Secret Identity

'You'll never tell me, will you,' said Loch. She spoke in a musing tone of voice, and it didn't sound like a question.

Pyre opened his eyes to see her lounging on Gray's threadbare couch on her back, one knee crooked up as she gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. The two of them were staying at Gray's place for the night, since they had to do band practice early tomorrow morning and it was easier to just sleep here than drive all the way back to their own houses. 'What do you mean?' he asked. Not accusingly, but curiously.

Loch didn't look at him, but continued examining the patterns on the ceiling. It was weird to see her so quiet and contemplative; usually she was an explosion of energy that tested Stal's patience to breaking point. 'Your real name, I mean. You'll never tell me what it is.'

'Do you want to know?' Pyre said, genuinely surprised. 'Why? It's just a name.'

'Yeah, but you're my friend. Our friend. Friends should know things like that. But... if you really, really hate your name and don't want anyone to know, then that's OK. I don't mind calling you Pyre for the rest of my life if you're more comfortable with that.'

He hummed in acknowledgement. 'It's not that I don't want you to know. It's just not really something I talk about, or think about. I'm not a big fan of my real name. I don't hate it, but... I prefer Pyre.'

Loch smiled slightly. 'And like I said, I'm fine with calling you that. But I have to admit, I'm really curious. If you did tell me, then I wouldn't... abuse my knowledge, or anything. I just want to know. And if--'

'Rupert Fox.'

'--You don't want - wait a second.' Loch twisted her neck sideways to look at him properly. 'That's your name? You just told me your real name?'

He shrugged, smiling. 'Why would I lie about it?'

'Um.' Loch chose not to mention that he'd been keeping his real name a secret ever since they'd met, so him lying about it didn't seem too unlikely. 'Well... wow, I guess. I really never expected you to say it. I don't see why you dislike it so much, though. It's a perfectly decent-sounding name.'

'I don't mind my surname. Fox. It has a nice ring to it. But Rupert...' He wrinkled his nose. 'Ehh. It just seems too ordinary.'

Loch snorted out a laugh. 'I'm not surprised that having an ordinary name would bother you. You like everything to be unique, don't you?'

'Yep, that's about right.'

'Well, I'm glad you told me. Now you'll have to forgive me if it sometimes slips out when I'm talking to you.'

'I don't mind if you want to use it sometimes,' said Pyre carefully. 'And I don't mind if you tell Stal and Gray and Arc, either. Just as long as nobody else finds out.'

'Don't worry, I keep my promises. I won't leak your secret identity to everyone.'

'Thanks.'