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it’d been a while since shylock had seen murr.
two years ago, murr entered shylock’s bar as he always had, much time after shylock had officially closed the bar. after years and years of suffering the despicable man entering his bar after hours, shylock had already known what to expect. a night that started with an aggravating question, that ended with argument and the occasional broken glass under the warm, moody lighting of the bar.
two years ago, murr left bennett bar with the same obnoxious grin that never seemed to go away. “i will always come back until the day you ask me to,” the wizard said the same way he did each night after their trivial back and forth, reminding the other despite not needing to. shylock always hated the way he spoke with such sureness.
two years ago, murr didn’t return.
shylock hadn’t thought much of it. in fact, the bartender thought himself to be ecstatic, more than joyful that the unpleasant man hadn’t come back that night as he always did. shylock ignored the slight ache, the burn that smoldered in his chest. quickly, a single night turned into days, weeks, months.. until the point he let himself believe murr had turned into stone. perhaps his crazy obsession with the moon had finally been enough to cause his own demise. initially, shylock relished the thought of murr’s loss in his life. with murr’s absence would come a near halt in magical technology, a slowing of the so-called “renovation” to his dear homeland. but as time passed, not a whisper of news about the philosopher, shylock didn’t know what to make of it.
surely a wizard as wise as murr couldn’t have met his fate so soon, even despite his eccentric mannerisms? shylock could no longer be sure of it. none of his usual patrons or even the ones that would come in once a decade had news on the astronomer.
it was only days before the two years that marked murr’s absence that the unchanging barista received news of his presence. “i heard from a fellow of mine in central that murr had left for the northern country. been there since he just disappeared, apparently. the damned man.. off studying the moon far north when he easily could’ve stayed in his own country.” a scoff came from the unfamiliar wizard. “what even is up there in those frozen lands other than death,” he continued prior to taking down his glass of rum, throwing his head back before slamming the glass back onto the varnished bar. “but it doesn’t matter anyway. the guy is coming back within the week, i was told.”
to the average patron of the bar, shylock didn’t seem affected at all by the sudden news. a straight, welcoming smile that never wore off sat on his lips, his hands polishing a wine glass. but if one was murr heart, one would easily see past the faux expression and observe the conflict in the bartender’s heart. despite his centuries of living, the two years without the other seemed eternal; the growing flame in his heart only worsened with each day. will murr even return to the bar? will he remember the nights spent arguing, their bickering that seeped into dawn? disagreement quickly arose in his chest, unsure what to feel at the prospect of the other returning in just within a week.
in a way, shylock knew that murr wouldn’t simply forget their back and forth, their push and pull relationship. but with how two years passed by so slowly, the ache and longing that the bartender didn’t want to admit to grew to the point that he could barely handle it anymore. day after day, his mind lingered on thoughts of the violet-haired man, often even becoming distracted from his bartending. was he doing well? has he been as infuriating as he always had been? shylock didn’t pay mind even when the buzz and chatter of the bar slowly fizzled away over the hour, all until only he was left behind the counter, alone as he’d been for the last two years. his only company sat in his head, passing thoughts of murr blocking out all others like the clouds to the sun. shylock’s hands mindlessly polished away at the line of glasses that were scattered along his bar, his incessant daydreaming of the philosopher not halting for even a second.
only when the bell chimed above the main door did shylock half snap out of his trance, still a bit consumed with his thoughts as he spoke in his natural, eloquent tone. “i’m deeply sorry, but i’m sad to say that we’re already past closing. please escort yourself out.” shylock’s eyes were still cast down at the cup in his hand, polished to shining perfection and reflecting back his own solemn expression.
“is that really how you should be greeting your favorite customer, my dear shylock?” a voice too familiar, too smooth sounded from the door, the sound of footsteps approaching where he was standing at the bar.
shylock’s ears surely must’ve been deceiving him, right? after how much he’d been thinking of the other for the past hour, it really wouldn’t have surprised the wizard if tricks were played on his mind. but despite the doubt that shot through his thoughts, shylock still froze in place, heart clenching in his chest as his eyes rose from the glass in his hands.
there, just feet away, walked the subject of his fear, his yearning, and his sorrow all at once.
unexpected silence from shylock had the man laughing just under his breath, head tilted in curiosity. “shylock, are you just going to stare at me? spare me a breath of your thoughts, at least,” murr spoke with that unchanging tone, still the same after two years.
even with murr’s teasing comment, shylock kept silent, a million thoughts still fighting to be heard after the other made himself known. shylock’s eyes were unwavering, staring right into those piercing turquoise eyes he never forgot. everything was still the same, from the cat-like grin to the indescribable shine in murr’s eyes that truly never left.
