Author's Note: This was originally written as an entry for an AkuRokuNo contest. The main theme was either AkuNo or RenoRoku, and the secondary theme was Shadows and Sunshine. This entry actually won me first place, with a wonderful prize commission from the well-known artist Nijuuni! I will have a link to the piece once it is finished.
The wind was still. There was a rhythm in the warm, summer air. The soft, quick beat to a drum and the occasional jingle of a tambourine; laughter and shouts of all ages simmered together into a crockpot of leisurely content. Hidden notes of wagon-wheels crushing foliage and rustling clothe completed the pleasant melody, a melody all too familiar to ones whom belonged to Thirteen.
And, at this time, Thirteen happened to be on the move. They'd overstayed their welcome in the last town of Geode, and after nearly losing a few members, quickly packed their things and moved to the shelter of the woods. Their home.
The woods were a constant in their ever-changing lives, a soft whisper of protection and love. This visit was no different. Thickly woven trees provided sweet shade from the searing sun above, while the small creeks and ponds below cooled the travelers' aching feet. The plants were fruitful this time of the year, bearing snacks and medicine by the handful. A true paradise to those who didn't seek to tame it, but to befriend it.
It is in these woods; this untamed paradise, that Thirteen decided to set camp and rest, at least until the season's winds lead them elsewhere.
"Aye, Axel! Why don'tcha go 'n make yerself useful? Gather some firewood 'r somethin'! Maybe ye'll get lucky and Mistress will let'cha burn it tonight, eh?" The playful, accented slang of a young man teased from behind eclectic curtains before a squirming, laughing form was shoved beneath the drapery. The man, Axel, had previously been annoying one of Thirteen's newest members, who'd been given cooking duty for the evening. It was tradition that the newest of the bunch always got the jobs no one else felt like doing, despite whether they had the skills needed or not.
But, by the tantalizing smells wafting their way around the camp, Roxas hadn't been doing too bad of a job.
Axel and Roxas were truly an anomaly, even to such a diverse, unique colony of people. With a vast height, age, and personality difference, every other member would've thought the two would be enemies. But, alas, they became quick, close brothers.
"Now, shoo! " And, with one final snap of a dish-rag, Axel was sent chuckling and jaunting out of the tent dutifully dubbed "the kitchen."
Axel, Thirteen's eighth member. The man was in his late twenties, and had been born and raised in that very organization. Though his parents had abandoned him for either another organization, or a civil life, he didn't know, nor did he care. He was completely content with life, and that was the Gypsy way. With hair as natural as the flaming leaves of autumn, eyes of the enchanted acid the Mistress liked to sell, the man was every bit rogue blood, and every bit proud. There was only one thing unnatural about Axel. And that would be the two permanent scorch marks beneath each eye, personally inflicted on himself with flaming fingernails. Axel liked to claim he was a "Fire Sprite."
Though, he really just knew the language of fire.
At the moment, however, the lanky redhead was taking a stroll around the camp, having decided to obey his friend's "orders" and try and find some decent wood to burn. He doubted Mistress would let him burn any of it, for he'd lost that privilege many years ago. Even if he hadn't, Mistress cared for the plants in those woods more than any other human being, and would find some way to keep them from burning.
As Axel walked, he enjoyed the sound of his feet crunching the wilderness below, knowing exactly what he stepped on just by the way it'd crack or snap. Just the way they sounded when they burned. He didn't have a destination, though he knew multiple places he could go: an abandoned tree-house to the east, rolling hills to the west, dense mountains to the north, or remain right where he was in the south. His stroll could take days, even months, and yet he'd still be able to come right back, as if nothing had ever happened. That's the beauty of such a life. In the end, Axel had gotten more thinking than wood-gathering done, his arms practically empty save for a few thicker twigs by the time he noticed the darkening scenery.
"Damn. Probably already eatin'." He mused to himself, tossing the sticks behind himself as he turned to head back to the camp. "So much for maybe lightin' the fire."
