When Traveler first brought him on their adventure, he only agreed so he could get away from his family, but… he never thought that it would lead to this.
"A night of solitude makes for a calming setting, perfect for letting the mind explore. The moon looks most beautiful tonight," a young man says, heart, pounding in his ears.
"Time away from the Traveler's usual antics certainly does make for a most exquisite environment to recharge my energy." She reaches towards the moon, hands caressing the figure in the distance. "I remember every celestial body, every cute and dangerous species, and people of significance within those worlds. I've come to know my experiences as the incarnation of beauty," she turns to the young man, "especially when you're not alone."
He pauses, words evaporating within his throat until he could formulate words once again. "That sounds wonderful." His gentle words create little clouds. "All I have is this world, and all its beautiful flaws. I'll always remember the countless stories within my books, the lessons from those around me, and the ones I hold dear," he turned to her, "like you."
Their reflections become so clear in each other's eyes. Their breaths combine into a singular trail and rise to the endless skies.
"You really mean that?" she whispers.
"Did you mean what you said?" he whispers back, knowing her answer.
"I- these past few months, I've never felt more at home than when I'm with you, like this."
"Home is a feeling, not a place, I've grown to learn. You were strange at first, intimidating even, since you were always so… free with, well, everything. But then I grew to know you, to see the chinks in your armor and understand who you really are. You have my back at every turn with your bow and I have yours with my swords." He shifts himself closer. "If I'm being honest, I admire you."
She draws in a deep breath. He deserves to know the truth, the whole truth. She places a hand on her eyepatch, peeling back the fantasy and revealing her reality.
Two jade eyes meet amber for the first time.
"You were strange at first, I've never met someone so young and formal before. To be honest, I thought you were just someone I could have a conversation with for hours about the simplest things, all in formal banter and paragraphs of dialogue. But then I grew to know the real you, deciphering your words, watching your heart do its work, the chinks in your armor, and understand how you carry your burden and live with it." She shifts closer to the young man. "If I'm being honest, I admire you too."
Spots of yellow come and go, offering the slightest bit of light in the dark. Dull blue gently reflects off of everything in sight.
He moves his hand.
She moves her hand.
The gentle touch of a reader and the smooth texture of an archer meet, intertwining and softly grasping the other.
"You have my bow," she says
"You have my sword," he says.