FUGUE STATE

21 knelt next to the bed and rested his chin on his folded arms, putting his face a few inches from Monarch's. He reached out and ran his fingers through the older man's dark red hair, studying his vacant face, still healing from the bruising.

Another twinge of rage shot through him at the thought of what his friend had suffered over the last month, but he pushed it down. The monsters responsible for kidnapping and torturing his boss had been dealt with.

Now all that mattered was Monarch himself.

"So, I think this is what could be called a fugue state," 21 began, falling back on technical specs, "The conscious mind retreats into the subconscious, in order to cope with a traumatic event."

There was no hint of awareness on the still, pale face before him. No recognition in the fixed, glassy stare.

"Think of it as your mind protecting itself," he added.

There was no response from the silent figure in the bed.

21 swallowed hard, and took a deep breath.

"I know you're still in there, buddy," he murmured softly, stroking Monarch's cheek with his thumb, "And I know you're scared. Scared that you're still trapped in that dungeon... or that they'll come looking for you..."

His voice broke, and he had to take another deep breath before continuing.

"And I'm so sorry that I didn't protect you better... that it took me so long to find you. But I want you to know that I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

He paused again to swallow, and tried to steady his tremulous voice.

"When you're ready to come back, I'll take care of you, and I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again."

It wasn't a promise he could realistically keep, but in that moment, 21 knew he would give his life a hundred times over before he let Monarch be harmed again.

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the older man's cool brow.

"Please come back to me, buddy...," he choked, "Please..."

He was about to continue, but suddenly his chest ached with despair, and he buried his face in his folded arms.

"I love you...," he breathed.

There was a month's worth of tears slamming up against the dam he'd erected in his mind. At first he fought it, but in the end he couldn't hold back any longer.

He wept into his arms, soaking the sheets with his tears. As he finally let go, his body was wracked by great, heaving sobs that shook the whole bed. And after long, long minutes, he was so exhausted by his emotional purge that he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep right where he was.

The early morning sun was streaming in through the thin curtains when 21 opened his eyes. His body ached all over, partly from his gut-wrenching sobs from the previous night, and partly from the awkward position in which he'd slept on the floor.

He sat up and tilted his head from side to side, working out a kink. His eyes focused. And he froze.

Monarch was looking calmly back at him from the bed. Not the glassy, empty, doll-like gaze from last night. But the real Monarch. His friend was back.

"Boss?" 21 breathed, scrambling up onto his knees, hardly daring to believe what he saw.

Slowly, one of Monarch's hands slipped from under the blanket. The long fingers reached hesitantly toward 21's face, and the older man gently traced his index finger along the tear tracks on his henchman's cheek.

"Hi, 21."

21 couldn't help himself. He reached out, wrapped Monarch in his arms, and began covering his face with desperate kisses.

"Oh my God," 21 breathed between kisses, "I knew you'd come back... I knew it... I love you... so much..."

"Erm... dude?"

He suddenly froze. Holy shit, what he hell was he doing? His best friend had just awakened from a fugue state, and the first thing he could think to do was drop this bomb on him?

"I...I...uhh," 21 stammered..., "Yes, sir?"

Monarch smiled gently up at him, the corners of his dark eyes crinkling in amusement.

His hand cupped Gary's face and guided it back down, and the henchman closed his eyes as Monarch's lips captured his own.

"I love you, too," he said, at last.

THE END (for now)