Cordiform Heaven

LeguME, more like LeguUS

Delnis and Artie rested side-by-side in the gloomy loft of the dark, imposing barn the Robin's Thorn had managed to find that evening. Despite the hay being insulative enough to keep most anyone warm, Delnis had complained of being cold in an obvious, heckling ploy to get Artie to lay closer to him. It had worked.

The two had been drifting between the warmth of sleep and wakefulness while their fellow party members celebrated their latest accomplishments outside in the bitter snow fall. Their rapturous voices and the tender crackling of their fire would have made sleeping in the barn insufferably lonely under other circumstances, but their cries of joy lay muffled and unimportant in comparison to Artie and Delnis' private world.

The changeling felt Delnis' fingers trail along the ridge of his shoulder blades in a gentle circular motion. Artie's voice flowed softly through the darkness, riddled with the residue sleep often brought with it.

"Are you sure you don't want to join them...it's not like you to miss a party."

Artie's face burnt so bright he was sure it could have lit up every corner of the barn when Delnis moved to kiss the nape of his neck. The Triton responded with his lips still against him, and while it was a functional way to ensure that Artie could tell what the soft-spoken man was whispering, the Changeling could not help but melt into each arching syllable.

"It would have hardly been a party without you, I'd rather be here."

Artie rolled over so that he could hide his face against Delnis' chest in the darkness, his grip on the Triton's shirt tightened for a moment before relaxing once again. He wanted to tell Delnis that he loved him, but the words carried so heavy a weight it felt as though the blackness of the room would swallow him if he even dared to try. It was a terrible thing to realize, and an even worse secret to keep. He knew Delnis must have figured that much out by now, but Artie wasn't sure it was fair to go on without saying anything.

"Delnis..."

The words were there, but they'd all been ripped from his tongue like water tumbling back with the tide. The vulnerability crushed Artie, who felt as if that same tide had pulled him under. It shouldn't have been so difficult.

Delnis held Artie closer in response to his fragmented words, as if that was all he needed. And maybe it was. Artie felt grounded by Delnis' embrace, remembering that even if he was drowning, Delnis was there to help pull him from the sea of his own thoughts.

"If you weren't an adventurer, what do you think you'd be?" Artie asked.

Delnis' eyes scanned the darkness of the loft as he thought, he normally would have jokingly, and somewhat enacously, said 'happy', but that was hardly right. In that moment, he was already happy.

"I'd like to think I'd still be yours in some way."

Artie hated it here. His face flare pink as if he'd been intoxicated by Delnis' words.

"No! I mean seriously."

Delnis' laughter enshrouded them both, "I am being serious. You don't usually ask questions like that, is something going on?"

Artie remained silent for a while and Delnis sat up a little. The Changeling felt his heart drop, now he'd made him worry.

"No, it's just..."

He could feel Delnis pull away further as if to give him more room to speak. The warmth moved with him, Artie grew both cold and frustrated with himself. He'd already messed up and he hadn't said anything! He felt his heart pound against his chest, and all he wished for was that he could go back to listening to Delnis'

"I think I love you and it scares me." The words fell out one by one in the pitch black. Despite the oppressive weight they'd carried, Artie felt lighter after saying them. He felt Delnis return to his side, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay to be afraid, Artie. It's okay to be afraid about anything."

Artie felt warm tears pool in the rims of his eyes. "I think I really do love you." He repeated the words, tracing the edges of Delnis' face.

"I know, I think I love you too."

"But are you scared?"

Delnis paused, burying his face in Artie's tousled auburn hair. "Everything in my life is fast and terrifying, and it always has been, but you came into it and made it better. And sometimes that is scary, Yes."

"Maybe it won't always be."

Artie took Delnis' hand and lay back down in the hay.

"It won't be." Delnis asserted as he joined him, marveled by the Changeling's timid ways. "That wizard didn't curse you to cry again did he?" Delnis asked wryly

Artie's laughter was enough.

Just as the two intertwined there came a large crash from below as the barn doors swung open and the cold blustered in with Juno's panicked voice.

"Hey! Are you two awake?! Darius just caught on fire again."