The Park

[Mayah Playah]

Awesome nerd

Ellery Advimi

Love binds us together...

After a few minutes, Ellery and Basil finally pulled out of the hug, laughing a bit before moving to sit down at the fountain. Ellery took his little brother's hand, just needing to hold on to some part of him. Of course, the mouse didn't mind, feeling the exact same way.
"What have you been up to during all this time?" he asked the mouse, glancing over to the two men walking away. He'd definitely thank Fredrich later on that night.
Basil thought for a moment, then smiled. "Well, I've been in school. I live with these two boys, they're kinda like parents. They go to school with me too, but they take care of me so I don't end up on the streets." He wouldn't dare say that it had happened before.
"Is that guy one of them?" asked Ellery, gesturing to the man Basil had come with.
He shook his head. "No, that's-" He stopped himself, then continued. "He's just a friend." Basil blushed, looking down.
Ellery laughed, not finding it difficult to put two-and-two together. "So he's your lover? You might be a bit too young for that kind of relationship, but don't you feel ashamed of it."
"Wait, how'd you know?" asked Basil in shock.
"Let's just say, you aren't alone." He glanced back to Fredrich and Basil's boyfriend. Fortunately, Basil wasn't well-versed enough to figure it all out for himself, but no matter. It wouldn't be hard to deduce later, when he saw the two together.
Standing, the two brother started walking at a leisurely pace behind their lovers, giggling about their lives. Basil was excited to hear about his nephew, and even more excited to hear that he was more than welcome to meet the band that his brother was a part of. That band, even Basil had heard of them. He'd even passed by several of their CDs at the shop before, but never once thought that the cute band leader was his big brother. His brother. He couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful that sounded. It was amazing to have a family, a family once again, and he owed it all to the kind detective.
Almost twenty minutes passed, and Ellery could hear the younger Advimi's stomach growling. "Fredrich!" he called. "Why don't we all go out and get something to eat? My treat."
"All of us?" Basil gaped at the detective. "Detective Waltz and Dealer too?"
Ellery nodded, although he wasn't very excited about his brother's lover's name. Dealer? Great, just what he needed. A cop and a drug dealer in the front seat, it sounded like the beginning of an awful joke.

...and so does the past.

Basil Advimi

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

Dana leaned on a tree near the middle of the park, facing the large fountain with several birds flocking around an old woman sitting on the edge with a paper bag in her hands. She watched the woman feed the birds for a few minutes, then rolled her eyes and moved to face the tree, her hands on the bark. "No wonder he loves them," she thought, closing her eyes and resting her head on the trunk. "I mean, they're so pretty. What else should they be? He's a king, he gets the best of the best, even double if that's an option. No trouble, no bother, it's perfect this way. Who wouldn't want two beautiful girls to fuss over them, to make them feel like they're the only one that matters. I mean, if I were a man, I would love them too. Probably."
Finding a growing melancholy, Dana stood up straight. No, she wasn't going to let herself get hurt over this. He was just a man. She didn't need him to survive. Sure, every time he touched her, her body felt like it was on fire, every kiss brought thunder and shine to her ears and eyes, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw him, the sunlight in his hair when they were laughing outside and the glow of the fire on his skin when caught in silence inside. Sure, she found it hard to sleep because she replayed their intimate memories over and over again, the whisper of her name into her ear, his large, calloused hands gripping her hips as though he were afraid to let her go. That didn't matter. She'd get over it. Probably. "Sh-t," she cursed, turning and leaning her back on the tree once more. Dana covered her face with her hands, knowing that she was likely to start crying again any second now, and she desperately wanted to stay strong. She wouldn't beg for him to choose her, but she still wanted him to.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Shortly after, the sound of footsteps and crunching leaves could be heard. They stopped just in front of Dana. "Need this?" asked a gentle voice. Standing in front of her was Roy, a handkerchief held out to her. He looked sweaty and was breathing heavily through his nose. He must've ran here.

