#he's got this aureola around his head

[heybiji]

Roshan walks with the two Potts, gazing around at the fields and forests painted in warm colors by the setting sun. He remarks, "It is a lovely view from here."

Gazing outward, past the broken walls he had put up 20 years ago, Arthund nods and says, "Forgot. Forgot how... how pretty it all is."

I recently finished running an original oneshot for some friends, The Reaching Woods. It was a story about a little village surrounded by a big wall and the nearby forest's sudden overgrowth threatening to crush it all. It was also a story about blame and guilt.

Arthund Potts, when we met him, could barely speak at all. Too many years spent drinking and weeping. If he was even conscious he was all grunts and sloppy gestures. The scene above was at the end of the oneshot (okay, eighteenshot), once the party returned from the dark, evil woods.

[the-possum-writes]

i’ve recently gotten into adventure time (i’m very late i know) and was wondering if you could do a finnxfem!reader lemon? they haven’t seen each other in a while cause adventures and what not so it’s a date night at the tree house! reader misses him a lot and is needy and wanting love and it just escalates from there (●’◡’●) tysm!! you can change up the scenario if you’d like, i’m just a simp for this boy 😭💕

In your arms after every Adventure

❥Character: Finn Mertens

❥Tags: 🔞 N/S/F/W, Established relationship, Fem!Reader, PIV Smut, Vanilla, Finn is an adult in this one

❥Synopsis: Finn is always out there dungeon crawling or adventuring for months to no end but he always comes back to you and make up for lost time.

❥Taglist: @watchingfromthefloorboards @foxpearl1wilder

A/n: It's never too late to enjoy~ friendo in this house we all be simping 🛐 took me a while to get in the right head space to write this one, been trying to get used to getting more explicit and use hornier words, but for now this one is still a bit on the softer side cause... I'm still trying ;w;

Finn murmurs, “I missed you,” every time he lowers himself to your chest, taking quick breaths before opening wide to suck mouthfuls of your sensitive boobs one at a time. Finn has developed patience through the years compared to when he was a teenager, learning to take his sweet time with you as if he were relishing his favorite ice cream flavor. Also eating you in that efficiency. He occasionally shifts between his tongue and his crooked teeth, knowing exactly how much pressure to apply to your popped nipple to send shudders through your body with each time his tongue laps around the circular curve of your aureola in sloppy yet delicate movements.

“Finn…” you breathe into his ear, dragging his name in an unfinished sentence. The young man rose from your chest, looking into your loving eyes for your next command like the loyal knight he is. You adjust yourself from beneath his body, raising your hips to grind against the heated bulge radiating from between his legs. “Can we get started, pleaseee?” you ask the human above you, almost embarrassed by your high voice. A brief chuckle vibrates through his own exposed chest, taking a moment away from your breasts to sit upright. “Right! Sorry, I got a little carried away with the twins.”

You look down at the skin surrounding your boobs, riddled with goosebumps, light bite marks and glistening saliva trails that lead to the culprit in front of you. “Riiight, just a bit.” It still brought a short laugh from you.

Finn was so invested in you that he forgot he’s still wearing his pants. His hands are already reaching down to pop off the button and lower the zipper but his midriff still remains a taunting sight for your sore eyes, the low bedroom light casting shadows of his hard on straining against the denim of his pants. While Finn discards his clothing, you turn around to the nightstand and retrieve a silver packet, carefully ripping it open as your boyfriend kneels in front of you so you can slip the condom in place.

Finns hands subtly tremble when they grip the underside of your thighs, raising your bottom just enough for you to slide off your underwear and toss them away from your bed. He’s just as eager as you are, so overwhelmingly desperate that any second spent where he’s not plowing you feels like an eternity.

“Hngg…I also missed this… Hah, oh glob.” His voice comes out like a strangle when he first dips his head into you, slipping it carelessly with how worked up and slick you became during his “little” licking session. You on the other hand grip the sheets like your life depended on it, after spending all this time with nothing but the company of your own hands it feels exhilarating to get your fix with your beloved adventurer. Finn doesn’t waste time with you after that easy dip. Not even a minute has passed and your already laying on your side, with Finn raising your leg way too high just so he can get a better angle to pound into you like a broken drawer, you may not be that flexible but there’s not much to complain since when every time his cock rams into you it's sends ecstatic tremors crashing that has your toes curling.

“Just like that,” Finn moans into your ear after a particular thrust close enough to your bladder, feeling like you’re gonna come any moment now. You don’t know if it’s the obscene squelching of your cunt or his compliments or just the pent up sexual frustration, but the overall sounds affect you more than they should and you’re begging for the sweet release of this dirty tango. “Finn Finn, pleaseee don’t… Yes! Right there!” your voice raises its tone and desperation as you attempt to match his rhythm, a tell tale sign he’s picked up whenever you’re leaning on the edge.

The adventurer tightens his hold around you, affectionately keeping you close and wanting to share such a pivotal moment after not seeing you in months. “Hold out a bit for me baby, I want you to come with me- okay?” Finn slows down his pace a bit, readjusting himself in a way he can use this free hand to play around with your clit, a task harder than it should be with how wet you are down there that has his fingers slipping. “Mmhmm…” you nod, tilting your head slightly backwards so you can meet him in a shared kiss, swallowing delicate gasps and gruff groans with each smooch. Finn eventually picks up the pace again, roughly grabbing your waist as he jack hammers inside your warmth without abandon, you’re consistently tightening around him the louder you raise your voice before it lowers down all together. Releasing a final cry of bliss before your body starts twitching in the aftermath, Finn followed right behind you, his own voice comes out in a strangled moans and repeating your name alongside lilac praises.

Your nose scrunches up when you feel Finn pull out of you, too sensitive down there to even sit up. He takes off the soiled rubber from his dick and tosses it in the waste bin, slipping onto bed with you so he can pull you into his arms a bit more gentle than earlier. You turn around to face him directly this time, swiping away the blonde hair locks glued to his face containing a peaceful expression that swells with love and affection, something he sees reflected in you too. You scoot closer to Finn, “Don’t take too long to come back next time.” You whisper. No matter if it’s a plea or an order, it’s an honest confession coming from a vulnerable heart. Finn takes your soft hand in his, intertwining your fingers together. “Will do.” He responds with that sunny smile of his, before kissing the back of your palm as he seals the promise.

[four-loose-screws]

FE7 Novelization Translation - Chapter 13 Section 7

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———————————

Chapter 13: Light (Section 7)

(All text is under cut for spoilers)

And so, their fight began against one of the fire dragons of old.

It was the most ferocious enemy they had ever faced.

Dragon scales were famous for their durability, and caused all manner of weapons to bounce right off the fire dragon’s body, including magic. And the breath that it exhaled instantly turned everything it touched into black charcoal.

This was not an enemy that they could easily defeat. But Eliwood and his allies had the Divine Legendary Weapons, which also served to reassure the hearts of humanity during the Scouring. They stood a chance of winning this battle, however slight.

"Anima spell of blazing hellfire! Show us your mighty strength!!” Athos cast a torrent of red-hot flames that clashed directly with the dragon’s breath. As the two flames competed violently against each other, countless sparks flew into the air.

While the sparks were falling to the ground like heavy rain, a figure was expertly dodging them and moving in from behind the dragon. 

That figure was Lyn, gripping Sol Katti, which was super effective against dragons, and jumping around, slashing at its scales over and over again.

"Haa!!"

Though her swords were not as powerful as any of the Legendary Weapons, her speed and the sharpness of her blade combined to make shallow cuts into the dragon’s normally indestructible scales, allowing her to effectively serve the purpose of drawing the dragon’s attention to her.

The fire dragon turned its attention to its back for only a second, but that was enough for Athos to put more of his magical power into a Forblaze spell. This fireball, over twice as powerful as his previous attacks, overpowered the dragon’s breath and landed a direct hit to its head.

Dense smoke covered the dragon’s head. When it cleared, they could see that there was a burned area on the dragon’s head, but it was not a large wound at all. Because it was a dragon that lived surrounded by fire, no fire magic, not even a Legendary Weapon, could do significant damage to it. The spell actually seemed to have the opposite of its intended effect - now enraged, the dragon spun its giant body around, attacking with its tail, comparable in size to a giant tree.

“Guh…!”

Having used up all of his magic and thoroughly exhausted himself, Athos was no longer able to move, and remained frozen where he stood. 

As everyone realized that Athos was about to go flying, something unbelievable happened. The thick, sharp edge of Hector’s Armads landed an attack on the dragon’s tail and stopped it cold, mere moments before it was about to hit Athos. Even among the Legendary Weapons, Armads was astonishingly powerful. 

 Hector shouted so loudly that a vein popped out of his forehead, “Now, Eliwood!”

“Got it!” Eliwood raised the Blazing Sword, courage flowing through him.

Hector’s attack stopped the fire dragon’s movements for a moment.

Eliwood took advantage of that opening to fly at it and swing Durandal across its chest.

It emitted a roar that sounded like crashing thunder.

Durandal had succeeded in slicing a clean, deep cut into its chest.

Everyone utilized the opportunity to rush it all at once.

Lyn once again ignored the danger to herself and distracted the dragon, Athos cast Aureola spells to pull off the dragon’s scales and make it flinch, and Hector dodged around its flaming hot breath to swing Armads at its neck.

“Graaaaaaaah!!!” The dragon let out a low roar.

Fresh blood gushed out of the wound Armads sliced open.

Realizing that its death was near, the dragon violently flailed its front legs and exhaled its fiery breath in every direction in its final struggle.  

But there was one person who did not flinch in response, and ran bravely towards its chest.

“Haaaaaaaaaaa!!!” Eliwood put every last ounce of his strength into an attack aimed at the gash Hector had caused.

The dragon’s giant head flew through the air.

The moment it hit the ground with a thunderous crash, was the moment Eliwood and his allies claimed their victory.

“You have done well, young heroes and inheritors of Roland’s will. It is finally over. Now… everything will…” Having witnessed Eliwood’s victory with his own eyes, Athos spoke weakly, as if waiting to see this event had given him the last of his strength, and collapsed on the ground.

Beads of sweat broke out all over his face, and all of the color drained from his skin. “Ah… I have used too much of my power. It seems I will cross over to the other side now, my friend…”

“...I will likely follow soon after you. But… for now… I will sleep again.” After Athos spoke, Bramimond said his final words, and left.

The archsage looked back at all of the young people staring at him with kind eyes, then said, “...Eliwood… Hector… Lyn… I have lived a long… long time, and finally… I have reached my end. But do not grieve for me… I will be able to see my friends who passed long before me. …I have no regrets.”

“Lord Athos…!!” Eliwood shouted, holding back his tears.

Lyn also had tears in her own eyes, and even Hector looked at Athos with a pained look on his face.

"Now… to mankind, my brothers and sisters. My final gift to you… before I die…Right now, I see… many things. I see the future…” Athos said, and used his remaining strength to read the future.

When he closed his eyes, inside his head, a clear image appeared of a not too distant future. “Oh… This is… Why… is this not now…? Neither I nor Bramimond… will be able to help your children…” 

“What… do you see?”

“A star forewarning a bad omen… will come from the land of Bern… At that time… the continent of Elibe will once again be covered in blood… But do not fear, children. Help will once again come from Lycia. Children of fire… Everything…” Before he was able to share the final words of his look into the future, Athos breathed his last.

