Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He used to think love was real. But after past events, he could beg to differ. Even after his fault, he was sure that Kevin would’ve declared it as water under the bridge, forgiving him all the same. But he was wrong. It was all just one, big misunderstanding—a fallacy.

Staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom, empty and dark as his soul, he regretted his life decisions. He often found himself here, laying on his bed with his limbs sprawled about, hating life. He loved Kevin, he really did. He might still love him, even after he had abandoned him, leaving him worse for wear. It’s been years now—almost six now, to be exact.

Sean had visited him almost every day, making sure that he got his nutrition when needed. Why wouldn’t Sean just leave him here? He wasn’t needed around anymore. Sean’s his friend, that’s why. And friends care about each other. Not like Kevin.

He hasn’t seen Kevin anywhere since he’d ran off in the middle of the night all those years ago. And he’s glad about that. He didn’t know how he would react if he had seen Kevin. Maybe Kevin was in the area, it’s just that he never leaves his house. Sean’s nice enough to get his groceries for him. Without Sean, he surely would be dead by now.

Hearing a knock at his bedroom door interrupted him from his thoughts. Wonder spiked in his mind, even though he knew it was just Sean. Nevertheless, he did not move. What time was it? Morning? Afternoon? Night?

“Dan,” Sean whispers, poking his head through Dan’s bedroom door. Dan doesn’t reply, but Sean steps into the room anyway.

He comes into Dan’s view, standing next to him with a concerned look on his face. This is what he does every day; he intrudes into Dan’s room and hovers over him with a look on his face that makes Dan want to cower and hide. He hates taking other people’s sympathy. He doesn’t want it. He doesn’t need it.

However, there’s a glint in Sean’s eye today. He’s planning something. Dan knew it, but he didn’t ask what. Sean would tell him eventually, one way or another.

“Come on, Dan,” Sean says, brows furrowed in worry, “let’s go. I’ll make you something to eat.”

With the help of Sean, Dan sits up before getting out of bed. He follows Sean through the hallway, his face blank. Each step he took reminded him of Kevin. His whole house reminded him of Kevin. It was too early to tell if that was a good or bad thing. But it’s been five fucking years, Dan. A taunting voice in his head tells him, its voice taunting. He shook his head side-to-side, not wanting to believe the truthful voice.

Sean was already rummaging through the cabinets when Dan turned the corner to the kitchen. He decided on eggs, pulling them out of the almost-empty fridge. Dan only stood there and watched, absentminded.

It felt like only a minute later when Sean gently sat a plate down on the table for Dan.

“Sit. I need to talk to you.” Sean says, sitting down in a chair opposite him.

Dan acquiesced, not wanting to argue with Sean. Sean had done so much for him during these past years. Alas, he had nothing in return. Maybe Sean liked the company. Or maybe Sean did this because he got too far into it, the point of never being able to stop.

Dan stared down at the two fried eggs on his plate, waiting for Sean’s proposition.

“Dan,” Sean sighs, “you need to talk to him.”

“No,” Dan says without hesitation.

“Yes, Dan. Do you see what this is doing to you?”

“It’s not up to me. If he doesn’t want to see me, he doesn’t have to.”

“It is up to you,” through this all, Sean’s voice stays calm and quiet, “I… I don’t agree with how he reacted, but you can change that. You can change his opinion. All you have to do is talk to him.”

Dan says nothing. He stares down at his meal, watching his reflection contort in the jiggling, yellow yolk.

Sean sighs once more, twiddling his thumbs in his joined hands. He’s thinking, Dan’s thinking. For once, Dan considers his proposal. It’s the first time Sean’s brought up Kevin in years.

“Have you talked to him?” Dan mumbles moments later.

Sean shakes his head, meeting Dan’s gaze after. “Not in a while, no.”

Dan opens his mouth to speak but stops himself, shaking his head. It’s true, he does want to speak with Kevin again, get things right. Alas, nothing would be the same. There would always be that piece missing. His betrayal had stung Kevin. No wonder he left so abruptly. Not even a note. Well, except for his guitar. He still wondered what that had meant. That is if it had meant anything at all. Kevin probably didn’t want it, for it would remind him too much of the shorter man that he once loved.

