Zeb was always the one to bring that happiness out in Allen. Zebediah and Ellie and Dinah, the Walkers and their wonderful sense of selfless love--people. Just ordinary people who had the extraordinary gifts of joy and understanding Allen needed to feel less discouraged about the world. Zebediah was Allen's guiding light, his grounding force, and his one true--well. Love went without saying, now, didn't it?Ā
"Mine t-too," Allen replied softly, squeezing Zebediah's marred, tough hand with a much more delicate one. "It a-always made me feel like I c-could accomplish anything. O-overcome s-so many obstacles." He said nothing of his own mother--who distantly patted Allen when he'd first shown her the book, and glided on her way. She'd never been one to sit by his bedside and read, no--he did that on his own. And she never tended her own garden, so it hardly mattered where Allen played in search of the secret one and only--till he wound up in the woods, of course.
Feeling relief from the shared warmth of Zebediah nestling against him, Allen shrugged his bony shoulder softly under Zeb's generous touches, shifting closer to his lover--as if he could attach to him permanently. Reminded of the myth of two people finding their respective other halves; after Zeus cursed two-headed souls to split apart, Allen smiled vaguely to himself--wondering if it was time for him to find something to believe in, after all. And something told him, always, to believe in Zebediah. His other half, arguably. If he'd been asked two years ago if he believed in love, or other halves, or myths, Allen might've laughed or become very quiet--awkwardly so. As it stood now, he could stand beside his own roundabout fairytale, and dream impossible dreams.
And other romantic nonsense.
Such as running away, for example.
"Oh, I don't know," Allen replied airily, avoiding Zeb's sharp gaze with a lackadaisical shrug and a glance off into the starry skies above. "I'm s-sure others w-would be perfectly c-capable of carrying on my legacy without m-my direction. My w-work is..." He trailed off, looking back at Zeb thoughtfully. "...you think my work is important, Zebediah...?"
Fathomless, dime-bright eyes studied the freckled visage of the man he loved with new focus. As if he'd not taken into account Zeb's support in that regard--emotional; yes, loving, of course, but...it was as if he'd forgotten Zebediah paid attention to every detail. And wonder displayed itself briefly on Allen's face until the next topic of conversation--where it shifted to wary amusement and tired good humor.
"And where would we go?" Allen asked dryly, dropping his arm from Zeb's middle to play with the fingers still tangled in his own, both hands examining Zebediah's digits and knuckles and palm. "Where w-would you go, Zebediah W-Walker, if you had free r-range of your life and c-could go anywhere in the world...?"
He looked back up at last, silver eyes both severe and serene, catching the stars and hopes reflected in Zebediah's own.
"...a v-valid point, Zeb," Allen responded softly, and pressed a kiss to Zeb's palm, closing his eyes tightly shut with a muttering sigh, "but the only thing I'm s-scared to leave, truly, is y-you--I could g-go anywhere, provided you are th-there with me..."
janainaart
prguitarman
stormborns
pixelskylines
romaincrisis
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart
