The Headmaster’s pleasing aura did not go away with the news that Caleb had revealed what they really were. Instead he simply sighed and looked towards the direction Caleb would be in. It was true. Everything Caleb had said to Ambrose though the Headmaster has a feeling the reason behind Caleb telling Ambrose had to do with his strong like of the male and being the gentle spirit that Caleb could be mixed with concern that he may not have made it out alive.

“I see. Yes what he said it true. We are or were dangerous beings that consumed life wherever we went. In a sense we are no different than the demon you and your classmates will hopefully banish. The thing is do you hate him for telling you the truth?” The Headmaster’s faze remained pleasant as he tried to figure how to best approach the situation. “Ambrose have you ever truly lived? Perhaps if you open yourself up to the feelings you hide away so swiftly you’ll find that not everyone is out to destroy you. There are those who simply wish to make you smile. Alas I shall tell you the story. Yes Caleb and I roamed we took over worlds enslaving, consuming but when we came here he saw beauty in this world. Something about humankind softened his heart. He convinced me to leave the old way and settle here. At first I did not see what he saw but I gave it a try. He was right. Humans are complex and your ability to love to forgive and see the beauty in the simplest things softened even. My old stone heart. So we stayed we blended in and we left the life of chaos and destruction behind. So now you know the truth. The question is how will you deal with the information given to you?”

He smiled warmly and strode over to Ambrose. A soft hand betraying what Ambrose thought he knew about them. “Not all of us are here to kill, steal and destroy. We have lives we live. Though we’ve made mistakes, are we not worthy of forgiveness? I hope you get some rest. Do not let your heart be troubled Ambrose. If only you knew the power you held. I shall see you tomorrow morning,” the Headmaster said offering Ambrose a gentle smile before leaving.

Sam was flabbergasted by what Jeremy had told them. This Morgan needed to be dealt with and fast. Who was he going to tell? It was bad. They’d covered up a murder scene and they’d left school. If Morgan snitched it would be their asses and the Headmasters but the man always had a way of dealing with things. She needed to talk to Caleb. He was normally able to keep her level headed but he was in the infirmary and the hour was growing late.

“Let’s convene back here tomorrow after class then we will go check on Caleb and Ambrose and talk to them about this,” Ariana chimed in as Sam nodded and moved to leave he room.

Ambrose listened to the rest of the Headmaster's speech, despite looking him up and down with suspicious eyes the words resonated with him. He couldn't get them out of his mind even long after he had left. For a while after Ambrose sat in the waiting room, until finally in the early morning he forced himself back to his dorm room. It felt strange to return there, like it wasn't really his, like it belonged to a different version of Ambrose that didn't exist anymore.

Ambrose didn't look for Morgan, didn't want to see the sharp blue gaze. He headed straight for his bed and collapsed on it. It didn't take long for him to fall into a deep and dreamless slumber. And before he knew it, sunlight was streaming through the window. Ambrose shot up with a gasp, realizing he had slept far into afternoon. His phone was flooded with messages, and Ambrose jumped out of bed and got ready as fast as he could. He hadn't even thought about attending class.

Reading through a couple of the messages, Ambrose gathered the group was meeting up in Caleb's infirmary room. He was the last one in, panting as he closed the door behind him. "Sorry, I overslept." He breathed as he pushed through Jeremy and Ariana. He froze when he saw Morgan sitting in a chair by Caleb's bedside.

"Nice of you to finally join us." The blonde said with a sneer. Ambrose looked around the room in bewilderment, trying to find an explanation to why Morgan would be here of all people. "I have information you all need." Morgan continued, cutting off Ambrose who had just opened his mouth to exclaim in anger.

Caleb awoke with a grunt as he adjusted in the bed. The nurse glared st him as she approached and sighed.

“How many times are you going to come see me?” She said smirking as Caleb tried to produce a smile but all he managed was a weak one that caused the nurse to laugh softly. “Good news is you can leave tomorrow. Bad news is no extracurricular for at least a weak. How you keep doing this to yourself is beyond me but please practice restraint,” the said before placing a motherly hand on Caleb’s head before leaving the room. It wasn’t long before visitors showed up but who showed up was not someone he expected.

Sam, Alex, Jeremy, and Ariana had come first but then Morgan showed up nd it set everyone on edge. Caleb tried to relax, but they’d told him what was going on as son as they’d arrived so to see Morgan there in front of him was irritating to say the least. Just as Caleb was about to tell him to leave Ambrose showed up and Morgan spoke.

“What do you want?” Caleb asked trying not to strain himself. “You’re not the type to give information without something in return. So what do you want?” Caleb said giving Morgan the most hateful look.

Ambrose stared at Morgan in disbelief, and even took a step forward as if he was going to throw a punch. Jeremy thankfully held him back, grabbing his shoulders to keep him from advancing. "Listen, you all don't need to be so sour about this. It's not blackmail! It's a trade and we can both come out happy." Morgan smiled at all the angry glares from the people in the room. Ambrose couldn't help but be reminded of Codal by Morgan's proposal. Ambrose was tired of trades.

"Forget it. We'll find it without your help." He spat at Morgan, who's smile faltered. A couple of the group protested at Ambrose's statement, chiming in.

"We need that last knife!"

"We have to think about the sake of everyone else, we don't want what happened at Sam's party to happen again...."

Ambrose glanced around the room, looking for some kind of back up but finding none. But even had to admit, they needed the information and as soon as possible. His own personal feelings had to be put aside. Ambrose huffed and crossed his arms, stalking to a corner of the room to sulk.

"Anyways," Morgan continued, standing up from his spot by Caleb's side, addressing the room. "What I want from you all is access to the forbidden texts, yes yes I know only masters are allowed to them, but I think we can make an exception." He glanced back at Caleb, "And I know you can get that arranged." Morgan turned back to the group, "Second, I'm gonna need any and all my supplies for spells, or classes, paid for and delivered at my request." The slender male paused to assess the room for a moment, everyone was calm albeit begrudgingly so. "I'm going to keep my last request for a rainy day, which means, binding Caleb into a contract. This contract entails that any point in time I may have him complete one request, and he cannot refuse or sabotage this request." Morgan smiled widely once more, especially at Ambrose fuming in the corner.

"Well, I'll let you discuss. And no, there will be no negotiations. I'll give you two hours to complete arrangements and contact me to accept the deal." Morgan made his way to the door of the infirmary room, confidently, he flashed another sweet smile before slamming the door behind him.

Ambrose looked as if he wanted to jump on Morgan and had Jeremy not been there to stop him he probably would have. Caleb was uncomfortable, and it showed on his face, but the pain he was experiencing showed on his face instead of anger or annoyance. He sighed as he pressed the button to deliver medicine to him. He would be out of the infirmary tomorrow and he was thankful, but with news like this he'd rather stay in for a few more days. Looking at Morgan, he had more of a shocked look on his face than anything when Morgan explained his terms to them. Why would he request anything of Caleb? The thought caused him to narrow his eyes as he looked from Morgan to Ambrose and then back to Morgan. What was he up to? What kind of request could he make? Caleb wouldn't agree to anything that would put his life in danger even if they didn't get the last blade. He was tired of hurting, tired of the pain, tired of being in the infirmary.

As Morgan left, Caleb adjusted in bed with the help of Alex who had moved to his side.

"What do you think Caleb?" Sam asked still looking at the door Morgan had slammed upon his exit. "Do you want me to end this? It will be swift."

"We're not murderers Sam," Alex chimed in looking at her with annoyance laced in his expression.

"What if he doesn't uphold his end of the bargain? It is better that we give our requirements in this deal," Ariana added looking at Caleb who was looking at Ambrose the entire time. When everyone realized Caleb wasn't talking, they followed his eyes and realized he was still staring blankly at Ambrose. Finally, he spoke.

"What do you want to do?" he asked Ambrose. "The forbidden texts are guarded, there is literally no way for me to get them for him. It would require me to ask the headmaster and you already know how he is. The second request I can fulfill on my own, and the third request is doable so long as it doesn't put me in harm's way, but I will think of something else if you don't want us to agree to this. Ambrose, what is it that you want to do? I owe you."

Caleb looked away finally as Sam rubbed his hand finally realizing that there had been a slight falling out between them again. Caleb was doing his best to find a way to make Ambrose happy, but if you asked Ariana just being himself was enough, but Sam knew sometimes more was required. She also knew that Caleb could get access to the forbidden text. He was considered the headmaster's son, he was considered royalty, and some viewed him as a master, but modest Caleb didn't think he was that important.

