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Part 31 - Sands of Time

(Nathan)

To Nathan's considerable relief, the stay in hospital he and Alexei had to endure lasted less than a day. Still, they each had to put up with an array of scans and treatments throughout the night, with a barrage of questions coming from the police the following morning. While Nathan couldn't be sure which aspect gave most annoyance, one thing remained certain: Maxim's presence throughout made things only tougher.

Of course, he felt nothing but happiness for the fact that Alexei and his grandfather appeared to be making tentative inroads towards repairing their relationship. What did make Nathan uncomfortable however were the cold, shooting glares Maxim seemed committed to firing at the Polcian area of the ward throughout the entire stay. With the language barrier between them, Nathan couldn't know for sure why he'd earned such scorn. Regardless, that didn't stop him having suspicions. 'Alex must have told him what happened... He blames me for the fire. That, along with kissing in front of him last week... Gods damn.'

By the time the following evening had rolled around, both the Polcian and Velikan medical workers could conclude that neither of the pair had suffered any lasting damage, and saw fit to discharge them.

As the cool air of dusk greeted them outside the city centre hospital, Nathan pondered over their next step. Obviously they couldn't go back to the apartment, and he dared not ask if Alexei had thought up an alternative for fear of what answer he might receive.

Nathan studied the darkened skyline, rubbing his sore lower limbs as he silently worried over the fate that would befall the wolf holding him. After all, he had a home he could return to in a few days, something Alexei no longer did.

"Alexei," Maxim grunted, winning the attention of not only his grandson, but Nathan also. He rumbled on with a characteristically gravelly, Velikan statement, eyes not once finding the little husky.

"R-Really?" Alexei replied with so much surprise that the sneer he'd won from his grandfather, no doubt over his language of choice, appeared to go unnoticed. "You would... even after our argument?"

Nathan casually perked his ears, nowhere near brave enough to butt into the wolves' conversation.

"Yes," Maxim gruffed, relenting to the switch in tongue. "I wish for you to return home with me. We had bad argument... there are things that I am thinking need to be spoken of... but I wish not to see you struggle for a place to sleep."

Alexei petted at Nathan's back. "This is good news, is it not, Nate? We need not search for a place to stay."

Maxim glared downwards, forcing the little husky's ears flat before stating, "I will allow him to stay also... until it is time for him to leave."

The resentment oozed from those words, setting Nathan wondering whether the older wolf would have seriously considered leaving him to fend for himself. What he suspected to be the answer unsettled him far more than the piercing, green-yellow eyes hovering above.

The days to follow came in heavy contrast to much of the time Nathan had spent with Alexei. He'd become accustomed to sleeping within his wolf's grasp, so the small, modestly padded cardboard box offered to him as a makeshift bed required much getting used to. What's more, while Alexei had taken the time and effort to ensure his little guest could move mostly freely around his apartment, Maxim's home proved quite the opposite. There were no smaller doors, no makeshift ladders and stairways, nor any scaled down amenities. Anything and everything required Alexei's help; something that became humiliating very quickly.

Even so, the remainder of Nathan's vacation passed by in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, his final evening in Velika arrived to find him chatting to Tasha within Alexei's room.

"I guess that's not the way you saw your final week in Velika going," the lioness grumbled, her sympathetic expression hard to make out on the cheap replacement phone Nathan had picked up the day before.

"Not really," he replied. "The last few days have been a whirlwind of police reports, insurance claims and trips to the Linvendian embassy. Of course, I've also had to pick up some budget clothes to tide me over--"

"Wait? Embassy?"

"My passport went up in flames, too. Luckily, they've given me emergency documents to fly home with."

"Right." The low-quality image of Tasha flickered and fizzed. "How's it been there at Alex's grandfather's?"

"Awkward. Real awkward."

"How's he taking it?"

