#tqlewthurstuff

“C'mon Artie, jump in!”

Arthur stood, his feet stuck in the sand, waves lapping up to just about under his knees, his arms crossed over his chest.

The sound of people talking and kids playing and splashing farther up the beach mingled with the calls of seabirds and the crash of the waves…

…and out in the water stood Arthur’s boyfriend, motioning for him to join him.

Arthur frowned and took a deep breath, going to take a step forward then hesitated, staring down into the clear, cold water, then out at Lewis, then back down again.

He…didn’t want to go in.

“Eheh, not right now Lew!” he yelled out to his bae, “Maybe later!”

He stepped away from the water’s edge, letting out a shaky, relieved sigh, plopping down under his umbrella and returning to his book, safely away from the crashing waves. He hoped Lewis was having fun, and maybe he’d go back into the shallows later, after lunch. Maybe.

Arthur was reading along quite comfortably when the sunlight filtering down from above dimmed, the confused mechanic looking up, expecting to see a cloud obscuring the sun, but instead saw Lewis, standing in front of him, water dripping off of him, a cunning smile on his face.

“Oh, hey Lew, you come in for lunch?”

“Nope,” he replied, bending down, gently taking Arthur’s book out of his hands, grabbing them half a second later, exclaiming: “I came back for YOU!”

Arthur squeaked with suprise as he was quickly pulled to his feet, Lewis moving back towards the water, tugging Arthur along with him.

Realizing what was going on, Arthur stuttered:

“L-Lewis, c'mon man, it’s almost noon and-”

“Aw, come on Artie, the water’s great! I saw you starting to come in earlier and-”

“L-Let’s just go back and eat, eh?”

“C'mon, it’ll be more fun out here with the both of us…”

Arthur suppressed a whimper: he was up to his waist in the water now, and with Lewis continuing to pull him in, the waves began lapping up against his stomach and now towards his chest and-

“LEWIS, STOP!”

Lewis immeadiately released Arthur’s hands, his magenta eyes widening with terror, the man obviously startled by Arthur’s sudden outburst:

“Holy crap, I’m sorry Artie! I didn’t hurt you, did I? Did you step on a rock or-”

“N-No, no…”

Lewis looked into Arthur’s eyes, the spiky-haired man looking away from him a moment later as a slight red flush began creeping across his cheeks.

“I…I don’t know how to swim.”

They were both silent for a moment before realization crept across Lewis’ face and he spoke, his tone full of apology and concern:

“Holy crap Arthur, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Arthur waved his hand dismissively.

“No no, it’s fine. I should have told you a long time ago, big guy.”

Lewis was silent for a moment, then suggested:

“…let’s head back in.”

Arthur shook his head.

“No, I mean, you can stay out here. I don’t wanna put a damper on your fun. I’ve got a book and maybe I’ll wade through the shallows or something later.”

Arthur gave a reassuring smile, but Lewis frowned: he knew EXACTLY what Arthur was trying to pull.

He stepped forward and gently held one of Arthur’s hands, cupping the side of his much shorter boyfriend’s head with the other. Arthur didn’t look up at him, but did nuzzle into his hand a little, his fingers tightening around Lewis’.

“It’s okay, Arthur, really,” Lewis explained, smiling down at him: Arthur always put such a burden on himself, always felt that he was doing something wrong…

Lewis leaned down, planting a kiss on Arthur’s forehead and pulling him into a gentle, loving embrace.

“Let’s go back in and have lunch, okay?”

“…no.”

“What?”

Lewis looked down, seeing a bright spark of determination lighting up in Arthur’s eyes, the mechanic sounding suprisingly certain as he demanded:

“Teach me how to swim!”

“What?”

Arthur puffed up his chest a little, continuing:

“I’m out here, I feel like doing it…w-we better do it now before I change my mind.”

Arthur gave an affirmative nod, looking up with a slightly worried expression. Lewis tilted his head, then smiled, chuckling good-naturedly, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

He forgot how brave Arthur was at times, and hoped Arthur would come to understand that himself one of these days.

“Alright, first thing’s first,” Lewis said, releasing Arthur’s head and hand, putting on his best teacher voice (or at least, his best impression of what he thought a teacher voice should sound like) and beginning his lesson: “treading water. C'mon.”

Lewis nodded out towards the sea, stepping backwards as Arthur followed, motioning for him to stop and wait a good 10 feet back from him as the water started to get deeper and darker.

“Okay, watch me first.”

Lewis moved back, feeling his feet slide off into the short drop off where the sandbar ended and the open ocean began, gently kicking his legs and moving his arms slowly back and forth, keeping his head above water, explaining as calmly and clearly as possible:

“You kick your legs a little underneath you and move your arms straight out to your side and then back in again, close to your chest, and keep repeating both those motions on a loop: if you do that correctly you’ll keep your head above water, even if you’re in water that’s deeper than you are tall.”

“Re-Really?”

“Yep!”

Lewis swam back to the shallows, planting his feet on the sandy bottom, and approached Arthur, who seemed to understand where this was going…

He shuddered, staring at the vast, wavy sea.

One foot at a time, Arthur said in his head, staring at the spot ahead of him where he water got darker, kick your feet, move your arms back and forth…

“I’ve got you.”

Lewis’ voice right next to his head and Lewis’ hands next to his waist gave Arthur what he needed: he stepped off the edge of the sandbar and-

Panic.

His feet were no longer on solid ground, only cold, dark water, deeper than he’d ever been in before, his eyes snappig shut out of fear, gasping for air. Stay calm, stay calm…

Kick your feet, move your arms. Kick your feet move your arms. KICK YOUR FEET, MOVE YOUR ARMS!

…he heard splashing.

“Whoa, Artie: slower on the arms and make sure you keep ‘em a little below the surface, okay?”

A little below the surface, got it. He felt Lewis’ hands on the sides of his chest now, obviously keeping him in check, afloat. Gotta stay above water: you can do this Artie, he assured himself…

You can do this.

All of a sudden the splashing stopped and he felt his body sink a little. He gasped, opening his eyes: his head was above water, his hands just below the surface, his feet gently kicking, and his body moving fluidly up and down with the small, gentle waves.

“Lewis, am I doing it righ-”

He turned his head, and saw Lewis standing back on the sandbar, an arm’s reach away…his arms at his side.

Arthur’s eyes lit up again.

“I’m doing it?! On my own?!”

“Yep, you’ve got it!”

