Roy exited his science class with a backpack heavy with newly learned scientific formulas, chemical descriptions, and a unit test outline, all of which he was dreading to ever lay his eyes on again. He trudged the same path he always did to his locker, brushing the back of his hand across his forehead to assure that he had completely recovered from the fever he contracted yesterday. By the time he concluded that his body temperature was normal—or as normal as it could get-- he had reached the hallway that was home to his locker, and spied a certain blonde leaning against its door.
          “Well? Where is he?” Link asked as Roy walked into earshot, his blue eyes filled with anticipation.
          “He? What are you talking about?” The redhead stopped, standing in front of the boy that separated him from the supplies he needed for the afternoon.
          “You know, the guy you met yesterday that makes you weak in the knees,” Link replied with a foolish grin on his face.
         Roy flinched and immediately shoved the lighter-but-taller boy out of the way, snatching the cool steel lock and spinning the dial. “He does not makes me weak in the knees,” Roy fumed, averting his gaze from his best friend, focusing a fiery glare at his silvery lock.
          “I heard from Pit that you were getting flushed and started stumbling around him in art class! Don’t deny your gayity!”
          “I had a fever, you blonde bimbo. I had to sweat it out last night before you called me. Marth is just a friend, and I mean it!”
          “Ooh, defensive, aren’t we, you firecracker? Regardless, I want to meet him. He has lunch now, right?”
         Link began walking down the hallway, ignoring Roy, who stood practically in his locker while hurling protests. He let out a defeated, exasperated sigh and quickly ran after Link once he had collected the necessities for his after-lunch courses. The straw-haired teen had already made it down a couple of flights of stairs, forcing Roy to jog down the steps, cursing Link’s steady, constant pace. Suddenly, while turning a corner, he collided face-first with who he assumed was his blonde friend.
          “You don’t even wait for me anymore, you huss--”
         Marth placed his hands on Roy’s shoulders. “Hussy? Not exactly kind, but I’ll take it, I suppose.”
          “Marth! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for that insult to hit you…” Roy looked up at Marth before his gaze focused behind the taller boy, where Link had reappeared in silence and was now proceeding to make thrusting actions behind the blunette’s back while in plain sight of Roy.
          “… but I’m going to KILL that dork behind you!!”
         The shortest teen threw himself at the blonde, completely forgetting that Marth was there-- a very surprised Marth who, after the redhead's failed attack, now had a chestful of Roy. Marth’s head turned slightly to look over his shoulder at Link, holding Roy steady in his arms to separate the two and avoid any bloodshed.
         Link grinned in response to the icy glare that the bluenette shot him from over his shoulder; only the profile of Marth’s face was visible to the blonde. A tight, constricting silence fell over the trio; Roy watched Marth’s eyes flicking back and forth over Link’s face, scrutinizing him. Roy’s head remained mostly buried in Marth’s chest as the taller boy held him there protectively. The redhead lay limp against him, watching his two friends in their standoff; the silence went undisturbed for a few moments before finally being broken by Marth’s vocal chords.
          “Who are you?”
         Marth’s voice swelled with coldness, causing the blonde in question to shudder softly. Quickly, Link shook off the intimidation and smiled.
          “Link,” he finally answered. “The hussy that Roy was looking for.”
         Roy, upon hearing his name, snapped out of his trance. He pulled away from the taller boy, whose chill hands cooled Roy’s skin even through the multiple layers of clothing the redhead wore; auburn hair fell in his eyes, which fixated on his best friend. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Marth’s frame relax as the tension left his body.
          “I apologize,” said Marth softly, turning to face Link. His expression returned to the stoic one he always wore. “Forgive my defensiveness.” With that phrase, the bluenette turned to leave once more.
          “Wait,” Roy spoke, quickly catching Marth’s arm. “I… wanted to introduce you properly. Link has wanted to meet you…” Marth stood unmoving, pondering silently the chances of him losing the friendships he was about to establish between himself and the two boys behind him like he usually did. When Marth did not respond, Roy tugged on his arm softly.
         For the second time, Marth turned to face Link, this time extending his right hand, which the blonde accepted. “Nice to meet you, Marth. Roy is in good hands,” Link smirked, which promptly vanished as the redhead tackled him to the floor.
