Six Crimson Seeds (A VegasPete Persephone AU)

Chapter 31: 'Borrowed'

    One moment, Pete could feel the warm sinking feeling from Vegas, and the next it was gone. He rushed toward the greenhouse, ignoring Macau calling his name. He knew Vegas was gone, but Pete still had to see with his own eyes as he threw the door open.

Sure enough, there was no sign of him. Pete sank down to sit in the grass, not caring that his nice pants would be stained.

"He's really gone," he mumbled as Macau placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be back."

Pete sat for a moment, inhaling deeply as he tried to let Macau's words soothe him. "Yes," he said finally. "He'll always come back to me."

Macau gave his shoulder another squeeze before releasing him so Pete could stand.

Pete waved off Porsche's concerns and went inside, his feet dragging him to Vegas's room. He stripped the suit off, crawling under the covers in his briefs and undershirt so he could wrap himself in Vegas's scent. Every year that they got closer, it became harder and harder for Pete to let Vegas go.

"I'll find a way to fix it," Pete mumbled to the empty room. "I'll save you, so you don't have to leave anymore. I'll do whatever it takes."

Holding Vegas's pillow close to his face, Pete eventually drifted off to sleep. He dreamt of Vegas calling his name, over and over, searching for him in the dark.

"Pete. Pete!"

Pete twisted in the sheets as the voice calling his name morphed from Vegas's to Macau's.

"Huh?" Pete muttered, dragging a hand across his face. "'Cau?"

"I couldn't find you in your room," Macau said quietly.

"Huh?" Pete mumbled again as it took Macau's words a moment to register. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I wanted to see if you wanted to go have breakfast with the others at Olympus."

"Yeah, let me just...let me get ready and I'll meet you in your room."

"Okay. Take your time," Macau said, leaving Pete alone again.

Pete collapsed back into the bed for a moment, hating that it felt much too cold without Vegas there.

"It'll be fine," Pete said to himself. "Each day that passes means you're another day closer to seeing him again."

After inhaling Vegas's scent one more time, Pete got up to go back to his room to shower quickly. His stomach was rumbling by the time he and Macau left Elysium.

"Pete?" Tay called, rushing toward him to give him a hug when they arrived. "Are you okay?"

Pete forced a smile and said, "I'll be fine. I told Vegas I would be fine until he got back."

"What about you?" Chay said, putting an arm around Macau's shoulder.

Macau leaned into Chay's embrace, mumbling something that only Chay could hear. Chay pulled him closer, leading him to get food so they could sit down.

"Is it just you two today?" Tay asked, looking around.

"Yeah," Pete answered. "We didn't even bother asking Time. Why? Has he been bothering you again?"

"Not really," Tay said, biting his lower lip. "He was just really weird the last time I saw him. I kind of feel...bad for him."

Pete tilted his head to the side. Time had kept his word so far and had stopped messing with his friends, but Pete didn't like that he was acting strange with Tay. "Do you think he still likes you?"