I Reach Through Time and Touch the Other Side

by Sophia Deri-bowen

  “Oh, middling to fair.” Kimi laughed at the look this garnered him and kissed Ari quickly. “Wonderful, and you know it, and you know exactly why too. How’re you?”

  “Happier than I’ve been in ages,” Ari said quietly, tracing a fingertip over the top of Kimi’s back. “Thank you.”

  “I am too, you know.” Another kiss, softer and slower this time, and Ari bent to kiss Kimi’s shoulder as soon as they’d parted, wanting to taste warm skin. The skin there was, indeed, very warm, and even mostly hairless, in contrast with most of the rest of Kimi’s body. He couldn’t miss the small, white scars, not even an inch long, that dotted the broad shoulders. “What are these?”

  “Hmmm? Oh. Skin cancer. I’ve had a few melanomas removed—hey!” Kimi rocked onto his back, arms suddenly full of worried Ari, who was torn between pressing kisses to the faint scars and just holding on tightly. “Hey, what’s wrong, sweet one?”

  “Skin cancer? Are you all right now? Will it come back? Are you—” Ari bit off his question, opting instead to wrap himself tightly around Kimi. “Are you sick?”

  “Shh, shh. Oh, honey.” Kimi rocked him gently. “I’m fine. It’ll probably come back. Then they’ll treat me again, remove the mole or whatever, and send me on my way. It’s normal in my day, Ari. And it’s completely treatable, if they catch it early. And they always do, for me.”

  Ari nodded, still clinging onto Kimi, letting the slight movement and soft voice soothe him. “It’s that common?”

  “Mmmhmm. Everyone who spends any time in the sun will get cancer at some point, or nearly everyone. Certainly everyone Caucasian. I put on a shirt and a big floppy hat, but I ran around half-naked when I was a kid. You know how it is.” Kimi cupped Ari’s jaw in one hand and kissed him gently. “It’s treatable. I only even needed the medicine once, and it doesn’t make you so sick anymore.”

  Ari nodded and started petting the other man’s long hair, his fingers tangling with the little braid Kimi nearly always wore. “I’m sorry. My dad died of cancer.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kimi kissed him softly. “So did my mother. We can’t cure everything,” he explained with a small smile.

  “Oh, Kimi. I’m so sorry.” Ari hugged him tightly. “Do you still have your father?”

  Kimi shook his head.

  “What…?”

  “Something you shouldn’t know about,” Kimi said gently, and squeezed Ari back. “It was a very, very long time ago. For both of them. Don’t be sad, please?”

  Ari smiled and loosened his hold, but didn’t let go. “All right. I’m sorry, though. That’s rough.”

  Kimi shrugged. “I guess? Lots of people have it rough. My life’s been fine, sweet one.”

  “All right, all right.” Ari gave in and smiled. “Just take care of yourself, okay? And I’ll just be happy I’ve got the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my arms.”

  Kimi laughed and tilted his chin up for a kiss. “Sexiest ever? Really, sweet one? Sorry,” he corrected himself. “Really, Ari?”

  Ari giggled, and placed a little kiss on the tip of Kimi’s nose. “You can call me pet names now, dork. Just not when you’re talking down to me and thinking I’ve got the mind of a four-year-old.”

  Kimi groaned and hid his face in Ari’s shoulder. “Will you ever forgive me for that? One of the smartest people I know, and I’m treating you like you were one of my pediatric clients….”

  “I’m not particularly smart, and of course I forgive you. All you do is work; no wonder you were on autopilot,” Ari scolded gently.

  “Mmm. Probably. And I like work.” Kimi grinned wickedly, sliding his hand down Ari’s back and curving it around his bottom. “Although lately I just want to be at home….”

  “Don’t you dare.” Ari arched into the touch, feeling his cock start to fill again. “Though some early nights, now and again, would do you good.”

  Kimi laughed, and pounced.

  They lay together afterward, Ari pillowing his head on Kimi's chest, the two of them pressed together, without any urgency. They had one another, and they had time, and that was all they needed.

