Chapter four: One more time
"Warren?"
Warren instantly stopped kissing Andrew, and looked at him, uncharacteristically shy. "Yes?"
"You know, I think... I think I love you."
It was so great finally letting it out, finally getting to say what he'd kept inside him for all this time. It was such a big relief, being able to be open and frank in this manner.
Warren smiled. "I think I love you too. Otherwise I don't know what this tingly feeling inside me means."
Andrew repressed his urge to kiss him. It had to be Warren who took the initiative. Himself, he was still terrified that he'd be pushed aside, thrown into the ditch or something of the sort. He was still so scared of being let down.
Warren caressed him, his smile just as serene and sincere as before. Andrew had never seen him smile like that before, but he liked it. He definitely liked it.
"Tingly feeling's good," he answered him, smiling back. "I feel it too."
"Great, we're, like, symbiotic now." Warren laughed. "And you know what, Andy? You've got me," said Warren, suddenly looking very serious. "I'm yours."
Andrew felt his heart jump inside him. He's mine. Mine! He wants to be mine!
"And I'm yours," he said, clutching his hand tightly in his. "Don't ever let me go."
"I won't," replied Warren, and kissed him again. "Never. I'll never let you go, not in a thousand years. If we get to be that old, that is."
"Well, it's up to you, then," half-whispered Andrew, and kissed him back, "you're the one who's good with inventing things."
"I'm the best at inventing things."
"And I'm not good at anything special," said Andrew midst kisses, "but that's okay."
"You're wrong," Warren said, "you are good at something."
"What?"
"You're a great kisser," smiled Warren.
---
"Wait a minute," Jonathan mumbled to himself, as his eyes fell upon the small glass jars upon the table. "Wait a minute here."
What if his awakening on the floor had something to do with what was going on downstairs?
He inspected the herbs and roots all over again, counting the contents, and going through every possible solution in his head. If he combined all of them...
No, he didn't recognise the recipe. Strangest thing, though... with just a few minor changes, these ingredients could be used to...
He snapped his fingers. That was it! He'd tried to conduct a money-spell, but he hadn't had all the herbs needed.
It was all coming back to him now. The fight he'd had with Warren about the risks with these sorts of spells being conducted wrongly... Warren, walking out of the door to take a walk, sunglasses and everything on so as not to be discovered by the Slayer and her friends. And Andrew, asleep downstairs, quite beaten.
He had screwed up again. They were now in some sort of parallel universe, where Andrew's feelings for Warren obviously were returned.
He started trembling slightly. What the hell was he going to tell Warren? Like, sure, he could do a reverse-spell, and everything would be back to normal, but... the pair downstairs would still be in each other's arms, kissing, fondling.
That couldn't happen. He had to break them up. But how?
He thought for a second. Then he realised the obvious.
Of course. It was brilliant. That'd make them jump from their seats any day.
---
"Hey, you guys! The Slayer's coming!"
Andrew thought he was going to die from the shock. He immediately drew away from Warren, who was already up on his feet. They looked at each other briefly.
"We'd better get upstairs," Warren said regretfully. "Don't think Jonathan can handle himself all alone against the Slayer."
Andrew nodded, equally disappointed. "Yeah, I guess. No, wait!"
Warren turned his head. He was already on his way up the stairs, but stopped.
"What is it, Andy?"
Andrew bit his lip, stressed out and nervous. "I... could you just... kiss me, one more time?"
The thought had occurred to him that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It might never come again. After all, he'd been burnt pretty good only a couple of days ago, when Warren had disregarded their intimate night together, and that had been nothing compared to this.
Warren smiled at him. Then, he ran back to Andrew and enclosed him in a tight embrace. He kissed him even more passionately than before.
"Like that?" he whispered, that special smile still on his lips. They were standing so close to each other now that Andrew could feel his warm breath on him.
"Perfect," he answered breathlessly.
Warren let go of him, and they both hurried up the stairs. The moment was gone – back to the real life for the both of them.
Andrew felt like weeping.
When they arrived upstairs, Warren looked all around, but couldn't see anyone. "Jonathan? Where are you? And where's the Slayer at?"
Andrew came up right after Warren, and looked around as well. "I don't see anyone, Warren. Maybe it was a false alarm?" God, I hope so, he added in his mind.
Warren shook his head. "No, Jonathan wouldn't do that. He's way to uptight. Come one, he's got to be..."
Before he got the chance to finish his sentence, they both heard a voice coming from the kitchen. First it spoke words in some ancient language, and then, it finished with an all too familiar word in English.
"Reverse," it said. And then, all went black.