Here again. The sky was on fire, and the horrid smell of ash and smoke. It was always the same crater where a city once stood. Twelve years was a long time, and Kai was back here again. Again and again.

"Kai?" That familiar voice sent shivers up Kai's spine for more than one reason. "Where are you~?"

The jackal-Esque revenant held his tongue, unwilling to answer. Instead, his orange-red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, barely illuminating his spectral blue skin. His pointed ears twitched at the sound, the only sound in this hellscape.

"Kai~" the voice drawled. It made his muscles tense. Kai's nose twitched in discomfort as the choking, bitter smell of ash and smoke hit it. He attempted to make his nose moist again with his tongue, but even that was dry. Finally, Kai began to walk backward. He didn't dare look in any direction lest he saw him.

"What's the matter? Don't want to play?" Inexplicably, the voice was right in Kai's ear. Momentarily stunned, he didn't quite register the arms around him until he was pulled close to someone's chest. Kai tried to remain as still as possible as the arms tightened around his waist.

Kai jerked a little when someone leaned in to lick his neck - it was an odd sensation - before they kissed it. Then a hand helped itself to his dark, fiery green hair. The fingers combed through it. It made him shudder. "…what are you doing here?" Kai asked in a stiff voice. "…Dan."

The kiss on his neck continued for another few moments, even going upwards before the lips pulled away from him. "I could ask you the same thing," the culprit known as Dan responded with some snark. "You keep coming back here."

"You're bluffing. You're trying to invade my mind again, aren't you?"

"Need I remind you, Kai?" Dan held him tighter. "In sleep, you came to me. You can never get me out of your mind."

Kai huffed and turned his head away. He was doing his best to keep his eyes away from the tall, broad figure. He wasn't sure he liked how he remembered Dan's features so clearly. "I'm pretty sure I did," Kai allowed his lips to curl back.

"Ooh, the fangs~," Dan said in a mocking tone.

"I have Empathy with me-"

"But your oh-so-loving partner is not here right now, isn't he?" The Phantom sneered, "He's in the waking world, deep asleep right next to you and completely unaware." Kai remained silent. The perpetual frown that was so familiar on his face appeared. His ears tilted back.

"Oh, I see," Dan said in a knowing voice. "He doesn't know about these…dreams?"

"Why does that matter to you?" Kai asked as he attempted to shove Dan off of him forcefully even though he was considerably bigger and stronger.

"Is there something you don't want him to know?"

"It is none of your business, Phantom," Kai hissed softly. It laced his words like a snake.

"You still don't remember, do you?" Dan said, disappointed. He continued to comb Kai's hair idly.

"Remember what?" Kai asked sharply.

"You'll remember in due time," Dan continued softly as though he hadn't heard him. "You know the bond we share has withstood time."

"As if Clockwork would let you-" Kai started only to be interrupted.

"That meddling old ghost doesn't know, does he now?" Dan sneered, marring his admittedly handsome face. Kai avoided eye contact. His hand was on his chest to try to keep him away.

"I think you best wake soon," Dan cupped Kai's chin. Then, he firmly tilted it up to get a good look at his cute face. Then, the Phantom leaned in close to speak in Kai's ear. "Sweet dreams, love," Dan whispered in a smooth, dark voice.

Kai was forced awake by a rush of air that escaped him. A rather pathetic whimper came out of him as he hastily looked around the dimly lit room. His body shuddered in relief once he realized it was his and Empathy's room. He turned over and flicked the old lamp on. A yellow light shone over him.

He wiped a hand down his face only to find it wet- of course, he was covered in a cold sweat. Dreams, this one in particular, always left him sweating.

Kai mumbled certain words under his breath and got up. However, his body felt considerably heavy, and he didn't want to get up anyway. He was sure he would collapse under his own weight, swinging his legs over the side and sitting on the edge of the bed.

He looked back, the silent form of Empathy on the other side. His wings were neatly folded up, and his form was calm. Kai shook his head. He was surprised. Empathy wasn't stirred awake by this.

Turning his focus back on himself, Kai kept his eyes to the floor, unwilling to look up. Why didn't he want to look up? He knew there was nothing there, but part of him felt he would see Dan in some form if he did.

