"I crouched down in my seat and waited for it to be over," Randy replied with a grim expression. "And when it was, I vowed never to go through the air on anything that still needed wheels to land, ever again."

Seven grinned at him, "I think I'd try it at least once though,"

"I suppose it could be worthwhile for the experience of having done it," Randy conceded with a small smile.

Seven nodded, "Exactly! I want to try all sorts of things while I can,"

Randy reached out to ruffle his hair, then thought better of it when he saw that his fingers were covered in glue. "Perhaps you should find something fun to do with your brother before he goes off to the military."

Seven nodded, "I already got a few ideas, I'm gonna miss him a whole lot when he goes,"

"I don't doubt it," said Randy. "...He will be something different when he returns."

Seven's face fell, "...You know, so much stuff keeps changing, things are getting more complicated and it feels like bad or ominous things keep piling up. I have days where I almost wish Eight and I could be kids again, before all of this stuff started happening. Eight might come back a whole different person from before...and I don't even know if I'll be there and if I am, how I'm going to cope with it. It felt like there wasn't so much uncertainty before, and today I feel like everything could be lost in an instant," he sighed, "I'm not warrior class like you or Four or One, I feel like I'm not prepared or equipped to deal with any of this. It gets hard not to cry sometimes...."

Randy peeled a string of dried glue off of his fingers before giving Seven a pat. "It may be difficult, but I know that you can see it through. Your class is not what will determine that."

Seven looked up at him with glistening eyes, "You really think I can handle all this?...Even if I keep going...I'm still scared..."

Randy cooed and kissed his head. "There is nothing wrong with being scared," he assured him. "Pain and fear come naturally to all of us, no matter what our backgrounds. Do you think I didn't cry when my parents died, or when I had to leave my son behind? Do you think I was not afraid to start life on another planet and live in secret among creatures that I barely understood? I have seen my children grow up and move out on their own, some of them going into the military and even out into space, knowing that they could be killed during even a routine mission. I have witnessed the deaths and tragedies of many who were close to me. None is any less painful or frightening than the last, and I know that there will always be more, whether I am prepared for it or not. Today I learned that two of my children have very uncertain futures... and I am afraid. But I know that my boys are strong, and they will carry on and learn from life's experiences just as I will, and just as we always have."

Seven smiled and nodded, feeling much better, "Thank you dad," he said giving Randy a nuzzle.

Randy nuzzled him right back and gave him a light slap on the shoulder as he pulled away. "You are a good boy," he said. "I love you."

"I love you too dad," said Seven.

A few months passed largely without incident, save for Randy VIII getting into yet another fight on his way home from the gym. He didn't seem to notice much, though, as he walked through the door with a missing tooth and blood crusted all down the front of his gym shirt, and headed right to the fridge for a drink.

Seven spotted him and came rushing over, "Baby boy, what happened?"

Randy VIII glanced down to see what a mess he was. "Oh... Brian's brother called you a sissy."

Seven frowned, "Why he do that?"

"'Cause you're nurturing class and you get sick," said Randy VIII. "I got him good for that."

Seven gave him a pat then went to the sink and grabbed a washcloth, which he wet and used to clean Randy VIII's face.

Randy VIII seemed rather pleased with himself. "Most of it's his," he said, indicating the blood that stained his clothes.

"But you lost a tooth," said Seven giving Eight's face a final wipe.

"That's one less than Allister Turrg lost today," Randy VIII giggled. He stuck his tongue in the gap where the tooth had been.

Seven gave him a kiss, "Well as long as you ain't hurt,"

"Nuh-uh." Randy VIII shook his head and continued to feel around the gap. "Thith feelth weird," he commented, sliding his tongue over the gum and tasting blood. "You ever lose a tooth before?"

Seven shook his head, he pulled back his lips, displaying his large, slightly crooked teeth, "Nope,"

Randy VIII reached out to touch them. "You sure do have big teeth," he commented with a look of admiration.

Seven's grin widened, "Yeah, s'cause I got somethin' like if a human had Schikelgruber teeth, they all big and don't fit right," he said, in fact due to his uneven teeth he'd developed a slight underbite, something not common in Schikelgrubers.

"Well, I like it," said Randy VIII. He ran his tongue over the gap in his own mouth again, and then his eyebrows shot upward suddenly. "You never lost a tooth before; you should feel what it feels like," he offered, opening up his mouth.

Seven poked a finger into the gap, "Well, that is kinda weird..."

Randy VIII licked his finger. "You should feel what it's like on your tongue!"

Seven snorted then leaned forward and gave a small test, wiggling the tip of his tongue into the gap...

Randy VIII held still for a moment, letting him examine the the space with his tongue. But after a few seconds, he could no longer resist the urge to meet it with his own, and he did so with a mischievous grin which said that he expected Seven to be disgusted and pull away.

Seven froze, uncertain of what to do, part of him screamed to pull away but the other part made him lean forward and seal Randy VIII's lips with his own.

Though a bit surprised by this outcome, Randy VIII accepted it gladly. He'd been prepared to play his experiment off as a joke, but a kiss was much more welcome, and exactly what he'd secretly wanted. Now he wrapped his arms around Seven's neck to discourage him from backing out.

Seven kissed him tenderly for a minute and petted his hair before he pulled away, "Whatchoo up to Baby Boy?..."

Randy VIII just beamed up at him. "Why I gotta be up to somethin'?"

"Cuz you're you," said Seven giving him a nuzzle.

He giggled and moved in for another kiss, curious to see just how much he could get out of it.

Seven permitted it, letting Eight go as far as he wanted for the moment.