This piece consists of time-lapsing moments during the course of Layla and Warren's friendship, and how all those underlying tones of "there could be something more" come into play.

I own nothing. Characters belong to Disney.

Positive reviews or proper constructive criticism only please; and I know this overall scenario has been done before among additional W/L fans, but believe me, I really did work hard on it to make it more different and original.

Thanks for the reader's time!

Part I

Two weeks after Homecoming, Warren gained a tendency of watching Will when they would hang out with Layla together. He'd catch himself searching for errors and clues, waiting to see if Stronghold could measure up to Layla's expectations. And his own expectations. Because Layla had gone through a great deal of obstacles just to let her affection be heard, dragging in him with her. Therefore Warren did not want all that silly effort to be in vain. He figured it was partially his duty as a friend to make sure Will wouldn't slip once he upped status to the boyfriend role in Layla's life.

It couldn't be helped on Warren's end. Sometimes, it was automatic. And it wasn't as if he couldn't see that Will always had the best of intentions...but not unlike Steve Stronghold, Will's mind was rather flighty most days than none. Warren's mind however, was skilled at reading, remembering text, key words and phrases, and so he consumed information. Even if Will had forgotten the smallest thing like to call Layla when they'd stay after school practicing in the gym, or to wish her father a happy birthday several days later, Warren would mention it for him to do it. In his own subtle Warren-ish way, he helped Will to keep his dating record clean.

Relationships were complex, both good and bad. They all had their angles and their levels, beginnings and endings. Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology all played their part in each human connection and link that was ever made...and along the way, Warren had suddenly discovered himself fastened inside of an entire network of people, which was new for him.

Now, he wouldn't really openly say which one was more or less significant to him. He could see how each of his new friends influenced him; like Will and his Ice Queen had made larger impacts on him, while Glow Worm, Popsicle, and Rodent Chic were simply good for a laugh every now and then.

But in reality, even though he rooted back to Will first, it was Layla who technically started all of the commotion the very night she asked him to sit down in her booth.

And the aftereffects lasted long after their trickery during Homecoming too.

Because of that, Warren had come to realize that he wasn't the only one at Sky High who could ignite a wildfire—and dare he say—it seemed as if Layla enjoyed to step aside and watch it burn.

Gradually had the summer passed.

Will and Layla, followed by the rest of their sophomore class, hopped off the bus before they headed towards the school along with the fresh batch of freshmen.

"A new year." Will said while grabbing Layla's hand, leading her up the steps. "What's your first class?"

"Elemental Being Dynamics," Layla informed him. "You?"

"Muscle Force Analysis."

She scoffed.

Royal Pain's Homecoming disruption may had broken down the fences between Heroes and Sidekicks in the end, but oddly enough, that didn't necessarily stop Sky High from classifying its students in another way. The school staff used that summer to create a brand new curriculum, and apparently the Super System still didn't know how to function without some labels.

Each student this year had a chance to prove themselves as a Hero and expose their powers large or small; though from now on the current and future generations were to be given Types:

She was of course placed in the Environmental course track. Students like Will and Larry were Physicals because strength was their main asset. Ethan and Magenta were clearly in the Shape-shifting and Cloning track, considering they both can change to other forms, and Zack was grouped in the Free Zone. (Layla guessed this was Sky High's most polite term for Miscellaneous.)

Pecking her on the check at that point, Will drew away, aiming for the opposite hallway. "See you at lunch?"

She nodded, completely looking forward to it. "Yup."

When she finally turned into her own assigned classroom, Layla realized the Elemental course had a very small collection of students.

So far only six seats were occupied.

A second later after she arrived, a familiar voice soon greeted her from behind. "I thought you might be here too."

Layla spun to face him. "Hey, Senior!" He rolled his eyes and followed her down the first row until she picked a spot for them. "It's all part of the new curriculum, Warren."

"I gotta be honest with ya, Hippie, I think it was just easier when we were all called Heroes or Sidekicks. Now during my last year, my power suddenly places me in a whole other group of classes."

"So the school can't let go of brands or titles, but at least it had the courtesy to expand its horizon this much. And we can take this one together."

"The four elements make up Nature, and they are all connected to each other to maintain the balance. What's more to learn?"

By becoming his friend, Layla had learned that Warren's interest in the Orient ran a bit deeper than just serving as busboy at the Paper Lantern. A as boy, his mother evidently read Classic Chinese myths and philosophies once preached by Buddhists monks to him. Their basement at home was eventually transformed into a big meditating space, and she made Warren practice with her every night before going to bed during elementary and middle school. It helped him control his flammable impulses for a while and it helped her exercise her pathokinesis ability as well. His mother could channel the positive emotions around her and could operate them any way to her content. But after his father's famous trail blew up, Warren was angry and had logically slipped out that habit.

"I think that's what we are going to find out here," Layla countered with a light chuckle.

And during the first week (as Warren had anticipated) all their selected readings covered the basic materials which they both had already heard before.

They revised the mythology behind Gnomes, Sylphs, Salamanders, and Undines. They reviewed how the Elements charged and empowered those who worked them and how the four energy channels were laid out in compass-like structure. North to South, East to West; Earth to Fire, Air to Water. They restudied that there were four main separate forms of Element control—mental, bodily, emotional, and spiritual by using chi, ki, or chakra points for added power assistance.

