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The first night Yǐn Cáng was unable to sleep, his brain trying desperately to wrap around what had just happened, and what it all meant. Alexander liked him. Alexander liked him. Alexander liked him. Alexander liked him. His best friend, the zomboil that he was closer to than probably any other person in Halloween, had been seeing him in a completely different light than he had realized.

And so that first night he spent trying to make sense of it all, replying conversations and scenes in his mind, trying to figure out when things had occurred that he had obviously been oblivious to. Sleep was a futile effort, and he managed to doze off restlessly a few times but never for very long. Not long enough.

The third night he was not so completely exhausted as the night before, which meant that his mind was going a kilometer a minute as he tried to sleep. Unfortunately it was also going in circles, and he kept coming back to one fact. He was confused. He liked Alexander, he really did. But did he like Alexander? Enough to promise, even if it was only to himself, that he would never look at another boil in that manner so long as he lived? Another mostly sleepless night awaited him, but Princess Eva stayed cuddled up against him, nuzzling him awake when it seemed as if his dreams had taken a turn for the worse.

The fifth night there was a small part of him that kept clamoring to be heard, begging for his attention but he shoved that away, and tried to look at the situation logically. What had Miss Danny said? Was he not with Alexander all the time already? Why not? He had never been one for tables and charts but he found himself making them in his mind.

Cons for being bonded to Alexander: Alexander had tried to rip his chest out, he had betrayed him with that picture, the zomboil was so different than himself, Alexander might resent him when he realized that Yin had nothing to offer him. Alexander might leave him, because to the rest of Halloween this stage would just be dating, and meant nothing permanent. Not like it would to Yin.

Pros of being bonded to Alexander: they would share a connection forever, the zomboil made him happy, he wanted to make the zomboil happy, Alexander had rescued him from his sisters, he was patient and willing to explain things, and he had even tried to make Princess Eva happy. He would not lose the zomboil.

Trying to think about all of the things he liked about Alexander was exactly what that tiny part of him wanted, and images began to flood his mind. Alexander smiling. Yes, he was always smiling, but there were times when it was just special. Or just for him. Alexander trying to help him back to his room through the snow. How comfortable it was to just walk side-by-side with the zomboil, hand-in-hand. Eating dinner underneath the table with him. Sparring with him. The way he had looked at him when he had tried on that tie. Sitting on his bed reading with him. To him. Playing games together. Being in class together. Images he did not even know he had remembered.

Was there anyone he would rather risk taking this step with? Of course not.

Maybe Miss Danny had said it best, he would just have to hope that the zomboil would not change his mind.

“Do you think it would be okay Princess Eva?” he murmured and she watched him intently. “I do like him. More than anyone else. Well, other than you Princess Eva. And he is not the type to willingly hurt someone. At least…not me. So if…if I chose him…would it be the right decision?’ Even though he was just with Princess Eva his face was a close to crimson as someone with patches of green on their skin could have.

Princess Eva looked at her boil. Did she really like the zomboil? Nope. But she did like her boil, and even if that disgusting creature (Alexander OR Thing) was going to be invading her life even more she would put up with it for Yin. She tried not to reveal how distressing it really was as she curled up in his lap. At the very least he could pet her for supporting his decision, whatever it was.

The seventh night he did not sleep. He had said a week. Singular. Just one. It was Tombday night. It had been last Tombday night that he had told Alexander to come back in a week. So did this mean that the zomboil had thought about it and changed his mind? Or did it simply mean that he was waiting until Webday? It was a distressing thought, and honestly…the weremantis looked like he’d been to the human world and back, but despite his need for sleep it was elusive. Would this be what he would have to deal with for the rest of his life? Continuously waiting anxiously to see if the zomboil had changed his mind, if he would ever come back?

If Alexander still wanted to be with him…it would be worth risking that fate.