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 Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:45 am
Takes place early January 2026 after the events at Northpoint. Ganymede helped Yvoire back to Earth. They powered down in a dark, shadowy corner and walked a few blocks to an unfamiliar car, where Riker was waiting.
Énna lowered himself into the passenger seat, slow and cautious as he pulled the seatbelt across his lap. Paris waited until they got themselves settled. She said nothing of identities and asked no questions about that night, merely treated Riker like he was one of Énna’s school friends. Énna mumbled his thanks and offered tired reassurances. He would be fine. He would go home and rest. Paris lingered on the sidewalk and watched them go, growing smaller in the side mirror until Riker turned a corner and put her out of sight.
The drive home was quiet. Énna turned in his seat to watch the glow from the streetlights play over Riker’s face. Only hours ago they’d wandered into an abandoned building without any idea what the night had in store for them.
Magic had sealed the wound across Énna’s stomach. He kept his arms folded over top of it protectively. Even after the magic bone, followed by time in Sessrumnir’s healing springs, the area remained tender and sore.
Maybe it was all in his head.
“Are you okay?” Énna said, voice barely more than a whisper.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:46 am
Riker’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel. The question was so soft he almost thought he’d imagined it.
“Yeah,” he said after a second. His voice was low, rough with fatigue. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
He risked a glance over, quick but careful. Almost as if looking too long might make Énna vanish. He looked back at the road before he could imagine the wound through Énna’s shirt, or think too hard about the way he’d gone still in his arms.
“Could’ve been worse,” he added, because it was easier to make light of something so horrible than admit to how close they’d been to losing him.
It didn’t take a genius to guess that the woman Énna had arrived with was Ganymede. There wasn’t exactly much of an introduction, and Riker was fine with that. He preferred to keep to himself, anyway. He didn’t want her to look at him with pity, or think he was helpless.
“I keep replaying it,” he admitted quietly after a long moment. “All of it. Just… seeing you like that. I know you’re okay now-- physically. But…” He let out a breath through his nose and shook his head. “It doesn’t feel real yet. Like if I take too long to blink I’ll wake up and--...”
He cut himself off, not wanting to think about it.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Sore, but been worse. I’m glad you’re here.”
He drummed his fingers against the wheel a couple times. “You sure you’re not in pain? You can tell me if you are. I won’t freak out.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:46 am
Énna’s memory was a jumble of sound and horrific imagery interspersed with dreams of a sunlit bridge. A thump, a crack, a twang. A dark, heavy presence he couldn’t place until the General had been upon them both, his sword locked with Reims’. Énna remembered Reims’ shaking arms, how close the blade had come to his neck.
There was a scar, new skin stitched together by magic, sealed shut but still raw. Énna eyed it with a sad, tired frown and tried to ignore the images that came next. Blood everywhere. Creeping shadows. Searing pain.
The smell lingered longest in his memory.
He swallowed convulsively, forcing down a wave of nausea.
“I’m alright,” he said, as quiet as before. “Sore,” he added with a huff of weak, dispirited laughter. “Tired,” he continued, his voice almost giving way to silence. “Cold.”
He curled into himself, arms a shield around his midsection. When he and Riker and Julian had met up to travel to Ganymede that afternoon, the denim overalls and pink sweater Énna wore had been enough to ward off the crisp winter air. Now he shivered even in the warmth of the car.
Maybe from blood loss.
Maybe from the stress of it all.
“Is everyone else okay?” Énna asked, watching the side of Riker’s face. “I saw Atticus and Elliot before I left. I think Maisie and Dawn left together, but… I was so out of it, I don’t know if I saw any of the others.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:46 am
Riker let him talk, listening in silence while the car followed the road. He almost reached over when Énna shivered, his hand hovering just past the gearshift, but he stopped himself. He didn’t know if it would help or just make things worse. The impulse didn’t fade, though. It just lingered like a quiet ache in his chest.
“The others are okay,” he said after a moment. “As far as I’m aware. Julian wanted some space, but I’ve heard from him. He’s just… processing, I think. Once Atticus and Maisie are rested, they’ll probably need to use their magic on everyone again.”
He glanced over for just a moment, then back at the road. “Everyone made it out, at least.”
The words didn’t sound quite as confident as he wanted them to. His voice was gentle, careful.
“When we get there, you should sleep, okay? I can stay a while… you know, make sure you’re settled or if you need anything. Or I can drop you off and give you some time to process too, if that’s better.”
He slowed a little as the streetlights started to grow more distant from each other, crossing into a residential zone.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” he added, voice softer. “Just… make sure you let me know if you’re in pain or anything. I’d rather know so I can find a way to fix it.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:47 am
“I’m alright,” Énna said again, less to be reassuring and more because he didn’t know what else to say.
