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Quickly did the wax follow the path it had built during the hours. Clogging up and pooling on the plate. Flame dancing in the otherwise dark room. He was late tonight. He had said he would be, that something needed fixing and he need not stay up and wait. But Nori could not sleep. It was a dreadful feeling not knowing all and everything when he by all means should. At least he thought so. Earlier today, he had merrily joked how good it would be to finally get the whole big bed completely for himself. Now it felt all too empty. Wrong. Dreadful feelings thought of everything, the shadows of the room creeping up against the walls telling stories that soon it would be all dark and no warmth to hold him.
A long, tired yawn had the candlelight flicker. Nori held his hands in front of his mouth in fear after; the flame mustn’t go out before it should. There were no matches left. Silence drove on, quelling his heart and catching the sound of his own trembling breathing, but not the shadow’s voices. Dread filled his heart with silent panic. Impossible scenarios becoming less so, doubt clawing down his faith while hope flickered. What if he didn’t come home?
Wet eyes dared not blink as the heat continued to devour the wick and melt the wax away.
The wax dripped no longer. No road to follow left. The flame rose high, color yellow and orange, angry at the top. The wax wall crumbled towards the warmth, flooding the full plate with more wax. Still among the loud voices were a scrap of love singing hope; the light was not dead yet. The soft sound of a door locked open had the thief’s heart jump and freeze in his throat. Swelling, choking his air away. Heavy footsteps dragged against the floor. Both hands on mouth, Nori was afraid, starring into the darkness where the door should be. What if it was not him? What if there was someone who were sent to break him the news?
The light flickered high. Shadows dancing in the room when the door opened. Nori dared not move from his spot.
A flood of relief filled him, seeing a familiar tattooed head with a worn puzzled lock on his face. None of them spoke. Nori held his arms out and waited for the boots to come off and his lover to crawl up into their bed to be embraced. Clothes were only half taken off, it mattered little. Nori smiled against the bare skin and pressed a kiss upon his one’s head finally letting sleep take him.
On the bedside table the candlelight dwindled out.