It hadn't been too late, judging by the dark streaks of sun that still managed to penetrate the canopy. Maybe the last few minutes of sunset. And, as Axel meandered his way about the woods, he'd occasionally slow his pace. Though he told himself his eyes were playing tricks on him, every now and then, he could've sworn he saw a figure in those waning rays of sunlight. A figure that…almost reminded him of himself.
But, every time he focused too hard, or searched elsewhere in the shadows, the image would vanish. Like chasing a rainbow or trying to catch smoke, two things Axel had tried and tried, but failed at. Even the greatest of fire-benders couldn't tame smoke.
As the familiar chanting and laughing of an old folklore reached his ears though, he quickly set his mind to rest, waltzing back into the awning of his camp with a sudden air of faux royalty and seductiveness, easily adding his voice to the old musical tale of forbidden lovers to much of Thirteen's joy.
He was a fascinating entertainer, after all.
The wind was still unmoving the next morning, but the air was cool enough within the branches and leaves that Axel really didn't take notice. And, besides, it'd be even cooler. once he got himself in the small river they'd camped by. It was a nasty stereotype that Gypsies never bathed. They made sure they were just as clean as any normal villager, or town-dweller, especially.since a lot of their shows involved personal contact.
And, they didn't enjoy smelling ill, either.
Axel, however, had always preferred to bathe alone in peace, hence the reason he was awake so early, the only sounds being that of the Earth and his breathing. He wanted to take a nice, long soak without any interruptions. It was just barely dark by the time the man reached his destination, and with a relieved sigh, he realized that gave him plentyof time.
Stripping off the few loose garments he had worn to bed (a long, frilled top with some tied trousers) and laying them over a branch of a nearby tree, Axel walked over to the shore, feeling the ground grow damp and squish between his toes pleasantly, a feeling that almost made him squirm. Being a tamer of flames didn't mean he rejected water; quite the contrary, his talent meant one too many burns sometimes, and a constant exposure to heat.
With a content sigh, the man reached his hands up and arched, pushing himself off the ground and diving as gracefully as he could beneath the water's surface. He loved water.
Coming up for air, the redhead pushed the long strands of hair up and out of his face, then rubbed his face with his hands as, below the surface, he kicked his legs to keep himself afloat. The water felt amazing, taking away sweat and dirt which clung to his skin, along with the scent of the previous night's activities. Not to mention, it felt a lot less stuffy and humid in the water. A few moments later, Axel was smiling and lying back, allowing himself to bounce along the liquid's surface as he watched the sky grow lighter, the atmosphere a soft periwinkle above the canopy, the few rays that penetrated dancing along the foliage and casting the woods into an eerie, beautiful morning. There was no dew or fog due to the season, but the sun warmed the world around him, smells of various plants and animals assaulting his nose, along with the blurred, sleep-laden calls of the creatures of the day.
The Gypsy found himself humming as he floated along, eyes at half-mast. It really was a beautiful morning, and he knew right then he wouldn't trade this life for any other. He belonged with Thirteen. His slow thoughts were abruptly interrupted though, when a peculiar tone reached his ears. It wasn't animalistic, no, no. It sounded just like…humming. But, the man had stopped humming himself, which meant someone had to be around. It couldn't possibly be another early riser, Axel had been doing this most his life and had never been caught. So…
Splashing around wildly for a moment, Axel struggled to regain his balance in the water, flailing his arms and kicking his legs about, terribly disturbing the peace of the woods until he managed to once again, keep himself floating up-right. Heart racing, the redhead snapped his head around, looking around for another human whilst wiping water droplets from his eyes. He didn't see anyone, though, and he could no longer hear the humming over the sounds of unhappy wilderness.
"Damnit." He cursed, wondering if he hadn't just been hearing things and got himself all worked up for nothing. But, the humming slowly returned, a rather mellow, sad tune in fact. Axel caught himself slowly looking around the scenery, studying any moving plants or odd trees. But, alas, he couldn't find any hint of another soul-and then he looked down.