The life of the great archsage, a member of the Eight Legends, who’d lived for a thousand years, was over.

“...Lord Athos… He cared about us so deeply… until the very end…”

“Gramps…”

Both Eliwood and Hector had sad expressions on their faces.

But Lyn wiped away her tears and said in a cheerful voice, “...Hey, look, you two! Lord Athos… He seems to be smiling.”

“...This world will once again be engulfed in darkness. But… In the end, a ray of hope will shine.” Ninian said, as if she could also see exactly what Athos saw.

The sound of her voice made Eliwood realize once again that the person he loved had come back to life. “Ninian!”

“Lord Eliwood…”

They embraced, drawn to each other like magnets.

“I’m so happy… Ninian… To see you alive again… I feel like I’m dreaming. When I lost you… I knew without a doubt that I need you. I want you to stay by my side forever.”

“Lord Eliwood… I… I must return home.” In response to Eliwood’s words, Ninian pulled away from him and spoke with a dark expression on her face.

“What do you mean?”

“I… caused all of this… The weakness in my heart… invited this entire tragedy…”

If she had been stronger, none of this would have happened.

Ninian’s heart was still full of feelings that made her blame herself. “...We have always loved… this continent of Elibe… our home and where we were born. Even when we lost to the humans, and were chased out… still… not a day went by, when we did not think of this land…” Ninian said, then paused to look at the Dragon’s Gate before continuing.

“We wanted to see the land of our birth… just one more time. Those children… the fire dragons, I am sure they felt the same way. However, it is something we can never do. We were lured here by Nergal, and opened the gate… We just wanted to take one look at this world, then go straight back… But… we were captured by Nergal, and that is how… all of this happened.” Ninian covered her face and began to cry.

She thought of Elbert, who had lost his life because of her, and her fellow dragons.

Eliwood took her shivering hand in his own, and said to encourage her, “...Us humans conquered this land, thinking nothing of the people who left as a result… …Ninian. Nils. You are not the only ones at fault. We may not have known, but we are still partly responsible.”

“...Lord Eliwood. Do you really believe that?” Nils looked up at Eliwood and asked.

“I do. …And if my father were here, I think he would have said the same thing. Let’s combine our strengths and think of the future. A future where humans and dragons can coexist, just as Lord Athos described Arcadia to be, across this entire continent."

“...If that were to be… It would be more amazing than words could describe. But that future is probably very… very far off, so we cannot stay here. The gate is still open… if it stays open, other dragons might find it. We have to return to our world before that happens… rest until our strength returns, and… close the gate from the other side.” Ninian said.

“So we’ll never see each other again? I refuse to accept that!!” He still hadn’t said any of the most important words he had to say to her. There was so much he wanted to apologize for, and so much more he wanted to talk to her about. Having lost her once already… he couldn’t go through that again.

But Ninian did not waver from her determination to return home. “Lord Eliwood… I am truly happy that I was able to meet you. Please… no matter what happens… do not ever forget me.”

“Ninian!” Eliwood shouted.

His calling out made her pause, but only for a moment before she reluctantly started walking towards the Dragon’s Gate.“...Come, let’s go, Nils. Let’s return home to our world…” Ninian turned towards her brother and said.

Nils looked straight at her and said, “Ninian… The air of this world has changed completely from that which we once knew. No matter how much time passes, we’ll never regain our powers… If we stay here, we won't live very long."

“Nils? Why are you talking about this all of a sudden…?”

“Yet still… even knowing you won’t live for very long, Ninian… Deep down, you want to stay here, right? I know… You want to be by Lord Eliwood’s side.” He said, and nudged her in Eliwood's direction. 

“Lord Eliwood… take care of Ninian… no, my older sister.”

“...I will. I promise I will make her happy.” He said with strength and conviction. 

“Nils! You can’t…”

“Yes, I’m going by myself. I want to live for a long time, and I'm not curious like you." Nils said with as much courage as he could muster, purposefully trying to push her to stay.

"...Nils…"

"...I'll be going now, then." He said, standing before the Dragon's Gate, his voice as cheerful as he could make it sound.

He did not want saying goodbye to be any harder than it already was.

"Take care, Nils!"

"I'll miss you…"

"I'll never forget you…"

Picking up on how he was feeling, Hector, Lyn, and Eliwood all said their goodbyes. 

But Ninian, who had lived with her little brother his entire life, could not stop her tears. "...Nils…"

He stood inside of the Dragon's Gate, and was enveloped in a bright light.

"Don't cry, Ninian… Even if we are apart, even if we never see each other again… our bond will never be broken… Live for as long as you can, and be… happy…"

When the light disappeared, Nils was already gone.

"Nils…!!" Ninian wailed, and started crying even harder.

Eliwood hugged her gently to comfort her.

"Hey, the sun's rising!" Hector exclaimed, as the first one to walk out of the shrine. 

A sunny day was awaiting them outside.

A thin fog hung above the ground, and the stars were still visible in the dimly lit sky. The sun was just beginning to show itself in the eastern skies.

It was a magical scene of the cross between morning and night.

"...It's so pretty. What a start to another day!" Lyn said to herself as she stretched her entire body.

"Ninian… You're coming with me, right?" Eliwood asked.

"...Yes!" Ninian nodded.

Daybreak stretched out over their heads.

Eliwood looked at the beautiful scenery before them, and wished that their future would be just as beautiful. 

☆

[vesperlynx]

Nonsensical, Inconceivable Things

Aaaaand that's it for me for this @dramioneldws! Though I didn't make it to the finals, I placed overall fourth, which I'm extremely proud of! Here's my final entry, written for the prompt Demeter | Harvest. Agriculture. Nature.

(link to the drabble collection on AO3)

Mary, Mary...

Nursery rhymes are nonsensical, but none more so than Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary—inconceivably, her mum's favourite.

"Not everything's got to make sense, darling," her mother hums.

Hermione wants to argue but doesn't (it'd make her contrary), and so it's a long time before she thinks about it again.

It's after she's won a war and an Order of Merlin First Class; while in Herbology class, knuckle-deep in a pot of soil, battling a whiny, horrid little pest.

Not a Mandrake root, but Draco Malfoy.

...Quite Contrary...

"You mustn't handle it so roughly! It'll lose its petals!"

The shimmering Aureola Persephona between them lets its gilded leaves hang.

"It's just being dramatic." Malfoy haphazardly pats the soil around the stem.

The not feigning Aureola starts shivering violently, its leaves paling.

"Now look what you've done!"

"That's because of your voice! So grating it makes everything wither."

"Much like this plant, your insults have seen better days."

"I adapt to the level I'm subjected to."

Hermione snorts. "Is that why you're air-headed? Because I'm above you?"

"No, you inconceivable cow. I'm obviously stooping."

Hermione snorts. "Whilst digging your own grave, perhaps."

"More like digging through the mu—"

Malfoy stops. He stares at her in wide-eyed shock.

Hermione stares back, half-wondering if he'd really wanted to go there, after all that's happened—or if it was just a slip of the tongue.

...How Does Your Garden Grow?

"Well, my contrary Marys?"

Professor Sprout's voice directly behind them makes them jump. Horrified, they realise how embarrassingly close they've become.

"How's our little Aureola looking?"

"Splendidly," Hermione says.

"Brilliantly," Malfoy supplies.

Another leaf pales and sails into the dirt.

By the end of Herbology, their Aureola's stopped shedding leaves, though it's still drooping pitifully.

"You're looking at an A, at best," Professor Sprout says feelingly.

Hermione faints.

Malfoy catches her—but only just.

With Silver Bells...

An A is Un-Acceptable, so Hermione bullies Malfoy into extracurricular work. For whatever reason, he complies, and by early spring, their Aureola Persephona has sprouted into an enormous plant, sporting its characteristic halo of silver, bell-shaped buds which will become ruby fruits.

"Who knew that underneath that atrocious personality, there was half a functioning brain?" Hermione teases.

"What flattery!" Malfoy drawls. "While you're the very image of perfection, too."

Hermione, covered in grime and dirt, smirks. Lifting her hand, she soils his hair.

Malfoy’s eyes shine as he returns the favour, dirtying her face.

Their Aureola swoons. Its bells tinkle happily as the ground beneath it begins to quake.

And Cockle Shells...

Their story is inconceivable; nonsensical.

But Malfoy's growth sparks something within her. It's tentative, at first, but fiercely vital. Feelings that shouldn't exist, flourish, on soil considered barren.

And so, on a Sunday in Autumn, Hermione, wearing a crown of Aureola and Narcissi, walks down the aisle, towards a besotted Malfoy.

Everyone’s beaming proudly, but none more so than her mum, who's humming happily

...And Pretty Maids All In A Row.

Shares/Likes and Kudos/Comments are my love language!

And do check out the other contributions as well, which were all excellent!

[rogermeddowstaylorr]

hiking

note: hi there lovies! First, i think i have to apologize. I have been unproductive af and kept telling myself to do the work, even if it my want was not following the idea. Anyway, i wrote this, it’s frankly not my masterpiece (if one day, i do a masterpiece) and excuse the lenght of this, but i felt like a short story “put me back in bath”, like we say in france. I would also like to thank, as usual my favourite proofreader and supporter, @rogerina-is-hotter-than-me (she’s so talented please check her work, even tho she’s already pretty popular and i am sure you know her already! <3). I let you read this little adventure, inspired by Call Me By Your Name, and some of my darkest thoughts.

warning: smut ahead, as always!

words: 3553

moodboards: 1 - 2 - 3

Playlist

Gwilym’s breathing was filling the room, as his chest came up and down. You were laying next to him, your eyes following the movement of his chest, just awoken since some minutes. Your lover was still asleep, not disturbed by the light trails of sun entering by the opened windows. You turned your head, covering unconsciously your bare chest in the sheets and listened to the noises outside. The distant lapping of water was the first thing you heard as you hummed the salty breeze coming in the room. Then, muffled chats came to your ears, surely coming from the people in the market at the entry of your hotel. The delicious sound of italian words made your heart flutter, as you remembered the time when you came here for holidays as a child.

How you loved Sicilia. It was your favourite place. You felt it deep inside you. You had a week with your lover before everything came back to it normality. Returning to the state of the student and him, the professor. The forbidden love you were sharing was kept secret, too debauched for the others. As you were both on holidays at the same time, the two of you took the occasion to be closer this time, craving for a normal life, a normal love. Usual mornings where you could just wake up against him, where you could kiss each other in the quiet hotel room you where sharing. 

You turned again, facing back Gwilym, and smiling when you saw him move a little. Your fingers came to brush the skin of his chest, as you described his sleepy face. You loved how his beard suited him -and how it felt when he was between your legs. His lips were slightly parted, sometimes letting a breathy sigh out in his sleep. You laid on your belly, carefully kissing his cheek. His eyes opened slowly at the contact and you felt his hot and  large palm on the curve of your back. Seeing him awake, you kissed his lips.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” you whispered, brushing some strands of brown hair out of his pretty face. He yawned a bit, looking at you. His hand was caressing your lower back, a lazy grin on his lips.

“Good morning beautiful…” he answered, as he pecked a chaste kiss on your plump lips. “It’s so good to wake up next to you…” your noses were brushing a bit as you were close to each other. Your hands came in his hair, massaging his scalp slowly. 

“Hm…” you kissed him again, but a little bit more frankly. You pulled back a bit to look at his blue eyes and your palm came on his cheek, brushing his skin tenderly. “Sure it is… And i have you all for me.” you added.

