#i was like 'yeah this is my imaginary friend Sam. he was kidnapped once and forced into slavery and then when escaping he was hit by a car'

[daydadahlias]

i always think it's crazy how, as a child, i was definitely on track to becoming a serial killer but then one day i just decided not to be

[wingblade1357]

その人は君だよね？

I was doodling a scene for Kalim’s personal story part 2 and it suddenly turned to a novel illustration. I was aiming to use Shiro Amano style’s but asdfghjkllll painting is so hard.

I’m still debating whether to do it in a story or comic (since till now I still haven’t finish drawing Azul’s part 2 asdfghjkllllll😂😂😂)

EDIT: I added the draft of Kalim’s personal story part two! It’s right down after the read more because it ended up pretty long.

“Hikari~~~!”

Before Hikari could turn, someone tackled her from behind, embracing her in a warm hug. She almost stumbled, but she quickly balanced herself and the extra weight on her back.

“Funyaaaaa!” Grim yelped in surprise at the sudden movement. “GAHH It’s him again!”

Hikari patted the person’s arm, “As lively as ever, Kalim-senpai.”

“I thought I told you to call me just ‘Kalim’? No formalities needed!” Kalim said with a huge grin. He released his hold on her and he glanced around when he noticed two of her friends are missing. “Where’s Ace and Deuce?” He asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Those two got club activities.” Grim answered.

“And you two?”

“No club activity for me today.” Hikari said. She also noticed Kalim was alone. After the whole Scarabia fiasco, the two friends sorted things out. Jamil was free to be whatever he wanted and not Kalim’s shadow. The tradition between the Asim Family and the Viper family has changed. Kalim also tries his best to be independent and not rely on Jamil too much. It was a drastic change, but they’re taking it slowly. Step by step. “What about you? You’re in the Light Music Club, right?” She asked back.

Kalim grinned, “Yup! I was on my way when I came across you two!”

“As always, this guy’s easily distracted.” Grim deadpanned, sighing. “Anyways, c’mon!! We need to go to Sam’s before he closes!!” He whined, ordering for Hikari to hurry it up.

The white-haired boy blinked, “Do you need something? I can pay it for you!” He offered genuinely.

Hikari quickly raised her hand to decline. “It’s okay! Don’t worry! I can pay for it.”

Kalim pouted. Hikari was always declining his offer. One time, he even offered to renovate the Ramshackle dorm, but again, she declined saying that was the Headmaster’s responsibility. The other time, he offered jewels from his Treasure room, but again, she declined saying that she doesn’t need jewelry or money. She was strange, but in a good way.

“Gilbert, Ted and Jasper are not in the dorm today! It’s their monthly ghost gathering.” Grim said with a grin. The ghosts often offered to make dinner for the Ramshackle residence, though it was mostly them giving the leftovers from the cafeteria for free since they know the Cafeteria Ghost very well. Hikari and Grim didn’t mind as long as they get free food and still keep the dorm’s budget. “It’s Hikari’s turn to cook!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hikari sighed, patting Grim’s head. Grim favored her cooking more than ever. He said it was tasty and she should cook everyday, but she declined. To a certain degree, she likes cooking, but she does have those days when she’s too lazy or just don’t want to cook. Her profession wasn’t a chef like her brother.

“Ehhhhh!!!! I wanna eat your cooking too!!” Kalim exclaimed, his eyes sparkling like a thousand stars.

“You’re welcome to eat dinner with us.” Hikari invited. Kalim invited her plenty of times and sometimes, she has to decline since she doesn’t want to trouble them. It was mainly because each time Kalim invites her, he would go overboard with the party. She though it was just going to be a nice dinner, but turns out it was a full party with a parade. “I was thinking Filet Mignon Poêlé and maybe for dessert... coconut cream pie?” She remembers one of Kalim’s favorite thing is Coconut juice, maybe something related to coconut will make him happy.

“Ohhhh! Sounds delicious!!” Both Kalim and Grim cheered.

“We better get going and buy the ingredients from Sam. See you later then Kalim-senpai!” Hikari waved her hand goodbye to her upperclassman.

“Yeah! See ya!”

Kalim stood there, waving his hand above his head.

——x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x——

“No! You can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because—!!!”

Kalim pursed his lips, closing it tightly. This was the first time he ever disapproved of Jamil’s decision. He would always agree with Jamil’s way since whenever Jamil takes care of it, things would go as planned. Not this time.

