Ragman/Sinz

Sinz, a rebellious youth with a man's voice and jaw, stood alone on the beach, gazing over the teal water with his resolute aquamarine windows to his soul. His teal hair rustled lightly in the ocean breeze. He tried to keep still despite his impatient excitement as he hummed "Iris" to himself. He wore a turquoise shirt that left his milky arms bare and a pair of royal blue jeans that showed off the shape of his body. His cobalt coiffure brushed against his earlobes, complementing his fiery milky visage. A prominent scar stood out on his alabaster skin. Beautiful wings sprouted from his back.

His thoughts wandered to his days in Ragman's company. It all started when he found himself in mortal danger. He truly feared that his life would end that day, but Ragman was his unexpected savior. From then on, they were inseparable. They shared every part of their life with each other. That was how it was to this very day.

Sinz's azure spheres spotted Ragman further down on the beach, closer to the roaring sea. His lovely hair rippled behind him in a coffee wave. His globes were turned toward the ocean, hidden from Sinz's sight, but he knew and loved their delicate light brown hue. He was dressed in that exotic fashion in which he was most comfortable. He had a generously curvaceous healthily color-touched pale form. A symbol marked his skin. As Sinz drew nearer, he caught a note of Ragman's familiar scent of lingering iron and steel. He smiled to himself. It always reminded him of the time they shared. "Rags," he called, walking towards him.

He jumped a bit before turning around, smiling shyly. "Oh, mighty memelord! I-It's nice to see you."

Sinz smirked. "Good to see you. C'mon." They began their leisurely walk along the ocean's edge.

"So," Sinz began, "how've you been lately? Anyone giving you trouble?"

"Oh, n-no," Ragman stammered, "not at all, Sinz. Everything's been going well, and, um...." He blushed. "I missed you... that's all."

Sinz let his hand fall across Ragman's back, muttering quickly as if almost embarrassed, "Yeah, I missed you too." Ragman was silent in response, only leaning toward Sinz's warmth. "You're a good person. You know?"

"Why do you say that all of a sudden...?" he murmured. "I'm not that especially good."

"I figured you should know." Sinz glanced at him before placing his hands behind his head. "Hanging out with a rascal like me hasn't changed you a bit."

"You shouldn't say that about yourself," Ragman whispered. "You're not a rascal. Just strong of spirit."

Sinz laughed at himself and looked up into the sky, dropping his arms and thinking about all the things that had been said of him, and the simple feeling that he was corrupting something pure whenever he hung around Ragman. "Not really. But if you say so."

Ragman slipped his soft hand into his. With a little smile, he stated, "You're so good to me, Sinz. I can never tell you enough how much you mean to me." Sinz held his hand and thought to himself that that was enough -- that if he meant something good to this one person, nothing the rest of the world said mattered.

After a few moments, they found themselves walking down the beach again. Something was bothering Sinz, although Sinz didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to burden Ragman with it anyway -- he was supposed to be the stronger one! Still, his strange existence wouldn't leave him alone.

All the same, Ragman seemed to notice. He looked at Sinz cautiously for a moment before murmuring, "Sinz? Is... something wrong?"

"Ragman... it's..."

And at that moment everything came together, all of the magic and the hurt that had been building that day, and he locked his windows to his soul with his and whispered, "You can tell me."

It was like a floodgate burst, or some barrier of fear had been struck down. Sinz shook his head and everything came out at once. "I don't... I don't even know how to tell you this, heh. I'm not... I'm not alive in the way you are. Ragman... I fear you might not understand. My existence itself is so different from others who walk this world! When I imagine that you could think differently of me... it burns."

Ragman listened silently and solemnly. At last, when all the words had left Sinz and he was at a loss for words, Ragman reached out to him and took a deep breath to whisper back, "Sinz... I... I don't know what it's like, to live with your strange existence... but... I'm sorry, Sinz. I wish... I wish I could help." Sinz's eyes began to burn, and he abruptly pulled Ragman into a fierce embrace. Ragman's orbs widened at first, but then he too felt overwhelmed by emotion and succumbed to the warmth of Sinz's touch.

"You," Sinz whispered, his breath hot on Ragman's ear. "As long as you're here, I'll be all right."

"Sinz..." Ragman laid a hand on Sinz's shoulder, pushing him lightly so that they parted enough to look each other in the eye. "The truth is, I... feel the same way about you."

Sinz tilted his head forward, pressing their foreheads together, and whispered, "What is it, Ragman? Have you... been in pain, too?"

"Sinz, it's..." Ragman took a shuddering breath and whispered, "I don't know if I can put it into words. I... lately... it might not even be just lately.... It's nothing. It's nothing! Sinz, I... it hurts, Sinz... there's nothing that helps. Except that... sometimes, I feel a bit better when you're by my side...."

Sinz placed his hands on Ragman's cheeks, stroking his cheekbone as he soothed, "Ragman... it's terrible that that happened to you. Ragman, I just want you to remember, I love you." They held each other as tears trickled down cheeks and dripped onto the shifting sands to be carried away into the sea. With time and soothing embraces, their pain dissipated into a mist swept out by the ocean breeze and into the setting sun.

They basked in each other's quiet companionship for a few moments.

"The sunset is so beautiful, isn't it?"

Sinz lifted his head at Ragman's words to behold the dying sun's French vermillion radiance. "It's nice."

After a moment of silence, Ragman asked, "Do you think we'll be together forever?"

"I think we'll be forever," Sinz murmured in response.

"I would like that, mighty memelord. Let's be together forever, then." Ragman clutched Sinz's hand and sidled closer.

Sinz sighed with contentment and brought Ragman closer. He gazed at the beautiful caramel rays of the falling sun, thinking about everything that had transpired on this day and all that would pass between them.

"I love you, Ragman."

"I love you too, Sinz."

Their lips met, and royal blue strands met bronze ones, aflame in the dying light. The sand was their witness and the rumbling ocean their approving audience, and Ragman, his eternally faithful lover. Sinz thought to himself that nothing could be more perfect in the world.

FIN