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“I’m… leaving!” Gyrus shouted.
Why was he always trying to leave?
“What the fuck are you doing Gyrus?” Kodya screamed, his own pain and grief were only magnified by the pained feelings of the rest of the abyss. “We’re supposed to stay together!”
Gyrus’s eyes were full of panic and fear. “I…I’m sorry Kodya, but I can’t do this! If we use the sword now there’s a possibility you’ll all die! I expanded the abyss to include NPCs… and it needs the Cockroach King too. I put us all in danger!
Please stop trying to do everything alone.
“I can’t ask you to take that risk for me, not when I’m the room of swords! It’s my fault you’re all here. My fault you’ve been stuck here for so long.
Stop trying to take all the blame!
“Kodya… I didn’t know this would happen! I swear I wasn’t planning to leave you..! But I am an NPC.”
God Kodya hated that stupid term. Why couldn’t he see that meant nothing to them? To Kodya?
”And even if I can’t control what Iro and Amelia choose, I can at least lead by example. I need to leave.
“If I don’t you could all die! All of you. I can’t lose you Kodya. I can’t let you die. Please I don’t want to be responsible for this… not again!”
How was it so easy for Gyrus to say those things and not believe that others could feel that way about him too?
“But I want you!” Kodya declared, wiping the tears pouring from Gyrus’s eyes with a hand.
Gyrus’s mask began to crumple. “I know babe. But what about everyone else?”
“The others?” Kodya wanted to laugh, feeling the surge of support from within the abyss. “You’re the smartest person I know and you still haven’t figured it out?”
“We want you. And you are worth the risk.”
”And I am not leaving you behind.
It is over now.
**********
Kodya woke up abruptly, gasping for air as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He was in a room that wasn’t immediately familiar.
Gyrus! Where was Gyrus?
The other side of the bed was empty and the rest of the room was dark. Kodya quickly climbed out of bed, throwing open the curtains to let in extra light.
What he wasn’t prepared for was just how much light was going to be let in. The brightness of the sun was overwhelming and Kodya shielded his eyes.
Wait.
The sun.
Kodya sat back on the bed, trying to process. No more timers in the sky. That means they had actually done it. They had escaped.
But if they had escaped, then where was Gyrus?
“Gyrus?” Kodya called out, but there was no answer. He clutched his chest, taking another look around the room.
There were framed photos of the two of them scattered around the room which provided some relief that Gyrus was at least supposed to be here, but a thick, square book on his nightstand caught his attention. The words “Freshman Year” were printed neatly at the top in Nephthys’s handwriting.
”Neph…” He whispered, almost dropping the book to run to look for her too.
Kodya forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. Panicking wasn’t going to help. After a moment, he flipped open the book and started reading.
The first page was empty except for a tiny note in the corner also in Nephthys’s handwriting.
Happy Birthday Kody!!!
It turned out to be a scrapbook covering their freshman year of college. The first few pages were mostly of him and Nephthys exploring campus and attending different events together. He smiled fondly at the pictures, a calmness settling over him as the memories of their new life slowly came back together.
They really had made it out. They were all at peace. And they were all happy.
Kodya blinked away the tears that were trying to sneak up on him.
The book still didn’t explain Gyrus’s absence though. Kodya spotted his cell phone on his night stand and quickly grabbed it, immediately dialing Gyrus’ number.
“You’ve reached Gyrus Axelei. Please leave a message and I will call you back.”
Kodya frowned and dug back through their text messages, but their last ones were from a few days ago.
Gyrus Sat 4:47: Just parked
Gyrus Sat 4:47: Miss you already
Kodya Sat 4:48: Be safe.
Gyrus Sat 4:50: Always. Love you
Kodya Sat 4:50: Love you too.
Kodya sat back, holding his phone to his chest. Did Gyrus remember everything too?
As Kodya thought back on the past week and all of Gyrus’ strange behavior and just how extra happy he had been, he was almost certain he did.
The phone rang and Kodya answered it so fast he didn’t even check to see who it was.
“Hello?!” He almost shouted.
“It’s just me.” Nephthys giggled. “Aw did you think I was someone else? Gyrus will be home tomorrow! One more day.”
