“Being the Spokesperson of the Sun. Is that enough for you?”
Haar frowns. “What are you talking about?”
Solaris smiles at him, but it feels wrong to him. He never knows what he’s thinking when he’s like this.
“I’m grateful you know.” Solaris looks up at the sky. “I’m grateful to the Sun for everything it’s done for me.” He looks at Haar and smiles wider. He knows that’s the smile full of love only reserved for him, but under it... It’s almost sad. “I’m grateful to the Sun for getting to meet you.”
“Solaris.”
“If I wasn’t the Spokesperson of the Sun, would you have even looked at me?” He shakes his head. “I feel like the only way you’d notice me would be if I was injured and your need to help others would’ve taken over, but would that be it? Would we have even gotten together at all?”
“…Where is this coming from?”
“I’m curious!”
“Solaris—“
“But it doesn’t really matter right? We’re together now anyway so it doesn’t matter what the ‘what if’s’ are! We love each other! We’re even married!”
“You’re pretty good at that,” Aster says idly as he reorganizes things in the office of the inn.
Haar glances over his shoulder then turns back to the screen, continuing onto the next level of the game. “Once I learn how to do something, I learn how to do it more efficiently.”
“And what you’re doing is called..?”
“Speedrunning.”
“And you do this for the whole game?”
“Yes.”
“I guess this is why you’re so good at strategizing and fighting and all that.”
The character on screen dies as Haar sighs and sets the controller down. “My wife was actually much better at it.”
Aster pauses and debates if he should continue this conversation but Haar doesn’t seem upset. “Really?”
Haar nods. “Yeah. She used to be the leader actually. I had to learn everything and take over after she died because it was so sudden.”
“What did you used to do before?”
“Stayed at home, taking care of Caecus. She was much better at everything else and it was all for our village and family. I think people thought I’d be too soft since I had no experience in governing before it was passed to me.”
“And they learned to respect you?”
“I’m not sure really, but I earned it somehow.” Haar looks down at his hand, his thumb running over the two separate marks around his ring finger. One for his wife and one for Solaris. “I think she would’ve liked to meet him.”
“Are they anything alike?”
“Caecus often says they’re pretty similar. Which is true I suppose, they both love Caecus a lot and…”
“They had a lot on their shoulders but hid it?”
Haar puffs out a fond laugh. “Yeah… Aster.”
“Yes?”
“Is it true that the Spokesperson of the Sun only lives up to a certain age?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Aster.”
“I wouldn’t know, I’ve only known Solaris and there’s not many records of the previous Spokespersons’ lives.”
“Because they’re not supposed to be among the people much?”
“Yeah.” Aster turns back to the shelves.
“So it’s only hearsay.”
“Probably.”
“I see.”
“Besides, I think Solaris would tell you and considering I haven’t heard it either, I doubt it’s true.”
“That’s fair, I suppose.”
Aster sighs and comes down the ladder. “Hey, you’re not gonna lose him. He fought against the Sun a lot to just get here. He’ll be fine.”
“…You’re right.” Haar stands and goes to the window, looking out in the direction of the hill that’s so important to Solaris.
Going against the Sun’s wishes so much has to have consequences and he’s just waiting for the day Solaris has to answer for it.
A/N: Also I need everyone to turn off their shipping caps because this wasn’t written with that intent at all and it’s very important to me that you don’t read it like that thank you <333
When Aster meets him, he finds him in the middle of the ruins of a recently burned down forest. Though, he’s completely unharmed and sleeping. Aster runs off in search of help to carry the strange kid back home and nurse him back to health. Except he’s already healthy, completely untouched by the raging fire a few days ago and dangerous wildlife that roam the area. When the kid wakes up, his slim gray blue eyes somehow hold enough of a childish wonder that puts creatives to shame.
His name was Solaris.
The Sun gave it to him.
They became fast friends after that.
~
Aster didn’t know what to think about the strange fire kid.
But he knows that he didn’t have any family. No parents. No siblings. No aunts and uncles and grandparents. It was odd and Aster had never heard of anything like that, but then Aster’s parents told him about the story of the Sun. How there was always a chosen person. How they appeared human, but weren’t. How they have the power to do anything because they’re the herald of the Sun or something.
Child Aster didn’t really understand completely.
He was just happy that he had a friend.
~
“Stare!”
“Stop calling me that! It’s Aster!”
“Stareeeeee!”
“Stop!”
Solaris grins and laughs as he runs around and Aster chases after him, laughing as well. “Stare Stare Stare Stare!”
“I should call you funny names too!”
“Do it!”
As they stop running, Aster struggles trying to come up with something before saying, “S-Sully!”
Solaris giggles and jumps with his arms out. “I like it!”
Somehow, Solaris always managed to get him to smile.
~
It was fun being his friend.
Solaris puts a finger to his lips to signal Aster to stay quiet as the latter covers his mouth to keep from laughing. Coming out from his hiding spot, he sneaks around the crowd as they’re distracted by the Festival of the Sun. Once he’s close enough, he steals some snacks from a vendor before returning to Aster still in the hiding spot. They laugh and cheer once they’re out of the Festival.
“How come you never go to the Festival? It’s for you.”
Solaris hums around the ice cream bar. “Not really! It’s for the Sun, I just talk to them!”
“It is?”
“Yeah! Even the Sun tells me I don’t need to go!”
“Really?”
“Yep! Besides, I just wanna be with you! It’s really fun and I like being around you more than being with other people!”
“That doesn’t sound right though,” Aster hums as he thinks.
Solaris shrugs. “Doesn’t matter! Sun said I could skip it whenever I want!”
