"Uh, yeah," Davvin groaned, rubbing at his head a little bit as he did, the reason why he'd avoided talking to Tavis today starting to come back to him. That no matter how much he wanted to talk to him, it was a bad idea. "Don't worry about it though, I shouldn't have called."

Davvin was drunk and calling him to say things like this. He wanted to hear Tavis' voice. He said he shouldn't have called in the first place. "Oh..." Tavis murmured, unable to decide if he wanted to deflate or get angry again. "Maybe you shouldn't have then. I don't need to talk to a drunk you." He needed to talk to a normal Davvin.

Davvin scowled, still not sure how in the heck he had offended Tavis. He was the one who should be angry, after all, Davvin wasn't the one being an idiot about who his soulmate was. "Yeah, I shouldn't, you wouldn't want to talk to me anyway. Too busy having fun with Corena for that aren't you," his voice was snide, bitterness lacing every word, and he practically spat Corena's name. He didn't even want to talk to Tavis anymore, it was hurting to much, but he couldn't bring himself to hang up the phone.

Tavis' face turned red as his grip tightened on the phone. "What the hell, bastard?" So Davvin did look at the messages and he still had the gall to talk like this? Anger chased every last vestiges of sleepiness away. "You're the one that didn't even let me talk! I had something important to tell you, but I think I'm just not gonna say it anymore. Thanks a lot, asshole!" He threw his phone down with those last words and stormed off to his bedroom, too upset to even care anymore. And here he was starting to think that Davvin might actually be his soulmate.

Davvin jumped at the venom in Tavis's reply, not understanding how Tavis could be upset; how he had any right in being upset. Before, he could ask though the phone clicked and the line was dead. Davvin pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at it, feeling so very, very confused. Seriously, what was with Tavis? He leaned back on his bed, tossing his phone away, but utterly aware that there was no way he was going back to sleep now, no matter how much the alcohol still swam in his head. He sighed, picking his phone back up and just staring at it, before he drifted back to his early text conversation with Tavis. When he did, he noticed two additional text messages that he hadn't earlier. He frowned, eyebrows furrowing, wondering what Tavis could have meant. Not that he could ask him now, since Tavis blew up on him. What else could Tavis have had to tell him? Get lost? The arrangement was over? He didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to have that absolute certainty of his soulmate loving him back, and that was the one thing he couldn't have.

Tavis couldn't sleep. Why did this have to anger him so much? God, it was true wasn't it? It was Davvin. From the very beginning, Davvin was his soulmate, not Corena. And he couldn't even do a thing about it. Why? How? He didn't want to accept it. That night and the next day, he played hooky from work and just tried to wrap his head around everything. And of course now they went and fought for stupid reasons he didn't understand. He wanted the Davvin from that night at the church back--something tender and mysterious. He couldn't bring himself to chase after that though, perhaps because of fear. What if he screwed it up already?

Two days after they spoke, Tavis found himself just standing in his studio, staring at his sculpture. Then, as if in a trance, he picked up a plaster carving tool. He smoothed one line and then another and another. Faster and faster, his body moved with the unseen pulls of a muse unlike anything he ever felt before. The art piece that sat on the verge of finished for weeks now began to come to life. After all, he sculpted his soulmate.

It had been two days of complete radio silence from Tavis, and it was beginning to lay over Davvin oppressively, like he couldn't breath properly with things screwed up between them. But Davvin didn't know how to fix it. After he'd sobered up, he realized that he definitely screwed up in some way, and it had something to do with ignoring Tavis, but he couldn't really figure out how or why that would upset Tavis.

He couldn't stand just hiding out in his apartment while waiting for things to fix himself, but he wasn't ready to call Tavis, or see him, and apologize. He couldn't until he knew what exactly to say or do to make things right again. As such, he ended up wondering aimlessly through the town, not really realizing where he was heading, and having no real goal in mind. He eventually found himself across the street from the church Tavis was remodeling completely by accident.

