Light It Up

[Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.]

. . .

Eric lay in bed and gripped his stomach. He grunted again as the new wave of nausea pounded through his gut. While he’d been told that the side effects of the medication may progress over time, he couldn’t quite get used to the idea that the medications may just be worse than the actual disease. He tried to focus on the wall in front of him. If nothing else than he could distract himself from all of the ways his body was attempting to completely relieve him of his sanity.

“Time for your next dose, Eric.”

Eric grumbled at the informal greeting. He detested the way the staff used his first name as if they know him. But they didn’t know him. There was no sincere concern and there certainly wasn’t friendship.

The little white pills stared up at him from the paper cup. The orderly watched as he took his pills and left without a word.

Eric spit the pulls out into his hand and shoved them into his pocket. He’d flush them later. For the third day he’d been without medication. He rolled over on the bed and slept peacefully.

. . .

“Thank God you’re here. I’ve missed you.” Sylis’s body clung to his in heated desperation.

“Where are you.” Eric muttered in Sylis’s hair, distantly aware that for once he was comforting Sylis and not the other way around.

“I’m in a safe house with Lauren and the others. We’re going to get you back. I swear. “

“Are you a dream.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t let the others know that you still believe, but don’t question it.”

“How can I not?”

“You have to stay strong. You can feel me, can’t you?”

“Yes.”

The bright light of Sylis’s allure let the empty vacuum of Eric’s mind. The soft waves of Sylis’s hair felt like silk beneath his fingers. A soft groan of the body beneath him made him want to bury his face against the other man’s neck and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

“I don’t think I can do this much longer. I hurt so much.”

“We’re coming for you. We’ll be there soon I promise.”

“Tell me what I need to do.”

“Just stay strong and wake up now.”

. . .

Eric shot up on the bed to find the orderly standing over him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was just checking in on you.” The orderly whispered.

Eric opened his mouth and the orderly shushed him.

“Quiet now. You don’t want to wake everyone up.”

“Get out of my room.”

“Take these first.” The orderly held out a cup with two white pills.

“I already had my classes today.”

“Doctor’s orders.”

“I’m not taking them without speaking to them first.”

“Fine. I’ll be back in a moment.” The orderly smiled sweetly and walked out of the room.

The door clicked shut and Eric lay back, his heart still pounding. He could have sworn that Sylis was actually there, but it was a dream, such a real dream.

The click of the door came and two security personnel followed the orderly in. Eric stood up well aware that at night things happened in hospitals that shouldn’t.

“Take your pills, Eric.” The orderly held out the cup again.

“I’m not taking them without consulting my doctor first. I’ve already had two doses today.

“Eric. If you refuse to take your medication, I will be forced to send you to isolation until you agree to take your meds.”

“Then take me to isolation.” The orderly gripped his arm painfully.

Eric pulled away.

“Security, this patient refused his medication and resisted isolation. Please escort the patient to isolation.” The orderly pulled out the long syringe in his pocket. “I’m going to sedate you now.”

Eric struggled and winced at the quick pain of the needle in his skin. The security guard continued to urge him forward even as his feet began to lose their usefulness. They carried him into the cell with no sense of gentleness. The walls were padded up to just below the ceiling but well over Eric’s height. He stared up at the white barrier at the top of the room and felt the orderly’s fingers at his lips with the offending tiny white pills(?). With what little resistance he could muster, he spat them out to one side, well aware that we would be forced to take them sooner or later. The hands that strapped him to the bed were quick and firm though his right wrist throbbed as the set of hands tightened the restraint too far. He winced and a gentler pair of hands loosened the restraint to something tolerable.

“The Doctor will see you in the morning. “

Eric didn’t have time for a reply before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

. . .

“He knows.”

“No, he suspected, but your actions have only enforced those suspicions.”

“He knows. He stopped taking the pills on purpose.”

The first man explained, “He needed to contact his pairing. Either consciously or subconsciously he was protecting himself. It’s time to drop this act and place him in a proper facility no more of these games.”

“We have no such orders. Sedate him with the new blocker.”

“You can’t be serious; we need to be certain of its effects before we use it on a pair. We can’t afford to lose him now.”

“Give him a double dose of the B64.”

“It will kill him”

“It might kill him. Time to take some risks. We think that the resistance will come for him this week. I don’t want him to help them in any way. We can use him against Sylis if we have to. I want that whole house taken down.”

“I’ll try the dosage tomorrow night.”

. . .

“I’m here to see Eric Morris.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Eric is unavailable.”

“When will he be available?”