Jamil sighed, “I understand your feelings, but things will remain the same if we don’t move.” He said with his arms crossed. “She’s here and you’re doing nothing?”

Kalim stayed quiet.

“I don’t understand why everyone but you forgot about her...” Jamil said. For years, Kalim kept mentioning a name—a person, but no one believed him. “Aren’t you tired of waiting?”

After Jamil overbloted and saved, there was a long forgotten memory that resurfaced. He remember someone—someone who was always there for him and told him to be himself. The person who told him he was free to express himself the way he wanted.

The hands he felt save in.

Finally he could understand what Kalim was talking about all these years.

Kalim’s imaginary friend wasn’t imaginary.

She was real and there with them.

He wants to know. No. He needs to know.

“Hikari... doesn’t seem to remember as well...” Kalim confessed, looking down to his hands.

“You said it yourself and she did as well back then. As long as our hearts are connected—“

“I know! But I.... I don’t want you to use your unique magic to force her to confess... it just seems wrong.”

Silence basked the two.

“...Fine. I suppose you’re right on this one.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

“Hikari~~!”

The brunette could hear Kalim all the way from the kitchen. “I’m in the kitchen!” She was too busy preparing for dinner that she didn’t even realize it was already time. Grim was busy doing his homework, but ended up taking a nap in the common area. She turned her head when she heard footstep coming closer. “Sorry, Kalim-senpai! Looks like you have to wait a little longer for dinner.”

“Uwaaaa! It smells so good!” Kalim peeked inside the kitchen, a big smile across his face.

“We bought some snacks. You can eat that first if you’re hungry.” Hikari pointed to the box of biscuits she bought from Sam at a special price. She turned her back on him to continue cooking.

“Thanks!” Kalim sat on the stool and propped his head up, leaning over the island and humming a tune he learned from his club. He stared at the brunette as she moved around to grab some spices from the cabinets.  He remembered everything. She looked the same as she did ten years ago—as if she didn’t age a bit. She had cooked for him and Jamil a few times during the short period when she was his bodyguard. Neither once did he get poisoned or kidnapped when she was around. “You know...”

When was the right time to ask? Jamil had warned him there was no second chance.  And he was right. Tomorrow or the next, who knows how long she was going to be with them.

“Hmm?”

There was a chance... that she might disappear again.

Everyone will forget her.

And this time, maybe even he will forget her.

“I think I’ve told you that aside from Jamil’s food, I always get a stomach ache, right?” Kalim began.

Hikari glanced over her shoulder, giving a reassured look. “Don’t worry, Kalim-senpai! I didn’t put anything funny—“

Kalim laughed. “I know! I know! I trust you!” He jumped off the stool and stood beside the island, staring at the ingredients on top of it.  “I’ve been poisoned more times than I could count.”

“But there’s one remedy that always healed me. She was the one who taught me how to make it!”

“That remedy is Panacea.”

Hikari turned to look at him with wide eyes.

Kalim smiled. “That person... It really is you, right?”

Cliffhanger lol

[caramel-and-pine]

12 - Friends and Emotions

Max is leaving David’s house in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, and a big mug of black coffee.

“Can I ask something before you leave?” David asks at the door, and Max only nods in response. “Will you save my number and call me sometimes? Add me on Whatsapp or something like this so we can actually keep in touch?”

“I’m not really a fan of phone calls,” Max says but he reaches for his phone and unlocks it before giving it to David. “But if you swear not to send me lame good morning images we can talk on Whatsapp.”

David smiles as he enters his contact on Max’s phone, when he gives it back he makes the Camp Campbell salute. “I swear not to send lame good morning images!”

“You’re unbelievable,” Max says fondly and he leans up to give him a quick kiss. David melts a little. “I must go now, Christine said she wanted to discuss the new outfits and performances for the club today.”

“What is wrong with the performance and outfits you have now?”

“Nothing really, but she likes to create and Sid always gives her free reign of the ‘artistic direction’ of the club.” Max shrugs and smiles anyway. “Well, she enjoys it so it is okay to me.”

“Tell her I said hi, and that I’m curious about the new performance.”

Max grins and raises his eyebrows suggestively. “Do you want to see me dancing again, David?” To emphasize his point Max crudely grabs at his own crotch making an overly dramatic face.

