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A blanket of flowers covers the slopes of the island, a bewitching rainbow of colors. The salty air is warm, just hinting at hot before the breeze steals it away. It's the lull in between spring and summer, when the rest of the creatures are busy raising their newest litters and making sure their shelters can withstand the summer heat and storms.
This is Xavi's favorite time of year- he doesn't have to tend to the plants as they are dependent on the weather now, no one bothers him, and all he has to do is forage for mushrooms and add to the island if he wants. Sometimes he adds some rocks here or there, changes the shorelines a bit to confuse the merpeople, maybe make the hills and mountain a little taller, but most of the time Xavi is content to tend to his rocks. There's a simplicity to rocks, a purity and permanence not found in too many other things inhabiting the planet; they aren't ever changing like the winds, they don't destroy like fire, they don't wash away like water. Rocks are honest and unyielding.
The salamanders are burning one of the higher slopes today so they won't have to do it later in the summer when it's too hot to move or tend to it if it's hit by a lightning strike. The smoke is drifting across the face of the western slopes, a nearly solid black Xavi wants to stay well away from. He disappears below ground for a while, darting in and out of the dwarf tunnels, making sure to steer clear of any dwarves. Xavi doesn't like dwarves; they destroy his rocks and take the jewels and precious metals he hides in them. Dwarves don't see the beauty of rocks, an injustice that sits with a deep grudge in the back of Xavi's mind.
There's no smoke around the cave on the east side of the island he emerges from. He can see the ocean from here, see the white waves that brush against the shoreline reshaping it and ruining the work Xavi put into creating it. Sometimes Xavi thinks the world is out to get him and the rest of the gnomes. The human, David, is down there with his Selkie watching him from further up the beach as David sketches a naga. Xavi blinks. He hasn't seen a naga for hundreds of years. It's different now the Sea Witch is gone; sea creatures feel safe to return to the islands. Xavi scowls.
"Already you are frowning?" A soft voice asks him. Andres is sitting on a branch in one of the trees above him. "The sun isn't overhead yet."
"I'm going to have to rework the shoreline," Xavi points to the naga and Andres smiles.
"You'll have to coax a few rocks to move, nothing you can't handle."
Xavi grumbles and finds a rock to lay on. The stone forms around him, molding to his body, welcoming him with a tiny nudge in his mind. Xavi listens to the rocks; most creatures have forgotten the rocks and plants can speak if only they'd listen. As he lays there, he watches Andres move his arms and hands in a series of motions. In the distance clouds take shape, large and a crisp white against the bright blue sky. The sylph's wings move so fast Xavi can't see them as he stands and alights to the ground to stand next to him.
"Nothing stays the same," Andres tells him, running his hand through the air and a gentle breeze washes over them, bringing with it the scent of the ocean.
"Rocks do," Xavi grumbles, patting the rock he's sitting on as it agrees with him.
"They move, break, grow, and change like the rest of us," Andres smiles before he darts off, invisible like the wind he creates. "They just need a little more time."
Xavi frowns at the spot Andres was standing in. With a huff, he rolls over and sinks down into the rock and earth, sharing an unmoving but strong single conscience. He doesn't dream and time means nothing; here, among his rocks, existence is the only thing that matters.
*
The island has been here for thousands of years. Xavi remembers what it was like before all the creatures fled from the mainland for the islands, back when it was just the four elementals and a few other creatures. He even remembers when it was just him, before Andres was assigned the island by Aeolus and before Raul and Pepe were born. For a while it was only Xavi and the island.
He made her strong, fortifying her with rocks and building her up so she was more than a speck in the ocean. The wind and the water brought seeds and he carefully selected the plants which would grow on the island. The island is his mother, friend, own personal world, and as she made him into what he was so did he transform her. And the other magical creatures came, fleeing a world who either feared or forgot them. Andres arrived, tiny and barely able to create a cloud. The undines gifted the stream to the island, more small little creeks and ponds at that time until Raul grew and with him the stream came together and was stronger. Xavi doesn't really remember when or how Pepe arrived, only that his headaches started at that time.
No one remembers her anymore. She appears to Xavi sometimes when he is alone, but he isn't sure if the other three have seen her. The creatures have forgotten her, forgot the island has a spirit and is more than just a place to live. Xavi will never forget his mother; the guilt at letting her fade into obscurity keeps her constantly on his mind.
