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“Alhaitham! Alhaitham! Where are you?”
Cyno looked around him as he walked deeper in the forest. He hadn’t seen the other all day, even though they’d promised to play this morning. Instead, there was a weird air with the adults today, and some people had asked him if he’d seen the other boy at all. His parents had looked worried too.
Did something happen to him? Was he hurt? Or lost?
Even after they’d assured him things were fine and to not worry about it, he’d been filled with terror at the thought something happened, so he snuck out to look for him.
He couldn’t imagine Alhaitham getting lost. They played in the woods all the time, and both of them had a really good memory, but Alhaitham especially always knew where to go or where they were.
So if he wasn’t lost…it had to be something else.
The longer he looked, the more he felt dread fill him. What if something really bad happened? What if he’d been attacked by a wild animal, or fell off a ledge, or…
He tried to tell himself not to panic, but it didn’t help him feel less scared.
As he started to pass by some trees he suddenly noticed a weird lump up in the branches. Startled, he stopped and craned his head to see better, and noticed part of the lump had what looked like…gray hair.
Instantly his heart settled, and he let out a huge breath before sucking it back in.
”Alhaitham!”
The lump flinched slightly, and then, sure enough, unfolded so his head turned to peek down at him.
Cyno folded his arms.
”Where have you been, you dummy? I’ve been looking for you all day! Why didn’t you come see me?”
“I didn’t want to.”
Cyno reared back, vaguely hurt. “What do you mean you didn’t want to? And how come you’re hiding in a tree? Some of the adults were looking for you earlier.”
Alhaitham frowned and looked away. “Go away, Cyno.”
”You can’t tell me to go away! Besides, I’m a better tree climber than you are! What if you fall and get hurt?”
A complicated look fell over Alhaitham’s face, and his eyes turned shiny before he buried his face in his knees.
Cyno was shocked. Alhaitham…looked like he was about to cry. He never cried.
He placed his hand on the tree. “Alhaitham?”
The other boy didn’t answer him, so Cyno huffed and swung himself up on the nearest branch, quickly scaling to the top where Alhaitham was perched. He carefully leaned forward.
”Hey…what's wrong?”
There was a long moment of silence, but Cyno tried to be patient and wait. Finally…
”…They’re dead.”
Cyno’s whole body went cold. “…Who’s dead?”
Alhaitham lifted his face just a little, just enough for Cyno to see the shadows under his eyes, swollen and red. “My parents. That’s what the people who came to my house said. They’re never coming back. So even if I fell…” his eyes filled with tears, “No one would care anyway.”
He pressed his face back down as his shoulders started trembling, and Cyno felt his own eyes start to sting.
”That’s not true,” he said, “I’d care if you fell. I’d be really, really upset.” He hesitated, then reached out to touch him. “I don’t like it when you get hurt.”
Alhaitham’s back rose and fell jerkily. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t do anything. You’re not an adult,” his breath choked on a sob, “No one’s here to take care of me anymore. They’re going to send me away…!”
Cyno couldn’t take it anymore, and carefully gathered his friend in a hug. He moved them gingerly so that he was the one leaning against the tree now, and Alhaitham was curled up against him, face pressed against his chest as he tried to muffle his sobs against Cyno’s skin.
”I want them to come back…!” He moaned, and Cyno squeezed him tighter.
”I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’m really, really sorry.”
”Tell them to come back…!”
He felt tears rolling down his cheeks, clueless how to help his friend in his grief. He tried patting his hands down the other’s back, like his parents sometimes did for him.
”I don’t wanna go away…” Alhaitham sobbed.
”I won’t let them send you away,” Cyno vowed, his own voice wobbling, “I’ll talk to my parents. And…and your grandma doesn’t live far away. They can help do something.”
Alhaitham didn’t answer, just kept crying in his arms. It hurt. It hurt a lot, seeing Alhaitham so sad, seeing him so hurt. Alhaitham didn’t cry about anything normally, not when he got scraped by a fall or when he was upset or if someone was mean to him. Cyno couldn’t even begin to imagine how he was feeling. What would he do…if his parents were suddenly gone?
Just the thought made him feel unbearably lonely.
”I’ll stay by your side,” he said, hugging him close, “It’ll be okay. I’ll be with you the whole time. I won’t leave you alone, I promise. You won’t…you won’t be all by yourself.”
