Work Text:
Aaron sat down beside Alexander, putting a hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to choose anyone-"
"But I do have to choose!" Alexander exclaimed.
"P-perhaps, but... I... I want to be selfish and ask you to love me, but I can't do that, now can I?" Aaron sighed.
Alexander looked away in thought. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, thoughts crossing his mind, before he dismissed them. A blush coated his cheeks.
"You're not selfish for wanting me to choose you," Alexander reassured.
"I would like for you to choose me, but I will not force you to. It is your choice alone. I... I should leave you to decide alone, but I fear you won't like being left alone with a decision as big as this," Aaron supplied and Alexander nodded.
"I don't want to be alone in making the decision..."
"I can't quite help in it, as biased as I would be," Aaron shook his head.
"I want James back. I miss him so much and I want him back so badly... but I don't know if I'll be happy with him now... He hurt me so much, I don't know if I could be happy with him again..." Alexander explained and Aaron nodded, understanding.
"I would advise against him," Aaron said.
"And John- good old John. I love him, but as what? Do I love him platonically? Do I love him romantically? I don't know, and I'm afraid I'll just hurt him if it turns out I love him as a friend. I don't want to hurt him..." Alexander sighed, "I don't want to hurt him..."
"I'd hate to hurt a friend myself, I can't fault you for not wanting to hurt John," Aaron nodded again.
"I... I..." Alexander tried to form the right words, tasting them carefully before deciding in the end on one, "I think I want you... I do want you."
"A-are," Aaron stuttered, a blue blush caressing his cheeks, "Are you sure?"
Alexander didn't respond for a moment, thinking his words and choice over, all the other options he knew he had, exploring, in his mind, the options he wasn't sure were possible but could become reality if he tried hard enough to make them so. Finally, he decided he wanted this, nothing else, no one else. Finally, he nodded.
"If you would let me love you... I would choose you above them," Alexander nodded decisively, looking calmly into Aaron's eye, but his heart was beating with a violent fury.
Aaron was surprised, but also so very happy to hear this. He lunged at Alexander and hugged him tightly, a shining smile beaming on his lips and tears, filled to the very brim and overflowing with joy, came from his eyes flowing down his cheeks. He laughed and giggled excitedly, a sound, much like a soft bell, that rung musically and most pleasantly in Alexander's ears, made him feel glad, elated even to have chosen to love him. Any regret, perhaps even a sick sense of guilt, vanished entirely from his body, leaving him in a moment, replaced by Aaron's ethereal laughter, and he found himself gladly joining in.
The gladness that filled him, created, it appeared, by Aaron's laughter, made him giddy, feel like he was soaring high in the sky, and he didn't even notice how Aaron pulled him into a kiss, loving, soft, with gentle passion burning behind it. Alexander's breath was taken away by the tender caresses of Aaron's hands on his cheeks. He felt, as he came back down, though as if on another plane of reality, from his soaring high, like he was melting, slowly, tenderly, as if he was burning from the inside out into Aaron's very arms.
His mind dazed, his eyes glazed over with a foreign emotion- no- a foreign sensation. He gasped for air to fill his lungs as they pulled away. Aaron's eye- eyes, Alexander noticed, his mind coming back slowly, rebooting. Aaron's burned and scarred skin was slowly healing, the burns fading away, his left eye returning. Aaron's eyes were warm, warmer than they had ever been before for as long as Alexander knew him and had grown to love him. There was such loving fondness in his eyes, such deep admiration that Alexander felt close to melting again under this gaze.
"I want to keep you close and safe. I want to keep you protected and forevermore in comfort," Aaron's voice acquired an eerie tone, comforting and calming, but there was a strange quality to it as well, yet, it did not make Alexander feel fear, discomfort or the chill that passed through the room. He felt warm, calm and soothed, Aaron's eyes drawing him in. He nodded quietly. His mind was foggy and dazed, unclear, and yet, everything was clearer to him- the sensations he felt, what he saw in front of him, what he heard, smelled and tasted- it all became clearer to him as his mind itself fogged. Thoughts and concepts entered his mind that he otherwise could not grasp in itself and could not be able to understand or make anyone understand with any human language, they lacked the words he would need, their minds the natural understanding they would need to comprehend, which he had acquired that very second. He nodded.
