Archive of Our Own ^beta

As he did rounds around the aquarium, Holm kept glancing towards the entrance. He wanted to catch the moment Kabru and his friend would walk in, hoping to catch the moment before either of them would notice him. Kabru said they should arrive sometime around eleven o'clock, and that they were probably going to stay for a few hours. He promised to make sure that his friend would bring his sketchbook. This was a very important thing. It would allow Holm to gauge how much interest the boy had in drawing the animals here, and if it seemed like something he would enjoy, he had an enticing offer prepared for him. But first, of course, they had to make it here.

Holm couldn't help but be curious about that boy, the friend Kabru made in art class. He'd heard plenty about him from Kabru, in a chaotic, emotionally charged stream of consciousness that showed two things very clearly: Kabru loved him very much, and he was too terrified to ever do anything about it. This was unsurprising. Kabru never thought that he deserved anything good to keep for himself. The stronger his feelings were, the more he seemed to reject the fact that they had anything to do with himself at all. Feelings were something that were supposed to happen to other people, and yet they kept happening to him as well, and he would claw his own heart out just to stop them, if he only could. This had always been the case, as long as Holm had known him, and he only got better at hiding it – but sooner or later, the dam he'd built up would burst anyway. Holm had learned to recognise the signs and be there just when Kabru needed him.

When he heard that Kabru made a new friend, he was relieved. Despite his gregarious, extroverted, friendly exterior, Kabru didn't have that many people he let get close enough to become his friends. There was Rinsha, of course, the only friend around his age he had growing up. His foster mother, by all accounts an overprotective, neurotic lady, never sent him to school for fear that he would be mistreated, bullied, hurt or overwhelmed, and she decided instead to homeschool him herself with the help of various tutors and an impressive library until, at the age of eighteen, he got fed up and left for university. He sought independence, but because of his upbringing, he didn't quite know what to do with it. Lacking many essential skills, he was forced to rely on people anyway, and this, too, he preferred not to acknowledge, much to Holm's annoyance.

It was at university that he met Holm, one day when he wandered into the library while Holm was working on his paper. Despite the age difference, or perhaps because of it – he was, after all, used to being around people older than him, and Holm was closer to him in age than they were, anyhow – Kabru warmed up to him quickly. Holm was the first friend he'd made as an adult. He struggled to connect with his peers in those first few months at university. Perhaps it was inevitable, having spent over a decade under the care of a woman who avoided human contact as much as possible. He learned all about what, theoretically, made a sociable young gentleman, and was shocked and distressed to find that things were very different in practice. There was some truth to his foster mother's assessment of the outside world as a cruel, unwelcoming place, perhaps, but keeping him away from it for so long only made matters worse for him in the beginning.

Holm wasn't surprised to hear that Kabru's new friend was a man. He was, perhaps, the only person in the world who wouldn't be surprised by it. After all, Kabru had a reputation for being quite the womaniser. He loved to surround himself with women, to flirt with them, to occasionally join them in the bedroom, always bowing out before things would go too far. Holm had no doubt that his attraction to those girls was sincere. Kabru always seemed to be having a lot of fun, in a way that required little to no emotional investment from him. But Kabru had a secret that he held close to his heart and only let slip once, the one time he got so drunk that he lost control of his own words. Holm babysat him then, stroking his back and waiting for him to fall asleep, preferably without puking on himself. It was then that Kabru turned to him and made a flirtatious remark, a display of affection that Holm, with a heavy heart, had to reject for a variety of reasons that didn't make him any less anxious. The realisation of what he did shocked Kabru right into sobriety and, wide awake, shaking uncontrollably, he apologised profusely. And then puked on Holm's shirt.

For what it was worth, this incident didn't change anything between them. Holm never asked about it, but he suspected that Kabru didn't hold those kinds of feelings for him, then or at any other point. Holm was simply the one male friend he had then, and he knew that Holm liked men and wouldn't react violently to something like that, whether it was a joke or not. It was, perhaps, a test for himself. And while it didn't change anything between the two of them, it certainly seemed to change things within Kabru. For one, he never got this drunk again. He was always careful to be more sober than whoever he was drinking with. For two, he never flirted with a man again, and he insisted that he was never going to hook up with a friend of his. That second rule, of course, was blatantly being broken right now, in both ways at once, but that was beside the point.

