Hey! This chapter was fun to write, so I hope It's fun to read!

"Look Ethari, you finally bored her to death," Ethari, who had been talking about something or other involving craft skills, looked directly at Runaan to see Rayla in his lap, her head leaning against his chest, asleep.

"Suppose it was about time for her bedtime anyway," Ethari quietly responded, and Runaan stood up, cradling Rayla in his arms, and walking into her room.

He set her down in her bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders, while Ethari, who had followed him leaned against the doorway. Rayla rolled over in her sleep and Runaan smiled, crouching down and brushing his thumb across her side braid, which Ethari had done earlier that night. Hair was a special thing to elves, and even Ethari, who was more into basic styles then complicated, specially styled his hair. Almost every Moon-Shadow elf had white hair, though the couple had once come across some weird Sun-Fire/Moon-Shadow mix. Which was...Actually, most likely illegal…
Runaan stood up and walked over to the doorway, Ethari stepping back, and gently closed the door.

"Hah, didn't expect her to fall asleep that fast," Ethari commented, sitting back down at the table, and Runaan slipped beside him, rolling his eyes.

"With our luck, she'll be up before the sun," He replied, and Ethari laughed.

"You laugh now, but it was you talking while she drifted off, leaving you as the best candidate to get up for her." Runaan reasoned, and Ethari elbowed him,

"She was in your lap, not mine," He pointed out, and Runaan elbowed him back,

"Yeah, she wouldn't be able to sleep with you, her head's probably bigger than your chest," Ethari gave a mock-offended gasp. So...They were playing this game now.

"What do you know about my chest?" He asked, and Runaan smirked.

"A lot, actually, specially' after last week." Ethari blushed and grinned.

"I had gotten paint on my shirt!" He defended, and Runaan chuckled.

"You taking your shirt off was the first thing Rayla saw after walking into the house."

"Yeah...Well…" Ethari muttered, laying his head in his hand.

"Not a good idea to take your shirt off with a little girl in our house now," Runaan advised, and Ethari rolled his eyes,

"All was forgiven though that night," He smirked, finally leaving Runaan blushing,

"Yeah, that's also how I know about Its size," Runaan quickly came back.

"Runaan, your hair's all messed up...Sit on the floor!" Ethari ordered, and Runaan stepped out of his chair and sat on the floor like he was told, letting out a relaxed sigh as Ethari began twisting his hair in different directions.

"Oh, and Ethari, I forgot to mention, My only class, set for yesterday morning, was canceled," He informed, and Ethari let out a happy gasp,

"Really?!" He exclaimed, and Runaan nodded.

"Why?!" Ethari inquired, still seeing this as too good to be true.

"Needed for some sort of spy business. Knowing my students though, I probably don't want any more details." Runaan joked, and Ethari clamped a hand over his mouth, as it was all he could do to keep from squealing like Rayla did whenever she found an adoraburr.

"Rayla has class tomorrow...Which means we'll have an entire morning to ourselves!" He concluded, and Runaan smiled,

"Took you long enough, Your comprehensions bout' as big as your chest apparently!"

"Another word from you and I'll pull," Ethari warned, as he was in the middle of braiding a section of his hair.

"So, what you were doing earlier wasn't?" Runaan quipped, earning himself a fierce tug.

"Ow! Okay, okay! I'll stop!" Runaan yelped, and Ethari grinned,

"Thought so," Rayla's bedroom door opened, and she stepped out, awake apparently, and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What's going on," She asked tiredly, "I heard a little girl screaming," She walked over to Ethari, who had a hand clamped over his mouth to stop himself from laughing, and a scowling Runaan.

"Nothing darling," Runaan murmured, "Now go back to bed," he kissed her forehead and Rayla blinked,

"Alright," She complied, walking back into her room and closing the door.

"I may have a scrawny chest, but at least I don't scream like a little girl," Ethari smirked, and Runaan frowned.

"Shut up, you."

"Hey," Ethari reminded, "I'm the one holding hair!"

"And I'm the one who can flip the other over his head," Runaan responded, and they both were silent for a second, before bursting into laughter. Ethari was elated, he couldn't wait for the next day...A whole morning alone with Runaan. Not that he didn't adore Rayla...But still...A whole morning.

….

"Rayla! Get up!" Ethari poked his head into her room, and Rayla bounced out of her bed and over to him, eyes bright and shining. Ethari had heard others complain about how their kids couldn't be dragged out of bed in the morning. He honestly didn't get it.

"Mornin' Ethari!" She exclaimed, doing a flying leap onto her bed and another one off, flipping over her nightstand and grabbing her brush. Somehow landing on her feet.