"Alex or his grandad? Answer's pretty much the same either way: not well." Nathan glanced around the dark green walls of the small bedroom from his position atop Alexei's sprawling, single-sized bed. An outdated computer and a set of drawers stood as the only other furnishing in the room. While his wolf's former quarters hadn't contained an awful lot more by way of content, this somehow seemed far emptier and much less inviting. "Maxim hasn't said more than two words to me all week."

"That's probably for the best, the way things are going," Tasha chuckled.

"Perhaps," Nathan smiled shortly, "but it makes for a terrible atmosphere. I know he blames me for all of this."

"You don't know that."

"Okay, I don't_know_, but it's damn likely. You should've see some of the glares he's thrown my way. If looks could kill, I'd have died twice over before even making it back here from the hospital." He gave a long, drawn out sigh, lying back to stare up at the ceiling. "Still, if it means Alex has a roof over his head after I'm gone; that's all that matters, even if it's with a sizist bigot. I can take the ill-feeling and the nasty looks if it keeps him safe..."

Nathan trailed off, leaving Tasha visibly struggling to hold her end of the conversation.

"So," she muttered, "are they gonna get the guys that did this?"

"Yuri, the main guy behind all this, he's still in custody. The other two are still on the run."

"You think they'll do time... once they catch them all?"

"The police have my statement as evidence." He paused to grunt in annoyance. "I reckon they'll probably take the word of a local more seriously."

"Oh, Nate--"

"Well, if I'm right, it's still fine. If Erik testifies about what he's seen and heard Yuri do at home, and it looks like he will, then yes, he'll go down for a good stretch. The others will likely follow... if they catch them."

"Good. Hopefully they'll get what's coming to them."

"Won't get Alex his life back, though."

"Give it time. He'll find his feet." Tasha smiled, clearly doing her best to offer reassurance. "How's he been since?"

"Not good..." Nathan trailed off again, thinking about the dejected, disheveled wolf that had replaced his cheery, bright-eyed Alexei. "He seemed... okay, at first. Since we've been here at Maxim's, though, he's really gone into his shell. I mean, he practically sleepwalked through all the interviews he had with the police, and I imagine he'd have been the same with the insurance folk when they both went to see them. I can't say that I blame him though..."

"He's probably still in shock, still trying to get over what's happened."

"Maybe... but, I can't help but feel as if there is a barrier developing us, be it because of the fire, or because of Maxim's sour attitude."

"Like I said, he'll still be trying to come to terms with it all."

Nathan stared off into the distance, right up until it felt as if the dark green walls surrounding him had started sucking him in. "I think he blames me for all this, too."

"No--"

"I mean, he said he didn't in the ambulance." He could sense his cheeks warming. "Right before he called me his boyfriend."

Tasha grinned. "That's great--"

"But really? Can he really not blame me? I'm the one who pissed those guys off. I'm the one who got himself abducted, and ultimately, I'm the one who's responsible for getting his home burnt down."

"I can't believe that's true," the lioness snapped, finally able to get a word in edgeways. "Have you spoken to him about it?"

"No... I've been letting him get on with things, discuss the shop and everything with Maxim. I don't want to be any more of a burden."

"Nate," Tasha said softly, "you're overthinking things again. If he really blamed you, hated you, you'd not be there. He'd have shipped you out on the first boat back to Bolstrovo."

"You think?"

"I do." A big, feline grin shone back. "It sounds like he's not in a good place mentally right now, but he doesn't blame, let alone hate you for this." Nathan fell quiet, focus again slipping away from his phone. "Go and enjoy your last night with your boyfriend."

His ears perked up at "boyfriend", but promptly dipped at the reminder that their time together drew perilously close to ending. "I'll try. Thanks, Tash."

Not a minute after Nathan had hung up, the bedroom door crept open. For a split second, a bolt of terror shocked him static as he wondered which of the two wolves would enter.

"Nate?" Alexei's familiar, orange eyes appeared from behind the door, standing out among a sea of green. "It is time for dinner."

"Okay, Alex," Nathan replied, masking a sigh of relief. He watched his wolf pad towards him, those spheres of amber holding far less warmth and sparkle than he'd become accustomed to. As much as he tried to keep Tasha reassuring words close, Nathan's fear over Alexei's true feelings returned, and would persist for most of their meal together.