“OH MY GOD I’M DOING IT!”

Arthur let out a wildly bright and happy laugh, Lewis looking on with an equally bright, exclaiming:

“Told you you could do it.”

“H-How do you swim, though?”

“Whoa, um, okay: one second.”

Arthur moved himself back a bit in the water as Lewis swam in next to him, explaining:

“Okay, so basically what you’re gonna do is take your legs and angle them so they’ll push your body forward in the water…”

“Okay.”

“…then you’re gonna take your arms and do kind of the same thing, but put 'em in front of you and kind of, kind of, um…you know how Mystery swims?”

“Yea, kind of.”

“Just do that.”

“Okay.”

Arthur angled his body in the water a bit, fear creeping up in his eyes for just a moment as a wave crept up his face, close to his mouth, but as it passed he focused again, determined.

Kick your legs, angle your body, swim like Mystery does. Move forward, keep your head above water…

Splish, splash, splish, splash.

Lewis watched, a bit befuddled: Arthur was swimming alright, but had gone so far in emulating Mystery’s swimming gait that he was lifting his hands out of the water and slapping them back in with every stroke.

He coasted up next to Arthur, smiling over at him.

“You don’t have to lift your hands up out of the water every time, just keep going and keep your head above water.”

Arthur kept his head turned forward, adjusting his strokes as Lewis suggested, when he heard something: screaming kids? Close by?

He looked towards the beach, and was awestruck: Lewis’ and his umbrella was far behind them, and they had gone past at least three other groups up the beach, Arthur stopping to tread water and stare.

Lewis floated over to his side, casually planting a little kiss on the side of his boyfriend’s head, chuckling a little at how the water had made Arthur’s spiky hair droop a bit (not that his pompadour was faring much better at this point).

“So, you did it, huh?”

Arthur…slowly came out of his daze, turning to Lewis.

“…yea, I guess I did.”

Lewis smiled, opening his mouth it speak, but whatever he was going to say turned into a loud squeak as a Arthur gave him a little smooch on the nose.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, LewLew.”

Lewis let out another little squeak, ducking his head down into the water to hide his blush as Arthur chuckled.

The two swam side by side for a good long time, and when they finally did get back to their umbrella, they collapsed on top of one another in a big, wet pile, Arthur lazily reaching for their cooler and pulling out him and Lewis’ lunch sandwiches, the two of them eating and relaxing, watching the waves crashing, going out and crashing back in as they curled up under the umbrella, draped in towels and bordering on falling asleep.

“Thanks, Lew,” Arthur mumbled, nuzzling the side of Lewis’ head as they snuggled.

“No problem Arthur, but don’t sell yourself short: what you did today was on your own, I just gave you some direction.”

Lewis gently held Arthur’s hand, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

“You’re so brave, Arthur. I love you.”

Arthur kissed him back, nuzzling into him more.

“I couldn’t have done it without you, big guy. Love you too.”

Arthur moved among cobwebs, slunk along walls with caution...or, at least, as much caution as he could in his current state. The spiky-haired Borrower was soaked to the bone, exhausted from outrunning the storm outside, and a small amount of blood was dribbling down his arm from several considerable gashes and punctures in his flesh...His village, hidden deep in the woods, had been destroyed when a twister came through, scattering him and just about everyone else in his clan across the miles upon miles of trees and hiking trails in these dark, gnarled old woods. He clutched his bloodied arm as it spiked with pain: he'd landed on it bad, ending up in a pile of debris, badly cutting it and puncturing it, and Arthur winced as he finally got out of the space between the walls and into the main living space of this building...It was a big house, even for a human: long halls, a grand foyer, and at least one library, from what he saw...yup, definitely a lavish place, even if it was pretty deserted...weird. Whoever owned this place must be rich out of their mind, and building this mansion deep in the woods probably meant that whoever owned this place didn't want many visitors...Nice, that's meant less humans to deal with, even if this home was a bit of a mess and a tad...ominous, a word that only seemed to suit the place more as Arthur whimpered, jumping at the loud creaks and general settling noises against the storm the home made as he looked for a suitable place to settle and tend to his wounds. Arthur got quickly situated in the space between the walls of the kitchen and one of the many living rooms in the building, getting as comfortable as he could, cleaning out and tending to his arm as he began to fall asleep, the thunder outside crashing, roaring every once and a while, the constant pitter-patter of rain filling him with dread, thinking of what might have happened to his friends and family...Arthur's dreams gave him no respite from such worries...but at least his body got the rest it needed as he lost consciousness.---"Wha҉t̀ ̨i̡s h͞e?͞"͞"̧I ̵d̢u̧nǹo̶, ͡h͟e's ki̵nda̴ sma͜l̨l, ̛hu̷h́?"̡"K͢inda,̕ ͏reàl̶l͜y? ̢Look̀ ̵àt hi̷m̕, ͘h̢ȩ's̡ ̧t̵i͏n͠y!"̢̢̀"Śh̨oosh̛,̕ y҉oų'll̸ ͢wak̀e ͏h́im͏ up͘!"Arthur heard several, child-like voices echoing around him through his hazy thoughts, and for a second he believed that said voices were just a part of his quickly ending dream...If only he had been correct.Arthur awoke screaming, four big, purple faces staring down at him, glowing, yellow eyes staring at him from above, from what appeared to be a group of...gh-ghosts!"͏I͞ toĺd ̢you͠ he͏'d̵ ̨wàk̵e up!"͡"H͞e͞ ͡w̶as ̀gonn̕ą ̀w̷ak͡e͟ ҉up ͟a̧n͡yw͡ay̧,̴ ͟s̕he͘e̴s̸h!"҉"͡He҉y͘a lit͏tle͘ m̶i҉st͞er!"One of the looming spirits turned its attention to him, the Borrower scuttling away as it called over to him:"Oh ̸c͢om̨e o͟n! Do͞n'̡t ͢r̶un, ̸we do͏n't ͢b̛i͠te! W͘hat̀ ͘ar̶e͢ y̢ou, ̴whe͟r̛e̸'re ͝y͜ou ̸f͟r̡o͡m͝?̶! C̀'m̡o̵n̵, t̨e҉ll̸ us̸sssss̨!͞"Arthur didn't respond, just bolted out of the kitchen and down the hall, scrambling across and down the counter with surprisingly agility, especially considering his injuries...and immediately had to duck into the shadows as two more spirits floated by, one of a man in a fine, maroon suit, the other of a pretty, purple-haired lady in a beautiful dress."What are all of you up to in here?""W̷è ̢śaw͏ ͢a ti̢ǹy͜ ma̷n͠, ͘l̷i̛k̴e̡, b̴u̕ǵ-̶t͝i͘n͏y̵!̴""What, what do you mean?""̸He̵ ͡ran a̵wa͡y, h̛e's͢ go͟t̕ t̸o̡ b̵e ̧ar͜oun͠d som̵e̴w͟he̕ŕe̵!"̛Andddddd that was Arthur's cue to get out of there: the Borrower ducked back into the space between the walls through a nearby mousehole, not once turning back to listen in on the arguing spirits...no wonder this house was deserted: ghosts, GHOSTS for crying out loud...

