The Impulsive Rescue - Temporary
A little piece from the fantasy-world version of The Impulsive Rescue. Enjoy!
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Everett stared up at the night sky. It held not a single cloud -- he and Desmond could see the stars as easily as anything. They formed twinkling patterns in the sky. Everett turned to look at Desmond -- his lover’s eyes twinkled, too, when he looked at Everett. He smiled, like there was nowhere he would rather be.
Even now, Everett sometimes had trouble believing his good fortune. His lover had been nothing but kind and caring since he had rescued him. In the dark of the starry night, Desmond seemed like a mirage that could vanish if Everett so much as breathed too hard. His wings fluttered, and he scooted closer to Desmond, needing the physical contact.
He even dared to wrap one wing around his lover. Desmond’s warmth radiated through him, and he leaned his head on Desmond’s shoulder. Everett heard his lover sigh with what sounded like contentment.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” Desmond murmured as he put an arm over Everett’s shoulders. “I love stargazing.”
Instead of saying anything, Everett tried to enjoy the closeness he felt with his lover. Something twisted in the pit of his stomach. In recent weeks, Desmond had been looking at him with this strange, undefinable look in his eyes. Everett didn’t know if he liked it or hated it -- but he knew the intensity of it burned him and made his heart stop.
Desmond turned to gaze at Everett-- when Everett returned his gaze, he saw that same strange look in his forest green eyes. They glowed against the dark of the sky.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Desmond murmured.
Everett’s eyes widened. “Amazing? I’m not even doing anything right now,” he said.
“You don’t need to do anything to be amazing -- you just are amazing,” Desmond said, smiling, still with that look in his eyes.
What was his lover going on about?
“I’m just me,” Everett murmured, confusion obvious in his voice.
That look still didn’t leave Desmond’s eyes, and the man kept smiling. Everett furrowed his brow, sure he was missing something important. What had changed with Desmond, to make him look and act like that?
“And that’s why you’re amazing -- because you’re you,” Desmond said.
“Of course I’m me. I can’t be anybody else,” he sighed. He wanted to be somebody else -- somebody human, like Desmond was. Everett looked up at the twinkling stars once more and wished he could be like his lover. Please, let me be like Desmond, he thought, imploring the stars that didn’t listen. While Everett had a lovely life with his partner now, he knew it couldn’t last. Desmond would come to want a human lover, one he could marry. Was that what the strange looks were about? Were things going to end soon?
“Something the matter?” Desmond murmured.
“Just looking at the stars.”
“Alright then.” He didn’t sound convinced but said nothing else.
The temporary nature of his relationship with Desmond threatened to overwhelm Everett as the two sat there watching the stars. Tears stung Everett’s eyes, and he tried to will them away. It would do no good to cry now, not when things were going so well. He wanted to avoid worrying Desmond, who didn’t deserve that.
“Thank you,” Everett murmured, keeping his eyes on the sky so Desmond wouldn’t see the tears that refused to go away.
“For what?”
“For rescuing me. For -- for everything,” he said, choking on his words and cursing himself for doing so. Desmond would notice.
“Everett, are you...crying?” Desmond murmured. He shifted so he looked right at Everett.
“N-no,” he said, staring at the blanket on which they sat. The tears still pooled in his eyes, promising to spill any moment now.
Desmond grasped Everett’s chin, his grip light but firm. “Look at me,” he said.
Everett had no choice; he looked up at his lover, unable to decipher the look in his eyes.
“Please -- tell me what’s wrong,” Desmond said.
Upon hearing the request, Everett wanted to lie and say nothing was wrong. He wished to smooth things over and enjoy their time together while they could. Everett did not want to taint their temporary relationship. Desmond’s request, however, sounded more like an order -- and Everett couldn’t refuse him.
“I -- don’t want to lose you,” Everett muttered.
Desmond leaned back and let go of Everett, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head. He looked surprised, but what could surprise him about Everett’s statement? The man had to know how short their time together would be.
“Lose me?” Desmond breathed, shaking his head. “Why would you even think about that?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” he said, his voice not more than a whisper. He folded his hands into his lap and focused his eyes on them. Looking at Desmond proved too much.
“No, it’s not obvious,” he muttered.
“I’m -- not human.” His chest hurt when talking about this.
“So?”
“So?” Everett muttered. “You’ll want a human partner eventually, one you can marry. One you can love. I’m not made to be loved.” He couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into his voice.
A long silence followed, and Everett worried he had offended his lover. When he dared to look up, Desmond had that strange look in his eyes again. It didn’t appear to be offense, but Everett still worried. Desmond swallowed, like he wanted to say something. Everett waited, hoping he hadn’t ruined everything with his pathetic behavior.
“I -- I don’t care what you were made for, I -- I…” Desmond trailed off.
Everett’s stomach twisted, and he stared down at his hands again. He even shifted back a few inches, putting extra space between the two of them. The intense, unknown emotion radiating from his lover frightened him.
