Father Time

Rex...Kai's right, I had forgotten about him.

Rex was the nickname of Seun-Kim. The boy was a six-foot-four goliath of a guy who was held back in our class. He transferred during our junior year and quickly made a name for himself by beating up kids just because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Rex...

That's right, he was the one who had his hand around Kai's throat and held a pistol to his head...not Darian. Ian and Trevor were chuckling and smirking, just standing by...watching the show. Darian was the one edging Rex on...and that's what brought out my courage to say...

"Stop!! Stop, please! Put the gun down!!"

Darian smirked, cracking his head as he drew a pistol from his jacket pocket: placing his hand on the trigger. "Fuck, today is my lucky day. The prodigal son returns."

"What?"

Kai's eyes were shaking, as he struggled in Rex's grasp. He didn't look stoic...he looked afraid. It was the first time I had seen that expression run across his face. No...it was the words he muttered with his eyes.

RUN.

Yet, that's the last thing I did. I couldn't leave him there...I loved him. I'd do anything to make sure he was safe. Even stare down the weapon that brought back all of the horrid memories of my torment.

"You're hurting him! Please, let him go! If you want to hurt someone, take it out on me!" I yelled, taking a step forward, only to realize that Darian's squeeze on the trigger intensified.

"No!" I heard Kai choke out words as Rex snickered in his pain. "Get out of here, Max!"

Darian only laughed at it all...as if this was a show and that only made my fists clench tighter. "Damn, that's cute. You sure as shit found yourself a loyal pup, Kai. But now I get to see my dad's fuck up squirm. So, thank you, Max, for joining the party."

"Pup? I'm not anyone's animal, asshole. I don't give a damn about your daddy issues or your psychological bullshit. But you will," I said, pulling a pocket knife out of my pant pocket, "let my boyfriend go. By the looks of it, your aim is shit anyway."

Darian cocked his gun, his eyes clouding over with darkness. "Boyfriend? Wow...some ones been keeping secrets."

Kai began to shout, "He's delusional! He doesn't know what he's talking about...so please, leave him out of this!"

"Delusional?" I questioned, agitation taking over my mind, "Kai, we are—"

Darian chuckled, the pistol lowering an inch. "Haha! He's your stalker, isn't he! What a nutcase. Look Max, Kai and I have been dating for two years."

"Kai...what the hell is he saying?"

"Max...stop."

"Today is our anniversary, Kai!"

That was when Kai looked me in the eyes, but there were tears...emotion showed as he told me: "I never loved you."

What Kai said hurt...it took the wind out of me, but I knew...at that time I knew he was saying that to save me. That's when I dropped the knife. I didn't drop it out of surprise or out of anger, I dropped it because I had a plan to get us out of here alive.

"Psh, fucking pathetic." Darian hissed.

I used Darian's absentmindedness to take advantage of the situation. I figured if I got his gun...that if I threatened him, that maybe Rex would let Kai go. But when I sprinted towards Darian, our scuffle only led to making his gun go off. The bullet whizzed by my ear...and that's when I ended up on the ground...only to be flattened onto the cement by Ian and Trevor.

"Tear this punk to pieces." Darian spat.

That's when I was beaten to a pulp...and lost consciousness, but in that moment...in between my body breaking, I did hear Kai's screams. I heard him calling my name and between my blood-soaked eyes I saw him try to get out of Rex's grasp. Yet, my heart began to slow...and all I recalled were Darian's words as they left me to rot.

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I gasped, waking up from my thoughts as I held onto Kai. I laid my head into his back and intertwined my hand with his, bringing our hands close to his chest.

I was told, a while back, that being with the one who produced your trauma would trigger the events of your past. I decided to sleep with Kai tonight to remember...to see if what he had said was true, and he was right. I had forgotten.

I needed to remember Rex. I saw him recently...he was standing by Charles. Ian MacIntyre...his monstrous form...how could I forget? The reason that the Service was compromised was because Ian was a cover. Ian and Rex were one in the same.

But my injuries were severe that day...and I had suffered brain damage. It took a while for my memories to come back...but even so, bits and pieces fell to the wayside. So, I do believe that because I associated Kai with the reason my life fell apart and the reason, I was alone, that my mind blamed him for my circumstances.

My mind, body and soul forgave Kai, even though we both suffered and even though I didn't love him. Yet, I somehow am still drawn to his side. I still feel some solace by holding him in my arms...and I still want to make him feel safe...even though I know our stories may never again collide.

It's funny...because even if this wasn't love...it sure as hell felt like it.

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I felt Kai move from under my arms hours later.

I was a light sleeper, but I didn't want him to know I was awake. So instead, I felt him eyeing me until his soft hand found its way on my face and into my hair.

His touch told me he was happy to be back in my arms. He was glad that he could speak openly with me and that we shared a moment I knew he deeply missed and desired. But...I couldn't bear to give my soul to him again...I just couldn't.

I slowly opened my eyes, making contact with Kai. He smiled, still playing in my hair, but didn't say anything. I half expected him to say he missed this...or that this reminded him of when we used to sleep together in high school...but nothing came. We just looked into each other's eyes until it became too unbearable.

I just shut my eyes again and let his hands wander in my locks. I wasn't shy. I wasn't nervous, but I didn't want to kiss him, and I didn't want to have sex. So, I couldn't keep staring at him.

"Did you know Markus well?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed.

"Not well...but well enough I suppose. Why?"

"Did you or your father ever talk to him via phone?"

"My dad did, yes. I just had their house phone number."

My eyes opened as I made myself look Kai in the eyes. "Great, I'll need the president's phone number."

"Why?"

"We're going to tell Markus his lost son has returned home."