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 Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:29 pm
 Oh no. Oh no, oh no! From peeking at the color-changing moss on the walls, Ahio had suddenly noticed that he was late. Oh, this was no good. He was terribly late, so late that the moss had started to change colors and... Oh no. He dropped the stari he held in his hand and only barely managed to snag his half-full pack before swimming off full-tilt. Behind him, he heard his father yell, "AHIO!!!!" But the boy didn't stop or look back. He had a soft spot for stari, so when his father had suggested a foraging trip, Ahio had said yes in a moment, and - to nobody's surprise - had lost track of time. "I have to go meet Pekelo!!!" he managed to yell back over his shoulder before booking it. He was almost wheezing and out of breath from frantically swimming by the time he reached their hideout. This little cave had been their little spot since they were younglings, when they'd found it on some highly illicit adventure, and in the years since, he and Pekelo had filled the cave with blankets of soft moss, pillows, snacks. Everything two little boys would need in their secret hideout, and even now, the place felt like home. Ahio felt horrible. He was meant to have met Pekelo here hours ago. He peeked his head in, ready to dodge a hurled object on the off chance that Pekelo was mad enough to throw one. "I'm really sorry!! I-" There was no point in promising that it would never happen again because they both knew that it would. "Uh. I've got stari???" He held the pack out and waggled it like a sacrificial lamb, hoping he might distract his friend from how late he was.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:49 pm
... Alright. As Pekelo sat in his little cave, curled up under a blanket for the nth hour waiting for his best friend to show up, a tiny realization hit him. Maybe his parents had a point when they made their decision. Sure, he was miserable about it, but on a day as important as today, Ahio was still late. Pekelo knew eventually he’d arrive, he was atleast reliable with that, but geesh! They both knew this day was coming, that one of them would be married off or something along those lines, but they had always thought it would be to one another. To suddenly be told, no, you are going with someone else, well... That hurt. It hurt him deeply, to the point that he stormed out of his home in rage, grabbing a few things to spend a few nights away from home, and here, instead, in their little hide out. He had no desire to be around them, or their plants, or there dumb ideals. In his hours waiting, his rage had cooled down, leaving only a dull, ache in his heart. It boiled up and up, and spilled over, to the point that when Ahio finally arrived, he was near tears. “Dummy... Why’d you take so long...? I don’t want your stari, come here...” Seeking out comfort, Pekelo held his arms open, fully expecting Ahio to come and hold him.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:07 pm
"I..." Any excuses he might have come up with on his way here dissipated in his mind. His voice was small as his proffered arm drooped. "I don't know." He'd had an idea that Pekelo was upset about something, but he hadn't known what and he hadn't anticipated this amount of sadness from his friend. At worst, Ahio might have suspected that Pekelo had gotten into an argument with his mother or perhaps had needed to vent about some insult that would eventually become water under the bridge. But this seemed... different. He'd never seen Pekelo this upset before. At him??? Surely not... At least, not entirely. His utter lack of punctuality had been a sore point in the past, but there was an odd despair on Pekelo's face that couldn't have been the result of just Ahio's lateness. Right...? He dumped the pack without a second thought and crossed the cozy little cave to sit cross-legged beside his friend and wrap him up in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Pekelo," he said, pressing his cheek to his friend's temple. "I didn't mean to be so late. I... what's wrong?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:24 pm
Atleast Ahio’s hugs never changed. His arms were warm, and surprisingly comfortable, even if he was mad at him. “I know, you never mean to be late. You just get distracted.... I know, I know.” Pekelo’s voice was soft, frustrated. How was he supposed to forgive his friend today of all days?! “...” At first, he didn’t even want to think about it, choosing instead to gently tuck his face against Ahio’s neck and nuzzling into it. His cheeks were already damp with a few tears. “... My family has decided who I’m betrothed to... I knew they wanted to talk to me today but... I wasn’t expecting it... I feel so.. So angry...”
