"Are you ready for the surprise?" Ivan shouted with excitement.
Kai along with hundreds of kids cheered up throwing their hands above.
Augustus waited while holding his gaze with Ivan, looking at him and smiling at the crowd.
Ivan clapped twice and took his position in the middle of the stage. The people organized for the event appeared there in the animal's costumes and scattered on the ground the moment Ivan started singing the song he made up, especially for the event.
"Cute like a rabbit, sharp like a tiger, witty like a fox, colourful like a chameleon everyone at one place…" as Ivan sang the dancers who wore the animals did a step accordingly.
"Petty idiot like an owl,"
Kai glanced at Augustus and let out a laugh taking a dig at the owl shifter ability the fangs owner beside him has as a power.
But his chuckle didn't reach Augustus's ears. Ivan's voice faded everything for him.
"Sitting on the roof,
Howling like a wolf"
Kai suddenly got an interest in Ivan's poem.
"We are all together, never being falling apart,
Sunset brings us together, never been leaving the hearts"
Ivan's cute melodious voice captivated their ears.
The way he stood on the stage, holding the mic in both hands, moving in rhythm, and looking too cute to be in the dungaree.
Kai and Augustus intently listened to him singing.
While Augustus tapped his foot on the rhythm, Kai clapped his hands in joy and swung his body from side to side. His orbs were filled with Ivan's reflection in them.
People walking across the footpath stopped and gathered near the kindergarten.
Ivan's voice has that magic to make anyone stop and listen.
The duplets become mesmerized hearing his soft voice.
That nervous gaze of Ivan when he sang, keeping in mind not to make a mistake, didn't miss Kai's sight.
The moment Ivan ended it on a sweet note, Kai got up and clapped continuously for him.
Augustus stayed in the moment for a while as Ivan's voice created a special place in his heart making everything else forget. Not going on his outer face but he was indeed impressed by his singing ability.
Kai walked toward Ivan, giving him a high five and earning a smile from him.
Ivan glanced at Augustus and gestured to him to come at him.
He has a faint smile on his face watching Ivan smiling at him.
When he didn't get up, Ivan walked at him, tagging Kai along with him, and held his wrist.
A dancer in the Chameleon costume sneakily captured Ivan's photos in the small handy camera.
The latter dragged him further to the stage and stood there snaking his hands in their arms, feeling fulfilled and relieved as his surprise went well. He smiled at his best friends feeling contained with happiness as he kept his hands on their backs.
The ceremony came to an end.
-
"This was too good Ivan, oh my gosh your voice, uff, I have become a fan of yours" Jessica couldn't stop complimenting him meanwhile the duplets stood behind their tiny and watched people saying sweet nothings to him.
Kai's eyebrows furrowed deeply as Jessica hugged Ivan whilst the other one held no expressions on his face but breathed in furiously.
Thin lines appeared on Kai's forehead when he noticed how tightly her arms wrapped around Tiny's body.
Jessica always wanted to hug Ivan. She was looking for an opportunity to get closer to him.
When she pulled away, he had a moment of reliving their raging breaths but it lasted only for a minute when Mr Choksy shook hands with Ivan and did not take a cue to leave his hand. He went further and asked,
"Can I have a moment with you alone? "
Ivan shifted his eyes between himself and his friends.
But the heck if Augustus and Kai would walk away. Ivan knew it and so he went to the side with Mr Choksy.
"Yeah, I hope you enjoy the ceremony"
"Very much. You should try singing more"
Ivan smiled a little blushing after getting a compliment.
"So what have you decided about my offer?"
Ivan stayed silent as Mr Choksy talked further while leaning closer to his ear, "I will pay you triple, a well-furnished apartment to live in too so you won't need to travel so far"
-
The duplets could hear it all even being at a distance from Ivan. Thanks to their ultimate powers they could even know the things going on everyone's minds, especially those who chose to talk with Ivan.
They noticed Ivan and the other human talking together standing too close to their expectations. Kai walked further, standing behind Ivan which made Mr Choksy step back.
"If you are done with talking then I shall have my friend back"
"Umm...yeah. Sure. I will take a leave. Do tell me about your decision Ivan. I will be waiting for your answer"
he talked looked at Ivan then left.
Ivan gave Kai a look of disbelief. He marched leaving him behind.
"Kai"
Augustus's voice fetched Kai's attention at him.
"Do you believe there's a superpower among humans?"
Kai thought for a while and then gave up shrugging his shoulders.
"Money! It can give them happiness" Augustus's raspy voice and flaming gaze on Mr Choksy made Kai chuckle in laughter.
"Looks like you got a snack for tonight"
Augustus didn't say anything but his red flickering eyes showed what was in his mind.
