Fan Fiction ❯ Beneath Angel's Wings ❯ Stage 4: Decide ( Chapter 4 )

Proem

A hand reached out and, despite the pitch darkness of the room, gracefully pressed the play button on a CD player.

"Johan?" came a whisper.

Fingers stroked a chest; skin brushing against skin in the warm comfort of a bedroom. "Hmm?" Johan replied, lost in something of a dream as Chris's words gently woke him.

"I…I know this is probably a silly question to ask…especially right now…"

The tenderness of an embrace enveloped young Chris Kessoku. "Don't talk like that Chrisy," he whispered in his ear, smiling sweetly, "You can ask me anything, anytime, anywhere, honest,"

"Then…can you promise me…"

"Yes?"

A stray beam of moonlight illuminated Chris's deep, sapphire eyes. "Can you promise me…that you'll never abandon me?"

A long, still pause overcame them, broken at long last by two pairs of lips touching one another.

"Of course, Chrisy." Johan smiled, closing his eyes as he pulled Chris close to him. "I'll stay beside you till the end of the world."

***

Beneath Angel's Wings - Stage 4: "Decide"

***

The world went on in its usual way, just as it does every other day. The clock bells once more filled the air of the Nexus College campus, drifting over the green on the gentle breeze. Students mingled together in groups great and small, gossiping about the various things young men and women chatter about when they are together. Laughter, jokes, and the occasional shout of joy or annoyance breathed life into the cool of autumn.

Amidst the friendly atmosphere however, stood one bitter young woman. Rachel Marison lurked in a small alcove, disappearing from the flocks of people milling around her. She couldn't stand any of it, not anymore. Over and over her mind played back the casual disregard that Johan had shown her the last time they met. The asshole never took anything seriously, she thought with a sneer on her face, especially when it came to matters of relationships. She cared nothing about ever being with him ever again, but even so she wanted to make Johan pay for how little he cared about her…

Suddenly, something caught her eye. Purely by chance, her gaze fell upon Johan-Lee. The young man was strolling down a sidewalk, a calm and contented smile on his face. The very casualness of his countenance, his pace, of his every detail made her boil in rage. "Son of a bitch," she muttered under her breath, making sure to keep out of his sight, "Nothing changes him. He's probably checking out some fresh meat ri-"

Her train of thought ground to an immediate halt as Johan turned a corner. There beside him, walking with Johan, was a boy of almost the same height- at least, she thought it was a boy. Long, smooth blond hair flowed from the stranger's head, flapping a little in the breeze and the boy's movement. The two were talking away with one another, both of them seeming to be enjoying the whole thing.

But the most significant thing, the one detail that caught her eye most, were their hands. Johan and his companion were holding hands, fingers interlocked together in a warm, friendly grip. This one detail filled Rachel with absolute hatred for her ex-boyfriend, cursing him under her breath as the two disappeared from her sight. She had known for some time of Johan's ambiguously defined sexuality, but the thought of her being dumped for some androgynous-looking freak of a boy was enough to make her retch.

"So that's why you…Johan, you little bastard…"

***

"Mr. Kessoku, Mr. Gauthier, could the two of you stay behind for a few moments?"

The two boys looked at each other in confusion as the rest of the class filed out of the room in the usual fashion. "Er…" Chris started, his voice stammering a bit as his eyes glanced around the room. "No p…pr…pr…Er, yes professor, just a moment!" he finally sputtered out, turning back quickly to face Johan. "You don't think he noticed…" he whispered, pointing alternately at his and Johan's hands.

Johan shook his head. "Ah, I don't think he did, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. No one around here cares that much about seeing two guys walking around campus holding hands, not anymore at least."

"Yeah, but still, we're not exactly a couple that'd blend in easily, you know?"

"Look, just don't sweat it, okay?" Johan whispered back, trying to calm Chris. "Look, if it makes you feel better, if he asks about it, let me handle it so you don't start talking like Porky Pig again. Got it?"

"Alright, alr-Hey!"

"Boys!!"

The both of them jumped out of their seats, instantly crashing back down again, yelping in pain from hitting their legs hard against the desks. Dr. White shook his head. They were good students, but sometimes dealing with them- especially Johan- was too much. "Try lifting the desktops out of the way first," he sighed.

