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In recent years, birthdays had become bittersweet. Quincy saw the passage of time in the environment, the people around him… but not himself.
He wondered if anyone noticed. It hadn’t been very long since things came to a halt, but some of the other men in the tribe already had gray hair. They had wrinkles around their eyes from their smiles. Even those a couple years younger than Quincy looked older than him.
He wanted to speak up eventually, before anyone started asking questions. So, in a quiet moment after his birthday festivities, Quincy decided to tell the person he trusted the most.
“The Grand Sorcerer told me I’ve stopped aging.”
Zaro coughed up a sip of the drink in his hand, and it quickly devolved into laughter. “Huh?”
“Something about… my essence.” Quincy’s expression remained neutral, his eyes trained on the horizon. “He said I could live forever.”
Zaro was silent for a beat. Then, “You’re serious?”
“Why would I lie?”
“I…” Zaro looked at the ground. “Well. Is that something you want?”
“Not especially. But it’s not like I can change it.”
Quincy couldn’t see himself when Huey gave him the news, but he had a feeling his expression was similar to the look on Zaro’s face now. He could see shock, dread… and pity in his eyes.
And then Zaro shook it off, like he’d put a mask to conceal his emotions.
It didn’t make Quincy feel any better.
“Well… maybe there’s a reason,” Zaro said with a shrug.
Quincy blinked. “The reason is… essence.”
“No, I mean a reason for you to live forever. Maybe you have a… greater purpose. Or something.”
Quincy only raised an eyebrow.
“Quincy, you’re…” Zaro sighed. “You’re the strongest, kindest, most selfless person I know. Maybe… maybe one lifetime just isn’t enough for you to do everything you need to do. You know?”
Quincy looked towards the horizon again, at the sun setting over the water. How many more sunsets would he see over the following years, decades, centuries? Would they always be so beautiful, or would they grow dull over time? “That sounds like a lot of responsibility.”
“Yeah. But I think you’re a pretty responsible guy.” Zaro nudged Quincy’s arm with his elbow. “And… I guess eternity gives you plenty of time to rest. Maybe you could start hibernating during the winter.”
That got a chuckle out of Quincy, albeit small. Hibernation didn’t sound all that bad…
“Do you think you’ll tell anyone else?” Zaro asked.
“I’m… not sure,” Quincy admitted, a slight smile fading into a frown. “I don’t wanna scare them.”
“They probably won’t notice for a while.” Zaro shrugged. “You’ve got time.”
Quincy only hummed in response. If Zaro was so surprised to begin with… maybe it wasn’t quite as obvious as it seemed. Maybe he could put it off for a little longer.
“In the meantime… I’ll stick around with you for as long as I can, okay?” Zaro draped an arm over Quincy’s shoulders. “I may not live forever, but I’ll make it count.”
Quincy leaned into Zaro’s side, enough that it turned into an embrace. It was just what he needed after a long day, after another year of feeling like he’d lied to the people he did everything in his power to protect.
He’d make it count, too.