-
Everyone left with a bunch of gifts and smiles on their faces, joy in their hearts. The media and journalists got enough scoop to print for tomorrow.
The principal thanked the special guests for not being able to contain the happiness and excitement to meet the popular people in life. He looked quite happy with how the ceremony went well and congratulated Ivan.
As the ceremony was done, the staff started collecting chairs, and other stuff, emptying the garden.
While seeing off Jessica, she held Ivan's hands intently looking at him. Ivan had nothing else going on his mind. He waited until she talked.
"I was thinking that it's been a few weeks we are being friends and-" Jessica became nervous. It was her first time asking someone out as men have always taken initiative before in their life.
"Say it Jessica" Ivan sounded caring and concerned.
"What are your plans for tonight? If you are free then can we meet at the lounge and bar?"
Ivan looked like thinking about something.
"We have been friends but never went out together, even once"
"Well, Jess, I know that. But I can't assure you about tonight"
"Oh," Jessica wanted to know the reason so she randomly picked the topic. "I didn't know you already had plans with your girlfriend"
Ivan chuckled at hearing her. He shook his head cutely. "Not girlfriend but have some other stuff to do"
Jessica looked relieved at the part that he is still single, "Okay cool no worries. Will see you some other time then"
Ivan gave his famous eye reaching smile to her. She left from there.
With a loud sigh, he turned and found the infamous duplets who caused havoc in his life a few moments ago.
Kai and Augustus stood in front of the aforementioned man-friend with their head slightly hung low as Ivan silently threw daggers at them. His right foot tapped as if demanding a serious explanation.
They could have replied to him, he expected one message or call from them for confirmation that they were really going to appear at his event but none of them did that. His eyes shuffled between Augustus and Kai, thinking about what to do with the two idiots whom he called his friends.
When he noticed Augustus pouting and Kai looking at him with puppy eyes he threw his head back in utter disbelief.
"This is not fair, I can't even get angry with you two!" he said in a defeated tone.
That instantly brought a smile to Kai's face and he stood near Ivan, throwing his arm around tiny's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Augustus looked visibly relaxed. They could read what was going on in Ivan's mind and how much he was chided for their irresponsible behaviour. But being cute always worked.
"You both are culprits. You made me wait, almost made me cry, and made me anxious. What if something has happened to me? What if I had died because of that attack?"
It straight touched Kai's heart. His eyes become dewy with a mere thought of it.
"Be assured that I will fly to wherever you are Amor!"
Augustus held his arms, staring deep into his eyes.
" And you don't need to rely on any messages or calls from us. Just call us from the core of your heart and we will be there." Augustus tried to tell him softly.
With his sharp words, raspy low voice filled with assurance to feel it, and his unwavering gaze, Ivan froze under his demeanour. A fog left out from his slightly parted lips. His nose becomes a tint of red and his skin turned paler than before.
He gulped while cutely blinking his eyes at him and nodded his head. Augustus left the hold on him after noticing all those things affected Tiny and saw him inhaling deeply.
He smiled for a fraction of a second before turning serious.
Kai went closer to Ivan and caressed his back. It gave him a sense of calmness and changed the temperature around him a bit warmer. Ivan felt good as he didn't feel cold anymore.
"You did a really good job. I have never seen such a ceremony before. Well done Amor" Kai rubbed his arm.
But that wasn't the only thing he expected from them. He gave them a look.
Augustus stepped closer to him while nodding at Kai's words.
"It was good."
"What do you think will make me happy? I prepared a poem a night before the ceremony thinking to give a surprise and no one wanna mention that? Seriously?" Ivan folded his hands across his chest feeling furious over the thought of how all the limelight went to his friends but not a single one complimented him about his singing.
Kai's eyebrows raised realizing he didn't compliment Ivan yet.
"I enjoyed your poem, especially the owl part" he threw a notorious glance at Augustus earning an eye roll from him.
The corner of his lips twitched, making his cheek puff.
Looking at that Kai couldn't hold back his urge and squeezed his cheeks while Augustus's fingers wiggled resisting doing the same.
Kai smiled at furious Ivan who gave nothing but a murderous glare to him. He shooed away his hands.
Augustus snaked Ivan's shoulder calmly and let out a sigh.
"Your singing was so good that-"
Ivan looked at him expectantly.
"I need to visit a doctor and do a thorough check-up of my ears"
Hearing him, Kai burst into a peal of laughter.
Ivan pushed him away. He stomped his foot and walked ahead of them. Augustus's humour didn't go well with him, especially when he was angry.
Kai's feet turned to follow him but stopped when he heard a howling.
Augustus looked above the sky, and how the moon was getting shadowed behind the dark clouds.
It's the time of the night again!
_