doing now. So there wasn't much difference for him.

Despite his eyes on the clock, Marth didn't really focus on it. He was more occupied with how he would deal with Link. He would have been reexamining his day with Pit. However his mind would always wander back to that one thing, shattering everything else. Since he would be too distracted with that Marth had no choice but to put memories of Pit to the side for now. Instead he worked on his arguments to convince Link to let him visit more often should there be a need for them.

The clock chimed eleven. Marth looked up when he heard footsteps on the foyer. Link stumbled in with a cigar in his mouth, muttering something under his breath. He stopped his mumble when he realized that his babysitter was still here. He started slightly in surprise at that. Link half-expected that Marth had gone home by now. Before the older man could say anything, Marth spoke up:

"Pit's already asleep. I made beef and broccoli stir-fry for dinner. Hope you don't mind."

"Huh? Oh, n-not at all," Link murmured. At Marth's mentioning of the food, Link's mouth salivated, the faint aroma also helping. He didn't realize how starving he was as he only had a small breakfast and quick lunch today. He shrugged off his jacket to place on one of the coat hooks. "You could have left after Pit fell asleep, you know."

"That wouldn't have been right," Marth said simply. The older man pursed his lips in thought. Truthfully, he was slightly glad that Marth didn't leave right after he had put Pit to sleep. Despite Pit being used to lonely days, Link still worried about his son whenever the older male was at work. It was a relief to have somebody keep an eye on Pit. More preferably Pit's older brother, but it couldn't be helped whenever that guy had something important to do. Speaking of which, Link was running low on his cigarettes…the green-clad man would have to contact him soon enough to replenish his supplies.

"Well…thank you very much for that. I really appreciate it," Link genuinely smiled at the young man. He reached for his wallet, "How many hours did you watch Pit? Fifteen hours?"

Marth shook his head, "I'm not taking your money." Link looked up in surprise at that statement. Before he could ask why, Marth quickly replied, "It's not a job, and I was happy to do it. Spending time with Pit was satisfying in itself."

"I still should compensate your time. You could have been doing other things," Link argued, his fingers still searching for a reasonable pay for the college student's time.

"I won't take your money," Marth repeated. "But if you feel that you have to repay me somehow, just let me visit Pit sometimes."

Link's head snapped up at that request. He was on the verge of refusing that without thinking when he stopped himself just in time. He eyed the young man critically. Despite their rocky beginning, Link felt that perhaps he could trust Marth. The college student was honest and reliable enough. It also seemed that Pit was comfortable enough with him that Link could leave the two alone without much problem. However, the older man still worried. It might not be a problem now, but it could result in conflict in the near future should Link continue to let Marth visit Pit. He didn't want his son to get so attached to a stranger, an extremely strange stranger at that. Yet Link wasn't sure when his job might call him away, leaving Pit alone again. Pit's older brother already made it clear that he didn't always have time for them. It would be useful to have a babysitter ready at any moment. But what if Pit got too attached to Marth? Link carefully weighed both costs and benefits in his mind.

He finally nodded in answer, "That's acceptable. You can come by anytime you like." A small weigh lifted from Link's shoulder when he saw Marth's expectant look turn to one of contentment.

"Thank you. I'm probably going to visit a lot in the future," Marth warned with a chuckle. Link shrugged helplessly.

"If that delicious smell coming from the kitchen is your beef and stir-fry broccoli, then I'd be mad not to let you back in the house," his helpless look turned to a smile, "I'm sure you're tired, Marth. You should get home."

Marth nodded in agreement. He stood up from his spot to head into the foyer. Link watched as the young man put on his shoes. In that familiar bad habit of his, he started to rethink his choices. However, Link drove that thought away. He hoped he made the right choice in accepting Marth's proposal. There was really nothing to it. The cost of his son getting attached to Marth was more of an unstable fear than anything. The benefits held more ground.

When Marth was done with his shoes, he straightened up. Link went past him to open the door. Marth instinctively wrapped his blue jacket tighter around him when the first blast of cold wind hit him. He would have to be crazy in the morning if he forwent his jacket. The college student nodded his gratitude to the older man, "Just heat up the beef and rice and you should be good to go. Good night, Link."

"Thanks for that. Good night, Marth." The door closed behind the blunette as he began his dark, lonely trek to his own apartment.

It was only until Marth was halfway home that he realized he didn't have his bubble dose for the day. However, considering how the day went, Marth felt that he didn't need to see the bubbles flying every evening anymore. Meeting and spending time with Pit was more than satisfying for the blunette. Now he allowed himself to rethink the events. Truthfully it didn't really bother him that Pit had kissed him on the lips. He had nothing against it like some people. It was a good thing that he wasn't the type to overreact as it would have undoubtedly scared Pit when it shouldn't. Still…

Marth touched his lips hesitantly with his fingers, as if afraid of some foreign infection. He wasn't sure whether it counted or not…but Pit stole his first kiss.

And there we go! Possibly the longest chapter of this story finished! Whew! Granted it was pretty repetitive, but hey. That's how they spent their day, all right? Nice, simple, and warming. Well...until the revelations that happened left and right. And how old is Pit anyways? Hehehe...that's for me to know...and you guys to find out by reading later chapters! Anyways, let's get right onto those questions!

1. If you were babysitting somebody, what kind of activities would you plan for you guys to do? (Video games. All the way. And story-telling...XD)

2. What are your favorite things to cook and/or eat? (I can cook eggs...and canned soup...don't judge me! It's a good thing I like eggs...)

3. How old do you think Pit is? (I really do have to ask/answer this question.)

That's all for the time being. Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. See you guys next time, soon, hopefully!