Take Me Home

Welcome Home

Nick and Brian sat behind the campfire on the beach, eating the stew Brian had made for supper as the stars started to come out. Brian hadn’t said a whole lot to Nick since he found out what he’d done for him, but he figured now was as good of a time as any to speak up.

“I never thanked you for saving me, Nick. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I should apologize for not trusting you when I woke up, when I escaped and found you. I was just so confused and lost. I kept dreaming of this place and wondering if it was ever real or not, if we would ever get back home.” Nick said as he finished the last of his bowl. He dipped the bread into it and soaked up the remainder of the stew, before eating it and licking the corners of his mouth in content.

“I just wanted you to be free, Nick. You never saw anything but that military base. You never saw the air, the ocean…a mountain. I wanted you to see the world and experience how beautiful it is. I wanted you to have a home that wasn’t behind cement walls and monitors. You were a prisoner there.” Brian explained, although he privately thought they were still prisoners even here in a way. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to get used to living inside of this virtual reality, or computer program. He was afraid and worried about what would happen to them now. Would they just be here forever? Would they never wake up again?

“You were a prisoner too.” Nick pointed out to him. Brian stopped and thought because he never once thought of himself as a prisoner on the military base because he could go outside by himself, just Nick wasn’t allowed to go with him. However, now that he thought about it…in a way he was a prisoner. He never left the base. He’d never seen the ocean until they came to live on the island other than in holo files.

Home is where you hang your heart.

Sure, at the time it sounded good when he said it to Nick on the military base, when he thought they would eventually find a home. He had been so confident then that they did when he brought Nick to the island. Thinking as he looked up at the stars, he suddenly felt Nick sit next to him, putting an arm around his waist and hugging him sideways.

“I know you are afraid. I am too. It’s just that I didn’t want to lose you, I care too much about you.” Nick whispered. Brian felt that same sensation he felt a long time ago when they were back on the island, the one that was unspoken and never addressed. His heart felt full when he was with Nick somehow. He didn’t know if the feeling was because of their emotional connection to one another or if it was just something else entirely.

“I didn’t want to lose you either, that’s why I had AJ come with me after she took you on the Moon. I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again. I didn’t care how sick I got when I was with you. I just wanted to get you back. It’s my fault AJ is dead. It’s my fault Kevin died. It was all because I was selfish and I wanted to protect you.”

Nick didn’t say anything, he just extinguished the fire and stood up, taking Brian’s hand and leading him away from the campsite to walk down the beach under the full moon. The waves rolled over their feet as they walked in the sand together, holding hands.

“Remember that one night when I was about to tell you something, but when you asked me what I wanted to talk about, I rolled over and said never mind? Nick said suddenly. Brian looked up at him, feeling the cool breeze of the ocean upon his face. Even though he knew none of this was real, he was amazed at how real it seemed sometimes.

“Yes. I do.” Brian whispered.

“I wanted to tell you that I had found my home. For a long time, my heart didn’t have a home. You said home was where you felt comfortable. You said home was where you hang your heart. I found my home. It’s not a physical place that you can find. I know this place isn’t exactly the same, and we’ve been through a lot together, but can this be our home? Can my heart be your home?” Nick asked, smiling. Brian started to tear up and he felt that sensation again. He had no words, all he did was nod. He’d never heard Nick sound so wise before, at least not while they were together.

“Nick, that is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.” Brian said finally, smiling. He could feel how happy Nick was and it was like being dunked into a warm bath. His warm aura surrounded him as he and Nick leaned into one another, their lips touching. He’d never felt love before. Nick had never felt love before either, but the warm sensation they both felt was definitely love. Even though the two of them had been through so much, and they were thrown into the war between the planet Earth and Motrale….none of that mattered now. After many discussions with her, Sienna had promised them that the war was over and they wouldn’t have to worry about her attacking or destroying Earth since she had gotten to find her son again. The two of them stayed in their vegatative states, forever tethered to each other’s memories and emotions.

“Are you sure that you don’t mind that I’m not from Earth? That I’m from another planet?” Brian asked one night when they were laying in their hut next to each other.

“Brian, I gave up consciousness for you. Don’t keep questioning it.” Nick smiled, kissing him gently. Brian smiled back at him and Nick nuzzled his chin into the crook of Brian’s neck.

Their hearts had finally been taken home where they belonged.

The End