"See. He's useless. Too afraid to even go near the water. He can't help you."
"Fuck you!" Alex stood rooted to the spot.
"I can hear his heart beating faster -- so fast. Overcome by fear. Powerless, frozen in place and he can watch you become mine."
The invisible bonds pulled at Zed's ankles. He kicked at them, to no avail, his hands flying underwater, trying to reach for anything to keep him surfaced. "Alex!" he screamed. His heart pounded like a jackhammer and adrenaline coursed around his body. What use was any of it? He didn't want to die, not now. Not when he had Alex and... only Alex. If he was going under, his last thoughts were going to be of Alex. If Opal was convinced he'd have eternal death with her, she'd never be able to erase his memories.
Zed struggled to get his head above the surface of the pond. He spat water and took in as much air as he could. The fight wasn't over yet.
"No one's going to save you -- no one saved me. I'll have all of eternity to make you pay for what you did to me!"
"Hang on, Zed!"
"Don't. He can't save you."
Pure terror overtook Zed.
He can't save you he can't save you he can't save you.
"He can! Alex... please." Fighting against the pull of the watery tendrils became too hard. One last deep breath, and Zed went under. This time he knew it was for the last time. With everything he had, he tried to kick. His hands and arms worked wildly, harder than any engine, trying to keep him floating. But he knew there was no way he was going to break the surface of the pond again. Heart beating in his ears, head pounding with pressure, lungs burning... This was it. For the second time in his comparatively short life, Zed was saying a goodbye to Alex that Alex'd never hear. He closed his eyes as the fight left him...
"Zed! Hang on, Zed! I'm coming... coming... coming... ing... ing..."
***
"...you! Wake! Up!"
Too hard...
"Zed! Not again! Don't you dare!" Alex's voice broke.
It was coming from far away. No wonder it broke; it was a dream.
"Damn you."
Alex's words came out half choked. Warm lips landed on Zed's again... air filled him. Alex's life...
Zed coughed, groaned, coughed again, and brought up foul pond water. He rolled over, letting momentum carry him, and threw up.
That distasteful task over, he rolled back. The world was hard, the grass prickly, the air warm, and nothing was liquid, no fluid caresses. He opened one eye, just a bit, scared of who -- or what -- he might see. Alex. Zed's heart leaped. Thank God. He took in his boyfriend's shabby appearance and slowly realized that the only times he ever saw Alex looking like this were after showers. And the few times Alex miscalculated the weather and got caught in the rain. Zed closed his eyes again, content that Alex had saved his life. Again. Not that he'd ever thought otherwise.
"I thought I lost you." Alex's whole body shook. Water dripped from his hair and landed on Zed's chest. "I thought... I wouldn't... The water..."
"But you did," Zed rasped. Fuck, his throat was raw. And he was cold, now. The warmth from the air just wasn't doing anything to restore his body heat. An involuntary shiver was followed by more until he felt like ice. "I'm cold, Alex."
"Fuck! Sorry." Alex sprang into action. "Can you walk? No, I'll carry you."
And the next thing Zed knew, he was hoisted by familiar strong arms. Just the contact with Alex's skin warmed him. But not enough, he still shivered all the way to the fire. Alex laid him gently on their bed of blankets and proceeded to wrap them around him, one by one, until he resembled a cocoon. And as the warmth gradually seeped into Zed, the violent tremors wracking his body lessened and he drifted into sleep.
***
"Alex -- the dogs --" Zed mumbled. "Run."
A soft laugh. "No need to run; they won't get you. That's coyotes, and they're far enough away."
The howling continued, back and forth within the pack of the dogs. Echoing and eerie in the still of the night.
As his eyes opened, awareness settled on Zed. Fuck, he was comfortable... but on a hard surface. The ground. Okay, that'd do it. The two blankets over him were heavy. And hot. He pushed one of them off and sat up. Too quickly... Whoa, head spins and bright spots dancing in his peripheral vision. And behind his eyelids. A bit like the fireworks... or the effects of one of those pills Stan had given him years ago. Best not to think about that.
