Archive of Our Own

Like every morning inside of the little houses people started their day. They washed their teeth, drank their coffee and put on their radios. It was against the law not to listen the radio but it was okay. Everyone liked Cecil's voice. Of course it was against a law not to like the voice of Night Vale but that was also okay because as said everyone liked that smooth voice that told them when the day was meant to start and when it was meant to end. Sometimes Night Vale was a very easy place to live.

One thing that made Cecil liked was the way how he absolutely adored his city. The way he talked about Night Vale was like he was talking about his family. People of Night Vale were something precious or that was how Cecil made them feel every day.  It was also very logical that when people liked Cecil as much as they liked, they just wanted the Voice to be happy. There was one aspect that was missing, one little, almost not noticeable thing that would make a huge difference in Cecil's life. Everyone in the city just hoped that one day the voice on the radio would announce that there was someone who made the professional calm man feeling like he was living in the Cotton Candy land. Of course not literally. Cotton Candy land was very dangerous place with a great risk of getting diabetes. And everyone knew that Cecil just loved sweet things way too much. No, it was just safe measure to keep Cecil in Night Vale where he really belonged.

There had been one before who made Cecil's voice sound giddy and so so happy. The picture of that one special man was kind of vague but everyone kind of remembered that there had been one man who didn't really belong in Night Vale but who made Night Vale to love himself. Because nobody really remembered the man, there were two very common theories about man. Well Steve Carlsberg had more than two but as Cecil always kept saying who would really believe that Steve Carlsberg. Steve was just so...ungh.

The first theory was that Cecil's mystery lover but not lover anymore was a man with a tan jacket. Everyone knew at some level they had a citizen who had a deerskin suitcase and whose name was Everett, Emmett or you know, something like that. He was the one who maybe existed or maybe didn't. And that would just suck, wouldn't it. Cecil and he could actually be together maybe even married right at that moment but not even Cecil would remember that. Wouldn't that be awful, just awful? But if Cecil had fell in love with a man with a tan jacket or someone like that maybe that would be kind of okay. It would be a little challenging to have a good relationship with a man you don't remember most of the time but love is always challenging and worth of every second. Isn't love just a great thing?

The second common theory was that Cecil's lover-no-more was not acceptable to the voice. They had sheriff's secret police to keep good care that not acceptable relationships didn't happen. So if Cecil didn't remember his ex anymore and all of the Night Vale had only a vague feeling that there had been someone...maybe they were not supposed to remember who it was. Maybe things were better this way. So those who believed in this theory drank and forgot just like good citizens of Night Vale should do. As said it was sometimes very easy thing to live in Night Vale.

So like all good mysteries it was a mystery until it wasn't anymore. With a beautiful sunny day there was a tiny car. Inside of that little car sat a man who actually did not wear a tan jacket. His jacket was white, maybe only clean spotless jacket in the Night Vale. And his hair were just perfect. When he had driven inside of the borders of Night Vale his radio had turned on and the calm voice had started to tell a story about him. Usually outsiders were scared when this happened. Usually they tried to turn off the radio. Not this man. He just accepted it with a sight and slowly shaking his head. And when people saw him the mystery was revealed. Gamblers smiled or swore, money changed the owner. But after all everyone would just shake their head and smile amused. How could have they forgot Carlos the Scientist?

And when Carlos heard Cecil's calm voice in the radio, when he saw the endless void on the sky and Sheriff's secret police hiding on the bushes right beside the Arby's, it was amazingly hard to understand how Carlos could have forgot his home. It felt so good to be back.

"Carlos, love, What is this place?" Other man's voice sounded a little scared. Like it belonged to someone who didn't understand why Carlos had stopped the car middle of the street and concentrated to breathe the air which tasted a little bitter and was with 70% certain really unhealthy. Carlos knew that there were earthquake right now but he needed to stand up just to be sure that he didn't feel anything. He turned his face to look at the man who had also got out of the car and was right now beside him. The car's doors were open and he could hear Cecil's talk. He didn't know how long the voice had been speaking on the radio. He knew that logically thinking it had to been more than just an intro. But he also knew that time didn't work in this city. So it wasn't a surprise that when he said those words to his partner, Cecil's voice echoed beside his.

"Welcome to Night Vale."