But (as Layla had suggested) here's what they really did learn besides that:

They learned it was just the eight of them in Elemental Dynamics, out of the whole student body. (For the rest of the Environmental track had powers more associated to camouflage, land toxins, or altering temperature instead.)

Warren was honestly the only true Fire Type Sky High had enrolled in the past seven years, and the only Water Type they ever had was Moselle—the pretty blue-eyed girl who always sat in front wearing blue or white dresses and designer high heels. Right off the bat, she carried a high level of sass. Water Energies usually expressed healing, flexibility, or purification...but too much of that energy could produce everything Moselle was. An overwhelming force, like a rushing river with a melodramatic current. The second day of class, for example, Moselle had already made an enemy in Warren. According to her, Barron had attacked her mother right before his arrest.

While the teacher was on his bathroom break, Moselle had strolled her way over to their desks with an overly-sweet smile, formally introducing herself to Warren. A little puzzled, Warren merely reached out to shake her lifted hand. But it was all a trick. Channeling water to her fingers, she instantly caused Warren's skin to steam fiercely in a trivial act of vengeance. Warren quickly retracted his hand with a bitter hiss between his teeth, watching her with so many questions blazing in his eyes.

"That's for my mother!" Moselle retorted furiously then, glaring back at both at them. And before she returned to her own reading partner, Moselle had the added nerve to even scold Layla openly for, "befriending someone with his reputation!"

Needless to say, Layla and Moselle weren't big fans of each other after that either.

She and Warren also learned the set of triplets seated next to the window were Airs Types. Bethany and Selene Auric were both ballet dancers and they had clearly sided with Moselle by totally avoiding them if they could help it. Although their brother Skylar Auric, was more of a carefree spirit. He was a handsome boy with kind brown eyes and matching curly dark hair who wouldn't shun out anyone in the classroom on purpose. He merely flashed his prince-charming smile whenever he wished and floated from conversation to conversation day by day—quite literally going along with the winds of change. Layla would partner with him on occasion if Warren was late to class or just because Skylar truly was relatively more talkative and humorous during study time, whereas Warren wasn't always in the mood for having long discussions that required more than one-word responses.

And lastly, they'd learned that besides Layla, there were two male Earth Elementals, Peter Farr and Jory Higgins. Both of their powers happened to connect more with stones, gravel, minerals, and the natural metals found within the earth over the actual flora aspect as hers did. And for some unknown reason, they too, didn't care to talk to her much (and they were the ones who didn't really seem to care about who Warren was in the least.)

The boys just "cliqued" together and left her out of their Earth power exercises.

That part bugged Warren. Peter and Jory weren't acting like anything but common bullies towards her.

Some time later, Layla looked particularly dejected one morning as he arrived to class, and he assumed the worst. "Really? They still won't talk to you?"

"I just don't understand them." She sighed as he seated himself in the desk behind hers. "I mean, I've had people dislike me before...people like Penny and Gwen, but those boys treat me like I have the Black Plague."

Warren glanced over at Peter and Jory exchanging notes far across the room. "...Huh. I think they might be jealous."

Layla rose her brow at the idea. "Of what? You?" Translation: They have to know you're not my boyfriend or anything, right?

"No, no," Warren shook his head, muttering, "I mean of you, your power. They're probably intimidated by you because female Earth Types are known to be stronger. And I am actually paraphrasing what the textbook said here."

Tapping her chin, Layla was still uncertain. "You think? Doesn't that sound sorta lame, though? And a bit cliché?"

"Well, we don't call the planet Father Earth, now do we?"

It was a not a secret that natural redheads were born with exceedingly sensitive skin. In the sun they never tanned, instead they freckled more and burned quickly.

And every time Layla would take a break from her notes to ask Will for his opinion, flexing her hand, tapping her pen against the paper—Warren could see that old little burn mark, curving on the edge of her palm. The first time he just happened to spot it during their study groups, he never really verbalized anything about it. Although Warren had immediately known it was his doing.

"Hey there, Cutie..."

That one line had cost her a scar for years to come.

So when he did see it at first, there had been a fleeting sense of guilt within him and a building desire to apologize for his impulsiveness that day...but since Layla hardly seemed to dwell on it, or wasn't ever angry about it afterwards at all, Warren merely let the mistake slide its way into the past behind them.

Layla also once told him that, "Friends are the people who leave the most distinctive marks on you."

And Warren supposed, in a slightly twisted way, she was right.

Layla paused again to tap her pen against her notebook, angling her hand towards him. Warren's eyes briefly locked on the scar, while thinking, how ironic.

He certainly had left his mark.

Classes were cancelled for the day as the student body and staff factuality planned to attend a memorial service for a fellow Hero recently K.I.A.

Afterwards, when the topic just happened to surface between them, Warren mentioned how he wished to be cremated. So he could rise from the ashes within death and such. It was a perfectly symbolic choice for him, but really not that surprising.

In turn, Layla said that she definitely wanted to be buried. That way, she could remain one with the earth.

It made sense to Warren.

Layla breathed in, modestly proud of herself as she concluded another one of her childhood stories: "And with my mother's help, my petition revolving around Earth Day Awareness was a success even in neighboring cities. I was the youngest student to ever to initiate a movement like that and have everything turn out for the better."

Warren scoffed. He regretted trying to make small talk with her now as they waited for Will after school to finish a test. Layla could be all mouth when she wanted to be and he should've known better than to think she wouldn't have much to say in the first place. "Is there anything you can't do, Hippie?"

"Yes, there is actually," Layla responded matter-of-factly. "I can't grow lemons. Ever. I still don't know why."

"Hm."

Whenever Layla pulled Warren into something, there would be mischief. She never meant any real harm of course...but whether she was bored, or curious for certain information, or just plain determined to help Will or another friend in need, Warren somehow always found himself standing in the aftermath of her ridiculous schemes-gone-awry, having the adults scold them and laugh at them at the same time by the end of it all.

In fact, they had gotten themselves wrapped up into so much monkey business long since Homecoming that they'd become known for it! Will teased them every once and while, saying they were partners in mock-crime. Zach gained a similar habit of calling them Lucy and Ethelrren, and Principle Powers herself had even come to believe that Warren and Layla had turned into lighter, more comical counterparts to Speed and Lash.

Meanwhile Warren just kept promising himself that it's the last time. Though Layla came back for more eventually, seeking out his assistance, and he's pulled into something else again, and again, and again, and again.

The brooding look on Warren that precise morning was anything but pleased. "I swear, Hippie, some days you are just like those prickly things that stick to you like Velcro when you go hiking."

Layla still smiled at him though, knowing he was the kind of friend who told the bad things right to her face, and then saved the good things to say behind her back.

Out of the other five, Layla clearly had proven herself to be the most...unpredictable from the start. And just when Warren thought she couldn't possibly do anything more to surprise him now that they've been friends...he was actually surprised to see how wrong he was.

There had been days when he could not believe he was speaking to the same Layla he had found moping around the Paper Lantern a year ago. Those were the days when Warren had to remind himself that Layla was definitely not one to be underestimated.

"So...this morning, my dear darling boyfriend comes up with this brilliant idea that over Winter Break next month, we all go rent a cabin way up north and go snow skiing! And now the rest of them seem pretty excited about it." Layla's tone was humorous when she said this, but bitterly so.

Warren caught onto the sarcasm quickly. Layla shared his distaste for the lingering cold in the air. The more snow that covered the land, the more stressed out she became. Her entire personality went into hibernation, along with everything else in the earth. Evidently, Layla of all people didn't have that much of a holiday spirit. Her family didn't really celebrate the Holidays anyway and frankly she was proud of that, apart from the public's Christmas publicity was getting more overwhelming each following season.

If anything, Layla's wintery tradition was lecturing everyone else who tried to force Christmas down her throat that Christians had essentially borrowed every other idea from the Pagan celebration Yuletide; therefore, Christmas was plagiarized and too unoriginal for her.

Apparently Will and the others were overlooking her feelings again.

Warren let out a snort. "And what did you say?"

She shrugged, half-jokingly yet. "Oh, I told them we could even spilt up in two main groups. They can all to go snow skiing up north, meanwhile, Warren and I will be going hiking in Fiji."

That time, he didn't know whether to smile in amusement or be worried about plane ticket costs.

...And despite the fact that she claimed to be a pacifist mostly, Layla still had a temper. Sure, it took something very personal and very serious for Layla to give into all those negative emotions—but when it did happen—her wrath was unleashed. For Warren personally knew Layla's power did not stop at just leaves and flowers. Her Element was wider than that.

Warren could still recall the afternoon when they were sitting outside on a shockingly warm February day and Layla mentioned that if she ever became a known Supervillian by chance, her name would be Nature's Scorn. He remembered feeling a little taken aback by this comment too, and by how calm her voice was speaking these things while just peeling the skin of the orange that was in her hands at the time.

"I'd probably make a pretty decent villain, too," she'd added. "'Cause if you think about it, there's one thing you can't beat. And it's Nature. People can gather as many police and Heroes as they want...but that really doesn't stop earthquakes, sinkholes, mudslides, exploding hot springs, sandstorms, and overgrown jungles..."

Warren also remembered how careful he was when he asked if she actually could make all those things happen. He always did sense there had to be more of a reason to why she avoided using her powers until it was absolute necessary.

"Nature always has two forms. Order and Chaos," was her answer, glancing at the melting snow beneath their feet. "I choose Order."

Then he had moved on to asking her why she even thought about the possibility of becoming Nature's Scorn? Layla merely cracked a silly smile to lighten his concern in return, stating she was just really bored one weekend and her mind happened to wander.

He shrugged it off as usual, even though a small part of him had grown more respect for her honesty that day, not to mention her creativity. As docile as she really was around them, Nature's Scorn suited her well in its own way.

Yet, that conversation was nothing compared to the night when Layla and Will apparently had their "first big fight" as a real couple:

It was late and she had stomped right past him the moment he opened the door, saying how Will was so unbelievable! Warren knew his mother was already asleep at that time, so he tried to direct the vexed hippie to the smaller living room on the opposite side of the house. He hardly had the chance to pester her about finding someone else to be her personal-go-to-problem-solver for once. Because she'd obviously stolen center-stage and Warren figured right away that he wasn't going to be able to get one word in edgewise.

He'd seen her pout before, true, and he had seen her cry. But this was the first time Warren had ever seen her anger pushed to the point of pacing and ranting until the potted plants around the house came to life, fueled by her adrenaline. The roots grew into dark thorny vines that snaked up across the tile and the walls. The foundation under their feet had begun to quiver a little. Weeds and clumps of dry dirt started to leak in through the windowsills. Warren had even heard a faint cracking noise underneath the staircase nearby as dust and plaster started to flake off the ceiling, causing his current streak of annoyance to be replaced with actual nervousness. For he had realized in that one instant, he was standing alone in mercy of her Element.