~
Though, sometimes, he disliked being his friend.
“It’s the Spokesperson! He’s so cute!” There was a group of people fawning over him in the middle of the town when Aster managed to find him.
Maybe it was jealousy for being so important to everyone around him.
“What will you do today, Spokesperson?”
Maybe it was because he grabbed everyone’s attention instantly no matter where he went.
“Do you want to hang out with us?”
Maybe it was because he wanted the powers he had.
“Spokesperson, will you talk to the Sun today?”
Maybe it was because he wanted to hear the Sun too.
“Spokesp—”
“Aster!” Solaris smiles when he sees him and runs over, holding his hand with both of his as his smile widens. “What should we do today?”
“Ah… I don’t…”
But just as quickly as his jealousy burns in his heart, it extinguishes immediately when Solaris always reminds him unintentionally that Aster is his only friend.
“Let’s go have fun together! Okay?”
He could be friends with anyone.
“...Okay.” Aster nods with his own smile.
Why did he choose him?
~
Especially when he was so terrible to him when they were teens.
“Astie! Let’s hang o—”
“Can you leave me alone?”
Solaris’s smile never faltered. “Is there something wrong?”
“We’re not kids anymore, Solaris. I have to focus on learning how to run the inn.”
“Then afterward?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“You’re lucky. Y’know that, Solaris? You’ve had your whole life planned out for you from the beginning. Everyone else isn’t like you. We need to learn how to live, we’re not given things all the time even if we didn’t ask for it. Your life is so easy and I hate it.”
Solaris continues smiling at him.
“What? Why are you smiling? See, that’s what I’m talking about! You can always act so carefree because you never had to live like me!”
“Okay!”
“Okay?”
“I’ll help you with the inn!”
“No, just leave me alone.” Aster turns to leave as Solaris watches him leave.
He was still smiling somehow, even as he lost his only friend.
~
It took a few years before they ever talked again. Aster saw him occasionally, but he never let him approach him. It was cruel, Aster realized later, to take Solaris’s only friend away from him because he was jealous he had it easy.
Except he didn’t.
It was never easy to be the Spokesperson of the Sun.
“...I’m sorry.” Aster says one day on the hill as Solaris stares up at the sky. It takes a few moments, but he turns to look at Aster and of course this bastard still smiles at him.
“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Aster.”
Rubbing his arm, Aster looks away. “It was wrong of me to say all of those things. You had to fill a role you were forced into and…” Aster sighs heavily and looks back to Solaris. He hates seeing this smile. He hardly ever sees it when he’s with him. “...It was a role you never wanted.”
“Pleasing everyone is my duty as Spokesperson of the Sun, and if you were pleased to no longer be my friend, I would continue to fulfill that wish of yours. I live to serve the Sun and everyone in this world.”
“But.”
For once, Solaris’s smile falls as he takes a shaky breath and attempts to hold back tears. “But… you were my only selfish want. I never wanted to lose you at my side. I never wanted to be above you—to look down on you. Aster, forever and always, I wanted to be beside you because believe it or not, I was jealous of you too. Never having to live for others. Letting nothing hold you down to one thing. Shining brightly because of your own achievements. Losing you meant I wasn’t Solaris anymore. Losing you meant I was only the Spokesperson of the Sun.”
Solaris sighs. “I don’t blame you for your hatred toward me because of my position, but if you still wish to no longer be my friend, I will adhere to it.”
Aster watches him for a little while more before running his hand through his hair. “I always hated when you spoke eloquently. It doesn’t suit you. We can be friends, just please never speak to me like that ever again.”
“Are… you sure?”
“Yes, Solaris.”
Solaris smiles finally—it’s been so long since he’s seen him honestly smile. “I think I’d rather consider us soulmates!”
“Soulmates?”
“Yes! Except we chose each other on our own, no one else did!”
“What, the Sun didn’t make me stumble upon you by pure coincidence?”
“Oh, no no no,” Solaris chuckles. “Actually, the Sun really hated you for a while because I wouldn’t focus on my duties!”
Aster pauses then sighs. “Please don’t make the Sun of all things hate me. I’m just some guy, and I would rather not get smited.”
Solaris laughs and wraps an arm around Aster’s shoulders. “Well, the Sun can’t touch you now! Soulmates?”
“...Soulmates.”
The Sun may have given him the name Solaris, but Solaris is the one who gave that name meaning past “Solaris, Spokesperson of the Sun”, and Aster is proud of him for finding his own way. He’s proud of both of them.
And he’ll gladly be by his side for the rest of his life.
Solaris’s smile widens a bit when Haar looks back at him. “Nothing~”
“Clearly not, when all you have done in the past ten minutes is watching me for no apparent reason.”
“Oh, but my dear Nebby, I do have a reason!”
Haar shakes his head. “Sure you do.”
Solaris grins and leans forward, chin dropping on his closed fists. “I like watching you work because you get all serious and determined and cute. It suits you~”
“You’re interrupting my workflow.”
“Oh! Is Nebby calling me distracting?”
“I was not.”
Solaris chuckles to himself and pulls off his hat before trying to carefully place it on Haar’s head.
“I can see the shadow, y’know.”
“No, you can’t.” Solaris puts his hat on Haar’s head and grins at him before sitting back. “There. Now, my peace won’t suffer from the heat.”
“Your peace is trying to work without interruptions.”
Smile turning sly, Solaris hops off the branch and lands next to Haar, pulling the hat off Haar’s head and leaning in to kiss him as he uses his hat to cover them. “Just one interruption?”
Haar rolls his eyes and kisses him again. “There, I made it two, now let me finish this.”