Ambrose seemed to be cooling down as soon as Morgan left the room, thinking with a clearer head. He rejoined the group of others, glancing between them. "Sam, I hate that rat, but don't kill my roommate." He said with a note of humor, glancing at her with a half smile. Ambrose listened carefully as the others chime in, and didn't even notice Caleb staring at him until everyone else did.

"Wha-me?" He blinked at Caleb's response, "I mean I don't know..." Ambrose didn't like the sudden position of power, and he didn't understand why Caleb even cared what he thought after Ambrose had spoke to him back at the forest. He felt a ting of guilt thinking back at it. "I... I don't think we can afford to waste time. This is the fastest way. Morgan is a little rat, but I don't think he is interested in bloodshed or hurting people just for the sake of causing pain." Ambrose spoke slowly, thinking through the decision himself. Finally, Ambrose shrugged and looked back over the rest of the group. "We should just do it and get it over with."

There were grunts of approval and some murmurs of concern, but everyone was on the same page. Ambrose pulled out his phone, texting Morgan their approval and to meet them back at the room as soon as possible.

Caleb didn't know what to say. He could tell that Ambrose didn't expect all of the power to shift to him, but Caleb had to agree with his decision. This was the easiest way for them to obtain the last blade and send the leviathan back to where it came. There hadn't been any more deaths, but Caleb could imagine the demon was amassing followers. He hadn't seen the headmaster yet, but he had a feeling the man had come while he was asleep as he normally did to check on him. He truly was like a father to him and for that he was thankful.

Caleb watched as everyone agreed to the plan set forth and Ambrose immediately sent a message to Morgan. Everything was set in place, but Caleb wondered what kind of request Morgan would have of him. Ariana sighed not really wanting to trust Morgan and Sam still wanted to get rid of him and avoid it all together.

"Sam we can't kill him," Caleb said.

"Unless he doesn't uphold his end of the bargain," Alex added causing Caleb to look at him and raise an eyebrow.

"Wait are you serious about this?" Ariana asked trying to understand what they were scheming.

"We need to be on one accord. We will fulfill his request, but should he not fulfill his end of it then what do we do?" Caleb asked them all.

"I think we all know what to do. Though we may not agree with it, we don't have a choice, so we will cross that bridge if we ever come to it," Sam replied causing Caleb to look over at Ambrose before looking down at his hands. He realized he was twiddling his thumbs because he was nervous, he was certain about any of this, but he trusted his group of friends.

"Caleb can you move?" Ariana asked looking at him as they waited on Morgan.

"Yes, it hurts to move, but I'm able to," Caleb replied looking over at Ariana. The blanket had covered his body, but as he moved, it fell slightly showing off his upper torso.

It wasn't long before Morgan showed up. Caleb accepted the terms of his condition but he had one of his own.

"The only way I will do it is if the request you ask doesn't put my life or any of the lives of the members of this group in danger. That's all I ask," Caleb said. Morgan contemplated it for a moment but in the end, he agreed and Caleb nodded still unaware of what Morgan would request. When Morgan left, Caleb looked at everyone in the room and sighed.

Days passed, and Morgan did give them the information that helped them locate the last blade. It was odd, to say the least, that he had actually kept his end of the bargain. Caleb was out of the infirmary and moving about with ease, but he had to take it easy by word of the nurse. He had managed to speak with the headmaster who had given Morgan access to the forbidden text for only a couple of hours, that was the best he could do or would do. The headmaster, in turn, gave Caleb a strong talking to.

"Caleb in all my days you've never been this careless," the Headmaster said causing Caleb to look down. "Tell me about Ambrose."

Caleb looked up in shock. "What do you want to know? Or should I say why?"

"Every since he came here you've been distracted. You've been in the infirmary every time I look, and you jeopardized exposure by telling him what we are."

"He's not going to tell anyone."

"That's not the point, you're being careless."

"It's fine."

"IT IS NOT FINE!"

The headmaster's voice was loud and it shocked Caleb as he jumped slightly avoiding the elder's gaze. He looked at Caleb and sighed.

"Do you like him that much that you would risk everything we've built?"

