There's something comforting about having a day where they wake up together and go their separate ways. Of course, the worst part is having to do different tasks while there’s still danger around every corner.
So Jace thinks.
It’s not safe until Soren and his band of Nether-infused souls are taken care of. To Jace, there’s always a chance something could happen. The only thing that brings him any solace is the fact that he knows Zye and Callua aren’t walking around alone. They usually have someone with them.
Usually.
Not that he does the same, surely much to their dismay.
Within a short time, he stopped by to answer a question Gray had about the flowers and checked in with Lucile. It’s more to give her some of his energy than anything. He’d rather she stay away from Soren for her own safety as well.
Standing at the top of the stairs in Noctis, in front of Celeste’s door, he’s unsure. He knows there’s not much he can get from this exchange. Not in the sense that it’ll give a deciding factor for the fight ahead.
Still, he’s always been one to want as much information as possible. Anything and everything can help. Even if it means having to ask the questions no one cares to.
The door opens to show Celeste in a long gown as they yawn and turn, beckoning him to come in. He shuts the door before following after the dress that sweeps around their ankles with every step. The dark green material shimmers under the soft white light aside from the deep v-cut into the back of it.
As they pass the couch they scoop up a robe and slip it on over their shoulders. Sitting in the chair, they wait for Jace to take a seat before they smile at him. “You said you needed to know something?”
“I apologize if I woke you, it isn’t that important.”
“Oh no, I wasn’t sleeping. I like to lay in bed if I don’t have anything planned yet, it’s fine. Please, ask away.”
Jace folds his hands on his lap as he glances at them. “I was wondering if you felt comfortable talking about when Soren attacked you.”
“Ah, you’re curious and I can’t blame you. Only Orion and Charmilla know about it.”
“Was it only Soren there?”
Celeste settles back against the cushion and drapes their arms over the sides of the chair. Fingers tap to a tune only they know as they hum a thought out. “When I met him at our usual spot he was alone. Like usual. I may be quick, but he kept me distracted with a bowl of something he brought with him. I didn’t think he’d blow it into my face.”
“He blinded you.”
“Ayre was there, I could barely see her, and she really did blind me. There may be no scar on the surface but,” they lift their bangs to show the sightless gray eyes, “one does remain.”
Jace’s brows furrow. He feels terrible having to bring it up. He leans forward, hands clasped together as he rests his elbows on his knees. “I’m very sorry, Celeste.”
“It was nothing special or strategic on his part. No fight. I…was too trusting and not careful enough. I escaped with everything but some of my pride. How could I let that happen?”
“You thought he was your friend, correct?”
“Perhaps…or it’s what I wanted to see and believe. Charm was busy. Haru was gone. Keke stopped coming to visit. Hax withdrew completely. And Orion was utterly heartbroken.”
Jace glances down at his hands. There’s so much about those that used to be above him that he still doesn’t know. Hardships and emotions he wasn’t there to experience alongside them. Even when he was here, he really wasn’t. It took so long to feel alive again.
“I apologize for bringing it up. I’m sure it’s not easy to talk about.”
“Don’t be. It’s good to let it out, I’ve learned. Is there anything else you need? I promised Xerxes I’d go see him in the training area when he’s ready.”
“No, that’s all. Thank you.”
Jace stands and it draws Celeste’s empty gaze to follow. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“The opposite. It tells me his only skill is to play dirty. Ayre seems to be willing to die for him and his cause. The rest are fodder.”
“That is true. He’s been rather quiet otherwise. The only people he’s hurt and gone after are those to force onto his side. Do you believe that he’d truly let Ayre die for him?”
Jace turns back to them. “Yes, I think he would. I hope not…that’s terrible to do to someone. Still, if there’s anything I can do please let me know.”
“You’ve done more than you’ll ever know. Do relax some. We’ll have to meet to discuss further plans once Orion is back from…wherever he’s disappeared to.”
“He’s not alone, is he?”
“No, no. He took Iris with him, I believe.”
“Then I’ll let you both know when I get any new information.”