Terry had met his husband seven years ago. Carlos had been standing in the middle of the street watching people. He was wearing a white lab-coat which was dirty and used. He needed a warmer jacket. Terry walked closer to man and waited until he looked at him. His brown eyes were so sad that Terry wanted only to make him smile.

"Is everything alright, Mr?" Stupid question. Nothing was alright, he knew that.

"I feel like I have lost everything. Like I had something precious many years, but that I have lost it again. Isn't it weird. That feels awful, just awful. Even though I don't remember what I have lost. But if you don't count that, yeah I think that everything is alright." He smiled at Terry and that smile was sad. Terry hoped that he could understand but he really couldn't.

"I'm Terry Barea." He didn't understand why he wanted to give his name to insane and sad man. He really didn't know.

"Carlos the Scientist." Other gave his hand and smiled. Terry looked at him not believing.

"The Scientist?" It hurt a little that man didn't tell Terry his real name but he let it go.

"Yeah, the scientists are always fine." Even when they really weren't.

Terry would have never believed that they would meet again. He had helped man to ER when he didn't remember where his home was or what was his real surname. But after a few weeks Carlos came to Terry's hair salon. He looked a little bit happier even though he felt really lost. He said with a strong tone that he wanted to cut his hair really short, almost bald. And Terry did what he wanted. They talked and smiled while Terry cut the hair. If Carlos had asked him if that made him look good, Terry would have said that now he looked different. Maybe that was a good thing. After the haircut Carlos asked if Terry wanted to go to coffee some day. He said yes.

During these seven years he fell in love with this man. He promised to marry him, love him, raise a family with him someday and grow old beside him. With all these promises, all those giddy happy days when they were young and stupid he had never seen Carlos smile like now. In seven years he had met the man who was lost and now he could see that this Carlos was the one who was found.

"What is Night Vale, darling?" Carlos, not Carlos-his-husband, the one who was Carlos-the-Scientist, smiled at him like he should understand without saying.

"Night Vale is a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep."

Carlos had met Cecil so many times. First one happened in London. Carlos was on a summer holiday against his will. He had finished his first year in the university and his parents and sisters wanted him to take a break from science. Carlos loved science but people around him said that he shouldn't bury himself into books. He should see the world, travel and live. And Carlos did that even though he just wanted to go to library.

There he met a man who changed his life. However he looked this man was special. He was covered with tattoos and his clothes were so bright that those burned his eyes. They were on train station and there was a great possibility that if he didn't talk to this man soon he would never meet him again. They would take different trains and disappear. Carlos didn't understand why he wanted to talk to this man so much. Maybe because he was deprived of science and he wanted to understand something that was mysterious.

"Where are you going?" Just a simple safe question and a smile. Sometimes great things didn't need more. The man turned his head and smiled back to Carlos.

"Home. At least at some point. I just don't know how to get there." The man had bigger backpack than he could ever carry.

"Can I help? Where do you live?" The man looked like nobody had never been nice to him. His smile was almost as bright as his clothes.

"In Night Vale. But don't worry. The train goes there when I need to go. Now I think that Southampton is alright." It was weird thing to say but that suited the other man. Even on this day Carlos didn't know what made him to lie to the other man.

"That's exactly where I'm going too. Do you want company?"

Cecil had said yes. They had exchanged their names and before Carlos even noticed they had travelled hundreds of miles together. He always told Cecil that train he was hopping on was the one that Carlos was planned to take too. It was fun. Two strangers travelling together around the Europe. After some time it was two friends travelling together. Almost at end of the summer it was two boyfriends travelling from city to another. They were so young and in love that it almost hurt to remember.  Those months were so happy and easy. The worst thing about the Europe was that the time worked there. The days went by and Carlos needed to go back to school.

"Please Carlos, come to Night Vale with me. You will love that place." Carlos wanted to do that. But he was needed at home, his school, his precious books and science were calling him.

"Is science more important than us, Carlos?" Carlos said sorry so many times. But he didn't change his mind. When his school year started he sat on the classroom. He had promised to call and text Cecil but his cellphone refused to work when he wanted to call. Even his friends' cellphones didn't let him call. And that was the first time Carlos lost Cecil.