He’d find a way, he swore. No matter what.
* * * * * *
Alhaitham stifled a yawn blooming in his chest as he stared out at all the faceless nobles crowded about the ballroom. These formal events were enough to bore him to tears, lacking any kind of stimulating discussion or conversation as one vapid individual to the next tried to talk themselves up, desperate to be the most important person in the group.
It was pointless. It was grueling. Perhaps he could slip out soon.
The thought no sooner came to mind before a glass of wine with a strong bouquet was raised under his nose. The smell brought his senses together as his eyes darted to the side.
Cyno gave him a knowing smile. “To help keep you awake.”
He snorted as he took the glass. “Hardly. It’s more likely to put me to sleep, given the circumstances.”
Cyno moved to stand next to him, leaning against the wall as well and pressing his side firmly against Alhaitham’s. He could feel the warmth of his body bleeding through the other suit.
“You clean up very nicely, you know?” Cyno teased, “It’s very fetching.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Alhaitham said, sipping his wine, “This place is too public for my tastes.”
Cyno nudged him with his elbow, chuckling. “I’d have to arrest myself for public indecency. I was being serious, though. The colors and the cut suit you beautifully.”
Alhaitham was quiet for a moment, swirling his glass. “Perhaps I’ll allow you the opportunity to appreciate it more closely later then.”
“Now who’s getting ideas?”
They looked out around the room as the sipped their drinks, both of them silently cataloging, noting this for later.
“It won’t be long now,” Cyno said lowly, eyes sharpening just a little, “Soon, the reforms will be able to be put in place. Change is coming.”
Alhaitham gave a low hum. “I wonder how many of these people will still be sipping their champagne when that time comes?”
“It was a long time coming.” Quietly, out of view, he took Alhaitham’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “All our hard work will finally pay off.”
“Should we open a bottle of something expensive in their place?”
Like wolves standing alongside a flock of unknowing sheep, they held their vigil outside the crowd, scenting the blood of the ignorant as they wined and dined to their heart's content, unaware this might be the last time they may ever do so. The guillotine was poised to fall, and with cold eyes and hearts they imagined the spectacle to come, the pleas and the protests as those who’d abused their stations and power for years realized there was no escape anymore.
It would be a long night, but Cyno intended to savor it, side by side with his chosen partner as he tightened his grip in solidarity.
Their time had come.
* * * * * *
He was browsing the produce when his phone started ringing in his pocket. Distracted, he pulled it out and held it to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Hello to you too.”
He couldn't help smiling slightly in exasperation. “I’m busy.”
“Busy? Doing what, exactly? ”
“Grocery shopping. Like you asked me to before you got back.”
He heard Cyno sigh over the phone. “I asked you to do that ages ago, and you’re only doing it right before I get back? ”
“I thought you’d appreciate it more fresh. I’ll cook dinner, too. What do you want?”
“I like how you say that like you’re doing something special for me. You’d make your husband cook dinner the day he comes back from a long trip?"
“No, I wouldn’t, which is why I said I’ll cook. What do you want?”
“Tahchin.”
Alhaitham sighed, grabbing some vegetables and putting them in the cart. “Why am I not surprised?”
He felt a tug at his shirt, and turned his head to the little girl behind him.
“Uncle, I want this one,” she said, holding up a box.
“Are you sure? That’s the only one you get.”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Okay, go put it in the cart.”
“Who’s with you? ”
“Collei.”
He could practically feel the raised eyebrow over the phone. “Tighnari has you babysitting? ”
“He’s running late today, so he dropped her with me. He’s going to pick her up later at the park.”
Collei tugged his shirt again. “Is that Cyno?”
Alhaitham patted her head to get her to stop. “Yes. Do you want to say hello?”
She reached up, and he pressed the phone to her ear.
“Hi, Cyno.”
“Hi, Collei. Are you helping Alhaitham with the shopping? ”
“Mhm! He let me pick out a snack. Are you coming home soon?”
“Yep, which means I’ll come visit you soon. We can go anywhere you like.”
“I get to pick?” she asked excitedly.
“Yeah, you pick. ”
“I wanna go to the gardens!”