"I want to be close to you," he mumbled, mind unclear. Aaron smiled so softly, Alexander's breath hitched and a deeper blush began blooming upon his cheeks.
"I'd like to take you home with me one day," Aaron smiled, "Would you like that?"
Alexander liked the sound of this suggestion, the idea tenderly grasping forth into his mind, appealing more and more to him by the moment, Aaron's soothing voice helping to make it sound more and more like something he wanted.
"I'd like that..." Alexander nodded with a mumble. His eyes were still dazed, as was his mind, kept there by Aaron's voice.
"Do you want to know where I'd like to take you to?" Aaron asked and Alexander blinked, the question, so unlike the others, brought him back a step into their current reality.
"Home?" he said and Aaron nodded.
"Yes, my home, but not yours. Not yet, if you will ever let it be. My home is within the fae realm, love. The fae realm and spirit world. I'd like for you to come entirely willingly, because my home... it tends to change mortals," Aaron explained, Alexander's mind coming back more and more, the daze and fog leaving and everything becoming clearer.
"What do you mean?" he asked and Aaron frowned.
"It's... difficult to explain, for me, at least. Mortals change, in a similar way you have just now. I let you feel a drop of my home, and you must have felt the difference," he explained and Alexander suddenly understood, "You gain a grasp on things, thoughts, concepts, sensations and feelings and- and an understanding that no mortal, not in this realm and world, could ever achieve. Sometimes, when a mortal enters our world without guidance, it ends up being a curse to them. Without guidance, this... this understanding will drive them insane... But with guidance, it is a blessing."
"A blessing?" Alexander asked. Aaron nodded.
"Indeed. The understanding gained with guidance is a blessing. It won't drive you insane, but it will change you the more you are exposed to it. I'd like for you to come with me, come home with me. I want you to understand the world how I do. Expanded, bigger, see what cannot otherwise be seen. It's not... it's not knowledge, you won't be able to explain it, but it's an understanding of everything," Aaron said, a soft and patient smile on his lips. "I want you to understand the world, mine and yours."
Alexander gave it a thought, a second thought, a third, a fourth, five, six, seven, eight. He wasn't sure, the thought was- it was intimidating. It would be a big decision, he realised quietly. He wondered, would he be able to return? Would he be able to visit his friends? He didn't want to leave his friends and simply disappear for them to worry about him. He didn't want to leave forever. With a moment of hesitation, trying to get the words to fit right, he gave his reply.
"Will I be able to return?" he asked and Aaron nodded.
"I won't keep you in my home against your will. Whenever you would desire to return, I will guide you back. If you'd like, we could choose a certain date on which we always visit," Aaron explained gently and Alexander looked at the bed under him in thought.
"I'm... I don't know about this... It's intimidating..." he admitted and Aaron nodded with understanding.
"It is a big decision. I don't want you to simply disappear from this world, everyone worrying. I want you to be happy, to be in comfort, safe and protected, and I won't act in a way that would do against your happiness. Live your life, I will stand by you. Coming home with me is one of many options your life will provide you with," Aaron smiled.
Alexander nodded.
"I think I want to come with you- but I don't know when... I barely lived my life and... I don't know how much your home would affect me and..." he sighed, "I don't know..."
"You don't need to know," Aaron's gentle smile warmed his heart, "Not yet, not ever if you remain intimidated. My home is not a place you would be meant to be. You are welcome, of course. But you don't have to. It was a mere suggestion," he assured and Alexander nodded.
"I know, but... I kinda want to? But I'm-... I'm scared and nervous? I'm curious, too, but-" he groaned and Aaron giggled.
"I understand, don't worry. If you feel comfortable enough with the thought of setting foot into my home, just approach me with the thought," Aaron said and Alexander sighed with relief. Aaron grinned, pulling Alexander into another kiss, giving him another drop and taste of the fae realm and spirit world.