He had to get out...and he seemed to be pretty close to doing so when the ground suddenly gave out underneath him, the Borrower turning his head back for one second to see if he was being pursued, only to see the gaping hole in the old, rotted-out floorboards that he had fallen into, plummeting down into the bowels of the mansion...---The fall had been light, Arthur falling miraculously slowly...but the shock of the initial hole in the floor had been enough for him to pass out, or, at least, black out for a bit, and when he awoke he was no longer in a lavish hall or cozy kitchen: he was in a cool, stone crypt, a lone coffin standing like a monolith behind him, the magenta skull pattern on it seeming to glare ahead with endless wrath.The Borrower whimpered, stepping towards the far door of the room, and away from the coffin...A shame he didn't get far, though, the Borrower screaming and falling to his knees as a heavy impact hit the ground, Arthur looking back to see...oh no.The coffin's lid had slid open, had slid to the side and fallen to the ground, the being within stumbling out of it in a haze, having been awoken by the loud gaggle of his underlings arguing and desperately searching for something upstairs: he'd have to go up there and give them a stern talking to about letting him get his rest.Arthur watched in terror as the skeletal spirit strode out of his coffin, fixed his ascot and muttered to himself, skull rattling a little with his words, a bright, golden heart locket floating over his chest, beating like an actual heart...What a strange being...strange and terrifying: even at this distance Arthur could feel the power this spirit had, the sheer presence he kicked out, and he wasn't sticking around to have this guy mess with hi-Arthur squeaked with surprise and ducked into the shadows anew as the purple-haired woman and maroon-suit guy came floating into the room, both bowing their heads to the skeletal spirit before speaking:"Master Lewis! The Deadbeats, they found a tiny man in the kitchen wall!"The skeleton ghost tilted his floating head, although Arthur didn't see much as he attempted to scoot towards the door without being seen."A...what?""Tiny man, Sir. Apparently some sort of small, injured human-like being...I speculate it might be a fairy."The female spirit spoke again, her tone full of concern:"Whatever he is, he must be lost, and probably quite scared: we should find him and help him, if that's alright with you, Master Lewis.""...have either of you seen this 'tiny man'?"The two spirits looked away from their master, their heads hanging a little."N-No, Sir."The skeletal ghost sighed, Arthur freezing up a little as he got very close to the door, Lewis shooing his apparent servants, stating:"Continue your search, then: I'll be up there in a bit to look too...oh, and do try not to give this tiny guy a heart attack if he actually exists, huh? I want him alive.""Yes, Sir.""Yes, Master Lewis."And with that, the two spirits floated away, leaving Arthur alone with this Lewis guy and another few feet or so until he was out the door.The nimble Borrower waited for his opportunity, seeing the ghost look down to fix his cuffs, and he darted for the doorway...and in his haste miscalculated his trajectory. Badly. His arm slammed into the side of the doorframe sharply, making his wounds ache, and he screamed out in agony, turning back in terror and-Oh god.The skulls sockets were focused on him, the spirit's entire head tilting slightly as he peered down at the tiny man."Well, what do we have here..."Arthur broke out into a run, but it was hardly any use: the spirit was bigger and faster than him, and it wasn't long before he almost ran head-long into the spirit's foot as it came down in front of him, blocking his path."Hey! Hold still for a second..."Arthur didn't dare to look up, knowing that that towering monstrosity was over him, glaring down at him with those empty sockets......and that information alone was enough for him to pass out again, the ghostly master of the house reaching down, taking the limp Borrower in his hand, and then turning his skull upward to the continuing clamor of his underlings searching above...Time to go break the news to them.---When Arthur woke up, he found himself on top of a comfy throw-pillow, his arm done up in a loose bandage, rubbing his eyes and cracking his neck as he yawned, sitting up and-"Ah!"Sitting on the couch next to the table his pillow was on, Arthur saw none other than that Lewis ghost guy, just casually reading a book and looking over to the Borrower as he stated, quite nonchalantly:"Ahhh, you're awake. You should be grateful: I had to fight off my underlings a bit once I found you, all of them wanted to poke and mess with you...”"I-I'm absolutely grateful, Mister Le-Lewis, Sir...th-that's is your name, ri-right?! I just overheard it I am SO sorry if I got it wrong, eheheheh..."Lewis' head tilted, eye sockets perking up in shock: he hadn't even considered how scared this guy would be of him...wow, he felt a little bad now, actually.

