Felix's hand tapped anxiously against the wheel of his car as he drove home, the trees whizzing by him.

In less than an hour, he'd be at Shane's house.

He would be spending the night at Shane's house.

At a sleepover between him, Shane, Marc, and Luther.

He would be having a sleepover with Shane.

Felix's mind was going crazy. The items he'd need to pack weren't even clear as his brain buzzed with anxiety. He'd need toiletries, but when would he be able to slip away to use them without being awkward? A sleeping bag and pillow would probably be needed, but what if they weren't? Was he supposed to bring a sleeping bag? Was sleeping even going to happen? He'd never been to a sleepover before, was there something he was missing?

Felix shook his head vigorously to get himself out of his own head. If he kept spiraling, he was going to lose track of the road. Right now, he needed to focus on getting home. One step at a time. Packing could wait.

It was silent in his car as he drove deeper into the woods, the only noise being that of the humming engine. For a few moments, it was enjoyable. But as time stretched on, the silence invited rampant thoughts, and with those rampant thoughts came the spacing out that Felix was trying to keep at bay.

He turned on the radio. That worked for a moment, but the constant talking of the station host made it worse. He tried switching to bluetooth, but his phone refused to connect, leading to him almost swerving the car in an attempt to fix it.

Thankfully, before Felix could try anything more and crash his car, he arrived at his driveway. He hurriedly parked the car, hopped out, and sprinted to his door. It wasn't like he needed to hurry, but there was a ball of energy buzzing in his chest, forcing him to move.

His idea to decide what he was packing when he was home had been a great idea for the car, but the moment he actually had to think about packing, it fell apart. He ran around his house, grabbing random items that he thought he might need. Toothbrush, deodorant, a blanket, a pillow, and a random pack of cards that he found on his coffee table from when he tried learning solitaire.

Without a second thought, Felix ran back out to his car, tossing everything into the passenger seat of his car. He hopped into the driver's seat, slammed the door shut, and got the car in motion, his tires chirping as he pulled from his driveway.

The drive to Shane's house was even more anxiety filled than the drive to Felix's house. This time, the silence was unbearable; a mind-wrenching noise made by the very absence of noise. He needed to do something before he went crazy.

"Come to the land of the lost and lonely," Felix sang loudly, not caring about pitch in the slightest. "Don't be afraid we'll be one big family. Of Freak. Like you, and me."

What was supposed to be a simple car ride turned into an entire dance battle within the car as Felix created a music video in his head, dancing along with the song. Had another car passed him, he was sure they would have crashed as they turned to look at him.

In only a few songs, Felix was arriving at Shane's house. His anxiety, despite the singing, had refused to go down, only tightening his chest further. He put the car in park, lightly grasping at his chest as he opened the door, stepping out. He hurried to the door, taking deep breaths as he knocked.

"Coming!" Hazel called from inside. A few moments later, the door opened. "Hey Felix, glad you...Are you okay?"

Hazel stared at Felix with furrowed brows, staring at him as he took large, gulping breaths. He nodded. "Yeah I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked dubiously. Felix nodded again.

With a look of doubt, she stepped aside, swinging the door open for Felix. He stepped inside, a wall of warmth hitting him as he entered. Hazel closed the door and they stood in silence for a moment as Hazel watched Felix try to calm his breathing. Suddenly, Shane popped around the corner, a grin lighting his face up as he spotted Felix.

"Hey Felix!" He noticed Felix's breathing, his grin immediately dropping. "Felix, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Felix's voice came out raspy, giving no credence to his claim. Shane glanced at Hazel before looking back to Felix.

"Felix," he said softly. "What's happening?"

His heart was pounding in his chest. Felix swallowed thickly, his hand lightly running over his own chest. "I'm not sure, just anxious I guess."

Suddenly, Shane's arms were around Felix. He froze as the familiar scent of clean laundry washed over him. He was wrapped tightly in Shane's embrace, Shane's hands placed firmly on his back. Felix's heart seemed to stop beating all together, frozen as his brain came to a screeching halt.

The embrace was strong and comforting. The pause it put in Felix's system was not one of discomfort, like it normally would have been. In fact, the embrace was one of the first one's he had had in a long time that he didn't immediately want to leave. It was the first time he put out his arms and reciprocated the embrace.

Slowly, Felix's heart rate began to return to normal. His breathing evened out, no longer a quiet wheeze as he inhaled. Shane's scent filled his nose entirely, applying another layer of comfort. It wasn't long before Felix felt normal again, his thoughts nothing more than a dull hum.

