aww yayy thank you :")

Liam was unlike any I knew. He was naturally popular because he was attractive, athletic and intelligent. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking but when I saw Liam surrounded by the throngs of people like moths swarming around a light, I got the sense that he was all alone. Like me.

Although I was curious about him, I wasn’t about to elbow my way through the crowd only to wave my hands in front of a wall. Because that’s what he had built up. A Great Wall of China between him and everyone else.

Lunch time was a haven for those who have their own gang. A nightmare for someone like me, scarred and unable to open up for fear of being hurt again. I used to try to find an empty seat in the cafeteria and scarf my lunch with my head down, but I was rewarded with stomach pain for my efforts. So I switched to skipping lunch. Practicing piano was my excuse. It wasn’t really practicing, since I never learned to properly play. But tinker around on the black and white keys enough, and you’ll find your way around them.

I loved to let my mind go, let my fingers have a will of their own and see what sweet and sorrowful tune emerged. Mid song, the untouched sheet music I couldn't read flew off the stand and onto my chest. I froze. Was I so in the zone that I accidentally activated my powers? No, that can’t be right. It’s day time. Also I’m indoors. I whipped my head back and saw Liam towering behind me.

“Sorry,” he turned to leave.

My hand snagged the edge of his teal polo. Shit what did I do that for? I let go, but Liam had already turned back in surprise.

I cleared my throat. “Umm you can listen if you want. Or did you want to play?” I quickly got up from the bench, offering him my seat.“I don’t know how.” Liam seemed hesitant. Vulnerable. Like the walls he puts up at all times seemed to be lowered for some reason. Why here? Why now? I just knew I needed to jump on this opportunity.

With almost out of character confidence, I scooted to the edge of the bench and patted beside me, inviting him over with a smile like it was the most natural thing. “I don’t know either, but these keys sound good together.” I explained as I showed him what keys to press. I folded and tucked the fluttering sheet music into my jacket, as if I was guarding against the wind. The hum of the sheets soothed my soul, reassuring me that I wasn’t alone.

After that Liam often came to play piano with me during lunch time. He had a good ear, and in no time was producing melodies of his own. I would add a counter melody, or some supporting arpeggios. Whenever the music we produced was particularly in sync and captivating, we would grin at each other, and I would be lost in his brilliant smile. A smile of pure bliss opposite of the mere curving of his lips that he showed others.

Even when he wasn’t revealing his brilliant smile, I could tell he was happy because the pages in my jacket would vibrate like a cat’s purr when he was near. And my heart would thump happily beside it.

I liked him. Maybe… he liked me back.

Except outside of our 1:1 time in the piano room, he would avoid me. At first I thought he just hadn’t seen me. But there couldn’t be so many coincidences. It hurt. But I guess this was reality. I was a loner afterall. And he was the most popular kid, mobs of girls and boys chasing after him in admiration. I was delusional to think he’d like me.

I stopped going to the piano room. I didn’t go to the cafeteria either. I hid on the roof. What was wrong with me? I was pathetic. I should at least talk to him about this. All I know how to do is run from my problems.

I thought back to middle school. When I’d accidentally kissed my best friend who I’d secretly been crushing on for ages. It was a disaster. He’d been horrified calling me a fucking homosexual while venting with his kicks. His cleats had rendered me bloody and in a panic I’d lashed out and given him a concussion. That’s how I found out I was star-fated. One of the .1% of the population that had telekinetic powers under the light of the stars. Afterwards rumors of me being a violent gay spread throughout school and made my life a living hell. I couldn’t even defend myself because if the government found out I was star-fated I’d be taken away. Made into an emotionless human weapon.

I’d broken down. Fallen apart. So traumatized from social situations that I’d rather jump off a building than go back to school. I felt bad, but Mom gave up her tenured job to move to a new city and give me a new lease on life. And here I was being a coward and hiding on the roof just because the most popular guy in school wasn’t saying hi to me.

The door opened. It was Liam.

“I finally found you!” He smiled, and I felt a strong wind push me towards him.

“Go away.” I turned back to look at the view, but from the corner of my eyes, saw his hurt expression, and paused. Even when the school bullies had ganged up on him or the teacher had scolded him, he hadn’t revealed such a vulnerable expression. Only to me. I immediately regretted what I said. Maybe I should let him talk.

I lunged for the door and grabbed it as Liam started to close it.

