Hero and Perfect

Away My Love

Perhaps it had been the moonlight.

Perfection couldn't really say what had woken him at such a strange hour.

Several things about the recent holiday night had been elusive and difficult to recall.
Every day that had passed since then had caused it to feel more and more like a dream.

It hadn't been a dream.

The first thing he remembered was hearing vaguely familiar laughter.
His eyes had opened, dry and narrow from sleep.

He had heard it once more. Distant but definite.

He slipped carefully out of Hero's warm embrace and waited a few moments until he heard his husband's breathing deepen, and become slower once more.
Squinting . Rubbing his eyes .
Quietly leaving the room, pulling Hero's large robe around himself as he went down the stairs, following the sound.

That he didn't question the oddity of this at the time, or wake Hero , was more than passing strange.
***    
A cold draft swept past him and once again he heard a distant susurration of voices.
He yawned, wondering where the cool air had come from , rubbing sleep from his eyes when he heard a latch rattle.

One of the front windows must have been left open, he thought blearily. Sleepily wondering for a moment whether the groundskeeper might be shovelling the drive ... Then realizing that of course he wouldn't be - It was Christmas.

He padded across the large foyer, through to the front sitting room, to check.

Ah. He saw a definite breeze blowing a corner of the long drapes back on one of the tall windows.
He walked over to it , and reached out to pull back the heavy drapes and shut the latch, hearing odd distant laughter a little more clearly as he did so.
He pulled the latch shut , peering out the tall window.

Snow was now falling in earnest. Dancing glittering and twirling. The wind had picked up. It was dark. He heard the soft chime of a fine Swiss clock behind him strike three . Officially Christmas .

With a start he saw that there was a light on in the room across the drive. The one partially hidden behind a bower , that could only be seen from the guest house across the vast yard in winter , when the roses were wrapped and sleeping.

He found himself out the door, running across the crunching, icy gravelled drive , heedless of bare feet shoved into overshoes that didn't really fit.
He found the sliding door locked, and raced around to the back entrance of the suite, muttering ' open', as he punched in the familiar code.

He sprinted down the hallway, and nearly tripped . Slowing to a fast stride when he glimpsed someone turn the corner to the entrance of Shin's suite, just ahead.

He entered the suite. Breathing fast. Hearing warm conversation, familiar laughter.
Ellis's laughter. Pandora. That darn bird,

Of course. He felt the clamouring tension begin to ebb away.
There would be a nurse. Of course. Yes.

He had been told that one R. N. Would be on duty over the holiday.

Why on earth had he felt the insistent overwhelming urge to run over like this? He had to have drunk too much champagne at dinner, listening to Uncle's stories, he should have -

" Shin darling."

Ellis Payton - Jones was standing at the foot of Shin's bed.
Solid as life. Real as breath. Young blonde and handsome.

He turned as though he had been interrupted in the middle of speaking and looked directly at Perfection with a slight smile.

Perfect blinked - and he was gone.

The sliding door was suddenly wide open. A shrieking torrent of swirling snow and icy wind howled into the room.
Perfect raced over to pull it shut, just as Hero stepped through and swept him up into his arms.

He gasped. Staring out into the snowy night over Hero's cold damp shoulder. Eyes riveted on two barely discernible figures racing away , hand in hand , blurring into the storm. Their shouted laughter fading into the now raging wind.

Gone.

He began to laugh.

The laughter burned tightly in his chest . Quickly catching into harsh sobs as he hugged Hero. So strong . So familiar. So warm and alive. So dearly beloved.

Hero hadn't even been fully awake when he found himself tearing across the yard in only his pajama pants , t shirt and hastily drawn on boots.
Perfect needed him.
He could see him, standing inside Shin's room, the sliding door wide open...
" Perfection! What ...Why are you...Shh, Shh. I've got you. Shh, it's alright. Little bird. Ahh Uncle...Uncle."
Hero dragged the door shut, then sank into a chair beside the cold hospital bed holding Perfection as he wept.

The nurse hurried into the room, followed closely by Pei Shan and Chongan.

They each came to stand close. Pei Shan took Hero's hand. He squeezed hers lightly.
Chongan, rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

There was a loud squawk and flapping of wings in the other room.

" I love you . Shut up. Merry Christmas."
Shin's voice. Loud and clear. Then silence.

Hero snorted.
Perfect and Pei Shan began laughing through their tears.

Chongan remained silent, but smiled, gazing sadly at the still body of his brother.