Alexander accepted this and the following sensations and feelings easily. Roaming hands were copied and reciprocated, sensations amplified and made more intense, though he could distinctly feel it wasn't the most, and certainly not all of it, that he could be able to feel, and this single drop of a taste he got made him desire- no- crave for more. What happened here between them, following into the darkness of the night, was an intimate dance of bodies, hands, fingers, arms and legs, their minds, while not quite equal yet, chanced upon a path only equals would dare to tread together.
Calm, at the end of the night, turning into morning and into tomorrow, washed over Alexander, his mind and heart at ease. He lifted himself from the bed, feeling strong, better, somehow. Better, he thought, like he was an upgraded version of himself, but only to a small degree so. There was no change in his body, no change in any part, except for the edges of his mind. It wasn't a change he could grasp, but it was present enough for it to be felt and be aware of.
Aaron kissed him one last time before Alexander left the house, though his heart wanted to be back in Aaron's arms, to go to school. He arrived at school quite quickly, and he met John in front of it, talking animatedly with Lafayette and Hercules. He waved at them the moment they noticed him and they waved him over excitedly. Something was blurry at the edges of his mind, but it made things clearer, somehow.
"Petit lion! Come, come!" Lafayette grinned, then paused, his brows furrowing as he regarded Alexander with a closer look as he came closer, "Something has changed. What is it?"
"I-... Well, I suppose John told you about-"
"Yeah, the date! You didn't yet decide if you want him to be your boyfriend," Hercules supplied and Alexander nodded, a small frown playing on his lips, dreading what he'd have to tell John.
"Alex, what's wrong?" John asked, dread filling his stomach.
"Can I say this in front of them?" he asked and John nodded, brows furrowed in worry.
"Yeah, sure, what's up?"
"I..." he breathed in, "I don't want to hurt you, John. I don't know if I feel the exact way you feel about me... I don't want to hurt you if it turns out I don't... I'm sorry..."
John nodded, forcing his lips into a thin line.
"Yeah, don't worry. It's fine, I told you. I'm actually way more relieved right now than I thought I'd be," John laughed and Alexander smiled.
"I'm glad-"
"Yeah, me too," John smiled.
Suddenly, the bell rang, interrupting any further conversation.
The first half of the day went by and over without further interventions. James had occasionally tried to approach him, but Alexander scarcely had a mind to notice him, something kept occupying his mind above many other things. He scarcely noticed anything the way his mind kept wandering and wandering, getting lost countless times, until it was ripped back into this reality by some things, animals calling out to him, warning him of things coming his way. He hadn't noticed how a bird had sat onto his shoulder since his first class of the day. Aaron had sent it, he was told, because he knew that two 'drops of home' would have the effect on Alexander he had been experiencing. It wasn't that he didn't notice things, he simply noticed too much to pay attention to everything, otherwise, his mind would become restless and tired, trying to keep up with everything.
The bird was meant to pull him back into reality until the effects of the two drops of home lessened to a more bearable level or until Alexander got used to noticing everything at once. People looked at him funny as his eyes kept widening as the bird chirped near his ear, snapping him back from becoming too dazed.
He found his way to Math class soon enough, his sense of time warped a bit and he realised, at the chirping of the bird, that he was twenty minutes late. His teacher glared at him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, blinking and walking over to his seat.
"Mr Hamilton, why are you late?" the teacher (he hated his Math teacher) asked. He slowly blinked at her, processing what she said.
"I didn't realise the time," he replied, slowly, as if his words needed to be physically rearranged to make sense.
The teacher approached him and looked at his eyes. His pupils were dilated to an intense degree, reaching the very end or the irises. His teacher's eyes widened.
"Are you high?!" she gasped and everyone turned to Alexander and stared at him, among those Thomas, who stared, of all of them, the most shocked.
Alexander processed her words, when the chirping of the bird snapped him back into reality and he processed her words much quicker without focusing on the distinct movements of the muscles on her face, her mouth, how her eyes studied him, snapping from here to there.
"No, I'm not. I'm sleep-deprived, not high. There's a major difference," he argued, but his teacher did not believe him.
"Principal's office, now," she ordered and Alexander huffed after a moment, getting up. "The rest of you, do the tasks on page 35 until I'm back."
The teacher made him go out of the classroom, and he felt Thomas's gaze distinctly hit his back, with worry, as Alexander felt.
