Thank you all so much for the reads! I really appreciate it. Also, I haven't been mentioning Iris' new bunny which I feel bad about. It's just that he wasn't originally apart of this story and I added him in last minute during the Valentine's Day Special, and many of the chapters were already written before then. But he'll be mentioned from now on.

Oh, by the way, I'll say this without giving away spoilers to this chapter: ANY REFERENCES OR SONG LYRICS ARE NOT MINE! THEY DONT BELONG TO ME, OKAY? OKAY. (OMG I JUST MADE A FIOS REFERENCE BY ACCIDENT, THAT WASN'T ON PURPOSE)

•••••Iris' POV•••••

Stop it.

Stop crying.

Wipe your eyes.

Someone will hear.

Stop!

I finally wipe my eyes, sniffling quietly. Glancing at the clock, it reads 12:56 am. I haven't been able to sleep. So when I can't sleep, I think. And we all know how this will end.

Everyone in the Sullivan house is asleep, which is a good thing. I wouldn't want them to hear me crying. Sometimes we just need to let it all out though, don't you agree? I probably got snot and tear stains all over my pajamas. Thankfully, they're not my Stitch onesies, those are way too precious for me to dirty.

I walk over to Thumper's cage quietly, careful to not make the floor creak. He's just sitting there, staring at me. It's kinda creepy but adorable!

I hope you like the name I gave him. You just gotta love Bambi. I recently watched it with Ruby and Oliver and at the time, he didn't have a name. We were still debating what name to give him. Ruby suggested Thumper and I think it fit well. Oliver and Ruby help me take care of him, they really love him too. So does Ms. Sullivan, she let Oliver get me a bunny which I thanked her multiple times about, and Oliver too.

A few tears that were still welled in my eyes rolled down my cheeks. I sigh softly, petting Thumper through the cage.

This has been going on for a while, every night I'd cry, sometimes I'd cry myself to sleep. I would talk to someone, but I rather not...especially Kayla. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but sometimes I feel like I'm just a bother. Or a loose strand of hair that never falls....I get cringey at night too.

That's besides the point though.

I could probably talk to Ms. Sullivan about it...nevermind, it'll be awkward. I just need someone to talk to. Someone who understands me. Someone who has been in a similar situation. Someone who I'll be comfortable talking to. Someone who will be able to cheer me up with ice cream and corny jokes.

"Psst.."

Someone who can make me laugh. Someone who brights up the world when it's colors are fading...woah, that was more cringey than the last one.

Someone taps my shoulder and before I could yell "MURDERER", I meet with a pair of familiar hazel eyes.

"Oliver? What the hell are you doing here?" I whisper, wiping my eyes more before he could notice. Although, they're probably red and still a bit teary.

He's in his pajamas..and by that I mean some boxers with a sweatshirt that he probably threw on just before.

"I heard you crying and well..." He holds something up in front of me. Do my eyes deceive me?! I rub my eyes to make sure. It's actually real. Oliver holds a tub of cookie dough ice cream in front of my face. He smiles when seeing my face light up.

I hesitantly take the ice cream, sitting back on my bed and leaving Thumper to drink his water. "But, why?" I ask as I look up at him, confused. He shrugs, "Thought you might need it." He smiles a bit. I tear off the lid and he hands me a spoon, chuckling. I don't care what time it is, I just want ice cream.

"Hopefully you like cookie dough." He says. "Like it? I love it!" I grin, taking my first bite. My teeth chatter when they come in contact with the ice cream and it sends a shiver down my spine from the coldness of it. But I'm too busy enjoying the ice cream to care.

"Mind if I stay for a while? I'm not tired anyway." Oliver asks, taking a seat beside me on my bed. I look him in the eye. That's a lie. The dark circles under his eyes tell me otherwise. "If you want to, then sure." I say, smiling a bit as I take another bite.

I glance at Oliver to the ice cream and back at Oliver. "Want some?" I ask, gesturing to the ice cream. "I thought you'd never ask." He grins, pulling out his own spoon. I chuckle silently as he takes a spoon of the ice cream and eats it. He came prepared.

