"Toris, what is this?"

The bright neon sign read "Feel Karaoke" in stretched Korean letters surrounded by black, joining the rest of the ensemble on the late night scene advertisement parade. There were bars, dance clubs, stores, and cafes all around the area, but Toris had led their group to this place in particular, never once sparing a glance to the other temptations for their night outing. Even as people walked by unaware of the tense atmosphere between two young men on a night out, he kept his stance firm. To anyone passing by, speaking to others or taking a walk to admire the night life of one of America's busiest cities, they would catch a glance of at least an octuple of friend, dressed casually and readying for a night of food and singing. In reality, one of these young men was on a mission, and another his unfortunate victim.

Toris saw Alfred's almost scared look and his confidence crumbled. Although he had been initially excited to show Alfred the place, now he was not so sure of his choice. "It is a karaoke bar. One of my coworkers recommended it to Feliks, who in turn told me. You know, the really happy Korean?"

Alfred nodded while his attention remained glued to the intimidating sign. "Oh, yeah...why karaoke?"

"You remember our discussion, right?" There would be a problem if he forgot about it already. Toris did not want to have their talk again, especially in public.

Alfred nodded, quelling his fears. "Well, yeah but - I just honestly thought it would be a thing between the two of us, not...with others," He referred to the rest of their group. In addition to them, Feliks had tagged along and invited miscellaneous coworkers from diverging offices. Toris only recognized a few while the rest mingled as add-ons to their party. Mentioning a night out in their building meant at least five people would tag along. With Roderich's announcement earlier that day, everyone would most likely want to have one night of fun before they dived into weeks of stressing effort to earn the pay raise promised. The few people who had joined them tonight were the ones interested in singing than drinking themselves into a hangover stupor. In Toris' opinion it was a smart choice, but he was almost positive they would order alcohol anyway.

Still upset, Alfred sighed. "I dug my own grave when I agreed to it, but when you invited me for a night out as part of your mission...I dunno. I wasn't expecting you to prove it this way." His blonde brows knitted, clearly upset with the turn of events.

Regret blossomed in Toris' chest. He didn't want to upset Alfred, he wanted to help him! His method of choice was indeed a little forward, but for someone like him - who always asked permission before using someone's bathroom or chose to ignore commotions in the office - the rush had overpowered his rationality. Almost out of a new-found instinct, Toris wanted to have Alfred realize his wonderful gift in the brightest way possible. Wanted to see the blonde shine on his own and, most importantly, prove himself right against Alfred's claims.

Even so, the strong knitting feeling of guilt remained.

"I-I'm sorry. We can go if you'd like?" They could go to a regular bar - oh, wait. Alfred is not legal. Well, a restaurant to eat? Oh, but the others would most likely ask for alcohol there as well. Oh! He and Alfred did not have to tag along with them; they could do their own thing. Hell, even the strip club would be fine! So long as Toris could return the smile to his friend's face it did not matter where.

Just then, Feliks walked up to them with a slight skip in his gait and completely in his element; desk work really did not suit his personality. Instead of the suit, he wore loose maroon pants tucked into mid-knee-high brown boots. He'd traded the bland gray jacket for just his write dress shirt (cuffs unbuttoned) and a striped black vest. Feliks' neck was wrapped in a checkered red scarf to complete the look. In all honesty, Toris almost felt self-conscious coming here in his work clothes, minus the jacket. Having Alfred next to him wearing his casual blue hoodie almost made him feel better, but with how much the blonde naturally glowed in the night light it did not help his insecurity in the least.

Upon hearing Toris' suggestion, the bubbly Polish frowned. "Oh hell naw! We came all the way here and I intend to enjoy myself. We'll sing the cheesiest songs, pig out and drink so much we'll need our mothers to call our friends to dig our bodies from the gutter."

"I'm not legal yet, Feliks," informed Alfred flatly.

"Oh you poor baby," Feliks cooed. He grabbed the only two males still waiting outside and pulled them towards the entrance. "No harm done if we sneak you a few sips. Come on!"

