"Moray, where are we going?" Icarus asked, having to run to keep up with the monster.
"My favorite spot!" They said excitedly.
"Didn't you show me that last week?!" Icarus said, trying to keep up with them.
Moray only grinned. "That was my second favorite!"
"We're pretty far from the Wild East..." Icarus said once Moray slowed down.
His words were ignored. "Welcome to Waterfall."
Icarus looked around curiously. It was a wet, rocky case system with streams everywhere. "It's.. Really pretty." He said quietly, sitting with his feet in the water, next to Moray once they had sat.
Moray nodded. "It's where I'm from..." They said slowly, looking around at everything nostalgia and pain. Icarus could sense that they didn't want to talk about it.
Before Icarus could say anything to break the silence, Moray spoke up. "I don't know much about humans, other than your brother. So is that.. supposed to be there?" Moray asked, looking at Icarus' face. "Are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"There's weird... Spots on your face. Are you sick?" They sounded concerned.
"Oh! Those are freckles, they're supposed to be there. Clover used to say that my black hair and freckles highlighted my eyes." Icarus said, before realizing who he had spoken of, and sobered.
Moray put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to find him..." They said, quiet, surprisingly hesitant. "But please just stay for a bit longer... I don't want to lose another friend... The others don't understand as well as you and Clover can..."
Icarus' hand went up to rest on Moray's, which was still in his shoulder. "...I won't." He finally said. "Not yet, not till you're ready."
Moray turned, hope and tears in their eyes. "...Promise?"
"I promise." Icarus said firmly.
Icarus could your choked sub right before he was pulled into scaled arms. He felt tears, I'm sure whose they were. It had been so long since he felt love...
It was hard to pull away, but finally one of them did, tears being wiped away and emotions not being hidden, for once. Icarus, out of habit, tried to apologize for his vulnerable behavior, yet Moray silently stopped him, silently showing that the vulnerability was okay, not something to be ashamed of, despite what had been taught.
Yet, later that day, Icarus stood at the edge of the Wild East, becoming annoyed.
"You can't grow soft. You can't love; you need LOVE. Don't get attached, it's for your own good, Kid." The flower said, expression irritated.
"I'll get to the castle when I do. I need-"
"You don't need this. What if Clover's alive, and your stalling gets him killed before you arrive? C'mon, it's been weeks."
Icarus graded his teeth, forcing the tears back. "It's been three years, Flowey. If he's alive, he can hold out a little longer. If not, I'll get revenge eventually. I'm not killing Moray or anyone else in the Wild East."
Flowey's eyes narrowed. "You're stubborn and reckless. No wonder you jumped down here." Flowey sneered, a hint of manipulation in his eyes. "I bet you didn't expect to survive... What made you jump? A lack of care, always and your brother's shadow? Let me guess, your parents still haven't gotten over his absence? Some brother, leaving you on your birthday..." Flowey's expression softened into false sympathy. "But if you gain LOVE... They'll notice you again, everyone will. So please... I'm only trying to help you. Don't let yourself rot when you have the chance to be the thing you've always wished; the one people look at, think of..."