Fallen in Love

11 - His Past Lives

Bently sat at the fire in the forest, staring into a Presenter he'd summoned. He saw something he started to wish he never saw. He saw a boy with Malik. He watched as the boy kissed Malik, seconds before the boy was shot in the side by someone Bently couldn't see. He watched as Malik pulled the dying boy into his arms, sobbing. The boy muttered something Bently couldn't hear, presumably a final "I love you", before his death. Malik held the boy's now dead body for a few minutes before handing it to someone else, probably whoever was going to bury the boy's body. Bently watched as Malik walked away, wiping a single tear from his eye, before the Presenter shattered. Bently jumped back slightly. He'd never seen a Presenter just...shatter. They always just floated away back into the trees. Bently looked up at Malik, who was now sitting beside him. "Who was that boy?" Bently asked. Malik softly sighed, remembering this memory like it had just happened. "That was you." He simply said. "What? Me? But- but he looked nothing like me!" Bently said. "Well, you've changed since then." Malik replied, which just confused Bently even more. "You've changed a lot. But it's a good change. And I...I still knew it was you." Malik said. For the first time, Bently noticed Malik's tired gray eyes had a slight green glow in them. "What do you mean you 'knew it was me'?" Bently asked. Malik slightly laughed, taking one of Bently's hands into his own, putting his other hand on Bently's face. "It's..a long story. A really long story." Malik said. "I have time." Bently said. Malik continued. "But...one thing I've always known is...its always you, Bently Ryan. Every time. We always find each other." He said. Bently slightly smiled.
After they got back, Bently went to Cain. He paced Cain's room as he tried to put the pieces together. "What does it mean?" He groaned to no one in particular. Cain just watched from his bed. After a few minutes of watching Bently pointlessly pace back and forth, he spoke up. "Bently...you may want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you." He said. Bently, a bit confused, sat next to Cain on the bed. "You've lived several past lives. It's hard to explain though..." Cain said. He sighed, thinking deeply, then continued to explain. "They're all with Malik. And when you die, it takes 13 years for you to come back. No matter how old you are and how you die, you come back." He said. Bently just...sat there, processing. "I...what?" Bently finally said. "Like I said, hard to explain. I tried my best though.." Cain trailed off. "You ok?" Bently asked. Cain snuggled into his blankets a bit. "Yeah...just didn't get a lot of sleep last night is all. Nothing you need to be worried about. Just..." he sighed. "Your insomnia." Bently finished. Cain nodded. "Yeah...it's been acting up again..." he said. Bently hugged him. The two cuddled for a bit until Cain fell asleep.
That night, Bently snuck out to the forest. He took a deep breath, sat on a stump, and started trying to summon a Presenter. When he finally got one, he tried to look into it. He, again, saw the boy and Malik. They were smiling, happy. Bently decided to test his limits with the Presenters. While still holding it in place, he stuck his foot in it. No one had told him he couldn't do this...so with a swift motion, he stepped into the Presenter. And just like that, he was there. There with the boy and Malik. There, in whatever time period he just stepped into. Neither boys noticed him, they were too focused on each other. When the boy heard something, he looked in Bently's direction, but didn't see Bently himself. "I have to go, don't I?" Malik asked. The boy nodded. Just as Malik was about to leave through the window, the boy grabbed his wrist. "Mali. Wait." He softly said. With a swift move, he kissed Mali gently yet passionately, then let go of his wrist. "I love you Ben." Mali said. "I love you too, Mali. Stay safe." Ben said. Mali smiled. "You too." He said. He slipped out of the window just as Ben's parents came into the room.
Bently watched Ben for a few minutes after his parents left. He watched Ben grab a book and sit on his bed, quietly reading to himself. Bently wished he could see the title, but he just couldn't. Not from his position. He started to walk over to Ben to ask about the book, when he heard the ever so familiar whoosh of a now open Presenter. "And what do you think you're doing?" A voice asked. Ashlyn. "Uh...I was gonna ask my past self about that book he's reading?" Bently said. Ashlyn grabbed his wrist. "Don't. It's dangerous. One wrong move and you could change everything in your life and in his." She said, pointing to Ben. He seemed completely oblivious to the two being there. Bently sighed as she opened a Presenter and pulled him through.
