But he’d tried to stay positive for Brian’s sake. He stayed at the man’s side as long as he was allowed between check-ins and visitation hours. The prognosis was still guarded according to the last update and Tim knew his time allowed in the room was running out for the night as the clock ticked on the wall—a sound that had started to annoy him now that things were quieting down for the night. 

A little too quiet. A frown crossed his face as he took note of the silence. For a moment the humming of the machines started to sound like a familiar distortion and the hairs on the back of his neck and along his arms prickled. He tried to tell himself it was nothing, just bad memories playing tricks on him. Then the power went out.

The hospital plunged into darkness for a moment before the backup kicked on. Machines could be heard coming back to life as the staff called out somewhere in the distance. The overhead lighting however, stayed dim and flickering. Orange emergency lights swirled and flashed against the wall outside. 

Goosebumps rose on his skin as he peered into the strangely deserted hall. The way the orange lights moved against the sterile walls reminded him of his own time in the mental hospital… when it was burning. Minus the smoke and the doctors rushing around to get themselves and the patients out. 

“Where are they anyway?” Shouldn’t someone be coming down to check the patients in this wing? Should he hit the call button to get someone here?

Tim ducked back into the room, feeling his paranoia playing up again. Something wasn’t right. That buzzing was wrong. He shook Brian rougher than he’d wanted to but was desperate to wake the man up. 

“Bri, hey, we have to go.” He tugged the IV and other wires and needles from the man’s arms as gently as he could while moving quickly. 

Brian groaned and looked around groggily. “Wha’s happening?” 

“Nothing good. Can you walk?” 

Of course he couldn’t. Not on his own at least. Tim helped support Brian’s weight and hurried into the hall with the taller man limping beside him. Glancing down both ways, he tried to recall which way would take them to the exit. 

“Left.” Brian tugged at him. 

Tim didn’t know how he’d know considering he’d been unconscious on arrival but it was a fifty-fifty shot. He tried to keep the panic in the back of his mind as they wove through the squeaky-clean halls. Each turn was making him feel more lost. Surely there weren’t that many hallways, right? At least not that he’d been down when they’d taken him to Brian’s room. 

“Tim…” A cough followed Brian’s panting breath as the man leaned more weight on him. 

Pausing, he checked in on the other man. Despite the poor lighting, he could see how pale and unfocused Brian was getting. Looking around, he still couldn’t see any signs of other people… He couldn’t hear them anymore either. 

“Rest for a moment… get my bearings… We aren’t trapped here. I just… went in a circle or something.” He tried to convince himself, though it didn’t work very well with the paranoia playing the worst scenarios. “It isn’t here. We’re states away from Rosswood. This is just.. Something else.” 

He sucked in a harsh breath as he heard footsteps walking closer. Whirling around, he saw a man in a doctor’s coat walking towards them. His dark hair had a tint of gray in it and his face was scruffy—features he couldn’t recall any of the doctors here having. As the man got closer, Tim caught a glimpse of dark stains around the cuffs of the white overcoat… and a dark wet trail back towards another room. He’d seen enough blood to know what it was even in the swirling of orange colored lights; they needed to get out of here.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” The man was taller and clearly built as he looked down on Tim. 

He couldn’t find his voice as he dragged Brian with him in retreat. The guy tilted his head to the side, revealing that same damned mark that girl had. As if knowing his train of thought, the man smiled and pushed back the white fabric to show off the weapon hilted at his side. The sharp blade swished out as the man charged. 

Tim ran as best he could with Brian’s now completely dead weight. It’d be faster to ditch the injured man and save himself yet he couldn’t bring himself to leave Brian for dead. He turned another corner only to skid to a halt on the slick floor as a wiry figure came from the other end of the hall with a metal bat. They looked closer to his age than the man had. However she was leaner and definitely shorter than the other guy who was now blocking the way he’d come. But those differences certainly didn’t make them less dangerous.

“Nothing against ya, kid.” 

Tim turned as the man spoke, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw the mask he now wore. The smooth features and thin white over the eye holes reassembled the Operator’s face just a little too much for his liking. Paired with the orange lights flickering like fire against it, he realized with a sense of dread that he’d seen this man before… The night the hospital burned to the ground. He’d even said those exact same words.

His body felt numb as he tried to scramble away, tripping over his own feet as he adjusted his grip on Brian. The man had gone too still in his arms. Tim wasn’t sure if it was his mind playing tricks or if Brian’s body was growing colder. His eyes darted back to the younger figure, noting the familial resemblance with the older man—not that it aided his situation. Unlike her father, their expression seemed more sad about what was about to happen. 

He pressed his back to the wall, completely trapped. A fit of coughing wracked his body, flecks of blood speckling the formerly pristine floor. Through blurred vision he could see the faceless entity itself watching several rooms down. Tim lunged for the younger of the two attackers, determined to at least go down fighting. Their scuffle didn’t last long before a sharp blade opened a gash across his back. 

His shout was muffled by the woman beneath him freeing an arm from his grip and landing a blow to his throat. Once more he was coughing and his moment of weakness brought another stab of the man’s weapon into his flesh. The feel of his body tearing open as the blade yanked out was painful. Even without looking he knew it was fatal. His brain was feeling cloudier and his limbs were losing their ability to respond. Tim crawled over to Brian’s side, relieved that they’d at least left him alone… Although, he knew it meant the man was already gone. 