It wasn't as if Kabru ever seemed unhappy with this arrangement. In those first months of his life, he had to figure out so many things at once, many of them through trial and error. In the end, he prioritised his own safety in his relationships with others. Holm was lucky to have met him in those tender, vulnerable early days before he built a wall around his heart, hiding his immaturity and emotionality behind whatever mask he found suitable. This, too, was a type of neurosis – the fear that if people knew anything more about him than they already did, they wouldn't like him or respect him anymore. The thing that Kabru didn't seem to understand was that he was much better than he gave himself credit for, more human and interesting the more one got to know him.

He was particularly protective of his own body. Holm was one of the few people who were allowed to touch him at all. The other was, of course, Rinsha. The girls he flirted with, kissed, and even those he hooked up with, though, had to settle for his hands and his lips. Everything else would remain hidden under his clothes. It wasn't an uncommon boundary to have, but Holm learned the reason behind it one night when he found Kabru writhing around on the floor, holding his stomach, with tears in his eyes and a bloodstain on his pants. What he saw in Kabru's eyes that night would stick with him for the rest of his life. His face was twisted with pain, but his eyes were filled with terror at the realisation that he had no choice but to expose it to Holm. He never told him about it before, not once, and he probably never would have if his body didn't play such a cruel prank on him. Holm awkwardly transported him into his bathroom and let him undress and climb in himself and stay there for as long as he needed. He hadn't had a period in two years, Kabru told Holm once he regained the ability to speak, with his lower body wrapped up in a towel while his pants hung out to dry. Once he could walk, Holm sent him home with a homemade painkiller, and never spoke a word of it to him again. It was understood that Kabru could come to him if it ever happened again.

And this Kabru, so terrified of being vulnerable, so protective of his body, so committed to not acknowledging his attraction to men, so adamant to draw lines between his friendships and his sexual encounters, had been sleeping with a friend he made just two months ago, and let him see him naked, not just once but many times, both in class and in the bedroom. It was clear that his feelings had caught up to him and overpowered his sense of self-preservation. It must have been clear to him, too, because Holm felt a sense of guilt from him when he talked about it. He couldn't help but wonder if this, too, was a far-reaching result of Holm's firm rejection of his drunken flirting. Perhaps he felt that this was always the right thing to do when a person in a more vulnerable position than oneself expressed affection, and he blamed himself for not being able to do so. If that was the case, Holm wished that he could explain just how much of a difference there was, but he couldn't be sure that it wasn't caused by something else entirely.

Holm held a tender kind of love for Kabru, the type reserved for someone who reminds one of himself when he was far younger and far more afraid, a time that seemed, just for a moment, less distant than it actually was. In Kabru's struggle to enter adulthood and connect with his peers, Holm saw a reflection of his own experience, but amplified by the loneliness of his childhood, and it made him all the more dedicated to helping him through it. Perhaps Kabru felt similarly about this boy, older than him and yet infinitely more lonely and inexperienced. If nothing else, it was a testament to his growth in the short four years since Holm first met him. Hopefully he wouldn't value his responsibility over his happiness just this once, though.

He really couldn't wait to meet this boy. If he was even half as good as Kabru presented him, then he must have been the perfect partner for him. The signs were there, at least. Holm took note of his dedication to keeping Kabru fed in particular. Taking care of himself was something Kabru was never good at, and Holm was far too busy to make sure that he was eating consistently, but it was a constant concern in the back of his head. Kabru's foster mother never taught him how to cook, because she didn't know how to do it herself. They had people for that. And so, once Kabru was on his own, he was forced to rely on instant food, which he also usually forgot to eat until he was on the verge of passing out. Having someone to eat his meals with was the best solution.

Two people entered the aquarium and made their way down the hall to buy tickets. Holm perked up, peering from behind a pillar. The shorter figure was Kabru, with his hoodie wrapped around his waist and a bright smile on his face. He was clinging onto the arm of a taller man – a fair bit taller, though he mitigated that difference by slouching horribly. His eyes were glued to Kabru's lips as he spoke. Holm wasn't sure what he was talking about. He was too far away to hear. With the way the boy looked at his lips, he could either hear every word or none at all.

Holm stepped out to greet them as they came through, holding their tickets. “Welcome, welcome!” he said with an innocent smile, clasping his hands together. “I've been waiting for you!”