"Ah, that would help, wouldn't it?" Johan joked, forcing a grin as he ignored the dull pain in his legs. Moving carefully this time, the two of them backed away from their desks, rising and walking down the steps to their professor's desk.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" asked Chris, sweating a little- something he hoped the teacher or Johan wouldn't notice.

"Yes…" Turning briefly from the two, Dr. White retrieved two papers from a drawer in his desk and offered them to the two. "I was reading through your essays the other day and…" he began, removing his hands slowly from the corners of the paper where the scores were written. "…I must say, for your first major papers in my class, I am very impressed by your talents."

Johan and Chris exchanged stunned looks, eyes going wide at their papers. "Wh…What?"

"You heard me. I think that with some refining you two could become the best writers in your class…indeed, maybe even the best writers I've had in the class in some time."

Johan continued to stare with wide, gleaming eyes at the big red 8 handwritten on his paper, while Chris's face lit up with all the brilliance of fifty foot illuminated Christmas tree. "Why…why thank you sir!" he cheered, hugging the paper close to his chest.

Dr. White smiled, but backed up a bit from Chris. The boy always seemed to disturb him in some vague, unsettling way. "In any case, what I called the two of you up here for is that I want to know if you two are interested in this workshop for writers that I and the rest of the Lit. Department are going to be running. I know it's after school and I don't want to interfere with any of your plans, but I think it would be a great benefit for the both of you."

Before the boy could speak a word, Johan's long, strong hand clapped over the mouth of a giddy Christopher. "I don't think that'd be a problem sir," Johan began, grinning a little, "but I would like to check and make sure if Chris and I can fit that into our schedules." A bit of light laughter fell from his lips as he took a step backwards, gently pulling Chris with him. "Don't want us to die from overload now, you know?"

"Of course not. I hope you two can work something out then, but I understand if you can't."

"We hope so too, professor!" Johan added quickly as he headed to the door, towing Chris behind him. "Now if you don't mind, Chris and I-"

"Oh, and one other thing."

Johan stopped suddenly, letting go of Chris and accidentally dropping him on the ground. "Huh?" he asked, blinking. "What's that?"

Dr. White sighed in slowly mounting frustration once more. "Could you two please refrain from holding hands? I realize the staff on campus is fairly lax about things, but that's not the case with everyone, and I'd rather not open up a newspaper and see two death notices for Christopher Kessoku and Johan-Lee Gauthier."

"Er...ah…no problem sir." Chris rasped out an answer, picking himself back up again. "Guess Johan and I have a habit of- GAH!!"

The door to the classroom slammed shut behind Johan and Chris, leaving a sweet, placid silence behind for Dr. Patrick White. The professor leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and trying to think of someplace far, far away from Nexus College. A high school. Yes, teaching in a high school would be nice. Anything to get out of Crossroads. Nice as the people were here, sometimes the weirdness of it all was too much for him.

***

"What the hell was that all about?!"

Chris stood in the middle of the hall, flailing his arms about wildly in front of Johan, who leaned back against the wall, trying not to look at the boy. The passage was empty, all the students having long since cleared out for elsewhere. As nice as the kid was, Johan thought to himself as Chris rambled on, the boy was so much a roller coaster ride that he was almost tempted to carry around a brown paper bag. As a joke, of course. "What was all of what about?"

"You know what I mean! Whatcha have to go and try and suffocate me for?"

"Look, if you must know," Johan snapped, "that was to make sure you didn't get us buried in a mountain of work. Just because you take stuff like neuro-science and flight mechanics just for kicks doesn't mean the rest of us like working every hour of the day on school!"

"Okay, point taken…" muttered Christ. "You mind being more careful next time though? I would have been fine if you hadn't dropped me and such."

Johan merely snickered, messing with the boy's unruly mop of hair. "Aww, Chrisy doesn't like playing rough?"

"Johan!!" A playful shove pressed Johan up against the wall, Chris's slender hands loosely wrapping around his neck. "For the love of God Johan, can you go five seconds without perving out?"

"Around you?" Johan asked, adopting a look of mock contemplation as he placed around Chris. Suddenly his arms wrapped around the boy, pulling him close. "Nope."

The two broke into laughter, punching at each other and cracking a variety of wise-assed comments. It was something of a disorienting, heady feeling for Chris. He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy around someone. Vague memories that seemed like they were recollections of a past life some centuries ago, but aside from that, nothing compared with how genuinely happy he felt right at that moment. Was this…was this…?

