He saw Rance – was it really Rance? – step back and his heart leapt into his throat, afraid that the other man would flee and leave him alone once more. That panic sent him splashing down into the water, but it didn’t stop him. Part of him knew that he had to slow down, stop frightening his friend (was he really his friend?), but the rest of him was too scared that he would be too late if he didn’t run as fast as he could. The water resisted him as if it were a nightmare, running as fast as he could but held back by a force beyond his control.
He finally gained the shore, trembling as the water streamed from brown skin and black hair and down his naked body. Words tumbled from his throat, broken and pleading his confusion, amber eyes locked on Rance with hope and fear in equal measure. He heard his friend’s words, so close to his own – his own experience, his own thoughts and fears and resignation – but the snarl that twisted the raven’s features made him flinch back, hand rising to curl over his heart, and he didn’t know whether or not he dared trust the shift a moment later from anger to hope.
A nod, wary and slow, as he clenched his fingers against his skin. Kel swallowed hard, trying to push back the lump in his throat that kept him silent. The sound of Rance’s voice was so familiar it brought tears to his eyes, but though he opened his mouth his own voice couldn’t make it past the emotions that choked him. He saw the hand stretched out to him, reached for it slowly with shaking fingers—
And hesitated, less than an inch away. ”Rance…” he managed, a broken plea whispered beneath the croon of the cloud manta behind him ”Please, don’t… go…” And even as he reached the final distance he expected to touch only air as he his fingers sought the comforting warmth of his friend’s hand.
He finally gained the shore, trembling as the water streamed from brown skin and black hair and down his naked body. Words tumbled from his throat, broken and pleading his confusion, amber eyes locked on Rance with hope and fear in equal measure. He heard his friend’s words, so close to his own – his own experience, his own thoughts and fears and resignation – but the snarl that twisted the raven’s features made him flinch back, hand rising to curl over his heart, and he didn’t know whether or not he dared trust the shift a moment later from anger to hope.
A nod, wary and slow, as he clenched his fingers against his skin. Kel swallowed hard, trying to push back the lump in his throat that kept him silent. The sound of Rance’s voice was so familiar it brought tears to his eyes, but though he opened his mouth his own voice couldn’t make it past the emotions that choked him. He saw the hand stretched out to him, reached for it slowly with shaking fingers—
And hesitated, less than an inch away. ”Rance…” he managed, a broken plea whispered beneath the croon of the cloud manta behind him ”Please, don’t… go…” And even as he reached the final distance he expected to touch only air as he his fingers sought the comforting warmth of his friend’s hand.
