It’s just the two of them, and the vast, unending universe.
//fin//
It’s just the two of them, and the vast, unending universe.
//fin//
“Wow.” The cloud of Shouyou’s breath reaches for the heavens, but disappears.
Tobio wraps his arms around him, presses his chest to Shouyou’s back, rests his chin on his head. “Wow.”
+
“Wow.” The cloud of Shouyou’s breath reaches for the heavens, but disappears.
Tobio wraps his arms around him, presses his chest to Shouyou’s back, rests his chin on his head. “Wow.”
+
The moon isn’t out, doesn’t overpower the view. The stars shine even more brightly, diamonds scattered across a jeweler’s velvet cloth, glittering and precious. Tobio feels the edges of black eternity, but it’s not empty.
+
The moon isn’t out, doesn’t overpower the view. The stars shine even more brightly, diamonds scattered across a jeweler’s velvet cloth, glittering and precious. Tobio feels the edges of black eternity, but it’s not empty.
+
Tobio leads Shouyou to the front door, and out to the porch.
They look up.
+
Tobio leads Shouyou to the front door, and out to the porch.
They look up.
+
Shouyou grabs his hand, his thumb rubbing over Tobio’s knuckles. “It’s not that dark, I guess.”
They stand there in the gloom, +
Shouyou grabs his hand, his thumb rubbing over Tobio’s knuckles. “It’s not that dark, I guess.”
They stand there in the gloom, +
Shouyou’s voice is small. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Something could happen.”
Tobio doesn’t mention the fact that they could have stayed in an actual hotel in an actual town, and if he had been in charge of the trip, they would have.
+
Shouyou’s voice is small. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Something could happen.”
Tobio doesn’t mention the fact that they could have stayed in an actual hotel in an actual town, and if he had been in charge of the trip, they would have.
+
“It’s dark.”
“Not completely.” The stove has plenty of firewood stacked up next to it, and even more outside. The light is orange and flickers unevenly, but they won’t be in complete darkness.
Shouyou shivers and Tobio can’t help a smirk. +
“It’s dark.”
“Not completely.” The stove has plenty of firewood stacked up next to it, and even more outside. The light is orange and flickers unevenly, but they won’t be in complete darkness.
Shouyou shivers and Tobio can’t help a smirk. +
Tobio doesn’t think they, the guests, would be rude letting the owner know that the cabin they’d paid a pretty penny for was electricity-optional. He grabs Shouyou’s phone and switches off the light.
+
Tobio doesn’t think they, the guests, would be rude letting the owner know that the cabin they’d paid a pretty penny for was electricity-optional. He grabs Shouyou’s phone and switches off the light.
+
“There’s no use.” Tobio steps back from the wall and gives up. “We’ll have to call the owner and explain.”
+
“There’s no use.” Tobio steps back from the wall and gives up. “We’ll have to call the owner and explain.”
+
Tobio fumes. Was any of this even his fault? He signed up for a trip, sure, but he thought they’d be staying at a hotel, not at someone’s cabin in the Colombia River Valley.
+
Tobio fumes. Was any of this even his fault? He signed up for a trip, sure, but he thought they’d be staying at a hotel, not at someone’s cabin in the Colombia River Valley.
+
Would it even help? The fuses are all covered in an intelligible scrawl, in a language they both kind of know. +
Would it even help? The fuses are all covered in an intelligible scrawl, in a language they both kind of know. +
“The view was worth it,” Tobio smiled.
“Told you so,” Shouyou smiled back.
//fin//
“The view was worth it,” Tobio smiled.
“Told you so,” Shouyou smiled back.
//fin//
But they weren’t in the mist, in the trees. They were in the temperature-controlled train car.
+
But they weren’t in the mist, in the trees. They were in the temperature-controlled train car.
+
It was comforting, somehow.
And then the view was yanked out of sight by a building, and another one, their strange, mystical trip to another dimension ended.
+
It was comforting, somehow.
And then the view was yanked out of sight by a building, and another one, their strange, mystical trip to another dimension ended.
+
He felt small in the face in the face of so much wonder, humbled to be in the presence of such majesty. Ancient, it had stood before Tobio was even born, +
He felt small in the face in the face of so much wonder, humbled to be in the presence of such majesty. Ancient, it had stood before Tobio was even born, +
But something about the moment seemed holy, sublime. For a brief interlude, they weren’t just the only two people in the observation lounge, but the last survivors in a world that had moved on.
+
But something about the moment seemed holy, sublime. For a brief interlude, they weren’t just the only two people in the observation lounge, but the last survivors in a world that had moved on.
+
“It’s beautiful,” Shouyou said, taking his hand.
Tobio jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, then threaded their fingers together, felt the grounding weight of his touch. “It is.”
+
“It’s beautiful,” Shouyou said, taking his hand.
Tobio jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, then threaded their fingers together, felt the grounding weight of his touch. “It is.”
+
+
+
Even through the glass, Tobio somehow felt the early-morning air, surrounding him like a soft down coat, chilling him instead of keeping him warm.
Then, out of the grey, the trees.
+
Even through the glass, Tobio somehow felt the early-morning air, surrounding him like a soft down coat, chilling him instead of keeping him warm.
Then, out of the grey, the trees.
+
That’s when he saw the trees.
It was mist, first. Gloomy yet gleaming in the pre-dawn. It clung to the ground, some sort of ancient bog, +
That’s when he saw the trees.
It was mist, first. Gloomy yet gleaming in the pre-dawn. It clung to the ground, some sort of ancient bog, +
The coffee wasn’t ready yet, not until six. +
The coffee wasn’t ready yet, not until six. +