Disclaimer: Not, mine, I swear it!

The person in black approached the teenager crouched low over the grave, footsteps surprisingly quiet on the soft snow. The closer he moved, the more obvious it was that the boy was speaking to the low headstone, breath frosting in the cold air and mitted hands rubbing together intermittently to help ward the chill. The closer the figure moved, the more he could perceive of the one-sided conversation; until eventually he was able to eavesdrop from almost directly behind the younger male.

"…and it was scary as hell, Millie. Scarier than the water, in a lot of ways. Not much different in others though. It's just…weird for me now to think about it all, I guess. Three months ago I went into the water with you, and you died, and god, Millie it hurt so bad. I missed you…" David Rice took a moment to swallow thickly, and brush a stray tear from his eye, seemingly unaware of the steady gaze of his watcher. "Then, two months after that I went into the fire with Griffin… I never would have met him, if it wasn't for you Millie. You and that snow globe. I gave it to him, you know, I hope you don't mind. It just seemed fitting, I guess. Everything that's happened since I bought it, every strange parallel between you and him, water and fire, winter and summer, girl and boy, it seems, I don't know…equal somehow? Opposites? Full circle maybe? I'm not good with this cosmic relevancy stuff, anyways. I just know that I wish you could've met him, I think you would've liked him." David's tears were a little more obvious now; the back of his mittens growing damp from wiping at his eyes, but it didn't stop him from soldiering on. The person in black shifted slightly, silently, in place as David continued.

"That moment, when I thought Griffin wasn't breathing… It scared me more than anything, ever. I couldn't just give up though, couldn't just lie down and die, even though I wanted too. I figured if he was willing to give his life for me, I owed it to him to take him out of there. We barely made it out in time; the fire was coming through the door and one of the walls when we got away." Here David let out a short little laugh. "Would you believe we wound up in your living room? Scared the crap outta your mom, too, us just popping in like that, never mind the small crater I made. She's a great woman, Millie. She did so much to help, when she had no reason to. She said you'd never forgive her if she didn't at least try to help. She even agreed to keep the secret, the Paladins would never know we were there-" The person in black was seized by a sudden coughing fit, startling David to his feet; the teen whipping around in shock before recognizing and calling out to his visitor.

"Griffin! I thought you were going to wait for me at the house? How long were you standing there?" David had rushed over while speaking, and had relieved the older boy of the two backpacks he had been carrying, watching worriedly while the older boy braced himself on his knees and caught his breath. Once he was sufficiently recovered, he replied.

"Ten minutes, maybe. Knew you wanted to say goodbye, but I'd figured you'd summarize, not give the entire play-by-play." Despite himself, David grinned a little.

"Well she is my best friend. She deserves to know everything."

"I thought I was your best friend?" Griffin was attempting to pout prettily. He looked somewhat ridiculous, but adorable. David stepped into his space, pressing a quick kiss to slightly chapped lips.

"No Griffin, you're my boyfriend, it's different, for one…" David's witty retort was cut off by another coughing fit; Griffin leaning into his side as he doubled over, hacking. David waited until Griffin had again begun to regain his breathe before speaking.

"You shouldn't be out here in this cold anyways, Dr. Harris says…"

"Mrs. Harris," Griffin began as he straightened up, an icy edge to his tone, "said that the cough would likely improve with time, and that I'm doing well enough to be up and about, and that we should get lost before we overstay our welcome." David offered Griffin a conciliatory grin, knowing that he was a little frustrated with David's near-constant mothering the last two weeks since their narrow escape.

"She didn't say that last part, did she?" David asked. Griffin snorted.

