Chapter 8. Divided.

Davy woke up. He threw the blanket away and sat up on his bed immediately. Good morning world!

He somehow felt so fresh. The freezing cold was gone, the sun was shining through the windows. Davy's feet were right in a puddle of sunshine. He smiled and moved his toes, closing his eyes with pleasure. What a great morning! The night must've been calm, thank goodness. Where is Mike, by the way? Davy was sitting on Mike's side of the bed and Mike hadn't even said anything on that matter. Davy looked around. Mike wasn't anywhere in the room.

Davy rose slowly and turned around to see the whole room. It was a normal room – the bedroom upstairs as it was before the wall biters came. The door was where it had to be. Maybe something had happened at night to make the wall biters run away? Davy hurried to the door and tried to open it – but it was locked.

Davy sighed. Mike must be in the bathroom. And this morning was just a morning. And this room was just a room. And the wall biters were eating their way through the walls as they had been the previous day and two days ago. Time seemed to crawl so slowly – he couldn't believe it was only the third day of their imprisonment. It seemed they'd spent their whole lives in that room.

Davy hunched his shoulders and headed to the bathroom. He knocked at the wardrobe door right in the wall.

- Hey Mike? You there?

There was no answer. Davy smiled slightly.

- Are you asleep there or what?

And the same silence was the answer. Davy frowned. He took the door handle and pulled.

The handle suddenly started vibrating and Davy jerked his hand away. The door shook and suddenly it just absorbed into the wall. Davy stretched his hand out and reached the wall. It was solid.

He took a little step back and swallowed hard. He suddenly felt himself too little. Mike brought something like confidence in that room, Davy was even grateful to him for still playing the big brother sometimes. Without Mike everything around him seemed so utterly big and menacing. Davy made another step back and cringed. Now that wasn't funny.

- Mike, - he called quietly and unsurely. – Mike, where are you?

He looked around, but the room was as empty. Davy bit his lower lip. He was like a little boy from Manchester, that little schoolboy who believed in wall biters, a superhero in a pink nightgown, so lonely and helpless in front of the unknown force that could do anything to him. It stole his freedom, it stole his confidence, it stole his happiness – and after that all it stole Mike. Mike wasn't his, but that evil force stole Mike from him, it took him right from Davy's arms – he could still remember holding Mike protecting him from the cold. Then it had been something like a call of the heart. Something had told Davy he needed to do it. And he gladly did.

Nobody will take me from you.

Davy didn't know why those words appeared in his head. They were whispered by the familiar voice, he dared even say – beloved voice. Yes, it was Mike's voice.

- Mike!

Nothing. No answer. Silence.

- Mi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ike!

But his cry of despair just hit the stone cold ceiling, reflected off the walls, fell on the floor and shattered, leaving only the tingle after it…

Mike felt the air vibrate – and turned his head to the vibration. It was long and strong.

- Who's there?

There was no answer, so Mike rose, tense and ready to attack.

He was fully dressed. The room he was in was even colder than the day before. Mike had been fighting the cold since about six o'clock in the morning. The bathroom door was wide open, the wind was howling in the hole in the paper wall. And the door that was once simple and wooden and was made to let people go out of the room, was the locked iron door of a safe, so cold and dark.

The vibration repeated, that time it was a long set of little vibrations which were barely reaching Mike's cheeks. He looked around cautiously and made a few steps towards the bathroom door. The vibration grew stronger.

- Is that you, bastard?

No answer.

- I'm freaking asking! If you think you can just take him from me and now mock at me, I swear you'll regret it!

The vibrations stopped.

- Now what?

There was no answer, but Mike felt the strange but familiar presence.

- Davy?

- Who are you?

The vibrations hit him in the face.

- Hey, are you kidding? What are you? Come out, I wanna see what you are!

And again – just another wave of vibrations. Davy made an unsure step forward – and a sudden wave of unstopping vibrations made him jump away.

And what did you expect? In fact, this stuff stole Mike from you. Who'll promise that it's friendly?

Davy shrank, clenching his fists, but not uttering a sound. A sudden thought that the thing – whatever it was – could find him by his voice stopped him.

- No-o, now I know that you are here!

The vibrations didn't repeat.

- Now that's no use hiding! I'll find you anyway!

No answer. But Mike still felt the presence.

- Where are you hiding him?

There was no answer so Mike clenched his fists and rushed to the bathroom door. He expected to touch something, but had to stop at the door, turn his back to it and look suspiciously around.

- I know that you're here, son of a gun. Where is Davy?

He stepped forward and looked around again. No trace of any vibration. Mike turned to the wall and came close to it. He suddenly remembered that he was, in fact, dealing with the wall biters.

- Now listen, - he said quietly and menacingly. – If you're the wall biter and are hiding him somewhere in your damned walls – I swear I'll find – him, you – both! And you'll regret it. Think about it while I still stand here.

There was no answer so Mike put his both hands on the wall and went along it, tapping it with his foot as he moved. There could be a hole in the wall anywhere, it was most likely near the floor and it must be quite big.