"Yes, my name is Lewis...may I ask your name?""Ar-Arthur Kingsmen, at your service!"Lewis' eye sockets furrowed down slightly, still focused on the look of terror in the tiny man's amber eyes..."Hmmm, nice to meet you Arthur...now I'm sure you know what I'm going to ask next: where are you from and wh-""I'm a-...well, I'm a..."Arthur was struggling with this: Borrowers were always meant to keep their existence a secret, at any cost, even told to lie if they were ever captured...he was struggling to come up with a good lie, though."I'm...I'm...shit, one second..."Lewis just sighed and stated, dismissively:"Nevermind, the important question is why are you here?""...to get out o-of the storm, Sir.""Hmph, fair enough...what happened to your arm?""I-It got hurt when I got tossed up in the w-wind, earlier...m-my village got hit by a tornado, deep in the woods..."It was apparent from Arthur's downcast look and the way he gently grabbed his arm that he was more than a little concerned about the situation, most likely thinking about his village as well, Lewis’ normally stone-cold heart thumping a few times out of pity."...I-I don't know if everyone's okay, o-or if the village is still there, I'm lost a-and...and I'm sorry for trepassing, I really, REALLY am! I promise I'll leave if you just...god, please don't hurt me!"Lewis watched the tiny man fall to his knees, begging and crying, hoping for forgiveness...normally he didn't permit intruders to stay...but, considering Arthur's unique stature and pitiful circumstances, perhaps he could make an exception."Very well, Arthur Kingsmen: you are free to stay here until your wounds heal and you can return to what's left of your village: I'll go alert my underlings of the situation and ask them politely not to mess you...let me know if you need anything else."With that the ghost stood up, Arthur keeping his head and stance low, staring up at the terrifying, yet generous being before him...perhaps stumbling across this mansion hadn't been a bad thing, after all...---It took a good long time for Arthur's wounds to heal, what with there being no medicine on hand and having to clean and stitch up the wounds himself (try as the deabeats might to help him, or at least offer to help) and the realization only hit him once his limb finally began to function normally again...He would have to leave, soon.Lewis had been more than hospitable to him, providing Arthur with his own room next to the library, pleasant conversation, and even the occasional violin song, when he could be bothered for one...and yet the skeletal ghost himself had remained something of a mystery to him.Arthur had spoken to the other ghosts about the master of the house, and it had taken several weeks for them to finally crack and relent, explaining Lewis' backstory to the best of their knowledge: from what they knew, Lewis had apparently been a paranormal investigator prior to his death, and had a slip-up in a cave that led to a very painful, spiky end, impaled on stalagmites, leaving his coworker and dog behind. He wanted desperately to reunite with them, rekindle his love for the woman he worked for, Vivi, see her again...but it seemed like he may never get the chance...Arthur was filled with pity towards the ghost after hearing that, pity that ran deep, made him spend more time with Lewis just to talk to him, share stories and interests to give the poor guy something to distract him, someone to talk to, try to cheer him up before the Borrower’s inevitable departure...and for the most part, it seemed to work: Lewis seemed calmer, happier, more relaxed, especially when he was around Arthur, some of his old wounds starting to heal......although, it wasn't long before new ones took their place.---It was late one night, Lewis staring out the window of his mansion, watching the building storm outside, seeing lightning flash and hearing thunder growl...he hadn't sent Arthur away yet, had he?This realization hit him suddenly, and his heart locket slammed loudly once with surprise and confusion: when did he become so soft, letting one of the living remain in his domain? Sure, Arthur was good company, but he had an image to upkeep, and Arthur had his village to go find, and...and...He didn't want him to go. He really, really didn't want him to go.Lewis popped his locket open, staring down at the picture within: him and Vivi, together...At one point, all he had wanted in his life was her, just her: with Vivi, he'd never be alone again, never be afraid or weak. She gave him strength, gave him motivation, gave him passion...so why did his heart slam around Arthur as well? Was he going mad? Was he really that lonely?The ghost sighed: he was losing sight of his vision, his mission, his need to see Vivi again...he was lovesick over some tiny stranger, for god's sake...lovesick and alone...The thunder grumbled, making Lewis lift his skull to face the darkness and the rain outside.Arthur had to leave. Now.---It was a bittersweet farewell, Arthur exchanging few words throughout the day as he said his goodbyes, the Deadbeats hit the hardest by his departure, all nuzzling and begging the Borrower to stay...Lewis stood in the doorway of his mansion, not even stepping outside to say his farewells, just holding his heart in place and it shuddered and thumped with one hand, waving to Arthur with the other, wishing him luck on finding his village and family......and with that the doors closed, and Arthur strode away, as if that whole place had been some illusion, some dream from which he had finally woken...woken, and was never to return again.---The village was a mess: over half the buildings were broken, torn apart by the winds and/or crushed by debris, and what few survivors had returned to the secret refuge were beyond overworked trying to get the place up and running again.Arthur proved to be more than helpful to his clan, doing a lot of mechanical work and repairs as things were rebuilt, even building some muscle as he helped with construction...despite all the work, however, and the promise of a restored, happy town, the Borrower couldn't help but feel homesick, staring out his window, watching the bustling village streets below as he ran his hand through his hair...Homesick.Homesick despite being home..what was wrong with him?---It rained the next day, and as such work slowed to a crawl, Arthur sent home as conditions got too slippery to work, the Borrower curling up with some tea and a blanket, staring out into the woods, as if watching, waiting for something to come find him. The hot liquid seared his mouth as the rain outside cooled the air and darkened the sky.Violin music echoed through his mind as he let himself fall into a tired, shivery sleep...---He had been playing for over an hour now, longer than he had in years: they were starting to worry about him.Ever since Arthur left, Lewis had been no different than usual, his gruff but caring nature still present, his demeanor by no means morose or violent......but still he played his violin like he was rehearsing for a performance, watched the woods through the windows with an odd, expectant glare...the master of the house had even stepped out into the rain a few times now, letting the water douse his flames, staring skyward as if awaiting answers, answers that never seemed to come.He was a hollow, quiet shell of a spirit, keeping up an act of calm and charisma...even as his heart broke again, and again, and again...---Months passed and Arthur felt sicker than ever: not even the return of his uncle had dampened the blow of his pain: it was only to Lance that he spoke about his experiences with Lewis, knowing that only his gruff, tough uncle would believe a tale as tall as that. The stout, strong Borrower was quite surprised, but, more importantly, concerned for his nephew:"And he never hurt you?""No, not once.""Arthur..."Lance strode forward, placing a tough, muscled hand on the spiky-haired Borrower's shoulder:"...I'm glad you're safe, but you really shouldn't have tangled with a monster like that: spirits're volatile, fed by emotion and unstable...glad you're okay."Arthur just...nodded, the two talking about other things for a while before Lance left to go help a few of the other guys to bring some building materials into the village...Afterwards Arthur just sat in his kitchen, watching Lance walk away, his eyes unfocusing as he watched the hustle and bustle occurring outside: the village was almost completely rebuilt, and soon there would be much celebration and jubilation, all their suffering over...Arthur just sat there, and fought back the tears and sobs as they attempted to claw their way out him.---"Master Lewis?"Silence."Master Lewis, are you alri-""I'm fine, Duchess."The female spirit floated into the dark room, seeing Lewis staring out the far window into the grey, overcast sky, heart thumping slowly, quietly, almost painfully as she approached."Is there anything we can do for you? We're worried, Lewis, very worried..."The skeletal ghost sighed, turning to look at the woman with dim, flickering magenta irises: he had been crying, or, at least, the closest thing he could do to crying, little wisps of magenta flame sliding out of his eye sockets as he turned from her."Just give me some space...I need some time to think about some things.""Of course, Master."The female spirit curtseyed, floating away as Lewis clenched his fist, his heart shuddering again as he felt his mood shift...This mansion, much like his heart, felt empty without a certain person here...and it would until he fixed it.---It was the day before the festival: all the buildings had been restored, remodeled, and remade, a grand celebration was in order, food and drink and merriment almost ready to be unleashed. Lance strode into Arthur's house, calling out to his nephew, needing some help with some cooking and preparation for tomorrow...and got no response. The stout Borrower searched the home, finding several of Arthur's things displaced: clothes drawers flung open, bookshelves a mess, all his bags and satchels gone...and one note, waiting for him on the kitchen table...it only took one read-through for Lance to know where his nephew had run off to.He prayed for Arthur's safety, prayed for his soul: that boy was chasing monsters, and he could very well end up as dead as the spirit he sought to see again...---Arthur found it hard to move through the woods when he had so many bags with him...but he intended to make this move permanent, provided that Lewis would let him back in: the spiky-haired Borrower couldn't fight it anymore, couldn't live in a village that now felt like a foreign land to him.