"Classy lady like that? Hardly. She did suggest that it would be better if we left now, while the Paladins are still under the assumption that two of the piles of ash in what's left of the Academy are us." David laughed a little at that. Truly, despite their plan having gone so horrible sideways, the fact that they'd been presumed dead in the blaze would buy them plenty of time to get themselves prepared. In fact, unless they somehow slipped up and got caught, they were pretty much entirely free as the only person on Earth who knew they'd survived was the doctor who'd pulled Griffin back from the brink of death, also the mother of the girl who was buried beneath their feet. Griffin thrust his hand out, motioning for his bag to be returned and David did, trying not to let his doubts about the other boy's readiness be apparent. It didn't seem to work though, and Griffin's face grew a little darker. David figured an apology was in order.

"Griffin, I'm sorry. I just can't stop worrying. Lung damage like that is pretty permanent…"

"And right now it's still kind of sensitive, it won't always be this bad, David. And so what if I cough? I'm still alive, and I won't let it stop me. Just remind me not to take up smoking in the future, yeah?" David couldn't help a little chuckle, even though it wasn't really funny. Griffin was trying so hard to soldier through this, despite the mutual guilt they both carried for having let things get so out of hand, and go so wrong.

David knew that Griffin would probably never stop blaming himself for making David start the fire in the first place, when it was Griffin's idea and David could have so easily been hurt. David also knew that he'd never forgive himself for having forgotten that bottle on the desk: the one that had exploded and turned a relatively controlled fire into a raging inferno; one that had almost taken the Brit away from him, forever. But these were dark thoughts, for another day. Today they had more important things to take care of. Turning imperiously, David nudged Griffin forward, facing the headstone straight on.

"Millie Harris, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend Griffin. Yes, he really is as adorable as he looks, even if he hates me for saying so." Griffin actually said nothing, letting his lethal glare do all the talking while David just laughed. Instead, Griffin swung his backpack onto the ground, taking a moment to root through the depths before withdrawing a single item. Glancing at David's curious face, Griffin took a moment to compose his thoughts, before kneeling on the grave to sweep the snow aside, tucking the snow globe into the little bare patch with utmost care.

"Griffin?" David's tone held a clear question, but Griffin ignored him, addressing the grave directly instead.

"I know we've never really met, but I want to give this back to you. It's always been yours, I think, even after David gave it to me. You see, I think… No, I know. I know it was you who arranged for it to have stayed with David, even when you couldn't. I know it was you who made it change hands, I know it was your form of blessing, right? You were giving David over into the care of another… I don't know why you picked me, I'm sure there are many, many people out there that would do better by him than I ever could. But you led him to me, you let me have him, and for that there is nothing on earth I could do you thank you properly. This-" Griffin gestured to the snow globe, "is but a small gesture. You gave me the most special gift on Earth. It seems only fair that I return something to you. Full circle, yeah?" David, who'd been feeling the tears returning during Griffin's passionate declaration, jerked his head up to stare at his boyfriend's back when he heard the last statement.

Full circle indeed.

Griffin was standing now, shouldering his bag and while still a touch paler than normal; he had a healthy pink flush from the cold on his cheeks, and light in his eyes. David knew if he pulled the other teen close, he'd be sweet to kiss, warm to hold, and utterly alive; the greatest gift on Earth. Griffin must've sensed his heavy thoughts, cause he leaned into David's space and elbowed him not too roughly, David smirking and elbowing him back as they picked their way among the snowy graves.

"So the world's our oyster, Davy. Where do we start?"

Despite the cold, the sun was high, turning the previous night's fresh snow into a dazzling sheet of diamond chips. Nearby children was indulging in a snowball fight, their chaotic joy ringing in the air. Beside David was the one the loved most, on his back was a bag with a change of clothes and the few possessions he had that meant anything. They were Jumpers, and the world was theirs for the taking.

"I'm freezing my ass off Griffin; can we please go somewhere warm?" Griffin's wide smile was infectious.

"Any suggestions?"

"Surprise me."

As they rounded the corner out of site of the other people on the sidewalk, Griffin's hand shot out and gripped David's tightly. A moment later there was no trace of their passing, save an idle swirl of snow, and a lone glass orb left on a young girl's grave.

Well, this is it guys, thanks for reading this whole thing, hopefully it was well enjoyed!