A deep blush overtakes David’s face and he splutters a little before speaking.

“You are both very good performers, I am curious. That’s all!”

“Well, If I know Christine, and I do, she must have everything set up for next week. You should show up next weekend to check it.” Max’s demeanor is suddenly coy as if he isn’t sure David will accept his invitation.

“Oh, I will!” David says all too enthusiastic. “But just to make sure I don’t forget or anything, you should message me some time to remind me.”

“Loser,” Max says softly but he smiles as David leans down to kiss his cheek. “I really must go now…”

“Okay, I have some work to do too and I don’t want to keep you here too long. Don’t want to make Christine wait for you,” David says with a pleasant smile. “Take care, okay? And send me a message when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

Max is half annoyed, half endeared by David’s motherly behavior. “Yeah, mommy, don’t fret,” he says without much heat. “I’ll be careful,” he adds when he sees David’s smile turning into a little frown.

David is still pouting a little bit but Max quickly fixes it by kissing him, sweet and brief, before stepping out of the house. When Max reaches the gate he looks back and David is still at the threshold watching him with a silly smile on his face. Max waves him goodbye and David’s smile goes bigger as he waves back.

Max’s heart is full of fluttery feelings and he bursts into tiny fits of giggles as he remembers the previous day. He attracts a lot of attention on the bus home, but most people just look at him fondly - one old woman sighs dreamily once she sees his blushing and giggling. When he gets off the bus his ears are red with a strange sort of embarrassment.

When he arrives home he sees that Christine has taken the entire table in the kitchen as her workplace. There are at least three sketchpads, her laptop opened on a youtube video, and a box full of art supplies Max has absolutely no hope of ever learning the name and use for. She is deeply focused on the video but when she notices his presence she pauses it and practically tackles him as she makes a million questions in under thirty seconds.

“My god, Christine, don’t you breathe?” Max extricates himself from her clutches and makes it to the sink where he drinks some water.

“You’ve been keeping me in the dark on purpose, Max!” Christine whines and pouts as she sits back on the chair. “Seriously, I am so curious!”

“I know you are, let me enjoy torturing you a little longer,” Max says smugly which just makes Christine make pitiful little noises.

“Max, please, I am serious,” suddenly, her behavior turns serious and she looks at him with a worried expression. “Was he nice?”

“The nicest,” Max says as he takes a seat in front of her. “I mean it, Chris, he was absolutely… perfect?”

Christine raises her eyebrow slightly but the look on Max’s face is so soft when he speaks it placates her worries efficiently. She rests her chin on her palm as she studies him.

“He cut your hair,” she observes and Max makes a show of pointing to his shaved head.

“He cut my hair! And we watched movies together on the couch and he was so into the cuddling and watching TV he never realized I sat in front of him and not by his side because I was hard for him the whole evening…”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Max rubs his neck, a little self-conscious. “Can you believe it? And when he finally got hard he was so fucking cute! We were back at his room and he was still asking if I wanted it and he kept saying how good it was. But it wasn’t gross or condescending, it was just spontaneous, you know?”

“Max, you are so very much in fucking love,” Christine says, at last, a smile on her disbelieving face. “I’ve never seen you talking like this about anyone else before.”

Max doesn’t reply immediately. Is he in love with David? Surely he does feel something but he can’t call it love. Not yet. David has shown him much more respect, care and attention than he’d ever received in his life and maybe that’s why he doesn’t know what to do. He has never truly known affection, how can he properly gauge the situation when his referential is null?

“Do you really think I’m in love with him?” He asks in a small voice. Christine holds his hand across the table and squeezes it lightly.

“I’m sorry, Max, I shouldn’t have said it,” she says in a very serious voice. “You were very cute talking about him, and you looked very happy on the selfie you sent me yesterday but I have no right to label your feelings. David seems like a very nice guy but your feelings are your own and you have as much time as you need to figure them out. I’ll be here for you if you need but the conclusion is only yours to make.”

“He is very nice,” Max says defeatedly.

“He is.”

“I have to text him.”

“You do?”

“He asked me to text him when I get home,” Max picks his phone with his right hand, the left still holding Christine’s hand as if taking strength from her. “He told me to take care.”

“Isn’t it a little possessive?” Christine furrows her brows as Max searches for David’s contact on his phone. He smiles a little and turns the screen to her - the contact is saved as David *pine tree emoji*.