And flaming up wouldn't solve anything if an earthquake-like event was breaking down the framework completely, sending the whole house into a wreck.

"Whoa, whoa, hey." He had acted on pure instinct, finally moving forward to catch her by the elbows. "Layla. Layla, look at me. Just take a breath, just breathe."

Keeping eye contact, Layla refocused on her control and did as she was told. With a few more deep breaths, she had coaxed the plants back into their original state, briefly apologizing for the mess.

"...C'mon I'll walk you home, okay?"

Needless to say from then on, Warren had began to understand the potential behind Layla's Nature's Scorn theory. No one at Sky High gave her power enough credit.

Sweetheart Hippie Child? That's just what they saw on the surface. Layla had layers.

Then time passed since the fight and things for the group returned to normal. Until Layla's mother had unexpectedly landed herself in the Heroes' Medical Ward during a hazardous mission in the Amazon. Her state was fairly critical and even with Super Healers tending to her, the chances of a full recovery still were claimed only so-so.

For days, Layla grew very mellow. Her typical cheery demeanor went as still as the leaves on a windless morn. She missed classes here and there for a while and visited the Paper Lantern less and less.

And since Will was forever training to officially take part in the Stronghold Three every weekend, Zach and Warren were growing quite accustomed to receiving texts from Will, asking him if they were willing to check in on Layla for him.

So on one particular foggy Sunday morning, when he was off work, it was Warren's turn. He stopped by Layla's home again after hearing that Layla had been neglecting her phone calls from everyone for two nights in a row. When he knocked, there was no answer but there was a light on inside. He knew that meant she was in there. Where else would she go that morning?

Warren had simply walked in and he found her sitting alone under the window of the hearth room right off the kitchen. She was wearing nothing but grey leggings, a white tank top underneath a loose brown cardigan. They were without a doubt the blandest colors he'd ever seen on her.

Her hair was also somewhat tangled and flowed flat down her chest, framing the blank expression she bore. Her eyes looked dull and tired.

She had been taking her mother's accident pretty hard. That much was understandable. The one thing that really had thrown him through a loop though, was all the vases of empty soil placed in a semi-circle on the floor before her.

"Hey," he greeted softly, not receiving any sort of hello back from her. "Where's your dad?"

"Back at work, trying to catch up on stuff. But he mostly stays at the Ward now anyways. He sent me home because he doesn't want me missing any more school."

"Hm. Makes sense." He had approached her at that point, slowly settling himself next to her, careful not to disturb the vases.

Her eyes sharply lifted to meet his as he did so. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Even her tone was off. In fact, she sounded a bit offended by his arrival. He couldn't help staring back at her for a second, feeling the tables were turning on him. She could probably tell that it was another one of their "pity visits" Will must have organized over the phone, and that irritated her.

He, however, naturally tried to cover up the mild wave of guilt with a shrug and improvised an excuse. "I haven't seen you at work lately. I gotta admit...it's getting rather boring over there without you pestering me during my shifts every three minutes."

Layla bit back a tiny smile, but overall she still looked skeptical and peeved. "Well, sorry, I haven't been in a pestering mood lately."

He shrugged again. "It's fine."

An awkward silence caught up to them and they sat there for a good minute and a half before Warren motioned to the vases of soil. "So, what's up with all of this?"

Layla ran a hand through her hair. "...Ever since I left the hospital the last time, I've been having a problem with my power."

Hearing this, Warren immediately felt his concern for her rise to a different level. "What do you mean?"

"This."

And with that response, she turned her head, refocusing on the vases and he watched as a single flower slowly began to blossom in each one.

They all seemed to be the same type of flower—really vibrant in color and exotic looking—but classifying plants were his not expertise. The last one Layla was staring at was a mixture of purple and blue with coral-pink barbs protruding from its core. "I can only grow things like these now," she muttered.

"They're beautiful," he'd whispered. His words were sincere, although, Warren wasn't sure if he said them to make her feel better about her skills or because he simply couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Yes," Layla agreed, but her jaw had hardened with contempt. "And they're deadly to the touch."

The following couple weeks or so were just as rough for Layla before she finally learned to laugh again and regain full power control.

And the day the Healers had called to tell her and father that beyond all odds, her mother was showing signs of significant improvement after she pulled through her mild coma.

Lady Slippers and tiger lilies had bloomed across the city that afternoon day from one end to the other, in spite of them being out of season.

The Spring Equinox was approaching quickly.

Warren, with his fists shoved in his pockets, trailed feet behind Stronghold and Glow Worm aisle after aisle of the entertainment store as he listened to the boys babble on about what to buy.

The Strongholds were in the process of throwing Layla a birthday party at their house that coming weekend, and while that portion was easy enough, it didn't take long for Will to start panicking over finding the most impeccable gift to give to her.

Will had his mother to blame.

It needed to be perfect for Layla, she'd advised him, being The Boyfriend now meant that his choice had to equal the importance of the title.

So in a flustered flurry, he roped in his closet friends that night to help him succeed.

Will finally ran his fingers through his hair for the ninth time in the last twenty minutes. Everything he'd picked out thus far had been placed back on the shelf. "I've known her since we were five! Why is this so hard all of the sudden?"

