Secrets Hidden Behind a Tree

Herm and Rami walked hand-in-hand across the glaring desert sands. They made their way to the high walls that separated their master's compound from the other compounds. They waited until the guards were not looking. And they hid behind an immense, strong gotapo tree with its branches up high off of the ground. It was not higher than the wall. But it was high enough. There, in that corner, they could not be seen.

Herm turned to Rami and he smiled. A sort of secretive, exuberant smile. Rami smiled back. And it was a joyful, victorious smile laced with fear. They were both afraid.

It was a wedding. You were meant to be afraid.

"Can I kiss you?" Rami whisphered to Herm.

"Yes," Herm answered back.

They leaned forwards to press their lips against Herm's and he ran his fingers through their hair. It was glorious. It felt like light was fire working inside them both. It felt like the pain of the world was being washed away. Even though it wasn't, not really.

Finally the two stopped kissing. They needed to get on with the wedding of course.

"That was beautiful." Herm smiled at Rami. And it was a sad sort of smile. An exhausted sort of smile. But it was a smile anyways.

"Yes, it was," Rami smiled back, eyes overwhelmed with aching sadness and unquantifiable love.

They kept looking at each other for a while, even after their smiles had faded into blankness. They stood there, holding hands, feeling each other's pain. Feeling each other's love. Feeling each other's hope.

"We should get started on the ceremony," Herm whispered.

"You're right. We should. We don't have long." And oh it was so heartbreakingly true. They didn't have long. They never had long. But they made made the most of what they had. Of every sweet, stolen moment.

And no moment was as stolen as a wedding moment.

"I'm ready to speak my vows." Rami's soft voice was laced with excitement. With adoration. Even with a little bit of pure joy.

"Go on Rami." Herm's soft, steady voice had a soft sort of gladness to it, and a warm kindness. It also had a heartbreaking sort of exhaustion. An exhaustion of the soul.

"I..." They stopped, and bowed their head shyly while breaking into a smile.

"Go on," Herm coaxed. "I'll love you, whatever you say."

"I know. It's just ... ugh I want to get this right."

"Whatever you say will be perfectly right."

"Aww thank you. You're so sweet."

"You're so sweet too."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Sure."

The two exchanged more kisses, in the darkness between the thick walls and the thick trunk of the tree. And each kiss was perfect, was as concentratedly sweet as the first kiss.

"I'm actually ready now." Rami's soft voice floated through the tiny space. Hearing it, Harm smiled.

"I ... I want you to have all good things in life. I wish that I could give you your freedom. I wish that I could give you rest. I wish that I could give you power. But all I can give you is love."

"All I want you to give me is your love," Herm replied. "When I'm with you I feel as if my heart is free. When I'm with you I feel as if my soul has power."

"You make me feel free too," Rami responded. "You make me feel a secret freedom that our Depur will never know about. You make me feel a secret sort of power hidden deep in our kisses. You make me feel hope. Hope for all the people that we will become free. Some day. Somehow."