"Yo."
All but yelping in shock, Axel pealed himself out of the river, heart visibly racing in his chest as he crawled onto the muddy shore, unable to care about how dirty he was getting when this was meant to be bath time.. His reflection had just talked to him. And it wasn't even his reflection!
Blinking rapidly, knees pulled to his pounding chest so his feet didn't touch the water, the redhead stared at the rippling surface of water, blazing green eyes searching for anything strange. For a while, all he saw were waving colors and a few insects landing for a drink, panting and heart calming down a fracture as he thought that, maybe, just maybe, he'd eaten something bad or someone was playing a sick joke on him.
Then, a soft, begging whisper reached his ears, appearing to come from the river itself. "Please, come back? I won't hurt'ya. I didn't mean to frighten you that much, and I'm sorry, yo." The voice was distinctly male, and Axel really wasn't sure if he'd just heard it in his head or not, but what was the harm in looking? Inhaling a deep, musky breath, the fire tamer gathered his courage and crawled back over to the river's shore, mud now squishing beneath his hands and knees as he sank a little the closer he got to the edge. It wasn't until the Gypsy made it right on the break that he peered over into the water, which was now lit up a tad more due to the sun rising ever-higher in the sky, it's rays gaining strength and assaulting the wood's floor with warmth.
It wasn't his own reflection staring back at him, though at the first glance, anyone else would've disagreed. Wild, crimson hair not much different than his own framed a rather sharp, angular face, eyes the color of the algae-infested water gazing right back up at him, even the facial tattoos were present-different design and placement, mind you, but they were there. For a moment, Axel was really unsure about his mental stability, worried his mind really might be conjuring this all up. There were differences, though. After a moment of studying, he took note that the hair on this reflection was much shorter, almost a bob from what he could see. The face was also darker, but not naturally, as if it was just a permanent tan. And, the tattoos of course, were as red as the hair, and right under the eyes, along the cheekbones. No, this wasn't his reflection at all.
"Um…" The Gypsy really was at a loss for words, common vocabulary the last thing on his mind as said mind whirled with confusing thoughts, doubts, worry, and fascination. The face below him gave a small, understand and nervous smile before those lips moved, and the voice from earlier came from them. "Just stay here a little longer, yo, and you'll understand."
Thus, Axel remained, eyes wide and mind reeling as he silently continued to sink within the marshy outer-ring of the river.
Axel, a man of his word, stayed on the edge of the river for what honestly felt like hours, and probably had been. He wasn't even sure if the man in the water was even still there, the woods now completely bright and alive with life. It was bit of a shock that no one else had come to join the redhead in bathing, but he was also thankful for it. He had no idea what to say if someone walked in on the scene. So, when the mysterious voice spoke up again, but not from within the water, he very nearly squealed and fell face-first into the river. Almost.
"There, now ya can talk to me, and not th-Oh! I'm so sorry, I scared ya again, yo?" The voice had come from behind Axel this time, and it took the Gypsy a moment to gather himself enough to turn around, eyes bugged as he took in the form before him.
This man was beautiful, for starters. The fire-tamer was no foreigner when it came to beautiful people, and this mysterious being was no exception. Apart from the noticed features earlier, he was probably around Axel's same height, maybe a tad shorter, and his build was just as lean, though his skin was definitely darker, and sprinkled with the occasional batch of freckles. But, what really startled the other was that this river-dweller appeared to be translucent, to a point. The sunlight shined right through him, making it seem like he was made out of dust-particles. The Gypsy wasn't a foreigner to magic, either, but any magic he'd seen was in small doses, a few spells here and there. Nothing like this at all.
Oh, and the small detail that he was just as naked as Axel was himself. But, that little fact hardly bothered either of them, it seemed.
"Um. Hey.." Axel started lamely, mind still whirling as he struggled for something a tad more intelligent to come out of his mouth.
"Ah, hi. My name is Reno. I didn't mean to scare ya, honest. I didn't know any better way to get your attention..?" The man now known as Reno prompted, tilting his head just a bit in question, giving the other a view of the long strands of hair that trailed down his back.
"A-Axel. My name is Axel. And it's alright, I suppose you would've startled me no matter how you chose to present yourself.." He took a moment to process everything, mind finally working again. "Reno."
At the sound of his name, Reno instantly perked up, a rather pleasant smile on his face as the sunlight played through his eyes, and not on them. Apparently, he took that as an invitation, for he walked himself right over to where the fire-tamer sat, and plopped himself right into the mud, though the ground beneath them was left undisturbed, and Axel quickly realized that this man, Reno, was .translucent!
Seeing the confusion and amazement clearly on Axel's face, Reno couldn't help but chuckle, albeit a tad solemnly, before he looked right at the solid redhead and spoke, "It's been so long since I've had the company of another.." and launched the Gypsy into an explanation, and a thorough story of his past.
By the time the sun was setting, Axel knew just about everything important about Reno, from his birth to his favorite color. Apparently, he'd been secretly engaged to another man not too long ago, and no longer wanting to hide their love, the two had agreed to meet on a night of a full moon, where they would elope and run off, perhaps to find their own organization. But, it had never happened. Reno had waited that night for his lover, whom he'd learned was named Rude, but alas; the other had never showed up. And, heartbroken and infuriated, Reno had cursed himself that very night, screaming at the top of his lungs that he never wanted to see the moon again, or feel the things the night brought on. Which brought them to where they were now, in those same woods that the two were meant to elope in, Reno now a ghost damned to never experience the night, trapped in the shadows of the sun.
At first, Axel couldn't find the words, or the proper way to respond to such a story. Part of him didn't believe it at first, but the proof was right in front of his face. The mysterious man in front of him was far from alive. The Gypsy did, however, feel his heart go out to this man existing with such a sorrow, and being the optimist he was, his response didn't even shock him.
"I'll find a way for you to see the moon again. I promise." And, the look on Reno's face made such a promise completely worth it. Teal eyes were wide and doubtful, but there was an unabashed joy clearly in them. Hope. .But, the look was fleeting, and it quickly vanished, along with the sun, leaving the woods and Reno suddenly a few shades darker. Bathed in rays of dark red, oranges, deep pinks, the ghost gave a small shrug and an empty smile.
"You don't have'ta do that, yo. Don't waste your time on someone already dead. I've accepted my fate, don't jumble yours up with mine." It came out as an almost bitter, self-pitied mumble, and the fire tamer could only watch with sad eyes as the form before him began to fade away, along with the remaining light beneath the canopy. He wanted to reach out and touch the man, fluff his hair, hold his face, anything.
But, he feared that if he tried, his fingers would glide through air, and the situation would become that much more real, and that much more heart wrenching.
Just as the last little particles of blue and red were dissipating, Reno seeming content to vanish in silence, Axel gave a small smile and a nod. "I'll be seeing you in the morning, Reno." And, he felt at ease with the still, silent response his comment received, for he knew the other redhead had heard him, nonetheless.
Maybe tomorrow he'd actually take a bath and get clean.
Days passed, and with each of those days, Reno and Axel's friendship grew stronger. The two would waste away the sunlight talking, laughing, and even singing on the rare occasion. Every member of Thirteen knew of the ghost, and would even spend some time with him, for he fit right in. They were considered "freaks of nature" after all, and wherever someone didn't fit in society, they belonged here.
Reno had a family, and friends, for the first time in years, even despite what everyone had dubbed as his "handicap." Axel had become his "moon," of sorts, telling him of all the things that happened when he wasn't occupying the forest, explaining what phase the rock was in, even going more personal and openly telling the ghost of his dreams.
The two really became inseparable, but it all shifted on one particular day.
