it's a long way forward

[leggie]

[It's been days since he left that village behind, and he hasn't had nearly enough time to stop and rest. Every village or town he's run across has chased him off for falling out of the sky, too poor to offer any help of their own and too afraid to attempt to question his state. Desperately, he's kept his presence disguised, hiding from those other colored entities that were part of this destiny he wanted nothing to do with. He slept in trees for a couple hours at a time, moving again before too long when it no longer felt secure enough.

He was running from something he couldn't escape, but each time he tried to find somewhere to go, it wasn't right. Maybe his predecessor was right. Maybe there wasn't anyone who would take him like he is, green leg showing in the spot that his shoes don't cover. Maybe he was too much of a monster.

No. Determined, Jae-Ha urged himself forward despite that worry. No matter where he ended up, or if he had to live alone for the rest of his life, it was better than existing and waiting in that prison of a village. He wouldn't become like his predecessor. He wouldn't wait around to take it out on the next generation.

When he spots a blonde boy crouched near something in a clearing of the woods, Jae-Ha's chest tightens. This could be a chance, couldn't it? He was his age— younger, clearly, but not an adult like all of the ones that have chased him off. And better than that, he was alone. Maybe, just maybe, he could say something to reach him, to get some food other than the occasional bits of bread or fruit he's stolen from carts or nabbed from trees along the way.

His appearance comes in a flash, a green blur dropping out of the sky and right in front of Sanji. He's a mess in his dirtied robes, his face and body still badly beaten from a few days prior, his hair dirty and sticky even tied back, and heavy bags beneath his eyes from the lack of rest. When he drops down to a knee, both to temporarily hide the green of his right foot and to humble himself, it's more of a fall of pure exhaustion.

He doesn't bow his head like you should with a gesture like this, instead staring directly at Sanji with determined eyes.]

Please, let me stay with you, at least for a night. I'll do anything.

[It's about time for a desperate offer like this, isn't it?]

Comments

[leggie]

I'm not angry.

[Jae-Ha says it quickly, squeezing Sanji's hand a little and looking to him.] I know what you're feeling. It doesn't make sense when someone does something different than what everyone else has done. You don't think it can happen.

That's why I trust you so much. I'll make it up to you, I promise.

[lil_eggplant]

[At the heart of it, Sanji is still only a very young child, one that glances at Jae-Ha and struggles to understand what he means by all of that. He doesn't succeed in the end. All he has is this heartfelt promise and the reassurance that he's been forgiven, and really, that's what he needs the most]

Okay.

[He squeezes Jae-Ha's hand and then drops it, along with all their other supplies. The effort it takes is obvious, but Sanji attempts to work up some of his previous excitement.]

The water's gonna be cold. [Sorry about that. But whatever, he wraps off the paper that covers the soap and holds it determined within his grasp] I'll wash your back quick, I promise.

[leggie]

[That actually gets him to smile, despite everything. He drops his clothes away slowly, and then after glancing left and right, unwraps his leg carefully enough to save the bandages.]

Don't worry, I'm used to it.

[Baths were always cold. With the bandages out of the way, he drops them to the side and walks calmly into the cold water of the creek. Look at him go, he's just fine with it... And it's much better like this than with his predecessor washing him. So, he dunks his whole head under the water right away.]

[lil_eggplant]

[For someone like Sanji, who steadfastly prefers his baths hot, Jae-Ha walking into the icy waters of the creek is a superpower. Just watching him dunk his head makes the younger boy shiver]

How do you do that... [BUH. Yeah he'll pass on that, forever. In any case, he waves the soap at Jae-Ha]

Here, you can wash everything else first. [They can get the back at the very end]

[leggie]

[For his first hot bath, he'll never get out. But for now, he seems to enjoy how startled Sanji is by it. He laughs, pulling the hairband out of his hair and throwing it aside. He doesn't need this dirty thing anymore.

Soaking, but not wanting to get out of the cold water yet (air will be the death of him), he reaches for the soap. Hand it over, or throw it, he'll get to washing!! Now, he can even take his time with it, making sure every single bit of himself is cleaned. He wants to make the most of it, in case something happens where he can't again for a while. If he's going to be hiding, it could be like that...

His hair is the hardest part, but Jae-Ha works with what he has. Eventually, he'll be as clean as he can manage alone, and then he'll move to sit on a rock so he's a little above the water, pulling his hair over his shoulder and waiting for Sanji.]

Okay, I'm r-ready! [Yeah, the air is much colder. Please hurry...]

[lil_eggplant]

[Hm... very belatedly, Sanji realizes they should've bought a towel for him to dry off with...