"C'mon man," Zach said, clapping a hand over Will's shoulder. "I'm sure Layla doesn't even care what you get her. You still know her better than any of us."

Will shook his head. "She'll care. That much I do know. I know she isn't that materialistic, but she'll care about how much thought I put into it."

"Then just fly her to Italy for a day."

"She doesn't really like me showing off like that, remember?"

"Oh. What about buying her a new movie?"

"Layla has weird tastes in movies. She likes the ones that have subtitles and are really artistic. I can't keep up with all of them."

Warren snorted, finally making some input. "Too cultured for you, Stronghold?"

"Hey, you try watching House of Flying Daggers or Pan's Labyrinth all the way through."

"I have, and they're both decent movies."

Will rolled his eyes. "Okay, smart guy, what did you get her then?"

Warren shrugged, having no reason to feel paranoid like Will did. "Nothing yet."

Zach proudly waved their remarks off. "Pfft. You two are just clueless."

Warren shot back a challenging look. "Yeah? What did you get her?"

"I got smart. I asked Magenta for a hint, and if I have to remind you, she has the direct hotline to the girl talk. So with everything I gathered, I ended up getting Layla this fancy box filled with all these different kind of herbal teas in it."

Will seemed respectfully impressed by this tactic.

"Herbal tea?" Warren on other hand, echoed Zach's answer with a dark mocking tone. "She doesn't drink herbal tea."

Momentarily, Zach's face paled with embarrassment. "But tea is basically the only thing I've see that girl drink outside of the lunchroom!"

"Yes, but the hippie actually prefers Green Teas and Oolong Teas over than anything else."

"Oh man."

A small pout crept over the Glow Worm's face, making Will growl under his breath in added frustration. If a casual friend like Zach already made a mistake, what chance did he have as Layla's first love? "I'm sorry, Zach. But back to me for now, okay?"

Sighing, Zach tossed out another random suggestion, "A big teddy bear?"

"She's not twelve." Warren mumbled.

"A new bottle of her perfume? You always say Layla smells nice, Will."

"That's just Layla, not a perfume," Will corrected him.

"She uses flower extract for stuff like that," Warren threw on.

"Hmmm..." And then the best idea it hit him, and Zach suddenly threw his arms out up in victory. "JEWELRY!"

Will shushed him, and Warren had to jump closer to block out the light that was beginning to pulse around Zach. "Okay, okay. Power down, they have cameras here!"

Later on, on the day of the party, Warren had texted Will he'd be running late after his recent shift.

For the time being, the group gathered around Layla's assigned chair in the dining room, picking at their cake as Layla was eventually down to Will's present last. It happened to be a narrow black box under the shiny blue wrapping paper, and with much adoration and anticipation, Layla opened it carefully to find a magnificent silver bracelet, looking like curling tree branches. The little green charms handing off it were its leaves.

She looked up to meet his hopeful gaze next to her.

"Too much?" he asked sheepishly.

Layla beamed back at him and shook her head. "No, I think it's pretty. Thank you."

Will laughed when she let him help her try it on. "Good...Zach helped by the way."

"Well in that case, thank you too, Zach. You've done well."

Zach gave her a relieved, "Anytime!"

Josie seated on Layla's other side, patted her hand before standing up. "Who needs more cake and drinks?"

The kids all raised the hands without question, causing the adults to laugh together.

"Let me help." Layla offered while the crowd urged Will and Steve to retell another triumphant story they've had that week.

"Please, Layla, it's your party. It's okay with me if you want to stay and talk," Josie comforted, entering the kitchen.

But Layla, being Layla, would rather remain polite for the occasion. "It's the least I can do for everything you've done for me today."

They were just sliding the last couple slices onto their used dessert plates when the side door clicked open, and in strolled Warren.

"Hey," he said, a little awkwardly as soon as he noticed Layla and Josie Stronghold actually standing right there.

Even though Will called him a best friend, Warren still was stuck in the habit of avoiding speaking to Jetstream and the Commander if he could help it. It was just too uncomfortable for him yet. Forgiving them was one hurdle he had to face, but engaging in friendly conversation and pretending their families didn't have a shadowy history was still another issue.

"Warren, you made it! Why didn't you just use the front door?" Layla however, lit up again as she moved towards him, not caring that Josie frowned a little, looking more guarded by his sudden presence.

"I thought it'd better to make a quieter entrance so I wouldn't interrupt anything."

Layla lightheartedly tapped him on the chest. "You're not, don't worry. We're all having cake now, that's it."

Then Warren lifted the item clutched his hand and dangled it right in front of her eyes. "Happy Birthday, Hippie."

It was a small scarlet tie-pouch threaded together at the top with golden strings.

Layla scoffed through another smile and accepted it. Once the pouch's mouth was pried apart Layla used two fingers to pull out the long ornament waiting inside.

Personally to Josie, it looked like nothing more than a fancy red and yellow pillow tassel, but Layla seemed to understand its significance more.

"A Chinese Knot Charm," Layla recited cheerfully. "They're used for good luck, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Warren, I gotta say today's been pretty lucky already without it." She flashed him the new bracelet around her wrist for a playful dramatic effect.

Peace smirked at her and threatened to grab the tassel. "Hmm, I'll just take it back then."

But Layla drew her gift further away, grinning wider. "No, no, don't! Come on, I love it, it's perfect. Thank you."