Kai's breath got caught up in his throat, and he coughed. He took in huge gulps of air and hastily exhaled them. His chest, his body heaved with the nervous breaths, and anxiety coursed through him.

Kai quivered, and he wrapped his arms around himself. He sat like that for several minutes until he felt the bed shift, and another set of arms wrapped around him, along with a set of white, fluffy wings as well. Kai didn't try to jump away as he did with Dan. This touch was more familiar, comforting.

"Kai? What's the matter?" Empathy asked sleepily.

He had sensed his partner was distressed when he jolted awake from whatever he was dreaming about. Empathy did futilely hope that Kai would wake him up rather than wait. That didn't happen.

"It was…" Kai began, he trailed off. He wanted to say 'nothing'; however, considering this was Empathy, he wouldn't likely believe such a thinly veiled lie. Kai sighed. His body became slack.

"Was it one of those dreams again?" Empathy inquired, already picturing an idea of what happened. Kai didn't respond. He turned back to look at Empathy. He raised his hand to his partner's face and ran his fingers through his golden locks before tracing it down his jawline.

Empathy gently took hold of Kai's hand and held it. He leaned into the touch to indicate that it was alright. After that, Kai could open himself up whenever and however he liked. The room was entrenched in silence for a long time, save for the quiet buzz of the lamps. The two of them didn't even as much twitch. There was a hesitance to break the tension.

"I…" Kai had difficulty finding the words. "…I saw him again."

"Him? In your dreams?" Empathy sounded more like he was asking himself rather than directly at Kai.

"Yeah…Dan," Kai whispered, ears tilted back against his head.

"Dan," the name was an unpleasant feeling in Empathy's mouth. A dry taste at best. An awkward few minutes passed before he spoke again. "I thought you got him out of your mind years ago," it wasn't an accusation. Empathy was genuinely curious.

"I did…at least I think I did," Kai rubbed his chin, his claws dug too deeply into his skin for his partner's comfort.

"What happened?"

"He's been…." Kai stopped, realizing he didn't know how long Dan had remained in his mind or perhaps made his way back in? "Well, he's not…doing anything."

"Anything to you?" Empathy raised a brow. Kai didn't miss the last word. Instead, his great white wings fluttered in irritation.

"Dan's been…holding me close to him," Kai fidgeted with his hands, avoiding Empathy's lavender eyes. "Occasionally kisses my neck." Kai blinked rapidly, a wet and burning sensation had pooled up, and he willed it to go away.

"That's all?" The angel-like ghost sat cross-legged. "How odd…"

"You're not mad?"

"No, why would I be?" Empathy stared incredulously at Kai. "This man's been…annoying you. I'm going to be worried, of course."

"It's just that Dan's touch feels…." Kai's voice got caught in his throat. "Familiar. I don't know what to think of it."

"I don't know either," Empathy leaned across to hug Kai. He spoke into his neck, "Should we get your parents and uncle?"

"No," Kai said almost too quickly. "I can handle this."

"If you say so…" Empathy amended, suspicious.

"He told me we have a bond that withstands time," the blue ghost shrugged. "I don't know what he means by that. I have the feeling I knew him…in another lifetime."

"If that's the case, why would he try to leave his own timeline and come into ours, to you specifically?"

"The way Dan speaks to me treats me," Kai exhaled slowly and nervously. "I think he…was with me. In the other timeline." Though Kai hadn't said it directly, Empathy knew what he meant. Dan had a relationship with a different version of Kai. "It must've been a pretty dark timeline if a different version of me was with him," Kai flexed his claws.

"How are you feeling now?" Empathy smiled weakly. He wanted to get Kai away from the unsettling thoughts.

"I don't know," Kai crawled over next to him. Empathy unfurled his wing and wrapped it around him. They didn't want or need to say anymore. The two of them sat in silence with the dim yellow shine of the lamps and a dark atmosphere hanging over them. Some things were simply in the dark and couldn't be retrieved.

This is a short story written by my friend Kaithunder with her OC Kai and my OC Empathy, having a hurt-comfort kind of moment. Empathy is a trans man. Please use he/him pronouns. This takes place in my Abduction universe.