As if guessing Simon's thoughts, Luc inquired, "Do you think if we live until our intended time, we could meet Dury then?"
Just through that, Simon could see his lover had doubts, and he didn't blame Luc. He didn't blame himself, either, for feeling the same way. If they did this, they would be essentially giving up everything they knew for an illusion. They would jump with both feet into the unknown, and they'd never have a chance to come back. There was another question that bothered Simon. The whole thing sounded too much like suicide. Simon may not be a church going person, but he did know God didn't look well upon taking one's own life. "I don't know," he said. "I wonder if this would count as suicide."
"No, it wouldn't count as suicide," the archangel's voice answered in their minds. "You wouldn't be doing anything. I would be the one to engineer the whole thing."
Simon couldn't help but feel apprehensive at that. A part of him wasn't ready to leave his life, his career, everything he knew and loved behind.
And then Simon remembered Dury's sweet smile, his sad eyes, his kindness. He recalled their heartbreaking goodbye. He mentally berated himself for thinking, even for a moment, that all the people he loved were here, in the mortal realm. As much as he ached to leave his twin behind, he needed to make a choice. If they did this, he'd be with the two men he loved most in both worlds. What more could he ask?
"Luc?" he asked, conscious that in many ways, this depended on his human lover as well.
Luc nodded silently. "I'm fine. I'm willing to go through with it if you are."
"All right," Simon said. He took a deep breath and called out the archangel's name. "Michael?"
Michael materialized yet again in the backseat and gave them a quizzical look.
"Go ahead," Simon urged. "Take us to Dury."
"You are ready, then?" Michael asked.
Luc and Simon nodded at the same time. "So, what now? Do you just take our souls or what?"
Michael didn't reply. His form blurred until he vanished yet again. Simon stared at Luc in confusion. "What the fuck is—?"
Before he could finish his phrase, the revving of the engine cut him off. "What in the world?"
He was certain he'd stopped the car when they'd started the conversation with the archangel. "Simon, what's going on?" Luc asked.
"I have no clue," Simon replied. He tried to pull the keys out of the ignition, but they wouldn't budge. The lights turned on once again and the acceleration seemed to start all by itself.
All of a sudden, the car lurched forward. Simon heard the wheels screech on the tarmac and then they were off. The car drove itself through the suburban neighborhood. Simon desperately tried to control it, but the steering wheel was unresponsive. Hands trembling, he fastened his seatbelt and braced himself for what he knew would be the ride of his life—or death.
* * * *
Dury watched in horror as the car sped through the streets with insane velocity. It was evening in the mortal realm, and there were still other vehicles around, mostly cars and bicycles. Because of the area Simon's sister lived in, there were also a lot of children around, some on roller skates or skateboards, other playing jump-rope or hide-and-seek.
It was only by miracle that Simon's car missed them all. It swerved on the road, narrowly missing a small boy who'd been standing right in the middle of the street. Screams started sounding as the car passed, and at one point, a police car began trailing the vehicle.
But nothing could stop the speeding car. The officials urged the drivers to pull over, but there was no response. After all, what could Simon and Luc do? Dury knew that they'd lost control of the vehicle, and no power on Earth could help them now.
No power on Earth, no, Dury thought. But he himself wasn't a creature of the mortal realm. He could still save his lovers. It wasn't too late.
Dury didn't have much time, though. The car headed toward a steep, dangerous curve that had been the scene of many deadly accidents. At the speed it was going, Dury had no doubt it would crash right through the barrier and into the gulf.
Pushing his mother aside, Dury jumped off his bed, shuddering when the motion jostled his weak body. The crystal bowl rolled to the ground, abandoned.
"What do you think you are doing, Duriel?" Jezebel asked in a startled tone. "Please, get back to bed."
Dury shook his head. "No. You know I have to do this. I have to save them."
Alas, before he could try to come to Luc and Simon's rescue, he fell to his knees, the panic effectively sapping his strength. As he tried to recover, he caught sight of the image in the bowl once more. Tears filled his eyes as he saw the car speed over the edge and fall from the cliff.
Just like that, Dury found the power to ignore his own pain. Taking a deep breath, he shot to his feet and rushed outside. The sight of the city hit him with the strength of a thousand men, but Dury didn't let a little thing like that intimidate him. Bypassing all the angels in his way, he plunged straight through the clouds, forcing his spirit to materialize.
Pain and weakness hit him as he fell out of the heavens and into the mortal realm. His mother had been right about one thing. He was definitely risking his life by leaving their home, but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't allow Luc and Simon to die alone and scared. He should have done this earlier, prevented his humans from ever going through with their mad plan.
He thought he lost consciousness for a second—or was it more? Either way, he arrived just in time to see his lovers' car sink into the gulf, with Simon and Luc still trapped inside. Without sparing a thought as to what it might mean to him, Dury pushed his spirit in the direction of the car. He only hoped it wouldn't be too late.
* * * *
Luc fought against the rising panic as water flooded the car. It went down faster than was natural, or maybe it just seemed like that to Luc. He felt time running out, death approaching with every second that passed. He could no longer think logically, and everything inside him turned to instinct, the mad desire to survive. He tried the doors and the windows, but they were jammed. Both were automatic and had stopped working at some point. With a strength born out of sheer despair, Luc twisted in the seatbelt and started kicking at the window with his foot.