Kodya rolled his eyes couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Ha ha Neph. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to check if you still need help picking out an anniversary present?” She asked. “Two years, huh? It feels like it's been longer than that."
That's because it had been. They had been together for far longer than just the two years here and Kodya knew exactly what he was going to buy now.
—-------
Gyrus' love for space hadn't changed when he regained his memories, but this trip away from home had a different energy about it than the previous ones.
Ever since his memories came back he hadn't wanted to leave home.
It wasn't what Don had suggested the other day – that nothing out there could compare to a realm.
Gyrus glanced down at the phone in his hands again, rereading Kodya's text message from this morning.
Kodya Thurs 8:04: Welcome home! Something came up with school today – Neph will pick you up from the airport. See you soon.
He tried not to be disappointed, Kodya couldn't control his professor's schedules, but he was feeling particularly homesick this time.
Nephthys was as upbeat and cheerful as ever picking him up and soon they were on their way home.
Or so he thought.
"Nephthys…" Gyrus started watching their exit pass by. "I think you missed our turn."
"No I didn't." She hummed with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I missed the turn home."
Through his exhaustion, Gyrus couldn't help but smile. "One of your feelings?"
Nephthys giggled and winked. "Oh I'd say this is more than a feeling this time."
Well there was no arguing with Nephthys at a time like this. So Gyrus sat back and tried to enjoy the ride, sending a quick message to Kodya in case he had a chance to see it.
Gyrus Thurs 1:47: Nephthys is kidnapping me
The mystery destination turned out to be Mega World Amusement Park.
"The amusement park?" Gyrus asked as Nephthys pulled out tickets and a parking pass to show the front gate.
"There's something important going on here today." She explained cryptically as she parked the car. "I know you're tired but hang in there okay? I promise it's worth it."
Gyrus sighed, getting out of the car as well hoping he wasn't about to end up a third wheel on a date with Nephthys and Iro.
Gyrus Thurs 1:59: i've been taken to a secondary location now haha when do you get out of school?
Gyrus tucked his phone back into his pocket and stretched out his back. Maybe a few rides would take his mind off his homesickness.
Nephthys marched through the park with purpose though, stopping only when her phone rang. After a few seconds, she covered the receiver.
"Why don't you ride the ferris wheel while you wait? It's someone from the infirmary, it'll be a minute."
Gyrus frowned. That was a strange request. But Nephthys was already back on the phone walking off of the main path.
Well, they were already here. He checked his phone one more time for texts, then walked up to the ride.
Thankfully on a weekday afternoon the line was non-existent. He sat down in the chair staring off into the distance, trying to ignoring the next wave of homesickness.
He was staring off so intently that he only noticed someone else sat down next to him as the bar was lowered and the ride began.
"Kodya?!" Gyrus nearly jumped, before pulling his boyfriend into a tight hug.
"What were you thinking about so hard you didn't notice another human being sit down next to you?" Kodya asked, a teasing tone to his voice, holding him tightly.
Gyrus smiled. "Just thinking about how my boyfriend sent a kidnapper to pick me up today."
Kodya laughed. "Sorry. I needed to pick something up."
"Something more important than me?" Gyrus teased back.
Kodya made a funny face at that. "...You'll see."
They were nearing the top of ferris wheel and for a few moments the couple sat and enjoyed the view.
As the ride stopped with them at the top, Kodya started to speak.
"Hey Gyrus, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."
Gyrus could suddenly feel his heart rate accelerating. Was Kodya going to…? No. In this universe they had only been together for two years and Kodya was still in the middle of grad school. There was no way he was going to…
Gyrus could only nod, not trusting his voice.
Kodya took a deep breath before continuing. "I remember everything. Everything from the Room of Swords. Everything we've been through. Saving each other over and over."
Kodya took his hands with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other.
"So I'm done waiting." Kodya pulled out a ring box.
"Marry me, Gyrus?"
Tears stung the corners of Gyrus' eyes. The homesickness was gone. After all, it wasn't their apartment or their town he was homesick for. It was Kodya. It always had been Kodya.
Gyrus nodded, pulling Kodya in for a kiss.
"Of course."
With perfect timing, the ferris wheel began to move again.
"Happy anniversary, Gyrus." His fiance said.
"Happy anniversary, Kodya."