faded

He had been fiddling with the necklace for days; making sure the stones were fitted snugly in their holders and that the beads were all in the right order. Emerson had made it for Tenwyn, the other elven boy he had fallen in love with, who accepted him for him, and his heart swelled with joy. It had been months since he saw Tenwyn last, and he missed his jokes and, creators take him: that smile. He couldn't get enough of Tenwyn’s smile.

Nipping the end of the cord, he tied off the necklace with something akin to pride. Hanging heavy in the middle of the necklace was a piece of amber sap, a soft flower bloomed in the middle, nestled in silver wire in an intricate design. He had wanted to get help-- but there was no one he trusted this project with. His fingers, in return of his stubbornness, were raw and it hurt to clutch anything too tightly, but it didn't stop him from almost crushing his work beneath anxious finger tips.

Emerson's heart raced. It had been such a long time since they had seen each other, since Tenwyn’s clan made camp in the fields of Dirthavaren, sat between sprawling trees and ruins alike. He felt like he was vibrating out of his skin, so excited to see his his friend-- had it truly been so long since they met?

The elf took long, deep breaths, trying to calm his frazzled nerves before meeting up with Tenwyn in their normal spot-- a set of ruins well wandered and worn, edges smoothed with rain and gentle fingers running over its history. He shook his head to clear it and set out. it was only moments later than he spotted Tenwyn, almost hiding in the back of the main hall, hand rubbing the back of his head with that smile on his face. What has he--

Oh. The color drained out of Emerson's face when he saw some girl standing next to Tenwyn, hands on his arms and smiling so dazzlingly. His breath was stolen away, eyes widened and jaw working as he tried to find something to say. As caught up with each other as they were, they didn't see Emerson standing there, heart breaking.

He knew that Tenwyn didn't know of his advances, didn't know the meaning of the flowers ( aster, daisies, and other hearty flowers easier to find during the start of the chilly seasons-- ), but the way they looked at each other--

Emerson was quiet, walking back the way he came, careful to not step on any loose stones as he walked towards his home in the ruins of Dirthavaren's grasp. His face has a broken mask yet his eyes didn't well up with tears. He  made it with shaky legs to his home, and sat staring at the necklace, wondering if it was even worth it to give it to Tenwyn. To see that smile again-- that was worth it.

His bottom lip quivered but he bit it before it got out of control. He wouldn't cry about this. He had gone this many years without anyone, It wouldn't hurt to go any longer. But seeing them together... perhaps that would break him. He didn't want to think about it. Instead he fell onto his pile of furs and curled up the best he could before trying to sleep his sadness away.