Warren stalled for a mere instant, but he still nodded back at her in sheer consideration.

And Josie cleared her throat a seconds later, resulting in both of them turning her way. "We should probably bring the cake back in alright, you two?"

When the clouds parted, a mass of light came flooding back through the open cafeteria windows, hitting their lunch table at the perfect angle just as Layla decided to pull the band free from her hair. Coming down from their tightly-wrapped up bonds, her red strands were left to form a thick mane of curls, glowing almost a golden color under the sun. And it wasn't long before a warm breeze followed, causing those curls to go wild.

Warren, positioned across from her at that precise timing, stared at her for a second longer than he intended to. Or should have, considering who she was.

But if there was one physical trait Warren was allowed to find attractive on Layla, it had always been her hair mostly.

She had hair like fire.

"Want to join us tonight? Will wanted to make sure you weren't feeling left out."

"I don't think so, not this time. It sounds more like a couple thing."

"Why not ask your pretty Ice Queen, Jenna, to come with usthen?"

"Hippie," he gruffed out, "she graduated last year. We danced once at Homecoming and went on a few dates after that, but it doesn't automatically make us permeate for life."

"You seemed to have a good time with her, though."

"And I did have a good time with her," he stressed, closing his book. "But I knew it wasn't meant to last fulltime."

"But I still can't see why," she shook her head.

Before stomping away he added sternly, "I got two words for you: Robert Frost."

Even if Warren's mother was also alienated by the Super Community after her husband's arrest, she was at always peace when her son started to have company over during her early retirement, whether it be the Stronghold boy, or before that, the Ice Girl.

Although, she had grown individually fond of Layla within a matter of heartbeats. That girl was one of a kind—spunky, loud, modest, highly opinionated but nonjudgmental all wrapped into one. Like a spirited Wood Nymph. Of course his mother was also glad that Will and Layla came with a whole package of other friends for Warren to spend more time with. But in the end of every visit, the little Daughter of the Earth stood out to her the most.

Like her, Layla was never afraid to take that one extra step with Warren—to challenge him, to encourage him—while the others still refrained from pushing their luck too far.

She liked how Warren was totally free around his fellow Elemental; Layla made a point to entirely strip him of public assumptions and beliefs, clawing her way through all the defenses until Warren had nothing left to show her but himself.

Just like Barron.

Her motherly heart actually warmed at the thought.

Because regardless of the gossip, Barron hadn't been the same man the world saw him as living with her behind closed doors either.

Warren circled back to her usual booth and offered her another water. "So why are you riding solo tonight, exactly?"

"After we were done with our homework tonight, Mr. Stronghold wanted to take the boys out to that new steakhouse restaurant down the block." She flashed him an understanding smile, handing him her split fortune cookie. "Read it to me?"

"Can't you read?"

Laughing, she pushed at his arm. "C'mon, you always do it."

Huffing, Warren caved. He tossed his rag over his shoulder and slid the slip of paper out from its shell. "Hippie," he began firmly, like he was preparing to give her a professional speech. "A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not why ships are built."

Layla's smile returned as her head tipped to the side thoughtfully. "...So I need to go sailing?"

He rolled his eyes at her joke. "I think it implies that because you're entirely comfortable with something and it's really familiar to you...doesn't mean you shouldn't try to explore the sea of other opportunities laid out right in front of you."

"What are you doing?"

"Listening," she said softly, bathed in the shadow of the rustling leaves overhead.

"It's a tree, Layla." he remarked, tone steady and cynical.

Her eyes snapped opened to glance back at him and then she kissed her fingertips against the bark ever so gently. "They have their voices too, you know." She always needed to have the last say. "And they have wisdom."

Summer was nearly upon them once again, so it was time for Warren to finally graduate from Sky High.

He was choosing to go to an university before any real Heroic Career yet. College was just as important to him.

And at his party, Layla was half-embarrassed by the small tears forming in her eyes, partly because she wanted laugh with him as well.

Nearly two years later, he was still slipping his cell out of his jean pocket at the sound of her ringtone. "Hello?"

"Are you busy?"

"Nah, I just got out of meeting with one of my professors. What's up?"

"Will and I just broke up this morning."

"Oh, man. Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Lying flat on his back, Warren first stirred when his ears picked up distant chatter from somewhere down the corridor. Sighing deeply, he rubbed his forehead to rid himself of the fatigue and realized he was still his dorm room. The outfit from last night's party was still perfectly intact, while the rest of it was steadily coming back to him.

He blinked and looked aside to find Layla in his bed with him, curled on her side, with her wrist innocently resting over his chest. The room vaguely smelt like the smoke from an old campfire inside a meadow.

He recalled how they went to the party being held in the West Hall the night before. Each of them had a wine cooler, played a few rounds of pool, politely small-talked with some of the other students, but then Layla'd had enough of the wild commotion. So had he; so they ended up back in his small apartment on campus and casually continued talking like they always did.

"The second breakup was much worse." she told him honestly, after he tossed her a cereal health bar from his desk drawer. "This time around Will and I only lasted three months, even though we started just as strong as before. And I think that what sucks the most...it's our beginnings that are happy, not our endings."

That had been the main reason why she had come over in the first place. She merely wanted some space from Maxville, if it was just for the weekend.

College is behind him, but barely so. He's a fresh graduate, and he is still one of her best friends. And he still counts her as one in return.

