Tears of a Flower Boy

"Are you crying?"

Archer didn't respond to Red's question. He had actually resigned to the idea that no matter what he brings up or say, Red wouldn't be responding to him and would just continue to act like he was just a ghost pestering her whom did not merit acknowledgement.

He shied away from her as she pored over his face which he tried so hard to cover in embarrassment.

"Don't be such a baby come on and show me your face." She spoke again as she pried his hands off.

He couldn't believe that a girl could actually make him shed a tear. He has had countless past relationships before and he never even as much as give a fuck when things didn't go his way. He was actually even happy.

Girls and their dramas are way too much responsibility for a derelict like him.

"Why are you being like this?" she slapped his biceps since she can't access his face, "You are being difficult, man-child!"

He fought the urge to be sarcastic, and miserably failed as his mouth immediately shot back,

"You are being difficult as well tiny dragon lady! Pretending I don't exist at all for hours, disregarding my numerous attempts to apologize both in words and actions."

Red's eyes widened as she had never heard Archer shout back at her.

Not once did he ever raise his voice even when she had shrieked her lungs out in annoyance when she was annoyed by him.

What made the difference now?

Was it something she said that ticked him off?

Silence dropped like a bomb between them and they spent more than just a few minutes staring at blank space of the afternoon's gray-blues, both flustered on what they should say to each other that won't start another fight.

The fire flickered and shadows frolicked all around them. The sound of waves crashing on the shore drummed ceaselessly, creating a beautiful melody of calmness in disparity to their raging internal storms.

Red noticed Archer slowly shifting and with a huff, he plopped down the sandy beaches and sprawled like a dead man watching the sea fading into the horizon. The skies were dreamy and magical as golden smudges blended in the mauve hue of the dusk.

She followed suit and lain beside him, looking up to see stars slowly peeking from the clouds that gently passed by, their heads a few inches apart.

"I'm truly sorry Red." He murmured under his breath Red almost missed it. "I'm sorry I am not Ari."

She couldn't understand what was happening to them. She suddenly realized that in her attempt to punish Archer, they have forgotten that someone was actually missing and deserved their attention more.

How childish they were to have thought only of themselves where Ari was nowhere to be found. But why is Archer saying sorry that he isn't Ari?

'Gurl, did you forget what you said to him when you berated like a crazy lady a while ago?' her left brain said. She decided to name her Leah.

Coz why not?

'No, what did I say again?' she asked herself.

'Siz, you compared him to his brother remember?' the right brain spoke. Rhea will be her name.

'Was that wrong?'

'Bish, you need to ask him yourself. We are, after all, just only a figment of your imagination. If you don't know, how should we?' she didn't know which side of her brain said that. Probably Leah, she is much more of a bitch than Rhea was.

"Why?" she suddenly said catching Archer off guard.

Archer made a deep sigh, uncovering his face, he stared blanky at the skies. They have turned into a purplish-cobalt – just the right color for his melancholic heart. Red noticed he had tears staining his cheeks.

How much of a blow did her words dig into him? She struggled to hold her impulse to wipe the tears stain off his pretty face.

"I'd answer your query, but first, do you accept my apology?" he asked her, his tone was inquisitive and had a hint of yearning.

"I'd answer your question, but first, do you promise to stop being such a dick?" she shot back at him. Dang it, her sassy mouth just can't keep to herself.

"You are one smart-aleck." He chuckled so lightly, "I'd say that I'll have to resign to that request of yours. For now."

"Then I accept your apology. For now." she answered him. Red observed how he smiled at her comeback and thought maybe she could be very much comfortable with just this light hearted version of him.

Red couldn't stand her curiosity any longer, "Why did you apologize for being not Ari?"

When she spoke those words, the smile from Archer's face faded and he suddenly sat upright to gaze at the vast horizon in front of him. Red followed his gaze, deciding to keep her attention away from his face.

There was a long pause before she heard him clear his throat, trying to hold back another wave of the blues.

"Tell me Red, what do you think of Ari?" he suddenly asked her. What does he mean by that?

"I think he is sweet and kind. And is pretty mature unlike you." She said without holding back.

"Ouch you hurt my feelings future queen! although, you are very much correct with that. Ari is after all a bright guy."

"I guess Ari never mentioned this to you when he had his turn with your fighting lessons." He continued. "I wasn't born with magic in me Red."

He turned to look her in the eyes and she could see the sadness underneath his charming smile.

"I was the runt of the Elfen race, the black sheep of the Squall family." He added. "Our household for generations has always been blessed with the magic of the wind. Something about our ancestors being favored by the Wind Spirit blah blah."

"Where Ari manifested his affinity to wind when he was just days old, I guess that would be a year more or less in human timeline, I on the other hand couldn't lift a single feather even in my 'teenage' years."

Red couldn't believe Archer's revelations to her. And damn, how old are they really? Ari did mention they were older than they look, only she didn't know by how much. Time after all, flowed differently in the kingdom of Faeys.

"I had to work hard on my own to learn all the magic I could but it was never enough compared to Ari's natural gift."

He bent his knees and hugged them, resting his chin above his knee cap and tilted his head so he could face Red. He looked so young and handsome.

"So, you see Red, you really stabbed my heart when you said those words of yours. It hurt more than your physical blows."

"I'm sorry I am not Ari, Red."