Impossible

13

Joshua walked slowly back. He was weary, and tired, and aching, but it was an aching he had felt for thousands of years. There was nothing he could do to make it go away.

He looked down at the pathway with tired eyes. His fingers ran along the statues as he walked, and he tilted its head upwards towards him. The statues appeared on their own, Joshua had nothing to do with them or their appearance. They looked seemingly like humans, built out of a white marble, each with their head down.

He smiled gently at the expression the statue made, one he saw every day. Small, hopeless, scared, frightened, yet with hope, as if everything were to be getting better.

All day long people came to him, all ages, all genders, all sizes, expecting hell, expecting suffering, instead to be welcomed with a pair of open arms and a shoulder to cry on. And then they could pass on.

They all did. No one stayed. And so, no matter how many souls Joshua comforted, he was still alone.

There was no one else here on the barren landscape.

Just him.

He continued walking, slowly tilting all of the statues heads up doing so gently, and patiently waiting of them to stand up and on guard as usual, their wings spread out. He smiled lovingly at each one. They were all he had; all he had had for eternity, and all he will.

He continued down the path, taking his time. There was no rush.

And at the end, sat a castle. It was grand, and magnificent, but he didn't want it. He didn't need it. He didn't ask for it. It appeared like the statues. It too was grand and ornate and gave him a small feeling of discomfort. But it was his own home.

Approaching the statues at the end, he smiled at it. It was his favourite. It stood tall and watched him as he walked. It always stood guard, and Joshua liked to think he protected him. He slowly reached up and cupped its cheek, and then ran his hand over its jawline.

Joshua smiled again as it slowly repeated the motions on him, as if cautious. It was the closest to human interaction he had. He loved the feeling of the rough stone gracing his cheek, and the statue smiled back at him, mimicking his motions.

He loved the statues.

He continued on as it stood up tall again, pushing the grand doors open, and walking forward. He sighed wearily as he climbed the steps and sat back in his throne. The castle built itself around the throne, so it was always centre. The throne was the most comforting thing in the world, it was the closest he would ever get to a bed, or real rest.

Joshua slumped in his seat and ran his hands through his hair. He was tired, he was so tired, it was an aching in his bones, he couldn't get rid of it. He didn't know what he was waiting for.

But this wasn't the end of his long, long day, as suddenly someone knocked at the doors. He sat up suddenly, going rigid. No one ever knocked. He always went to them.

Always.

The door crept open with a creak, and Joshua stood up, peering at it. And then someone peered around it, cautiously and nervous.

Joshua gasped, stumbling backwards involuntarily. It was a face he hadn't seen for centuries, one he thought he'd forgot, but he could never. Never forget no matter how long.

"Samuel!" He cried out, running towards him, and throwing his arms around him.

Samuel stepped backwards, overwhelmed at this sudden greeting, but hugging him back tightly, holding him.

And everything was quiet. Samuel could hear Joshua's panting breath from him running, he could feel his heartbeat going crazy, he could feel as Joshua pressed his face in the crook of his neck, crying softly, and that simple action, one he'd missed so much, was enough for tears to stream down his face.

"Joshua... Josh... My Josh... I missed you so much." He whispered, as Joshua's knees gave way and he fell to the floor, Samuel falling with him. They sat there, trembling, holding each other. Simply holding each other. "My Joshua... Please never leave me again." He sobbed, holding him as tight as he could, his fingers digging into Joshua's skin as he tried to pull him closer. He needed him to be closer to him, he needed to hold him after so long, he had to, he just had to. He was distraught, he was beside himself, he had never felt like this before, he had never shown such a vulnerable side of him before.

Joshua burst into sobs, holding him all he could, pressing himself to him, desperate to be close to him. He could hardly believe that he was back, his Sam was back, he was in his arms again. Samuel pulled him away gently, cupping his cheek, a fond smile etching on his features, and his shoulders shook as he sobbed again, and pressed his lips to his.

They were both crying so much they could hardly kiss each other, and the kisses were messy, and they kept being interrupted by smiles and sobs, but they were so desperate for each other, they were so desperate to be with each other again that it didn't matter.

Because they were Joshua and Samuel again.

Forever and Always.