Celeste rises as well and tugs the robe closer around their body. A smile dances across their lips. “Hopefully it’s soon. I’d rather that than have to go in to stop him before he slips away.”
“I’ll see if they can get back to me sooner then.”
“Please do.”
Jace pivots on his heel and heads for the door. It clicks shut behind him before he heads down the stairs. As he does, he spots Zye about to enter the corridor connecting the realms. Jace skips more than a few steps to get to the bottom. All so he can jog over to catch up.
“Zye!”
His hand lifts in a weak wave to get Zye’s attention as he stops. Zye turns back to him and Jace can’t help but smile. Any anxious thoughts or feelings related to the current ordeal slip away for a moment. They feel so long ago as he stops beside Zye. Once he has, they resume their walk back to Solis side-by-side.
“Were you busy?” asks Jace.
“Nope. Finished with Kerse so I figured I’d go see Xerxes. I don’t want him feeling like I’m not around on purpose. But…we’re all busy right now.”
“There’s a lot at risk.”
“I know. Apparently, he’s worried about interrupting our time together. Because of course, he is, always worried about everything.”
“Aren’t you the same?”
Zye scoffs and gives a playful shove. “I will tackle you for that. I do not worry about everything.”
“And you reassured him that’s not the case?”
“Yup. Again. He’s enjoying his new friends. Can’t be unhappy about that. Iris and Aster seem to be clicking with him pretty well.”
“Reminds me of my sisters,” chuckles Jace. “I was always hovering over them hoping they were doing alright and were happy.”
“Must have been a handful.”
As they pass by a group of three, Zye bumps the back of his hand against Jace’s. A simple gesture that Jace catches with ease. He scoops Zye’s hand up and laces their fingers together.
He gives a small hum in reply. “At times. It’s worth it when you love them.”
“And Cal! She’s off with Aster since they’re going to see Yue.”
“We’ll have to steal her company away when this is over.”
Zye glances at Jace and then returns his eyes to the tile before him. It’s so easy for Jace to read between the lines. Not that he’s faring much better. He misses Callua just as much as Zye does. The simple days are behind them right now.
“Yeah, we will.”
Their hands begin to slip away from each other as they near the staircase. Zye takes one step up only for Jace’s pinky to remain curled around his. A simple tug has him looking back.
“Missing your old life again, aren’t you?”
“Not having to do this?” Zye shrugs. “Kinda…sometimes. I have a lot of catching up to do to reach your level. I know Kerse is helping, but seeing you and everyone else do it so well… Yeah.”
“Then let me help you.”
“What?”
Jace tugs on Zye’s finger, bringing him back off the staircase. “Come train with me. We’ll work on your magic control. That way you can learn to siphon it out without letting it flow out all at once.”
“You’d do that?”
“I’d do so much for you. You can ask for anything and I’ll try.”
Zye slips his hand away and lightly punches Jace’s shoulder as he walks around him. “Romantic ass, come on. I’ll take any help you’ll give.”
Jace smiles as he spins around, matching Zye’s strides with ease. There’s a slight grin on Zye’s countenance that has Jace more than happy. He moves a bit faster and leads Zye to the door leading to the training room. Once they step inside, Zye glances back at it.
“Really should have an in and out on that thing. Don’t y’all ever worry about running into someone?”
“I…never thought about it.”
“Huh, guess that makes sense.”
Jace gestures to a more rocky biome in the distance. It’s mostly flat with some large boulders jutting up here and there. Although it has them walking around three others that are sparring in the one next to it. Sand flies through the air with every move they make.
“I don’t talk about it a lot, but I wasn’t very coherent when I first got here. I didn’t want to be here. No, that’s not right. I didn’t think I deserved to be here. All I did was train and do as I was told. No questions for the most part.”
“I…Jay, I’m sorry.”
“It was worth it to meet you and Cal. Ah, and everyone else, too. I’ve been proven wrong. I have a reason to stick around and live. It was good to be reminded of that.”