He shook the questions out of his head. Better not to ruin the moment by over-analyzing it. "At least save it till we're home, okay?" he said between fits of giggles, hugging Johan. "You know how easy I get embarrassed."

"Yeah, yeah, I know Chrisy." Smiled Johan, wrapping his arms around Chris. For a moment, he felt something…something that seemed unfamiliar, but not completely alien to him. Unconsciously he placed a hand under Chris's chin, pointing the boy's face up to look at him, when his ears detected a sound from down the hall. "Who's there??" he called out, losing his train of thought.

"I'm impressed, you were actually paying attention for once. Not much, but still…"

No introductions were necessary, as the scowl in the newly arrived voice was all-too familiar to Johan. His eyes narrowed as he looked up to see Rachel walking towards them from around a corner. "What are you doing here, stalking me?" he snapped at her. "I swear to god if you're trying to get some dirt on me or something like that…"

"Aw, is Johan afraid I might spill his little secret?"

"Oh, bite me…"

"Johan…who is…?" Chris asked in a low voice, perplexed by his friend's sudden change of tone. Johan's arm pulled Chris closer, holding him tight in fear that something might yank him away.

"My ex-girlfriend," growled Johan, "Emphasis on ex. Rachel Marison, meet Chris Kessoku. Chris Kessoku, meet Rachel Marison. Good? Good. Now let's…"

"Now, not so fast Johan." Rachel stepped forwards, slowly prying Johan's arm away from Chris. "I'd at least like to give the boy a decent handshake or something, okay?" Completely confused, Chris slowly took a single step away from Johan, shaking the young woman's hand loosely in his, his eyes filled with bewilderment. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kessoku, I've heard quite a bit about you. I never expected Johan to go after the famous types, re-"

"Look, don't start anything Rachel…"

"Hey, calm down there." She offered, taking Johan's hand tightly in her own. "I'm just trying to get rid of any hard feelings. Just because you and I broke up doesn't mean we can't still be friends, you know?"

"Well if that's what this is about, you're doing a pretty shitty job of it. Now would please just…"

"C'mon." With a tug of the hand Rachel pulled Johan down the hall, taking a few steps towards the exit. "You must be hungry from classes, why don't we get a bite to eat? Your…friend…can come along too if he wants. I'd really like to get to know the famous Christopher Kessoku."

"I'm…not really that famous…" Chris muttered, his face red as he looked down. "Besides, I don't think Johan really feels like…"

"Now come the both of you!" Grabbing Chris's hand with her free hand, Rachel started at a quicker place towards the door, towing the two bewildered boys just behind her. "Just both of you relax and don't worry! It's all no trouble at all, really it isn't!"

No trouble for me, that is… she thought to herself, grinning maliciously as she exited the building towards what she hopped would be a very painful lesson in relationships for a Mr. Johan-Lee Gauthier…

***

Shita Tenshi no Uxingusu - Beneath Angel's Wings

***

The restaurant she took them to rose almost a mile above the city of Crossroads, situated in one of the many rest stops that dotted the length of the Nexus Tower. Such hubs existed for obvious reasons- the structure soared high into the sky, piercing the planet's atmosphere to continue onwards up to geo-stationary orbit over twenty thousand miles above the city. It was the most remarkable structure known to man; the fact it even existed was remarkable in and of itself. Groups had squabbled back and forth over who would built the Tower and how at the time Crossroads was first settled by Arena Enterprises, the corporation in charge of the fight club that made the city famous across infinitely many universes.

From the glass walls one could see the entire city sprawled out under you. Crossroads was a metropolis on an exaggerated scale, crowding almost twenty million into an area spread across many hundreds of square miles. Buildings spread from the forests that reached deep into the continent all the way to the cliffs that overlooked the deep ocean at the city's doorstop. And right in front of it all, the city's notorious arena rising out of a arm of land that shot out towards the sea like the prow of a ship.

Chris never ceased to be awed by the sight. Something so complex, so massive, so completely chaotic and yet so controlled down to the minutest detail was baffling to him. How could they do it? He would often ask himself this on his occasional trips up and down the Tower. Here he was, a simple boy, a collection of flesh and bone, and yet he could not control his inner chaos with anywhere near the precision that Crossroads was managed. Was he really that messed up?