"Would you like some more soup?" Alexei offered, gesturing to the big dish of bland, tomato soup that his grandfather had prepared.

"Sure," Nathan replied, not willing to risk offend the elder wolf any further by answering otherwise. He stood up from his seat atop the polished wood tabletop, holding the empty metal thimble serving as his makeshift bowl. The husky's fur stood on end as he wandered across the cold surface top, his limp mostly gone with a week of recovery under his belt. He kept his eyes forward, towards the serving dish, not even having to look to know he'd earned another steely glare from Maxim.

His discomfort only heightened when he arrived at the side of the bowl, its tall sides proving a huge struggle for him to reach up over.

The old wolf muttered something in his native tongue; a common occurrence throughout the time Nathan had spent here. He struggled in vain to pull himself up, ears folding at the realisation that he couldn't quite shift enough to balance upon the big bowl's rim. With each passing attempt came abject failure, forcing his ears lower while his unbearable embarrassment rose only higher.

Suddenly, just as Nathan felt fit to give up, turn tail and retreat in shame, something warm placed itself beneath his rear. He looked back over his shoulder, finding a white-furred paw gently lifting him.

"Polcians can do many things for themselves outside their own areas, Grandpa," Alexei stated, an edge to his words that confirmed the nature of the older wolf's previous comment. "Sometimes, just like everyone, they need a helping paw."

"Literally," Nathan chuckled, leaning down to scoop up a thimbleful of soup. Once finished, his wolf slowly lowered him back to the table, earning a low groan from Maxim in the process. "Thank you," he mouthed, tail wagging quickly as he slid down from the giant palm pad.

Alexei smiled and nodded back, his own happy tail whacking audibly against the back of his chair.

"You will be looking forward to returning home, I am thinking," Maxim rumbled, not once looking up from his own bowl.

"In a sense," Nathan replied, returning to set himself down next to Alexei. In his peripheral vision, he noticed his wolf's ears dip, silently betraying his own feelings on the matter. "Though there's certainly things I'll miss from here."

Maxim grunted loudly, the meaning of 'things' by no means lost on him. "It will be good for you, to return to where you belong."

Nathan's eyes narrowed, but he resisted the urge to snap back. "I guess."

"It will be good for Alexei also." The elder finally peered up from his soup. "He can focus on moving on, fixing what has been caused during your visit."

He bit his lip, but couldn't contain the growl that slipped past. "You mean what's been caused by a bunch of moronic sizeists?"

Maxim's spoon hit his bowl with a loud clank. "I mean a group of thugs who would not have done this if not for you!"

"Stop this."

Nathan ignored Alexei's plea, hackles rising to take the bait. "So, you are blaming me for this. I shouldn't be surprised..."

"Tell me, who would you blame!?"

"Blame them!" He met Maxim's cold gaze with one of his own. "Blame the ones that caused this."

The silver-streaked wolf folded his arms and smirked. "This is what I do."

"Are you for real!? I'm not the one that broke in, trashed the shop and set fire to it."

"You are very brave," Maxim scoffed, standing up to impose his huge size. "Speaking to a Velikan in such a manner."

"I-I've got experience." Nathan's tail promptly tucked, though fear couldn't stop his words fron coming. "I've been dealing with a bunch of dense, Polcian-hating jerks for most of the past three weeks... what's one more?"

"Nate!" Alexei stood up himself, setting his paws down to the table with palms facing the husky beside his bowl.

"You compare me with them?" Maxim growled, lips curling viciously. "I am glad that tomorrow, you will leave to go home. If all is well, I shall not see you again." With a snarl, the older wolf turned from the table and stormed hurriedly from the kitchen.

That argument played on Nathan's mind for the rest of the evening, not stopping even when the time came for him to sleep.

