Henri rolled out of bed to find Claude already up, the Alpha’s dark red hair had grown out, making him look more and more like the person he remembered.

Now while Claude wasn’t a late rouser, he was always reluctant to get out of bed, especially after they finish up with their final examinations for their second year. But yet, here he was, already fully dressed and it was barely dawn.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked in concern fiddling with the buttons of the cotton shirt he had on... cotton shirt... that’s right, today was the second camping trip to round up the year.

Henri wanted to crawl back into bed when he realized that, even more so when he saw how excited Claude was for the trip. The last camping trip had been a hot mess, there was the biggest distance between them and then they had gotten attacked.

But now, with all that out of the way, Henri could see that Claude was just as excited about the trip as the others got, and here he was hoping that he would finally have an ally.

He reluctantly walked off to his bathroom to clean up, and while he was dressing up, his door slammed open. He didn’t bother looking up, already aware of who would have so much energy so early in the morning, right before they were about to walk at least a mile through a harsh forest.

The others were also outside, except Nael and Errol who were in an entirely different dorm building, and they were all practically bouncing around from excitement. The only person who kept his indifferent facade was Alexander, and against his better judgment, he found himself sidling closer.

"What’s your opinion on the camping trip Alexander?" He asked cryptically. Alexander was more or less part of the group now but everyone still liked to kick him around and treat him like a villain.

Alexander glanced at him in surprise and then shrugged, "I didn’t get to enjoy it much the first time, so I’m looking forward to it." He started to ramble while looking thoughtful but there was no hiding the sparkle in his eyes. "I never really got to do much camping, as vacations involved just as many servants as I was used to at the castle."

Henri could understand that as he had experienced the very same thing but unlike Alexander, that didn’t make him suddenly despise comfort and the finer things of life. He decided that Alexander was a lost cause just like the rest, the stuck-up idiot was just terrible at expressing how he felt.

*A/N: it’s really, really bold of Henri to call someone else stuck-up*

They met up with Errol and Nael outside of the dorm buildings and got into their carriages to head for the patch of woods just beside the college.

Louis didn’t get the chance to use the skills he had learned from Dodie and he was glad about that, Errol had naturally taken up the role of the disciplinarian as the oldest and Louis was all too happy to give up the position.

The camping trip was exactly what they had thought the first trip would be, which meant that this time they were spared from sword-wielding fanatics trying to kill them. Well, emphasis on the sword-wielding because Audie did try to kill them by stumbling into a beehive and then running for the camp when he got chased down.

They all had to hide out in their tents till the bees gave up, and the majority vote after they left their tents was to drown Audie. Errol managed to calm them down though, rather happily too. Although he was the one that had to keep an eye out on them all, he looked to be the happiest, enjoying every single bit of the camping trip, good or bad.

Things were relatively calmer after that, the days passing by as peacefully as they could be with seven hyperactive Alphas who were also terribly competitive. Louis couldn’t understand how they could make everything into a competition, what did it matter how many sticks you could hold in a single hand? Or how long you could hold your breath underwater?

On the last night, everyone had sufficiently calmed down. They had long eaten dinner but decided they were feeling snackish so they barrelled down to the lake to do some night fishing, and now they were currently roasting fish on sticks over the campfire.

Henri was the only one not roasting a fish but that was because he was too busy staring at the dancing flames while seated right in between Claude’s legs. He didn’t have to worry about not getting a roasted fish because Claude was double-wielding skewered fish on either hand.

And just as Louis feared, they turned fish roasting into the competition, just like they turned the horror storytelling that happened shortly after into another silly competition. But although Louis thought it silly, he participated ever so often because although it was silly, it was also fun.

Even Alexander wasn’t left out, the royal werewolf was quieter than most but he was just as willing to try out everything just like the others, even though he was no good at it. Just like how he had quietly struggled to get his slippery fish on his sharpened stick until Valentin stepped in to help him.

Too soon it was the end of another year, too soon it would be the end of college and they would all go their separate ways, too soon... but right now, they were still together, living in the moment.

-*-

"Don’t wander off Audie! Our moms will be here at any moment!" Errol scolded, looking frazzled as he tried to keep an eye on all four Alphas under his care. That included Nael because his boyfriend was so absent-minded that he tended to get left behind.

Fortunately, before Audie could sneak away or convince Valentin to do the same, both Omegas showed up. Celine hadn’t been able to come because she had a little end-of-year program to celebrate her first year of preparatory school. Lili had been able to come because she had put her husband in charge of their youngest daughter, there was no way she could miss her first child’s last day of college.

Lady Johann was quick to stride forward and plant herself right in Audie’s path with a bright smile, "Carriage, now." She said in a stern voice that belied her bright smile.

With the two ladies on duty, it was very easy to corral the boys to the carriage so that they could make it in time to the institute to pick up Dodie and Fleur who would also be coming with them, it was going to be quite a big group.

As they were bustled past, they didn’t get the chance to notice Dio and Louis who they had walked past. The two Alphas hardly noticed this because they were far too busy searching for Gisèle who right about then jumped them from behind, laughing happily when they fell for her scare.

Louis had been a little worried that his mother would feel lonely living all along in the big manor, it was a little relieving that she would at least have some sort of company but he couldn’t help but worry.

His worries washed away when he saw her laugh though, she seemed to have grown younger since the last time they parted. He found himself laughing with her when she pulled them both into a tight hug.

"Colette has been cooking up a storm all morning so I hope you’re both hungry," She said by way of conversation as they made their way over to the carriage with a smile that had never left her face since they met.

Louis found himself taking a step back so that he could observe them, it was just so soothing to watch his mother and Dio banter back and forth. But most importantly, they would all be going home together, as a family...

His thoughts were rudely cut off when he tripped and face-planted, making Gisèle and Dio reach out in panic. Their concern changed to laughter when they saw that he was alright - actually, now that Louis thought about it, they weren’t that soothing.

-*-

Unlike the last time when Henri’s mother had been able to sneak her son out to avoid the media, this time, the carriages bearing the royal emblem were enough to get the media personnel swarming around like birds of prey.

Although, for the first time, his mother hadn’t been the one to pick him up, a carriage had just been sent to pick him up, this was because he had Claude for company now. It was certainly not because he didn’t want to be alone in a carriage with Claude and his mother and more because he was worried that having to pick him up every single time was quite the hassle for someone so busy, especially as she was held up by the media every single time.

So after giving his usual curt and coldly polite responses to the media, he got into the carriage, noting that the media took rapid-fire pictures when Claude went in right after he did. Henri would worry about the implications of that at a different time, for now, he was going to lean his head on Claude’s shoulder as he stared out the window.

He was slowly coming to accept that Claude was truly not leaving anymore because he would be truly heartbroken if he were to leave. This time it wouldn’t be because he was losing his only friend, he had a lot of those now, and he wasn’t just friends with Claude, they were more...

"Are you comfortable, Your Highness?" Claude’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Henri straightened up, looking away from the view that he hadn’t been paying a single attention to, to kick Claude off the cushioned seat. "Call me that again and I’ll kick you out of the carriage," He said without hesitation, losing most of the steam by the end of his tirade because Claude start to slowly smile.

Good thing the windows had retractable curtains because the media would have had a field day if they had been able to take a gander through the closing curtains right then.

-*-

The crowd of students and the parents that had come to pick them up thinned quickly. Alois watched this all from where he leaned against his carriage.

A carriage had been sent to pick him up as soon as they were released, and Alois was relieved that no one had come to pick him up because that meant that he wouldn’t have been able to do what he was about to do.

The sun was starting to get high in the sky, and the only students left were those who were supposed to find their way home and instead of doing just that, decided to hang out with friends instead. But even those were slowly starting to drift away but still, a single student stood stiffly amidst his luggage.

"Come with me, I’ll take you home," He offered quietly.

Cecil whipped around, about to lash out at whoever had offered. He should have recognized the voice but his thoughts were loud at the moment so he hadn’t been paying attention. His anger deflated when he saw who it was, "Alois? Why are you still here?"

