Fifteen years after barrier closure

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He had no name. 

He had thrown it off years ago, knowing it was pointless to keep it. He wasn’t the first exile to do this and he wouldn’t be the last. The moniker he went by, however, was almost unheard of and that’s what made him useful. No matter where he went, whatever guild he entered, they knew who he was, what he could do, and the amount of profit he could make for them. It had only been in the last few years that money had become a concept in the Divine Realms and, just like on Earth, it was greatly desired.

He knew why this was, of course. You don’t live somewhere for so long, get comfortable with the commodities and luxuries, and then just have it disappear. Money, technology, cities in the Veil, all of it had blown up not long after the closure.

This also made it easier to hide. No name, no home. Well, except what he shared with her. His brow furrowed as he made his way through the city heading back to the apartment they shared, wondering if she was even home. She’d been gone more frequently, contacting him even less. Not that it mattered, of course; he’d been no better. 

A buzz in his pocket drew his attention. Pulling out his phone, he saw it was a text from an unknown number. Probably another job. He swiped up and opened the message, nodding slightly. 

Vampire south region of Galane 5000 alive 8500 dead prefer dead. Frost.

He’d worked for this guild before and knew they were good for it.

Name?

Hector.

His hand clutched around the device. He knew that name, knew him all too well. Fuck… He sighed and messaged back that he accepted and would have the job done within three days. First, he needed to get home, grab a shower and some rest. On his way, he sent her a text letting her know what he would be doing. He was a block from the apartment when she responded.

Good luck.

He sighed. No point in responding. He pocketed the phone and gripped the straps of his bag a little tighter. 

He was walking by a small alley when he saw it. 

He stopped, his eyes falling on the flower; white with a purple edge and a yellow core. He knew this flower even if it had been a long time since he’d seen it. Even then, it had been a different color. The shape was still the same, the smell, too. He tentatively reached out a hand and picked it up from the barrel it sat on. He felt a tightness in his chest, a feeling of relief washing through him, a desire to smile. These weren’t his feelings and he knew it. He knew exactly where they came from, and from whom. It didn’t matter that he had learned to ignore them, tried to forget them.

“I told you I’d find you.”

He clutched the flower, the knot forming in his stomach as he raised his eyes, the young man at the end of the small alley pushing off the wall filling his vision. He’d gotten taller, more radiant. His hips waved ever so slightly as he walked. His gorgeous silver hair had grown to his shoulders, braided on the sides and tied in the back. His ruby red eyes still bright as ever, his smile warm, his beautiful face open as he gazed upon the man he hadn’t forgotten, even when everyone else had.

“Noah…”

He tilted his head. “Hey, Kas.”

The man formerly known as Lukas Franks gaped, frozen in place, speechless. Noah closed the distance, his hands going to Strannick’s chest, sliding up and around his neck. “You’ve been ignoring me.”

Strannick hesitated before shaking his head, his eyes never leaving his face. “I—Noah, you…” His arms wrapped around the young angel’s waist, his cool body a refreshing wave against his own. “You left me,” he finally whispered.

Noah’s smile faltered. “I had to,” he said, his own voice soft as he did his best to keep it level. 

Strannick swallowed hard past the rising ache in his chest. “Don’t do it again.”

Noah smiled, pressing into the larger man, his arms tightening around his neck as Strannick hugged him tight, his face buried in his neck. Fifteen years and not one person he had ever known had reached out to him. 

Noah Albright, the boy who got away, would be the only one.

-*-