OH WELL. The younger boy rights out of his thoughts when Jae-Ha calls him over, then scrambles onto the rock himself. It's a little slippery and crowded, but he takes the bar of soap, tongue sticking out in concentration as he gets to scrubbing off the last patches of dirt clinging to his friend.

This close, it's like magic when he watches the clean skin emerge. He'd assumed Jae-Ha's skin tone was much darker, only to realize he's much paler underneath all those layers of dirt.]

You were really dirty... [Blunt at usual, but he doesn't mean anything by it. The dirt drains harmlessly upon the rocks and runs into the creek, and once Sanji is pleased with his handiwork--]

Okay! You can wash off.

[leggie]

[Even this feels nicer than when his predecessor had done it, even if he ignores the times when he got his head dunked under the water while being yelled at. He's growing fonder of Sanji by the minute, especially knowing that anyone could ever treat him poorly, and so he reminds himself to watch out for him.

Of course, he can only focus on that for a quick moment before he's rinsing off, and eventually he can step out of the creek. Arms fold over his chest as he begins to shiver violently, stepping over to stare at his old, dirty clothes.]

W-w-what should we d-do with t-these? [They really should have brought a towel.]

[lil_eggplant]

[Jeez, well now Sanji just feels bad watching Jae-Ha shiver like that. This is his oversight, a failure as a host and a friend. It's not a particularly hot day, either, so while Sanji knows the other will air-dry eventually...]

You wanna keep them? [He asks the question while slipping his robe off his shoulders and arms, grateful for his undershirt and pants.] I can ask one of the maids to wash them so you have more clothes.

[With that, he hands Jae-Ha his robe] Use this.

[leggie]

[While Sanji asks those questions, Jae-Ha continues to stare at the pile. It would be wasteful to get rid of them, but also, all they do is remind him of that village. It ties him to there, and if they do come looking for him to bring him back, there will be a clear trail right to where he is.

He's interrupted by the offering of a robe, to which he blinks in surprise before slowly taking it. Wrapping it around himself and tugging it closed tight, it seems to help him considerably before he looks at the clothes again.]

I think it would be better to get rid of them, so they don't try to take me back. They don't fit in here, either. If I'm not supposed to be noticed, people shouldn't want to stare at me.

[So speaking of that, he's going to wrap up his leg again right now.]

[lil_eggplant]

[Through all this talk of escape and abuse, it somehow never occurred to Sanji that the people of his last village might want to steal him back, and his head snaps up in obvious alarm.]

They're gonna look for you?

[No, they can't have him. Not after Jae-Ha chose to be his friend, and--

The blond gives his head a furious shake. Absolutely not, he won't allow it. Even if it means begging on both knees to his Father for assistance, he swears to keep Jae-Ha safe and free. Discarding of the clothes will be an obvious first step]

We can burn them! I know how to make a fire.

[leggie]

They probably already are. They're worried that by escaping, I'll bring trouble to the village. But they can only chase me so far.

[Still, just in case, he'd like to be sure. And burning the clothes... it sounds like a great idea, but it also makes him a little sad. Maybe because he keeps thinking about his predecessor, and the way he was shouting to go on without him, treating him like someone he hated even if he was the only one he could talk to. What a complicated feeling.]

Let's burn them, then. Maybe we can warm up a little, too.

[lil_eggplant]

You wouldn't do that. [There's no hesitation on Sanji's part, and his scowl judges every single villager he's never met.] You're too nice.

[Really, what a bunch of idiots. His scowl remains in place even once he's up and gathering the dirty garments into a pile, then fetching some fallen timber. Knowing that Jae-Ha could use the heat more than himself, the boy works quickly until a modest fire burns through the wood, and only then does he throw in the clothes (after looking at his friend one more time for confirmation)]

[leggie]

You think I'm nice?

[That's a cute comment, honestly. He doesn't get it at all... he doesn't get that his leg is monstrous. And that's okay, he thinks. He nods once more to okay the burning of the clothes, and then watches as they're thrown in. He raises his hands to warm by the fire, crouching down to enjoy it now that his leg is fully wrapped.

His hair is still wet by the time the clothes are ash, but nothing else is.]

[lil_eggplant]

Of course you're nice.

[This better not be up for a debate. Sanji considers himself the authority on this particular opinion, so even Jae-Ha won't be able to dissuade him.

Thankfully, arguing doesn't seem to be the other's intent. Good. That means Sanji can enjoy the fire with a smile instead of a frown, and he scoots to sit crosslegged near his friend. When the fire dies, that seems to increase the boy's excitement rather than decrease it, as he immediately turns his wide, shining eyes on the other]

Go try your clothes on now! I wanna see what they look like.

