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Laurance felt a hand place itself on his shoulder. He was barely in control; he could feel it, and it was becoming more and more difficult to restrain himself.
“Laurance,” a calm voice reached his ears. Vylad met his eyes evenly.
“Come with me. You need to calm down.”
Laurance looked back at the others for a second, before nodding and following Vylad to the edge of the ocean.
It was a ritual they followed daily. Meditation helped him clear his head and usually the sounds of the ocean calmed him down.
Once out of earshot, the two men settled down on the beach, looking out at the sparkling waves.
Laurance could hardly focus on the bright, crystal blue expanse out into nothing, though.
There was this warm feeling; it swelled in his chest, took his breath away. He couldn’t quite name it, he’d never felt this way before.
It had begun recently- every time the two of them did this, Laurance would find himself getting lost, not in the ocean, or the sky, or the forest, but in the person next to him. Memories the two of them shared. The scent of tree sap that clung to him and the scarf he used to hide his face. The calm aura radiating off of him.
He couldn’t clear his mind of these thoughts, today being particularly difficult. His eyes kept wandering back to Vylad.
His wild hair, tossed about in dark brown curls, that, when the light hit them just right, seemed to glow the color of honey.
Freckles splashed over his face, mostly hidden by the scarf.
Green eyes- wait, green eyes?
Vylad stared back at him, unperturbed.
“You’re getting distracted,” he said softly.
Laurance snapped his attention back to the far off horizon, tried to clear his head, ground himself with the sound of the waves and the sand under his hands, the breeze that tugged at his hair. His focus trained on the clouds in the far distance, large puffs of cotton so far away that from this distance, he could imagine snatching from the sky.
Slowly, Laurance calmed down. The red smoke disappeared, as did the telltale armor. But his attention had wandered back to the man beside him, as it inevitably did.
This time, Vylad didn’t question it. Laurance was able to see the flecks of brighter green, the hazel in them that were nearly golden in the light of the sunset behind them. The careful guard they held, keeping from getting closer.
As he stared, realization dawned over him.
Oh.
…
Oh.
Oh shit.
“..You’re staring. Is there something wrong? Do I have another leaf in my hair already?” Vylad broke the spell between them.
Laurance shook his head, looking away again.
Vylad sighed, closing his eyes and standing up, offering a hand to Laurance.
“It’s getting late. Let’s get something to eat and then set up camp a little ways off.”
Laurance nodded.
Timeskip
Laurance sheathed his sword again. Restlessness was tugging at his consciousness.
It was frustrating.
“Why? Of all things, why him?” Laurance growled to himself.
Vylad was out of sight, although he could hear everything Laurance said. He observed Laurance closely, surprised that he was this obvlivious to his surroundings.
Laurance was pacing, until he sat down in the clearing, flopping onto his back.
“Of all people, why Vylad?”
If he wasn’t paying attention before, Vylad was now.
“Garroth’s still stuck in the Irene dimension. I can challenge him to Aphmau all I want, but asking his consent to be like that with his own brother? A brother that, for that matter, he assumes to be dead? How do I break that to him?” Laurance rolled over onto his stomach, absentmindedly plucking grass from the clearing and shredding it.
He sighed heavily through his nose, groaning, before rolling back over, shredded grass stuck to his face again.
Vylad sighed to himself. Laurance’s train of thought was heading in a negative direction, but he could do nothing, unless he was willing to risk both his position and his safety.
He absentmindedly tracked a bee that flew overhead with his eyes as it buzzed off towards a flower, or it’s hive, or whatever matter bothered the bee enough to keep it bumbling along it’s path.
In a way, he felt like that bee. He knew where he wanted to go. Problem was, he couldn’t go there. For the sake of others. For Vylad.
“Hell, why not go to the nether? Why not respond to the calling? It’d be easier than admitting I’m in love with Vylad to his face,” Laurance snorted.
Vylad froze.
I.. I should leave, Vylad thought.
He stepped back only to hear a gentle crack underfoot. Of course, he just had to step on a stick.
Laurance’s head whipped around, and he had Vylad pinned to a tree in a second, sword to his throat.
“Vy-Vylad?!” Laurance dropped his sword immediately, face bright red. Even from behind his scarf, Laurance could see Vylad’s face just as red as his own, if not more.
“Laurance, did.. did you mean that?” Vylad asked, tone hushed. Laurance could hardly keep his gaze.
He found he couldn’t speak, his mouth had gone dry and he didn’t trust his voice, so he nodded.
After a few moments had passed, Laurance cleared his throat.
“So uh.. How long were you listening?”
“..Long enough to hear you rambling about asking Garroth about dating me,” Vylad mumbled, hands fidgeting.
Laurance couldn’t suppress a groan.
“I… I’mnotexactlyopposedtotheidea,” Vylad muttered, immediately hiding his face behind his scarf afterwards.
Laurance turned towards him so quickly, eyes so wide, Vylad was afraid he might hurt himself.
“What?!”
“I said.. I uh.. I feel the same way.” Laurance could barely hear him, but the words were there. They hit just as hard as if he’d shouted them. “And.. I have, for a while. I didn’t make a move because I didn’t want to scare you away.”
Laurance’s face became five shades redder.
“For how long?”
It was Vylad’s turn to look away.
“Since the nether.”
Laurance felt like he’d been hit with a sack of bricks. He sat back, supported by a tree, feeling the scrape of the bark as he slid down. He buried his face in his hands, feeling way too many things at once.
“Are.. are you ok?” Vylad asked.
Laurance nodded, before lifting his face.
“So what now?” He asked.
Vylad stared at him, for the first time since they’d met, looking like a rabbit staring at a hawk’s talons. “I’m not quite sure. Never really thought I’d get here, to be honest.”
Laurance had an idea. He stood up, and offered his hand to Vylad. Vylad took it, and he threaded their fingers together. Vylad’s hands were calloused and rough, scars littered from battles and hobbies alike, but warm. Laurance’s were soft and cold in comparison, but just as scarred and roughed up.
“I think.. here might be a good place to start.”
Vylad laughed.
“Yeah, I think you might be right.”