Together

"What the hell?" Milosh was dazed from his fall and looked around in confusion. How did he get here? He went back into his memory. He was on his way home from hockey with his friends when he felt a sudden weightlessness. He massaged his temple to quiet the endless thumping in his brain. The clear open water in front of him sparkled as he watched the waves bring colored sea glass to coat the shoreline. Is this real? Milosh grasped the sand under his palm and scrutinized it as it slid softly through his fingers. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The sun warmed his skin as the soft island breeze tousled his short black hair. He opened his eyes to marvel at the beauty around him. Where am I? Milosh swayed a little as he stood. A pair of hands clasped his shoulders to steady him.

"Hey, you okay?" a gravelly voice came from Milosh's side. Milosh glanced at the man next to him. The sun kissed the man's golden skin and peeked behind his head, giving him a golden halo of light. His curled brown hair swayed in the breeze. Milosh gaped at this mans face. The shadow of a beard framed his jawline, and his curls brought out the cerulean blue in his eyes. He realized he hadn't answered the man. The concern was evident on the man’s face.

"Y-yeah. Sorry, yes, I'm fine." The man looked unconvinced. "I must have stood up too quickly." Milosh chuckled at himself. The man still looked concerned but didn't push. "Who are you?" Milosh asked.

"I'm Cain." Cain was staring at Milosh intently, and when Cain didn't say anything more, Milosh filled the silence.

"I thought I was alone."

"No." Okay. "Thanks for helping me, you know, not face plant." Cain coyly grinned. Milosh scanned the length of the beach in search of assistance for this odd situation but to no avail. Weird. "Are you here alone?" Cain put one of his hands in the pocket of his slacks while the other held a suit jacket.

"No." He looked behind Cain but didn't see anyone.

"What do you mean no? The only people I see here are you and me."

Cain smirked. Milosh sighed; he realized that Cain wasn't alone because he was with Milosh. Smartass. Milosh disregarded Cain's knowing smirk as he took in this handsome nobleman. He was wearing a long-sleeved button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A vest hugged his broad shoulders, which made his arms prominent over it. His black trousers accentuated his long legs. He was carrying a jacket on his arm. What was he wearing? Milosh looked at his feet and was not surprised to find Italian shoes buried in the sand as they stood there. Milosh looked at his black t-shirt and black jeans. They both did not dress for the beach.

Milosh looked at Cain, "How did you get here?" Cain shrugged. Milosh was getting tired of this one-word game. The pain in his head was still very persistent. Milosh turned away from Cain and waved. "Well, it's nice to meet you, one-word man. See you." Milosh walked down the beach, looking for a way back home. He heard the sound of movement behind him and turned his head. Cain was following him. Milosh faced forward and walked on, ignoring Cains’ presence.

Cain looked at Milosh and smirked. He didn't know how he got here, but when he saw Milosh, a wave of relief washed over him. Milosh tensed back and made Cain grin. He hadn’t made anyone annoyed with him in a while. He came out of a meeting on his way home when he fell. His stomach still felt queasy from memory. Cain doesn’t comprehend how he got here, but he isn't too upset. He couldn't remember the last time he was at the beach. "Will you stop following me?" Cain came back to reality. Milosh turned toward him with an annoyed expression on his face. Cain smirked, which made a vein on the side of Milosh’s neck pop out. Milosh’s eyes bore into him with frustration. Cain couldn't look away from the fire burning there. He was always attracted to fire. He examined Milosh, from jet-black hair to black chucks, and decided he wouldn't mind getting burned.

“No,” Cain responded, which earned him a glare. Cain’s smirk was plastered on his face. Milosh clenched his fists, fighting to contain his irritation. Cain was having fun. When was the last time that happened? He couldn’t recall. Milosh scraps his hand down his face and takes a breath. He flipped off Cain and turned back around to keep walking. Cain stopped, “Where are you going?” Milosh stopped. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Cain.

“So, you can use complete sentences?”

Cain laughs, “Yes.” Milosh’s jaw clenches. Cain strides slowly over to Milosh, "Where are you going, Milosh?”

