[ The light from the crackling fire bathes the length of him in a familiar red glow. Not stark and demanding but tamed, docile. It colors his hair in a familiar manner that leaves him thinking of his mother under the glow of an oppressive fire. His eyes linger on a stray lock, white like freshly fallen snow. The urge to touch him impresses itself on him, sending his thoughts down a familiar path. This time, however, he catches himself before they stray too far.
I keep doing that.
The only thing that makes me uneasy is when it feels like you're trying to punish both of us for something I don't even understand.
Tying you to a place you don't know.
He's tired but not in the way Allen thinks. Endeavor put him through a brutal training regime since he was five. He could last much longer than this. It's his heart that' his weakest point. Retreating into a dome of ice that withstood even Endeavor's unrelenting fire.
The gentle touch on his cheek pulls his thoughts back to the moment. A moment of confusion filters through his eyes, followed by quiet understanding, all in the span of a moment. Lifting his head from the pillow, Shouto sits up and scoots closer to him, side by side. Close enough to smell the sweet scent that accompanies him despite the bath. It's familiar.
Like home.
This time his head settles on the edge of his pillow. His hair still mixes. A lock of red falls across a teal eye obscuring his line of sight, yet he stares steadily at him, examining the puzzle pieces he's gathered today with the picture of Allen he carries in his mind. Many don't fit. Instead of wedging them in by force, Shouto leaves the details alone. Setting them aside to ponder on another day. For today... Right now... he rather look at him as he is with all the missing pieces.
You're still beautiful to me. ]
Tomorrow. [ After they've both rested. ] Can you show me your world?
[ This time, he's the one who reaches for Allen, running his fingers through the length of soft hair. ]
<3
I keep doing that.
The only thing that makes me uneasy is when it feels like you're trying to punish both of us for something I don't even understand.
Tying you to a place you don't know.
He's tired but not in the way Allen thinks. Endeavor put him through a brutal training regime since he was five. He could last much longer than this. It's his heart that' his weakest point. Retreating into a dome of ice that withstood even Endeavor's unrelenting fire.
The gentle touch on his cheek pulls his thoughts back to the moment. A moment of confusion filters through his eyes, followed by quiet understanding, all in the span of a moment. Lifting his head from the pillow, Shouto sits up and scoots closer to him, side by side. Close enough to smell the sweet scent that accompanies him despite the bath. It's familiar.
Like home.
This time his head settles on the edge of his pillow. His hair still mixes. A lock of red falls across a teal eye obscuring his line of sight, yet he stares steadily at him, examining the puzzle pieces he's gathered today with the picture of Allen he carries in his mind. Many don't fit. Instead of wedging them in by force, Shouto leaves the details alone. Setting them aside to ponder on another day. For today... Right now... he rather look at him as he is with all the missing pieces.
You're still beautiful to me. ]
Tomorrow. [ After they've both rested. ] Can you show me your world?
[ This time, he's the one who reaches for Allen, running his fingers through the length of soft hair. ]
I'd like to see you.