Title: tu me manques



Familiar walls. Familiar floor. The tick-tock of a grandfather’s clock at the end of this corridor, turn left and enter the room with an opened door. He had taken this path so many times already that even though he wasn’t quite sure why he was here, he kept on going. The room is filled with various things from the outside, and most especially, one lone figure sleeping on the bed.

He realized what this was as he found himself approaching- slowly before speeding up, huffing that if he will not hurry, then he will lose him instantaneously.

Much as the figure slowly opened his eyes when he arrived by his bedside- a familiar face, a familiar body, and a familiar voice rang out, “Bonjour, mon frère.”

It’s Claude.

Claude, as he should be. As he truly is.

Was, he mentally corrected. As he had been.

“Bonjour, mon petit frère…” He greeted the other, choking into sobs as he could not bear say his name. Vision blurring slightly at the tears that rose and threatened to hinder his sight, angrily, he swiped at his face to wipe them away, that he missed the rustle of movements, until a pair of hands grasped at his cheeks.

He refocused at the scene before him.

Claude smiled, as he looked at him, the eleventh autumn in their lives, just before he fell ill. He tried to memorize this scene, once and forever, keep it in perfect clarity. How much he wanted that this be his reality. How he wished his camera was here but-

To turn away from this smile and to walk away from this warmth- those things cannot be.

He removed his hands to grasp and clutch the other close, much as Claude chuckled, “Do I look that upsetting? I missed you too, brother.”

And yet, he could only cry harder, burying his face to his shoulder. It’s surprising, to realize that he’s back to this age. And ye, it was a wonder, an old familiarity- they were of the same size, of the same time. If only he could have lived only the same short period of his lifetime- if only he too, died—

Claude sighed as he squeezed him lightly, as if sensing his thoughts, “Don’t be like that… I’m glad you’re okay.”

He pulled away, a protest ready on his lips, as much as he tried to stay his hands on the other’s shoulders, to make him listen to reason, to make him stay-

To let him have this a bit longer, but—

The figure in his arms, and the world around them started to flicker.

Claude merely blinked, despite his spike of fear, “Ah, there’s not enough time left.”

And before he could react anything further, like his own body is stuck in its true form, an old, graying, worn out person, as he felt the weight of living sink in his very soul and bones— Claude cupped his cheek, rising a bit to kiss him on his temple, before settling to embrace him, “Joseph, take care of yourself, okay? It was nice to see you, I’m sorry, I wanted to just see you. Don’t cry, and don’t be in a rush to cross to this side, à la prochaine, mon frère.”

And the world ended in the next heartbeat and his next breath.

-x-

Joseph jolted awake, twitching to grasp around for something, but all he found was that he was alone on his bed. Sitting up to find himself with tears slowly shed and the insurmountable melancholy that he lost something he once had.

The sun filtered at the corner of his room, morning had come. A glint as the lens of the camera was struck by light and he remembered— what he wanted to keep forever, that he could be with Claude. But night had left and took his brother alongside its stead.