“Away.”

“Away where?”

Milosh sighed. “I’m going to find a way home.” Cain contemplates this as Milosh continues. “I don’t know how I got here, but I'm going to try and find a boat or something.”

Milosh turned, but Cain grabbed his elbow to stop him. “Why?”

Milosh looked confused. “What do you mean why? Because we don’t belong here. I don’t live on the beach, do you?”

Cain shook his head and peered into Milosh’s whiskey eyes. “We?”

Milosh yanked his arm out of Cain’s hold. Milosh turned his gaze to the ground, “Yeah, we. You don’t want to stay here forever, do you?”

Cain, amused,” Why not?” Milosh's face flushed with anger.

“Are you an idiot? For one, this isn’t my fucking home, and for another, why would I stay here? There is no shelter in sight, nor is there food. We could stay, but I doubt we’d survive!” Milosh admonished, frustrated with Cain’s laid-back nature.

Cain couldn’t help the smile on his face. Milosh was adorable when he was angry. Cain felt a drop of water on his face. He looked up to examine the sky that had darkened above them. Milosh followed his eyes and groaned. “Come on!” Cain scanned their surroundings to see a small cave opening on the side of the mountain. He took hold of Milosh’s hand and dragged him along. “Dude, what the actual fuck? Let me go!” Cain ignored him. Milosh tried to pry himself free from Cain's grip. “Are you listening to me? I said, let me go!” Cain stopped and sighed. He let go of Milosh’s hand as he turned around. Cain hoisted Milosh up and over his shoulder. Milosh’s face was red as he thrashed around as Cain carried him. When Cain reached their temporary shelter, the rain came down hard. Cain dropped Milosh on his ass further into the cave. He inspected the surroundings in the cave.

What an asshat! Milosh’s tailbone radiated pain throughout his body. He didn’t have to fucking dump me on the ground like trash. Cain walked over to Milosh and put his jacket on his shoulders. He immediately turned toward the mouth of the cave and disappeared from view. What is he doing? The rain pelted the ground while it whipped it in different directions. He became uneasy when Cain didn’t return. Milosh got up to find Cain when Cain came back. He came back soaking wet, carrying wood. The sense of relief that washed over Milosh scared him. Why would he care if the guy disappeared?

You do care, says a small voice in his head. Milosh silenced that voice. Cain set down the wood to pile it together. “Do you want help?” Milosh watched as Cain worked on the fire. Cain’s back stretched the wet material of his shirt, which clung to Cain’s sculpted arms. Milosh felt Cain’s gaze and looked away. Milosh looked at his feet and headed over to Cain to help. "How can I help?" Milosh asked as he crouched down next to Cain. Cain's hair was slick from the rain, which darkened it to almost black. His eyes held a storm in them with flecks of dark grey that mirrored the sky. Milosh had to look away; if he didn't, he would have been swept away in them. Milosh heard a clink and then saw the wood alight. Milosh peered over at Cain's hand, which held an old lighter in between his fingers with engravings.

"Where did you get that?"

Cain chuckles, "My grandfather."

Milosh sat down near the fire as it came to life. The shadows of the flames reflected onto Cain's face. His eyes became dull as he gazed at the lighter. "My grandfather raised me." Milosh stared at Cain, waiting for him to continue. Milosh whispered, "Why?" Cain smiled to one side, which revealed a dimple that Milosh did not take notice of as Cain smiled sadly.

"My grandfather being the honorable man he was, raised me while his son and daughter-in-law traveled the world."

Milosh's brow furrowed. "Without you?"

Cain gave a slight nod. "My parents weren't the settle-down type. My grandfather took me under his wing, but only because, on the surface, it would look bad on him if he didn't. He was a kind man, but appearances meant a lot to him. So, he took me in and set me up to be the best I could be for the family image." Cain nodded to the fire, "My grandfather insisted I learned how to take care of myself in all situations so that If anything bad happened, I could survive and come back to be the heir of his empire."

Milosh's eyes widened. "Wait, you're an heir?"

Cain chuckled, "No, I was an heir. My grandfather passed away about a year ago. Now the empire is mine." Cain sighed, "Not that I want it, though." He gripped the lighter in his hand. "My parent did not want me. My grandfather was stuck with me, and neither gave me the freedom to make my own choices." Milosh held his hand up, and Cain chuckled, "Yes, questions?" Milosh scrubbed his face to smother a groan. "What did you want to be? If you had the choice?"

Cain smiled a little. "Don't laugh at me."

Milosh smirks, "Now, where's the fun in that." Cain laughed as he gazed into the flames. "I wanted to be a baker."

Milosh sputtered, "What? Really?"

Cain nodded his head. Milosh smiled, "Why?"

Cain grins, "We had this cook, Maria, who was an amazing baker. After, I would come home from whatever my grandfather made me do. Maria would make the most amazing treats and snacks. After a while, I got curious and asked her to teach me. You should have seen her face when I asked her." Cain chuckled, "She was shocked, but when that wore off, she agreed, but we had to keep it a secret from my grandfather. The kitchen would always smell delicious, and the smile it gave Maria when she baked was what I wanted to look like."

Milosh looked confused. "Like what?"

Cain stared into Milosh's eyes, "Happy."

Milosh felt a pang in his heart, and he was saddened. His story was not much different from Cain's. Milosh took a breath and looked into the fire. Fair is fair, he thought.

"My father wanted a hockey star for a son. When my mom had me, all his dreams came true. He put me into hockey as soon as he could. As I got older, my father realized I was not talented at hockey." Cain laughed. Milosh scooted over to Cain and punched him in the arm. "I wasn't terrible either, but I wasn't going to be a hockey star like my dad wanted me to be. After that, he distanced himself from me." Cain peered at Milosh's face, but Milosh's gaze was on fire. "My mom had health issues and couldn't have another child without her dying, so I was it."

Milosh sighed. "My father withdrew more from my life. He didn't push me to do hockey anymore, but he didn't encourage me to do my own thing, either. I felt adrift. As a teenager, I realized I was living with strangers. They cared for me like good parents, but they weren't part of my life after that. When I turned 18, I moved out." Milosh closed his eyes and felt the pangs of guilt reverberate through his body. "A little after my 19th birthday, I got a call from the police. My parents have gotten into a car accident and died on impact." Milosh could feel Cain's gaze but kept going. "I said goodbye to them at the cemetery a week later." Milosh looked at Cain, "I saw what a happy family could be like, but only on the surface. Maybe I'll find out someday what that is actually like." Milosh smiled to himself and looked away from Cain, but Cain grabbed Milosh's chin and turned him back.

"We could find out together." Milosh looked at Cain in surprise. Cain framed Milosh's face in his hands and kissed him lightly. Milosh stared into Cain’s eyes. He saw the sincerity in his words.

“You just met me,” Milosh whispered. Cain smiled, “You were all I needed to see.” Milosh scooted away from him as Cain released Milosh’s face. They looked at the fire silently while Milosh could feel Cain’s gaze. Milosh's chest constricted. What is this feeling? Milosh brought his knees up to his chest and laid his head on his arms.

Milosh shivered from the cool breeze blowing into the cave. Cain moved over to Milosh and wrapped his arms around him. The warmth seeped into Milosh’s bones. He relaxed into Cain’s body. The fatigue of today's stress gave way.

“You’re safe, Milosh,” Cain whispered to Milosh as he drifted off. “I’ll be here when you wake.” Milosh closed his eyes as he drifted off to sleep.

An alarm sound blared, which jolted Milosh out of sleep. He looked around to find the source of the sound and turned it off. A clock? He took in his surroundings and recognized his room. He was home. Milosh fell back into his bed and sighed deeply. He covered his eyes with his arms. What a dream. Milosh sprang up from his bed and searched the room. Where was Cain? “Cain!” Milosh scrambled out of his bedroom and searched through his home. He said he would be here! “Cain! Where are you?” Milosh ran from room to room but found no one. The only sound was his thudding feet on the hardwood floor. Milosh went back to his bedroom, defeated.