The hand resting on the small of your back moved to your ass. You giggled as he squeezed it, bringing you closer to him. You loved how much his hair was messy, entangled because of yesterday night. Those thoughts crossing your mind made you blush, lowering your eyes on Gwilym’s neck. Souvenirs were flashing in front of your eyes. Him, creeping down your body after coming back from the royal meal you shared in a local italian restaurant. His beard on your tummy, between the -lightly- sun burnt skin of your chest and in your thin palms. His fingers on your thighs, pulling your knickers down. 

Snapping his fingers in front of your eyes, Gwilym got you out of your thoughts. You looked at him, half-lost in your memories. His eyes were closing again, his head falling back on the pillow, sighing. You straddled him to wake him up and put your palms on his chest. He was truly breathtaking, here, lying in the white sheets of the hotel’s bed. The creases of the pillow under him were surrounding his head, adorning it with a soft aureola. Your eyes were drifting from his chest to his neck, finally diving to kiss it. The feeling of his chapped lips against your plump lips made your heart flutter. His hand came back at it place, at the small of your back, lazily touching your skin. 

"We have to get up, lazy old man." You said, kissing his lips one last time. You rose to grab your mobile phone sat on his bedside table. Your fingers brushed the screen, taping something on it: On Melancholy Hill.

A light guitar filled the room as soon as you clicked on play. You smiled at your lover, seeing his eyes opening slowly. He yawned and rested his large palm on your right thigh. 

Up on melancholy hill

There's a plastic tree

Are you here with me

Just looking out on the day

Of another dream

“This song again?” he asked, groaning a bit, even though, a large grin was on his lips. You lift up your hips, leaving the heat of his body. Feet bare on the cold tiled ground of your hotel room, you hissed and walked to the desk, taking in your hands the t-shirt resting astride the chair. You were dancing a bit, hips going from right to left, hands playing with your own hair, searching your undies. You were humming over the music, savouring this moment. Gwilym’s eyes were never leaving you, his heart racing at this sight. His tired blue pearls were describing your body, your moles, and your scars. He was just trying to impress that moment in his head forever. 

Well you can't get what you want

But you can get me

So let's set out to sea

'Cause you are my medicine

When you're close to me

When you're close to me

The noises of a welcome university party were flooding in your mind. The same bloody music. You were sat on that old smelly couch, lifting your head at the synthesizer coming to your ears, tightening your grip on your cheap beer. There was too many people to dance correctly to that song but you’ll do it. Your doc martens on the parquet, you made your way in the middle of the crowded room. Your lips were mouthing the lyrics, eyes closed as you tried to avoid the people. Your hips were swaying always the same way in your vinyl mini skirt. You opened your eyes realizing people were watching you, but you carried on dancing, too taken by the music and the moment. One of your feet was tapping in rhythm, coming up and down, making a regular and loud “bump” over the speakers. Soon, your eyes fell on him. That tall man sat in the corner, watching you dance. You could tell he was older, but not too old, maybe in his mid thirties? However, you were dancing for him, now. Your hair was a bit flying around you, as you lighted a cigarette, quickly letting a long trail of smoke in the -already- smoky air. The red light was adorning your skin, as you gave the man a quick smile. He answered it, lifting his drink up to you. As the final gong of the music rang out, you stopped your movement. 

A breathy chuckle left your plump lips as you felt your chest heaving up and down because of that dance session. As the next song begun -High Flying Bird by Jefferson Airplane-, you came closer to the man. His beer sunk down his throat while his large palm tapped the seat next to him. You obliged, smiling, holding your can. 

“I would love to offer you a real beer, and not one in a can but i am afraid it is the only option.” he said, rising his shoulders. You could tell he was quite drunk, but hell, he was pretty. His freshly shaven jaw was clenching a bit as he brought his drink to his swollen lips. 

The scent of his aftershave -a mix of cologne and lavender- was dazing your mind. “Let me offer you another one, you’re surely tired and thirsty after that dance session.” You nodded mindlessly as you saw him wait for an answer, a large smug smile on his chapped lips. He leaned against the counter, bending a bit to get a can in his large palms and handed you the drink. You thanked him quickly, before taking it in between your thin fingers. 

“So what’s your name?” he asked, never leaving your eyes. Yours blocked a bit on his hands. Those palms were looking so soft, and your mind wondered a second at how nice they would feel on you. You shook your head lazily, forcing yourself to come back here. You coughed a bit, smiling at the surprised man. 

“I’m Y/N,” you said quickly “What about you?” 

“Gwilym.” he answered, taking another swig of his beer. You did the same, your red face half hidden by the -almost too hot- can in your hands. You closed your eyes and hummed as alcohol flooded your senses.

“So what are you doing in your life, Gwilym?” you asked after some quiet seconds. Your arm sweeped the thin bit of liquid resting on your upper lips. You were naturally leaning in his side, taken by a wave of courage. His eyes widen a bit at your gesture.

“I’m a professor in univers-” he was cut by your wet lips on his, pushing him closer from you by holding firmly his collar. 

He groaned, not knowing how to react at first. Your lips were too inviting for him to pull back, though. As you were this close from each other, he could smell your light perfume. Something smelling like shea butter. He liked it. As he closed his eyes and tried to savoure that moment, you pulled back. He stayed in that position as he looked at you. Your eyes were now lowered on your shaking hands. Those little palms were waiting for your brain to proceed and tell them what to do. They moved to the pockets of your jacket, taking with haste the red cigarette pack. You drifted your sight from the red cardboard box to his blue pearls and sighed breathily. 

“Do you want to go out for a smoke?” you asked, standing up on your frail legs. He nodded and put a hand on your waist, helping you to walk for a bit.

The trail of smoke coming in the air, you were both sat on some marches, talking since some long minutes. He was so captivating. Your eyes couldn’t leave him as you listened to his drunk stories, words slipping so easily from his mouth. On his side he couldn’t avoid the way your skirt was coming up, revealing a soft skin he was dying to touch. Your lips met again and again, lost in this hazy feeling you were both sharing. How that time was sweet.

As your feet stopped it movement, you looked up. A loud noise of water crashing down the chasm was filling the valley. The tight yellow shorts you were wearing were slightly cutting the skin of your thighs as you were sat on a wet rock, watching the void in front of you. Your white tank top was a bit transparent now, because of the humidity of the place. A large palm patted your shoulder and you lift your head up. Gwilym was next to you, drifting his hand on your tummy, holding you close to his chest. Heat rushed to your heart and you felt full. Full as if a big flower had blossomed into your ribcage, the roots stopping your breathing for a second. Your thin fingers intertwined softly with his while a drop of water laid on your cheek, quickly followed by many more. He managed to free one hand, his thumb brushing away the drops. You closed your eyes, savouring the feeling of his sweet finger on your skin.

He pushed you more against him, his arms surrounding your frail body. His beard was a bit scratching your skin, letting some red trails on it. A strand of his hair was lazily falling over his forehead as he leaned to kiss your cheek. You breathed in and out, taking all your time in that sweet moment. The deafening crash of water was covering every interaction you did. Your thin fingers came in his damp hair, brushing it with tenderness. 

“I love those walks.” you finally said, looking right in front of you. You felt your lover’s chest heaved up and down. He took your hand, bringing it to his lips.

“I love them too. They’re so relaxing since we got there.” he added. You smiled in the void at his words. You lift up your head to look at him after some seconds.

“Oh so city boy is relaxed by two days in some Italian countryside.” a large grin was adorning your beautiful face and he stick out his tongue, letting out a guttural laugh.

“That’s because i’ve got my fantastic girl by my side!” he laughed a bit more and pinched your cheek, kissing your forehead. “My Sunshine.”

The light synthesizer riff came to your ears as you heard those words. You were sat on a used car seat, looking at the road in front of you. On your side was sat Gwilym, driving the old car he had. The throbbing of the car and the loud music playing were the only thing coming to your ears.

An hour from that he appeared at your apartment, some books in his hands and a lot of books in his bag. He rang five times until you answered him, opening your door, slightly annoyed by that incessant ringing. He apologized quickly, and entered without paying really attention at your wet hair and light pajama shorts.

“Did… I disturbed you ?” he asked, his eyes now on the bright bottoms you were wearing, his cheeks slightly turning red. 

“I was showering, Gwil..!” you said quickly before turning and grabbing your hot mug in between your tiny fingers. “Why are you coming here so late ?” you sat slowly on your couch, playing with the tea bag infusing his aroma in the boiling water. The light steam was coming in the air,  tickling your face.

“I found something very important. You know, the book we talked about in class ?” he asked sweetly, coming on the couch you were seated on. You hummed, drinking a bit of the hot liquid. “There’s a outdoor cinema that show it.”

You paused a second, looking at his disheveled hair and his light beard. “Is that a date?” you blurted out, an eyebrow up and a questioning look on your face.

“Oh hum. No.” he said quickly. “I mean… It’s only professional. I am your professor and thought it was very interesting for you to see the vision of another artist on the novel we’re studying…”

“Are you asking that to all your students?” you asked with a little voice, eyes stuck on the tea bag floating in the water.

“No..No !” his eyes searched yours, and you felt his long fingers lightly holding your head up, making you look at him. “But please, come with me.”

*

“Do you like this music?” he asked, adding his voice to the buzzing of the car. You nodded silently listening to the sweet harmonies the voices were forming. “I love Belle And Sebastian. They’re… so fucking fantastic!” he carried on, a large grin on his lips. You couldn’t hold your smile, seeing him like that. 

“I agree, Belle And Sebastian are geniuses.” you said slowly, watching his focused profile describing the road in front of him. “Do you always listen to indie stuff? I mean, Gwil! Look at you, you love Belle and Sebastian, Syd Matters and Devendra Banhart. They’re not very… famous.” you added, laughing a bit at his reactions. He had a surprised face and put slowly his hand on your thighs, pressing lightly his palm against your skin in a friendly way.

“I love indie music! it’s not a big deal, stop torturing your pretty head with reflections like that. Stop over analyzing.” he gave you a quick gaze and his pretty smile before turning his head to look at the rosy sky in front of him. “I mean, stop over analyzing me, because i need you to over analyze the texts i am giving you.” his laughs filled the car and you returned his warm smile. 

His hand patted the skin of your thighs as a comfortable silence came in the passenger compartment. You closed your eyes, letting the back of your head hit the headrest. Your frail palm came over his hand, taking it firmly only to bring his fingers higher on your skin. Gwilym quickly turned his head to look at what was happening and then tried to focus on the road. 

Wheel of fortune spins,

But the wheels on fire come crashing on you

Honey'd sweet apples, they're rotting away

When he felt the material of your shorts, he turned again his head, quite alarmed by what was happening. He saw your lips parting a bit, and heard a light sigh. Your back arched as his finger came to a place you wondered for a long time. A wet spot was forming on your panties, and it was his turn to close his eyes. He hummed for a second and tried to focus back on the road. 

“It is not a good idea.” he said quickly, but didn’t move his hand. His cheeks were hot and slightly red because of what was happening. 

A moan escaped your lips, when he entered you. Your fingers abandoned his, he was moving alone, in and out. In and out. Keeping this pace and trying not to have an accident, trying to keep you safe and satisfied. 

Sunshine, we all see the same sky

Looking, learning, asking the same 'why?'