Reno was laying half on Axel, and half on the warm, dry foliage covering the Earth. They'd discovered that, though translucent, the ghost could technically touch the other, though it went unfelt by them both, it was still a nice bit of normalcy. The fire tamer had been gazing out at the pond, eyes pleasantly vacant as he resisted the urge to comb nimble fingers through red locks in which he wouldn't feel. And that's where his thoughts were, actually, stuck on one wish. Axel wished to touch his friend. To learn him in a more intimate, brotherly way. At least, that's as far as he let those thoughts go.
But, the solid redhead found himself blinking, those thoughts vanishing as his hair tickled his face, strands riding along a small, gentle breeze that now weaved through the woods. His heart sank heavy in his chest, now bearing the knowledge that their friendship would soon be coming to an end. The winds were changing, and every Gypsy knew that they could only stay in one place so long as the weather didn't change. But, it had.
And, for the first time in his entire life, Axel found himself wishing he had a permanent home, right there by the river. Glancing down as the small gust died, the fire tamer studied the ghost's features. Reno appeared to be sleeping, teal eyes hidden by almost-clear eyelids, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. He really was a handsome lad, and if Axel ever ran into this Rude man, he'd give him a good piece of his mind for letting such a man go. The Gypsy didn't want to leave. He didn't want to have to tell this mysterious, wonderful man goodbye. In the short time they'd known each other; the napping redhead had become his light in life, his sun. Everyone back at the camp saw it, too, saw the childish spark back in his eyes, how easy and light his laugh was. Not to mention the old tricks Axel had gotten back into.
Truthfully, no one was ready to part with the ghost.
Shaking the sudden sadness away, Axel let himself indulge in the thoughts he'd previously been having, trailing fingertips ever-so-slightly over the contours of the face in his lap, closing his eyes and trying as hard as he could to picture the sharp, slightly rough features he should be feeling. Amidst this, though, he missed warm, teal eyes flutter open and gaze up at him with an expression full of terrible longing. The two didn't say a word for the rest of the day, even when they parted ways.
The sound of rustling leaves and swaying blankets filled the air that night, the woods coming to life as the world breathed into them, and Axel found himself unable to sleep, wondering if, in that moment, somewhere, Reno couldn't sleep, either.
It was time.
Everyone knew it, too. Even Roxas walked around with a slightly down-trotted air about him, the camp rather silent as everyone went about doing their fair share of duties. People only spoke when it was necessary, the sounds of the woods almost screaming. Creatures were running about due to the disturbance of the humans, and the wind was doing a good job at rustling branches, stirring up the loose vegetation covering the ground. Axel had yet to visit Reno, for he did have his duties as a Gypsy, which involved helping move camp, and his posture clearly stated "don't touch me." Green eyes fixed on his tasks with unwavering sadness and slight anger, movements slow but jerky. It truly did worry the other members, for he hadn't been this down since, well, that was just it. He'd never been this sad before. He'd been known to brood, but people had learned to handle that. No one was prepared for a depressed Axel.
So, it was with a sigh of slight relief that everyone agreed they could handle packing up, shooing the fire tamer off so he could go give his friend a final visit. They wouldn't be leaving until the next morning, after all. They had some time left. And, Thirteen found they could actually work in higher spirits without the redhead around, but just by a little.
Taking a deep breath and smoothing out his features, Axel headed towards the river, wind stirring his hair about his body, clothing ruffling up a tad along the way. When he reached the small clearing, he noticed Reno was already there, sitting with his back towards him. As the Gypsy joined his side, plopping down onto the ground, Reno gave a short, quiet greeting of his usual, "yo."
And Axel didn't hesitate. "Stay with me tonight, Reno."
Neither of them looked at each other, the forest silent aside from the rippling water before them, both men lost in thought before it was the fire tamer whom spoke again. "I have an idea. Please, Reno, please. Can we at least try? The worst that could happen is that it doesn't work." And, finally, the Gypsy looked at his friend, eyebrows knitted together tightly as his face screwed up in pleading desperation.
