The first breath burned.

It was like instead of air he would have breath in ash, coming from an erupting volcano - still full of flaming scales and red hot coals. Instead of giving redemption it sunk in his lungs as if it was full of iron and dragged him closer to the ground bellow as if trying not to only bring him to his knees but to rip him trough the soil right to Earth's burning core and make him turn in to ashes as a punishment for his desires. In lieu of giving him strength and pushing vigor trough his veins, it spread like poison weakening his still numb body to the extent he barely felt it.

But once you take a breath, you can not stop no matter how it hurts so despite the ache, the pain that made tears swell in his eyes, he took another breath.

The second breath made him open his eyes.

A male figure that seemed as familiar as clear blue sky, hang from the wall right across the room tied with ropes red as blood. His head was lowered, jet black hair damp and messed hanging in front of his face. His chest rising and falling in heavy breaths, as if others lungs were breathing the same weighty, ash-full air as he was – sharing his punishment with him. His arms were as limp as the rest of his body, that had sank on the ground – knees digging in to the mould as if he was thrown there from unbelievable heights.

The figure was so familiar, so welcoming even in the awful state it was in right now, that he couldn’t take his eyes of other, trying to see others’ face, trying to behold the one who was sharing this torment with him though he had no need to do so.

A breeze came from nowhere, twirling the dry soil beneath others’ knees in a miniature tornado, smoothing hair away from others’ face.

The realization of who was in front of him, of who was suffering so much because of him, hit him so hard, that the wall he felt behind his back moved further away from the motionless male, making the distance between the two of them even bigger than before.

He started to breath rapidly, ignoring how the iron cut in his lungs, pulling him down, making his arms to twist as his whole body went down to the ground.

His knees finally hit the dry earth, his arms nearly twisted out of their place as they were still tied to the wall with bright white ropes, holding him unbearably close to the wall that was so safe and supporting before, but now was just another obstacle to what he wanted the most.

Once more he glanced at the man that was now further from him than ever. Others’ head was even lower than before, his chest almost not moving as if the ashes had already filled his lungs and he couldn’t take even the slightest breath to keep himself here on earth.

The ropes around his wrists, that near the wall were as blindingly white as his own, tightened and dragged him up against the wall behind his back, his body completely flaccid as if he had no bones or no will to keep his posture.

He had to get to him no matter what. He had to help; he had to rescue him from the retribution that wasn’t his.

With a crack that echoed around the walls that were around them, he pulled forward, trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists and to break free from his bounds.

His shoulders ached so much as if thousand sharp needles stabbed them at the same time and the pain grew bigger with each move, but that was not a reason to stop. His wrists started to burn and he could swear that someone had poured lava on them as the heat was tormenting.

He looked up at his arms – stretched behind his back – the rope around his wrists was now as red as the one that held the other male and a new wave of comprehension waved trough him, causing the wall that was holding on to him drag him away, yet this time he fought back, digging his knees in to the soil, enduring his arms nearly being ripped out from his shoulders.

The wall stopped to move and he began his struggle to move forward again.

His rope turned redder with each tug, his knees dug in the ground as deep as others were before. Now he knew – other was trying to reach him before, he had tried to be the one who rescues him, who saves him from his forfeit, but other failed as he didn’t know he needed to be saved, he denied it and refused to even exist just not to face the realization of how actually weak he was.

Now he knew…

With cry breaking trough his dry lips he tugged on the ropes with all he had and landed face first on to the ground as the ropes had finally given up.

His arms burned almost in visible flames; his legs suddenly was as numb as if an ice block would’ve landed on them from nowhere, crushing each and every bone in them and freezing them forever.

Something clicked across the room and he looked up just to see how the other male lands on the ground lifelessly.

He had to be the one who saves, who takes all of the punishment no matter what it was.

Despite his body being week, his lungs pulling him closer to Earth’s core and his fiery atonement, he pushed himself up just to fall back down, his legs still refusing to obey. Never before he had lost control of his long limbs like now.

Clenching his teeth, he dug his fingers in to the mould and pulled him self forward. The blood from his wrists mixed with the dirt, his sweat damped his hair and soon messy, light brown bags covered his view.

It seemed like the last bits of strength had left his body right in the half way to others immobile body. He raised his head to look at the male in front of him and met others eyes looking straight at him.

His arm was stretched out as far as possible – his wrist bloody and dirty and in a complete mess. His eyes were locked with his in a silent plead of salvation – for both of them.

No. He couldn't stop.

He tried to somehow stand up, yet failed, falling hard against the ground, yet he tried again and again until he somehow managed to stand up, his legs wobbly.

The first step almost made him fall again, yet he managed to move forward half running, half tripping over thin air, giving up only when he reached the male that was still lying on the ground, landing hard on his knees next to the male and reaching out for him as he was everything he need… and it was true.

He didn’t need redemption, he didn't need forgiveness or acceptance, he didn’t need a wall behind him to keep him put – all he needed was the one he now cradled in his arms.

His voice seemed to come alive and he couldn't stop whispering words of love and pleads for forgiveness to other, receiving a small smile in return and as quite whispers of love in return.

He hugged the other male closer, placed a kiss on his forehead and closed his eyes, taking a big breath of the ash-full air and let both of them to be buried under a layer of gray snow falling from the sky - nothing mattered when he finally had him in his arms.