His home was back where magenta candlelight lit the halls, where paintings sprung to life, and where a lone ghost held his attention above all others.He loved Lewis, and that simultaneously hurt and excited him. Love, he was in love...with a skeleton ghost. With fire for hair. The Borrower chuckled to himself as he continued on: his uncle had always said he had strange taste in men...---Lewis laid in his coffin, eye sockets shut, although sleep evaded him, as it had these many months.He remembered the Borrower's voice like some siren's song calling out to him across the void, still saw that tiny little face staring up at him in terror...and how that fear had melted into compassion and companionship with time, despite all odds... He loved Vivi, he loved her so, so much...and yet his heart shook and ached for another as well, hungered for the presence of the man he had sent far, far away from him...He shuddered as the word crossed his mind, bones rattling and heart thudding:Love.He was in love.The ghost let the tears flow: if only he could could see him again, if only once...If only once.---Arthur found the mansion through the darkening shroud of nightfall as he found his way back into the space between the walls, eventually finding a spot to put his stuff down as he dared to venture out into the dark, oddly quiet mansion.For a moment, Arthur suspected the worst: there were none of the other ghosts to be seen, no candles lit or eerie, haunting voices echoing in the distance.Was Lewis...gone?He let himself fall through to the basement of the home again, landing on his feet and finding Lewis' coffin closed, a good sign that he might be within, but...What if he wasn't?Arthur shook his head, trying to dispel that horrid thought: it wasn't true, couldn't be true...r-right?Tap tap tap."Lewis? You in there?"Arthur knocked on the coffin lid again, calling upwards at the towering casket:"I came back! Please let me stay, I...I can't stand being back in the village again, it feels wrong!"---Was this a trick? An illusion? A dream? Lewis was slow to move, slow to react to the familiar voice calling up to him from outside his coffin, almost as if he didn't want to see the Borrower again, for fear of what it may do to his already damaged, thumping heart...this had to be a dream, had to be.---"Lewis?! Come on, I know you're not a heavy sleeper, don't ignore me! D-Did I do something to anger you?! If I did I'm so sorry and I'll make it up to you, I swear! Just come out, please!"---Go away, just go away. How could they make this work? How could he forgive himself for pursuing someone else when he still loved Vivi? How could he possibly feel this much love for two people at once, and feel it so genuinely? It was wrong, so so wrong----"Lewis, Lewis even if you're not going to open up I have something I need to say! I...I...oh god dammit LEWIS I LOVE YOU!"The Borrower went silent, hands pressed against the coffin as he stared up at it, tears starting to roll down his face...and as seconds ticked by he thought that maybe he should just leave-"Eep!"Arthur squeaked with surprise as the coffin lid rose, floating off to the side as he darted back, giving Lewis some room as the spirit exited his resting place, the Borrower scared for what might happen next...Lewis felt nothing at first just a hazy, incoherent daze: had he heard that correctly? Arthur...Arthur loved..."You...love me?"Lewis stared down at the Borrower, who nodded through the tears and smiled up at him."Y-Yea, c-can't lie about that, eheh."The ghost rose a hand to his skull, hollow body shaking silently, Arthur growing more concerned by the moment: for all he knew, Lewis could fly into a rage over this news, stomp him flat right then and there, Lance's words echoing in his head..."Oh my god..."The ghost's words were choked with sobs, small wisps of magenta flame sliding out from his sockets, even as he tried to cover his face with his hands."...you love me...you love me too."Arthur's heart skipped a beat as he heard the ghost's voice."You...love me too?"Lewis just sobbed, nodding."Holy shit..."Arthur was beyond words, just smiling wide, tears of joy streaming down his face as he darted over to Lewis, hopping up on top of his foot and hugging the ghost's leg, not particularly caring about the absurdity of the situation, just the elation that was in his heart...Lewis, on the other hand, was much more apprehensive, just crying and sobbing and internally cursing this whole situation: there was no way this could work, Arthur was surely terrified of him, being a monster and all...and he'd kicked him out for god's sake, how could he ever forgive him for that?...but then came Arthur's embrace, the tiny man so unafraid of approaching him, so at peace with the whole situation, nuzzling and holding his leg...Arthur squeaked with surprise as Lewis' hand gently pried him off his leg and lifted him up, bringing him close to his face and-"Wah!""What's wrong?! I didn't hurt you did I?!""No, it's just...you look...fleshy, man."The ghost was confused, but then brought his free hand up to his face and-...and didn't feel bones, but instead the contours of his flesh, as it had been when he was alive...had his emotions altered his form?"...and I’m not gonna lie, either: you're as handsome as I imagined, too."That made the spirit blush, his cheeks filling with a slight magenta glow as he glanced off to the side, more than a little flustered..."Hey, Lewis.""Y-yea?""Bring your hand a little close to your face, I wanna see something.""Al-Alright..."The spirit brought his hand closer, eyebrow raised slightly as he wondered what Arthur was up to...and felt a tiny little kiss on the tip of his nose as the Borrower stuttered:"Th-There, eheh, our first kiss."Lewis blushed again, silent for a moment before speaking:"Well, it's not our first kiss yet, Arthur...""Oh, why no-?!"Arthur's voice cracked as he yelped in terror, suddenly shifted closer to Lewis' mouth as the ghost-...as the ghost gently pressed his lips against Arthur's head and neck, the Borrower quite surprised by his new boyfriend's gentleness."There, now we're even."Lewis chuckled sweetly at the bright red blush that was currently across Arthur's cheeks, the two proceeding to move up to the ground floor of the mansion, Arthur grabbing his things, Lewis and his underlings setting up Arthur's room again, the two lovebirds returning to each other's side as they stared out the window together, Arthur sitting on Lewis' shoulder as the two talked:"I can't lie, I feel like I've come home, in a weird way, like I've just been wandering forever and now I'm just...here, you know?""Yea..."Lewis gently reached up to the Borrower, petting the tiny man a little, Arthur responding by nuzzling and holding onto the ghost’s fingers a little."...this mansion has felt empty for a long time to me, honestly...but with you here, I feel, well, alive, if that makes sense...I feel less dead, how about that?"The Borrower chuckled, holding onto Lewis' fingers as he spoke:"Sounds good to me...”

