Work Text:
Tam Pov
Keefe breaking into Tam’s room at 2am was never something Tam thought he would get used to, yet here he is not even blinking, as Keefe is throwing a bundle of human clothes at him and telling him to get changed quickly.
The spontaneous late night meet ups weren’t anything new to them, their entire relationship had started with those evenings together. Still, an impromptu adventure into the forbidden cities had definitely never happened before. But if that's what Keefe wanted to do, then Tam wasn’t going to stop it. They deserved a small break anyway, what with the war with Neverseen and dealing with the council. Tam quickly changes into the clothes Keefe tossed to him. He looked at himself in the mirror admiring the intricate silver butterflies resting on a pankas blossom painted on the back, another butterfly flying over a field of flowers painted on the front pocket, the silver a beautiful contrast to the deep black of the outfit. Tam remembers watching as Keefe customized it. Tam had originally been against it since it wasn't really his style but Keefe had just fired back that he couldn’t just wear black all the time, forbidden cities or otherwise. He pulls on a pair of black jeans and nondescript boots, looking at Keefe wearing his batman shirt (Tam knows he has other human shirts but has yet to see them all) and blue jeans with a faux leather jacket.
They leap out the window. Tam is sure that Tiegren is aware of his and Keefe late night escapades but he has yet to bring it up, and until he does Tam and Keefe will continue to use Tam’s window as a door.
“So what is the point of this extremely dangerous and illegal excursion?” Tam breaks the silence, half teasing Keefe, half reminding him of the risk.
“Well, during my time in the lost cities I discovered the best drink the humans ever made and who better to introduce than my beloved boyfriend” Keefe responded, winking and blowing a kiss at the end.
“So we are breaking a gazillion laws, risking capture by Neverseen, and any other unforeseen consequences. Because you’re craving a human drink.” Tam slowly turns his head to see Keefe’s face plastered with a goofy smile “You’re an idiot, you know that right?”
Keefe grins even wider “Yeah” leaning in “But I’m your idiot. Anyways don’t worry I asked Dex to mess with our pendants so the council can’t track us or anything” Keefe leans his head on tams shoulder, slowly turning upwards to gaze up at him “and don’t act like you're not excited, I know you’ve been dying to catch a break too” Keefe a half hearted chuckle left Keefe’s lips, but Tam could see the exhaustion behind his eyes and the toll the past couple of months had taken on him form how he leaned just a little bit more into his shoulder, like if he buried himself deep enough he might actually get to rest. They had spent long enough watching their backs and planning their every move, maybe a stupid dangerous decision is just what they needed, to let loose and not care about the consequences, just pretend that their world wasn’t balancing at knife point.
Tam sighed grandly “Let’s get this over with then” gently shaking Keefe off his shoulder and grabbing his outstretched hand, no need for any words just a quick confirmation in eachothers eyes before they let themselves be swept away by the light.
They arrived in a back alley of some human city. It was dirty and Tam could taste the pollution as he arrived. His face soured before he quickly schooled a neutral look, letting Keefe lead the way. Watching his face scrunch up adorably as he tried to remember the way to wherever they were going. Tam wondered what time it was wherever they were. The sky was dark, but the streets were cast with bright lights and lively groups of people around every corner. Tam walked along besides Keefe still holding his hand, only half paying attention to where they were going, still simply allowing Keefe to lead. Keefe was walking with more confidence now, he definitely knew where he was now. Tam’s lips curled into a small smile as he felt Keefe tug lightly before almost bursting into a run with his excitement. They soared down the streets together hand in hand, a boy with his beautiful egret. No care for the stares from fleeting faces just enjoying their stolen time away.
Suddenly, Keefe stops and pulls them into an open store, almost cartoonishly. A strange yet pleasant smell envelopes Tam as he walks in, a bell rings somewhere above them. They migrate to a small corner of the cafe and Keefe tells Tam to wait as he orders, quickly leaving Tam alone as he joins the line at the front of the store. Tam stands awkwardly for a moment as he takes in his surroundings. There's a vague familiarity to cafes, though without the lost city's usual glitter. Tam lets his eyes wander some more and notices how many plants are scattered around the store. It gives the place a calming effect that eases any tension he was feeling from the sudden new environment. Tam flits around the cafe a bit more before moving his gaze onto Keefe, apparently conversing with the barista in one of the human languages,
Wishing he was at least some part polyglot, Tam could do nothing to guess what was being said between the two only observing quietly. Keefe lightly shakes his head, a small smile on his face as he briefly glances back gesturing at Tam. The barista, all smiles and giggles before frowns momentarily before saying something back and going to make their drinks. Confusion must be written all over his face since the second Keefe looks over at him again he bursts into a fit of suppressed giggles. He’s suddenly very grateful that they’re the only ones in the cafe. Keefe returns carrying two green drinks with ice floating in them. Tam reaches for the foreign green and apparent reason Keefe decided to drag him out to the forbidden cities at this ungodly hour.