“I don’t think so, when he asked he had a genuinely worried look on his face,” Max types a short message and places the phone, screen down, on the table. “I think he still blames himself for losing me when I was a child, all that camp thing I talked about the other day, remember?”

“Oh, yes, when you were kidnapped by your own mother.”

“It sounds unnecessarily ridiculous when you say it like this, Christine,” Max frowns and Chris laughs.

“Talking about your mother, does Hannah know about him?”

“Not yet,” Max says pensively. “I’ve been meaning to tell her but I don’t know what to say.” Max makes an imaginary phone with his hand and talks on it with a nasal voice, “Hi Honeybear, there is this guy who took care of me for a while when I was a kid and now we’re maybe dating and I’d like you to meet him because he is amazing but the nuns would probably say we’ll both burn in hell.”

“Now who is making things unnecessarily ridiculous?”

Max groans and deflates. “I am sorry. I want Hannah to know about him but until I figure out what I feel for him I think it would be best to keep it to myself.”

Christine pats his shoulder sympathetically. “Take your time, darling. I am sure David can wait; and so can Hannah.”

Silence falls over them for a moment, both immersed in thoughts until Max suddenly stands up and starts to rummage around the kitchen cabinets.

“I’ll make lunch today,” he says, suddenly full of energy. “How was work yesterday, anyway?”

“The usual,” Chris says, turning her attention back to her sketchpads. “Guess who was there asking for you?”

Max groans. “Sam?”

“Ding ding ding! Right answer.”

“And what did you tell him when he figured out I wasn’t there?”

“Well, I’d have said you were home with a terrible virulent sickness that would make you untouchable for the rest of your life,” Christine says dutifully and Max thanks her. “Unfortunately, Ivan was there and he told him the truth.”

“Damn you, Ivan,” Max mutters with a frown. “And how did he react?”

“As well as you can imagine,” she says darkly. “He literally asked for the other client’s number so he could call and ask what time you’d be free and where he could pick you up.”

“Man, that guy is a lost cause,” Max shakes his head. “He acts all ‘oh look how manly I am’ and then he cries when he takes it up the ass!”

Chris snorts a little but she quickly goes back to a more sober demeanor.

“Ivan managed to calm him down yesterday and he left without incident but I swear I was a bit scared,” a cold shiver runs down Christine’s spine at the memory. “I hope he and David never meet.”

The same cold drips down Max’s back. “Oh, please, no!”

***

From: Gwen Hi David! Are you free tonight?

To: Gwen Yes *smiley emoji* Do you want to go out? We could go somewhere new.

From: Gwen Nah, I don’t want to go out *weary face emoji*

From: Gwen How about dinner in your place? I can drop by the supermarket after work pick wine and cake and then go to yours

To: Gwen Merlot and dark forest?

From: Gwen Of course

To: Gwen 8pm?

From: Gwen Deal

David smiles at his phone, it’s been a while since he and Gwen got to hang out together. Actually, the last time he’d seen her in person was when she took him to The Fruit Bowl. After that, they’ve only texted and talked a bit on the phone. Once again the urge to tell her about Max starts to itch but he steels himself and starts to make a mental list of topics of conversation that would lead away from dangerous subjects, like the bar.

It isn’t difficult to get a long list, he and Gwen still have a lot in common despite the different paths they’ve taken in life. They rarely ever talk about Camp Campbell, but they have plenty to talk about their jobs, their friends, Gwen’s pet snake, David’s travels… The list goes on and on.

It’s barely past noon when Gwen sends the first message, so David has a lot of time to tidy up the house and cook. David enjoys cooking despite knowing only three recipes, luckily Gwen likes all three of them. Since she offered to bring wine he decided to make salmon with vegetables, a good combination according to the fancy site he and Gwen liked to scroll through when they were still dating.

David has a meeting with an editor of a magazine in a few days so he works on his portfolio until about three in the afternoon. After some deliberation, he adds two of Max’s photos to the file alongside with many landscapes and some product images he produced in the studio earlier in the week. With a satisfied groan, David finally turns off his computer and goes downstairs to prepare for the dinner.

Being a naturally organized person has its perks. Tidying the house takes him very little time, some sweeping in the living room and a little cleaning product on the floor of the kitchen and he is done. He turns his attention to the food after this.