Alex sat as close to Zed as he could without actually sitting on Zed. He, too, was wrapped in a blanket.
"Should I be dead?"
"Not on my watch."
"But you weren't there. Opal tried, didn't she?" Vague recollections seeped into his consciousness -- being held under water, struggling against nothing.
"Yes. That fucking bitch tried to take what's mine," Alex said, throwing another log on the fire. "I was on the shore watching you go under, Opal taunting me, and I've never been more scared in my life. I thought... I thought I wouldn't be able to save you." He was almost talking to himself.
Zed nodded, when he was sure the dancing spots wouldn't leave traces. Alex had saved him. Since nearly drowning in his parent's swimming pool when he was eight, Alex hadn't been anywhere near a large body of water. "You did. Thank God." Zed opened his eyes now that he was safe from colored spots. Keeping the one blanket wrapped around his shoulders, he shimmied closer to Alex. "That's twice now."
"Try not to let there be a third. I don't think my heart can take it."
Alex opened his blanket, allowing Zed to lean against his solid warmth. Zed unwrapped himself from his blanket and shamelessly snuggled. "This one wasn't deliberate. I don't want to leave you."
"I know that." Alex looked out into the darkness. "I don't know why Opal let us leave the water. I don't know why she's not here now. But I think this is far from over. Definitely not how I pictured spending my birthday."
Fuck! How could he have forgotten? Zed looked skyward and smiled ruefully. Probably quite easily. He wrapped his arm tighter around Alex's neck and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Happy birthday, love. Wanna fuck?" It was the same line he'd used on Alex every year for his birthday since Zed had come out.
Alex laughed. "Always wanna fuck you, but do you think that's a good idea considering the fucking ghost tried to kill you?"
Zed moved around in front of Alex and knelt between his legs. They were both naked, so... "Let's just see where it takes us. I need you, Alex."
"Well, what kind of boyfriend would I be to deny you?"
Kissing Alex was the only thing to do, right then. Kiss him and push him back on the blankets. And open the blanket so Zed could lie against him. Skin on skin. "How did you get me out of the pond?" The question had been bothering Zed, hovering on the fringes of his consciousness. It needed asking -- and answering.
"No idea." Alex's lips brushed along Zed's jaw. "I don't remember much. One second I'm having a panic attack and watching you go under, and the next I'm in the fucking water towing you to shore. I have no idea how I did it."
"She didn't think you would." Zed tipped his head back so Alex could reach his throat. "She said you'd be scared."
"Bet your ass I was scared."
"I... I almost didn't think you'd--"
Alex's hands framed Zed's head and pulled him closer. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. "I'd do anything for you. I just needed to tell myself that I could do it." He closed his eyes and sighed. "You mean more to me than anything. I figured we'd either both be okay or both go under."
"My hero." Zed pushed his hand down between them and clasped their cocks, his practiced stroking making them both groan. He didn't want to dwell on the near drowning anymore. Not that evening, anyway. Right now, he wanted to feel alive again and know that he and Alex were fine. He needed to flood his body with endorphins and make things normal.
He let go of their cocks and found Alex's hands, pushing his fingers between Alex's and holding tight. He needed so much, but mostly to reconnect with Alex. He needed to know that Opal hadn't done irreparable damage to their relationship.
Zed's cock rested next to Alex's. Pushed right up alongside each other, all Zed had to do was twist his hips slightly to elicit a sigh from Alex. That was perfect. Like this, barely moving, just being together.
Laughing softly, Alex untangled his fingers and threaded them through Zed's hair. He pulled Zed's head down so their noses were touching. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Zed nodded. His throat was rough and his chest tight. Yeah, okay, he was a little fragile. But if Alex was content to just lay here and love him, he'd be more than happy to reciprocate. He licked Alex's lips. "I love you. Never forget that."
"I love you, too." A slow roll of his hips, and Alex slid his hands down Zed's back, feather light. "Not gonna let some ghost inside my head again."