Kabru put the ticket in his pocket and reached out to squeeze Holm's hand. The boy mimicked him by raising his hand slightly, but he didn't reach it out, glancing at Kabru as if to ask him if it was okay. Holm took care of that by initiating the handshake himself. Their hands were just about the same size, but his was warmer. Holm could finally take a proper look at him now. His hair, cut into three distinctly different lengths, very short in the back, slightly longer above the ears, and a little longer still near the top of his head, resembling a bird's nest, was also two distinct shades of mousey brown, noticeably getting lighter as it got longer. His eyes, with dark circles underneath, looked tired and anxious, but curious. They had a peculiar colour, golden brown with lighter spots here and there. He could see why Kabru liked them. Otherwise, the thing that made him stand out was his height, despite his subtle attempts to hide it. Next to Holm, and even next to Kabru, he was big.

“I'm glad that we made it,” Kabru sighed, subconsciously stroking the man's hand with his thumb. “I can't shake the feeling that it's going to rain today. I'd rather be inside when that happens.” He gestured towards the boy, slightly bowing his head. “Let me introduce you. This is Laios.” He gestured towards Holm. “And this is Holm.”

Somebody who didn't know him well could be fooled into thinking that Kabru was entirely relaxed right now, but Holm noticed the tension in his body and the strained smile. Kabru was certainly excited to introduce them to each other. He was always curious about the ways different people interacted with each other. Often, when he was at a party, he would rather sit back and watch than participate. But he must have been anxious, too, not being entirely confident if he and Laios would get along well. He would probably relax once the conversation got going.

“It's really nice to meet you,” Holm said, sending Laios the friendliest smile he could muster. “I'vew heard a lot about you. I'm excited to finally get a chance to talk to you.”

Laios raised his eyebrows and blinked slowly. Seemingly without realising it, he continued to shake Holm's hand, up and down, and it had already gotten rather clammy. “Oh, yeah!” he said, visibly relieved. “Me too! I heard you know a lot about sea animals,” he said, looking around the room, his attention caught by the colourful fish swimming around. “I know a lot about mammals and reptiles, and a bit about birds, but I grew up far away from the sea, so I dunno a lot about them.”

Holm maintained his smile as he let his hand naturally slip out of Laios' grasp. “If you want to learn about them,” he hummed, “you've come to the right place. Should I give you a tour of the whole place?” he asked, glancing towards Kabru. “I think it's well worth seeing everything,” he said emphatically, “but I can just lead you right to my girls, if you want.”

Kabru immediately looked up at Laios and squeezed his hand. This trip was done for his sake, Holm supposed, so it was his decision to make. Laios furrowed his brow and scratched his cheek. “I wanna see everything,” he said after a moment of silence, “but can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Holm smiled patiently. “What do you want to know?”

“Do you...” Laios tapped his fingers together. “...Do you have sharks?”

“We do!” Holm said, nodding his head enthusiastically. “A couple small ones.”

Laios' face visibly lit up. So sharks were the thing he was most excited to see. It felt consistent with the other animals Holm knew he liked. Wolves, tigers, lions. It was interesting that a man so seemingly shy and gentle favoured the animals that were universally recognised as dangerous predators. “Cool,” he said. “Sharks are so cool,” he whispered to Kabru, just loudly enough to be heard. “Did you know that they like to be petted?”

Holm shuddered. Anticipating a question that was almost sure to follow up, he shook his head lightly, wearing an apologetic smile. “That's true. But I can't let you pet these ones,” he said, patting Laios' hand. “Though I'd be happy to, if I only could,” he added quickly.

With Laios only slightly disappointed but mostly excited to see sharks at all, and Kabru clinging onto his arm for dear life, Holm led his guests through the aquarium. Laios wanted to stop by every rank and just stare at the fish for a while, and Holm patiently waited until he got his fill, delivering any facts that he thought could interest him. While it wasn't as if Laios didn't know anything about fish, his information was certainly limited, and he seemed to enjoy having his understanding expanded at all. Kabru, who had heard it all before, paid no mind to Holm or the fish, instead focusing all his attention on Laios' reactions as they manifested on his face.

As they approached the shark, the difference between passing, polite, moderate interest and genuine passion made itself clear in a way that Holm found momentarily overwhelming. Laios didn't walk towards the tank, he ran, heavy footsteps loudly thumping down the hall. He only stopped when he almost ran face-first into the glass – Holm was certain that if not for his body's instinctive attempt at self-preservation, he would have kept going well past that point, perhaps up to throwing himself into the tank. With no intention to run, he took his time catching up.

“Pretty cute, aren't they?” he prompted, standing beside Laios. He was as close as one could get to breaking the rule about not touching glass without actually breaking it. His face was so close that his breath was visible on the glass every time he exhaled. His eyes were glued to the small sharks as they swam around in circles. He repeatedly curled up his fingers and then straightened them out in a surprisingly rhythmical way. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse with emotion.

