32 - There dwells a spirit, waiting to be released

Leaving his car parked by the side of the road, Merlyn made his way down the rocky cliff to the cove. A warm breeze ruffled his hair as he stared out over the sparkling water, his thoughts traveling back to the last time he’d been here.

“Where are you?” he murmured. “Have you given up on us so easily and moved on? Was I just a passing fancy, perhaps the first of many in your life? The older man to be toyed with before being cast away?”

“Never.”

Merlyn stiffened, starting to turn, but strong arms wrapped around him, soft lips kissing the nape of his neck as Alan whispered, “I would never cast you away.”

“I was so afraid I would never see you again,” Merlyn replied, his voice trembling with emotion.

Releasing his hold, Alan moved to stand before Merlyn, his eyes filled with remorse. “I had no choice. I couldn’t come back to you until now.”

Puzzled, Merlyn asked, “How did you know where to find me?”

“Instinct?” Alan smiled. “I’ll always know where you are. As they say ‘it comes with the territory’. It's a part of loving you.”

“If that were true then by the same token I should have been able to find you.” Merlyn searched Alan’s face. “But I couldn’t.”

“But you did, you know. You came here.”

“Alan this makes no sense at all,” Merlyn said almost angrily as he stepped back to put some distance between them.

“Someone told you once that you have to accept the unacceptable if you want your dreams to come true.” Alan reached out to touch Merlyn’s cheek with a gentle caress. “Now is that time.”

As Merlyn watched Alan slowly undressed until he was standing naked in front of him. He shifted his pose, the fingers of one hand touching his thigh, his hips canted as he bent one knee slightly.

“No,” Merlyn whispered softly and then more emphatically, “No!” when he saw a long thin gash along Alan’s thigh. “This is… insane. I’m insane. You’re not here. This is all a dream.”