Yes, Dan had held onto it. He had wanted to burn it only a few days after Kevin left. He stood over a bonfire, ready to throw it in, but something in him spoke up. Something in him didn’t want the last thing he had of Kevin to be burnt to ashes. So, it still sits in Dan’s guest bedroom, in the same spot where it was left.

He hadn’t been in that room in years. He couldn’t bring himself to. He doesn’t plan on going in there either. It’s probably collecting layers of dust, half-a-foot high. It will be a battlefield for allergies as well.

“You should at least get out of the house,” Sean suggests, “come with me to do your shopping, at least. That’ll be it.”

Reluctantly, Dan nods.

Dan browses the food-filled shelves, expression blank. Sean is out and about, collecting groceries. He’d decided that Dan didn’t need babysitting, so he left him to his own devices. He could grab his extra needs and wants, anything that he finds useful or interesting.

Currently, he’s browsing different brands of sirachas and other hot condiments. He doesn’t want any, but he stands there nevertheless, scanning his eyes over the contents.

After scrutinizing a bottle of tabasco, he places it back where it belongs on the shelf and moves on. His expression stays blank as he absentmindedly views an array of cleaning supplies. There are brooms, mops, sponges, you name it.

After viewing aisles of toilet paper, canned goods, and frozen foods, Dan finds himself examining a loaf of bread. He didn’t care about it, he was just passing time while Sean acquired groceries.

“There you are!” Dan flinched when he heard the familiar voice.

Eyes wide, he slowly turned his head to look at the source. It was, as he had suspected, Kevin. That’s exactly why he didn’t want to get out all these years. He was scared of facing him.

aBut Kevin wasn’t directing his gaze to Kevin. Instead, he was crouched down at the end of the aisle, welcoming a young girl into his open arms. She must’ve been at least four or five. Was she… Kevin’s child?

He swooped the child up into his arms. “Don’t you run off again!” Kevin berated the child, but there was no real, mean scolding behind the words. He was only expressing his worry to the young child.

The girl focused her gaze on Dan, who was staring, transfixed. His grip on the loaf of bread was released and it dropped to the floor.

“What is it, Lily?” Kevin asked, brushing a blond bang out of her eyes.

Dan wanted to run, to get out of there as soon as possible. But he couldn’t. Like his feet were glued to the floor, he couldn’t help but watch as Kevin’s eyes met his. His heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched.

Recognition dawned on Kevin’s face before his eyes widened. He stood, gaze fixed on Dan, before scurrying off with the young girl in his arms.

Blinking, Dan bent down to pick up the loaf of bread that he dropped. He still held onto it when he stood back up, gazing at the spot where his past love once stood. He didn’t take his eyes off of it, even when Sean came up behind him. Kevin must’ve moved on.

“You getting that?” Sean asks, but it sounds more like gibberish to Dan’s ears.

Sean claps Dan’s shoulder before speaking again moments later, “you alright?”

Dan only nods hesitantly to this. He dragged his feet as he followed Sean to checkout. He didn’t see Kevin anywhere. How long had he been standing there?

He didn’t know if he wanted to tell Sean about his encounter or not. It could make Sean want to urge Dan to speak to Kevin even more. He doesn’t want that. Plus, Kevin doesn’t need him anymore, obviously. He’s moved on.

He’s moved on.

Staring out at the sunset from his porch, he reminisced about his day. He leans back in his chair, the warm, summer rays warming his cold, pale skin. His lips curved into a sad smile as he watched the slowly-setting sun.

In front of him, his driveway stretched out into the sun. He’d managed to buy a farmhouse and start, well, a farm. He has potatoes in his field to the left and a few barn animals in the barn just behind his house.

It was really Dan, wasn’t it? Who he’d seen in the market? Feck, he hasn’t seen him in… years! But that doesn’t mean that he’s happy about it. He doesn’t want to see Dan. Or, at least he used to. He used to not want to see Dan. He doesn’t know anymore.

He wonders how Dan is doing.

Suddenly, he notices a black car racing down his driveway, kicking up dust. He squints his eyes to get a better look. Nope, he doesn’t recognize the car. Then who is it?