Everything after that was a blur. Toris could still tell Alfred was nervous, but he ignored it for now. He watched Feliks handle the employees with surprising ease. They paid, then practically bounced to their reserved room. In minutes, their group seated themselves around a large, dimly lighted room of cushioned chairs and three small circular tables. A flat screen hung at the front along with the singing equipment, most notably the microphone. Toris smiled seeing it, but when he spared a peek to Alfred, his own disappeared at the blonde's apparent nervousness. He'd never seen him so stressed; it worried Toris knowing what he had planned. He chose to keep ignoring it for now, paying no mind to Alfred's tight expression and nibbling lip. He figured if pushed enough, the blonde would sing at least one song.

One song is all he needed.

Seeing how Alfred did not appear to plan on moving from his spot by the door, Toris quickly guided the stiff blonde to a seat near the back. Best to start off slow.

Together, they watched the others situate themselves, look over the menu and discuss the available songs. Toris relaxed instantly, seeing everyone so happy at 8pm when most were slouched or drowning in sorrow at 3pm. Even Feliks did not seem to be catching his shy bug. Instead, his happy friend flipped through option after option on the song screen, calling out whenever he recognized a song only to continue sliding through the list. It always amused Toris how such a hyper socialite like Feliks could be so quiet around strangers. Without the bashfulness, Feliks was a party machine hell-bent on getting everyone involved. Toris knew if he saw Alfred sit in the back without at least one song sung in his record, he would make it tonight's mission to have the blonde on the stage no matter what. At least now he could be an asset to Toris' plans.

"Looks fun, right Alfred?" He smiled, hoping it looked genuine enough.

The entire time Alfred had been glaring holes into the floor and occasionally the door, but he broke his nonexistent argument with the carpet at Toris' question. He offered a small smile, although it did not reach his eyes. "Uh, yeah...Fun. Real fun."

Biting his own lip, Toris chose a different tactic. "Alfred, you don't have to go up there if you don't want to." Oh yes he would, but Toris' wouldn't admit that.

At this, Alfred looked at him wide-eyed. "R-Really?"

"Mhm, I can just find another time to do the other thing. We should have fun tonight. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Oh man, that's a load off my back," he laughed, officially returning to his happy demeanor. All traces of his earlier somber mood vanished on sight.

"I'm glad." Toris continued to smile, although his own did not reach that spot of honesty every curve of the lips should touch when being genuine. Alfred didn't seem to notice and proceeded to look through his food menu once he saw it placed expertly on the table.

In a few minutes (really about an hour), their party would become loose enough to allow what their company specifically deemed inappropriate harassment. The gentle conversations of daily occurrences changed to loud whining of annoying friends and coworkers. Gossip at its best, Toris found. Vibrations from the sound system hammered at his ears. If it weren't for the small bit of alcohol he'd drunk, Toris might have left on account of a blinding headache. But Toris was buzzed and carefree for the most part, still coherent but unbound from his usual rigid composition. He could still make out the face of whoever groped his chest and that bearded fellow across the room making out with a female employee. The tipsy brunette couldn't recall who they were specifically, but he didn't care since they would most likely never see each other for a long time. He noted Feliks pink-faced and jumping about, trying to get another participant to sing one of the Korean songs. They'd gone through most of them in drunken choruses of slurred vowels and out of tune pitches. So far, only two of the guys present and one girl really knew how to blow their pipes.

Toris knew the real treasure was still sitting next to him, for the most part sober seeing as how Feliks had not lied about sneaking him a couple of sips from whatever alcohol he could force onto the underage boy. Alfred had gone the most of the night silent aside from the occasional laughs when the others made complete fools of themselves. Everyone had expected him to be the life of the party, but he'd remained in his seat the entire night, only getting up to reach for fries or other delicacies brought in early on to munch the night away.

It honestly frustrated Toris how Alfred managed to avoid getting called up. He'd been forced to sing at least three songs in the last hour, all of which he mumbled through because they were in Korean. If he had to suffer the humiliation, so did Alfred.

