VAL

The Wisp Sings

Before Sasha, Amir had been nothing but an enigma. Somebody nobody knew the true intentions of, and could never read, could never predict. He had no weaknesses, but he had a knack for figuring out other's weaknesses.

And to himself, he was equally as an enigma to himself. He had lost everything. His identity, his home, his daughter, his wife. They had been his ground, the thing that kept him floating but now he was sinking, revengefully killing the people behind their deaths. And then when he succeeded, his heart swelled painfully as he looked at himself. He was not the man Nora had married, and not the father his child deserved.

But when he had joined the protocol, he locked eyes with someone, Sova. Who he later figured out was named Sasha Novikov. A hunter. An expert, just like Amir was. Undoubtedly, he was beautiful, lighting up the room with his calm nature, kind eyes, and a large smile. Though he was beautiful, his eyes sagged and the purple underneath his eyes were showing just barely underneath the tinted makeup. You could only see the tired if you looked for it.

But Amir saw through the rough exterior, determined to look further. Something drew him to Sasha, but Sasha got as far as possible from him, drawing back. A game of cat and mouse, and Amir was happy to comply.

It wasn't until they talked formally after hours, hanging out in the kitchen. Sasha wore a turtleneck, the neck tight against his throat and a pair of barely loose denim that pooled at his slippers. He sipped a mug, hot tea. Amir could smell the scent of peach and honey and saw the string from the tea bag poking out from the trashcan.

Amir stood at the doorframe, his mask still slipped over his features tightly, but his attire had been changed. He spoke up, striking conversation with the hunter. But Sasha was unmoving, still sipping as he stared at the tile wall in front of him, not even a huff of acknowledgment.

"Sova, my dear, it is far too late for peach tea and honey, you should sleep." Amir repeated, his eyes squinting as he stalked forward.

Sova turned his head slightly, his unclipped hair falling over his face. When he turned, Amir saw his eyes. Red and raw, and his lips bloody and dry, cracking. His cheeks were sunken, and he shook slightly underneath the yellow of the light bulb. Dried tears stained his red cheeks. The makeup smeared across his face.

"I apologize, Cypher for my disheveled appearance. I will leave if you need the kitchen." Amir cocked his head to the side, looking at him through the fabric of his mask.

"Do not apologize, Sova. And if you want to stay you are more than welcome to." He said, "Despite common notion, I quite enjoy your presence, owl."

Sasha laughed, smiling as he looked down into his cup. Amir felt stupid, his ears burning. It reminded him of when he was a teenager, chasing after Nora. A crush. He had a crush. It was humiliating as he stood there fidgeting with his fingers behind his back.

The silence stretched, and Amir could feel the sound of Sasha's throat constrict and swallow the tea. He looked away. His cheeks burned hotter.

Finally, he broke the silence between them. "You – I know we are not particularly close, but would you perhaps want to talk about it? What is upsetting you, I mean."

"It is personal, Cypher. And I mean no offense when I say I do not trust you to keep it hidden."

The air was thick like tar, Amir could feel it weighing down on his shoulders. Sasha had turned, looking at him through blonde eyelashes. Suddenly Amir felt nothing, but shame crawl up his spine, suddenly cold through his layers of hoodies. The wind howled outside the window, as if laughing at Amir.

"Sova," he took a deep breath. "You deserve the kindness you give to others. Nobody may notice your pain, but I do. Your pain may be invisible to others, but I see you."