*
Now the human has his selkie, Xavi finds he's alone more often. Xavi likes his solitude, but David has been trailing after him for years asking questions; Xavi misses it. Occasionally he finds himself walking toward the little cottage on the dunes, but he talks himself out of it more often than not. Today isn't one of those days though, and he finds himself pulling on a rope to ring the bell David has installed at the door. Xavi still doesn't understand humans and their need for doors.
Xavi places little trust in any creature born from the water. The Selkie might be David's lover, but Xavi thinks David has been rash in his actions with the Selkie. Matters of the heart should be well thought out; Raul is a perfect example of what can happen when rash decisions are made. As Xavi sits and speaks with David, the Selkie sleeps in the sunlight, languidly spread out like a cat. He wonders if the Selkie will age like David when not in his fur or if he will stay young as David grows old. Xavi doesn't know death, but he knows goodbyes.
As he takes his leave and wanders back to the outcrop of rocks he prefers, he wonders what a permanent goodbye is like.
*
Xavi's moving rocks down on the shore, carving out the beginning of a new cove amongst some giant boulders. A few mermaids splash at him, but he sends them swimming off by chucking rocks close to them. He feels a pair of eyes watching him; the earth thrums underneath his feet telling him he's safe from harm. Grabbing a stick with notches on it, he measures the different rocks and makes sure they are appropriate sizes for what he plans.
"There's this human word," the wind carries Andres' voice to him, "neurosis. I think your obsession with rocks could be considered neurotic."
Xavi doesn't answer him and continues his tasks. He knows the others don't understand rocks and the earth and the intricacies of how everything fits together. If the island is the universe, Xavi is the great creator who must find the balance for the cosmos to swirl and life to exist.
"Are you happy?"
Xavi pauses and turns. Andres has alighted to the sand of the beach and stands a few paces behind him, eyes filled with concern and something else Xavi can't identify or doesn't know. He puts the stick away and takes a few steps to stand in front of the sylph.
"Do I seem unhappy?"
Andres' smile is fleeting and shallow, there for show and nothing else. "I don't want you to be."
Xavi frowns, unable to comprehend why Andres thinks he is unhappy. Andres blinks at him before slowly leaning forward and pressing a wisp of a kiss against his lips. Xavi is a bit taken aback, not expecting a kiss, though if he truly thinks about it Xavi realizes no one has ever kissed him before.
"I think you're as dense as your rocks," Andres tells him, and Xavi wonders if the sun is causing his face to be red or if it might be something else.
"They are the only things that make me happy," is all Xavi is able to say, at a loss for words.
It's probably not the right thing to say. He sees a flash of hurt in Andres' eyes before the sylph disappears and Xavi is left alone on the beach. Giggling floats into his ears and he sees the same set of mermaids laughing at him. Scowling, he turns back to measuring the rocks. When he's done, he sinks into the earth beneath him and wanders until he's on top of one of the hills. Taking refuge against a few of his rocks, he stares out at the ocean and the scattered clouds, his fingers brushing against his lips.
*
The sky pours rain for a week. The clouds are heavy and gray overhead, and Xavi senses he's partially to blame. A good rain is essential every now and then, but a week of rain means Andres' mood is effecting the weather. Raul seeks him out to ask if he knows why Andres' is in gloomy mood, but Xavi shrugs his shoulders and claims to not know anything about it. Part of him is secretly pleased; the rain floods the dwarven tunnels and prevents them from mining and tearing his rocks apart, and it also keeps Pepe and the salamanders away from annoying him. Most of him feels guilty that he feels pleased at Andres' expense.
*
The rain eventually stops, but the sky stays partially covered in clouds. Occasionally a little drizzle occurs, but it's hot enough the water dries quickly. When it is dry, Xavi sleeps on top of the earth instead of in it. The bright light of the sun reflecting off the ocean wakes him one morning and he finds there is not a cloud in the sky. As he wiggles his toes and yawns, he stretches upward, popping his back and relishing the feel of being freshly rested. In his drowsy state it takes him a moment to recognize he is not alone.
"Mother," he stumbles to his feet and wipes the sleep out of his eyes.
"Xavi," her smile is wide like the ocean, teeth like pearls and voice soft like waves washing over the rocks on the shore. She takes his head in her hands and plants a kiss on his forehead. "You are different today."
