Fic: Time and Tide
Jan. 1st, 2010 05:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cloversworld
Title: Time and Tide
Pairing: David Cook/ David Archuleta
Word Count: 8,262ish
Description:Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bwinchester as part of the< ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cookleta_xmas fic exchange
Summary: An AU story. Across time and space, spanning millennia, two men - star-crossed lovers - learned that life may fade, but that love always finds a way to survive. One accepted his fate while the other was determined to change what was written in the stars so that they could live together… forever.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer:
1) Please note that this is purely fiction and none of the contents are real except for some of the characters used in this story.
2) Most characters used are based on real people but the details within do not purposely imply occurrences in real life; thus, anything here that concurs with real events may be completely coincidental.
3) This fic is created based solely on the imagination of the author and for non-profitable purpose.
Author’s Notes: I did my best to meet all three prompts provided by bwinchester so I ended up creating three ficlets within a story. I hope you like this bwinchester bb! Happy holidays! And thanks to my wonderful, lovely and ultimately patient betascharliebb and jehane18! Any remaining mistakes are my own. I wasn't really too happy about this fic, I've sent this with the fear that readers might think it sucks. This was written at the time I was struggling to get Cookleta back into my system.
There's a website created for this story... HERE.
This was originally posted HERE atcookleta_hols.
- begin -
Year 2525
Something had gone terribly wrong.
The warning signal at the laboratory had gone off. Deafening, incessant cacophony resounded within its walls. Red and blue lights flashed alternately. Everyone on the night shift was a frantic blur of motion and activity.
“Let me take over from here, Dave,” Dr Brooke White said, fixing Dave with her sternest look. She knew how stubborn he could be.
“No.” Dave couldn’t just step aside. This was his husband’s life hanging on a thread. “I have to save him, Brooke.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.” Brooke gave clear-cut instructions to the nurses beside her before turning back to Dave. “Let me handle this, my friend. This is out of your league.”
Before Dave could protest further, he felt a grip on his arm. “She’s right, Dave. Let her do her job.” The gentle urging on his brother’s tone was enough to make him lift his hand off of the life support control and take a step back. Andrew had to use some force to pull Dave away from the cryogenic hibernation capsule that held his beloved David Archuleta.
Hang in there, baby. Dave’s thoughts reached out desperately to his husband.
It had been four months, three days and approximately seventeen hours since Dave placed his husband inside the vessel in suspended animation. He had to make this difficult choice to slow down the progressive spreading of malignant tumors in David’s internal organs while he and his friends searched for ‘the cure’.
He stared at the elliptical container and through its glass cover he could see the man that held his heart in his loving palm. A mist danced gracefully above his frame.
It was ironic how David obviously looked different and yet, he appeared to be the same somehow. The once healthy olive skin had turned bluish gray from the cold temperature. But to Dave, he could still see the bright shades of life burning along the surface. The lips that held the color of the sunset had turned dull gray. And yet, Dave could still see the hue of flames beneath. Crystalline icicles frosted the ends of his thick black lashes.
“I don’t want to lose him, Drew,” Dave nearly croaked. His throat was dry and painful. Andrew was shushing him, telling him to relax.
“You won’t,” Andrew said with a stress that seemed purposely placed on the latter word, “lose him. You have to keep on believing that he will get well. He’ll be better, Dave.” His optimism streamed through every syllable uttered.
“His heart’s failing!” someone had yelled.
No.
The beeping of the heart monitor and the ceaseless ringing of the emergency signal became thick, muffled sounds that mingled in his ears. Then the clamor started to fade, voices drifted away as if Dave was being sucked in a tunnel, taken farther away from the chaos. Until the only sound left was his heartbeat, pounding wildly, and a string of high-pitched bleeps echoing through his auditory canal.
The entire medical team hovering around the vessel in their desperate effort to keep his husband alive turned to hazy images, blurring further as they moved around. It felt like the floor was moving, spinning beneath his feet and tilting slowly on one side then to the other.
“Dave?”
This wasn’t supposed to happen. David was responding well to the reversal of the cryonic procedure. This was something Dave had been looking forward to. He missed David – his laughter, the sound of his mellifluous voice, the feel of his silky fingertips gliding across Dave’s skin, the feel of his soft lips against Dave’s own and the warmth of his slender body.
“Dr. Cook?”
A blinding light radiated from the corners of the room, its glow growing rapidly until all he could see was white. Then he could hear nothing, not even his own breathing. It almost felt like he was floating, levitating in empty, cold space.
The fear in losing his husband had weakened him. Dave could almost hear David’s voice.
“Don’t be sad, Cookie. Most love stories don’t end well, anyway. Like Romeo and Juliet. But I wish things could have happened differently.“
==========
==========
…..Year 2525
A lingering cloud of white dust trailed behind the bullet-shaped vehicle hovering along the driveway. The nearly soundless hum of its engine evanesced when it slowed and descended at the end of the promenade.
Dr. Dave Cook was standing by the window of one of the manor’s high tower. His gaze was still on the silver car, watching the door from the driver’s side slide open. Then he sighed when he saw a dark-haired man step out. He silently prayed his friend had come to bring him good news.
“Dr. Cook?” One of the laboratory research assistants stood by archway. “Dr. White requests your presence.”
“Thank you Syesha.”
Staggering slightly, he made his way to the lower ground area of the manor. He was still feeling a bit weak from passing out hours earlier. The recovery room was dimly lit and Brooke was focused on her digital pad when he entered.
“Brooke, how is…?” Dave can’t even say it.
The blonde woman looked up and smiled at him; her eyes shone. “He’s gonna be fine, Dave.”
A glance at the brain activity and heart monitor told him that Brooke wasn’t lying. The white lines had started creating erratic patterns and the light blinking was increasing its pace. David had indeed crossed the threshold of danger or the fifty-fifty chance for survival that Brooke had declared earlier.
Dave slowly walked over to the bed where his husband lay, eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Thank you Brooke. I…” He trailed off. His trembling hand reached out to touch David’s, fingertips almost flinching when it felt the icy chill that still clung on his husband’s skin.
“How are you feeling?” It was clear that Brooke wasn’t referring to Dave’s emotions. It was a safe presumption that the question was directed to his health. It was what everyone had been asking him since he came to.
Although he felt slightly vexed to hear his friends and employees fret about his blood pressure, Dave still appreciated their concern, nonetheless. But to Dave’s opinion, everyone should be more worried about David’s well being and this was exactly what he told Brooke in response.
“David isn’t the only friend I have, Dave” was Brooke’s return. The depth in her eyes was one he hadn’t seen before. And Dave was stricken with guilt for brushing her worries aside.
“Sorry. But I’m fine Brooke, really.” Dave hoped he sounded convincing enough. “It’s just the usual high blood pressure, nothing major.”
“You should get more rest.”
“Not until I find the cure.” Dave only sighed when he met Brooke’s reprimanding gaze. Some of his friends had been trying to convince him that he was searching for a needle in a haystack. But he was grateful that some friends supported him and had gone in search of the legendary flower that was rumored to excrete an elixir that could cure any disease.
Brooke’s lips parted, the fierce streak on her eyes showed that she was ready to retaliate. But then someone walked in without preamble.
“Have you heard from Neal or Andy?” There was an obvious enthusiasm radiating off of Michael John’s face.
“No” was Dave’s noncommittal reply, apparently not infected by his friend’s exuberance. He took a chair from a corner while Michael and Brooke exchanged pleasantries; then settled himself at his husband’s bedside. His mind drifted off to the dreams he had been constantly having, as if they were glimpses of his past life – dreams similar to the stories that David had written.