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:33 pm
A dozen more sorries lined up to tumble out of his mouth, but Ahio kept it shut. He could hear the frustration in Pekelo's voice and decided that perhaps, today, he didn't need to petition for forgiveness just to make himself feel better. Pekelo had a right to be upset. Instead, he sat and let his friend snuggle against him, smoothing down some of Pekelo's short, wavy hair with one hand as he held onto him, waiting, expecting... Well. Ahio wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what he heard. The word betrothed hit him like a punch to the gut. He hadn't realized that he'd react in any way whatsoever when he heard it, but the instant tightening in his stomach felt painfully real. Without realizing it, he squeezed Pekelo tighter, feeling his heart begin to race. It all happened within a second, almost immediately after he heard the word betrothed and knew that it meant nothing good. Pekelo wouldn't be this upset, this hurt, this angry, if it was good news. "What... what did they say?" His throat felt tight. The question left reluctantly.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:57 pm
Bit by bit, Pekelo was calming down. Everything was still awful, but saying it out loud seemed to make the reality settle in more and... No, it didn’t get better, the feeling only seemed to get worse. “What do you think they said?” He snapped, immediately regretting it and shifting to look him better in the eyes. “Ah... No.. I’m sorry, you don’t deserve that...” Looking at him properly now, face on... Maybe his heart hurt just a little bit more. For the longest time, they had been friends. Their first trips into the deeper caves, their first words spoken, their first laughs... It was nearly certain their parents could say that it had all been shared between the two. They grew up with one another, and even as they got older, they swore to keep close and continue to stay with one another. Anyone else in their small community would have thought that their paring was all but planned. And yet... it was not. “... Someone named Vaiarii. His family are a bunch of hunters... I haven’t met him yet but... A stranger...? What the hell?!”
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:13 pm
"It's okay..." Ahio reassured him. He'd been on the receiving end of Pekelo's anger before, albeit rarely, and it didn't faze him. Not when he knew what they were dealing with today. To call this news upsetting was a dramatic understatement, and now more than ever, Ahio regretted being so late. Pekelo must have sat here for hours on his own, thinking and stewing on this horrid news, with nobody to share the burden with. The thought hurt. This was the first time Ahio had ever paused to consider the possibility of not having Pekelo around. Somehow, he had always assumed it would be the two of them, and the notion of either of them being matched with anyone else had been so far from reality that he'd never had to think about it. He'd never even had to think about them, and what this friendship meant. He'd taken it all for granted. The realization hit him right around the same moment as the name Vaiarii reached his ears. Ahio felt like he'd been bowled over by a powerful wave. Why hadn't he ever thought of this before? Why had he just assumed so many things? Why hadn't he asked? "I don't-" His breath hitched. He couldn't breathe. He gasped. "Why are they doing this?" he managed to say finally. "And you, why didn't they ask you?" Why didn't they ask... him? Ahio knew faintly that he didn't have any right, but this was his best friend they were talking about.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:04 am
"I don't know. All of a sudden, Vaiarii's parents decided it was time for him to get married, and with my older siblings already taking over everything and being married off, I guess I was just the last one left to get rid of." Bitterness was clear in his voice as his grip tightened on Ahio. His mother, his father.. They never dreamed of anything bigger than simply growing plants or nurturing what little they had down here. Sure, they thrived at what they did, but... Ever since the caves above opened up, and a path to the surface was made clear, Pekelo had started to break away from their norms. He wanted to explore! The caves were dangerous below, but above? Who knew? Who had any idea about what was truly up there? And what new worlds awaited them? Perhaps if Ahio had been his betrothed, they could have gone up there together... "Of course they wouldn't ask me! When did they ever ask me anything except where I've been, and when I'd be done with my work? I bet they just think 'finally, Pekelo will be out of our hair and someone else's problem!' I swore I thought I'd be yours... You thought that too, right? It makes sense we'd end up together! I've been hoping for that my whole life, but no, these... These damned traditions and best means of survival they always go on and on about, apparently there's no room for actual love down here!"
