Chapter 1: Rain
Summary:
The boys pull over on the side of the road when a storm rolls in.
[Originally written on April 29, 2025]
Chapter Text
Jasper always loved how everything looked when it was raining.
The grey skies felt welcoming to him. Not the kind of welcoming that felt warm like a flame, but the kind that simply reminded you that you were there and existing. Granted, he could say the same for all things in nature, but rain was something that he could always rely on, even when growing up in the city.
He was sitting on the floor of the van watching the rain, the door open as the wind blew away from the opening, leaving the inside dry. They had stopped at one of the pullouts on the side of the road because Harry needed to use the bathroom, and Jasper took this moment to enjoy the rain instead of just driving in it.
They were on a trip to one of the neighbouring cities to Aratera by the mayor himself, Antony suggesting the two take a visit for the city's stunning seaside views and sunny days
But the trip would take two days of driving, which was both daunting and exciting. So he and Harry agreed that they were going to sleep in the van or find some hotel along the way for the two nights they were travelling. Hoping to reach one of the smaller towns within the city's stability field by the third day.
A cold breeze flew into the van. Jasper wrapped one end of his scarf around his shoulders again. He knew it would make sense to just close the door, but he wanted to hear the sound of the rain directly, and not through a car door.
As Jasper sat and stared at the rain, Harry walked out of the bathroom, having heard the rain start right as he got inside to do his business. So walking out of the restroom, Harry stood at the small awning looking a bit miffed over what he was about to do.
Closing the door behind him, he shrugged off his jacket and held it over his head as a makeshift cover. Harry lined himself up with the straightest route between him and the van door, and began to make a beeline towards it, hoping to not get wet
Jasper, who was watching this from the van, shuffled to the side to give Harry some space for when he entered. Despite the distance between them not being that far it still felt like a race against the clock, and he was cheering Harry on from the sidelines.
As Harry approached the car and got closer to the door, he gripped his jacket and half-leaped into the van, colliding with Jasper in the process as they fell to the car floor in a pile of laughs and giggles.
The two stayed there for a moment, enjoying the other's warmth and weight against them. It was so casual, so familiar, it was like being welcomed home.
Eventually they pried themselves off the floor and sat up, staring out the door as they noticed the rain had stopped. The smell of petrichor coming from outside as a warm breeze swept through the van. The sound of a bird chirping in the distance as sunlight returned.
"Made it back alright?" Jasper asked contently, looking out the van but with a fond tone in his voice.
"Ugh," Harry shook his head with a smile. "I really should have brought an umbrella."
"At least you made it back home all dry!" Jasper replied, not realizing he's referred to their van as home now.
Harry's gaze softened, looking at the blue sky outside and smiled. "Yeah. Home."
Chapter 2: Low Battery: Jasper
Summary:
Jasper's social battery is drained after a long day of helping townsfolk and talking to people. Harry steps in to help take care of him.
[Originally written on June 5th, 2025]
Chapter Text
Harry always saw the sides to Jasper that no one else was around to see.
It was small at first, like how after a long day his smile would fall once the attention was off him, or how his arms moved stiffly whenever someone made him mad. It was always the small things that to the common untrained eye were nothing to note.
But Harry saw them. And he learned how to read him based off these little tells.
Jasper was always polite, so he never really let himself fully express his emotions until it was just them alone. So these small tells of his were things Harry learned to pick up on when they were with other people. Something only he noticed.
It had been a long day out. What turned started as a simple hike ended up with a long day of helping fellow hikers up and down the trail, many people to talk to, and all of them needing help.
And just when they returned to town to gather food for their night out camping, even more people came up to them for help.
By 9pm, they were drained.
Harry and Jasper walked back to the van. Smiling and waving to the person behind them who they helped with some issue at the general store.
By the time they were at a distance where they couldn't be heard, Jasper turned back around to face ahead, his smile falling, his body slouching forward just slightly so his bangs slightly covered his eyes.
Harry knew the action well.
Jasper wasn't sad, just... tired. And Harry understood that.
As they reached the van doors, Harry put a hand to Jasper's shoulder. "You want me to take the wheel, Jasper? You've been driving all day, you look practically dead on your feet."
Jasper looked up at him, his face neutral save for the small raise of his eyebrows. His grey eyes searched Harry's face, lost in thought, before he nodded wordlessly and opened the car doors. The second he stepped in, Jasper ripped the scarf off his shoulders and fell into the bed with a loud thunk.