"I am the same as ever," he tells her, aware he sounds like a little child who is hiding the truth.
"No," green curls tumble around her shoulders as she shakes her head. "Nothing can stay the same."
She stares at him for a moment, her eyes brown like the rocks but soft like the sand, before her smile turns sad. Reaching forward she taps his chest over his heart. Xavi knows he cannot lie to her, that his mother is all-seeing, but it's hard for him to give words to things he doesn't understand.
"This is why the rain has stayed for so long," she tells him more then asks and Xavi nods. "Were you cruel to him?"
He tells her what happened, his conversation with Andres and the subsequent kiss, and she nods when he voices his perplexity. When he tells her he doesn't understand what upset Andres, she covers her mouth with a delicate hand, but he still sees her laugh.
"Why should he kiss me?" Xavi asks her as she stops attempting to hide her mirth. "What do kisses have to do with happiness?"
"Oh my son," she laughs and embraces him. "You truly are like the rocks." His eyebrows knot in confusion. "Perhaps you are Andres' rock?"
That is language Xavi understands, but it befuddles his mind and, for a while, he must sit and think through his interactions with Andres and see what else he missed. His mother is patient, sitting with him and gently petting his hair and rubbing his back as he works it out in his mind. The problem is Xavi is too much like his rocks, slow and content to watch the world move around him. He doesn't understand the other elementals and their always moving elements. Earth is simple and permanent. Love is fluid and always changing. Xavi thinks perhaps gnomes aren't meant to understand how hearts work.
*
Three heavy rains are the sign summer is coming to an end and storm season approaches. The decrease in temperature is barely noticeable except unbearably hot days are rarer. The storms don't happen often, perhaps once every ten days, and most are minor. The large storms though, they keep Xavi occupied.
No matter how many times he tells various creatures not to live close to the cliffs, they ignore him and build their villages there anyway. Some dig down into the earth or carve out large chunks to hide from the wind in. The holes compromise the structural integrity of the cliffs, and with the added water from the storms and the wind they are an accident waiting to happen. Xavi must devote days to rebuilding them so the cliffs don't collapse, fall, and kill everyone on them. Sometimes he contemplates leaving the cliffs the way they are so survivors of any accidents would learn their lessons, but when it comes down to it he can't. Xavi is ornery and often hard to get along with, but he wants what is best for the island and all those who call her home.
He's in high demand over the stormy season as he shifts rocks to protect creatures or roots trees firmly into the ground to make sure the wind doesn't blow them over. The rain makes the ground soft; Xavi doesn't like it when the ground is too wet. As the Earth Elemental in charge of the island it is his job to perform these tasks, but Xavi wishes they wouldn't take him for granted. Perhaps their inconsideration is part of the reason he is so grumpy. He thinks back to his childhood, when it was just him and his mother, and can't remember his temperament. He frowns as he recalls arguments with spirits who spit lava out to hastily build the island instead of taking their time and making sure his mother was perfect. Xavi judged their lack of patience, their inability to take their time to find exactly the right combination.
There's a saying he hears often among the mothers and their children. 'Play nice with others'. Xavi didn't have anyone else to play with-- he was alone. Perhaps, he thinks, this is why he is not the best at interacting with others. Perhaps this is why he still doesn't know what to say to Andres.
*
Meticulous might be the best word to describe Xavi. All of his work on the island is carefully thought out and executed with precise control. He spends days scouting the island deciding where any new growth will happen after the storm season passes and before he has to meet with the pixies. Xavi's not fond of pixies with their giggling and the trails of dust they leave everywhere. What should be a straightforward meeting with the Sun King and Storm King takes an entire day as they argue which tribe will take care of what plants, and what sections need to be allowed to die and be burned off by the Salamanders.
Santi wanders in at one point with his son on his shoulders. The child, Enzo, is fond of Xavi for a reason he doesn't understand, and once Santi places him on the ground he wanders over to Xavi and raises his arms to be picked up. Xavi obliges him, and Enzo reaches a sticky, slobbered on hand to Xavi's face and attempts to grab one of his eyebrows. Santi giggles as Xavi blinks, unsure what the correct action to take is. This child will one day be the King of the united pixie tribes and Xavi doesn't want him to grow up thinking it's okay to grab at his eyebrows. In the back of his mind he blames Raul; Raul has silly eyebrows and probably lets Enzo get his drool all over them. He settles for poking the child's nose and it makes the little boy blink, releasing his eyebrow and reaching for where Xavi touched him.
