The return of the one long gone

Dancing, love and home. It was all he needed Part 8

The ball went on. Slow dances with friends and quick tunes that required lots of skills were messed up and lots of laughter rang into the night. It was nice. Nice to be free. Nice not to have to run. Nice to watch his friends and family mingle in such an effortless way. Nice to be back. 

Scott overlooked the festivities for a time, studying the dances from each kingdom, laugh as no others but the elven people and Jimmy managed to correctly caper to the Rivendell music. It felt good to smile again, a slightly foreign feeling but nice nonetheless.

As the night came to a close, the dancing ended and many resorted to either eating and chatting, or making the long trek to their respective kingdoms. Scott hadn't danced nor talked much, rather watched and giggled at his friends antics. Calen and Arod had long since left. Most of the advisors had, the citizens too. In fact, as he looked around, only the emperors and empress' remained. Soft music still played, acting as a background noise for the conversations.

"Scott." the tentative voice of Jimmy. Innocent, broken Jimmy. His heart broke a little at hearing the Codfathers tone. He regretted leaving his husband without a trace, a note, a goodbye. 

He remembered the morning well. The night before he had received an anonymous threat through letter. Panic had flooded through his calm demeanour as he rushed to pack the essentials, fleeing to the dawn without a word. He would never forget it, nor the pain and remorse for the obvious anguish he had left on the shoulders of his spouse, his light, his home.

"Yeah Jimmy?" he said, just as faint. "Would you...join me..for a dance?" he outstretched his hand, hoping Scott would accept, start repairing the whole in his heart, their partnership. Start repairing them. The cyan-haired king stared at the limb for a time, before sighing and clasping his own in Jimmy's. He let the blonde drag him to the dancefloor, where the other rulers had begun to sway together.

The two danced in silence for a while, neither leading, just enjoying the peace. Scott eventually laid his head on Jimmy's shoulder, humming in content as the blonde moved one of his hands from the cyanettes hips to his back, rubbing small yet soothing circles. The elven king moved one of his arms to drape over the Codfather's shoulder. They stayed like that, turning and swaying to the smooth and low music.

"I've missed you." Jimmy confessed, whispering into his husbands ear. It reminded him of 3rd life. Dancing under the stars before hell broke loose. Before any red names, before war, before death. A time when it was the two of them in the hobbit kingdom, below the stars, amongst the flowers, above the mines. They would mutter precious nothings. How they loved each other. How they were scared for the future. How they would never forget. How they would always be together. "Missed you too." he says, missing a few beats. Jimmy smiled, a dopey, love filled smile that always made Scott keen.

He wanted to say it. Berated himself that all he could say way "I missed you". He loved Scott, and he wasn't lying, he had missed his charismatic and sassy husband. Missed his smile, his love. Strangely, he had missed that bite to Scott that the elven ruler had always been tailed by. It was a perfect compliment to his own warmth. Jimmy wanted to say it, it ghosted his features. Scott could probably tell. Yet his mouth was locked shut and something, most likely his own head, had thrown away the key.

"Love you, Jimmy." maybe Scott was the key. To his words, his heart, his world and innerworkings. "Love you too." The words were engraved in their brains. Muttered reassurance. Murmured promises.

The music died out, concluding the night. "Thank you for attending everyone." the cheerfully tired voice of Lizzie rang out, walking into the night. "May the future be bright for everyone and their Kingdoms." , "Let peace reign once more." , "And welcome home Scott, King of Rivendell." cheers and claps for said ruler, shared goodbyes. and everyone began to leave.

"Jimmy, want to come back with me?" the blonde nodded, firing a rocket, following an already airborne Scott. The flight was uneventful and quiet. The sound of rustling and noises from the animals created a quiet symphony for the two as they travelled through the night. The stars and moon acted as light.

Soon, the street lights of Rivendell could be seen, signalling their destination was approaching.

Their landings were perfect and synched. Their steps on the cobbled pathways echoing through the otherwise silent streets. His door opened in silence, shut with a soft yet loud click that disturbed the still town. The blonde had spare clothes here, changing into sleeping shorts and a blue hoodie his husband had lent him the night of their marriage. The cyanette also changed into some shorts, his hoodie a green that matched that of the Cod empire rulers. That too had been exchanged on their matrimony. 

It didn't take long for the clutch of sleep to wrap them in a pool of darkness and peace, tangled limbs and in each others embrace. They were warm. They were happy. They were together again at last.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is almost done. One or two chapters left!!

     Tj xx