They stand in the elevator, Travis thinking and leaning against the wall. He combs a hand through his hair, his thoughts running free until he blurts out something randomly. "I think I might be gay."
Sal immediately looks over, Travis doing the opposite and looking away, not having meant to say that and about to say something until Sal interrupts his train of thought. "Cool dude, congratulations." He hums, not minding too much and realizing Travis's reaction.
Travis feels his face burn, holding his sleeves and forcing away the panic running through his nerves, untensing and giving a soft smile. "Thanks." he whispers, every single thought running through his head at once, though relieved to see Sal not making a big deal out of it.
"Of course. You can like whoever you want, don't let anyone stop you from doing so." Sal smiles under his prosthetic, the elevator doors opening and leaving it first, Travis trailing behind him with one thought standing out from all the others.
Even if it's you? Travis thinks as Sal leads the way, the bluenette knowing the way and area despite only being there one other time. When they get by the edge of Nockfell, Travis looks around to make sure they are alone before speaking up, his eyes now fixed on the back of Sal's head. "How about you?"
"What about me?" Sal answers with another question, not stopping his pace of walking but the curiosity clear in his tone of voice.
"Are you, um, anything like that? I know I assumed so but.." Travis starts, Sal answering before he could even finish.
"In a way, yeah. I just love whoever I guess. It doesn't matter who, what gender, or what pronouns they have." he responds, not minding all the questions, knowing Travis doesn't understand too much based on his strict background with his father.
Travis nods before realizing Sal cannot see him, shoving his hands in his pocket. "I get what you mean. It's odd, putting your feelings out there like that. It feels wrong." he admits, cringing at how pathetic he sounds, like a small child.
Sal shrugs, gesturing for Travis to walk next to him as they leave Nockfell, looking over at him for the first time since they've been in the elevator. "It's not wrong, Trav. You're just not used to it. Especially after everything with your family, it's tough to admit that to someone. I'm glad you felt safe and comfortable enough to trust me like this though." He hums, and he stops short of his steps when he sees Travis stare back at him teary eyed.
"Thank you Sal." is all Travis can get out before looking away from him and feeling his face tint pink, his heart pounding in his chest quickly, and he takes Sal's hand and leads him the rest of the way to the field.
Sal walks with him, once sitting by the tree looking around, the view of dandelions and other various flowers a contrast to how it was in the night. "I didn't know that there were flowers here." He comments, Travis sitting right next to him and nodding.
"It's a lot different than when it is night, but either way it's nice." he agrees, laying back, though his attention on Sal rather than the environment around them.
Sal follows his lead, laying down next to him, his hand feeling against the grass warmed by the sun and a couple yellow dandelions. He picks up some of the loose flowers, tying them together gently and after a couple moments, having enough to make it a flower crown. Travis watches closely, not saying a word to interrupt the silence, in awe of what the smaller boy is doing next to him. Sal finishes up, showing Travis. "You look surprised." he says, referring to Travis's almost astonished gaze.
The blonde smiles as he nods, and Sal rests the now done flower crown on Travis's head, looking around as he sits up. "There are both kinds of dandelions. The yellow ones and the ones you can wish on."
"Wish on?" Travis asks as Sal picks up two dandelions, white and in a circular shape, sitting up as well and watching the bluenette closely.
"Yeah, never heard of it?" Sal laughs, passing a dandelion to Travis and holding his own.
Travis stares at it in confusion, shaking his head no. "You lightly blow on it, watch I'll show you." Sal says, and Travis complies as he stares up at the demonstration.
Sal watches it for a moment to make a wish before blowing lightly (that's what he said) on it, the pappus flying and scattering as the wind carries them. "That's it?" Travis asks, watching the small tufts of white slowly disappear and go elsewhere.
Sal nods, and Travis copies him, wishing on the flower and letting it go into the wind. "You're not supposed to tell the wish, so no sharing them or else they wont come true." Sal says distractedly, looking off towards the direction of the dandelion has gone.
Travis agrees, not minding how childish Sal's words sounds. He closes his eyes, and the environment stays quiet until he feels a jerk, and then him knocked into the grass. He flinches, opening his eyes instantly with a quiet gasp until he sees Sal hugging onto him, laughing hard. Flowers scatter around them, Sal's head unintentionally laying in his chest and Travis's heart racing from not only the situation but the quick fright he had. "You alright?" Sal chuckles, his elbow propping him up to face Travis.
He sees Travis nod, and his dark complexion tint a bit red in his freckled cheeks. He feels the warm sun going through his clothes and against his back and hair, the grass tickling his skin and stray flowers in his hair messily. He hums a quiet tune his mother once sang to him, just being able to grasp the familiar memory and smiling under the prosthetic, his hands fiddling with the fabric of Travis's shirt. Travis sits up a bit, making sure to move Sal a bit so they aren't too close for him to handle. (Mans will overheat like a egg in 100° weather) Sal pauses his humming abruptly, making Travis cock his head to the side. "You alright?" He asks.
Sal nods, taking off his sweater and fixing his hair, sweat beading down his temple. "Sorry, the warmth is getting to me a bit" he chuckles, getting off of Travis.
Travis looks away, a quiet 'mhm' just being able to be heard as he combs a hand through his own hair, focusing on the birdsong. "I get why you love this place so much," Sal mentions quietly.
"It reminds me of you, everything here does," Travis blurts out, half hiding his face in his hands.
Word count: 1145 words
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||The Secrets We Keep|| - Salvis
الخوارقTravis had shown up on Sals doorstep, beaten and bruised. Sal assumed that travis had just been in an abusive household, but after Travis shows him the abandoned section behind the church as a warning and he starts to find odd things happening to an...