Once the car parks, he steps off of his porch and slowly steps towards the car.

The door opens, revealing the one-and-only Sean.

“Sean?” Kevin raises an eyebrow. He hasn’t seen Sean in years either. Just not as long as he hasn’t seen Dan.

Sean’s wearing a black turtleneck, looking more like a billionaire than before. After shutting the door, he walks up to Kevin with an expressionless face.

“Kevin,” Sean says, “I would say it’s a pleasure, but I’m afraid that I cannot.”

“…Okay.”

After examining his surroundings, Sean speaks again, “Let’s talk inside, shall we?”

Kevin nods hesitantly. He has no idea what Sean is trying to do. He leads the way into his farmhouse, through the screen door. He then shows Sean to the dining room, where they sit down at a polished wooden table.

“Okay, what is it?” Kevin asks.

“There are people that want to meet you in America. I’ve arranged a flight for you. Tomorrow, 10 o’clock sharp.” Sean says.

“No, Sean. I need to stay here. I have things that I need to take care of.”

Sean shoots him a look that he can’t comprehend. He couldn’t tell if Sean was angry, sad, or disappointed.

“Who’s this?” A female voice asks from behind Sean.

Sean turns around to see a woman holding a young girl. She leaned against the open doorway with a welcoming smile on her face. Her golden-blond hair touched her shoulders.

“A friend,” Kevin states, “and he’s now leaving.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “No, I don’t think he is.”

She sets the child down on the ground, who runs off to play, before pulling out a chair from the table and sitting down in it.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a friend of Kevin’s,” she smiles, “what’s your name?”

“His name is Sean,” Kevin speaks, interrupting Sean.

“Let him speak for himself, Kevin,” she glares at Kevin, who crosses his arms, “anyway, Sean, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“I only came to inform Kevin that he needs to take a trip,” Sean states before standing up, “I would love to stay, but I have business to attend to.”

“What trip?”

“Nothing, I’m not going.” Kevin huffs.

Sean brushes off his pants before pushing his chair in.

“Wait, Sean, tell us more about this trip.” The woman speaks.

“America.” Is all Sean says, checking his watch. “I’ve already bought a ticket. I would appreciate it if you went.”

He pulls a plane ticket out of his back pocket and slides it on the table in front of Kevin.

“It was nice meeting you, um…”

“Evelyn. My name is Evelyn.” The woman nods.

Sean checks his watch once more before beginning to walk out of the room.

“I expect you to be there,” Sean says before exiting the room, “don’t be late.”

And with that, Sean’s gone. Kevin picks up the plane ticket, scrutinizing it. He doesn’t know if he will go. He doesn’t know if he wants to or not. Meeting people is boring.

“You should go. It’ll be good for you.” Evelyn gently sets her hand on Kevin’s. She looks up at him with a warm, pleading expression.

“What about the farm? What about Lilith?” Kevin asks, voice soft and quiet.

“I’ll take care of the farm. I’ve done it before. And Lilith and I will be fine.”

Kevin sighs, glancing between his wife and the plane ticket.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

Kevin didn’t know why he acceded this ordeal. He regretted it at the wrong time, just one minute too late. His wife had already driven away after dropping him off. And now here he stands, looking at the entrance to the airport, suitcase in hand.

His flight was in seven minutes. Pushing through the glass front doors, he was greeted by a busy airport. He needs to hurry, he doesn’t want to miss his flight. His wife wants him to get out, to get on the plane and fly to America.

He walks through the busy airport, squeezing through a few people. Finally, he makes it with only a minute left. Next to him, another man stood with his suitcase in his hand as well.

“Same flight as me, huh?” The man asks. Why do I recognize that voice?

“Mhm.” Kevin nods before looking at the stranger.

The man wasn’t a stranger at all. The “stranger” was actually Dan. He doesn’t seem to notice that it’s Kevin that’s standing there. Kevin’s eyes widen.

Quick, before he sees! I can get out of here. Kevin thinks, wanting to leave. He doesn’t want to be on a flight with Dan.

But before he could make his getaway, he was pushed onto the plane by a crowd of people behind him.

