Archive of Our Own

"Hi, Cale."

The red-haired man did not stop walking. He did not even spare a glance at Venion as he responded with a flat voice, devoid of any interest. "What do you want, you dumbass? I'm in no mood for your rubbish."

Venion Stan did not seem bothered by the insult. He asked, "You want to go for a ride?"

That stopped the redhead in his tracks. This time, he turned to face Venion. His expression was cold as he scrutinised the man standing before him.

"Is this a joke?"

He stared at Venion as if the man had suddenly sprouted a second head.

"Do you truly believe I have nothing better to do with my afternoon than suffer myself by sitting in your passenger seat?" His lip curled slightly in distaste. "I would never go anywhere with you. Get lost."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and began to walk away.

Venion watched as the red-haired man walked away.

"Figures..." he muttered. He raked a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on Cale's retreating back. He had known the other man would react this way, so there was no surprise in the rejection. They both knew Cale loathed him.

Cale Henituse.
The eldest son of Count Henituse.

Everyone called him trash, a useless drunkard with no future. But Venion knew he was more than that. He had watched Cale for as long as he could remember. He had observed the small habits, the shifts in temper, and the hidden qualities that others missed.

Venion dared to think he knew Cale Henituse better than the man's own parents did.

Foolish people could not see through his act. They could not see the good in him, and they certainly did not know how to cherish such a person.

But it was okay, Venion thought.

As long as one person knew, as long as he could see that Cale was precious and one in a million, then it was enough.

As Venion watched Cale's figure slowly fade into the distance...

'!'

A sharp, stinging pain suddenly sliced through his skull. He stumbled. His hands clutched his head, pressing hard as if trying to hold his own mind together. The world around him began to warp. His sight flickered, the scenery distorting into a chaotic mess of digital-like glitches.

He clamped his eyes shut. Then, everything went black.

.
.
.
.
.

When he opened his eyes again, the grass and the shade of the tree he had been standing under were gone. Instead, he was now sitting in the driver's seat of a car. It was a bright pink convertible, the roof tucked away to leave the interior open to the air. 

Venion froze.

'What just happened to me?'

His breath hitched in his chest. 

'What is this place? Why am I here?'

The sudden shift to this strange vehicle left him reeling.

"What's wrong, dear?"

Venion's bewilderment was interrupted when a voice spoke from beside him. He turned toward the passenger seat and was greeted by the sight of Cale smiling sweetly at him.

The smile he had been dying to see directed his way.

"Aren't we going to the party?" The Cale Henituse beside him spoke again. "Let's go."

Venion did not move. His mind was still processing the sudden upheaval.

The Cale before him gave a fond sigh. His fingers reached out, brushing against the blond's cheek.

"You look as though you've seen a ghost," Cale said. He affectionately stroked Venion's cheekbone. "Is something the matter, love?"

Venion swallowed hard. His heart hammered against his ribs.

Love?

The original Cale Henituse he knew, his Cale, would never call him that. The man he knew would rather spit on him than touch him with such tenderness.

Cale leaned back. The weight of his hand left Venion's cheek, but the warmth remained.

"Let's not go to the party anymore," Cale said, his voice bright and light. "Let's go to the park instead!"

He looked forward, his expression full of genuine anticipation.

Despite remaining in a daze, Venion found his limbs moving of their own accord. His hands gripped the wheel and the gear stick, shifting and steering the pink convertible away from the kerb. 

He had no idea where the park was. This was not his world. Everything around him felt entirely foreign. Yet, his feet worked the pedals and his eyes scanned the road with a strange familiarity. His body seemed to know every turn, guiding him through the unknown streets as they headed towards their destination.

Cale stood in the passenger seat of the pink convertible, his arms spread wide to catch the rushing air. The wind whipped through his hair, tossing the red strands back from his face.

"I, Cale Henituse, am a happy man!" he shouted over the roar of the engine. His laughter was bright against the breeze, and his eyes shone with happiness.

Venion in the driver's seat did not look away from the road.

.
.
.
.
.

After a while, the car came to a halt.

The park was stunning. The air was filled with the distant sound of laughter and the drone of insects amongst the greenery. Families were scattered across the lawns, enjoying the afternoon sun, while couples strolled at a leisure pace along the paths.

Venion stepped out of the car. Beside him, Cale was already moving.

They began to walk side by side towards a cluster of trees. Venion kept his gaze fixed ahead. His mind was still on what had just happened.

'Is this a dream?' 

He tried to make sense of the surroundings, but nothing aligned with his memory. He did not know what this place was or why he had been brought here. 

