Fallen in Love

12 - Wildest Dreams

Bently had woken up from yet another nightmare. His nightmares happened more often and had gotten worse since he'd stepped into that Presenter a few nights before. Malik felt Bently sit up, so he sat up as well and put an arm around Bently. "You ok?" He asked. "Another nightmare..." Bently shakily replied. Malik hugged Bently. He could feel the boy's entire body shaking. "Shh...it's ok Bently. It was just a dream. It's not real. I'm here." He whispered. Bently slowly started to calm down. "You ok now?" Malik asked. "I guess...I mean, I feel a little nauseous but that usually goes away after a bit." He replied. Malik softly kissed Bently's neck. "What was your nightmare about?" Malik asked, planting another soft kiss on the boy's neck. Bently let out a shaky breath. "I went into a Presenter. It took me back to the fire. I tried to stop my past self but..." Bently paused, swallowing hard. "But instead, I convinced him to go back and save Cain but...but both my past self and Cain ended up dying in the fire." He couldn't hold back anymore. He sobbed into Malik's shoulder. Malik put his hand on the back of Bently's head. "Shh...it's ok. That's why we don't try to change the past. It could change everything in that life and your current one." Malik said. "I-I know. That's what Ashlyn told me." Bently sniffled. Bently ended up crying himself to sleep and falling asleep in Malik's arms.
That morning when Bently woke up, there was a bouquet of blue roses on his bedside table. Bently noticed them, sat up, and gently picked them up. "Hm...?" He muttered, looking at the note attached.
'The blue rose is very rare, as it only comes once every 13 years. Just like you. Get dressed and meet me outside in the courtyard. -Malik'
"This place has a courtyard?" Bently wondered aloud. Bently got up and got dressed. He put on his nicest outfit and, still with the blue roses in hand, went outside to meet Malik. He blushed when he saw Malik. The angel stood, in one of the nicest outfits Bently had ever seen him in, smiling. "Hi." Malik softly said, gently grabbing Bently's hand. "Hi." Bently softly replied, a soft blush still on his cheeks. "I have a question for you." Malik said, taking the roses from Bently's hand and placing them on a bench. Malik and Bently sat on the ground under a tree—under their tree. Malik smiled, gently rubbing the back of Bently's hand with his thumb. "So what did you wanna ask?" Bently asked. Malik sighed shakily. Bently could tell he was nervous. "Bently Ryan," he started, "I love you. Very much. I always have. In every timeline, in every universe, it's always been you." He said. Malik took both of Bently's hands into his own, taking another shaky breath before asking the question Bently had been dying to hear ever since they met. "Bently Ryan, will you be my boyfriend?" He asked. Bently's eyes lit up, and he jumped into Malik's arms and kissed him deeply. "Always." He whispered into the kiss. "Always and forever."
Life was now perfect for Bently. The boy of his dreams was finally his, he'd learned more about himself and Malik, everything was finally looking up. But Malik could sense something. Something bad was coming, and he knew it was his fault for making Bently his. Malik stood from his spot under the tree. "I have to go." He said. "What? Why? What's wrong?" Bently asked. "Go inside Bently. Please." Malik said. Bently nodded and went inside. Or that's what Malik thought. Bently stood behind one of the pillars and watched as Malik pulled out a whistle and blew it. Bently summoned a Presenter and looked into it.
While he was doing that, Malik was holding a Meeting of Angels. Cain, Charlie, Ashlyn, Noel, even Andy. Bently was completely unaware, at the moment, of what was going on. What he saw in the Presenter, he wished he hadn't. He saw a war, happening in the very same courtyard Malik and Bently had just shared such an intimate moment in. He didn't know what caused the war, but he soon would. When the Presenter shattered, Bently saw the meeting happening right in front of his eyes. He could hear everything now too. "Cain. If anything were to happen, notify one of us and we'll tell Andy." Malik said, in a voice Bently had never heard him use. "Right. Then what?" Cain asked. "Andy will take Bently to Graycott and stay with him until the war's end." Malik replied. "Then what?" A voice asked. Bently didn't recognize them. In fact, he didn't even see them, as they were hiding in the shadows. "Why are you here?" Malik sneered. "I am sorry. I hadn't realized I was intruding on a Meeting of Angels which I came to when I heard your whistle, Malik." They said. 'Wait...did they say a meeting of angels?' Bently thought. Malik sighed. "Fine. You can stay. But don't even think about trying to turn our own plans against us." Malik told them. The person stepped out of the shadows, a smirk clear on his face. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Malik." He said. "I know your kind all too well, Lucian," Malik slightly shuddered at the simple thought, "I know you'd take any opportunity to turn our plan to your use." Malik continued. "Fine. I wont." Lucian replied.
"Now, where was I..." Malik muttered to himself. Another voice Bently didn't recognize chimed in. "You left off at what would happen to the boy if the war were to ensue." They said. "Right." Malik replied, then continued, "if this...wonderful...place were to get destroyed during the Great War, then I shall go to be with Bently in Graycott." Malik had to practically force out the word "wonderful". 'Great War?' Bently thought. "And the rest of us?" Noel asked. Malik sighed. "Those who, by a pure miracle, did not perish in the war shall come with me, to Graycott, where we will live permanently and...hopefully...in peace with one another." Malik said. Lucian spoke up again. "You do know that the only way to make peace is to choose a side, right?" He asked. "I know." Malik replied. "Do you have a decision in mind now? We could stop all of this before it even starts." Ashlyn said. "No. I'm not ready." Malik said. 'Decision? Choose a side? What does that all mean?' Bently thought. He saw the war in the Presenter, so he knew Malik didn't make his choice between now and whenever that war was.
"Actually," Noel spoke up, "there is another, lesser known way to make peace. But if we want to make peace this way, we are running out of time."