Title: To Love One's Own Reflection
Author: Daisy
Fandom: The Devil's Carnival
Setting: The Twin's tent
Pairing: The Twin/The Hobo Clown
Characters: The Twin, The Hobo Clown, The Painted Doll
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Rating: K
Chapters: 1/1
Word Count: 644
Type of Work: One-Shot, For the Fanfiction-Friends Weekly Writing Prompts
Status: Complete
Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, Fluff, Body Dysphoria, Negative Body Image
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the Twin really wished he could see himself through the Hobo Clown's eyes.
AN: Hello, everyone! This sure is an odd place to see me, but here I am, shipping another ship that I am sailing with the wind from my own lungs. xD This is another piece for the Fanfiction-Friends Weekly Writing Prompts thing, this week's prompt being using "All right" properly. ^^ I hope you guys enjoy!
To Love One's Own Reflection ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It wasn't the first time that he had sunk to this.
The Twin was known fairly well for picking at his face, the scales and flaking skin falling away to show not a new face, but his own. He would stare into the mirror for hours, some days, knowing the world but for the life of him not able to love it in himself.
The Hobo Clown had taken to sitting around his tent, watching him in almost total silence. For as long as the Twin could remember, his HC had sat there, silently wondering what was going through his shifty mind. He was almost upset to say that he honestly didn't have much going on in the thought department most days. The one person the Twin had the hardest time dealing with was always himself. He could not become what was desired because he did not know what was desired.
"I think you're handsome." His clown spoke, voice soft and sure as he peered down at the hole in his hat, which rest in his lap.
"Do you, now?" The Twin's voice was lofty in a way that said he had barely heard what his quiet lover had said. 'Handsome' had been a key word, and it had been enough for a reaction. "I'd say I'm…" He began, sucking in a hiss of breath through his clenched teeth, "Just on the better side of 'all right'."
At this, he heard more than saw the Clown rise from his seat in the dirt, the shuffle of his feet a comfortable sounds that brought green eyes from the mirror. Filthy hands moved around his middle and the other male hugged him, pulling him close by his stomach.
"You're perfect." He whispered, "It's why He didn't want you. It has nothing to do with your perceived imperfections."
"All I do is become someone else-"
"It's your gift. You're shifty, and that's what makes you you. I wouldn't trade you for the world. So why would you?"
That gave the scaled male something to think about, surely. He blinked a few times, slowly letting his hands come down to pet the other's gloved ones. Being one of the few people that didn't mind how dirty he could be, the Twin sighed a little.
"I suppose you have a point, dear." He murmured, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all." It wasn't necessarily a rejection of the Clown's feelings, so much as a justification for his own. Still, the answer wasn't flippant, nor was it obviously degrading. A musing, spoken only because the close proximity to company. They both understood what that would mean.
A kiss was pressed to the back of his neck, the puffball of a red nose his lover wore nestled among the greasy strands of dark hair. Closing his eyes a little, he sighed, his hands falling to the sink to brace himself.
"All right, love. What did you want to do? There have been no new arrivals." The Twin finally offered softly, turning to look at the other for a long moment, down his nose and over his shoulder.
"I was thinking we could watch the Doll perform, maybe go on a ride or two." It came out on a laugh, because they both knew better. "Maybe grab some funnel cake and take a nap." That sounded both better and more feasible.
"Lead the way, then, my little urchin." Turning as soon as the embrace was broken, the Twin gave an exaggerated smile and thrust out his arms in a grand gesture. The Hobo Clown, not missing a beat, bowed and curtsied with the edges of his tattered coat before practically flouncing out of the tent, a laugh on his lips. Jingling the coin in his pocket, the Twin smirked a little. Should be enough for funnel cake.
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