Cedric flew above Sorden, his blue aura camouflaged him in the boundless stretch of the azure sky. Purple vlex birds with white tails longer than their bodies flapped beside him, no doubt feeling the presence of something, but not seeing it.
He looked down at the concrete and glass jungle sparkling in the afternoon sunshine. The animals bustled through the lines of the City, carrying their cacophony of noise through the air.
Cedric thought of a world unpopulated by humans, and he automatically smiled. What blessing for Mother Earth. But without humans, how would he have gained a loving brother, his first lover and the potential affection simmering inside him for a certain someone?
All he wanted to do was express himself to him, but every time felt like the wrong time, or too fast. Shouldn’t he put his feelings under a microscope? To examine if this heart-racing exuberance is real?
Cedric shook his head, overthinking wouldn’t help. Sometimes, the truest feelings are the simplest ones. And he simply liked him… a lot. Maybe too much?
He shook his head again.
No. Overthinking.
Then spotted the single herkit tree in the grass plain dancing in the wind’s chorus. The blue fruits shimmered like disco balls and speak of the devil… that certain someone laid under it, cross legged and pensive.
His white sandals were neatly placed beside the tree and his light blue shirt billowed in the breeze. Beautiful brown skin had this glimmer to it, as if the boy oiled his arms and legs, exposed by the short white pants he wore.
His gray hair, on the other hand, was a flappy mess in the wind. Cedric smiled at the boy and dived, levitating in front of him.
Fallon saw ghostly black combat boots before him and looked up. The sun shone through Cedric’s translucent body, but it dimmed, allowing Fallon to gaze at the defined jaw line, a warm smile, the glean his brown eyes, and tussled brown hair.
“Have you seen a guy around here?” Cedric said.
“He’s almost my height, quiet, funny, an amazing friend and…” He bent down, their noses an inch apart. “really beautiful.”
“Uh… I…” Fallon looked like he saw a ghost.
“I did.” He glanced away, then back into Cedric’s eyes, playing along. “He was waiting for this adorable guy, very sweet, protective and compassionate.”
“Oh? Hmmm, sounds familiar. Is it me?” He grinned.
“Duh, dumbo.”
Cedric chuckled and sat cross legged next to him. “You beat me to it. I thought coming to the tree was my thing.”
“Wh-why can’t it be ours?” Fallon shifted from left to right, too embarrassed to look at Cedric. “I mean… only if you want it to be!”
He waved his hands frantically in his face and Cedric tried to hold them, but it went straight through, sending a chill in his fingers.
“I’m sorry.” The ghost said. “I forgot.”
Fallon shook his head, placing his hands on the grass for support. “It’s okay. If the chill is the only feeling I’ll get of holding your hand… then make them the arctic tundra.”
He still didn’t look at Cedric. Where was he coming up with all of these embarrassing things? He scolded himself every time he said something corny, and later on, he would scold himself again.
Cedric said nothing and his quiet tortured Fallon. Over and over he would admonish himself for crushing the light atmosphere with a boulder of malaise.
Fuck.
What should he say now? Think of anything!
“You-“
Before Fallon could hazard a conversation, Cedric placed his hand through Fallon’s, taking his suggestion. On the grass, Fallon’s right hand was sequestered in the cold on Cedric’s ghostly touch. And he liked it.
“I can feel something.” Cedric said. “It’s not flesh… or heat, it’s the presence of a soft force wrapped in my hand.”
“I feel something too.” Fallon choked out.
He swallowed, breathing slowly to control his heart rate before it smashed the cage of his ribs. He wanted to say it, to be honest and understand what was blossoming between him and Cedric.
Of course he feared rejection, but it was better than waiting for months – or years in someone’s case – to say something.
“Cedric…” He turned his body, hand still isolated in the cold. “I ummm…” He shut his eyes so tight the wrinkles were long as whiskers.
What if he rejects him? What if it was just a ploy to help Fallon get over Henry? Was he even over Henry? Of course not. Why do this now?
No.
He shouldn’t.
This was a terrible idea.
His arms trembled from the weight of fear grinding his shoulders, and Cedric passed his other hand through it, grabbing his attention when he opened his eyes.
“It’s okay Fallon. Don’t be afraid. It’s just me and you.”
He stopped breathing for a second, releasing the held breath like a weighted sigh. It was now or… well he couldn’t really say never. Cedric wasn’t alive. So it’s now or, forever be struck in a fearful world. He wasn’t going to let years go by before telling someone how he felt.
Not again.
“I like you, Cedric. When we had our first heart to heart conversation, it was so natural. As if we were supposed to be friends years ago, but the world separated us and we found each other again. Ugh. There I go again, being corny.”
“You don’t have to worry about being corny. It’s so adorable on you Fal.”
He chuckled, then sighed. “I just feel like I can be the awkward me that I am... and you’ll wait for me to catch up. You’re so troublesome and playful it makes me laugh and smile like it’s my first time in months. I’ll say it again because…” Here comes another corny line, but he didn’t hold back. “liking you puts me in a whole new world I love.”
Cedric’s smile quivered and his choked up words burst out his throat. “I like you too.” He blurted. “I’ve been wanting to tell you since I realized it but… well a lot of things held me back. The obvious being I’m dead.”
“You’re alive in my heart.”
This time, Fallon looked at him square in the eyes.
No fear… well maybe a little… six out of ten.
“That was the sweetest thing ever! God I wish I could hug you!”
“Me too.” Fallon chuckled. “But… even if you’re not alive, you still have a heart gushing with love. And I don’t want to hurt that tender heart.”
“How are you gonna hu-“ Cedric paused, realization crashing into him like a wave on rocks. “Henry.”
“Yeah. I like you. A lot. But I sadly still love Henry. I can’t just shut it down; I wish I could.”
“But love doesn’t work that way.”
“No.”
Cedric closed his eyes and sighed.
What could he do about it? Nevermind the boy he liked loving someone else, what could he do about him being a ghost and Fallon being human? He knew the three ways to resurrect someone, everyone did.
But neither of them was likely to happen to him. All just wishful thinking.
However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t relish in his new found feelings in the meantime. His smile turned into a grin and he floated in front of Fallon.
“Well don’t you worry! That just means I get to steal your heart. Henry has no idea what he’s missing out on, and I hope he keeps missing it. Fallon Quinn, I’m gonna steal your heart!” He punched the air and a gust of wind followed.
Laughter spewed out Fallon at Cedric’s comical antics, one of the reasons he liked him in the first place.
As conflicting and frustrating as it was to endure such heavy feelings for Henry, Fallon barely thought about him when he was with Cedric. One progressive step at a time, he had no doubt Cedric could steal his heart.
But not just steal it, but polish and care it too. Just as he would do for him, never wanting to leave his side like Jeremy Day, his first love, did.
Fallon searched his pocket for a marker and popped the cap, writing on the tree truck in curly calligraphy.
“What’cha writing?” Cedric asked.
“It’s our tree now.” He said.
Cedric read what he wrote and an even bigger smile broke out on his face. He didn’t care anymore, he flew through Fallon multiple times in the only hug-like way he could, sending chills throughout his body and tickling him.
“Hey, hey!” Fallon laughed, curling on the ground. “Stop! It tickles!”
On the bark in a rigid heart, the words ‘Faldric’s Tree’ was written in whatever skilled calligraphy he could make on it.
This was the startling beginning of something fresh, a territory uncharted, for both of them.
A ghost and a human?
It’s simply unheard of.
But they were going to find a way together, for love always finds a way.