He graduated and became a scientist. And that should have been enough. But when one day he noticed that he was in a lab where he had never been, with persons who knew him but who he had never seen, somehow Carlos was relieved. When his friend who he didn't recognize said that they were in Night Vale, Carlos was happy. This city he had never seen was a home of man who maybe, just maybe, could give him another chance.

When he met Cecil again the man was an adult. He was not a naïve teenager who ran from train to train by his side. Cecil was the Voice of Night Vale. And that voice was gorgeous. All those changes and differences between the teenager and adult Cecil should have mattered to Carlos. But this Cecil was still Cecil and Carlos was hopelessly fallen again. The feeling was not mutual. Cecil looked at Carlos like he had never seen him before. And it hurt, but Carlos understood, or tried to. Only months later he understood that Cecil really didn't remember him. But at some point Cecil started to talk about him on the radio. Even though it was embarrassing it felt good. Cecil spoke kindly about Carlos. There was hope again.

This time as well they became friends. And friends became boyfriends. And that was amazing. Cecil was as neat as he had been before. And Night Vale was cool. It was scientifically thinking really interesting place, the most interesting place Carlos had ever seen. And first time in forever, Carlos was happy again. When his university called him and told that they had a job for Carlos he declined. Of course the payment was better and the work sounded like a dream. But now when he watched his boyfriend it was clear that Cecil was part of Night Vale. Even though they had met outside of this little town Cecil was meant to stay in Night Vale. And Carlos was meant to stay with Cecil.

The university called second time but Carlos didn't answer. He should have. They left a voicemail and Cecil heard it. They had a fight where Cecil screamed how Carlos shouldn't waste his life. Carlos yelled that he wouldn't leave Cecil never again. Cecil became silent until he very carefully asked what Carlos meant by again.

Carlos wasn't sure if he had explained anything to Cecil. Next memory was how he sat on the coffee shop drinking ice tea. He didn't like it, it was way too sweet. When he asked from stranger it became clear that he was in Ohio. At that time he didn't know why he was in Ohio, how he got there or should he go somewhere else. But in his cellphone was a message that told him that he had a job on the university's science department. That was a good start.

After that he had found Night Vale eight times. Every time the citizens of the Night Vale were more friendly, like a family to him. Every time he fell in love with Cecil even though the man didn't even remember him. Even though Carlos kept telling himself that it was not good because their relationship would never succeed. Yes, they fell in love, they were happy. It was hard to say how long because time didn't work in Night Vale. Maybe years, decades or centuries. Something like that, did it really matter? All that mattered was that the life in Night Vale and with Cecil was easy and joyful. That was enough for Carlos.

But eventually there always came something that made Cecil to decide that it was better for Carlos to leave. Or something about how people used Carlos when they tried to hurt the Voice. Or how Voice actually hurt people when Cecil tried to protect Carlos from danger. And always Carlos found himself from place he didn't know without a clue why he was there. He had no memory of Night Vale or Cecil. Only memory of a young stranger who he met in Europe and with whom he travelled a few months. But it was weird that even though he had a perfect memory, he couldn't remember that man's face, name, not even his voice. It was kind of sad. That man, or maybe woman, meant a lot to Carlos at that time. Actually it was kind of funny, now thinking Carlos didn't remember why the other meant so much to him. Maybe the other wasn't meaningful, just a friendly stranger.

And always when he just walked or drove or one fricking time flew to Night Vale he felt awfully stupid. How could he have forgotten this? He wouldn't do the same mistake anymore. He would not fall in love with Cecil again. Even though he couldn't be with Cecil he could at least be in Night Vale, remember their history and live in the most interesting city in the whole world. It was always a great simple plan. Don't fall in love. Great plan that just did never work.

But this time everything was a little bit different. This time he had a husband. He had met someone outside. For a moment he had been happy. Now when he remembered times in Night Vale his marriage made this situation a little bit more problematic. What would Night Vale say? What would Cecil think? Did Carlos really want to waste seven year long marriage for the man who didn't remember him but with whom he was now desperately in love with? He watched Terry's green eyes that had looked at him with great empathy when Carlos had needed it. Like Cecil always looked at him.