"Is no one gonna say anything about that bird on his shoulder or have we all accepted him being weird at this point?" some kid asked and the classroom erupted into laughter. No one even opened the textbook (except those that actually cared about their grades in this class), and fell into conversation with each other. Thomas frowned at this, but he turned back around, staring at his own textbook, worrying, for some reason, about Alexander.
Alexander was looked at by the school's nurse and he shook his head after a few tests, telling the principal that Alexander was not high off of any drug they had tests for, but that his story of simply being sleep-deprived wasn't backed up by the signs his body was giving. The nurse had also tried to chase the bird off, but it had simply switched to Alexander's other shoulder or his head. When asked about this Alexander simply shrugged his shoulders.
"No idea, it was just there and won't leave," he mumbled with a huff, crossing his arms and slumping back into the entirely too uncomfortable seat (it didn't help that he was much too aware of how it felt).
"Mr Hamilton, do we need to call your parents or perhaps even the police or will you tell us the truth?" the principal said, calmly but threateningly.
"I told you: I'm not high off of any drug. I'm sleep-deprived, that's it," he said, yawning at the end, because all of this was exhausting. He began to become more dazed again and the bird chirped in his ear, snapping him back into this reality and he flinched.
"I highly doubt that," the principal hissed, "You better start telling the truth or I will alert the police.
"You'd have to alert the police either way, right? You think I'm high, I'm not, but you won't believe me and you'd have to alert the police, or some other authority on the matter, right? Like, there's consequences for you or something if you don't, I'm sure," Alexander grumbled and the principal glared at him.
"Alexander-"
"Aw fuck, first names-"
"Don't interrupt me. Also, language. I will not alert authorities if you tell me the truth. You're a bright student, and I'm not too inclined to purposefully have your future ruined. If you tell me the truth right now, I will turn a blind eye this once and not alert authorities. But if you continue to lie, I will be forced to call the police," the principal reasoned.
Alexander stared at him for a second, processing what he said, but it confused him.
"That... that makes no sense. If you're forced to call the police if I don't say 'I'm high', then you should be forced to call the police if I do say that, if the only reason why you're considering calling them is your suspicion that I'm high. You are forced to call them either way by that logic," Alexander furrowed his brows, blinking, "You'd be more forced to call them if I say 'I'm high, than when I tell you that I'm not. And I'm not."
"You most certainly are-"
"Yeah, no, I'm not. We're getting nowhere with this like that, you not believing me, wanting me to admit to something I ain't done," he said and then mumbled to himself, "This is the incident all over again... for fuck's sake..."
"What was that?" the principal asked and Alexander growled.
"I said I'm not high, and you won't believe me, and we're not getting anywhere like this," he grumbled.
"Then what do you call this?" the principal pointed at his eyes, "I'll have you know, I was a police officer, I know the tell-tale signs that-"
"What did you do that you got kicked out and became a principal? Massive downgrade in payment, I bet," Alexander interrupted and the principal shot him another glare.
"Mr H-"
"Also, if you can just 'tell that I'm high' then why don't you tell me what I'm high on? Because I have no clue. You know, 'cause I'm not high and stuff. Give me your best shot," Alexander challenged with a growl, but he began dazing back into some other reality. The bird chirped in his ear, pulling him back into the reality his body was in. He blinked rapidly. He noticed the principal was yelling at him, but he didn't hear it, he wasn't back yet properly. The bird chirped again and he blinked more.
"-the police!"
"What?" Alexander blinked.
"I said, I will call the police now!" the principal repeated.
"Why?" Alexander asked, sighing internally, some part of him starting to panic. He did not want a repeat of... certain events. And the police would be able to find out his secret, they had him in the records. He needed to avoid this somehow.
"You're leaving me no other choice-"
"You have plenty choices, apparently, you're the principal. You can like, not call the police, or anyone. If you want to hear a fake confession, fine, as long as it doesn't affect anything. I'll humour you and say I'm high. Are we done then? Can I go?" he grumbled.
The principal's glare softened somewhat.
"You are suspended for the day, then. If this happens again, I will call the police," the principal growled and Alexander rolled his eyes, getting up from the too uncomfortable chair.
