A/N #1: I intend to finish the stories I've published thus far (Collision, Dark Side of the Moon, Unveiled Secrets, and A Destiny Written in Blood). However, at this time I am not going to go back and re-work all the chapters. It would simply be too much an endeavor than my current schedule allows time for. Essentially, this means that earlier chapters in these fics are riddled with grammatical errors and plot holes. I promise, I have acquired a much stronger grasp on the English language since MIDDLE SCHOOL and my writing is much improved. I beg you to bear with me on these earlier pieces in order to see the stories through to their ends. I hope the later chapters are worth it.
I intend to finish the stories I've published thus far (Collision, Dark Side of the Moon, Unveiled Secrets, and A Destiny Written in Blood). However, at this time I am not going to go back and re-work all the chapters. It would simply be too much an endeavor than my current schedule allows time for. Essentially, this means that earlier chapters in these fics are riddled with grammatical errors and plot holes. I promise, I have acquired a much stronger grasp on the English language since MIDDLE SCHOOL and my writing is much improved. I beg you to bear with me on these earlier pieces in order to see the stories through to their ends. I hope the later chapters are worth it.
A/N #2: This fic is next on my list for completion. The first eight chapters are a little rough, so those of you who have already read them are at a bit of an advantage.
A/N #3: This chapter is in Harry's POV. Why? Because I can and it flowed more smoothly. Just go with it.
blahblahblahblah ...thoughts
blahblahblahblah ... telepathic speech (aka mind speak)
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"You don't have to do this, Harry. I'd be hesitant if I was in your shoes. Hell, I'm hesitant and I'm in my shoes."
Constantine sat on Ron's bed in Gryffindor Tower as Harry slowly sank down on his own four poster and fought the urge to run. Harry was going to do this; he was going to help Alex. Fuck the fabled Boy Who Lived's inability to forge intimate contact, he could do this.
"No. No, I'm sorry." Harry forced himself to lock eyes with Hermione's solemn brother. "I'm just not very good with one-on-ones."
For awhile, neither boy said anything. Constantine stared moodily at his own feet. Harry bit his nails to quell his ever-mounting nerves.
Finally the ice elemental brought his gaze up. "I guess I just don't know where to start," the mutant admitted.
That was certainly a feeling Harry understood most acutely. Maybe he was better at these sorts of conversations than he had thought. At the least, he could throw Constance a lifeline.
"The beginning is generally a good place to try."
Constantine took a deep breath. "Right," he paused. "Well, Alex and I met at the Xavier Institute. Alex had been there sine he was about three; the Professor had found him in a huge orphanage and brought him back. Artemis and I only ended up at the Institute when we were nearly eight.
"Alex and I hit it off almost immediately, in that childlike way where we chased each other around the grounds and beat each other up. Looking back, I think it was his quiet demeanor that drew me in. I was really angry and out of control when I was young, that's partly how I got mixed up in drugs. Alex calmed me, calmed me more that even Artemis could. We complimented each other perfectly.
"Still, not even 'Lex was enough to sway me from temptation. I was a right mess. Coke, ex, pot, acid, speed balls, you name it. I spiraled and I spiraled hard. I was an absolute ass. Unstable, unreliable, just…tortured mentally. But I couldn't stop.
"Yet he stood by me. 'Lex was my saviour. He finally made me realize why the drugs weren't worth it. Then, he helped me through the withdrawals and held my hand as I took responsibility for my actions and my drug-induced mania caught up with me.
"His smile was what kept me going and ensured that I couldn't give up. I wanted to, more than once, to just throw in the towel. But he wouldn't let me." Constantine stopped, smiling softly.
"Alex can be a stubborn bastard when he needs to be." Then he just stopped talking and before Harry really had time to react, the mutant had silent tears streaming down his face. Harry wasn't at all prepared for a crying Constantine, even though he should have expected it. Did he reach out and touch the boy somehow? Or was that too familiar a gesture? After all, they didn't know each other very well, despite the intimacy of their conversation and how Constantine was essentially baring his heart wide-open.
