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If Luminara was the nation of light, it definitely lived up to its title today. The streets were aglow with lanterns of different sizes and colours, people of all ages were walking about and chatting between each other, stalls lined the streets, and a mini stage of wood had been set up with a microphone in the centre and rows of chairs facing towards the stage.
Away from the crowds and bustling streets, Thomas combed his fingers through Newkids’ unruly hair, before lowering his hands to his tie, which he’d somehow managed to loosen too much into looking ridiculous. He tightened it again, much to the displeasure of Newkids, who stuck his tongue out at him. Thomas rolled his eyes. “You have to look at least somewhat nice for your graduation, Flux will kill us if you’re not in presentable shape.”
“Why do I even have to go?” He huffed, catching his reflection on a nearby metal pipe.
“Appearances, Newkids. Nobody knows you were behind it, and as far as they’re all aware, you’re a teenager who finally finished his schooling. It’s just for a few hours, just play nice and you’ll be officially done with school,” he hummed, before squinting at his hair and fussing with it again. Newkids slapped his hand away before he could spend another five minutes ‘perfecting’ it.
“Can’t I just go up on the stage, take my certificate, and go home? Why do I have to stick around?”
Suddenly, a thump came from nearby them, and Gotoga dusted off his hands. He’d been up on the roofs of some buildings near the stage, directing the lights so that they’d shine perfectly onto the microphone when the time came. He wiped a bit of sweat off of his face, his suit jacket discarded to the side so it didn’t get messed up.
“Oh c’mon, if you stick around, you’ll be able to sneak a few drinks if you’re lucky,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t snitch if you stole a margarita or something.”
Newkids grumbled, but the temptation of finally getting to try alcohol was pretty strong. “What about Hvy? He never graduated from school.”
“That’s because he got a job, you don’t have one. Not one that’s stable, at least…” Thomas mumbled that last part. “Look, we can go home a little earlier if you just stay for a few hours and at least pretend to somewhat care about this.”
“Fiiine, what do I have to do again?” He sighed, peeking past Thomas to look out at the crowd that was starting to gather and sit next to the stage. He shuddered faintly at the idea of having to go in front of so many people- he didn’t have stage fright, he just preferred being on his own or in small groups.
“There’s some seats at the front of the stage- your fellow classmates sit there, so you just have to sit with them. When your name’s called, you go on stage, shake Flux’s hand, take your certificate, and then go back to your chair,” Thomas explained.
“I don’t have to say anything?” He raised an eyebrow, wanting to make absolutely sure.
“I mean, it’d be nice if you said ‘thank you’ or something when you take the-”
“Nope,” he cut Thomas off, much to the amusement of Gotoga, who muffled his snickers behind his hand. He was finally able to squirm away from Thomas’ fussing hands, staring at himself in the reflection of the pipe again. It was warped and not the cleanest, but it gave him an idea. “I look…”
“Nice for once?” Gotoga teased, earning a glare in response.
Thomas nudged Newkids towards the exit of the alleyway. “No more stalling, you’ve gotta go sit with your classmates now.”
Newkids huffed but stepped out of the alleyway, squinting as he looked around. He spotted the chairs his fellow classmates were sitting in, so he carefully made his way over, wearing a neutral expression- which was probably the closest he’d get to smiling right now. He sat down in his chair, tucked between people on both of his sides, and instinctively tugged on his tie.
He zoned out for most of it, since it was basically just speeches and awards for specific students who excelled. He knew he wouldn’t be getting any of those, his prowess was in stealth and assassinations, not geometry or chemistry. Finally, names began being called and students would file onto stage one at a time, shaking Flux’s hand and collecting their certificates.
He wiped his sweaty palms against his pants, ignoring the faint voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Thomas. Finally, he heard his own name be called and he stood carefully, following the same path that his classmates had. He wore a fake smile as he climbed onto the stage, only giving the audience a brief glance.
Finally, he stood in front of Flux, who offered his hand out silently. Newkids took it and shook his hand, noting how Flux’s metallic arm was cool against his palm. Just as he pulled his hand back to collect his certificate, Flux leaned in ever so slightly, his lips curled into the tiniest genuine smile, as he whispered, “I’m proud of you.”
Newkids felt his heart jump into his throat and he simply nodded, taking his certificate and climbing off of the stage again. He sat down and awkwardly placed the certificate on his lap, since he didn’t really have anywhere else he could put it. His face burned with embarrassment- did Flux seriously plan that? He must’ve, he wanted to see if he’d stumble or mess up somehow, surely.
Thankfully, the rest of the ceremony passed by in a blur, with cheers and clapping ringing out across the crowd. As his fellow classmates stood- now ex-classmates, they were officially done school- he jumped out of his chair and snuck off to the alleyway he’d been cleaning up in. He took a few deep breaths to calm the stuttering of his heart. “Can handle killing people but Flux saying that is where I get all jittery? Pull yourself together, idiot.”