It wasn’t a lie, necessarily. He was up. He was alert. He was breathing. All his blood and organs were back where they belonged. The General’s sword had split him open, nearly cut him in half. He shouldn’t be alive, but he was. He got to wake up and see his friends. He got to go home and see his dad. He would be able to go to sleep later knowing there would be a tomorrow.
Not everyone was so lucky.
“It’s weird,” he said, eyeing Riker’s hand. Énna wanted to reach for it but ultimately left it alone, wary about disrupting Riker’s concentration. “Dying, I mean. It wasn’t like I thought. Or… I don’t know, I guess I never knew what it would be like.”
Riker knew. Énna had watched him die just last year.
What a terrible thing to have in common.
“I used to think… maybe I’d see Daddy again,” Énna confessed, so soft the sound of the heat blowing from the vents almost drowned him out. “You know, like he’d be waiting for me. But he wasn’t. And… I didn’t even think about him. I was dying, and all I could think about was you.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:47 am
Riker’s hand tightened around the wheel before he even realized what he was doing.
You.
The word stuck in his head, looping back on itself until it started feeling like it was too big to even fit in the car. He didn’t know how to respond to something like that. To be the last thing someone thought of before they died. His ears burned. He could feel the flush creeping down his neck. The only real grace he had was the dark of the night keeping it mostly hidden. Hopefully Énna couldn’t feel the heat radiating from him.
He cleared his throat, eyes glued to the road.
“That’s… a really unfair thing to say while I’m driving, you know,” he muttered, the words somewhat breathless with disbelief.
He shifted in his seat, trying to figure out some way to be casual that didn’t make it obvious his heart was trying to beat out of his chest.
He wanted to say something clever. Or comforting. Or anything that might make sense of what Énna had just said. But all that came to mind was the memory of the General’s blade, the sound of steel grinding against steel, the weight of pushing back just enough to stop it--
“You shouldn’t have had to think about anyone,” he said finally, quieter now. “You shouldn’t have had to go through that at all. But… I guess I did, too. Thought about you. When--...”
He paused and let the words fade between them. He let out a small, shaky sigh. “I don’t really know what it means. But I’m glad it was me. I mean-- uh… not glad you got hurt, just--... if it had to be someone, I’m glad I was there.”
He forced out a breath and grimaced at himself. “That probably sounded weird. Sorry. I’m not great at this.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:47 am
“I’m not great at it either,” Énna said, but his voice was lighter, almost, like there was something funny about it even if the situation itself was the furthest thing from amusing.
His cheeks tingled with warmth. Riker’s face looked pink, too, in the brief flash of light from a streetlamp. Énna didn’t dislike it. Shyness and embarrassment were better things to have in common than death. He kept watching Riker’s face, searching for more. The deepening of color. The quirk of lips. A glimmer in his eyes. Énna was greedy for it—proof that Riker cared, that they were both alive.
“Thank you for trying to save me,” Énna whispered.
Speaking any louder seemed taboo. Life felt so delicate now, like it could be snuffed out again at any moment. Énna had known it before when he’d lost Daddy, then again when he’d watched Riker die, but it hit harder, somehow, now that the life in question was his own. He understood in a way he hadn’t before.
Things that once seemed to matter a great deal no longer did. Petty grievances. Jealousy. Stupid jibes with no passion behind them. Énna looked back on the last few years and saw nothing but missed opportunities.
He looked at Riker now and felt a spark of hope.
“I wish I’d been able to do the same.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:48 am
Riker shrugged a little, but it wasn’t dismissive. More like he didn’t know what to do with the weight of Énna’s words.
“It’s not really something to try and even out,” he said, glancing over before looking back at the road. The GPS on the dashboard indicated that they were close to Énna’s home, anyway. “You’ve already done plenty.”
He didn’t have to say it out loud for the memory to surface. When he’d been the one on the edge, Énna had been there, too. He didn’t remember much from those first hours after waking up, but he knew Énna had donated blood to him. That he’d helped save him.
Riker’s fingers flexed against the steering wheel. “If I hadn’t been around this time, someone else would’ve helped. All of our friends would want to help.”
He paused, his voice softer now. “I just… didn’t want it to be someone else.”
Maybe that was selfish. Maybe he should have been more insistent that anyone could have saved Yvoire. But he would be lying if he said he didn’t trust himself with Yvoire more than most of the others.
A turn onto a quiet residential block, and then into the driveway of the address he had for Énna. He didn’t turn off the car right away, not sure what Énna wanted him to do. He let the low hum fill the space between them for a few moments longer. Riker finally let himself glance over, really looking at him this time. Pale from exhaustion, but alive, breathing, warm.