Or, the Gryffindor could reach out and embrace the older boy. Except that was most definitely a breach of personal space. And Harry didn't want to give Constance the wrong idea.
Bloody Hell, for a supposedly charming and alluring celebrity, Harry sucked at this. A lot.
Finally summoning his courage, the raven-haired teen gently placed a calloused hand on Constantine's shoulder. The ice elemental started, clearly caught off guard, but after a moment he leaned into the touch with a grateful ease.
"It-It'll be alright, I think." Harry stammered. "Hermione's brilliant- I mean, of course you know that, she's your sister. But…um, I just mean… she's good at this sort of thing. Hermione's plans always work! I bet Alex will be smiling back at you before you know it."
Constantine took a deep breath, visibly sitting up straighter. The older boy gave Harry a soft smile, not shrugging out of the Gryffindor's touch.
"Thank you. You're right. I do have faith in Hermione, it just makes me nervous that the professors don't have knowledge of her plan because they wouldn't think such an endeavor is a good idea, that it's worth the risk. It's a dangerous attempt, which is why the professors haven't considered it, I'm sure.
"But at the same time, I miss him. I need Alex, more deeply then I think mere words could ever convey to you. At this point, I'm willing to try just about anything, as selfish as that is. I'm just not strong without him. That's why we weren't open about our relationship, you know. I wasn't ready. We got so much shit for being mutants; can you imagine tacking on 'gay' as well? Life would quickly turn into a game of punish the pair of freak fags. I didn't want Alex to suffer through that and I wasn't prepared to defend our relationship on such an extreme level. I wasn't sure I could."
"But you're ready now?" Harry questioned.
"Just before this happened 'Lex and I decided that we would come out about being together on our two year anniversary. We've been dating this long; we're at the point where neither of us can see that status changing any time soon.
"It seemed even more important to tell everyone now, so that our love is proved to be just as strong as it ever was. He would have wanted me to go ahead with our decision – at least I think he would have."
"Why didn't you even tell Artemis or Hermione? Were you so afraid that they would disapprove? I just can't see it." Harry interrupted, almost wishing he had held his tongue.
Constantine sighed. "I didn't want to heap anything else on them. They've had to accept so many hard things for me as is, I felt like it was almost unfair to ask yet more empathizing from them. That was wrong of me, and I assure you I regret it now but such is life. The best I can do now is to learn from my mistakes. The ice elemental smirked. "I still have a lot of learning to catch up on."
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"Okay, Harry. Are you ready?" Matt looked deeply into the Gryffindor's eyes. He was most likely trying to discern if Harry had any hesitations. Matt had agreed to try Hermione's idea but that didn't mean he had to like it. The telepath still thought the whole thing was both ludicrous and dangerous. Harry wasn't going to give him the chance to back out. This was for Hermione- for Constantine- no, for Alex.
"I'm ready," the wizard finally said.
"Alright," Matt didn't appear pleased. "Let's get this party started."
Harry sat stiffly in one of the hospital wing's hard-backed chairs. Matt stood between Harry and Alex's bedside, a hand to Harry's right temple and another to Alex's forehead. The telepath looked exceedingly nervous. It's wasn't encouraging.
"You can do this, Matt." Constantine leaned against the wall, looking on anxiously at the proceedings. They were alone in the room, not wanting stray emotions to influence Matt's search for Alex.
Essentially, Matt had to go into Alex's mind. The brunette would use Harry's powerful feelings and thoughts to act as a sort of beacon for Alex's wayward consciousness; they would bounce around Alex's mind like sonar so that Alex himself could be located. With any luck, the wizard's emotions would broadcast strongly enough to snap Alex out of his comatose state and help him find his way back to the world of the living.
It was hazardous. Both Harry and Matt were at risk to get as lost in Alex's mind as Alex had become. Alex was also stronger than Matt, if the black haired telepath decided to attack the foreign influence of two other people, the "intruders" would both be seriously screwed.
"Harry, take a deep breath."