“Okay. We’ll make it a picnic then. Can you hand the phone back to your uncle? ”
“Okay. Bye, Cyno!”
“See you soon.”
She smiled and handed the phone over, and Alhaitham pressed it back to his ear.
“Satisfied?”
“Hardly. I’m ready to be home.”
“Your flight leaves soon right?”
“In about a half hour. I’m grabbing a coffee right now.”
“I see. Well, if you actually want me to finish the shopping, you should probably let me go.”
“How cold.”
Alhaitham smiled. “I’ll give you a warmer greeting when you get home tonight.”
“Don’t say such things around Collei’s little ears.”
“It’s not remotely suggestive. Unless you're saying you don’t want that. ”
“You’re the one who should be prepared.”
“Now who’s saying inappropriate things?”
“She can’t hear me over the phone.”
He rolled his eyes fondly. “I love you. See you tonight.”
“Love you more. See you tonight.”
He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. Collei came over to take his hand.
“Can we play on the swings when we get to the park?”
“Sure. Come on, help me finish getting things for dinner. Do you remember what we need to make tahchin?”
“I remember! We need rice!”
She pulled his hand in the direction of the aisle.
* * * * * *
His chest was heaving. His feet were aching. His wounds stung. The hand that pulled him along was firm and unwavering, but he could barely keep up.
“Cyno…”
The other looked over his shoulder, then pulled him over to a tree and looked around before stopping.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t keep going.”
Cyno immediately pressed him down to sit and pulled a canteen from his pack, pressing it into his hands.
“Drink.”
He did as he was told, the cool of the water a welcome reprieve. He wiped his mouth after, feeling his cracked lips where they were split from dryness, and let his arm fall to rest on his knee.
“Cyno.”
Cyno turned to look at him from where he was surveying their surroundings. His hand gripped Alhaitham’s wrist.
“What is it? Are your injuries feeling worse?”
He looked into the other’s earnest eyes, feeling his heart sinking with the reality of their situation.
“You should leave me behind.”
The hand around his wrist tightened uncomfortably.
“No.”
“Cyno…” He growled in frustration, pressing his free hand to his head, “I’m a liability to you now. I’ve slowed our pace down far more than can safely be accounted for in hostile territory. It’s miles to the next safe zone. You might have reached it by now if you weren’t dragging me along.”
“I already took that into consideration. It’s not beyond my abilities.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he argued, “Your abilities far outstrip mine. You could make it out safely in no time. We should find a shelter somewhere, maybe one of the abandoned farmhouses around here. They might still have some food storage. You could leave me there and come back when the fighting has died down.”
Cyno grabbed his shoulder and shook it, furious. “Are you even listening to yourself? There are enemies everywhere in this area! What if they raid the house? What if they burn it so others fleeing can’t use it? You’d be helpless to defend yourself! You’d be killed!”
“As opposed to what? Me crawling along behind you and exposing us both? We’ve been lucky so far, but if we were spotted we’d be gunned down immediately.”
“Then we don’t get spotted. I know this area far better than they do. I know places we can stop to rest safely.”
“Cyno!”
It hurt to acknowledge. It hurt to realize how much he was endangering their lives. Cyno was so damn stubborn, he knew he’d never agree to just leaving him in the dirt. He thought by suggesting a shelter Cyno would be more amenable to the idea, but he should’ve known. Cyno was too smart not to see it for the deathtrap it would almost certainly be.
“Please,” he begged, voice hoarse, “Please just leave me behind. I don’t want to be what kills you.”
His words were met with a firm embrace, Cyno gathering him close and cradling him in his arms. His whole body ached and he was reaching his limit, but Cyno still made him feel like he always did. Safe.
Cyno pressed his lips to his ears. “I am not leaving you here to die. Do you understand me? I’m not doing it. I don’t care what clever arguments you try to make, it will never happen. If we really die here, I’ll die right in the dirt next to you. It’s both our blood or none of it. I’m never leaving you.”
He felt his eyes burn, and ducked to press them against Cyno’s shoulder as his arms came up weakly around him.
“I don’t want that,” he croaked.
“Well, neither do I. Do you think I would be able to live with the image of you sprawled lifeless across the ground? Could you do the same?”
He couldn’t. That’s why he wanted Cyno to leave him. He would kill them both.