Loud footsteps echoed in the alleyway and he snapped his head up, glancing over and instinctively reaching for a dagger that wasn’t there. Hvy stood there, carrying a few drinks in the crook of his arm, a massive grin on his face. “Congrats, man! Welcome to the club!”
Newkids swallowed the bile in his throat and walked over, snatching one of the drinks from him. “Yeah, thanks. I swear, Flux was tryna give me a heart attack on stage or something.”
“What’d he do?” He hummed while Newkids popped open the lid. The harsh smell of alcohol hit him but he quickly brought it to his lips, chugging half of the bottle until his brain yelled at him to take a breather.
“Went on stage and he was all like ‘I’m proud of you’ right as I’m tryna take the certificate and leave,” he hissed, throat burning slightly as he wiped at his mouth. “Swear he was testing me, making sure my instincts are still keen, that I expect the unexpected-”
Hvy stared at him, his own bottle brought halfway up to his lips before pausing. “Are you sure he wasn’t saying that because… he meant it?”
Newkids stared back at Hvy with an exasperated expression, not believing he could be serious. But when Hvy didn’t back down or laugh, his expression melted into confusion. “What?”
“I mean, you weren’t the best at school, sure- but you did really well balancing it and your work, y’know? And your work was absolutely fantastic, I think Flux is allowed to be proud of you for all you’ve done.” He shrugged, taking a few gulps from his bottle finally.
“Flux… being proud of me.” He couldn’t believe the idea, it was insane. Flux was moody and always scheming, never really acknowledging when the team does a job well- because he’s always thinking of how they could’ve improved. His brows furrowed in thought as he searched his memories for any time that Flux showed his pride in them.
He put his hand on Thomas’ shoulder a lot and gave him a nod whenever he did something right, but that was just acknowledgement, right? Thomas would always beam like Flux had put the stars in the night sky for him, but that was just because he had a crush on him, right?
“Woah, okay, ease up on the drinking,” Hvy scolded, pulling the bottle away from Newkids. He hadn’t even realised he’d started chugging again until Hvy did that, snapping him out of his daze. “I know you’re excited to try it but I’m not having you throw up on your suit. At least wait until we’re home and out of these outfits to throw up.”
“Is he actually proud of me?” He mumbled under his breath.
Hvy chuckled, “let’s go ask him, how about that?”
“What do you mean- HEY! LET GO OF ME! NO NO NO!” Newkids shrieked slightly as Hvy grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the alleyway, scanning the crowd for Flux. He tried desperately to tug himself free from Hvy, but he held on tight, laughing at Newkids’ embarrassed panic.
They found Flux sitting at a table with the rest of the group, Thomas right beside him- as expected. Snowbird was discussing which nations had accepted the invite to the event so they knew who was more likely to side with them, Gotoga was mixing cola with some sort of alcohol, Thomas was leaning against Flux’s side quietly, and Flux was nodding along to Snowbird, occasionally speaking up with his own opinions.
“Hey guys!” Hvy grinned, tugging Newkids close and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “Look who I found.”
“Where did you even run off to? I blinked and you were just gone,” Thomas asked, sitting up slightly to look at Newkids.
“Just needed a moment.” He shrugged, staring at Flux, who glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “...Flux, can we have a word?”
“Sure. I’ll be back soon, don’t cause any trouble.” His gaze flicked across the group and he carefully stood up, nudging Thomas off of his side- much to Thomas’ disappointment. Once he was sure Thomas wouldn’t end up falling into the table, he turned to Newkids, gesturing for him to follow.
Newkids followed until they were alone, the crowd a distant hum in their ears. He slowly turned to look at Flux, hesitantly speaking up, “did you really mean that?”
Flux blinked at him, waiting for elaboration, and Newkids curled his hands into fists. He didn’t wanna have to say it, he was already embarrassed enough just talking to Flux about this in the first place. Thankfully, Flux’s eyes lit up with recognition.
“I did,” he answered simply, like he didn’t just make Newkids choke on his next words. A strangled noise was the only thing to leave his throat and Flux’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “Were you not expecting that?”
“I- you never praise anyone! Of course I’m gonna be surprised!” He hissed, face burning as he turned away from Flux, refusing to look at his smug expression. “What are you even proud of me for? I barely passed school.”
A hand settled on his shoulder and he jumped, before steadying himself, turning his gaze to Flux’s hand. It was firm on his shoulder, but not restrictive, allowing him to freely move away if he wanted to. He didn’t.
“I’m proud of you managing to keep up your public image as a simple student while carrying out hits. I’m proud of you for carrying out said hits with not a single connection back to your name. I’m proud of you for not ditching school entirely so you could focus on working with us,” he hummed, voice oddly soft.
Newkids shuddered at how freely the compliments slipped from Flux’s mouth, like he was simply saying another one of their plans rather than giving him praise unheard of before. “You think I don’t give praise to the others?”
“W- yeah, kinda? Do you??” He whipped his head up to look at Flux rather than focusing on the hand on his shoulder.
