The End
Apotheosis
Remember,
When your dreams have ended;
Time can be transcended.
I'll live forever.
“Two thousand years?” Kris gasped. But that couldn't be. According to everything Kris had read, the temple had been abandoned for centuries. And besides, no one could live that long. No one. “That's not possible.”
Tao shrugged. “I didn't really expect you to believe me.” He glanced at Kris and then quickly looked away, “Have you ever heard the name Vrijeme?”
Vrijeme? Kris frowned, confused at the sudden change of subject. “It … sounds familiar.”
“Vrijeme is the Lord of Time,” Tao said, his voice soft; reverent, almost. “He's the sovereign ruler of the ages, and people used to come from all over the world to see him as priests fell down before him, worshipping him loyally. And, in return for their promises of eternal servitude, they were given eternity.” Tao finally looked up at him, his gaze dark and unwavering, “But the priests quickly realized that eternity was far too much, and so slowly they began to leave over the years until only one priest remained.” His eyes looked sad then, and Kris found himself getting lost in them. “But that was a long, long time ago.”
Something in Kris's chest hitched. “Wait, are you saying that you're that priest? The only one who stayed?”
Tao nodded, “Like I said, I don't expect you to believe me, but …” he cleared his throat, “I can prove it to you.”
Kris blinked, a bit unsure. “Prove it how?”
Tao smiled softly, but the expression was dubious, as if he still wasn't quite sure whether or not he wanted to trust Kris. “Follow me,” he murmured.
And, for some reason, Kris obeyed, following the beautiful young man without a word through the temple's main room and out into an overgrown courtyard. There was a flowering tree there, its buds pink with the coming of spring, and as Kris watched a soft wind began to blow, whispering through the tree's branches and causing the petals to fall in a swirl of color.
Then all of a sudden, everything froze.
Kris's eyes widened and he stared at the petals suspended in mid-air, his mind searching for an answer because that … that was impossible.
But so was the thought of a two-thousand year old priest.
Realization quickly dawned when he saw that everything else around them had frozen too, almost as if someone had just clicked the 'pause' button on the universal remote, and he quickly turned towards Tao, a million questions flashing through his brain.
But Tao only nodded, something akin to triumph in his eyes. “Yes, I'm the one doing this.”
“But …” Kris shook his head, “How?”
“I am a priest of the Lord of Time,” Tao said, drawing himself up a bit, “I pledged to serve him for eternity and so I was blessed with eternity, along with some minor time manipulation abilities. It's very hard to hold them in place for too long, though.”
Kris noticed then that there was sweat beading on Tao's forehead, and he quickly stepped forward. “Hey, I believe you. I believe you, Tao, alright? So just … stop whatever you're doing if it's hurting you.”
Tao smiled again, only this time it was less reserved than before, “It's not hurting me,” he murmured, but still time resumed, the petals finally falling to the ground around them as Tao's shoulders slumped in exhaustion.
“It seems like it does,” Kris said.
Tao shook his head. “Imagine holding up a really heavy box for an extended amount of time when you're just barely strong enough to pick it up.” He smiled, “That'll give you a vague idea of what it's like.”
“That sounds ...” Kris searched for a word, “Tedious.”
Tao shrugged, “Well, I don't use those abilities often. Only in dire circumstances.”
They fell silent then, their words lost in the realization that they were from different times; so far apart that they might as well have been from different worlds. And then there was the strange – almost alien – aura around Tao that Kris could feel whenever he got close, for Tao had a different way of holding himself, a different way of walking, and a different way of looking at things. Even his accent was different.
But he was sure Tao thought the same of him.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kris murmured, breaking the silence.
Tao looked up at him sharply, his eyes searching for a moment before he nodded.
“Why were you so afraid of me before … when I first came in?”
Tao chewed on his lip, looking uncomfortable. “I told you that I've been here about two thousand years, give or take, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I've been completely alone all that time, having no one around to speak to but Vrijeme. And he, mind you, is not very talkative.”
“Yes,” Kris said impatiently, “What's your point?”
“My point,” Tao stressed, “Is that it's been over two thousand years since I've been spoken to, touched, or even seen another living human being. So to be honest, it was less that I was afraid of you and more that I just had no idea what to say or what to do because of how long it had been since I'd engaged with another person.”
“Well, you seem to be doing a pretty good job right now,” Kris said encouragingly.
Tao smiled at him again, “I suppose I am.”
They fell silent once more as Tao looked away, and for a moment Kris just stared at him, trying to imagine what it was like to spend two-thousand years alone in an old, abandoned temple. Was eternity really worth the loneliness?
Then suddenly, Kris got an idea.