"He's different, he's not like any other guy here. He's special and I'm drawn to him for some reason I can't explain. He doesn't even know that I like him, at least I don't think he does. He's made it pretty clear he has no interest in me," Caleb replied sighing. The headmaster shook his head and sat down next to Caleb. They were in the cafe, and Caleb had a book in front of him. He was reading up on banishing demons just to make sure nothing else happened. They had a meeting tonight to focus on finding the demon and banishing it.

"Have you tried talking to him? Just sitting down and talking to him?"

Caleb looked up at the headmaster and sighed. "Not I haven't really tried, there was a kiss at the party but after that, he sorta started hating me, and I blame myself because of the things I've done."

"Caleb, you are you, there's no changing that, but if you like someone, if they make you feel the way you are feeling, you owe it to yourself to at least pursue it, at least give it a try."

"I think I messed up too much for that now," Caleb replied.

"How do you know unless you try?"

Caleb sighed leaning back as he thought about it for a moment. Ambrose was unique, he wasn't like the other guys he'd met in this school. Was it fate that they'd met? Could Ambrose forgive him? Caleb managed a weak smile as he looked at the Headmaster.

"Do you want me to call him for you?"

"NO!" Caleb exclaimed loudly causing the headmaster to laugh. "I'll do it, just give me time. We're still dealing with the demon ya know," Caleb added. The headmaster stood from his seat and placed a soft hand on Caleb's shoulder.

Hey, can we talk?

He sent the message, looking at his phone for a moment, wondering if Ambrose would even give him the time of day.

After everything was set up, Ambrose was one of the first to break off from the group. He needed the rest, needed to get away from all the craziness of their situation. He felt a twinge of guilt whenever his thoughts wondered to Caleb, a part of him felt obligated to be there for his recovery. But he could never bring himself to do it. There was jsut a wave of conflcited emotions blocking him from going forward with Caleb. Instead for the past few days Ambrose has just been burying himself in his schoolwork, catching up in the classes he missed and homework. He still remained incredibly isolated those days, talking to barely anyone. It had reminded him a lot of the time when Caleb had gotten hurt the first time. Ambrose had shaken his head at the thought when it had hit him, a bit disappointed in his habits to be a complete introvert.

He was one of the first to get the information from Morgan finally. They had spoken late at night when Morgan approached him and revealed the location. Ambrose didn't know how Morgan had it, and he didn't want to. But the location was nothing like he expected. Ambrose turned over the facts in his head, trying to wrap his head around it. Apparently the last knife was on campus, at least technically. It existed in apparently long abandoned tunnels under the campus, a maze-like system. Except the kicker was that it was being held in a different dimension, one that was adjacent and overlapping with ours. It apparently coexisted with ours, and though serious magic would be needed to take an item from this dimension, it was not unheard of. The information was spread throughout the group and plans were discussed, but right now Ambrose had down time.

He was working on a painting, something he didn't get to do as often as he liked. Stepping back every so often to tilt his head and examine it. The canvas was horizontal and showed a bloody scene. It may have been a reflection of the party incident, but it was much more abstract and instilled more of a cold fear then the visceral shock Ambrose had experienced.

He was in the middle of pacing his room back and forth when he noticed a text sent by Caleb about an hour ago. He scooped up his phone, and examined the text. Ambrose paused, a bit afraid of what it meant but eventually he gained the nerve to reply.

Yeah, meet me in the campus garden?

There was silence after the headmaster left. Caleb read and jotted down notes for the final exam that was coming up in the next couple of days. He was trying to figure out how to balance finals with hunting for a demon vanishing set of knives.

“Hey Caleb,” Sam announced as she came up to him sitting down without asking. “You okay? You’ve been silent these last couple of days.”

“How did you know I was here?” Caleb asked not looking up from his book.

“Don’t give me that Caleb. This lone wolf thing doesn’t suit you. We are your friends Caleb you can talk to us,” Sam said reaching out and placing a soft hand on Caleb’s hand.

Caleb sighed and looked up at Sam. “I’m just tired Sam. Just want things to return to normal, ya know.”

“Before him?”

Caleb exhaled as he closed his book and dropped the pen on the table.

“Caleb I love you we have been friends since freshman year. I know you, and I know when something is bothering you. Talk to me.”

Caleb looked at Sam and shook his head. “I’m thinking of leaving next year.”

“WHAT!”

Sam looked at Caleb with a hurt expression. He couldn’t look her in the eyes and he was so thankful when his phone vibrated. Looking down at it he managed a soft smile before standing up and packing his items in his backpack.

“Are we still on for tonight?” Sam asked not asking about the message but Morris wanting to spend time with her friend.

“I will text you okay?” He knelt down and kissed her forehead which caused her to smile. “You’re my best friend Sam, I will tell you if anything is wrong okay? For now just let it go.”

Sam sighed as she watched Caleb walk off. He was headed towards the garden. When he arrived he sent a quick text to Ambrose. I’m here.

Ambrose was stopped by the door of his dorm by the blonde-haired Morgan. He was his usual snappy self, though there was a sense of gloating whenever Ambrose and him spoke. Morgan had played the game and come out on top, without a single scratch. It gave Ambrose a deep seated resentment, that Morgan got involved without any pain or trauma unlike Ambrose who would be lucky to get through this with his life. And Morgan had no shame with rubbing that in his face.

"What is it?" Ambrose snapped at Morgan.

"Going to see that lovesick puppy?" Morgan shot back with a haughty smirk.

"It's none of your business."

Ambrose stomped past his roommate, shutting out Morgan's retort and made his way to the campus's tucked away garden. This place used to be Ambrose's sanctuary, but not anymore. But it was still useful for private conversations like this one. Ambrose received Caleb's text as he walking up to the enclosure. Stepping around the brush, Ambrose called out "Caleb...?"

Rounding the tree, the other male came into view. Ambrose crossed his arms over his chest as he approached. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Caleb walked into the beauty that was the school's garden. Looking around he could only smile warmly as he trailed a finger along the flora watching the flower respond to his touch by opening its petals. No wonder Ambrose had found some sort of security here, or at least he did. Eventually, he found a tree that he sat down underneath. He didn't know what he was going to say to Ambrose, he didn't even know how to start a conversation with him, but at the moment he had no plan of action, he just felt that if he didn't tell him, if he just left it open-ended it would eat him alive and he didn't want that. He didn't want there to be any awkwardness between them anymore. He didn't want there to be any questions or any more confusion regarding his feelings.

He had settled in his spot when he heard Ambrose's voice. When he rounded the corner, he noticed Ambrose had his arms crossed across his chest. It was a defensive posture. Sighing, Caleb stood up and looked at Ambrose.

"I know we haven't seen eye to eye on a lot of things and I'm responsible for most if not all of it, but the reason I called you here was to ask you..." Caleb paused as he realized he was looking at the ground and not Ambrose. He resisted the urge to look away and looked at Ambrose. "Just tell me. Be real with me Ambrose. Do you hate me?"

Was that really the question he wanted to ask? Was this really going to be the way he started the conversation? He pushed it all to the back of his mind.

"I know you don't like me, I messed up any true future we may have had, it just sucks because I really like you and I regret ever hurting you, I regret ever making you feel any type of fear or whatever. I just wish......" Caleb sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry for everything I've done that caused you pain, that caused you discomfort, or hurt you in any way."

He finally looked away and backed up until he back was against the tree and he lifted his head and looked up at the sky. "You never know what little time you have left until you've faced death."

Ambrose allowed his gaze to drift across the garden, forcing himself to take a deep breath. At first he was under the impression that maybe Caleb had wanted to discuss things about getting the knife, but as he arrived it clicked that it was probably something else. Ambrose shuffled his feet, also letting his gaze fall to the ground as he listened to Caleb speak.

He instinctively tensed when Caleb hit him with that question. His mouth fell slightly open, and Ambrose was scrambling to try and find a response. He stammered, but fell silent when Caleb continued on. The curly-haired male looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot and eyes shifting from one thing to the next. Truthfully he wasn't sure how to answer Caleb. There was always mixed thoughts and feelings whatever involved Caleb, especially now that he knew his true nature. But, it hurt to see Caleb shoulder all the blame, and guilt washed over Ambrose.

He understood where Caleb was coming from. Swallowing thickly, Ambrose spoke hesitantly, "...I..." He forced himself to look directly at Caleb, "I don't hate you," Ambrose confessed, "I... blamed things on you... unfairly." Ambrose stopped and took a deep moment to catch his breath. "Even now, I think I may have been unfair. I saw everything in a really dark way." He took a step closer to the other male, "And a part of me just wants to move past all that." He reached his hand hesitantly, and it almost looked as if Ambrose was on the edge of bolting, but his fingers brushed Caleb's. "You don't need to apologize."

Caleb's attention fell back on Ambrose after a moment of just looking at the sky. He watched him as he spoke, telling him that he didn't hate him. Caleb felt a bit of relief. Ambrose didn't hate him. He felt better knowing that at least he hadn't completely ruined any chance at a friendship with Ambrose. Ambrose was still talking and Caleb's eyes fell on him listening attentively and trying to figure out what this meant for them. They still had to discuss plans for finding the final blade, or rather retrieving it from an alternate universe that existed alongside their own. There were consequences. It was dangerous, but Caleb would do it, he would think of a way and he would help everyone bring normalcy back to BlackBrick Academy.

He had managed to slip into his own thoughts when he felt Ambrose's hand brush against his own and for a moment he looked into Ambrose's eyes. Connor sighed and managed to look away for a moment, thinking about things. "Ambrose, I would like that, I would like to move past it all," he managed to say his hand moving, cautiously slipping into Ambrose's own. The touch was different. It was odd, but it felt normal, it felt good. His gaze met Ambrose and he gave Ambrose a soft smile. Was he really holding Ambrose's hand? It felt right.

Ambrose stared back at the male in front of him, searching for something, but he wasn't sure what. "I don't know if we're going to win this battle..." He swallowed thickly and dropped his gaze to their clasped hands, "I can't go into that without being honest. It would be a lie to say I've never felt something for you, and still do feel for you." Ambrose shook his head, "I can't understand your past, not yet at least, but I can't go on and keep ignoring my actual feelings." Ambrose fell silent, surprised at himself to let everything just spill out. But it felt good, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

With the sun beating down on the two, Ambrose moved with slow and hesitant movements. Ambrose moved his face closer, head tilting slightly to the right pressing his own lips against Caleb's. He was tentative, and gentle, as well as uncertain. Ambrose didn't know if this was the right thing, if he was just being selfish. But right in this moment, he just wanted to give in.

It happened. His lips were soft, yearning and yet uncertain. His lips pulled on his being as if wanting to give in. Caleb hadn't expected this. He had just wanted to tell Ambrose how he felt, but this kiss, this kiss opened the floodgate of emotions and Caleb found himself lost in it. His hand had shakingly reached up and softly caressed the back of Ambrose's neck as if to deepen the kiss, as if to speak to Ambrose, to let him know that it was alright, that everything was alright and would be alright, that he would fight for this, whatever they wanted to call it, and he would come out victorious. The kiss lasted for quite some time, neither seeming to want to end it, but Caleb found the strength to slowly pull away from Ambrose, letting their eyes lock on each other. No words came as he tried to form them. No word could describe how terrified he was at this being a dream, at this moment being a mistake, but no words could describe how happy he was to know how Ambrose felt. No words could describe how much he just enjoyed the moment, how much he relished in the closeness, the touch, the feeling of being something other than a monster in the eyes of someone he cared for.

"We can try, we owe it to ourselves to at least try this, but I won't make you do something you don't want, I won't force you," Caleb said softly as if nervous about saying anything that would ruin the moment between them. What could one say after such a strong kiss? What could you add to a moment like that? Everything else paled in comparison.

It was easy to get lost in, easy to fall deeper into the arms of Caleb. This kiss was different from the one at the party. This felt like a clear understanding, and intimate. Ambrose had to admit their first encounter had been driven by lust and natural chemistry. Now there was a bond from surviving so much together, and for the first Ambrose felt a real connection to another person. They pulled back at the same time, taking a moment to stare at each other.

Ambrose remained close, catching his breath as Caleb spoke. He nodded slowly, "I know... I-" He was at a loss of words for a moment, "I don't want to force anything either." He echoed in agreement, but at least in this moment everything felt natural and real. Ambrose squeezed Caleb's hand before pulling back slightly. "Do you want to...?" He trailed off, he knew they should probably focus on the blade and the demon and all that. But Ambrose just wanted to forget all about that though, at least for a few hours, wanted to ignore the messages from the rest of the group and just pretend everything was normal.

The kiss was amazing. The kiss was something he would always remember but what made him realize that there could be something from this was that Ambrose didn’t retract their hands still touched. The closeness made him feel something and Ambrose’s words gave him assurance that something was possible between them. He wanted to try. Maybe this is what they both needed. He couldn’t lie. He was nervous but at the same time he wanted to at least try and see how it went.

“I want to,” Caleb said softly pulling Ambrose closer as his free hand touched the side of Ambrose’s face. “I know I’m not perfect, I have flaws but I’m willing to work on them to be as close to perfect as possible for you.”

He knew no one was perfect but he would do whatever he could to let Ambrose know that he was serious that he wanted to be with him through all the challenges and through all the changes. He wanted to make Ambrose happy.

“I want to make you happy. I want to see that smile on your face, your eyes light up with joy. Feel the touch of your hand in mine. Be there for you when you need to talk, when you just need to vent or when you want to study,” Caleb said smiling warmly. “I want to be the man you lean on for comfort, for strength when things get tough. I want to, and I will if you let me.”

Ambrose leaned into Caleb's touch, eyes heavy-lidded. He was tired of fighting this and isolating himself. Being near Caleb, being honest, it took a giant weight off his shoulders.

Ambrose snorted and shook his head, "I'm far from perfect, we both know that." But Ambrose stopped interrupting to listen to the rest of Caleb's honeyed words.

"I would like that. I just hope we have the time." Ambrose sighed and closed his eyes fully to enjoy this moment. But eventually he straightened up and pulled out his phone which had more then a dozen notifications. He showed the screen to Caleb, "I think we're needed though." Ambrose heaved another sigh, scrolling through a couple of the messages.

He was relaxed under the tree with Ambrose, but the issue still stood present that they had to meet the others and prepare for the final mission to find the last blade. The other six were locked away for safe keeping, but at this moment he didn't want it to end. At this moment with Ambrose close to him, his attention solely on the other male he just wanted to be with him, to forget everything else that was happening and just relax, but he knew it couldn't be, at least until they fully banished the demon. In the back of Caleb's mind, there was still a bit of nerve regarding the binding magical contract with Morgan. The guy still had one request he could use at any point and it could be anything so long as it didn't put Caleb's health on the line. It was crazy how much power Morgan had with just that one request in his arsenal. He could have Caleb destroy something, resurrect something, kill someone, the list was nearly endless, and it made him worry on what could really happen with that one request. Still, he forced it to the back of his mind as he looked at Ambrose who wanted to pursue something with him but was worried if they would have enough time.

"Don't worry, we will. After all of this is over I want to take you on a proper date to an art museum. I would love for you to draw something for me," Caleb said realizing that an artist was always critical of their own work, "but after the museum we can go to dinner wherever you want and then maybe a movie," Caleb added enjoying the moment, getting a little too far ahead, but he just wanted to make Ambrose happy, to give him things he needed, to shower him with affection, with adoration, but he understood that Ambrose was human and he would do his best not to overdo it.

When Ambrose checked his phone and showed him the numerous messages, Caleb sighed, returning back to reality and pulling his own phone out of his pocket. Sam, Ariana, Alex, Jeremy, they had all text him as well several times. "I guess we are huh?" Caleb replied leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss, though it truly wasn't as quick as he thought because when his lips touched Ambrose's, he found it hard not to keep going, but he mustered the self-control. "Let's get this over with, the sooner the better."

Ambrose held back a giggle as he watched Caleb plan all the things he wanted to do together. It gave him hope, and for a moment he was swept away with Caleb. Maybe there was a chance for normalcy, or at least a future where they didn't have to be on death's door every other day. "I would like that..." Ambrose said softly, running fingers through Caleb's hair.

Ambrose sighed in sync with his partner, both looking down at the flooded notifications. But he was right, the sooner the better. Ambrose stuffed his phone back into his pocket and turned on his heel to begin making their way to the library.

Caleb took care of arranging a time to get together, and Ambrose and him ended up taking their time on their way to the library bunker. They entered together, softly conversing and one of them chuckling every so often. It only took a moment for Ambrose to notice the atmosphere of the room when they entered though. It was an anxious, frantic energy, and it sobered Ambrose up immediately. He cleared his throat and took a seat at one of the wooden tables.

"So." He began, eyes shifting from one person to the next. "I guess we're almost there right? Don't even really need to go off campus for this one. Do you guys already have a plan?" He questioned, addressing everyone in the room.