Saorsa

Twenty-Eight - Zeke

All the guilt that Zeke had bottled up for so long, even before Kory had died overflowed once he pulled Kory in for an embrace. "I didn't mean it, any of it, I swear." Zeke stammered, sobbing in Kory's arms. His tears stained Kory's shirt, his body overall stiff despite the longing feeling disappearing. He didn't want to let go, not yet. Not ever.

Zeke's hands gripped the back of his shirt, clinging to Kory like he was the only lifeline available in the world. He suppressed the potential chance of him raising the volume in his voice by simply crying. Zeke's hand pulled away from Kory's shirt, now covering his mouth to muffle the hiccups and shaky gasps that escaped his throat.

Kory stayed silent, simply keeping Zeke close. His hands trembled against Zeke, now gripping the fabric of his shirt as well. "Did you actually miss me?" He mutters, the words a rumble in his throat. "Are you telling the truth?"

Zeke quickly nods, pulling away to look at him. "I promise. I swear on my life." Hesitantly, his hand moved away from his mouth, wiping his palm onto the fabric of his sweatpants. His fingertips grazed Kory's cheek. His heart pounded, a smile lighting up his face. "You're real." He pressed his fingertips against Kory's cheek. "You're actually real. I'm not imagining this, am I?" He asks, yet it sounded rhetorical. He couldn't bring himself to believe that this was Kory, right in front of him. "But I saw you—I saw you get..." The words died in his throat, nodding softly. Zeke felt too happy, yet anger lingered in his gaze that solely focused on Kory. "When did you come back?" He said in a hushed tone, his eyes trailing his features. Zeke's staring couldn't be any less obvious, how he watched how Kory's curls had ever so slightly grown ever since they had left the lab, his tired, pale blue eyes that still had its spark; despite everything he had been through.

"I don't know. Maybe a couple of hours ago. I can't remember what happened." Kory said, his shoulders slumping from the fatigue that started to catch up to him. Zeke nods, the smile still on his face as he kept staring for what seemed to be forever. The fact that Kory was here, and alive just made his brain short-circuit almost immediately. He couldn't make sense of it, a small sigh of happiness escaping his lips.

"I still can't believe it." He said. "You're here. After everything." His fingers slipped away from Kory's face, falling into his lap. The shock had overwhelmed him to an extent, making him internally question everything. He still wondered if Kory was real or not, if this was all a dream.

"I came for you." Kory said in an undertone. "Only you."

Zeke nods, before feeling the cold muzzle of a gun press against the back of his head.