Harry smiled fondly at him, seeing his body visibly relax now that he was in bed. He closed the van door before walking around to get to the driver's seat.
Once inside, he began to drive out of the small parking area of the general store. As they passed by the 'Now Leaving Aratera' sign, Harry could hear a quiet voice from the back of the van call his name.
"Yes, Jasper?" Harry called out, looking at the rearview mirror to see Jasper looking at him curled up on the bed, his big grey eyes peeping through his bangs that draped over his forehead. The thin blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon.
"Thank you." Jasper mumbled just loud enough to be heard over the car engine, his voice this specific kind of tone that Harry knew was reserved for only him.
It was intimate, seeing him like this. Without his scarf, with his hair strewn about messily, with a look and tone like that pointed at him of all people, that said 'I trust you'.
This was something no one else got to see, and Harry felt honored to be trusted with it.
Harry smiled back. "No problem. Get some rest alright?"
With another small nod, Jasper curled up and got comfortable on the bed, closing his eyes as Harry focused on the drive back to their little campground just beyond the town.
Chapter 3: Stargazing
Summary:
Jasper sees the stars for the first time.
[Originally written on July 16, 2025]
Chapter Text
It was a well known fact that Harry was the city boy, and Jasper was the more outdoors-y kind of guy.
Maybe it had to do with the clothes he wore, or the way he was well versed in wilderness survival.
Or perhaps, it was simply by the way Jasper fit with the nature around them. Seeing him walk around hiking trails, looking at the trees and mountains that encompassed them like he was rediscovering the beauty of nature all over again.
Every excited point of his finger at a flower or plant, every moment he stopped to point Harry to a specific area that looked beautifully picturesque, every single quiet moment spent looking up, down, and all around were just one of the many ways Harry saw the love for nature in Jasper's eyes. It was a part of him.
So, you'd think for a man so intrinsically drawn to the natural, nothing would surprise him. Jasper was always looking around them with a tender fondness for nature; His eyes gazing upon everything like it was an old friend he was thrilled to meet once more. One would imagine there wasn't anything he hasn't seen yet.
It was because of this that it came as a big shock to Harry when they were walking back to the camper van after chatting with Antony all afternoon, and Jasper looked up at the night sky.
Stopping along the side of the road suddenly, Harry bumped into him as he had trailed behind to enjoy the chill night air. Once he saw how still Jasper had gotten, Harry went to ask him before he suddenly took his hand and made a beeline to the rocky shores of Aratera's beach. The grip on his hand similar to the many times Jasper had dragged him to show him something cool.
There was something different about this though. Jasper was oddly silent, his grip on Harry' hand was more firm than usual. (Not that Harry could tell the difference, of course. Definitely not. /j)
It wasn't until they got to the shoreline did Harry finally get a look at his face.
Eyes drawn to the sky, his mouth slightly ajar, his eyes even wider than Harry had ever seen. It was though he was starstruck to his very core.
Harry didn't let go of his hand, holding it close as Jasper walked forward to sit on the ground, the spot just a few ways away from where the water lapped at the shore.
Harry followed and sat down right next to him, looking up to see the vast amount of stars above. He had seen the stars plenty of times before in his life, and they were always stunning. Despite how little he saw the night sky since moving to the city. But it always felt the same. Seeing it always gave him comfort, it felt familiar no matter where he was, and every time Harry saw it, he fell in love with it all over again.
But Jasper's reaction was different entirely. His grip tightening around Harry's hand as his eyes grew watery, a few tears running down his face.
Harry squeezes his hand gently, not wanting to break the silence he knew Jasper needed at this moment, but needing to offer his support.
"I've never-" He whispered, eyes glued to the sky. "I've never seen the stars like this before."
Harry stared at him in amazement. The idea of Jasper never having seen the night sky like this felt almost improbable.
Jasper tore his gaze to look at Harry, a knowing look in his eyes as he gave him a small smile "I've always lived in the city. At least, as far as my mind can remember. And there the stars are always like... the triangle, maybe the big dipper if you're lucky."
"But this?" He gestured up at the sky. "It's amazing. I can't believe im tearing up over it."
Harry squeezed his hand again softly. "No, I get it. Seeing the sky in full for the first time has to be magical."