It would have been easy if Carlos could have sworn that he didn't love Terry. He loved the man's ordinary v oice that didn't make him want to kneel and obey when Terry was mad. He loved that Terry didn't have the all seeing third eye and he was actually able to surprise him. He loved how Terry's voice was not low and perfect. How he stuttered when he was nervous and how he couldn't say the letter R right. It sounded much more like an L and was hilarious when he was angry. "Sometimes you leally make me fulious, Callos. Don't even dale to tly to come to sleep next to me this night!" It would also have been simple if they could have just driven away from Night Vale and forget that the place even existed. It would have been wonderful if Carlos would have wanted to leave and never to see Cecil again. Live happily ever after with Terry. But sometimes, rarely, life could be problematic, even in Night Vale.

"Get in the car, Terry. I wanna show you Arby's, oh and I have a very lovely apartment. I share it with a faceless old woman but you will never see her because she lives there only secretly. Please Terry, put the radio louder, Cecil is speaking. Believe me, we definitely should hear what he is talking about." Carlos loved Night Vale. He wouldn't leave ever again. Fuck the Sheriff's Secret Police, he wouldn't forget this time.

Terry didn't like Night Vale. It was scary. There was Carlos' home where was enough room for him. There was a letter from city council that welcomed Carlos dearly back to Night Vale. There was a permission that Terry could live with him but also a note that Terry really didn't have to. It was also perfectly okay that Terry could live in the house that was far away from Carlos' home. The address was Farfarawaystreet 13 and there was a promise that the house was just beautiful. Terry was a little annoyed but also amused how ridiculous the letter sounded. Carlos was very worried because, and this was exactly what his science loving husband said, the city didn't seem to ship them very hard. Terry had started to giggle. Like city could be a crazy fangirl. But Carlos bit his lip very hard and looked worried.

The other thing that Terry didn't like was the Voice of Night Vale. His broadcast was always very depressing and weird. Weather was the best thing about the show Terry was forced to listen every day. He liked dancing more than listening some stranger's voice. When he asked Carlos should the radio really be on when Cecil was talking his husband looked at him like he was a stranger.

"Yes, Terry, of course it needs to be on. How else could we hear the show?" Terry sighed with a great frustration.

"Maybe we shouldn't listen it. That man on the radio, he's a little bit annoying." Terry laughed. Sometimes Carlos, his lovely Carlos, needed a little more than a hint. But his husband didn't turn off the radio. Carlos looked at him like Terry had lost his mind.

"That is Cecil Palmer. The Voice of Night Vale. Everyone loves him." And it was the end of discussion.

At first the problem with Cecil had been that Terry thought that Cecil was a little boring. Things he talked about couldn't be true. He only believed him later when it started to rain dead animals. All hail the mighty Glowing Cloud...he wouldn't tell anyone that he didn't like that cloud. The problem really became huge when Cecil started to talk about his husband. Yes, Carlos was a good looking and smart man, but those things were for Terry to tell everybody. Not by some idiot on radio. And Cecil never said a word about Terry. Never. He would talk about every citizen of Night Vale except Terry. Like Terry didn't even exist.

Carlos had always loved being in Night Vale. There was something normal in that abnormal city. But one thing he knew was that it was very important to be liked and acknowledged if you wanted to survive in Night Vale. Cecil was the Night Vale. His opinions were a summary of how people thought about each other. Like Steve Carlsberg who Cecil tried to hate. Steve's thoughts were dangerous and different. So Cecil made Steve to seem stupid. If Steve's thoughts were ridiculous then nobody would listen his dangerous words and Steve was harmless. Cecil would never tell anyone that he tried so very much to protect Steve. All Night Vale tried and that's why the man had been re-educated only a few times. Even Kevin, Cecil spoke about his duplicate very rarely and he always despised the man. He really didn't want him to exist. But at least he acknowledged the man. And maybe behind those hateful words there were a hint of sympathy. At different circumstances there was always a possibility that they all could have became like Kevin.  

First time he and Terry met Cecil, the moment was more awkward than ever before. Every previous times Carlos had been in Night Vale he had looked Cecil in the eyes and sworn that this time they would be an endgame. This was a story about them. And everything else that was romantic nonsense without any science in it but Cecil made him be like that. And that was okay because it was Cecil. This time he had a husband beside him. Terry glared at Cecil like he was an enemy and if Carlos really tried to understand...it was kind of normal thing.

