Chapter Text
“C’mon, Herm! I’ve almost got a fire ready. Get out the marshmallows,” Newton called from further up the beach where he was gathering driftwood.
It was January, 2026, exactly one year after the end of the war. Newton had been adamant about commemorating the occasion somewhere warm and remote, so the two found themselves on an isolated island in the Maldives, sunset turning the receding tide into alternating splashes of turquoise, violet and orange.
Earlier in the afternoon Hermann had been reluctant to swim, gesturing to his cane with his eyes in an almost comical fashion when Newton suggested it. But with some coaxing and a lot of leaning and handholding, he made it to the water’s edge, then into the warm, gentle sea. He couldn’t remember when he’d last been in the ocean. Perhaps not since he was a child. He floated there, rising and falling with the lazy Indian Ocean waves, salt water and memories washing over him. It felt good to just let go and drift.
Eventually the sun started to set and the two retreated back to the sandy shore. It wasn’t long before Newton began to forage for driftwood and rocks to craft a makeshift fire pit.
“Nailed it! See? I told you I could light a fire without matches. I might as well be the next Bear Grylls,” Newton beamed. Hermann smiled back and made no mention of the fifty plus strikes and handful of swears it apparently took Newton to get the flint and steel he’d brought to spark.
Hermann reached into the picnic basket that sat at the base of the folding beach chair he was reclining in and produced a bag of marshmallows and two skewers.
The sun set fast, and after gorging on far too many sweets (many of which Newton intentionally burnt to a crisp before eating), Hermann held his skewer in the flames, burning off the remaining marshmallow goo while staring into the center of the fire, hot and bright. “Newton,” he murmured. “This past year feels like a dream.”
“It’s a good dream, I hope,” Newton replied with a cautious laugh.
“Indeed, a good dream. But one that I keep fearing I shall awake from. How is it real that you and I are here, right now in this very moment together?” Hermann worked his jaw, almost lost in thought, but didn’t look up to meet Newton’s eyes. “We peered into the Anteverse and lived to tell. With the way those monsters are networked through thought, we may have been more present in their reality than even Ranger Becket was. So how can we possibly assume that there are no repercussions? It’s almost as if we’ve done something we ought not have, and we don’t deserve any of the peace that comes to us. I can’t shake this feeling, Newton.”
Newton stared at Hermann, who in turn kept his eyes glued on the fire as he absently continued to rotate his skewer in the flames.
“Hermann, I didn’t know you felt this way,” Newton said tenderly. “But it’s been a year. Don’t you think we’d notice if something was off by now? I think we’re in the clear. Plus, we do deserve this. We deserve to be together, and to be happy. Now that means you, and that means me. Got it?”
Newton waited for a response, but Hermann didn’t reply. With a quiet, frustrated grunt, he got up and dragged his chair close enough that it clunked against Hermann’s, jostling his attention away from the fire just in time to see Newton reaching in for a kiss.
Hermann breathed into it, finding comfort in their closeness. It was wordless and effortless and timeless. It didn’t get rid of the low, vibrating feeling of dread that he’d been too afraid to speak until that moment, but it certainly soothed it. They pulled apart from the kiss softly and slowly, Newton’s hand sliding away from where it caressed Hermann’s neck. For a brief moment Hermann felt a tug of loss at the feeling, but was reassured when their fingers found each other and intertwined. They looked into each other’s eyes.
“Oh shit, Hermann. Are you crying? I’m sorry!” Newton blurted out worriedly.
“Huh? Am I?” Hermann asked, more to himself than to Newton. He rubbed at his eyes, which were watering quite a bit. “Ah, no. I believe I just looked into the fire a bit too long. I’m fine, really.” He laughed gently to set Newton at ease as he wiped away the forming tears.
“Okay good,” Newton said tentatively, eyeing Hermann. Then he perked up, pulling two wine glasses out of the picnic basket. “Because guess what. This isn’t just a day to remember our fallen brethren and how we’re all heroes who ended the war. Today we also celebrate my new job at Shao Industries.”
Newton filled both their glasses, which they clinked together in the dying light of the fire and a million stars. “To new beginnings, my man.”
Hermann smiled sweetly. “To new beginnings.”