"Magical's an understatement. This feels monumental to me." Jasper laughed, shaking his head. "Like... I knew nature could be beautiful, but never this beautiful."
"I guess the universe has many ways to keep us amazed, hm?"
Jasper laid down in the shore. Eyes facing the sky. "Yeah, true."
Harry joined him, his head ending up closer to Jasper's than he ever expected to be. But he didn't move away, not when he felt Jasper's grip soften in his hands and move to intertwine with his.
So he kept his eyes drawn upwards, watching as Jasper pointed to certain constellations he could pick out from the sky.
And even though Harry had seen the stars a million times before, seen it in different locations at different points in his life. He knew tonight that as he laid beside his travel buddy, sharing a quiet and tender moment by the lakeside, eyes drawn upward gazing at the night sky, that the stars shone in a way that made him fall in love again in more ways than one.
Chapter 4: Brainstorming
Summary:
Harry reflects on the van and brainstorms ideas for his new book.
[Originally written August 2nd, 2025]
Notes:
was out on a day trip today, had this in my mind while trying to doodle in a moving vehicle (in a notebook)
not my proudest chapter BUT im pushing to write more aksjhd
Chapter Text
Harry wasn't sure when he stopped seeing the van as Jasper's and started seeing it as theirs.
He realized this one day as the two were taking a long drive out of Aratera, heading up north to a hot spring just in between the valley of mountains. His legs were propped up on the dashboard as a notebook sat in his lap as Harry tried to think up of some ideas for his next book. It wasn't until he got distracted did his mind wander back to when the two first met, and just how comfortable being near the other became.
When they first left the city, Harry made sure to keep his side -the passenger's side- clean and tidy. By then it wasn't even his side, but just the only other seat in the van that he could sit in.
So he did his best to keep his influence on the spot to a minimum, only leaving items that were useful to them both should Jasper grab it.
Since then however, it's become his side. Harry on the right, Jasper on the left. Like it was as easy as telling east and west.
Of course, there would be times when Harry took the wheel while Jasper got to take a break from driving, but those moments felt intimate in a strange way that Harry couldn't place for the longest time. It was only changing seats for a few hundred kilometers or so, but it was strange in a pleasant way. Almost like he was seeing the road and this world through Jasper's eyes. It made Harry appreciate having someone else with him while exploring. Jasper had a habit of finding beauty in the mundane, and it caused Harry to start seeing things in a newer light as the days went by.
But those moments of change weren't all too common, especially given Jasper's tolerance for long drives. So more often than not, they were in their assigned seats.
All this time spent on the road exploring and traveling meant that they spent a lot of time in these seats. And it clearly showed over time.
Jasper's side has a pen and small sketchbook on the dashboard that served both as a sketchbook and as a notepad, most of the pages being filled with quick sketches of plants and scribbled maps made by locals and friends towards locations they never would've found on their own. The sun visor had this cheap looking cd holder, containing a pair of albums and what seemed to be his own cd mixtapes that he burned in himself. There were small embroidered patches of flowers and leaves on it, which Harry only assumed was Jasper fixing any tears in the holder. His seat also had a brown sweater draped over the back like a decorative cloth, which Jasper used whenever there were sudden showers or snow in the middle of August.
And those were the things Harry noticed first since this trip began among other things. His sunglasses on the dashboard, a small bubble wand on the side compartment for when he needed it, a necklace made of a cool rock Harry found along the beach hanging from the rear view. They were all things that really reflected Jasper as a person that Harry found himself appreciating about him.
On Harry's end, he had a notebook of his own on the dashboard, this time spiral bound and lined -the same one he had in his lap right now. The side compartment holding a water bottle he bought at the gas station and a few wrappers of some snacks he and Jasper ate while driving that he'll throw out later. His leather messenger bag placed in the center space between the seats. A bottle of sunscreen and bug spray in the glove compartment in front of him for whenever they were taking their explorations outside of the van.
It wasn't as lived in compared to Jasper's side, but it was a start! What mattered is that the two shared the space together, and seeing it reflect them both felt oddly satisfying to Harry.
Harry blinked himself back to the present moment after the van jostled a bit due to the road. He stared at his empty page in thought, redirecting his thoughts to the task at hand: brainstorming.