Sunshine, we all see the same sky

His eyes couldn’t leave you. He had to stop the car on a side of the road, as you slipped slowly on your seat, unbuckling your seatbelt only to open more your legs, lost in the moment. You were moaning lightly, when he pushed his fingers deeper, moving faster. 

“Please.. I want more…” you whined weakly, a hand now on your eyes, hiding your pleading looks. 

He unbuckled his own seatbelt, coming on your side of the car, kneeling in front of your seat. Your eyelids opened lazily, seeking his blue orbs in the haze of a forbidden pleasure, as a smile grew on your face. The rosy sky had told you you were in paradise this night.

*

Sat at the little table that was already waiting for you on your hotel balcony, Gwilym could only hear the inscensant sound of your laptop’s tiles from inside. He was in the bed since some long minutes, a book in his left hand, reading lazily. The way he was holding his books always impressed you. Your hand was not large enough to hold one book, stuck between your thumb and your index, and apply enough pressure for it to stay open..

“It’s cold you should come in.” His voice startled you and you turned your head quickly. You hummed no and returned to your typing. 

His laugh came to your ears and little by little, the buzzing of italians words filled the air. You gazed on your right, and met an empty street. 

“So we’re getting home tomorrow, huh?” you slowly. asked. It was not a question. Only an affirmation.

“Yeah, home, the place where we have to hide.” You smiled sadly at his words as your knees came to rest against your chest, heels on the tip of the chair. The fresh air was tickling your legs as you did so. “It’s a bit of an antithesis, huh?” you nodded, lowering your head. 

Your hands came to snuggle into the sleeves of Gwilym’s sweatshirt. He gave it to you, last year, when you were cold while watching an outdoor movie. For classes, he said. The act made you shiver, your nails scratching your skin.

“I will miss everything of that.” As Gwilym heard your shaking voice, he got up of the bed and came next to you. “I’ll miss Italy and i’ll miss the freedom we had.” your hand rested on his cheek, brushing the little hair coming from his sideburns. 

“I’ll miss it too, sunshine…” he said after kissing your lips. “but we will be strong. Strong enough to live with it.” He kissed you again, but this time the kiss was salty. He gazed at your eyes, now filled with tears. His arms surrounded you in no time, as he snuggled into your neck. 

Italy was a dream, you said to yourself. When coming back to England and to London's streets, you came back to normality. Gwilym carried on teaching english literature, and his classes felt like before: he was a stranger, your professor, you didn’t knew him. Leaving the amphitheatre, you would sadly gaze at him as you knew he would never answer it. Only in the evening, when you walked on the paved ground to go to his apartment, surrounded by the lightly enlightened brick’s houses and the sound of your heels, you became again his.

[mylifeinhopeworld]

“Hello beautiful. Come closer, will you? Tell me, what brings you here?”

 As you walked towards him, the light that filled the room got dimmer and dimmer. You knew this was dangerous. That you shouldn’t get close to him, but you sensed a new feeling coursing through your body. Want.

When you were near enough, he grabbed the aureola that floated above your head and snapped it in two. Everything went dark, except from the faint red light emanating from his horns. He smirked and chuckled devilishly before leaning to whisper in your ear.

“My name’s Yuta, by the way.” He fused the two pieces of your halo around your exposed neck.

“But you can call me Master, from now on.”

[kynaswhereabouts]

A Visit At Our Lady of Penafrancia Museum

Location: Corrner Penafrancia Avenue, Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday (9:00am-5:00pm)

Contact Person: Ms. Rosette -09082395191

The Our Lady of Penafrancia Museum has been here for a long time. In fact, it was said that the museum edifice was completed way back in 1993 (I wasn’t even born by that time). The Penafrancia Pilgrimage Foundation has collaborated with the Penafrancia Association and established a joint management board to supervise the affairs of the of the museum. Several donors and contributing artists was able to make this possible. I have been wanting to visit this since then because I had always been curious of what is inside it. I usually see it with closed gates back then and it was only today that I got the chance to finally be there because I saw that the gates were opened.

When I got there, I saw that there was a minor construction going on. I was able to meet the caretaker of the museum, Ms. Rosette. I asked her first if the museum was open to public and said yes. I paid an entrance fee of 15 pesos and was asked if I was the only one, I told her that I just happen to pass by and thought of featuring it here on my blog so she gladly led me to the exhibit. She let me be on my own as I started to roam around.

I have always been a Nagueno, I was born here but I spent half of my childhood in Manila. It was only when we moved back in Naga, when I was taught in school (in Religion classes mostly) about the Marian faith and devotion of Bicolanos to Our Lady of Penafrancia. I have been able to learn about it but I am not that knowledgeable about it by that time. As I grew up and took all those required Religion classes, I have that grown familiarity to the story of the devotion. I was able able to read several versions of the stories too which is why going here today seemed to have enlightened me with the right knowledge.

I first went to this gallery where they exhibited the mantos (capes/robes of Ina) as well the dioramas of the story on how the devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia first started.

Here are some photos of the mantos. To define it as stated here, “Manto is the mantle, cape or robe that befits the Queenship of Mary signifying protection. A religious practice has evolved where devotees wish to be imposed with the mantle of Ina for healing with other personal petitions, an expression of fiducial trust under the protection of Ina. This meticulously knitted crochet captures a timeless effort and personal touch of specialness put into preparing the manto of Ina.”

Now, I’ll take you back in time and tell the story of how the Devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia started through the dioramas. (Please bear with me, I will be brief on this but I will try to summarize and explain it as much as I can with accuracy based on what the description per diorama says).

1.       Invasion of Spain by the Moors (711-713)

During this time, there was a war between the Moors and the Christians in Spain. When the Christians got defeated, their homes and churches were burned so they fled and settled in the mountains along with their priced possessions including their sacred images. They may have been defeated but their faith and devotion has never faded. The place where they settled (between Salamaca and Caceres) was named Pena de Francia.

 2.       Simon Rolan “Vella” (Paris, 1428)

Simon Rolan “Vella” is a Franciscan lay brother. One night, a voice came to him in his dream telling him to look for the image of Our Lady of Penafrancia so upon waking up, he searched for it. He spent 6 years looking for it in the mountains of France.

 3.       Market Scene at Salamanca, Spain (1434)

There was a woman and a man caught in a fray who provided clues to Simon on where to find the mountain Pena de Francia. A churchgoer showed him the way.

 4.       Discovery of The Sacred Image of Penafrancia (May 19, 1434)

While on his search, Simon had a head wound for inflicting a falling rock and then had a dream again. In his dream, the Lady appeared and told him where he can find him. Simon followed what he saw in his dream, and together with his 4 friends, they found the image of Mother and Child.  They venerated the sacred image and they were cured of their ailments.

 5.       Spread of Devotion to Penafrancia in Nueva Caceres (1700)

Miguel de Robles Covarrubias is a sick UST seminar. Upon reading a book on the Virgin of Penafrancia, he became a devotee and vowed to build a stone chapel at the riverbanks of Pasig, Manila however, he wasn’t able to make it happen there because he was transferred to the Diocese of Nueva Caceres where he got ordained and later, got appointed to be the parish priest of Cathedral and Vicar General. When the Cimarrones of Isarog requested for a chapel, they slowly built it then a local artist carved an image of Our Lady of Penafrancia and painted it by a dog’s blood. Miraculously, the decapitated dog came back to life. The devotion spread during the tenure of Bishope Felipe de Molina (1723-1738) and the renovation of the stone chapel was completed during the time of Bishop Isidro de Arevalo (1742-1751).  

 6.       Devotion to Divino Rostro and the Cholera Epidemic (1882)

There was a time wherein the Cholera Epidemic in Manila reached Bicol. Because of this, Vicar-general Pedro de la Torre introduced the novena to Divino Rostro (which was also practiced in Spain) at the height of the epidemic.  The simultaneous novena to the Dib\vino Rostro and the Penafrancia took place to implore heavenly intervention. A procession of Divino Rostro was held and by then, the Divino Rostro and Penafrancia are to carried together during processions.

 7.       Penafrancia Celebration and The Filipino- Spanish Revlot (September 19, 1898)

The San Francisco Church became the last refuge of the fleeing prominent Spanish and Bicolano families on the night when the first revolt in Naga happened at midnight of September 18, 1898 during the Penafrancia Festivities led by Elias Angeles and Felix Plazo. When the Spaniards finally yielded, it marked the end of the Spanish Colonial rule in Bicol. The success in turnover of government was facilitated by Vicar-General Fr. Gonzales.

 8.       Traslacion Procession  (1853)

The widespread of devotion had caused increasing number of pilgrimage. It was in 1853 when Bishop Manuel Grivajalo decreed that the image of the Penafrancia be brought in procession from Penafrancia Church to Cathedral for novena from Saturday to Thursday and the transfer was called “traslacion” which means transfer. Bishop Francisco Gainza decreed on September 1, 1864 to extend the novena until Saturday to be followed by a fluvial procession back to Penafrancia Chruch. However, in 1905, Bishop Jorge Imperial Barlin be transferred from July to September (there was a time that the Penafrancia festival was celebrated on July).

 9.       Fluviual Procession of the Pagoda of Ina and the Colgante Bridge Tragedy (September 16, 1972)

It was on the afternoon of September 16, 1972 during the Fluvial Procession when the wooden Colgante Bridge collapsed just before the Pagoda reached it. There were a total of 138 casualties on that day. There were some stories that aside from the old wooden bridge can no longer support itself and there were many people in it, there was a divine work. Some stories say that there was a woman at the pagoda and it angered Ina. Only men were said to be allowed to join during the Fluvial procession. (I was able to ask the caretaker about this one if it is true. She said that it was just a rumor. Clarifying that, Ina was also a woman so why would she be angry? However, it has been a tradition that the men devotees are the ones who brings her home. She said that women devotees have a Fluvial procession too being held during May).

 10.    Sacred Image of Penafrancia Stolen (August 16, 1981) and Recovered (September 5, 1982)

The image of Penafrancia in Salamanca, Spain was once stolen way back in August 17, 1872. The Bicolanos has gone through it too when the image was also stolen on August 16, 1981 and was recovered on September 5, 1982 dismantled in 6 parts. Not knowing who stole it and for what reasons, the devotees without question braved the Typhoon Ruping and brought home the Image of Ina the next day after it was recovered.

 11.   Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Penafrancia as Queen and Patroness of The Bicol Region (September 20, 1924), 1949 Silver, 1974 Golden and 199 Diamond Jubilees

June 10, 1895- Our Lady of Penafrancia was proclaimed Principal Patroness of the City of Caceres by Pope Leo XII.

May 13, 1920- Pope benedict XV decreed the official coronation of the Penafrancia as Queen and Patroness of the whole Bicol Region.

September 20, 1924- The coronation took place at the Cathedral grounds with Papal Legate Guillermo Piani and Bishop Manila Michael O’Doherty gracing the occasion. The award winning “Himno a la Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia” also known as “Resuene Vibrante” written by Maximo Heguera CM was sung on the occasion.

September 13, 1974- The Golden Jubillee of the Coronation was commemorated at Plaza Quezon of Naga City.

September 16, 1999- marked the Diamond Jubilee of the Coronation commemorated at the Quadricentennial Arch of the Naga Cathedral.

 12.   Virgin of Penafrancia, Ina of All Times

On May 22, 1982, The Basilica Minore at Balatas Road was inaugurated and blessed. It is Ina’s new home. Basilica became a beacon of hope for the down-trodden, solace for the suffering and a sanctuary for those yearning for physical and spiritual healing.