"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled and left the office. He didn't go back to class to get his backpack, didn't bother texting his friends either. He just wanted to go home, into Aaron's arms, be comfortable and safe. He just wanted to go. He wanted to go. Go far away. Far away, so far that no one will ever find him, reach him. So far away, but he didn't want to be there alone. He... he wanted Aaron to be there with him, wherever this far away place would be.
He wanted to go to Aaron's home. Home... That sounded so nice, nicer than anything. To go home. Aaron's home. It's very far away. No one would reach him. No one would ever trouble him, no person, no one. He wouldn't have to fear because of his past. Wouldn't have to live in the present he's currently in. Wouldn't have to freak out about the future, about anything. He could simply be. Simply exist. With Aaron. Home. That sounded so nice. The thought felt so nice. So nice.
He hardly noticed arriving back at the house. Only when Aaron threw himself at Alexander did he snap back into this reality. The bird had left some time ago. As he was snapped back into this reality he began grinning, being back in Aaron's embrace felt so nice. Being back with him felt so nice. So nice.
"I want to go home..." Alexander mumbled into Aaron's neck.
"You are home," Aaron said with a soft smile.
"No, I mean home," Alexander said firmly and Aaron's eyes widened, "I want to go home with you."
"Are you sure? You felt the effects of only two drops of my home... are you sure you want this?" he asked and Alexander nodded, quicker than ever before.
"I never wanted anything more. I want to go. I want to go home. This was never my home. I want to go home with you. Only with you," Alexander said softly. Aaron gave him a gentle smile, caressing his cheek with one hand.
"Would you like to return, ever?" Aaron asked and Alexander looked troubled.
"I have people to return to... John, Hercules, Lafayette... I have nothing else besides them to return to... maybe I'll come back for them..." Alexander mumbled.
"I should have you return once a month for five days. How does that sound?" he asked, caressing Alexander's cheek gently. Alexander nodded.
"Will you take me with you then? Please, I don't want to stay here, please," he begged and Aaron chuckled softly, the sound ringing beautifully in Alexander's ears.
"Of course. I'll take you with me. I'll take you home," he spoke softly, and tenderly kissed Alexander, both of them melting into each other and Aaron led Alexander away, out of the window, away, into the forest, away, home.
Home.
Alexander went missing.
His foster parents returned that night, unexpectedly. And when they didn't find him in the house, they didn't care at first. They knew he could be anywhere, they knew he had friends, at least, maybe a boyfriend, or something. But when he didn't come home the next two days, they grew, not worried, but more curious about his whereabouts. They didn't want to be held accountable for anything. They took a look into Alexander's room, and were surprised when they found his phone. They went through his contacts (then were surprised to find one contact be marked as EX), and they decided to call one of them, John.
"Alex, what's going on, where were you?" John asked loudly, sounding worried.
"This is his foster parents. We just returned and worried where he was. Is he with you?" they asked.
"What? The fuck- no, he's not with me, or anyone else. He wasn't in school for two days either. I thought he was sick, but then he didn't pick up or text back, and I couldn't reach him in any way. He's not home? What the fuck, where is he?" John rambled.
And they didn't find him. They reported him missing, the police assured them all, concerned friends, and foster parents alike, that they would look for him. John spent all his time worrying, which affected his grades and mental stability. He only came to school for the off-chance that Alexander might return. But he didn't. Not for an entire month. He went to school, but didn't go home. He went looking in the parks, in the forests all around. Anywhere where Alexander would like to be, anywhere where he would seek refuge, where he'd hide.
For an entire month, he kept this routine, school, parks, forest, home, school, parks, forest, home. For an entire month, he worried himself into a nigh depressed state. His mental health was suffering a lot from this, but he denied himself the right to gave up. He didn't want to believe Alexander was dead, he denied himself the right to lose hope. Alexander couldn't be dead, he simply couldn't be dead, he refused to believe he could be, like Alexander's foster parents thought. Alexander was soon assumed dead, but John refused the notion outright. Lafayette and Hercules hadn't quite given up hope either, but slowly, they succumbed to the notion as well, and it brought them some peace, hoping that Alexander was at peace, dead, and not alive while suffering out there, somewhere.
