Flower Amongst Thorns [Boy x Boy]

Chapter 14

"Oh. Those are-"

"Fireworks." Ivy completed, taking the swordsman by surprise.

"My Mom and Pa light them every new year, during the party..." The small teen continued, eyes still glued to the firework display in front of them.

"That must be fun. Definitely sounds like something you would enjoy. Loud, crowded and bright." The swordsman spoke his thoughts out loud unconsciously.

He had gotten too caught in the moment.

"I wouldn't know." The teen beside him laughed humorlessly, "I was never allowed to go."

"Oh."

They both sat in an awkward silence staring at the bright sparks in the sky that came to an abrupt stop within a few short minutes.

The younger had an unreadable expression on his face as he sat idly, playing with a loose thread on his blanket without a word.

They probably caught a touchy subject.

Artios glanced towards his side time and time again to catch a glimpse of the teen, hoping the boy wouldn't notice and think the swordsman cared or something.

Even though Ivy's face and body remained the exact same, it was hard to believe that this was the same carefree, talkative and annoying Ivy he had come to know over their journey together.

It felt like he was staring at a completely different person. He was too calm. Too quiet.

For some reason the swordsman didn't like it. It made him uncomfortable. Upset almost.

Weird.

He decided to just let Ivy be. It didn't matter what the smaller teen looked like as long as they reached the top of Tate mountain on time, and Artios got the royal treasure he was promised.

The swordsman prepared to get up and grab his blanket when his eyes flashed across Ivy's sullen expression again.

It doesn't matter.

Ignore it.

Don't turn back. Absolutely do not turn ba-

Ugh, he wouldn't be able to sleep if he knew the other was going to be brooding next to him like this the whole night. He didn't want all that negative energy seeping into his dreams.

Artios let out a long sigh, before clearing his throat awkwardly to grab Ivy's attention, "Hey, didn't you say you wanted to learn how to light a fire? I'll show you now."

"Really?!" The eighteen-year-old perked up instantly, the gloomy atmosphere around him dissipating within milliseconds.

Yup, same guy.

He was a fool for ever thinking otherwise, even for a second.

Such a simple-minded creature.

"Just once." The thief grumbled in response, taking his precious fire striker out of its protective case.

He held out the two components of the device that were attached to each other, and grabbed a piece of spare timber (leftover from the fire).