The duo stared out the window, silent, Lewis listening to Arthur’s quiet breathing, Arthur listening to the slight clinking of Lewis’ beating heart...

Arthur tapped the microphone in front of him, adjusting his thick glasses as he called out to the packed room in front of him, team after team of paranormal investigators looking up at him as he spoke:

“Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to welcome you all to this year’s International Paranormal Investigator Summit! We have a lot of great speakers and events planned over the next few days, and there’s sure to be some great discussions and fun to be had this year…”

Arthur coughed, relaxing and running his hand through his greying, yet still golden, locks: he was 40 years old, both arms long since replaced with mechanical ones, scars up and down his form from dangerous investigation to dangerous investigation, his eyesight damaged by hours upon hours of pouring over ancient documents in the dim light of his study, body weakened by years of hard work and sacrifice…

His mind, however, was just as sharp as it always had been, and he was quickly joined on-stage by his two associates, Vivi bouncing over to him and taking his hand in hers, nodding to him as Mystery strode up on stage, the kitsune’s many tails bouncing with each step, the ancient fox sitting at his comrade’s side, stating, flatly:

“You don’t have to do this.”

Arthur said nothing, and turned his attention back to the crowd.

“…and, as you know, we, the Mystery Skulls Paranormal Investigation Team have an important announcement to make tonight.”

Arthur took a deep breath, feeling the familiar thump of the cracked locket in his pocket, a reassurance that finally gave him the strength to continue as dozens of eyes locked on him from tables all across the room, all manner of people before him, united by a single cause…

Now or never.

“As you know, we have grown to be considered one of the most successful, most recognized and renowned Paranormal Investigation teams of all time, right up there with the greats: Mystery Inc., The Ghostbusters…”

Okay, that got a laugh from the crowd, good, good…

Vivi clenched Arthur’s hand again, Mystery brushing a tail against the back of his leg, the metallic thump of the locket going quiet. They knew this was going to be hard for Arthur to say, for him to go through with, but…

“…but, tonight, we pass the torch to the next generation: The Mystery Skulls Paranormal Investigation Team is, as of this moment, disbanded and retired.”

Gasps of shock filled the room, eyes going wide, murmuring growing into a thunderous crescendo as Arthur flinched and Vivi sighed angrily.

“Knew they were going to throw a fit.”

Mystery rolled his ruby eyes: this was the problem with fame, everyone had such expectations for you, when, in all actuality, their retirement had a long time coming. Too many injuries, too many close calls, great work done but lifespans shortened by so many curses, close calls and stress…it was time for Arthur and Vivi to live happily, to move on from demons and monsters and cults.

Arthur took a deep breath and continued, increasing his volume into the mic, explaining:

“I know you all are upset, but this has been a long time coming! We are investigators from an earlier epoch; we’re just not as lively as we used to be…”

The crowd quieted as he spoke, his tone growing more bright, more confident as he finally spoke his mind, his friends supporting him, the locket thumping in time with his own heartbeat:

“…and I know that all of you will do just as much for the world: you’ll find new beings, help tortured spirits to move on, learn more about the mysteries, the beautiful and diverse world that lies just outside of the everyday, the mundane…you will do us and all your predecessors proud…”

He cleared his throat, adjusting the tie around his neck, before finishing, quickly changing the subject:

“Ahem, well, um, with that out of the way, please enjoy the festivities tonight and I hope to see most of you tomorrow at our panel and discussion. Thank you all for your time, and best of luck in your future endeavors.”

With that, the trio of investigators stepped off the stage, murmuring between each other as the room pulsed with activity, rumors and accusations flying as team left the spotlight for the quiet of their assigned table out on the floor as the next speaker came up to start the festivities…

---

The night had been long: food, dancing, discussion, gossip and drama the name of the game as the aging team was bombarded with question after question, rumor after rumor debunked…and by the time Arthur finally got back to the suite, Vivi and Mystery still partying in the ballroom many floors below, he was absolutely exhausted.

The aging man removed his glasses, putting them on the bedside table as he stared out the window, noting the twinkling of city below, it finally hitting him that his career as a Paranormal Investigator was over.

Memories came flooding into his mind…

---

Their first two years as a complete investigation team, Arthur, Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery, attending this very summit, learning from the greats, exchanging stories and strategies alike…how young, how new to the scene they’d been then, rookies, just little rookies…

…coming back four years later, sans their tallest, strongest member, the questions, questions he had to fend off at every turn, talk of ghosts making him sick…

…returning several years after that, locket in his pocket, confidence regained, a quest for vengeance, a search for the demon that had possessed him, a quest that had ended in failure every time…then over a decade of top-notch investigation work: demons exorcised, spirits laid to rest, towns, cities saved, the best paranormal investigation team in the world, they had been called…

--

Arthur picked up the cracked locket, which thumped sweetly in his hand to its usual rhythm, the aging investigator closing his eyes, sighing sweetly:

“Time to move on.”

