It takes until the third night since Lloyd's return to the manor for Zelos not to bother opening his bedroom window anymore.
Because, honestly, he's tired. Tired and hurt enough to be offended, caught in his own frustration like a man caged. The past three days have been an exercise in pain and longing for something that no longer exists, and Zelos has had enough of waiting every night with his window open and trying to get Lloyd's attention only to completely fail every single time to keep doing this to himself; because clearly, Lloyd doesn't want anything to do with him anymore, so Zelos should stop putting himself through this one-sided chase and accept life as it is already. Lloyd's already given up on him, anyway. He barely puts up a fight to meet Zelos halfway anymore, doesn't slip him notes in their secret spots around the manor. This was all clearly bound to happen eventually, anyway.
It's fine. It'll be fine. This is the way it's all supposed to be.
It was stupid to think that they could fight against the way of the world in the first place. Stupid, and deeply childish.
Everyone has to grow up eventually.
Zelos sighs.
Lord Wilder sits by his desk under cover of the candlelight, pausing in his writing. On the desk is a journal he's been keeping for the past three years or so, though usually remembering to write in it is a rarity as the days continue to blend together in their boring mindlessness. Nothing to report, nothing to remember. But now, now Zelos pours his thoughts into it before bed, venting, and tries to ignore the way the eerie lack of a nighttime spring breeze unnerves him. He takes a deep breath. Lloyd doesn't even meet his gaze when they pass each other in hallways, doesn't frequent anywhere he knows Zelos does, so there's just... no point. Zelos needs to stop pulling and let all of this go before it gets any worse.
The window is just the final nail in the coffin. He has to leave it closed.
It's over.
With that thought in mind Zelos picks up the pen again, determined to lock up any stray thoughts and feelings within the pages of the journal, only to stop again when he hears the little knock.
Huh. What?
Zelos blinks.
He waits another few seconds in his confusion, looking around, and sure enough the knocking sound returns, loud in the emptiness of the fancy room--somewhere from his right, over where the window is. It sounds like... pebbles on glass. Zelos tightens his grip on his pen. The sound sends his heart leaping and the lord knocks it back down immediately, because-- that doesn't mean anything. It could be anything out there, like raindrops, or hail. Spring showers aren't common, but they're a thing that happens anyway, yeah? Or it's a stupid bird doing the night rounds in the garden or, or, or anything other than--
Another rock hits the glass, and Zelos abruptly gets out of his seat and walks over to the window. The way a single, little sound is getting in his nerves is just absurd. There's nothing out there. Zelos just needs to see that it's nothing other than stupid rain or a bird to lay this whole fucking thing to rest, so he opens the window and sticks his head out, searching the skies, then below--
His mouth dries the second he makes eye contact with a familiar figure in the dark, and he grips the frame like a lifeline as his heart pounds. That's-- that's definitely not a bird, huh. So, licking dry lips, Zelos breathes out as quiet a call as he can from above:
no subject
Because, honestly, he's tired. Tired and hurt enough to be offended, caught in his own frustration like a man caged. The past three days have been an exercise in pain and longing for something that no longer exists, and Zelos has had enough of waiting every night with his window open and trying to get Lloyd's attention only to completely fail every single time to keep doing this to himself; because clearly, Lloyd doesn't want anything to do with him anymore, so Zelos should stop putting himself through this one-sided chase and accept life as it is already. Lloyd's already given up on him, anyway. He barely puts up a fight to meet Zelos halfway anymore, doesn't slip him notes in their secret spots around the manor. This was all clearly bound to happen eventually, anyway.
It's fine. It'll be fine. This is the way it's all supposed to be.
It was stupid to think that they could fight against the way of the world in the first place. Stupid, and deeply childish.
Everyone has to grow up eventually.
Zelos sighs.
Lord Wilder sits by his desk under cover of the candlelight, pausing in his writing. On the desk is a journal he's been keeping for the past three years or so, though usually remembering to write in it is a rarity as the days continue to blend together in their boring mindlessness. Nothing to report, nothing to remember. But now, now Zelos pours his thoughts into it before bed, venting, and tries to ignore the way the eerie lack of a nighttime spring breeze unnerves him. He takes a deep breath. Lloyd doesn't even meet his gaze when they pass each other in hallways, doesn't frequent anywhere he knows Zelos does, so there's just... no point. Zelos needs to stop pulling and let all of this go before it gets any worse.
The window is just the final nail in the coffin. He has to leave it closed.
It's over.
With that thought in mind Zelos picks up the pen again, determined to lock up any stray thoughts and feelings within the pages of the journal, only to stop again when he hears the little knock.
Huh. What?
Zelos blinks.
He waits another few seconds in his confusion, looking around, and sure enough the knocking sound returns, loud in the emptiness of the fancy room--somewhere from his right, over where the window is. It sounds like... pebbles on glass. Zelos tightens his grip on his pen. The sound sends his heart leaping and the lord knocks it back down immediately, because-- that doesn't mean anything. It could be anything out there, like raindrops, or hail. Spring showers aren't common, but they're a thing that happens anyway, yeah? Or it's a stupid bird doing the night rounds in the garden or, or, or anything other than--
Another rock hits the glass, and Zelos abruptly gets out of his seat and walks over to the window. The way a single, little sound is getting in his nerves is just absurd. There's nothing out there. Zelos just needs to see that it's nothing other than stupid rain or a bird to lay this whole fucking thing to rest, so he opens the window and sticks his head out, searching the skies, then below--
His mouth dries the second he makes eye contact with a familiar figure in the dark, and he grips the frame like a lifeline as his heart pounds. That's-- that's definitely not a bird, huh. So, licking dry lips, Zelos breathes out as quiet a call as he can from above:
"What are you doing?"