But as the month passed, he was out again, out in the forest, at night. A night very similar to the night he and Alexander had been there together, attacked by a wolf. John carried a gun with him, for if the wolf should still be there, or anything else that might attack him, he waned to be prepared.
But he could not have been prepared for what he found in the forest that very night. A new moon, much like when Alexander had disappeared. A dark night, only the stars, if he could see them from under the thick blanket of leaves, would lead a lost soul through the night till morning come tonight, as the moon had turned its back to the world and those living upon this earth.
He walked, treading through the forest. He knew his way, even in darkness, but he kept the flashlight burning to guide him and make him aware of anyone around him. He had found the grave Alexander had found that night. But the grave had been broken into pieces. He couldn't make out the name, even as he pieced the grave back together, it was scratched out, as if in anger.
The night was like any other, hopeless night. Something in his mind told him to abandon his quest, to lay Alexander's memory to rest. He's dead, something in his mind told him, but another, far deeper-rooted part of him denied this. It could not be true. Alexander lives. He always did, he always has.
But then he stopped, there was a song in the air. A song, carried by the soft night's breeze to his ear. He recognized the voice, and his heart skipped a beat and he gasped. His heartbeat sped up, beat with hope, fluttered ahead. He couldn't make out the words, they were sung in an unfamiliar language, one he couldn't even begin to comprehend. But he followed it. He followed it in delusional hope.
Then he saw him.
He gasped, gladness overflowing from within.
Alexander.
"Alexander!" he found his voice again and called out. The song stopped. Alexander turned around, confused as he looked upon John. Alexander blinked. "Alexander, where were you?" John sobbed as he ran to Alexander, pulling him into a tight hug, as if afraid that, should he let go, Alexander would disappear again. He desperately grasped at him, sobbing. He was glad, terrified, he couldn't believe Alexander was here, in his arms, it was too good to be true.
Suddenly, Alexander blinked, realising he knew this person hugging him. He remembered John, and a soft smile came to his lips as he hugged back. John felt something was off, not like it should. Different, somehow. He pulled away slightly, looking at Alexander clearly. He finally saw what Alexander was wearing, and how he looked. Alexander looked... calm, too calm, somehow. He had odd clothing on, colourful, yet simple. John's brows furrowed in confusion. There was a golden circlet sitting atop his brow, a violet jewel decorating it in the middle, going down like a drop.
"What are you wearing?" he asked and forced a laugh, though he was nervous.
"It's so good to see you," Alexander smiled. There was such a different aura about him. Brighter, somehow, silver, or blue, but shining. That's the only way he could describe it. Alexander seemed brighter, all around, in everything.
"I'm so glad to see you too- Where were you?! We were all so worried about you- You were declared dead! Alexander where did you go!" John sobbed, falling back into Alexander's arms, who readily caught him and softly rubbed circles over his back and let his hand brush through John’s hair with a happy hum. He missed him, he remembered.
"I missed you," Alexander marvelled softly.
"But where were you!" John sobbed, grasping tightly at Alexander.
"I was... home," he smiled at the thought. John frowned in confusion.
"You-you weren't at your house, though," John's brows furrowed and he pulled away, but not letting go of Alexander.
"That's not home, it's... it's not here. It's nowhere... Home isn't here, it's... I don't know," he tried, but the words, the right words, would not forth from his mouth to explain. He couldn't explain.
"What do you mean?" John asked.
"I don't know... I... I understand, but I don't know... But it doesn't matter. I'm back for a bit, to visit you. Where are Hercules and Lafayette?" he asked with a smile that melted John's heart.
"They'll be asleep right now- but I'll call'em awake, and tell'em to come to my place. They'll be ecstatic! Come on!" he beamed, took Alexander's arm and led him out of the forest. If he had looked back to Alexander he would have noticed how he was gliding slightly above the ground.
They arrived at John's car, parked in the familiar parking lot. And swiftly drove off and to John's home. He parked hastily and got Alexander inside, hurriedly reaching for his phone, tapping Lafayette and Hercules' contacts and calling them.
