So true a Fool is Love [Adam]

Adam was in a cheerful mood, running about in the snow like a child. He felt like one too, it had been so long since he’d been able to enjoy snow and even though this particular snow was not the idealized pure white and fluffy kind, it still filled his heart with glee. Tramping around through the icy stuff had taken some preparation. He’d had to beg his Medic friend to led him his huge and oh so fluffy black parka and of course since he’d long been missing a shirt, he’d never gotten around to replacing the one he’d ruined when Ven was sick, Adam had gone searching for a new one. All he’d been able to come up with however was a light and very faded pink tank top. It was mostly a girl’s but he hadn’t really cared, all that mattered was that once he put the silly piece of clothing on, he could play out in the melting snow. He' always loved winter for exactly that reason, his father and him would always make snow angels together on the day of the first snow fall even when they barely had enough clothes to fend off the frost bite. He fully intended to keep that tradition alive, even though he wasn't entirely sure his father was even still one of the living.

A few hours after he awoke extra early, all alone in Ven’s room but distracted enough by the weather not to be too worried, Adam was just now starting to wonder where on earth his former mentor had gone. He wanted to share the joy of the winter with his Russian friend, maybe they could even make snow angels together or even just have a snow ball fight. It would be fun, a change in direction since their argument, though it had been quite a while ago something seemed to have changed since that moment. It was an odd feeling of tension, of knowing something but not knowing exactly what, and it made him even more shy around the hitman and more prone to blushing. He didn’t like it at all. Something had to be done! Then he could cuddle with the vanilla scented man as much as he wanted. Though that was unlikely considering the face he got whenever he tried to hug Ven. It was like he had sucker punched the Russian instead of embraced him, it was both worrying and cute.

So off he went to find his former mentor. Adam’s first thought had been the park, only partly because it had swings and he loved those. That way even if Ven was not there, Adam would have something to do while he waited for Ven to either pop up as he usually did. After all, Adam had much better results when he didn't look too hard for Ven. They both just had a habit of running into each other, almost like fate. Bouncing through the snow with those thoughts in mind, boots kicking up the snow in tiny flurries, Adam flew towards the park intent on finding Ven before the day was over. Who knew if the snow would last through the night? With that in mind, his pace increased till he was in a full blown sprint. It didn’t last for very long but by then he was close enough to the park to see the oddly colorful sweater that his mentor had replaced his ruined shirt with for during the cold season. The sweater made him laugh and in that brief moment of distraction he nearly forgot to stop his running.

Slamming on the brakes, Adam abruptly halted himself right before he smashed into his former mentor’s back, the over sized parka’s hood obscuring his foolish and blushing grin. “Hi?” He squeaked, giving the Russian a feeble sort of wave and shaking the fur lined hood off his head. Adam’s blue eyes sparkled with delight even as his face turned scarlet with a mix of embarrassment and cold, then still grinning like a fool he leaned in to give Ven a quick hug. “W-w-where have y-you been a-all day! It’s s-snowing!”

Adam was still in a slight shock from Ven’s returned embrace and so for a moment he merely stood there letting the moment sink in. Ven had accepted his hug, how odd. He wondered if the blonde had contracted some sort of fatal disease and this one hug would be the last time he ever heard the familiar sound of violins. The thought sobered his cheerful expression, bringing a wary look to his eyes. Adam didn’t want the Hunter to die, he loved Ven. Loved him a lot more than he’d ever feel safe telling the Russian, Ven would probably laugh at him anyways. Still if this was in fact the last moments he’d share with Ven, Adam didn’t want them to pass unappreciated! The friendship he'd fought so hard to form deserved a better ending then that! He'd make this day the best one Ven would ever have or at least he'd make it come close!

“N-no r-r-reason! I..I just wanted t-to see you, is a-all.” He managed to pull out a fresh smile, through his eyes didn’t mirror his lips, and Adam hoped it would fool Ven into thinking that he didn’t know about the Russian’s terminal disease or whatever brain defect that was causing this strange affection. “A-and if you c-can see it, then w-w-why aren’t you e-enjoying it? It’s s-s-snow!” A giggle escaped him at that, it seemed that the fluffy white chucks of water refused to let his mind linger on unhappy things. But he didn’t see much of a problem with it, wasn’t it a better idea to spend your last day with someone, enjoying every moment and being carefree? Besides the thought of Ven frolicking around in the snow was too amusing to pass up, not to mention the thought of seeing the Russian’s beautiful smile again warmed Adam’s heart. "Come...c-come on! Y-you can't b-be out i-i-in this sort of weather a-a-and not take a-a-advantage of i-it!"

