Angels with Newfound Hope

Act 2 Chapter 19: Remembrance

North Beach - Day 8, 8:59PM

Alex found himself on that tranquil beach once again. Remembering the fateful encounter that fanned his embers into full on flames. Not that it lasted for long. A set of heavy footsteps approaching broke him from the trance.

"You really should smile more often. It's a good look for you." Bryce encouraged, nipping his friend's depression in the bud in tandem.

"I was? I didn't even notice." Alex replied simply. "So who all is here anyway?"

"You'll see soon enough. Though, there is one person coming who you'll absolutely love." The stocky male revealed in that same teasing tone used several days ago.

"Would that be me?" A gravelly voice spoke up from behind Bryce's friend. One look at its owner revealed Maverick, as expected, with an unexpected bulging bag slung around his neck.

"And the former most handsome boy in the room arrives. I'm liking that new bag you've got there." Bryce complimented. Alex made a mental note to ask where he got it from later on.

"And I see that your sense of humor remains constant. I didn't expect you to invite Alex, though." The recovering male stated blankly as always.

"Right. He and I still have that bet to finish up on. But we'll deal with that in private. Let's get all that food in before everyone starves or something." The chief joked with his last sentence, starting off with the two others hanging back to converse privately.

"There's one more thing I need from you." The lagging reptile began.

"Save Sebastian?" The human, however, finished.

"Yes. Doesn't matter what you do. Just do it." Maverick stressed. His attitude was met with an affirmative nod.

"Under one condition: you tell me what went on with you and-"

"Hey everyone! Guess who's finally here!" Bryce called out from the foliage, interrupting their conversation. Looking out, Alex spotted Sebastian and Zhong glancing his way.

"Hey Alex. Where's Maverick at? I thought you two were joined at the hip" Sebastian greeted jokingly. The requested dragon stepped out on the sand, making his presence well known.

"Right here. So who's starting the fire?" He went straight to business, not even giving anyone time to react to his presence.

"I could make my own this time." Sebastian offered. Alex was fully convinced now that he was caught in a time loop of some sort, given all the evidence in front of him.

"Very subtle there, Sebastian." Zhong jabbed at the enthusiasm.

"Nothing subtle about it, Zhong. Your fire stunk up the whole beach last year. Made everything taste weird too." Bryce butted in with much objection from his friend.

"I didn't notice any difference." Maverick repeated his own line from last time. This, of course, earned the attention of trouble-hungry Sebastian.

"Yeah, because everything tastes the same to you, Mav." The raptor teased. Alex was still surprised at the level of tolerance that dragon held for his coworker.

"I told you guys-"

"Not worth it, Zhong." Alex interrupted the olive male with a hand on his shoulder. Taking a seat next to Bryce, he suddenly became the topic of interest.

"You know, I'm curious how humans light fires." Maverick thought aloud with a barely noticeable grin. His intention was made well known to the irritated human. He knew what buttons to push this time around, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to have a laugh.

"I like that idea. Let's see what Alex has to offer." Zhong followed up like it was some sort of conga line.

"Yeah. Come on, Alex. Show us what you can do." And at the end was Sebastian. He seemed to have gained a knack for following up on things. At least, that's what Alex thought.

"Looks like we have a unanimous decision. Show us what you've got." The brunette cursed his gray ally for putting him on the spot again. He was paralyzed momentarily, going through the same motions of patting himself down in hopes of finding a miraculous lighter.

"I uh... take it none of you have an axe?" Those blank stares screwed him over again. Now he was angry. He'd get Maverick back if it was the last thing he did. Of this, the human swore. The dragons' rip-roaring laughter evolved his well veiled spite from simmering to seething.

"Oh, you should've seen your face: priceless!" Bryce wiped away tears between fits of hysterical laughter. Alex's furious gaze made its way over to Maverick, who held a smug grin. The former only mouthed the words 'I will get you back' before returning to his humiliation.

"Don't pay them any attention. They're always like this." Zhong attempted to reassure the man to no avail.

"Forget about it." Was all Alex said, allowing himself to be awash in numbness for the time being.