"Ta-da!" She vociferated, and Ethari instantly pulled her close to him, examining her for any injuries.

"Ethari!" Rayla giggled, "I'm fine!" Ethari ignored her and stepped back, satisfied with her state.

"Rayla! Don't do that! It's dangerous!" Ethari scolded, and Rayla rolled her eyes,

"Ethari! I'm really fine!" She assured crossing her arms, and Ethari's eyes widened...This exact scene had happened once before...

…

"Ta-da!" Runaan, around 13, landed safely on the ground, after having taken a flying leap from a rock and flipping over a tree branch, miraculously not hitting his head on a higher one.

Ethari, who had been sitting at the base of the tree, slammed his book shut and rushed over to Runaan's side, frantically checking his friend for any injuries.

"Ethari!" Runaan groaned, "I'm fine!" He pulled away and Ethari crossed his arms,

"Don't do that again! It's dangerous!" He ordered, and Runaan rolled his eyes.

"Ethari! I'm really fine!" He assured, and Ethari shook his head in exasperation.

….

"Ethari! Ethari?!" Ethari was snapped out of the memory by Rayla pulling on his arm.

"Yes, Rayla?" He asked, and Rayla blushed,

"Can you leave, I need to change," She responded, and Ethari gave her an embarrassed smile,

"Of course," and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Runaan, who was standing in the corner of the main room, sharpening some sort of weapon that most likely did not belong in the house.

"Eh, just remembering the many times you've scared me out of my mind," Ethari informed, glancing suspiciously at the double-bladed axe his partner was holding.

"Didn't I tell you to leave that outside?" He asked, and Runaan shrugged,

"Maybe," He set it down in the corner, and the door to Rayla's room opened,

"I'm ready Ethari - Runaan! But don't you have a class?" Rayla exited her room and glanced curiously at Runaan.

"Yeah, but it was canceled because of some sort of assignment my students were given," Runaan explained, and he stood up, smiling at Ethari.

Rayla didn't get the eye exchanges her adoptive fathers were giving each other, so she bounced over to the Ethari and started chattering.

"Can we go back to the meadow with the adoraburrs later?! Oh and that reminds me, a girl in my class said-" Ethari stopped trying to keep track of what she was saying and put a hand over her mouth.

"Bout' time to go," He said, and Rayla beamed and bounced over to the door.

"C'mon Ethari, Runaan! I don't wanna be late!" She yelped, and they were off.

…

"She sure has a lot of energy," Runaan commented as he and Ethari walked down the path they used for dropping off and picking up Rayla.

"You have no idea…" Ethari murmured, "She's like this no matter how early she wakes up, and sometimes I end up hearing "The Six-Year-Old Times," before the sun rises, then again, your already working at that point,"

Runaan chuckled, "I don't know why they would make teenagers classes so early, I do not envy their parents! But then again, it also frees up my afternoon."

Ethari grinned, "So, we've got the whole morning, where'd say we go?" He asked, and Runaan thought for a second.

"The forest," He suggested, "We used to go there a lot when we were younger." Both smiled fondly at the memories brought back from those words.

"Morning' fellas!" Both Runaan and Ethari groaned, recognizing the voice, and sure as night, Oleander was standing behind them.

"I see the rag-doll isn't with yah'!" Oleander began, and Runaan gritted his teeth.

"Rayla is in class." He growled, and Oleander rolled his eyes.

"Temper temper Runaan, isn't her class the same one you got my boy Krell kicked out of?" He asked with a cruel sneer, and Ethari felt himself starting to get mad.

"Attacking another child is not a matter taken lightly for young assassins." Runaan smoothly said, but though his tone was controlled, the rigid posture of his body said otherwise.

"Hey, guys!" Another elf, Iana ran over to them, and Oleander made a face, and walked off, leaving Runaan and Ethari to deal with Iana.

"Yes, Iana?" Runaan asked with a sigh, and Iana looked at them confused.

"Where's the girl...What was her name...Ronald?" He inquired, and Runaan face-palmed,

"Rayla, Iana, It's Rayla," He affirmed, and Iana shrugged.

"Potato, potato!" He exclaimed, and Runaan and Ethari looked at each other, puzzled, what was a potato...Then again, rarely did anything Iana say make sense.

"Anyways, where are you heading?!" He asked, now walking backward while Ethari and Runaan continued walking in a normal, socially acceptable way.

"Down to the forest," Ethari acknowledged.

"Cool!" Iana voiced, turning and walking straight-forward again, much to the relief of the couple. "Why're you guys headed there?"