Simon seemed to have a better idea, and while Luc struggled with the window, he blindly reached for the glove compartment. Luc forced himself to still and allow Simon to find whatever he was looking for. A little part of him that remained rational told him that Simon, as a sculptor, was bound to have some sort of heavy tool inside the car. He clearly remembered Simon purchasing all sorts of new chisels wherever they went, as if the old ones weren't good enough.
Time slowed as Simon continued to search. All the while, Luc attempted to attack the doors and windows, but with no success. He tried to hold his breath, but he soon found that he could no longer do so. His body demanded air, and, in panic, Luc attempted to breathe. He felt water fill his mouth, choking him, and tried to expel it, but his desperate efforts only made it worse. More liquid invaded his airways, and Luc knew that if he didn't do something soon, they'd both die there.
He managed to keep consciousness long enough to see Simon retrieve what looked like a hammer. He felt a brief flicker of hope inside him, hope that they would not die here after all.
Simon lifted the hammer and hit the windshield with the heavy tool. A small crack appeared on the window. Luc mentally urged Simon to hurry. He could feel himself falling, falling, his survival instinct yielding to the power of the water. At this point, even if Simon broke the windshield, it would take a miracle for Luc to make it out alive. Perhaps Simon would, at least, survive.
Unfortunately, the hammer slipped out of Simon's hands before the sculptor could get the chance to break free. Under Luc's astonished eyes, it vanished, disappearing straight through the floor of the car. Seeing their final hope vanish so cruelly gave Luc a boost of strength and he started struggling once again.
In the end, all his efforts were in vain. As the terror and pain mixed i
nside him, he realized he could no longer fight the inevitable. He couldn't do anything to stop this, to save himself or his lover.
But then a sudden warmth enveloped him, slender arms wrapping themselves around him in a strong hold. The soft touch of wings tickled at Luc's skin and the window cracked as light filled the vehicle. Somehow, Dury had come for them.
* * * *
Simon knew Luc was dying. He himself didn't have much time left, but he had more experience with swimming and diving so he could hold his breath longer. Longer did not mean forever, though. He felt himself fade toward unconsciousness, when a bright, warm sensation enveloped him. Immediately, Simon knew Dury was there.
Just like that, the water that choked him made no difference. His weakness didn't matter and his panic faded. Even his survival instinct seemed to back off. Maybe he'd died, and he just hadn't realized it yet. The thought should have unsettled him, but with Dury's presence came acceptance and relief. He didn't know why. By rights, he should be fighting for his life still. No, that wasn't right. He'd wanted this—perhaps not to every specific detail—but he'd accepted to give up his mortal life in exchange for seeing Dury again. For a moment there, he'd forgotten, too lost in his panic to remember.
Dury's warmth was there now, and Simon let go, knowing it would be all right now. The connection he and Luc felt in the past few weeks bound them together, and everything else vanished but that link. Through it, he could sense his Dury, so strong, passionate, brave, and so very beautiful. Dury's soul seemed to reach out to Simon like a bright light, a beacon to guide his way.
All of a sudden, the connection started to flicker and Dury began to fade. Simon reached out to his angel, only to realize he couldn't feel Dury any longer. Instead, he felt water invading his lungs, squeezing the life out of him. How could that be? When had it happened? And where was Dury?
As he struggled to cling to consciousness, he realized that Dury's mortal body was right there, by his side. The light of Dury's soul dimmed, as if extinguished from inside out. Simon saw Dury mouth a silent cry of pain, but he didn't understand what could be wrong. Worse, he could do nothing to stop it. Even with the windshield broken, Simon felt too weak to drag his lovers out of the sinking vehicle.
He took one more look at Luc and Dury, willing them to save themselves, and at the same time knowing it could not be. Then, the last remnants of his strength waned and he surrendered to unconsciousness.
Darkness took him, cold and uncaring. At first, it seemed like nothingness surrounded him, but then, flashes of his past rolled through his mind's eye. He saw Susie as a child, laughing at something he'd said. An image of their parents in their large mansion home popped up. As always, they were wearing pristine, elegant outfits, and their stern eyes analyzed their children, clearly finding them lacking. The memory of the day he'd come out followed, and his subsequent abandonment by his parents. But he'd done all right without them, and Susie had as well. He saw himself holding his twin's newborn children, celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.
Then, a flash of a tall, dark-haired man took over. He held a champagne glass as he admired one of Simon's commissioned works. Luc. In a few instants, Simon's mind swept through the entirety of their lives together, their first kiss, his first sculpture of Luc, their gradual separation leading up to that fateful night of their breakup, then meeting Dury.
Simon saw a young man seated on a church bench, wearing a cap with the Playboy bunny symbol and a T-shirt that cutely begged, Won't you be my seme? He was smiling naughtily, a few strands of blond hair escaping the cap. "I'm your plot bunny," Dury said.