“Stop it,” Cyno bit out, forcing his head up and grabbing his face in his hands, thumbing at the tear tracks, “Stop thinking that. Don’t think I can’t see what’s going through your head. “
“Are you psychic now?” he tried to joke.
“No, I just know you.” He smiled gently at him. “I know you’re tired. I know it seems hopeless. But we’re doing this together. Either we make it out, or we fall, but we do it together. I’m sorry. I can’t live with anything else.”
Alhaitham sighed, strung out from arguing, and sagged into Cyno’s hold. “You’re an idiot.”
Cyno petted his hair. “I know”
They sat there for a few precious minutes, just holding each other, before Cyno leaned back to meet his gaze again.
“We can still do this. It’s not over yet. If we’re careful, I have enough supplies and enough places we could take cover to make it out. If you trust me.”
Alhaitham snorted half-heartedly. “That was never in question.”
“Good.” He reached out a hand and carefully leveraged him to his feet. “Then let’s go. I know a spot maybe a half hour from here where we can stop and check your wounds. Can you make it?”
He stared at Cyno, the strong set of his shoulders, the determined light in his eyes, and squeezed his hand.
“I’ll make it.”
* * * * * *
“Testing. Log: 4018. Reaching our coordinates. Switching to drift mode. Initial sightings: Planet appears to be relatively verdant. Scans pick up abundant plant life and stable atmosphere. We will make arrangements to enter the atmosphere and explore the surface in 4 cycles.”
He heard movement behind him as the hatch opened. “Will begin preparations at 1400. End log.”
Alhaitham leaned over his shoulder. “How does it look?”
“Good, actually. We should be able to get plenty of samples. I’m running the data, but I think we can also proceed with minimal protective equipment for this run.”
The other man scanned his eyes over the displays with a low sound in his throat. “Terrain looks fair, too. Do you want to take the bikes down?”
Cyno grinned at him. “Do you even have to ask?”
He shook his head. “Of course. Foolish of me.”
“I’ll run the preliminary gear checks after we have lunch. I think we’re going to have some good finds with this one. I’m excited.”
“It’ll definitely be an improvement over the last few we stopped on. The research didn’t have much to go on, though the asteroid crater was interesting.”
“We’ve been planet hopping for over a decade now,” Cyno pointed out, flipping a few switches on the console, “There will always be hits and misses.”
“I’m aware.”
“How was the last report?”
“Well received. I already forwarded some of the findings to the institute. Hopefully it will tide them over for a while.”
“You were the one who agreed to send logs from our explorations back when we could. Discoveries in foreign systems are always in high demand.”
“I know that. That’s the whole reason I partnered with you. It’s far better to experience it firsthand than be stuck in an office somewhere reading about it.”
“You say that, but you were a pain in the ass to coach through some of the field training courses.”
“I’d already taken some safety certifications. It’s not like I’d never explored other worlds before.”
“Sanctioned trips by the institute and being licensed to act independently in the field are two very different things. They have to ensure you won’t strand yourself or crash or otherwise end up dead.”
Alhaitham huffed through his nose in a way that said he was done with this discussion, and Cyno smiled, reaching up to rub his arm.
“I’ve already parked us in drift mode, so we’ll be in orbit for a bit while the system finishes compiling the readings,” he unstrapped himself and stood, stretching his shoulders out, “Shall we go eat?”
“Fine with me. I have some logs to finish later. Did any of the sensors pick up liquid sources akin to water?”
“The basic scans didn’t show much, but considering the volume of life on the surface, there should be something.”
Alhaitham touched his chin in thought. “Hmm…development on this world is fairly advanced. I wonder if we’ll find the factors that contributed to that once we head down. Most of the surrounding planets don’t seem to exhibit much development. Is this a garden planet? If so, what conditions allowed it?”
Cyno gave him a gentle, but pointed shove. “We can worry about that later. Leave the fun of exploring for when we actually explore.”
Alhaitham frowned at him but continued down the halls to the kitchen area.
“How long are you planning for us to spend on this expedition?”
“Depends on what we find when we land. If it looks as good as it seems so far, I think we could easily warrant an extended stay, provided we can find any supplemental resources.”
“Hmm. It’s been a while since we could settle in for a long haul. Is that what you’re hoping for?”