"Ah...Just cause'...Don't you have some business...Elsewhere?" Runaan tried, and Iana thought for a second then answered,

"Nah, I was mainly told to just stay out of trouble, please as if I'm a 6-year-old!"

Runaan let out an exasperated groan, and Ethari was lost in thought, wondering if Rayla was more mature and self-aware then Iana, now that he thought about it there was a distinct possibility that Rayla might win that contest…

"Listen...Why don't you go find Oleander and bother him," Runaan suggested, and Iana looked at him with glee.

"You mean...I'm actually getting permission!?" Iana gasped, and Runaan froze.

"Yes...No! Uh...Fine!" He muttered, and Iana pounded his fists in the air and ran off, overjoyed to now have actual permission to annoy Oleander.

"Well, now that that's settled," Ethari murmured, and Runaan pointed to a break in the trees, where a river ran strong.

"Remember this river?" He asked Runaan, and Runaan grinned, "How could I forget it?"

…

"Oh come on! The water's not that bad!" Runaan looked at his best friend in annoyance as he waded through the shallows of the river. Ethari was standing nervously out at the shore.

"Uh...I'm fine here...Where It's dry, thanks," He responded, and Runaan rolled his eyes.

"Ethariiii!" He whined, and Ethari sighed,

"Listen...I can't swim," He admitted, and Runaan was silent for a second,

"Well then, I'll teach you," He said, exiting the river and coming to stand next to Ethari.

"How?" Ethari asked suspiciously, and Runaan picked him up. Uh-oh.

"No! No! NO! RUNAAN PUT ME DOWN!" Ethari screamed, and Runaan smirked,

"As you wish!" Runaan stepped forward, and threw Ethari into the river, running in after him.

"RUNAAN!" Ethari screamed before his head fell beneath the surface of the water, and Runaan swam over, pulling him up.

"Ru-" Ethari paused to cough up water, "-naan! What were you thinking?!" He scolded, and Runaan laughed,

"Hold onto me, okay? I'll show you how to swim, It's easy really, but you weren't getting into the river anytime soon!" He explained, and Ethari growled.

"I'll get you back for this one day!" He promised.

"Sure you will!" Runaan replied, "Anyways...So this is how you swim…"

…

"I'll get you back for this one day!" Those words rang in Runaan's head, he was standing next to the river right now - His thinking came in too late, and Ethari pushed him in.

Runaan quickly broke to the surface, spitting mad.

"ETHARI!" He exclaimed, and Ethari simpered, and laughed,

"Told yah!"

Runaan rolled his eyes, and pulled himself out of the river, grabbing Ethari and hugging him, so that he was purposefully wet.

"Runaan!" Ethari sputtered, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement, and the two continued, glad that it was a warm summer morning, or else they would have been freezing.

They continued until they reached a clearing, one that they both remembered very well.

…

"Hang on Runaan," Ethari murmured, he hated feeling this helpless. Sitting back and holding Runaan's hair while the love of his life vomited into the grass.

"Worst camping trip ever, huh," Runaan responded weakly, standing up and wiping his mouth.

"No, Runaan, don't talk like that," Ethari responded, "What matters is that we're here, together. I'm happy just being with you." He promised, and Runaan grumbled something inaudible in response, and they walked back over to the place in the clearing where they were sleeping. To Moon-Shadow Elves beds weren't a necessity, so the 13-year-old boys were sleeping on the bare ground. It was already dark outside, and Ethari and Runaan both lay in their places.

"Get some sleep, we'll head back in the morning," Ethari advised Runaan, and Runaan nodded. Their sleeping areas were at least two feet apart, as was acceptable, and Ethari rolled over, wishing for sleep to come. He couldn't though, he was too worried about Runaan. What if he stopped breathing? Ethari knew he was more likely to grow wings than for that to happen. But he couldn't help but worry, this was his best friend he was talking about...And...More.

Ethari rolled over to check on Runaan, who was lying on his side, obviously shivering, which was very unlike him.

Ethari sat up,

"It's not really that cold," He murmured, "But I guess it feels cold to you." Runaan didn't respond, most likely having drifted off.

He then decided to try something that he knew would most likely fail. And he crawled over to Runaan, slipping beside him and laying down. Runaan cracked open one eye, and surprisingly didn't move, instead shifting closer to Ethari. And they ended up falling asleep together, with their arms wrapped around one another, and bodies close.

Which was also, what they woke up too.

…

"Y'know," Ethari turned to Runaan, "When I said the vows of sickness and health, I wasn't lying."