“̸͘I̧̛͡ ̷c͘o̴̶͢u͡l̷̸̛dn҉’͢͞t͞ ́͞a͞͏͜g͢͢ŗ̶͘è̀é̶̕ ̢m̷or̢e̢̛,͠ ͏̵̕de͘͟a̡ŕ̢̧.̸͢”̡͞

Sudden terror: a female voice, not familiar, but that tone, that feeling the air, the sudden, quick-paced slamming of the locket in his hand as the lights went out in the room-

A swift blow to Arthur’s head sent him falling back as he tried to defend himself, locket skittering across the floor as the offending being grabbed the collar of Arthur’s shirt, hoisting him into the air with only one hand despite the woman’s frame being so much shorter, frailer than his own, that horrible tone in her voice again:

“҉̡B̢͝ee̸̶n ̷͠sơ͢m͟͟͞e̶ ̧́͝t͘ime̷̴͟,͟͡ ̀͞À́rt͜h͏̷ư̢r̢,̕͝ ̵͝d̵ar̵̷̷l͏i͞ņ̧͘g̛, d̨e͝a̵̕͢r͡ p̡̧͢et͘…́m͠y̕ ̨h͏o̢w͡͠ y̛͟o̕͟u̡̕’̷v̢҉e͞ ͘g̴͜ro͏҉̨w̷͟ǹ͠…͟”̨͜

Screams erupted from Arthur’s body as the woman balled her free hand and punched him square in the stomach, the man coughing, the wind blown out of him.

“͏…̶a̕͡͠n҉̛̀d̶̨͞ ͜b̶͡y͏ ̨͏g̢r͘͟o̡͟͞wǹ͝ ̡I̡͜ ͝m̡͞͏ea͟͞n̨̧͠ g͏r̀͝ǫ̕͞wņ W̢E̷̕A̕K͝.͠ ͜A̵̷̡ ͡śh́͠á͜me,́͘ ̶r̛͘e̕͡alļy̛҉…̕a̡n͡d̛ ̧͟to̸ t̶͏h͟͡i҉́n͝҉ḱ͏ I̵ ̸o̵n͝c̢e̸ ̸̵wa̸̷̧n͟͢te͏͞ḑ̴ ̴̢͡yǫ̕u̴̡͜ ͏a̸̸͢s̵ ̀ą̶ ͡͝h̨̨os̨̀t…͢”̨

Arthur was suddenly tossed across the room, the window behind him cracking from the impact, shattering in a few places, littering him with a dusting of glass shards.

“…̸h̶͜ḿ͠͝p̨ḩ,͡͡ ̧g͢u̕͏è̛͡s̛s҉̧ I ̷͝d͠͞od͟g̕͞e̡d̀ ͢t̛́h͜a̢t͡͠ b͢u͏͢l̷ļ͠͡et͠,̵̸͜ ̶͘͡pr͠e̶̛tt͏̧y͏ ͠m͢uc̴h̨̧͢ ̧̨th̸ȩ O̸͟N̴L̵͡Y̸͜ ̸̡g̸̛̕o̡ơ̵d͢ ̡thi̢nģ t̀h̸͡à̷t̕ ͝c̕a͏̷me̵̸ ͝o̢͜u҉t̕͜ ̛҉͟o̸f̸҉͝ ͜y̛͞o̸̡͞u̧̕r̴̷ s̴͡t̕͜ùp̀i̸̢͟d ͏̵li̵͠t̴͘t̵lę̵͡ ̵҉g̸̸̀ro̢ù̵p̸ ̧͡a̶͟n̷̴̢d͏ ̶yǫ͡͞u̧r҉͜ ҉d͟ų̵m̕͝b ̶li͘t̕̕tl̀e͢͡ ̧́̕k̀i̵t͡s̨͠u̡n̶̢è f҉҉͟r̸̵ièn҉d̶…s̶h͠a̷̵m̷e͟͠ ̡̨͘I̢ ҉̕͟c͠o̕͏̢u͝ldn̷̡’̢t́ ̧̡͠ge͝͏̧t͢ ̨́͢a͘h̷̵̕o̶ĺ́ḑ҉ o͝f͠͞ ̢y̸̧o̷u͟r҉̡ purp͘͟lę̧ f̛͠r͡i͞e͏ņ̢d e҉it͟͏he͟͠ŕ̶̢,͟͢͢ h̡͏e͞ ̛͘b͏͘ec̨̧a͡m̛ȩ̢ ̀s̵̕u͘c̨̛͟h ̧̧a̡̡ ͢pow̛ę͠ŗf̛̕҉u̷͜l̛̀ sp̀ì̡̛rį͟t̡͏̧,̸͜ ̀͘a̷̸͡f͢t̵͜͏e̷̛r ̷̡̡a̡̛l͟͢ĺ͜…͘͡”̶̷

Arthur was attempting to struggle to his feet, slowly realizing that there was red dribbling down from where he had hit the window, that the cracked area, the fallen glass was from where his head had hit the glass, the locket slamming across the room, Arthur feeling a presence, a familiar, welcome one around him, trying to help him up, protect him, but as the woman stepped closer, the aura of the thing possessing her so toxic, so much stronger in this plane than anything the spirit that Arthur knew well could hope to muster in response.

He was alone in this fight.

“̡̕͜…̡n͝ot ̧t̨̕͜h͟͟ą̸͠t ̵Ì̶͜ ̨̡e̛nd͘͟͡è̀̀d ͏͢u̴͜p̶ w̧͞it̡̢h̷͟͝ ̧́͡a ͏̡͡b̢͡ad̸͘ h̷͞҉ós͘͢͜t̸:̴̧͜ ͜he͢҉h͡͡,̵ ́҉g̷̡̀o̧tt̢a҉̴ ̴̧ļ̵͠ov̡e̴ ͞te̶͜è̵n͢͡ś̶͟,̕ ҉͠͞ś̴̀o̷̡ ̵͡e̡͞m̧̢ò̵t͡i̷̧o̸̡nąll̷ỳ̀ ̶͢͜v̧͢ul҉n̴̨e̵͟r̢͟͜á̶b̢l͢ȩ́,̨͡ ͏so̕͠ ͘e̕à͢s̴̶̛i͏̡l̸͜y ͏̀m͟a̸n̛͟͜įp҉ư̵la̧͏t͏̨͜ed: ̛͟à̛l͟͢ļ ̀̕it̡́ ̢͠t̸ơo̵k̨͢ ̡͢w̸a̷̢͠s ͟tha҉t͏͞ s̛̕͘ţ̕u͏̶p͘i̷d͏̶ ̡l̷i̵t̴̀tl̶̨e ̷͏g҉ì̶r͜͜l͡ ̡st͜͜͡um͘͝b̵lin͟g̕ ́́͝i͝n af͘t̷͟͟e̵̴͡r̛ ̡͘s̶̶h̢͡e͠͝҉ f͏̷̡o͠ưnd̨̛͢ ̶̀o͡ưt ́͜wh͘a̡͜͝ţ̸ ͞ha͘͘͢d̵͢ ͘h̸̛a͏p͜͝p̴ȩ́͠n̴ed͘ ̶̡to ͏͏y̧ǫ̛̀ų̶́ ̷͜a̵͠ll͜͠ ̸̡ì̶͘n̸̛ ͘m͝y҉ ç̛͠a̷̸v̛͟͝e̸ ͡á͢҉n̡̧͡d̶̡͘ ̵͝b̸̢́é̶̡f̸͏ơ̴r̛̀e̴͟͟ ͝I̶̡͞ k̶new҉ ͠i̕t̡́͘ I̸̡ ̕͜͡w͏҉ą́҉s̴̢ ͏̷͟h̢ǫm͢͜e̶͞ f͡ŕ́͢e҉e͡…̡͢”͏҉

