#jelly celery

The first thing you noticed about Zach was that he looked tired. It wasn't surprising, seeing as how he had been working himself half to death over the past two weeks, trying desperately to solve his case and come back hive. Every morning, he promised that he was close, and yet each of the following mornings nothing had changed. It hurt you, and not because nothing had changed, either. It hurt you because you knew that every day he was toiling away to no avail. 

Of course, the second thing you noticed was that the exhaustion never stayed for long. The second your face appeared on his husktop, a bright smile lit his face, washing away nearly all of the signs of his exhaustion.

"Hi, sweetness," he whispered. He raised his hand slowly, giving you a small, tired looking wave. 

"Hello, my love," You respond, your yearning heart easing for the time being. 

You spend only a short while talking. Zach would have preferred longer, but you insisted that he get some rest. His job wore on him enough, so you certainly didn't need to add to the problem. He whined and protested of course, and made his best zombie sound, all in a bid for "just another five minutes, grubbY." You nearly relented, but ultimately stayed strong. And, eventually, he gave in. 

"I love you," he murmurs, and for a few seconds the two of you stare longingly at one another, wishing that you could be there with each other. But he insisted that you not visit during cases, and you refused to pester him with your own desires. 

This morning though, desire waged a terrible war upon you, to the point that you almost whisper that you wanted him home. You resist, and instead bring your fingers up to your lips, both to silence yourself and to kiss them. Then, you extend them, pressing them to your lens.

"I love you too," You say in response. And for a split second, before his face disappeared, that grin you loved oh so much spread across his features.

Leaving Zach was the hardest on you, especially when there was nothing to look forward to back hive. To go from his warm embrace and kind demeanor, to the cool chambers of the palace and the snide glances from the seadwellers that inhabited it was nothing short of painful. If you had a choice, you would never leave.

But the way you saw it, there was no choice. 

Zach, it seemed, thought differently. You had noticed it more and more as time went on. Every time it drew near your pre-decided departing time, he grew nervous. He always seemed like he wanted to say something, but never could get the words out. 

This time was different though. As you stood to leave, he caught your hand and held you back. You turned around, opening your mouth to ask what he was doing, but he quickly cuts you off.

"Stay."

You needed no explanation for his words, no clarification. He wanted you to stay with him permanently, rather than return to the suffering you endured at the palace. But he knew it wasn't possible. You were practically enslaved, and to defy her orders and hide away with Zach would not only put you at risk, but him as well.

Yet when you voiced those concerns, he would have none of that. You were separated by two different universes, he insisted. She could never find you. You would be free and happy, and most importantly, safe.

You knew how much your safety mattered to Zach. But, despite knowing that, you didn't dare risk it. Because while your safety mattered most to him, his safety mattered most to you.

So you shook his hand off and moved to open a portal. 

He, of course, quickly caught it again. But when you turned to snap at him, words wouldn't come out. Because there he was, clutching your hand as tight as he could without causing harm, down on his knees. There were tears and his eyes, and in that instant it finally clicked how important this was to him.

And of course, you wanted to say no. You still didn't want to risk his life. But you couldn't deny him in this state. And while you would never admit it, not even to yourself, you wanted the freedom just as much as he wanted to guarantee your safety.