“It’s the hope of everyone in our field,” Cyno looped his arm around Alhaitham’s waist, “You can just admit you’re excited too.”
“Perish the thought.”
He laughed and leaned in.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
“There’s no one here but you and I.”
He grinned.
“Exactly.”
* * * * * *
BOOM!
The explosion that rang out behind them was so strong that for a moment it blew out his sensors, but even as they came back online he didn’t stop running. Gunfire ripped through the air, and he jumped down a ledge and hit the ground, rolling slightly before sprinting for cover. The roar of machines behind him faded slightly, and he punched through the debris in his path as he hurried around the corner of a building, assured only by the sound of footsteps following behind him. He surveyed the area, but there were no enemies in their immediate vicinity.
“I think we’re clear for the moment.”
“Cyno.”
He turned at last to look at his companion and immediately swore, rushing to his side.
Alhaitham’s arm had been torn clean off at the bicep, the circuitry sparking and his shoulder burnt.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he snapped, assessing the damage.
“When exactly?” Alhaitham deadpanned, “While we were running for our lives? Hardly ideal.”
He opened their link, flinching slightly in discomfort at the sudden influx feed of error messages, before issuing an override and scanning the problem data for details.
“It doesn’t seem to be compromising your overall systems, but your capacity is down to 70%. I’m initiating a backup just in case.”
“I think we should consider the mission unsalvageable. We weren’t expecting resistance in these numbers. The scans show droids swarming the surrounding areas. If we try to proceed as planned, we’ll be wiped out by their forces. We’ll be lucky to be recovered.”
“Agreed. We at least managed to get some drives from the databank we found. That will have to be good enough.”
He reached into his hip pack and pulled a glowing competent out, extracting a chip from the slots.
“I don’t need one of your boosters, Cyno.”
“Tough. You’re not officially designated for combat. I’m not taking any risks. You’ve already lost an arm, and if you’d been closer to the blast you could’ve lost part of your torso.”
He forced him around and inserted the chip into his port. Alhaitham hissed and his eyes started glowing as the data was rapidly fed into him, jerking in Cyno’s hold as he held him steady. He waited until the transition was over.
“Good?”
“Not remotely,” Alhaitham pulled away and he let him go once he was sure the other was steady, “I’m not built for these programs. Once we get out of here and it goes offline, I'm going to crash hard.”
"I’ll take care of you,” Cyno promised, “We just have to make it to the extraction point. After that, I’ll personally see to your repair. It won’t endanger your systems. I’ll keep our connection open to monitor it as we go.”
He checked his arm again. The severing was fairly clean, and there wasn’t much they could do for field dressings. He made sure the circuit ends weren’t exposed, and then pulled him along to scout an exit path.
“Your scanners are more acute than mine. What’s the best way?”
Alhaitham’s pupils constricted and his eyes glowed again faintly as he surveyed the data, feeding it directly to Cyno.
“We can make for the bridge. The artillery won’t reach us there and enemy forces are minimal. You’ll have to cut through whatever we find, but after that, we should have a shot out through the south tunnel.”
Cyno nodded and readied his weapons. “Alright, let’s move out.”
He checked once more to be sure no droids were in sight, and then took off down the street, Alhaitham close behind.
* * * * * *
“I should have known.”
Alhaitham lifted his head from where it was buried in a book to see Cyno smirking down at him.
“Isn't it against policy for one of the archive administrators to be hiding while on duty?”
“I’m not ‘hiding’. I’m researching.”
“Privately.”
“Irrelevant.”
Cyno sighed and plopped down beside him. “It’s quite sad to see one of the most renowned monster hunters of our time reduced to hiding in corners to avoid people. How the mighty have fallen.”
“Call it whatever you want. There are plenty of other staff on hand. They can handle it.”
“Why did you even accept the position if you were just going to ignore it?”
Alhaitham looked back to his book. “It was the easiest way to have full access to the archives.”
Cyno sighed, glancing around the shelves. Most mages would kill to be in Alhaitham’s shoes, working in the national magical archives. Of course Alhaitham would only see it as a glorified library pass.
“I don’t know how they let you get away with it.”
“Because of my services to the nation. Technically, I’m retired. They were the ones who insisted on giving me the job.”