He knew when the carriage for Alois had shown up because that was when his boyfriend had finally agreed to leave him, he had expected him to be long gone.

"I was waiting for you," Alois said goodnaturedly, "I’ll just have the coachman drop you right at your house."

Cecil wanted to turn Alois down like he would have done to just about anyone else that made that offer to him but after seeing the other Alpha, he didn’t think he had the strength to stand stoically out here in the bright sun waiting for a carriage that wouldn’t arrive till dusk.

Cecil usually wouldn’t mind, he hadn’t achieved any of the goals his father set for him so it was only right that he received his due but he was so very exhausted right then. He just wanted to go to sleep right in his uniform in his little room, he didn’t want to be nothing but a tool for a man that didn’t care for him.

"Fine," He agreed after a short pause, his exhaustion bleeding through the single word.

Alois grinned at this response but the expression didn’t touch his dark eyes, "Here, I’ll help you with that," He said, taking Cecil’s luggage from him and throwing an arm around the Alpha.

That was all the servants that had been sent with the carriages needed to step forward to take the luggage from Alois to put it in the second carriage designated for luggage.

Cecil tried not to be visibly moved by this, it was so easy to forget how rich and influential Alois was but he would never use his boyfriend for either of those things. It was sickening to see people as nothing but money bags and social ladders.

He got into the carriage first at Alois’ insistence, his eyes going wide at the lavish interior, even his father’s most lavish carriage couldn’t compare to this. He sat down heavily, the effect of standing for hours hitting as he sank into the soft cushion.

"So where do you live?" Alois asked kindly.

Cecil sat up straighter to hand over his address, Alois was looking right at him the entire time but he didn’t know that his words were just going over the other Alpha’s head because he had no intention of taking him to his house.

He found out soon enough when he looked out the window to find out that they were in an unfamiliar part of town, he had never been here before but he was certain that this wasn’t the way to his house. He glanced over to Alois who looked about ready to jump him, making his confused question die in his throat as he scrambled backward.

"Don’t do it," He warned him, his horror slowly starting to grow. Alois couldn’t be intending to take him to his own home, could he? Just what kind of situation was that?

"Too late," Alois said unrepentantly, surprisingly keeping his distance.

Cecil didn’t give up, "This is a kidnapping."

Alois shrugged, unfazed. "So be it."

Cecil fish mouthed for a bit, he should have been more wary about Alois’ offer. "Your parents won’t be happy about this."

Alois’ gaze turned sharp, "On the contrary."

Cecil sighed, "I suppose I can’t do anything about it then," He murmured. He was probably giving up a little too easily but there was nothing for him to go back to, his father would probably not notice if he didn’t return, and his brothers would be happy about it.

They were merely biding their time before they kicked him out anyway, after his final year at the academy, he would be stripped of his connections to the family and kicked out to the streets. He tried not to think too much about it because he hoped that he would be able to get a job and survive all on his own.

Alois did a double take, his eyes softening for the first time. "Wait, really?" He asked hopefully, crowding closer.

"Don’t make me change my mind," He teased like he had the option to even do that.

Alois took his words seriously though, practically pulling him on his legs and holding on tight. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry."

Cecil huffed, wondering why the idiot wanted to take him home so much when he literally had nothing to offer. But he had come to learn that Alois didn’t care about that, and he hoped to come to see whatever it was that the high-standing Alpha saw in him in the near future.

It was a worrisome habit but Cecil felt calmer when Alois stuck closely to him, he looked out the windows at the lavish manor houses that they went past, knowing that he would be fine because he was with Alois.

*A/N: the scene with Alois and Cecil went on for far longer than i planned but i wanted to give them some closure.

-*-*-*-

END NOTES

It could probably be longer but this is just a funky little story I wrote about some boys in a fantasy-style college so it’ll end here. keep it in mind that the story is open-ended so their stories continue even though I am no longer penning down new Chapters. Thanks for reading <3