By the time he looks up again, Santi has wandered off and the two Kings are still arguing. Xavi sinks down in his chair and stares at them unblinkingly. They don't notice. He huffs, and he is secretly pleased when in his lap, Enzo does the same. Xavi frowns, lifting an eyebrow and flaring his nostrils and Enzo copies him. Xavi is delighted and pets the little prince's hair and eventually the child falls asleep and drools all over Xavi's shirt. Perhaps Enzo will be a pixie who makes sense when he grows up.
Ursula finds them after a half an hour and takes her son from Xavi, apologizing for Santi leaving him there. It's not a problem, Xavi tells her, and stares pointedly at her father and father-in-law who are the problem. With Enzo on her hip, she looks over the map of the island and the markers to the two Kings have put on it to divide the work. He watches as she swaps a few of them as she asks him questions about the types of plants and the time needed for them to grow. Xavi makes a mental note for Ursula to be included in all future meetings as she finishes moving the markers in under ten minutes and snaps at the Kings; they acquiesce since her plan is the most feasible. Xavi rolls his eyes and starts counting down the days til Ursula will be Queen. He has a feeling that dealing with the pixies will be much easier when that day comes.
Xavi leaves covered in pixie dust and drool. He looks up at the sky and doesn't see a single cloud. He wonders if Andres is too busy to make clouds today or if he is being lazy. There's a strange feeling inside Xavi's chest, a sort of hollow tickle he's never really felt before and he wonders if he's going to be sick. As he trudges home in the dying sunlight, he wonders where his oldest friend is and misses him.
*
A few days later he tempts fate by sleeping above ground. It doesn't rain during the night, but his skin is still covered in the morning dew. The water is cold on his skin, but something else makes it feel electric. Someone is sitting next to him. There's only one person who can come and go without waking Xavi up.
Andres is sitting there, pale as ever, with his knees drawn into his chest and his chin resting on top of them. His wings aren't moving; a light sheen of dew covers them and Xavi wonders how long he's been sitting there. Xavi's never noticed Andres' wings aren't white, but rather iridescent. He wonders if it's noticeable when they are dry; the way the light is hitting the water on them brings out the soft colors.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," is the closest Xavi has ever come to apologizing. "I say stupid things sometimes."
"I know." Andres shakes his wings and the drops fly off, hitting Xavi in the face and Andres snickers.
"Rocks aren't the only things that make me happy. I like other things."
"Mushrooms?" Andres helpfully supplies.
"Well, yes. And I like-" he's cut short by a clap of thunder in the distance.
Xavi sits up and brushes the water away. He looks over the ocean and sees a thunderhead in the distance. Xavi knows Andres' clouds, the exact color of them and the soft curves he draws in them. This one is different, darker with sharper edges and more menacing than any Andres brings to the island.
"Is that the Notus?" Xavi asks and Andres nods.
With a sigh, Xavi stands and in his mind goes through the tasks he needs to complete before he has to deal with anyone. Andres bids him goodbye, disappearing down toward the beach. Xavi's glad; there is much he wants to say to Andres, but is still unsure how to say it. He throws a glower at the approaching storm and heads to the forests on the south side of the island to make sure their trees can withstand what is coming.
*
Notus is the title of the south wind. Each of the winds have their duties, and it's the Notus' duty to bring the storms during the cooler season. Xavi doesn't like it when Gods come to his island and tell him what to do as if they live here and know the best way to run the island. This has been his island for thousands of years, and he doesn't need a God sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.
It doesn't help the Notus is Andres' older-- and overbearingly protective-- brother. Victor arrives in a black swirl of wind reeking of sulfur and beer. Xavi raises an eyebrow at him and the telltale lingering smell; Victor's been with Pepe and the Salamanders. When Victor visits he spends most of his time with Andres and Pepe, leaving Xavi alone to tinker with his rocks and plants which suits him just fine. Today there is a glint in Victor's eyes, and Xavi has a feeling he is in for a long and awkward conversation.
"Hello Xavi," Victor has a feral grin on his lips and Xavi wants nothing more than to melt into the ground and ignore him.
"Notus," Xavi inclines his head a fraction of a centimeter, just at the line of rude and barely permissible. "What brings you to our fair island?"