“Yeah!” he said, nodding eagerly. “They're so cool!” He sighed softly, his shoulders visibly drooping. “I wish I could touch them.” His fingers continued to curl and stretch. This desire was intense and visceral. Holm recognised it because he, too, experienced something like this often. He made a note in the back of his head – another idea that sounded very good.

After Laios got his fill of looking at the sharks, which took no less than twenty minutes, and Holm had a feeling that he would have stayed longer if not for the fact he had so many other things to see, they continued to move closer to Holm's favourite corner. Laios waved at the manta rays, mesmerised by their size and graceful movements, but he kept a distance from the octopus.

“Not a fan of tentacles?” Holm asked innocently, and Kabru abruptly turned away as he became incapacitated by a brutal coughing fit.

“It's not that,” Laios said miserably, watching the octopus with cautious eyes. “I like tentacles,” he said, and behind him, Kabru covered his mouth with his hand and made a noise. “For some reason, octopuses just freak me out. I dunno why. They're pretty cool, I guess.”

“They're really intelligent animals,” Holm informed cheerfully as he looked fondly at the giant octopus. “And really beautiful.” He was aware that his idea of beauty differed from most people's, but he didn't let that bother him. He found beauty in places most people wouldn't look for it, and it was something he got to have for himself. From the depths of the ocean to the depths of his heart, strange animals crawling and writhing and floating, with their striking colours and unique habits and their strange bodies, they fascinated him and made him feel at home.

“Marcille always said they're really tasty,” Laios mused, scratching his cheek, “but I tried once and it tasted really bad. Maybe that's why.”

Behind him, Kabru's eyes grew wide with fear as they narrowed at Holm. He knew how Holm felt about eating animals, but Laios obviously didn't. Perhaps he should have told him, but clearly he forgot, and now his anxiety spiked when he realised it. Holm made sure that not a single muscle in his face twitched as he quietly moved on towards the next tank.

It was almost comedic that the next tank was one of his favourites, the sea cucumber. They were finally in his corner – his little kingdom within the aquarium. Most days, he spent a few hours here, taking notes and taking care of the animals as needed. “The sea cucumber,” he said, leaning towards Laios, “is really interesting. It's got very few natural predators because of the toxins it produces. Ity also has another unique defence mechanism. When it's threatened, it ejects its innards out of its anus. They grow back eventually. This, though, is why they need their own tank. ”

“Whoa,” Laios said under his breath. “That'd be a cool Pokemon.”

“It would, wouldn't it?” Holm hummed. He'd already heard that Laios liked Pokemon. Frankly, he was only waiting for him to bring it up. “A lot of marine animals would make cool Pokemon.”

“Yeah!” Laios turned towards him, raising his eyebrows. “Huh. I had no idea you liked Pokemon.” Another thing Kabru neglected to mention, clearly. “Do you play the games?”

“I do. It's very relaxing when I don't have anything else to do.” Which wasn't that often. He spent more time at the aquarium and university than he actually needed to, because none of it felt like work he was forced to do. “I like the new one, Sapphire.”

“Oh, huh. I've got Ruby...” His face lit up suddenly. “We should trade sometime!”

Holm laughed. “We should.” He didn't know when that was going to happen, but he found that he was looking forward to it. Slowly but surely, he was starting to understand the charm of this boy, with his innocent, often tactless remarks and enthusiasm. “Because of that defence mechanism,” he said, trying to get back on topic, “sea cucumbers can be really hard for researchers to capture. They're frightful animals, so it doesn't take a lot to trigger a reaction. And in that state, they can't be transported easily. These were bred in the aquarium, though. By me,” he added proudly.

“Huh, really...” Laios glanced at him curiously. “You breed them? That's pretty cool. I guess I never thought about it, but it makes sense now that I think about it. A lot of animals are born in zoos because they're endangered in the wild, so I guess it can be the same here.” He stroked his chin. “But you still had to go out and capture them first, right? And bring them all the way back.”

“Yes.” Nodding, Holm folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. “Hmmm... Studying marine animals isn't something you can just stumble into, you know. They live underwater, often deep in the sea... you have to go out of your way to find them. And if you want to study them, there are three ways to do that.” He put up one finger. “You can study them in their natural environment.” Two fingers. “You can bring them to the aquarium.” Third finger. “And you can study them in a lab. The latter,” he said, “is something I could never do myself, though.”