"Seriously though. Who should light the fire?" Sebastian asked once everything except Alex's fury died down.

"You really want to do it, don't you Seb?" Bryce began with a knowing smile. "Go right ahead. I'm not up for it this year myself, Maverick is likely to set the whole beach on fire instead, we already decided Zhong isn't doing it, and Alex is self explanatory." The stocky male jabbed at all three of them to much backlash.

"Hey!" The former two were rather vocal in their complaint, spouting off simultaneously in a cacophony of noise.

"Okay, knock it off! Maverick, we just want to have a bonfire, not set the whole beach ablaze. And Zhong: your cooking last year said enough." Bryce addressed the vocal majority with a cool demeanor. However, the last person to speak...

"That really hurts, Bryce." Was the one who got the most attention. Alex sat there with the same look from their misadventure at the bar. The darkness had consumed him once again.

"Alex... we were just joking around. We didn't mean anything by it." The chief tried to reassure his guest with no success. He'd just have to let him calm down.

"Hey, how come he gets special treatment? You got a thing going on with that boy?" Zhong heckled. His little antic earned a deathly glare from his friend.

"Sebastian, could you get the fire going? I need to talk to Zhong in private real quick." Bryce requested, standing up and leading the bartender away.

There was an awkward silence in the air as the runner set their makeshift grill ablaze. Looking close revealed to Alex that Sebastian's fire breath wasn't like in the history books. It was actually a liquid squirting from the corners of his mouth. He almost chuckled at the term 'living flamethrower', remembering an inside joke in his friend group.

"We might as well get everything piled on. I'm sure Bryce would appreciate having something to come back to." Maverick stated, grabbing a nicely sized slab of flesh to throw on. The sizzling that resounded when it hit those stones was almost too much for the starving human.

"Man, I can't wait to stuff myself. I kept plenty of room all day in preparation." Sebastian rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Alex could practically see his mouth watering from across the bonfire. He rubbed his own stomach out of reflex, causing a growl that gained the attention of Maverick.

"Sounds like you haven't eaten all day. Here." The dragon handed him some jerky to snack on, which he gratefully took.

"Thanks. I didn't even realize how bad it was." The smaller male immediately began tearing into his prey with the ferocity of a wolf. The display of ravenousness admittedly disturbed both reptiles.

"Alex, how long has it been since you last ate?" Sebastian pressed. Not like that would be answered, as Bryce and Zhong returned to their seats.

Alright. Did you guys get everything you wanted?" Bryce asked to a measly two affirmatives. "Alex?"

"I was waiting til everyone got theirs. Didn't want to get in the way." Alex's 'unwelcome guest syndrome' as Zoe once called it, reared its ugly head for the first time in a year, prompting a bemused head shake from his dragon.

"Let's get ours together, then. We can talk a bit that way." Bryce offered. His guest reluctantly followed him over to the table everything was spread out on.

The ambassador stood in silence as piece after piece of meat was piled onto a foam plate. It didn't take the chief three seconds to notice a lack of company to bump elbows with. Glancing up, he caught his company standing there with his hands wrapped around himself shyly.

"Alex, get over here and get something. You know for a fact that I don't bite." The disappointed dragon commanded. The brunette stepped over with even more hesitation and took a single steak for his 'meal'.

"I think that's all I want." Alex's voice was almost a whisper, barely audible amongst the banter only twenty feet away. A heavy sigh escaped his dragon as he gently took the plate.

"Here. I saw you wolfing down that jerky. You'll need more than that tiny steak to keep you going." Bryce began loading on anything that would fit. "Just because you're a guest here doesn't mean you're unwelcome." He stated, garnering an expression from the human he didn't expect: confusion.

"How did you...?" The man trailed off. He was completely caught off guard by Bryce's correct diagnosis of him.

"Camilla was the same way when we first became friends. I invited her and Zhong over after school one day. She was so nervous, all she did was stand around awkwardly, just like you are right now." The larger male wet his lips before continuing. "Please don't do this to yourself. You're better than that, and we both know it."

