(A/Ns: yes this is incredibly short but it can make up for my inactivity during exams. I wrote this as a practice for the narrative piece in my exam which I did today. And today, yes, I wrote another Elleo fanfiction, but unfortunately, I'll never get that one back.

Reviews are appreciated (even though this is literally just some shitty drabble). Enjoy~)

Reminiscent

Memories hung over the water like clouds. Mist and fog merged together above that, mixing sickeningly well with the awkward silence which clung to them.

They weren't ready to see each other again. Reminiscence turned to haunting. Peace turned to chaos. And their silence only exacerbated this. Each lingering gaze they exchanged – erratically in emotion – was met with just another silent buffer, before the countless words they desperately wanted to say to each other were carried away in the mist; along with everything else they felt.

The lake, far too calm and tranquil for comfort, sat right before them, projecting their exact reflections, with dapples of rain occasionally tainting the otherwise picture-perfect image. Tainted. Lonely. Broken.

It was just like them.

Every now and again, any and every train of racing thought was abruptly cut off by the rattle of dry branches, clinging to the rotting jet walk and dancing with the wind; singing with it in perfect harmony. Each of nature's attempts to break them apart seemed to have worked, and each time they parted gazes, the wind gave another cheer.

All of nature's attempts other than death, that was.

Quietly – almost inaudibly – the shorter of the two gently slipped on hand into the other's, their fingers interlacing like threads. His jacket ruffled slightly against the other's, partially due to the wind by mostly due to the fact it was the first time either of them had moved; the first time they dared to move from the picturesque statues they previously sat as.

"Elliot," he muttered, the inchoate passion in his voice being immediately whisked away by the wind. He shivered. "How long has it been?"

The other – Elliot – slowly raked his delicately trembling fingers through his dusty blonde hair. Exhaling shakily, like every burden weighing him down was slowly dissipating, he simply sat there, silent. Nonplussed. Unable to respond.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, he finally responded, sucking in a sharp breath of oxygen. "I don't know, Leo."

There was another pause. Leo's gaze reluctantly gravitated away from Elliot, and back to the floor where it belonged.

"Too long," Elliot added.

Despite barely hearing the hushed, intentionally discreet whisper, Leo still registered it. A minuet smile which spoke a million words tugged at his lips.

A million words, which could be carefully woven into just two.

"Yes…" the noirette said, the words leaving his mouth before he could comprehend them, or execute them with the delicacy they deserved. "Too long, indeed…"

Nostalgia consumed them, those words ringing in their ears with every other lost memory that managed to resurface. Reminiscence, relief, and yet still too far to go.

Fin.