  “I wish you could come into my house,” Ari said suddenly, and closed his mouth, ashamed of the admission. Everything was going so well, why did he have to invite trouble?

  “I wish I could too,” Kimi said, and Ari felt the kiss pressing onto his forehead. “But we can't know if it's safe. And I don't really want to experiment.”

  “Neither do I,” Ari said softly. He could look, but not touch, and Kimi could do the same. They could meet here, and bring things into the magical little room, but what guarantee was there that they could move safely beyond this limbo? And how did you even test such things? Test them safely, anyway.

  He shook off the brooding, determined to forget any sadness, any regrets that might come of these long hours together. He was happy, and how many people didn't have even that?

  “You want to what?”

  “Go hiking in the Pine Barrens. And you go there lots; I know you do. Bring Gina if you like, I’ll just tag along.” Ari looked hopefully at the man in the cubicle beside him, the two of them taking a particularly convenient coffee break. “Please?”

  Ryan laughed and shook his head. “Gina’s got a baby shower or something. But we can drive down on Saturday if you really want.” He looked at Ari dubiously. “You’re in pretty good shape, right?” To be fair to Ryan, Ari had never shown a compulsion to take their friendship beyond work and the occasional beer and dinner after a long week.

  “Yes?” He was, more or less. While he wasn’t what anyone would call muscular (not like Kimi, his mind murmured, and he pushed aside the thought of the handsome man), he was slender, and he made sure to eat well. He even went running once or twice a year.

  “Right. Pack a lunch, some high-energy snacks if you want, and wear good boots. Bring a jacket, it can get chilly.” Ryan eyed him up dubiously. “I’ll pick you up, okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah! Thanks, man.” Ari grinned at him. “I know, not really in character. But I’m curious.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ryan nodded, still looking unsure. “Well, it’ll be pretty. I know a good, easy loop for us to do.”

  “Don’t let me hold you back,” Ari protested, and he tried not to feel uncomfortable when Ryan smiled at that.

  “You won’t,” was all Ryan said. He got up from the makeshift lunch table tucked away in a corner of the office and got back to work.

  Ari stayed, chewing on his turkey sandwich, and wondering how quickly he could have hiking boots delivered. And socks. People always wore those thick wool socks, right?

  It turned out that the answer to the delivery—of shoes, socks and a fancy water bottle—was “very quickly indeed.” Ari wore the boots around the house in the evenings, finding them springy and rather comfortable as he did light chores. Kimi was busy that night, so he watched a little TV, and then went to bed—in his bedroom, as had become his habit on those nights he slept alone. He left the plywood slid aside, just in case.

  Not that he or Kimi had yet ventured out of their times, though they’d peeked into each others’ rooms, had handled things from each time, even eaten carefully picked foods. (“I am not going to be responsible for introducing some weird super-evolved bug, via you, to the past,” Kimi had declared, after thoroughly boiling some tea for them to share.) But sound certainly carried out of, and even through, the mysterious little room, so that if Kimi wanted him, he’d hear.

  The rest of the week was similar, with one or the other of them busy in the evenings so that they could only snatch a few hours together on Friday night before Kimi had to go out with some coworkers for a seminar.

  They spent them lying on the pillows, sprawled and naked, Ari still drifting a little from when Kimi had flipped him over a particularly large pillow and made him keen with pleasure. He’d never had lovers who were rough before, and hadn’t thought he’d ever like it. But when it was that trusted, strong body behind him, hips snapping, rough voice gro
wling in his ear, Ari had soared.

  Kimi ran a gentle fingertip down Ari’s face, tracing his features as he came back to himself and reached for a kiss.

  “Mmm. Tell me about your weekend?”

  Ari grinned, running the backs of his fingers down Kimi’s stomach. “You’ll be proud of me. I’m going hiking in the Pine Barrens.”

  The other man laughed and stole another kiss. “You’re right, I am proud! You’re so lucky, dear one. I’m on a waiting list two years long for that one,” he sighed.

