Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or otherwise close to Tales of the Abyss...the GREATEST "Tales (of insert title)" my puny mind has been able to comprehend!

Summary:(Tales of the Abyss) Hasty actions and stabbing words were what described their somewhat tangible coexistence, but things change.Certainly, through the course of their adventures, changes were wrought. (Asch&Luke-centric)


Silent Whispers Tell All

Silence.

Furtive glances.

All-around wincing and twitching.

Waiting could grate on even the most patient of souls.

One shifted uncomfortably in his chair, craning his neck around to look in the opposite direction, unable to meet the other's eyes.

The other snorted and also turned away from the sight of the other, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for it all to end.

A shaking hand was met with a seething glare, which only served to further scare the timid other.

And a sharp intake of air met with a nervous look and ill-hidden quivers that only seemed to annoy the cause.

The awkward silence continued until the chiming and ding-donging of the hour that had come to pass came about.

But afterward, nothing noticeable had changed.

The timid boy was timid. The impatient boy was impatient.

But the distance between them had shrunk.

The hands that had been on sword sheaths had been detached.

The aggressive one wasn't entertaining thoughts of homicide.

The passive one wasn't thinking of ways the world was better without him.

And the emotion between each gesture had fizzled away until only routine was the force driving their movements.

It was as different as it was the same.

And it was only in silence that they understood what the other couldn't say.


A/N- I wrote this ages ago, but could only post it now due to computer unavailability...(yup, I think its a word). I basically wrote this with the whole story in mind because I believe that by the end Asch's actions ("Oye! Dreck!"--It's not like he has anything else to call him without bringing up any aching pains) could not have been as fueled as they were before, and Luke in his passive faze after Rem only seemed so lacking in self-esteem because he didn't know how else to act with Asch. The whole scene could be taken as both literal and metaphorical in whatever way one wants. The ending I suppose could represent "THE" ending, and yeah...Hope someone likes it!

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