Chapter 28

Harder to Breathe

Sollux slammed his fist down in frustration, rattling the table under the sudden strike. Lurching foreword, he removed his glasses and laid his head down on the clear spot of laminated wood between a stack of books and an open notepad with several scribbles on it along with a couple of shitty doodles. Shifting his gaze sideways, he glared at his phone indignantly and willed it to ring. It had been almost two weeks since his return with the spell book and still Roxy hadn't managed to turn up any leads with the credit card trace. Not that it would have done him much good anyways.

The book was of course written in some sort of Mayan hieroglyphics. Jade suggested some books and even produced a volume or two on ancient writings and meanings, but not a single one of the sigils in the book had turned up anywhere he looked. He had found some that were close and had written them down earnestly, but only wound up with fragmented sentences that sounded more like gibberish than any sort of spells. As of late, Sollux had taken to just staring at the pictographs in a vain hope that they'd dance to life and give him the answer with a colorful musical display.

With a heaving sigh, he shoved away from the table and wandered from the table to the fridge. After having broken into Eridan's house, Sollux had done some rewiring and reset the garage code allowing himself access to the house. At first he felt like an intruder, but reasoned that if Eridan returned he would be there to greet him and show him the book and mend the bond he'd broken. So he slept in Eridan's bed, worked at Eridan's table, paced Eridan's living room, and tried to solve the puzzle while waiting for his soul mate to return to him.

Sollux didn't realize he'd been staring into the fridge and thinking about Eridan till his feet became suddenly cold and he closed the door without grabbing a thing. He was tired. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he was right to be so. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning. Dragging his feet behind him sullenly, Sollux traipsed off down the hall, turning into the room with the plush purple bedding. Peeling off his clothes, Sollux tossed his cell phone on to the nightstand next to the bed and immersed himself in what was left of Eridan's scent. Sleep didn't come right away as his mind swam with images of Eridan leaning over him, his naked body pressing warmly against his. Tears welled up in Sollux's eyes. He could barely remember the sound of Eridan's voice, though he heard it in every dream.

Fishing under the pillow, Sollux withdrew the thin silver remote and flicked on the television that hung on the far wall, hoping some noise would lull him to sleep so he could hear Eridan's voice once again. The young man on the screen spoke about safety in winter weather and travel plans over the holiday season. Sollux forgot it was technically Christmas eve. He had been so preoccupied, he had forgotten all about it. What did it matter if he couldn't solve the riddle? What did it matter if he couldn't find his love? As the faint threads of consciousness finally let go, Sollux slipped into a troubled sleep.

It was hot and dark. He took a few labored breaths, in and out. Finally he tried to take a deep breath, but no matter how much he expanded his lungs, there just wasn't enough air to fill them. Tearing his eyes open, there was still only darkness. Impenetrable darkness. Unfathomable darkness. Struggling, Sollux found his limbs weak and barely able to move. Then he felt a faint pressure, a touch to his hand. Weakly he grasped at it, finding warm fingers weakly grasping back at him. He knew before he called out who it was.

"Eridan?" His voice was horse and choked, and he labored to regain his breath.

"Still…here," the reply was weak as well.

They had been upon the battlements of Jerusalem. Yes. They were crusaders, fighting for their kings and lords to take back the Holy City. They had fought side by side, undefeated and unmatched. When the catapult hit, the wall under them collapsed, sending them down into darkness. The stones above them were heavy and immovable, no light penetrated the space, and the air was thick and heavy. They were buried alive. The first few hours had passed in relative calm once they realized they were together and in fair shape. As the temperature had risen in the confined space, they had groped to remove each other's armor. They lost track of time. Hours passed. Possibly days. The stink of their sweat and their waste had burned out the sense of smell and poisoned the air around them further. And now that air had grown impossibly thin. It wouldn't be long till there was none left.

"Don't…leave…me," Sollux could barely draw breath for words, but he felt the need to fill the time they had left.

"Nevver," Eridan's voice had a smile in it, "Not evver."

"Promithe me."

"I porm-…promise," Eridan's fingers tightened ever so slightly around Sollux's, "Wwe'll get…out of…this."

"Liar," in spite of himself, Sollux felt his lips curl into a smile, "Liar."

"I promise," Eridan repeated, his voice barely a whisper but so loud in the silence, "All you…havve…to do…is…look."

"Eri-…-dan?!" Sollux could feel the darkness overtaking him, his lungs burning to fill but not finding anything sustaining in the air around them.

His lungs pulled and pulled at the air as his eyes fixed in his head. He felt the feeling leave his limbs, the only burning spot of life where their fingers still touched. Sollux felt his soul rush towards that one spot, and he felt another presence rushing towards him as well. Then a blinding hot light and a force holding him, pulling him back. No, not pulling, pushing. Pushing with such force in pulled at every fiber of his soul. The heat was intense. The light was intense. And he couldn't breathe. He pulled at the air but there was none.

Sollux sat bolt up, tearing the covers off from where they had become entangled around his head, his lungs burning as they pulled in sweet, cold air. His crammed his eyes shut as bright sunlight streamed in through the open curtains and filled the room. As his lungs filled with life giving air, Sollux felt a calm return to his erratic heartbeat. When his cell phone rang he jumped before scrambling to answer it.

"Hello?" His voice was thick and husky, but alert.

"Sollux?" Roxy sounded concerned.

"Thorry," He breathed, "I wath athleep."

"Dreaming about me I hope," She sounded smug, and Sollux's brow furrowed in question.

"Rokth, thith ithn't really the time."

"Oh so you don't wanna hear my fantastic news then?"

Sollux sat up straight, the tiredness completely gone from him as the words formed in his mouth, "What newth?"

There was a dramatic pause and a scoff before, "I found him."