He stopped and stared, going back to the other night, when he was so certain in that moment that them being together could be the easiest thing in the world. How did things get this messed up? Davvin was sure soulmates were not meant to be this hard, but then anything in the world had the potential to hurt you didn't it? He just hoped they could fix this soon, just so his world could start to feel right and whole again.

Tavis really only went to work the day after pulling an all-nighter sculpting because he wanted to borrow a special tool. Jackie would no doubt rip him a new one for callously borrowing expensive things again, but he intended not to be noticed. So he worked for a few hours, making nice with everyone and trying to pay attention half way to the chipped surface of a statue's foot. He could only think about the one waiting for him at home though. Unlike his work here, that one was almost finished.

When he finally slipped away just past three in the afternoon, he froze on the sidewalk. There on the other side of the street stood Davvin. Heart stammering, breath failing, stupid thoughts of hope and fear mixed. Did Davvin come here to see him? Did he even see him at all? The other man's gaze seemed off and Tavis guessed he hadn't realized yet that he stood there. Before he could even think out the thought properly, he ducked back behind the building again.

Why? Did he not want Davvin to see him? No, because Tavis had no idea what to say to him. Maybe if he could show it, that would work, but not like this. He felt too much like he'd yell and cry at the same time so he stormed off in the opposite direction to take the long route home. But when he got home, all his vestiges of irritation vanished into something like reverence as he stared up at his sculpture. He set to work again, pouring all his emotions into plaster and paint.

Davvin zoned out while staring at the church, mind more replaying the other night than actually seeing the building in front of him. And definitely unaware of the passage of people around him or in and out of the church. It had felt so magical and right, the world stopping just for them. He wondered how to recapture that and if just apologizing would be enough.

He was so focused on the memory that he failed to see Tavis when he stepped out of the building, but eventually a flash of movement and blonde hair in front of the building caused him to look down, just in time to see Tavis turning and slipping back inside. Davvin inhaled sharply, wondering if he should just cross the street and talk to Tavis now, but as much as he tried to make himself do that, his feet wouldn't move, not truly ready to see the other again. So he eventually turned to head back to his apartment. He needed to do something to clear his mine or give him something else to focus on, so he drove out to Elliot's parkour studio and spent several hours running through the courses and working out hard, exhausting his body, so maybe his mind would stop racing.

Vaguely, Tavis was aware of the passage of time. And yet, he paid no attention to it. It felt on standstill, like nothing truly existed outside of his studio. Even talking to Davvin didn't occur to him though the more he sculpted, the more sure he felt that the other man was his soulmate. He'd found that stupid inspiration he'd been looking for.

Three days after he caught sight of Davvin at the church, with minutes of stolen sleep and few breaks for food, he finished the sculpture. Tavis lost his usual accessories somewhere in the process and a fine white powder coated the whole of him, thicker around the hands. But he felt giddy, not noticing any of it. He sculpted emotion, pure and raw, or at least that's what it felt like. With shaking hands, he stumbled to the corner of his work desk, hunting for his phone left in a jacket pocket.

"Come see this now!' With the message sent, he slid to the floor between his work shelf and the desk, partly hidden by the desk legs. His body started to wear down, held back now only but euphoria.

Davvin grabbed listlessly at his phone, expecting a text from his brothers or parents, not from who he really wanted to talk to. So when he saw Tavis's name he nearly dropped his phone in his excitement to unlock it and read the text message. He frowned slightly confused at the message, Tavis wanted him to see something? It certainly wasn't the type of message he expected after several days of complete radio silence.

But it still had him rushing out of his home less than five minutes later, anxious to see Tavis and maybe get the chance to apologize. Less concerned with whatever Tavis could have with showing him. He didn't even bother to change or make himself look more presentable, just left his apartment as quick as possible. Making to send a quick text to let Tavis know he was on his way lest he think Davvin was ignoring him again.

It didn't take him long at all to arrive at the other's apartment. There in a record ten or so minutes flat. And knocking on the door with a kind of anxiety filling him that he wasn't used to feeling around Tavis.

