First of it's Time [closed]

The news had come as a surprise. Of course, the situation was predictable, and he knew it would happen sooner or later during his time at the school. They were in a secluded part of the world in a population comprised mostly of teenage students whom were, for lack of better words, were hormonal and curious. What had surprised him was that it had happened between two prefects. Prefects and the formal royalty of all things. They were supposed to be setting examples for the school. Surely, this wasn't what any of them in mind.

But what was done was done. It was best they settled thing now before things got too out of hand. His concerns before anything else were for the two young students, and tear expectant baby as well.

"Will you tell their parents?" From her spot on the couch, he noticed the small blonde woman pipe up. It was the first thing she'd said for some time, having been staring down into her glass tea for the most part.

The Headmaster sighed. "If I can. As it is, Miss Chree's family seems especially difficult to come into contact with."

The woman took another sip of her tea, her blue-green eyes glazed with concern. "I see," she answered, turning her gaze towards the man behind the desk. "And is there nothing else we can do? I don't know if we're equipped to care for a newborn..."

"Honestly, I can't be sure." Nathaniel muttered earnestly. "But I don't believe sending them away is the best option either. They're still under our charge and it's our duty to see them taken care of." Besides, he felt it would be a special brand of madness to try and break them apart now. "I'll see to it you'll have all you need when the time comes, if you agree to help."

It was silent for what seemed like some time as she reached over, setting her tea gently down on the table with a gentle tap and straightening her skirt out. "I don't see how I can refuse," she said, smiling kindly.

He offered back a smile of his own. Now it was a matter of talking to the love birds themselves. His wife was caring for the young woman in the infirmary while he was expecting Mr. Herman to walk I'm any moment now. The door was wide open.

Leo had been in a state of shock since the test. Everything was blurry, it was hard to form a coherent thought. The blond had a hard time even remembering returning to his room afterwards. He couldn't even remember hearing the alarm set for going to class the next morning. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. It had hardly come to him that night. His blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. Leo's face shifting between emotions as vague thoughts crossed his train of thought. Wide eyes, knit eyebrows, mouth open as he breathed heavily.

The first bundle of understandable thoughts was about how exactly Keirsta had gotten pregnant. Night of the formal. Apparently he had been drunk. But as that came up, the blond wasn't entirely sure how he had gotten to that state. He only remembered the punch, and how the punch tasted weird...Oh. His mouth closed to form a frown. It was alcohol, that's why. It hadn't tasted bad, so maybe that was why he didn't suspect anything.

His expression deepened to where there was a dimple on his chin. Keirsta knew it was alcohol, as she was addicted to it not very long before hand. She knew that he was against it, why would she give it to him? Why wasn't she up front and honest about it? Then the idea struck him. Keirsta had wanted some alcohol, and the only way that she could drink it without Leo being suspicious was to give it to him. Inhaling for a few seconds, the next thoughts came in a short span of time. Did she not trust him enough to tell him what had happened that night? Did she mean to leave him out of this, praying that he didn't remember any of it? His bottom lip quivered and he exhaled as a result, trying to expel the pain in his chest.

Then came the child. The unborn, smaller than his hand most likely, baby. When it came to them, he didn't know what to think. Leo was at a complete loss for thoughts. It took him a good hour to formulate some sort of opinion. What he came across in his thoughts was simple. He was scared to be a dad. The thought made his heart race, and clench his hair with his hands. How could he be a dad when he didn't even know how to do taxes, or do anything relating to be an adult. How could he have a kid when he was still a kid himself? Maybe he was also scared to become an adult. While he did have duties as a prefect, the blond doubted it was anything compared to what an adult had to do.

A ring from his phone alerted the teen to what the time was. Fifteen minutes before his meeting with the headmaster.  Leo paled, wishing for it to be some kind of dream. After a few long moments -and no harps playing and wavy images indicating that the dreams was over- he rose from the bed. The prefect stood there for a long moment, finding his balance after laying in bed for so long. Leo lumbered over to his bathroom and looked himself over in the mirror. There was noticeable bags under his eyes. Wait! Was that? He leaned over the sink to get a good look at his face. Very slight wrinkles ran in horizontal lines along his forehead. Worry lines. He leaned away from the mirror and began to get ready. Although he refused to look at himself in the mirror.

A shower later and he was out the door. Leo did his best to ignore his roommates. He wasn't the kind of person to brush people off, but he couldn't find it in himself to face them. His eyes were fixated on the ground in front of him. He did not look up to the people who passed by, some of them friends. One person even being Aleta, who tried to talk to him. But she went ignored by her older brother, whom took it upon himself to quicken his pace.