"Sorry, don't know what that was about," Felix apologized.

That's a lie.

"It's okay," Shane softly said in Felix's ear. "Sometimes anxiety comes out of nowhere."

It didn't come out of nowhere. I'm anxious because of yo—

"What're you guys doing?"

Felix sprung back from Shane's embrace, his heart rate immediately spiking. Luther stood a few feet away, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked between Shane and Felix. Shane had an annoyed look on his face as he glared at Luther.

"We were greeting Felix," Hazel said, rolling her eyes.

"How come he gets greeted with a hug and I don't?" Luther whined.

Marc appeared beside Luther, lightly shoving him. "You're annoying, that's why."

Luther shoved back. "I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you—"

"You're both annoying," Shane cut in, grinning playfully. Marc and Luther glared at him.

"You're annoying," they said in unison. They quickly glared at one another, beginning a slap fight. Shane glanced at Felix, amused.

"They're gonna be like this all night," Shane warned. Felix shrugged.

"Can't be that bad, right?"

Hazel huffed, shaking her head. "You have no idea."

***

Felix, in fact, had no idea.

Several hours later, and the two hadn't stopped bickering. Any chance they were given, they would launch into an argument, which would be closely followed by a small slap-fight, or sometimes, a wrestling match. Shane attempted to break up a few of them, but quickly gave up after the fifth fight.

"Would you two stop?!" Shane asked, his hand running through his hair.

"I'll stop the moment he does!" Luther shouted, pinning his brother against the ground. Marc fought from beneath him, squirming viciously.

"And I'll only stop when he stops cheating!" Marc spat. Luther growled.

"It's fucking Candyland!" Luther yelled. "How the fuck do I cheat at Candyland?!"

"You put the cards how you wanted!"

Before Luther could respond, Hazel grabbed a pillow from a nearby armchair, marching over to the fighting twins. With one swift strike, she nailed Luther in his chin. His head snapped back and he fell off Marc, grunting as his back struck the ground. Felix's eyes went wide as Shane snorted beside him.

"Finally! Thank y—" Hazel cut Marc off, decking him with a strike from the pillow. She glanced at Shane and Felix, gesturing wildly.

"Well?" She asked, slapping Marc again as he began to recover. "Are you guys gonna help, or am I going to have to beat their asses by myself?"

Shane glanced at Felix, raising an eyebrow. Felix shrugged, smiling unsurely. A part of him wanted to join in, but another part of him scolded that thought. He was a guest, and should remain respectful. It was rude of him to even consider such an egregious act.

That scolding voice was quickly banished by the pillow being shoved into his arms.

"First one to knock Marc out wins," Shane said, his brilliant green eyes glinting with mischief. Felix stared at the pillow in his hands, a small smile slowly growing on his face.

"You're on."

Suddenly, Marc found himself on the wrong end of three different pillows. While Luther crept away from certain death, Marc tried futilely to fend off Shane's, Hazel's, and Felix's blows. In a matter of seconds, Marc was curled in a ball on the floor, helplessly slapping at the pillows.

"Alright, alright!" he shouted, blocking a blow. "I give in!"

Hazel motioned for Shane and Felix to stop. "You promise!"

"Yes, I fucking promise!"

"And you two won't bicker again tonight?"

"We won't bicker!"

Hazel glanced at Luther, who had safely retreated to the next room. "Luther? What will you not do tonight?"

Luther shrunk back. "Bicker."

"Good," Hazel stepped back from Marc. "Now, let's settle down for tonight, I think we've all had enough fighting for a while."

A chorus of mumbled agreements echoed from around the room as everyone nodded in unison. Shane and Felix tossed their pillows aside while Marc slowly unfurled, keeping a cautious eye on everyone. Luther crept back into the room before shooting upwards, a shimmer in his eyes.

"Can we build a pillow fort?" He asked excitedly, beginning to jump up and down. "We could watch movies from inside it!"

"Actually, that sounds pretty fun," Shane admitted, a grin slowly growing on his face. "Felix, what do you think?"

Felix shrugged. "I think I can make a better fort than you."

"Oh, you think so?" Shane crossed his arms, a playful grin on his face. "It's a competition then. We'll each make one side by side. Best one wins."

"Sounds good to me."

Immediately, Felix and Shane got to work, tearing apart the couch. While Shane worked quickly and efficiently, Felix took a slower approach, carefully watching everything as he added each pillow, one at a time. Marc and Luther busied themselves with grabbing every pillow from the house, while Hazel made her own fort a few feet away.

"Ready to surrender?" Shane asked halfway through, glancing at Felix.

Felix smirked, setting down a smaller pillow by the base. "You wish."

Felix had to admit, Shane's fort was looking better than he had expected. It was spacious, fully furnished, and was only missing a few more pieces. But Felix had been making forts since he was little, and it was an art he certainly had not lost.

Remember, Felix, he heard Laurel's warm voice call. Tall doesn't matter. It's better to make it deep, so people can stick out their legs.

Soon, Shane and Felix were finished, stepping back to admire their work. Marc and Luther, breathing heavily from sprinting about, dropped the last load of pillows they had gathered. Hazel watched from inside her small hut, her eyebrows raised in surprised approval.

"I have to say," Hazel spoke, nodding her head. "I doubted you, Felix, but you surpassed my expectations."

Felix shot her a light glare. "Thanks."

She shrugged. "You're welcome."

"Look at how big it is!" Luther gasped, peering inside of Felix's fort. Marc glanced inside as well, nodding.

"Large yet cozy at the same time," Marc glanced at Felix, giving him an approving nod. "Very nice work."

"What about mine?" Shane whined. Marc and Luther gave the inside of his a cursory glance before crawling into Felix's.

"It sucks," Luther said, receding into Felix's fort.

Marc shrugged. "Sorry, but it does suck in comparison."

Shane pouted at them, furrowing his eyebrows. Felix grinned, giggling quietly. Shane glared at him before a smile managed to break through, his face breaking into a bright grin. The two of them smiled at one another, Felix's heart beginning to pump faster. Felix could see the crinkling in the corners of Shane's eyes as his smile grew wider.

The moment was broken as Luther swatted at their legs. "Will you guys move? You're blocking the TV!"

"There's nothing on it yet," Shane replied, annoyed.

"And yet you're still in the way. Move."

Felix raised his eyebrow. "You're in my fort."

"So?" Marc asked.

"I don't have a place to sit."

"Guess you'll just have to room with Shane in his fort," Marc said, raising an eyebrow. Heat crept into Felix's face as he glanced at Shane, who was smiling at him.

"There's plenty of room," Shane said, shrugging.

"Great, then it's settled," Luther swatted at their legs again. "Now move!"

Shane kicked at Luther's hands before moving to his fort, crawling inside. Felix waited for Shane to settle down before crouching, slowly crawling into it after him. It felt cramped and somewhat stuffy, but Felix managed to squeeze himself in, his hips pressed against the pillow beside him and Shane's hips.

"Sorry if it feels cramped," Shane muttered, adjusting himself slightly. "I'm not the best at forts."

"It's fine."

It wasn't fine.

Felix and Shane were pressed tightly against one another, their sides rubbing. Felix attempted to move so that he wouldn't be encroaching into Shane's space, but quickly gave up after almost causing a cave-in with the blanket above them. Shane tried as well, with a similar outcome.

"Do you have enough room?" Shane whispered. Felix chuckled.

"No," he said, smiling at Shane through the dim lighting. "But it's not like we can get anymore."

Shane smiled. "Fair."

"Alright you two," Hazel loudly announced. "We've decided to watch Mean Girls."

"No we have not," Luther groaned.

"I'VE decided we're watching Mean Girls," Hazel corrected. "Because Luther and Marc haven't seen it."

"Neither have I," Felix admitted. Shane gasped.

"You haven't?" he asked in mock horror. "How?"

"Just never got to it, I guess."

"Well, you are now," Hazel said. "So be quiet, it's starting."

Felix closed his mouth, staring at the screen intently. He was immediately engrossed, leaning forwards slightly to get a better view around the blanket. Shane seemed to notice, reaching up and pushing the blanket aside. Felix smiled gratefully at him before continuing to watch.

Around halfway through, Felix felt his eyes begin to get heavy. Despite being interesting, he was losing focus on the movie, the day's stress and activities slowly getting to him. He leaned back into the pillow, slouching slightly as he made himself more comfortable. Shane adjusted with him, giving him the slightest bit more room.

Another ten minutes passed before Felix began to slip away. The movie's dialogue bent and warped as he lost sense of the world around him, everything losing feeling. He shivered against a non-existent breeze, shrinking himself. He felt something warm wrap around him, gently squeezing him. He let out a small, content sigh, pressing into it.

Whatever it was, Felix laid his head on it, a small thumping filling what little sense of sound he had left. He wrapped his arm around it, pulling himself tighter against it, embracing the smell of clean laundry as he drifted away into sleep.