Tavis didn't see the message, already feeling quite lost to the world. He just stared straight ahead at the sculpture in front of him. It sat on a small square pedestal, not more than a foot off the floor, but it made the whole thing stand almost as tall as Tavis. The torso twisted slightly, showing off a healthy body and two legs that continued all the way down to the knees which melded into a single point with only a vague distinction of legs at the base. The thing that really drew his eye though was the wing. An explosion of plaster feathers arced from the sculpture's back, painted fiery oranges and reds. The rest of the sculpture remained the pure grey-white of plaster, but only there did he paint and with such intensity and brightness. Gauged around the edges of the wing lay cracks as if the living, color part of the sculpture burst out of the cold plaster part.

Blinking his eyes, Tavis tried to clear the colors away. God it was funny that his project came out like this. It looked nothing like his original sketches. He trailed his gaze down, following the path of pink fabric petals applied down one leg. There at the very base, nestled in a patch of cherry blossoms, sat a little fake tiger moth.

At the sound of knocking, he lifted his head and yelled out though he didn't know if the sound would reach or not. "It's open!" Ah, Davvin was here. Tavis slid down to lay on his back in the corner, grinning like mad at the ceiling.

Davvin waited outside, but when no answer came, except for a muffled noise from inside, he decided to try the door knob, finding it unlocked he began searching the apartment for Tavis. He eventually found his mate in his studio, which perhaps shouldn't be unsurprising.

As he walked in, he noticed what now had to be the completely sculpture that Tavis has started, but before he could really study it, he noticed Tavis sitting on the floor, looking somewhat near comatose. And before he could really think was over by his soulmate's side, resting his hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" he asked, "Have you eaten or drinking anything in the last six hours? You look really out of it," concern lacing every word and his focus narrowing down to just Tavis and forgetting the rest of the room or anything that had happened in the last week.

Tavis reached up to wrap both his arms around Davvin's neck, still grinning. "I missed you, but I wanted to finish it first," he murmured. It felt so much different to look at Davvin now. Did he always shine before? Not bothering to answer the questions, he just leaned up to press a kiss to Davvin's lips. "It's for you. Pay attention to it already would ya."

Davvin startled slightly at the kiss, but almost immediately sighed and pushed into it, unable to contain the smile that was turning the corner of his lips up. Obviously somewhere in the last few days, Tavis must have had an epiphany about them. He felt something unfurl in his chest, a tightness that had become just part of him.

The kiss ended entirely too soon, but he did turn to look at the sculpture, pulling Tavis up with him and entwining their hands together. His jaw opened a little in awe as he took in the statue, which was in so many ways a clear reflection of him and his tattoos and even his mark. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of art he'd ever seen. He walked over to brush his fingers delicately over the wings. "Tav, this is amazing." he opened and closes his mouth a couple more times. "I don't even know what to say. It's beautiful." He turned and pressed another kiss to Tavis's lips, stronger this time more fervent and full of everything he'd ever felt about Tavis.

Tavis turned his eyes to look at the sculpture as well, but a second later, returned his gaze to Davvin's face. Even though this meant so much to him, he never felt anxious about how his soulmate would react. Somehow, he just knew he didn't have to worry and like expected, only wonderful expressions crossed Davvin's face. "Thank you," he breathed back before he leaned into their second kiss and returned it with the same feelings. Surely he looked ragged and dirty, but he felt amazing in that moment.

Breaking the kiss only when he felt his heart might explode from the emotions, Tavis laid his head against Davvin's shoulder. "I hope you noticed the moth because I really don't know how to say this after all this time. I was real, real stupid ya know..."

Davvin chuckled and rubbed his hand up and down Tavis's back. "We've both been stupid, but we got here in the end, didn't we?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the side of Tavis's forehead, "I really think that's all that matters. But, god, waiting this past week or so for you to get there, I think that was one of the hardest things, I have ever done. And I'm so sorry for the other night. I thought you still thought Corena was your mate, and I just couldn't stand the thought. I shouldn't have taken it out on you though."