Carlos was kind of staring at Cecil. And Cecil was staring at him like Cecil always used to do. Like Carlos was something special, only special thing in this unique city. Terry offered his hand to Cecil and told his name and that he was Carlos' husband. Cecil just waved to him weakly and kept staring at Carlos. Carlos was sure that Cecil hadn't heard even a word that Terry had said. Actually Carlos was sure that Cecil hadn't even blinked since he saw Carlos the first time. The man hadn't changed at all since last time they had met. It was so very hard not to smile at Cecil when he watched Carlos like he was the most perfect thing on the planet.

It was a kind of relief when Cecil started to talk about him on radio. Really it shouldn't have been. He was a married man. Terry would be furious when he'd hear Cecil.

"He grinned, and everything about him was perfect. And I fell in love instantly." Carlos was kind of sure that Terry wouldn't like if Carlos told that that was actually a lie. Cecil had fallen in love with him a many times before so it kind of wasn't instantly. And everything was not perfect about Carlos because now he had a husband. That was kind of something to rule out perfect.

Carlos waited that Cecil would tell something about Terry. He always told everything about all new residents. Even visitors. One time he used a whole broadcast to tell story about you and other time the woman from Italy. That woman visited Night Vale every year but Cecil always told about her visits like it was a new thing. She was a lovely woman, Carlos had missed her. Of course she was a nice woman only when she didn't cause horror and suffering, when she did that she was kind of annoying. But Cecil never said even a word about Terry. It was scary. It was a dangerous thing to not be acknowledged by Voice of Night Vale.

It was only a matter of time when Carlos and Terry would have their first fight in Night Vale. A  huge fight where words would hurt more than swords could have ever done. Terry wanted to know why they were in the city where nothing made sense. Why the stranger rambled on public radio how much he loved Terry's husband. Those were very good questions but Carlos had only pathetic answers. Because he knew that it didn't matter how much he tried to fight. He didn't need to be scientist to know that this was time to say goodbye to their marriage. Yes he loved Terry very much. He loved his eyes where Carlos didn't see universes. He loved his all ten normal fingers. But he loved the memories of Cecil so much more than anything about Terry. He would change Terry in a heartbeat if he could be with Cecil again. And now in Night Vale when Carlos remembered their mutual history with Cecil there was a chance.

"How long have you and Cecil been together?" Terry was really not from Night Vale.

"We are not now. But we have been...I don't know, Terry. Time doesn't work here." Carlos tried to explain things that shouldn't need to be explained. All Night Valish knew these things.

"Is it worth of wasting our seven years?" Terry was furious. Still Carlos could only chuckle. His empty laugh sounded cruel. That made Carlos feel worse.

"I have been together with Cecil for decades, Terry. Maybe centuries. Time doesn't work here." Carlos wasn't affected by lack of surprise from Terry's eyes. Terry had understood and accepted the situation at some point. Carlos didn't know when but he knew that Cecil and Carlos shared a history that was hard to battle with Carlos and Terry's own. The question was what they would do now.

"Will you leave me, Carlos?" Terry never had him, not really. But walking away was still a decision that man needed to do.

"I promised to become your husband, Terry. To be by your side at the good and the bad times. I will not leave but could you just try to understand..." Carlos left the end of the sentence unsaid. It was obvious. These are the bad times and I'm not sure if the better will come. This is not easy. This situation will hurt everybody. But the worst thing that Carlos left unsaid they both also knew. And it hurt equally much for both of them. Yes Terry, I really want to leave you. Please let me go regardless of what I said. Terry wouldn't let him go so easy.

Terry knew that he needed to start his own life in Night Vale. He needed a life that wasn't Carlos and Terry's life. He needed desperately something own. And then there was an empty shop. Perfect for a barber. He had loved his job before moving to Night Vale, maybe he would love it even while he stayed here.

So just like Carlos had become Carlos the Scientist he slowly become Terry the Barber. People knew where his shop was and they liked how with a simple haircut man could change their appearance. People didn't get used to his different way of saying letter-R and kept calling him Telly the Barber. It was very annoying at first but somehow the name grew to be his. After some time even Carlos called him Telly. It kind of hurt but he got used to it.

Meeting Cecil was always hard for Carlos. It had been difficult before. It was awkward that Cecil spoke to him like he was an interesting stranger while Carlos remembered perfectly well how that voice sounded screaming his name. Yeah, very awkward indeed. It was even more difficult now that he didn't want to remember it. When he tried oh so very hard to stay loyal to his husband. His husband that Cecil just didn't acknowledge.