“General visiting hours are 2 to 4 on Tuesdays and Thursday”

. . .

Sylis sat at the table of the conference room as the warmth from all of the bodies around the table heated the room. Most of the people made it a point not to look at him. The pale face and fragile health of an element without his summoner was truly a disturbing sight. Most feared such a trial and everyone know that worst was yet to come. Sylis was marked for death. His summoner was captured by the research division of their enemies. Their bond was slowly being torn apart. It was only a matter of time before Sylis slowly died from the distance went mad with it. The pity in the coven’s eyes was not the worst of it.

“We need to gather more information. Our recon team has yet to fully infiltrate the facility.”

“No we can’t wait any longer. Eric is catching onto their tricks but they’re catching onto his own as well. This is the longest period of time we’ve been in contact. I need to get to him now before they take him to the next facility.”

“Sylis. You’re not thinking with you head. Go and rest. You need it.”

“No.” Sylis stood. “We all know that this is going to be the strongest I am for quite some time. I won’t waste it waiting for the inevitable.” No one turned their head. “Look at me, Goddamn it.” The people around the table continued to pan between the reports on the table and each other. “Fuck this.”

Sylis slammed the door on his way out. It slammed a second time as Lauren exited the room and followed her pupil.

“Sylis, Wait.”

“I’m tired of laying around and waiting. We’re not helping Eric, we’re standing by as he’s tortured to death.”

“Have patience.”

“You don’t know what this is like.”

“I lost Marcus.” The hiss of the sentence was cruel and cutting.

“You killed him, that’s different.”

Lauren put up her hands and turned around.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean that.” Sylis reached out and wrapped himself around her back.

“Yes you did but I understand. You’re not thinking clearly. Trust me.”

Sylis nodded and exhaled a breath that brushed a Lauren’s hair into the air in a gentle sweep. “I’m trying.”

“I know.”

“And you know that none of us will let your bondmate suffer needlessly. We have to be careful. We can’t just run in there and take him.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” Sylis sighed and looked ten years older. “We’ve had three nights but they drugged him again… He’s starting to waver.

“He’s strong.”

“He’s untrained and confused.”

“Trust him. If you don’t believe in him how can you expect it in return.”

“I’m going crazy.”

“Go to bed. Get some sleep.”

“Tell me what they decide tomorrow.”

“I will. Good night.”

Sylis nodded and turned away.

. . .

The bright light above him woke him again. He felt unbelievably cold even with the blanket over him. The restraints barely whispered as he stretched as little as he could. Isolation was one of those frightening places where time seemed to speed up and stop all together. Something wasn’t right about everything here, but Eric’s mind fogged out at the thought of it. So tired. Maybe nap.

. . .

“Another month!” Sylis shouted too loud for his own ears. “It’s already been as long.. It took a whole week to decide that you’re postponing decisions again.”

“What would you have us do?”

“We won’t last another month like this… I can’t wait any more. I don’t sleep just pass out. I haven’t gotten a peep form Eric in a whole week. I’m dying; we’re dying.”

“Let me finish. You start tonight.”

. . .

Eric stared out the window blankly. The sun was setting and the faint dusk of the early sunset brought the chill of winter with it. He could almost feel the cold from the windows blowing against his face.

“Everyone meet our newest guest. Simon Josephs.”

Eric span around so quickly his head swam. The other man stood weakly; pale and sickness draped over him like a blanket.

Sylis didn’t know when he’d stood but suddenly he was out of the wheel chair and crumpling into Eric’s arms their bodies falling together in mutual exhaustion. He felt tears from his own eyes and a faint wetness of drops against his hair.

“Thank god you’re alright.”

“Why are you here?” Eric sobbed. He wanted to say so many things but couldn’t, knowing they were being watched so closely.

“I’m here to get better Eric.”

Eric’s jay dropped. “You mean… All this… we’re both.”

“Shh…” Sylis pressed his fingers to Eric’s lips. “We’ll talk later. I have to speak with the doctor now.” Sylis winked.

Eric gapped, feeling better than he had in weeks.

. . .

“You won’t believe this, sir.”

“What?”

“Sylis Joseph has surrendered himself. He’s here.”

“You must be joking.”

“No. He showed up at the same clinic as his pairing.” The first man clenched his fists in excitement. “For now we’ve assigned them the same room. We’ve orders to being observation immediately.”

“Take the first subject off the double dose and but the second on a full dose. Full security at all times. Pull the cover agents. We want a healthy pair to start a clean slate.”

“We’re not transferring them?”

