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Time together is just never quite enough

Kris meets Luhan when he is walking the saltwater caves.

When we’re apart, whatever are you thinking of?

The hidden grottos under the beach are his haunts, and the waves whisper quietly beneath his feet, for he is a familiar presence, and they welcome him.

We need time, only time

That night, when he stands on the shore and stares at the planes that are no longer there, a jacket slips over his shoulders, and a young man stands behind him, shivering violently without his heavier garments. Kris says nothing, and merely walks into the darker tunnels dotting the bay with his shadow following. Soon, he has arrived at the cave he calls the Saltwater Room.

If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?

He plucks a seashell off the wall, and holds it to his ear as the waves gurgle and slosh around. He offers the shell to Luhan, who in turn imitates him and listens to the sound of the sea. Kris watches as the smile spreads across his lips, and he smiles too, because Luhan’s smile reminds him of the ship lights he counts on stormy days.

So tell me, darling

Somewhere in the distance, the subways rumble and groan.

Do you wish we’d fall in love?

You can hear the waves in underwater caves.

All the time...

As if you actually were inside a saltwater room.

All the time.

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