Half the time they are a professionals now, a team in the public eye, a recognized duo taking on tasks commissioned by the government and they're called Daughter Nature and Pyromus in the newspaper headlines. They do well together, mainly because neither of them really goes out of their way to work with someone else on the Heroic Force. It is clear to bystanders that they have a trustworthy system established while on the job and they aren't about to throw it away anytime soon.

But as plain Warren and Layla, they are currently roommates. She's trying to finish her last year of college herself and he's currently managing the local art and music studio on the side.

Warren has moved of his old apartment on campus, looking for something ideally more real and permanent—and Layla who's simply been splitting a condo with Will and Larry, knew she couldn't be rooming with her "ex" forever. So, eventually, this has led them both of them on deciding to share a small Victorian fixer-upper on the edge of the suburbs that no else wanted (according to Josie's records). The house is not overly suspicious or too noticeable, so it's been a pretty decent cover-up. Their driveway is long and sandy, and the backyard is basically nothing but a big pasture that stretches out to a wider strip of forestland. It's perfect for Layla to stay attuned with wildlife here, while the large pole shed sitting aside the house has steal-plated interior walls where Warren is free to play target practice or do any auto work. And to top it all off, Zach, Magenta, and Ethan have recently pulled their money together to buy the empty house a mile down the road from them. Will still comes by on a consistent basis too, to remain civil. He and Layla are lingering in that weird after-process of trying to maintain the first part of their childhood friendship they hopefully have left over.

But, frankly Warren and Layla's own living situation is not always that perfect either.

...Yes, most days, they still function under the same sense of friendly familiarity. Not to mention that every now and then they still get wrapped into little cliché shenanigans around town one would probably expect to see on a sitcom like Friends or Three's Company.

On Tuesday afternoon, while helping Layla to paint the upstairs bathroom a gentle leaf green color, Magenta has even informed her how the older people in town have mocked them a bit for it, saying that she and Warren seem to have one of those silly more-than-friends-but-less-than-lovers relationships.

And although Layla never fully agrees to that assumption—she can't really deny that her and Warren aren't as professional when they're not wearing their uniforms. Compared to their Heroic career, their domestic life isn't so apt, strict, and organized, and it isn't so step-by-step. No, at home, when the masks come off, they return to common people prone to having regular humanistic habits and emotion. Above all else, the constant proximity versus hanging out every other week or whatever, does put their friendship to the test in different ways than ever before.

With her power representing Creation and his Destruction, their bond can go into overdrive. Whenever this happens, tensions will rise around the house, stress will add up, and boundaries may be crossed. The harmony and the innocence alike fly out the window, and she and Warren will be left to face the unadulterated seriousness forming in their lives. Layla knows this...and even Magenta would know, because it's happened...several times in fact. The rest of the gang usually try to avoid getting stuck between them when those dark hours do come to pass.

On their dicey days Layla and Warren will bicker like children on the playground and in time they become a cycling force that is raveling undone—as sometimes—the Fire Element can get too impulsive and too greedy, and it will start devouring the paths the Earth had laid out for itself, leaving little to nothing to hold onto by the end...

Thus far, Warren has kicked a chair into the wall, has slammed his bedroom door in her face, has broken a plate at her feet before storming out of the kitchen, has set her curtains on fire all in outbursts of rage, and he's once directly yelled at her when he thought she was getting too deep in the privacy of his family's history. Otherwise—he can be a sneaky flame that spreads forth quietly, going undetected until it's too late for Layla to react and smother it out...for Warren may manipulate her ever so slightly to get his way. He has even scared off a couple of her potential dates already behind her back because he doesn't deem them worthy of her time. One example: her second real boyfriend, Spencer Brooks, a classmate of hers. Similar to dating Will, their relationship itself was again rather short-lived…but mainly because of what Warren did.

Apparently, without her hearing it for herself, Spencer was becoming more irked and disappointed in her choice for roommates. Warren's mentioned that Spencer made some comment about him possibly "being a bad influence on Layla."

Therefore, Warren deliberately sabotaged their dinner in some form of payback or defiance.

She openly began laughing at one of Spenser's witty jokes, which she found genuinely funny.

Spencer smiled back, his blue eyes shining under the light overhead.

Before then, she would've pictured herself agreeing to go out with the decently toned blonde she had bumped into on a beach one day after classes—but she was inwardly glad that she had. Spencer was something new for a change. At first, he came off haughty and immature on campus, but he as soon as he became interested in her, and actually tried to woo her, she couldn't help getting a little more intrigued herself. In reality, he had a personality unlike all the boys she currently knew. Whereas Will, Zach, and Ethan were incredibly good at heart, being the awkwardly adorable underdogs slowly realizing their true potential, Spencer constantly seemed sure of himself; totally charming and sociable, and was naturally athletic when playing volleyball or going surfing.

"Hey there, Hippie. What's hangin'?" Warren's voice had greeted them from the side of their booth.

She looked up suddenly, taken by surprise his visit, especially since he she told him she was supposed to be going out on a two-month anniversary date with Spencer. Warren had taken a couple girls out occasionally too, sure, and she never bothered them in the middle of anything like this!

But before she could say anything, Warren was sliding in next to her, casually slinging an arm around her neck like kindergarten pals would do posing for a picture, and stole a bite of her salad.

It was very unlike Warren to behave like this in particular. In the back of her mind, she sensed he had to be pretending for some reason. Like he had a point to prove, his own score to settle. Because no one could play with fire and get away with it.

