The World in Flower

23. Discoveries

Tim threw himself at Adam, wrapping his arms around his husband.

Adam looked up at the gate, making a gesture and Singing a few words. The wind-tossed sea disappeared. Adam glanced at his phone. "Hey, yeah, it opened in case you couldn't see. I'll call you back in a bit." He ended the call before Rohunah could even reply. His eyes met Tim's, full of perplexity. "What's wrong? I'm not going through the gate, just testing it."

"How the fuck was I supposed to know that?"

"You should know that because you're my husband and I'd never do that to you."

"Why would you even--? Don't you ever--!" Tim yanked Adam closer, burying his face against Adam's neck. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm still here. Shhh..." Adam lowered them till they were sitting on the ground. He could feel hot tears spilling from Tim's eyes. "I'm sorry. We didn't think it would do anything and when it did I thought you'd know I wouldn't go through."

Tim was silent, other than great gasps of breath.

Desperately, Adam rubbed his back. Tim's reaction was so visceral it was pouring through their bond, filling Adam with the same dread. He slowly rocked Tim, gently shushing, letting the motion calm them both.

"Why would you even open it again? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I wasn't planning on opening it. It's... hard to explain."

"You're like this crazy, all-powerful wizard Jedi thing and I don't even know what the fuck you can even do anymore! But you're going to get yourself killed and the next time I won't be able to stop it, because you'll be off in Cast Away world and I'll be down here helpless!"

"That's... that's never going to happen." Adam didn't even know what else to say. They just sat in silence, holding each other, till Tim's shaking subsided.

Adam became aware that the world had gone silent except for the breeze blowing through the trees overhead. The tractor sat abandoned in the field, the yard empty of people. For a moment he had the fantastical idea that they'd all vanished, but then vague recollections of Sami telling everyone to head inside surfaced.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked, pulling off his bandana to wipe the tears from Tim's face.

Tim drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again."

"I'll try not to." He reached out and finger-combed Tim's silver streak back where it belonged. "But I'm not sure I understand."

Tim shook his head. "I was... so helpless. There was literally nothing I could do to get back to you."

"I guess that's true." Adam thought about the creeping despair that sometimes seized him unexpectedly when something would remind him of Ericha or Cerise or Brayden. How would he have felt if he'd had no way to get to Tim when Tim had been taken? To lose the love of your life twice? Knowing they were still alive, but out of reach? "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it had traumatized you so much."

"I didn't either," Tim admitted.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And I'm bound and determined to marry you, so no going through gates for me. Or you."

"Unless we're together."

Adam nodded. "Only together."

***

The others looked up as they walked in the back door holding hands.