Love you, too...

Chapter Eight: Love you, too

Will sat there, a picture of stillness. Akkie's head resting on his lap. Asleep, Akkie's chest rose and fell slowly and softly, his face not angelic, but rather just Akkie. Will liked that better. His Akkie. Not some picture-perfect smiling robot guy, but his scarred, imperfect, cinnamon roll Akkie. Not anyone else's. Akkie smiled softly in his sleep, Will noticed wearily. A peaceful smile. A happy smile. Will ran his fingers, barely touching the skin, over Akkie's scars. The bumps of the scars and scratches. He stroked Akkie's face gently, lovingly. 

     His feelings were no longer confused, jumbled up in one mix of complication. He knew just how he felt. He loved Akkie, through and through. He'd always be there for Akkie. He would do anything for him, except hurt him. He could never really hurt Akkie. He knew it was so cheesy. That it sounded like something from animation for kids. But he wasn't going to toss it away, ignore it. He'd embrace the corny, the cheesy. Because he did love Akkie. And he wasn't going to deny it any longer. 

     In the silence, he thought about their conversation. Dead friends. His chest felt tight just thinking about it. He'd really liked those kids. He'd joked with them, walked with them, ate with them. Complained about Jordan with them. And now they were gone. Forever. No redos. It wasn't one of those zombie fantasies that Will used to read about enthusiastically. Those had been his life for a while. Literally. 

     Had been. Not anymore, he reminded himself, looking down at Akkie again. His peaceful sleeping form. He was starting fresh. With Akkie. Achilleus. 

     He couldn't think of anything better than that.  

     Akkie stirred in his sleep, rolling over suddenly, hands twitching. Alarmed, Will touched his arm gently. "What is it, Akkie?" he whispered loudly. Akkie groaned and mumbled, 

     "I'm tired, dad. I don't wanna get up for school..." 

     Relief flooding over him, Will laughed softly. Akkie was dreaming he was at home again with his dad. Getting up for a day of school. The idea seemed appealing, but at the same time... not. There, his friends would be alive. A majority of them he wouldn't know, but alive. Everyone he knew. He wouldn't know Akkie, but that would be okay. But, still, he wouldn't have it any other way. Changing the past affected the future, obviously. Changing the past would affect the person he was today. 

     Besides, even if he wanted to he couldn't. It was impossible. Even if it was, he wouldn't try it. Meddling with time messed things up. 

     Then he almost laughed. Because at this moment, when, a few months ago or so he'd be worrying about survival, this and that, things that were alien concepts two years or so ago, now he was thinking about time travel and how that affected him. 

     "Akkie, what do you think about?" he wondered aloud. 

    Akkie mumbled almost incoherently, "you. You and my next meal, the last one being the one that visits my mind more." 

     Will laughed then, out loud. It felt good. Then he leaned closer to asleep Akkie. "You really are an idiot, Akkie," he sighed, knowing Akkie couldn't hear him, "but you're my idiot." 

     Then he leaned closer and kissed Akkie. Felt a bit sad, knowing he wouldn't feel or remember it in his sleep. 

     Little did he know Akkie was awake still. Alert. Had been for the past ten minutes or so. And he felt that kiss, alright, and heard those words. And in his 'sleep', he smiled. "Love you, too," he whispered.