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

The European removed her hands from her face, her eyes only dry through sheer willpower. Looking from the handkerchief to the royal, she snorted. "Really Roy? A handkerchief? How old are you?" It was clear that she was trying to use humor to gain control over the situation, but when that proved fruitless, Dana pushed past him and wrapped her arms around her middle. "You said you wanted to explain, now do it." She continued walking at a steady pace, staring at the ground.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Raising an eyebrow, Roy returned his handkerchief to his pocket and followed after her. "When I was in high school years ago I was in a relationship with those girls, but that ended before I even graduated. We were all dealing with problems that were too overwhelming, and we were drifting apart. But a few months after our break-up those two got kidnapped by someone, so I did everything I could to try and find them again. It wasn't because I was still in love with them, but I wasn't going to let them be gone. They just got free again and the things they went through are more horrible than you can imagine." he muttered the last part, remembering what they told them they were forced to endure. He looked at Dana again. "They're here to finish school and find the rest of their family. When they heard I was here they wanted to visit. There's no romance involved, we're all too different for that now."

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

Standing inches from the fountain, Dana laughed mirthlessly and shook her head. "Please, I saw the way they looked at you when you walked in, especially when I popped up behind you. They still love you, Roy. I'm not stupid or blind." She spun to face him, her arms still firmly crossed. "Can you honestly tell me you don't love them at all anymore? I've been there, Roy, that kind of love doesn't just fade. Regardless, I don't feel like becoming a cliche and joining a harem, or having to fight for your attention like a middle child seeking their parent's gaze." She looked away, her eyes searching the air beside her for the right answer.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Roy glanced upwards and sighed through his nose. Dana sounded rehearsed. He wondered how many times she replayed her speech in her head. "Three years." he mumbled then looked at her once again. "Daisy and Carnation had no one for three years. They were only surrounded by people torturing them. I can understand why they'd still have feelings for me, especially if I'm the first person they've seen after all that time.
"For me, I got those years to think things over. We didn't break up just because of that. They might've done it, but my reasons were different. Even if they weren't, I've become a completely different person in these few years." He reached out to grab her chin and force her to look at him, where he offered a kind smile. "Besides, I've fallen for someone else."

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

Dana clenched her fists as he spoke. Every word sounded more and more like a lie. Erik was right, Roy was just a liar, even if it was by omission usually. Honestly, she really wanted to punch him again. However all those thoughts froze when he turned her chin to face him. Just like that, her anger dissipated.
"Y-you-" she tried to start, the setting sun lighting up his hair like a fire and casting an annoyingly romantic aura about him. "You think - you think you can just - just look at me with those big eyes and that goofy smile and tell me that you're in love with me and I'll just fall all over myself to forgive you? Well, that's not gonna work, buddy! Not this time." Dana tried very hard to keep her resolve, finding it more and more difficult the longer she looked at him.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Seeing her fail to be defiant, Roy chuckled. "I bet if I let go of your chin you'd fall all over yourself." he teased. Deciding not to test it, he instead got closer and wrapped his free arm around her waist. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers. It had been almost a day since their big fight, but he had missed this so much.

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

Her resolve already greatly weakened, Dana was no match for his kiss. It was like a shaky and inexperienced solider with a BB gun going up against the Mongol hoard. The young woman's hands slid from her body to his as her eyes closed, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss. After a few seconds, her eyes opened a little, narrowed in irritation. "I hate 'ou," she said, her words muffled since she hadn't pulled away from him and they were technically still kissing.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Roy smiled into the kiss when he felt Dana kiss back. His hand left her chin to join the other around her waist, holding her close as he cherished the warmth of her soft lips against his. Eyes closed, he whispered, "I love you" in response to her weak spite.

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

Dana knew she'd lost, far more angry with herself than with him. She was certain she'd continue yelling at him for it later, but right now, she was going to let herself enjoy this embrace. Before another spiteful insult to leave her mouth, she initiated another kiss, this one a little more impassioned than the one from before, but still tentative and cautious.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

The way Dana did this so hesitantly, it wasn't as much an act of defiance as it was like their first kiss. Roy tilted his head a little to let their lips better match, and after a while he parted his lips slightly to lick hers.

"Only you can control that."

 

[Mayah Playah]

☸ Dana Klein ☸

"There's only one person who really matters to me..."

It was easy to fall into old habits, she realized as her lips parted for him. It wasn't even on purpose, she just did it by muscle memory. After a minute, Dana reluctantly pulled out of the kiss. "Wait, what about those girls? What're you going to tell them?" she asked, still wary of the whole situation.

"... And it's not you."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

En Litari
Roy Lane
King of Sirens



"Music's like life, it can be filled with mistakes or with the most beautiful moments."

Roy shook his head at her. "I already told them that I want you." he said.

"Only you can control that."