He had gotten good ideas since the start of the trip. A pair of travelers exploring a foreign fantasy realm, discovering mysteries and vanquishing foes. It was a far cry from the usual romantic comedy stories Harry wrote, and it was exciting!
...When he had ideas, at least.
Harry tapped the side of his notebook, deep in thought as he tried to come up with something for his characters to do while they were hunkered down in a small village for a week. The two returning after slaying a monster.
"Jasper," Harry called out, looking up and turning to him. "I need an idea for this next chapter im plotting out."
After Harry caught him up to speed on the plot since the last time he had asked for his help (which was a few chapters ago), Jasper stared out at the road ahead, lost in thought, but thinking over the context with a hum.
"I mean, they just got back from defeating that dragon right? Maybe Vincent got injured at some point and Basil...." He gesticulated with one arm, letting out an unsure ehhhh, "....you know?"
Harry nodded in reply, scrawling down the words injury and recovery in his notebook with a few question marks and circling it to give it emphasis.
"Oooh, that could work? Maybe Basil patches him up?"
"What if-" Jasper began, getting an idea as he raised a finger for the drama, "There's a moment after the fight from the last chapter where it seems like they're both unscathed, but-"
"Oh don't tell me..." Harry groaned with a mix of fear and excitement. "It's a scene where Vincent staggers and falls to the ground after the injuries finally settle in after the adrenaline crashes?"
"Yes! Exactly!"
"Damn, and the time it takes for them to walk to town I could play up the emotions Basil would have-" Harry gasped suddenly.
"...He'd have to carry Vincent back."
The two of them erupted into a fit of excitement. Jasper shaking the wheel and Harry writing the plot out on his notebook, cheering like he was watching a sports game as the story moved along in his head driving the plot foward.
It was a kind of excitement that came with being creative. The kind of excitement that came with sharing ideas and developing a story more.
And more importantly, being creative with someone, in a place that was theirs to share.
Chapter 5: Poetry
Summary:
Jasper's a long time fan of Harry's work and decides to try a bit of poetry.
[Originally written on August 14, 2025]
Chapter Text
Jasper never considered himself particularly good at writing. Or a writer in general.
Sure, he'd written fanfictions for the odd show or two, had many many attempts at writing a novel about his ocs with the dream of becoming a world renowned author some day, and dabbled in cheesy poetry whenever he felt overcome with emotion on certain days. But they weren't good, at least in his eyes. They were made for fun, for the sake of getting the story out, and he was happy leaving it like that.
He did wonder sometimes what would happen if he had chosen that career instead of art, went to school for creative writing rather than the visual arts. Jasper knew he was filled with potential for many things; A man of many interests that, if given the money and time, he'd spend his whole life studying to learn each one. Writing was just something on his list of the many things he'd love to try. High on the list, but nowhere near the level drawing and painting were at.
Jasper hoped, at least, that if there was any universe out there where he'd be a writer, that he was somewhat like Harry and his writing.
It came as a shock to Jasper when, after he and Harry's morning walk, he had found the copy of his favourite book deep in the van's bedframe shelf. He was recommended it by an old university friend of his, which got Jasper into the ''Mayor and Attorney" series by the book's author James Harrison.
The book was worn, both from how much Jasper had read it during his 20's and from being lost in the shelf below the vans' bed for a year or two. It had been a story he clung to during his university days, using it to get through tough semesters and emotional struggles.
Flipping through the pages, Jasper began looking at his old notations in the book (that were just sticky notes of funny comments and him gushing about certain plot points and characters), his task of cleaning the van now on hold as he took a trip down memory lane.
At some point, Harry had walked into the van after having finished his breakfast outside, and paused when he saw the book.
"Is that 'Eternal Ties'?" Harry asked in an odd tone, pointing at it.
Jasper blushed. "Yeah, well.... I mean, yeah? It's my favourite book of all time really. I mean, know it's a bit cheesy but-"
"No-" Harry reassured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No that's... that's good. Im glad you like it."
Grabbing his messenger bag, Harry left the van as quickly as he came in and went to go sit by the campfire, mumbling something about being outside if he needed him.
Jasper sat there, looking confused at his behavior for a moment before continuing to flip through the book.
At some point -whether it was a few minutes, or an hour, he couldn't tell- Jasper got to the end of the book, flipping through the dedications and the list of books also in the series.
And then came the page dedicated to the author.