He couldn't help but laugh weakly at himself. God, I need a shrink… he thought to himself as he turned back to the table he sat at. It's small wonder Johan hasn't jumped off the balcony or something.

In the seat next to him, however, Johan was preoccupied with a sight of an entirely different sort. One that, thought closer to him than the city below, was all the more perplexing. Why had Rachel come back to him? Just a few weeks ago she hated him more than claustrophobics hated elevators and now she was sitting just across the table at him, grinning like they had never cursed each other in their entire lives.

It went without saying that something was very, very wrong with this picture.

"So...ah…Rachel, look…" he began, drumming his fingers nervously against the tabletop. Can't seem suspicious, he told himself. Gotta play it natural.

"I never took you as one to hang around the famous, Johan." Interrupted Rachel, a cool, calm tone in her voice. A bomb could go off in the restaurant and it wouldn't faze her right at that moment. "I'm pleased to see your good taste hasn't failed you."

Chris's attention broke at the words Rachel spoke. "I…I'm not famous…" he stuttered, his cheeks a rosy red color in embarrassment. He hated it when people would bring up that stupid fight. "All I did was pilot a ship…I didn't even win either…"

"Look," muttered Johan, leaning across the table to look Rachel in the eye. "I don't know or care what anyone might of told you about Chris, but you are not to bring up that fight. Ever. Not in my presence or his. Do you understand?"

"Johan, honestly, it's okay…"

"Aww, that's so sweet…" Rachel cooed, pushing Johan back gently with her open palm. The idiot was so easy sometimes, she thought to herself. "Standing up for your new boyfriend…not only do you have good taste but you're quite the romantic too!"

Johan boiled over in anger. His sexuality was for him and his lover at any given moment to know only…Rachel knew this plenty well enough. Something was definitely wrong here, but he refused to leave until he got to the bottom of matters. "Rachel!" his voice rasped in a hushed shout, "What are you trying to do, get me killed? Bullshit talk like that is going to make me a name in the obituaries if you keep that up!"

"Sorry `bout that," came the reply as she took the glass offered to her by a waiter. "I forget I'm in public sometimes…honestly though, if you can't take a joke…"

Chris felt a chill, fidgeting nervously in his seat. What in the world could Rachel be getting at? With a subtle pull, he tugged on Johan's sleeve to get his attention. "Johan…" he whispered, eyes darting back and forth between Johan and Rachel, "I know you know some odd folks, but what's with her?"

Johan shook his head imperceptibly in reply. "I wish I knew," he whispered back, "just keep cool…I'll get us out of this somehow."

His attention returned to Rachel. "Look, Rachel, what's this all about? You pop up out of nowhere, nearly scare the bejebus out of me and my friend here, you invite us to dinner only to start throwing around nonsense. I don't know about you, but I smell something funny going on here."

The girl's face took on a sudden look of surprised disappointment. Rachel couldn't help but feel immense pride in her acting- Johan was walking right into the trap. "Aww, Johan…" she sighed, pale brown eyes looking up towards the ceiling, "Don't you remember how friendly we used to be? I mean, I know we've broken up and all, but that shouldn't be an excuse to pull apart completely."

"Well…yeah, but…"

Chris's hand reached out and drew over Rachel's glass, sticking his own straw in it to taste. "Okay, whatcha been drinking?" he asked, icy eyes locked firmly on Rachel's face. For the briefest of moments she felt a shudder run down her spine, but shrugged it off as nothing. After all, what threat could the little freak be to her?

"Soda." She said simply, a sly smile on her face.

Chris's eyes narrowed into little slits, intent on burning a hole through Rachel's face. "I mean other than soda," came his immediate answer, "'cause honestly, I don't know what you're doing to Johan or what has given you this idea to mess with him, but in all honesty I don't like it one bit."

"Please, pull yourself together!" gasped Rachel a little too dramatically. "I don't know why you're being so suspicious! Johan and I broke up on such harsh terms and for such a stupid reason…I just want to bear a peace offering of sorts. Mend the friendship. Surely you can't be angry with that, Mr. Kessoku."

"Well…"

Pulling her seat a little closer to Johan, Rachel draped her arm over his shoulder, pulling him not-quite-so-gently towards her. "You know Johan, you could always still come and see me. We got so caught up in sex and fighting when we were together…we never really got to know each other very well."

