Notes: This story features characters from an original story of mine that I’m currently working on, so please, please, please give me feedback so that I know what to change for my other one.

It’s also my first original fic.

Disclaimer: MINE ALL MINE MWAHAHAHAHA! (It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to say that, so I’m kinda excited.

Gone

"You’re leaving, aren’t you?"

The voice jolted Aryn out of his contemplation of his half-packed bags, and he turned to face the speaker.

Kian leant against the doorframe, dressed in his simple scouts clothing, blond hair falling about his shoulders. His face was for once completely unguarded, and Aryn knew that he had caused the hurt he could see in Kian’s eyes.

His knees felt suddenly weak and he sat down suddenly on the edge of his bed, head sinking to rest on his hands.

"I have to." He whispered, voice feeble even to his own ears.

"Have to?" Kian’s lilting voice was suddenly mocking. "You have no choice in the matter? You are being forced to leave?"

Aryn tugged at a strand of his black hair and regarded Kian stonily. "What do you think will happen if I stay here, Ki? It’ll be best for everyone if I just leave?"

"Best for everyone?" Kian was across the room and standing in front of Aryn in three strides. Grabbing the other elf by his shoulders, Kian pulled him up so that they were standing eye to ey. "How would it be best for everyone if you left?"

Aryn turned his head away so that he didn’t have to look into Kian’s blazing green eyes and shrugged. "Look at me, Ki. I’m a constant reminder of everything wrong, everything that the elves stand against. How could it possibly be best if I stayed?"

Ki turned Aryn’s head back so that he was facing him again and studying his face intently. Aryn knew what he was seeing. Black hair where the other elves had blond. The depthless black eyes that were expected in the face of a demon, not the face of the Elven Crown Prince. He opened his mouth and smiled bitterly so that Kian could see his sharply pointed canines, another feature that he shared with the demons.

Kian tightened his hold on Aryn’s shoulders. "You’re the Crown Prince Aryn, no matter what you look like you’re needed here. Just because a nasty run-in left you looking slightly less elf-like than you should, it doesn’t mean that you should abandon your race."

"I look like a demon!" Aryn cried out harshly. "I may not actually be one but I still look it. Nobody’s going to try and see past my exterior, they’ll all be too busy either running away or plotting how to go about getting rid of me. No elf wants a demon for their prince."

"But you’re not a demon." Kian protseted.

"Nobody’s going to care that I’m not Ki, they’re not going to want to." He sighed softly and unconsciously moved closer to Kian so that their bodies were scant millimetres apart. "Eyan can become heir, the elves love him."

"But he’s not you." Kian stated, removing his arms from Aryn’s shoulders and wrapping them around his body intstead. "What am I supposed to do when you’re gone?"

Aryn shrugged again. "The same things you always do: Scout, gaze into mirrors-"

"I do not gaze into mirrors!" Kian interrupted.

Aryn continued on as if Kian hadn’t said anything. "-eat, sleep, seduce lovely elf maidens. You’ll be fine."

"Aryn, I don’t want to seduce lovely elf maidens." Kian said, tightening his hold on Aryn. "Can’t you understand that? I am not going to forgive you if you leave me. You’re my best friend and I’m not going to let you go."

"You’re going to have to Ki." Aryn told him. "I’m not staying here."

"I know." Kian muttered, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them Aryn thought that he might cry. "There’s just one problem with it."

"What?"

Kian bit his lip and smiled almost sheepishly at Aryn. "I love you too much to want to let you go."

"Don’t you dare." Aryn whispered.

"Why not?" Kian replied looking hurt.

"I’m leaving Ki, you can’t tell me this now. We’ll probably never see each other again. Why are you telling me this now of all times?"

"Because you’re leaving and this is probably my last chance." He smiled slightly. "Besides, this way rejection won’t be so bad."

Aryn shook his head, black hair swinging. "Who said anything about rejection?" he kissed Kian lightly on the lips, then pulled away and sank down onto his bed again. "I’m still not staying, Ki."

Kian smiled sadly. "I know." He sank down onto the bed beside Aryn and turned the other elf’s face towards him. Aryn’s black eyes seemed impossibly deep and Kian shivered involuntarily. Aryn looked hurt and tried to pull away, but Kian stopped him, placing a kiss on Aryn’s unresisting, but also unresponding, lips.

Kian growled in frustration and pulled away.

"Dammit Aryn, this could be the last time that I ever see you, you could at least make it worth my while." He smiled slightly to let Aryn know that he didn’t mean the words as harshly as they must surely sound.

Aryn smiled back, then lay down on his bed, pulling Kian with him.

"Then let’s make this a night to remember."

Kian woke the next morning alone in Aryn’s bed. Looking around the room, he saw that Aryn’s packs were already gone, the other elf had left without waking him.

Sitting up, he moved to brush his hair away from his face, and noticed that tied around his wrist was a thin plait of ebony black hair.

fin