prohibitions | When love became an act of defiance

[It had been fun.

He had enjoyed himself immensely if he were being honest. It brought some color to his dreary days and it almost had been something to look forward to. It stopped being about the game far long ago, but the game was the only reason that they were still going. He knew he had just legitimately enjoyed Jonathan's company.

Abel got to have the other around and fool around as he pleased as long as he still did his work. While, not a spectacular life, it wasn't something to really complain about.

Except, good things never last forever. Or at the very least, they never seem to last for him.

It's a cold and dreary day when it happens. The rain was falling heavily and there didn't show any signs of it letting up anytime soon. Being called into his father's study was far from the norm. It happened often enough that he had no reason to believe that something was different.

Until he was told extensively of his bride-to-be. A young, beautiful and talented woman from a family (whom have attempted to have him killed before no less) of well repute. No more fooling around.

What little freedom he had left; snatched.

He looks at the manila folder with the woman's face and details about her. It's all a blur.

At some point, Abel finds himself on the roof of the large estate. He's soaked to the bone, though the chill is unnoticeable with how cold he feels inside. A cigarette sits between his fingers. Soggy and never lit. The roar of the rain seems to drown out any thoughts around him, but it simply can't drown out his own thoughts. They scream louder than even the thunder and the sound of drops hitting the rooftop.

He looks over the edge for a moment. The ground seemed so close, yet so far...

Abel smiles wistfully for a moment.] It's quite a view even while it's raining.

[ At some point, the game wasn't so important to Jonathan. He still tried, of course, but some days he didn't really put in the effort. His superiors kept checking in on him concerning the hit and why it was taking longer than it should and the the client was getting rather impatient with his performance.

Staying at Abel's side felt like an entirely different job all together, one that felt more in line than the assassination tasks and he began to enjoy the other's company more than he originally thought. Maybe he was a bit naive to believe this would last.

On the days where Abel was called into his father's office, he sort of wondered around the estate aimlessly. He didn't know how else to pass the time since more often than not Abel wanted to be left alone after such meetings. Plus the weather limited on where he could walk to without being completely drenched.

He walked past his father's office thrice by the time he notices something wasn't quite right. The first two passes, Abel's scent hadn't left the office yet but the third it had and it lead in a different direction than the usual. Jonathan finds himself trailing after the other's scent until it leads him to a door that had a stairway leading up to the roof.

Strange.

He was hesitant to follow further because maybe his father said something to upset Abel enough to make him go the roof in such stormy weather but the inching seconds only gave him a growing uneasiness. He tried calling out to the other in thought before shaking his head and climbing the rest of the steps.

His hand turns the knob when he finally reaches the door, not knowing what to expect once he got up there. ]

Abel?

[Abel flicks his soggy cigarette to the floor and shakes another cigarette out and lights it. For old time's sake he guesses. He takes a long drag from the cigarette before hearing the sound of the door knob.

A sad smile on his face.

He speaks up, knowing that the other will hear him through the rain and thunder.]

I'm sorry. Could you meet me downstairs instead? [He observes the slowly dwindling cigarette in his hand; tapping it slightly to get rid of loose ash.] I would much prefer it, actually.

[Perhaps if Jonathan could read minds instead of the other way around, things might turn out different at this moment.] I'll only be a moment. I'd like to finish this cigarette.

[ Jonathan doesn't open the door wide enough to fully stand out in the storm but with the heavy rain and the wind, he does get a bit soaked in the short time he was exposed to the elements.

Something tells him he needed to stay, call it some animal instinct or what have you, and his grip on the doorknob tightens a fraction.

Abel says he'd only be a moment, he should trust in that, right? Yet, he can't shake this feeling. Perhaps he was overreacting? Expecting the worse out of nothing? ]

Y-yeah... I can wait downstairs.

[ He didn't know how long Abel was already out here for. There's a start of a sad expression on his face that turns into a half smile as he turns a bit to leave. ] Stay out here any more and you'll probably catch a cold.