It was when Brooke asked Michael something about the expeditions that Dave slipped out of his rumination. He was just in time to hear Michael explain that Neal and Andy might have found the location of a hidden preserved forest. “It’s right beyond the wastelands on the Northern border,” Michael explained.
“Well that’s good news.” The eagerness Brooke showed would have been encouraging had Dave not been aware of the countless failed quests. Thus, Dave didn’t want to raise his expectations. He chose to remain warily optimistic.
It was when Dave managed to convince Brooke she likewise needed to get some rest that she agreed to leave. Of course, her last words to Dave were “let him sleep” and “don’t make him talk too much when he wakes up”. When Dave expressed his worry about what had happened to David before he passed out, Brooke assured him with “He’ll be fine, his heart has been beating normally for the past few hours. It was just a shocked reaction to the gradual increase in temperature.”
Finally, before Brooke crossed the doorway of the recovery room, she said, “Get some sleep. And don’t forget to take your medication before you do.”
Michael eyed Dave warily for some time after Brooke left. Dave could feel the weight of his friend’s gaze, and he was starting to feel uncomfortable. “What?” he blurted when he could no longer bear the feeling like there was something creeping underneath his skin, the feeling he usually got when he knew he was being scrutinized.
“You look pale.” Michael sounded matter-of-fact, but at the same time, concerned “Why don’t you get some rest? Pull out a cot and set it beside David’s bed if you don’t want to leave his side.”
“I think I might just do that.”
At least Michael made sense. He left telling Dave that he would send someone to set up a portable bed for him and then he would check with Neal and his expedition team.
A few more people showed up to see how David was doing, including David’s mother. When it seemed like David wasn’t showing any signs of waking up anytime soon, the visitors had left with a promise to return the next day.
His friend, Carly, had dropped off the present that he had asked her to pick up for him. Dave planned to give it to David on his birthday but he couldn’t hold off for another month. It was a book, the novel that David had written.
When he was finally alone with David, Dave took the book and ran his fingers over the black leather cover, which bore the title of David’s story in gold letters: Eternal Starlight. Above the title was the symbol that resembled the number eight written horizontally, a symbol David used in his manuscript. He reveled in the sound of the spine ripping as the book was opened for the first time.
David had no knowledge that his story had been published. It was his wish to have it printed out and bound like the books that existed centuries before. Not like the handheld holographic pads common at the current period. He’d seen it on the archives, and he’d often say that a novelist’s dream would not be fulfilled until his work had been published… “In print,” he would add.
The letters printed in black ink against the off-white paper formed the words that were spun out of David’s imagination. Dave cleared his throat and started to read:
“Across time and space, spanning millennia, two men, star-crossed lovers, learned that life may fade, but that love always finds a way to survive. One accepted his fate and opened his arms to welcome the dreary promise of the afterlife. The other was determined to change what was written in the stars, vowing to search for a cure to heal his love so that they could live together… forever.
Fine sands slowly poured through the hourglass as time slipped away... “
==========
==========
…..Year 2525
Darkness crept throughout the citadel, the large fortress at the Cali-region – one of the few left on the remains of what used to be the state of California. Iron buildings bathed in cold moonlight cast shadows on the murky streets below. The roads were almost empty. Silence had fallen like a rain across the silver city.
It was a completely opposite scene inside the Anthemic manor. Every room was suffused with light, some dim and some not. Few members of Dave’s medical research team had decided to stay for the night. A storm was passing through and the roads would most likely be glazed with melted snow.
Dave and David’s family were in town for the holidays. So the couple had given up the idea of spending a quiet week alone. But Dave wouldn’t have it any other way. Seeing David smile was the best gift he could have, even if he had to endure David’s endless nagging to push through with the birthday party he had planned for Dave.
One morning, two days before his birthday, they lay in silence as the yellow orange sun peeked through the blinds of their bedroom window. Its beam danced across the smooth expanse of David’s bare back.
David’s head was resting on Dave’s shoulder, his long, slender fingers idly skirting through the scarce hair of Dave’s chest. Dave had been too worried that his husband might be too frail to indulge in sexual activity. But his hesitance on acting on the matter deeply aggravated David. And his husband ended up forcing himself on him last night.
“I can’t believe you seduced me.” The fingers skipping across Dave’s skin stilled, and an open palm smacked him on the same spot. Dave laughed.
“I so did not seduce you.” David lifted his head and looked at Dave with narrowed eyes, which only made Dave guffaw and wrestle David until he was lying on his back with Dave on top of him, only a thin blanket between their naked bodies. “May I point out the fact that you enjoyed every second of it. And I wouldn’t have forced you to make love to me if you hadn’t been so uptight.”
The laughter rumbling out of Dave gradually died down. He pressed his lips briefly against David’s and then playfully nipped on the tip of David’s nose when he pulled away. “I just…” He paused to collect his thoughts, brushing a few strands of hair off of David’s forehead. “I was just worried in having you go through such strenuous activity, baby. And you know how awesome I can be in bed, so…”
It was David’s turn to laugh. “You’re so full of it, you know.”
Dave had a silly remark at the tip of his tongue but an urgent knock followed by an enthusiastic “Dr. Cook? Dr. Cook, wake up” caused the words to evaporate.
“I’m awake, Kyle. What is it?” Dave slid out of the bed and grabbed a robe from their closet.
He was slipping the robe on and had one arm through the sleeves when Kyle blurted out, “Neal and Andy and their teams have resurfaced. Mr. Johns have them on video call in your study.”
David met Dave’s eyes and he could see the vestiges of hope swimming in his husband’s hazel ones. There was a sudden lump in his throat; he had to swallow hard. “Tell Michael I’ll be there in a second, Kyle.”
It didn’t take long for Dave to get dressed and make his way to his study. A grin was nearly tearing Michael’s face into two when he walked in.
“He’s here!” Michael announced and indeed, Neal and Andy’s faces were filling up the screen on top of his desk. “They found it, Dave!” It was Michael who took the liberty of announcing the good news because judging from what he was seeing on screen, the expedition team was busy celebrating. “They have it safely preserved.”
Dave couldn’t believe his ears. It had almost been a month since Neal and Andy called in to report that their tracking systems had picked up a hidden garden underneath the Northern wastelands. It had almost been a month since both expedition teams had started their journey under the earth’s surface.
Hope had become like a distant star, quite impossible to reach. But now… Now his friends had resurfaced. Bringing with them the Eternal Starlight – the healing flower.
/-----
It took two days for Neal and Andy to return to the citadel. It was the morning of Dave’s birthday and everyone in the manor was pretty much preoccupied with the preparation for the party.
David was putting up some Christmas decorations on the window, pointing out that since Christmas would come five days later, they should grace their home with traditional decorations. Being a historian, David had been engrossed with the traditions of earlier centuries and had put them to practice. These influences had helped him in writing stories, something he loved to do during his leisure time.
It was quite a sight for Dave to watch. David’s graceful hands setting up the wreaths and what-nots that Dave wouldn’t bother finding out the proper terms for against the glass and the window pane. His husband’s beauty hadn’t waned. Despite the disease that was slowly making his internal organs deteriorate, outside, David still held the sunshine in his smile and the moonlight in his eyes.
Lost in thought, Dave hadn’t notice that David had one hand splayed over the wall and the other palm pressed on his stomach. Beads of sweat had started to form on his forehead.
Dave rushed behind him, coiling an arm carefully around David’s waist.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” He couldn’t hide the panic, less the worry, in his voice.
