some 20 years ago
on an impressive star-destroyer warship
with @salgodkiller
he’s running. ever running. not away from anyone or anything, but towards something.
the ship’s hallways are endless and yet he’s never gotten lost before in his life. perhaps his inner compass is that true, or maybe he’s just always made sure to be in the right company to find his way back to where his parents reside, never seeming to find their stay aboard the ship as entertaining and delightful as he does.
there’s several other children’s voices audible in the hallway, giggles and other sounds of delight intermingling as their feet drum on the hallway floors, racing through the open space in an effort to get away from or closer towards each other. he’s not just one of the many, this he’s realised over time. the other kids look up to him, award him a sort of reverence that he recognises from when he’s watched the adults interact. the only other child to be rewarded this same reverence - even more so than him - is the golden eyed starchild, son of the ship’s captain, the one who always calls all the shots, and his best friend.
salathiel is a whole different category on his own, always has been. he knows this, accepts this without resentment, for it takes only one look at the boy to know, to know. sal is at the top somewhere, high up in the stars. adrien is at the top as well, but he’s only at the top of the little rabble of children that they play with. he’s the boss of them only insofar as sal allows him to be. he knows this. he doesn’t mind. he would do near anything for the golden-eyed boy at his side anyway. or maybe not just near anything, maybe it’s really just anything.
they round a corner, feet thudding on the floorboards in sync, as he always ever falls into step with the older boy, always ever seems to gravitate towards him and then adapt to fit beside him properly. it’s not a conscious thing, but it happens over and over again. suddenly the rhythm of his steps gets interrupted, his friend’s hand closing around his arm and yanking him through an open door on the side. the door panel closes behind them almost instantly, as if it already responds to the thoughts of the boy who is set to own it some day, and then they’re piling behind a series of stacked boxes, collapsing on the floor while breathing heavily, wide grins on their faces.
his cheeks are pleasantly flushed, his heartbeat racing from the exertion in all the best ways, and when he tilts his head to look up at his friend, he looks straight at the golden glow of his eyes, outlined by the shape of his face. he pauses as he always does when they lock gazes like this, doesn’t think twice of the way his heartbeat always speeds up rather than calms down when it happens, nor of the way he’s always grinning when they’re together.
sal shoves his face away and he laughs at it, at the familiarity of the motion. rather than accept this, though, he rolls over, puts his head on the older boy’s stomach and tilts it so he can look up at him again, taking his friend in from this upside-down viewpoint he’s achieved now.
“you almost tripped,” he says, grins widely though he doesn’t in the slightest say this as something he might make fun of his friend for. sal doesn’t consider it worth a reply, which is expected, so he simply reaches up to punch his friend’s shoulder, his breathing having settled a bit at this point. “shall we go out and chase them instead?” he offers next, and this is something that does get the older boy’s approval.
in no time they’re up on their feet again. the door panel slides open to let them out, and with loud war cries they throw themselves back into the fray, instantly scattering the other children as they go scampering away from the duo.