“Come with me, Tao.” He said.
Tao quickly looked back up at the blond, his eyes widening. “What?”
“Come with me,” Kris said again, “Leave this place and let me show you the world and all you've missed.” He smiled, trying to imagine what Tao would look like surrounded by the bustle and life of the city, or the peace of the countryside, or the family-like atmosphere of the suburbs. It was a far cry from the lonely, robe-clad priest he saw now. “You'll never be alone again.”
Tao stared at him, his eyes dark, and in them Kris saw want – so much want – but then Tao pulled back, his gaze downcast.
“I'm the only one who stayed ...” he murmured, “After all these years I'm the only one left, and I just … I don't know what'll happen if I leave.”
Kris put a hand on his shoulder, “Yes, Tao, you're the only one who stayed. You were the only one who was loyal, even after all the others left, so don't you think you at least deserve a break?”
Tao shook his head. “You don't understand.”
Silence fell again, only this one was more strained than the others. Kris felt as if he was drowning in a sea of ellipses – unable to find the full stop amidst all the confusion – when he suddenly got another idea, and all the air came back to his lungs in a rush of relief.
“Why don't you think about it?” He suggested.
Tao blinked at him. “What?”
“Think about my offer,” Kris clarified. “I'll leave so you can think and pray and figure out what you want, and then I'll come back in seven days. That gives you a week; a week to decide if you want to come with me or not.” He shrugged, “Also, a week will give me time to work out some personal matters that I've been ignoring.”
Tao stared at him, speechless. “Kris ...”
“One week,” Kris smiled, “Alright?”
“But,” Tao's eyes began to water, “How do I know you'll come back? How do I know that you won't just go and leave me waiting here for the rest of eternity?”
Something inside of Kris cracked, “Do you really think I'd do something like that?”
Tao looked away from him, “I … I don't know.”
Kris frowned, his eyes tracing the curve of Tao's jaw, before he finally took a deep breath and decided there was nothing else to do but barrel on forward. “Are you saying that you want proof guaranteeing my return?” He asked.
Tao glanced at him and nodded, his eyes wary.
The hunger Kris had felt before – when he'd first seen Tao – resurfaced then, bubbling up inside of him as he surged forward, grabbing the shorter man and forcing him up against the flowering tree. For a moment Tao looked afraid, but Kris's resolve didn't waver in the least.
“I'll give you proof,” he whispered, then he leaned down and gently pressed their lips together.
At first it was great. Amazing, actually. Tao's lips were warm and soft and perfectly shaped to his. Kissing him felt like kissing an angel. But then he realized, with a heavy sinking feeling in his gut, that Tao wasn't returning the kiss. So – afraid he'd misread the longing in Tao's eyes – Kris quickly pulled away, embarrassed. But before he could apologize Tao was pulling him back and kissing him again, rough and hot and heavy, and everything else melted away as Kris lost himself in the feeling.
When they finally separated they were both breathing hard; faces flushed and eyes bright.
“How's that for proof?” Kris said with a cheeky grin, loving the way red blossomed across Tao's pale cheeks as he backed away.
“I …” Tao cleared his throat, obviously at a bit of a loss for words, “I think that'll do.”
Kris resisted the urge to laugh as he backed away, his eyes never leaving Tao. “I'll be back in a week,” he said, “I promise.”
“I'll be waiting,” Tao said with a soft smile.
Then Kris was gone, driving away into the distance as Tao was left to stand somewhat forlornly in his wake, barefoot and silhouetted by the setting sun.
I'll be waiting.
“Uneventful? What do you mean uneventful?”
Kris climbed out of his jeep, keys in hand, and smiled at Yixing, trying to ignore the pang of guilt that resonated through him at the blatant lie. “I mean exactly what I said. The trip was uneventful. Extremely so. It was kind of a waste of time, to be honest, because I didn't find anything there.”
Yixing frowned, “Then why were you gone for three days?”
Kris cringed, knowing then that he was going to have to tread lightly. He'd been around Yixing long enough to know now that he was equipped with a sort of built-in lie detector, and the shorter man never failed to know when someone – Kris, especially – wasn't telling the truth. But thankfully, because they'd known each other so long, Kris also knew how to counteract his creepy abilities.
He had to cover up his lie with a truth.
“Yeah, I got lost on the way there,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. And that, at least, was the truth. The little dirt road that marked the path to the temple had been hard to find, and Kris had ended up getting lost in the thick forest for nearly a day and a half before he'd finally turned around and found the road that led to the temple.
The temple where he'd found Tao.