“I’m fine. Just tired I guess.” There was a thick weariness in David’s voice and hearing made Dave feel as if there was a pushing mass in his own chest. Dave could feel his husband’s weight as he leaned on him further.
“Then rest a while, baby. There are a lot of people here who could do that for you.”
Even the smile David gave him was weary. Although it was easy to tell that he was trying hard to make it look as bright as it normally was. The spark in his eyes seemed to be waning. And Dave could feel his heart shattering at the thought that his David, his loving husband… was fading.
But David had insisted on pushing through with Dave’s birthday celebration.
Neal and Andy had arrived in the morning and the few flowers they've collected had been brought to the apothecary so Jason and his team could begin to extract the elixir.
The party was going well and David looked better. But as the afternoon wore on, the weariness started to show on his face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
When Michael Johns had stood in the middle of the room with his glass raised and was starting a toast, Dave watched as David rose from his chair and raised his glass of juice as well, eyes darting around the room, laughing at every word Michael said.
Then David’s laugh lines slowly faded, the smile diminishing like a light losing its radiance. His eyes, frantic and wide, met Dave’s for a moment. And then David fell limply to the ground.
==========
==========
…..Year 2525
A drop.
It was all he had to take. Dave had traitorously pushed his own blood pressure high enough to alarm his fellow doctors.
But the drop of elixir Jason had given Dave was enough to restore the strength in every muscle of his body. It had been ages since he last felt as vigorous as he did.
At least they knew the elixir worked, and hoped it would do the same for David. Jason had managed to produce a vial of the cure that David later received.
Dave had never left David’s side since David’s collapse, and swore he wouldn’t, even if it meant spending Christmas at the medical wing of his own manor. He read to David everyday, and by the time he was almost at the end of David’s story, on the eve of Christmas, David regained consciousness.
David was kept at the medical wing for three more days. Dave ran the necessary tests to check on the progress of the elixir. And it was nothing short of a miracle that on the third day, the tests came out clean. No trace of the virus could be found.
It was truly worth celebrating for.
A month had passed and David was completely cured. He was sitting on a bay window, looking out across the citadel when Dave found him.
“Breakfast?” David jolted and almost dropped the book lying on his lap. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” Dave went over to where his husband sat and bent to kiss him on the temple.
“Oh it’s okay. I was just… well, thinking.” When Dave raised an eyebrow in question, David started waving his hands, flailing as he explained, “Oh it’s nothing really. I was just… Well, I was just wondering how I was cured when nothing had worked before. Not that I don’t believe in miracles, you know.”
No one ever told David about the elixir, and he’d never really tried to ask. And it had slipped Dave’s mind somehow. So Dave slid behind David, pulled him close until his back was resting on Dave’s chest and told him the entire story. David was gaping at Dave by the time he was done and it took a while before he uttered, “You gave me an extract from an Eternal Starlight?”
“Well, yeah.” Dave furrowed his brows when he noticed the anxiety in David’s voice. “I had to try it first though, make sure it was safe and it worked.”
“Do you even know what’s in it?” David’s tone was laced with incredulity.
“Of course. I’ve done extensive research and it had been proven that it doesn’t have any toxic or acidic components and—“
“Dave.” David’s hand lay gently on Dave’s forearm. “I wasn’t talking about the technical stuffs. I was asking if you knew anything about its mythological background.”
There was a momentary silence that lingered around them. Dave was in deep thought, knew there was something mythological about the flower whose name David had used for his book’s title. And the thought made Dave gaze down at the book on David’s lap.
“What does the symbol mean?” Dave thought out loud as he stared at the horizontal number eight on the cover of David’s book.
“It means infinity,” David said, his voice soft and barely audible. “I don’t know how true it is, but legend says that the elixir produced from the flower not only heals any illness.” David raised his eyes to meet Dave’s gaze. “It was also believed that anyone who drinks it could live a longer life. That's why it's called the flower of infinity.”
Somehow, Dave didn’t doubt that. He was a doctor, an oncologist, a man of science. And all his life he believed that there was always a scientific reason for anything. All that changed when he met David.
For some reason, Dave had a feeling that parallel between the story David had written and his own dreams was not merely a coincidence.
What Dave didn’t know and had yet to discover was that he had been given a chance to change their destiny.
Eight years and eight days stood between them and if his dreams were somehow a glimpse of their past lives, it could only mean that their love had survived for eight centuries.
- THE END -
End Notes:
- The format of this fic was inspired by the movie 'The Fountain'.
- I used different names for David Cook and David Archuleta for each timeline to differentiate each of the story. For those aren't aware (I doubt if there's any)... 1) On year 1812, they were referred to as James and Roland since their full names are David James Archuleta and David Roland Cook respectively. 2) On year 1965, they were referred to as Cook and Archie, which is how they normally call each other in real life. 3) On year 2140, they were referred to as DJ and DR, derived from their initials, obviously.
- The Eternal Starlight or 'the flower of infinity' is something I invented and were patterned from 'the fountain of youth', 'philosopher's stone' and 'the tree of life'.
=========================================================
Comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
Pairing: David Cook/ David Archuleta
Word Count: 8,262ish
Description:Written for
bwinchester as part of the< cookleta_xmas fic exchangeSummary: An AU story. Across time and space, spanning millennia, two men - star-crossed lovers - learned that life may fade, but that love always finds a way to survive. One accepted his fate while the other was determined to change what was written in the stars so that they could live together… forever.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer:
1) Please note that this is purely fiction and none of the contents are real except for some of the characters used in this story.
2) Most characters used are based on real people but the details within do not purposely imply occurrences in real life; thus, anything here that concurs with real events may be completely coincidental.
3) This fic is created based solely on the imagination of the author and for non-profitable purpose.
Author’s Notes: I did my best to meet all three prompts provided by bwinchester so I ended up creating three ficlets within a story. I hope you like this bwinchester bb! Happy holidays! And thanks to my wonderful, lovely and ultimately patient betas
charliebb and jehane18! Any remaining mistakes are my own. I wasn't really too happy about this fic, I've sent this with the fear that readers might think it sucks. This was written at the time I was struggling to get Cookleta back into my system.
There's a website created for this story... HERE.
This was originally posted HERE at
cookleta_hols.
- begin -
Year 2525
Something had gone terribly wrong.
The warning signal at the laboratory had gone off. Deafening, incessant cacophony resounded within its walls. Red and blue lights flashed alternately. Everyone on the night shift was a frantic blur of motion and activity.
“Let me take over from here, Dave,” Dr Brooke White said, fixing Dave with her sternest look. She knew how stubborn he could be.
“No.” Dave couldn’t just step aside. This was his husband’s life hanging on a thread. “I have to save him, Brooke.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.” Brooke gave clear-cut instructions to the nurses beside her before turning back to Dave. “Let me handle this, my friend. This is out of your league.”
Before Dave could protest further, he felt a grip on his arm. “She’s right, Dave. Let her do her job.” The gentle urging on his brother’s tone was enough to make him lift his hand off of the life support control and take a step back. Andrew had to use some force to pull Dave away from the cryogenic hibernation capsule that held his beloved David Archuleta.
Hang in there, baby. Dave’s thoughts reached out desperately to his husband.
It had been four months, three days and approximately seventeen hours since Dave placed his husband inside the vessel in suspended animation. He had to make this difficult choice to slow down the progressive spreading of malignant tumors in David’s internal organs while he and his friends searched for ‘the cure’.
He stared at the elliptical container and through its glass cover he could see the man that held his heart in his loving palm. A mist danced gracefully above his frame.
