Chapter 13
Orange is Tangerine, Jade is Green,
Third Person's POV
Eljeric struggled from the strong grasp, knowing it would be futile to even put force into it. He felt some wierd sensation welling inside his body, too hot to bear for him. His head all feeling hazy and his body feels weak.
The other party's eyes opened, revealing his ocean blue jewels, shimmering like crashing waves appealed with the scorching sun, mixed with intense affection.
Zephyr gently brushed his hand on Eljeric's flustered face, then landed a soft kiss on his forehead, "Good morning," his eyes deepened it's affection.
His hand intertwined with Eljeric, pulling his hand towards his mouth for a kiss. Still locked his eyes into the other's, Zephyr's hand travelled down to Eljeric's waist, then pulling him closer and digging his head into his chest.
For a second, Eljeric had his body relaxed—calmed and blissed, yet the moment disappeared after he realized his purpose. He suddenly rushed out of bed, and went directly at the bathroom, looking at his own reflection.
His face bright red was not the only thing that caught his attention. In fact, it became more red when he saw the wierd marks on his body. The two we're topless the moment they woke up, and that is enough to enlighten the poor flustered boy.
He ran his hands on the marks; one on the left part of his neck, another on his collarbone, and one on his right ear, "So, he likes biting those parts?" Eljeric asked before brushing off the thoughts, "What the hell am I thinking?!"
He took a deep breath, composed his face, then went to the bathroom's doorknob. As he opened, the still topless Zephyr was sitting on the bed, as it was already fixed the moment he went to the bathroom, clean and neatly done. He was smiling at him, persuading him to sit beside him, in the look in his eyes.
Eljeric did as told, but kept quiet the moment he sat down. He carefully scanned Zephyr's body and found some marks, totally different from his. Looking carefully, red scratches on his back were definitely visible, and one hickey was also on his left shoulder.
'Did I... do that?!' Eljeric thought as Zephyr rested his head into the boy's shoulder.
Endless terrain of thoughts covered Eljeric's mind. Whether he remembered or not, those marks are enough to prove last night. Was it an accident or intentional? Eljeric knows the answer, for sure.
The affectionate couple flinched when they hear a sudden knock in the door, "Eljeric, it's time for breakfast," a familiar voice echoed.
The two stood up in haste, then quickly went for their clothes to wear them as fast as they could. Zephyr was the first one to approach the door, and welcomed the guest from outside.
Glowing snow white hair, emerald jewel green eyes, and a perfect body like a mannequin's. Long slender hands accompanied by graceful movements. His eyes reflects the deepest chambers of the purest emotions, his smile curved into the gentlest sight to behold.
It's Yuki on the door, smiling Innocently, staring at the two from outside.
"It's time for breakfast," he repeats.
"Uhm... Brother?" Eljeric fiddled with his thumb, shaking with fear and embarrassment.
"I don't think your shirt is enough to hide those, little one," s
Yuki shifted his eyes away from Eljeric, avoiding contact to his red marks, at all costs.
"I... Uh...brother, no... it's..." he struggled, still forced out words that couldn't even explain his situation, stating more of the obvious.
"No one will pay attention." He smiled it off, "Just go focus on the food, it's not like everyone will broad with those marks," he smiled with his eyes, his jewels shining as long with his emotions.
The two nodded, but deep inside, they're still flustered about the fact that the whole family with see what they did. Yuki went first as the two came after him.
Revealing the wide table, a sudden burst of tears came rushing down Eljeric's eyes, too unstoppable for him to bear. Around the table was the whole family, complete without a missing person.
Yuan is sitting on the middle while Eiji and Keine beside each other while on the other side. Beside Yuan is Yuki and Krypton across him.
Keine had this silky smooth hair and pale skin like a corpse's. His hair is about semi long and both his hand somehow covered by the long sleeve of his fuchsia pink sweater. Eiji, on the other hand, had a short haircut with his black hair resembling the starless night sky. While Keine's body is built like a fragile doll, Eiji's body was well structured compared to it. His muscles detailed on his body, piercing dark eyes and a sharp jawline— what a perfect man, to say!
Ok the other hand, Yuan was like Yuki; snow white hair, but colorless eyes and a body structure like a copy of his son's. The two together look like two different apples from the same apple tree. Despite having structured the same, Yuan's physique was still better than his son's. As for Krypton, he was also no different from Yuki in a lot of sense, but also like the polar opposite of him.
Kryptonite has black hair and obsidian eyes, which are the opposite of Yuki's persona. Their face are a little like to each other that you could accidentally mistake them for being the same person, if it weren't for their opposite taste for clothing. His eyes are the perfect description of pain and suffering, and his hands are best way to signal the most graceful arts that could never par it's beauty.
"What's wrong, Eljeric?" Yuan sounded a bit offended.
He shook his head, denying his question. He wiped his tears with a bright smile, true and seemed fleeting, yet the beauty could be enough to repay the human's debt to the heavens. He sat down along with Zephyr on the other side of Yuan, and began to eat as quiet as they could possibly do.
Eljeric stared back to the view of the smiling picture of his family, complete and scarless, "I wish the whole world I had was this fun..." he whispered, still enough for everyone on the table to lend their ears on.
