"Hey, Marth?"

The Altean prince curiously looked up, placing his book down on his legs, "Yes, Ike?" He asked after a second of delay.

Ike had a confused look on his face Marth had never seen before, "There's someone at the door asking for you." He started.

"Who?" Marth asked, setting his book aside and standing up, readjusting his cape over his tunic as he walked over to the other.

"He wouldn't say, but he said it's important he sees you now. He's really short with red hair." Ike explained, using his hands to measure air. Marth tilted his head the tiniest bit before advancing towards the front door.

He pulled it open and instantly the frosted air of winter blew in his face before something much heavier rammed into him, locking its arms around him tightly.

"Wha-wait, Roy??" Marth asked in surprise, instantly recognizing the spiky red locks and blue cape the younger wore.

"Marth!" Roy exclaimed, whether in greeting or happiness Marth couldn't tell, but he could see now that the smaller boy had taken his face out of his chest that his lip was trembling and he was shaking like a leaf.

"Roy, your lips are blue!" Marth scolded, pulling the boy inside and closing the door, Roy clung to Marth's side tightly, his teeth chattering.

However, he managed a shaky laugh, "Well, I kind of got lost on the way. This place is really hard to find when it's dark." Roy explained cheerfully.

Marth rolled his eyes and led Roy back into the lounge, dumping him down on the couch in front of the fire. "Roy, you're frozen- and your clothes are soaked!" Marth complained taking the boys cape and switching it with his own, Roy only spared a cat-like smile.

"It's so warm" Roy said happily, hugging the blue fabric to himself, Marth huffed angrily.

"Roy, why are you here?" Marth hushed, looking over his shoulder around the room as he sat down next to the general, Ike was watching curiously from across the room, Marth shooed him out with his hands.

Roy looked up, "I needed to see you." He said.

"Why?" Marth asked, paranoid that any moment Master Hand would come in and do gods name what to Roy- after all, he had already left the game for good.

Roy frowned, looking at the prince, "Do I need a reason? I just needed to see you."

Marth rubbed his temples to calm his nerves, "Roy, do you have any idea what trouble you could get in?" He asked tiredly.

Roy smiled crookedly, "Well, yeah. They didn't let me in anyway." He chuckled.

"Roy! You didn't break in! Tell me you didn't!" Marth gasped, staring at the boy in horror, Roy just smiled happily.

With an angry sigh Marth fell back into the couch.

"Well I'm here now, and I'll only get in trouble if I'm found." Roy said quietly, leaning against the prince.

Marth hummed tiredly, it was dark out and it was the middle of a snow storm- he was still trying to imagine the small captain trying to scale the spike tipped fence which surrounded the mansion.

"Hey, Marth," Marth looked over the top of the couch to see Ike once more, far at the doorway, "I'm going to sleep now, you're gonna have to turn off everything alright?" Marth nodded and Ike left them awkwardly.

"So how's everything been while I was away? I haven't seen him before." Roy asked, watching the fire intently. Marth sighed.

"We have a few new fighters, Ike, Pit, quite a few really." He sighed, "Master Hand has us fighting on schedules now- a lots changed since you've been gone." He explained.

"Did you miss me?" Roy asked suddenly, yet quietly. Marth paused.

Sensing the awkwardness, Roy quickly changed the topic of conversation back. "Uh so, how have you been? You know, still here and all." He regretted his question when he saw the pang of regret filter into Marth's eyes, even if only for a second.

The Altean prince ran his hand through his hair and leaned back. He was still expecting everything to come crashing down on him, for reality to come back –to wake up, for Roy to disappear- anything. But when he glanced back over, those blue eyes still held the burning fire which held his own and made his heart clench.

He knew he couldn't lie to Roy, not like he used to, so with a deep sigh he felt a headache growing as his defenses broke. "I wish I wasn't still here." He quietly admitted.

Roy looked taken back, "What? Why? Are they treating you badly?" The anger in Roy's voice caused more regret to flow onto Marth's face, instantly shutting the redhead up.

"No, they are treating me the same as ever. But, when you left…" He paused before continuing, "It was…hard."

He looked into those blue eyes again, they were confused, wary. "I lost you Roy; I didn't want to see anyone for a while. I eventually pulled myself together, but….It wasn't the same."

Roy's anger subsided and he leaned against the prince. "I...I know how you feel." He admitted, Marth didn't react but his heart skipped a beat.

"When I was kicked out, It was really just an 'oh, great.' At first, but then it began to sink in." Roy's face showed horrible agony. "I couldn't go back home, I stayed in this world."

Marth was about to cut Roy off before the redhead spoke a little louder, killing any noise the other might have made. "I got a job and an apartment; I lived with the other 'rejects'. It was painful, knowing the mansion was just out of my reach. I never saw you in person, or spoke to you, but I knew exactly where you were."

He then blushed, a little embarrassed, "I...I got a telescope. I…spied on you, through the windows."

