“And they were all there for her, so she wasn’t alone.”
“They are never truly alone.”
With another sniffle, Bryce tore his gaze away from the still snuggling Dryads and met Zef’s opaque stare. Their eyes were glossy, but they weren’t crying like he was. Their smile was achingly soft, though, even as they leaned back to add space between their faces.
“That was hard to watch, but it was impossible to look away from,” he said, and Zef’s antennas wriggled. “It was beautiful.”
“I agree.”
Glancing down, Bryce noticed he was gripping Zef’s sleeve in his fist, and he released them instantly. “Crap, I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”
“It is alright,” they said.
“I didn’t mean to grab you like that. I didn’t know I was—”
“Bryce,” they said, tone firmer this time, and he froze as their top left hand came to rest on his arm. Well, on his bulky coat, but it was still thefirst time Zef had in any way touched him. It was a barely-there pressure, but he still gasped at the contact. “It is alright. I would not lie about this.”
Relief coursed through him, and he offered Zef a wobbly smile. “Thanks.”
Instead of responding with words, they simply inclined their head. Then their hand fell away, taking the light pressure of their touch with it, and he heaved another sigh, exhaling slowly.
“Do we wait for Willow?”
“I believe she will be occupied for a while.” Zef’s hair danced around their angular face as they turned back the way they’d come. “It is best if we see ourselves out.”
“Okay.”
Before he followed after Zef, Bryce watched the Dryads—they were laughing now, smiling through their tears as they celebrated their sister’s victory—and Willow’s head popped up from the masses. She met his gaze, and he put a hand on his chest over his heart and smiled at her, hoping she understood how much this had meant to him. She must have, because she beamed back at him, face radiant even through her tears.
He lifted a hand in farewell, and she nodded before she ducked back into the Dryad snuggle pile. Wiping his face clean, he turned and joined Zef on the cobblestone path. He wasn’t embarrassed by his tears, mostly because Zef seemed similarly affected, even if they hadn’t cried. But his cheeks were still warm as he fell into step beside his roommate.
“Thanks,” he said, even if he wasn’t exactly sure what he was thanking Zef for. Like they also didn’t know, they cocked their head, wings buzzing in confusion. “For being here with me.”
They blinked in surprise, facing forward as their wings hummed again, less confusion and more discomfort this time. Bryce had been picking upon the differences in their antenna wiggles and wing buzzes, even if he was still learning how to interpret them fully.
“I am grateful to have shared this with you,” they finally said as the gates rose before them. Zef stopped several feet from the entrance, antennas flicking in an anxious tell as they angled their head in his direction but didn’t make eye contact as they said, “You have a very gentle soul, Bryce. It is a wonder to behold.”
Flames licked over Bryce’s cheeks and down his neck, then along his spinal column until he shivered. No one had ever said something so wonderful to him before, and he struggled for a response as his eyes burned anew.
“That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever told me.”
Their gaze darted briefly to his before they looked away again. “Well, it is true.”
“Thank you, Zef,” Bryce whispered as he gathered some gumption. “You fascinate me.”
Another buzz from their wings, louder than before, and they faced him fully, compound eyes wide. “Is that a good thing?”
“Yes. It’s a wonderful thing,” he said, and Zef’s cheeks flushed a darker green, like they were bushing. And it was lovely.Theywere lovely.
Cautiously, they reached out with one hand and tugged Bryce’s winter hat over the top of his ear to protect it from the chilly breeze. They didn’t make contact with his skin, but he felt the heat of their hand all the same.
“I am glad we are friends,” they said, almost shyly, and another surge of fire spilled through Bryce’s chest.
“Me too, Zef. I like being your friend.”
And yeah, their responding smile was definitely bashful as they turned away, ducking their head. “Thank you.”
Just as carefully as Zef had been, Bryce stretched out a hand and slowly swept their curtain of long hair off their shoulder to settle on their back. He made sure not to touch them, but God, their hair was soft as silk.