“Why?” Laios asked automatically, without thinking.

“I could never kill a living thing.” Holm shuddered looking down at his hands. “Not even for the sake of research or my own survival. I say that,” he chuckled awkwardly, “but of course, if I was in danger, I'd have to fight back. I wouldn't feel good about it, though. And I don't think my own curiosity is enough to make me want to dissect an animal with my own hands. I understand that it needs to be done,” he assured, “and I'm grateful that other people can do it for me.” It was a disadvantage, he knew. His one weakness as a researcher. “I prefer to observe them at the aquarium. You can learn a lot about them this way, though of course it's not the same as their natural habitat.” He nodded sagely. “They both have their advantages, but the downside remains the same. You can never observe them in a way that doesn't affect them at all. It sure would be nice if there was a way to watch them without being part of the picture. You agree, right, Kabru?”

Kabru had been silent for a long time now, and he stirred uneasily when his name was called out and suddenly their attention was on him. He glared at Holm for a moment before his gaze softened, but his mouth remained pouting. Holm sent him his most innocent smile.

“Our Kabru,” he explained to Laios, “is the same way with people as I am with my girls. He's always been really good at watching and listening and learning without drawing attention to himself, until that was what he wanted instead. He's been listening to us this entire time, but you could easily forget he was there right? But he is here with us,” he went on, looking fondly at Kabru, “and that changes everything, doesn't it? I can't talk to you as if he's not there.”

“Haha,” Kabru chuckled uneasily, “why, no, don't mind me at all.”

“The same way, fish, and other animals,” Holm went on, ignoring him, “are aware that we're there looking at them, right? I feel like no matter what we do, we can't be sure that just by observing them, we're not making a difference in their behaviour. It troubles me,” he said, adjusting his hat, “but I know that in the end, it's not something I can change. But I can watch.”

They moved on, Laios deep in thought, Kabru still pouty. They passed by the sea slugs, and Laios stopped for a moment to admire them. Like everyone else who had ever seen them, he said that they looked like rabbits more than slugs. Holm spent ten minutes telling him all about them before finally leading his guests to the queen of his heart, the big jellyfish Marillier.

“This is Marillier,” he said, tapping the nameplate next to the tank. “I've been studying her for years.” He'd been studying her since he first started university which might as well have been a lifetime ago now – or at least, that was what it felt like. “I don't like to play favourites with my girls,” he hummed, “but I can't deny that she's special.”

Laios leaned towards Kabru and, in a whisper that was once again just a little too loud, he asked why he called them his girls. Kabru put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“If you have any questions about jellyfish,” Holm offered, “I can answer them.” And, once again anticipating the questions, he immediately added: “You can eat them, but you probably shouldn't. And you can't pet them,” he said, putting his hand up to his chest, “but I can.”

“Huh.” Laios furrowed his brow. “Can't you teach me how?”

Holm stroked his chin. Just how much did he want to mess with him today? “Well, you can't touch Marillier anyway. But perhaps one day... would you like to join me in field research?”

Kabru instinctively squeezed Laios' hand. Laios' eyebrows rode up his forehead. “Field research? Like...” he looked down at his feet. “Like in the boat, at sea? The thing you talked about?”

“Yep!” Holm nodded his head. “You seemed interested in interacting with the animals earlier, and you seem like a curious boy in general. I think you'd like it. You could learn a lot this way.” He glanced at Kabru. “I've made this offer to Kabru before, but he's never been interested. It seems like you would get more out of it, though. We're planning to go in March, so you have plenty of time to think about it. If you decide that you're interested, let me know, and I'll make room for you.”

Laios knitted his eyebrows, and stroked his chin thoughtfully. Kabru studied his profile with intense curiosity, waiting for his answer. “That sounds really cool,” he said finally, “I've never been in a boat. I hope I wouldn't get sick or anything.” He glanced at Kabru and then looked at Holm. “I'll have to think about it and talk to my sister. I'll let you know when I'm sure.”

Holm clasped his hands together. “Yay. I'll be waiting. Just,” he said emphatically, “please let me know more than a day in advance...” Now, for the other thing he wanted to bring up... “I heard you brought your sketchbook, but you haven't taken it out yet. Nothing caught your eye?”

“Ah, no!” Laios shook his head. “I just wanted to see what you have, so I'd know what I wanna draw today. If I wanted to draw everything, that'd take a lot of time.” He took off his backpack and retrieved his sketchbook. “I wanna draw the sharks, and the rays, and the jellyfish...” he hummed to himself, tapping the cover with his fingertips. “Yeah, I think I'll start with the jellyfish.”