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:20 am
"But... but what about..." Finding words was becoming more difficult as Ahio's emotions warred within him. He felt like wilting. He felt sick. He felt like one of the pillars of his young life had crumbled around him. "What about the surface?" he said finally, so quietly that even he could barely hear it. Of course, "the surface" meant... all of the adventures they had ever dreamed up, all of the things they were meant to see together. They couldn't do any of that now that Pekelo was betrothed to someone else. Probably someone who had no interest in discovering the wide world, and... The unfairness of it all! Not for himself, but for Pekelo. Ahio felt a new well of anger bubbling up as he thought about all these decisions that had been made without a word of consultation with the one person whose life it really affected. It made no sense! And yet, none of these thoughts came out. He swallowed them, hanging on desperately to his beloved friend. "But I... if it was you and me, you wouldn't be a problem at all," Ahio said sadly, staring down at his hand. If he was being honest with himself, he would know exactly why Pekelo's parents hadn't chosen him to be a match. All the criticisms he'd ever heard seemed to repeat themselves in his head. Too flighty. Immature. Unreliable. They never seemed to see the things that made him fun and pleasant to be around. "I always just... assumed that we would..." Ahio shook his head angrily. "If I was better, if I listened more, they would have chosen me." He hated them. Well. No. He didn't hate them, but he wished he could.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:45 am
"... I don't know that either. If I'm going to be married off, I can't just abandon things down here... You know what the elders would do to someone who betrayed their oaths, or wronged the community..." Knowing them, knowing his own family, he wouldn't be surprised if any thoughts of escaping that made it to them would lead to him being tied down and forced into this no matter how much he struggled. Or worse, being sent into the deepest caves, where so many of their own were never seen again.Pekelo shuddered at the thought. "You're probably right about that, even if it's mean to say. We both could have been better. Or maybe I could have been worse. If I didn't actually love working and tending to our farms, if I could have been more ruinous and broke everything, maybe they would have simply kicked me out into the street, and we could have done all of the adventuring we wanted together." Despite that craving for adventure, Pekelo still never tried to shun his duties. He adored watching things tilled by his own hands grow and flourish, allowing him to contribute to their communities' well being. That pride that he was the best at doing what he loved completely backfired. For a long moment, he was quiet after that, gathering his thoughts while still lingering in Ahio's embrace. "I know I keep saying this, but I really don't know what to do. I mean, I could be a big jerk to the guy I'm supposed to marry, but this isn't his fault either. Well, unless he was some creepy stalker who demanded me or something, but it's not like I hang out with anyone besides you... And I know I can't run away. You've seen me try to fight before, I got jelly limbs." As if to emphasis, he raised his arm up in the water and watched as he flexed it, showing nearly no change at all. Then, he pulled away, out of his friend's arms and made to sit properly across from him, giving him a contemplating look. He had his fill of tears now, it was time to do something. "Hey... Ahio... If you were me, what would you do?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:01 am
For a while, he could only nod along to Pekelo's words, staying mute for fear that his next words would open the floodgates to the fount of tears an emotions raging inside him. None of Pekelo's words were wrong, but still, it felt like it was all upside down and backwards. But then... but then Pekelo asked him a question. And it was perhaps the very question that he should not have asked, because Ahio was certainly not an unbiased party. He thought of so many answers in a flash. Just run away with me. Forget that neither of them really knew how to fight. They would figure it out. They'd leave these stupid caves and Pekelo's stupid family behind and find their way to the surface. Just be horrible to this Vaiarii until he breaks things off. Just stick to the plans they'd always had. Don't let anything change. Just love ME. Just... Ahio swallowed and looked up to hold Pekelo's gaze. He knew that his friend could probably read all of these thoughts flashing by in his mind. If Pekelo had to guess, he could probably repeat some of these verbatim. But... None of these things were what he needed right now. Rage and tears were all well and good, but they wouldn't help. They weren't practical, as their parents had reminded them time and time again. "Well. If you can't run away, and you can't change their mind, I guess you..." The next words didn't want to be said. They really didn't. "I guess you should just meet him with an open mind and see what happens." Ahio kind of hated himself for having said it. Why did he say it? It was the last thing he wanted. He lowered his gaze, knowing that he couldn't look Pekelo in the eyes and tell him again that he should end up with someone else.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:14 am