“I love you,” Desmond said.
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Everett stared up at the night sky. It held not a single cloud -- he and Desmond could see the stars as easily as anything. They formed twinkling patterns in the sky. Everett turned to look at Desmond -- his lover’s eyes twinkled, too, when he looked at Everett. He smiled, like there was nowhere he would rather be.
Even now, Everett sometimes had trouble believing his good fortune. His lover had been nothing but kind and caring since he had rescued him. In the dark of the starry night, Desmond seemed like a mirage that could vanish if Everett so much as breathed too hard. His wings fluttered, and he scooted closer to Desmond, needing the physical contact.
He even dared to wrap one wing around his lover. Desmond’s warmth radiated through him, and he leaned his head on Desmond’s shoulder. Everett heard his lover sigh with what sounded like contentment.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” Desmond murmured as he put an arm over Everett’s shoulders. “I love stargazing.”
Instead of saying anything, Everett tried to enjoy the closeness he felt with his lover. Something twisted in the pit of his stomach. In recent weeks, Desmond had been looking at him with this strange, undefinable look in his eyes. Everett didn’t know if he liked it or hated it -- but he knew the intensity of it burned him and made his heart stop.
Desmond turned to gaze at Everett-- when Everett returned his gaze, he saw that same strange look in his forest green eyes. They glowed against the dark of the sky.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Desmond murmured.
Everett’s eyes widened. “Amazing? I’m not even doing anything right now,” he said.
“You don’t need to do anything to be amazing -- you just are amazing,” Desmond said, smiling, still with that look in his eyes.
What was his lover going on about?
“I’m just me,” Everett murmured, confusion obvious in his voice.
That look still didn’t leave Desmond’s eyes, and the man kept smiling. Everett furrowed his brow, sure he was missing something important. What had changed with Desmond, to make him look and act like that?
“And that’s why you’re amazing -- because you’re you,” Desmond said.
“Of course I’m me. I can’t be anybody else,” he sighed. He wanted to be somebody else -- somebody human, like Desmond was. Everett looked up at the twinkling stars once more and wished he could be like his lover. Please, let me be like Desmond, he thought, imploring the stars that didn’t listen. While Everett had a lovely life with his partner now, he knew it couldn’t last. Desmond would come to want a human lover, one he could marry. Was that what the strange looks were about? Were things going to end soon?
“Something the matter?” Desmond murmured.
“Just looking at the stars.”
“Alright then.” He didn’t sound convinced but said nothing else.
The temporary nature of his relationship with Desmond threatened to overwhelm Everett as the two sat there watching the stars. Tears stung Everett’s eyes, and he tried to will them away. It would do no good to cry now, not when things were going so well. He wanted to avoid worrying Desmond, who didn’t deserve that.
“Thank you,” Everett murmured, keeping his eyes on the sky so Desmond wouldn’t see the tears that refused to go away.
“For what?”
“For rescuing me. For -- for everything,” he said, choking on his words and cursing himself for doing so. Desmond would notice.
“Everett, are you...crying?” Desmond murmured. He shifted so he looked right at Everett.
“N-no,” he said, staring at the blanket on which they sat. The tears still pooled in his eyes, promising to spill any moment now.
Desmond grasped Everett’s chin, his grip light but firm. “Look at me,” he said.
Everett had no choice; he looked up at his lover, unable to decipher the look in his eyes.
“Please -- tell me what’s wrong,” Desmond said.
Upon hearing the request, Everett wanted to lie and say nothing was wrong. He wished to smooth things over and enjoy their time together while they could. Everett did not want to taint their temporary relationship. Desmond’s request, however, sounded more like an order -- and Everett couldn’t refuse him.
“I -- don’t want to lose you,” Everett muttered.
Desmond leaned back and let go of Everett, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head. He looked surprised, but what could surprise him about Everett’s statement? The man had to know how short their time together would be.
“Lose me?” Desmond breathed, shaking his head. “Why would you even think about that?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” he said, his voice not more than a whisper. He folded his hands into his lap and focused his eyes on them. Looking at Desmond proved too much.
“No, it’s not obvious,” he muttered.
“I’m -- not human.” His chest hurt when talking about this.
“So?”
“So?” Everett muttered. “You’ll want a human partner eventually, one you can marry. One you can love. I’m not made to be loved.” He couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into his voice.
A long silence followed, and Everett worried he had offended his lover. When he dared to look up, Desmond had that strange look in his eyes again. It didn’t appear to be offense, but Everett still worried. Desmond swallowed, like he wanted to say something. Everett waited, hoping he hadn’t ruined everything with his pathetic behavior.
“I -- I don’t care what you were made for, I -- I…” Desmond trailed off.
Everett’s stomach twisted, and he stared down at his hands again. He even shifted back a few inches, putting extra space between the two of them. The intense, unknown emotion radiating from his lover frightened him.
“I love you,” Desmond said.