"Mon ami, I love you dearly, but what has possessed you to call this deep into the night?" Lafayette asked, then paused, "Nightmares again?"
"I didn't even sleep, but I need you to come over, right now, please. I'll try to get Hercules to come over too. I'll see you," he said and hung up, going on to call Hercules. Hercules picked up sooner than Lafayette had.
"What're you still up for, John? Sleep didn't catch you yet or-... Nightmare?" Hercules asked.
"No, but you have to come over right now. Lafayette should be on his way, but you should arrive as he does if you leave now," he then hung up.
Alexander sat on the couch, watching John with a quiet and calm smile. He swayed left and right. John sat down beside him, anxiously waiting for them to arrive.
"You're very nervous," Alexander noted. John blinked in surprise.
"I- Yeah, I am, I... I found you- I can't believe I found you! You're right here with me, I... Fuck, you've no clue how fucking glad I am I found you!" he cried, tears welling up in his eyes. Alexander's soft smile didn't falter and he hugged John and nuzzled against him.
"I'm here. You can feel me, I'm here. I'm right here, and you're in my arms, and you don't need to worry any bit, any little, brittle bit," Alexander whispered, nuzzling into him more.
Suddenly, the doorbell was rung and John shot up with a start. He hurried to the door, tearing it open from the frame to reveal Lafayette and Hercules, looking worried and concerned for John.
"John, is something wrong? You-"
"Come in," John demanded quickly and pulled them inside, accidentally slamming the door.
"What's going on?" Lafayette asked, brows furrowed with stark worry.
John was about to open his mouth excitedly, try and explain and then show, then to prove it, but Hercules glanced over John, his head then shooting up for a double-take and he gasped with wide eyes, slapping a hand to his mouth. Lafayette, confused, looked over John's shoulder too, following Hercules' gaze, and he gasped loudly. John grinned at their reactions, knowing Alexander was standing in the doorframe behind him.
"Isn't it a lovely night, Lafayette, Hercules? A new moon, a fresh start," Alexander smiled softly, head tilted to the side.
"A-ALEXANDER!" Hercules and Lafayette yelped in unison, pushing past John and rushing to Alexander, pulling him into a tight hug, tears of joy leaving their eyes to be shed with such happiness and gladness, crying and sobbing.
Alexander blinked at all these tears, all the sobbing, suddenly confused. Something was gently grasping at him and tenderly leading him back into this reality, into human emotions. A sudden pang of guilt, followed by an intense pain, yet also joy overwhelmed him, yet it was entirely underwhelming at the same time. He missed them, he suddenly realised. He had missed them so much. Tears began welling up in his eyes. And as John finally rushed forwards and joined the group hug, his eyes were forced to spill and shed them, and they began running down his cheeks as he began sobbing, hugging his friends, whom he had missed so much, back so tightly, he was almost afraid he'd hurt them. They were all sobbing into each other, longer and longer, grasping and grabbing, an attempt to be reassured that Alexander was there, was back, was with them, home.
"Petit lion, petit lion, where did you go, what happened?" Lafayette asked between sobs.
"I was... I was home- I-... I can't explain it-" Alexander sobbed.
Hercules had become quiet, but was hugging Alexander the most desperate out of them all.
Everyone calmed down eventually and led each other to the couch, and everyone demanded to know where Alexander had been all this time and what had happened.
"What are you wearing, petit lion? Where did you get those from?" Lafayette asked and Alexander giggled.
"You, I suppose should believe me most of anyone here," he smiled and Lafayette raised a brow in curiosity, "You see, well... John, you remember that night in the forest?"
"Of course!" John nodded, "How could I forget?"
"And I understand you have found the grave?" he asked and John nodded again, "I had found that grave back then, too. And I did not tell you what caused the wolf to flee. Lafayette, I understand you will believe me. There was a spirit."
Lafayette gasped. Hercules looked between him and Alexander confused.
"A... Spirit?" he asked and Alexander nodded.
