for plaguedrat - continued [possibly nsfw]

[silenttrainbaby]

[from here]

They are both whole, they are both young, and alive. And a tear may fall-just one- for Gilliam who isn't here, Grey can run his hands down Rat's front, the body much like his own.

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[silenttrainbaby]

There? Grey looks at it more intently then looks at Rat. He brings their joined hands over his heart. A heart.

[plaguedrat]

Rat nods, distracted from their game to lay his head on Grey's shoulder, glancing down at the joined hands over his heart.

"A heart."

[silenttrainbaby]

For a long moment, Grey is still, his eyes closed. But after that, he taps Rat's cheek to get his attention, then he taps the word that their hands partially obscure.

Gilliam.

How to explain?

He takes Rat's hand, spelling letters onto the palm.

T-E-A-C-H-E-R. L-O-V-E-R. Then his arm, die Dead. His heart, before Rat, before Grey's resurrection.

[plaguedrat]

In the moment they'd shared, Rat had relaxed, closed his eyes, and almost drowsed. Grey's touch and the melancholy on his face bring him right back to reality and he traces those letters with his eyes.

"No wonder it's tattooed there."

He looks at him quietly, wondering if he should tell Grey too. About Shion.

[silenttrainbaby]

He doesn't have to. It just warrants explaining. Gilliam hadn't wanted the words tattooed there, but Grey had insisted.

He kisses Rat's knuckles.

[plaguedrat]

Gently again, Rat glides his knuckles over Grey's mouth. It amazes him how much Grey is capable of saying without needing a single word.

With his other hand, he traces those letters.

"Shion...saved my life."

He runs fingers up to his shoulders, to the oldest of his four bullet scars.

[silenttrainbaby]

Lifting himself to an elbow, Grey traces over those scars. He points to another word, How?

How did the wounds come to be? How did Shion save his life?

[plaguedrat]

"I was shot. They said I was a criminal and that I should be turned in..." Running in the rain, bleeding, convinced he would die.

"And he let me in. Cut the bullet out and gave me food without asking anything in return..."

[silenttrainbaby]

Shion sounds like Gilliam, who cut off limbs to feed others. Grey touches Rat's heart, then. Does that mean that Rat stayed? Stayed with Shion?

[plaguedrat]

"That city took everything away from him, for daring to help someone else..." Yet more reasons to hate No. 6, with all its cruelty.

"A year ago...they were going to execute him for being a malcontent." And he'd let his whole world go sideways for that boy.

"And then I came here."

[silenttrainbaby]

They were going to ...? Grey's brows are knit in concern. So, Rat doesn't know what happened to him?!

[plaguedrat]

"I found him. He's safe...but now I'm here."

He pauses for a second before touching Grey's hand again. Now he's here. With him.

[silenttrainbaby]

Would he leave if he could, to be with Shion?

Not that Grey would blame him, no. At least he was alive, yes?

He laces his fingers with Rat's. No judgment, simply comfort.

[plaguedrat]

No. He left Shion before, because he couldn't be part of the world that rebuilt No. 6.

And he won't leave Grey behind either.

[silenttrainbaby]

Closing the distance between them, Grey kisses him gently, lingering there.

[plaguedrat]

Rat closes his eyes and leans into the kiss, pushing away the melancholy in favor of what's there and in front of them.

[silenttrainbaby]

That is, Grey realizes, the bet way to live, the only way to live. Rat can hear a satisfied sigh get lost into that kiss.

[plaguedrat]

Rat runs fingers up into Grey's hair, his expression soft.

This will be okay.

[silenttrainbaby]

(ooc: aww, that seems like a great fade point for this particular thread? <3_<3)