“I can make you one if you’d like.”
“You say that as though it’s something romantic.”
“Depends on what you find romantic,” I tease before hesitating.
“What’s that look for?” Ender asks as he walks over.
“Just… thinking.” I smile at Ender. “Come be my assistant.”
“I’d rather not. Finn would love to. He loves butting into things,” Ender says.
“Yeah, only things that won’t get me killed,” Finn comments. “And I know you’re over here like ‘I need this much of this’ and like… I’m used to measuring flour for cookies, not… this.”
“Says the man who coerced his way into a vampire unit,” Alexei grumbles.
“While we work, what if we all say something fun about each other so we can become friends? That sounds fun,” I say as I hunt for a scale.
“That does sound delightful,” Claude agrees.
“I can’t deal with more than one happy person in my life at a time,” Marcus says.
“What category do I fall in, then?” Finn asks.
“You’re normal happy. Claude is happy, happy. And I’m afraid Mads is too.”
“I apologize that the ‘happy, happy’ role has already been taken. What role should I fill instead?” I ask as I snag the scale and hurry back.
“Ooh, when I met you, I just thought you were suspicious. You should fill the suspicious role,” Finn decides.
“I can do that. I will be suspiciously standing over here and creating fun little bits!” I declare.
“I thought you were the suspicious one, Finn?” Alexei asks.
“I’m not suspicious!”
Marcus shrugs. “You’re pretty suspicious.”
“You too? I thought we were like… bros for life,” Finn says.
Marcus grins. “Doesn’t mean I can’t be suspicious of you.”
Finn laughs. “If anyone is suspicious, it’s you. Come now, my bitey crew. Let’s see what we can figure out about Grady since we’re evidently not much help here. Marcus is just over there glowering at the measuring thingy and Alexei is using what looks like a very expensive beaker as a fidget toy,” Finn says as he shepherds everyone but Ender toward the classroom area where Orin and Señor Fluffybottom are.
“Does that mean I can finally take these glasses off? I clash so badly,” Claude whines as he trails after him.
“You definitely clash but I don’t think it’s the glasses,” Alexei mutters.
“What was that, my one true love?”
Alexei sighs.
“I said, ‘You are a beautiful being. And I wish I had even a quarter of the fashion expertise you do,’” Finn says while trying his hand at a Russian accent in a poor attempt to sound like Alexei.
“Oh honey, Alexei, my love whose voice weirdly got a bit squeaky, why didn’t you say so sooner?” Claude asks.
“NO! Don’t listen to him,” Alexei protests.
But of course Finn’s not done. “There is nothing I’ve ever desired more in my life than to have you teach me the ‘wonders of the wardrobe.’”