It was ironic how David obviously looked different and yet, he appeared to be the same somehow. The once healthy olive skin had turned bluish gray from the cold temperature. But to Dave, he could still see the bright shades of life burning along the surface. The lips that held the color of the sunset had turned dull gray. And yet, Dave could still see the hue of flames beneath. Crystalline icicles frosted the ends of his thick black lashes.
“I don’t want to lose him, Drew,” Dave nearly croaked. His throat was dry and painful. Andrew was shushing him, telling him to relax.
“You won’t,” Andrew said with a stress that seemed purposely placed on the latter word, “lose him. You have to keep on believing that he will get well. He’ll be better, Dave.” His optimism streamed through every syllable uttered.
“His heart’s failing!” someone had yelled.
No.
The beeping of the heart monitor and the ceaseless ringing of the emergency signal became thick, muffled sounds that mingled in his ears. Then the clamor started to fade, voices drifted away as if Dave was being sucked in a tunnel, taken farther away from the chaos. Until the only sound left was his heartbeat, pounding wildly, and a string of high-pitched bleeps echoing through his auditory canal.
The entire medical team hovering around the vessel in their desperate effort to keep his husband alive turned to hazy images, blurring further as they moved around. It felt like the floor was moving, spinning beneath his feet and tilting slowly on one side then to the other.
“Dave?”
This wasn’t supposed to happen. David was responding well to the reversal of the cryonic procedure. This was something Dave had been looking forward to. He missed David – his laughter, the sound of his mellifluous voice, the feel of his silky fingertips gliding across Dave’s skin, the feel of his soft lips against Dave’s own and the warmth of his slender body.
“Dr. Cook?”
A blinding light radiated from the corners of the room, its glow growing rapidly until all he could see was white. Then he could hear nothing, not even his own breathing. It almost felt like he was floating, levitating in empty, cold space.
The fear in losing his husband had weakened him. Dave could almost hear David’s voice.
“Don’t be sad, Cookie. Most love stories don’t end well, anyway. Like Romeo and Juliet. But I wish things could have happened differently.“
==========
In which the Montagues and the Capulets weren't enemies...
I – On 1812
Too tight. The white linen that was fashionably wrapped around James’ neck was too tight, making it hard for him to breathe. There was no need to look at the full-length mirror to check if he’d turn blue from asphyxiation because he could feel he had.
“Stop pulling at it,” his mother swatted at his hand when he attempted to pull the neck cloth loose. And as if that wasn’t enough to suffocate him, she pulled on the strings behind his vest tightly, cutting off his remaining source of air.
“Mother, I…” He tried to reach behind him only to have his hand slapped away again. “C-can’t breathe mom.”
“Oh sorry,” his mother exclaimed and her fingers frantically fumbled on the string. “Too tight, dear?”
“Ah-I feel like I’m wuh-wearing a corset,” he said in short breaths and scrunched his nose when his mother laughed.
“I think it’s supposed to be a corset for men, son.” But she loosened the strings nonetheless. “Ohhh… look at you, James. You’re so handsome. Just the perfect groom.”
The word had hit him like a ton of bricks dropped purposely on his head. James groaned, “I just don’t understand why I have to do this mom. I mean, isn’t it unfair of father to force me to marry someone I know nothing about?”
“Oh darling, but you do know this person,” his mother blarneyed in a honeyed voice. “You used to spend a lot of time together when you were little. Remember how you couldn’t stop talking about what a marvelous time you’ve had every time his family comes for a visit or vice versa?”
It was true. There was no point in denying that he once looked up to this person like a hero, someone who was smart and funny and with a good heart. Thinking back to those years long ago made James’ heartbeat race.
“I’m nervous.”
“Well I’d say you’re not normal if you aren’t, dear.” His mother helped him into his coat. She took a lint brush and ran it through the fabric while James tucked the edges under the shirt frills and began working on the buttons with trembling fingers. “So,” she said once she was done, resting her chin on her son’s shoulder, “are you ready to get married?”
*****
The garden was filled with family and friends. Women in their shimmering white and pastel-colored gowns and men in cream and dark-colored coats were making their way to the rows of white linen-covered chairs.
The gazebo was decorated with white and silver flowers, with white ribbons dangling on the edges. It was simple yet elegant, just like the rest of the garden. The sweet scent of jasmines and orchids wafted in the air. It almost felt like heaven.
But James didn’t even notice any of this because his eyes were locked on the man who was to become his husband.
He’s handsome as I remember, was the first thought that came to James when his eyes landed on his groom-to-be standing on the opposite edge of the garden. His heart pounding against his rib cage and the air around him becoming dense were all he could remember about the rest of the ceremony.
And the moment he felt the slightly rough fingertips and the ironically soft palms when Roland had taken his hand to state his vows, James thought he was going to pass out.
When the minister announced their official union, Roland had locked his gorgeous, mesmerizing eyes – swirls of green and brown and gold streaks dancing on the surface – with James’, omigosh, before leaning in slowly. James held his breath and he must’ve turned purple all over before Roland’s lips finally, finally met his in a slow, gentle, I-think-I’m-gonna-die-any-moment kiss.
And that was how their story began.
*****
It was summer when they got married.
Roland had been a true gentleman, never been one to get in James’ way. He’d given James his own room. “We don’t have to share a bed, if you feel uncomfortable,” he’d said when he showed James a fairly sized room with a queen-sized bed covered in blue and white. No canopies. “I supposed you wouldn’t like one, but I can have one made if—“
“No. No canopies,” James had said, a shy smile gracing his lips. And he noticed his husband’s Adam’s apple bobbed like it would when he swallowed. His husband.
Although living together but sleeping in separate rooms was painfully awkward to begin with, James had managed to get used to the idea. And Roland never made it difficult for him. Except that one time when he slipped and his leg crashed against a table and he yelled in pain because it was really, really painful and Roland was in the shower at that time but he came running out, holding a towel around his waist and he was dripping and he looked so, so… oh.
It was in autumn James saw Roland in a different light.
Roland had always been considerate, always asking what he needed, what he wanted. He gave James the freedom to choose, something he thought he’d lost when he was forced into this marriage.
“Would the blue coat be fine or would you prefer a different color?” Roland had asked while holding up a set of clothing for James to wear on the masquerade ball. “Or is there something else you’d like? I can ask Ms. White to—“
“The blue one is fine. Really it is,” James had blurted and he’d dropped his gaze on the floor when he realized he had reached out to stop Roland from sprinting out of his room. His fingers had trembled against Roland’s thick, sinewy arms but he couldn’t pull it away. His heartbeat had raced and his knees had turned wobbly. The burn in his cheeks had rapidly spread all the way to the back of his neck.
But then Roland had held his hand out and James… well he had nervously laid his on top. And when Jason had appeared on the doorway to announce that, “Lunch is served, sirs,” they walked down the hallway with their hands entwined.
At the ball, they had danced together, had waltz around the ballroom in matching sets of clothing with waistcoats in different shades of blue – one in royal and one in navy.
Their laughter had filled the air, and their families’ looks of approval had warmed James’ heart. The softness in Roland’s eyes, the gentle smile that played at his lips made James feel something he had never felt before.
If only… If only.
In winter they had bonded.
Snow had been falling since morning. But the sky had stopped scattering the white crystals by early noon. The garden was draped with white blanket that shimmered against the ray of sun. It was a beautiful backdrop among empty trees and frozen ponds.
James was struck with sudden inspiration and had quickly set an easel, an empty canvas, and his art bag at the backyard, ignoring the reprimands and demands to stay indoors from Ms. White and Ms. Smithson. He had spent all afternoon capturing the breathtaking picturesque on a piece of cloth washed over with colorful splashes over layers of white.
