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It was night over the Limited Life Server. The stars were glittering in the matt black sky and the moon glowed dimly, reflecting off the water like a candle. The session had just ended and everyone was asleep.
Well, almost everyone.
A pair of figures were resting up against the outside of the Windsor building up in the sky, their legs hanging over the edge, the stars shining above them. One of them wore a skinny sleeveless leather jacket over the top of a black pyjama shirt and green shorts, a streak of lime green in his brown hair. The other had a black mask on his face, his white hair tugged back in a short ponytail and glinting in the moonlight, kept out of his eyes by a black headband. He was bundled up in a grey coat, a Canadian flag emblazoned on the left arm.
They weren’t supposed to be here, and they definitely weren’t supposed to be in love. Joel was a Bad Boy, and Etho was part of Team Ties. They were meant to be arch nemesises.
And yet here they were, sitting on Skynet, Joel resting his head against Etho’s shoulder as Etho ran a hand through his hair, both of them sat in a content and happy silence. Both of them knew they weren’t allowed to be there, but neither of them cared either. They knew they’d move heaven and earth for the other.
“So you managed to get out without anyone noticing?” Joel was asking as Etho fondled with his brown locks.
“I did,” Etho nodded. He snickered, “No one would have been able to hear me over Skizz’s snoring anyways. Not to mention that both Impulse and Tango sleep like logs.”
Joel laughed, “Yeah, Jim’s a deep sleeper too. It’s Grian I’ve got to worry about, but I think I snuck out unnoticed.”
“That’s good,” Etho nodded.
A cold gust of wind whisked through the air and Joel shivered. He was only in a pair of short pyjamas, and even though it was summer, the night air was chilly. Etho tugged him closer, keeping him warm. Joel curled up into him, burying his face into Etho’s neck.
“Thanks Eefo,” he murmured.
“Wouldn’t want you to freeze to death,” Etho said ryely, “Losing another hour isn’t good for either of us. Our time’s in short supply as it is.”
Joel nodded solemnly and looked back up from Etho’s neck (although not before pecking a soft kiss to it) to look at his wrist. His timer was frozen at the moment since the session had ended, but it was glowing golden in the darkness. Always there, a constant in the chaos, his doomsday clock, ticking down, down, down.
But right now, he didn’t have to worry about it. Right now, he could just sit under the cosmos with his partner, safe and loved.
Suddenly a small flash of light streaked across the sky.
“A shooting star!” Joel exclaimed, pointing.
“I saw,” Etho smiled. He nudged Joel playfully, “Are you the kind of person who wishes on shooting stars?”
“Not really,” Joel shrugged, “I’m not that superstitious. Are you?”
Etho took a moment to answer, staring at the dark sky, peppered with twinkling constellations, “Sometimes. Depends on how I’m feeling or what’s going on. I can get caught up in the whimsy of the moment at times.”
“You? Whimsy?” Joel teased, “I thought you were too serious for that.”
Etho chuckled and prodded Joel in the side, “Yes, I can be whimsical. I used to wish on stars as a kid, but not so much now. Once I wished that I’d get some chocolate and my mom walked in with a packet of M&Ms.”
Joel gasped, “There’s no way!”
“You better believe it,” Etho smirked, “I was just as surprised as you were.”
There was a silence for a moment, then Joel spoke.
“If I were to make a wish now, do you think it would come true?” He asked quietly.
“Who knows?” Etho replied, “Some do, some don’t. Wishes are tricky.”
“If I were, I dunno, to wish that I could get a kiss from a really handsome guy,” Joel drew the words out with a cheeky grin, “Would that wish come true? Maybe?”
Etho laughed, pulling Joel closer, “Maybe it would.”
He pulled the mask down from his mouth and slotted their lips together, leaning down a little to account for their height difference. Joel wrapped his arms around Etho’s neck.
Etho was the first to pull back, breathing heavily in the cold night air, looking back up at the stars. They twinkled as he let Joel rest against him, gazing at them.
“What would you wish for?” Joel asked, breaking the silence that had fallen.
Etho stared at the ground below them. It was miles and miles away, and one slip could end in disaster. And yet, from up here, it was so beautiful. The Clockers’ clocktower cast a shadow across the rocks of spawn, which were almost white in the starlight. The wheat in bread bridge swayed in the breeze, the server so silent that the swishing noise of the fronds reached the pair even though they were on Skynet. The Bad Boy Mansion was silhouetted in the distance and the Mean Gills’ base was just to the side, brilliantly illuminated as if by floodlights by the rays of moonlight.
Eventually, he spoke.
“I guess I’d wish that we’d be safe. That we won’t go out in a bad way. I… I wouldn’t want you to get too hurt.”
There was a sadness in his voice that made Joel look up at him. Etho’s mismatched eyes, one stormy grey and the other vibrant red, were sparkling with tears that said more than the words he spoke ever could.
Joel pulled him into a tighter hug, “It’s going to be ok Eefo. We’re going to be alright. I’ll make sure we don’t get hurt.”
“We’re already hurting Joel,” Etho whispered. He didn’t have to finish. Joel knew what he meant. The boogeyman curse. The hate. All of it.
“Etho,” his voice was the most sincere it had ever been, “We’re going to get out. We’re going to find a way and we’ll both be safe. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Etho huffed, turning his head away.
“Well then it’s a good thing I’m going to keep this one,” Joel took Etho’s face gently in his hands and rested their foreheads together, pushing a soft, chaste kiss to Etho’s lips. Etho pressed closer, deepening the kiss and savouring the moment like it might be the last one they’d have. It was sweet and beautiful and perfect.
Eventually they both pulled back and smiled.
“Thank you Joel,” Etho whispered, “Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
“It’s because you care,” Joel replied, “We’ll get through this Etho. We’re awesome enough.”
He puffed up his chest, “I know I am.”
Etho laughed at his quick change of mood back into something more… well, Joel-like.
“Yeah,” He smiled, kissing his cheek, “You sure are.”
Joel grinned with such a cheerful, carefree grin that Etho’s heart sang. Gosh, he loved this man.
Another star shot across the sky, bright and sparkling.
“You know what I wish for?” Joel said as they watched it.
“What?”
“That we’d both have a fun season with no mishaps and everything will go exactly as planned,” Joel nodded decidedly.
Etho smiled, “And what if the wish doesn’t come true?”
Joel paused, then answered, “Then life sucks and has no meaning and I wish for Oreos instead.”
That made Etho burst out laughing, giggling hysterically at Joel’s absurdity.
“What?” Joel protested, but the smile on his face showed he was just being silly, “Oreos is a good wish!”
“It sure is,” another voice interrupted. Etho’s laughter immediately stopped and the pair spun their heads around to see Impulse standing behind them. They both froze, panic rising inside their chests.
“Impulse, please, don’t tell-” Etho started, but Impulse just smiled and raised a hand to cut him off.
“I won’t tell,” he said, “Have a good evening boys.”
He dropped something in Joel’s lap and then headed back across Skynet.
Etho and Joel sat in silence for a moment, then Joel looked down to whatever Impulse had given him.
A packet of Oreos.
“So,” Etho broke the silence, “Does that mean the first wish won’t come true and the second one has?”
Joel picked up the Oreos and sighed, opening the packet, “Life sucks and has no meaning. You want one?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Etho smiled, popping one in his mouth.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he was with Joel, but the Oreo tasted better than victory ever would.