         The smaller boy picked himself up, now on all fours hovering above the blonde. Link looked dizzy and disoriented, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.
          “Why can’t you ever keep your mouth shut?” said the youngest boy, clambering off of Link and standing, arms crossed over his chest, blushing softly with either anger and embarrassment. Marth remained silent, watching as the tackled teen stood, stumbling for a moment from dizziness.
          “Ooh… a little rough, Royskies. Even for you,” muttered Link through a faltering, twitchy grin. Roy flicked Link’s temple, earning a grimace from the already-pained boy, and finally beckoned to both his friends to follow him to the cafeteria.

         The trio had engaged in deep conversation as they entered the warm cafeteria, which reeked of greasy food. Marth paused as Roy and Link took their usual seats, unsure if he was welcome; Roy noticed this and drew an empty chair towards him, signalling to Marth to take a seat. The bluenette stalled again before he sat down beside the redhead.
          “Lunch,” Link mumbled as he rummaged through his backpack. “I love my lunch. Where is it?” He sat back in his chair after a few more seconds of digging and frowned. “Royskies… I forgot my lunch at home!” At his revelation, Link stuck out his bottom lip in a forced pout and turned to Roy, who held the plastic Tupperware containing his lunch close, pressing it against his chest.
          “No way, Link. I have curry, and it’s mine.” The auburn-hair boy said with conviction, his eyes narrowed. Link pouted again, widening his already round eyes and exposing even more of the inside of his bottom lip. In response, Roy shook his head violently, maintaining his narrow-eyed glare at the blonde beside him.
          “Fine! Just let your best friends starve!” Link crossed his arms and turned away from Roy to stare at the dark green tabletop in front of him-- as a paper plate with a slice of pizza on it slid into view.
          “You can have this if you stop whining,” Zelda sank into the seat across the table from Link, setting her bag down on the empty chair next to her and nonchalantly chewing on a piece of celery. Roy smiled, watching as Link’s fair skin reddened.
          “… thanks… Zelda,” The blonde boy muttered, smiling softly as he glanced at her and back down at his newfound food just as fast. Zelda nodded in response and sucked the remainder of the stick of celery into her mouth like spaghetti.
          “Sho,” she said through the green mouthful, using her hand to hide the substance in her mouth. “Whosh the new addishun to tha table?” Her eyes fell onto Marth’s face questioningly.
         Roy was expecting Link to pipe up and tell Zelda that Marth was the redhead’s new boyfriend, but he was occupied trying to eat Zelda’s gift of pizza without choking on his own embarrassment.
         Zelda raised her eyebrows and struggled to swallow the vegetable mouthful.
          “You’re in vocal, right?” She said when she was finally celery-free. Marth nodded and she continued, “You must know Sheik, then,”
          “Not personally, but he’s in my class.”
          “That kid notices everyone and everything. Says you’re one of the best vocalists there.”
          “I wouldn’t say that…” Marth said quietly. “Sheik easily outstrips me.”
          “Well… that remains to be publically seen, huh? I’m Zelda, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
          “Ah… nice to meet you too.”
         Silence fell upon the quartet huddled around their table as the rest of the cafeteria hustled noisily around then. By the time Link had finished his pizza, Lilina had joined the group of four by sitting directly between Marth and Roy. She began complain about all the tests and assignment she had piled up, all the extra work she had, and finally that she would not be able to attend the concert that Roy had previously invited her to.
          “Why not?” Roy said, obtaining a disappointed look.
          “I’m really sorry, Roy… I just can’t get through all this work as it is… plus, there are so many assignments that I haven’t started yet that are due within the month.” Lilina ran one hand through Roy’s hair and sighed. “I’d better go. I need to be early to third period. I’ll see you later, Roy.”
         Roy’s eyes glanced at Marth as Lilina stood and kissed het boyfriend quickly on his forehead as she left. For reasons unknown, Roy felt guilty as his eyes fell on the bluenette. Marth’s face was turned away and looked even more stiff than usual. His eyes were trained on the surface of the table and nothing else. The redhead didn’t even register Lilina’s goodbye or the fact that she was now leaving- all he could think about was the feeling that he had done something wrong, like there was an invisible barrier that set he and Marth worlds apart.