He shifted in his flimsy, cardboard bed, peering through the night towards his slumbering wolf from atop the bedside table. As much as he'd been provoked, and despite the fact they'd been doing so all week, the solemn husky couldn't help but feel that spending his final night apart from Alexei served as punishment.

"Even with everything that's happened, I still can't control this damn mouth of mine." Nathan rolled away, whimpering to himself as he stared at the plain cardboard wall of his lumpy bed. "Maybe Maxim's right... maybe this is all my fault." With one last shuffle, he settled down in the hopes of finally drifting off to sleep.

Nathan's head had barely touched his pillow when the floor beneath him began to rumble. "Huh?" His eyes bolted open just in time to see the silhouette of a massive paw descending, hooking itself under both him and his bedding. It closed firmly, securing him in a cocoon of fabric that he could barely move within.

Before Nathan knew it, and before he had a chance to get anxious, the paw's pressure eased to release him belly-first onto a surface of warm, thick fur.

"Hey, Nate."

He looked ahead to find Alexei peering down past his bare chest with a smile. "Alex! I... thought you were asleep?"

"I cannot sleep, not while you lie in a box on our final night together."

"But--" Nathan grumbled happily as his wolf rubbed a finger across the small of his back. "What about about your grandfather?"

Alexei shrugged. "How will he know?"

"Oh, Alex." With a happy whine, Nathan scrambled across the wonderfully soft clumps of grey belly fur until he rested upon his wolf's cozy chest. "Thank you."

"For what?"

He crawled a little further to plant a gentle kiss upon his lips. "I didn't want to spend our last night together apart, either."

Alexei returned the kiss and nuzzled at Nathan's belly. "I would have regretted it for a long time."

"Me too." He threw his arms around his wolf's muzzle and hugged it tight.

A delightful moment of contentment followed as Alexei wrapped a paw around him. With that single touch, he succeeded in casting out Nathan's fears over being hated for what had brought them here to this musty, old room. "You should not have spoken to my grandfather in the way you did."

It seemed not everything had gone without issue, however. "Sorry... I tried, but I just couldn't help answering him back." Nathan looked up with a sad frown. "Things'd be a lot better without this big mouth of mine messing things up, huh?" His ears folded and his muzzle dipped, right up until one of those giant lupine digits rubbed delicately at his chin.

"Perhaps." Alexei sighed gently, reaching down to pull his woolen cover up over them both. "But then, you would not be my little husky."

They shared another kiss; one that lasted until they'd fallen asleep within each other's firm grasp.

Nathan awoke fresh and cheerful following the best night's sleep he'd had while at Maxim's home. The taste of his wolf lingered pleasingly upon his lips, joining with a bright ray of morning sunshine to draw from him a groan of happiness. This joy spanned a few blissful minutes, right up until the cold, unpleasant truth stuck him down. 'I'm going home today.'

Judging by the silent emptiness of the house, Maxim had gone out for the morning, failing to return by the time noon rolled around and brought with it Nathan's departure. Truthfully, it came as a massive relief to Nathan, though he'd dare not share that fact with Alexei.

"It's a shame I couldn't say bye to your grandfather," he stated, taking in the giant houses surrounding him on his journey down the steep slope of Maxim's street. He wondered if he'd ever get to see such a captivating sight again; a thought that brought with it similar concerns over his wolf himself.

"It is," Alexei replied, sounding preoccupied. "A shame."

Nathan didn't answer, choosing instead to sit back in the breast pocket he rode within. 'Maybe he's just as relieved as me after all?'

Time flowed on at a cruel pace, two hours passing in what felt like a small fraction of that. The walk to the station and the subsequent train ride to the harbour flashed by, leaving the couple standing within their private world of gloom amid the bustling departures lounge. Neither seemed to know how to go about breaking the silence, even as the minutes until Nathan's departure ticked by without remorse.

"I don't..." the husky choked, the threat of distance looming ever nearer. "I don't want to leave you like this, Alex. No home... your shop ruined."

Alexei forced a gentle smile, lips quivering as he too fought a visibly raging battle to keep his feelings in check. "I know... but, you must."

