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Xeno sighed and looked up at the ceiling of his small room in a stone world hotel. It was a brown bland color. Xeno knew how many nights it had been since he had been home. It was a small game he would play with himself. Something to keep his hopes up in a seemingly depressing way. 3652 days. That’s how long it had been since he had gone home… since he saw his other half. This game was something to keep his hopes up and because he refused to forget how long it had been. In the 3700 years he was in stone he never once lost count. It was important to the task at hand and it was the same now.
Xeno knew it was late. He knew how bad his insomnia had become. The small clock by him read 2 am as Xeno rested in the hotel’s bed. It was cold even with the comforter on. His brain refused to let him sleep even though he knew he desperately needed it. Time had not been kind to him. He had turned 40 only a few weeks ago.
Where has the time gone?
Xeno swears nothing had changed about him but when he looked at old pictures of himself he could see the difference. Eyes somehow even more tired. His hair was starting to get a bit thinner and falling out due to stress. His hair was already white so that was one gift the world gave him.
“You know Stan, If you saw me now you’d laugh at me. Say how I look so much worse than you,” Xeno joked to himself like Stan could hear him. It was illogical and he knew that. No way Stan could hear him all the way back in America. Not to mention Stan was still frozen in stone. “I miss you, my dear. I’ve been all over the globe at his point. Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and even Antarctica like he dreamed when we were kids,”
So get out and see the world together. It was a childish dream but one Xeno still held dear. When Stan would leave, like when he was being deployed or when Xeno had to have a rough day at work.
“Come on slowpoke,” younger Stan teased Xeno.
“Will you wait up Stan!” Xeno ran after his best friend.
“You’re so slow,” Stan groaned, in front of Xeno. “We’re almost there you big baby,”
“I am not- wait up!”
Stan pulled Xeno past the trees and onto a small opening to the beach. It was kept away from the rest of the beach by a rocky cliff and the sand was rather rocky.
“Look Xe!” Stan pulled Xeno before he could really get a look around.
“What St…,” That’s when Xeno saw it.
It was a small sailboat that crashed against some jagged rocks on the shore.
“Well don’t just stand there. Help me silly!”
Xeno ran to join his friend to try and push the boat.
“With this, we can finally go explore together,”
“Just you and me Xe,” Stan put his hand out.
“Together forever,” Xeno put his hand in Stan’s.
He and Stan never did get that sailboat to work. They would joke about that from time to time and some days Stan would bring up how they’d be together forever and point the ring on Xeno’s finger.
“And you promised you’d make us new rings too, Xeno weakly laughed.
He had been in Japan so long. Maybe out of fear to go back. He didn’t know what had stopped him all these years. Every time he tried something or work stopped him. He learned 8 years ago what the formula or the revival fluid was but time kept ticking away… The whole time Xeno was missing Stan.
“Next ship to South America I promise I’ll find you,”
.
.
.
South America was… different to say the least. The field was once full of trees and long grass but when Xeno and the ship he was on docked the dock was full of transports and commerce. So different from how he left it. Has it really been only 10 years?
This isn’t the time to think about that. Got to find Stan.
The honest truth was Xeno had no idea what happened to Stan’s statue.
“Well are you coming doc?” Senkuu asked as he walked off the ship.
“Excuse me, of course,” Xeno joined the others.
“I know they have Stan’s statue in the prison here and don’t worry, he’s still in one piece,”
“Thank you Senkuu,” Xeno was a bit lost in thought.
“It’s been 10 years already and civilization has been restored. Besides you need me here to let them unlock his cell,”
“Hmh,” Xeno sarcastically sang. “That’s why you have the medusa on hand?” Xeno raised an eyebrow.
“Call it protection,” Senkuu shrugged.
“If you insist,”
The settlement wasn’t at a modern level yet but it had things like banks, business, streets, and housing. Senkuu leads Xeno to a brick building with an electoral fence around it and an electric gate.
“Yes?” A voice asked in Spanish.
“Yes, Xeno Wingfield and Senkuu Ishigami to see Stanely Synder,” Xeno replied in Spanish.
“Give us a second,”
Buzz
“Ok you can come in,” The voice added. “Cell 23 Block c,”
“Thank you,” Xeno thanked.
.
.
.
“I’ll just stay here,” Senkuu commented. “Don’t want to ruin your moment,” Senkuu teased.
“That’s good because I would’ve asked you to leave,” Xeno smirked and reached out his hand.
Senkuu handed him a small vial of rival fluid and let Xeno walk to the cell where Stan was kept. Out of the rows, Stan’s cell seemed to just be a dimly lit room, almost like the storage room. Xeno held the glass vile closer. Stan’s statue was the same as the day he last saw him. Xeno popped the cork out and poured the fluid over Stan.
Crkk crk
It took a few seconds but the process started. Cracks in the stone started to show and ran over all of Stan. The first fragment that fell off was one on Stan’s eyes to show a new scar.
“Welcome back my dear,” Xeno smiled.
The rest of the stone fragments fell to the ground as Stan rushed to pull Xeno into a hug.
“Xe!” Stan held Xeno tightly.
“Good morning my love. You sure did sleep in,” Xeno teased.
Stan pulled back from the hug and cupped Xeno’s face in his hands. “You idiot,” Stan scoffed. “I missed you too I guess,”
“Yes, yes, you already know I missed you, Stan,”
“I know, just want you to say it,”
“As if,” Xeno snickered.
“Besides, how long has it been?” Stan asked.
“10 years 1 month 25 days and 16 hours,” Xeno answered.
“You were counting huh?’ Stan ran his thumb over Xeno’s cheek.
“I did miss you,” Xeno pointed out.
“You nerd,” Stan rolled his eyes.
“You married me,”
“Good point,” Stan put their foreheads together. “Sorry about all the lovey-dovey affection doc,”
“I don’t mind,” Xeno hummed. “It’s been so long,” Xeno put his hand over Stan’s hand
“And look at that. You’re finally older than me Xe,”
“Oh shut up,”
“Make me Xe,”
“What nonsense,”
“Ohhhh you want to kiss me so mad~,”
“I married an idiot,” Xeno scoffed.
“Hmmh what was that? If I remember right someone was tearing but at the-,” Stan continued to tease his husband before Xeno flicked Stan’s forehead.
“I did not,” Xeno crossed his arms.
“Aww I thought it was sweet,” Stan replied.
“How inelegant,” Xeno scoffed.
Stan leaned in and met Xeno with a kiss.