Bittersweet Heart (Ominis Gaunt x James Sharp)

Free blue yonder

There happened a murder before the gates of his promised land.

James removed the hair band, letting long, dark strands cascade over his sun-kissed shoulders. Sticky blood streamed from his chest, staining the pristine sheets with crimson poppy petals. Now, these wounds seemed incompatible with life.

A single thought echoed in his mind, "Am I still sane or am I too much into this?"

Feeble candlelight flickered in Ominis' hazy eyes, concealed beneath a golden fan of lashes. An hour ago, those eyes made a confession, just in time before James believed he would have to extract it under torment.

Once again, they were not looking at him. "I should've taken your eyes hiding from me as a warning long ago."

James hated the guilt-ridden expression on Ominis' face. It didn't improve anything but simply acknowledged the reality. It felt as if they were telling James, "The decision is now yours, whether to accept or not."

He never asked for this, but it couldn't be said that James had any choice. At least he hadn't considered any option other than acceptance.

"I will understand, if...you want to end this. But in any scenario, you won't lose me. I will remain with you at least as your friend."

James barely shook his head, time dragging on agonizingly.

"James? Please, say something. Anything. Just don't stay silent."

He realized that Ominis couldn't see his gesture. How long had he stood there, frozen? The space around him seemed to suck the remaining air from his lungs. Moving felt terrifying, as if a single motion would remind his body of the emptiness, and he would suffocate from its fierce grip.

James hadn't noticed when Ominis approached him. Careful fingers now combed through his deep chestnut hair. He caught those fingers, studying them as if seeing them for the first time. They were slender and not too long, slightly tangled, with neatly trimmed nails that had grown a couple of millimeters.

"If pleases and onlys were roses and bluebells, I would already be living in heaven's garden."

Tenacious fingers clutched at his hand like the strong talons of a bird, "You are not telling me that you have been waiting for me since the beginning, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"You had someone, and I had my illusion. Now, can we be even?" Ominis negotiated.

James let out an exhausted sigh. "You didn't hear a word of what I said."

"Then help me," Ominis pleaded, his eyes attempting to capture James in that same tenacious grip. It felt as if an egg had cracked open on James' head. A cool, viscous substance trickled down the back of his skull, seeping into his consciousness.

"What are you searching for in here?" James redirected his attention to the depths of those useless eyes, unable to see anything, even if their lives depended on it. Ominis blinked in confusion. The freezing liquid receded, flowing back up to James' crown, relieving him of the sensation.

He continued out loud, "You found another beloved person, and that's not an obstacle. I was never your priority, whether as a friend or a lover. Judge for yourself, I don't recall you ever standing up for me. You're more likely to assist in solving Sebastian's problems."

James' voice, clear and resolute, was piercing the silence, "I used to believe that you thought I could handle troubles on my own while he couldn't. But now I realize that I wasn't entirely correct. Hm... Have you ever wondered how much you know about me and Sebastian in comparison? And how I've evolved into the person I am now?" Ominis shook his head in response. "No, I haven't wondered either." "No. I don't think so either."