Adam was about to reach out to Ven to snatch up the Russian’s hand and yank him off to play when the blonde spoke again. Hand dropping back to his side in flash, Adam tilted his head both curiously and worriedly up at the taller man. The sentence had thrown him off and the Fulsi was sorely tempted to use his mind reading abilities to steal a peek at Ven’s thoughts. It was odd to see the Russian acting like this, rare to see the man appear to be, dare he say it? Unsure. It was cute, strange but cute and worrying and a whole mess of other conflicting emotions that all made Adam want to kiss the blonde for absolutely no reason. It was shameful how his thoughts drifted to foolish things like that, Adam was in the middle of finding out if Ven was going to spontaneously explode and here he was thinking of making out with his poor former mentor!

Blushing up a storm at his troublesome and very wishful train of thought, Adam bit his lip nervously and tried to focus. He should be thinking of whatever Ven might have to tell him, what if his earlier assumption of the Russian’s health being in decline was true? What if the thing Ven had to tell him in his lovely liquor flavored voice was that he wasn’t going to be around for much longer? What would he do then, living without the Russian by his side, it would be nearly unthinkable. No, it would be all wrong and empty, a life not worth living. A irrational way to think, Adam knew, but he couldn’t stop himself from feeling that way. This was his last try after all, every other relationship he’d treasured had fallen into ruin, all but this one. He didn’t think he could stand anymore heart break.

With arms crossed and the parka half slipping off of his slender shoulders, Adam braced himself for the bad news. “S-s-something y-you wanted to talk t-t-to me about?” His voice was softer now, tinged with concern. If anything horrible was going on, he was determined to see it through. Hadn’t he already saved the Russian from death, he could do it again or at least give his best attempt and then if he failed, there would be no one to blame but himself. Then he’d know that the reason everyone around him got hurt was not because he was unlucky, but because he was the curse. “You..y-you’re n-not sick a-a-again are you? Not..not l-like dying?” One hand crept up to tug and tangle it’s way into Adam’s snow covered locks, and he could feel a sniffle coming on whether it was from the biting cold or distress, he couldn’t tell. “I d-d-don’t want y-you to die!”

“N-not t-today at l-l-least?” Blue eyes got impossibly wide, staring up At Ven with a horrified look. Knowing that the blonde might be dying at all, even if the date was far, far off into the future, disturbed him greatly. "W-w-what do y-you mean b-b-by that?" But yet the Russian had said he was fine. The contradiction puzzled Adam for a bit, till slowly it dawned on him that Ven was merely teasing in a way and he let out a sullen huff. They all didn’t know when they’d die, not when people like the Carna conducted vicious raids during the night or when the Keepers could snatch you up one day and never return you the next. So Adam didn't think it was very funny to joke about that, not when the person listening was madly in love with you. It was sad really and though Adam’s blue eyes gradually returned to their normal size, the worry in them still remained. He would give anything not to have to wonder whether his love was dead whenever Ven was not around. However the reassuring pat on his shoulder was enough to draw him away from those paranoid thoughts with the touch’s soft violin music. The chorus of stringed instruments sounded odd though, it was softer than usual and almost hesitant, so unlike the chaotic tunes he was used to.

Ven wasn’t exactly acting very normal either, it was hard to tell with the cold bringing out the red in every one’s cheeks but to Adam, it looked as though the Russian was blushing at him. Actually blushing! It was a shocking sight, not once before had Adam seen Ven’s cheeks turn any other color than pale, not even when the blonde was thinking things that put the karma sutra to shame. He had before been thinking that the Hunter was just incapable of blushing or flushing or anything that wasn’t considered hitman-y but it seemed that he was wrong. That thought had him irrational happy, he’d made Ven blush! Who else in the Fulsi could claim such a thing? Who would even believe him if he told?