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Harry had expected to feel like he was falling or drowning but entering Alex's mind wasn't like that at all. If anything, it felt as if Harry was spinning out of control, faster and faster as if he was a professional dancer but unable to stop. It didn't feel like Harry was in pain or dying like he had expected, to the contrary, the boy just felt rather nauseous.
"Harry," the wizard turned to find Matt standing behind him, looking rather green himself. "I want you to start thinking about Alex. Recall as much as you can from your conversation with Constantine; how you felt, how he spoke, as much as you can."
Harry thought…and he thought. He tried to bring about the emotions that Constantine's tears had evoked. He pictured the room, the atmosphere. He pictured Alex, his gentle and quiet conduct and how he still commanded such a presence. Just looking at the telepath, you could tell at once that he wasn't someone to trifle with yet at the same time he immediately induced a person's trust. Harry could do this...he could.
More spinning, whirling, faster and out of control all over again. But then, just as abruptly as it began, the chaos came to a halt.
In front of Harry and Matt (who again appeared at the wizard's elbow) was none other than Alex.
The scene was…horrible. There was no other way to describe it. Alex was chained, arms cuffed but without any clear evidence of what was holding the mutant up, as if he was crucified. His head hung limply, resting on his barren chest (he was entirely nude, only adding to the sense of vulnerability heavy in the air). Alex's face was obscured from view, his hair forming a long veil and hiding his features.
"Alex?" Harry questioned softly, unsure if his quarry was even conscious. No response.
"Alex!" Matt barked, none too tenderly. Slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, Alex's head began to rise. Just looking up seemed to be the most immense of struggles for the telepath. He was clearly weakened, by what was unknown.
"Alex," Matt continued in harsh tones, obviously in no mood for coddling. "It's time to go. Get down. I don't know what exactly you think you're doing but snap out of it." Bleary eyes looked on at the two intruders, no apparent recognition. "Get. Down."
Harry whirled on Matt. What the fuck was the callous berk playing at? Alex was observably in pain and unable to free himself. Clearly. No one would allow themselves to be shackled by their own mind if they could help it; if they could liberate themselves. Right?
"He can do it." Matt whispered so only Harry could hear. "His power did this to him, meaning he has the same power to stop it. He's just given up fighting. He can't. He has to get down himself."
Hesitantly, Harry began walking towards the trapped mutant.
"Alex," the wizard began. "Alex, you have to fight. You have to get yourself down."
Nothing. Not even a glimmer in those dull eyes.
"There are a lot of worried people waiting for you on the other side," Harry tried again. "Constantine, especially. He misses you so much; he really needs you, y'know. I was just talking to him the other day. He loves you so much. You not being around is like there's a piece of himself missing. Constance doesn't know what to do without you. He almost even used again, because he couldn't think of any other options to get rid of the feelings he can't deal with. He didn't though, he stopped himself. And you know why? It was because of you. He couldn't bear the thought of how disappointed you would be when you found out. When, by the way, not if."
Was that Harry's imagination, or were Alex's arms twitching? The wizard looked back at Matt, hoping his eyes weren't just playing tricks on him. The brunette's orbs were wide.
"Don't stop," Matt mouthed.
"Um…um, you just have to come back to us, Alex. Everyone is waiting, they all believe in you. You're their strength. Alex, you're Constantine's strength. He needs you."
CRACK. With a resounding noise comparable to a cauldron falling off the top shelf in Snape's dungeon, the bindings on Alex's limbs shattered and he fell to the ground. As one, Matt and Harry ran towards the prone figure.
Alex grasped Matt's upper arms as the brunette kneeled down next to his fellow telepath.
"Take me back to Constance," Alex rasped.
And just like that, it was over. Alex's will coupled with Harry's emotion and Matt's power were enough. They were back.
Harry leaned back feebly in his chair. He wondered whether he was going to pass out. Matt slowly slid down the nearest wall until his head rested on his knees, breathing shallowly.
But Alex, Alex took a huge deep breath. As soon as the air from his lips permeated the stale air of the hospital wing, Constantine fell on him, sobbing silently.
Alex too, began to cry. He was home and he was safe.