At first Jasper read the blurb, laughing a bit at how much it fitted Harry. The image on the page was just of a hand holding a pen on a desk, giving off the impression of the author writing the book in the image itself.
It was only until he got to the second blurb of the author in the sleeve of the book did Jasper finally put two and two together.
Jasper ran out the van, holding the book in his hands as he called out for Harry, who jumped at the noise, looking at him from a lawn chair they had brought out last night.
"You're James Harrison?!?!"
"I thought you knew!" Harry replied, standing up. "I told you I'm an author! I just happen to have an alias."
"Yeah, but not James Harrison! What the heck?" Jasper ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry- god, I don't mean to get weird about this but.... this book changed me man."
"Really?"
He laughed softly, "Yeah! Like, gosh... I got this copy years ago! I can't believe that, technically, this was the first time id cross paths with you in a way."
Harry softened. "Small world I guess."
Back inside the van, Jasper dug out the rest of the books, finding a pile of what appeared to be most of the books in the "Mayor and Attorney" series Harry wrote.
"Wow... these are worn." Harry stared at the pile in awe, sitting beside Jasper as he picked one up and began flipping through the pages. "You've read all of these?"
Yauso chuckled, "Yep. Im kinda a sucker for romance. At least, the way you write them. God, I still can't believe you're James Harrison. Where'd you even get the name?"
"I just switched parts of my name around. Harry Jameson, James Harry-son, Harrison." He shrugged, not taking eyes off the book in his hands. "Simple, I know, I just didn't care to make it too different at the time."
The two sat in silence, Jasper looking through the stack of books and Harry flipping through the annotations he made.
"Not Devon staring at him from across the room, what in the Mr Darcy?" Harry read aloud, laughing softly. "Are all your copies filled with these stickies?"
"Kinda, yea. My friend who introduced me to the series asked to borrow the books after I read it so I started leaving her little comments for her to read."
"Hmm.... Is it alright if I read them?" He asked, "I- I never did any book signings in public, or ever really spoken to people who've enjoyed my books before. I really want to get some comments, funny or serious, on these if that's alright."
Yauso smiled softly, "Sure! You can keep my copies for now then. Just... these comments are around 10 years old, so, keep that in mind."
"Of course."
It had been a day or so since then. They were now in a different location, now on a hill having hiked up to see a view of Aratera from the highest hill nearby.
The two were sitting at this small area at the end of the hiking trail, Harry on the bench and Jasper on a rock facing the view ahead. They agreed to relax here for a bit, enjoying the air and scenery, before meandering back down the trail, so Harry began writing in his journal again, writing something down.
Jasper on the other hand pulled out his sketchbook before stopping at the open page before him.
Glancing at Harry for a second, watching him write, Jasper thought back to the book stuff a few days prior. Thinking about how he felt about it now that he had the time to think.
Jasper felt surprisingly content over discovering that his new friend and travel buddy was also the author to his favourite book series. If anything, it made the book better, knowing it was written by him, not that it made Harry look better because of it. It was just another fact about him that was added to his ever growing list of things he adored about Harry.
Staring at the page before him, his mind wandered for a moment. At first he thought of the book, but then it wandered over to Harry. His humor, his gentleness, his eyes, his voice-
Yauso blinked. Stopping his mind from going down that path, whatever it was. He was confused, left with this weird feeling of simultaneous lightness and heaviness in his chest, and he needed to release it somehow, or at least without Harry noticing.
He looked down at the page, no visual coming to mind to convey the emotions and thoughts running through his head.
So, he picked up his pencil and began writing.
"Cool and Warm, Heavy and light. Nature incarnate as I feel at home with him. Sun in the sky.
Sudden rush of tears in my eyes. Chest indented with empty space to fill.
Spring to autumn, a dance of seasons, delicate leaf in my hand weathered by time.
Now the forest is filled with yellow and reds. Leaves all around.
Am I lost? Is this a path to take? That does it mean?
But the wind blows warm air onto me, leading me further into the woods, perhaps I am found."
...
Jasper stared at the page for a while.
It didn't sound like it made sense.
But it felt right. Felt freeing.
So he closed his sketchbook, and went to go sit with Harry. Doing his best to ignore the weird feeling in his chest for now.
Maybe he'll do some more poetry later to figure it out.
Chapter 6: Falling
Summary:
Jasper's falling. Antony lends an ear.
