his reprieve | falsettos

his repreive

it's 10:30 PM, and marvin is sat tensely on the sofa, attempting to enjoy a book. specifically, one of whizzer's books; one of the lovey-dovey novels that were always his guilty pleasure. six months ago, the older man would tease his boyfriend about his taste in stories, perhaps slinging an arm over whizzer's shoulder, pristinely-ironed shirt's fabric crisp and warm against his skin as he reads a sentence from the book mockingly. whizzer would scoff, supply some witty remark, kiss marvin's cheek, and inform him to let him get back to reading.
but now, marvin's hands clutch the pages so tight his knuckles turned white, so tight his hands shook much more intensely, his muscles twitching as he attempted to hold back a sob. the bookmark had been right on this page. the first sentence; "i'm missing you."
did whizzer know what was going to happen ? did he leave the bookmark there on purpose ? no, marvin thought to himself, squeezing his eyes shut so hard it hurt. that's ridiculous. it's just a coincidence.
a few moments later, he heard a crash from his son's room. snapping out of it, marvin propped the book open on the couch before shouting a cautious "kid, are you okay up there ?", and wincing as he heard his voice break halfway through his sentence.
the response from jason was not verbal. instead, the child ran down the stairs cautiously, a look of shock adorning his face. he stopped at the living room doorway, his face white with fear.
"i saw him."
a strange set of emotions coursed through marvin's body.
"what ? what do you mean, you 'saw him' ?" he asked, confusion replacing the sorrow in his voice. jason took a seat next to his father, refusing to look him in the eyes.
"well, i-i was organising my cassette tapes, and i turned around and... i swear i saw... whizzer."
"what ?" marvin repeated, his eyes widening. jason turned towards his dad.
"he was there - in a white suit and black pants - and he... he looked so real..." jason murmured, pure grief etched onto his face. he missed whizzer more than he could have ever imagined.
"kid, are you... sure..." marvin trailed off, his eyes fixated on an all-too-familiar body hovering in the hallway. "i'm sure you're just overtired. get some sleep. i'll see you in the morning." he kissed his son's forehead hastily, before sending him off to his room.
"you're doing a pretty good job of looking after me for him, huh, marv ?"
marvin's boyfriend's voice filled his ears, an unbelieving stare adorning his features.
"you're not real - what - how - what are you doing here ?"
"last time i checked, i live here. well," a sharp, slightly sour laugh cut through whizzer's own sentence, a grim smile adorning his pale features. "i lived here. get it ? 'cause i'm dead ?"
"this is not happening," marvin muttered, taking a step back. sadness washed over whizzer's features.
"marv, honey, i don't have much time. c'mere," he said softly, in the voice he had always used to calm marvin down after a fight. whizzer's touch felt cold, but just as comforting as it had always been, and the older man felt himself leaning into it as much as he could. "i'm sorry, for leaving you so suddenly, and so soon. i feel like i ruined jason's bar mitzvah."
as soon as marvin attempted to speak, his ghostly boyfriend cut him off.
"anyways, that's not why i'm here. marvin, i love you. i will always be with you, i promise."
by this point, marvin was heaving with sobs, his eyes red and vision blurry.
"thank you for still caring about me. thank you for looking after jason for me. but, marvin, you have to move on. you've been grieving constantly, and it hurts my heart." whizzer rested his forehead against marvin's. "get out there and do the things you always wanted to do."
"but it... it'll be without you," marvin choked out, his hands shaking.
"you'll never be without me," the younger man chuckled sadly, bittersweet tears rolling down his face; if that was possible for a... ghost. "i'm always with you, marv."
"i love you," marvin whispered, his voice hoarse.
"i love you too." whizzer replied, faint and fading, until he no longer stood before his lover.
marvin was left sobbing in his hallway , grasping onto nothingness.