  “I wish you could come with me.”

  Kimi looked troubled, smoothing a blond lock out of Ari’s eyes. “Me too. Tell me everything about it?”

  “I’ll take tons of pictures,” Ari promised, and smiled shyly. “Will you take pictures of Chapel Hill for me? I’m at least as curious as you are.”

  Kimi made a face. “Cities are so boring. But all right, if you like.”

  Ari just kissed him, for as long as he could, the two of them lying in their little cocoon of a room, until Kimi had to leave.

  Ari was usually awake early on weekends, so he was perfectly comfortable sitting on his front porch, waving at Ryan when he drove up and jogging out to meet him.

  “Hey, Ari.” Ryan grinned, pausing in front of the house. “Last chance to turn back.”

  Ari rolled his eyes and got into the car. “You know, it’s not that weird of me to suddenly want to experience the great outdoors.”

  “Yes, it is.” But Ryan pulled away, leaving the little square house in the old mill town, and heading southeast to the huge pine forests.

  They sat comfortably quiet for awhile, Ari fiddling a little with the radio before giving up and watching North Jersey pass by. It was mostly old industrial towns, or commuter towns for Jersey City, Newark, and New York City. He saw a factory standing proud on the landscape, weird metallic spires and a chimney spewing smoke, and thought of Kimi. Apparently there were so few factories left in the US, the relatively well-traveled young man had never seen one.

  “So who is he?”

  “Huh?”

  “Who’s the new man in your life?” Ryan asked. “Or woman, I guess. Mustn’t assume.”

  “He’s—” Ari snapped his mouth shut. “Why would I have a new man?”

  “Ari, it’s completely obvious.” Ryan grinned, turning off the highway onto a road that almost immediately plunged into scrubby woodland. “You look happy, like really happy. And you’re….” He hesitated. “Okay, you’re an awesome guy, and it’s not like you were boring….”

  Ari groaned. “That’s not actually complimentary in any way, but thanks.” He deliberately looked out the window, away from Ryan. “Yes, there’s someone new.”

  “Uh-huh. And why haven’t we met him yet?” Ryan prodded.

  “Because I like pretending I can have a life independent of the nosiest people in existence?” Ari said, and he laughed. “It’s really new. And, uh, he works a weird schedule. So yes, it’s a he.”

  “I knew it!” Ryan said, far too confidently. “Does he like going on hikes and stuff, by any chance?”

  “Yes. Shut up.” Ari blushed. “I sort of promised him that I’d try to, uh, take advantage of where I live, I guess.” Not to mention when I live. And he does work a kind of odd schedule. It’s just eighty-five years in the future.

  “Excellent. And hey, if you take to it, invite him along, and I’ll bring Gina. I know an absolutely wicked trail out in central PA.”

  “Thanks. Uh. I’ll let you know.” Ari eyed the not-very-paved lane they were on, and tried not to wince as dark gray clouds moved in. Maybe boring was the better choice….

  The afternoon wasn’t a complete disaster. Not totally. Just… mostly. It was fine until we got out of the car, for instance. That was about the best that Ari could think of it. They didn’t talk about his new love life, much to his relief, but the cloudburst that greeted their entrance into the woods didn’t leave room for much else other than trudging through the mud together, at least for the first hour. After that, the sun came out and turned the entire forest into a kind of sauna. Ari had just put his head down and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

  They spent the next forty-eight hours—all right, so it was more like five, but it felt longer—in totally normal conversation, bitching about work and the Mets and talking about books, with Ryan pointing out interesting trees, trails, or anything else he thought Ari might like.

  He had to admit that it was very pretty. And at least it was flat. He also had to admit that when he wasn’t concentrating on not falling on his ass (which happened pretty regularly), it was kind of peacefully quiet. The same kind of peacefulness he could find in his own backyard. And there he could have beer, and sit down, and not get blisters that left him limping to the car when the long day was finally over.

  Ryan still had a spring in his step, Ari sourly observed, as he led them out of the woods and to the little parking lot. It was only midafternoon, and still gloriously sunny, but when Ari fell silent again over the hours of trudging, Ryan took the hint.

