The Lost Angel [BxB]

cassiopeia

And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

'The Great Gatsby'
[F. Scott Fitzgerald]

♡ ♡ ♡

24: CASSIOPEIA

Julien disappeared under the water, falling to the sea floor, and vanishing from view. A part of Rory's soul faded away with him. No matter how evil Julien was, no matter how many people he had killed, and no matter what he had done to the boy he loved, Julien was still a person. Maybe he did deserve to die, but Rory didn't deserve to live with the shame. He was a killer, and that would never change. He was terrified of what he was capable of.

He gulped, his grip on the railing tightening. That was the last bag, discarded with a couple of bricks.

It was over.

Lalo was staring down at the clear water, his almond eyes glossed over with something unreadable. His lip was caught between his teeth, and his nails were digging into the palm of his hands. He glanced up at Rory, his eyes blurry with tears, "Are you gonna think I'm an awful person if I say I'm glad he's gone?"

Rory shook his head and wrapped an arm around Lalo's shoulders, "You're not an awful person."

"He was evil, Rory." He sniffed. Maybe it was because he was sleep deprived, or he hadn't had enough to eat, or maybe it was because every time he looked at his hands he saw blood, but Lalo was finally starting to break. Rory had to be the strong one this time, holding onto his sanity, pretending they were going to be okay. "H-He was a fucking monster."

"I know." Rory whispered into his ear as the sea breeze brushed through their hair. "He's never gonna hurt anyone ever again."

"Rory." Lalo drew back to gaze into Rory's beautiful mossy eyes, so full of life and love and pain. "I-I don't want to ever h-have to say goodbye to you." He said, wiping his tear stained cheeks. Faced with he prospect of losing Rory forever only made Lalo realise how desperate he was to cling onto him as tightly as possible.

"Then let me come with you."

Lalo stared at him blankly. His words held so much weight, so much hope, so much love. They meant the world to Lalo. "W-What?"

"I don't care where you go next, Lalo, I just want to be there with you."

"A-Are you serious?"

Rory nodded. "I'm not going back to London." He pronounced confidently. His mind was already made up. "I've been jealous of you since the day we met. Jealous because you're free."

"So are you."

"No." Rory shook his head, "Not until I met you. You taught me freedom. You taught me not to settle for something I don't want."

"Rory." Lalo gulped, "Y-You have a life in England. You can't throw it all away unless you're sure that this is what you want."

"I'm sure." He shrugged, like it was nothing. "There's a world waiting for you, for me, for us. Two weeks, and that's it. My parents move in, we move out, and..."

"And...?

"I don't know!" Rory laughed ecstatically, "For the first time in my life, I don't know! Isn't that exciting?"

"I-I...I guess." Lalo wanted Rory's promises to be true. But he was afraid that when the hysteria of the sea air wore off, common sense would kick in. "What about your parents?" He stammered, "Your Mom didn't want you following me around like a 'lost puppy' — her words, not mine."

"I don't give a shit about what my Mum wants, I'm twenty one." He shot back, a smile still on his lips. "And what if I don't follow you? What if we leave together, start fresh together?" He suggested.

"W-Well, where do you want to go?" Lalo frowned. If this was going to happen, it was going to happen correctly. They were going to make every decision together. There was no room for resentment.

"I don't care."

"Rory, there's a world waiting for you." Lalo grinned, repeating his own words back to him, "Where do you want to go?" He asked again.

"Off the top of my head?"

"Yes." Lalo slipped his fingers through Rory's and squeezed his hands. The boat continued to bounce peacefully atop the waves, the sun setting in the distance, orange ink bleeding onto the glimmering surface of the water. "Anywhere in the world."

"I-I don't know. India, or New Zealand, or Brazil. Maybe Russia, or Turkey, or maybe... Fuck. I...I don't know. I'm sorry."

Lalo lunged into his arms and gave him a firm hug, his face buried into Rory's hard chest. They were from different worlds, brought together by a dusty old house, divided by a million differences, and united through love, and the simple uncertainty of the future. Despite everything, essentially, they were the same. They wanted to go everywhere and anywhere, and there wasn't enough life to live. "Don't be sorry." Lalo murmured. "I love you."

Rory laughed and wrapped his arms around Lalo, "Did you want to go to one of those places too?"

Lalo pulled back, and with a wide smile on his lips, he shook his head. "I don't care. I just want to be with you."

They watched the sun set silently across the horizon, before Rory drove them back to the docks. They said goodbye to Cassiopeia, handed the keys back to Adella, and climbed into Yolanda's car.

The drive home was quiet and peaceful, passing leafy green scenery and empty fields bursting with nature's spell of beauty.

The sunny meadows were home to bumble bees snuggling between rose petals and little furry mice feasting on berries. And amidst this rural Spanish paradise of clear skies and warm air, an empty house was nestled between the lemon trees.

The house was now a home.

Despite the long, stressful day they had endured, Rory poured out a couple of glasses of red wine for them to enjoy on the patio. As Carmelita snuggled between their legs, they gazed across the garden, fingers intertwined. It bloomed and flourished with life. The seeds Lalo had planted had grown into something truly beautiful.

"Hey, Lalo?" Rory murmured, just as Lalo was beginning to fall asleep with his head resting on Rory's shoulder.

"Hm?"

"I think I have an idea."

"About where you want to go?" He asked, his interest peaking. When Rory nodded, Lalo grinned, "Well, go on then. Where is it?"

"Chicago."