"I've got nothing I want to share with you." Johan moved his hand up to pry himself loose from Rachel. Her hand moved down however, clamping his hand down against his lap. "Please…Rachel…"

"We could be together, just like old times…no, even better than then. Wouldn't you like that Johan?"

"I…I…" Johan's voice shook as he struggled to get up. His gaze turned to Chris for support, and only found dumb-founded shock where he expected assistance. "I guess…but…I…ahh…"

The boy's eyes sent a chill down Johan's spine. The setting sunlight was just then reaching the Tower, piercing the thick glass of Chris's glasses to glint off the crystalline color of his eyes. Those two orbs seemed so deep, so blank, and for a moment Johan swore he could see the flicker of fire hiding beneath the pale blue of Chris's irises. He tried to get another look, tried to confirm what he had seen, but the incessant pull of Rachel's grip turned his face around to look at her once more.

"Don't hide it, Johan." Her voice was deadly serious now, her gaze raging with the fire of her intent. Her voice grew lower in tone as she leaned in closer, backing Johan against his seat. "I know you want to see me again Johan. I can see it…

"But…but I can't…" the young man stammered, his eyes darting back and forth between his two companions. Chris had risen from his chair, his back to the window, mouth slightly open in terror at he scene unfolding before him. A massive amount of potential energy seemed to hide just beneath the boy's surface, waiting to explode out in a torrent of emotion once the final trigger was tripped. "I…I made…" Johan continued to stutter, trying to drag facts up out of his memory, "I made a promise…I promised I wouldn't abandon…"

"Promises are only words, Johan." Her voice echoed darkly in his ears, her figure looming over Johan. "After all, you made a promise like that to me once before, and now look where we are…what would it mean to break just one more promise?"

Johan's heart pounded in his chest, threatening to rip free and dive out the glass window behind him. Chris stood motionless behind him, eyes fixed on Johan's, his soft, frail voice stuttering in ways that rattled Johan with each and every word and pause of his speech.

"Johan…we made…we made…"

***

It was like floating in space. It was the first thought that ran through his mind as Johan fell away from reality and into an endless field of dark. It was comforting at least. Here it was peaceful, quiet, far from the piercing gaze of his dear Christopher or the sinister intent of Rachel. Part of him wanted to stay here, if not forever, then just for a long, long time…

This was not to be. A light came on, illuminating the space immediately around him as his feet touched down upon a solid surface. Right before him, he could see himself, lying quietly in bed. The other Johan had his arms around his Chris, holding him close as they slept peacefully. Slowly, almost beyond his ability to notice, Johan could see Chris's lips move.

"Home," the boy simply said. "I'm home…"

Johan couldn't help but wonder at the meaning. "…Home?" he asked, ignoring the fact for a moment that he might be disturbing the peace and quiet of the two before him. However, Chris turned his head drowsily to look up at him, a gentle smile on his face.

"Yes," he replied, "I'm home. This is home for me now."

"I…I'm afraid I don't understand…" Johan moved closer, sitting down on the edge of the bed, looking over at the figure that looked like the boy he so admired. "Do you mean that…that you…?"

"That I love you?" Chris's voice bore no reaction to the surprise that colored Johan's face as he spoke. "I don't know. It's been so long since I felt love, that I don't know what it is anymore. But what I do know…what I do know is that when I'm with you, I feel okay. I feel like I'll be okay, that everything I worry myself to death about will be alright, just as long as you're there. So…if that's love…then I suppose I do love you, Johan."

Silence fell over them, Johan hanging his head as he turned away from the Christopher lying there in bed. "I know it's hard…" he continued, moving up closer to Johan to place a hand of comfort on his shoulder. "Johan, I know more about you than you might realize. And I'm sure that Christopher, when he finds out, he'll understand…but only if you stay by him, no matter what tempts you."

"I…I understand…" stammered Johan, rubbing away the tears that ran down along his cheeks. "I'm trying…trying so hard…but…" His gaze turned to meet the boy sitting next to him, staring at him in wonder. "But if you're not Chris…I don't understand, you look like him and sound like him and…"

Cool lips touched his cheek as the light began to fade away. "Johan, you'll learn that in time…right now though, it's more important to live up to your promise with Chris. Stick by him, and he'll do the same for you. Promise me that, Johan."

"I…"

"Johan. Promise me." The softly shining face of the boy was reduced to translucency, nearly disappearing against the blackness as he spoke.