Marth's eyebrows rose. "I know it was weird, but...I wanted to see you."

The blue eyes caught his own and he suddenly felt like he was drowning. "But it just hurt more; being able to see you, but not talk to you, to not have you look back."

There were tears in his eyes. "I wanted to see you. I wanted you to see me."

Marth couldn't speak, his head was feeling light and the world was spinning and suddenly he didn't feel too good anymore.

"Marth?" Roy asked, concerned as the prince brought his head into his hands, a dry sob escaping.

"Oh Roy, I wanted to see you too!" He choked out, "People knew it was a sore subject with me, and then Pit came- he looked exactly like you! It…It…" It tore me up inside. But Pit wasn't you.

Roy hugged the taller man. "I know." He muttered. "Every night you would wake up and sit at the table. Ever since the night I left. I could see you, you would cry sometimes."

"I didn't wake up." Marth replied, just as quietly, "I never slept."

Roy once again reeled back, Marth rubbed at his eyes, his tears smudging something, makeup? Marth had been using makeup to conceal the dark bags under his eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know how." Marth's calm composure was quickly deteriorating, he hugged the younger back. "But, now you're here!"

Roy tightened the hug. "You wanted to talk to me?" He asked.

"I missed you Roy. I missed you so, so much. It still hurts." Marth sobbed, Roy felt his own eyes beginning to sting with the familiar sensation of tears.

"You only missed me?" Roy asked, not in accusation, but pushing Marth to say what he really meant as he too began shaking with silent tears.

Marth took a few breaths between hiccups, burrowing his head into the younger's neck, whispering something so quiet that Roy couldn't hear through the sobs which tore through him.

"Marth?" Roy asked, Marth pulled out and stared straight into the redhead's eyes, his face completely serious, vulnerable.

"I love you." He repeated quietly, "I always have, I…I just didn't realize until you were gone."

Roy was silent but his face told Marth all he needed to know- Roy felt exactly the same.

Marth bent down and captured the boys lips- open in a silent gasp. Roy spent no time returning the kiss and deepening it.

Marth felt like he was floating, as if all the weight on his shoulders was suddenly lifted- he'd never been happier to have the boy around. Roy was sobbing into the kiss and hell, he was too but they both couldn't stop smiling and had to break the kiss because they couldn't maintain it. They started laughing, joyous laughter which lifted Marth's heart.

And then everything did come crashing back down.

Marth didn't know when Master Hand appeared, but he was suddenly there. He could feel his heart grow cold and froze in fear, clinging to Roy instinctively. Roy was pulled from his arms, Master Hand was yelling and he was yelling back and Roy was screaming and then everyone was awake and there was more and more yelling, endless sound.

Roy was crying and he could tell he was crying too, but Master Hand was just taking Roy further and further until he was out of his grasp, he could hear his screaming as he reached out desperately-

"ROY!!"

Marth sat bolt upright in his chair, forehead slick with sweat and his heart beating so fast he felt like it was going to rip out of his chest.

A dry sob escaped without warning as it slowly dawned on him. It was a dream. It was all just a wonderful, horrible dream.

He heard something rushing up to him and then two small arms warp around him, his heart stopped before his face fell. They weren't Roy's arms.

"Marth? Are you alright?" Pit asked, worry in his voice.

Marth knew it wasn't a dream world anymore and he quickly had to hide it his weakness. He snaked his hand up to his eyes and wiped the endless tears away. "I…I…" He swallowed thickly, "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah." Pit came into view, taking up the seat next to him. "You fell asleep after we talked. I didn't want to wake you. I heard you crying before, but when I came to check you were smiling. Then you were screaming and when I came back…"

Marth shook his head lightly. "What a nightmare." He tried to cover up, putting his forehead in his hand on the table. "Is anyone else awake?"

Pit nodded again. "Ike always wakes up early, and I've seen some other people around too."

Speak of the devil; the tall bluenette just walked in.

"Good morning Ike," Marth forced a smile. He must look like a mess; he could feel his hair sticking up in strange angles.

"Marth?" Ike asked, what was this? He looked downright weird. "There's…there's someone at the door asking for you."

Marth froze. This couldn't be happening.

"Who...?" He asked dryly, his voice barely working at all.

Ike shrugged, "I don't know, he wouldn't say, but he said it's important he sees you now. He's really short with red hair."

He was running. He didn't even remember leaving the chair but here he was, running like lightning towards the front door, tearing it open and looking down.

Blue orbs twinkled up at him and he felt like fainting, as if he'd died and the world was playing a sick joke on him.

He figured he'd been staring for a while, those eyes were daring him to speak, waiting, waiting patiently; it was real. He was really here, this wasn't a dream. Finally a gasp broke through.

"R..Roy?"

The boy smiled a warm smile which sent Marth's heart aflutter.

"I…wanted to see you."