[Originally written on August 18, 2025]
Chapter Text
Jasper barely payed attention to what was going on. This deep gnawing and weight in his chest making his body feel almost numb, fuzzy even, to his surroundings. Something about the mic? He didn't really care.
All he could really focus on was inward, and in particular the source of these sensations, who was currently walking up to the mini performance stage in the bar.
It was the weekend, the usual time where they were back in Aratera resting at a hotel room and gathering supplies before leaving for the week ahead. Antony had invited them over to the bar that saturday night to chat with the locals and get a drink.
Harry was relieved to be able to get some alcohol after days being out on the road, the past few days of adventuring were... tense, and he desperately needed a whiskey.
Jasper on the other hand, had a lot on his mind. Didn't help that he needed to be the designated driver to drive Harry back to their hotel room, so he was completely sober sipping a soda deep in thought.
"He's killing it out there." Came a new voice, bringing Jasper out of his thoughts.
"He is, Antony." Jasper agreed softly, voice a bit off kilter from how quiet he had been since Harry left to go on stage.
A beat of silence passed between them as they stopped to listen to Harry sing. His voice going deep as he sang Frank Sinatra's My Way. Jasper had heard him sing it before in the car, but it was always blew him away whenever the man sang at all.
Antony turned to him, a knowing look on his face. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just.... I have a lot to think about."
"Penny for your thoughts?" Antony sipped his drink. A fruity mocktail.
Jasper sighed, looking around the room like it would bring him the words. A moment of silence fell between them as Harry started singing another song, the noise fading into the background as Jasper took a deep breath and steeled himself like he was confessing his entire soul with these words.
"I'm falling, Antony. He's just so... wonderful, and amazing, and I just- Fuck." He whispered, the curse and the rasp in his voice coming from deep within. Jasper wasn't the type of man to swear, this much was clear to Antony, and his light mood settled into a more somber, quiet mood, as he realized that this wasn't just a simple bad day.
Antony nodded at Harry, "Who, for Harry? I mean, he's a great guy but if you have a crush on him, so what? I'm pretty sure he likes you too, what's the hold up?"
It was at this time that Harry, unfortunately, spotted Jasper past the small stage lights that were facing the stage. He raised his eyebrow just subtly enough at Jasper that didn't feel out of place mid song.
Jasper's worried eyes softened, offering a small ghost of a smile back at him.
Harry didn't back down however. His head now fully turned to him as he kept performing.
With the subtlest of nods, Jasper smiled at him more noticeably now, his brows furrowing just slightly, to which Harry finally relented, turning back to the audience.
"It's not that easy, It's-" Yauso whispered, sighing as his expression dropped before turning back to him. "I don't know... I mean, there's so many things we already do together. We're already traveling together, sharing a bed, spending most of our time together, and even when we split up for a single second all I can think about is what he's doing."
"Have you seen, the way he looks at you Yas? Half the town already thinks you two are an item."
"It's not just that, There's more to it. More that I'm not at liberty to say. I just.... I don't think either of us are ready to say anything yet." Jasper whispered. "Like, I like what we have right now, and... I know Harry does too. We only got one more week together before we gotta go back to the city. I just don't think I'm ready to say anything yet. I don't want to ruin this."
"I've never felt like this before, Antony. And I'm scared, like, really fucking scared."
Antony sipped his drink, digesting his words. His eyes looking around, betraying his cool front.
"I get that. Why risk ruining what's working, right?" He mumbled, looking out ahead like he was afraid to look back at Jasper, to admit he understands the feeling more than he'd like to.
"But, I raise you this. Are you willing to let him go once things die down, once the show ends?"
"Jasper, guys like me and Harry have lived for... quite a long time. Our time is running short already. Harry's a pretty healthy guy, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Do whatever you think is right for you of course, I don't want to pressure you to do anything you're not ready to, but I think what you two got is wonderful. Take this chance while you can."
Jasper sighed heavily, he knew that already, already took it into account. He wasn't ready to face it yet.
"I got one more week. I'll do it eventually. I promise." Jasper mumbled, his voice low.
Antony nodded at him, raising his glass as the two cheers to something either of them could place, but felt right for the mood at hand.
As Yauso turned back to the stage, his eyes immediately went to meet with Harry's, a deep underlying anxiety mixing with his overwhelming affection.
