Felix waited nervously in his car for Rykker to come out. Now out in the world in his costume, Felix felt very exposed; but going outside the car would be even worse.

He leaned forward, and looked in the rearview mirror. He poked at his fairy wings. They were still attached nicely.

The passenger door cracked open.

"Hi Fern," Rykker smiled.

Felix slowly turned his head to face him. He had some sort of fake beard, and held two painted cardboard constructs - a helmet and a hammer - in his arms.

Felix took a deep breath, and stared ahead for a moment.

"Um," Rykker said.

Felix remained silent.

"Your costume looks very good Felix," Rykker said.

"Thanks," Felix answered weakly. He finally got around to starting the car.

He focused on only driving for a moment. He needed to turn onto a busy street anyway.

But the moment he was safely driving down the main road, Rykker spoke up.

"I know you feel embarrassed about your costume Felix," Rykker said, "but I think that you pull it off really well. And I don't think you're weird. I think it's cool."

"Okay," Felix said. It was a meaningless answer.

"You're my friend," Rykker said, "and I care about you. If anyone dares so much as smirk at you, I'll hit em' with the hammer."

A smile briefly came to Felix's face.

"Don't worry about your costume," Rykker said. "Just worry about having fun."

Felix made an internal sigh. That was part of the problem. The way he wanted to have fun was what embarrassed him.

Following Google maps, they arrived at the comic book store. Felix found himself breathing heavy as they pulled into a parking spot.

"It's okay," Rykker said, placing a reassuring hand on Felix's shoulder. I'm your companion Tadon, and I'll be with you through thick and thin."

Felix formed a smile onto his face, and ordered it to remain. He got out of the car, grabbed his bow, and walked with Tadon through the door of the comic shop.

A bell rang as they entered, and - regardless of the gender of his costume, Felix felt embarrassed as the few costumers in the store turned to look at them.

Felix felt himself, in his embarrassment, shrinking inward.

"Cool costume!"

Felix glanced to his left, seeing a guy a bit older than him manning the store counter.

"Thank you good man," Rykker said in Tadon's voice.

"Oh, well, your costume's good too," the guy laughed.

"I know," Rykker smiled.

"You look like you put a good amount of work into it," the employee said.

"Yeah," Felix said sheepishly.

"Well let me show you where we have our D&D groups set up."

They followed him through a door into another part of the building. In this new room, there were several round tables set up, two of them already occupied. At the third one was Derek, in just casual normal clothes.

Pat however, was dressed in the same general fantasy attire that Felix and Rykker were in. He was also wearing a round cloth cap, and strumming a ukulele, apparently meant to represent a lute.

"My Fern," Derek smiled, "I'm impressed."

"Yeah," Pat said. "You're costume actually doesn't look half a**ed."

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"It's okay," the employee said, "you can relax. Even though we don't get a lot of girls here, you're more than welcome."

Felix felt a chill through him, and blushing, averted his gaze from everyone else.

"Oof," he heard Pat whisper behind him.

Rykker likewise, made an unpleasant, pained groan.

"What?" he heard the employee whisper.

"Hunter," Rykker whispered to him, "Felix is a boy."

Felix felt like he could almost hear the painful expression that was likely on the guy's face.

"Oh... gosh," the guy said. "I'm... I'm really, really sorry... Felix."

"It's okay," Felix squeaked out. It registered in his mind how feminine that sounded. He wanted to hide. Wanted to run away.

But he just stood there off to the side, the awkwardness building every second.

Felix felt a familiar hand - Rykker's hand, wrap around his arm, and pull him gently. Felix shambled along where he was led, keeping his eyes only slightly ajar.

His journey ended when he was set down on a couch, and he heard a door close.

He looked up and opened his eyes. They were in an office.

Hunter sat down in another chair, while Rykker remained standing.

"I am just... so... so... sorry," Hunter said, looking nearly as distraught as Felix felt. "I was... I was really stupid. I can buy you something from the store to make up for it."

Felix shook his head. "No. You don't have to do that. It's my fault for dressing like a girl."