A tense silence was held between the two for what felt like an eternity. Alex spent that time absorbing everything. 'Please don't do this to yourself. You're better than that, and we both know it.' They echoed infinitely in his head, in Bryce's voice, alongside another: Chris.

That guy had been there through every step of his grieving Zoe. Not even when he was angry at the world, and planning his Viper persona with Mongoose, did the horse ever give up on encouragement (and discouragement, when needed.) Alex no longer saw his love in that moment, dead on the grass from the lab explosion. He saw that same person as he was just a couple days prior; the same man from after their argument. He was still willing to be kind and extend an olive branch, even after everything he'd been put through.

"I'm sorry..." Was all the man could get out.

"Don't be. Just make sure to try and overcome this, okay?" Bryce encouraged gently. His paw found itself on the human's shoulder, earning him a sad nod.

"Hey guys! You'd better hurry if you want to eat!" Sebastian brought them back to reality with a good shout. The two hurried over with their plates and threw everything on in an unceremonious heap. And with that out of the way, they both made for their seats.

"Awesome. Now we can keep this going. So Bryce; how's that stint with Emera going?" Maverick surprised everyone by being the first to engage this time. Even his friend was caught off guard by this action.

"Uh... strange, I guess...?" He trailed off before gaining a look of moderate disgust. "Who am I kidding? It's terrible, actually. She's been borderline aggressively trying to get me to go on a date with her. She even tried to get me to stay over with her last night! Something needs to be checked in that head of hers." The dragon's stocky frame was a lot more animated than before as he explained the fresh hell he just went through.

"Emera flirting with Bryce? Unbelievable." Zhong was the first to voice his complaints...

"Sorry Chief, but that sounds too made up." Which was followed by Sebastian...

"I don't believe it either." And Maverick...

"Now hold on a second. Let me-"

"Bryce? If I may?" Alex interrupted his dragon with a hand on his toned forearm. "I can corroborate. I had a talk with her right before he started that living hell. She told me she noticed her biological clock was ticking when we were talking about her sources of stress. Wanted to 'continue her legacy', but found it hard to find someone who treated her like he did. I tried to get her to see reason in him not being interested with no success. She got angry, snarling and asking what made me an expert. I said we'd talk later about that and requested she not go after him." Bryce was stunned. He didn't at all think the ambassador would try anything that stupid to the person responsible for his visit, sweet as it may have been.

"Good story, but I still call bullshit. How did he get you roped into this?" Zhong countered.

"He didn't. I saw the looks she was giving him. She wants children: his children. And he's not ready to be a father." The human fired back.

"Of that, I agree. No offense, Bryce, but you're definitely not ready for that." The barkeep commented to a defeated look from his friend.

"None taken. I know I'm not. Now could you two knock it off, please? We're here to have a good time, not bicker." Bryce firmly requested. Both aforementioned people begrudgingly called a silent truce.

"So... Alex. How about you? Did you find anyone to help ease that?" Sebastian injected himself back into the conversation before any more awkward silences could be formed.

"I- I think so, but I think I blew it with him." Alex stated, his eyes glued to the ground.

"Hold on a minute. What is this 'that' we're talking about? I'm not exactly up-to-date on anything here." Zhong expressed his curiosity once again stuck his nose in private business.

"It's probably best if you don't ask until he's ready. You don't want to know what happened when I did." Maverick interjected. A sobering look redirected his friend's mindset.

"Why not talk a bit about this person? I really want to know who's captured your eye." Bryce offered, to a nod from everyone. With that, they all looked to Alex for their answer.

"I don't even think he likes me. What makes you think I even want to?" The man tried to reason with the brick walls known as Bryce and his friends.

"Well, that's one thing. I didn't know you swung that way. What's one more anyway?" Sebastian applied pressure with complete abandon.

"I just want to know what happened, but knowing a bit about your interest could ease my curiosity." Zhong joined in the fray as well. Those guys swiftly became an echo chamber of 'tell us'.

"They won't stop unless you say something, you know." Maverick stated blankly over a swig of beer. Alex sighed heavily, snapping a bowl away from its brethren and emptying it down his gullet. The liquid did next to nothing as always. He shoved his gun into the silver male's chest and leaned forward.