“Guess it just matters we’re still here. Ready to go inside?” he asked, letting Énna decide how he wanted to proceed.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:48 am
Énna sat for a few moments and stared through the windshield. It was strange, in a way, to be home. After the basement, after the Celestial Theatre, his little house in its unassuming neighborhood seemed painfully ordinary.
His gaze landed on the old truck already in the small driveway, then the covered motorcycle beside it.
“Dad’s home,” he said.
Énna glanced at the clock. He’d lost track of time. He half expected a significant portion of the night to have passed them by and was surprised to discover it was not yet 3 AM. The porch light was on—maybe because Dad had only gotten home recently; maybe because he thought Énna might not stay with one of his friends after all. From within, the soft yellow glow of a lamp filtered through one of the living room windows, visible through a gap in the curtains.
Another surge of nausea tickled the back of Énna’s throat. Dad had been going about his business this entire time, unaware that Énna had died. If not for an unassuming bead and an equally unassuming bone, someone else might have had to come here to break the terrible news. Maybe Atticus’ dads would have done it. Maybe Riker would have taken it upon himself. Maybe they would’ve left his body somewhere for the authorities to find. Énna didn’t know what would have been safer for them. He didn’t know what would be safer for Dad.
“Maybe I should tell him,” Énna said. “He’ll know something’s wrong. I don’t know if I can keep lying to him.”
A sudden influx of tears burned his eyes. Énna swallowed and blinked them away.
He turned to Riker again, uncertain. “Will you come with me?”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:48 am
“Yeah,” Riker said immediately. There wasn’t even a pause. “Of course I’ll come with you.”
He turned off the engine and made sure the keys were in his pocket. The air outside was still and cold, and heavy with that particular kind of silence that only came at the end of a night that went on for too long. He stepped out, shut the door behind him, and moved around to the passenger side.
When he opened the door for Énna, he didn’t rush him. He just offered his hand. “Take your time.”
Riker stayed close, ready to help him get out of the car, ready to catch him if his balance failed. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Énna to manage on his own. He just didn’t trust the rest of the universe to give him a break.
He glanced at the porch light, then the faint light filtering from behind the living room window. “If you tell him,” he said slowly, “you’ll have to tell him everything.” There wasn’t judgment in his tone, just the quiet acceptance of reality. “About who you are. About what we do.”
He hesitated then, his heart racing with the familiar pull of caution. He’d spent so long guarding that part of himself, only to risk everything and have his heart broken when Énna rejected him. Things were better now, but there was still that ache of wondering if he should have kept everything a secret. He didn’t like the idea of anyone outside their world knowing. But Énna’s father deserved to know the truth. And Énna was allowed to stop pretending. Especially after what happened to his other father.
Riker’s jaw tightened for a moment before he nodded. “If that means I have to tell him what I am too… then okay.”
He shifted his weight, looking over at Enna again. “It’s your call to make. I’ll back you up. I guess worse things have already happened.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:48 am
Énna took Riker’s hand.
He climbed out of the car slowly, unsteady from nerves and fatigue and the lingering sense that he should be worse off than he was, like his brain was still stuck on the fact that he should be dead even though his body was whole again. The ache in his abdomen grew with the movement, but it was nothing compared to the scorching pain that had come with being cut open, or the piercing agony of being magically revived. The soreness left behind was a low, dull throb like an aching muscle.
Énna swayed once but remained upright. He kept a protective arm across his middle and took a deep breath of the cold night air to anchor himself in the present. He felt shaky and fragile, like he might break open again at the gentlest touch.
For a moment, Énna let the silence of the night wash over him with the weight of Riker’s acceptance. He stared up into Riker’s eyes, watching the play of light and shadow over his face. Énna thought of his last moments—Reims’ hand on his face, thumbing his jaw; a soft scarf winding around his head, shielding his nose and mouth from noxious fumes; Reims’ sword glinting in the dim, flickering light, grinding against another blade; the crack of bone as Reims’ ribs broke against the sturdy sole of a boot; the smell of him, warm, and sweet, and woody, as Yvoire bled out over them both.
Death had a way of putting things into perspective. Énna hadn’t been the type to take risks before.
Maybe he should now.
He put a hand on Riker’s face. Tentatively, Énna let his arm fall from his stomach to grip at Riker’s shirt, steadying himself against him. Riker had grown tall in the last year; Énna closed the distance on the tips of his toes.
His first kiss was shy and gentle—the soft press of lips; the stutter of breath; the flutter of lashes; a pink flush pooling in his cheeks.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:48 am
For a second, Riker couldn’t move. His mind went blank. All he could register was the warmth of Énna’s hand against his face, the delicate pressure of his fingers curling against his shirt, the tremor of breath between them.