If possible, Victor's grin grows wider, more menacing and Xavi wonders if he'll ignore him if he lobs a rock at his head. It's probably not a good idea though, and Xavi doesn't want to defile his rocks by throwing them at someone who doesn't appreciate their beauty. Maybe a small stick would suffice.
"Why do you think I'm here?"
"I'm in no mood for riddles. Speak plainly." Xavi grumbles.
The wind god is notoriously short-tempered, and Xavi scowls as Victor's eyes flash and a sharp wind lashes around them. Overhead the sky grows dark. Lesser creatures would flee or back down, but rain, wind, and lightning cannot hurt him and his rocks; Xavi stands solid, unblinking as he stares at Victor. The earth under their feet begins to shake and Xavi knows it rages for him.
"You're bold." The wind dies away, but Victor's stare remains dark. Xavi says nothing. "You have upset my brother."
"I have made amends. I have not slighted him. It is not your job to defend his honor."
A muscle twitches in Victor's jaw as he clenches his teeth tightly together. Xavi wonders if he's gone too far. By the blackness of the sky above in middle of the day, he suspects he has. Their interaction doesn't escalate past lightning and an earthquake as Andres arrives with Raul and Pepe not far behind. Xavi rolls his eyes and the ground stops shaking beneath him. He'd rather sink under ground, curl up into a ball, and die than be here right now. Xavi would ask what god he angered for this perpetual headache, but it seems unnecessary as the angry god is standing in front of him right now.
"You're upsetting the island," Raul's voice is a furious cascade of thundering water, nothing like his normal soft tones. "Cease this."
Xavi crosses his arms, nostrils flared as he keeps staring at Victor. Victor allows the wind to die down and for the clouds to dissipate; he doesn't take his eyes from Xavi. Pepe is watching the ordeal with an amused grin on his face, Raul with rare anger, but Xavi doesn't know what to make of the disappointment on Andres' face. Andres must know they're quarreling over him, and Xavi is embarrassed Andres is seeing him act like a petulant child.
Andres takes Victor by the elbow and they disappear faster than anyone can blink. Xavi sighs, shoulders stiff as they slump. Pepe disappears a few seconds later, knowing now is not the time to bother Xavi. Raul shrinks down until he is the same size as Xavi and sits with him. Raul doesn't say anything, because there is nothing that needs to be said. Xavi is glad Raul understands the value of silence.
*
The darker clouds of the Notus linger over the islands for a few days during which time Xavi makes himself scarce. He has no intention of bumping into Victor again for a demented 'protective-older-brother' speech and threats. Instead he works on fortifying the rocks under the surface, down in places very few could find a way to. His mother keeps him company in the back of his mind, asking him questions about the flowers currently in bloom and for the shade of the sky at sunset. When his thoughts drift to Andres, she urges Xavi to do something nice for him.
Xavi's a little confused by what his mother means by 'do something nice', but he remembers when Andres has marked the location of newly sprouted mushrooms for him or brought him an interesting rock he's found somewhere on the island. Xavi doesn't know what Sylphs like, and one afternoon he finds himself visiting David to ask for advice. Xavi climbs up to sit on the table as he often does-- it's the easiest way to be closer to the human's eye level-- when out of the corner of his eye he sees something lounging on the windowsill staring at him.
"What is that?" Xavi points to the furred creature, who yawns as it stretches, an ear flicking.
It stares at Xavi as he speaks, and it rolls onto its four feet with a lazy sort of grace. Its fur is black except for a single golden stripe on its head. A long tail twitches as it crouches down, and Xavi sees sharp teeth. David sighs and picks the small creature up before it can pounce on Xavi, placing it in the separate room and shutting the door.
"It's a cat." David sighs again, sitting at the table and moving some papers out of the way. "I wrote a story about one and my Selkie didn't know what a cat was." Xavi wonders how many times a person can sigh. "Carlos brought him one back from the big island. He named it Mario and it's a terror."
David rolls his sleeve back and shows Xavi the cuts from what he assumes are the cat's claws. Xavi inwardly questions whether or not this is the man who killed a hydra and a witch if he is complaining about a small creature. The cat yowls and smacks the door in the other room, and Xavi hopes they'll keep it inside. He wouldn't want to come face to face with it outside lest it become permanently flattened under one of his larger rocks.
"Why do you keep it if you do not like it?" Xavi asks him, accepting the cup of tea David pours him into a thimble.