"I... I can't..." A dreadful chill froze Nathan's very soul. 'What if this goodbye... is forever?'

The wolf's orange eyes creased with sadness. He paced forward slowly, leaning down to release Nathan onto a balcony much like the one they'd stood at in far better spirits three weeks previous. "I do not wish for you to go either. I would do anything to keep you here with me."

"I hope that... I hope we..."

"We will talk soon, I hope," he whined, quickly wiping at his eyes. "I will want to make sure my Polcian husky is okay."

"Of course!" Nathan blurted, a little louder that he'd intended. "Your Polcian has improved so much since I've been here, hon. It's amazing."

"Thank you." Alexei smiled wider, though sadness continued its seizure of his eye sparkle. "It has helped a lot to be around you... It has been wonderful to be around you."

The conversation died, leaving Nathan to resist the urge to check his phone for the time.

"Come," Alexei muttered, leaning forward and extending his welcoming arms.

Nathan didn't delay in responding to the gesture in kind, padding forward and wrapping his arms around his wolf's muzzle with all his might. He closed his eyes and pressed himself to Alexei, heart skipping a beat as a gentle paw clasped around him. 'Never let me go,' he begged inwardly, knowing it to be a wish that could never be granted.

"Perhaps... you would like a photo before you leave?"

Nathan looked into those jewels of amber with a faint smile. "Definitely."

"I will use my phone. If that is okay? It will be easier to get us in shot this way."

"Sure."

"Of course, I will send it to you. You have lost your other pictures... so I wish for you to have at least one souvenir of your time here."

"I'd like that a lot." His ears flicked and his sad tail wagged limply. "I'd like to remember us as we are now. Together."

Nathan waited for Alexei to gently set his head down upon the balcony. Once there, he shuffled back to stand beside his wolf's left cheek.

"One moment, Nate." Alexei held his phone ahead of them, using his free paw to hug Nathan to him. "I wish for this to be a good picture."

"Take your time, Alex. I don't mind at all." He pressed back, waiting those few seconds until the camera clicked and captured their happy, yet melancholy smiles forever.

Eventually, the time came for them part for good. Alexei remained crouched, ears folded firmly to his skull. He looked set to burst into tears at any moment; a look that encouraged Nathan's ears to follow suit as he mumbled, "I guess... it's time for me to go."

Alexei nodded meekly, waiting until the husky had shifted to walk away before crying, "Wait!" Nathan turned back swiftly to find his wolf shifting closer. "Not yet." The warmth of Alexei's paws surrounded him, right before he leaned in to share one final kiss.

Gawking gazes, disapproving glares and unintelligible jibes: any that might have been forthcoming from passersby went unknown as Nathan lost himself in the moment. With his lips locked to his wolf's, he felt invincible, capable of taking on the world and all within it; a sensation that would be all too fleeting.

"Nate," Alexei rumbled as they parted. "I wish for you to know... I love you."

"Oh, Alex." Nathan bit his lip; those three simple words filling with as much warmth as their kiss. "I-I love you too. I'm going to miss you so much."

"Me too." A tear rolled down the wolf's cheek, one that Nathan quickly rubbed away with a soft stroke. They left each other's grasp with a loving nuzzle, right before Alexei returned to his full height.

"You look after yourself, hon." With a deep, quivering breath, Nathan started along the departures balcony, looking back a few paces short of the downward escalator.

"You too, little husky." The sight of Alexei's sad wave almost tore his heart in two, but still he resisted tears. He raised his paw and returned the gesture, doing so until those sweet eyes of amber had disappeared behind the plain, white wall of the enclosed, automatic stairway.

"Oh gods..." Nathan whimpered loudly, tears bursting forth as the dam holding them back crumbled. He threw a paw to his face, almost collapsing under the force of his misery. He grabbed the railing with his free hand, doing all he could to compose himself. The escalator meanwhile continued its descent, uncaring of the mourning husky's heart shattering like glass. "What am I going to do without him?"