  Ari would have felt guilty, if he hadn’t been absolutely exhausted and not a little miserable.

  “So! What are the odds of my getting you and this Kimi to come camping some weekend?” Ryan asked, striding along and only slightly slowing his pace for Ari.

  “Slim to nil.” He was too sore to be polite. “Sorry. I really appreciate this, but….”

  “Hey, it’s not your thing. Not a crime.” Ryan smiled kindly. “Want to go out for dinner and a beer tonight? It’ll help you not associate nature with me!”

  Ari laughed, a little startled by Ryan’s kindness. Not that the other man was mean, but… was everyone like this? He’d never gone far enough beyond a vague, pleasant friendship with anyone to notice. “Thanks, but can I take a raincheck? I sort of just want to collapse in bed.” Well, maybe not my bed. But definitely a soft surface….

  “No problem. Get your nature-lovin’ man to look after you, since he couldn’t hump himself all the way out here today,” Ryan advised, and Ari agreed, grinning. Oh yes. He had earned some pampering.

  “Good grief, it was a walk in the woods!” Kimi’s tone wasn’t exactly what Ari had expected when he arranged himself on the futon, having gingerly showered the grime of the day away. His feet were covered in bandages, each of the blisters carefully covered, and he’d stretched out with his feet up on a pillow. Maybe that had been a little overdramatic—it wasn’t like he was actually hurt—but it felt better on his legs, which had begun to ache impressively. Even with a series of beers, he didn’t walk so much as gingerly limp from place to place.

  “It was a long walk. Never to be repeated.”

  “It gets better, once you, uh, break your boots in?” Kimi knelt by his feet, dropping to his knees in one graceful motion. Ari contemplated hating the man, but settled for appreciating how Kimi’s stomach tightened, the muscles rippling just enough to be seen as he moved. If he couldn’t look like that, at least he could gawk. And touch. And lick….

  “I’ll take your word for it. I hated it,” he said dryly. “I got rained on. Then gently steamed. I slipped in mud, tripped over a tree root, and frankly had a horrible time. I’m sorry,” he added, when it hit him that he was trashing Kimi’s greatest joy. “I wanted to like it, for you.”

  Kimi laughed, taking one foot and cradling it on his lap, his soft hands chafing it lightly. “I know. I’m sorry it was miserable.” He sighed, looking a little miserable himself. “I wish I could’ve gone instead.”

  “So do I,” Ari said fervently. “Tell me about your day? I want to hear about indoor things.”

  Kimi laughed and began to stroke Ari’s foot, massaging the few places that weren’t blistered before moving his hand up to Ari’s ankle. “My day was boring. I worked at the communal farm and got enough food to make a few meals this week. I went over to my neighbor’s and helped him put up a hammock on his balcony—he’s really lucky, his place is huge!” />
  “Mmm. That’s what I should get, a hammock.” Ari groaned a little as his lover’s hands moving up his leg, now massaging the tight calf muscle. “Oh, God that feels good.”

  Kimi chuckled softly, bracing Ari’s foot against his stomach so he could get a little more leverage. “You are so dreadfully spoiled. And you should get a hammock, they’re fun.”

  Ari smiled dreamily, transported by the wonderful sensation coming from his leg. “Uh-huh. ’N you can help me put it up.”

  Kimi’s hands only faltered for a moment. “I wish I could, dear one.” He went as far as Ari’s thigh and switched legs, gently manipulating the ankle joint.

  Ari closed his eyes, feeling tears pricking at the lids. Of course he’d fall for a man who couldn’t really be with him. Not in some sustainable way. “I wish you could too,” he whispered. He sat up, wrapping his arms around Kimi and pulling the other man close, his legs splaying out to the sides as he was embraced back just as tightly. “I wish so bad. I want to take you into my home, lie on my lawn with you, take you to the park….” He choked on his words, trying not to weep. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I'm too afraid, and I don't know what to do.”