'I'm a terrible brother, I'm a terrible boyfriend, I'm a terrible prefect, I'm a terrible friend...' The self loathing thoughts began to roll in. Another fear was added to his already long list of fears. How was he going to face his parents? They raised him better than this. How will he face Aleta? Devin? He was supposed to be a role model; an angel.

"How can I live up to my power now?" His voice was quiet and held a horse crackle to it. Slowly he opened the door to the offices buildings and trudged in. Each step was painful. Leo was ashamed of himself. His own version of the walk of shame.

The door was open when the blond arrived. He stopped just before the door, where he just for a moment considered turning back. Without meaning to, his legs moved him into the threshold of the door where the teen stood for a long moment. His eyes scanning the room, running from the blonde woman to who he recognized as the headmaster. Leo didn't know who the woman was, but knew for certain the man. His eyes went to make eye contact, which he held for a heartbeat then broke, looking away. Slowly, he took a seat. His foot bounced as he tapped at the floor, gaze not meeting any other's opting for just looking right below their chins.

He would very much like Keirsta to be there with him.

The two of them had quieted down as the sound of the main office door creaking open had alerted them to the new arrival. The woman had bit her lip as they both listened to the sound of the slow and heavy sets heading towards the door. To her, once the student had made his appearance, it was clear to see what a total mess he was. She couldn't help but feel pity for him, wondering what was running through his mind. She'd waited years to have her first child, she simply could not imagine...

To Nathaniel, the weight of this young man's despair was almost suffocating. He hadn't seen Mr. Herman since he received the news about what had happened. He'd had been well prepared to drill the Autumn with questions: What were you two thinking? Do you have any idea what this situation means? What do you plan to do now? What do you think about the baby?

He supposed it was the educator in him that knew he deserved to be scolded and punished, knowing this would be a lesson that needed to be driven hard home - for the whole school, not just him.

But as a father himself, he couldn't help but sympathize with Leo. It was all to clear to see how lost and terrified he was, and he was obviously punishing himself. Nate wasn't sure there was anything he could say that the angel hadn't told himself already.

"Have a seat, Leo." He finally said quietly as he held his hand out towards the closest couch, his voice piercing through the silence. As the prefect did so, Nate found himself leaning further onto the desk, folding his hands out on the surface in front of them. Carefully, he thought over his words before he spoke. "What's done is done. What I'd like to is what do you have to say for yourself?" Was there anything he felt he needed to say? Anything he simply wanted to know? Had to ask? He wasn't going to be lectured, but Nate would still appreciate to know exactly what was on his mind.

The blond sat, his fingers interlacing at his lap. He used his arms to try and hold down his bouncing leg. The silence that filled the air was terrible, and Leo was almost relieved to have the headmaster finally speak once again. Leo listened to the careful words, his blue eyes not wavering from his hands. It was the only place he felt comfortable to look.

What did he have to say? Leo wasn't sure what to say. Usually he always found something to say. But for once his mouth was without any words. It wasn't like he didn't have things to day, or things to ask. The blond had plenty. A plethora. But the more he pondered what to say, the more those things became elusive. He sat still for what seemed like the longest time. Then by what was seen by him as a small stroke of luck, he remembered one of his statements. "I- He began slowly, finding his voice in his raspy throat. "-don't think I should be a prefect any more." One of the things that added to his shame. "I mean, I didn't follow the rules, it would be rather hypocritical of me to try and force them to follow the rules...Right?" He finished the sentence with a quite bitter laugh.

From there he began to one by one remember some of his thoughts. "What's going to happen to Keirsta and I? The baby?" He began speaking faster, as if trying to catch up with them. "What are my parents going to think? They raised me better." He stuttered, not able to keep up with how fast he was processing his fears. "Devin is going to be upset." Figuring he said enough his mouth snapped shut. Leo's leg kept bouncing.

Nathaniel listened quietly, watching the young man as he forced himself to speak. Even for him, it was a difficult scene to watch. The blond look sounded terribly sick and looked as if he were ready to burst at any moment. The sound of his leg bouncing was causing the wooden floorboards to creak ever so slightly. Once he seemed to have quite finished, he held back a sigh and cast a glance towards the window. "I agree that it's best you two were suspended from prefect duties for now." Perhaps, once the chaos was settled and the future was in order, Leo would be able to return to his duties, at least. But for now, keeping his position was indeed out of the question.

"I will call your parents and explain the situation. Whatever personal affairs you have otherwise, you'll have to sort out yourself." A part of him longed to give Leo some sort of comfort and tell him that he'd be able to have his friend understand, that his parents would surely still care for him, anything to help ease his woes; but that wasn't his job. There were priorities that needed sorting. "As for you and Miss Chree, you two will remain at the Academy as students, and the school will take responsibility for this child." By all means, it would be madness to let them try and carry on normally. There was no way to take care of a child in the dorm rooms, nor could a student ever get the right supplies. If the three of them wanted to stay together, there was no other option.