“We didn’t get away… don’t… don’t think… we ever could’ve…” His eyelids felt heavy. 

A little shamefully, he’d kept his distance and hid when the ambulance showed up. After everything he’d been through he’d gotten used to hiding and avoiding people who might start asking questions. Brian kept a close watch on the hospital though. He’d watched as Tim walked out days later, reluctant to approach and essentially jump him at that time.

That was why he found himself outside Tim’s house a night later. He stared at the door, debating on what to say or whether or not he should just leave. He’d only spent the past hour creeping around as he went over his options. Brian raised a loose fist to knock, hesitated, and turned away. “I can’t do it… What if he doesn’t want me around anymore?”

A weight slammed into him as he walked through the small, slightly overgrown backyard. Grunting as he was brought to the ground, he did his best to roll onto his back to better defend himself. The grip on his faded hoodie tightened but an attack never came.

“Brian?” The way Tim whispered his name made his heart stutter. It was like the man was afraid to be wrong.

He stared up into the dark brown eyes, noting the fading scar above one of them from the recent accident, before trailing his gaze down to Tim’s lips. The silence stretched between them as Tim slowly relaxed and came to the conclusion that Brian was in fact there. He’d gotten so lost in ogling Tim and relishing the gentle caresses down his chest and through his tangled hair that he nearly missed the feeling of lips ghosting over his. The kiss was ginger and so brief he thought he’d imagined it, though it had still managed to seemingly steal his breath away.

“I’m sorry.” Tim retreated, though was still straddling his waist.

Brian propped himself up on his elbows, confused over the apology. “Don’t be.”

“No,” he shook his head and once again observed him as if Brian was going to vanish. “I mean for leaving you alone… I should’ve stayed. I should’ve—”

He placed a finger over Tim’s lips to silence him before removing it to brush his fingers through the soft dark hair that had fallen onto one side of the man’s face. “You can’t change the past… besides, you really think I was gonna let you get away that easily?”

A grin tugged at the corners of Brian’s lips. Sure, it would’ve saved time if Tim had stayed after finding him, but he didn’t blame the guy for leaving. He’d been hurt pretty bad and Tim had already witnessed enough death; it was a miracle he’d pulled through and still had the use of his legs. He was lucky Tim hadn’t been badly injured either.

“How did you find me?” He was melting into Brian’s touch.

“It wasn’t easy, ‘specially when you stopped uploading.”

A spark of humor returned to Tim’s eyes. “Nothing a star like you couldn’t handle though, huh?”

“Well duh.” His playful, cocky attitude shifted as he noticed Tim flinch ever so slightly when he gently pushed against his chest. “...Are you feeling okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Tim.”

“Just some bruises.” He stole a reassuring kiss before getting up. There was a subtle limp in his step, as his leg still got stiff from time to time despite how long it’d been healed. “C’mon, let’s head inside. I promise, it’s much more comfortable than the ground.”

“Do I get to use the front door or should I try entering through a window?”

Tim had once been annoyed by all these break-ins, but knowing it was his boyfriend? Well, he wished Brian had mentioned it sooner but he figured they could laugh about it now. He shook his head and threw an arm around the taller man’s shoulders. “We’ll save the window for another time.”

“Only the more scandalous visits then.” Despite the lack of anything other than a distant street light, he could see the blush crossing Tim’s face.

There was a homey feeling to Tim’s place that was immediately felt when he stepped through the door. Tim’s suddenly nervous stare was on his back as Brian slowly moved further into the house. The muted colors gave off a warm calming feel to the place and after exploring the living space for a minute, he took a seat on the light tan couch next to a neatly folded plaid blanket.

Tim joined him, pressing close to his side as he watched Brian’s reactions. “...Do you have a place to stay?”

“I, um… Nothing permanent.” Admittedly he’d been staying in a hotel, though his funds were nearly gone.

“You could… stay with me?”

The offer made his heart race. How many times had they stayed over at each other’s places back in college? Too many to count. The only thing making him hesitate was the fact he’d surely damaged the trust between them during the years everyone had assumed he was dead. Did Tim really care enough about him to see passed that? So far it seemed that way but what if that was because Tim just got him back?

He must’ve been making a face because Tim shifted, putting a small gap between them with a look of worry. It felt cold without him and Brian quickly amended that by shifting to wrap his arms around Tim and pull him back. “I’d love that… but, we have a lot to catch up on.”

“Is that a no then?”

Was that disappointment? He pressed his lips to Tim’s forehead. “Oh I’m definitely moving in. I just think we should take things slow.”

“Can I ask you out to grab breakfast?”

“Hmmmm… Make it lunch.” It was late and Brian highly doubted either of them would be awake early enough for it to be considered breakfast time.

Another quiet laugh rumbled in Tim’s chest. “Alright.”

Brian was practically laying under him as he cuddled with Tim. His eyes drooped as their conversation dwindled out. He was pretty sure dawn light was starting to shine through the tops of the curtains and mumbled in complaint as he ducked down to bury his face in the crook of Tim’s neck. He expected Tim to leave so he could sleep in the comfort of a bed but light snores reached his ears. Glancing up Brian saw Tim’s head resting on his chest. The way they were laying wasn’t the most comfortable for him but he couldn’t have cared less. With Tim peacefully resting in his arms and the past threats seemingly gone, everything felt hopeful and brighter.