"Why were you up anyway?" I ask him. He lies down on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Couldn't sleep, then I heard you." He explains, glancing at me. "Oh.." is all I can manage to say as I ate another spoonful of ice cream.

"Want to talk about it?" He asks, sitting up to look at me. I look away and outside the window. "I-I'm not sure.." He puts a hand on my shoulder and I look over at him. "You can tell me anything." He adds, smiling and making eye contact with me. I smile nervously and look away, breaking eye contact. "I might cry again...and you'll make fun of me-" "No, I won't. You can trust me, I swear." He sighs softly, seeing my hesitate.

Then he looks outside my window for a moment then back at me. "Follow me." He says, walking over to my window and opening it. A slight breeze enters the room and I shudder.

I close and put down the tub of ice cream, walking over to him confused as to what he means. Oliver suddenly climbs halfway out my window. My eyes widen. "Oliver, you'll get hurt-" He flashes me a grin before climbing up to the roof.

I stand there, shocked. How does he expect me to do that? I have no upper body strength! I have noodle arms for crying out loud! I'm gonna slip and fall and break my neck and die!

His head abruptly reappears in the window causing me to jump slightly. "Sorry, just come here, I'll help you." He says. More of his body is visible as I walk closer to the window. I look down and see how far the ground is from my window. I gulp, nervous about going up there since it's dangerous.

"Oliver, I can't do that, I'm gonna fall." I argue, shaking my head. "No, you're not." He replies calmly. "Yeah I will, I can't pull myself up there." I retort, taking a step back. He thinks for a moment then smiles, "I'm going to help you." He says.

Oliver holds his hand out for me to take. "You don't have to grow up, you can come with me and go to Neverland." He jokes as if he was Peter Pan. I can't help but smile. "Disney fan, huh?" I place my hand in his, never looking away from his eyes. "You can say that." He smirks, tightly holding my hand in his.

"I can show you the world," He begins quoting Aladdin, A Whole New World, as he slowly walks towards the window with me.

"Disney songs keep Iris calm." Well, thanks a lot Lucas.

"Shining, shimmering, splendid," I mumble the lyrics with Oliver,

"Tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide!" He continued to sing, stopping for a moment. I had no idea Oliver could sing...it might not have been amazing like a professional but it was way better than you'd think..it was really good.

It was as if he had me in a trance. And to be honest, I didn't want to wake up. He just kept me so calm and I was comfortable around him. We stared into each other's eyes as he lead me somewhere. Where? I wasn't really paying attention.

"All those days chasing down a daydream,

All those years living in a blur,

All that time never truly seeing

Things, the way they were.

Now she's here shining in the starlight,

Now she's here, suddenly I know,

Now she's here, it's crystal clear,

I'm where I'm meant to go.." Oliver sung softly, ending with one of my favorites. I See the Light from, probably my favorite Disney princess movie, Tangled.

He smiles at me, still not breaking eye contact for a moment. Then he finally looks around and I take a look around to. That's when I realize, we're on the roof. How did he lure me up here?! He's like a wizard! Well, Lucas did give him advice of some sort..

The stars and the moon illuminate the night, making everything seem so bright. Then there's a slight breeze that sends shivers down your spine but it feels a bit nice.

I smile at Oliver. "I can't believe you remembered those lyrics." I giggle. "What can I say- except you're welcome-.." We both laugh a bit, "I'll stop for now. I just love Disney also. Their movies had powerful messages, and of course, the songs were catchy." He smiles, looking up at the sky.

I look up at them also, trying to look for any constellations. I lie down on the roof at an angle where I'm sure I won't fall and ruin the moment.

Oliver then looks back at me. "So, will you tell me what's wrong?" Oliver asks.

••••Oliver's POV••••

She sighs softly. "It's just...I feel like I don't belong.." She admits, fiddling with her pajama sleeves. I study her face and actions, "That's only part of it, isn't it?" I ask, making eye contact with her, she already looks like she's going to cry. "Yeah.." Her voice is a bit shaky and she sits up.

"I-it's a long story.." She mumbles. I look up at the dark, starry night sky and then back at her. "We have time." I chuckle softly. She lets out a small chuckle.

