Work Text:
Joel sighs and wipes his hand across his forehead. It’s been a long day but working from dawn to nearly dusk will do that for you. The city looks fantastic, and the natural section he’s just worked on by the torii gate only adds to the beauty. The custom cherry blossom tree leaves are floating around through the air and the lights that Joel’s strung through them creates a magical atmosphere. It’s truly shaping up to be his best build to date, or at least in Joel’s eyes.
He's staring at the shrine, thinking about adding some lanterns to light up the area, when the sound of rockets nearly makes him jump out of his skin.
“Hello Joel.”
Joel whips around and glares at Etho.
“Jesus Christ! Etho, you blummin scared me!” He puts his hand on his chest, panting from the scare that his boyfriend just pulled on him.
“I’ve got to keep you on your toes.” Etho’s eyes crinkle up cutely and Joel just knows that he has the biggest shit eating grin on his face. Joel also knows that his face is most likely pink.
“Yeah, well… Careful! If you keep coming around here people will truly believe that you are obsessed with me.”
“It would be the truth though,” Etho winks while he teases “Besides I wear my obsession as a badge of honor.”
“Oh, shut up!” Joel’s face is tomato red “Stop teasing me, it’s not nice!”
“You’re right and I’m sorry,” Etho trails off “Sorry that you’re so fun and cute to tease.”
Joel’s hands hide his face from view while he groans loudly at the idiot known as Etho Slab. Unfortunately for Joel, he was attracted to that idiot.
It’s quiet for a few seconds before Etho lets out a soft gasp, causing Joel to look up at him.
“Look!” Etho points towards the pond that’s near the shrine.
“Woah” Joel draws out the word as he sees what Etho is pointing out.
The pond reflects the twinkling fairy lights and it’s like it’s out of a fairy tale. The lightning bugs that are beginning to wake up only enhance this feeling, and Joel is in amazement. Truly one of his best works.
“I have no idea how you create such magnificent builds, it’s like breathing for you.” Etho breaks Joel’s concentration.
“It’s not easy, this has taken a ton of blood, sweat, and tears from me,” He smiles at Etho “It is my actual child and if anything were to happen to it, I would kill everyone.”
“That’s a super strong feeling.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I felt just as strong, if not stronger, towards the Relation Ship.”
“I could tell, you went ballistic when it burned down… We both did.”
“…and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Etho smiles sweetly before agreeing with his sentiment. The loud buzz of cicadas breaks the little bubble that the two have created.
They both look around before Joel gets distracted by the emergence of stars that began to pop up in the sky.
“Beautiful.”
Joel turns his head to look at Etho with his eyebrow raised, with the word “what” on his lips but Etho’s face stops him. Etho’s looking at him as if he’s handcrafted each star and has put them up in the sky individually. It’s an intense look that makes Joel want to melt into a pile of nothing.
Joel lets out a nervous giggle as Etho walks closer to him. He’s so close that he reaches out his hand to cup Joel’s cheek. He strokes his thumb over his cheek softly as if Joel would break if he applied any sort of force.
“You are beautiful,” Etho lovingly voices “You know that, right?”
Joel’s speechless and stares at him with no thoughts in his head besides Etho. He leans into Etho’s hand.
“You truly are the prettiest person I have ever met, and I’m so lucky that I get to call you mine.”
“…Are you trying to kill me?”
Etho chokes in surprise at Joel’s response and begins to crack up in laughter.
“Shush! I’m being serious, you fool!” Joel pouts.
“Sorry, sorry,” Etho attempts to catch his breath “I just wasn’t expecting that to be what you said after I poured my heart out to you.”
“Well, that’s your own fault! How else was I supposed to act? Especially when it happened out of the blue!” Joel screeches.
Etho winces at him “I don’t know, maybe say that you love me back?”
“Of freaking course, I love you too,” Joel grumbles “Oh honestly the audacity of this man.”
Etho smiles like a loon before lunging to hug Joel. He’s so happy that he actually picks Joel up and spins him around a couple of times.
“Is this really necessary!?!” Joel raises his voice “You’re acting like it’s the first time that we’ve said that to each other!”
“Will you dance with me?” Etho slowly stops spinning and puts Joel back on his own two feet.
“What? Right now?”
“Yeah!”
“But there’s no music?”
“The nature around us is all of the music we need.”
“Fine, you silly silly man.”
Etho cheers before sweeping Joel off of his feet once more. He twirls and spins Joel around so much that Joel can’t help but laugh loudly. Etho’s laugh joins in and the two harmonize beautifully, as if they were always meant to be heard together. They continue to dance crazily for a couple more minutes, before slowing down.
Their dance turns into a slow dance, and the two are just shuffling back and forth in place. Joel’s head has migrated towards Etho’s chest whose arms have wrapped around Joel’s waist. It’s fully dark now and there’s a certain quiet atmosphere that relaxes them both.
“I truly do love you by the way,” Joel meekly says into Etho’s chest.
“I know, Sweetheart. I love you too,” He squeezes Joel tightly to his chest “We’re stuck together for the rest of eternity.”
“Ooo, how scary,” Joel giggles tiredly “I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind being stuck with you.”
“I don’t mind either.” Etho leans down and kisses Joel sweetly.