[fanfic] [tales of vesperia] What we gave up

[bromantic.livejournal.com]

It was a grand ceremony, certainly more pompous and extravagant that Flynn had expected. Master Ioder smiled at him secretly as he gave his oath and Sodia was rigid with pride, her eyes glinting with fire. Witcher clapped the loudest and even the other brigades were grinning, their faces bursting. All the old resentment seemed to leak away in the brightness of the day.

Late evening, he found himself with the dwindling crowd, with handshakes and promises in his fingers, when a voice whistled for him. With grace, he excused himself and walked away, a few metres and Yuri was behind him as if he had always been there. And never left. A shadow. Perhaps, that's what Yuri ever wished to be, and his chest ached quietly.

He turned to face him and he couldn't even make out Yuri's face, save for the cocky smile on the man's face. Perhaps he couldn't see him at all and just conjured a picture to satisfy himself.

"You came."

"You knew I would," yes, it was hard not to see that smile, "Congratulations."

"You said that before, Yuri."

"What, I can't repeat myself?"

"Yuri... you don't like repeating yourself. I know you," Again, his chest hurt, "I know you."

The shadow was silent and it moved, eerie and invisible, like he could vanish at any moment. Flynn closed his eyes to feel the ghost of Yuri's breath by his side.

"Congrats," Yuri said, his breath warm on Flynn's cheek, warm, happy, so unusual for Yuri to be happy, "I knew it."

Flynn opened his eyes and Yuri is pressed against him, back and back and they don't move. Flynn knew if he did, Yuri would vanish. Yuri knew that if he made the first move, he'd have to change. He hated it, it burned at him like a slow fire, the death before the burn and without thinking, he reached out to grasp Yuri's hand. Yuri went still.

"Don't."

"Shut up, Yuri," and Flynn was shocked by how guttural his voice sounded, "For once. Shut up."

Yuri didn't reply. But his hand tightened slightly and Flynn felt his anger soften. It was a small step and nothing has really changed, but Yuri reached.

He reached.