[ He lingers on the other side of the door before he begins the descent down the stairs. Wondering if he should go in search of a towel for Abel when he comes back in, catching one of the members of staff passing by to request one. To which he holds it against his chest as he waits. ]

Always a doll. [He gives the other a grin before he turns his back to look out to the garden and takes another drag.

He looks down again and smiles sadly once he hears the door shut closed again.] You'll have to forgive me, Jonathan. [Abel finishes the rest of his cigarette before flicking the butt to the floor.] It seems our game is coming to an end.

And perhaps Jonathan hears it even through all the rain against the windows; the thunder that shakes the windows. A thud much louder than just rain falling. The sounds of something cracking, but it isn't a crack of thunder. Something much quieter and more fragile.]

[ The sound of the thud is unmistakable. The crack of bone is drowned out in the rain but he's heard the sound more times than he can count and he stands there in that hallway, frozen in place. Processing.

His heart sinks before he's running. It would've been easier to break through a window and jump down the floors but he's not about to deal with a lecture nor expose his secret or link himself to the attack in the garden. He dodges past staff and security, most of whom are confused and some follow after, some run in the direction he came from.

Jonathan nearly breaks the back door off its hinges as he slams it open, nearly sliding on slick stone steps, gravel and mud before he rounds a corner and spots Abel's silhouette on the ground.

Practically sliding next to the other, he hovers over him, shielding him from the rain as best as he could to check his vitals. There was already the slow growing puddle of blood, mixing with soil and grass. And there's a quick glance upwards towards the roof.... a fall like that... it was practically game over. He doesn't know why he's so upset in this moment, they were playing on borrowed time and yet...

Jonathan gently places a hand on Abel's cheek and he holds himself up with the other, not minding the ache of rocks pressing against his palm. His voice cracks as he tries to talk. ]

A-abel.... hey.

[He had, perhaps, hoped that death would come instantaneous. A pained laugh escapes his mouth, although it sounds more like wheezing as his lungs desperately try to get more air into them. He's sure one (if not both) are crushed. If only dying was much quicker, but he supposes that luck has never been on his side.

He must not look particularly great. He can't tell. All he can see is the grey skies and rain and now Jonathan's face with the most heartbreaking expression.

Abel wish death had been swift.

He tries to lift his hand up to Jonathan's cheek, but he can't. Ah, they must be broken. Honestly, his entire body was screaming, so he wonders what is working and what his mangled body must look like.

Instead, he smiles at the other.] I had fun. [It comes out so quiet. It was difficult to speak.] Don't look at me so. We both knew.

[His life was always going to end in tragedy. He knew this.] Seems like I've done a piss poor job at dying. Hilarious. [He wonders if he's salvageable at this point. If they can even put him back together at this point. He hopes not.

He observes the other. Ah, he wonders...] Thank you, Jonathan. I have one more request.

[ The other's smile offers little comfort. It didn't help the heartbreak, that choked up feeling one gets in the back of their throat before they cry. Really, an assassin getting too attached to their target... what a sight. Had he truly been as heartless as his title suggests, he would've left as soon as he heard that thud or he would've ended everything in the garden before all of this.

He didn't, of course. His thumb gently strokes the other's cheek.

Jonathan was glad to have offered the entertainment Abel was looking for though. He may not know what drove him to end things so suddenly but he imagines it was something to do with the meeting with his father.

That man would be disappointed by this particular sight, he imagines.

Jonathan gives a sad little laugh. ]

Had you just let me win the game... this would've been a lot more painless than jumping off the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm. [ He wanted to believe that Abel could still be saved but judging by how he looks and sounds... he can't imagine he really had much time left now. ]

And what might that... be? [ He has a feeling he knows what this request might be and he knows he has to fulfill it. He owes that much. ]

[Laughing just makes him cough out blood and it's far from pleasant.] I was always for being dramatic. [His smile grows warm. Something gentle and soft and very unlike his usual smiles, though his eyes slowly seem to be having trouble focusing and he was growing colder to the touch by the seconds.] Besides, how could I thank you now. It was nice. Falling in love. Even if it were for a moment.

