It was a game for them. A never ending cycle of vicious words, of taunts, of hatred. Their actions bounced off of each other, became stronger and more direct with each hit. It was a game that they both played well, but neither would admit that this game is what kept them alive and with purpose.
The feeling of having someone who cared about their every move was so intimate that they disliked anyone who intruded in their game. Tak had shifted their alliances, temporarily changing the game. Temporarily bringing the two onto the same side. It was an uncomfortable feeling that did not sit well in their guts. It was one that brought forth uncomfortable questions, such as 'Why do I care so much about him?'
The skool children were as oblivious to this game as they were to their own lives. They wandered about with their minds lost in their own worlds. The two boys had no time for such idle thoughts. They were not lost in their own worlds. They were lost in each other's. They felt most comfortable there.
Glares that spelt doom for the recipient were tossed back and forth on both sides. The human may have started this little offshoot of their main game, but the alien was certainly willing to play along. No matter who tried to interfere, the looks from one still managed to make it across the room to the other, with the meaning still portrayed clearly: 'I hate you. Don't get any other idea. I hate you, and I will bring about your demise.'
Any way that one could find to hurt the other was to be fully exploited. Water made one smile, while the other cringed. Pain was part of the fun. It was almost pleasurable to receive a torture from the opposite. It was a feeling that was inexplicable. Neither would admit that they secretly enjoyed the pain, so long as it was being given by the other. The scars that they wore were worn with pride.
What happens in the dark is to stay in the dark. The feelings, the touches, the moans. These were to be buried, reserved only for the moments when the two forgot themselves after a long day. Every bit of what happened in the dark was to be left behind in the light of day. Every word of anything other than hatred was to be forgotten, even the ones whispered with soft lips against cool skin. Every kiss was to be undone. Every promise was to be broken.
Neither could tell you when the bitter hatred began to shift to a bitter love, nor when the bitter love lost the bitter tinges to it. The two were consumed only with thoughts of the other. How to beat, how to break, how to conquer. How to feel, how to touch, how to kiss. These feelings were not noticed until they had crept too far in. Sending them out into the cold now seemed cruel, heartless. Neither could be cruel, heartless.
Both didn't know how to react to the sense of betrayal whenever the other was away too long, only to stagger home in the early hours of the morning. The green one was normally the one sitting at home, waiting the long hours for his human-thing to return to him. It was never a quiet return home. The anger rose as conversations turned into arguments, which turned into screaming matches, which turned into a contest of who could hit the hardest in the right place. One would fall, and the other would carry him quietly to bed. He would wrap the covers around them both, and then wrap his arms around both as a form of extra protection.
The tender moments were for no one's eyes but their own. Not even their own, in the dark of night. The two knew each other by touch, by taste, by smell. They knew every scar or the other's body, especially the ones that they themselves had put there.
While the two were at skool, they kept the façade of hatred. The two did not roam the halls holding hands. They still plotted against each other, but this had only become a front. Neither would ever create a plan that could potentially hurt the other in some serious way. In a way, they both secretly missed the feeling of risk and danger.
Neither noticed the years slowly pass by. Neither noticed the city growing, changing. Both were too absorbed in the other. Too wrapped up to let go. Holding on to each other was the only thing that kept each from falling apart. Hands interlocked, legs intertwined, hearts tangled. They remained in this form, never letting go.
The nights that the human returned home from his father's house were always difficult for the alien to watch. The human lacked hope and life in his eyes when he returned. The father was a bringer of pain. This was no longer the good thing that it had been.
The days that the alien called his leaders were always difficult for the human to watch. The alien always seemed so hopeful and happy to please other who would never care. The leaders were bringers of false hope, which always eventually led to depression. This was no longer the good thing that it had been.
Comforting the other was an awkward thing at first. The human had been the first to cry in front of the other. The other had simply patted him on the back and listened. The two had a whole system devised now. Soft touches to rid the tears, soft kisses to rid the sighs. Gentle care whenever one was a push away from breaking.
The goal had once been to shatter and destroy the other. The two would not have been able to tell when the goal had switched itself. The goal now was to hold together what was already cracked. They had to keep the other functioning, because it had become impossible for one to be without the other. Their dependency was unhealthy, but the best thing that had ever happened to either.
The smiles were rid of the traces of malice that they had once carried. These smiles were worn down and tired, but honest and bare as well. They told only the truth, and reached not only their eyes, but their souls as well. The smiles were a gift that they both treasured.
The words 'I love you' were not uttered until the human was on his deathbed. The alien smiled and returned the words, but the two knew that the words were just a formality. They knew that every thought, touch, and look had been screaming 'I LOVE YOU'.
When the human died, the alien was not far behind.
Ta-da! I don't know what inspired me to be up at 3:30 in the morning to write this, but I'm glad that I did. Hopefully, this story isn't too unbearable if you read till the end ;)
It is currently Thanksgiving, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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