Leo listened, with his chin in his hands, to Sky as he explained Awakening Celestial Spirits or the third time that afternoon. It wasn't making his attempts, or Luka's before they fully gave up and left, any easier. Especially since Sky was saying a lot of words for something that seemed to boil down to 'it's personal and you'll have to figure it out for yourself.' And frankly, hearing all this talk of magic and spirits from the stars coming from Sky's mouth was hard to swallow. Sky who rolled his eyes at Kelly Grayson when she went on and on about birthcharts and crystals. Sky, who scoffed when the P.E. teacher did a yoga lesson and talked about meditation and spiritualism. Sky, who almost stopped talking to im during his 'aliens are real and walk amongst us' phase in middle school.

  Once Sky got to his third explanation of the theories of the origins of the Celestial Spirits and Fallen Stars, Leo raised his hand up to eye level and waved it, cutting Sky off. Sky's face lit up and he asked, "yes?" in such an earnest and happy way that Leo almost felt bad for what he was about ot do. Almost.

  "How long have you known about all this?"

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  "Sice I was old enough to not blab about it on the playground so like…" Sky paused and cast his eyes upwards to the tall ceiling of the gym in thought. Then he tilted his head to the side, face scrunching up, and said, "…seven?"

  Leo, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the over-sized gym across from Sky, grabbed his ankles and leaned forward. "So, you knew aliens were real and still threatened to punch me if I brought them up again."

  Sky stared at him and flatly asked, "what."

  "Creatures from outer space? If that's not aliens, than what is?"

  "They're from the stars!" Sky's shoulders had climbed up to his ears as if he was personally affronted.

  Leo raised an eyebrow. It was his turn to look at Sky flatly, "stars are in space, Sky."

  "They. Are not. Aliens." Sky's pale face was turning red. Leo fought to keep the smile off his face, happy to argue with Sky over something inconsequential and dumb.

  But then the mood shifted. Sky closed his eyes, straightened up, and took a deep breath, the color draining out of his face once more. Sky got to his feet and said without looking at Leo, "I have a meeting… keep trying."

  Leo put a hand on the floor, leaning into it, and opening his mouth to try and stop Sky as he walked away but he hesitated on what to say and all too soon, Leo was alone.