"It's just that I.." She pauses, looking for the right words, "Ever since I started living here, it's been a bit hectic for me." She admits, shrugging a bit.

"Is that a bad thing?" I ask. We're a good family, right? We may be missing some of us..but we manage.

She shakes her head immediately. "No! That's not what I meant." She sighs, "It's just different. I feel like I'm intruding into your personal lives, you all would probably like it better if I wasn't living with you." She explains.

I stare at her, chuckling. "That's not true. My family loves you, Ruby especially. She looks up to you, and no, I don't mean literally." She giggles and I smile. "So, why are you really crying?" I ask her which catches her by surprise.

"W-what do you mean?" She stutters. How adorable, she looks so shocked. "I know you better now. So, do I really have to ask again?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

She sighs. "Okay, okay. I just miss them.." She says, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her head on her knees. "Them?" I repeat, shifting my body to face her. "My mom and dad..." She mumbles, tears forming in her eyes.

"Your mom?...she passed away too?" I ask. Well obviously Oliver, she wouldn't be here right now if her mom hadn't.

She looks away, avoiding my eyes. "She passed away when I was four. Snuggles was the last gift she gave me..and he's the only thing I have anymore. It was a birthday present..it was a month later when she..." Iris trails off, sniffling and wiping her eyes.

I'm hesitant before asking, "How did she die?" She's silent for a moment. "Cancer..." She mutters, tears rolling down her face. "Iris...I'm so sorry-" She buries her face in my chest, sobbing quietly.

I'm a bit taken aback but I wrap my arms around her in a comforting manner and pull her closer to me. "Shh..it'll be alright, I swear." I whisper to her, rubbing her back gently. Huh. That sounds familiar...it's the same thing my dad told me five years ago..

Right before he left us.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Iris apologizes. "Why are you apologizing?" I ask her, looking down at the top of her head. "I'm telling you all of this and you're probably uncomfortable..I'm sorry.." She apologized again, crying into my sweatshirt again.

"I'm not uncomfortable. I'm actually glad you're telling me these things, don't be sorry." I say, causing her to look up at me. Her eyes are filled with tears and she has tear stains going down her face. There has to be some way to get her to stop crying.

"Come on, don't cry. If you want, you can ask me questions. I think I already tortured you with my interrogation." I suggest, chuckling softly. "Like 20 questions?" I smile a bit. I'm horrible at trying to cheer people up..

She wipes her eyes, scooting away from me. I frown slightly and then smile again as if nothing was wrong..which nothing was, I was just upset a bit..

She shrugs, looking a bit confused. "I-I guess so.." She mumbles, sniffling again.

"I'll start off," I glance around, "Hmm, how did you meet Kayla?" I ask. I've actually always been curious about this, I've never really known. Iris chuckles softly and I smile again. "We met in second grade. I had a cookie for lunch and she wanted it. When I told her she couldn't have it, that cookie stealer grabbed the cookie from my hand, pulled me to the ground by my hair and ran off. When I found her again, she already ate it. I didn't forgive her for a while, but I did eventually and we just kinda clicked." Iris explains, smiling.

"She stole your cookie.." I snicker. She shoots me a glare, then smirks. "Okay then, Mr.ImDefinitelyABadBoy, how'd you meet the boys?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at me, her saddened expression disappearing as if never existed. Pfft, and she thought I was bipolar.

I sigh softly, thinking back to the exact day. "We all met in kindergarten. It was Arts and Crafts, you can already tell this will get messy. I cut holes in their shirts with safety scissors, Ross put glue in our hair, Lucas put construction paper down our pants, and Adam drew on ours faces with sharpies." I chuckle, "Good times." I add, grinning a bit.

Iris giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. "That explains why they don't trust you in art class." Iris snickers. "They can't trust us anywhere," I add, shrugging slightly.

"Anyway, what are your hobbies?" I ask, even though I already know most of them. She thinks for a moment, "I watch Netflix 25/8, eat, sleep, listen to music, eat, play basketball sometimes..did I say eat already?" She grins as I laugh softly. "Remind me to put a lock on the fridge and cabinets in the kitchen." I say and she giggles.