A present, he’d thought. A present he’d give to Roland when he’d returned from his trip on the eve of his birthday.
On the eve of Roland’s birthday, James fell ill.
“He had spent all day yesterday and the day before outside the garden, painting,” he’d heard Ms. White tell Roland. “It was too cold outside but he just wouldn’t listen.”
He felt Roland brushing his hair with his calloused fingers the next time he’d woken up. “Why did you stay outside for so long?” Roland had asked, his eyes brimming with worry.
“I wanted to finish your present before you return,” James had said in a hoarse voice, his trembling finger pointing at the oil painting resting on an easel at the corner of the room.
A light had glimmered on Roland’s eyes as he walked over to the corner, his lips curved into a heartwarming smile. And the way he said, “Thank you,” sounded like he was about to cry.
That night, Roland had slept in his room. First on the couch and the next hour on the bed beside him.
In spring, they had fallen in love.
Roland was sent to France for a conference on medical education and research. Despite of the rumors of war, he had insisted on going, promising James he’d return in a week.
A week had passed but Roland had not returned.
“Professor Cook had been reported missing” was all that his fellow mentor Professor Johns could tell James. Dread had tightly gripped his heart and James had lived with the horror and fear of not seeing Roland again.
Until one late spring when the garden was filled with bright colored flowers and the birds incessantly chirped from the trees. James was seated by the pond, mindlessly stroking the silver band on his left ring finger and wondering what the symbol that looked like a number eight engraved on it meant. Then Roland came ambling along the stony path.
James had first thought it was a mirage. But then Roland had called out his name and he’d known then that it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him. He’d run into Roland’s arms, one wrapped around him tightly while a bandaged one laid gently on his side.
Then Roland had whispered, “I promised I’d return. But sorry I took so long.” And he’d told James the story on how their group of educators had been ambushed on the way to the conference and had been held for questioning by French soldiers but had later on been rescued by an Anglo-allied army.
The thought of almost losing Roland served as the key for James to open his heart and let the emotions he’d been harboring flow, regardless of whether Roland felt the same. He didn’t know how he managed to say it without faltering but he had held Roland tightly and uttered, “I love you.”
For the first time since he’d walked down the aisle against his will, James knew that their families were right in claiming that he and Roland were destined for each other when Roland looked straight into his eyes and said, “I’ve loved you even before I married you. But you were so young and I didn’t’ want to scare you.”
Like in any other love stories when love had been declared, Roland’s lips met his in a slow and gentle kiss, one filled with a promise to love and cherish.
And that was how their lives began.
==========
…..Year 2525
A lingering cloud of white dust trailed behind the bullet-shaped vehicle hovering along the driveway. The nearly soundless hum of its engine evanesced when it slowed and descended at the end of the promenade.
Dr. Dave Cook was standing by the window of one of the manor’s high tower. His gaze was still on the silver car, watching the door from the driver’s side slide open. Then he sighed when he saw a dark-haired man step out. He silently prayed his friend had come to bring him good news.
“Dr. Cook?” One of the laboratory research assistants stood by archway. “Dr. White requests your presence.”
“Thank you Syesha.”
Staggering slightly, he made his way to the lower ground area of the manor. He was still feeling a bit weak from passing out hours earlier. The recovery room was dimly lit and Brooke was focused on her digital pad when he entered.
“Brooke, how is…?” Dave can’t even say it.
The blonde woman looked up and smiled at him; her eyes shone. “He’s gonna be fine, Dave.”
A glance at the brain activity and heart monitor told him that Brooke wasn’t lying. The white lines had started creating erratic patterns and the light blinking was increasing its pace. David had indeed crossed the threshold of danger or the fifty-fifty chance for survival that Brooke had declared earlier.
Dave slowly walked over to the bed where his husband lay, eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Thank you Brooke. I…” He trailed off. His trembling hand reached out to touch David’s, fingertips almost flinching when it felt the icy chill that still clung on his husband’s skin.
“How are you feeling?” It was clear that Brooke wasn’t referring to Dave’s emotions. It was a safe presumption that the question was directed to his health. It was what everyone had been asking him since he came to.
Although he felt slightly vexed to hear his friends and employees fret about his blood pressure, Dave still appreciated their concern, nonetheless. But to Dave’s opinion, everyone should be more worried about David’s well being and this was exactly what he told Brooke in response.
“David isn’t the only friend I have, Dave” was Brooke’s return. The depth in her eyes was one he hadn’t seen before. And Dave was stricken with guilt for brushing her worries aside.
“Sorry. But I’m fine Brooke, really.” Dave hoped he sounded convincing enough. “It’s just the usual high blood pressure, nothing major.”
“You should get more rest.”
“Not until I find the cure.” Dave only sighed when he met Brooke’s reprimanding gaze. Some of his friends had been trying to convince him that he was searching for a needle in a haystack. But he was grateful that some friends supported him and had gone in search of the legendary flower that was rumored to excrete an elixir that could cure any disease.
Brooke’s lips parted, the fierce streak on her eyes showed that she was ready to retaliate. But then someone walked in without preamble.
“Have you heard from Neal or Andy?” There was an obvious enthusiasm radiating off of Michael John’s face.
“No” was Dave’s noncommittal reply, apparently not infected by his friend’s exuberance. He took a chair from a corner while Michael and Brooke exchanged pleasantries; then settled himself at his husband’s bedside. His mind drifted off to the dreams he had been constantly having, as if they were glimpses of his past life – dreams similar to the stories that David had written.
It was when Brooke asked Michael something about the expeditions that Dave slipped out of his rumination. He was just in time to hear Michael explain that Neal and Andy might have found the location of a hidden preserved forest. “It’s right beyond the wastelands on the Northern border,” Michael explained.
“Well that’s good news.” The eagerness Brooke showed would have been encouraging had Dave not been aware of the countless failed quests. Thus, Dave didn’t want to raise his expectations. He chose to remain warily optimistic.
It was when Dave managed to convince Brooke she likewise needed to get some rest that she agreed to leave. Of course, her last words to Dave were “let him sleep” and “don’t make him talk too much when he wakes up”. When Dave expressed his worry about what had happened to David before he passed out, Brooke assured him with “He’ll be fine, his heart has been beating normally for the past few hours. It was just a shocked reaction to the gradual increase in temperature.”
Finally, before Brooke crossed the doorway of the recovery room, she said, “Get some sleep. And don’t forget to take your medication before you do.”
Michael eyed Dave warily for some time after Brooke left. Dave could feel the weight of his friend’s gaze, and he was starting to feel uncomfortable. “What?” he blurted when he could no longer bear the feeling like there was something creeping underneath his skin, the feeling he usually got when he knew he was being scrutinized.
“You look pale.” Michael sounded matter-of-fact, but at the same time, concerned “Why don’t you get some rest? Pull out a cot and set it beside David’s bed if you don’t want to leave his side.”
“I think I might just do that.”
At least Michael made sense. He left telling Dave that he would send someone to set up a portable bed for him and then he would check with Neal and his expedition team.
A few more people showed up to see how David was doing, including David’s mother. When it seemed like David wasn’t showing any signs of waking up anytime soon, the visitors had left with a promise to return the next day.
His friend, Carly, had dropped off the present that he had asked her to pick up for him. Dave planned to give it to David on his birthday but he couldn’t hold off for another month. It was a book, the novel that David had written.
When he was finally alone with David, Dave took the book and ran his fingers over the black leather cover, which bore the title of David’s story in gold letters: Eternal Starlight. Above the title was the symbol that resembled the number eight written horizontally, a symbol David used in his manuscript. He reveled in the sound of the spine ripping as the book was opened for the first time.
