The Heart of a Human

 

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always. Now shut up and read! Or if you're not a fan of this pairing, yaoi, boy-on-boy romance, or sex, then find a new hobby other than reading stuff you don't like!

Moments after their heated love-making, Zak-now in his human attire-and Pips ventured away from the rainforest, having discovered that they had been transported to the edge of Ferngully so that they would have little difficulty in heading towards the city in which Zak had lived in. As they made that long, arduous walk towards the city of Brisbane, the blond spent a long while in instructing Pips in human culture and what to expect and how to respond to questions.

Zak came up with the story that they had met when Zak was still part of the lumber company and Pips had been part of the protest group that was trying to stop the deforestation. A disaster had left Pips to save Zak and the two became inseparable friends who had eventually moved in together as room mates in Sydney. Although Pips knew that this was a good of a story as any to explain Pips' sudden appearance, the red head inquired about where their relationship would be brought up in the explanation.

At this, the blond shrugged, embarrassed. His Uncle Craig didn't approve of homosexuals or their lifestyle. The man was a devote Protestant, from what Zak remembered.

In response, Pips asked him, "What does that mean?"

"My uncle not approving of homosexuals? Well, that means he thinks it's wrong for two males or two females to be together."

"But why?" Queried the curious red head. "It's still love, isn't it? Why would he disapprove of love?"

"To him, and other humans like him, it's not. A certain amount of humans, like Uncle Craig, only believe that a male and a female should fall in love. Two males or females falling in love is unnatural to them."

Pips thought on it, then suddenly proclaimed. "Then we should tell your uncle of us! This way, he would have to approve of us being together, since you're a part of his family!"

Zak shook his head. "It doesn't work like that, Pips. He wouldn't see me as family if we did that."

"...He would cast out his own family just because they were in love with someone that was of their same sex?"

"He would."

"Tell me again why you miss Uncle Craig."

Zak huffed impatiently, having a hard time with convincing Pips to hide their relationship. This was going to be one, interesting week...

~/~/~/~/~/

The two men had been walking down the long dirt road toward Brisbane in the middle of the plains for four hours. And from this distance, it didn't look as if they would reach city limits until well after noon. Pips had the hardest time of it, as he had been used to flying around since his first breath of life, and had constantly forgotten that he didn't have wings, to the result of jumping up in the air and falling back down. The red head had no idea how humans could manage to walk so much!

Just as the two sat down in the shade of a lone tree alongside the road, somewhat foot sore and tired, a rusty pick-up came beetling down the road in the direction of the city, kicking up dust with its back tires.

Zak jumped from his seat on the ground and waved his hand out at the pick-up. Pips, never having seen a vehicle before, kept to his seat in slight fear of the noise that the truck was making.

"What is that?" Pips asked Zak.

"That's called a truck. Many humans use these to get from one place to another in shorter time than walking."

"...Then why aren't we using a truck?"

"Because we don't have one."

"Will we be using that truck?"

"No. I'm seeing if this person can lend us a ride to Brisbane so we don't have to walk there."

"Here. Let's just talk this way so that other humans won't listen in on us and learn that I'm from Ferngully." Pips' voice echoed in the blond's thoughts.

"How do you do that?" Zak asked him, still keeping his eyes on the approaching vehicle.

"You just think what you're going to say and then you project it to the faerie you're intending to speak to."

Zak concentrated really hard for a second. "Like this?"

"Exactly." Warm appreciation filled Zak's being from that comment.

"But... how are we able to do this? Humans can't communicate this way. How are we able to, if we're human?"

"I asked Crysta to keep some of our powers intact when I was planning all of this."

"Looks like she did a good job!"

"Not really," an internal sigh, "she didn't keep my ability to disappear intact."

Zak choked on a laugh.

The truck came to a slow stop when it pulled up beside them. The human in the driver's seat looked out at them from the open window, pulling his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to get a better look at them.

"You boys headed to Brisbane?" The guy was of stocky build, wearing an old t-shirt, faded jeans, and black boots, with a bristling brunette mustache and beard and a baseball cap that covered his bald head. He chewed on a tooth pick, which now resembled a little less than a sliver of wood.

"We are, sir. Would it be okay if you took us there?" Zak queried the man.

"Hop in the back."

Excited, Zak motioned for Pips to follow him and they soon found themselves sailing down the road, jumping slightly from all the bumps that the truck hit along the way.

A/N: So not really action packed, like I wanted it to be, but it will get interesting from this point on, I promise. :) Stay tuned, as always!