"Okay, my turn again." Iris says, smirking. I don't like that smirk. "How many girls have you dated?" She asks. Ugh, like I can remember. "Too many to count." She stares at me suspiciously, "It's true, I don't remember. Lets just say they weren't that special if I don't remember them." I shrug a bit.

I think for a moment. "First kiss?" I ask her, grinning. "I don't remember the guy, it was about seven years ago or something. I think it was by accident though." She answers, shrugging. I nod slowly, staring at her for a moment longer before looking away. "Shouldn't a first kiss be memorable?" I ask, raising an eyebrow a bit. "Like I said, it was an accident." She repeats.

"So, who was your first kiss?" She asks, curious. "And how do you know I've had my first kiss?" I question, looking back at her, smirking slightly.

"Oh puh-lease, you're Oliver Sullivan. You've obviously had your first kiss." She smirks in retaliation. "You got me there." I chuckle, "Her name was..Rose? Maybe Ivy?...I don't remember but I was nine." I shake my head at the thought, chuckling softly. "And you said a first kiss should be memorable." Iris says, shaking her head.

"Do you think she remembers you?" Iris asks, resting her head on her knees again. "I doubt it, it's been a while." I reply, shrugging.

"My turn again. What was your dad like?" I knew it was a touchy subject but I was curious. Iris smiles at the thought of her dad. That's a good sign, right? She isn't mad, right?

"He was..the best. He was like my best friend too. We did a lot together like binge watch movies and shows, cook and bake, play sports, go out to arcades, and just anything fun. We always made promises. Not just any promises, but pinkie promises," I raise an eyebrow at her, "they're sacred." She adds, smiling.

"My dad and I made promises also. I remember he would make pinkie promises with me too." I recall, smiling at the thought of my dad. "I'm guessing you kept your promises like my dad and I did.." She nods, "I was closer with my dad than my mom, but I still loved them both equally of course. When my parents divorced, it was the saddest day of my life. Not just because he was leaving us, but because he promised he never would. It's been five years since then..."

I don't know why but I felt the need to tell Iris everything, and she actually listened to it all. Tears threatened to fall but I was able to blink them back.

"We both know how that feels..." Iris forces a sympathetic smile and looks up at the night sky.

I stare at her. Her hair flows out of her face when there's a slight breeze, her eyes shine bright in the moonlight. Nobody's perfect? Well, I object. I smile, staring at her.

I hold my pinkie out to her which catches her by surprise. "I'm sorry about every time I would bully you and hurt you...I was dumb. I take back everything I've ever said or done that hurt you. I pinkie promise to be a better person and friend," She smiles, "And to not leave you, especially in a time of need." I smile at her.

She locks pinkies with me. "Pinkie promises are?"

"Sacred." I smile wide. She leans her head on my shoulder, looking up at the sky again, our pinkies still locked. She looked happy..and I felt happy. Happy to have told her everything. Happy that she told me everything. Happy that she was here with me.

We stayed like this for what felt like another hour. That is..until Iris yawned.

"Tired?" I nudge her a bit, still smiling. She shrugs a bit, yawning softly again. I chuckle, looking down at her. "C'mon, it's time for you to get to bed." I tell her as if I was her parent.

As much as I would like continuing to stay here with Iris..just close to one another, not minding the cool breeze and the darkness of the night...ahem, she's tired and I am too.

I help Iris back into her room through the window and into her bed. She gets settled under the blankets, resting her head on the pillow. I hand her Snuggles which she smiles, snuggling close to it.

"Goodnight Iris," I say from the doorway, ready to close the door. "Goodnight marshmallow.." She mumbles drowsily. Then a light snoring fills the room.

I chuckle, closing the door behind me. Here goes another restless night due to my thoughts about Iris...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heyo! How many people fangirled or squealed? I'm curious. This chapter is..interesting. We find out more about the character's and their parents...and of course, I added a few moments of Iris and Oliver.

By the way, what should their ship name be? It's hard to make up one for their names. Iris and Oliver? Hmm. Maybe we can do last names instead? Mitchell and Sullivan? Mitchivan? Pfft that doesn't right.

Anyway, once again, if you enjoyed this chapter please like, comment, and leave feedback! Bye bye💖

~FT