“We could have retired to the countryside like I suggested. Then you wouldn’t have to deal with all the tourists.”
“Too far.”
They at least had been able to procure a large and spacious house on the outskirts of the city, and between them had overlaid it with multiple wards and spells to protect it from virtually any problem.
“Besides,” Alhaitham continued, “Considering the frequency with which you still drag me out on trips, I’d say it balances it out.”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m forcing you. You’re the one who said there’s only so much magic knowledge you can find staying in one place.”
And indeed, that had been exactly how they’d met. Alhaitham a renowned mage who kept to himself and his research, and Cyno who’d came straight up to him to recruit him to hunt monsters and refused to take no for an answer. His own magical proficiency had helped him be more convincing.
However, their monster slaying days were behind them, and now in place of hunting they explored ruins and researched magic.
A far more peaceful lifestyle.
“Why are you here anyway?”
“Have you already forgotten? We were going to try that new restaurant that opened up.”
“Oh.” Alhaitham snapped the book shut. “That’s right.”
Cyno laughed and leaned in to kiss him. “You’re heartless. To think your own spouse places second to your beloved books.”
“I didn’t say that, you did,” he retorted, but returned the kiss all the same.
Cyno stared down at him with a hungry look. “If you’re looking for an excuse from work, perhaps I could take you home after and find a suitable punishment for forgetting about our lunch date. Something to imprint me a little more firmly in your mind.”
The man shivered slightly, but met his gaze with equal passion. “I could be persuaded to hear out your argument.”
Cyno let the faintest spark of electricity dance on his fingertips as he trailed them down Alhaitham’s arm, relishing the way he jerked almost imperceptibly at the touch.
“Not to worry,” he said, leaning close to the other’s ear, “I'll be very thorough on my points.”
Alhaitham gave him a look, and Cyno just smiled as he held out a hand and helped him stand.
“Food first. Then we’ll see to the rest.”
Cyno gave a gentlemanly bow and then looped their arms as he escorted them toward the door.
“I can’t wait.”
* * * * * *
It was a truly beautiful sight.
Light flickered in their vision as they watched the massive cocoon structure slowly but steadily dissolve before their very eyes.
“It’s finally over…”Alhaitham breathed.
Cyno nodded, heart in his throat as sweet relief swept through his entire body, the battle high draining away and making him feel slightly lightheaded, but he remained firmly on his feet.
He’d never felt so proud in his life. They’d done it. They’d really done it.
“Yeah,” he said, letting his arm drop to his side, “It is.”
The ache of his wounds pulsed with his heartbeat, but they were insignificant compared to the emotions in his heart. He could tell Alhaitham felt the same and they turned to gaze at each other, exchanging a weary, but genuine smile.
They then shifted their gaze past the edge of the platform they stood on, and down to the armies of people below. Even from way up here, they could hear the screams and cheers of celebration.
“We’re free now,”he murmured, “The world can finally move onto a new path. A better path. For everyone.”
“Ah,” Alhaitham nodded, “The system is broken.”
They glanced back at the fading cocoon and then again at the crowd.
“A shame we won’t have the chance to be a part of that world.”
Cyno was silent in agreement. They had both known, when they had made their way up here, that there was almost no chance they would return alive. None of their friends or allies had been aware, but they knew. This was the end of the line for them.
He turned to study the other man, his steadfast partner, his closest friend in this long, long fight. It was almost hard to remember the arrogant and proud man he had seen when they’d first met, and the rocky start they had gotten off to.
Who would have imagined how over time, they would confide in each other, learn from each other, even embrace each other. Just two nights ago he’d had this man in his bed, entwined together as they whispered assurances to each other, already realizing that this would be their last chance to do so.
He’d wanted a future with this man. A life, full of peace and plenty. But he would let it go, for the chance to stand here beside him at the end.
He was content.
They walked closer to the edge, soaking up the sight and the knowledge of the people they cared for below, blessed with a brighter future thanks to their actions. In tandem they reached for each other, hands brushing and grasping each other firmly, standing shoulder to shoulder.
“It’ll be a lot of work, in the aftermath,” Cyno mused, “But I’m confident they can handle it.”
“They’ll have to,” Alhaitham said, “We won’t be around to bail them out.”
“You have no faith.”