"If it makes you feel better," Hunter said, "you didn't seem like an ugly girl."

That didn't make him feel better. It didn't make things worse - all it did was stir the turmoil in him more.

"Maybe you should go home," Rykker said. "I don't want to force you into wearing this."

"Augh!!" Felix cried out. "But I do like wearing it! I don't want to go home and make things less fun for the rest of you. But I've just messed this up, and made everything awkward..."

"No," Hunter said, "that's my fault. I made it awkward."

"Okay," Felix submitted. "Whatever. But I just... I feel so crappy right now..."

"So what do you want then?" Rykker asked.

Felix sniffled. "I... I just want fifteen or twenty minutes. To be alone. Hunter, can you tell them that? I need to tell Rykker something."

"Okay," Hunter said. He left the room, and closed the door behind him.

Rykker sat down on the couch with Felix.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

Felix saw a box of tissues nearby, and wiped his nose. "I... I really actually just wanted you with me, and was embarrassed to say it."

An indsicernable expression came over Rykker's face. Not exactly shock or surprise. But it soon became an understanding look.

Rykker put his arms around Felix. Felix found himself sobbing quietly on Rykker's shoulder.

Rykker patted his back. His embrace felt comforting. Inviting. Non-judgemental.

"It's okay Fern," Rykker said, "to be scared. But it'll be okay."

Felix didn't feel the need to say anything. He just held onto Rykker.

It was not a simple friendly hug. This was something else. They were very close to each other. Close in a way that guys usually didn't get.

Questions began to crop up in his mind, many of which he'd asked himself before. But he didn't obsess over them. He simply concentrated on the warmth of the hug. He enjoyed it.

"Fern...," Rykker asked. "Do you... like me?"

Felix pressed the side of his head against Rykker's.

"Yes," Felix admitted, though shaking while doing so.

"I like you too," Rykker said.

The shaking Felix had in him didn't stop, but continued. What on earth did he do now? He and his friend had just admitted they were gay for each other.

Gosh, he and his friend had just admitted they were gay for each other.

"Now.... now that you know," Rykker said quietly, "I suppose... I should say... I... I felt this before... but as you've... as you've been taking on the persona of Fern... I've really liked it."

"I... I really like it when you call me Fern," Felix said.

"You're always so happy as Fern," Rykker said. "Not like overly giddy and cheerful, but... you just seem relaxed. You seem in your element. I like that."

"I'm so afraid Rykker," Felix said.

"It's okay," Rykker said. "I'll be their with you when we go back out. And it really is okay if you want to go home.

He grasped Felix's hand, and Felix felt a tingle go through him as he accepted Rykker's offer.

"No," Felix said, "not that. I'm... afraid... of where all of this is leading. This costume... and you and me."

"What are you afraid of?" Rykker asked.

"Change," Felix said. "But... I guess... how others would react... to me.. changing..."

Felix found himself letting out a little whimper, like a wounded animal. "But... but I can't just run away. Because... because I like imagining some of the possible changes."

"Changes like what?"

"Changes... like...," he trailed off. Tears dripped down his cheeks. "Like not being Felix anymore."

Felix forced himself to look into Rykker's eyes. Eyes like green crystal.

"I'll be with you Fern," Rykker said. "We can discuss more about this another time. I'll give you a few minutes to dry your eyes, and then we should go out."

Felix - Fern, sniffled. "Has it already been twenty minutes?"

"Twenty-two," Rykker said. "But you're more important."

Fern sat quietly on the couch, relaxing his breathing. So many times he'd asked himself how he felt about Rykker. He'd never firmly comitted to it. And now he knew, it seemed at least, that Rykker was about in the same place he was.

For now, they balanced in each other's direction. It was going to be very awkward figuring this out.

"Let's go," Rykker smiled.

Rykker, holding Fern's hand, pulled him off the couch.

"Thank you," Fern said smiling deeply, and genuinely.

Rykker didn't say a word. They simply walked back down the hall to the D&D game, and had fun.