He prepares the fish and vegetables efficiently and cleans most of the utensils he uses in the process. Gwen will surely ask to do the dishes since he’s cooking and he doesn’t want to leave too much work for her. She will probably be tired from her shift at the clinic and the traffic across the city to David’s house, so it won’t hurt to take it easy on her.

David is satisfied with his preparations. He sets the table with his good plates and a pretty towel and puts the timer on the oven as he goes upstairs to take a shower.

***

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, trust me,” Christine smiles. “Sid said we’ll have a lot of bachelorette parties in the next month, so we think an all-male performance to open the nights will be a good idea.”

“Okay, it makes sense,” Max concedes. “But you know I don’t like dancing without you.”

“I know, Maxy,” Christine pinches his cheek. “It is adorable but I need you to work with the guys on this one. It will be a short number, just to open the nights, okay?”

Max groans. “Okay.”

“Good, now, pay attention here.”

Christine shows him a video clip with a group of four men dancing in some sort of prison corridor. The narrative of the video is confusing at best and nonexistent at worst but the visuals are very strong, the beat well defined and the choreography amazing. And insanely complex. Christine’s eyes shine with a touch of maniac glee as they watch the video.

“And this is what you want us to do?” Max asks, incredulous.

“Yes,” she answers decisively. “I mean, we’ll have to make our own version, but this is the idea, yes.”

“They are wearing high heels, you crazy bitch,” Max deadpans. “You want me to sprain my ankles? Ivan won’t fill in for me if it happens.”

“Oh, please Max,” she rolls her eyes. “Just give it a try, okay? I’ve learned to walk on them, surely you and the guys can too.”

“I’d rather not,” Max pouts.

“Don’t be a baby, Maxy,” she says rolling her eyes.

“I invited David to go to the club next weekend,” Max says pensively. “Do you think we’ll have it ready until then?”

“Oh, you want to impress your boyfriend!”

“Shut up, Christine!” Max pushes her away and she almost falls from her chair, but she is laughing all the while.

“I don’t know, do you think you can stop bitching and work with me?”

“Yes…”

“Good! So, pay attention again because after this we’ll go to the club talk to the guys and hopefully have it all set until next Saturday so you can make David’s heart throb. And hopefully, other parts of his anatomy too.”

***

“Sorry, David, the traffic was awful,” Gwen says as she hugs David at the door. She is barely fifteen minutes late but she knows how much David values punctuality.

“Don’t worry, you sent me a message so I knew you’d be late,” they separate and David takes a good look at her. “I hope you’re not too tired to enjoy the evening. You surely look exhausted.”

Gwen rubs her eyes lightly but shakes her head in a negative.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. It was the traffic, you know how much I hate those slow drivers who think they are on a field trip in fucking rush hour.”

“Yeah, I know,” he smiles a little and rubs his hands together excitedly. “But you are here now, and dinner is about to get ready.”

Gwen smiles at him and there is something off about it. It is small, so subtle he isn’t quite sure if it even exists. This is a rare occasion nowadays, after so many years David and Gwen are pretty proficient at reading one another. David can’t tell what is more alarming if it is the fact that he can’t immediately tell that there is something wrong, or that something happened and Gwen is trying to hide it from him.

They move onto the kitchen and David decides to put it aside for the moment. Maybe Gwen only needs some time to relax and gather her bearings before telling him what is the problem. Or maybe after some conversation, he’ll realize there was nothing wrong to start with.

In the kitchen, he busies himself with the fish and Gwen goes to the drawer get a corkscrew to open the wine. She pours two glasses and sets the bottle aside before putting the cake on the fridge to cool down a little, the hot weather had melted some of the frosting. David places the tray on a heat mat in the center of the table and Gwen brings the wine with her as she sits down.

“How you’ve been?” She asks, taking a sip of the wine.

“I’m very good,” David says with enthusiasm. “I’ve just set up a studio upstairs. It is small, just a background on the wall and some floodlights but it is mine and I am very excited about it.”

Gwen smiles benevolently at him. “This is very good! Are you planning on quitting the tour guides?”

David frowns a little as he serves Gwen a generous piece of salmon.

“No, I wouldn’t be able to quit the tour guides,” he says fondly. “You know how much I enjoy them, but I want more options and it is important to widen my repertoire.”

