sophie had promised she'd wait for him at the end of the foxfire schoolday, but of course she was gone by the time he got to the leapmaster.

he knew deep inside that she had left without him, but instead of just accepting it & going home, he began to wander the halls, looking for her. maybe she had had to stay after last-period to help a teacher clean up some mess she had made. maybe she'd... gotten lost? somehow?

he didn't see fitz until it was too late, didn't hear his shout until he had plowed into him, knocking them both onto the dirty, hard stone floor.

fuck.

oh shit! i'm so sorry! i didn't see you! he could feel himself blushing, & found that he couldn't look fitz straight in the face.

fitz stood up abruptly, turning away so his back was facing dex. he cleared his throat loudly & awkwardly. clearly, he said, voice icy.

dex scrambled up, mortified. are you okay? i'm so sorry!

fitz turned, glaring at him. his face was ever so slightly pink. chill out! i'm fine, okay? from the corner of his eye, dex noticed his hands balling into fists.

o-okay! he said, backing up. sorry!

& that would have been it, if not for the universe's absolutely shit timing. because just at that moment, magnate leto strode down the hallway, walking so fast & so purposefully that his black ponytail was flowing behind him like a cape, & saw the two of them.

he smiled. dex! oh, & fitz! this is perfect! you kids need to come help me with... something. an awkward cough. school-related. obviously. i mean, what else would your principal need your help with?

dex rolled his eyes. right. okay. sure.

here, come inside of my office so i can explain your very school-related task! leto bumbled, ushering them inside of the large, triangular room.

for a moment-- not even a moment, probably a split second at most-- dex & fitz forgot they weren't exactly speaking to each other. for the tiniest little blip of time, they made eye contact & both rolled their eyes, unified in making fun of the adult.

then fitz blushed again, & glared, & dex quickly looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets.

once they were in the safety of leto's office, he explained what he needed. on my request, tinker has designed a gadget that forces its user to tell the truth when asked questions. we're planning to use it if we manage to find & interrogate members of the neverseen, particularly gethen. as you both know, gethen is beyond skilled at mental blocking, but this gadget will render that moot.

fitz shifted in his chair. you're not... why are we here?

leto smiled, oblivious to the elf's discomfort. i had actually been searching for dex. tinker requested that he take a look at it & tell her what he thinks could be added. we also need somebody to test it on. we were just going to use dex, but you came along, & that's better anyhow.

fitz stood up abruptly. what? hell no. you're gonna test some sketchy truth-gadget on me? uh, sorry, that is not happening.

leto smiled. of course! don't worry, fitz, it is perfectly natural that you would not want to tell anything personal to adults you barely know, myself & tinker included. we'll make sure you can be alone with dex while wearing the gadget.

what? fitz shook his head furiously, backing away. no. nope. sorry. i have... a thing. to go to. i forgot.

leto pulled out his imparter. alden vacker.

alden's face appeared on the screen. hello?

i need fitz for a classified task, but he seems to be concerned that he has other engagements.

alden frowned. no, he's free today. tell him of course he can go, there's no reason to worry.

fitz looked as though he was seriously considering running for it.

wonderful! leto smiled broadly, putting away his imparter & swallowing a ruckleberry he'd pulled from his pocket. we'll leap to widgetmoor right away.

um actually sorry can't gotta run, fitz stammered.

fitz. this gadget could potentially tell us everything about our enemy's plans. leto's face began to bloat, as he transformed into mr. forkle. you are being given the opportunity to drastically improve the elvin world, & you're turning it down because of a little embarrassment?

fitz stood there, & dex could see it as he resigned himself to what he was going to do. fine.

& that was how dex ended up standing in the entrance to widgetmoor, next to the leader of a secret society, who also happened to be his principal, & his very-very-very-very-secret crush, who also happened to be his best friend's homophobic boyfriend.

fun times.

ah, dex, how have you been? tinker called as she bustled into the entranceway. her red hair bounced with each step she took. forkle, you brought two of them?

forkle bowed his head. i hope that won't be a problem, tinker.

the tall elf waved his words away with her hand. there are better things to bother yourself about, don't you agree? her exposed left eye squinted. is that fitzroy vacker?

uh, yeah, fitz said awkwardly, looking slightly intimidated by the huge, machine-like house. dex had become familiar with it, but fitz had never been there before.

she nodded thoughtfully, turning to mr. forkle. & he is here to test the gadget, i presume?

he is, mr. forkle agreed. i have business to attend to. i trust the children will be safe in your care, tinker?

she gave a throaty chuckle. have i ever disappointed you?

mr. forkle leaped away, & tinker led the elves inside of her house. they rode the vortinator up to her laboratory in silence, & dex could hear fitz's sudden intake of breath when he saw the huge, messy room.

almost without thinking, dex began tapping his fingers, eager to work on something tech-related. where's the gadget?

where do you want it to be? tinker asked lightly. dex could almost feel fitz's inward eye-roll, not yet used to the enigmatic elf.

dex noticed a small, ring-shaped object in tinker's hand. is that it?

she smiled smoothly. do you think it is?

he stepped towards her & observed the object. yeah, it must be. it's small, so they might not notice it if you throw it at them in battle, & it looks like it's trying to clamp closed around your finger. i guess then you wouldn't be able to get if off, right? you'd have to answer?

tinker looked pleased. fitz looked sick.

i'm trying to program it so that the user blurts out the truth without needing to be prompted, do you understand? tinker said, extending the ring for dex to take in his hand, as he nodded. i'll leave you two alone, i suppose? you know you can always call me if you need anything, right?

she began to back out of the room, then added, oh, & fitzroy, will you please try & resist telling the truth if it's possible? & then she swept out of the room, leaving dex & a dazed, nervous fitz alone together.

uh, here, i guess, dex said, handing the gadget to fitz & suddenly, fervently wishing he was anywhere else in the lost cities.

fitz took the ring, not meeting dex's eye. um. he stood there for a moment, holding the ring right above his finger, frozen. oh, fuck. fuck. i really, really don't want to do this.

dex grabbed fitz's hand & snapped the ring around his finger, trying to ignore how hot his skin was against the cold of the room, trying to ignore how much he wished he could have kept holding on to that warm hand. uh, what's your name?

fitz's mouth opened easily. fitzroy avery vacker.

um. he began racking his brain to think of something to ask fitz that wouldn't be embarrassing or awkward, but paused when he saw that fitz's mouth seemed to be opening & closing quickly, as though he was trying to swallow back words. uh, are you oka--

finally, the ring won fitz's battle, & he blurted out two words:

i'm gay.

a/n: that has to be the worst situation ever. you're being forced to wear a truth-ring alone with your crush? i mean, come on. also what the actual fuck, forkman? you're not even going to ask if he's okay with doing it? jeez. anyway, i hope you liked the chapter. more will come sometime. please vote & comment, & don't forget to recommend this series to a friend or two. i hope you have a great day xx