Silver & Gold (Scomiche)

Separate

Mitch let out a sigh as they all scattered around to rest at Oryn's insistence. He was growing increasingly weary with every day that passed and still they had yet to reach the veil. Avriel remained weak, and while the fae tried to keep him juiced up on magic, they had to be careful where they pulled their energy from as they were surrounded by dark and shadow magic that sometimes had a mind of its own. The human slowed their progress drastically, but he would never leave him behind no matter how much Orion attempted to convince him otherwise.

He glanced over Oryn, his own heart nearly skipping a beat when he saw the adoring smiles the fae and her human shared. Her eyes had become an intermittent dance of color but every time her gaze found Avriel, every time she heard his voice or even thought about him they would glitter a brilliant gold and remain so until she became distracted. The thought took him back to the days when his own had begun their transition and the terrifying and overwhelming feeling of falling.

The memories took hold of his heart again, an invisible magnetic force tugging sharply at the edges just trying to get him closer to where it wanted to be. If he could he'd set off at a full run and never stop until he'd either found himself back in Scott's arms or collapsed in complete exhaustion. The slow progress, the constant danger and need to remain on full alert... it was wearing heavily on all of them.

He regarded the human who had sprawled out on the ground, back resting against the trunk of a small, red tree. He couldn't fault his heart. He knew the man was still recovering, weak and a little muddled, but still he was pushing forward at a grueling pace. He would more than likely never stop if Oryn didn't force him to rest. Part of him was happy for his friend and the love and connection she obviously felt for the human but the other part knew all too well the pain and heartbreak that awaited her. It didn't really matter what he said anymore. Her heart was close to making a final decision and once it did there was no changing it. He just hoped that she made better decisions than he had.

He closed his eyes, thinking of his love and wondering if he missed him in the same way his own heart yearned for his human. He had to blink away tears as he silently split off from the group. He just needed a few moments alone.

~~~~~

Scott took a deep breath, holding it and slowly releasing it before repeating the process. He'd never really paid too much attention to the navy door before but this time he focused on the matte paint, the sanded dips and edges... anything to keep from actually turning the doorknob and facing some of his most precious memories.

He reached out to place his palm against the cold surface, exhaling another shaky breath. He knew he had to face it, to conquer this seemingly impossible hurdle if he was ever to move on but that was the one thing he was most afraid of. He didn't want to move on. He didn't want to move past it or forget or anything that meant letting go of Mitch. He wasn't ready to admit to himself that Mitch wasn't coming back. He wasn't ready to accept that his best friend had chosen to abandon him for a world that wasn't his own. He just wasn't ready to be left behind. He wasn't ready to admit that he was alone.

He took another deep breath, holding it until his chest ached. He slowly released it as he finally closed his fingers around the knob and turned.