But Keefe pulls the drinks away, smirking. “Not yet! We have to drink them at the proper location.”
Tam can’t help but snort as he raises an eyebrow not gracing his mischievous other half with an answer as he follows him out the door, Keef leading them once again through the roads, and away from the main street. He should have known that there was more to it than just getting the drink.
Suddenly, they stop and enter a tall daunting building covered in windows. When they enter Tam almost thinks he’s back in the lost cities with all the lavish decoration inside. Keefe waves to the person at the front desk with a smile and then pulls Tam alongside him to the elevator, scanning a card and picking the top floor.
As the metallic doors close around them Tam suddenly gets a bit anxious, turning towards Keefe. “Where are we? Who was that person? Why are we here?” The questions spill out of Tam contrasting Keefes laid back attitude.
“We’re at a hotel I stayed at during my time in the forbidden cities. I still keep a room here just in case,” Keefe turns to look at Tam interlacing their fingers as he moves closer “and that one is Micheal, He works here and is one of the few friends I would say I have in the forbidden cities.” Effectively calmed down Tam looks up at Keefe as he pauses and smirks, “As for why we're here you’ll see”
As if it had been perfectly timed the elevator doors ding open, revealing a rooftop garden.
There were Fairy lights woven in between branches. Water trickling down from an artificial stream, the sounds of the city muted by the distance from the street. Keefe finally hands Tam his drink and slowly starts walking down a path. Tempted to finally taste it Tam opts not to till the two of them can together. Tam follows Keefe quietly, just admiring the ornate layers of different plants, He watches as Keefe reaches out and touches one of the trees, noticing how his eyes glaze over and Keefe mumbles something in gnomish.
The scene Tam gets to see afterwards is unforgettable, Keefe looks so in his element life surrounding him from all sides and that blinding smile of his, the one that Tam loves so much. It's not his cocky smirk, or that shy one he gets when he is nervous, no its his smile. The one reserved just for Tam, when Keefe is truly at his happiest. The one that makes Tam feel whole, not just some broken boy weighed down by the unfairness of life. The one that makes Keefe look whole as well, like any bad days are long behind them and it's just them. Together.
Tam can’t help but smile back. A real smile. One that he once thought he had lost but was slowly finding again.
“Just greeting the plants and asking them if they mind us being here” Keefe tells Tam softly.
“Hopefully they don’t mind” Tam replies back just as softly a smile still ghosting his lips as he continues to admire his boyfriend.
Maybe in the past Tam would have thought it was strange that his boyfriend talks to plants and that they respond back to him. But it doesn't matter to him anymore, not when all Tam can feel is happiness. He knows that this is one of the few things that Keefe can look at and feel as though it is truly his. Not something his parents forced him to learn. And it was a skill that had proven invaluable multiple times.
They walk to a bench at the edge of the garden and finally sit down. Keefe goes on about how the drink is called a matcha latte and he prattles on how it’s perhaps his favorite human drink, just filling the silence. And Tam lets him, soaking up the sound of his voice and the silhouette of his face. He doesn’t take a sip till he sees Keefe finally bring the cup up to his mouth. Finally, Tam understands. The drink is slightly sweet, with bitter undertones, and tastes a bit like how he feels keefe’s relationship with plants would taste like, in an odd way. Holding the cup with both hands, Tam leans against Keefe and stares down at the city, Hundreds of lights fill the skyline in an intricate dance of blinking and shining as the city bustles despite itself. Tam admits to seeing its beauty. Sure the air may smell, and the artificial lights come at the cost of the stars, but the city is alive in a way the lost cities could never be. The city is broken but that doesn’t mean it’s not trying to heal, and maybe that is what makes it so beautiful. Just like the beautifully broken boy by his side. The boy who dragged him out to break all of the rules at 2am for a matcha latte. The boy who Tam knew was drowning, just to keep everybody else's head above water. And Tam promises to himself in that moment that he would do whatever it takes to make sure that that boy realizes his life is just as important, after all he owes it to him. So Tam would continue to break rules and sneak away in the middle of the night for stupid reasons like a craving for one specific food if it made Keefe smile. If it gave him a chance to come up for air.
And so Tam sighed and leaned deeper against Keefe breathing in his scent, sipping his drink, content in his promise. Happy to be there in the moment even if the world fell apart tomorrow.
And the moon, seeing it all, watched on.