 After going through those dioramas, I went to the next gallery where the crowns and aureola were exhibited. These were those that were used in several occasions.

And lastly, the pagoda. This pagoda was the one being used every Traslacion procession. I was only allowed up to this point since they were cleaning it that time. This museum is its official residence. According to the caretaker, the pagoda has a carrying capacity for 200 passengers. Before the Fluvial Procession they have a list of people who can join and have access to it. They are the only ones allowed in the pagoda.

There were words spreading around saying that all the items exhibited here will be transferred to still being constructed museum beside the Basilica Minore however, it is still fully undecided yet by the archdiocese if they will be moving out. One of the reasons was the pagoda which can’t be moved there. No final decisions has been made yet. But the soon to open museum near the Basilica church will be another Ecclestiastical Museum dedicated to Bicolano Devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia,

Might as well visit the Penafrancia Museum here in Naga City and learn more about the rich history of faith and devotion that has shaped us, Bicolanos as well as made Naga City, a Pilgrim City.  

[kurowrites]

Aureola (Part One)

So here is the first part of that silly fic I’ve been posting about. (I can’t believe I’m really posting this.) It’s the first of three parts in total, and will be over 10k in total length.

Summary: Icarus is a lonely high school student struggling with self-worth issues while trying to grow up. It’s far from easy, but life has sometimes a way of taking you by surprise. And that might not be the worst thing, really.

Warnings: There is absolutely no graphic depiciton of violence, death, rape, non-con, or underage in this fic (or actual sex, for that matter, just so you know). It does contain mentions of mental health issues, domestic violence, and one notable instance of somewhat dubious consent, however.

I.

“He's a strange one,” they would always say.

“Oh, but a good boy!” the elderly ladies would always be quick to add. “He means no harm.”

Then they would lean in conspiratorially.

“It's probably because he didn't have a mother,” they would whisper and make a pitiful face. “Poor boy, all these years without a woman's touch and a perpetually busy father.”

“Well, not that his mother was much better,” one of the ladies would add invariably, wrinkling her nose in a way that spelled clearly what she thought of the woman. “It's only good that he's by far not as irresponsible as she was.”

Icarus had heard it all too many times before. Sometimes, even his father would look at him and then sigh deeply with a regretful expression on his face.

What was he to do? He would never be the son his father probably wished he had. Instead, he would always be... whatever Icarus was. It was... well, not fine. But bearable. He did okay.

He didn't remember his mother at all, so he couldn't say if there was any similarity between the two of them. The only thing that he knew was that she'd had the same unusual combination of light hair and dark eyebrows that he did, according to the few photos that they still had of her at home. But that was where the similarities might have as well ended, since his father refused to speak of anything more.

Icarus tried not to feel bitter about that.

He also tried not to feel bitter about the snide remarks that his classmates made when he passed them in the hallway of the school – about his mother, about his general strangeness, about his weird mannerisms.

Strange people like him did not make friends easily, but that would have been enough already. He didn’t need the additional humiliation, too. So he kept his head down as much as possible. He didn’t tell the teachers about it, because he knew all too well what they would tell him: That he needed to make an effort, that they couldn’t step in because it would only get worse for him then. He kept his eyes averted, because if he knew one thing, it was this: It could always be much, much worse.

It was lonely, sometimes, to be always singled out, but fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, he wasn’t all alone. The school had more than one social outcast, and perhaps out of a sense of self-preservation, Icarus had found himself in the regular company of two other outcasts:  Danny, who came to school covered in bruises and with a split lip more often than not, and Eliza, who was as pretty as she was troubled by her mental health.

Icarus liked them, and he didn’t really get why the rest of the students would carefully avoid nice people like Danny and Eliza, but that was apparently how it was. Once they had been singled out, there was no recovering from that.

When they were together, they rarely talked about all the things that made them outsiders – the fact that Danny was beaten almost daily at home and no one bothered to do anything about it, carefully glossing over his constant (and obvious) injuries. The fact that Eliza had spent most of her teenage years in mental health facilities and still carried the marks of several attempted suicides. The fact that no one ever spoke about Icarus’ mother, and that his brain seemed to operate on a logic all of its own, incomprehensible to everyone else. Instead, they chose live in their own little world, in safe distance from their classmates and the people who would whisper about them in the streets.

It wasn't like they could truly flee from reality, and they did know that. But when they were together, the world was a little less oppressive, and Icarus knew that at least for that little while, no one would beat Danny, and Eliza would not be alone with her dark thoughts. And they, in turn, would never call him strange.

It was that knowledge – that they were better together than apart – that made them seek each other out again and again. Objectively speaking, they didn't have much in common, brought together by necessity as they were. Icarus was obsessed with all kinds of uncommon topics that frequently changed, astrobiology only being the latest example that had recently captured his interest because he’d seen that one NASA video on youtube by accident. Danny was into video games and baking (for which he often borrowed Icarus' kitchen since he didn’t dare to bake at home, and about which Icarus would never complain because Danny’s muffins and cinnamon rolls were ambrosia). Eliza, probably the most typical teenager out of the three, loved fashion and pop music – at least when she was doing well.

It was Eliza who had started everything, really. One afternoon after school, when they had hung out together as usual, Eliza had told them about the concert of a band whose name Icarus had never heard before, and how much she wanted to go. With embarrassment, she had admitted that she was afraid of going alone. And since Danny and Icarus were her only friends and the only people she could really ask (her parents would go with her if she asked, but they were overprotective enough already), she had eventually shyly requested them to come along.

Normally, Icarus would never go to a concert. It was too messy and too loud for his liking, and places like that always left him feeling strangely unsettled and shaken. He hated that feeling and he avoided it as much as possible. But since Eliza rarely demanded much of anything, he had agreed to go to the concert with her anyway. He knew she wouldn't have asked if it hadn't been really important to her. He could do that one thing he hated, if it was for her. Eliza had been, to put it mildly, overjoyed, and hadn’t stopped talking about it for the next two weeks.

So Icarus spent the entire day before the concert mentally preparing himself for the noise and the chaos that was going to descend on him soon.

He talked himself out of cancelling their plans the last minute several times. (He was rather proud of that.)

He felt nervous and on edge before he had even left the house, but he got ready on time, anyway.

He met with Eliza and Danny early enough that they could get dinner first, and together, they eventually drove to the concert venue in the car Eliza had borrowed from her parents. Icarus may or may not have clung tightly to Danny once they had finally made it inside and dove right into the largest crowd, but even if he did, he knew that Danny wouldn't tell anyone.

Eliza showed a whole new side of herself once they were inside the venue. Usually meek to the point of being submissive, she effortlessly scored a place in the front row closest to the stage. Icarus stayed two steps behind her, afraid of getting too close to the front and getting stuck between the crowd and the barrier. Danny gave him a light, reassuring squeeze before he passed him by and stood next to Eliza.

Icarus was astonished to see Eliza like this. She was always content and smiling when they let her talk about her music and the bands she was currently listening to, but here, in the middle of the crowd, waiting for the band to get on stage, she seemed truly happy. And as much as Icarus hated it here, and as uncomfortable as he felt about the crowd that got more crowded by the minute, he did not regret coming, even if it was only for Eliza's sake. She had often enough let him prattle on about his current obsessions without shutting him down to deserve at least that.

Icarus stood squished in between sweating, excited bodies, and repeatedly checked the clock in the hopes he would be released from his own personal nightmare soon. He might do this for Eliza, but the proximity of other bodies still made his skin crawl in a distinctly uncomfortable way. He already imagined the shower he was going to take once he came back home.

Then the light on the stage went on, and everything changed.

The band had quietly assembled on stage while Icarus had been distracted, and they wasted no time once the lights were on. The world erupted in sound and the audience responded enthusiastically, and Icarus felt as if he had gotten caught in the middle of an explosion. Icarus had never listened to the band before and hadn’t bothered to look them up on the internet even after he had agreed to come (and he had only listened to Eliza's explanations half-heartedly if he was honest), so he hadn't actually known what to expect. He hadn’t even wasted a single thought on that.

Now, he found himself immediately sucked into the raw power of the music. He couldn’t describe what happened; it was incredible. The music seemed to resonate somewhere deep in his chest, pulling at things he hadn’t known were there. He had forgotten all about the fact that he’d been desperate to leave just moments before.

And then, just when Icarus had found himself getting comfortable with the rhythm and the melody of the song and the sudden emotions that had been awakened inside him, the lead singer took the microphone and started to sing. Never before had Icarus heard a voice like that, and the shock of it left him standing in the crowd unmoving, staring at the figure on the stage uncomprehending while the crowd around him went wild. In that moment, he had forgotten all about where he was, and the noise of the audience faded into the background.

Try as he might, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the lead singer. The music was great, yes, but this person was something else. To Icarus, it felt as if the sun itself had descended from the heavens to stand on the stage. The golden shimmer of the singer's dark skin had been accentuated with golden body glitter and golden eyeliner; the slightly curly brown hair had added highlights of red and orange that made it look like a living flame. Jewellry in the form of a sunburst had been placed over one of his ears, covering the side of his head that had been shorn short. The stage lighting did the rest, sparks reflecting in the singer's eyes, leaving them burning, and painting a golden aura all around him.

Icarus felt like he finally understood Eliza's obsession.

If this man was the sun, he would gladly burn.

II.

Icarus left the concert feeling strangely floating and foreign in his own body. But he was all too familiar with the feeling of building anticipation in his chest – it happened all too often, the dizziness and excitement of a new obsession. Only this time, it wasn't like with astrobiology, or any of his other fascinations. He had been obsessed with a variety of things before – but never before in his life had he felt such a pull from another human being.

And of course, it was a person that was utterly and completely out of his reach, someone that didn’t even know he existed. He just knew that for the next six months at least, he would be obsessing about someone he would never even meet, instead of crushing on one of his classmates like other people his age. He found himself strangely uncaring about the possibility. At least he had managed to react like an actual teenager for once in his life. Crushing on a star, check.

Lucky for him, Danny and Eliza were both excited and kept chattering about the concert among themselves, and probably took his silence as being overwhelmed by the crowd in the venue. So when they drove back home he nodded along in all the right places and smiled when they smiled too, and they didn’t comment on his absent-mindedness.

The first thing Icarus did when he came home was to boot up his laptop and look up the band and, in extension, the lead singer. In the course of two hours, he didn’t only know the entire history of the band and had listened through half of their discography, he also knew everything about their lead singer there was to know.

His name was Helios, or at least, that was what he was known as. No last name. Even in interviews, he revealed little about his private life, and outside of his professional successes, there was little on public record. He didn’t speak about where he had grown up, nor did he reveal his full name anywhere. His level of education was unknown, as was his exact date of birth, although it was generally assumed that he was closer to 20 than to 25 yet. His current residence was, according to rumour, ever changing.

The many mysteries added to Helios’ appeal rather than detracted from it, Icarus found. Apparently, so thought most of his fans. They were absolutely obsessed with any snippet of information that they could get their hands on.

Icarus sighed deeply, staring at the information he’d gathered from his little wikipedia binge. Of course he wasn’t the only obsessed person by far. Helios was absolutely stunning by any standard, and he definitely knew how to work that to an unfair advantage. Icarus, in comparison, was an ant. And not even a flying or poisonous one. Just a pitiful little creature, trampled on all too easily.

