Chapter 7: Frame

 

            Lance simply held Ash as he tried to sort through his own tangled emotions. First things came first though.

            “I… I simply want to wait until you know, you are completely certain, that this is what you want.”
            “How can you say that?” Ash burst out. “I love you!”

            “Hold on, I’m not finished.” The Dragon Master continued. “You think you love me, but are you sure it is just not infatuation? And if not… there is still the age difference to consider.”

            “You’re dismissing my feelings that easily?!”

            “You are still a child, Ash.”

            “I’m not a child! I’m almost fifteen!” Red stared at Lance. “You think I’m too young to know what love is?!”

            “Well… it is a possibility I cannot dismiss.”

            “I can’t believe this.” Ash shook his head. “So you’re saying that if I were older, you would be more willing to think this through?”
            “Yes.”

 

            “Then I’ll give you my answer now.” Ash murmured, before he kissed Lance passionately.

            Lance had a curious mixture of shock and barely-concealed desire on his face when Ash pulled away.

            “Why don’t you want me?” Ash asked, confused.

            “Because,” Lance whispered, as Ash rested his head on his chest, “I don’t want to be hurt again.”

 

            “Again?”

            “I never told you… my family doesn’t love me… except maybe Claire. When I was born, they threw me out themselves, claiming I was too weak to carry on the dragon trainer line.”

            “You get burned easily, when you’re younger.” Lance mused. “Still, I was seven, and I don’t know how old he was, but he certainly wanted me.”

            “Don’t you cling to someone who shows affection? Any kind of interest in you, much like you’re doing to me right now?”

 

            Ash looked at Lance with horror. “Did he?”

            “Of course he did.” Lance laughed mirthlessly. “What do you think?”

            “Lance-chan…”

            “I don’t want to hurt you, is that too hard to understand?” Lance asked. “I might hurt you the same way he hurt me…”

            “What was his name?”

            “What, you want revenge for my sake now?”

            “Not yet, I just want to know.”

 

            “Very well. His name was William Firen.”

            Ash’s eyes widened. “I beat him semifinals.”

            “Interesting. Well, he was a completely useless trainer when I knew him. I ran away from him about a month after he found me. Good thing too.”

            “So you don’t want to hurt me?”

            “Of course…” Lance whispered. “You’re so pretty, I don’t ever want to see you broken. Never. So pretty, did you know?”

            Ash was not sure what to say in response, but accepted the reasoning as Lance held him.

            Maybe, they could give it a try, slowly…

            Hesitantly, Lance brushed a kiss against Ash’s lips. “Forgive me.”

            Ash accepted the kiss, although he still felt a slight twinge of fear.

            It would not be simple, they had wounded each other, and it would take time to heal.

            Who knew what might happen in the future? The path was unclear and cloudy, but Ash was not going to leave.

            Not now, and not ever, now that he knew the truth.

 

            Nine months later…

 

            Claire had passed the test, and now Ash was getting ready to take his. Knowing that Lance’s circumstances were what they were had helped him deal with his burgeoning feelings. Also, once Lance was calm again, he was nicer.

            So that helped with the rejection healing. Yes, it was a slow process, but they were both learning.

            He didn’t try to push Lance anymore.

            It must have hurt, being abandoned. But the physical pain was nothing compared emotionally, he knew now

.

            Ash idly watched as the Dragon Master soared through the air, his steel wings glinting in the cold frost.

            Yes… he would fly too, when the time came.

            Soar on the wings of the beautiful eagles and fly away. And Lance-chan wouldn’t have to worry about being alone.

            Never, never, never again

            Because he would follow him and protect him and stay with him until time tore them apart.

 

 

            Yes, the test was difficult. Mastery was never easy.

            But he passed.

            Wasn’t that what mattered? He passed. And the light in Lance-chan’s eyes was so bright, so pretty, when it was all over.

            And that day, as William Firen tried to take the test for dragon mastery, Dragonite ate him.

            He did fail, of course.

            That was possibly the only better condition.

 

            Oh, they knew that neither would ever completely recover, all wounds leave scars… but they would take it step by step.

            One little baby step at a time, until they stood together.

            It was a hard path to walk, an even harder one to follow. They could have taken the easy way and just screwed each other silly.

           

But that would have defeated the purpose of love completely.

            Until they stood safely together, the last veils of fear and deceit cast aside, there was still more growing to do. There was always more to learn. But they accepted it. They had to stand true.

            Only then… would their goal finally be fulfilled.

 

The End!