One week. One more week to pretend. One more week to face the music.
Just one more week.
Chapter 7: [AV] The Question
Summary:
[Characters are for the Route 23 Spin Off: Ars Vitae] At the beginning, Vita was posed a question. Billions of years later, Vermes Evermore, God of Life, finally finds the answer to it.
[Originally written on August 8, 2025]
Notes:
Accompanied Song:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3DNRdudZ2SstnDCVKFdXxG?si=05f61c89cef94110Also CW For talks about life and death! Just as a forewarning.
Chapter Text
Back before the world came to be, before the name Vermes was placed upon him, before everything and everything, he was simply called life. Vita.
Back then, there was nothing but an ever growing expanse and stars being made all around him. Back then, his world had been an infinite expanse, nothing else to do but wander and search for the perfect conditions to start the beginnings of life.
The universe's plans were incomprehensible. She came out of nowhere after all, and then suddenly she was everywhere.
She had gotten a head start on the creation of it all, small clusters of space dust forming into spheres that, with the right conditions and the right elements could create countless things and beings. It was his job to see to empower it, to fuel it. While the universe kept going about her own way and laying down the foundations for the future.
It didn't mean he wasn't lonely though.
The expanse was deafening, nothing but his own thoughts, if any were running through his head. He merely wandered the plane, growing and birthing the start of life on many planets. Starting small with the tiniest bacteria before they blossomed into so much more after.
There was no other motive in his mind, simply getting a task done for a grander plan down the line. Wandering, growing, wandering again. Vita's life was... lifeless.
And that's when he came along.
To the untrained eye, he was simply a shadow, a formless blob just like him, a concept.
Only, where Vita was bright and warm, he was dark and cold. Light and Darkness, Hot and Cold, Everything and Nothing.
They met at a planet some distance away. There was no frame of reference for either of them, but they both knew this place was far.
It had been one of the first planets Vita had visited upon his creation. A significant amount of time had passed, and by the time he returned, plenty of organisms were thriving on what was merely dust in the emptiness.
Thousands of organisms were getting their legs, finally tasting life and living. But there was one that simply wasn't.
This broke Vita out of his silence, confused at what happened to the thing.
But then a stranger appeared beside him. Standing at his side, he took the organism. Holding it close to its form in a way Vita would come to learn later as the word tender.
Then, it began to fade into something akin to space dust. It flowed everywhere, some fading away into the emptiness while some floated back to the planet returning what was taken.
Back then, there was no pre-existing language or type of verbal communication. Everything was still new, and they were merely concepts back then, simply made manifest by the fact the universe simply wanted it to be.
But... they tried. And Vita centuries later would try to translate these conversations the best he could.
ᓵ𝙹リ⎓⚍ᓭ╎𝙹. ⍊╎ℸ ̣ᔑ ᒷ ̇/╎ᓭℸ ̣ᒷリᓭ ᒷ∷∷𝙹リᒷᔑ?
Confusio. Vita existens erronea?
Confusion. Existing Life Incorrect?
"Im confused. Why is this living thing not living anymore?"
⎓╎リ╎ᓭ ⍊╎ℸ ̣ᔑᒷ. 𝙹ᒲリ╎ᔑ ∷ᒷ↸↸ᒷ.
Finis Vitae. Omnia Redde.
Life End. Return Everything.
"It's life ended. It has to return to the universe now."
ᓵᔑ⚍ᓭᔑ? ᓵᔑ⚍ᓭᔑ ⎓╎リ╎ᓭ ⍊╎ℸ ̣ᔑᒷ?
Causa? Causa Finis Vitae?
Reason? Reason Life End?
"But why? Why does life have to end?"
ᓵ⚍∷ ⍊╎ℸ ̣ᔑᒲ ∷ᔑℸ ̣╎𝙹ᓵ╎リᔑ∷╎ᓭ, ᓭ╎ ⍊╎ℸ ̣ᔑ ᔑᒷℸ ̣ᒷ∷リᔑ ᒷᓭℸ ̣?
Cur Ratiocinari De Vita, Si Vita Est Aeterna?
Why Reason Life, If Life Forever?
"What does it mean to live, then? If you live forever?"
For the first time since his existence, Vita was silent.
But it wasn't in the way like he had felt before. It was better now. He had a question.