Honestly, Icarus was just jealous of everything that Helios was, because he would never be like that.

III.

Icarus’ obsession with Helios continued quietly for a little while - rarely a day passed without him staring at photos of Helios he’d downloaded from the internet, but he did so in secret. He never talked with Eliza about his sudden obsession, even though he felt that she would probably understand him and not judge him for it. On the contrary, she would probably be happy to have someone to talk with. But somehow, it felt way too private, these desperate feelings for a person that he would never meet.

He didn’t go to another concert of the band. He might have gone if Eliza had asked him, but she didn’t. She would sometimes bring Helios up when there had been the release of a new single, album or a special event, and every time, Icarus’ heart would beat loudly and he would try to pretend that he wasn’t as obsessed as he really was. Somehow, it worked.

Life trudged along as usual. He tried to avoid the worst bullies at school, tried to avoid his father’s disappointed looks, and generally tried to keep his head down. Most of his teachers were somewhat forgiving of his peculiar character since he always wrote good grades, and several of them even actively supported him when it was time to apply for universities. It was thanks to them, most likely, that he got accepted at an university with an excellent reputation, because he himself lacked the dogged determination to aim higher than just “reasonably good.”

What that meant, however, was that he had to say goodbye to both Danny and Eliza, neither of which had ever done particularly well at school for obvious reasons. For all their forced companionship, the approaching split hurt him somewhere deep down. These were the only friends that he had, and without them, the move to an unknown place seemed daunting and unbearably lonely. And, if he was honest and the tiniest bit bitter, he also felt that the way this world worked was truly unfair. Danny and Eliza were by no means unrecognised geniuses - but they deserved better. No one had ever really given them a chance.

He was afraid to leave them. The world seemed that much more threatening without them in it.

IV.

University was both the same and very different from anything that Icarus had experienced before. There were still bullies, but it was easier to avoid them. There were also people that were more like Icarus, but he still found it hard to relate to them. Best of all, however, was that there weren’t really any people that judged you for your strangeness anymore. Mostly, Icarus went unremarked, apart from the occasional compliment from a professor when they had liked one of his essays.

He missed Danny and Eliza, and found it hard to replace them with anyone else. From what he heard of them, they were doing well. Especially Danny, who had finally gotten away from his family and their violent tendencies, went through a veritable metamorphosis. His sudden freedom from the constant oppression at home had caused something of a late teenage rebellion, and he had blossomed in his new environment. Out of the three of them, he definitely had the easiest time to find new friends and enjoy his new life. Every week he would tell them about parties he’d been to and new people he’d met.  

Icarus tried to be happy for him, and most of the time, he did succeed. But still, in his darkest moments, he felt the bitter sting of jealousy and loneliness.

In those moments, he sometimes still looked at the images of Helios that he had collected, especially one that had been taken that evening when Icarus had been in the audience, captured by the golden glow of Helios’ make-up and the fire that was reflected in these beautiful eyes of his. He kept the photos carefully away from from everyone. If he hadn’t told Eliza, he would tell no one.

Helios was his light whenever Icarus felt particularly lonely. It reminded him of good things that were waiting for him somewhere out there, things that were neither his father’s perpetual disappointment nor other people’s judgement. For a few moments, standing in the audience that evening in the concert hall had given him something that he had rarely ever felt in his life: a strange kind of being in harmony with himself, and an odd sense of levity that left him uncaring of all possible outcomes. It was something he didn’t want to forget.

Sometimes, when he did not know what to do, he would take out the photo and stare at it, reliving the memory again and again. Eventually, things would go right. Helios’ serious eyes seemed to tell him that.

V.

It is often said that the unexpected tends to happen exactly when it’s least expected and also least convenient.

So it happened when Icarus was harried because of several close deadlines and had exhaustedly stumbled into the closest grocery store to at least get the most pressing groceries done: basic food groups, coffee and sweets for survival.

He was grumpy and distracted, because of course his neighbours had chosen this very time to throw a massive party and make noise all night, and he had been unable to sleep a wink despite the fact that he had plugged his earplugs in as soon as he had realised what was happening. He wished he had been brave enough to go over and tell them to be quiet, but he never was.

He was just standing in front of the dairy case when someone bumped into his back. He nearly dropped the milk bottle in his hands, catching it at the last moment. Shit, that was just what he needed now.

“Sorry,” the perpetrator said, and Icarus froze.

One single word, but he would know that voice anywhere. He had listened to it far too often.

He turned around and stared directly into these incredible golden eyes from a distance that was far too close to be comfortable. The fluorescent light of the supermarket did not diminish their devastating effect at all, just as intense and burning as they had been on the stage that night, only this time, there was no golden make-up in sight. Some people’s good looks only worked from a certain distance, but, Icarus discovered, that couldn’t be said in this case. Unfortunately.

“Sorry,” Helios repeated, reaching out to steady Icarus. (He hadn’t even realised he’d been wobbling.) “I didn’t see you there.”

“It’s okay,” Icarus stuttered nervously. “I… no harm done.”

“Okay then,” Helios said, his attention already shifting away from Icarus, letting him go. “Take care.”

And with these words, he was gone. Icarus felt the irrational urge to grab his chest as if to check if his heart was still beating. Which was a ridiculous impulse, really, since his heartbeat was pulsating very loudly and extremely fast in his ears right this moment.

He had never even dared to hope to meet Helios in person. That one evening at the concert had been fine, a safe distance between the two of them, and the photos he kept hidden didn’t hurt anyone. To be in actual touching distance with his secret obsession didn’t fill him with elation, no, it filled him with terror.

What a pathetic scene, he thought to himself, and in the aisle of a grocery store, no less.

He had liked this store, and it was conveniently located from his apartment, but he likely wouldn’t be coming back again. Just the stress of thinking about this encounter would be too much for him already. He didn’t even dare to think of the possibility of meeting Helios here again.

No, complete avoidance was much better.

[kurowrites]

Aureola (Part 3)

OKAY, SO I TOTALLY LIED. There will be four parts in total, since this story is now over 12k long and it made more sense to break it into four parts. (Also it’s already after midnight and I’m not doing any more corrections tonight, hell no.)

Helios is showing his true face, hahaha.

If you’re looking for the first two parts, you can find them here.

XIV.

Icarus left class and made his way to their arranged meeting point shaking with nerves. He didn’t know why he had suggested going to the zoo, but he’d been agonizing over it ever since Helios had agreed to it three days ago. He must think Icarus an idiot or a child, suggesting a zoo, of all things. Maybe Helios wouldn’t even turn up. He’d probably changed his mind after thinking it over and coming to the conclusion that the entire thing was ridiculous. Icarus had hardly slept the last night, turning it over in his mind again and again.

But miraculously, when Icarus arrived at the arranged meeting point, Helios was already there, waiting for him. Today, he was back in his usual casual attire of jeans and a leather jacket, but he looked just as effortlessly good in it as he always did.

Looking at him standing there, it wasn’t so much the clothes he wore that made him stand out from the rest, Icarus ruminated, because a lot of people of Helios’ age walked around in jeans and a leather jacket. (Although few were as good-looking as him, so there was that, too.) It was something about the way he held himself seemingly effortlessly that distinguished him. Icarus would have a hard time describing it if he was pressed to, but Helios felt, for lack of a better word, dignified and deliberate, but not in an artificial way. It was confusing, but at the same time, Icarus could not look away.

“Hey,” Helios greeted him once Icars was close enough, lifting one hand and waving. (As if Icarus had been in any danger of overlooking him.) “Classes interesting today?”

“Yeah,” Icarus replied, smiling nervously and trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding in his chest at Helios’ proximity. “I got a lot of homework, though.”

“Are you’re still okay to go?” Helios asked, his brows drawing together. “Otherwise, we’ll postpone it.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that!” Icarus quickly assured him. He blushed and clutched at his book bag. He hadn’t wanted to give Helios the impression that he was unwilling to go. It had been his idea, after all, not Helions’. “I’m still free this afternoon. Unless… I don’t know, unless you’re busy.”

“Good,” Helios said. Icarus watched as the furrow between his eyebrows slowly straightened out again. “And no, I’m not busy. I’ve been looking forward to see the penguins.”

Helios turned to leave and Icarus followed, not suppressing his surprised smile when he was sure Helios couldn’t see him anymore.

Helios had been looking forward to see the penguins, of all things? Somehow, that didn’t really seem to fit with his image. But then, Helios agreeing to come to the zoo with Icarus didn’t seem to fit his image either. But then, Helios was mostly known for being a notoriously private person that nobody really knew in the media. For a few moments, Icarus deluded himself that this was a side that no one ever got to see of Helios - except for him. It was a foolish notion, but something in his chest moved strangely at the thought. Just him. And Helios.

He smiled.

Later, when they had wandered through the zoo leisurely and finally stood in front of the penguin enclosure, Icarus watched Helios out of the corner of his eyes. Helios’ expression was as close to neutral as it usually was, but his eyes were attentively following the penguins as they playfully dove through the water, zooming around as they pleased.

Icarus admired them, too. They were so clumsy ashore, waddling around and sometimes falling over the smallest obstacles, only to turn into incredibly graceful swimmers at the first touch of water. Honestly, it was enviable, since Icarus seemed permanently stuck to be a penguin ashore. “Graceful” definitely wasn’t a word anyone would associate with Icarus.

After watching the penguins for a while, Icarus turned around, noticing the many families with children passing them by, all of them screaming excitedly once they caught sight of the animals behind the glass and running up to them. The adults followed in a more sedate pace. Of them gave the two of them a quick look, but most passed them by, their eyes sliding over the them without really seeing Icarus and Helios.

“Do you get recognised often?” he asked Helios in a sudden bout of curiosity.

“Not really,” Helios replied, shooting a quick look at the family with two very excited toddlers standing closest to them. “I’m not actually that famous. And it’s surprising how many people don’t actually look at you when you’re not one of five people standing on a stage, but just another face in the crowd.”

Icarus inclined his head, considering that statement. If someone asked him, he was pretty sure he’d recognise Helios anywhere, but Helios certainly had more experience when it came to being recognised. People tended to forget Icarus quickly, and when they deigned to remember him at all, it was usually as “that weird kid with the white hair.” He wasn’t exactly the best judge when it came to that, he guessed.

“It won’t be an issue, believe me,” Helios said, changing the topic. “Tell me, which animals do you like best?”

Icarus let the subject go, since so far, it really seemed like Icarus had been the only one to recognise him. Instead, he considered Helios’ question for a moment. “I like all of them, I guess? But I always wanted to have a cat or a dog as a pet. I was never allowed to have pets at home.”

“We always had dogs at home growing up, but moving around so much and having no routine at all, it’s stressful for them,” Helios said. “I’d like to get another one at some point. A big one. A Weimaraner, I think, like before. I used to go running or biking with them.”

“Really?” Icarus exclaimed. “They ran with you?”

“Yeah,” Helios replied, giving Icarus an actual smile. “It’s a rather demanding training regimen, though. The dogs won’t let you forget you’re supposed to be out running.”

“I can’t even run for two minutes,” Icarus said, sighing. “That wouldn’t be the right kind of dog for me.”

“Maybe we should get you out of your study a little more often,” Helios suggested, bumping Icarus’ shoulder lightly.

