Quiet. It's so quiet in the darkness. He felt it as it swirled around him and through him until he was the darkness and the darkness was him. His mind was a cloud floating carelessly, unburdened and free. He was weightless, suspended in pitch black nothingness. There was nothing to lose and nothing to fear as he remained in the dark. As he was the dark. At first he barely felt it at all. Just the smallest hint of warmth. And then it was gone, quickly returning to the quiet darkness he'd grown accustomed to. But this feeling was persistent, returning again and again and appearing to grow in strength as it spread across his being. And every time it faded away, he found himself hoping and waiting for it to return. Not knowing how to find it or how to make it stay. Until it was there again, reaching through the darkness, crawling through his veins until it reached his very middle. He tingled as the warmth ran over his extremities, defining him. Separating his body from the darkness. He was aware. He was aware of himself. He felt his fingers and his toes as he disconnected from the darkness. He felt longing as he ached to be one with the light. And then he heard it. It was soft and muffled at first. But he willed himself toward the sound, toward the warmth. He felt as though he was swimming under water, making his way toward the surface as he pushed on. He felt fingers in his hair, brushing it lightly as quiet whispers repeated his name like a prayer. Soft, warm lips grazed his face leaving tear drops behind them. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. Zak's face lingered above his own, eyes closed as he lay kisses on the younger man's cheek. "Nick. Please wake up." he begged quietly. Nick was weak, but he willed his arm to move, touching Zak's cheek lightly. His eyes popped open immediately. Nick smiled softly as surprised eyes met his.

"Nick? Nick! Oh, thank God." Zak lunged forward, wrapping Nick up in his arms. "Thank you...thank you…" his chants were muffled against Nick's chest as he buried his face into him. Nick could feel the older man's body as it shook in some mixture of fear and relief. Nick wrapped his arms around Zak, kissing the top of his head as he held him tight.

"It's okay, Zak. I'm okay." he reassured him softly. He looked around the room, noticing for the first time that he was in the hospital. Machines beeped and buzzed around him as he held Zak's shaking body. "Everything's okay Zak." he lied. He wasn't sure what had happened. The last thing he remembered was Dave choking the life out of him. But it didn't feel like a real memory. There was something else floating in the back of his mind. Something darker, and it felt more real than he wanted to admit. Slowly, it began to come back to him in flashes. The house. The demon. The energy surging through his body and taking control. He felt himself begin to shake at the memory. Zak noticed, pulling back to take a look at him.

"Nick, are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Nick shook his head dismissively.

"Nothing. I was just...remembering." he said, breath evening out.

"I'm so sorry. It must have been awful." Zak said, pulling him close. "I never should have let you come with me. I should have made you stay back at base. I should have kept you safe."

"Hey," Nick said seriously. "this was not your fault. Do you hear me?"

"Yes it is!" Zak protested, pulling away to look Nick in the eyes. "It was my fault you were in the house. I provoked the damn thing and it went after you. Nick, it almost killed you! You were screaming and crying and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't get it to leave. And then you passed out and I thought I was losing you." His breath caught as tears streamed steadily down his face. "I begged you to stay with me but you couldn't hear me. You were completely catatonic. The paramedics didn't know what to do...I didn't know what to do. Nick, if I had lost you…"

"You didn't lose me. I'm right here. And I'm okay. I promise." Nick said, running his hands up and down Zak's arms as sobs rang through him.

"But if I had…" Zak said, fear evident in his eyes.

"I know." Nick said, fully understanding what it felt like to have lost the person he loved most in this world. He pulled Zak in, pressing their lips together hungrily.

They lay in bed that night, wrapped up tightly in each other's arms. The hospital bed was too small, but the need to be close won out in the end. Nick was exhausted as he lay there, but he knew sleep wouldn't come easy. He worried about where he might wake up if he let his eyes close. Zak lay awake on his chest, fingers brushing softly along his hospital gown. He had finally calmed down after hours of crying and begging Nick to forgive him for things that weren't his fault. Zak never handled guilt well, and he placed far more of it on himself than he deserved. But Nick just waited patiently, holding him and consoling him and telling him that he loved him. Eventually, Zak started to believe that he was forgiven for things for which Nick never would have blamed him. But if it calmed him, Nick could live with that.

"Nick?" Zak's voice was quiet in the dark.

"Yeah?" Nick said, running his hand along the older man's back.

"What was it like when you were possessed?" he asked shyly.

"Babe, you should try to get some sleep." Nick said, trying to divert the conversation.

"I can't sleep." he said. "Please. I have to know. Did it hurt? Were you scared?" Nick knew that Zak's mind must be running wild with all the possible scenarios of pain and torture. He thought it would be better to tell him the truth than to let his imagination run wild.

"Not in the way you might think." he started. "It was more emotionally painful than physically."

"What do you mean?" Zak asked.

"It was like I woke up in this alternate reality. I had no memory of what had happened. But we had broken up and you were in love with someone else. It was awful. I kept trying to get you back but I had broken your heart and you didn't want to be with me anymore." he said, unconsciously tightening his grip around Zak. The older man lifted his head, bringing his lips to Nick's and kissing him gently.

"I'm sorry. That sounds terrible." he said. Nick could see the guilt return to his eyes.

"It was. But it wasn't your fault, Zak. That demon just knew how to hit me where it would hurt most." He carded his hand through Zak's hair, giving him a reassuring smile. "But it wasn't real. Thank God for that." Zak nuzzled into Nick, kissing his neck before resting his head under the younger man's chin.

"I could never love anyone else. So you don't ever have to worry about that again." Zak said sincerely. "You're pretty much stuck with me whether you like it or not." Nick felt Zak smile against his skin. He laughed, shaking both their bodies as the sound reverberated through him.

"Fine by me." he said, kissing the top of Zak's head and settling in for some much needed sleep.