Liam’s eyes opened wide in surprise at how close our faces were. Who knew whether it was him or me, but his face loomed even closer. Suddenly his lips were on mine. He pulled me, or maybe it was the wind, but I was on top of him and we were making out in the stairwell. My mind was a mess. My grip on rationality faltered and I let myself drown in the kiss that made even my toes tingle.

When our lips finally parted, gasping for air, I pushed out the question that had made me so insecure. “Why do you avoid me in public?”

Liam paused then gently untangled himself from me and placed me down beside him, carefully, as if I was fragile glass. He undid the watch on his left hand, revealing the star birthmark matching my own.

“I know,” I whispered.

Liam looked surprised.

“I have one too.”

Liam’s gaze swept over me, asking with his eyes where it was. I blushed and cast my eyes down. “I’ll show you another time.” I peeked up at him and saw understanding dawning his eyes, his ears blood red. I buried my face in his chest and he wrapped his long arms around me. The steady beating of his heart calmed me down enough to ask the question that had always lingered at the back of my mind. “I thought star-fated powers only work at night under the light of the stars. But you moved the sheet music during the day. And indoors.”

“And here I thought I’d hidden it so well.” Liam chuckled, his vibrating chest tickling my ear. “That’s because my star is the sun.”

It took me a moment to process his words. Then suddenly everything clicked. Why he put up walls. Why he only let them down when he was in an isolated room far from the rays of the sun. Why he had avoided me otherwise. He was trying to keep his emotions in check. Never let himself feel to never give others a clue that he could be star-fated. He was hiding in plain sight.

My heart hurt thinking about how hard it was for me carrying the weight of the fate of the stars, and how much harder it must’ve been for him to have to fight it every waking moment.

That night I snuck into his home. His room mirrored mine. No windows. The walls plastered with posters, art and lyrics. This was the only place he could completely let loose and feel. I spied sketches of me laughing, biting my lips in concentration, being silly as I played the piano and my heart sung. I didn’t even know I was capable of expressions like that.

I pulled him close, teased him.

He teased me back, and admired our matching birthmarks as he sent me to the heights of nirvana. Again and again.

totally understandable, and no worries at all (:

It's a really cool prompt!

ooh thanks I'll note that for next time! I tried to edit the title but looks like I can only edit the body!

Once upon a time, in a world of all-natural mages, there lived some who rebelled against the natural order of things. Rather than use plants and sunlight to heal and nurture, they used blood sacrifice to raise the dead and poison the living. These scalawags were known as dark mages and were hated and feared by all. One dark mage could conquer seventeen natural mages, however for every two thousand and thirty three natural mages, there was only half a dark mage. Dark mages lived in recluse, huddled in fear of being hunted, surrounded, and slaughtered by the all-naturals and their wimpy basil.

Luckily for the dark mages, or unluckily for the all-naturals, there was no way to tell a dark or natural apart. That is, aside from the hues of their magic. Pinching and prodding plants, soil and sun at all times infused all-natural magic with greens, browns and golds. Swirling blood and poison day in and out tainted dark magic with deep reds and violets. However as dark mages were few and far in between, many have only heard legends of the terrifying and captivating splendor of the twilight magic.

In a ramshackle cabin built on an island in the middle of the emerald bay, was an enchantingly gorgeous ragamuffin biblioklept who adored sneaking around town and swiping books. She was keenly interested in the art of beautifying her magic. For she was proud to be an all-natural, yet loathed the vile puke-green river sputtering from her fingertips. The visions of projectile vomit evoked nausea and queeze, so she tinkered and tampered, chasing the legend of the brilliant twilight hues.

Less than three moons passed before a gaggle of all-natural guardians gathered. The rumor of a dark mage hidden within this dingy town was a siren call, beckoning the proud and self-important from far and wide. Their hunt led them to a creepy, creaky cabin, surrounded by a moat of hazardous rapids - unmistakably the hideout of a ghastly dark mage. But when they surrounded and infiltrated, ready to deliver the killing blow, they found a dazzling young maiden canoodling her roses, violets and pansies. From her fingertips poured brilliant hues of reds and violets which shimmered and shined, nurturing and healing all. The guardians at the forefront stayed their assault, but the guardians at the rear were enlightened too late.

What was her sin? None other than to be a visionary, to break away from the humdrum of normalcy.

The resplendent young maiden perished, but gave rise to a wave that rippled throughout the kingdom. No longer did beauty indicate evil. No longer did puke-green reign above all. The lands were interwoven with magic of every color, and became a safe haven for the survivors who renamed themselves. The twilight mages.