"Atticus…" The word was spoken as a quiet whisper as blue eyes gazed ahead. The Dark Riders were still out there but that did not matter for Zane as he sat there beside the bed, his gaze focused on the teen in the bed. Every once in a while he would wince and shudder in his sleep as if suffering from a bad dream, then it would pass as suddenly as it had come. No one knew what had happened to him, or whether he would ever awake as the Kaiser leaned forward, his hand resting against Atticus's brow. Sweat beaded across his skin, dampening Zane's hand. Too long had they been separated, perhaps that being what had turned him so much harsher than before. A lot of things could be said of Atticus, however that Zane hated him wasn't one of them.
They had both changed since that fateful day, meeting over the entrance exams, both appreciative of each other's powers only to discover that they would become roommates. But one night Atticus had vanished. The only sign was a note saying he had gone to the abandoned dorm for a duel test. There were times when Zane had thought he would never see his friend again.
His fingers brushed over the bruised face, leaning forwards slightly until he could feel the calm breaths of sleep against his skin. He remembered last time he had been close enough to feel that. Atticus's arms had reached around him, instantly awaking from his fake sleep, and pulled him down into a crushing kiss. He could still feel the weight of his lips and for a moment Zane waited for the eyes to open and do the same once more. But of course, there was nothing, nothing at all.
Zane brushed his fingers through the dark hair, smoothing the silken strands but he was not alone. He wished that somehow, anyhow, he could will Atticus awake. Footsteps echoed against the hard ground as the Kaiser lifted his head. He knew who it had to be as his eyes riveted. Alexis, the one who alone with himself had never given up looking for Atticus during those long days.
Her hands clenched tightly as tears threatened to spill over, her voice shaking. "He'll wake up, he just has to. Maybe not for me, but he'll wake up for you." Zane's mouth felt dry as he listened to a desperate sister's' words, his mind solely focused on urging Atticus awake. And as he stared at that peaceful face he almost half expected the eyes to open with Atticus' comforting laugh just to say 'got you good'.
Anger and pain swelled in his heart as his hand that was stroking the chocolate strands tightened into a fist, moving to his lap. He couldn't allow anyone to see the pain he was in but that didn't make it any easier to bear. He could hear the choking sobs from Alexis as they stared at the one they both loved lying in the bed.
Leaning forward the lips were placed lightly against Atticus' and the cold, lifelessness of them enveloped him as shoulders shook and tears fell. The liveliness was gone. Would Atticus ever return to him? That was a question Zane did not know the answer to and it made him wonder if Atticus would ever be in his arms again.
"Someday," the word was whispered from the lips of the sister as Alexis turned to leave the two. Neither would ever give up. Someday, Atticus would return to them. Someday.