Welcome everyone
Welcome everyone! This is the final chapter of the story! Sorry I haven't updated but I had serious writer's block. Enjoy!
Tulio was in utter shock, kneeling on the golden floor. He couldn't believe just how STUPID he had been. To have been there for all those years and still remain as blind and ignorant as he did…his brain must be the size of a fucking peanut! Or some similarly small nut. The raven haired Spaniard shot up from his place on the floor and bolted straight out the door. He ran down the gold stairs, taking them two at a time until he tripped, around the three-hundredth stair, and tumbled down the rest. Tulio landed at the bottom of the temple stairs in a heap. Slowly he untangled himself and shakily stood up, fairly bruised and sore but okay. Stumbling forward, Tulio hurried towards the hospital, running right past Chief Tani. The large, black haired man stared after Tulio but shrugged it off with a knowing smile.
It took Tulio a good five minutes to reach his destination thanks to his empty mind and clumsiness. He had taken a total of five wrong turns, tripped over nine times and fell into the lake twice! But he had finally made it, dripping and sore, but alive and still thoroughly stupefied. The wiry haired man looked up at the building, suddenly very nervous. He hadn't been thinking at all on his way here and now he didn't know what to do, what to expect. Swallowing thickly Tulio entered the building, into the white sanitised interior of the hospital.
Tulio walked down many hallways, twisting and turning until he finally reached the room he required. Miguel's room. The thoughts brought back memories of his friend laying on the crisp white sheets, looking as though death had already claimed him as it's own. But Tulio wasn't about to give up without a fight. He didn't know how but he would somehow save Miguel, and keep him by his side. With those thoughts hardening in his heart and mind, the Spaniard walked into the room.
The room hadn't changed, Miguel still lay there, breathing shallowly under his sanitised white sheets, and that hard wooden chair next to the bed still beckoned him. Tulio obeyed, as he had before, slipping quietly into the chair beside his friend's still form. Once more his eyes scanned over Miguel's hidden figure, only this time with a different eye. His eyes saw a trim but fit figure with more grace than a cat, broad strong shoulders, green eyes that he knew shone better than any jewel in the world and with more emotion, and the only gold he had ever really wanted. All these years he had been questing and gambling for gold, never once realising he had only been substituting for his real gold lust…and it had been within reach the whole time.
Tulio couldn't hold back the tears that swelled in his common blue eyes. The young man reached across the seeming miles of bedding, grasping the scarily cold hand of his partner in his own heated one. Tulio couldn't help but think of how much more petite Miguel's hands were than his own. Not exactly smaller but more…slender…soft…gentle…
He pulled the strangely foreign hand closer, placing a gentle kiss on it's soft knuckles before resting his weary head on the joined hands.
"Hey Miguel."
Tulio didn't know why he was doing this. It wasn't as if his comatose friend could hear his words. But he didn't care. He felt that for some reason, it had to be done.
"It's been a while since it was just as, heh. Just like those days we were lost in that God-forsaken forest. It was just us every day…And that damn horse. Ha, no worries about girl troubles or constantly hiding our identities…Just the good old days, right buddy? ...The good old days…"
Tears slipped over his eyelids and slid down his cheek to land on the unfeeling hand of his friend with a small splash.
"It's my fault…It's always my fault. Always has been, always will be. Because you're perfect…I just…Never noticed…"
Tulio gripped the hand in his even tighter.
"I'm sorry…For never noticing you were there…For taking you for granted…For being too oblivious to notice your feelings…And being too stupid to notice mine…I'm sorry…S-so s-s-sorry..!"
Tulio started to sob uncontrollably hugging the hand of his friend and would-be lover.
"Somehow I knew I'd find you here…" A silken voice, layered thick with erotic accent filtered it's way out from the shadows. Tulio turned abruptly in his chair to face the owner of the voice, one he knew all too well.
"Ch-Chel!" He choked out in shock. The young raven haired girl stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the hazy late afternoon sun. A sad look adorned her normally so carefree features.
"Yes Tulio…It's me." She said quietly.
"What are you doing here?! I-I thought…" Tulio gasped, trying to put it all together.
"I know what I said…But I was angry…I didn't mean it and…I came to give you a second chance." She said, her voice getting stronger with each half-formed sentence.
Tulio sat there, flabbergasted. "B-But Chel…I-I can't…You heard me before…My heart belongs to...to…him." Tulio finished lamely.
Chel threw herself at him, her hands gripping onto his arms. "Why?! Why can't it be me?! Why does it have to be him?!"
Tulio was all too aware of her hands on him. Her hands…They were too small…They weren't broad enough…They just didn't feel right.
"I can't say…It…It just…does." He said, not looking at the voluptuously curved woman half-laying in his lap.
Chel's eyes grew wide, hurt shining in their dark depths. Suddenly they clenched shut as she flailed out, her hands and arms whacking at Tulio and everything around them.
"NO! NO! NO!" She repeatedly screamed.