"Good," Zed mumbled.
His lips brushed Alex's, he gave an almost imperceptible moan, and his tongue slipped between Alex's lips, brushing against Alex's. One of them moaned contentedly, and they both shifted, trying to accommodate arms, shoulders, hips, thighs, knees more comfortably.
The kiss was slow, languid. No hurry, just soft sighs and moans. Zed's tongue glided against Alex's, twisting and dancing, no push for domination. Alex's fingers lingered at the sensitive skin just above his ass, as if he'd forgotten what he was doing. But no, they were tracing little circles, gradually moving lower.
Zed's hips gave an involuntary thrust. Oh, yes. Right there, his cock right up alongside Alex's. Hot and hard and a few more times... and they were still kissing, their tongues mimicking their cocks.
Zed groaned. Oh, he was so lost. Alex knew exactly what he needed. Fingers traced his ass crack and pressed against his entrance. Zed moaned. "Yes... Oh fuck..."
"Gonna come?" Alex whispered. His voice was husky, a sure sign that he was having trouble not coming. "Tell me how close you are. How much you love my cock against yours, my fingers touching... stroking... in you." One of Alex's fingers pushed into Zed slowly. "Fuck, so hot. You like that?"
Sparks shot through Zed, up his spine and back down again, rendering him to jelly. He managed a grunt, which was way better than he'd thought he'd do. Words were overrated. His toes tingled and he thrust forward against Alex and back against Alex's finger. "Alex. Love, yes." A soundless grunt this time and hot come spurted between them.
Mellow now, Zed was content to just be. He closed his eyes while Alex slipped out from underneath him and made him roll over so he could wipe the come from their bodies. Gentle swipes from a cold cloth confused Zed's semi-conscious mind.
"Are you an angel, Alex?"
"I guess I must be. I have the infinite patience to put up with you."
"Mmm, lucky." A smile settled on Zed's lips and a kiss from Alex followed it.
"Gonna sleep now? I'll be right here, all night." Alex lay down next to Zed and pulled a blanket over them.
"Mmm..."
Monday July 5th, 2010
"They're over here."
Zed opened his eyes slowly. Trees still shaded Alex and him from the sun, but the air was already warming. Rhys had sounded like he was standing right on top of them, which he probably was.
"Right where we left them."
"Fuck off, Rhys," Zed mumbled and closed his eyes again, hiding his face against Alex's shoulder. Alex's arm tightened around him.
Rhys crouched and ruffled Zed's hair. "Zed, please. Show some manners in front of guests."
"Guests? Who came back with you?" Zed cracked an eye open again, focusing slowly on Rhys' sneakers and an unfamiliar pair of well worn Hi-Tops. "And did you bring coffee?"
"Sorry, Sparkles. We're not a cafe. We'll get some going, though. Expect to see you up at the house, appropriately dressed and ready to receive a guest, in ten minutes."
"Fuck off, Rhys," Alex grumbled.
Rhys just laughed. "Happy birthday, Sunshine. You two party hard last night?"
Alex grunted his response before pulling Zed close and thrusting against him. "Think he'll go away if we fuck?"
"No."
"Didn't think so." Alex rolled over and stretched, the blanket slipping almost indecently low. "How's everyone? Phil okay?"
"Yeah, just a bad sprain. The others are okay. Took them all home," Rhys explained. "This is Thad, a friend of Tania's."
"Hi, I'm Alex."
"Good to meet you."
Zed kept his eyes closed. This Thad, whatever he was doing here, had a lovely voice, smooth like chocolate. He had good taste in shoes, too, if the Converse Hi-Tops were any indication. Any more inspection than that was going to have to wait 'til after coffee.
"Apparently Thad can get rid of your ghost," Rhys said, explaining Thad's presence.
"She's not mine. I don't want her," Zed mumbled. And why wasn't Rhys making coffee?
Rhys laughed. "Lucky I bought him along, then."