Most unsettling of all was the person walking next to him.

'Who is this Cale?'

He looked exactly like the Cale Henituse he knew, but his behaviour was different.

Venion's thoughts raced.
He needed to know how to get back to his original world.

Suddenly, Venion felt a warm pressure against his hand. He stiffened.

He bravely forced himself to look down at the source. Cale had slid his hand into his, intertwining their fingers. 

Venion stared at their joined hands.

This Cale felt like a different person entirely. The real Cale Henituse, his Cale, would rather die than hold his hand, let alone do so in a public park for all to see. Yet, this Cale just kept walking, swinging their joined hands slightly as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As if they were a real couple.

They walked until they reached a large tree. Its heavy branches stretched wide, casting a cool shade over a bench positioned underneath.

As soon as they were seated, Cale moved closer. He snuggled into Venion's side, tucking his head into the crook of the blond man's shoulder. His eyes closed in contented bliss.

Venion did not move.

They stayed like that in silence for a long time.

Eventually, as the afternoon sun began to dip, Cale broke the silence:

"I'm so happy today, Venion."

His voice was soft, filled with a warmth that seemed to radiate from him.

Venion remained rooted to the spot.

He did not know how to respond. He had no idea how to handle this version of Cale. This man was entirely different from the Cale Henituse he knew.

He was not even sure if this person was Cale Henituse, or some dread creature disguised in a familiar skin to haunt his dreams. He could not determine if this was a dream, a delusion, or something else entirely.

Cale shifted and turned to face Venion fully. He locked his eyes onto Venion's with such a deep, unwavering intensity that made the blond man shudder.

Venion found himself unable to look away. His breath stalled, held captive by Cale's intense stare. It was as if the other man was searching for something deep within him, his soulful eyes pulling him into their depths.

Cale's fingers reached out once more, caressing Venion's cheek with a feather-light touch.

"I love you, Venion."

He leaned in, slowly closing the gap between them. He moved until his face was mere inches from Venion's, his breath warm against the other person's skin.

On the other side, Venion could only watch as Cale's face drew closer. He sat stupefied, his muscles refusing to obey a single command to retreat. Whatever was about to happen, his body was going to let it happen, regardless of whether he was willing.

There was only a millimetre between them before their lips met. 

Before the contact could be made...

The same distortion that had consumed Venion earlier returned. The image around them began to morph into jagged fragments, tearing the peaceful park scene apart.

"Venion!"

At the same time, Venion heard a faint voice calling his name from a distance. And as if a spell had been broken, he suddenly snapped back to his senses. The heavy fog lifted from his mind, and he could move freely again.

Venion looked on. The Cale from this foreign world was still in front of him, but the sweet smile had vanished. In its place was a look of sorrow and heartbreak.

"...Are you leaving me again?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Cale's figure began to fade, blurring into the distorting air. He reached out his hand toward Venion one last time.

Seeing him like this, Venion felt a sudden, sharp pang of conflict. He felt as though he should at least say something, anything, to the man who had looked at him with such devotion.

But before he could find the words or do anything, his vision went black once more, swallowing the park and the fading Cale into the darkness.

"...ion..."

"...nion..."

"...Venion..."

Venion's eyes flickered open.

The park was gone, replaced by a sterile white room. The air was thick with the biting scent that reminded him of antiseptic.

"He's awake," a voice announced.

Venion turned his head slowly. A group of doctors and nurses stood at the foot of his bed. Some clutching clipboards while others adjusted the plastic tubing of the drip attached to his arm.

'I'm at a hospital?'

Venion's eyes scanned the room, catching sight of his father and siblings standing not far from the bed. They were watching him with varying expressions.

'I'm back?'

His father approached the bed.

"You were standing under a coconut tree," he said, his tone grave. "You were hit by a falling coconut and fell unconscious."

Right.
It all came back to him in a dull thud of memory. He had been standing beneath a coconut tree when he had asked Cale for a ride and watched the man walk away in disgust. 

"Fufu, second brother..." Venion heard one of his younger sisters snicker. Her hand covered her mouth as she looked at him with amusement. "If people found out about this, won't you be the laughing stock of the town?"

However, her words did not affect Venion at all. The mockery failed to register against the weight of his own thoughts. Right now, only the image of the sorrowful Cale, the heartbroken expression and the way he had faded into nothingness occupied Venion's mind.

'...Who are you?...'

His vision began to swarm again.

In no time, he was consumed by darkness once more.

"Doctor! Patient has lost consciousness again!"

"Venion!"

"Brother!"

The voices of the medical staff and his family sounded miles away as he slipped back into the void.