[C][AU] Return

Fleck grunted as he swung the Altean broadsword that he'd become quite familiar with over the past decade around in a broad arc.

It felt good to be training again. After a long sleep and a good hearty breakfast he'd decided to train.

Two hours later he was reacquainting himself with an old friend. He'd discarded his shirt about an hour ago, and each mark Krolia had left stood out proudly against his skin, tanned again after time back in Italy.

Dick had been lingering on the gallery for a few dobash, watching Fleck from an inconspicuous space. In all honesty, he wouldn't be surprised if Fleck had already clocked him.

He wanted to go about his day avoiding Fleck, but that was unrealistic. He couldn't put universal relations on hold because his ex had returned unexpectedly. He needed to get around his day and the following days without tip-toeing.

The walk down to the training deck was short, but he took his time, tempted to just turn and pretend that this wasn't happening.

He opened to door and made himself known, awkwardly stood off to the side.

"Fleck?"

Of course Fleck had clocked him.

He's spent the better part of a decade intimately aware of him. Their relationship wasn't what it was, but he still felt that thrill in his gut when Dick was near.

He ignored Dick as he moved from the gallery, down to the deck.

And ignored him harder when he spoke.

He began performing a series of forms.

Dick's shoulders sagged when he was promptly ignored. Not that he was surprised.

He waited, watching Fleck go through a series of steps he was familiar with. He wouldn't be supprised if Fleck could do them in his sleep.

"Fleck," he tried again and made his way further towards him.

As before, Dick was quite promptly ignored.

He wasn't as stubborn as Dick, granted, but that didn't make him a pushover. He could give stubbornness a good go.

When one set of forms was over, he began a more advanced set.

Dick's lips pursed, and let out a small frustrated huff of breath.

He couldn't go much further into his personal space. Not when he was brandishing a sword about.

"Fleck." Then, "Hank."

He moved so he was in his line of sight at least.

Fleck got no reply from the man.

Neither did Hank.

His dark eyes settled on Dick for a moment when he shuffled into his line of sight, then flickered away.

He continued on with his forms.

"Okay, just," he gestured to Fleck with both of his hands, "just keep doing that."

His hands dropped down to his sides again. They were thought together so he could fiddle with he rings on his fingers.

"I know this is probably some sort of revenge on me for... ignoring you, but can we talk, now, please?"

"Talk?"

Fleck dropped from his stance. The sword clattered to the floor and Fleck straightened up.

"What could you possibly say to make this situation better?"

Dick's eyes drop down to the floor, lips parted as he attempted to find the words.

"I, I don't know. I just.. wanted to try and make this right."

"How?" he questioned almost aggressively.

"How could you make this right? You tossed me aside. Ten years together and you just left me. Why? How?"

How could Dick do it? He could never understand. For a month he'd tried to understand and he could never get his head around it.

How?

His throat clenched and he swallowed.

"I just, I thought it was right at the time. I thought," he opened his mouth, hesitating again. "I don't even know myself. I was going to call you. Yesterday."

Not that it mattered anymore.

But he felt the need to say it.

"That's nice," he dismissed.

I was going to call you, he says the day after he returns.

I was going to call you, he says, as if Fleck hadn't spent over a month trying to call him.

I was going to call you, he says, as if that thought that Dick was at least thinking of him in his exile should be enough grounds to forgive him.

Fleck bent to pick his sword up again.

"Leave."

Dick crossed his arms, hunched in on himself. He still couldn't bring himself to look up at Fleck.

"Okay," his voice cracked,

He didn't make a move to leave.

Fleck went back to ignoring the prince.

He began running through more forms, moving fluidly between each one. The sword cut easily through the air and soon his bruised skin began to glisten with a buildup of sweat again.

It was quite ironic when the person you wanted the most comfort from, the biggest hug from, was then pissed at you.

No, pissed off only just scrapped the surface of what Fleck felt for him. Not that he blamed him.

He moved, not to leave, but to sit on the side. If he left, he was worried that the rift was between them would never be fixed.

So he sat and waited.

Fleck pushed himself for hours, all the while ignoring the Prince lying in wait for him.

Eventually he drew his morning training to a close, withdrawing his energy from his bayard and clipping it to his hip.

He ran his hands over his sweaty head and huffed as he began towards the door, still ignoring the Prince.

Dick hasn't just sat idle and twiddled his thumbs or sit and... stare. He had been working silent on messages that needed to be sent and going over plans.

But he may well have done it in a more comfortable location. Fleck was still intent on ignoring him.

"Fleck," he got up for his place, "I know that I'm the last person you want to talk to, but please, let's talk."

"You want to talk? Fine."

He span around, all the anger and hurt of the last month fuelling him. "You abandoned me! I only let because you made such a big deal about going back to Earth, because I belonged there and not with you!" He was already yelling, throwing his arms out.

"Every day I called, left a message, told you how much I missed being here, with you. How much I wanted to be back here, with you!"

The tears spilled. "Every fucking day you ignored me. Left me in an exiled Hell where I did nothing but suffer! I had Lucas. That was it! No friends! My family wouldn't listen to me!"

He threw an accusing point at Dick. "You abandoned me in the seventh circle, Dick, and for what reason? Tell me why! Talk!"

Dick took a step back as Fleck spun at him. He crossed his arm, lips thin. This time, he kept his eyes steady instead of wondering guiltily down.

His throat clenched when he saw the tears spill.

He caused that.

"I told you, I thought Earth was better for you than here. It was - is your planet with your old family. I thought you would be happier. I thought that if I answered your messages so soon, it would just... be harder. For both of us."

"The hardest thing was leaving you. Being cut off from everything."

Fleck swiped furiously at his cheeks to try and dry some of the tears before they soaked into his beard.

"How could you think it'd be better for me, that I'd be happier away from you?"

How?

He still couldn't fathom it.

Dick's eyes dropped and he rubbed the side of his neck.

"... I wasn't naive, Fleck."

"So you did it knowing it would hurt me."

Fleck slapped his chest, right over his heart, where a cluster of deep scars cut into the flesh gruesomely. One of the many physical reminders of his months capture by Galra.

"I would take this again a hundred times over that, Dick."

Fleck couldnt see a way Dick could make that any better.

"What? No-"

He stopped talking to listen. His teeth clenched and his brows drew together into a deep frown.

"That wasn't what I meant. I didn't do it to purposefully hurt you."

"But you did it knowing that it would."

That was just as bad. No, that was worse. So much worse.

Fleck wouldn't have ever thought to do anything that would hurt Dick. He tried so hard to make sure Dick was as content as possible in his life, despite the war and constant conflict their family went through.

Dick didn't have the same mindset, clearly, and that hurt.

"This is getting us nowhere fast. I'm going."