Elven Love (SAA Book 1) ✔

Part Eighteen

Clayton didn't know how to feel. It was sudden, even through the multiple days it took to pry it out of the elf. His chest hurt from seeing the boy cry like this. The sheer pain and hurt oozing from his expression, all the way to his broken sobs and tears that ran fast down his cheeks. Clayton ached to reach out and hug him; to tell him it would be okay, but for some reason he was tortured into keeping still and watched the boy break down.

With one last apology, Oren stood up with wobbly legs and scampered off, gently shutting the door behind himself as the stairs were heard creaking under his weight. Clayton was left alone with a sting in his chest. He stood up, intending to chase after the elf. Then, he paused. He probably wanted to be alone.. which was a scary thought for Clayton.

Instead of tailing after the boy, he turned right down the hallway and entered his mother's bedroom. She was laying in bed, pajamas's already on as she looked to be falling asleep. "Sorry for barging in like this, but... I-I.. I'm so confused. Mom, Oren likes me."

She suddenly bolted up and her once droopy eyes widened. As she gave her son an expectant stare, Clayton explained further. "Oren just confessed.. and-- and I denied him because I.. I don't think I'm gay. I don't like boys, b-but.. for some damn reason he just.. gets to me." Clayton explained, sitting down on his mother's bed with a sigh.

"Honey, listen to me for a second and calm down. What makes him different than most boys?" she asked, now tilting a head his way.

"He's an elf, can literally make plants appear out of thin air, has white hair-"

"That's not what I mean, sweetheart. How does he act different than most boys?"

Clayton paused. "Oh." He was drawn to silence for a moment as his mother nestled back down into her previous laying position.

"He's.. I don't know, a little jumpy. With every small word or touch, he makes an exaggerated reaction... Or maybe that's just saying he's really sensitive. He's determined too. Most boys don't have that nowadays." he mused for a moment.

"Oren's... more innocent than most boys, I guess. I've never heard him swear, and he's really considerate of other people's feelings." Clayton explained, thinking back to when they first met. "He used to be super chill with anything. Nothing made him budge. Right after I accepted him into my life, he.. I guess he animated. He looked happy and he expressed new emotions." Ava nodded to everything he said.

"Now you can talk about his appearance. What can you say about that?" Ava asked, pressing her cheek to her hand as she listened intently.

"People back at school were making fun of him for it, calling him a sheep, or gifted for the white hair and troll for the way he turns green when embarrassed. I can tell he's been self conscious about his ears too. But, I think that's just him. I think they're really cute, I mean, they twitch and move a lot. Like a puppy's tail. His eyes are expressive too. His nose is really freckly and lips..."

He trailed off. Oren's lips are something else, really. They always look soft and they're painted a faded shade of pink, complimenting his pale face. They're not plump nor flat. They're just.. lips. But those lips belong to Oren, who's undoubtedly attractive. He makes Clayton want to draw him everywhere and protect him from anything bad.

"Oh my God," muttered Clayton, "I have crush on an elf."

»»---------««

The tears kept falling. Oren was huddled up in the magnolia tree in their backyard, sniffling softly in his own silence. He thought it was impossible for his feelings to be accepted. He'd been planning to tell him for days now and what was it all for? Rejection. Oren curled in on himself, hugging his knees tightly as branches cradled his form.

The sound of nearby birds filled his flushed ears, to which his body went limp at the sweet sound. The singsong of their calls were like a string of pearls, calming the elf as he embraced the natural side of him. He looked down at his palm and waited. A fuzzy green plant erupted from under his skin, winding upwards as it swayed in the soft wind. Oren sighed as the plant reached up to brush over his tear-stained cheeks.

Hopelessly, Oren lolled his head against a thick branch that protruded from high above. It felt like they'd taken five giant steps back from where they used to be. He felt like he was already back at square one. Somewhere between his melancholy, the sky grew dim and the thick scent of upcoming rain filled the air. The underside of the leaves began to show as the wind swept them up with vigor.

Then, the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting the road sounded as the house's wind chimes jingled ominously in the wind. With a solemn pat against the bark of the tree, Oren climbed higher in the flurry of thinning branches. There was only one thick branch that supported his weight, and with some silent concentration, Oren extended the branch so he could rest his back against it.

He used his inhuman ability to plant more leaves and branches that stemmed from the initial branch to make what looked to be a cot that cradled his body. The rain and wind stilled momentarily before the harsh downpour began.

The rain slipped between cracks in the leaves and dampened his hair, so he rubbed his hands against the tree to grow a thick splitting branch that slimmed into a large leaf. The green leaf was fuzzy and thick enough to shield him from the rain, almost substituting for a blanket.

He hugged his knees and rested his head against his folded arms, sulking in his own silence as the rain flooded his ears. His eyes ached from the shock of so many tears and his eyelids were painfully heavy. Although his heart hurt, he was able to slowly repair it as he wallowed in the leaves. He was high up, and couldn't be spotted unless someone climbed as he did. It was quiet, safe and he was tired.

So, with a final sigh, Oren slacked and rested against the cage of thick winding branches. His eyes fell to a close, and he soon fell to slumber. Meanwhile, Clayton was frantically searching for him.

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Thanks for reading Part Eighteen!