[To fall in love and to be loved back. At least he got to experience it no matter how fleeting. Looking forward to his days instead of just going through the motions.] I got to know what being truly alive was.

[Abel was sure his vision was slipping away. He didn't really feel pain. Just that he was tired and cold. Perhaps he just needed to rest.] A kiss goodnight. If you are willing to indulge me one last time.

[ Jonathan swipes away any lingering blood the rain didn't already wash away. ] Yeah, you were. [ He playfully rolls his eyes as he tries his best to smile, committing Abel's to memory before the corners of his eyes begin to sting. He couldn't tell the difference from the rain and his tears before long.

This would very likely be the last time he ever falls for a target, that much he knows. There was something definitely heart wrenching as Abel says that. How something so simple as his company and his capacity to love the other could change so much for someone so caged. ]

I hope the next life is much kinder to you... [ A repeat of his words when he tried to leave Abel at the Gazebo that night. If he's met anyone that deserved a second chance at happiness, it was him.

His voice is soft as he moves his hand down towards the other's jawline, fingertips hovering over Abel's pulse point and feeling just how faint it had become. ] Of course... [ He leans down to press a soft kiss against Abel's lips, lingering for a moment before he dares to pull away. ]

Rest now, love. [ He presses his forehead against the other's before pressing a kiss there as well. ] I'll find you again... one day.

Until we meet again. I love you.

[Cain wakes with a start and for a moment, he can't tell what's real and what isn't. For a second, his body feels like it's on fire and it almost feels all too real. As though he was actually experiencing the pain of dying and the heartache of love.

His breathing is shallow until he feels a wetness on his hand and glances over to see his dog staring at him with large eyes. A crooked smile as the familiar walls of his room come back into focus. It was just a dream. Another one, as though he was living a different life completely.

How hilarious though. He isn't some rich aristocrat though. He wouldn't even know what it would be like. To hear. The sound of someone's voice or rain hitting glass or the shake of thunder. After all, he wasn't born with some extravagant ability to hear thoughts. He was born deaf; forever stuck in his own thoughts and a silence that could never be broken.

He gives his dog a few affectionate scratches behind her ears before he swings his legs over his bed to start his day. He wasn't anything remotely close to this Abel he dreams about (though the irony of their names isn't lost to him). He was just some deaf guy who took photographs for a living. No grandiose life in some huge estate. No tragic backstory.

Just some guy.

Well, perhaps his life growing up was far from kind given his lack of familial relations, but he could hardly say he was unhappy.

Cain goes about his morning and gets ready. He sits at his kitchen counter with his coffee cup as he mulls a bit. While the contents of his dream seem to slip out of his grasp; Cain can't shake the image of those sad eyes.

Eventually, he'll finish getting ready. He slips his coat on before picking up his backpack of gear and leaving his apartment with dog at his heels. Best not to get too distracted when he had a job to do.]

[ Jonathan never remembers the series of dreams he's had recently, only waking up in bouts of overwhelming emotion that he can't explain. When he wakes today, his chest feels heavy and his throat feels tight before he can feel tears in the corners of his eyes, it takes some time to compose himself before he's pushing himself out of bed.

He wishes he could remember. He never had anything traumatic happen to him in his lifetime to pin such emotion to, leaving him very much in the dark as to what triggered these dreams to begin with.

Beau and Kiwi are were quick to hop onto their owner's hand as he opens their cage, climbing their way up to his shoulder or flying up into his hair. Breakfast was the first thing in order followed by getting ready and he tries not to linger too much on what he doesn't know, focusing on the upcoming day. He was an apprentice at a mom and pop sort of chocolate shop, a hidden little treasure if you knew where to look.

