Pétillantes

Faine sensed it. He sensed an awfully familiar presence on the island. Even as he hid, back against Elias' firm chest, with visibly no other god or human in sight, he knew in himself that his intuition was telling him something crucial.

He faced Elias to tell him but quickly turned back at their proximity, faces mere inches away. His whole body felt hot. The poor courtesan was humiliated. How did the demigod get so close? And why of all people was he with the white-haired bastard again?

"Get your head in the game," Elias uttered, voice void of childish intentions. He was a whole other person when in the wilderness. It was as if he had a switch that allowed him to go into full-on hunting mode, a sense that knew when and when not to show off his skill and expertise.

In a way, it made Faine feel babied, especially after being sheltered by human civilization for so long.

"You could get seriously hurt." The demigod continued, tone much too protective for comfort. Where was the clear resentment that was often laced in his voice?

Embarrassingly enough, the courtesan struggled to keep in a squeal as he was pulled to another corner hidden by a large pile of rocks.

When he managed to steady his breathing, he whipped his head towards Elias. The man seemed to enjoy dragging him around like a sack of potatoes. Inevitably, Faine started to question his reasons for coming with the demigod. If he knew he was only going to be an impractical accessory to Elias, he would've stayed with Calixto and Saeger. Let him deal with everything.

But then again, that meant sacrificing his integrity and maybe even a bit of his pride.

"I know that." The courtesan snarled. He knew he was being unreasonably defensive, but something about the demigod always got on his nerves. Elias looked to be equally annoyed.

The demigod rolled his eyes. "Then stop acting so dazed."

He paused. Really? Had he been...? He shook his head, unable to admit his inadequacy.

"I'm not. I... I sensed a presence on the island."

Elias raised his eyebrow, hand moving to grab Faine's arm as he had been for the entire day. As if he weighed nothing, the white-haired male tossed the courtesan over his shoulder, his other hand coming in contact with the rough stone. When he started climbing, the courtesan retaliated by kicking his feet in the air. It was reluctant as much as it was thoughtless, but it was an attempt at something, at the very least.

Faine wished he could say that he cared about the monsters finding them and possibly mauling them to death because of his loudness alone, but he, in all honesty, couldn't.

Faine was too focused on the distance between his feet and the ground, too stupefied by how little air was entering his lungs. He gulped, ransacking his brain for excuses as to why they shouldn't and should never have to climb up so high.

Standing on top of tree branches was bearable enough, only his hands had been trembling, but now... He looked to the end of the rocky hill, it was excruciatingly far from the grass they were stepping on seconds ago. His instinct found it unnecessary to reach the top. Elias insisted they did.

"W— wait! What if we—"

"We won't fall. I've been here before and you practically weigh like a pouch of feathers." Elias reassured. It sounded logical, self-assured, but even then, Faine shook his head in refusal.

"We don't have a choice. I didn't think you'd be so scared of climbing, pfft."

The courtesan was about to protest, but his lips were shut close when the demigod started vaulting upwards. His nails were digging into Elias' skin, legs shaking as a result of his lightheadedness, he felt the tears starting to stream down his cheeks. In an instant, the possibility of falling became very, very real. If the violet-eyed bastard noticed his rising dread, he didn't say a thing.

Only after reaching the top did the demigod place Faine down to console him. Well, sort of, the interrogative look in Elias' eyes had been far from comforting. Still, Faine took his chance and held on to the demigod's body, clinging to it for dear life.

"What the—? Were you really that scared?" He questioned, pushing Faine back gently to take a good look at his face. Once Elias saw the courtesan's watering eyes, his resolve immediately broke down. His mouth hung open, brain lagging behind, before he coughed into his hand.

"The tree is down there. You don't have to climb down with me, you can stay here." He reassured, unsure of where to place his hands or what else to say. Vulnerability was foreign in their relationship. Faine's watering eyes took Elias back to older times, back when their interactions hadn't been filled with so much hostility.

But now, it was different. He had to keep the aggression to keep the two of them together.