David had no knowledge that his story had been published. It was his wish to have it printed out and bound like the books that existed centuries before. Not like the handheld holographic pads common at the current period. He’d seen it on the archives, and he’d often say that a novelist’s dream would not be fulfilled until his work had been published… “In print,” he would add.
The letters printed in black ink against the off-white paper formed the words that were spun out of David’s imagination. Dave cleared his throat and started to read:
“Across time and space, spanning millennia, two men, star-crossed lovers, learned that life may fade, but that love always finds a way to survive. One accepted his fate and opened his arms to welcome the dreary promise of the afterlife. The other was determined to change what was written in the stars, vowing to search for a cure to heal his love so that they could live together… forever.
Fine sands slowly poured through the hourglass as time slipped away... “
==========
In which Tybalt falls in love with Mercutio...
II – On 1965
So they met at a drag race. Quite a common scene in the 1960s. Archie was tagging along his cousin Carly because Carly had to be there to watch Michael. And Cook, well, adrenaline was still pumping through his veins after he had won the last set and he was all sweaty and high from the thrill he normally got after a race and then he saw him.
Fucking hell, he thought. Because he was beguiled with the most mesmeric pair of hazel eyes he’d seen. And the smile, the take-my-fucking-breath-away smile that Archie flashed his way was enough to keep him rooted on the spot.
And since then, he had joined Michael whenever he’d sneak into the liberal arts school where Carly and Archie went. Then he started taking Archie out on dates, and well, that was basically how they ended up deeply in love with each other.
It was one of those nights wherein they gathered for an unsanctioned and illegal motor racing at the outskirts of town and Cook was in high spirits knowing Archie was going to be around to watch him kick another challenger’s ass.
It was getting late, and there wasn’t any sign of Archie or Carly around. He must’ve asked Michael a hundred times if he was sure they would be there. “They’ll be here mate, just relax and watch Neal make Gokey eat dust,” Michael had said, laughing at his edginess.
So Cook did and sat on the hood of his Thunderbird. He watched as Neal’s red Mustang nearly flew, and he meant flew, across the one fourth of a mile stretch, the whirring of the vehicle’s engine was music to his ears. It was enough to distract him for a while. So he focused as another of his comrades, Andy, ruled over the road against a new challenger, Matt, he thought.
He was whistling and cheering along with the rest as Andy’s silver dodge went past Matt’s car and he was about to yell over to Michael that he thought the newcomer wasn’t so bad when he felt something warm pressed against his lower back.
“Hey baby!” His voice couldn’t hide the relief and excitement over seeing Archie and he hopped off his car to give him a peck on the cheek. He caught a glimpse of Carly jumping on Michael’s back at the corner of his eyes. But his gaze stayed on Archie who had inquietude written all over his face. “What’s wrong?”
Archie had then reached out to caress his arm and he was shaking his head. “Nothing,” he said in almost a whisper. But the quiver of his lips said otherwise. And it took a little coaxing before Archie sighed and relented. “Do you really have to race tonight?”
It was an impulsive move on Cook’s behalf to pull Archie close. “Well, I’ve got money on the pot,” he said in a soft wheedling voice. “You know how I’m saving up for our anniversary and I need it to finish med school by hook or by crook, you know that.”
“I know.” Archie relaxed in his embrace but Cook could still feel tension rising within his boyfriend. “I can’t help but worry.“
“Babe, you’re supposed to be used to this.” Cook said a bit nonchalantly. “I always come out unscathed.” Cook’s mouth parted to say something else but failed to utter a syllable when someone had called his name out loud and knew it was his turn to race.
“Good luck.” Archie had pulled him down for a kiss before he slid into his car.
On the starting line, his car’s engine roared eagerly. Cook touched the metal key chain that looked like two interwoven circles dangling from the key in the ignition. It was his common ritual since the gift from Archie seemed to bring him luck.
After several tension-filled minutes on the road, thanks to his boyfriend afflicting him with mental agitation, Cook couldn’t wait to get back to the side road. It wasn’t at all surprising that he’d won and was met with loud cheers when he walked back to where he had left his boyfriend.
But he stopped on his track when he saw his boyfriend chatting up with someone, a guy about Archie’s age or maybe a few years older. And he was undeniably attractive and undeniably flirting, fucking flirting, with his boyfriend. (Cook knew his body language all too well because he used it himself.)
It was at the point when the guy was leaning in further into Archie’s fucking personal space that Archie looked up and saw Cook standing there and he ran over to Cook. The hands on his arms held a bit too tightly. “Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh. Thank goodness you’re alright. And you won!”
“Of course I did,” Cook said none too smugly, his eyes still on the dark-haired guy Archie was speaking with. “It was our goal, remember.”
They turned to watch Michael race, Carly’s voice was left ringing in his ears and Cook knew it would stay there for at least three days.
While Michael took a high-five of victory with the rest of their little gang, someone was yelling, “Randy’s or The Seacrest?”
And Cook, trying to be responsible since Archie was around, had yelled back, “It’s a school night so Randy’s!” He knew The Seacrest bar would be inappropriate.
So the diner was packed with the drag race crowd. And the jukebox was blasting Jerry Lee Lewis’s hits. Bottles of soda and beer were passed around.
Cook lost sight of Archie for a moment when he had to go to the bathroom. He spotted Archie with the same guy from the race and the guy was leaning too close into Archie’s personal space. Again. Cook would not have minded. He normally wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. But then… But then the guy started touching Archie, HIS Archie, on the shoulder. And Cook saw red.
Trying to maintain a considerable level of decency, Cook made his way to where Archie was. Archie glanced at his direction. An innocent gleam flitted through his eyes as he lightened up, saying, “Oh Cook, this is Joe. Joe Jonas? He’s new in town,” sounding fucking enthusiastic while gesturing with his hand at the guy who looked like a perfect substitute for a punching bag. But Cook didn’t utter a word, instead, he nodded taciturnly at Joe.
“He’s your?” Joe was saying after Archie had introduced Cook.
“Boyfriend,” Cook clarified, taking the hand Joe offered and gripping on it with a bit more force that had Joe wincing. Joe quickly excused himself after Cook had released his hand. Then Joe disappeared among the crowd like some fucking magician.
Then he looked over at Archie, the corner of his lips curled up into a playful smirk. Cook had to lift an eyebrow and ask, “What?”
Archie said nothing for a while. Then he shook his head and giggled. “You look more handsome when you’re jealous,” he told Cook in this low sultry voice while reaching out to hook a hand at the back of Cook’s head and pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss.
==========
…..Year 2525
Darkness crept throughout the citadel, the large fortress at the Cali-region – one of the few left on the remains of what used to be the state of California. Iron buildings bathed in cold moonlight cast shadows on the murky streets below. The roads were almost empty. Silence had fallen like a rain across the silver city.
It was a completely opposite scene inside the Anthemic manor. Every room was suffused with light, some dim and some not. Few members of Dave’s medical research team had decided to stay for the night. A storm was passing through and the roads would most likely be glazed with melted snow.
Dave and David’s family were in town for the holidays. So the couple had given up the idea of spending a quiet week alone. But Dave wouldn’t have it any other way. Seeing David smile was the best gift he could have, even if he had to endure David’s endless nagging to push through with the birthday party he had planned for Dave.
One morning, two days before his birthday, they lay in silence as the yellow orange sun peeked through the blinds of their bedroom window. Its beam danced across the smooth expanse of David’s bare back.