"Please Cecil, don't speak like that on the radio. My husband gets mad."

"Sorry Carlos, the line just went very blurry and the phone started bleeding a little bit. That happens. What did you say again?"

"I'm married!"

"I'm married!"

"Amy murdered? Well that is harmful. We all liked intern Amy very much. I want to say all her family and friends..." Somehow Night Vale didn't let Cecil to get the message about Terry and Carlos' relationship. Sometimes Night Vale was really irritating. But even though he tried to keep their relationship very professional. And Cecil really accepted that exactly like he had assumed.

"I'm not calling for a personal reason. I have detected that today the radiation has increased about 260% since yesterday. Cecil, it is important that you say this on your show." Always not personal. He always called middle of broadcast because he wanted there to be witnesses. He did nothing wrong.

And Cecil never said anything inappropriate to him. He was just abnormally normal himself and when their call ended Cecil's broadcast always kept telling about Carlos.

"Well dear listeners. As you heard the perfect Carlos just called and told about radiation. That is not a surprise I would say. Everything radiates towards that man, wouldn't you think?" Somehow Cecil couldn't understand that everyone would hear him. And Terry and Carlos would fight also that evening. Carlos was so tired of fighting. He couldn't understand why the life couldn't be simple.

It could have been a months, years, maybe only seconds until Terry understood that this could not keep going on like this. Time really didn't work and Terry was grateful because of that. It would have been embarrassing how long he had needed time to get courage to make his mind. He had taken his husband's hand on his own. He had looked into those brown eyes that once had seemed as lost as he himself felt now. Terry touched those overgrown curls affectionately.

He really hoped that Carlos would be happy. Also he hoped that one day he could also get a city like Night Vale was to Carlos. A city and a house which he could call home. Maybe a man who thought that Terry was what Cecil was to Carlos. Like he was so special that it was challenging to even look at each other without smiling. Terry had hoped that it was only a crush but at the barber shop people talked. Even though Carlos never told about his and Cecil's history Terry had heard it all. Time after time they would fall in love again. Again and again they would find each other. Cecil hadn't fallen in love with Carlos instantly. He had done that again. And he would do it again and again, same as Carlos.

"Let me cut your hair. It has grown very long." And Carlos let him.

It was nostalgic to let Terry cut his hair. This was what the man had done before the Night Vale. This was what they have been before the Night Vale.

"You are leaving, aren't you?" The other looked so concentrated about Carlos' hair that it was actually a surprise that he answered.

"Night Vale is not my home. I have to leave." Terry saw from the other's eyes that he wanted to argue about that but he couldn't. Terry was right.

"I want a divorce Carlos. When I leave, I leave alone. And I'm not coming back." Terry hated to see the relieve behind the sadness of Carlos' eyes.

"Our relationship started when you cut my hair and it will end the same way." Regret, sadness, emotions that were true and conflicting.

"No Carlos, our relationship started when I found you sad and lost. It ends now when you have found your way back to home." Terry put down his scissors and looked Carlos from the mirror. He looked different now. A little bit more like the man with whom he had lived the past seven years. But still Carlos had never been more Carlos the Scientist.

"Goodbye, Carlos."

"Goodbye, Telly."

The next moment Terry was wondering how he could get out of the Night Vale and then the radio turned on. He heard the man who he despised finally talking about him. It was a hateful talk. Exactly how Terry would have talked about Cecil. It was a perfect farewell from Night Vale. And Terry took his scissors and walked. First time in years he felt free to walk wherever he wanted.

Carlos hated how relieved he was. He hated how big his smile was. His wedding ring had weighed a ton and it felt amazing to get rid of it. And at the same time it felt terrible. The man who had been one of his life's most meaningful person was gone and he was glad. Carlos was a terrible human being. Maybe a man like him was not worth of Cecil.

It took weeks to get self-esteem and courage to really talk with Cecil. And of course one near death-experience to understand that he should live his life as he wanted until it ended. Night Vale was a great place to remind its citizens about that...constantly...until it maybe killed some of those citizens but it wasn't Night Vale's fault that its people didn't listen to it the first 50 times.