Which is why at that precise moment he chose to glance at the still wobbling Feliks. Their eyes met, green on green in silent accord.

Prior to coming to the karaoke place - no, earlier than that. Right after Toris had spoken with Alfred, he'd raced to find his flamboyant friend for a suitable place to oust the singing prodigy. Feliks would not ease up until he'd received at least part of the 'big secret,' all too curious as to why his usually bland and quiet friend now held his arm in a tight grip, asking about a karaoke place with eyes that beamed in the most frightening, green viper strike. Caught in the trap of the serpent's tail, Feliks had surrendered with a catch. Half an hour of persuasion later, Toris had reluctantly told him of Alfred's secret - the first part anyway. Any connection to Arthur Kirkland still remained confidential.

The silent agreement ended. Grinning, Feliks bounced over to his table.

"Alfred, I think you're the only one who hasn't gone tonight." Alfred stopped his munching to stare blankly at Feliks. "It's your time to shine, baby! C'mon!"

Dropping his burger as Feliks grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him towards the stage, Alfred pleaded to Toris to stop his friend. In response Toris feigned drunkenness, waving and giving a lazy smile to the retreating pair. The blank expression quickly turned to one of panic, almost making Toris feel bad for plotting against the oblivious blonde. He pushed the annoying infiltration to the back of his mind, intent on having Alfred fulfill his promise.

"We'll make you sing the best song!" Cheered Feliks, frankly ignoring Alfred's discomfort.

The boy quickly turned to his kidnapper in confusion. "W-ha? But I don't -" View of the stage increased with each step, almost like an omen inviting anyone to test their resolve or suffer the consequences. As the two passed, others cheered for Alfred's performance, encouraging the nervous teen. Toris felt relieved knowing he would get support. As he'd quickly learned early into their friendship, Alfred loved the approval of others. Toris hoped the encouragement would be enough to get the blonde to start at least the first chorus of a song - one stanza to let Alfred show the soft vibrato of his voice, or the serenity of a single note change. Anything! The crowd would respond positively and Alfred would realize what his future held. All Toris had to worry about now is what song Feliks chose.

Please don't let it be Korean. Or rap.

Despite how drunk he was, Feliks' strength never relented. He pushed the stunned Alfred onto the platform, righting the microphone stand to fit his height. "Nonsense! Let's go go go! Fun is what we came to have and you aren't contribut-ing!" A manicured finger pointed to Alfred, the carol of the last word giving the message of having done something wrong. Although it sounded like Feliks was reprimanding him, the amused grin the clearly intoxicated blonde wore betrayed any real threat of profession. Instead, the down-turned brows and sleazy curve gave one message: "Do what I tell you or else."

Alfred swallowed. "B-but, I can't sing."

"Neither can most of us, but that doesn't matter. We're here to have fun, right guys?!" Cheers answered his call and Feliks turned back to Alfred in triumph.

Their coworkers, drunk and high off the buzz from sweet liquor and good food, raised their arms high, waving or pumping the air to signal their approval. Toris conformed to their desires and lifted a half-empty shot glass, downing the rest before raising it once more, making Feliks chuckle at his friend's rare moment of inebriation. "Besides," he told Alfred, "we're too drunk to care if you suck or not. Now sing! I have the perfect song."

Denying Alfred a choice in the matter, Feliks rushed to the screen and chose the song he'd specifically ignored for the entire night, waiting for the perfect chance to play it on a specific person. He selected it and the soft melody of introductory instrumentals of brass and fast beat began to echo in the room. More cheers resounded from the drunk audience who recognized the song instantly.

The vocals came on and Toris had to roll his eyes. Katy Perry. Seriously? His now glazed green eyes observed Alfred, satisfied when he appeared to recognize his assigned song as well. In response, the blonde's tan skin reddened; probably from embarrassment. He made to move away from the stage but a loud chant quickly erupted from the now somewhat sober group of individuals watching the poor boy's predicament. Toris once again joined in, intent to keep Alfred on that platform and singing in the next few seconds. He'd already missed the first stanza.

"Alfred! Alfred! Alfred! Alfred!"