It occurred to Simon then that this memory wasn't his, but Luc's. Somehow, their minds had become entwined, and Simon could see what had happened in Luc's past as well. It was the most peculiar experience, and Simon watched everything as he would a weirdly familiar movie. He saw both himself and Luc with Dury, and realized that from the very beginning, Dury had always fought to bring them back together.
Knowing that somehow made it easier to let go. Why oppose it anyway? Clearly, his body had given up the fight. Perhaps Luc and Dury would be by his side when this was all over.
Just like that, the images started to fade. A voice emerged in his mind, calling out his name, and in an instant, Simon was flying. The slideshow of events from his past life vanished, as did his watery grave. An inexorable strength urged him forward, and Simon's world turned into a universe of frightful, unfamiliar white. It called out to something inside him, and Simon clung to that hidden knowledge, allowing it to guide him.
The unseen path took him farther and farther, until Simon thought he would never reach his destination. His mind could not yet process where he was, and a part of him still ached to return to his normal, human world. But then he felt Luc's presence by his side. He tried to turn, but he couldn't, nor could he move in any way.
In the end, he didn't have to dwell on this for too long. His journey ended, and he landed face front on something that felt far too much like grass. He caught sight of Michael above him before he keeled over, exhausted and frightened.
"Welcome to heaven, human," the archangel told him.
To Simon, this didn't seem like heaven at all. His body felt weird, not his own, and his ears were invaded by a peculiar wheeze. Spots danced in front of his eyes, and he thought he could sense his lungs contract, trying to draw in air where there was none.
"Those are just remnants of the way you died," Michael said calmly. "You have to calm down and let go."
"You shouldn't have pushed them into something so traumatizing," a female voice scolded. "Any other way of dying would have worked better."
Michael sighed. "Please, Jezebel. You know the whole thing had to be believable, and an accident was the best choice. Taking into consideration that the families may want the bodies in one piece, I didn't have too many options."
Simon resented Michael for talking about this whole thing with such coolness. No matter what the archangel said, they should have been at least warned of the plan.
"Damn humans," Michael muttered, completely undeterred. "Always clinging to their petty lives so desperately."
"Michael, don't curse," the woman—Jezebel—said under her breath. "Remember where we are."
"Right. My apologies, Jezebel. It's just that…"
"Yes, I know. It's all right. Duriel is fine."
The woman's words snapped Simon out of his trance. He forced the dizziness back and looked up at Michael. "Dury? What happened to Dury?"
"Nothing," a soft voice replied. A pale Dury emerged from behind Michael. The small angel leaned against his father and offered Simon a small smile. "I'm right here."
"You shouldn't have gone in the first place," a beautiful, blond woman replied. Simon identified her as Jezebel, and a quick glance told him she was related to Dury. Her build was slender, like Dury's and her golden hair shone in the same way Dury's did. Simon recalled the conversation in the car, with Michael telling them about his bonded mate. Had it been just that same day? It seemed ages ago. It did help, though, to know the woman was Dury's mother. She looked young, so she could have very well been his sister.
"I couldn't not go, Mother," Dury answered.
By Simon's side, Luc cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but why is Dury sick? What were those weird pains we felt while on Earth?"
Luc struggled to his feet, coughing, and Simon did his best to echo his lover's movements. "Don't worry about that," Dury hastily replied, rushing to their side. "I'm fine now."
"It's a miracle you are still alive," Michael said in a disapproving tone. "With the time it took to get their souls here, you could have died on the way."
Simon winced, understanding the reprimand. They'd decided to come here and give everything up for Dury's sake, but in the end, they'd still struggled to live, pathetically clinging to their mortal existences, just like Michael said. If Michael hadn't been there, Dury would have perished.
"I'm sorry," Luc said, his voice filled wi
th regret, echoing Simon's sentiments. "We panicked."
"It's completely natural," Dury answered. "Don't worry. Father is just being harsh."
It was only then that Simon allowed himself to really look at Dury, to acknowledge the reality of Dury's presence by their side. Relief came with that realization, and their ordeal didn't matter anymore. He glanced into Dury's green eyes, taking in his angel's appearance. How could he have ever thought Dury belonged anywhere other than the heavens? He could see it so clearly now, in the beauty and flawlessness of his features, the bright light emanating from his entire being. To top it off, Dury's wings were now extended, like they'd been in the church. But even without them, Dury was purity and perfection incarnate. It seemed like a beautiful dream that Simon had been allowed to come here, to be at Dury's side.
But then Simon understood why. Beyond their talent, the gifts he and Luc received from God, they both had something else. Love, plenty of love to give. Love between them, and love for Dury.
Simon took Luc's hand and squeezed it. He found strength in the other man's grip, and together, they stepped forward toward their angel. Dury met them halfway and they fell into a three-way embrace, right there, under the eyes of Michael and Jezebel.
"I was so frightened," Simon confessed. "I thought we'd never see you again."
"I missed you so much," Luc said in turn.
"Me too," Dury murmured. "Me too."
As they broke the embrace, Simon realized that while they'd been lost in the moment, more angels had gathered. "Come," Michael said. "You are here for a reason."
The Plot Bunny Page 12
