The Way Home (Otherworldly)
Title: The Way Home
Genre: Original. Otherwordly verse. Slash
Summary: Aubrey isn't having a good day. He's trapped in the human realm and the man he loves is getting engaged to someone else. Not to mention those awful human metal contraptions keep trying to gallop over him.
This place was terrible. It was terrifying. Everything was noise and metal. The humans had stamped out everything that was alive and good and replaced it with their awful creations. How Aubrey had come to be in this horrible place made no sense. He had been in Elfhame, in the gardens behind his parent’s home. The sun had been warm and the grass so inviting that he had settled in for a brief nap underneath his favorite willow tree and woken to find himself in the human realm.
Aubrey sat beside a small tree in a tiny park otherwise covered in colorful contraptions that seemed to insight a lot of yelling and screaming from the human children. Though he did not admit it to himself, he was sulking. He had never before been in the human realm and would never again return after finding his way home. Everything here was so polluted and dirty. Even the air felt wrong.
And then it began to rain. The sudden cold wetness was unpleasant. The human parents took their shrieking children away in their metal boxes and Aubrey curled into a little ball. When it did not stop after a few minutes Aubrey began to fear that it would never stop and continue until he was swallowed up by rain. It never rained this long or hard at home. Abandoning his little crooked tree, Aubrey sought a dry shelter and nearly shrieked in terror when one of the metal boxes tried to gallop over him.
As if this experience itself wasn't wretched enough, but the timing made it even worse. The King of the Seelie was once again sending his second son to Elfhame. It was under the guise of politics and diplomacy, but everyone whispered that it was because Seachlainn fancied an Elf and everyone suspected that it was one of the Elf Kings children. Aubrey had never dared hope that they Faerie Prince would look at him in that way. But they'd been friends for years, ever since the accident, and Seachlainn had always been kind and polite even though Aubrey was only the youngest child of a lesser, practically impoverished, Duke. He always visited on his way home and though Aubrey had no interest in hearing about the speculated betrothal, he did wish to see Seachlainn. Once he was engaged, he'd likely return to the Seelie Court and remain there. What reason would he have to continue to visit Elfhame?
Dejected and morose, Aubrey gave up hope of finding a shelter and simply kept wandering forward. Who cared if he drowned in the rain? Although he did hope that his father realized he was gone and found him before he was squashed by one of those awful moving metal boxes. That would probably be extremely unpleasant.
"HEY!"
Aubrey paused at the shout, wondering if and why the person was yelling at him. A hand wrapped around his elbow and forced him to turn around, nearly throwing him into a solid chest. "Seachlainn..."
"I never took you for a coward, Aubrey?"
Aubrey felt his heart freeze at the accusation, "What?"
"You flee rather than just reject my proposal? I thought we were friends!" Seachlainn yelled over the wind and rain, "Do I not deserve a response?"
"Seachlainn, I-"
"I thought we were friends," Seachlainn repeated at a whisper, barely audible over the pounding rain, his shoulders hunched, clothes disheveled and hair plastered to his head. He seemed devastated. And hurt. There was so much hurt shining out of his brown eyes that Aubrey could barely stand to look at him. But his words, his accusations, were strange, seemingly unfounded and made no sense.
"I did not flee here. And I do not understand you. A response to what? You have not asked me anything, but whatever it is I promise I will do my best, only please don't be mad at me."
Seachlainn's mouth opened a little, "then how did you get here?"
"I don't know, but I hate this place. It’s terrible. I just want to go home, but I don't know the way."
Seachlainn's expression softened and some of the hurt faded from his eyes, "I'm sorry. I'll show you the way home."
Aubrey felt marginally better once he was back in Elfhame and on his parents land. Except he was wet, cold, miserable and suspected that Seachlainn was still angry. A little discomforted by the unblinking stare Seachlainn offered, Aubrey avoided his gaze until he spoke.
"Will you walk with me in the gardens?"
Though he would honestly have preferred to change since his clothes were uncomfortably molded to his body and he suspected he looked wretched, Aubrey nodded. Seachlainn kept shooting him half confused half hopeful looks and finally spoke when they were nearly finished their first turn. "You truly did not I was coming to speak with you?"
"I hope you might break your journey here and visit for a while, as you sometimes do."
"Always," Seachlainn corrected, "I always come here."
"Because we are friends."
"So we could be friends," he corrected again, "because I did not think you would entertain a marriage proposal from a near stranger and I've wished to ask since we first met."
"What?" Aubrey barely managed to sputter, "but everyone says you fancy one of the King's children. And.. And that was.... We met five years ago."
"Everyone is wrong. And I'm patient. I didn't mind waiting for the right time. There was some confusion at the palace and a little anger when I did not propose to any of your King's offspring. Which is perhaps why you were transported to the mortal realm...." Seachlainn trailed off.
Aubrey worried his bottom lip, "the King is displeased?"
"No," Seachlainn smiled for the first time since they met in the rain and Aubrey felt the knot in his stomach loosen a little. "He approved of my choice. He seems to think rather highly of you." He was quiet for a moment, "now that you know my intentions and have not outright rejected me, dare I hope I can persuade you to accept me?"
Aubrey returned his smile, "You haven't actually asked me anything."
Seachlainn stopped walking and took Aubrey's hands. "Will you join with me as my wedded partner for all of our tomorrows?"
"I was depressed and a little jealous when I thought you were going to ask someone else. You don't need to persuade me. I've wanted you as long as you've wanted me."
Seachlainn grinned, "that rather sounds like a yes."
Feeling bold and free to finally act on his desires, Aubrey slide his hands around the back of Seachlainn's neck and gently kissed his mouth. "It is a yes."