He stood up, gesturing towards the woman on the couch. "This is Harmony Meyers," the Headmaster said. "She runs the local care establishment for underage residents."

For whatever reason, the woman seemed to have found his introduction a little funny. "The daycare... You can just call it the daycare." While she had seemed a bit sullen before, she had an unusual light air around her now as she stood up, stepping around the table and offering the Autumn a dainty hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Leo."

"Care of the child will be given to her, in due time." He paused to reach for something in his drawer. "Along with Hosa Corvina. I assume you're familiar with her?"

Harmony smiled warmly. "And you'll be helping us, Mister."

The Autumn student nodded as the older man spoke. As he had mentioned before, the blond was frightened with his parents' reaction. He assumed that his father would be more level headed about it than his mother. But still, he'd hate to see the disappointment in their faces. Then there is Devin. The angel didn't know exactly how he was going to react, Aleta for that matter too.

As he heard Keirsta's last name, his head rose as his eyes went level with the table. No longer looking at his hands that were folded in his lap. Leo was relieved. Just because there was a kid, he still wanted he and Keirsta to get an education. Although there was the trouble of his peer's reactions. Especially when Keirsta began to show. No doubt there would be some who have nasty reactions to it. There wasn't much they could do about that.

Harmony's introduction caused the blond to look up from the table and towards her. On instinct, and the fact that the other two were standing, Leo rose from his seat. His hand accepting the small handshake before falling to his side. Leo remembered Hosa, she was the winner of the Summer Tournament and graduated this last year. The guardian was able to beat Mason. Something he admired her for.

Wait..."Helping?" He repeated in a clueless manner, eyes glancing towards the headmaster for an explanation.

The Headmaster hadn't bothered to say anything. He merely nodded and continued to shuffle through his drawer.

It was Harmony who'd answered him. "That's right," she said, stepping around back the tale with her hands folded neatly behind her back. "Taking care of a baby is a lot of work, you know. You have to feed them, bathe them, burp them, change their dipers, play with them, put them to bed..." And she could go on forever about all the little extras, or the troubles they could get into once they started to move around on their own. "We're keeping the child where it can be cared for, but they'll still need a father." It might have been a trick of the light, but her smile seemed to have faded slightly at her own words. "So, you'll be volunteering with us at the Daycare from now on. Once a week for the next several months." And once the baby arrived, hopefully he would be willing to commit to more time.

Finally, Nathaniel seemed to have found what he was looking for. A small ring of two keys. One for Leo and another for Keirsta. "Keys to the Daycare. I trust you're still responsible enough not to lose them?"

He looked back in Harmony's direction as she took up the question. Unconsciously still avoiding their eyes. Right. Leo needed to be an adult. A father. He wanted to be a good father and felt determination for that building inside of him. The only problem was how. Her voice answered his question. Leo could learn from her and Hosa. Maybe even spend some time down at the library...

It was as the headmaster said. What was done, was done. He couldn't do anything about it. Leo had to understand how to handle becoming an adult, and a father. Anxiety flooded his veins at that moment. In a effort to repel this emotion at least a small fraction, Leo took a deep breath. It did it enough to where Leo could speak again. He nodded at the headmaster. Although him asking if he could trust Leo stung a good bit. Yet it was well deserved.

"When do I start?" The newest 'volunteer' asked.

A hint of admiration shone in the Headmaster's golden eyes. After something as huge as this, he would expected most kids to make excuses, or try and find ways to avoid the consequences. Or in the very least, keep on with feeling sorry for themselves. And whole those negative emotions still hung over Leo, now that things seemed far less uncertain, the young man has seemed more assured, determined even. He had to turn his head towards the window to hide his smile.

"This saturday, nine in the morning, sharp." Harmony answered, stepping lightly back over to the couch and retaking her seat. She picked up the tea cup again, gazing up at him. "Wear something comfortable. You'll be moving around all day." Admittedly, she was relieved to have more help around, even for just the day.

"That will be all, Mr. Herman. If there is anything else needed, I'll call you back." He called, shooting him a dismissive look. Nathaniel was certain he'd be wanting to see Keirsta soon and explain the news.

Leo nodded at them both before exiting the room, his footsteps not a solemn as then he had first arrived. When he had first entered the room, the future seemed dim. There was no guiding path on what he should do or react. However, now that the path had been laid out -even if it was short term- he could begin to focus. It wasn't that his fears were chased away, but the promise of learning soothed their effects. Without much thought, his feet lead him towards the library.