Davy stood silent near the place where the bathroom door once was, too scared to move. He knew that if he didn't move, the thing would find him sooner or later. But the thought that if he moved he could run right into it stopped him. The vibrations had moved to his right and disappeared – and he still didn't dare to move. He looked around and made a humble try he knew was useless:

- Listen… if you can hear me… why are you doing this? I mean, if you want to make me scared, you did it, but just – what for? Do you just enjoy playing with us? Or what have we done?

There was no answer. Davy sighed and continued:

- You know, if you wanted to bring me pain, you succeeded. Congratulations now! But I just wanna know what have you done to Mike? Please, don't do anything bad to him, just please; if you're in this room you must be able to hear me. I need him and you took him away – well, I can survive, though it's a pain for me. You don't wanna answer my questions so I won't ask why you stole him. Just don't hurt him. Don't hurt him as you did it to…

He didn't manage to finish the sentence.

Mike rushed to the thing he'd just felt – and he hit something warm and firm.

- Aha, I found you, bastard! – he roared, throwing himself in the direction of that thing. – Now you'll regret that you stole him! I'll make you bring him back!

The thing attacked back and Mike felt something like a fist as it hit him in the face.

- So you're gonna fight?

Mike attacked again and tried to catch that fist, but he couldn't as the thing was too fast.

Davy managed to protect his face and chose the right moment to throw himself on the thing that was attacking him cruelly. He fought it and he did his best to avoid being hit – but it was just shadow boxing as he couldn't even see whom he was fighting.

- Stop it! Stop! What have I done to you?

The thing pushed him, but he managed to stay on feet. He attacked back – and he felt something like a face. He hit the thing with his leg and tried to run away, but stumbled and fell on the floor. And somebody's legs squeezed his hips immediately – and he was under the shower of powerful strikes of invisible fists. He tried to protect his face, he tried to push that somebody away – but he couldn't. The power of the thing was much greater than his own, though he wasn't weak himself.

Somehow he managed to catch the hands of – whatever it was – and roll over it and take control of it. He hit it hard a few times before being fiercely thrown away – and caught again. He shrank as the same legs squeezed him. He made a last try – he stretched his both arms out to – maybe – find the neck of it, if it was really so human-like. But the thing caught his wrists and pressed them to his own chest. Davy shut his eyes, scared to death. He was sure that it would kill him – though he didn't know how. He clenched his fists, ready to attack if there was the opportunity, but he suddenly felt the hands holding his own – they could almost cover his whole fists.

Unable to finally believe it, Mike squeezed the little fists in his hands – and then stroked them slightly. They were the little strong wiry hands he had felt holding his nightgown, his shoulders and even his own hands. Mike stroked those fists until he felt them unclench and he just squeezed the little hands in his own, biting his lower lip so as not to cry with despair.

- Davy, you? Is that you, sunny?

He leaned forward.

The soft vibrations caressed Davy's face. He didn't dare to open his eyes, but he felt something familiar in those hands squeezing his own. Whose fingers could those be – so long and so tender?

Mike released Davy's one hand – and he immediately felt it push him away in fear.

- Davy, dear, dear Davy, it's me, it's me! Forgive me, my little one, forgive me!

Mike stroked the soft cheek – and no doubt that it was Davy's, he caressed that face he couldn't see, but could feel. He closed his eyes and he felt the thick eyebrows making a frown, a stubborn chin, eyes which were shut – in fear or in pain or in whatever. He found his hair – that soft chocolate hair, invisible but so beloved. Mike released Davy's other hand and put both his hands on the little man's cheeks.

- My little one…

Those vibrations were so warm Davy couldn't believe it. The hand caressing his face, examining it so lovingly was familiar and warm, but Davy couldn't be sure. Not opening his eyes – just not to see the emptiness over him – he put his hand on that one on his cheek. He touched the long fingers, one of them was soft and surely didn't move properly – Mike's crushed finger… Davy stroked that hand.

- Mike? Is that you?

He put his hand on the chest it was under – and that was Mike's chest, so lean and so firm and – so beloved. Davy moved his hand towards the shoulders – and wrapped his arm around them. He freed his other hand from under Mike's chest and reached to touch his face. And he did touch the warm skin, and he felt Mike's cheek – and his sideburn. Davy gasped and stroked that sideburn softly.

- God, Mike, that's you, that's you…

He ran his fingers through the waves of the hair – of Mike's hair – and pressed the man to his chest. He recognized him.

- Mike, dear… Mike, I'm sorry…

Mike wrapped his arms around Davy's neck and sat up, helping the little one. The vibrations were caressing his ear – the little man was whispering something, but Mike couldn't hear.

- What, what do you want to tell me?

Mike stroked Davy's back, not able to stop his tears.

- My little one… what have I done?

He ran his fingers through Davy's hair and pressed the little one to himself like a child.

