BUCKY & LIAM,
The Citadel. Only once had he been here since he'd stepped down, and the stallion wasn't entirely certain that he wanted to set foot in there again. For nearly a year, he'd been calling it home, spending nearly every waking moment there, and handling numerous debates between his citizens. More importantly, it was where he grew as both a leader and as himself, where he realized that he needed to start putting himself first, and where he realized that he was doing more harm to himself than good. All in all, Liam did enjoy himself when he was Sovereign, but toward the end, he realized just how miserable the position was making him.
But retirement? Oh, retirement was where he shone. He'd put on a bit of weight that complimented his slim frame, and his pace in life had slowed down tremendously. No longer did he rise before the sun every morning and go out on a double digit mile run, and no longer did he feel the need to hang around the armory or the military encampments. No, instead, all he did was walk around Novus with Bucky, checking out the different stalls that the merchants had, their wares on full display. It was nice, the retirement life. Still, there was a sense of loneliness nagging at the copper-burnished stallion like nothing he'd ever felt before. Despite what he'd said, despite what he'd done, he thought the family he'd gathered around him would be around him even in his lowest of days. But when he turned to look for support, only Bucky was there for him. The pain that Liam felt, the hatred he could feel eminating off the walls of the Citadel the one time he wandered the halls after stepping down, curled their talons into his heart and tore it to pieces. The family he'd chosen left him to suffer and wallow in his darkness, and only Bucky's careful support and love were there to lift him out.
Liam knew that Bucky thrived in the solitude this time was providing them, but the former Sovereign felt like a failure in the worst of ways.
When news of the festivities reached them, Liam had declined the offer at first, not wanting to set foot in the halls of the one place he used to feel welcomed in, but eventually, he'd given in, and relented because it was Bucky asking. If it'd been anyone else, Liam would have stuck to his guns and wouldn't have agreed.
Hours before the ball was set to begin, Liam was awoken by Bucky slipping out of their shared bed, and when questioned, the older stallion didn't offer an explanation, but instead offered to meet him there. In his still-asleep confusion, Liam frowned and agreed groggily, slipping back into the grasp of sleep as the door clicked shut behind his lover. Just a couple hours later, Liam finally roused himself from the still-warm sheets and cleaned himself up as best he could before grimacing at himself in the mirror. Always struggling with self-image issues, the copper-coated stallion was struggling with it even more now, and he knew it was because he looked like a failure in the eyes of everyone in the Court. Sighing heavily, he departed the silent home he shared with Bucky and headed to the local boutique, where the hairdresser, he found, was a traveling hairdresser and was visiting solely for the ball that the Dusk Court was throwing.
There wasn't much that was done to his hair. Washed, dried, and slicked back, the stallion was primped and polished by the hairdresser, and the former Sovereign wasn't allowed to leave until every single strand of hair was in its proper place. Offering the hairdresser a shy smile and a generous tip, Liam left the boutique for the Citadel.
Approaching it, Liam hesitated. Staring up at the towering building, the last gasps of home had left the very same day he'd stepped down. He could still hear Asta's angry words ringing in his ear, and how no one even checked in on them. No letters, no visits, no happenstance stumbled-upon meet-ups in the markets or out in the greater world of Novus.
Swallowing thickly, the copper-burnished stallion flicked an ear back and entered the Citadel, following the sound of the music. His strides were hesitant, cautious, and he kept away from everyone else as they strode along toward their destination. Offering quiet smiles to those who greeted him, Liam finally made his way to the ballroom, his eyes scanning the crowd for his lover. The former Sovereign wasn't wearing a mask, and he assumed that Bucky wasn't, either. Still, the copper-coated equine couldn't seem to make out his lover's hulking form, and he frowned, wondering if Bucky had decided not to come after all.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I love them so damn much ;u;
Tag;; @Buchanan
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
But retirement? Oh, retirement was where he shone. He'd put on a bit of weight that complimented his slim frame, and his pace in life had slowed down tremendously. No longer did he rise before the sun every morning and go out on a double digit mile run, and no longer did he feel the need to hang around the armory or the military encampments. No, instead, all he did was walk around Novus with Bucky, checking out the different stalls that the merchants had, their wares on full display. It was nice, the retirement life. Still, there was a sense of loneliness nagging at the copper-burnished stallion like nothing he'd ever felt before. Despite what he'd said, despite what he'd done, he thought the family he'd gathered around him would be around him even in his lowest of days. But when he turned to look for support, only Bucky was there for him. The pain that Liam felt, the hatred he could feel eminating off the walls of the Citadel the one time he wandered the halls after stepping down, curled their talons into his heart and tore it to pieces. The family he'd chosen left him to suffer and wallow in his darkness, and only Bucky's careful support and love were there to lift him out.
Liam knew that Bucky thrived in the solitude this time was providing them, but the former Sovereign felt like a failure in the worst of ways.
When news of the festivities reached them, Liam had declined the offer at first, not wanting to set foot in the halls of the one place he used to feel welcomed in, but eventually, he'd given in, and relented because it was Bucky asking. If it'd been anyone else, Liam would have stuck to his guns and wouldn't have agreed.
Hours before the ball was set to begin, Liam was awoken by Bucky slipping out of their shared bed, and when questioned, the older stallion didn't offer an explanation, but instead offered to meet him there. In his still-asleep confusion, Liam frowned and agreed groggily, slipping back into the grasp of sleep as the door clicked shut behind his lover. Just a couple hours later, Liam finally roused himself from the still-warm sheets and cleaned himself up as best he could before grimacing at himself in the mirror. Always struggling with self-image issues, the copper-coated stallion was struggling with it even more now, and he knew it was because he looked like a failure in the eyes of everyone in the Court. Sighing heavily, he departed the silent home he shared with Bucky and headed to the local boutique, where the hairdresser, he found, was a traveling hairdresser and was visiting solely for the ball that the Dusk Court was throwing.
There wasn't much that was done to his hair. Washed, dried, and slicked back, the stallion was primped and polished by the hairdresser, and the former Sovereign wasn't allowed to leave until every single strand of hair was in its proper place. Offering the hairdresser a shy smile and a generous tip, Liam left the boutique for the Citadel.
Approaching it, Liam hesitated. Staring up at the towering building, the last gasps of home had left the very same day he'd stepped down. He could still hear Asta's angry words ringing in his ear, and how no one even checked in on them. No letters, no visits, no happenstance stumbled-upon meet-ups in the markets or out in the greater world of Novus.
Swallowing thickly, the copper-burnished stallion flicked an ear back and entered the Citadel, following the sound of the music. His strides were hesitant, cautious, and he kept away from everyone else as they strode along toward their destination. Offering quiet smiles to those who greeted him, Liam finally made his way to the ballroom, his eyes scanning the crowd for his lover. The former Sovereign wasn't wearing a mask, and he assumed that Bucky wasn't, either. Still, the copper-coated equine couldn't seem to make out his lover's hulking form, and he frowned, wondering if Bucky had decided not to come after all.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I love them so damn much ;u;
Tag;; @Buchanan
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
mono