“Or maybe we should let Icarus be the nerd he’s always been,” Icarus shot back. He hadn’t even thought about what he was going to say, it just came out of his mouth without his conscious input. When he realised what he’d said, he suddenly froze.

Congratulations, Icarus, he told himself. Way to be uncool.

Helios, however, tipped his head back and laughed out loud.

Icarus just stared, unable to look away from the sight of Helios’ unbridled amusement.

“I guess we can let Icarus be the nerd he’s always been,” Helios said once he’d caught his breath, giving Icarus a sideways hug, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

Now, suddenly, it was Icarus that felt breathless.

XV.

After their visit to the zoo, Helios asked Icarus with a sideways look if he was hungry (he was) and if he wanted to eat dinner together (he did). It was only too easy not to think too hard about the invitation and just agree. They ended up at another restaurant that Helios said had very good reviews not too far away from the zoo, and Icarus decided not to question the obvious fact that Helios had planned ahead before he had ever asked if Icarus wanted to have dinner with him.

After trying the food, Icarus had to admit that Helios certainly knew how to pick his restaurants, because the food was delicious. He enjoyed it so much that he ate far too much, to Helios’ apparent amusement.

When the time came to leave, Helios insisted on paying again, since, as he said, it had been his suggestion.

“In that case, I should have paid your zoo entrance,” Icarus reminded him. “After all, that was my idea.”

“You’re a student,” Helios stubbornly repeated his words from last time. “You shouldn’t worry about things like that. And I offered to do it out of my own volition, so it’s fine.”

“I don’t feel so good when someone is always paying for me,” Icarus quietly insisted, but he did not complain again when Helios picked up the check.

“We’ll discuss it once you have an actual paycheck,” Helios said, and Icarus rolled his eyes at that. He wouldn’t have an actual paycheck for a few years at least, and Icarus certainly wouldn’t wait that long. This round might have been won by Helios, but there was always the next time. Maybe. If Helios wanted to see him again.

Silence settled over them as they walked out of the restaurant and turned into the direction of the university dorms. Helios hadn’t said anything, but apparently, he was intent on walking Icarus home at least part of the way. Then again, Icarus didn’t actually know where Helios lived, and his house might be somewhere on the way.

When they reached the entrance of the university that was closest to the student dorms, Helios finally broke the silence.

“I enjoyed today,” he said quietly.

“I had a good time,” Icarus murmured in agreement. “The zoo was fun. Thanks for coming with me.”

“Not at all,” Helios replied. He gave Icarus one of his looks that still made Icarus feel like he was laid bare by the sheer intensity of it. “Are you free again this Saturday? I was planning to go out of the city and on a hike, and I think it’s more enjoyable when not alone.”

“I… I mean, I’d love to come,” Icarus stuttered. “If you don’t have anyone else you’d rather take with you.”

“I want to take you with me,” Helios stressed, reaching out and taking one of Icarus’ hands, squeezing it gently.

“Good night, Icarus,” he murmured. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

He turned around, and vanished into the approaching darkness.

XVI.

[Image attached] I got these flowers and had to think of you. They’re pretty, no? (Received 16:22)

How so?? But they are very pretty, that’s for sure. (Sent 17:01)

They have the same colour as your hair. I like it. (Received 17:07)

Thank you, I guess? Usually people find it weird. (Sent 17:09)

No, it’s beautiful. You should be proud. (Received 17:09)

XVII.

On Saturday, Helios picked Icarus up in his car. Icarus didn’t really know all too much about cars, but this one was stylish and comfortable, but definitely not garish. It felt like another piece in the puzzle that was Helios’ character, and Icarus felt like he was finally starting to really see him. And if Icarus was entirely honest with himself, he liked what he had seen so far. And it left him with a good feeling.

They drove for a while, not talking very much other than exclaiming quietly when they passed one of the many lovely vistas on the way. Helios was a balanced driver, Icarus learned, neither going over the speed limit nor driving timidly. Like everything Helios did, there was a calm deliberation to it, and very soon, Icarus felt himself getting sleepy, wandering the line between awake and asleep as he watched the world pass them by.

He was startled awake when Helios pulled into a parking spot and shut the engine off, turning around and looking at Icarus expectantly. Icarus blushed, quickly unbuckled his belt and hopped out of the car. A cool breeze was coming from the mountains, and Icarus stretched, trying to get rid of the sleepiness.

That had been embarrassing. He’d probably been drooling, too. Inconspicuously, he wiped his chin with his sleeve, just in case.

Helios went around the car and lifted a backpack out of the back. Once he had strapped it to his back, he came up to Icarus and raised an eyebrow.

“Ready for a bit of exertion?” he asked.

“As long as you don’t make me run up the hills,” Icarus replied with a small smile.

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Helios hummed, closing his hand around Icarus’ wrist. “Come.”

The hike that Helios had chosen was rather demanding for Icarus, who had never really taken to physical exercise, but Helios was forgiving and allowed for frequent breaks. He had chosen the route well enough, anyway, since they encountered so many beautiful views that they just had to stop every other turn of the path just to take it all in.

When they finally reached the summit of a mountain, Helios took off his backpack and declared that they would be having a picnic there (Icarus had never been more grateful, truly). He then took out his mobile phone and pulled Icarus close to take a commemoration photo of them together with the imposing mountain range in the background.

“Then we have proof that you’re not just a nerd,” he teased as he flipped the camera.

“I’m all sweaty and gross,” Icarus complained, although he suddenly felt reminded of Eliza.

Eliza had been fond of taking selfies with him and Danny, even though Icarus himself had never really liked having his picture taken. He didn’t need confirmation of his looks. He was regularly and uncharitably reminded of how exactly he looked. But Eliza had loved it, and thanks to her, he had many memories saved on his phone, memories of her and Danny and the time when they had still been together.

“You look perfectly fine,” Helios insisted and proceeded to take several pictures of them until he was satisfied. He then proceeded to study the pictures intently before he chose what he ruled the best one and sent it to Icarus.

Icarus looked at the photo on his phone and was struck by a sense of surreality. There, on his screen, was a photo of him and the person he had once considered to be the sun - just as bright and untouchable. And now, he was standing right next to exactly that same person, and he would have a memory of it, too.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Helios asked. “You look... accomplished.”

He smiled his small, teasing smile at that. “Come on, let’s eat. You must be hungry after the exercise.”

Helios was certainly right - Icarus was ravenous after the physical exertion and stuffed his cheeks like a desperate chipmunk. When he apologised for eating so much, however, Helios only shook his head and told him that had exactly been why he’d brought all the food with him.

“And I haven’t brought anything with me again,” Icarus sighed.

“I’m not expecting you to reciprocate every single action of mine, Icarus,” Helios said firmly. “If I had wanted you to take something with you, I’d have told you.”

Icarus hesitated for a moment before he spoke up again. “Thank you for the food, then.”

“You’re perfectly welcome, Icarus,” Helios replied before he went to clean up and put his things back into his backpack.

XVIII.

The walk back to the car was just as beautiful as the way up, although it was distinctly less exhausting (small mercies). Still, when they finally reached the car, Icarus was tired and definitely felt his legs. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be sore by tomorrow. Even he had to admit that he’d been neglecting regular exercise and that he should probably do something about that.

“How are you feeling?” Helios asked once they had climbed into the car and were back on their way home.

“Tired,” Icarus said with a sigh. “But it was good! I enjoyed it.”

“That’s good,” Helios hummed. “I like going out into nature. It’s so quiet, so far away from all the foolish things that bother you in your everyday life. It clears your head. Sometimes I feel I can’t hear my own thoughts, surrounded by people. Out here, it’s different.”

Icarus was surprised at Helios’ honesty. Helios gave the impression that he always knew what he was doing, and it was hard to imagine that he too had times when he just wanted to flee from everything, even if just for a few moments, to breathe again.

“I get it,” Icarus whispered quietly. “It’s calm out here.”

“So,” Helios said, in an obvious attempt to change the topic. “Do you want to go home or are you up to something else today?”

“I don’t know, maybe as long as it isn’t too exhausting?” Icarus mused. “Did you have something in mind?”

“I wondered if you might want to watch a movie,” Helios replied.

“What?” Icarus asked, looking over at Helios, who was concentrating on the road in front of him. “Going to the cinema?”

“I was more thinking of watching something at my house,” Helios said. Far too casually.

There was a pronounced beat of silence inside the car.

“Wait, is this a date?” Icarus asked loudly.

Helios gave him a short sideways glance. “If you want to.”

“Oh my god,” Icarus whispered. How embarrassing! And naïve of him!

“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable here,” Helios emphasised, and Icarus couldn’t help but notice that he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as he said those words. “If you don’t want to, we can just drop it.”

“No- I mean- you like me?” Icarus stuttered.

“Yes I do,” Helios confirmed nonchalantly. “I thought I made that pretty obvious.”

“But, like, I- you-”

“I’m in a band, yes,” Helios said with a frown. “And it has absolutely no impact on me liking you or not. In fact, I think I’m somewhat at a disadvantage here. I mean, you go along with all my suggestions and I don’t think you hate being here with me, but honestly, I can’t get a read on you. I don’t think you’re spending time with me because I’m famous, but then, I also don’t know if you actually like me. So, I don’t know, maybe if you don’t really feel that way, do me a favour and reject me now.”

Icarus was speechless. It was like something in his brain had broken.

Helios liked him? Helios?

“I like you.”

Silence.

Had he just said that?

“I like you,” Icarus repeated, more steadily this time. “I don’t think I can use a word like love, at least not yet, but I definitely like you.”

“Good,” Helios said, and there was something warm and satisfied in his voice that made Icarus’ insides melt. “How do you feel about a movie now?”

Icarus only needed a moment to reply.

“I like that, too.”

[kurowrites]

Aureola (Part 4)

I have officially given up on my sanity and have no energy left at all, so there you go, the last part (wee!). I could still add so many things, but honestly it just seems like far too much effort at the moment. I just want to sleep now. 

You can find the first three parts here. Also, if you liked it, I’d honestly appreciate a comment so much!

XIX.

Once they arrived at Helios’ house, Helios let Icarus in, pointed out where the bathroom was and proceeded to tell him to make himself comfortable. He hesitated for a moment in the door frame, but then went into the kitchen and picked out the number to order them some take away. Icarus stood there for a moment, listening to Helios’ phone conversation with one ear. But his curiosity quickly got the better of him and he couldn't help but wander around the first floor of the house.

It was a decently sized house, neither overly large nor very small, with enough room so that the layout didn’t feel cramped. The windows were large, so that the rooms would be naturally bright if the sun was up. The furniture was rather sparse, mostly just the necessities such as tables, chairs and a sofa, with some bookshelves and a variety of instruments placed in a way that prevented the rooms from feeling too empty. Some of the bookshelves hadn’t been completely shelved yet, a few boxes full of books still lying around.

Icarus poked at some of the books. Apparently, Helios was a voracious reader and he had a diversified taste, the books ranging from non-fiction over detective novels to science fiction.

Everything was unpretentious, but all the furniture was of good quality, and it looked new. The grey sofa in the living room looked especially inviting, so Icarus sat on it and gave it a little bounce, testing its comfort. It was very comfortable, no doubt. It kind of made him want to lie down and close his eyes for a few moments.

“The food should be here in about 40 minutes,” Helios said, following Icarus into the living room after he had finished the call. The turned the TV on and handed the remote over to Icarus. “Choose whatever you want.”