- I told you nobody would take me from you. And what have I done! My little one, sorry, sorry…

Davy freed himself a little from Mike's arms. He couldn't see the man, he could just feel him, his warmth, his body against Davy's own. His arms around Davy's shoulders. Davy put his hands on Mike's cheeks and stroked his skin with his thumbs. He felt the corners of Mike's lips – he was saying something, but stopped immediately. Davy moved closer to Mike and softly caressed Mike's nose with his own. He put his finger under Mike's nose – and fell something wet. He looked at his finger – it was red. On his finger Mike's blood became visible. But his body touching Davy's own didn't.

- You're bleeding, - Davy whispered, putting his hand back on Mike's cheek. – And it's all my fault.

He didn't know what to do and Mike couldn't see him any way. Davy bit his lower lip. He didn't know why his heart was hitting his ribs so desperately from inside. It was shouting to him: 'Do it, do it!' And Davy couldn't resist. He pressed as close as he could to Mike, took a deep breath – and touched Mike's lips softly with his own…

At first Mike just didn't understand what was going on. He felt soft warmth on his lips and it was like a little corner of heaven. Then he suddenly understood what was going on – and his first urge was to break away from Davy. But he listened to his heart – and it was beating so fast, and his abdomen was filled with that strange warmth pouring from his chest down inside him - and just pressed his lips a little bit closer to Davy's. And this way they sat for a few moments, scared of what they were doing – and in the seventh heaven with pleasure, overwhelmed by that feeling of each other so close – and not daring to make the kiss any deeper.

Finally Davy leaned away a little, just to separate their lips, yet touching Mike's nose slightly with his own and opened his eyes – and met a stare of Mike's tea-coloured eyes. They were never so close before and Davy lost his breath. Mike was looking at him in surprise – but Davy could see what a pleasure it was to Mike. He was surely glad it brought joy not only to his little world, but still…

- What are we doing? – he asked quietly with a smile.

Mike didn't answer. He licked his lips and smiled back, embarrassedly and happily, and embarrassedly even more because that happiness was easily seen. He moved closer to Davy – and at the same moment Davy leaned back.

- What?

- Nothing…

Mike released Davy and put the hands on his knees, not looking at the little one. And Davy felt a sudden urge to knock everything off and just hug him, press him close – and do that again, repeat that kiss, and maybe go a little further, just a little, just a bit…

- You know… in the room where I was it was warm, - Davy remarked with something like fault in his voice.

- You're the lucky one all the way, - Mike answered quietly, still staring at his knees.

- I hope you… don't mind what I… did…

- No-no, - Mike quickly reassured. – It was… okay, really. It was okay.

It was even more okay than you may think, my dear. It was much more than just okay, but I'm glad you'll never know.

Mike sighed, smiled ashamedly and rose.

- If only you will forgive me.

- For what?

- Look at yourself in the mirror. I bet if you take those pajamas off, you'll see more. Now I brightened you up well!

- Ah, that… first you go wash your face, I did an even better job!

- I'm sorry…

- Wrong answer. I am sorry. And we're friends. If to believe the old saying, we're now even more friends, - Davy said and bit his tongue.

Mike smiled with a corner of his lips. How I wish we now were more than just friends! The fight coulda made us more friends, but could that kiss make us just a little more lovers, forgive me if it sounds inappropriate? Eh, who'll answer…

In the mirror a pale young man with blood under his nose and deep wounds on his lower lip and left cheekbone looked at Mike bitterly and exhaustedly. Davy really had done a good job! Mike washed his face with cold water and when he looked at himself in the mirror again, he happily noticed his nose wasn't broken. Thanks, Davy, you were kind enough… my little one. Oh gosh how I love you, and what really a coward I am! You kissed me – and I still think that my love is too true to utter!

Davy threw away the nightgown, sat down on Mike's bed and buried his face in his hands. The gorgeous feeling of Mike on his lips was gone – and some unpleasant emptiness appeared. No, you're not a Mike-addict, stop it now! But he couldn't. It was okay. Just don't think too much of that 'okay'! You both were desperate and you – just – finally found one another. Davy sighed. That kiss made them visible to one another – and they were both in the same room, and they could hear each other's voice again. Did that mean anything? Could that be a lesson to learn?

- Davy?

Davy raised his head. Mike knelt down near his feet and looked up at him – he was visibly worried.

- You okay?

Davy looked away. Mike took Davy's wrists in his hands. Davy looked at him agitatedly – and met endless tea-coloured kindness and tenderness. Mike's hands moved to Davy's own and the next moment his fingers were between Davy's. Mike was looking at him not saying a word – the words weren't needed. They recognized each other without words, they felt one another. They looked in each other's eyes and understood more than they could understand in words.

Davy slid down on the floor and freed his hands from Mike's. He nearly felt the man's glance on his body, but he didn't mind. He moved closer to Mike and put the hands on his shoulders. Mike didn't move. He probably didn't know what to do, as well as Davy. The little one hugged Mike and buried his nose in Mike's soft white collar. Mike's hands wrapped around his almost naked body. Mike stroked his back as only he could do it and Davy felt that he could trust him in everything, that he could tell him the most intimate secrets…

But he wanted just to stand on his knees surrounded by Mike's warmth and scent, simply – surrounded by Mike.

'Now you are my warm corner.'

Yes, Mike, you are.