The summer was coming to an end. A week ago Equius had shown up at my apartment with a large box on a dolly. He'd come in for the first time and though he didn't say anything I could see his jawline harden at the sight of it. My face flushed deeply, embarrassed at the obvious differences in our living arrangements. My home had seemed smaller than ever with his large frame and strange boxes taking up so much space in my cluttered room. The tips of my ears burned as I watched him look about my room through my bangs. No one had come over since before my accident other than Gamzee and the decorations had stayed the same since then. How childish I must have seemed to the older boy now. The silence that stretched between us crushed me.
When the quiet was finally disturbed it was so that the contents of the box could finally be revealed. Equius had finally finished his project, it was time for me to actually test the braces that had take up so much of his time. My heart was racing as fabric was tugged down so that metal could slide up. When the grey meet with the less useless flesh it startled me, cold. To keep my mind off of it I watched Equius's furrowed brow as he tugged and tampered with all the little dials on the tops of the device. When the moment of truth came my heart pounded so hard that I was sure it would break through my ribs. My breathing was shallow and I trembled when he helped me to swing the metal around, artificial feet flat on the floor.
Strong, steady hands under my elbows I stood for the first time in years. The rest of the day was spent getting used to the sensations that I had thought had been lost to me forever. By the time Equius left accompanied by stars I could shuffle across the living room to the door and back to the couch. Equius barely cracked a smile as if the miracle he created was nothing out of the ordinary. He'd given me back something that I thought Vriska had stolen forever.
I'd been practicing with them, still shaky but thrilled to be moving without the aid of wheels. Still the week of wonder was tainted by an absence. I hadn't realized how much I had looked forward to the brief messages and awkward visits from Equius. Before the summer I had barely known him but now, now I found myself actually wishing I could see him again. Why hadn't he messaged even just to check up on the legs? I mean I could understand if he wasn't interested in how I was doing but I would have figured he would be interested in the legs since he put so much effort into them. A bright chirping chime from my phone nearly dragged me out of the funk I was in until I saw that the sender of the text was not Equius. Silently I chided myself, just because it wasn't him didn't mean that I wasn't happy to hear from someone.
Nepeta: :33 *nepeta tackles her friend in a happy greeting*
Tavros: oH, uH, i SAY HELLO, pRETENDING THAT MY BALANCE IS NOT SUPER SHITTY
Nepeta: :33 *the frolicking feline wonders if you are busy tomewrow at all*
Travros: i REPLY WITH A NO, bECAUSE I AM NEVER BUSY
Nepeta: :33 *nepeta wonders if you'd like to come over and visit because one of her hoofbeast wards just has an adorable foal.*
Tavros: tHAT WOULD BE REALLY FUN, i THINK, aND I WOULD LIKE TO IF ITS NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE
Tavros: i UH, sAY
Nepeta: :33 *the perfectly happy hunter is excited you'll come and lets you know that she will pick you up tomewrow morning bright and early.*
Nepeta: :33 *she also suggests that the foal may be in n33d of a name if you would like to do the honours.*
Tavros: uH, i CAN DO THAT, tHE TIME IS NO PROBLEM AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT
Nepeta: :33 Wonderfur, I will s33 you then.
Nepeta: :33 Goodnight!
I felt a little guilty after I returned her evening wishes. Maybe my friends were often too busy to try and spend time with me but I realized that I'd probably been neglectful myself of them. It would be nice to see Nepeta, it had been years since I'd been able to get out to her family's farm but the gift her closest friend had bestowed on me was returning that possibility. Maybe he had done them all for her, so that she could spend time with an old friend once more. It certainly made more sense than him making them for me in particular. It was with cautious excitement that I finally managed to drift to sleep, dreams of horses and old times racing though my head.
Nepeta was probably more excited to see me standing outside than I was the first time I slid the legs on. I had to remind her more than once that I was barely stable with them yet and if she pounced on me it would end with us both falling over into a heap. Even with that warning I couldn't promise that I wouldn't end up in a heap anyway. Still it was an amazing feeling, when we finally got to her property and I found myself standing out in a field just taking in the wind as it whipped around me. Admittedly the grass and gravel was harder for me to navigate that I had expected but my gracious host managed to steer me down a path I had long sense thought I would never see again. She left me leaning against a fence as she run off to hunt down the little foal that I had come to see.