“What do you watch, usually?” Icarus asked.

“I like documentaries,” Helios answered.

“Really?”

“I don’t really have the patience to watch TV series,” Helios said. “I do like watching films. But when I loaf around, I prefer documentaries. Sometimes, they help me get inspired to write new music.”

Icarus felt surprised at that, but then, it also seemed very much like Helios somehow. He couldn’t really imagine Helios binge-watching TV series on Netflix. But that was the same mistake he’d made before, judging Helios by his appearance. It was hard to get a read on him, Icarus felt, so it was easy to simply assume. Unlike Eliza, who chattered endlessly about the things that she loved and the things that she was currently concerned about, Helios only ever said exactly as much as he felt was needed in any given moment.

What did Icarus actually know about him?

He was very passionate about the music he made, to the point where he chose to concentrate on that instead of getting a formal education.

He liked animals, especially penguins and dogs.

He liked physical exercise such as hiking and running.

He liked to go out into nature when he felt like he needed a break.

He didn’t seem all too sociable and didn’t speak very much.

When he did say something, he meant it.  

He liked good food and spent time researching good restaurants on the internet.

He liked to read.

He liked documentaries.

He apparently liked Icarus. And made time for him to suit his schedule.

Icarus had learned more than he ever thought he would about Helios since they had bumped into each other in that supermarket, but there were so many things that were also still a mystery to him. First and foremost, he had no idea why Helios would go for someone like Icarus when he could have virtually anyone else if he tried. He was good-looking enough that he could probably attract droves of men and women simply with a well-timed smile.

Icarus sighed quietly and went over the different options to watch. He doubted Helios would be into a superhero movie, and Icarus himself certainly wouldn’t subject himself to a romcom. Maybe a documentary wouldn’t be the worst option. He randomly chose the first thing that caught his eye.

Helios settled down next to him on the sofa, and suddenly, Icarus was all too aware of his presence next to him. Helios liked him. Wow. Helios had told him he liked him, and now he was here, on his sofa, on what might be a date.

Icarus felt nervous and on edge until the food arrived. He pretended to be immersed in the program that they were watching, but really, he was stealthily watching Helios get up and go to the door to get their food. Helios liked him, and Icarus had fallen for him hook, line, and sinker.

It was the worst epiphany to have over food, of all things.

They ate in relative silence. Helios was never really chatty when he was eating, Icarus knew that by now, but Icarus still couldn’t help sending nervous glances over to him every so often.

At some point, Helios put his food away and returned Icarus’ look. Then he sighed deeply.

“I’m not actually going to suddenly jump you, you know.”

“I- I know,” Icarus stuttered. “I just… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m just… I don’t know.” He shrugged helplessly.

“We can just continue watching TV,” Helios said calmly. “Nothing more and nothing less. And maybe have a conversation about… us.”

“But…” Icarus insisted, squirming around in his seat. He slowly reached out and touched Helios’ forearm. “I keep noticing you.”

XX.

Helios looked at him with an intense gaze, and Icarus’ heartbeat unwittingly sped up. He wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, but he was sure that something was happening. He couldn’t stop looking at Helios’ eyes of molten gold, so much more beautiful and alive than he could have ever imagined looking from afar.

“You’re strange,” Helios murmured, and then he leaned down to gently grasp Icarus’ chin and lifted it. He softly pressed his thumb into Icarus’ lower lip and then stroked back and forth - once, twice, three times. “Very strange.”

He leaned down further and then, finally, he kissed Icarus.

Icarus sat there, completely frozen. The sensation of Helios’ lips on his was strange, unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. No, it felt really, really good. Icarus found himself wishing that it would never stop; that the tingling in his lips, his fingertips, the fluttering in his stomach would never stop. That Helios would never stop touching him so gently.

After a few moments, Helios drew back and looked at Icarus again, considering.

“Don’t stop,” Icarus found himself pleading.

Helios smiled, the tiniest quirk of his lips.

“I can work with that,” he murmured before he leaned in again, pressing gentle kisses to Icarus’ nose and cheeks.

Icarus’ eyes slipped closed and he simply enjoyed the sensation of Helios’ hands and lips on him. If he had imagined doing this with Helios, he would have imagined Helios being more assertive and maybe a little rough. Well, maybe not rough, but… urgent? Instead, Helios’ attentions were luxurious and unhurried, rather as if he was enjoying a cool drink by the pool side and not intent on debauching Icarus.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been thinking about doing this?” Helios asked quietly between several kisses.

Icarus didn’t know how to reply. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that Helios was interested in him, much less that Helios wanted to kiss him. Hell, he would have been happy if Helios had as much as remembered his name.

Icarus had always been at a disadvantage. He’d fallen for Helios all too easily. That Helios could feel the same - the thought had never even crossed his mind.

“You are so pretty,” Helios continued, unaware of Icarus’ rambling thoughts. “I’ve been wanting to touch you so badly.”

Helios hands wandered from Icarus’ face to his neck and then lower. Never before had he felt anything like this, the touch of another person leaving traces on his body like this, and his chest felt as if it would burst from all the conflicting emotions that filled it at the touch of Helios’ hands.

Slowly, the hands wandered along his frame, down to his waist (slightly ticklish) and then lower until they reached his hips where they stopped to move in small circling motions in a way that felt decidedly…

...not good.

“...I think I’m going to be sick,” Icarus rasped, and then he jumped up and ran for the bathroom.

He unceremoniously emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. After the heaving had finally stopped, he found the energy to slowly lift his head.

Helios stood leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and lips in a thin line.

Icarus wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Leave it to him to completely destroy the most amazing moment in the worst way possible.

Oh god, there was no way that Helios was going to want him now. He had completely and utterly fucked everything up.

“You know, you’re supposed to tell people when you’re feeling uncomfortable with something that they’re doing,” Helios said severely.

“Sorry,” Icarus mumbled.

“Don’t apologise,” Helios growled, waving his hands in frustration. “But next time, tell me to stop before something like this happens.”

“I… I’m not sure what happened, really,” Icarus replied shakily. “I wanted you to touch me.”

There was a moment of silence that caused Icarus to tense, but then Helios kneeled next to him, gently taking hold of his neck and rubbing it lightly.

“There are many different ways in which people can touch each other,” he said quietly.

Icarus closed his eyes in frustration, trying to keep back his tears. He didn’t want this to end in another failure on his part. He finally wanted to do something properly, the way it was supposed to be done. When it came to Helios, he wanted so many things.

Fuck.

“Is it okay like this?” Helios asked, still gently stroking his neck, his fingers not straying any longer.

“Yes,” Icarus hissed, frustrated. “Anything rated G is dandy.”

“Icarus,” Helios said in a warning tone.

“It’s a joke, isn’t it,” Icarus spat angrily. “I wanted you to touch me.”  

“And I want you to not feel sick when I touch you, so you got to tell me what you’re fine with,” Helios shot back. He was frowning and looking supremely angry, but the hand still stroking Icarus’ neck stayed far too gentle.

It was too much, and Icarus broke into tears.

“I don’t know! I don’t know. No one ever touches me like that.”

The tears were streaming freely now, and he gasped for air, dimly realising that he was close to hyperventilation, but not rational enough at the moment to actually care that it was happening.

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this,” he blubbered.

“Icarus,” Helios said. “Icarus. Calm down. It’s not an issue. We just have to figure out what you’re fine with.”

“I should be fine with it,” Icarus insisted hysterically. “I just want to be normal for once.”

“What does that even mean,” Helios said, and there was a strange sense of frustration in his voice as he let his hand drop away from Icarus’ neck. “I didn’t spend time with you because I thought you’d be normal.”

XXI.

“You’re the worst,” Icarus whispered feebly.

“Ugh,” Helios grunted. “Are you even listening? I like you just fine the way you are! Why are you trying to live up to some kind of imaginary standard? There’s no such thing!”

“But everyone tells me there is!” Icarus shouted. “Everyone always lets me know how much I’m not living up to it!”

“Why the fuck are you listening to them?” Helios shouted back. The noise was uncomfortably amplified by the bathroom walls, and Icarus had the sudden urge to cover his ears and stop listening to Helios for good. “You are fine just the way you are! Why are you letting others tell you what to think?”

Icarus remained quiet, because Helios made sense, of course he did, but something inside of Icarus told him that he was wrong, wrong, wrong.

“Seriously, Icarus, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but when I chatted you up, it was because you were cute and kind of quirky, and you kind of went along with the flow and I felt comfortable in your presence. You have absolutely no malicious bone in your body, and you couldn’t practice deceit to save your life.” Icarus watched him card his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I mean it when I say that I like you just as you are. It’s not like I’m exactly a normal, sociable person either. But you don’t seem to have a problem with that.”

“No,” Icarus agreed. “But you are like the sun. People love you anyway.”

“Icarus, if I am the sun, then you are the moon. And I’m pretty sure I’m under your spell.”

Icarus laughed wetly. “That was a little dramatic now.”

“I’m not kidding here.”

“The thing is: I know that you don’t,” Icarus sighed. He tried to stand up and suddenly realised that his legs felt shaky and weak. God, he suddenly was exhausted. “Can you bring me home?”

Helios was quiet for a moment. “Sure. I think it’s better for tonight.”

Icarus looked up into Helios’ eyes. So beautiful still, even though though he looked about as tired as Icarus felt.

“Are you okay to stand?” Helios asked.

“Yes,” Icarus replied, but he still took Helios’ hand when he offered it to him.

Helios gave him towels and a toothbrush to clean himself up, and then, once Icarus was ready, he brought him back to the dorm in his car. They were quiet during the drive, not speaking to each other, and if he was honest, Icarus didn’t have the energy to even apologise anymore. He’d fucked this up so badly, Helios was probably glad once he was finally rid of him.

Oh god, and he’d been so happy just an hour ago.

When they arrived at the dorm, Helios followed Icarus out of the car and to the door wordlessly.  

Icarus stopped in front of the door and turned around to look at Helios for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

“Thank you for bringing me home,” he eventually said, and the words felt leaden in his mouth.

“It was the least I could do,” Helios replied, shrugging almost helplessly. Icarus wondered if he’d ever seen Helios so unsure of himself before. They stared at each other for a long moment, the silence between the two of them becoming oppressive.

“I… will I see you again?” Helios asked.

Icarus sucked in a breath in surprise. Suddenly, Helios seemed to shrink into himself, lowering his gaze to his shoes.

Icarus’ mind whirred, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Did Helios maybe… did he think that he had overstepped his boundaries? Did he think that Icarus was the one who didn’t want to see him again?

As if. As if.

“Soon,” Icarus whispered breathlessly. “We’ll see each other soon. Don’t worry too much, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Helios murmured back, shrugging his shoulders a little.

The hopelessness of the gesture made Icarus take heart. He stepped closer to Helios, raising himself on tiptoes and giving him a soft kiss. Helios stared at him in disbelief, and Icarus kissed him again. Softly, so softly.

When they finally parted and Icarus stepped back, Helios took one of his hands and squeezed it, not meeting Icarus’ eyes for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he lifted Icarus’ hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the knuckles before he slowly let it go.

“Good night, Helios,” Icarus said, wishing he could put all the emotions that were clamouring in his chest into these three words.

“Good night, Icarus,” Helios replied, and he stood there in the dark, staring at Icarus with his beautiful golden eyes as if Icarus was the sun.

With a last look over his shoulder, Icarus opened the door and went inside.