David’s head was resting on Dave’s shoulder, his long, slender fingers idly skirting through the scarce hair of Dave’s chest. Dave had been too worried that his husband might be too frail to indulge in sexual activity. But his hesitance on acting on the matter deeply aggravated David. And his husband ended up forcing himself on him last night.
“I can’t believe you seduced me.” The fingers skipping across Dave’s skin stilled, and an open palm smacked him on the same spot. Dave laughed.
“I so did not seduce you.” David lifted his head and looked at Dave with narrowed eyes, which only made Dave guffaw and wrestle David until he was lying on his back with Dave on top of him, only a thin blanket between their naked bodies. “May I point out the fact that you enjoyed every second of it. And I wouldn’t have forced you to make love to me if you hadn’t been so uptight.”
The laughter rumbling out of Dave gradually died down. He pressed his lips briefly against David’s and then playfully nipped on the tip of David’s nose when he pulled away. “I just…” He paused to collect his thoughts, brushing a few strands of hair off of David’s forehead. “I was just worried in having you go through such strenuous activity, baby. And you know how awesome I can be in bed, so…”
It was David’s turn to laugh. “You’re so full of it, you know.”
Dave had a silly remark at the tip of his tongue but an urgent knock followed by an enthusiastic “Dr. Cook? Dr. Cook, wake up” caused the words to evaporate.
“I’m awake, Kyle. What is it?” Dave slid out of the bed and grabbed a robe from their closet.
He was slipping the robe on and had one arm through the sleeves when Kyle blurted out, “Neal and Andy and their teams have resurfaced. Mr. Johns have them on video call in your study.”
David met Dave’s eyes and he could see the vestiges of hope swimming in his husband’s hazel ones. There was a sudden lump in his throat; he had to swallow hard. “Tell Michael I’ll be there in a second, Kyle.”
It didn’t take long for Dave to get dressed and make his way to his study. A grin was nearly tearing Michael’s face into two when he walked in.
“He’s here!” Michael announced and indeed, Neal and Andy’s faces were filling up the screen on top of his desk. “They found it, Dave!” It was Michael who took the liberty of announcing the good news because judging from what he was seeing on screen, the expedition team was busy celebrating. “They have it safely preserved.”
Dave couldn’t believe his ears. It had almost been a month since Neal and Andy called in to report that their tracking systems had picked up a hidden garden underneath the Northern wastelands. It had almost been a month since both expedition teams had started their journey under the earth’s surface.
Hope had become like a distant star, quite impossible to reach. But now… Now his friends had resurfaced. Bringing with them the Eternal Starlight – the healing flower.
/-----
It took two days for Neal and Andy to return to the citadel. It was the morning of Dave’s birthday and everyone in the manor was pretty much preoccupied with the preparation for the party.
David was putting up some Christmas decorations on the window, pointing out that since Christmas would come five days later, they should grace their home with traditional decorations. Being a historian, David had been engrossed with the traditions of earlier centuries and had put them to practice. These influences had helped him in writing stories, something he loved to do during his leisure time.
It was quite a sight for Dave to watch. David’s graceful hands setting up the wreaths and what-nots that Dave wouldn’t bother finding out the proper terms for against the glass and the window pane. His husband’s beauty hadn’t waned. Despite the disease that was slowly making his internal organs deteriorate, outside, David still held the sunshine in his smile and the moonlight in his eyes.
Lost in thought, Dave hadn’t notice that David had one hand splayed over the wall and the other palm pressed on his stomach. Beads of sweat had started to form on his forehead.
Dave rushed behind him, coiling an arm carefully around David’s waist.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” He couldn’t hide the panic, less the worry, in his voice.
“I’m fine. Just tired I guess.” There was a thick weariness in David’s voice and hearing made Dave feel as if there was a pushing mass in his own chest. Dave could feel his husband’s weight as he leaned on him further.
“Then rest a while, baby. There are a lot of people here who could do that for you.”
Even the smile David gave him was weary. Although it was easy to tell that he was trying hard to make it look as bright as it normally was. The spark in his eyes seemed to be waning. And Dave could feel his heart shattering at the thought that his David, his loving husband… was fading.
But David had insisted on pushing through with Dave’s birthday celebration.
Neal and Andy had arrived in the morning and the few flowers they've collected had been brought to the apothecary so Jason and his team could begin to extract the elixir.
The party was going well and David looked better. But as the afternoon wore on, the weariness started to show on his face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
When Michael Johns had stood in the middle of the room with his glass raised and was starting a toast, Dave watched as David rose from his chair and raised his glass of juice as well, eyes darting around the room, laughing at every word Michael said.
Then David’s laugh lines slowly faded, the smile diminishing like a light losing its radiance. His eyes, frantic and wide, met Dave’s for a moment. And then David fell limply to the ground.
==========
In which the drug Juliet drinks is not really a poison but a fertility potion...
III – On 2140
It was like any other given Saturday at the Metropolis area of New Kansas City, nothing noteworthy or out of the norm.
“Could you drop the vegetables at the pot, Aylish, dear? Be very careful, though,” DJ told his adopted teenage daughter while he touched a button on the video phone panel hanging on the kitchen wall.
Two fingers were pressed on the small round receiver attached to DJ’s ears so he could hear his mother better on the other end, her face on the screen a bit blurry since she was in motion.
“Cook went to pick up the kids at school, mom. They’re coming home from their little camp today,” he said, occasionally peering around the corner to keep an eye on Aylish and the casserole he had boiling on the stove.
“Just remind your husband that he promised you'll all spend the next weekend here." DJ was half listening to his mother and half listening to the receding buzz of a car's engine at their driveway.
“Okay mom, I will. I have to go though, I think they’re here.” DJ went straight to the front door as soon as the call ended, and he stepped out of the porch just in time to see the twins hopping out of the vehicle.
“Daddy!” the twins squealed when they saw him and both five-year-olds ran into DJ’s open arms.
“Dad, the casserole’s done,” Aylish called out from the kitchen. And DJ heard the stove’s timer buzzed.
“Alright sweetie, I’ll be there in a while.” DJ stood at the threshold, leaning his head beside the brass door knocker that looked like a horizontal number eight while watching his husband unload the car. “You need help, honey?”
“Nah, I’m good,” DR said, waving his hand for emphasis.
Dathan and Daphne had gone to the kitchen and that was where DJ found them pulling at their older sister’s arms. Aylish’s protest of “wait, I’m helping Dad in the kitchen” was left unheard.
It was way after dinner and DJ and DR were clearing the kitchen when Daphne ambled in, her dark hair gathered up in a high ponytail, her wide hazel eyes were full of innocence. After she had climbed up on the stool by the counter, she asked, “Dad, pop? Where do babies come from?”
DR almost dropped the plate he was holding. A silly smile played on DJ’s lips and he patted his husband on the shoulder. “Pop is an expert on that subject sweetie, he’ll tell you all about it,” DJ said, suppressing a grin.
The alarmed look from DR was enough to undo DJ’s control though, so he went off on a fit of giggles. DJ laughed even more when his daughter slid down the stool and went over to her pop. “Come pop, tell me all about it,” she said in an intoned manner while tugging on DR’s arm.
*****
Although this was one of the things they had anticipated when he and his husband decided to raise children, DR still couldn’t imagine that his five-year-old daughter could have pulled the question out of thin air.
“What made you ask sweetie?”
“Well,” Daphne started, tilting her head in the adorable way DR knew he’d never get tired of seeing. “I heard Uncle Andy telling Uncle Neal when they drove us to school the day we left for camp that Aunt Jennie is p-prenunt?”
“You mean pregnant?” DR rubbed on his stubble, his other hand gesturing at Daphne to continue.