"Because it makes him happy," David tells him, placing the kettle back on the stove. "I want him to be happy." Taking in Xavi's confused expression, David clarifies. "The selkie, not the cat."
Xavi wonders if this is part of doing something nice for someone and if it always means sacrifice on the giver's side. He voices his concern and his mother's suggestion to David after explaining the ordeal with the Notus. Xavi grunts and crosses his arms at the grin that breaks out across David's face and the small laugh which escapes the human's lips.
"Well, what does Andres like?" David asks Xavi, who sits there with a frown on his face. "Er, you do know what he likes?"
"Clouds?" Xavi throws out.
David sighs.
*
Victor's waiting for him at the cliffs one day and Xavi walks right by him as if he doesn't see him. The wind whips up, but dies down just as fast; the storm god is trying to rein in his temper. He calls out Xavi's name, and Xavi stops but doesn't turn around.
"My brother tells me I was in the wrong," Victor tells him, "but I'm not going to apologize. I do not like to see my brother upset."
"Was he upset with you?" Xavi asks, the barest hint of a sneer on his lips as he turns and faces Victor.
"What do you think?" Victor stares at Xavi, amusement in his eyes. "You don't like being around other people, but for some reason Andres escapes your scorn. Why?"
Xavi blinks; it's not a question he was expecting. It's not a question he knows the answer to. Eyebrows knotted and familiar frown on his lips, he sits and thinks about this question. Thousands of years of friendship have passed between Xavi and Andres and he's annoyed he can't put in words why he likes Andres so much. Maybe it's because where the others speak and fill the silence with empty words, Andres listens to the island. It could be the smile on Andres' face reserved solely for Xavi, the one that makes Xavi feel like they are alone on the island once again. Perhaps it's the juxtaposition of what they are- the sky and the ground and while water can dry and fire can burn out, the sky will never disappear. Xavi knows Andres will never leave him. Andres is constant like the rocks.
"Because he is exactly who is his and nothing more or less," Xavi finally tells Victor, who raises an eyebrow at the response.
"If you upset him again-" Victor starts to say, but Xavi cuts him off.
"Of course I'll upset him again. I upset everyone."
"If you purposely upset him," Victor amends his earlier statement, "I will make your life miserable."
With lazy salamanders, inquisitive humans, psychotic murderous cats, trouble making imps, arguing Pixie kings, and the host of other headaches on the island, Xavi isn't sure his life could be any more miserable.
*
Xavi thinks more about love. He considers how he feels about his rocks, and thinks of what life would be like if he didn't have them. Xavi thinks he would be bereft and unable to function without something so essentially a part of him. He thinks of what life would be like without Andres and realizes it would be like a life without rocks. If Xavi loves rocks, and he feels the same about Andres as he does about his rocks, then he must also love Andres. But if all of that is true, Xavi's understanding of what love means is far from complete. Xavi's not sure he will ever understand what love is. Perhaps it is something which needs to be experienced to be understood.
He thinks of David's suggestion of doing something nice for Andres, and the short list the two of them compiled as what Xavi could do for him. Xavi closes his eyes and thinks of Andres early in the morning, smile on his face as he effortlessly moves his hands and summons clouds to the horizon. The hollow feeling comes back into Xavi's chest and he wonders if that's another sign of love or perhaps it's indigestion from eating human food. When he opens his eyes, he knows exactly what he wants to give to Andres.
*
Time rolls on and storms come and go. Xavi's spent enough time working on the cliffs and other unstable areas while trying to avoid everyone, and now he is finished with only a few areas to look at. He's anchored the rest of the large trees, and made sure they will still be standing at the end of the storm season. Large boulders have been moved to protect the sand on the beaches. Xavi makes sure the ground David has built his house on is firm, and slightly moves the trees around it to block any sudden gusts. He thinks this might be part of that 'doing nice things for others without them asking' idea.
He searches the island a few days for what he wants to give to Andres. As creator, he knows where almost everything is, but rocks and plants shift with time and he nearly has to resort to asking the dwarves where to find what he seeks. Luckily he runs into a patch and after carefully looking at each specimen, selects the perfect one for Andres. Finding Andres proves to be more difficult. Xavi suspects Andres is not yet ready to speak with him after Victor's visit, and Xavi understands Andres might want time to himself. Xavi probably understands wanting time to be alone more than anyone on the island.