The rest of Ven’s words almost escaped him in his secret glee but the memory of their awful argument was far too fresh to be passed by so easily. The thought of how angry the Russian had been at him made Adam flinch, he never wanted to see that look in the Russian’s eyes. He never wanted to hurt Ven again, not over something as stupid as that day had been. But that afternoon hadn’t been all bad, there had been a hopeful moment, a sweet one even, and it had all ended okay. Or so he had thought. The blonde was giving him such conflicting signals after all. “Y-you d-don’t l-like m-me then?” He squeaked out, before Ven could even complete his sentence, immediately regretting his words. The Russian hadn’t been finished and here he’d gotten carried away again! Perhaps it was just the liquor taste of Ven’s voice but Adam could never be around the Russian for very long before he was a stuttering mess. Now the situation seemed to be in reverse, Ven was the one fumbling over his words though Adam had to admit that he was still overall very confused. “V-ven. You a-a-aren’t making any s-sense! A-a-are you a-alright?”

The cheetah shifter’s next question through Adam for a loop. He knew that the blonde was using an English saying but he did not know what it meant. So sighing, with cheeks that grew only more flushed at his lack of knowledge, Adam stayed silent hoping for Ven to further explain. When the Hunter didn’t, Adam gave the question his best shot. “A-ah..Well. I am s-s-seeing you? And…and s-s-some trees o-over there! The s-s-swings too! T-there is a s-s-slide as well!” For a moment he fidgeted in place, hating how stupid he must sound to Ven. That could not have been the answer the blonde wanted, it didn’t make sense! But English was still somewhat new to him, the slang especially. “W-was…was that n-not what y-you meant? I..I d-d-don’t understand the q-q-question.” With that he averted his own gaze, staring holes into the snow covered ground. If only he’d paid more attention to the native English speakers at the freakshow, then maybe he wouldn’t look quite so foolish now. “S-s-sorry!”


Ooc: ...Venkins. XD I FEEL FO CHU.

Adam flinched, the parka resuming its attempts to slip off of his slender shoulders and expose his skin to the biting cold. When Ven had lasted used that odd other language, the one that reminded him of yelling no matter what the person actually said, he’d been saying awful things. Perhaps now the Russian was using his vodka tinged voice to insult his stupidity. Adam thought that he wouldn’t blame Ven if he was, yet the as the Fulsi Head of Border straightened the jacket back into proper place, he didn’t lose hope, for some reason there was an unsureness in the blonde’s voice that was telling him it was not cruel words he spoke but more likely kind ones. So Adam contained his urge to be sullen, Ven would explain this time hopefully and then all would be clear, or it would just get more confusing. It seemed that fate was not on his side for the later happened. Ven was going on about seeing people again, Adam almost felt like pointing out that he was not blind but instead he merely rocked on the balls of his feet impatiently. Seeing objects was not very important to him or at least he was okay with taking it for granted, all he really wanted was to know was what Ven was so worried about! “I..I l-like seeing y-y-you of c-course! Being b-blind doesn’t s-sound fun. I’d t-trip a lot, p-probably.” He twirled a lock of hair around his finger, this time not harshly or hard enough to cause any pain but rather just enough to turn the unruly strands into a semi-perfect ringlet. He was nervous but it was a happy sort of nervous, almost giddy.

The excitement building up in his veins finally came to a boil at Ven’s next words. Had the Russian really just done what Adam thought he’d done? Had Ven asked him out? Him, the stupid sniveling little ex-Tenderfoot who didn’t really deserve his new rank? It didn’t make any sense and for a few agonizing moments, Adam wondered if it was all just a cruel joke. That would make much more sense in his world, people like Ven just didn’t fall for messes like him after all. However the way Ven was acting screamed that he was telling the truth and it brought a wide smile to Adam’s face. Words still refused to come out from his stunned lips though, leaving the pair to stand in silence. Then averting his eyes to the ground, blushing bright red, and still rocking back and forth anxiously, Adam fought to keep from blurting out an immediate yes. He just didn’t want to appear that excited, even if he could barely keep from leaping at the blonde to hug him to death. It was only fair in his mind after all, that he make the Russian wait just as long for the answer as he’d had to wait for the question.