“I asked,” Holm said gently, “because I have a proposition for you. You don't have to take it if you don't want to.” He pointed at the nameplate again. “At the aquarium, next to every animal, there's some information about it. I know you noticed them, because I've seen you stop and read the ones that interested you.” He smiled softly. “I've been thinking that we should give them a little update. We've had the same ones since I can only remember. I say we should make them more interesting.” He patted Laios' arm. “That's why I wanted to ask you if you'd want to provide some illustrations.”

Laios' eyebrows rode up his forehead. “My sketches? I dunno... I've never drawn most of these animals before. I'd have to practise a lot before they'd be any good.”

“That's fine. It's not urgent. You can come here whenever you want and practice. I'll make sure nobody's going to bother you. Of course, you'd be compensated.” He still had to discuss the matter with others, but he had enough authority to argue his case, “and credited, if you want to be. Privately, if you'd be interested, I'd like to have copies of any sketches of Marillier you draw.”

Laios tapped his sketchbook with his fingertips. “Yeah, I'll do it.” And that was that.

Conveniently, there was a bench right next to Marillier's tank. They sat down, Laios in the middle, Kabru and Holm at each of his sides. At first, it seemed like an awkward arrangement, but Holm intended to take full advantage of it. “I heard,” he said, looking up at Laios, “that you visited Kabru at the library the other day.” Kabru told him about it the next day, giggling and kicking his feet. “It's nice, isn't it? I've always liked libraries, and the one Kabru works at is really cosy.”

“Oh, yeah, me too,” Laios said. Kabru eyed Holm suspiciously over his shoulder.

“Our Kabru brings a lot of people to that library,” Holm pointed out innocently. “There have been a lot more regulars since he started working there, I hear. He's got quite a lot of admirers.”

“Really?” Laios' expression didn't change at all as he looked at Marillier in her tank. “I mean, that makes sense. I didn't even know we had a library there until he told me. I came because he asked me to and I wanted to see him,” he went on, fingers tapping on the cover of his unopened sketchbook, “but I think if I found it myself and met him there for the first time, I'd keep coming back to see him, too.” He spoke as if Kabru wasn't there, even though he must have been aware of the hand on his shoulder and the body pressing against his side. “It's probably like that for a lot of people. He's really nice and easy to talk to, and he knows a lot about books, so...”

Holm could have stopped there, but he decided to keep going. “That's true. Our Kabru is a really great guy. The admirers at the library are one thing, but he had even more back at university. I think every girl in his year was a little in love with him. When he comes back next year, he'll probably have even more admirers than before. Isn't that right, Kabru?”

“Of course not!” Kabru scoffed immediately. “You're exaggerating, Holm. I wasn't that popular. I bet nobody remembers me.” He laughed, waving his hand dismissively. He was aware of his popularity. He worked really hard for it. In just a few months, he seemed to have forgotten all about it. Granted, nothing remained of it except a few convenient connections.

“Hm, I guess so. A true admirer would've given you a rose. I don't remember you getting one.”

“Oh, I gave him a rose,” Laios said without missing a beat. Holm wasn't sure if he was paying attention to the conversation up to this point or not, but his reaction to that keyword was immediate. Holm, of course, already knew about the rose already.

“Really?” he said innocently. “That's nice. How romantic.”

“It was a really nice gesture!” Kabru cut in before Holm's last remark had a chance to linger. “Usually only ladies receive flowers. I'm glad to be included this time, just to know what it feels like.” He laughed awkwardly. “I only hope that I can keep it alive for a little while longer.”

Suddenly Laios stood up. “Where's the bathroom? I have to pee real bad.” Holm helpfully pointed him in the right direction, and Laios nodded with gratitude. He glanced back at Kabru and left the backpack in his lap. “Are you hungry? It's been a while since we ate. When I'm back, we can have lunch and then I'll draw the jellyfish.” And he ran off, trying to keep his thighs together.

Holm watched him go with a soft smile on his face. Kabru hugged the backpack in his lap.

“You were right, Kabru. He's such a good boy,” Holm hummed, resting his cheek on his shoulder. “You made the right choice. I think you're going to be very happy together.”

“I know, thank you,” Kabru said, a soft smile dancing on his lips. It disappeared as soon as he realised what Holm meant, and he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face against the backpack.