On the plane, he has no choice but to find his seat. And guess what, it’s right next to Dan. He thinks about squeezing through the crowd, bolting out of there, but he doesn’t. He sits down next to Dan, eyes wide as he hides his face.

“Oh, look! We have the same seat.” Dan chuckles.

Kevin winces.

“Mhm,” Kevin hums again, scared of Dan finding out who he is.

“You can put your luggage up, you know.”

Yes, his luggage. He pulls it off of his lap and briskly puts it in the compartment above them. He tried his best to conceal his face. Luckily, Dan was browsing something on his phone, so he didn’t see.

Plopping back down in his seat, Kevin eyed the exit. It was already fecking closed.

Kevin faces away from Dan, trying his best to hide his face. The plane took off into the air only moments later. No turning back now.

He was just waiting for the—“holy shit!” Dan exclaims. There it is. The realization. Kevin could see a few people shoot Dan a glare.

He slowly turns his head, a stoic expression on his face. Dan’s back is against the wall, chest heaving as he breathes heavily.

“Dan.”

“What are you doing here, Kevin?” Dan whisper-yells.

“Sean.”

After a moment, he responds, “Same here.”

Sean had tricked him—tricked them both into getting a flight together. What was waiting for them on the other side? Were they really meeting people or was that just a cover-up?

The two of them didn’t say anything else to each other for the rest of the flight.

Once the flight was over and the plane landed, Kevin quickly reached up and grabbed his suitcase from the compartment above. Dan watched as he did this, as he quickly exited the plane after the long line did first.

He thought for a second before grabbing his own suitcase and chasing after him.

“Kevin, wait!” Dan caught up to Kevin, who was speed-walking away.

“What?” Kevin asks, annoyed. He turns around to face Dan, a frown on his face.

“Maybe… Maybe we should stick together. I-I don’t want to—”

“I’m not sticking around with a cheater.” Kevin snaps before turning around and walking away.

Dan frowns. He examines his surroundings. It’s a big airport, there are lots of people. He’s prone to get lost, or worse.

But Kevin’s already gone, out of sight. He stands there, absentminded. What is he going to do now? He doesn’t want to be by himself in this unknown environment. He doesn’t want to be by himself in general. Not anymore.

Freaking out in the nerve-racking crowds, he dashes after Kevin. He only catches up with the irritated man a few seconds later. He grabs Kevin’s shoulder lightly but quickly pulled it away the moment his fingers got in contact with his shoulder.

“Kevin,” Dan says quietly.

Turning around with an irritated look on his face, Kevin hisses, “What?”

Dan gripped his suitcase handle tightly, thinking. With a sigh beforehand, he mumbled softly and calmly, “please, Kevin. I-I’m scared. I don’t want to be alone here.”

Kevin presses his lips into a firm line, all irritation suddenly vanishing with Dan’s statement. He reciprocates Dan’s sigh. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Dan smiles with a small nod. “Thank you.”

Kevin huffs to that, beginning to walk towards the exit. I wonder what Sean really sent us here for. Dan wonders, trailing after his past love.

Chapter Text

As the water hits Kevin’s skin, it beats on him like a drum in a relaxing way. The water rushes down his body like a waterfall, washing away the dirt and grime before it whirlpools down the inevitable drain. As he stands in the shower, he thinks. Seán had sent the two to America for a reason. Kevin has no idea what for.

He doesn’t want to be here, especially not with Dan. Dan is a lying, sick cheater. Kevin doesn’t feel any remorse for leaving him. It definitely wasn’t well thought out. He would admit that he had acted irrationally, but it isn’t like he’s going to change his decision. He can’t. He has a loving wife, a daughter, and a growing farm. He can’t just abandon those things to go running back to Dan.

Kevin hopes that nothing happens during this trip that Seán had sent them on. He thinks that that might be the reason why he had sent them here so that they can forgive and forget. At most, Seán would get them as friends, but nothing more. Kevin refuses for them to be anything more again. He barely even wants to be friends with Dan. They don’t have to be friends for this trip, not even acquaintances. They can be strangers.