"C'mon Alfred! The good part's coming up!" Feliks yelled over the chant. It was a wonder no one had come in to complain about the noise. Even if the walls were coated in sound-proof material, someone had to have walked by and wondered why there was a call to arms happening inside.

On the stage, Toris noticed Alfred surveying the room. The lights shined against his glasses lens, blinding him briefly and he blocked the glare with his hand. "Sing already", he urged silently. If he recalled correctly, this song only lasted for a little over three minutes. Alfred had let a good portion of the song pass already, and the big chance to show off would be the chorus soon to play. Toris breathed in relief when Alfred licked his lips and positioned the microphone carefully above his mouth. "D-do you ever fee..l?" His timing was off and the words were but mere mumbles of breath than notes of a song. Three lines passed before Alfred even spoke, not sang, again.

"..s-still a chance for you."

Toris grew frustrated. He's expected Alfred to blank out from fear, but this was ridiculous. In his mind Alfred would gain confidence after being drunk and seeing others fail. Unfortunately, Toris had forgotten Alfred couldn't drink. The only alcohol he'd sipped did nothing to his sobriety. The crowd worked in Toris' favor, but Alfred refused to cooperate. He watched helplessly as the blonde continued to mumble broken lyrics, off-key and late. Apparently everyone else shared his sentiment if only a little bit because some of the coworkers began to sing along to the words, throwing more cheers to the blonde up front, wanting to embolden the strangely shy nineteen year old onstage. Astonished, Toris joined the chorus.

"'Cause there's a spark in you? You just gotta ignite-" Euphonious vocals continued on, ignorant to the singer's mistakes.

Alfred tried to keep up unsuccessfully. "U-um, ignite th-the night...the light...shine, um."

"Come on Al! Fireworks!" Someone yelled.

He fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie. "Let it shine..."

"Yeah! Keep going!"

"You can do it!"

"Can't be worse than me!"

At the last comment, Alfred smiled; still a ghost of its normal glory but a smile nonetheless. "Own the the night..," he halfway sung, first and last words being the only instances to heighten in pitch.

"Whoo! Go Alfred!"

Alfred tried again. "Like the fourth of July." More cheers and clapping erupted from the crowd. Toris wanted to cheer and hug every dunk bastard in the room for their assistance, but he remained focused on Alfred. He noticed the blonde continue fidgeting with is clothes, tensing at the next line of the song.

"Baby you're a...Fi-re-wooork...," Alfred stopped, cheeks red, head facing the carpet once more. "I c-can't do it," he mumbled into the microphone.

Don't give up Alfred. Toris stood from his seat. "Sure you can! We're here to enjoy your singing, Alfred!"

"Yeah! Give it your all!" One drunk man slurred.

Another joined in. "C'mon Alfred!"

Nervous feet continued to twitch on stage. The mouth belonging to them opened for one short sentence. "Show them what you're worth."

"Talking the words doesn't co-unt!" Feliks sung, earning short laughter from the others. Alfred almost looked offended, but when he returned the held the microphone to his mouth once more, the lyrics were monotone no more. Instead, his expression reflected determination.

To Toris' relief, all of the chanting seemed to finally bring Alfred confidence. Even if only a small amount the blonde gradually began to keep up with the singer, missing only a spare word or two in between. He appeared frustrated, but in a good way that motivated him to try harder for the people cheering him on. "Oh...oh..Oh...As you shoot across the sky- y- y!" Words spoken under anxious breath became louder, gaining a tone to match those of the singer. As Alfred began to actually sing rather than speak the words, more of those in the crowd joined the mantra of optimistic yells. Some even began to clap to the rhythm. The entire room almost resembled a live concert, were it not for Alfred's restrained half-singing.

Alfred sung louder and Toris heard his voice crack.

Huh, that was weird, He thought, brushing it aside when his excitement rose with each boost of Alfred's confidence. Too engrossed in a phase of mid-drunkenness and cheerful employee integration, he didn't notice the following throaty gruff, not even as Alfred's voice rose to an almost inhuman screech. High off alcohol, no brain registered those small breaks of harmony.

