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It was quite busy at the café. The tables were full and he was lucky enough to find a free spot to sit and have his coffee in peace. Well, no, he kinda knew when to arrive so he would have space, but still.
It was still baffling he didn't just die. He almost did, but it looks like modern medicine can ward of even eldritch headaches!
For once, the pest in his head was silent, which was unusual, as he would spew random facts almost all the time. But not today. Was something special about today? He couldn't exactly place it, but it felt like there was this window in his knowledge...
"I'll take a milkshake to-go!"
The voice that shouldn't be familiar, but was more than anyone else's, immediately snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up, eyes widened as he stared at the figure, who was waiting at the counter for his order.
No. How? Did he track him down? That wasn't possible.
But here he was.
Avery.
Gods, he never thought it'd be such a rush of euphoria to see him in person, and yet...
Derek could only stare as the man, who meant to him more than the world itself, grabbed his drink, thanking the barista and beginnig to walk out of the café.
Was that the blank in his mind? Was that why Hastur was being so silent?
...Was that why he felt the urge to rush outside and chase after him?
No. No, no he can't do that. Avery needed to move on, to live his life not attatched. He needs to be free.
It was a struggle to not bolt out of his seat. He calmly walked up to the trash can and threw his paper cup out. He won't!
...
...But winning was never his strongest suit.
He threw the door open and turned left (how ironic). He didn't need to think about how he couldn't see Avery anywhere. The King had finally decided to share some knowledge.
And as he turned the corner, he saw the bus pull up, the line growing smaller. And there, at the end, was he.
Derek ran.
The unknowing man startled, turning his head to stare at the figure sprinting toward him at the shout of: "Avery!"
Who was this dude? It was honestly pretty unnerving to see this rando just recognize him like that.
He was very tempted to step into the bus and Derek could not allow that.
He stopped a few steps away, out of breath and taking in the confusion on his prince's face.
The other laughed awkwardly: "Uhhh, hey dude, no idea who you are, but that's cool! Did you, like, run all the way here? Damn, must have been pretty desperate to get to me!"
A smirk spread across his face: "You're not a very hard guy to catch, Avery."
And with only a few words, he startled the other into silence. His form stilled instantly, as if struck, and his eyes filled with so much disbelief that it almost hurt.
"I- It's you..."
The smirk morphed into a fond smile: "I believe we already had this conversation once."
He didn't have the chance to say more as a body slammed into his, arms closing tight around his back, almost painful. A face burried into the crook of his neck and he stilled for only a moment, before hugging him back, just as close. The shake was left spilled on the sidewalk. He'd have to buy him a new one.
A muffled voice whispered into his ear: "I thought you were dead..."
He could only squeeze him once: "I was. It's a miracle I survived."
His one and only was shaking in his arms as wet tears stained the shoulder of his shirt, though he couldn't care less. Just now, the knight was filled with relief to hold the one he held dearest.
So it was a shock to him when Avery pulled back and slapped him across his face.
He staggred back a step, for once absolutely surprised by this. What-?
Before he had any more time to mull over this, he was pulled by the front of his shirt forward and suddenly, Avery's lips were on his.
It was only for a second, but it felt like the blessing he had never thought he would ever get. For that single moment, Derek forgot all the things he knew and could only remember the feeling of holding his prince close.
But then it was over and Avery's face was once again burried in his shirt.
A curt mumble came from the man pressed up against him: "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me? We could have figured something out you fricking moron. You're so lucky I'm relieved to see you..."
And while words may have failed the knight in that instance, he could sense enough to wrap his friend(?) in an embrace once more. And if he shed a few tears of his own, then it didn't matter.
Because right now, on this street, it was just the two of them.