They stop off to the side of the area where no one is around. Jace stands before Zye and leans up on his tip-toes, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Pink dusts over Zye’s cheeks as Jace smiles at him.
“What was that for?”
“Slow down. Breathe. Alright?” He walks backward until there’s plenty of space between them. Enough that he has to raise his voice ever-so-slightly for Zye to hear. “Think of yourself like a bottle of that wine Shae bought.”
Zye laughs, remembering the absurd size of it. “God, we really shouldn’t have drank that one.”
A smile touches Jace’s lips as he watches Zye’s shoulder relax. “You have to pour it out slowly so that it doesn’t spill.” A nod encourages him to continue. “It’s the same with your magic. A drop is potent on its own. You don’t want to waste it thinking more will up its potential.”
“Same with yours?”
“Yes and no. If we were to fight until either of us dropped, I think you could beat me on sheer stamina. My magic requires more at times. Not that yours doesn’t, but you can get away with more for less.”
“I get it. Throw out thirty rifts and I exhaust myself. Unless I think it’ll take out my target in one go, use them wisely.”
Jace nods, holding his hands up and in front of his body in a defensive stance. “Which is why Kerse is a great teacher. She doesn’t rely on her magic. Ilista is a good second choice.”
“I think Ilista hits harder than Keke. She pulls her punches thinking I won’t notice she’s going easy on me. Ilista definitely doesn’t.”
“I believe it,” chuckles Jace. “Now, no weapon. See how long you can dodge me.”
Zye knows he’s not quite at full capacity after training with Kerse. Still, it couldn’t hurt. There’s no way he’d give up the chance to be with Jace. Certainly not when he’s willing to help him.
Swallowing hard, Zye glances around to see if anyone is watching. So far, no one.
“No scary Infernal power then?”
Jace thinks for a moment. It might be a good test to see if Zye can keep it all from spilling out. If any onlookers wander over then if they came because of the fluctuating magic he’ll have to train with Zye more often. If not, he’s getting better.
“Please do. Remember, you can let it manifest without losing your grip on the magic.”
Zye takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. He imagines it’s not much different than turning on a faucet bit by bit. Only to leave it at a trickle, no, barely that. Little drops of magic that tingle over his skin like static. All while his eyes glow against their darkened sclera. Wisps of energy flicker off the horns that curl back and over his head.
He nods and Jace kicks off the ground. Fire licks along Jace’s knuckles as he gets closer.
All Zye has to do is dodge it all. Even if Jace won’t hit him, he has to convince himself he will. Otherwise, he knows he won’t react the way he needs to. He has to take this seriously.
Summoning a rift behind himself, Zye steps backward into it. He reappears from another where Jace started. To which Jace immediately turns on his heel. He lunges for Zye with no hesitation.
Through another rift to dodge the first punch and then a second to step out behind Jace. He taps Jace on the back. “I know you don’t want to make a show but you can actually hit me.”
“I can help you learn while holding back.”
“Don’t care. Pretend you will. Besides, you can kiss any spot you actually hit afterward.”
At that, Jace spins around and grabs Zye’s wrist. He yanks Zye close to where they’re chest-to-chest. Jace tilts his head up with a smile.
“Then you should learn to not get so close. Keep your distance, dear.”
A smirk touches the corner of Zye’s lips. “That’s better.”
To him, this is nothing. Zye turns his hand toward his body and twists away from Jace. It forces Jace to let him go and allow Zye to sprint off to the side. There’s no rift and it means Jace is on his heels the second he does.
Zye skids into a turn and then into a rift. It snaps closed before Jace can think of using it. Exiting out the other end, Zye stumbles to the side to dodge a ball of fire as big as his head flying toward him. It’s the perfect distraction.
Jace is in front of him in the next instant with his fist swinging for him. Zye ducks down and is surprised when Jace stops for a moment. He glances down at Zye with a soft smile.
“Remember your magic is bright purple. I can see where it’s forming.”
“Noted.”
Zye winks at Jace before falling into a rift beneath his feet. As he does, he calls forth two to choose from. Except he makes sure to stagger them. It’s the strangest feeling to go through one and hold himself in a small space wrapped in his magic. To him, it feels like an eternity.
It’s closer to a few seconds.
Jace turns to the rift that opens to his right. Doing so means he misses the one that was his left, now behind him. It’s this one that Zye steps out of and reaches up, snagging the ends of Jace’s bandanna. The cloth unravels with ease from a simple tug.
He’s quick to hop backward as Jace turns around. While Jace shakes his head, Zye is busy tying the kerchief around his neck. Jace raises a brow at the action. “Being cute won’t help you.”
“No, but you did pick the wrong one. So, come get it back.”
“I will.”
Zye’s eyes widen when Jace stomps the ground. Flames sprout up around his boot and spread off from both sides. A circle of fire, that grows taller as it moves to close them in together. As it does, Zye notices the fire fades from Jace’s hands.
It gives him an idea.
He doesn’t run when Jace comes in close and throws a punch. Instead, he dodges and knocks the second one away. It has Jace’s momentum moving him toward the fire. Jace turns before he gets too far and sticks out his foot.
Zye hops over it and stumbles, barely avoiding it. He leans his weight on his heel and uses it to throw a right hook back at Jace. His plan is to force Jace backward to give himself space.
He doesn’t expect Jace to catch his punch and yank him forward. Jace brings Zye’s fist down toward his waist, drawing them close enough that they’re toe-to-toe. Thinking quick, Zye gestures with his eyes. The bait isn’t taken, Jace merely shakes his head.
Even if he should have looked.
A swirling circle of violet flourishes beneath their feet and they’re falling through it in the next second.
It’s not very high up. Only about their height and outside of the ring of fire. They come out at the same time with Jace landing steady, a slight bend to his knees. He does let go of Zye’s fist, allowing the latter to pull away.
The second Zye does, he’s walking into a rift that puts him back inside the ring of fire. He stands at the center and waves at Jace through it. Zye takes a deep breath when Jace moves toward him.
The fire doesn’t hurt him whatsoever as he walks through it. If anything, the flames flicker and roll off Jace’s body like a gentle caress. Each step he takes has him moving faster until he’s sprinting forward.
At the last second, Zye throws a rift up in front of himself.
It’s an obstacle that Jace has to step around, not willing to chance going through it.
Exactly what Zye hopes for.
While Jace sidesteps it, Zye slips through a second portal to his side. He exits the other end outside of the fire, directly behind Jace. He crosses his arms over his chest as Jace slowly turns around. The fire slowly dies down until it’s nothing but a warm sensation on his skin from being so close.
Jace knows that won’t work. Not with Zye’s powers. All he can do is keep pushing. He steadies himself and runs forward, changing his direction at the last second to begin the dance once more.
He rushes in only for Zye to dodge and slip through a rift. Again and again, until he can see the visage Zye dons begin to grow faint. It’s fading, yet not as quickly as it has in the past. This time it simmers down to a more stable state; the solidified, dark horns and the lack of glow to his eyes.
They’re done and Jace knows he can end this. He’s been watching Zye’s patterns. All he has to do is throw a weak punch that Zye deflects and then sends out his own. Jace lets it brush against his chin.
It’s easy to predict Zye hurrying backward through a rift to put distance between them. Especially since he made contact. Not that it hurt in the slightest. A mild sting at best.
Jace barely notices it. He’s already dashing forward, forcing Zye to make a split-second decision. A similar one that he had done earlier. A single rift in front of himself. Except this time, Jace runs into it.
The exit surprises him.
Standing with his back to Zye after coming out of the other side, he can hear Zye scoff at him. “That was bold.”
“I think we’re done,” Jace chuckles. “You did well, much better. Next time you can fight back with your sword. We can even test how well we can work together.”
Zye eagerly turns around only to catch the sight of people out of the corner of his eye. Thankfully, there aren’t as many as the last time he was in here with Kerse. Even so, most are already meandering off back to their own tasks and training.