“I have faith,” Alhaitham smiled faintly, eyes reflecting the lights, “We came this far after all. The hardest part is over.”
Cyno squeezed his hand. “Do you have regrets?”
He hummed, closing his eyes. “No. We made our choice a long time ago. We swore an oath to die for this chance, if it came to it.”
“We did.” They’d long known the price. “The others will be upset when they realize.”
“Mm.”
It felt strange, to be so at peace with the knowledge of his death. Their death.
“What about you? Do you regret our choice?”
He smiled. “No.”
“No? Weren’t you the one who spoke of plans for us settling down in your hometown after this was over? You don’t resent the loss of that?”
“I am sad,” he admitted, “I wanted the chance to make you happy. I wanted lots and lots of chances. But now…I’m not worried.”
Alhaitham glanced over at him. “Why not?”
“Because,” he turned to meet his gaze, “I’m confident that I’ll find you in whatever life we lead, in any life, in whatever world we wind up in.”
Alhaitham’s eyes widened, and Cyno lifted his hand to kiss his knuckles.
“I’ll find you again. I’m sure of it.”
The tears in his eyes were reflected in Alhaitham’s and they smiled as they leaned to press their foreheads together, any fear of death melting away in each other’s presence.
“I’ll wait for you then.”
* * * * * *
“...aitham. Alhaitham. Wake up.”
He groaned, feeling heavy and fatigued as a voice from far away called to him. His head felt like it was wrapped in fog, hazy and disconnected, but the voice gave him focus, dragging him slowly back and into waking. Through blurred vision, he could make out Cyno’s face above, shadowed in the pre-dawn light.
“Can you hear me?”
He rolled to face him better. “Ah. What’s wrong…?”
Cyno gave him a funny look and cupped the side of his face with one hand. Doing so made Alhaitham abruptly aware of wetness, and Cyno’s thumb gently swept through it.
“You tell me,” he said, eyes narrowed in worry, “You were crying in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?”
Well, that explained why his eyes felt so hot and his vision wouldn’t clear. He lifted a hand to rub them. “I don’t think so…” he muttered.
Cyno withdrew and slid to the edge of the bed. “I’ll go get you some water.”
He watched him leave, head still feeling a little like it was swimming. He passed his eyes over the bookshelves lining his bedroom walls, breathing deeply and smelling the faint hint of padisarah flowers on the breeze drifting in through the open window.
Cyno returned shortly and helped him sit up to sip the water. He felt that was unnecessary, but didn’t protest all the same, still feeling vaguely disoriented.
“How do you feel?” Cyno asked, almost as if reading his thoughts. He pressed a hand to Alhaitham’s face and then his forehead. “You’re not feverish, at least.”
“I’m fine. Just a little strange.”
Cyno settled back in beside him. “What were you dreaming about?”
“I…” he frowned, “I don’t know. I don’t remember it. My mind just feels like…”
“...Like?”
He laid his arm over his eyes, thinking. “Like it’s reaching, I suppose.”
Yes, that was it. Like reaching for a piece of paper picked up by the wind, with no hope of grabbing it before it was carried off and out of your reach.
“Reaching for your dream?” Cyno clarified.
Alhaitham shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know why I was crying. I don’t feel sad now.”
There was a fading sense of…perhaps longing, if he thought about it. From whatever he’d dreamed. There was no point dwelling on it though. He was awake, and it was already gone.
Cyno seemed mollified, leaning in to kiss the drying tear tracks under his eye.
“I've never seen you cry before,” he explained, “So I was a little worried. But if you’re alright now, that’s good enough for me.”
Alhaitham turned to lean his head against Cyno’s chest, and the other wrapped his arms around him, the fingers of one hand caressing his scalp as he pressed faint kisses against his hair. Alhaitham reached around to hug him back, feeling his mind and body settle in his embrace.
“Maybe you were in my dream,” he murmured quietly.
“You think so?”
He nodded and Cyno seemed to mull that over before moving to tip Alhaitham’s head up briefly so he could kiss him properly.
“Well, in that case, it doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”
Alhaitham hummed into the kiss in acknowledgement, before they broke apart and settled back down to sleep.
Yes. Cyno was here. Everything was just fine.
~~ I fell in love, in a world that no one knows of.