The Elegant Love Society was abuzz with relief about yesterday's finished midterms, curiosity about who was invited to Camilla Bronson's party next Friday (and who would actually go given her unsavory circumstances), and excitement about the field trip to the aquarium today. This field trip was dual purpose: firstly it would expose the students to marine life and help the juniors prep for their Marine Biology finals and secondly it would allow all the members to practice having a chaperoned date in public.

When they arrived at the aquarium, Henderson and the other chaperones gathered the students to remind them of the rules. "Students, remember that the purpose of this exercise is to behave elegantly in public. Any students found behaving in a way that is not worthy of Eden College will find themselves escorted back to school and placed in detention for the rest of the day to complete additional essays on the necessity of decorous behavior. Do not disappoint me."

The Marine Biology teacher stepped forward. "Juniors, see me before exploring the exhibits. I have an assignment for you."

"I'm glad we're not juniors," Yor muttered.

Loid laughed quietly.

The aquarium was strangely busy for a Friday during the work day, and Yor found herself uneasy about the number of people. Her hands latched on to Loid's arm of their own volition.

He patted her top hand with his free one. "I've got you, dear." He led her the opposite direction that their fellow members went. The pair were impressed by the exhibits at hand. There were tanks with sharks, eels, rays, and octopuses, and even a whole room of glowing jellyfish tanks. They choose not to linger in the jellyfish room as it was kept dark to display the glow, and both knew without voicing it that some number of their club members would give in to the temptation to behave indecorously here.

The next exhibit was a tunnel underneath one of the largest tanks of which the top and sides of the tunnel were entirely glass.

"Wow. I never knew aquariums were this pretty. I've never been to one before," Yor said.

"I can't say I have either. With how busy my mother is, there was never time and rarely money."

Yor frowned. Loid knew what had happened to her dad, but she knew nothing about his. "Loid, I know I probably shouldn't ask, and please don't feel pressured to answer, but what happened to your father?"

He didn't talk about it. It was one of his rules. It was too unpleasant and difficult, and it made his life easier if he pretended it never happened. But here was his sweet Yor asking him with that genuine concern and desire to understand him. 'How the hell am I supposed to say no to her?' He took a steadying breath. "That's all right. It makes sense that you would be curious after all the time we've been spending together. I just need a favor before I tell you."

"Of course."

"Can you hold me?"

She let go of his arm and drew him into her arms using one to prop his head on her shoulder before returning that arm around his back to firmly, but not too firmly, squeeze him.

"Thank you, Yor." He let himself breathe her in for a moment. "We lived in Westalis during the war: Mother, Father, and me. Mother worried often about the war, but Father assured her that it would never reach our home. Then the air raids started, and suddenly the town three towns away didn't exist, then the one two towns away, then the next town. Mother begged him to evacuate, but he refused because he trusted the government. When I was six, Mother had taken me with her to the grocery. Normally she would go alone because it was faster when Father and I weren't adding additional items to the cart, but she had become afraid of letting me out of her sight. The raid began while we were inside the store. We were lucky to be able to shelter in the freezers, and even luckier that we didn't get trapped inside. Mother carried me as she ran back to our home. It was gone. And he was gone with it."

Loid cried like he had needed to but not let himself do for years.

Yor held him and hummed something soothing. As his sobs wound down, she kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry that you went through that at all but especially at such a young age. You didn't deserve to lose your dad."

"Neither did you."

Both were struck with the reminder that the other understood them in ways that many others would never be able to. This led to the obvious conclusion that everyone else who knew them had come to long ago: they were made for each other. The trouble was, in their minds, that their beloved was only kind for the sake of the society.

Loid wiped his eyes, removed himself from her arms, and realized that he had cried on her sweater. "I apologize, Yor. I should have been more careful. Are you too cold? Do you want my sweater?"

Yor giggled. "No, thank you. I'm fine, and it's all fine. Tears come out in the wash. I'm just glad you shared that with me. Thank you."

"Thank you for listening." He smiled and put an arm around her shoulders. 'Sorry, Yor, I just need to have you close for a while longer.'

She blushed as she always did but wrapped her arm around his waist. "So, what's this about Camilla throwing a party next week? Don't you think that's a little soon? And what are we going to do? We have to go because Camilla's my friend, but we have plans. Would you mind making an appearance?"

He had to hold in the laughter. The party was for their anniversary. It was their plans. "I think we can arrange that."