An apology hung heavy on the demigod's tongue, but his fear of rejection forced him to swallow it down.

Fortunately for him, the courtesan didn't seem to want one. Faine only shook his head, rejecting Elias' offer to stay on top of the hill. The summersaults in his stomach worsened, and the thought of staying up high for so long made him nauseous.

He noticed the sympathetic look Elias offered him before the demigod eventually looked away. It seemed as if Elias knew something, perhaps the reason why the courtesan was being the way he was, and the thought made Faine's fear all the more sorrowful.

"Here," The demigod knelt down, his back turned to the courtesan. A gasp left Faine's lips as he realized the implications of Elias' actions. "You probably dont trust me, but I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

It'd been a while since he last saw unwavering dedication reflected in those mesmerizing violets. They had him in a trance, and before he knew it, he was already on Elias' back, arms wrapped securely around his neck.

"I trust you, Eli." He whispered into the demigod's ear, uncharacteristically solemn. The sound sent subtle shivers down Elias' spine.

The descent downwards was much calmer, slower. Faine could tell his companion was trying to be careful for his sake. His fear never left, unpleasant memories clouding his judgment, but the sound of Elias' wearied breaths grounded him. Every now and then, the courtesan would spare the demigod some kindness and let out words of encouragement.

"You mentioned sensing a familiar presence. Do you think it was one of your fellow humans?" Elias brought up, relief exuding from his and the other's body the moment his feet came in contact with the ground.

The courtesan seemed much too elated to process his words, a celebratory smile glued on his face. The demigod was stunned as the face of Faine's hand came in sudden contact with his. What was that? A human custom?

"Oh right, yes. I mean, no. The presence felt too strong to belong to a mortal."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm not certain, but I have a pretty good hunch."

The whitehead snickered, already headed for the center of the area. "After all the time you've spent with him, I would think you'd be more sure about these things."

Faine followed after him, almost tripping on his feet as he stumbled on a particularly sturdy rock. The courtesan punched the other's arm, humiliation still visible on his face. "Don't say those kinds of things. It's his fault he only visits when he wants to."

Elias rolled his eyes, sarcastic as always, but he chuckled nonetheless. The sound made Faine's ears perk up, smiles rising on both their faces.

"I almost forgot how incessantly pouty you can be. I wouldn't be surprised if you died from your own pettiness one day."

"You seem to be delighted by how pouty I am." Faine retorted.

There it was again, the flustered look on the demigod's face. He made it so obvious whenever he was caught, it was an endearing trait of his which, knowing Elias, was a rare thing to find in him. The gentle pink painted over his pale skin like a field of roses on the surface of the moon. In other words, he looked ethereal, glowing.

Elias grimaced, trying hard to ignore the burning of his face. "Only because I prefer it over you barking nonstop."

"Sure."

They would've been bantering nonstop had it not been for the breathtaking sight in front of them. The tree was much bigger than Faine remembered it to be, its existence simply overwhelming.

At that very moment, he understood why it became the island's centerpiece. Despite its decaying bark and baren branches, the tree's awe-inspiring size was enough to leave him enchanted for days.

It was surrounded by flowers, ones that were seemingly attached to its bark. They looked to be in a withered state, budded and barely wilting inch by inch.

When Faine's hand came in contact with the tree's branch, the entirety of their melancholic display vanished. One by one, the flowers bloomed, an impossibly magical twinkle surrounding them. Beautifully enough, many of the flowers' colors ranged from a soft rose to a gradient that resembled the sunset.

It was spectacular. It was if the stars themselves descended to grow on the tree. There were dozens of them, hundreds.

If young lovers traveled miles to be able to view what Faine was seeing now, he'd tell them their extending patience had been worth it.

The courtesan turned to Elias, about to say something, everything he thought about the Pétillantes. But he stayed silent, the way the flower's light reflected on the demigod's eyes, the way it highlighted his face flawlessly—it was art that didn't deserve to be disturbed.

Elias beat him to the punch. The demigod's tone taken aback, impressed. It was the first time in a while that the demigod showed him any respect.

"They still respond to you."