"Warren, what are you doing here?" she muttered, inclining her head closer to his while Spencer just looked purely insulted by the intrusion...

Understandably, that memory is only a mere fraction of the drama that sparked between all of them that night.

Layla figures it'd be quite unlikely for Warren to ever admit it out loud that his friendly protectiveness over her has sporadically inched over the line to possessiveness.

On other bad days—to be fair—the Earth Element is no better. It's always so vibrant, so motivating and lively that it has its own special way of attracting the other three elements to it, like a siren, making them revolve around it and it'll just keep growing from there. The Earth wants to be treasured and noted for its majesty. It wants to embrace everything in return, to gain knowledge of everything. It wants to be everywhere, to flourish, to extend, to dominate, and tower over all, to be rooted into every single corner. And at times, it gets carried away and those little annoying weeds will show up in the most inconvenient places, and no matter how many times they are plucked or trampled on, they come back again almost out of pure spite.

Layla has proudly sunk his motorcycle halfway down into a mud hole one rainy morning after one of their arguments, and she has let fresh moss grow all over the chords of his favorite guitar, making it unplayable. That's all it takes on their very bad days. One heated dispute, and she may willingly insult his clothes, his character, his hobbies, or she'll say a cutting remark about him (on purpose) right in front of any girl who tries to flirt with him at the supermarket if she's in earshot...she just wants to see Warren cringe under the weight of her own words. On those days, she uses these actions to remind him how well they really do know each other, and so, she knows what can hurt him most. But when she is downright vexed with him, she'll do what she can to make him feel ashamed of himself because even the prettiest roses shouldn't be tampered with when they have too many thorns on them that day.

The undoubtedly worst day they've had however, has been when she was having lunch at the other house a couple weeks ago:

Their regular chitchat sooner or later involved Will explaining Larry had actually moved out recently and so he had the condo all to himself now; and that he'd also met someone new during a recent mission. Her name was Natalie McKay and she was a Citizen that he happened to save from a van rolling down the street. And judging by her picture Will had of her on his phone, the girl—Natalie—looked nice enough. Pink sweater, white cotton summer dress underneath trimmed with yellow lace, long sleek black hair, doe-brown eyes, and a honey-sweet grin.

Out of sheer politeness, Layla held her tongue and didn't mention how Natalie's appearance somewhat resembled Gwen Greyson's. Layla knew they weren't the same girl. Besides, the chances of history repeating itself to that degree was paranoid thinking.

But those memories of rejection were resurfacing and Layla found herself starting to surrender to that old heartache again (fast) as Will finished up his innocent confession by stating he and Natalie were going on their seventh official date over the weekend.

Layla slipped out an excuse as soon as she could and powerwalked home, waiting for Warren to get home that evening.

The next series of hours being alone with all her own thoughts, though, was not exactly easy.

When Warren did come home, he found her pacing. Grass was poking right through the floor boards. He sighed and asked her what happened. She recapped everything for him, and said that her original feelings for Will were switching back on again. That...she may had never been really over him to begin with.

By morning and with no sleep, she had decided.

She ran an excited hand through her hair and exhaled, staring at Warren who now sat himself at the kitchen table, watching her in return. "Warren, I—I think I need to let him know what I'm feeling."

Bemused, Warren let go of his coffee mug and stood up, grunting at her. "Whoa, wait, hang on. Are you insane?" He honestly couldn't bring himself to agree with the idea. Not this time.

And since Warren did play a large part in their romantic relationship before, supporting her to come clean, his sudden skepticism derailed her sense of hope. "I don't get it. Why are you against this? Shouldn't I say something?"

"Look, Hippie," he said, hands lowering onto her shoulders, "...it's a different situation. It's a different time with different factors. You can't just relapse with him because...you feel alone, or whatever. As his friend—and yours—don't get sucked back into this. For both of your sakes. You've dated him a couple times now and it has never worked out."

She replied by telling him it wasn't a relapse. It was real and he couldn't imagine what she was feeling. Will was her first real love, and maybe the third time could be charm.

With that, Warren had to literally follow her outside and chase her down the porch, physically standing in her way across the lawn.

She shoved him aside each time he stepped closer to her again, still trying to reason with her.

"Friends don't do this to each other, Warren!" she spat.

"You're smarter than this!" he barked back at her. "Am I supposed to wait around till you hurt yourself again? You two were a good couple, no one can deny that...but you and Stronghold are just better at being best friends."

Pretty soon they went back and forth, to and fro, one more retort led to another even more spiteful than the last. Against Layla's wishes, small tears of frustration began to stream down her face.

Then, she told Warren she hated him.

His eyes softened by that point, but that still didn't make him back off.

Layla collapsed then under the pain of reality and truth, and Warren knelt with her in his attempt to catch her, his arms caging her in.

Clutching at his t-shirt, she let out a short scream of grief and rage, which had caused the ground to shake hard enough for a small crevice in the earth to literally slit apart in front of them.

...The main upside to all this, though, is that even if they stumble into bad days quickly and without that much effort, she and Warren somehow manage to make up just as quickly and effortlessly.

Everyone else could just tell they naturally click on a level that only kindred spirits can.

The more the Earth is willing to provide and nurture, the further the Fire can burn brighter and healthier. And as long as the Fire burns out the old sickly things and anything else invasive, a fresh new beginning can grow from its cinders.