Then Énna kissed him.
It wasn’t the kind of thing Riker had allowed himself to imagine, not after how things had fallen apart. The shock hit first, then the slow, shuddering realization that this was real. That Énna was alive, standing here, and choosing to kiss him.
When Riker finally moved, it was with incredible care. His hand came up, fingers brushing Énna’s jaw like he was afraid to press too hard. He didn’t want to hurt him. Didn’t want to ruin this by wanting too much.
“Énna,” he whispered, barely a breath against his lips. His voice felt raw and throat tight.
He leaned in again, just enough to return the kiss -- gentle, hesitant. Nothing demanding, nothing rushed. Just quiet and reverent, asking for permission with every moment it lasted.
When he pulled back, his thumb lingered at the corner of Enna’s mouth. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly. He swallowed, searching for the right words, but he wasn’t sure if he would ever know how to form them. “... I don’t want to be the reason you hurt again.”
He let out a quiet exhale, hoping to steady himself, then carefully tucked some of Enna’s hair behind his ear. “But if you’re sure… I’m not going anywhere.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:49 am
Riker’s lips were warm and slightly chapped. He said Énna’s name with a helpless tenderness that made Énna shiver. Riker’s kiss was soft but less shy, his mouth moving over Énna’s with subtle surety.
He must have kissed someone before.
Earlier in the night, the thought would have prompted a spike of jealousy Énna wouldn’t have known what to do with. It seemed ridiculous to be jealous when he had been the one to put distance between them. It would have been unreasonable to expect Riker to wait around for Énna to decide whether or not forgiveness was enough, but the hopeless romantic in him had entertained the idea anyway.
Dying hadn’t tempered those feelings, but it left him with a newfound determination. Neither of them would ever know what they could be if they never let themselves try.
Énna kissed him again, just as shy but a little more firm. He took his cues from Riker, learning as he went. Instead of answering the experience gap with bitterness Énna chose to regard it as a boon.
“I’m okay,” he said, just as quiet as before. As close as they stood now, there wasn’t any need to speak louder. “I just… didn’t want to regret never trying…”
Énna’s heart raced. He felt breathless and lightheaded, like he could float away on the next gust of wind. The cold strung his flushed cheeks but he huddled against Riker for warmth.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:49 am
Riker didn’t know what he’d expected after that first kiss, but it wasn’t this.
Énna leaned in again, soft and deliberate, and Riker felt something in his chest ease, like he’d been holding his breath for months without realizing it. His hand came up instinctively, settling against Énna’s back. He kept the touch light, careful of anything that might still be aching or half-healed beneath his clothes.
If Ènna wanted to kiss him again, he let him. And again after that. However long it lasted, Riker followed his lead.
It was cold out, but he barely noticed. All he could feel was the weight of Énna against him, the tremor of his shoulders, the softness of his lips. When Énna leaned into his chest, Riker wrapped an arm around him.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said softly. “Regretting things, I mean. We’re here. There’s time to figure things out.”
He pressed one more kiss, this time against Énna’s hair, then glanced toward the house. “As much as I could stand here all night, we should probably go inside before we both freeze.”
He drew back just enough to look at him, his thumb softly brushing Énna’s cheek. “I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere.”
Riker hesitated, feeling like there might have been something else pulling at his heart that he should say, but nothing came, so he gave Énna’s hand a light squeeze. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2026 9:50 am
Was there time? Should they slow down and wait, and let things happen as they were meant to—if they were meant to at all? Would they lose out on the opportunity? Or would everything fall into place? Would rushing something make it meaningless?
Énna didn’t know. Before tonight, he would have been content to find the answer, no matter how long it took to do so. He would have been glad for a more gradual pace. He would have been afraid that playing it fast and loose might end in tears and heartache. What if they weren’t compatible? What if the hurt ran too deep? Yvoire had liked Reims, but Énna’s feelings for Riker had been complicated from the start. Had any of it been sufficiently resolved? Did it matter? Should it?
What if they tried now and ruined everything? What if they couldn’t fix it next time?
What if one of them died again and they never got the chance?
Énna looked into Riker’s eyes, searching for an answer and finding earnest sincerity. Riker’s hand was warm on his cheek. His voice was gentle. Once, he had been needlessly cruel in a way that now seemed forced and inauthentic. Riker was sweet, and brave, and self-sacrificing. Maybe he craved love and affection as much as Énna did.
“Yeah,” Énna said. “Yeah, okay.”
He took a breath. He licked his lips. He entwined his fingers with Riker’s and returned the squeeze, desperate for this second chance at life to mean something.
First, he led Riker to the door.
Fin!
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