“Do you have anything in mind?”

“I’ll have a meeting next week,” he tells her. “It is a new magazine, focused on alternative fashion and culture. I am very optimistic.”

“What a surprise,” Gwen says with a little eye roll. She takes a bite and makes a pleased sound as she chews on it. “Oh, this is better than I remembered.”

“Thank you,” David starts to eat his own food. Gwen is right, it does taste better than the last few times he’d made it. His good humor might have infected the food.

They eat in silence for a while. A few times, David is certain that Gwen will finally tell what is wrong, but she just shakes her head slightly and continues eating. He doesn’t remember the last time they had such a silent meal. David’s plate is still half full when he gently sets his knife and fork down to look directly at Gwen.

Her eyes are sunken, and she is looking very tired. Not ‘tired from work’ or ‘stressed because of traffic’, but a deep kind of tiredness that David is all too familiar with. It is the exhaustion of a person being consumed by a problem that seems too big to face. David had had this look for ten years, but Gwen had overcome it when she started to work at the clinic and made her peace with Max’s disappearing. If she is back at this kind of mental space, something really serious might have happened.

David clears his throat to call her attention. Her reaction is slow, it takes a long second for her eyes to meet his.

“Gwen, is there anything you want to tell me?”

Gwen looks down and she tightens her grip on her cutlery. Silence stretches between them, dense and dark for a long while. Gwen gently places her knife and fork down before cleaning her mouth with the napkin.

“Did I tell you about Simone?”

David frowns. This isn’t what he was expecting.

“I am afraid not,” he says carefully. “Who is Simone?”

“Simone is an eight years old girl who was abused by an uncle,” Gwen tells him with a heavy expression on her face. “She was taken to the clinic by a social worker because they needed her testimony on the trial but she refused to speak. I’ve been working with her for a few weeks. In fact, the last time we met I had to leave earlier because they needed me to go to the court see her for the first time.”

“I am sorry, this is a very sad story,” David says, genuinely heartbroken.

“It took me a long time, but she is finally talking more freely with me,” Gwen continues. “Two days ago she said she wanted to talk on the court because she was worried about Bianca.”

“Who is Bianca?”

“Bianca is her ten years old sister,” Gwen explains and something happens to her face when she says it. Her expression hardens all of a sudden, but the vulnerability in her eyes becomes more evident by the change. “Bianca went on a trip with this uncle one year ago, but she didn’t return. Simone thinks the uncle might have hurt her sister,” the emphasis on the word make her meaning clear.

David swallows dryly, any trace of good humor gone. He knows this is the kind of reality Gwen faces on her work, and he wants to be there to help and support her, but it is so difficult. It is such an awful, terrible thing, and despite being a different situation he can’t help but think of Max and how close to this he was during his childhood. David’s throat close.

“So, two days ago I started to look for signs of Bianca,” Gwen says. voice breaking. “And you know that I have quite the experience with missing children. I still remember all the sites, all the forums. I still have all the usernames and passwords.”

Tears start to form in her eyes and David wants to hold her and comfort her but he is too paralyzed to act.

“And since I was there I decided to look our old topics looking for clues about Max… David, why did you close them?” Gwen’s tone is not accusatory, it is confused and somehow betrayed. She is shaking slightly, her lip trembling and her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

“Gwen… I….”

“I am sorry I gave up,” she says pitifully. “I wish I was stronger but I couldn’t keep up with that life. But I did it because I knew you’d be strong for the two of us. I knew you’d never give up,” her voice breaks in a big sob and David’s chair falls when he stands up to go around the table and hold her.

“I’m sorry I abandoned you,” she says between wavering breaths. “I’m sorry I left you alone on this, I’m sorry you had to give up too.”

“Gwen, Gwen, please stop crying,” David holds her in a tight embrace and she weakly holds the front of his shirt in reply. “Gwen, you were right, I’ve never given up.”

“But you close the topics,” she whines. “Now you’ll never receive new information, we’ll never find him!”

“I found him.”

Time seems to stop when David says those three words. It stretches like molasses, slow and heavy around them. David’s brain catches up with what he’s said a fraction of a second too late; at exactly the same moment Gwen processes the information.

She slowly pushes him off, her face a painful puzzle of feelings.

“You what?”

“I…” David takes a deep gulp. “I found him.”

Check this chapter on AO3.