And Cecil and Carlos started to talk and meet and kiss...gosh it felt like Carlos was a teenager again. It always felt like that when he started dating Cecil. He was so very careful with his life now. When they kissed Carlos wanted to ramble on and on how much he had missed Cecil. How Cecil would be his only one and no matter what would happen Carlos would always find his way back to him. He never told those things. When they fought Carlos did his best to not tell Cecil things that Night Vale didn't accept Cecil to know. Cecil was raised in Night Vale and all citizens of Night Vale knew that there were things that were the best not to know. Maybe it was time that Carlos started also to be a citizen of Night Vale.

Epilogue

Life after Night Vale was weird and challenging for Telly. He remembered clips. He thought that it was a some kind of defense mechanism. Remembering all and everything about Night Vale would crush a person's sanity. He remembered dryness of the desert, tension and horror before the cleaning day, and the warmness and friendliness that was part of every citizens personality. Telly couldn't lie, he missed some parts of Night Vale that were not dangerous, suffocating or deadly. He knew that the things he missed were so small part of Night Vale that it wasn't worth of missing. He missed Carlos but not as much as Carlos loved Cecil. So it didn't feel so bad to start to recover. After the first weeks he started to ask people if they could call him Terry, not Telly. And after the few months it was natural to introduce himself as Terry Barea, not the Barber. And one day when a nice man with a kind smile asked him to coffee, it was scary but Terry said yes.

Stanley was a nice man. He was trustworthy and calm. He never looked at Terry like Carlos looked at Cecil. Like Cecil was a magnet and it was an agony to be away from him. But Stanley looked Terry like Terry was real and important to him. And it made Terry feel good and normal. After Night Vale normal was good. Terry was sure that he would never see Carlos again.

One day, one perfectly normal day in California, Carlos walked back to Terry's barber shop like he did all those years back. He looked lost and tired. Not a day older than when Terry had seen him the last time but that was okay. Carlos was from Night Vale and time didn't work there. His hair had grown long. Terry was sure that Cecil liked Carlos' hair just like that.

Carlos sat down on a barber's chair and smiled awkwardly.

”I want to cut this short. Maybe bald, bald would suit me, wouldn't it?” It would have been so easy to get in the loop. Cut the hair, not be pleased, maybe Carlos would ask him for coffee. But there, those strong hair between his fingers Terry understood that it would be a terrible destiny. This normal life in the normal city with a normal Stanley really made him happy. And there was a unique, strange and dangerous city where lived a really weird man who made Carlos really happy. And it was just a waste to keep Carlos here, every single minute was too much.

”No it wouldn't. Cecil likes your hair long, Carlos.” Other's eyes met his in the mirror. Carlos looked confused for a moment. Like Terry was the crazy one in here. At least Terry wasn't in love with a total weirdo.

”Cecil...Cecil likes my hair long. I don't want to make him upset.” Carlos looked like there was a great mathematical problem that needed to be solved. Like Carlos knew something that he shouldn't knew. Or maybe that confusion was opposite. Carlos didn't knew something that should be obvious.

”You don't remember Cecil? Or Night Vale?” It was a shock to notice. Terry had left all behind because Carlos and Cecil had been so in love. They were a one of the kind of pair. One to hate because they were so perfect together. And there was Carlos who didn't even remember who Cecil was. Maybe it was somehow pathetic that it made Terry a  bit sad that it looked like Carlos had also forgotten all their years together.

"Night Vale is a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep." Carlos said it carefully, like those were words that he shouldn't know. And then there was a true shock in his eyes.

“Oh dear God, Night Vale is a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. It's my home.” He stood up and a few magazines that were in the table fell on the floor. Some people turned to see what happened. Carlos didn't care. He turned and looked at Terry excited. Not the lost Carlos anymore, this was Carlos-the-Scientist.

“And Cecil is the Voice of Night Vale. He has a third eye in here...” Carlos caressed Terry's forehead and suddenly his voice softened.

“And because of it I can't find him a present without him seeing it. I would love to surprise him. Maybe I should buy it from here before I go back.” Carlos was not touching Terry anymore. It seemed like Terry was not even part of Carlos' world. And everyone was staring at them.

“Please Carlos, come to have coffee with me. This is not the right place.”

