A Single Ray of Light in a Sea of Darkness

Home

The Aurora Zenith docks came into Eric's view. Having been awake since dawn, the excitement of coming home had given him a restless sleep. While he didn't want his first day back spent in fatigue, he knew it couldn't be helped. It just meant he'd be a bit slower at picking up on things today. As the sun crept up the brightening blue sky, Ven came along next to him.

Leaning over the railing, she asked, "Are those the docks for Aurora Zenith?"

"Yep. Tell me how excited you are, on a scale of 1 to 10," he replied, turning to face her with an affable smile on his face.

"Hmm..." She closed her eyes in contemplation for a moment before opening them, little sparkles clear to be seen. " Maybe 6 or 7."

Even if it wasn't conveyed in her voice, it was adorable to see her so eager. Sounds of quiet wonderment escaped her mouth as she bounced on her toes. He couldn't blame her for being so lively, since this day marked the beginning of her new life. He knew how naive it seemed to believe in that but he thought it better to see the good in things instead of the bad. It was just the kind of person he was.

As the ship sailed closer, she said in almost surprise, "There's someone on the dock."

He leaned over the railing and squinted his eyes at the waterfront. A man stood near the end of the pier, seemingly expectant to greet them. The wind ruffled his long dark hair and clothes yet he barely made an attempt to fix his appearance. Happiness swelled up in his heart once he recognized who it was.

"That's Alek, isn't it? Your partner?" she asked. "Your eyes looked like they lit up once you realized who it was."

Tearing his eyes away from the dock, he said in an embarrassed tone, "One thing you should know about me is that I'm practically an open book."

If she could even see it, he must've been glaringly obvious. Still, he couldn't help lighting up whenever he saw Alek. He made him happy and he didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed in showing that.

As the ship began to slow to a crawl, the excitement he felt gave him a burst of energy that made him restless. He sat down and cupped his hands over his mouth in order to calm himself down. He figured it'd be better than pacing back and forth in an attempt to burn it off. Ven knelt beside him, her brows furrowed in concern. Although she said nothing, he knew that what he was doing was probably giving her the wrong message.

"It's just the excitement getting to me a little," he said comfortingly. He didn't fault her for misconstruing his actions, since it was easy to do so with him.

She let out a hum of relief and looked up at the sky. While he didn't consider this to be exactly alarming, he still appreciated her concern on his behalf. It felt weird, though, having someone worry over him that wasn't Alek. Even so, it meant she cared about him and maybe regarded him as a friend.

The ship soon stopped completely, indicating it had docked. Once he saw the gangway being lowered, he realized it was time. With one final exhale, he used the wall behind him to help stand up and made his way towards the bridge. Ven decided to remain where she was for now, which he assumed was out of anxiety over meeting Alek. Maybe she'll come down once I'm finished with him, he thought.

His beloved had a small, gentle smile as he disembarked. It felt as if the intense amount of energy he had before vanished as soon as their eyes met. There were so many things he wanted to give voice to yet none of them seemed good enough. By the time they were face to face, however, he only had two words to say.

"I'm home."

Alek wound his arms around his waist and his around his neck for a hug. He missed this. Even though he was only gone for about a week, he missed having him around. This place, along with Alek, was home. They pulled away a moment later and brought their mouths in for a kiss.