Tavis made a face as he thought about the earlier night. "I was only just figuring it out then and went and spoke without explaining anything as usual. But I've known for a couple days now. I could have just said...but in the end, I only wanted to 'show' it. I guess I really am an artist." He let out a small breath of laughter. And even now, he struggled with the idea of saying these things with words. He hoped Davvin didn't mind because it felt like more than enough to sculpt the truth. God, he was so tired now though. So freaking tired and happy. "Sorry I made you wait."

"You wouldn't be you if you weren't an artist. And I was just being mule headed. I realized that night at the church, and I wanted you to figure it out for yourself. But waiting is hard." he smiled at Tavis, "It doesn't matter now though cuz now I can do this when ever I want," he said pressing a light kiss to Tavis's lips, before pulling away. "However, you look exhausted, and I'd be willing to bet you haven't slept properly in days, so how about, we take a nap and then we can do whatever after you wake up."

"Yeah, it really is hard..." Tavis agreed, pulling back to nod his head. Waiting for this moment right here, having Davvin near him again, felt like the toughest eternity he ever faced. And it was only a couple days for him. He stifled a yawn, grinning impishly past his hand. "I have no idea when I last slept. Just been stealing moments. Kinda forgot about things like that. Funny, but it seems pretty unimportant when you're sculpting, like, your soul." He rolled his eyes toward the sculpture, but his expression was fond.

"Mmmm" Davvin hummed, chuckling slightly, "Yeah, but it's not exactly healthy, so come on," he said leading Tavis away, from the sculpture and towards his bedroom. A part of him still marveling that Tavis had made something so beautiful for him. He may not get art, but with Tavis he think he could begin to get it. Maybe, it was just because he loved Tavis so much; it made him want to try. He settled the tw of them in the bed, marveling at being able to hold Tavis close like this and couldn't quite contain a smile of pure joy. "Now, this is perfect."

Tavis sighed as he settled next to Davvin, his entire body relaxing the second he laid down. It recognized more than his mind just how much sleep he skipped. "Yeah, it really is..." he hummed before letting his eyes slip closed. A shower and food could wait. Right now, he just wanted to curl up against Davvin and soak up all of his presence a drug. And when they woke up, the entire world would continue to be perfect around them.

~Epilogue~

It'd been a crazy few months since Tavis had first show him the statue and now here they were at a show dedicated solely to Tavis's art with the statue as the centerpiece. It seemed crazy, and really Davvin couldn't be prouder of his mate. The past three months had been some of the happiest of Davvin's life. There was just such a surety in knowing that he and Tavis were mates and in knowing that there was someone who always had your back. It was comforting reassuring.

He looked around the room at their gathered friends and family plus a few other people, art people and some he didn't fully know who they were, and with Tavis right by his side, looking professional and hot in his fancy clothes. He smiled at his mate, "I'm so proud of you, you know. This is amazing," he said reiterating what he'd probably already said a thousand times, but it didn't make it any less true.

The art exhibition wasn't a bit thing, all of his things crammed into this little gallery space with the people. And yet Tavis still swelled with it. He couldn't believe when he first got the offer and now that it was actually happening, it felt even more surreal. He gripped Davvin's hand as he gazed at the centerpiece of the exhibition where it sat in the center of the room exactly where it belonged. "I think I died and went to heaven," he chuckled back in response.

He knew most of the people there, but some strangers also wandered through the displays. He caught the eye of Davvin's parents and returned a small wave. "If I'm asleep, don't wake me up though. I want this moment to last forever..."

Davvin chuckled and squeezed Tavis's hand, "Not a dream, babe, this is definitely happening and you deserve every second of it." He stepped closer to Tavis, resting his head on the other man's shoulder, glad for their similar heights in moments like this. "And you know everyone here thinks you deserve this too. Your talent needs to be recognized." He pressed a small kiss to the edge of Tavis's jaw.