“i..” shylock breathed out almost a minute later, setting down the glass and fabric onto the bar.
“you..? it’s rare to see you so speechless,” murr pressed again as shylock trailed off, his stride taking him to the chair across from where the other stood. amusement was clear in his expression, but shylock could barely even come up with a counter to his words.
“.... you’re back.” the bartender quietly spoke, words coming out as a strained sigh. his gaze was still fixated on murr, not wanting to take his eyes off of that striking cyan that he’d missed so dearly.
murr chuckled just slightly at the simple reply, resting his chin in his palm as he leaned against the bar. crimson red and turquoise locked together. “that i am. did you miss me while i was up north, dear?”
“you’re as infuriating as ever, you loathsome man.” shylock was quick to respond the next time around, dodging the question with precision. even after two years, he still hated the way murr knew how to press his buttons, knew the exact things to say to back shylock into a corner and force his hand. no matter what situation they fell into, murr would never fail to show mastery at the inner workings of shylock’s mind. yet still, despite the harsh words, his tone was laced with a fond endearment, knowing deep down that murr was all shylock wanted to hear at that moment. admitting that he missed murr would be giving in to what the other wanted, and shylock was nowhere close to doing that.
murr laughed, oh, he laughed, genuine and whole. shylock pulled in a breath, not having heard that horrible laughter in so long.
“and you are just as sharp with your words.” murr all but mocked after his laughter had died down, sliding his cloak off of his shoulders and draping it across the barstool next to him. “shylock.”
“.. murr.”
a smile spread further across murr’s lips, finally hearing what he wanted to hear. “and here i thought you'd forgotten my name.” he paused for a second. “i take it that your heart remembers it as well?”
in turn, shylock smiled back with hesitance in his actions, uncharacteristic of the normally elegant actions he held. his expression gave no answers to murr’s question, unfamiliar silence settling over them once more. but murr wouldn’t settle for silence, a frown replacing his trademark grin.
“you truly don’t have any words for me after my leave?” murr prodded, so eager to pull out any reaction from the man in front of him. surely shylock’s lack of a response annoyed him, even just a bit.
“.. i do not.” shylock’s words stayed simple, the man finally looking off to take his pipe from his pocket. it seemed neither of them had many ideas of what to say after two years.
but still, murr grinned once more, standing up from his seat.
“oh, shylock.. you’re still so intriguing.”
shylock cocked an eyebrow, exhaling a puff of rosy smoke to the side. “am i, now? your words haven’t changed. how strange when you disappeared without a trace, not even a word left behind,” he murmured softly, taking in another breath of smoke.
“are you not satisfied enough knowing this is where i first came with my return? how cold, shylock. i even had the honor of thinking you’d tackle me upon arrival and shower me with your words.”
“i’m not as insane as you are.” shylock returned the insult, a smile finally gracing his lips. the shock of murr’s sudden arrival finally wore away, leaving the century-old conflict of love and hate on his lips. well, the line between love and hate was thin enough in his mind.
murr’s eyes were bright at the countering words, the man leaning against the bar. “yet we are both fools, you and i. the way you looked at me when i first walked in left little to the imagination.”
with pursed lips, shylock sighed out his last breath of smoke before letting his pipe dissipate with the flick of a hand. ‘how annoying.’ clearly written on his face, knowing murr would read his expression like he did the craters of his dearest calamity; with interest, curiosity, sparkling like the cerulean waves that the moon pushed and pulled. the philosopher could only keep up his grin, circling around to meet shylock, no longer separated by the bartop itself.
even as murr approached and closed up the gap between them, shylock did not back away, only gazing at the other unfazed.
but soon enough, murr would go against shylock’s expectations, only sighing dramatically as he reached to smooth out imaginary wrinkles on the bartender’s vest.
“do you not feel suffocated in such a closed bar, shylock? there aren’t even windows for me to gaze at my beloved,” murr commented offhandedly, retracting his hands from the other’s smooth vest as he looked up. a change of topic, not unexpected coming from the man. “shall we leave for another place?”
murr’s grin showed he knew that shylock couldn’t say no. but shylock still only blinked down at murr, not letting his heart decide so suddenly.