But Yixing didn't have to know about him yet. Tao was a secret that Kris didn't want to tell, not when it was still very possible that he'd choose to stay at the temple. But despite the fact that it was a likely option, Kris honestly didn't want to consider it. He could still feel Tao's lips on his, and the thought of never having that again – of never seeing Tao again – was terrible.
“Kris?”
Yixing was waving a hand in front of his face, and Kris quickly pulled back, blinking. “Oh, uh, what?”
“You were zoning out. Bad.” Yixing gave him a weird look, “Anyway, I said that it's not surprising that you got lost. I knew I should've gone with you.”
Kris gave him a disbelieving look, “You're way more forgetful than I am, Yixing. You would've gotten us lost – or worse – the moment we left the house.”
“Hey, I'm not that bad,” Yixing said defensively.
“You forgot how to get home from the store the other day,” Kris deadpanned.
“Yeah, so?”
“So, that store is a mile away and you've lived here for nearly seven years!”
Yixing huffed. “Fine, whatever. But don't come running to me next time you need directions.”
Kris laughed, pulling his duffel and all his equipment out of the back of his jeep. “I would never go to you for directions. Now are you going to help me with my luggage or not?”
That night both Tao and Kris fell asleep dreaming of each other.
The library in Vrijeme's temple was vast; domed and full of shelves stacked with old tomes and books that had been hand-written and hand-bound and yellowed with age and wear. Tao took care of them as best he could, but he'd lost quite a few books over the years; some to age, some to disuse, some to storms that had blown through and whisked precious copies out and into the rain. The holes in the shelves they'd left behind never stayed empty for long, though, for Tao was always looking for new books. He often found them on his adventures – those days when he dared to stray further from the temple than usual – and he held those books dearer to his heart than any of the thousand-year-old scrolls lining the library's shelves.
But it was those scrolls he'd previously deemed worthless that he consulted now.
Vrijeme's law was something Tao had always sworn to uphold, no matter what, for he'd always known that the complete and total dedication he'd promised was no joke, so he'd stuck to the rules strictly through the ages.
But now he was finding out that the rules he'd held so dear before had been misread, for the scroll he now held in his hands was telling him of other priests who worshipped Vrijeme, priests who'd left the temple long ago and had gone out to continue their work in the world. They did not live at the temple, nor did they worship there, but still they retained their immortality, and still they served their god.
It was possible, then. It was possible to leave without incurring Vrijeme's wrath.
And suddenly the thought of leaving – of going to live with Kris and see the world after so many years of isolation – lifted his spirits to the point that he wanted to fly.
He ran the pad of his thumb across his bottom lip, a strange feeling stirring in his gut when he remembered the way Kris had kissed him so gently, as if he was someone to be treasured. He'd never been held that way before, and he wanted it again.
He wanted it forever.
And so the days passed and Tao went about gathering up the things he'd need to take with him when he left, a smile fixed firmly on his face as he praised Vrijeme every chance he got. He'd never imagined, not in all of his years, that companionship would come like this. But it was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to him in all his two thousand years.
The end of the week couldn't come fast enough.
Seven days.
Kris had promised, so that meant it was time.
“Where are you going?” Yixing asked sleepily, padding barefoot into the kitchen and frowning at Kris who was shoving the last few bites of a Pop-tart into his mouth. The tall blond was decked out in what looked like hiking gear – ratty old jeans complete with combat boots and a light camouflage jacket – and that was really weird because it was like five in the morning.
“I have something I need to do.” Kris said, downing a glass of milk in one go.
“Now?” Yixing glanced at the clock on the microwave, confirming that it was, in fact, five in the morning.
Kris smiled, patting him on the shoulder as he picked up his backpack and headed out the door. “I'll be back late. Don't wait up for me.”
Then he was gone, leaving a confused Yixing to stare at where he'd just been and wonder if perhaps he was dreaming.
Kris honestly couldn't care less what Yixing thought of him in that moment, though. He knew he was acting strange, but so what? If seeing Tao again meant waking up at five in the morning to go head off into the deep woods without telling anyone where or why he was going and subsequently freaking out his best friend, then he'd do it.
Even if he was exhausted.
The drive itself was long and uneventful, and Kris was glad he'd decided to leave the hood on his jeep down, for the cool morning air on his face kept him sharp and awake as the sun rose despite the sleepiness threatening to creep up on him at every turn.
The music on the radio gradually got better as the hours slowly passed, and Kris cranked the volume up whenever anything good came on, allowing himself to get lost in the push and pull of the notes so he didn't have to let his thoughts linger on plush lips and dark eyes and gentle hands.
At this point, he didn't know what he'd do if Tao said no.
