Lamplighters
"I didn't think you'd actually come."
The lanky man started from his reverie. He had been leaning against the brick wall, keeping under the eves to avoid the heavy,
bloated snow falling in the street. His long, ragged black hair was pulled back in a careless ponytail. He snorted lightly, expelling
a cloud of white ice crystals as he did so.
"Every day a new surprise..."
"Don't sing to me. I didn't ask to meet you so you could sing to me."
He brushed snow freckles off his black coat as he spoke. His voice was honey-warm and soft, but still held a sharpish edge.
He was slightly shorter, with cropped sandy-brown hair. His eyes were a copper color, and his clothes were shabby. Well-dressed,
but shabby.
"Why did you come then?"
The brown haired man looked at him intently, chewing gently at a lower lip.
"I have to ask you something."
"Oh. Really."
"Yah."
He leaned against the wall, too, so as to escape the rapidly accumulating snow. The light of the lamp caught the silver strands
in his mussed hair, making him look much older than he really was.
"Yah, I had to ask you... something that's been on my mind for nineteen years."
The taller one started with surprise, azure eyes opened wide. A second later, however, he had regained his
composure, slouching against the wall again. When he next spoke, it came out as somewhat of a drawl.
"Nineteen years? Well, you've had plenty of time to ask me."
"About five years, in all, if you think about it. Four before..."
He hesitated, absently brushing more snow off his coat.
"...before it all. And this one year after."
The other one grinned, ruefully. A horrible sadness filled his blue eyes.
"I guess you're right. I never thought of it that way."
They stood in silence for a while, neither saying anything. It was a comfortable silence, a moment shared by friends who
could say as much without words as with. Finally, the taller one spoke up, tucking a loose strand of jet hair behind his ear.
"So. What do you need to ask?"
Molten copper glinted in the lamplight as the other slowly lifted his head to stare at the other side of the street.
"I..."
He seemed almost too scared to speak. After a minute he continued, his hand slowly inching across the wall.
"D-did you... ever..."
The taller one seemed about to interrupt...-
"Did you ever love me?"
He grabbed the hand against the wall before it could fall back to its owners' side, smiling gently.
"Always, Moony.
Always."
*~Glenny