The song's beat vanished and all noise lessened to ready for the best part of the song. Alfred's voice lowered considerably. "Igni-te the light. Let it shi-ne."

A particularly drunk audience member screamed, "Own the night Alfred!"

Alfred took a dramatic breath.

"BABY, YOU'RE A FIIIIIIIIIIREWOOOOOOORK! COME ON, SHOW 'EM WHAAAAAT YOU'RE WOOOOOOORTH! MAKE 'EM GO "OO, OOOH, OOOH." AS YOU SHOOT ACROSS THE SKY-Y-Y!"

Something shocked through Toris' head and he fell out of his drunk state. He felt sticky. Toris looked down to see he'd dropped the glass of whine he'd been pouring. His fingers were stained with trails of red, reminding him of the bleeding heart his surely resembled when Natalia refused his love. He glanced down to each drop that slowly separated from his fingertips and made a slow descent to his feet. The carpet grew a red splotch, ugly and bleeding until every drop was absorbed into the probably already dirty fiber. More unnerving was how it reminded Toris of death, of dying, of - killing.

What poor animal was dying in the room? Who had the audacity to bring a live animal and slaughter it mid-performance? Toris searched for the perpetrator, expecting a shrill from one of the women or a curse from Feliks, but he found none. In fact, everything seemed to have gone silent except for -

Oh. No longer glazed, Toris' eyes watched as Alfred sung his heart out onstage. To his disbelief, the heavenly sound he'd desperately wanted to hear once more; to show off to Feliks and everyone present - well, it wasn't even close to being present. Instead, Toris' stomach dropped and dread gripped him tightly in its hold when he realized Alfred, the only one making a noise at this point, was also the one mimicking the death of a small, defenseless creature. In his shock the brunette had dropped his glass and its contents, now noticing small shards accompanying the pool of bloody liquid on the floor. It must have hit the table, its sound knocking Toris out of his trance to gawk at the blonde, unmindful of his now speechless audience, still screeching into the poor over-stressed microphone.

In one instant their joyous concert had turned to a silent mob of disquiet.

Toris heard the chorus coming again, trepidation setting for Alfred's preparing breath. He anticipated another loud monster cry; grating to the ears and painful as a sight for Toris to watch the blue-eyed blonde 'sing.' When the noise cutoff mid-word and a sharp static sound shot off the speakers, officially ending any communication from the microphone to them, Toris (along with everyone else in the audience) sighed in relief. He uncovered his ears, unaware he'd had his hands on them in the first place, and watched as one of the previously drunk men straightened his bent form, the hand clutching a black outlet cable releasing it quickly.

"Uh, sorry man. Stepped on the cord, haha..." Toris saw how much bull that was. Everyone else probably did as well. Pitifully, that meant Alfred did as well.

Upon the cut-off, Alfred had frozen in his place, mid-jump with one arm raised high to the ceiling. It broke Toris' heart to see that joyous expression disappear, slump really so that he resembled something of a combination between a kicked puppy and an indifferent mother. He didn't bother to speak, or laugh it off - Alfred remained silent even as his body slumped, the raised arm hitting against his pants leg as it lowered and he rushed off stage. Toris wanted to follow, but the shock of what had just occurred fixed him to his seat. Instead, he watched silent with everyone else as Alfred almost ran to the door in the midst of their scrutiny.

The awkward silence quickly died when the door banged open to reveal a girl dressed in Asian attire, long brown braid swaying with her body as she took a martial arts stance and glared at every wide-eyeball still following Alfred on his trail to the exit. "Are you people killing an animal in here?! We don't allow weirdos into our rooms!"

Toris gaped. Some unforgiving bastard dared to chuckle in the back. Another person coughed. The Asian girl narrowed her eyes. "Well?!"

Alfred quickly slipped by the girl, earning an angered call that he plainly neglected. Toris chose this moment to rush past her as well, ignoring her to listen for the hurried steps of Alfred's retreat. They were quick so he ran to catch up, turning the corner of the hall just in time to catch a yellow speckle in the distance head into the lobby and exit through two double glass doors. Toris followed, taking a second to give the two people at the counter an apologetic glance before sprinting in the direction he thought he saw Alfred go.