And Reno found himself completely unable to reject such a request, nodding shortly in agreement before he sighed and leaned over, resting himself against the solidarity of Axel. "So, sir, what do you have in mind?" There was a playfulness in his voice, though just barely, as his nuzzled his face against his friend's shoulder, even though it was unfelt by them both.
And, the Gypsy grinned. "I'm going to make you a sun."
The sun was setting, and the wind was howling softly throughout the woods, dragging leaves and insects along for a ride passed the two redheads, whom were now lazing about the lake. Axel was lying on his back, arm dangling down into the water as his hand created lazy ripples on the liquid's surface, while Reno was curled up half on his chest, eyes almost closed as the two gazed at each other. It was a content moment, neither of them thinking about how this was their last time together, at least until the winds brought Thirteen back to this very spot.
When the ghost spoke, it almost made the other jump, for it had been silent for a very long time. "Axel. I want to try something. Just in case tonight doesn't work-I need to at least try this. I have a theory, you see. And, if you aren't too frightened by it-"his words were cut off, however, by a hand waving in front of his face, sending droplets of water everywhere.
"Reno, there is nothin' left in this world you could do to scare me away. Whatever it is, I can handle it. And I want it. Got it memorized?" And there it was, a glimpse of the usual Axel, grinning and playing around.
But, what the mysterious redhead was about to do would change the comfortable normalcy between the two rather suddenly. Pushing himself up until he was kneeling beside his friend, Reno let his eyes slowly take in Axel's complete form, from bare feet to red spikes. The look on the solid redhead's face clearly asked, "Like what'cha see?" But he could only give a nervous smile in return as he placed his hands onto the clothed chest, and paused.
For a moment, neither of the men spoke, or moved, or even breathed. And then, Reno was pushing his hands down, not against Axel's form, but throughit, and the Gypsy was gasping and trembling, eyes wide in disbelief, confusion and pleasure. It was an indescribable feeling that was for sure. His chest tingled, somewhere between a heat that was so extreme it felt cold, or a cold that was so extreme it felt hot, as if every nerve was suddenly overly sensitive and aware of any touch. And the feeling was in his muscles, skin, blood, his damn internal organs, too. And, it was a feeling he didn't think he could ever get use to, or handle much more of.
But, to his immense pleasure and horror, Reno gave a soft wink and a smile. "Trust me, yo."
And more of the ghost was disappearing into the solid form of Axel, arms followed by shoulders and a waist and legs and then, lastly, his head, and suddenly there weren't two men at all, just the one Gypsy, quaking on the floor of the woods, tears of intense, almost unbearable bliss leaking from his eyes with the occasional gasp.
Reno was inside him. Literally. And, Axel suddenly found himself without control of his own body, for something else, or in this case, someone else, was controlling it. And his own hands were now running over his body, from face down to his hips, occasionally squeezing, caressing, and the redhead easily believed they were another man's hands, for he had no control over the limbs, nor any idea what they'd do next. A complete out of body experience in a sense.
And then he was stripping himself, removing his clothing surely, but slowly, as they one by one were tossed into a pile a few feet away from himself, until he was left shaking and naked beside the lake. The wind had picked up a little bit, but that wasn't the reason for the goosebumps now covering the Gypsy's skin. The weather went unnoticed by him, anyways. Axel was much too focused on the hands working their way all over his body again, searching and pleasuring their way down his chest, stomach, thighs, until they stopped, but only for a second.
They'd found what they really wanted.
Crying out softly as his back arched off the Earth, Axel completely lost himself in what Reno was doing to his body, completely unaware that that was only the beginning of a night filled with non-stop, brain-shattering pleasure, the wind and creatures of the night masking his loud, euphoric vocals from his camp that wasn't too far off.
Reno had stayed with him most of the night, just like Axel had begged for.
But, there was one moment when the feelings all just suddenly stopped, and the Gypsy was left convulsing softly on the damn foliage, panting shallowly as his eyes looked about the woods, but didn't fully register anything. His body felt terribly empty, both to his relief and disdain, skin quickly cooling and dulling down. Usually, the afterglow of such an experience wouldn't be anything less than phenomenal, but Axel could only feel a growing pit of loneliness and dread in his stomach as one fact sunk in.