But as he finally turned down the road into the forest, searching frantically for the path that lead to the temple, a part of him knew – instinctively – that “no” was the last thing on Tao's mind. He wasn't sure if it was because of the look Tao had given him when he'd driven off that day, or if it was because of the way Tao had kissed him back. But whatever the case, Kris was sure that he would not return empty-handed. And when the temple finally came into view through the trees Kris felt his heart leap into his throat, his hands growing sweaty and clammy at the thought of seeing Tao again. Parking just in front of the steps that lead up to the temple's main entrance, he quickly shut the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition, slipping them into his pocket as he jumped out of the jeep.
The temple was vast. He hadn't really noticed it before, but it really was huge. He could get lost if he wasn't careful.
“Kris ...”
Kris turned at the familiar voice, a smile spreading across his lips as he saw Tao standing there, a bag over his shoulder. He had on different clothes than before, apparently opting to ditch the whole robed priest look for something that reminded him of the clothes a Shaolin monk would wear.
“Tao?” He chanced, glancing at the bag the shorter man held expectantly. Was this his answer?
Tao stared at him for a moment before a smile broke out over his face, and then he was running, launching himself into Kris's arms. At first Kris froze, caught off-guard, but he recovered quickly and pulled Tao close, embracing him as one would a long-lost lover.
“I'm coming with you,” Tao murmured, his face muffled by the fabric of Kris's shirt. “Kris, I'm – I'm coming with you.”
The ride back was different.
Neither said anything, but they didn't need to, for the joy on Tao's face as he stared – open mouthed – at the other cars on the road and the houses and the power lines and the factories they passed was enough to keep Kris content. He let music play softly in the background – not loud enough to break the gentle atmosphere between them, but not soft enough to fade away entirely – and glanced at Tao every so often, loving the wonder he saw in the young man's eyes.
Young man.
He kept forgetting that Tao was over two-thousand years old thanks to the fact that he looked like he was only eighteen – maybe nineteen, at the most. But to be honest, he didn't really want to think about it.
“Are you hungry?” He asked Tao as he pulled off the highway to gas up.
Tao blinked at him, looking confused. “You can get food here?”
“Yeah, they sell snacks in the convenience store,” Kris said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the little shop across from the gas pumps. “Just let me get the gas going and I'll go grab something for us both, okay?”
Tao nodded again, watching intently as Kris paid for the gas and then stuck the nozzle in the tank, waiting for it to start pumping before he smiled at Tao, grabbed his wallet, and disappeared inside the little store.
He was only gone for a few moments, but it gave Tao enough time to clamber out of the jeep and get a closer look at the gas pump. It had a glowing orange display that counted the gallons of gas taken out, and then another display that counted the total of how much the gas cost altogether, and Tao stared at it all in fascination, so lost in his curiosity that he didn't notice Kris until the blond put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump.
“Sorry,” Kris apologized quickly, offering him a smile, “I didn't mean to startle you.”
“No, it's alright ...” Tao said softly, staring at the strange colorful bags he held in his hands. “What's that?”
“Food.” Kris said, handing the bags to him. “Now, you've probably never had any of this before, so don't worry if you don't like some of it, but I made sure to get a wide variety of things just in case. There are potato chips, some assorted dried fruits, beef jerky, Pop-tarts, and two bottles of milk.”
“Milk I've had,” Tao said, “But … I'm not so sure about the other things.”
Kris smiled, “Yeah, I didn't think so.” He moved around Tao then, pulling the gas pump out of the jeep and taking the receipt it offered him before climbing back into the driver's seat. “Come on. We should get going if we want to get back to my place before dark.”
“Okay.” Tao agreed, climbing back in as well and deciding that if he was going to live in this world, he needed to eat the food. So despite his reservations towards the strange, multi-colored packages of 'food' Kris had given him, Tao opened one of the packets of Pop-tarts and tentatively took a bite.
“Well?” Kris glanced at him expectantly as he pulled out of the gas station and merged back onto the highway. “What do you think?”
Tao swallowed quickly and grinned at him, “It's amazing.”
Kris laughed, “I'm glad you like it. And trust me, there's plenty more where that came from. I like to keep my Pop-tart reserves stocked at my house.” He frowned a little then, remembering that he still had Yixing to deal with when they got back. His best friend was usually a really laid-back guy, but even the most easygoing of people would probably have a problem if their friend just showed up with some random dude they'd never met and proclaimed that said weird dude was going to live with them from now on.
Well, whatever. Kris was sure he'd get everything worked out.
He glanced at Tao, happily munching on his food and watching the scenery pass by in a blur of greens and browns, and smiled to himself.
Yeah. Everything would be fine.
Have no fear, there will be an epilogue.
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