The night air instantly sobered what little buzz he had. With the cloud of alcohol gone, Toris breathed in the cold to calm himself, looking around in search of another blonde spec. He spotted it and gave chase, following the head of wheat down the street, past cafes and full family restaurants. People stared questionably at the running duo, but Toris paid them no mind. He focused on Alfred's running form, turning in time with him as he changed course and dove into a dark alley way. Toris stopped at the entrance, uneasy about going in there at night. "Alfred, wait!" He hoped the blonde would reconsider his choice of escape. To his dismay, the blonde did not listen and continued on, faster. Reluctantly, Toris followed. He watched ahead as all light from the busy street behind them vanished and the small path became enveloped in eerie darkness. The cold air bit and dried his throat, his breaths becoming ragged with each haphazard inhale.

Toris struggled to increase his pace, his legs unprepared for a nightly run, but he managed until the alley opened to a deserted park surrounded by trees. A small playground sat on a base of sand illuminated by yellow street lights. In them, he saw Alfred nearing the other side and called out desperately, reaching for the blonde as his legs worked to keep up the pace, "Alfred, please! Stop!" He smiled when Alfred stopped and looked back, but his heart instantly stopped when he caught the deep, cold scowl aimed his way. Toris inched closer carefully, finding the scene fairly familiar only much more frightening. Back in the studio he was the one cornering Alfred. At that moment, Toris felt like the hunter at the brink of becoming prey.

"A-Alfred, what- " He didn't really know what to say or ask. Nothing could make sense of what had happened in that karaoke room. "It...You shouldn't worry about it."

Toris flinched when Alfred let out the most feral growl, turning on his heel to stare menacingly at the shorter man. If not for the faint trace of oncoming tears in those blue eyes, he would have been scared to death. Not to say he wasn't petrified of the Alfred he now faced. "Don't give me that bullshit, Toris." Said man was stunned. Alfred cursed few times, usually in a comical way to express his distaste. Toris had never heard him curse so savagely before. "How could you do this?! Now the entire office is going to be laughing at me because of you!" The seething blonde clenched his fists, making Toris fear for the structure of his face.

"Alfred I'm sorry! I just- I don't know, I," He raked his head with his nails, trying to come up with an explanation but failed to think of anything, "- What in the world were you doing back there?!"

Alfred stomped the ground with enough force to make Toris feel the vibrations through his own shoes."Nothing! I was doing nothing, Toris! You want to hear my 'amazing' singing voice? Well there it is laid out like a burnt up turkey!"

"That is a lie!" Toris insisted, sizing up the blonde. They were only about a foot apart now, glaring into each other's eyes; intent to prove the other wrong. "What I heard coming out of your mouth in the recording studio is proof of that!"

"Then the doctor has an appointment ready for you Toris. Might want to tell him about the ear infection you have!"

Toris felt the rush of Alfred's breath on his face. He found himself breathing roughly from the exhaust of their exchange. He'd never been one to raise his voice, much less practically spit on someone in anger. The silence grew and grew until their breaths calmed along with their beating hearts. Toris heard a cricket in the distance and wondered if it was mocking him.

Alfred finally spoke. "I don't know what you heard, but I can't sing Toris. Deal with it." He sounded calm, but Toris could still hear the faint traces of his outrage. Without another word he walked by Toris, the brunette allowing him to pass, not a single protest uttered. What would be the point? The blonde wouldn't listen; Toris didn't blame him after what he'd put the man through. What kind of friend was he to force Alfred into such a position? It was best to let him go. Toris didn't want to hear his retreating steps and was thankful when they no longer cut through his eardrums. He was left in the middle of the playground under a blinding light and taunting cricket.