"You're really easy to read, you know that, right?" Ahio wasn't wrong when he thought Pekelo could repeat every thought. Had he honestly said what he was thinking, what he wanted, Pekelo wasn't sure if he could say no to anything. Maybe that was why he was the first to close the distance between them. And maybe that was why he pushed Ahio down into their little nest of blankets and chose to lay on top of him, pinning him down with his arms at the sides of his head. "Are you really going to say that to me, that I should just go with it without something in mind? Is that what you want? I didn't know you'd give up on me so easily, Ahio... And here I thought you loved me, as much as I love you..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:30 am
"I..." He really was easy to read. Or maybe he hadn't tried to hide it, because he'd wanted Pekelo to see all those emotions in his face. Ahio wasn't sure. His hands clenched into fists as he did his best not to break down and say all the things that Pekelo was all but asking him to say. He didn't resist in the slightest when his friend pushed him over into the blankets and pinned him down. They used to wrestle all the time, but this time just felt weirdly final. Would this be the last time they met down in their little hideout? Ahio wouldn't meet Pekelo's eyes, though he didn't try to squirm away either. "No, of course it's not what I want, but it's... I mean, if you can't run away, and you can't stop it from happening, then maybe the least harmful thing to do is to not make it any worse on yourself," he said softly. There were so many other things he'd rather say, that he knew Pekelo would rather hear. But he couldn't say them. ... Could he? "No! Of course I love you! I love you! You're my best friend, you're-" Ahio's eyes snapped up to meet Pekelo's, finally. "You're my favorite person." He couldn't keep the heartbreak out of his wavering voice. "You can't... You can't think I don't love you. I'm just trying to do what's best for you."
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:17 pm
“Yeah, I know, the choices I have are like, one and death, but... I thought you were always the one who was ready to try anything to have the best time... I thought you’d fight for me, not give up like this. It feels weird...” Pekelo shifted, sitting up while straddling Ahio, but kept his hands on Ahio’s shoulders. “I get it, I know, I understand but... a little bit of optimism would be nice... Maybe... Maybe he could be really nice... And maybe he would let me love you still... Would that be wrong, being married, but still loving you? Ugh, none of this is fair...” Something caught his attention, and he starred down at Ahio. His favorite person... Yeah, he knew that. But... Why did the weight of those words feel so heavy in his gut? “Ahio, you’re my favorite too. And I refuse to let some weirdo stranger get the pleasure of knowing me as I am now. So... If I can’t get out of this, I want to enjoy all the time I can with you. It’s not like I’m not going to see you ever again but... You know....” He could feel his skin grow hot, and this time, he seemed a little less sure. “... If you love me, can... You kiss me? I always wanted to kiss you, but it felt like I should wait for some reason. No point in waiting anymore.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:06 pm
"I wouldn't do anything to put you in danger," he said, looking up at Pekelo with a small shake of his head. "I can try to fight this but that would be the selfish option." If it was up to him, he would have run. But Pekelo had a stronger sense of duty than he, and... well, maybe running wasn't the only reaction to a problem. He was still thinking about all the other things he'd wanted to say and how close he'd come to letting them out when suddenly... Kiss him? The balance had shifted. Suddenly, it wasn't just that Pekelo had wrestled and pinned him for the hundredth time. It was that Pekelo was sitting on top of him, staring down at him, with a closeness that they might not experience again. What if this Vaiarii was jealous? Possessive? Horrible? What if...? UGH forget that!Ahio brought his hands to Pekelo's face, brushed a hand through that wavy blue hair, entangling his fingers into it, and pulled him down. His mouth opened to Pekelo's with a desperate hunger. Was this the first and the last time they'd kiss? He felt desire and despair and anger flare up all at the same time.
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