Ages would pass when life would begin to evolve, when time paved the way for these organisms to grow into more complex and intricate creatures, when these creatures would develop concepts of their own like language, and eventually when they would be both given their first names.
Vita would get his name here, of course. Vita. Life.
But the other one got a name too. Mors. Death.
And no matter where he went, Vita held Mors' question in his mind, even when their visits would start to become more frequent.
More would pass between the two, Vita and Mors didn't exist within a vaccum, and the Universe started to get worried with how the two always seemed to be far too close than how she wanted them to be.
But that never stopped them from seeking each other out, even after being freed from the plain existence of incorporealness
It was here that Vita started trying to exist amongst the creatures he had helped create from the very beginning, wanting to see up close just how these beings behaved now after seeing them start of as tiny specks on a planet. There was so much life everywhere he went, only so much he could experience by floating around as an incorporeal concept, that he created his first physical form.
Vita would wander the world for many years. Earning names and slowly building an identity for himself as he finally got to see just how beautiful life was up close.
And he saw Mors no matter where he went. Even when it seemed like he was running all over the place, he somehow remained just as gentle and kind as when he had met him (even if the term didn't exist that long ago as a descriptor), but now Mors was all kinds of emotions. Violent, Gentle, Quiet, Loud. For death, he was incredibly human.
Vita supposed he had to be those things, as death was always around life, no matter how one met him.
But by now it had become a comfort for Vita. Wherever he went, Mors was there. A comforting shadow that was always nearby. Someone that he entrusted the care of countless people that he had met over the span of many many years.
It wasn't until years later did Vita -now Vermes- finally put the words to the first question he was ever given, the first question he ever had. After years of living and experiencing and knowing -even if he was to exist forever- what it was like to live.
And in the end, it was ironic, in a sense.
Death asked life what it meant to live. And in turn, Life gave death meaning.
Chapter 8: Feeling
Summary:
Sometimes you just need to be held.
[Originally written on November 7th, 2025]
Notes:
just finished editing all the fics in here to jaspers new name. i got this and another fic im still working on thats left to post so we got more stuffs comin soon :3
Chapter Text
their adventure today had taken a dark tone.
sure, everything ended up fine in the end. the person they were helping got what they needed, but it wasnt a fully positive thing. often times things just werent happy, and that was okay.
didnt mean they couldnt feel sad about it though.
the two called in an early night, parking at some pullover on the side of the road and getting ready for bed. they had to share the van bed again, which they had gotten used to, but after earlier events, they felt like they needed it.
jasper looked up at the van roof, deep in thought, his mind in a dark place. he could feel harry doing something similar, lost in his mind and unable to sleep.
"harry?" he whispered, turning to face him as harry laid on his back.
harry hummed, turning his head to jasper.
"can we....?"
harry sighed, half out of plain tiredness, other half out of relief before opening his arms up to him.
jasper leaned in and wrapped his arms around harry, his head on his chest as they held each other close. the warmth of their bodies against one another providing a deep warmth through their souls.
their minds quieted at this. the storms in their mind now growing easier to weather.
but harry could feel how tense jasper was still, his back still tense and stiff. he knew there was still some thoughts running through his head.
his mind ran through the things he could do to comfort jasper. hugging tighter was physically impossible with how tight they were already, rubbing his back felt too intimate especially for just friends, and kissing his forehead already had the same issue the last one had (why harry thought of this one, he had no clue, no clue at all. didnt help he was halfway falling asleep already.)
with nothing else to lose, his brain defaulted to writing his words out rather than saying it. so with his hands against jaspers back, harry visualised his hands at the keyboard and began tapping jaspers back slowly.
it started out with small words. "its ok. im here. we will be fine." when jasper noticed and spoke up.
"what are you doing?" jasper mumbled sleepily
harry paused mid word, "uh, typing, i think. i can stop though."
"no dont. i like it. you type like.... rhythmically, y'know? its nice."
"really?"
jasper hummed in agreement, snuggling into his chest more.
"wha'r you typing?"
harry stilled, "....nothing, just random words." he lied.
"cool."
as silence began to fill the air and the two of them fell more and more asleep, harry's typing got sloppier, the words beconing less thought out and more whatever came to his mind via instinct.
a few words slipped out from his mind though. a few quotes, a few words from his past books like character names....
but if he had accidentally typed out a confession in his taps, then thats between him and the night.