         Link placed a comforting hand on Roy’s shoulder, causing Roy’s head to turn and face Link’s direction.
          “… see what I mean? Do you really want to deal with a workaholic your entire high school life?”
         Roy stalled in his answer, as Link’s concern was not directed at the correct subject. It took the redhead a few moments to process what his friend had said to him. Finally, Roy sighed and shook his head.
          “It’s like she’s not even your girlfriend,” Zelda added, her wrinkled brow pointed in Lilina’s direction as she walked down the hall outside the cafeteria. “Aside from the nearly nonexistent kisses she gives you, you both just look like friends. I don’t mean to be harsh, Roy. But Lilina is just too… straight-laced. It’s like trying to put fire into a mould and make something solid out of it.”
          “I know,” Roy ran his own hand through his hair. “I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want to see her sad because of me. But I’m not sure I can keep this up much longer.”
         Marth cleared his throat and turned to face the group again. “Put it his way, Roy,” he began, his icy eyes now boring deep into Roy’s. “Do you love her?”
         Roy froze. For a minute or so, he dug deep in his mind for the truth. Three pairs of blue eyes gazed at him, contemplating the expressions that Roy cycled through as he thought.
         The redhead had been dating Lilina for well over a year at this point. He had endured the scrutiny that was generously given to him by Lilina’s father; he tried, to the best of his ability, to help Lilina with school work whenever possible. The girl had always been intelligent, on par with Roy, and they were able to do all their work together. That is until Lilina decided to study for a year overseas for extra credit.
         The Lilina that Roy knew so well stayed in Europe without letting him know. When the girl returned, she had grown unbelievably quiet, studious, and overly hard working. She obeyed her father unquestioningly, which left a minimal amount of spare time to spend with her boyfriend.
         Lilina was a companion; a partner; a reliable friend, but…
          “I don’t. Not… anymore.”
         Marth nodded in comprehension, hearing Roy’s final conclusion. “Then you need to stop dragging this out. It’s just making things worse for everyone, Roy. Come clean and tell her the truth. You’ll both be happier.” The bluenette broke the stern glare he was giving Roy to address Link. “You’ve known Roy for a while, so maybe you would be better suited helping him. I can only tell him what I know. I just met Lilina, and Roy only yesterday…”
         Link opened his mouth to speak, but the words died at the sound of Roy's voice. “Don’t be stupid. I really appreciate you trying to help me,” he said, eyes on his lap. “So please… don’t stop trying.”
         Roy had to force himself with all his will to look straight at the gaze that Marth gave him. Tearing his vision away from the table, he instead focused on Marth’s eyes; they'd grown warmer, he noticed, and that they were watery, like melting ice. Once their eyes locked, both boys visibly faltered in their stares, neither of them having the gall to look away. They kept staring, searching the other’s faces for some shred of emotion, or thought, or feeling, until they were finally disturbed by the shuffling of students around them.
         Marth’s head lowered once he recovered from his trance. He refused to return Roy’s stare for the first time since they had met; he reached for his bag, which was resting on the table in front of him, and quickly retrieved it. He cleared his throat again and uttered, “We should get going. See… see you in art class.”
         Roy was unmoving except for the fraction of an angle his neck turned to follow Marth’s figure in his peripheral vision. The redhead was silent otherwise, his heart beating at a faster pace than usual. In a moment of realization, he got up suddenly and ran after Marth, leaving Zelda and Link to draw their own conclusions.
         Roy sped up and finally caught Marth’s wrist as he walked down the hallway, causing the bluenette to turn around.
          “Marth I--” he began. “I… thank you. For everything.”
         A nod was the only response Roy was allowed before the taller boy turned and began walking to his class again. Roy sighed heavily and ran one hand through his hair, turning to re-enter the cafeteria and retracing his sprinted steps to the table. He bent down to pick up his bag from where he left it, unsurprised that Zelda and Link had already left.
         But something clouded his peripheral vision, and when Roy looked over, the face of Link came into focus. He donned a grin that stretched from ear to ear and bright eyes that seemed smaller due to his expression.
         Roy, for the first time in his life, feared for his safety.