Arthur’s words were weak, his hand clenching, trying to catch the warm, supportive presence near him, reassure the panicking spirit that was trying to so desperately to reach him, defend him…

“W-What do you want from me?”

The woman stepped into the light of city below, and Arthur finally saw her face: a middle-aged woman, blond, curly locks held back underneath the hood of her lime green jacket, eyes oddly glazed over, dazed, confirming his suspicion that she was possessed by something…a something that he knew all too well as he saw her left arm raise, the limb obviously having been shorn off at the shoulder, a much more familiar, green-tinted limb attached in its place, the eye that rested in the middle of her left palm glowing an ungodly emerald, glaring down at him.

“̸Ó͝h̡͡,͘ ̶̕no̧͡ţ̵h̵í̡̛n̨̕͟g̷҉ ̧Ąr̸t̷ie͠͞,̢ ̸̸j͟͏̵u̸̶s̶t̷̷ ̶̵ą̶̴ ̢͏͡ļ̷̴įt͟t̶̕͢l̵͞e̷͢ ̴̧͠f͞ų̕n̵,̕ a̵̕ ̛͡l͜i͞tt̢͡lé͏ ̴c̀҉l̵̨e̷҉a̶n̶͡-͜ù̵p͢ ̸̀͜to̵ ̢̨mak͢e͟ ͘͢me̶͜ ̶f͘͢eę҉̸l͡ ̸̶͟be̛͡t̸͞t̸̢̀e̷̕̕r̕, ̧a̸̢ ̀͞͠l͟i͜t҉̡͢t̷l̛e ̢̕reveng̴̛͠e҉ f͢͢ơ̧͜r͟͞ ͜҉a̕l͏l̵̡ ̸t́h̸e̷ ҉́s̴̨h́i͞͡t͞ y̶o̸͟u̸̷ p͞ú̵͞t ́mę̷ ̸̡͠t̴͜h̨̢͠ro̵̕ùg͜͞h…”́͘

Hand on his collar again, the woman’s voice so loud, so angry now, Arthur hearing a male voice calling out to him, screaming, sobbing, unable to reach him here…

“̧͢͏.҉.̶͢͜.̶̸̕l͠e̷t̸͟͏’̛s̶͢ ̷j̡u͏̕st͞ ̶̡s̡a̴̕͜y̵̢ ̵̀t̀h̨̕͡à͝t͘ ͜͞i̧̛f̛ ̢͘I͢ ͏̀͜c̨a̴n̛’t̴ ̨ha͝v̴͏̧e̷̕͜ ̶̡͡yo҉͟͞u, ͡t̨̡͢h͞e͏͢ǹ̴҉ ̶̧N̷̨Ǫ ͟͡O͝N̢E ̢̀͢w͢i͞l̢͘l̶̨̕!̸”

Glass shattering, the city lights brighter now, weightlessness, free fall, free fall to the street below.

He had just retired, having given up on his prey, the focus of his mission, of his vigor and strength all those years ago, only to have the demon that he had sought for years come back and claim his life for its own, Arthur finally seeing its face, its host once…and just before his own death, no less.

There was no time to laugh, no time to cry.

He made one last wish for Vivi and Mystery’s safety, then…

Nothing.

--

“Arthur?”

There was that white, empty sky again, an endless field of purple and orange flowers stretching from horizon to horizon…but he could care less for any of that, Arthur’s only concern on the man before him.

“Lewis!”

Arthur’s arms reached up, pulling his beloved down into a strong embrace, the purple-haired man pulling away from him, looking the way he did the night he died, tears in his eyes and pain in his words:

“I’m so sorry Arthur! I tried, I tried so hard to stop that thing but I just couldn’t reach you and-“

Arthur’s fingers were pressed against Lewis’ lips, shooshing him.

“Lewis, calm down: if there’s anyone in the world that understands why you couldn’t make it, it’s me. You’re a Class C, benevolent Spectre, Lewis: you couldn’t have hoped to intercept a demon that has had a stable host for that long…you did everything you could and more. Shoosh.”

The shorter, older man adjusted Lewis’ ascot, noting, that, even though he was now on the same plane as his lover, that he maintained his metal arms, and, presumably, his graying hair and scarred body in his new, ethereal state.

He just sighed inwardly before asking, worriedly:

“So, where to now?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

The two men looked at each other, the silence, the brilliance of the world around them forgotten as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I’ll admit, Lewis, I’m a tired, tired old man: I’ve spent so many years fighting the things that go bump in the night…I’m surprised I lasted this long, but…”

“But Vivi and Mystery.”

Arthur chuckled and nodded, Lewis reading his mind.

“Not sure if I can rest, knowing that that thing might go after them next…ugh, and to think I though I was DONE with this crap.”

Lewis took his lover’s hands in his, locking gaze with the man he loved most dearly, had spent those few years feeling nothing but hatred for, a man who he now understood, and for whom he felt endless guilt for over ever having a cruel thought about, ever wanting vengeance against in his haste, his ignorance..he had watched Arthur grow and change, had helped to protect him all these years, helped to protect a man that had never forgotten him and who had become so much braver, so much more than Arthur himself would have ever expected himself to become.

There was nothing but love in his eyes.

“Wherever you go, I will follow.”

Arthur just chuckled and planted a kiss on his Lewis’ nose, finally able to touch him again after several years of just feeling his presence now and again, so distant from him, lovers separated by death...

“Heh, quit the cheesy bullcrap and let’s get going.”

Arthur gripped Lewis’ hand in his as they turned, walking together, no need for pulsing lockets or visions or dreams anymore: they were together…