"A spirit. His name, the one I can speak in this world with this tongue, is Aaron. And he made the wolf flee away. Not only this, but he healed my pains and yours, John," Alexander smiled at John's disbelieving shock displayed in his eyes, "I owed him my life. And I found out he was cursed when I visited him again. I spent a lot of time with him, after school, to help him find a way to break the curse. Lafayette, you had inspired me to find the solution. Aaron is grateful for your influence and effort. I broke the curse and he was free. But I soon realised I had fallen in love with him."
"In love, petit lion? With a spirit?" Lafayette asked, surprised. John frowned confused, not quite believing.
"Yes. And he with me, as he confessed. After James and John also confessed to me, I was forced to choose. I chose him. And he took me home," Alexander smiled with a blush coating his cheeks at the memory. Lafayette gasped with an excited smile.
"That is great, Alexander!" he beamed, "So this is where you have this clothing from! But, goodness, what a spirit that must be that you are allowed to wear such a circlet!"
"He's a forest spirit, plain and simple. I adore him. He gave me the circlet so I may return home on my own," Alexander explained.
"Home? You mean the world of fae and spirits?" Lafayette asked and Alexander nodded.
"A lovely realm, I love it. It's home. Aaron's home, and now it is mine too," he smiled softly.
"I have a lot of trouble believing this..." Hercules piped up.
"Could this spirit, Aaron, come and show himself to us?" Lafayette asked.
"That could be arranged next month. He decided he would stay home this time to see how everything will go. I shall stay for the next five days, and return home for a month, then return to visit for five days again," Alexander replied.
"This is... fantastical. Unreal. What the fuck..." John breathed.
"Tell me, petit lion. What is home like?" Lafayette asked, taking Alexander's hands into his.
"Oh, I- I cannot possibly describe it, not in any human tongue, it's impossible. I don't know it, you see," Alexander supplied.
"You keep saying that you don't know, but how is that possible?" John asked.
"I... I don't know it, I... I understand it... How to explain..." he frowned, looking at Lafayette for help.
"I know exactly what you mean, petit lion! Petit John, have you ever felt an emotion that you don't have a word for?" Lafayette asked.
"I guess?" John nodded.
"So, you could not explain it to anyone, because, while you understand it, because you can feel it, you can't explain it, because you don't know it. Knowing, how Alexander means it, is being able to explain what you understand. He only understands, because he has experienced it. But he has yet to know it. But, the fae and spirit realm is not something you can know," Lafayette explained.
"I think I get it?" Hercules raised a brow and John nodded.
"Wait, you're only staying for five days?!" John suddenly realised.
"But I shall return in one month for another five days to visit. It's the least I can do. Oh, I'd love to take you home with me once- you'd love it!" Alexander beamed.
"Oh, I'd love to go there with you!" Lafayette beamed, "I've almost experienced it once, and I've always wanted to go! Would you take me with you?"
"I'll ask Aaron once I get back. But would you stay like me? Live there and only visit here?" he asked.
"That would be lovely," Lafayette beamed.
"So... you'll leave again... you're different, somehow, I think... I can't explain it..." Hercules tried and sighed.
"You understand, but don't know," Alexander smiled softly, which made Hercules chuckle, "But yes, I suppose I have. I understand how I've changed, but the spirit realm is the cause for this. It changes people," he suddenly yawned, "Goodness, I haven't been tired in so long..."
"Y-you should sleep then! Uh... sleepover anyone?" John grinned awkwardly and everyone laughed and agreed.
Alexander left on the fifth day, and a month would pass until he would return. John was left missing him, but glad he was well and not dead. He was glad he hadn't given up hope on Alexander being alive. He was so glad that He could at least see Alexander every month. They did meet Aaron the next time, and Lafayette had asked to at least visit the fae and spirit realm and Aaron had agreed that he would take Lafayette with him and Alexander the next time they all would meet. Lafayette only visited for a month and never returned to that world again, his curiosity sated sufficiently.
Alexander didn't age in the spirit realm, only aged in this realm, but he only ever visited for five days, never a moment longer. So he only aged for five days each month. After six years, everyone was in college at this point, Alexander had aged one year. This arrangement wasn't too bad. Sometimes, John longed for Alexander to stay longer, stay with him more, or take him with him and not leave him, but Alexander could not be persuaded.
Alexander was happy with Aaron at home, so happy.