Becoming a Chocolatier was something he never really considered until his parents introduced him to the shop itself; an old time client of theirs. It was a relaxing set of motions, making little confections, that made him happy to see the smile they bring to customers faces.

With the ladies put back in their cage, Jonathan grabs his satchel and a jacket before leaving his apartment. He didn't live too far from the shop, so walking was his commute, a less hectic option than dealing with area traffic. Tucked in a shopping alleyway, surrounded by quiet cafes and rare bookshops is where one would find such a place.

While the shop wouldn't be open for another hour of so, one could watch him work in the large front window, A glimpse at the process that the owner's hoped would spark interest but also creating a homey shop interior for the customer's experience once they came inside.

He didn't wear the typical white uniform one would expect from a chef, instead he wore a much more casual outfit and an apron. Not at all paying attention to those on the opposite side of the glass as he worked. ]

[Traveling is a strange affair. Despite being surrounded by so many people, it was completely quiet. No chatter around him as people went about their days. No sound of traffic. Just a complete dead silence that made one almost feel like that they were completely alone despite countless people around him. He follows his dog, Olivia, as she maneuvers through the crowd.

Cain was a well known photographer. He had photographed models to food to animals to environments. It's somewhat of a relief to end up in an industry so prolific given that he really was limited in what he could do.

Today it was food. A shop, despite it's size and location, was reputable for it's gorgeous confections that were equally delicious. Or so it has been said. He was supposed to photograph them for an article about them along with supposedly an interview of the owners and some of the workers.

He didn't really pay attention to the particulars. His job was to take pictures. Not chat.

Cain gets there before anyone else does. It gives him time to pull his camera out and to put one of the lenses on to take pictures of the outside of the shop. It also meant that there were probably less people still.

As he focuses on the window, he can't help but pause as he looks at Jonathan through his lens before gently lowering his camera as he watches the other. He can't quite place the feeling he was experiencing. Just that something about the other felt so familiar. Odd. He knows he never spoken to the other nor does he recognize them.

He lets his camera sit against his chest before crossing over from where he had been taking pictures to approach the large window.]

[ Jonathan was heavily concentrating on detail piping a floral design on a set of chocolates that the owner's requested be made as part of the spread for article.

At the moment, he was the only one in the shop with the owners still in their upstairs apartment getting ready from what the note at his station had said. His coworker that was supposed to be accompanying him for the day was out on a quick last minute ingredient run, leaving him to hold down the fort with last minute finalizing.

He can tell when someone gets closer to the glass by seeing them in his near-peripheral vision, though he doesn't immediately look up until he was done, just so he didn't mess up. He spots the service dog first before he notices Cain, offering him a soft smile as a bit of a greeting.

He doesn't piece together that Cain might be today's photographer but there is a long pause from him under slightly furrowed brows in confusion because he feels as though he's seen him before.

Seeing as one of his mothers was a reputable photographer, it was possible he might've seen Cain's work by proxy but he knows he's never seen the other before now. A voice calls out to him from the back of house, which snaps him out of his thoughts and his attention is pulled away.

He does glance back at the other before he's setting down the piping bag and running deeper inside the shop.

Hoping that Cain would still be there when he gets back or perhaps come inside when they open. Maybe he's a little too hopeful for something that was just a unexplained hunch. ]

[Cain is still there when Jonathan returns. The man is sitting on the ground looking through the photos on his camera. Olivia, his saluki, next to him as she laps up water from a bowl that Cain transports with him.

He doesn't pay attention to anything around him, but Olivia seems to be his senses for him. The motion of her finishing her water and looking up at Jonathan from where they're seated seems to catch Cain's attention as he turns his head to look up at the other.

Up close, Jonathan can see the countless freckles on Cain's face to a soft, pale green of eyes. There was something about his eyes. Something sad and old about them like they witnessed more than just one lifetime. Cain offers up and upturn of his lips.]