“Of course I do, but I prefer not to do it in public. Why else do you think they can handle my rants about how much better their ideas could be?” Flux turned his gaze to Newkids, eyes oddly intense. “Criticism without praise makes people unmotivated, and I need everyone in their best shape for our plans to go smoothly.”
With that, he gave one last pat to Newkids’ shoulder, before letting go. He turned on his heel and walked a few steps, before glancing over at him. “I’ll be back at the party, keeping up my image. Take a moment, you need it.”
He simply watched as Flux disappeared back to the party, breathing heavily as his words fully registered in his brain. He gently placed his hand where Flux’s had been moments ago, blinking slowly at it like he could somehow get more answers from it. Eventually, he felt something wet drip down his face and he cursed, instinctively looking around for shelter.
But… It wasn't raining. His brows furrowed as another splash hit his cheek and he furiously rubbed at it, trying to find the cause. A strangled sob came from his throat moments later and he froze on the spot, finally registering what was going on. “Why am I…?”
He blinked rapidly to try to chase the tears away, but they continued to spill, and his sleeve grew wet trying to wipe them off of his face. He stumbled back until he found a tree, leaning against it as he crumpled to the ground, muffling his pathetic sobs with his hands. His breath came in shallow and fast, like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air.
“What the hell is this for? A few compliments and I’m- I’m left a sobbing mess? What am I, seven years old?” He hissed between his shaky breaths, before laughing at how stupid he must look right now. A freshly graduated student sobbing against a tree instead of partying.
He tugged off his suit jacket- it was getting far too hot and stuffy in it when he was crying- and buried his face in it instead. The warmth mimicked something close to a hug as he sobbed breathlessly, snot and tears staining the jacket. He knew Thomas would scold him for getting it so messy later, but he didn’t care- he was done with all the formal shit now, he didn’t need a suit jacket.
After what felt like forever, he stumbled up onto his feet, oddly unbalanced. He wiped the last of his tears and snot onto his suit jacket, debating whether he should just leave it by the tree or not. He tossed it at the base of the tree, reasoning that he’d simply pick it up later, and took a few steadying breaths. He made his way back to the party, which was still as lively as ever.
He found his way over to the buffet tables, stacked with all sorts of foods, his stomach growling. He picked a few things from it- some sausages with spicy sauce, corn and peas, and on another plate, a slice of strawberry pie. He glanced around, spotting the table where the others were, and planted himself into one of the seats- next to Snowbird.
“Woah, you okay dude?” Hvy immediately asked, no doubt noticing the red around his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he coughed to clear his throat, which was achingly dry. Damnit, he should’ve grabbed a glass of water too. Sensing his discomfort, Gotoga slid over his glass of water wordlessly, which Newkids gratefully chugged like a parched man abandoned in the desert.
“We can go home earlier,” Snowbird offered quietly. “Partying isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be most of the time.”
“No, no, the party’s fine, I just…” He sighed, before mumbling, “nevermind.”
Snowbird nodded, lightly nudging his shoulder against Newkids’ with an encouraging smile. He gave a shaky smile back at him, before deciding everything was too bright and resting his head on the table, arms shielding him from the lights. He tuned out the chatter of his fellow conspiracy members, brain going fuzzy.
“-think he’s drunk,” Hvy’s voice cut through the static in his brain. “He chugged half a bottle of fireball.”
“You gave him a bottle of fireball?!” Thomas’ voice rose slightly. “He’s just started drinking, he’s probably still a lightweight!”
“Can you guys shut up?” Newkids groaned, burying his head back in his arms. He didn’t get a respite for long, though, because he was suddenly scooped out of his chair. He opened his mouth to protest, but then gagged and decided to shut it instead and rest his head against the shoulder of whoever picked him up.
“I’m taking him home, he looks exhausted and hungover,” Snowbird hummed, adjusting his grip on Newkids slightly so that he didn’t slip onto the ground. “We… probably shouldn’t tell Flux, you know how he can be.”
“I feel like this is a fair reason to tell Flux…” Thomas mumbled with crossed arms.
“I’ll leave you three to vote about what to do. For now, I’m taking him back.” With that, they began moving, the noise of the party growing distant once more. It was just the whistling wind that carried the smell of the ocean, and Newkids’ heavy breathing as he barely restrained himself from vomiting.
“Flux said he’s proud of me,” he mumbled against Snowbird’s shoulder, earning a hum of acknowledgement.
“Is that why you cried?”
“Didn’t cry. Shut up.”
Snowbird chuckled softly but didn’t push further, simply letting the silence fill the air between them. The walk was peacefully quiet and Newkids let his brain fall back into that static fuzz it had slipped into earlier, eyes struggling to stay open. He blinked a few times to fight the exhaustion weighing him down, but it was a losing battle.
Snowbird’s soft humming was the last thing to push him over the edge, his head lolling against his shoulder as he fell asleep.