Midnight Wonders

7.5.2. An Hour of Light

Luc watched her leave. Then he turned back to the tree. To Kay. Slowly, he reached up and brushed the back of his hand (sans splinters, or at least more so than the front) against Kay's face. Kay's skin was startlingly warm.

Luc didn't know what he'd expected. Liquid, maybe, like nothing was really there. But he was really there.

Luc exhaled. He didn't want to breathe in again; he was too afraid to. Too afraid to hold it and wait for something that might not come.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to stay there and be with Kay. If there were a way to pull him out of the tree, Luc would have taken it. But he didn't know it.

The tree was unraveling itself.

At once, everything came apart. From the tangles, Kay emerged, free of any fibers, and he fell forward with a gasp. Luc caught him, and he was almost surprised at Kay's weight. Surprised that Kay was there, and he was real, and he was in Luc's arms. He was there.

Luc looked down at Kay, so achingly familiar. Luc had not seen Kay's face outside of his dreams for what felt like an eternity.

Kay's eyelids twitched. Then they fluttered, and Kay blinked up at Luc, groggily.

"Kay," Luc whispered, not knowing what else to say. He wanted to say everything. He sank down to his knees to better support both their weights; it felt as if he were at once more and less, and he had never held anyone tighter but had never felt any more fragile.

Kay was still just blinking up at him, eyes glazed, and Luc placed his hand against Kay's cheek. "Kay?" he whispered again.

Slowly, eyes focusing, Kay reached up and put his hand against Luc's. His skin was warmer than Luc had expected, but no sooner than he had registered it was warm that all thoughts of temperature melted away, and all he could think was that Kay's hand was against Luc's, and Kay was touching him, and Kay was there.

"Why are you here?" said Kay, almost inaudibly.

"I came for you, of course," said Luc, so full with emotion he thought he might burst.

"But I'm..." Kay's hand slid down, wrapping around Luc's wrist, and for a moment he just held it there. Then he lifted Luc's hand off his face. "I'm supposed to..."

"Sh," said Luc. "You're supposed to be right here. With me."

Kay just blinked at him. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes.

Luc kept waiting for something more. But nothing happened. Kay just stayed there, limp in Luc's arms. Then, eyes still closed, he lifted a hand and felt around, finding Luc's face. "When I'm dreaming I can't touch you," he whispered. "Even though you can touch me." Kay opened his eyes.

"I'm here," Luc breathed, on the second time, for on the first nothing escaped him but air. His heart felt so full and his chest so tight with hope and relief and love. He thought if he said more his voice might break. Kay just stared at him, looking wondrous, like a child. He started to speak, but Luc pulled him close, burying his face into Kay's shoulder. Kay made a startled noise and stilled. "Don't say mean things," Luc said, squeezing his eyes shut. "And don't say things you don't mean. I'm here."

For a moment, there was no response. Then, slowly, carefully, Kay reached up and wrapped his arms around Luc's neck. Loosely at first, then all of a sudden, gripping him tightly. Luc felt Kay's hands curl into fists, pressing hard against the back of his head.

"I know," Luc said, barely a whisper, his breath stirring Kay's hair. "I did what you wanted—I went out and I lived like I've done the past seven years but I think I realized that I don't want to live like that anymore and I would rather live with you."