Once Kevin steps out of the shower, he is hit with a wave of remembrance. It reminds him of the first night at Dan’s house, when he had stepped out of the shower to see that he had no reflection at all. This time, he sees his reflection in the mirror.

Kevin lets out a sigh as he ruffles his wet hair with the white towel. He stares at himself in the mirror. He longs for his home, his wife, and his daughter. Dan isn’t his home anymore like it used to be. Dan is a stranger to him now, but more on the hated side.

After dressing in sleepwear, he exits the bathroom to see Dan already asleep. Dan is facing away from him. Seán had gotten them a two-bed, five-star hotel room, as well as a limousine to take them there.

Kevin flips off the bathroom light before ambling to his own bed and crawling underneath the white blankets. His back faces Dan. He fell asleep to the low humming of the air conditioner.

The next morning, Kevin woke to see that Dan wasn’t in the hotel room. Panic grows over him despite the attempts to tell himself that he doesn’t want to fret over Dan. He clutches his hair and his heart races. There’s no stopping it.

His frantic pacing is quelled by the hotel room door opening and closing. It’s Dan, who has a few breakfast foods within his arms.

“I got breakfast,” Dan says monotonously and quickly places the food items onto a table before he would accidentally drop them, “from the lobby.”

Kevin nods in light gratitude. He’s not ready for a full-on thank you yet. His eyes scan over the few items: a bagel, a donut, and a blueberry muffin were the choices for foods. Dan also brought up a few different choices of drinks, a few types of breakfast juices. Kevin wonders how Dan had carried it all up to their shared hotel room.

Kevin picks out a few breakfast items and eats them, leaning against the wall cooly. Dan scrolls through something on his phone, trying not to pay mind to Kevin.

They both had messed each other up greatly. Dan had messed Kevin up by cheating, and Kevin had messed Dan up by leaving. So, currently, they’re both great, big messes, albeit Kevin seems to have gotten over it a bit more than Dan has. The more Kevin thinks about the situation, the more he feels bad about his poorly-made decision. Dan is not unruffled. Dark circles underneath his eyes tells Kevin all that he needs to know. That, and the fact that he hadn’t seen Dan around town until that one time a few days ago.

“Where are we off to next?” Kevin wants to ask, but his mouth refuses to open. It wasn’t up to them, anyway. It was up to Seán. He had to keep track of the two somehow, he was the one that had sent them there in the first place.

However, two days later, both Kevin and Dan had no word from him. On the third, they receive a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” Dan whispers as Kevin stands up to peek through the small peephole.

Kevin shrugs. On the other side of the door is a middle-aged man checking his watch. The man is clad in a blue and gray sweater, tan pants, and blue shoes. Kevin decides to unlock the door and open it.

“Hello. Can I help you?” Kevin asks the man.

The man pushes his glasses further up his surprisingly young-looking face, despite the gray beard and receding hairline. “Ah, yes. Hello, my name is Jim Pickens.” The man says, moving his hands to rest behind his back.

“I’m—”

“Kevin. Yes, I know.”

Kevin glances back at Dan, who is standing a few meters away, watching the interaction between Kevin and the stranger. Dan watches with a stoic expression, and it somehow gets to Kevin. His eyebrows furrow, but he quickly gathers himself together and faces the strange Jim Pickens.

“How do you know that?” Kevin asks warily.

“I just do. Now, I must go. I’m sure I will be seeing both of you around.” Jim Pickens says before turning around and walking away, hands clasped behind his back.

Kevin shuts the door and locks it. He leans against the door. “That was…”

“Odd?” Dan finishes. Kevin nods slowly before meeting Dan’s eyes.

Kevin sits down on his bed. Dan still stands around, his arms crossed.

“I’ve got word from Kevin,” Dan speaks up finally. Kevin nods for Dan to finish, “there’s someone coming to pick us up in an hour.”

“Okay.” Kevin quietly says before standing up to pack his belongings.

The limousine waited for Kevin and Dan almost exactly an hour later. They place their luggage in the back before crawling into the middle seats.

Once inside, the car began to drive. Where? Neither had a clue. Dan began to text Seán. “Where are we going?” Dan texts.

A few moments later, Seán replies, “You’ll see.”