“Don’t question me. We want them in peak conditions but I want to be sure this isn’t a set up or a sting.”

. . .

Sylis walked through his room door only to be slammed back into it.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I see you’re feeling better.” Sylis smirked and pulled Eric against him completely.

The movement caught Eric off-guard and he crashed into Sylis’s body

“What are you doing?” Eric couldn’t help but sigh into the hug and shiver at the press of lips against his neck.

“We’re being watched. Play along.”

The whispered words breezed against Eric’s ear and made him pull away.”

“I should have come with you. I’m sorry.” Sylis toppled them onto the bed. He kissed Eric’s neck, pushing at his shirt.

“Sylis..” Eric hissed and pushed at his hands. “Stop.” His words were a panicked whisper. His body arched into a well placed swoop of Sylis’s hand down his side.

“Shut up and play along.”

Sylis tugged at Eric’s clothing.

“Stop it!” Eric pushes Sylis away and watched Sylis’s face drain with worry. “You know I hate it when you paw at me.” Eric pulled his shirt off and shucked his pants. “You have a lot of making up to do.” Eric pushed his lower body under the thin sheet of the bed.

The site of Eric’s nearly naked body made Sylis’s hum with desire. After so long without strength, without any release at all, his body demanded the pleasure he no longer sought. He automatically nodded at the tone of voice.

“Get over here.” Eric gave him a question in a look and watched as Sylis padded over and slid under the sheet beside him.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

The words were loud enough to be heard but close enough to a whisper that Eric wasn’t sure if they were meant for him or not. The sheet flipped up over their heads as Sylis pulled him into a deep kiss. “What the fuck is this about.”

“Quieter… I don’t know how sensitive their mics are or how adjustable.

“Stop moving.”

“If I stop moving too much their going to think that something’s up.”

Eric swallowed the thought that something already was. “Well move something else and straddle me cause I don’t need to feel how happy you are to see me.”

“Sorry.” Sylis blushed when he realized that he was grinding into Eric’s thigh. He straddled Eric’s thighs and pushed his chest down close to Eric’s. “you’re not crazy, but neither of us is going to make it if we’re separated. You feel better right?”

Eric nodded slowly.

“It’s because we’re close. Our bond makes us need to be close. We have to be to balance each other out. Moan”

“What?”

“I’m going to move down, cause this is uncomfortable so you need to pretend like I’m blowing you.”

“What?”

“Just moan damn it.”

Eric looked to the side, spreading his legs so that Sylis might slip between them.

“So why are we doing this again?”

“I told the doctor that we’re lovers.”

“What?” Eric pulled Sylis’s hair and looked into his eyes. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“Because I needed them to think that we were so that we could have this conversation.” Sylis growled, “Now moan.”

“OH Sylis!”

Sylis laughed against his stomach, his lips curled in smile against the bare skin of Eric’s pelvis. “That was terrible.”

“How the hell am I supposed to moan like you’re blowing me.”

“I don’t know… how do you usually moan.”

“I don’t.”

“Then say my name.”

“I don’t do that either.”

“Someone is going to come in here and check on us if you don’t do something soon.”

“Do what?” Eric didn’t have time to contemplate the answer to his question before a hot hand pressed against the lump in his boxers and brought a gasp and then a low groan to his lips.

“Like that.”

“Don’t do that.” Eric said, this time loud enough for anyone to hear.

“It got the job done now do that once in a while and we’ll be fine.”

“Whatever, no more touching though.”

“Fine.” Sylis laughed and quickly remembered that this was not fooling camp counselors it was far more serious than that. The smile on his lips for the first time in a long time, fell away. “We’re being watched, by both sides. Our enemies, the ones that took you are trying to capture us. Study us.”

Eric let out a closer approximation to his real moan and looked down at Sylis. “You must be joking. Even if that were the case wouldn’t we be captured as long as we’re here?”

“This isn’t lava monster Eric. There are levels of captured. Right now we’re both in a puppet theatre situation. They have to maintain that the hospital is legitimate in order to use it again in the future. That’s why you’re hear and not in some government grade facility full of paid actors and sadistic doctors. Now that they have us both they can do that.”

“So whose brilliant idea was it to send you here.” Eric hissed and then tossed his head back in a moan that surprised both of them in its authentic sound.

“Because we wouldn’t have made it much longer. I’m not up to strength as it is but I’m ten times better than I was before.”

Eric nodded in understanding. “So now what do we do?”

“We wait for a puppet theatre transfer and then we get the hell out of here.”

“Until then?”

Sylis smiled, almost seductively. “We fuck up their data.”