When light wisps of clouds start appearing from the west, Xavi knows where the sylph is. He melds down into the rocks beneath his feet, moving as fast as possible to catch Andres.
Sure enough, he sees the familiar shape of his friend sitting on the branch of a tree overlooking the beach David lives on. The tree is leafy, keeping Andres' fair skin protected from the sun and the heat. Andres' shoulders tense a little when Xavi's eyes fall upon him; he knows Xavi is there and doesn't say anything. Xavi chooses to sit at the base of the tree and wait for Andres to finish creating clouds. His hand strays to his pocket a few times, to make sure the gift is still there, and he fidgets as he watches each new cloud form. When he finally does finish, he jumps from the branch and lands in front of Xavi.
"It's rare you seek me out," Andres says by way of a greeting, wings still slowly beating.
"I normally see you more often and don't have to," Xavi points out what he thinks is obvious, but by the way Andres lifts an eyebrow as he looks away, Xavi takes the hint it's not the right thing to say. "I wanted to do something nice for you. They told me I should get you flowers."
A light blush forms on Andres' cheeks and his wings stop. Smooth or rough, rocks are always hard and hardness is all Xavi has ever knows. He finds himself looking at Andres' wings and wanting to touch them, wanting to know what soft feels like.
"Who told you to find me flowers?" Andres' voice is light, Xavi detects amusement in it.
"David. And my mother." Andres nods and Xavi wonders why he looks like he's trying not to laugh. "But flowers don't last long and I don't understand why creatures exchange them as gifts if they are fleeting." Andres can't stop himself from laughing and Xavi cocks his head to the side, unsure why this is funny. "What?"
"Nothing," Xavi thinks he stupid for never noticing how beautiful Andres is when he smiles. "Your train of thought is correct. I would expect nothing else from you. Why did you feel the need to do something nice for me?"
"Because I you are nice to me, even when I don't deserve it." Xavi says with a little shrug, eyes trained on the ground. "Because even though I can be grumpy and oblivious, you still want to be my friend."
"Xavi..." he doesn't look up because he knows by the tone of his voice Andres is frowning. "You don't have to do something nice for me because you feel obligated. Friendship is not about obligation."
Xavi frowns. This possibility conflicts with what his mother and David have told him, and he has not considered there could be an alternative. Andres waits patiently as Xavi thinks of the correct response.
"I do not feel obligated to give this to you. I want to give it to you because... I want to give it to you," Xavi says slowly after a few minutes. "I want to show you that you make me happy." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the gift before Andres can refuse it or ask any other questions.
"Oh... um... it's very lovely." Andres says of the rock Xavi has placed in his hand.
"Keep your hand flat," Xavi tells Andres and he does, the rock resting on the palm of his hand.
Xavi puts his hand over the rock, clasping Andres' hand with his own. A heat builds between their palms, almost painful and enough for Andres to wince. When Xavi removes his hand, the rock is no longer gray and dull, but a quartz shot through with tiny, cloudy bits preventing it from being clear. Andres holds it between his fingers and studies it, and when the sun hit it, a rainbow of colors reflects from it. A rock with clouds and a rainbow; something rare and precious.
"It's a rock and a part of the island like me, but it's the sky like you," Xavi mumbles, digging a hole into the ground with his toe. "It's the two things I could never live without." Andres doesn't say anything, and Xavi finds himself anxious Andres doesn't like it. "Do you like it? I mean, if you don't I could think of something else and..."
"I think," Andres looks up with a shy grin, "I would like to kiss you again. If that is okay with you."
Xavi learns what soft is from the brushing of Andres' wings against his arms and how his lips feel against Xavi's. He likes soft. He likes kisses. Xavi decides doing nice things for Andres is very rewarding.
*
The lull between the storm and dry seasons bring a peace and slowed work pace for Xavi. It's nice to not have much to do aside occasionally help the Pixies with plant placement. He watches from the hilltops as they beckon the plants to start growing, singing to the seeds nestled in the ground and asking the flowers to open. Next to him, Andres keeps him company and occasionally lifts a hand to form a cloud off in the distance. Sometimes he forms them into shapes and has Xavi guess, but Xavi's not very creative and there's only so many ways Andres can shape a cloud to look like a rock or mushroom.
Here on the island time continues to pass, but much like the earth and the sky, Xavi and Andres continue to exist as one.