I closed my eyes and just let the sun warm my skin. With the worn wood beneath my hands I felt like I was a child again, here to go riding and escape from reality in a daydream of knights and fantasy. For a moment I felt as though I was racing forward, lance in hand, ready to rescue a princess from a terrible monster but then a shift of weight made metal squeak and I was just myself again. I could hear light laughter float across to reach my ears and I let the light back into my eyes. I could see what looked like a mother and her foal trot out into the lush field. Nepeta bounced all the way back to me, her grin infectious. Out here I could almost forget how heavy my heart felt with his unexpected absence.
"So Tavros, any idea on a name?"
"I was um, thinking maybe, wait. Is it a boy or a girl?"
"A boy."
"Oh um, then, I was going to say Tinkerbell, like uh, in Peter Pan but if its a boy… Tinkerbull?" The name stumbled out of my mouth, I wasn't even sure where it had come from. I liked it, even if it did seem stupid, reminded me of my favourite story even now.
"That's really cute Tavros!" Her words were hard to make out through her giggle. "I've gotta go let my dad know okay? I'll be right back." She was off as quickly as she came. I didn't mind the little foal was testing his legs in the gawky awkward manner of a creature with limbs too long. I had needed this. It reminded me that not everything in life had to be grim. It didn't take long for the little being to try to run, stumbling over something hidden within the green.
"Not very graceful."
The deep, echoing voice was the last thing I'd expected to hear. My mouth opened and closed once, twice, three time before I managed to voice a response that I hoped didn't give away my nervousness with a shake.
"They never are when they're little. But um, he'll grow up to be just as strong as his mother."
"So will you."
I hadn't turned to face him when he first spoke but I did now when I felt something jostle the fence. He leaned on it as well, far closer than had expected. A familiar flush made its way to my cheeks as I turned my eyes down, staring hard at the grain beneath my fingers.
"I… I doubt it. I'm uh, pretty weak."
Frustration coloured the unexpected sight and it made me turn quicker than I should have. I stumbled, the only thing keeping me from hitting the ground was a large strong hand. He steadied me and I wished that I had the courage to reach up and shift the glasses long enough to see his eyes. To see what he was hiding in the depths of them. I felt his grip loosen and I expected him to let his hand drop but instead it wrapped around me, pulling me into an embrace. My brain unsure of what was happening, only managed to process just how tender the embrace was even with all the strength within his arms.
"Tavros." His words were murmured into my ear. "You are one of the strongest people I know."
His arms loosen and I feel his body slipping away from mine. Without permission my own arms reach out to anchor him in place, in the hopes of feeling this just a little longer. His arms dropped away entirely, his torso stiff. I glanced up at a face that looked pained and wished there was something, anything I could do to ease it. One deep breath, that's all it took and I gathered all the courage I had ever hand to stretch myself up so that my lips could graze his. I wasn't tall enough, they brushed against his chin.
It seemed to break whatever spell was laid upon him. I was drawn in once more as his mouth bent down to brush against mine. There as more uncertainty behind it than I could have ever thought possible of the boy. There was nothing more to the kiss than light, soft pressure but it had me caught in a moment I would never forget. It didn't last long enough, a peel of laughter pulled us apart. All at once his face was smooth of emotion again and I wondered what it was that just passed between us. Nepeta wore a knowing smile on her face as she called us both over, her family was insisting we both stay for dinner.
We didn't get another moment alone and no words of substance were passed between us for the rest of the night but when we went to leave he offered to be the one to drive me home. This time he sat in the back with me, large hand holding mine while we both struggled to find words hoping that the simple touch would be enough.
((A/N: I'm sorry this took me so long guys, I got some time off from work but instead of writing like I planned I ended up having to clean up a flooding bathroom. Thank you all for your continued support~! Enjoy everyone~!))
