“I’m sorry,” Blake whispered into his hairline.His pulse was picking up speed, fingers beginning to tremble.“I’m so sorry, Adrien.”
“Blake.”
Blake pulled back to meet Adrien’s eyes.They were glowing softly, although Blake couldn’t tell if it was from the moonlight or something else.Adrien set his hand over the back of Blake’s, rubbing his thumb over the length of his pointer finger.
“What are you apologizing for?I’m so, so happy to have met you.These last few days… have been some of the most wonderful of my life.Thank you.”
“Mari—Adrien.”Blake’s throat grew thick.He choked, eyes stinging.Tears prickled at the base of his eyes, behind the bridge of his nose.He didn’t want to break down, couldn’t bear to show Adrien his weakness when he needed Blake most but—
“It was me.”He coughed.The confession gave him no relief, the guilt building.“The boy you rescued from the water—that wasme.Adrien, the reason youdiedwas—”
He trailed off, words failing him.He didn’t know what to say, how to apologize for being such an integral part of Adrien’s demise.Maybe even twice over.
Adrien rested his forehead on the crown of Blake’s head.
“Then I’m glad,” Adrien said, voice soft and honest.
“What?”Blake balked, rearing back.Adrien laced their fingers together insistently, pressing their joined hands against Blake’s chest.
“I’m glad to have made that sacrifice, to have saved you,” Adrien told him.“Knowing that it wasn’t meaningless, that I was able to give you so many more years.”
“I’d give you the rest of mine,” Blake hissed through his tears, trying not to sob.He could already tell that his face was becoming an absolute mess.“If I could, I’d give you all the time I had left, and every day from here on out would be your best day alive, Marin.Adrien.I… I love you.I know I’ve only known you for four days, but… I love you so much.You’re the kindest, most patient and… andwarm…”
He couldn’t talk anymore, his words evaporated into loud sobs.Adrien was quiet, simply holding him.
“Why are you talking like that?”he asked, stroking Blake’s head in soothing circles.“Why do you sound like we’re never going to see each other again?”
“We’re out of time,” Blake said with a thick sniff.“We still don’t know what the requirements were, and there’s no time left to—”
Adrien kissed him.
Through the tears and snot dripping down his nose and face, Adrien kissed him.
“Take me down to the water,” he told Blake.
Hand-and-hand they traveled barefoot down the beach, to where the sand was damp and firm.The wind tousled their hair and clothing.Out on the Pacific, Blake could see a freighter ship coming into the bay, the lights on its deck trembling like yellow stars in the distance.
Afraid that Adrien would turn, Blake picked him up bridal style.Adrien went easily into his arms, face resting at the crook of Blake’s neck.
Blake didn’t know what to say.He didn’t know if therewasanything else to say.
The waves crashed around his shins, burying his ankles in the sand.
Staring out over the ocean together, Blake remembered a part of Adrien’s story.
“So when they buried the bodies in Colma, they used some of the old graves to make the breakwater: that way it would help protect the people living close to the beach from big waves.”
“So… the dead helped the living?”
“Yeah, I guess they did.”
Up higher on the beach, Blake heard his phone go off.His heart clenched.
Adrien reached out to him, fingers finding his jaw and turning Blake to face him.Beneath the coastal moonlight Adrien’s tan skin looked so pale—maybetoopale—as he sheltered in the safety of Blake’s arms.He was cold, and Blake couldn’t be sure if it was from the same icy dread nestling into the pit of his chest, the chill of the sea breeze, or…
His phone alarm was still ringing.
But Adrien was smiling, voice gentle but sure.
