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Life was nothing but an eternal darkness.
The carousel consisting of day and night came to a halt it seemed. Yet why only for him? Why was it that each person surrounding him was to live a life devoid of said perennial somberness, whilst he was left alone with his own thoughts? It made no sense.
Some things had changed; the self-consciousness disappeared, a lover came and went, then returned, and some new friends made their way into Andrew’s life… It was minuscularily brighter, at last.
And yet another day went on, woken by the daybreak who wishes it still was deep within its slumber, as the intermission between the last sunset and sunrise was far too short to even attempt healing the wounds left by yesterday. It’s not just the previous day’s injuries that remained, however.
The epoch of one's existence was filled with misery, Kreiss has figured. From his infancy, up to now, he was nothing but a monster to everyone, with the exception of his mother. Even if someone would make the decision to make Andrew's acquaintance, they'd leave at some point.
That's right. Andrew Kreiss was nothing but a monster to most people, however not everyone necessarily resented him.
It felt like, that albino man was nothing but a nomad his whole life, only wandering about at nights of full moon (as the sun was scorching him alongside the glares of other people). Sometimes, some sort of light came, yet it disappeared not so long after.
Norton Campbell was the living proof of a weak, somewhat unstable ray in Andrew's life. The latter was incredibly attached to Campbell. Technically, they came to like each other.
Norton wasn't as attached to Kreiss. He would barely keep contact, despite placing pinky promise kisses on the pale man's lips. Yet Campbell was still somewhat cold, unavailable, no matter how much his boyfriend begged to be noticed.
Soon, the light went out. But that was for the better, as Andrew later found out.
Over time, light became a term not as abstract as it was before; the people Kreiss met were different.
Andrew Kreiss no longer was a monster. He finally became an ordinary human being, in other's eyes.
***
And so, another year at school was slowly coming to a long anticipated end. God, was it tiring to be drowned in schoolwork. The weather was starting to get unbearably hot, as well. It would be just two more months until vacation, and then… freedom, at least for a while.
Andrew loved being on the school's rooftop. Ever since a tall fence over the edges was built, students could freely hang out there. Was it strange? Perhaps. But the pale-skinned boy didn't mind that in the slightest; not many people took advantage of a new hangout spot anyway.
“It’s hot today.” He remarked to himself, bothered by the temperature. Even if there was a bit of shade, which was given by the entrance to the rooftop, it was still scorching.
“I know.” The red eyes looked at the source of the voice.
“Ah, Edgar. I didn't know you came in here.”
“Now you know.” Edgar Valden surely was an interesting specimen. In many aspects, he was unsettlingly similar to Andrew, yet still so different. Regardless of whether they were similar or not, they were still close friends.
Valden’s gaze was observant (maybe as a result of his artistic talents), more than the one of an average person; he noticed details that Andrew never thought could be noticeable, whether appearance-wise or personality-wise. Edgar, however, thought of this ability as something perfectly common (even though not even Andrew's mother could tell that on a certain winter day, he had put on five shirts, so as to not be cold), so he never really could tell how much staring was too much. That day was no exception.
“You look dehydrated.” He remarked bluntly.
“Ouch. How could you even tell?”
“You don't drink too often in general. And given the weather…” Another converningly small scrutiny.
“Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be going home?”
“I have violin classes in an hour. It wouldn't make sense for me to go home.” He sighed, presumably in frustration, and sat on the bench placed right next to the entrance. Andrew followed his friend's lead.
“So, tell me.” The blue-eyed boy started. “What on earth got you in such a good mood today? Earlier, I mean. You look horrible now. Probably because of the sun.”
“You're horrible at small talk. You don't look all that well yourself.” Kreiss teased. His best friend took great care of his appearance, including his facial expression. Therefore, it was at least strange to see Valden so displeased.
"I have violin classes today, do you expect me to be all calm and collected?" Edgar's tone wasn't exactly one of annoyance, however it wasn't serene, as well, which was normal, considering his resentment towards the instrument. “I was serious, though. I don't get to see you that happy everyday. What happened?”
“Ah… Well… Victor.” Andrew smiled softly, a pink hue showing up on his cheeks.
Victor Grantz was the brightest star in the sky under which Andrew slept. However, if only he could never get tired again, he would gaze into those lively, amber eyes until death would force him away from this beautiful sight.
Victor would always smell like citrus and flowers. His touch was pleasantly warm, just like the April sun, and his smile could be comparable to sunflowers by Van Gogh in terms of beauty. The blond hair cut into a wolf cut was extremely soft and healthy, the brightness of it contrasting with his tan skin. Couldn't forget about the details - the freckles, the soft German accent… Victor Grantz was perfect, in Kreiss’ eyes.
All of those minuscule things contributed to the German boy's uniqueness, just as if the sun decided to break through the vast layer of clouds, only to let its rays rest on Victor so that Andrew could earn hope. And he did; with each little caress, each gentle kiss, each sweet word of affirmation, the once petrified heart came back to life.
***
The meadow was unbelievably picturesque in May. Especially at sunset, in the arms of your lover.
Andrew started going out more often ever since he and Victor started dating. At first, the frail body of the albino boy had trouble handling longer walks, yet now, it was like second nature to him; to be outside, especially in those strong arms.
"You like what you see?" The blonde murmured against his boyfriend's neck.
"I'm loving it." The reply sounded.
"Not as much as I love you, hm?" The amber eyes gazed into the crimson, melting all coldness remaining on it.
"Oh, stop it." A giggle escaped the white-haired boy's lips. "I love you too, by the way."
They just admired each other in a strangely comfortable silence, not daring to speak a word. A hand cupped Andrew's cheek. In response, a pale arm wrapped itself around Victor's torso. They closed their eyes, and let their lips melt into each other in unison.
The kiss tasted like cookies on a rainy day, a much needed nap after am exhausting day, a feeling of freedom after years of loving in the dark.
When they finally pulled away from each other, all they could focus on were themselves. The albino leaned into his boyfriend's touch, while the latter kept his grip tight enough to make the frail boy feel protected, yet loose enough to not hurt the body, already damaged so many times.
And so, Andrew didn't even notice when he fell asleep, his body pressed against Victor.
It seems like Kreiss' seemingly pointless journey came to an end; it rather turned into a pleasant stay at an Oasis, with so many people he loved. The sanctuary was colored in bright hue, the grey parts almost completely dissolved under the sunshine's tender touch.
Two years ago, Andrew Kreiss would've constantly prayed for things to change. Now, he couldn't bear to change a thing. For there's a light that never goes out; a light which was resting peacefully in his own hands.