Jace notices as he swivels around. It’s a good sign that Zye was able to temper his output. It seems as though the only ones that have come to watch were those that either saw them come in or were nearby.
Reaching up, Jace begins to untie the cloth from around Zye’s neck. He can’t help but smile as he does. “It looks good on you.”
“Pff, no it doesn’t.”
“It does to me.”
Jace holds the ends in either hand while meeting Zye’s gaze. “May I?”
“Is that my reward for doing well?”
“If you’d like it to be.”
Zye nods slowly and leans down. It’s just enough that Jace lifts the sides of the bandanna that begin to fan out. It hides the way Zye’s lips gently press to his. A kiss that has him wishing they weren’t standing in the middle of a wasteland in the training room.
Stepping back, Jace takes the bandanna with him. “You’re still showing the mid-way form. That’s good. You can hold it and it doesn’t seem to fluctuate either way.”
“Shit, I am?”
“You are.”
“I didn’t even notice I still was. It feels…better?” Zye watches the way Jace folds the yellow fabric up and ties it around his bicep instead. “Hey, uh…I was wondering if we could go back to Civicus one day. Xerxes wanted to, but I’d also like to visit with you and Cal even if it’s incognito. ‘Cause, you know.”
“Of course. Once things are settled I don’t see why not. Is there something in particular you want to do? Is everything okay?”
Zye rubs at the back of his neck. It’s hard to admit he had a chance and didn’t take it. At this point, he’s pretty sure it’s the theme of his life.
“Yeah, I, uh, got a letter from Len—my doctor. It was after I moved in with Shae and he let me know everything went well. Len and Kass kinda took care of everything with burial and stuff. I was thinking about visiting.”
Jace glances back and Zye feels his stomach twist. Two different cultures and ways of living. There’s a stone of regret that’s beginning to form in his gut. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up. All he can do is let the words spill out as quickly as possible.
“I know she’s not there. I just thought I should at least show my face once. I hate cemeteries and stuff like that. But they went through all of that trouble between her and dad and—”
“We can. I’d never tell you no. Not about that. We had memorials for our loved ones as well. I understand the feeling.”
Zye’s gaze cuts away and it has Jace walking back over to him. Jace pats him on the back. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Zye allows Jace to begin to guide him away from the training area.
“Thanks. I…I miss her a lot is all. Part of me wishes she’d show up here but that’s selfish and wishful.”
“Maybe, but she was your mother. I’d be surprised if you didn’t miss her. I miss my family all the same.”
The way Jace’s hand rubs up and down his back is soothing, as if he can coax the words out.
Zye lets out a sigh. “Yeah, and my whole world. Even as hopeless as I felt, she was there. And when she wasn’t, you all took her place. I didn’t think Shae would think about me let alone come back. I didn’t deserve it.”
“Zye—”
“No, I was mean to him, Jace. Shae, Kass, and plenty others. Instead, I should have said thank you and took their help. But they still came back. Cal wouldn’t let me push her away. And you, well, you wouldn’t either.”
Jace’s hand drags up to squeeze Zye’s shoulder. “We’d all do it again. I think you’re worth it.”
“I’ll believe it one day. Luck you, I think all of y’all are worth it. So here I am.”
Guiding them away from a small group that’s chatting to the side, Jace glances over at Zye. “Any other plans for today?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Then let’s go find out how well things work in your kitchen. I told Callua to find us when she’s done.”
Zye stops walking, surprise carved into his expression. “Is she really?” The second Jace nods, a smile touches Zye’s lips. “Shit, then I need to hurry and get started.”
Jace watches him begin to walk away before following. The horns and dark eyes are already fading, leaving no remnants of their small sparring session. He brushes a hand up over his mouth, suppressing the small chuckle.
He knew just how easy it would be to perk his boyfriend back up. Having Callua join them tonight is the recipe for a reprieve that they both need. A taste of the old. A dash of comfort. And a chance to have her warm company relax them both.
Eager to get there as well, Jace quickens his pace to meet Zye at the door. It’ll be a long night of food and cards ahead of them.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