As they walked, presumably back to their own time, Bently's curiosity got the best of him. He quietly slipped away and wandered down a random corridor, thinking Ashlyn didn't notice him. But she did. "Where are you going?" She asked. Bently ignored her and kept going. "Bently." She groaned. Still, he ignored her. She sighed and followed him into another one of his past lives. "We're not supposed to be here, you know." She whispered. Bently watched as Malik and his past self cuddled in a bed. Ashlyn knew where they were and what would happen, as her eyes were trained on the tiny room's only window. The two boys were smiling and happy as they cuddled. Bently liked seeing his past self happy, after seeing the first time when he died in Malik's arms. Ashlyn, though focused on the window, still had hold of Bently's arm to keep him from trying to approach the two. The two were speaking Russian, and Bently understood every word. He never learned Russian though? He listened in as the two talked. "Marik?" The boy asked. Marik looked at him. "Mhm? What is it, Benit?" He asked. Benit sat up and kissed Marik's nose, causing him to blush. Bently smiled seeing them. They looked so happy. Ashlyn knew that wouldn't last long though. "Bently. Stay. Don't look." She said. With her eyes still on the window, she went over to the two boys. "You two need to go." She said in fluent Russian. "Get to the door, I'll guard you." She told them. The two got up, Marik hugging Benit closely. Ashlyn stood in front of the two. Bently covered his ears as a shot rang out in the little room. "Ashlyn!" He yelled, looking at her. "I'm alright, don't worry." She said, pulling the bullet out of her arm. Her black wings came out and covered the wound. When her wings disappeared, all that was left on her arm was a little scar. She tossed the bloody bullet onto the floor, opened a Presenter, and dragged Bently through.
Once they got back, Malik hugged Bently immediately. "Where was he?" He asked Ashlyn. "Found him in the woods." She lied quickly. It felt like Bently had been gone for days, but in reality, it had just been about an hour. "Don't ever do that again." Malik told Bently. "You scared me to death. I thought I lost you. I just got you back, I can't live another 13 years without-" Malik was cut off by Bently kissing him. "You won't lose me. I promise." Bently whispered in the kiss. The two broke the kiss, but Malik kept his firm grip on Bently. "Sorry I scared you." Bently said. Malik pulled Bently into their room and into bed, kissing him everywhere. His nose, his neck, his shoulders. "W-what are you-?" Bently asked. "I don't know how much time we have left in this life, so I'm taking my chances now." Malik said, now deeply kissing Bently's neck. Bently smiled softly.
The two made out most of the night. When Bently woke up that morning, he put his glasses on and went in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and saw the hickeys Malik had left on his neck and shoulders. Malik sleepily stumbled into the bathroom, wrapping his arms around Bently's waist. "G'morning." He softly said, nuzzling into Bently's neck. "Morning." Bently smiled. He loved when Malik was affectionate like this. "Can we just stay like this for a bit?" Malik muttered in a sleepy voice. "Sure." Bently smiled. "By the way," Malik said, looking up, "you look cute in glasses. You should wear them more often." He said. "Well..I was going to put my contacts in, but I guess I could keep my glasses on. For you." Bently said.
After Bently had had a nice, long, hot shower, he came back to the bedroom to see Malik had set up an amazing breakfast on the desk. Bently was standing by the bathroom door in nothing but his boxers. Malik turned when he heard the boy softly sigh. "Well hey there handsome~" Malik said. Bently blushed. "H-hi." He stuttered out. "You want breakfast?" Malik asked, motioning to the desk. Bently smiled and sat at the desk, going straight for the pancakes. "Of course. Straight to the pancakes." Malik giggled. The two shared breakfast, then cuddled in bed together as Malik planted little kisses on Bently's lips. "Mm. Tastes like syrup and pancakes." Malik softly laughed.
After a few minutes, Malik spoke up again. "I know Ashlyn was lying. So where were you really last night?" Malik asked. Bently looked away. "I...stepped into a Presenter." He said. "What? Bently that's dangerous." Malik said. Bently sighed. "I know. Ashlyn told me." Bently said. "I'm just glad Ash found you before you did something stupid." Malik said. Bently cuddled into him. "I'm sorry. Won't do it again unless I ask you first." He mumbled. "Good. I cant lose you, Bently." Malik smiled, playing with Bently's hair. Bently smiled. "Malik?" He asked. "Mhm? What is it, Bently?" Malik asked. Bently kissed Malik's nose. "I love you, Malik Grigori." He said, making Malik blush. "I love you too, Bently Ryan. Always."