"Chel! Stop it! Chel! STOP!" Tulio tries in vain to get the young girl to calm down. But she continued to flail her arms until…THUMP…She felt her elbow come into contact with something besides Tulio…Something on the bed…Something…alive…
All activity stopped. Chel lay there, her arms being gripped by Tulio, her eyes wide, her breathing harsh. Tulio dropped Chel onto the ground as he stood up, dashing to the bed and checking Miguel's pulse. Nothing. Tulio stared…
"Miguel…"
Chel looked fearfully at Tulio. "I-I'm sorry Tulio, I-I didn't mean it..!"
Tulio's eyes turned to the young woman, a creepy blank look in them. "What have you done..?"
Chief Tani exited the hospital room with a heavy sigh. Tulio looked up from his place on the floor fearfully. Chel looked at him nervously from the other side of the room. Tani ran a hand through his long black hair and smiled wearily at down at the tall Spaniard. "He's okay." Tulio breathed a sigh of relief, practically sobbing with happiness at the news.
"He's awake…"
Tulio looked up suddenly, his jaw lying on the floor forgotten.
"He's asking for you."
Tulio stood up shakily and made his way past the large El Doradian chieftain and into the hospital room.
Tulio was surprisingly nervous to be seeing his friend again. He was scared…There were so many possibilities…So many things that could have gone wrong. But when he entered that room, he just knew everything was going to be alright.
There in the middle of the room sat Miguel, dressed only in the El Doradian hospital gowns, which somewhat resembled a toga for some reason. Altivo was beside the bed, his head hugged in between Miguel's arms. The whole scene was bathed in golden-orange light from the setting sun outside. And then Miguel's head turned to face him. Tulio stopped, his shoulders tense, his heart racing. Then Miguel's tan face split into a large smile, his green eyes flashing in the ethereal light. "Tulio!" He cried cheerfully.
Tulio stumbled across the room and into the little wooden chair, still in it's place beside the bed.
"Miguel…" Tulio whispered.
"Hey Tulio. How are you? The Chief told me everything! It must've been very hard on you. Having to take on that strange cat thing all alone. But he told me that you and Chel and Altivo got out okay so that's good isn't it? Isn't it Tulio?" Miguel chatted away animatedly. Tulio just stared at his friend before bursting into tears. The blonde Spaniard across from him looked at him in shock. "Uh…Tulio?"
"You idiot!" Tulio cried. "How can you be so happy?! You were just in a coma for the past week! You almost died a few hours ago!"
Miguel's smile faltered slightly. "Yeah, but everyone else is okay so-"
"So what?! You almost died! What would I have done then?! Huh, smart arse?!"
"You and Chel would have been free to go where you want…You wouldn't be burdened by the obligations your mind said you had to me."
SLAP! Tulio's open hand whacked into Miguel's cheek. Miguel fell back, his eyes wide.
"Who cares about Chel?! My best friend would have been gone! The man I loved would be dead! How could I live with that!" Tulio yelled.
Miguel stared at him in shock. "Did you just say…"
"God! I spent the past week having fucking nightmares where Chel killed you and then I turned into her, and finally realising that I've loved you for God knows how many years..! And now you're saying that you want to be dead!" Tulio grabbed a dagger from his boot and shoved it into Miguel's trembling hands.
"Well fine! Be my guest! But first..!"
Tulio turn the knife in Miguel's hands to face his own chest, still holding the other's hands in his own.
"But you have to kill me first…That way I don't have to be without you ever again."
Tulio let go of Miguel's hand and the knife fell onto the white bed sheets. Tears slipped out of Miguel's emerald eyes, his whole body shook uncontrollably. Tulio leant forward and gathered the other's trembling form in his arms, rocking his back and forward as he whispered sweet nothings and comforting words into his ear.
Miguel and Tulio walked along the streets of El Dorado, hands clasped together. It had been many months since the accident and Miguel's health was now fully recovered. He skipped along by Tulio's side, waving to the inhabitants of the city of gold. "Calm down already, would you Miguel?" Tulio whispered. Miguel stopped his over excited bouncing sheepishly. "Sorry Tulio. It's just…I'm so happy that the people here welcomed us with open arms, even after being told the truth." Tulio smiled and lay a chaste kiss upon the lips of his friend and lover. "I know. I am too." A shiver ran up Tulio's spine and he pulled away, looking around. His eyes met Chel's dark almonds. Chel nodded stiffly before walking away. Tulio nodded back after her. "Tulio! Look at this!" Miguel cried happily, dragging Tulio's attention back to him. "Oh that's nice isn't it?"
"Yeah!"
Tulio smiled at Miguel. His Miguel. He loved everything about him. And everyone knew it. Looking around him, Tulio couldn't help but think, 'The Gods must truly be smiling upon us…'
What's you all think? I know, pretty crappy ending but I couldn't think of how to end it. Any REVIEW!! And thankyou to all who have stayed with me through this whole journey. Now a special thanks to all who reviewed (and reviewed nicely).
Kit Sparrow 14
BabyAC
nukagirl
Kylip
Murphyangel
sami1010220
WillowFae
Fan of Miggie
Jedimastersandy (I'm keeping my eye on you…)
Oceani
kalina ar' mori
Thanks everyone!