Activity

“St-stop stop,” Alessio stuttered. Squeezing himself in a tighter ball.

Nithel felt tears tracing down his cheeks. “My friend.” How he wanted to embrace the youth. To cry on him. To tell him he was loved and why. But Nithel didn’t want to get burned.

“Thus says the Lord who created…” He ghosted the words “who created you…”

Nithel swallows hard, still staring at Alessio, tears running down his face.

“St-stop…trying…to fix–” Alessio was gasping like he was about to lose consciousness.

Nithel held his breath a bit, crouching as close as he dared. The flames were hot. “My friend.” In a whisper.

Slowly, carefullty, like every move was a struggle Alessio lifted his head and looked at Nithel. Nithel met his friend’s eyes, and his face wrinkled all over as a few more tears slid down.

The fire faded a bit, then jumped out, hugging the walls instead of the youth. Nithel’s chest froze a moment, even as he came closer, very close. He touched Alessio’s turned up shoulder, and more or less dragged him into a hug.

Nithel’s chest jerked in a stifled sob, but he squeezed Alessio tighter, then pressed his forehead into Alessio’s shoulder in a sign of sorrow. “My friend, why do you doubt?”

———————–

@joelle-stone @skylarynn @this-is-not-an-alien @crazywriter