[ Ah. He didn't mean to grab Olivia's attention when he came back to his station, knowing just how important a service dog's duty was when they were working, he guesses it couldn't be helped though. She was a really pretty dog and not a breed he's seen be used for a service dog before.

Jonathan's attention is quickly turned to Cain once the other looks up at him, perhaps he stares a little too long but there was something oddly familiar about those green eyes the more he looks into them, almost tempted to count the countless freckles. He was working and he couldn't allow himself to be too distracted besides... that would be a tad strange.

He smiles in return and gives Cain a little wave, returning to the chocolates he was decorating.

It wasn't long after that the owners finally came downstairs, going about some last minute plating and checking to make sure everything was ready. Having famous parents and majority of his family in some sort of limelight, he knows what to say and what not to if he's asked anything or simply blend in with the scenery.

Which is where he stands after he's pried away from his station again, only to be told what to do. Be introduced then stand at the display table until addressed otherwise. Boring work but necessary. So when the owners open the door for the staff working on the article when they arrive, they introduce themselves then Jonathan and his coworker.

He shakes hands with everyone until he reaches Cain's and that hesitation returns. Unable to place the intense familiarity as his hand touches the other's. Like he's held his hand before, noticing how it fit so perfectly in his own. How cold his hand was. Jonathan has to pry away his attention when his name is called and he gives the other an apologetic smile before he's standing next to the table, out of the way. ]

[There's a few others that join. The interviewers and some other staff. A translator who interacts with Cain immediately.

After the initial handshakes, mostly everyone seems to congregate and talk, except for Cain. The translator and him interact for a moment; hands moving in patterns and quickly before Cain walks away from the group to look at the displays and taking photos.

The interview goes without a hitch and morning quickly turns into afternoon before they decide to take a break for lunch.

While mostly everyone stays inside as they chat, Cain could be found back outside with his dog as he goes through photos on his camera. There's a few whispers among the staff about how odd Cain was. Some snide jokes about not needing to whisper because he can't hear them anyways. A frown from the translator, but not saying anything about it. Cain, left alone to his own devices as he absentmindedly pet Olivia; the dog resting her head on his leg as she stared at anyone who passed by.]

[ Jonathan picks out a set of desserts and a dog treat from their respective cases, ones that he'll pay for later, before he walks over to the translator to ask if they could help him talk to Cain. The comment that the other members of staff make doesn't go unnoticed by him and he simply smiles and makes a politely hostile comment in return about how they shouldn't speak about the other in such a way.

Ill-mannered comments on someone else's behalf was something he wouldn't stand for. He passes one of the desserts in his hands over to the translator to have as a thank you for their hard work once they get closer to the door before heading outside.

He tried not to startle Cain or his dog with their sudden appearance but he stands in front of the other before kneeling down. ]

I wasn't sure what you'd like but I brought these for you and your dog for all your hard work.

[ He says with a smile as he holds out the remaining dessert and the dog treat out towards the other. ]

[There's a quiet thank you from the translator as they walk out to where Cain was keeping himself thoroughly occupied with Olivia. Olivia immediately is alerted and turns her attention to the pair that leave the building. Cain picks up her change in demeanor and turns his head to look up at them. He looks at Jonathan before glancing at the translator for a moment.

He reaches out to take the dessert and treat with a quiet thank you.

Cain turns his attention back to Olivia who suddenly sits upright and completely still. Very carefully, Cain places the treat on her snout. Olivia stares at it intently but doesn't move an inch. Cain even makes her shake his hand before he lets her eat it.

He finally turns back to the two. The translator signs a few things before she heads back inside. He finally looks at the other.] I can read lips. [Cain's voice comes out surprisingly even for someone who can't hear himself. It's even, but very soft.] I'm fond of any sweets, so there isn't many things I don't like to eat.

When love became an act of defiance

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject