It was nearly Autumn when everything Rylan feared had started to come true. As he spent more and more days either helping his mother pack or under the weary supervision of his best friend, Cecil's parents.

A prospect he didn't mind at first as his only friend had always been welcome company. To him Cecil was practically one of the very few kids his age he seemed to know that saw him as something more than his skin.

Where the other kids would see an alien, Cecil saw a person. Yet, as the two spent more time together it was obvious he has started to grow distant towards his best friend.

So much to the point that, whenever Rylan talked to him, it felt like talking to a stranger as he'd reply in short disinterested remarks. Despite having had long and enthusiastic conversations not long before.

They've been friends since they were little but, as the days went by, it was becoming more and more obvious Cecil has been drifting apart. His friend was distracted by something else amongst the grief ritten mess that was his friend's situation.

This day was no different from any other day, as he stared wearily at Cecil from his cross legged position on the bed. Rylan occasionally taking a look around the wondrously childish museum that was Cecil's bedroom.

The boy's eyes drifting towards everything from shelves laden with rows of action figures to childrens' books that were neatly stacked upon his bedroom drawers.

Cecil's thoroughly playful mess of a desk littered with comic books,trading cards and discarded homework that, in essence, should've been done eons ago. The scattered mess of homework papers obviously no doubt the source of wrath of the math teacher.

Though Rylan's eyes eventually ended up drifting to the luminous stars and posters of various comic books and science fiction shows joyfully cluttered up on every single inch of otherwise baby blue wall.

Though none of them could stand out as much as the glow in the dark mayhem of stars and planets plastered against his ceiling. Which was easily visible as Rylan leaned back and lied down on his navy blue and white starred bed covers.

For weeks Rylan had wondered when it would be the last time he'd see this room. As its occupant swivelled lazily around in his desk's chair,buried nose deep in yet another copy of his favourite comic books. Upon first glance, Cecil looked like the complete opposite of Rylan, with his short neatly cut yet tousled blond hair, fair skin and pale blue eyes.

His paler features and snub nose was more than enough to cancel out Rylan's own darker attributes with his dark copper skin and murky brown eyes. Rylan's nose developed less into a snub and more into that of a Grecian and his long hair spread out against his back in a tangled ebony brown mess, almost like a dark lion's mane.

This often was the source of much teasing from other children that wasn't his condition. Though when he was around Cecil, he didn't mind it. He never did.

Even if the boys looked nothing alike, they've always been as close as could be, even if now, they were anything but. He tried to talk to Cecil again but as usual when it came to these past months, he didn't give any other indication his friend is interested in conversation.

Much less any other reply beyond disinterested acknowledgement. A prospect which led to their usual awkward silence.

"Soooo, any news on the Comic book side of things? Or well...anything?"

Cecil sighed as he merely glanced over at Rylan and shook his head in response. Yet he still didn't say a word, much to his friend's frustration. With that, Rylan huffed and sat back up, crossing his legs again on the bed.

"You know, if you have a problem with me you could just tell me to leave. I mean, it's not like we talk much anyways. "

Rylan retorted in frustration, only for Cecil to put down his comic book gently and swiveled his chair around to face him. His friend regarding him with those pale blue eyes that he knew so well until finally, Cecil opened his mouth to speak.

At least until Rylan sighed and continued. Though this time, with a sort of sadness mixed in with the frustration.

"We barely hang out or even talk anymore, I don't know what I did wrong but surely we both should've gotten over it by now"

He argued, but Cecil finally spoke up enough to stop him.

"Sorry Ry but..."

Rylan huffed again and looked at Cecil in annoyance.

"But what?"

He blurted out in exasperation, until Cecil gave a long sigh and looked down at his lap.

"I don't know Ry, I just feel like we don't have that much of a connection anymore, especially between all of this..."

"I'm sorry it's just that you've been so distant these past few months. It's not like I can blame you either but I thought I'd give you some space to sort this whole dilemma out for a bit and in between that well...I've started to make friends with someone else."

Cecil responded silently as he rubbed the back of his neck and continued.

"I just don't know how this would all work anymore..."

Before Cecil could finish, he paused in hesitation and let the silence finish his sentence for him. But despite the quietness, Rylan knew his friend well enough to get the message,even if it caused his heart to sink.

After all this time he'd expected they'd stay together until the end. His frustrated glare softened into a downcast gaze as he looked down at his hands.

"It's okay Cecil...I understand..."

Cecil looked at him with a slight surprise, as if he'd expected something different.

"You know you don't have to..."

"No! It's okay Cecil! Like I said, I understand, I understand Cecil. Besides it's for the best, it won't be long before I'm gone anyways."

Rylan hissed at him sullenly. Even certain there was a hint of anger strung up along his words as well. The blonde tilted his head slightly as he looked at him, the two youngsters staring at each other in silence, before Cecil sighed.

"You know you really didn't need to yell at me."

Rylan looked at him flustered and clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Sorry...But still!"

Cecil glanced away from him, his eyes on one of his many posters as he shook his head.

"No need to apologise."

He sighed and scowled as he glanced at Rylan again and leaned against his chair.

"Guess that means we won't see each other as often as we used to, right?"

Rylan sighed and frowned, nodding gently.

"Yeah..."

He responded sadly, watching Cecil fiddle with his fingers as he spoke once again.

"Yeah I guess so...So this is goodbye then?"

Cecil questioned him, but Rylan simply shook his head, his tangled mane of dark hair shaking along with it.

"No...At least not yet, we're still friends Cecil and who knows, maybe we'll always be. Even if that means we don't hang out that much anymore."

"So, still friends?"

Cecil asked softly, to which Rylan looked down at his lap almost sternly and nodded.

"Yeah... still friends."

Cecil smiled and held out the palm of his hand. Rylan looked at it, hesitant at first, as if contemplating if he should give their usual response. But, after a light hesitation, he sighed softly in defeat and raised his hand.

Even mustering a small smile as two boys high fived each other before Cecil heard his father call for Rylan down stairs. So the youngsters paused before Rylan climbed off the bed and went down stairs with Cecil.

The two boys climbed down the last step only to see the same soldier with the pale blue eyes who stood by his side at his father's funeral. Though now, instead of staring at his fellow comrade's coffin as it was lowered into the ground, he was now staring at the pair intently.

The one his son, and the other his late best friend's shadow. The man's hands in his pockets as he waited with Abeline and an uneasy Ethan standing by the door. Cecil's mother leaned up against the living room entrance with his little sister hoisted against her hip, fast asleep against her mother's chest.

The women have been catching up as Rylan's mother waited for him to come down stairs. All the while when it came to the two men, there was anything but small talk. Instead, they seemed to opt out of interacting all together. Even as the blond's father waited for them to come down stairs.

All while Rylan's grandfather stood with his back firmly against the wall and trying to be as distant as possible. Almost as if he was too afraid to infringe on a world that was completely different to his.

Eventually the women paused their conversation as they came to notice the youngsters. To which Abeline let out a sigh of relief and let out her arm as Rylan ran up to her and hugged her. Her dark eyes glancing over at the blond haired and blue eyed man standing by them.

"Thank you Sampson, I'd have no idea what we would've done without you."

He smiled at her, holding Cecil's shoulder as his son took his place next to his dad.

"No problem, Sofia and I, well, we don't mind your boy's company at all. I mean,Rylan's always been a pleasure to have."

"That's good. Good to know he isn't too much of a trouble maker."

She chuckled somewhat humorously as she gave him a slight smile and held Rylan close. All the while as Rylan glanced up at Ethan, who looked at Sampson as if he was a foreigner from a completely different world. Almost as if he didn't know whether the blond soldier was going to stage an onslaught towards him or shake his hand.

Ethan sighed and tried his best to hide his discomposure. Something that didn't go unnoticed by his young grandson  who made his way to him and held the elder's hand.

His long fingers squeezing it in reassurance. A action that seemed to calm him down a little as Ethan stood in, what was to him, a complete stranger's house.

Eventually, they gave their greetings and walked off to his Grandpa's somewhat rusty and beaten down truck. Even as Ethan slowly pulled his soft yet callused hand away from Rylan's. Much to his grandson's disappointment.

But then, Rylan remembered his mother's words and what she had to say about the broken old man as he clasped his hand that Ethan held moments earlier. His hand clutched gently to his chest as he looked up at Ethan and Abeline.

Though as he gazed at grandfather, he could've swore he saw him glance back with a sort of dejected look in his eye. So, Rylan walked alongside his mother and held her hand instead, looking up at her.

"Mom,when are we moving?"

Abeline gazed down at him before her attention was driven to Ethan. The elder, staring back at them and twirling the silvery turquoise ring around his finger. Ethan's reply simple but short with a few short words.

"Soon,my boy...Soon."