Runaan smiled, 'I can't even remember half of the vows that we took, if I knew them in the first place!" He admitted, and Ethari elbowed him,

"Runaan! You don't just promise something without knowing what it is!"

And they continued trekking through the forest, until they stopped at a tree, a large one at that, one that also held significant meaning to them. Ethari ran his hands down the trunk, etched there were words that had with-held the passing time.

R+E Forever, It read.

…

"Ethari! It's freezing!" Runaan complained, following after Ethari at a hurried pace,

"What's so important that we had to go trekking through the forest in the middle of the night!? In winter!" He voiced, and Ethari rolled his eyes,

"Stop complaining you," He looked at the forest around him, they were getting closer.

"Anyways, if it's really as cold as you say...I know a way we could warm up!" Ethari nudged Runaan, who crossed his arms and raised his brow playfully.

"Oh really?" He answered, stepping carefully over a root, trying not to trip. The root of a tree.

Ethari smiled, they were there.

"We're here!" He announced, and Runaan looked at him quizzically,

"And...Where is here?" He inquired, not seeing what Ethari had carved on the tree since it was dark.

The fireflies overhead offered a solution though, and Ethari looked at them, coming up with an idea.

"Runaan, can you catch me one of those?" He queried, and Runaan placed his hands on his hips,

"I dunno, can I?" Then jumped upwards, flipping onto a branch and rocketing from there, landing perfectly on the ground, a firefly unharmed in his hand.

"You could've just reached above your head," Ethari pointed out, and Runaan shrugged,

"Then I would've missed the cute 'don't do that again' expression on your face," He joked, and Ethari found himself smiling.

He took the firefly, which pulsed it's abdomen in protest, lighting up the words he had put on the tree.

R+E Forever, it read, and Runaan gasped, gently tracing his hand over it.

"Ethari…" He whispered, finding no words. But that was mainly because he found himself thrown into a kiss, which disabled speaking.

…

"Huh, It's still here," Ethari murmured, touching his hand to it,

"Yeah," Runaan replied.

"I remember carving it, I did it with a sharp stick and it took an agonizingly long time!" Ethari recalled, and Runaan chuckled,

"It was worth it though,"

"Yeah," Ethari agreed, "The expression on your face was priceless."

The two shared a loving gaze before Ethari cut in,

"Y'know, If you had told me then that we'd be married, and raising a girl, a future assassin at that, I wouldn't have believed myself!" He admitted, and Runaan paused in thought.

"I never thought I wanted children until we actually had Rayla," He responded, and Ethari grinned, and walked over to a rose-bush, picking off two without getting pricked. He set them down on a rock.

"See these," Ethari asked Runaan, and Runaan nodded, "I'd have to be blind to not," He exclaimed, and Ethari looked at the two flowers fondly.

"This is me and you, together forever…" And Runaan looked at the sky,

"We'd better head back now," He alerted, and Ethari sighed, but the prospect of seeing Rayla was a happy one, and the two set off.

…

"Yah!" Rayla jammed her knife into the tree, she'd been practicing for a while now, but didn't want to forget all the valuable things she had learned in class.

She pulled her knife out of the tree and glanced curiously at the stone that had two roses on it. Huh. They must have come from the bush to the right of her, she decided, and she picked one up and ran off to show Ethari and Runaan.

Once she left a bluebird glided down from the tree and eyed the remaining rose, as if on instinct it snatched it in its beak and flew off towards the kingdom of Katolis. Partway through it decided that the rose was too prickly, and dropped it right in front of a young boy.

The Step-Prince Callum. He had been sitting propped up on a log, tracing the forest around him onto his sketch pad. He was so caught up in his artwork, that he didn't notice the rose until his bare foot touched it.

Callum looked at it curiously, then picked it up gently, mindful of the thorns. Roses were pretty, and he didn't want it to wither, so he might as well find a vase of water to put it in.

Besides, his step-dad liked flowers, so he would show it to him too.

…

"See these," Callum pointed towards the two roses he had picked with care and set on a rock, his girlfriend Rayla raised her brow.

"I'd have to be blind to not," Rayla, despite having come from the lush forests of Xadia, wasn't very fond of strong colors.

"This is me and you, together forever," Callum explained, and Rayla's expression softened.

"You sayin' I'm prickly?" She joked, and Callum grinned,

"Yep, and I'm edgy! So it works!"

"I'm officially no longer afraid of that term," Rayla smirked, and Callum was quick to come back,

"So you were afraid of it before?!"

Rayla rolled her eyes and elbowed him,

"C'mon you! We need to get back to the castle, Ezran's waiting," She reminded him, and the two set off in unity.