Reno was no longer there. Not inside him, not around him. The only sounds akin to a human were the ones made by himself, and as he searched the dark woods for any other life, he came up empty. It had been there last day together, and their first night together, and the ghost had stayed with him in the one way that was closest to their desires. The two had fallen deeply, madly in love, and now Axel was the redhead left alone and dying in the same exact place his lover had.
Agonized green looked up through the canopy, locking onto a few weak rays of moonlight, and a silent curse fell from trembling lips. And, Axel allowed himself to openly sob, curled up against the ground as he clutched at his heart, one that was held by invisible hands just moments ago.
The night had been rough, and one look at Axel gave that away. His eyes were sunken in, a tad red and swollen, obviously from crying, and his posture was crumpled some. Though, any mud, leaves, and other substances had been washed away by the lake that morning. So, at least the fire tamer was clean as he walked into the clearing of his camp. A few members greeted him, giving small smiles, the occasional wave and pat on the back. The redhead couldn't find the heart to return any of the pleasantries, however. His sun was gone, the light that had randomly shown up in his life, lit it up, only to be doused out so suddenly.
The wind was blowing steadily throughout the camp that morning, an insistent message of, "You all need to move," carried along its gusts. And, that's exactly what they were doing now. Everything had been packed up, stashed, or thrown out. On any other day, there would've laughter, music, celebration as they headed towards a new part of the world, but alas, no one was smiling.
At least, not when Axel was looking, that is.
When the redhead had made it to his cart, he heaved himself in with a sigh, going about making sure a few loose things wouldn't fall off along their travel, for their horses weren't always the gentlest navigators. He nearly lost his footing and had to grab onto the counter in his mobile room to remain standing when it suddenly jolted forward, his horse whinnying outside before it gained its footing and began to pull the cart along the woods.
Apparently, it was decided it was time to go, but Axel was wondering just who on Earth was driving his cart, for that had always been his job. He may be down in the muck for the moment, but the last thing he wanted was pity-services. Running a hand through his hair, the redhead sighed, walking up to the window which lead right to the carriage part of the moving home, prepared to snap at whichever Thirteen member was doing this for him. But, as he slid open the window and peered up out of it, the anger and words completely died in his throat as his mind took in hair as deep a color as his own, teal eyes, and two red markings which were crinkling into a smile.
"Aye, so where are we off to, then, yo?"
Axel somehow managed to climb through the window in his disbelief and excitement, fumbling ungracefully until he managed to sit himself beside the man driving his cart, panting noticeably with wide eyes. "R-Reno, what are you, how are you-?" He couldn't quite manage to get a complete question out, thoughts all jumbling into one big mess.
And, the now solid man just laughed, wrapping a free arm around the fire-tamer as he continued to lead the horses throughout the woods, the sounds of the other carts and clapping, joyful members now filling the area. Apparently, everyone else had known of Reno's magical appearance, and had wanted to keep it a surprise. And what a surprise it was.
"You see, Axel. Those years ago, I hated the moon, hated the darkness the night brought. I couldn't stand it. But, last night, I saw the moon again; for the first time in so long, and instead of bitterness, it filled me with…it filled me with love again. Just like it use ta do. I'm no longer afraid of the shadows, because I've got my moon, yo. I've got ya." And he truly did have Axel, the both of them relishing in the warmth of two solid, human bodies for the first time in their relationship.
A relationship built on sunshine and shadows.
The season was changing, winter's first winds swirling about the world. There was a rhythm in the chilly air, though. The soft, quick beat to a drum and the occasional jingle of a tambourine; laughter and shouts of all ages simmered together into a crockpot of leisurely content. Hidden notes of wagon-wheels rumbling over cobblestone and rustling clothe completed the pleasant melody, a melody becoming all too familiar to the newest member of Thirteen.