Evening 120 - Accidental Voice

[vampbratprince]

*sheets rustling*

Angel, I can hear those thoughts of yours.

*a long pause where Lestat kisses him*

You and I are leaving. Together. If it is your time to leave this City then I'm going with you.

Comments

[notapreacher]

"I can't ask you to do that."

Maybe he doesn't have to leave. Maybe he's misinterpreting the pull he feels. Maybe... maybe...

Maybe nothing; it's time and he knows it, and the very limited clock is ticking. He doesn't want to leave. "If I go out there, I die. And then where will you be?"

Be can't do that to Lestat.

[vampbratprince]

"It doesn't matter. I am going and you are going to stop arguing that point. Come. We need to gather our things so we can see if we can bring them."

And that is that. If Gren is sure then he believes him and he will not lose him.

Calmly, he gets out of bed and rushes to change his clothes while he starts gathering things together. This here and that there. He knows what can be abandoned and what can't.

"Don't think about what might happen. Let's focus on getting there."

He stops buttoning his shirt and goes over to kiss Gren. "Together."

[notapreacher]

"The animals." This is exactly why he didn't want to have pets here.

With every moment that passes, he feels it more and more. Like being in a wind tunnel, fighting the inevitable. He's never been frightened of much, but this... this scares him. He's got his sax case open and he's stuffing things in it, although he's sure it's all irrelevant. A last gasp, a last attempt at holding on to what's his.

What's theirs.

He won't argue any more, and he won't fight it any more.

[vampbratprince]

"We're taking them too." A whistle brings the dogs in and he quickly goes out to gather the other two cats while he tells Gren to grab Katan.

They are going together. That is it and the end of this story. No more arguements.

Looking around, he takes in everything then looks directly at his lover. "What else do you want to bring?" They have everything that could be important and he left his edited completed book on the table out there.

"Anything at all?"

[notapreacher]

"Cameras. The music we wrote together, for each other. The necklace you gave me. I don't know. Whatever I came here with. You. You, crazy man."

That's all. He's sure if he does survive whatever lies next he'll think of some things he wishes he had, but he doesn't expect to survive. He hopes for their sake, Lestat and the animals do.

There's only one thing that gives him hope, and that's the faith he has in his partner. It might be misplaced, but it's strong as anything.

[vampbratprince]

I have the music. I'll go grab the cameras. Another quick kiss and he leaves long enough to grab them. Gren will have the time to grab the necklace.

That should be everything now.

He comes back and gathers his lover close.

"How much longer? Do you know?"

[notapreacher]

"I don't know. Not very long." It would be nice if the City had given him a little more warning. But no, he already had to plead once for a little more time and he wonders: was it like this for Julia? For Faye? For Lin? For all the others who've left? Or were they just plucked from their daily routine without a word, mid-sentence, just... gone?

He can't spare the time to think about it; he picks up Katan, holds him close, and once the cameras are safe in the sax case, closes and latches it.

"Your violin."

The puppies. Will they be okay? He knows Lestat doesn't have the answers to that question: Apolline and her precious cargo will either survive or they won't. The same can be said for all of them and now... now he's starting to get a little frantic. Breathe, breathe, breathe like your life depends on it, Gren, he tells himself. This will either work or it won't.

He thought they had all the time in the world.

[vampbratprince]

The violin is easy. He points to where he set it with everything else during his rush earlier. Kneeling next to his girl, he pets her gently. "The puppies will be alright. All of us will. And we will all get there...where ever there is."

Then he rises to his feet and has the dogs gather close to the two of them as he cups Gren's face with his hands. "We do have all the time in the world. Whatever happens, we will be together. I will make sure that happens."

He doesn't know how the hell he'll do that but he will.

It's a silent promise he refuses to break. For anyone or anything.

[notapreacher]

"Okay." That's it, then: he can think of a million things he wants to do but only one that needs to be done. "Abby."

There's a sudden and unwelcome lump in his throat; he swallows it back. We need to leave her word. He knows: he grabs his comm, turns it on, and does a quick video post private to Abby. It's silent; he signs I love you, Abby and sets it for delayed delivery. She'll get it later today.

Now that really is everything. His head's starting to swim and he doesn't know how much longer they have; he reaches for Lestat's arm. Don't lose me on the way. I don't want you stranded somewhere.

[vampbratprince]

He watches Gren and as soon as the video message is done he gathers Gren into his arms right as his lover reaches for him. I won't lose you. I'm going to stay with you the entire way.

Again, he doesn't know how he's going to do it. But he will. He'll make sure of it.

"I won't leave you. We are going together." Gently he kisses his forehead then smiles at him. "You'll just have to trust that I won't get lost. Besides, I'll know where you go by listening to this." He lightly taps Gren's head.

[notapreacher]

Beyond the end of time: that's the promise they made to each other. He hands Katan over to Lestat -- if they're separated, Katan will be much happier that way -- and picks up his sax case. Comm in his pocket, they move into the other room surrounded by dogs and cats.

This is crazy. It will never work, never. He'll go wherever he has to go -- probably into oblivion -- and Lestat will be refused passage, he'll stay here, have their memories and the dogs and cats and this place, and he'll be able to go on and make a whole new life for himself. But... what if it does work? Maybe, just maybe, they'll end up somewhere together. One of them dead and the other undead, but somewhere, and together, and it's what he's thinking as he reaches for the doorknob and feels himself engulfed by a light so bright it's shocking.

It's the last thing he knows.