Glass Dreams (Threefold Element)
Title: Glass Dreams
Author: beloved_voices
Fandom: Threefold Element
Claim Focus: General Cast - Ethan
Theme: Strangers
Disclaimer: Threefold Element is my own creation, and is copyright me.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Notes: hints of m/m relationships
What made the least sense to Ethan was how the pain eased when he went to the park near his home, as though somehow being out in nature soothed him. It was only then that the faint ache in his chest calmed and he was left with a sense of peace. He usually sat on a bench under one of the older trees, back to the thick trunk and eyes scanning the horizon. It never ceased to interest him, watching the disparity between park's edge and city's beginning, or the comings and goings of the art gallery across the street, whose name was obscured by leaves when he was sitting and too unimportant to bother with when it was time to go. The first time he'd seen the gallery owner, he'd blinked, goggling a bit at the young man whose clothing tastes were rather colorful and busy, though somehow still tasteful, and whose hair was definitely not a color found in nature. It took Ethan a few sightings to decide on the description "pale sage", and he had to wonder what the boy's eyes were like, and if they carried the hair well, or clashed with it. He certainly seemed to manage to compliment it with his clothing.
He wasn't the only one coming and going on a regular basis, but Ethan decided rather early on that he was by far the most interesting, with his bouncy step and tropical fish appearance. He stood out in a crowd, as Ethan often wanted to do. And he took Ethan's mind off the mess he'd made of his own life.
Six weeks had seen the changing of seasons, the late summer with its golden days and muggy weather blending into a rather crisp fall full of reds and yellows and the scent of burning leaves. Occasionally, he thought about biting the bullet and gathering up all of Karen's things to return to her. But each time he did, a mad impulse to keep them crept over him. She'd shared five years of his life so far, and though they'd never talked about it, until that one night six weeks ago, he'd always assumed she'd share the next seventy or more. Everything seemed a bit surreal now, and more than a little lonely, but even so, he was still absolutely certain that he'd made the right decision.
As he watched the doorway to that art gallery, he saw the owner step out, for once in the company of another person. The man with him was handsome in a wiry way, body a creamy chocolate and the base of his hair glittering with golden decorations. Ethan was too far away to see more than that, but the mere sight made him rise off the bench, his hand lifting to press against his chest where a strange warmth had started pulsing, no longer a pain but still very apparent to him. As he moved forward, following them more by instinct than any real intention of catching them, he stepped free of the cover of foliage. They never looked back, rounding a corner to head down the street at the end of the block, and Ethan paused there, looking slowly back toward the gallery. The name finally caught him, and he stared at it for several moments before turning to leave.
Glass Dreams
Author: beloved_voices
Fandom: Threefold Element
Claim Focus: General Cast - Ethan
Theme: Strangers
Disclaimer: Threefold Element is my own creation, and is copyright me.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Notes: hints of m/m relationships
What made the least sense to Ethan was how the pain eased when he went to the park near his home, as though somehow being out in nature soothed him. It was only then that the faint ache in his chest calmed and he was left with a sense of peace. He usually sat on a bench under one of the older trees, back to the thick trunk and eyes scanning the horizon. It never ceased to interest him, watching the disparity between park's edge and city's beginning, or the comings and goings of the art gallery across the street, whose name was obscured by leaves when he was sitting and too unimportant to bother with when it was time to go. The first time he'd seen the gallery owner, he'd blinked, goggling a bit at the young man whose clothing tastes were rather colorful and busy, though somehow still tasteful, and whose hair was definitely not a color found in nature. It took Ethan a few sightings to decide on the description "pale sage", and he had to wonder what the boy's eyes were like, and if they carried the hair well, or clashed with it. He certainly seemed to manage to compliment it with his clothing.
He wasn't the only one coming and going on a regular basis, but Ethan decided rather early on that he was by far the most interesting, with his bouncy step and tropical fish appearance. He stood out in a crowd, as Ethan often wanted to do. And he took Ethan's mind off the mess he'd made of his own life.
Six weeks had seen the changing of seasons, the late summer with its golden days and muggy weather blending into a rather crisp fall full of reds and yellows and the scent of burning leaves. Occasionally, he thought about biting the bullet and gathering up all of Karen's things to return to her. But each time he did, a mad impulse to keep them crept over him. She'd shared five years of his life so far, and though they'd never talked about it, until that one night six weeks ago, he'd always assumed she'd share the next seventy or more. Everything seemed a bit surreal now, and more than a little lonely, but even so, he was still absolutely certain that he'd made the right decision.
As he watched the doorway to that art gallery, he saw the owner step out, for once in the company of another person. The man with him was handsome in a wiry way, body a creamy chocolate and the base of his hair glittering with golden decorations. Ethan was too far away to see more than that, but the mere sight made him rise off the bench, his hand lifting to press against his chest where a strange warmth had started pulsing, no longer a pain but still very apparent to him. As he moved forward, following them more by instinct than any real intention of catching them, he stepped free of the cover of foliage. They never looked back, rounding a corner to head down the street at the end of the block, and Ethan paused there, looking slowly back toward the gallery. The name finally caught him, and he stared at it for several moments before turning to leave.
Glass Dreams