AN: hey hey friends! Guess what! That's right, double chapter update! Been a while since we had one of those. Make sure you don't miss the prior chapter!

As always, thank you so much for sticking with me this far. Love hearing from you, and I'll see you next week! 3

"You sure you'll be alright heading back to your room?"

"Mhmm." Sy gave Zephyr a tired smile. "I will be. You're sure you'll be alright alone?"

Zephyr shrugged. "I don't have much choice. Not like I can have you stay over."

"No one would have to know."

"That's not like you, Sy. You never break rules."

Sy blushed and shrugged. "Maybe I've just never let you see me break them before."

"Or maybe Rudforest is a bad influence."

Sy gave him a look.

Zephyr rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Maybe Braxton is a bad influence on you." He amended. "Happy?"

"Not really," Sy answered, "But I'll take it, I suppose."

Zephyr sighed heavily. "I just don't like watching you grow up and change. You were such a sweet kid. Innocent, eager to please. You loved rules, you loved to make adults happy. You were the one that yelled at me for playing in the rafters, for goodness sake."

Sy couldn't suppress his smile. "That was dangerous! Your mother forbade you from being up there alone for a reason, you know."

"It isn't alone if you're there," Zephyr countered with a smirk.

"I'm not Uncle Quasi. I couldn't catch you if you fell," Sy shoved his friend playfully.

Zephyr pushed him back, laughing. "You weren't there to catch me, you were there to run for help. Not that I ever needed it!"

"Only because I nagged you enough you stopped playing up there!" Sy knocked the taller boy into the wall. He had to use a bit of his shoulder and some muscle to be able to shove him into it, as Zephyr could see it coming and had braced himself for the push.

Zephyr pinned Sy to the wall and started tickling him. "I only stopped so you wouldn't have a heart attack. I'm not the one that was designated to get help!"

Sy bit the collar of his jacket to keep from laughing loudly. "Stop it!" he hissed around the fabric. "It's more than an hour past curfew, don't wind me up before bed!"

Zephyr released him and stepped back. The mirth melted off his face and he straightened out his clothes. "You're right. It is late. You should get back to your dorm. Good night, D'Nahsy."

"Zeph?"

Zephyr gave him one more, controlled smile. "I will see you for breakfast. If you are caught in the halls, tell them to speak with me. I'll clear your name. Good night." He scanned his badge to open his door.

Sy sighed softly as he was dismissed. "Night Zeph."

Zephyr frowned and scanned his badge again. The light on the lock flashed red twice. The doors did not open. "Sy, give me your badge."

Sy pulled his lanyard from around his neck and handed it to Zephyr. "What's wrong?"

"Not sure. Door isn't recognizing my badge," Zephyr answered. He flashed Sy's across the scanner. The light flashed red twice again. The doors still did not open.

Sy licked his lips as he tried to process what was happening. This wasn't any reason to panic. "Our badges aren't working?"

"Something has to be wrong. I've been up here lots of times. I've never had an issue getting back in."

"It's dangerous to be on the roof, Zephyr. You could get hurt."

"Now is not the time, Sy," Zephyr snapped. He sighed softly when he saw Sy flinch at the angry tone he'd used. "I'm sorry. This isn't your fault. Look, we can figure this out, alright? We just need to think things through carefully. Do you have your tablet?"

Sy shook his head. "I left it in my room before dinner. I'll take it you don't have yours?"

Zephyr's shoulders slumped. "In my room as well."

Sy leaned back against the wall beside the door. "We could try shouting for help."

"No one is going to be out here at this time of night."

"Maximus might be."

Zephyr wrinkled his nose. "I understand that he is an extraordinary creature, and I see the need for his species in our requirements for monitoring certain worlds."

"But?"

"But I am not being rescued by a horse."

"That's fair, I suppose," Sy answered with a half smile. "What if you hid behind the entrance and I got rescued by a horse? I could come back up and let you out after he's gone."

Zephyr snorted. "Absolutely not. You know he'd realize I was back here and insist on saving me as well. My pride can handle a lot of things, but it will not tolerate this."

Sy laughed. He slid down so he was sitting on the roof once more. Zephyr tried the badges one more time each before sitting next to Sy, his back against the door.

The roof was empty except for the structure protruding on the right hand side that housed the door and stairway back down to the rest of the school. From here, the two boys could see almost everything.

The dormitories. The astronomy tower. The training field. The stables and animal department. The admissions building. The gate around the school and the guard posts at each entrance. Even further beyond, they could see the sweeping city that overlooked the ocean sparkling in the moonlight.

The city was used to the supernatural. Very little phased the residence of the capital, not since they were visited by a goddess herself. And there was always the occasional non-human individual that found their way into areas that were perhaps not the most beneficial for them.

The students all knew that the residents of Syrecuse believed the school to be training heroes for battle against monsters. That some of them had magic -admittedly this was true- or were of species they couldn't comprehend. This…also was true. The only lie, really, was about what they were training for. And where they came from.

Magic, Sy had found, was the easiest explanation to give anyone from a world with less technology than yours. If they didn't understand it, it was magic. Personally, he wasn't fond of using that approach. Why not take the time to explain things? To tell them what was happening? Science could only ever help. Though, he could understand why in this instance, perhaps, it was necessary to bend the truth. Syrecuse wasn't on a space-integrated planet.

It was, however, in an ideal location comparative to many of the integrated planets. And there was no space traffic around the planet, which made things safer for learning pilots and the school in general. They also had an understanding with the local pantheon, which was perhaps more valuable than Sy gave it credit for. Sometimes it was still difficult to comprehend the way in which gods and goddesses worked on other planets. How they could live, and breathe, and walk among mortals.

His God was not one that did such things. His God was more abstract, a being he had never, and would never see. Not until his life was over, at least.

Or would he even do that?

It was true, he could ask for forgiveness for sins. And many times he had. He prayed upon his rosary when necessary, and without it before meals, before bed, and many times when he just needed a moment of guidance. He tried his best to live a good life, to treat others with respect and dignity.

But he had a boyfriend. A boyfriend he wished to someday marry. And that was not something his God easily forgave.

"You didn't hear a word of that, did you." Zephyr's voice cut through Sy's thoughts, snapping him back to the present.

Sy shook his head. "I'm sorry, no."

Zephyr laughed. "You always could fall asleep just about anywhere. Come on, stand up a minute. I want to go look over the edge, see if any of the other roofs look close enough to jump to."

"Zephyr!" Sy was fully in the present now. "Absolutely not!"

"How can you say no so fast? We haven't even looked to see if it's possible yet."

"I don't need to look! These roofs are too far apart. And even if you were able to make the jump, look at how much they slant! It's dangerous enough being up here, I am not having you make wild leaps from one precarious perch to another. You are going to fall and break your neck, and then I'll be stuck trying to explain to everyone how you died."

Zephyr rolled his eyes good naturedly. "I'm used to unsteady footing. This can't be that much worse than the bell tower. I never died while in there."

"If you so much as take one step towards the edge of this roof, I will yell for Maximus to come save us."

Zephyr plunked back down to sit once more. "Fine. You win. Alright then, how do you propose we get down?"

Sy did not have an answer for that.