Chapter Text
They stood tucked off to one side of the train station, a tall, blond man, and a smaller brunette. They were speaking quietly, a soft, almost whispered, conversation.
“You’ll wait for me, won't you?” the first man asked, taking both of the brunettes hands in his own, squeezing them tightly.
Apollos hands throbbed. It hurt. Kristoph was squeezing his hands so hard. Too hard. He couldn't pull away even if he tried. “I…. what if you don't come back? What if…” he couldn't say it.
“I’ll come back. I’ll always be with you, and you’ll always be with me.” he said, pressing Apollos hand into his chest, “Here… I’ll always have you here…”
Too hard… Kristoph was pressing his hand into a metal button, hard enough to leave an indention in Apollos hand.
“Yes…” Apollo murmured, and it was decided.
He would wait.
Kristoph boarded the train, and soon it was moving down the tracks. Their country was at war. Kristoph had been drafted the previous week, today was the day he finally left.
Apollo somehow felt like he could finally breathe.
Several months later, two soldiers came to notify him of Kristoph's passing.
Apollo's family was overjoyed. Though no one said it to him directly, Apollo could see it in their eyes, and hear as they whispered among themselves. They were glad Apollo no longer had to marry that man. There was something wrong, they said, with the way he looked at apollo. Like he was a piece of meat. There was something cold in that stare. Something vacant of love.
Apollo took the news quite well himself.
It didn't take apollo long to forget Kristoph. Even so, it was years later before he began dating again. A man named Phoenix began courting him in the early winter.
They were married under the cherry blossoms. Only a couple months had passed, but they were so deeply, truly in love. Almost painfully so.
Living with Phoenix was like a dream. Phoenix was a lawyer, and even though he was one of the best in the country, they were not very rich. Phoenix was a generous man. He often worked cases for free, and while Apollo was thankful that Phoenix had such a big heart, he often worried about their finances. He wished Phoenix would be a little more serious. Not only with his business, but in their relationship as well.
Often, Phoenix acted more like a mentor than a husband. This really frustrated Apollo to no end. They were equals, were they not…? But… Apollo found their time in the bedroom is when Phoenix would really open up and talk to him. Apollo soon realized that it was not that Phoenix didnt view him as an equal, it was just that he didn't like to speak so seriously in front of their adopted daughter, Trucy.