He slides down the side of his bed. It was just a dream. Milosh looked at his hands in disbelief. It felt so real, though. He felt the warm sand between his fingers, the cool breeze through his hair, and Cain’s warmth wrapped around him. Milosh wrapped his arms around his legs. Milosh felt like he was suffocating. His heart constricted in pain. Cain’s not real. That thought intensified his pain. Milosh squeezed his arms tighter around himself. He shook as he felt the tears burning his eyes. The feelings weren’t fake, though. How could he like a dream man that much? There’s no way to dream that up.

Milosh unwrapped himself and searched for his computer. He refused that all that was just a dream. He knew enough about Cain to search for him. Cain’s face showed up in an article about his company. It referenced his grandfather’s death and his parent's. Milosh had to see him. Milosh hoped he wouldn’t sound crazy when he got there, but he would think about that later. He dressed quickly in a black T-shirt and jeans. He caught himself in the hallway mirror and chuckled as he left his home with hope.

Cain looked around his office in confusion. How did he fall asleep here? Milosh? He searched around his office, but Milosh was not in sight. A dream? He sighed and leaned back into his chair, and looked at his hands. Cain could still feel Milosh’s warmth. It couldn’t be a dream. A knock at the door made Cain sit up straight and open his laptop. “Come in.”

Nancy, his secretary, came in and stared at Cain. “Sir? What happened to your shirt?” Cain looked at his sleeves and saw specks of dirt on them. It must have been when he went to search for firewood. Cain smiled. It was real. “Mr. Reeds?”

Cain looked at his secretary, who appeared confused. Cain coughed and tried to straighten his clothes. “Must have put on a dirty shirt by mistake.”

Nancy looked unconvinced but said nothing further. “Do you want to go over your schedule for the day?”

Cain sighed, “No, thank you, Nancy. Cancel my day. I’m taking a day off.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Are you ill, sir?”

Cain chuckled. He needed to get out of this building. “No, Nance, I’m fine. I’m just taking the day off. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Cain rolled down his sleeves and rebuttoned them. He slung his jacket over his shoulder. “If anything important comes up, inform Peter. If he can’t handle it, he shouldn’t be CFO.” Nancy nodded her head in agreement, “Of course, sir. Have a good rest.”

Cain smiled, “Thank you, Nance.” When Cain got out of his building, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt free somehow. There was a weight on his chest he hadn’t noticed until it was gone. “Cain?” Cain snapped open his eyes and saw an out-of-breath Milosh.

“Milosh,” he whispered in disbelief.

Milosh took a deep breath and smiled, “So, I’m not crazy. That’s reassuring.”

Cain slowly walked over to Milosh and touched his arm. “Are you real?”

Milosh chuckled, “If not, this is a nice dream.” Cain framed Milosh’s face and stared into his eyes. Cain smiled as he rested his forehead on Milosh’s.

“You’re here,” expressed Milosh.

Cain chuckled, “I’m here.”

“You weren’t there when I woke up.”

Cain peered into Miloshs eyes. He could see the unshed tears. Cain embraced him, “I'm sorry.” Milosh wrapped his arms around Cain’s waist.

“I was scared. I thought you weren't real.”

Cain laughed, “I thought the same.” Milosh buried his head into Cain’s chest.

“I've never been so glad to be wrong in my whole life.” Cain kissed the top of Milosh’s head. “Me too, Milosh. Me too.” Milosh stepped back and peered up into Cain’s eyes. He could see the emotion in his eyes, and he knew it was not just him. Milosh took Cain’s hand. Cain smiled widely and threaded their fingers together. “Want some breakfast?”

Cain nodded his head as Milosh led the way. “I think we should go on a trip together.”

Milosh looked at Cain’s face. “Where do you want to go?”

Cain met Miloshs eyes and grinned, “I don't know. I'm suddenly fond of the beach.” Milosh punched Cain in the arm. Cain busted out laughing as Milosh mocked him. They walk hand in hand toward their future together.