"Fuck you all..." Alex muttered under his breath. Taking a deep breath, he pieced together what he'd say. "What can I even say about him? He's... incredible. There couldn't be a kinder person in either of our worlds. I love everything about him, from that rich baritone voice, to his aspiration of self-improvement. His scales shine like the morning sun, and his rippling muscles used to turn me into a puddle. He makes me want to smile like an idiot whenever I see him. But my grief and mourning gets in the way every time. There is so much I wanted to experience with him, if only he didn't..."

"If only he didn't what?" Bryce tried to get the ball rolling again.

"Bryce, that sounds an awful lot like you." Sebastian pointed out quietly. The both of them went over that revelation whilst their grieving friend remained on the verge of tears.

"I think that's enough with him. The poor kid's about to break down in front of us." Maverick finally came to the rescue, cutting the conversation off in its prime.

"It seems the food is ready either way. Let's all go grab a plate." Everyone started filing over to grab their fill. Alex tried to calm himself down during. He wouldn't be of any help to anyone in his state.

"Hey, you need me to grab you a plate?" Bryce's unmistakable voice reached him after a few moments. He'd already gotten his, and sat back down around the notably less intense fire.

"I'll get one in a bit. I'm just waiting for the crowd to die down." The ambassador stated.

"Are you sure that's the only reason? I saw how that discussion made you feel." The larger male exposed to his company's confusion. "I'm not that dense, Alex."

"Fine. I'm calming down so I don't make a fool of myself. The last thing I want is everyone swinging at me thanks to my shit." Alex hung his head in shame. He wouldn't have been in this situation if he just drew his gun over that knife.

"I don't think Maverick will let them anyway. So hey, one last thing about your guy. I promise I won't tell anyone." Bryce awaited any kind of go-ahead, eventually just doing so anyway. "Who is it?" To say he was itching to find out was an understatement. The dragon was positively filled to bursting with anticipation of this mysterious lover.

"Someone I've been in love with since day one. I just wish he remembered..." Alex allowed a sad, yet wistful look for himself.

"Remembered what? Did you just have a birthday or something?" His dragon asked cluelessly. Not that he could be blamed. There was so much he needed to figure out with this man.

"No. It's just another thing to save for later." The smaller male glanced back down, drawing idly in the sand with his boot.

"Of course it is..." Bryce sighed disappointedly before taking a chunk out of his steak. "At least everything's delicious. Good going, Sebastian." He gulped it down with a swig of his favorite drink following the compliment.

"Don't mention it." The runner said between bites.

Seriously, this is great." Zhong added, tossing some cheese into his maw. Alex finally got up once the table cleared to get his portion.

"I don't get how you can eat that stuff, Zhong." Bryce jabbed. Taking his perfect meal, he ripped another hunk away. "Meat's just fine by itself."

"I like a little variety in my life, unlike some people." The olive reptile countered with an insult.

"Hey, I do too! There's at least five different kinds of meat this time." The chief defended, raising his mostly empty plate as if it'd do anything. What little there was didn't even help anyway.

"Case in point." Maverick popped a piece of fish in, chewing idly. He glanced toward his acquaintance to find him sitting with an untouched plate. The human looked deep in thought, probably trying to figure a discrete way out of this. Not even after every morsel was gone, and the conversation and banter was dying down did he move.

"Hey, I think I should get going. My babysitter can only stay so long." Zhong was the first to break the silence, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Yeah, I should head off too. You know I start early tomorrow." Sebastian joined him after grabbing a bottle of water for the road.

"Aw. I guess it was a good time at least. How about you, Mav?" Bryce asked with a little hope of continuing the outing.

"I should probably be going as well. There's still stuff I need to do tomorrow." The aforementioned dragon turned away, leaving the final two next to their dying fire.

"Don't you all get lost in the dark, then." Bryce joked caringly. The trio all bid their respective farewells as they exited through the foliage. Maverick's tail fled their view just as the final embers faded into nothingness.