“i don’t wish to leave this place if it is only for you to go on about the moon, murr.” shylock’s words were seemingly firm, not giving in so easily. ‘but i will either way, so long as i am beside you.’
at this, murr waved his hand dismissively, soon placing it on the nape of his own neck. “although i would, i’m sure my favorite wizard would rather do something else. now come,” he demanded, not taking no for an answer. even as murr took shylock’s wrist into his hand, shylock showed no signs of disagreement, only letting the other take him wherever he had planned. always full of surprises, but shylock lived for that thrill either way.
“eanul ranbul.”
with the mutterance of murr’s spell, the two stood together alone on the western coast, gazing upon the moon that rose high above the horizon. shylock inhaled sharply, not having expected murr to take him to the shore of all places, but he truly couldn’t complain. he knew that murr was staring up at the pearly moon up in the sky, he didn’t have to look to know, but not even shylock could help but peer up at the beautiful calamity. how something so beautiful could bring about such damage to the world each year, shylock could never know.
soon enough, shylock’s eyes lowered instead to the reflection of light in the sea, thinking of the hours, days he spent strolling the shore alone. he remembered the days he reminisced the past that would never return, the untouched scenery that fell far from human hands. the man who caused all of that change stood by his side, and he loathed him deeply whenever he thought of it. but now was not about the change, but instead, it was the comfort of knowing that murr was there, hand on his wrist.
“try not to fall, shylock.” murr tugged at shylock’s wrist, urging him to follow his steps as he walked closer to the shore. shylock only obliged, letting him lead the way. with the flick of a wrist, murr’s magic allowed them both to step onto the calm waves without sinking, taking shylock further out from the shore and onto the ocean itself.
once a few yards away from where they first stood, murr turned to shylock with his signature grin. shylock waited, noticing the way the stars traced murr’s figure, how constellations sat on his shoulders and twinkled behind his hair. murr soon reached out without a word, his right hand finding its way to shylock’s waist. his left fitted itself perfectly into shylock’s right.
confusion spread across shylock’s expression for a second when murr took a step back, pulling shylock along with him. with wide eyes, shylock stumbled forward and held onto murr to steady himself before soon regaining his posture. he clicked his tongue in annoyance, the surprise fading from his eyes. murr’s laughter sung out, only making the apparent displeasure in shylock’s face more obvious. “have you lost your noble touch after all this time?” he teased, continuing to pull shylock along into his waltz.
“how ungracious of you to say so, murr. do you not have any manners to even ask me for a dance?” the question had no edge to it, they both knew.
“do i truly have to?” shylock’s lips pursed. he didn’t have to. shylock couldn’t have said no.
with another sigh, the bartender rested his hand comfortably on murr’s shoulder, matching each step with precision. the steps came easily to him, hours of waltz lessons ingrained into his muscle memory. the path they took as they danced around the water left ripples, so simple yet still so beautiful in shylock’s eyes. although no music played on the ocean, their own tempo came to be, easily following each other as if it were the most natural thing to do.
it was a shame that murr’s coat was left at the bar. shylock thought about how it would’ve fluttered in the sea breeze with each twist and turn they made.
“shylock.” murr spoke, pulling shylock out of his thoughts again that night. he looked into murr’s cyan eyes, a silent response. with shylock’s undivided attention, murr bought their intertwined hands up above shylock’s head, indicating the action he should be taking. a small laugh left shylock as he moved away to twirl under murr’s hold, his shawl flowing around him and following his movement. just as shylock’s spin was about to end, murr’s hand moved further back, securing shylock in his hold. he was quick in his movement, dipping shylock back until the ends of his hair brushed the ocean waters.
somehow shylock was unsurprised, looking up at murr with his violet hair framing their faces.
a pause. “did you miss me while i was gone?”
the question from minutes before had returned to murr’s lips, knowing that his curiosity would bring him back to it. they both knew the answer, but to simply speak it would kill the fun game that was so familiar to play.
“only a fool would miss a man that fell in love with the moon,” shylock muttered, only the sound of rippling waves filling his ears. that laugh again, so full and bright, broke the silence.
“then you must still be a fool after all this time, shylock. unchanging as ever.” murr’s hand pushed a strand of hair off of shylock’s face.
a hum, a hesitant response. “be quiet.” was all shylock said, all but a whisper as murr smiled the same way he always did. he closed the inches between them, pressing their lips together in an act of obedience for once in his life.
how ironic that he was kissing the man who fell in love with the moon underneath her light. how foolish, yet shylock could never say he wanted to rid his life of murr heart.
the flame in shylock’s chest burned, the calamity above them pulling in the tides. but shylock would never care for the moon, so long as murr stayed beside him.