"I…I promise…"

***

"I…I promise…"

Rachel stared quizzically, first at Johan's comatose state, then at the otherworldly response he gave as he came back to reality. This was most certainly not what she'd been expecting from the shallow imbecile she had known before. "What the hell…?"

Gripping her hand tightly, Johan pulled himself out of Rachel's grip, leaving her in her seat as he rose to his feet. His face bore a look of determination as he moved quickly to Chris's side- the boy's face bore a soft glow of relief upon feeling Johan's hand take hold of his arm. "I'm sorry I wasted your time Rachel…and I'm sorry about what's happened. I've changed a little, as you can see, and I intend to keep doing so. Which means I can't dwell on the past."

Rachel looked on in shock as Johan and Chris moved past her towards the door leading out. "So…I suppose you should do the same. It's over Rachel. It's been over for a while now…go away, go find some happiness, and quit trying to ruin mine. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Temporarily at a loss for words, Rachel jumped to her feet, standing face to face with Johan in an attempt to stare him down. "Bullshit, you haven't changed one damn bit. You're just as immature and air-headed as you were the day I left."

To both their surprises, Chris suddenly raised his voice, glaring once more at Rachel. "However," he interrupted, stepping closer to her, "as immature as Johan might be, I think that hardly gives you the right to be the same towards him."

"That's enough Chris…just it rest." With a gentle pull Johan led Chris towards the door, offering one final look back at Rachel. "The same to you, Rachel. Goodbye, and have a nice life. I know I will."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Rachel alone in the aisle, jaw agape and speechless. Never in her life has she expected such a reaction from the childish, aloof boy she had once dated. Not to mention her underestimating of his new toy's feelings towards Johan. For a moment she was almost ashamed of herself, disgusted that she could make such a blatant error, but then she calmed herself, shaking her head as a warped little smile crossed her face. So, she had failed this time, yes. But no matter. They all lived in one city, the three of them, and even in a place as vast as Crossroads it was only a matter of time before they met again.

And then, when they did, she swore to herself she would be better prepared.

"Ma'am?"

Rachel turned to find one of the waiters standing behind her, a bit stunned by the events that had just rocked the table she'd been sitting at. "Is anything the matter? I couldn't help but overhear all the commotion and…"

"No, no, it's fine," she replied, shaking her head. Gathering her belongings as the man stepped away, she couldn't help but laugh to herself at the ideas that began to brew up inside her mind.

Yes Johan… she whispered inside her mind, mark my words, you will regret ever meeting that boy someday…

***

Johan dropped to the sofa, sprawling out and sighing in relief at finally making it back to the security of his apartment. "Finally…peace at last…" he groaned as Chris took a seat beside him, holding Johan close in comfort. "Chrisy, I'm really sorry about that…I had no idea what Rachel had up her sleeve."

"It's okay…really, it's okay." Chris's expression was one of pure calm now, stripped of the anger it bore towards Rachel, the fear it bore towards Johan, or the surreal flicker of heat beneath his icy eyes. "I mean, you tell me all the time not to sweat it, after all."

"Yeah, you got a point…" Johan answered with a quiet laugh. Lying there for a moment, looking up at Chris's face, his mind flickered back for a moment to the Chris he had seen in that dark room. They looked so alike, and yet…that other boy had spoken as though he were not the Christopher he had come to know.

"Johan…?"

Johan blinked in surprise. Was Chris reading his thoughts? Another laugh, as he shook his head. No, no, such an idea is ridiculous. "Sorry…I was just thinking about something I saw today, when Rachel was all up over me…"

"Oh?" Natural curiosity overwhelmed Chris. He had seen Johan zone out in the middle of the restaurant for a moment, but why…"Yeah, what was that all about?"

"Nothing really," replied Johan coolly, sitting up straight as he drew Chris closer to him, laying the boy's head on his shoulder. "Just having a little conversation with the angel on my shoulder, that's all."

"Really…" Chris said with a sigh, closing his eyes as he rested comfortable against Johan. "That's…that's good then…that's always good…"

Johan couldn't help but smile as he lifted Chris up in his arms, helping him to the little bedroom in the back of the apartment. "Yeah…" he whispered to himself, mesmerized by the serenity of the sleeping Christopher, "It's good to know he's there for me…"

***

To Be Continued…