“Seán. I’m done with your games. What’s the point of this?”

“You can’t come home until the two of you have a nice, fluent conversation. Work out your problems.”

Dan sets down his phone, letting out a small, annoyed sigh.

“Seán?” Kevin asks.

Dan nods.

After a moment, Kevin says, “Did he say where we’re going?”

“No.”

Outside the tinted windows, Dan watches as the landscape quickly moves past. He misses his home. He misses Ireland. He’s sure that Kevin feels the same. Everything about the United States is different. The trees are different, the fields are different, and the cities are different. Everything is different, unrecognizable to his foreign eyes. He sees trees that he had never seen before in his life and animals that he hadn’t seen either just until now.

The fields are filled with clusters of cows instead of sheep. And there are too many trees for his liking. He prefers open fields.

He’ll have to admit, America is undoubtedly beautiful, only foreign to him.

“Are you missing home as well?” Kevin asks.

Dan nods, flickering his eyes to glance at Kevin.

“Are you sure Seán didn’t say anything about why we’re here?”

No. “Yes, I’m sure.”

The second location was a wooden cabin in the middle of the woods. It was situated next to a big, blue lake. The two had already gotten themselves situated in their separate rooms. Dan is glad that Seán had given them at least separate rooms.

A light, morning mist hangs low on the lake. The house reminds Dan of Seán’s beach house in Iceland as he stands in front of the big window overlooking the lake. Seán had done this on purpose. He had done it to recite memories in Dan’s mind. It’s working.

Dan frowns, remembering his times with Kevin. He somewhat wished that they were still like that, but now he knows Kevin’s true side—the side that would abandon him at moment’s notice.

He’d checked the pantries earlier, they were fully-stocked. They were filled with food to last for at least a few weeks. Seán was completely serious about this, enough to keep Dan and Kevin away until they can work things out.

Kevin is off somewhere in the cabin. Dan doesn’t care enough right now to know where. After a few moments, however, Kevin slides up next to him. He joins him in gazing at the misty lake.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dan asks.

“It is.”

“Kevin.”

Kevin faces Dan, face blank. “Yeah?”

“Can we… be nice to each other for this trip?” Dan hesitantly asks.

Dan sees Kevin’s countenance lighten before quickly going back to its stoic expression.

“I… I don’t know,” Kevin shakes his head, facing the lake once more, “you really hurt me, Dan.”

“… I know.” Dan frowns looks down at his feet, “and I’m really sorry.”

Kevin’s eyebrows furrow in concern. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he takes Dan’s expression and demeanor into consideration. He makes up his mind before saying, “but… with enough work and time, maybe we can be friends again. Maybe.”

Dan’s eyes widen as he faces Kevin. Kevin’s mouth twitches into a small smile. “It wasn’t only your fault for the way we are right now. It was mine as well. I made a decision in the heat of the moment, scared, worried. So, that’s why I had run. I was too scared to deal with my problems. Our problems. And I’m sorry about that.”

Dan nods before speaking. “Thank you, Kevin. I will make it up to you. Maybe we can be friends again…” he pauses, “I forgive you.”

“I forgive you as well. It has been years, after all. It’s about time we made up. But this is only the start. I forgive you, but I’m still quite hurt, frankly. It will take time.” Lots of time.

The two stand there, gazing out the window towards the misty lake. Dan doesn’t know why, but he gets a sudden urge to want to hug Kevin. He stops himself, for he would not be welcome in Kevin’s arms just yet. They’re only at the tip of the iceberg, they’ve got a long way to go, a whole journey ahead of them. They’re only at the beginning.

Dan is ebullient today. He doesn’t know what’s brought this exuberant mood on, but he’s somewhat thankful for it. Maybe we can be friends again. The words echo through his head, reminding him of a possibly better future for him and Kevin. Especially him.

Kevin notices Dan’s mood once he enters the kitchen to see him cooking eggs on the stove.

“I’m making breakfast,” Dan says with a smile, though he is not facing Kevin.

“I see that.”

Dan flips an egg and watches as it sizzles on the metal pan. He sees Kevin sit down at the dining table out of the corner of his eye. He pulls out his phone and uses it, probably to message his wife.

