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"Where's Al?" Dio asked. "She was going to play with me."
"Al's busy right now, Dio," Claus said. "She went exploring with Lavie."
"Oh," said Dio. "I wanted to ask her all about how her flying was going. I bet she'll be able to beat you soon, Immelmann."
"There will be other opportunities for you to talk with her," Claus said.
"Of course there are, but I wanted to do it now. I suppose you'll have to entertain me instead."
Claus shrugged. He had time, and was feeling very patient at the moment. "What did you want to do?"
"Let's build a snowman!" Dio said.
"But we don't have any snow."
"Then we will make it out of mud. I bet I can make a better snowman than you can."
"You can make a better snowman out of mud?"
"Without a doubt."
"You're on."
"If we keep growing at the rate we have been, someday we're going to have people's homes all the way out here," Lavie said. "I just think it's so wonderful that everywhere is safe to be wherever they want to live."
"All the way out here?" Al asked.
"Even all the way out here," Lavie confirmed.
Claus surveyed his masterpiece. He had to admit, it looked pretty terrible. He wasn't sure that his mudman looked anything at all like a man, but Dio had said he heard it was supposed to be three large spheres.
Dio stepped out from behind his own mudman and started laughing, a truly delighted sound. "That looks really ridiculous, Immelmann," he said.
"Let me see if yours looks any better," Claus said, turning around slowly. "Wow."
"Do you like it?"
"It's amazing. How did you even do that with the mud, and! Is that my scarf?"
"I thought he would wear it better. I was right."
"But now it's going to be all covered in mud."
Dio laughed.
Claus glanced where Dio was pointing, at Claus' own shirt. It was drenched in mud. Claus glanced from his shirt to Dio's, which somehow still looked like it had just finished being washed. "How did you do that?" Claus asked.
"I was very careful," Dio replied.
"Not careful enough," Claus said, lunging forward to try to catch Dio with his muddy hands.
Dio laughed some more and danced backwards.
Claus sighed, faking resignation. Then, when Dio let down his guard, he launched himself forward and sent Dio toppling into the mud.
Dio squealed, then steeled his face into a glare. "That was uncalled for, Immelmann," Dio said.
Claus laughed, and Dio's glare broke into a smile.
"You're feeling better these days, aren't you?" Claus asked.
Dio nodded, softly. "I'm getting there."
Claus nodded back, in mute agreement before Dio shifted the moment again.
"What do you mean?," Dio asked, like he'd never given the serious response. "I'm always better than you."
"Look at the birds, Lavie!" Al shouted, pointing.
"Wow, are they pretty! There are a lot of them about right now because we're getting to the end of summer," Lavie explained.
"And because the war is over. Everything's better because the war is over," Al said.
"That's right." Lavie grinned at her.
"Claus, can I ask you a question?" Dio asked, shifting back a little so he was looking at Klaus rather than the mud snowman.
"Of course," Claus said.
"When you thought-- When I-- When you thought I was dead, did you miss me?"
Claus glanced at Dio, clearly shocked. "Of course I did."
"Oh."
"What brings this on?"
"I don't think I missed you. I don't think I remembered who you were, for a while."
Claus sat down in the mud, and pulled Dio down to sit next to him. "Dio, that's not your fault." Claus put his arm over Dio's shoulders. "It's really not. And if you're going to fret about it, then, for what it's worth, I forgive you."
"It means a lot," Dio said, moving so he could throw both his arms around Claus in a hug. "Thank you."
"Do you think we should head back soon?" Lavie asked. "So I can get dinner started?"
"Dio said he would make dinner today if I hung out with you instead of him," Al said.
"If we get back soon he won't have to."
Al frowned. "He's a better cook than you are."
As much as he didn't want to move, Dio couldn't ignore the slow sink of the sun towards the horizon. "I suppose I should go clean up," he said, shifting slightly to throw Claus' arm off him.
"What for?" Claus asked.
"I said I'd make dinner today. And most people don't appreciate mud in their food." Dio stood.
"Neither do I, for the record," Claus said, standing himself.
Dio ducked his head. "I'll bear that in mind."
"If I help you make dinner, will you be able to delay five more minutes, do you think?" Claus asked.
"What good will five minutes do, Immelmann?"
"I wanted to talk to you," Claus said.
Dio laughed. "We've been talking all afternoon."
"Not like that."
"Then like what?"
"What do you mean he's a better cook?" Lavie demanded.
Al giggled. "He doesn't burn the vegetables," she said.
Lavie rolled her eyes. "Vegetables taste bad no matter what you do with them. What should it matter if they're burnt?"
"Claus, I think I like you," Dio said, like he was saying something monumental and important.
Claus didn't get it. "I like you too," Claus said. He thought that should be obvious regardless, but particularly after their last conversation.
"Of course you do," Dio replied. "I'm very likeable. But that's not quite what I meant. I really like you. I mean - would you like to go flying with me tomorrow?"
Claus blinked at Dio. "But you haven't been in a vanship since the war ended."
Dio shrugged. "You're the only one who knows how to fly them right. I can't guarantee that I'll be okay once we're up in the air. But I'm okay with the idea now, and if anything goes wrong, well. I trust you to take care of it."