Gembound Celebration
The Gembound celebration, the holiday where woolynes offer stones to their beloved as a mark of affection, is in full swing, and Sion must decide if he will confess or step aside and watch his two friends, Ewen and Sho, get together.
Sion's Confession
The first he pulled was the one he wanted.
“What?” said Sho.
Ewen stepped to the side with a dramatic sigh, allowing Sion to approach.
“I cannot tell you how much this pains me,” said Ewen.
He was jesting, Sion could tell; the large Woolyne smiled gently.
“Thank you, Ewen,” he said.
And then he placed his stone in Sho’s second hand, placing it delicately.
“I love you,” he told Sho. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“Sion…” said Sho. And then he looked at Ewen, then back at Sion. “What is the meaning of this? I thought…”
“We both love you,” said Ewen. “I don’t like it, because I wanted to have you all to myself, but I will not dispute your choice, if you make a choice. Just know, if you chose Sion, I will have to distance myself from you two for a while…” Ewen sighed. “I will have to make that sacrifice, because I couldn’t possibly bear seeing you two together. It would be too painful. At least until my broken heart—”
“Ewen, I have something to tell you,” said Sion, stepping towards him.
He reached into his hip pouch, the same as before, and pulled out the beautiful polished turquoise he had gotten for Ewen.
“I love you too, Ewen,” said Sion.
Ewen recieved the stone in his joined hands. And then, he started at it for a while, his eyes so wide that the deep blue all around the shining centre was visible.
“What sort of love are we talking about?” asked Ewen.
“The same sort of love I feel for Sho,” said Sion.
Silence.
“HA! Okay, well, that’s a bit funny, but I don’t need your consolation stone,” said Ewen. “But that’s nice of you, that you got me something.”
“It’s not a consolation stone,” said Sion. “I bought it at the same time as I bought Sho’s. You just didn’t see it because it was in a bag, but it has always been my intention to give you one.”
“Wait,” said Ewen.
“Yes, really,” said Sion.
“Both of us?” said Sho.
“Yes,” said Sion.
“Are you sure about that?” asked Ewen.
“As sure as you are of your feelings for Sho.”
“Well…” said Sho.
“You’re so greedy,” said Ewen.
“Ewen, don’t say that!” said Sho. “He loves who he loves… and I mean—”
Sometimes in Sho’s stone made the two others watch him with rapt attention. Something was about to happen.