Eventually Toris felt oncoming fatigue course through his system. All the drinking, running, and screaming finally caught up to him. He wanted to throw up, but held it down for the sake of causing less trouble for himself. Sparing a child's sanctuary of his sick was good too. Instead walked to the swing set, separated from the rest of the equipment on the opposite end of the playground, and collapsed into one of the seats, causing the chains to grate his ears with their annoying clanking. Right then he wanted peace and quiet, not those cackles of the stupid child toy. He'd only sat for a few minutes, head in his hands dejectedly, when the sound of footsteps joined those wretched chains.

Toris looked up, half expecting (hoping) it to be Alfred. What emerged from the alley was blonde like Alfred, but the form and height matched his best friend rather than the angered boy. Toris nodded and Feliks joined him then. He sat in the swing next to him and gently swayed, but didn't talk. At some point, Toris began to realize his friend might have heard the altercation. That wouldn't be good.

But Feliks said nothing. They shared a hushed moment, enjoying the night scenery and natural sounds of the environment. The moon was full and cast a beautiful glow against the clouds, disappearing and reappearing with each passerby. Toris felt calmer after a while, at which point Feliks must have noticed because he finally faced his friend to talk.

"Sooo, Alfred has the voice of an angel, huh? The dying animal back there could have totally fooled me."

Toris groaned in response. This conversation was inevitable, but that did not mean he had to like it. He huffed. "I wasn't lying, Feliks. I heard him. I wish you could have too, but...I don't know. He sounded nothing like that day. I wish I understood what happened. Talent doesn't just - disappear."

Feliks hummed, fixing his gaze onto the play set nearby. Toris did as well, if only just to feel like he wasn't just wallowing in his sorrow. He noted a slide, a Jungle Jim, some bars and two towers with ladders. A child's paradise, really. If he were smaller he wouldn't hesitate to jump up the stairs and slide down - to feel free during the descent while the wind brushed his hair in a gentle caress. It would be great to be a child again. No responsibilities? Hell yeah.

"I doubt you're lying about it, so I won't fight you about that," Feliks said, startling Toris. "I do want to get to the bottom of this though."

He blinked. "You do?"

The blonde chuckled. "Well, duh. You're a smart guy Toris. If you think Alfred has a gift meant for Hollywood, I really want to hear it for myself. It might be hard considering what we just heard, and how pissed off he must be at you right now-"

Damn, he had heard them. Toris couldn't catch a brake, could he?

"-but that's nothing some good ol' fashioned blackmail can't fix."

He gasped. "Feliks!"

"I'm kidding."

The two of them laughed. After years of friendship, these small talks were as normal as they were comforting. Toris silently thanked their fateful meeting. As exhausting as Feliks could be sometimes, Toris would never trade the man for any one or any thing. The swings were close enough to where their shoulders almost touched, so Toris leaned his head against the other. "Thank you. You haven no idea what that means to me."

Feliks wrapped a arm around his shoulders, squeezing them closer together. The swings let out a small squeak in protest. "Hey, we're friends, it's expected. You let me drag you all the way across the ocean. The least I can do is help you in a little scouting. I'm with you every step of the way!"

Toris smiled. Locking arms, the two of them stood and began the walk back to their car.

"Besides, you left me with a bunch of drunk asses and a really angry Vietnamese girl. Like, I need my revenge."

A/N: -Italics: When he's singing (or at least trying to). Or should I use bold for that? I think I should. I'll edit this when I think about it. Or tell me your preference?

-"Feel Karaoke" is real. The sign description is based on two pictures I found of it on Google. I have no idea how a karaoke place works and apologize if I've gotten anything wrong. I've heard of places having stages and others where the mic is passed around the table. I liked the stage better.

-Why "Firework" by Katy Perry? Because I needed a popular American pop song. It's a nice song, though. Watch the music video.

Pity Alfred, you guys. Stage fright suuuuucks. I have it terribly, whether it's actually on stage or just saying something in the middle of class - the struggle is real. Anyway, when I saw the update to the character settings I had to update this. I can finally add more characters to this story! Proper pairing and extra characters! Also, there is also a poll on my profile that's for my benefit. I'd appreciate a vote. Thank you for reading! I hope you like the new cover.