“D-date you? D-d-do people h-have those? I know w-w-we all expire b-but I thought o-only foods w-were dated?” Adam tried to make his voice seem hesitant and truly lost but he couldn’t completely hide the teasing tone that poked through between his words. Still his eyes had no problem narrowing in fake puzzlement and neither did his brow protest a false furrowing. Inside Adam was grinning however, it wasn’t all that bad, payback that is. Still, Adam wasn’t the kind of person to tease for very long so closing the small distance between him and the Russian, Adam embraced Ven. He rested his head against the taller man’s chest with a soft and satisfied sigh for a moment, savoring the music of the Russian’s violins. Then he peeked up at Ven, shaking away the curls that disturbed his view with a tiny smile. “I’m…I’m k-kidding! I-I-I think I know w-what you’re s-saying this time.” The volume of his voice faded with each uttered words as his nervousness increased. Perhaps Ven wasn’t asking him to be his boyfriend? Maybe he had misunderstood. Then again Adam would never know if he never tried and besides it wouldn’t hurt to let Ven know of his crush. Would it?

“I..I’d l-love to d-d-date you. “ Blue eyes wide and hopeful, he shot the Russian a wavering smile before hooking his arms around the blonde neck and standing on his tippy toes, Adam gave Ven a chaste little peck on the nose.

Ooc: Venkins. I pity chu! <3

“K-k-killed me?” He squeaked, peeking up at Ven with wide but cheerful blue eyes. The blonde just couldn’t help but make him smile, Ven was just silly. Silly like a child in love, always picking on it’s object of affection. It was cute in the oddest of ways and it made Adam’s lips curl up without even the slightest conscious thought. “K-killing is..is b-bad Ven! H-hugging is m-much better!” With that Adam froze up at the nuzzle, a bit startled by the show of fondness, it wasn’t like the Russian but yet it felt strangely right as if something in his heart had been waiting all these months of awkward training just for this kind of moment. So he relaxed into the gesture, half returning the nuzzle, half just enjoying the sweet embrace. Adam felt like never letting go, he was just too happy and the scene was just too perfect. What else did could he ask for? Standing there safe and warm in his new boyfriends arms as the snowflakes drifted to the ground around them, Adam felt like he was in some sort of cheesy romance novel, the kind that always made you feel better after you finished them even though the plot was lacking and that was completely fine with him. The violin music of the blonde Russian was not helping the surrealness of the situation, leaving him helpless to do anything but lean into the hug hoping that the moment would not end. He could have stood there all day in fact, but he had something else to do it seemed.


The intoxicating taste of Ven’s voice drew him out of his happy daze with a small disappointed sigh. He’d wanted to show Ven the snow earlier but that had been before the Russian had asked him out, still Adam didn’t know whether the fluffy white stuff would still be around the next day, what with the Keepers rapid weather changes. Untangling himself reluctantly from Ven, Adam couldn’t help the sullen expression that crept onto his face as the warmth from the blonde disappeared and the delicious vanilla scented faded slightly. Till that moment, he just hadn’t realized how much he loved being close to the Hunter. “Oh…Oh y-yeah, I wanted t-t-to play i-in the s-s-snow!” Adam’s voice wasn’t as enthusiastic as it might have been earlier but the excitement was slowly creeping back into his eyes, making them shine with barely contained glee. Oh how he had loved the snow as a child, back in France even when it had been not in his best interest, Adam had spent hours frolicking in the stuff! Yet for over four years he’d been too busy being in a straight jacket to enjoy the frozen flakes of water.

Sliding his parka back into place for the umpteenth time that day, Adam darted away from his former mentor with a mischievous grin. With one hand gripping the edges of his parka tightly together so that the clothing would not fall off his small frame, he dropped to his knees in the snow. The cold was quickly seeping through the thin fabric of his slacks but this did not deter Adam, no he kept on, gathering up a medium sized pile of snow. Adam briefly checked it for ice or rocks and upon finding nothing that could possibly injure his beloved, he let go of his jacket just long enough to pack the snow tightly together. Then getting to his feet as quickly as he could manage without dropping his ball of snow, Adam spun around to face Ven with an ear to ear grin. “H-heads up V-ven! I d-d-declare a s-snow ball f-fight!” With just that for warning, Adam tossed the snow ball at the Russian, immediately dashing away to hide behind the rusted structures of the playground. The fun was about to begin and Adam couldn’t help but think that the day could not get any better!


Ooc: I DECLARE A THUMB SNOW WAR! <3