A few minutes later, Dan dishes out breakfast onto two plates. He makes one for himself, and one for Kevin. He places Kevin’s plate on the table before sitting down with his own.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Kevin says and takes a bite out of his toast.

“Mhm.”

Dan eats his breakfast cheerfully. Kevin catches on.

“What’s got you in a great mood today?” Kevin asks with a small smile.

“Oh, nothing.”

Kevin chuckles and continues to eat his breakfast in silence.

“It’s warm outside. I think I’ll take a swim today. Care to join me?” Dan announces once his meal is finished and safely in his stomach.

“Sure,” Kevin replies before he picks up both of their plates and sets them in the sink.

The warm, summer sun beams down onto Dan’s bare skin, warming his chest and face. His lips are curved into a pleasing smile, happy with the warmth compared to the cold water underneath him. The water cradles him like a baby as he lay flat on his back.

The lake was moderately-sized and no other houses were in sight, only longleaf pine trees and short grasses. The area where Kevin and Dan lay is shallow. Further out, the lake is deeper, much deeper. Dan can see it just by the darker shade of blue. The rock mountains forming overhead the lake and pine stood out against it all. The heavy snow from high altitudes rested atop the mountain. It was a bright color against the blue hue of the sky.

His sunbathing was interrupted by a splash of cold water. He shoots up and glares at the one who had sent it. Kevin is laughing uncontrollably. Dan takes this short moment to splash water back at Kevin.

Kevin quells his laughing and jumps towards Dan, splashing him with great amounts of water. Dan flinches against the water, albeit he is already used to the temperature.

Before Dan can recoil with a splash of his own, Kevin swoops him up into his arms and throws him. Dan lets out a laughing scream before he plunges underneath the shallow water.

He surfaces, his wet hair sticking to his face. Both he and Kevin are smiling. Dan lashes out with an immediate strike onto the water, sending about a gallon flying at Kevin. “Take th—” He’s tackled by Kevin.

Dan lets out a bubble of air, attempting to speak. Kevin is above him, under the water, and smiling down at him. They hold each other underwater. Dan likes this moment. They both gaze into each other’s eyes like they once had when they were lovers. Dan can see recognition dawn on Kevin’s face before he is pulled up. He must’ve been thinking the same.

When Kevin pulls Dan above the surface, he quickly lets go. Dan feels like he is stripped away from everything, the warmth, the love, and frowns. Dan can see a sad expression on Kevin’s face before it quickly disappears, changing to a stoic expression. Kevin faces away from Dan.

“You felt it too, didn’t you?” Dan blurts out in a quiet voice.

Kevin is silent for a few moments as if considering Dan’s words. “I felt nothing.”

Dan feels as if his heart had shattered at that moment, at Kevin’s blunt statement. He still stands there as Kevin wades towards the shore, a dejected expression on his countenance. His heart’s in pieces. He felt like he did when Kevin had blown up on him, having told him about his doings with a nurse.

Dan clutches his bare chest when Kevin is out of sight. He stares off into space, thinking of mostly nothing. A tear slides down his face, but once more come, he realizes that it’s only rain. How long had he been standing here? It’s dark from the clouds, and he hears the gentle rumbling of thunder in the distance.

He begins to wade back to the shore. Once he reaches it, he doesn’t go inside. Instead, he heads into the woods.

Rain patters down from the pine and spruce trees, hitting his head. He treks through the dark forest barefooted. He tries his best to ignore the few, sharp rocks that he steps on along the way.

He doesn’t know how long he’s been in the forest so far. He’s shivering, cold. All of the trees look the same, he can’t tell where he is or where he’s going.

The environment is suddenly different once he stops. He’s in a small clearing. There’s an odd-looking rune in the center. It’s similar to a pedestal. A small, porcelain bowl sits on top.

Dan eyes the pedestal dubiously before curiously peering into the porcelain bowl. Inside the bowl is a few drops of someone or something’s blood. He grimaces. A ritual of some sort must’ve taken place here.

“Hello, Dan. Goodbye, Dan.” An almost familiar voice says from behind before everything goes black.