“Yup, I think that was what he said. And I asked what that meant and Uncle Neal said Aunt Jennie was having a baby. And I told them I wanted to see it but Uncle Neal said the baby is still in Aunt Jennie’s tummy,” Daphne rambled on, her arms flailing as she spoke, a gesture much like DJ’s. “So I asked Uncle Neal whose tummy I came from and well, he told me to ask you and daddy.”
“This I got to hear.” Aylish moseyed in, giggling. And DR pleadingly gazed at his husband who was standing at the doorway.
“You’re not going into details, are you dad?” Dathan asked before DR could even utter a word.
This, among other things, had left DR flabbergasted. Then he narrowed his eyes at his son. “Why are you such a smart a—“ He caught the watch-your-language look DJ threw at him. “Why are you as smart as your daddy?”
Then DR sighed in defeat, feeling cornered by his kids and his husband. He looked up at DJ. “Are you sure the ‘Nursery’ did not tamper with their genes to produce baby geniuses?”
The smile that seemed to have been plastered on DJ’s face grew wider. He sauntered over to the couch and slid beside DR, resting his head on DR’s shoulder. “I don’t think they had to. I believe there were enough nerdy qualities in your genes,” he cooed then giggled when DR raised an eyebrow.
“Pop?” Daphne spoke. “You’re stalling.”
With DJ patting his chest reassuringly and his kids looking at him with anticipation, DR gave in. He cleared his throat before he started. “Well, some babies of this generation didn’t all come from a mommy’s tummy. Some were actually uhm,” he flipped his eyes on DJ whose nod could only mean he was doing well so far, “some were grown as tube babies over at the ‘Nursery’, like you and Dathan. And you were made from daddy’s spe—uhm, genes and Dathan from pop’s at exactly the same time.”
And with the help of DJ, DR did his best to narrate in simple, child-friendly words the repopulation program and was grateful that none of them asked for the technical details. DR was about to release a sigh of relief when he thought that the ‘talk’ was over but then Dathan spoke up.
“What about Aylish? Where did she come from?”
A look of resignation swept over DR’s face and he turned his head to his husband. “I think it’s your turn to explain.”
DJ rolled his eyes. “Well Aylish is actually pop’s niece but since her mommy and daddy had gone to space heaven when she was little, pop and I decided to,” he paused, wondering if he should use words that could prolong the discussion but couldn’t think of an alternative, so he took a deep breath before continuing, “well, adopt her. But she did come from her mommy’s tummy.”
Of course, they couldn’t expect that the twins would be satisfied with that. “How does a baby get inside a mommy’s tummy?” they both asked in unison.
Realizing that they had just stepped into the never-ending ‘how, why, where’ conversation, DR sat up and slapped his hands against his thighs. “Let’s save the talk about birds and the bees until you’re around twelve years old, okay?” And when Dathan opened his mouth to say something, DR resolutely said, “I mean it. No more questions. Now go brush your teeth and get ready for bed.”
The twins got on their feet, grumbling as Aylish herded them out of the room. As soon as DR was certain that all his kids were upstairs, he groaned loudly and buried his face on his hands.
DJ chortled and DR felt his husband’s hand rubbing circles on his back. “You okay?”
DR raised his head and fixed DJ with a predatory look. “You,” he growled, causing DJ to leap out of his seat, giggling. “I’m gonna make you pay for making me go through that.” He slowly got to his feet and followed DJ who was backing out of the room with his arms stretched out in front of him, laughing uncontrollably.
“Yeah?” DJ challenged. “How, may I ask, will you do that?”
“Hmm…” DR halted, propping his elbow on one hand while scratching his stubbles with the other. He pretended to be in deep thought. “I was thinking handcuffs and whipped cream.” Then he sprang on his feet and pounced on his husband who burst into a fit of giggles.
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…..Year 2525
A drop.
It was all he had to take. Dave had traitorously pushed his own blood pressure high enough to alarm his fellow doctors.
But the drop of elixir Jason had given Dave was enough to restore the strength in every muscle of his body. It had been ages since he last felt as vigorous as he did.
At least they knew the elixir worked, and hoped it would do the same for David. Jason had managed to produce a vial of the cure that David later received.
Dave had never left David’s side since David’s collapse, and swore he wouldn’t, even if it meant spending Christmas at the medical wing of his own manor. He read to David everyday, and by the time he was almost at the end of David’s story, on the eve of Christmas, David regained consciousness.
David was kept at the medical wing for three more days. Dave ran the necessary tests to check on the progress of the elixir. And it was nothing short of a miracle that on the third day, the tests came out clean. No trace of the virus could be found.
It was truly worth celebrating for.
A month had passed and David was completely cured. He was sitting on a bay window, looking out across the citadel when Dave found him.
“Breakfast?” David jolted and almost dropped the book lying on his lap. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” Dave went over to where his husband sat and bent to kiss him on the temple.
“Oh it’s okay. I was just… well, thinking.” When Dave raised an eyebrow in question, David started waving his hands, flailing as he explained, “Oh it’s nothing really. I was just… Well, I was just wondering how I was cured when nothing had worked before. Not that I don’t believe in miracles, you know.”
No one ever told David about the elixir, and he’d never really tried to ask. And it had slipped Dave’s mind somehow. So Dave slid behind David, pulled him close until his back was resting on Dave’s chest and told him the entire story. David was gaping at Dave by the time he was done and it took a while before he uttered, “You gave me an extract from an Eternal Starlight?”
“Well, yeah.” Dave furrowed his brows when he noticed the anxiety in David’s voice. “I had to try it first though, make sure it was safe and it worked.”
“Do you even know what’s in it?” David’s tone was laced with incredulity.
“Of course. I’ve done extensive research and it had been proven that it doesn’t have any toxic or acidic components and—“
“Dave.” David’s hand lay gently on Dave’s forearm. “I wasn’t talking about the technical stuffs. I was asking if you knew anything about its mythological background.”
There was a momentary silence that lingered around them. Dave was in deep thought, knew there was something mythological about the flower whose name David had used for his book’s title. And the thought made Dave gaze down at the book on David’s lap.
“What does the symbol mean?” Dave thought out loud as he stared at the horizontal number eight on the cover of David’s book.
“It means infinity,” David said, his voice soft and barely audible. “I don’t know how true it is, but legend says that the elixir produced from the flower not only heals any illness.” David raised his eyes to meet Dave’s gaze. “It was also believed that anyone who drinks it could live a longer life. That's why it's called the flower of infinity.”
Somehow, Dave didn’t doubt that. He was a doctor, an oncologist, a man of science. And all his life he believed that there was always a scientific reason for anything. All that changed when he met David.
For some reason, Dave had a feeling that parallel between the story David had written and his own dreams was not merely a coincidence.
What Dave didn’t know and had yet to discover was that he had been given a chance to change their destiny.
Eight years and eight days stood between them and if his dreams were somehow a glimpse of their past lives, it could only mean that their love had survived for eight centuries.
- THE END -
End Notes:
- The format of this fic was inspired by the movie 'The Fountain'.
- I used different names for David Cook and David Archuleta for each timeline to differentiate each of the story. For those aren't aware (I doubt if there's any)... 1) On year 1812, they were referred to as James and Roland since their full names are David James Archuleta and David Roland Cook respectively. 2) On year 1965, they were referred to as Cook and Archie, which is how they normally call each other in real life. 3) On year 2140, they were referred to as DJ and DR, derived from their initials, obviously.
- The Eternal Starlight or 'the flower of infinity' is something I invented and were patterned from 'the fountain of youth', 'philosopher's stone' and 'the tree of life'.
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Comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.