[leggie]

[The excitement is as surprising as everything else, but Jae-Ha is happy for it. He shifts and stands, taking off the robe he was allowed to borrow carefully before he hands it back.]

Thank you. [For many things, but it's been long enough since the last one that he can say this one without being weird, he thinks. Moving over to their new purchases, he gets dressed, taking the time to admire the quality of the cloth.

After managing to get the robes on, he takes the orange ribbon and ties his hair back with it, doing his best to tie a bow. It's not the most perfect bow, but he'll get better at it.]

They feel so comfortable! [He exclaims it cheerfully as he moves back to Sanji, holding out his arms to show it off.] They're not scratchy at all!

[lil_eggplant]

See? I told you!

[Well, maybe not exactly... but same difference! Sanji did suggest that Jae-Ha wear new clothes, and it's clear to the trained eye how much of a success this has turned out to be.]

I like the color, too. [Huh, it really does look nice with Jae-Ha's hair. Same with the bow. The more he stares, the more his chest swells with pride, until Sanji can't think of anything else to add]

[leggie]

[He's so happy at Sanji saying something as simple as he likes the color. He looks good? He's never heard something like that before ever. It's so strange he doesn't even know how to be embarrassed about it. He simply considers it, glancing down at the clothes and swaying a little to watch how light the cloth is.]

I like it, too. [Now he's with Sanji, and all memories of the village of the green dragon are gone. He's so glad.] So I get to see your room now?

[lil_eggplant]

[The boy nods an eager affirmative... only to lose some of his smile when he turns in the direction of his home with a frown. It's all very well and good to say he'll sneak Jae-Ha into the mansion without anyone seeing them, but now that the promised time has come and Sanji's gotta work out the specifics--]

No one can see you. [As if that wasn't already abundantly clear.] So we can't go over the bridge and through the front gates...

[That would be all well and good, except for the fact that there are guards stationed at every entrance. His father isn't stupid.]

My room's on the third floor, so... [He side-eyes Jae-Ha and tries his very best to keep his expression neutral instead of excited. It doesn't work] If we go through the window, I bet no one will see.

[leggie]

So all we have to do is get to your window?

[Easy. Jae-Ha sees that frown, but he's still determined to prove that he's here for Sanji, if need be. While not being seen, though...] Your guards won't be focusing on the skies. If you ride on my back, you can tell me how to get in, and I can make sure we're not seen.

[lil_eggplant]

I can ride on your back?

[Whipping his head back around, and all that pent-up excitement comes spilling out in a mess of words. He clenches his hands into fists, eyes wide]

I won't be too heavy?

[Ha -- as if that would be enough to stop Sanji from wanting to try. He mentions it in the same way he's expected to bow to strangers; they're just manners, the niceties to get out of the way before the fun stuff]

[leggie]

You won't weigh anything.

[He's so small. And now that he's eaten, he can handle this! Well, he's very tired so it's good that they're not going far, but he won't say that. He holds out his arms behind him like he's ready if Sanji wants to hop on.]

Here, try it.

[lil_eggplant]

[Don't have to tell him twice. +_+ Sanji scales Jae-Ha's back like a mountain, and ends with his arms thrown around the older boy's neck. Aaaah this is so exciting. It's hard staying still when all he wants to do is wiggle around in glee.]

Ready!

[leggie]

Hold on tight.

[That's all the warning Sanji will get before Jae-Ha jumps and the both of them soar into the air. He's not too worried, since he has a firm grip on Sanji's little legs, but it wouldn't be fun if he didn't hold on tight, probably!

He has a vague idea of where to go, so he jumps to avoid any looks and still give Sanji the experience of soaring.]

[lil_eggplant]

[Watching Jae-Ha jump into the sky and experiencing it are two very different things, and that first leap steals the little boy's breath as well as shoves his heart into his throat. Sorry about that reflexive tightening of his noodle arms around your neck, Jae-Ha. Once he's past the knee-jerk fear, he lets out a crow of delight and peeks down at the landscape, eyes widening at how far away it looks]

My room's that one! [He tries to whisper over the wind and the spray of hair that's getting all over his face, and Jae-Ha will see one of Sanji's fingers pointing to a half-opened window, all the way up on the third floor.] No one's gonna be in, not even the maids, so we can go in!

[leggie]

[Oh, that's so easy, then!]

Next time, I'll fly with you even more. [When he's not tired and they're not figuring this situation out together. Jae-Ha glances to the window and then hops over to it, easily soaring through and landing inside with a gentle tap of his right foot. From there, he ducks a little to let Sanji down, already stuck and amazed staring at this room.]