The other man led Carlos away from the barbershop. What a relief that he didn't cut his hair. Cecil would have been heartbroken and so very pissed off. Now that he remembered Night Vale all things started to come back. The Europe, his lab, restlessness when he saw a man publicly reading a book. He remembered how many times he had lost Cecil, how many times he had found him again. The last time when he had returned to Night Vale was a little hazy. He had had a boyfriend with him, it was kind of ridiculous that he couldn't even remember the man's name. How he could have been dating anyone else but Cecil? Maybe it had been just a friend. Actually now when Carlos started to think about it he wasn't sure if his friend had been a female or male. It was actually kind of weird because that person had meant so much to him at that time. Or maybe not. Maybe there had just been a hitchhiker in his car, a friendly stranger.

The other man, the one who had taken him to coffee, was silent. He looked him like Carlos was a puzzle. But there were so many thoughts and there was no time to ask what was wrong. It was really irritating when time started to work when Carlos was not used to it anymore.

“I should call Cecil. He must be worried why I'm not at home.” He stated it out loud.

“Sure. Do you have a phone?” Other sounded like a nice man. It was very nice when people cared about each other. Carlos searched his pockets and when he couldn't find anything the other gave him his phone without a word. What a great guy.

“Cecil.” Cecil's voice sounded tired and a little bit like he had been crying. Maybe Cecil had just been sleeping. Sleeping was better than crying.

“Sorry if I woke you, Cecil. Time works, it's weird. Is everything alright?“ And then there was a moment of silence.

“Carlos? But you shouldn't, Sheriff's Secret Police said...are you alright Carlos? Please tell me you are alright. “ Of course the Sheriff's Secret Police had told something, made Cecil believe that Carlos had died because...well that happened a lot in Night Vale. But at least Cecil  still remembered him. Re-education haven't happened yet and this time it wouldn't happen. Maybe Cecil had even asked for re-education before. Maybe dealing with Carlos' death had been too much. And Cecil was Night Vale. If he didn't remember, Night Vale didn't remember. But that was mystery for another time. Now Cecil was more important.

“Cecil, my sweet-Cecil, I'm alright. Just wait a little bit.” Carlos took the phone from his ear and looked at the man sitting on the other side of the table.

“This may take a moment. Is that okay?” The other nodded. And then there were again a very confused and scared Cecil on the phone. But it was okay, Carlos could calm him down.

Terry looked at Carlos for 45 minutes. That was the time that man needed to make Cecil feel at ease. There were countless promises to meet soon and being fine. When the call ended Carlos gave phone back with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, my husband loves to talk. One of his best and worst qualities.” Carlos' words actually didn't even make Terry flinch. Terry was kind of proud of that.

“Husband?” Such quick actions, or maybe slow. Timeless town was really problematic. How those people survived in there? Carlos actually laughed at his question.

“Actually third time we are married. But it's alright, I always find back.” Scientist were always fine. Barbers were not. It was maybe a bit childish but Terry wanted to slap Carlos because he had never told him that.

“How do you get back to Night Vale?” Carlos should go back now. He didn't belong here. But Carlos just smiled that irritating everything-will-be-okay -smile.

“Maybe I should go to train station. Cecil said once that the train will go there when it should go there.” And they walked together to the train station.

And there was the train. Perfectly normal train which went to Sacramento but Carlos looked it like it was the only option in there.

“I think this is my train. Thank you very much...sorry I didn't even ask your name.” Always nice, even when he was ripping Terry's heart out of his chest. It was kind of funny. Terry thought that Carlos was not capable of doing that anymore.

“Telly.” Today it was a lie but he wanted to see if Carlos would remember something.

“Telly the Barber. That suits you very well. Thank you, Telly.” And Carlos took one step away from Telly. When he turned to look Terry one more time Terry was sure that he would remember.

“At the barber shop. You asked me about Cecil and Night Vale. How?” And at that moment Carlos knew that Telly knew something. But it was only because Carlos had listened, not remembered. There were things that citizens of Night Vale shouldn't know and maybe this was one of those.

“You just imagined it. Maybe you should take a few drinks before you are in Night Vale.” It was a goodbye. Carlos just nodded. He understood that this was drink and forget moment. He didn't know why but that was fine.

And later when Terry watched the news and heard that exactly same train that took Carlos away had disappeared and suddenly been found near Mexico with only one missing passenger but without anyone remembering anything, Terry was happy that Carlos the Scientist was home.