All Night Long (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Time: 21:00

Evans

So this is how I'll die I guess. In a club, with flashing lights. Feeling the blood drain from my face. Watching that idiot make 'why are you here' gestures at me from across the club. Chvrches is playing. 'He Said She Said'. That's not relevant information but it's information I have.

"What are you doing here---?"

"What happened to separate directions!?"

"How was I to know what a separate direction from your direction was when I didn't know your direction??"

"You pointed that was your direction this was my direction—"

"Why would you be in a club you hate clubs??"

"I'm looking for places you aren't !"

"But why would you look in a club I'm going places you wouldn't like so I don't find you and then I found you—"

"I found you now get out of here!"

"I can't just leave now after we clearly had an intense conversation that wouldn't look normal!"

"Vik, none of this looks normal this is so far  past normal it isn't even funny, now we're both leaving—"

"If you're in here aren't your people outside?"

"Yes, Vik, that's the point! My people are everywhere. People. Everywhere. People looking for you. And I'm trying to stop them but it's hard and I'm confused and now we're both going to die—"

"Deep breaths," Viktor says, putting his hands on my shoulders, "This will work out fine."

"I'm going to hazard a guess here, Vik, and say that nothing has ever worked out fine for you ever," I growl, my blood pressure rising.

"No. That's why it ought to start," He says, grinning.

"Don't you DARE smile," I say, covering my face with my hands.

"Why?" he laughs. "It stopping you from being cross with me? My mother used to say that."

"What happened to her?" I ask, trying to breath deeply and stop hyperventilating. I know she's not around anymore and she's been gone a long while but that's all.

"A monster got her," he says, quietly, as I grip his arms.

"Mine too," I almost laugh.

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's how COSA found me. They caught the monster. Since I already knew about monsters—it was forget what happened, or take a job with them. I didn't want to forget anything. Not even her last few minutes," I say.

"Yeah," he says quietly.

"Anyway they taught me to do this. And I'm not good at it, or I wouldn't be standing here---are you dancing?" he's moving us just a little bit.

"Well we are in the middle of a club. I thought it would be more natural than just standing here."

"Nothing at all about this situation is natural at all—"

"Breath, you're doing really well. It's just one night. We're both going to turn around and walk out of here calmly. And then we'll really go separate directions."

"All right, all right," I say. Just breath Evans. Breath. This will be fine.

Viktor

"Or. You know. Your people could get sick of waiting and then they could walk in and see us awkwardly hugging each other. You know that wouldn't be the worst case scenario," I say, holding him up from collapsing.

"Are you kidding? That would be the complete worst case scenario. Why would you even put that out there into the universe as something that might happen we completely do not want and cannot at all have that happen----that's what is currently happening isn't it?"

"Yeah we're gonna run, come on, we need to run," I say, taking his arms and starting to steer him through the throngs of people as the COSA agents methodically wade through the crowd towards us.

"Fuck it, fuck it we're gonna die."

"Breath, we may at least die spectacularly."

"THAT IS NOT A GOAL VIKTOR." Like I said he's not always like this. It's really the very real likelihood of being captured and possible tortured that's getting to him.

Axel

They lock me in a cell. There are empty ones across.

"If and when they find him, he'll be right there," the woman tells me.

I slump against the wall, defeated. This cannot be happening. Not again. I wasn't supposed to lose him again. I close my eyes.

Warm green grass. His hand gently entwined in my mine. The smell of salt air.

Running towards the sea. Daring him to race me. He always lost. Soft brown limbs tangled in my mine as we kissed on the shore.

"Where have you boys been all afternoon?" my father, laughing at us returning, eyes on our sweaty faces and sand filled clothes.

"Out running, you said Phoenix could stay over," pulling Phoenix from the room as he stutters excuses. We go to my room. I tug the door closed and pull him to kiss me against it. Tangled up in the starch white sheets, filing them with sand, as we kissed in the warm afternoon light.

Days that were supposed to last forever.

They were supposed to last forever. I'm supposed to be at my flat, on my sofa, lying underneath him while he kisses me and we listen for the children to sneak out. We don't know why but we sneaked every place when we were children so we assume any child might want to. Escaping is fun when you're a boy. It's a necessary when you're a man.

Stay up, kiss until after midnight. Watch the fire go out. Brianna's little tiny one will be up with the dawn bouncing and wanting to out. Go to the park and let the boys race each other. Come back and make coffee and watch the rain against the windows.

I hold so tightly to these things that are intended to be happening. Because they're not. They're not.

I'm here so far away from him. Trapped.

Tears trickle down my face.

"You had better fucking be here," I whisper, sliding my hand through the bars as far as I can, across the hall, towards the very empty cell. "Please be here."

Phoenix

"I'm right here," I say, leaning to slide my hand out to cup his. He doesn't feel me. Miserable tears are flowing down his gentle face. He's so lost. And so scared. He wasn't okay when we came back. He hasn't been okay since I died. I know that.  I know I screwed up by dying on him. And coming back he's only been mildly all right so long as I'm there.

I tried. For years I tried to talk to him about what happened. About how losing me does not need to involve homicide and that even if he can't tell I'm there I am there.

But he couldn't get it. He'd just tell me not to talk like that. That I wasn't going anywhere. I will admit that eventually I gave up.

I almost wish he were fighting them. Not really. But I can't stand to see him like this.

"It's just till morning," I say, softly, "We'll be back together. And it'll be fine."

I don't know if I believe it though. The way my agent spoke, I'm not supposed to be back. But how do they not realize Axel isn't supposed to be back either? He was burned pretty badly and though he healed—he was with me. He was dead.

"I can last till morning just please be here," he whispers, his voice bubbling with tears, his fingers searching for mine in the dark.

"I am. I'm here. I promise. I'm right here with you. I'm not going to leave you," I say, squeezing his hand though he can't feel me.

"I love you," he says, softly.

"Love you too, Stitches."