Timeframe: Sometime after Dias is added to the party but before going to El. I’ve taken a few liberties with the setting to make it more realistic and less like a video game.

***

The Agreement

The agreement was entirely unspoken but it was there, as unbreakable as the planet itself.

It always started the same way.

Usually, when their mismatched and rather random group stopped for the night, it was in a town. There were a few that dotted the countryside, small villages that welcomed them – and their money - in. Being in a town was like a haven; safe, and one could wander off, have some time to oneself, forget worries that came with trying to save the world. Everyone usually went alone, sometimes in pairs. Dias always went alone.

But just because he wandered off alone didn’t mean that he was alone the entire evening.

They invariably met up somewhere, usually a food store, totally by accident yet entirely intentional. Dias would purchase something and walk out – and there would be Ashton, munching on a hamburger, with a bag of random foodstuffs. He wasn’t entirely stupid. The extra food was always for the dragons, and to be certain he would usually be feeding them by the time Dias walked out.

It was no different this time.

The bag was empty, the last morsel of chicken a lump traveling rapidly down Ururun’s throat. Ashton carefully placed the empty skewer back in the bag, always conscientious about not littering, and crumpled up the garbage, looking around for a garbage can. A noise alerted him and he looked up, noticing Dias for the first time with a start of surprise.

“Oh! Hello!” Ashton reached up a hand absently to pat Gyoro, who had belched in appreciation of the meal.

“Hello.” Dias was more subdued about his greeting, but he did allow a tiny smile to cross his face for a second. It was barely noticeable, unless one was looking very closely.

Ashton then noticed the bag in Dias’ hand. “Oh, you haven’t eaten yet? You must be starving!” He looked at the bag more closely. “And you’re planning on cooking for yourself, even… wish I had the patience to do that, but cooking for three just takes too long.”

“Hm.”

“It does!” Ashton protested. “You have no idea… anyway, I was heading back to the inn… we could probably convince them to let you use the kitchen.”

Dias seemed to consider this, then nodded. “I could use some help, I suppose.” He was reluctant to admit it, but Dias wasn’t the best chef in the group.

“Hey, I didn’t volunteer… but… oh well. I didn’t have any other plans.” Ashton, on the other hand, was a very good cook. He shrugged, and together they walked back to the inn. Together, that is, yet not together in any sense other that they were headed to the same destination with the same specific intent. It may have been a coincidence, for all anyone else could tell.

And it would always end the same way, too.

***

Lying in bed, staring at the wall. A lump in his throat. Tears threatening to overwhelm him, but Ashton wouldn’t let them. Always the same. Always the same. He knew there was no other way of dealing with it, but that didn’t mean it didn’t leave another hole in his chest, in his heart, each time. If Dias spent the night in his room, there would be no end to the talk, and neither of them wanted that. So every day they pretended that it didn’t exist, and when time allowed – they gave in.

At least Dias waited until he thought Ashton was asleep – even though, after the first time, he never was - to leave. Always the same. He would slide ever so slowly out of the bed, being careful not to disturb its other occupant, and carefully pull up the sheet so it covered Ashton. Sometimes he would even press a light kiss to his forehead. Then there would be the rustling noise of him dressing, soft footsteps, the sound of a door opening and closing. Then nothing but the biting loneliness. Always the same always the same always the fucking same.

He knew it was irrational, to want more than this. He knew that even this much was insane, dangerous. But it wasn’t enough, it never was.

He wished, irrationally, that one day they could ignore what the consequences might be.

***

~Mordain

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