"What are you talking about? We're always–" Keine's words were cut off when Eljeric began shaking his head for disapproval.
"If only it was. If only everything could be a dream. If only things could end like a happy ending. That's why I'm here— to get everything I cherished back to me." Eljeric never dared to stop his head's sign of disapproval, standing up and still denying the world he's on.
"I'm happy. I was happy. And I am still... brother, I need to move on and face reality, but wouldn't this last chance could be my one and only salvation? I want to see the real "family" I had, not just some random illusion made by some randomized-colored bird..." tears fell, his body slowly dispersing into tiny bits of pieces as if it was a pile of ash being blown away.
Yuki smiled, "Don't regret. Don't forget to wake up. Every dream is just a dream, never forget that reality exist not to disappoint nor harm you, but to give you reminders that limitations exist for every individual, and you should follow it."
Eljeric was covered in complete darkness as he drifted away, back to where he should be, beside the present and reality.
*Zephyr's Illusion*
The blue head looked at the typical object that always appeared before him—the good old empty book. His hands reached out for it, ready to end and return to reality.
Taking a peek, his face looked perplexed when be saw words on the first page saying, "THE LITERATURE OF THE FALLEN WEST GOD". He quickly went through the pages, checking every single page that he could.
Indeed, the pages were filled with words, but it was from a different language he couldn't understand. There are only few words that are written in English and those were words that he knew.
"I'm too good for him..."
"He's too kind, and it's too cute!"
"I don't want to leave, but it's for his happiness..."
His face screamed 'no more' from the cringe, and directly proceeded to closing the book. Who was too kind, again? He should forget those words, or so he thinks.
The scenery shifted, revealing new horizons to Zephyr Zilch. It was his first time inside an illusion and it looked too amazing to be fake.
The place he shifted into was a familiar place to him. A big mansion with an old fashioned design— sliding doors, fish pond outside beside a blooming cherry tree, and countless house-like structures like the old-style Japanese mansions.
The inside was extravagant as the outside; wooden floors, old mirrors, durable wooden cabinets, and even old lamps form above. It is indeed, his home.
That wasn't all, to be exact. There is this person lying on his lap, and it was Eljeric. His face was like an innocent child's, while his hand resting on Zephyr's other hand as they were both inside the house.
He closely stared right into the young man's face, scanning how true the illusion could get. It was like him in every details. He ran his hands on Eljeric's face while he kept the other on tied up on his hands.
"What are you doing?" He flinched when the sleeping man spoke with his eyes closed.
He cleared his throat, "Ahem. Nothing, I was just checking on you,"
"Just say you were admiring my sleeping face, no one will get angry, anyways," he illuminated his face with a bright smile, enough to captivate Zephyr's heart.
"So, is this a smile from the heart?" Zephyr blurted out, not even thinking about how the other party would react.
Eljeric looked at him, perplexed, "Can't I? I'm your boyfriend," his head tilted, leaving the poor blue head dumbfounded.
'Is this...how the birds play with us?' he thought.
"We better get up. You promised to take me out on a date today," Eljeric hopped out of Zephyr's grasp, going directly for the closet.
Zephyr scanned the closet. Inside were clothes that was his and some others that he typically wouldn't wear, so basically, it's Eljeric's. The boy began choosing what he would wear before shifting his gaze back to Zephyr with the "is this good enough?" look in his eyes.
Zephyr just randomly nodded, then going after him to find a change of clothes. As he got closer, Eljeric just took his top off without a warning and vegan changing. The poor Zephyr stared at him as he was changing, praising his confidence to do that in front of him without a speck of shame on him.
"What?" Eljeric covered his top, looking at him with animosity.
"I was just looking..."
Eljeric chuckled, "I was joking. Don't take it too seriously," he cleared out, going for the perfume next to the mirror on the room.
"Shouldn't you buy your own?" blue head sighed.
"It's for us two to smell the same scent. Let me enjoy my time!"
Zephyr nodded, holding him on the had as he went for the door. As the two walked out, they scanned the the stalls opening as the evening light illuminated the dark roads. It's now the Ginkyo Festival, a festival held in their place.
"Pick whatever stall you like, I'll go get some for you," he assured as he stared at the boy like he was looking at an eager kid.
"Let's go get some takoyaki then go for catching some goldfish."
He nodded on approval, gently dragging Eljeric to the Takoyaki stall for food. As they were going for catching goldfishes, they went by to the other stalls that piqued their interests. Yakisoba, cotton candy, corndogs, and even a store with cute intricate varying designs all over the place.
"It's finally starting!" Eljeric pointed at the fireworks display with a goldfish on hand, and a kitsune mask with cherry blossom designs on the edges on his head while Zephyr carried the other food they got on the way.
"It's beautiful..." the little man admired.
"Indeed."
"Say, Zephyr. Can we stay like this forever? Can I stay this happy with you, forever?" Eljeric gave an affectionate look, the kindest and purest Zephyr has ever seen in his life, incomparable to ang that could even exist within the realms of possibilities.
"You can. And I'll always stay by your side. Always..." he stared directly into the boy's lips, ready for the next step.
He slowly lent his face into the other, giving a soft kiss on his lips. It felt too magical for him— as if the world started moving and stopped becoming colorless for a second. This illusion is too good to be one.
***