Li was in the quiet blackness.

Where someone could float for lifelong eternities that folded neatly into fleeting moments. He knew it so well and welcomed it so often. Usually he drifted, as if in the ocean but there was no sight of the surface. And usually there was no floor.

But then something tugged.

He heard voices and the clattering of bottles, and he decides that he will see where it’s coming from. With the wiggling uncertain stretching of limbs, exactly like a small child trying to descend from tall tall bar stool, Li attempted to find the floor. And eventually there was a floor to find. He walked the floor, watching his feet. He realized that he could see the outline of his favorite brogue shoes. After a few more steps he realized that he could clearly see his soft leggings and his currant red high tops. He saw the feet of chairs scraping against painted cement.He looked up and around. It was that bar. From earlier tonight. The familiar bare brick walls, and trippy blue neon signs were just the same. The name of the club, ‘The Gentle Void’ lit up the whole left side of the bar in blue looping cursive. He knew without questioning why he knew, that he was shorter than usual, smaller, and with bleach damaged hair. His twin brother was around here somewhere and he needed to find him.He eventually saw his twin, at a corner table, in a pool of bright yellow light doing his homework. Smiling, he reached to tap his twin brother’s shoulder- But a huge hand landed on his shoulder, way to close to his throat.

“Where’s my money?” said an inebriated voice, with an annoyingly familiar Reiligian accent. He flipped the person who had grabbed him just like in those old beloved Jackie chan movies. It was so easy. The greasy man was sent flying and disappeared among the dancing crowd.

“Nice toss, Koha. Shep deserved it.” Kaito was smiling up at him, his mountain homework and textbooks was bouncing white light upward, so his face was oddly lit.

“Would you like me to help you with your homework, Kaito?”

His twin’s face turned possessive, smiling in a cold tightlipped way that they did not share. “No, Koha, I’m fine! I don’t need your help. Don’t you have work to do?”

And he glared across the room, over Koha's shoulder. Turning, he saw the table he was supposed to be waiting on. He was suddenly in front of their table with his notepad, “Anything else?”The handsome Count asked him to read the order back.

“Okay,” Koha cleared his throat, “That was a safety blanket for the sloshed teenager,” gesturing at the Prince with glimmering blonde hair." A safe for the gold and salve for the bruises,” nodding toward little King Midas.“Yet another plate of lobster for the Count. And spray tan for the birthday boy.” Koha snickered at his own wit but when he looked up, he saw that the pale duke was suddenly much to close.

Duke Li Kong was concentrating, reaching toward Koha’s brain.

“Stop that!” Koha snapped.

Li tried to reach farther and the lights of the bar flickered. Koha hissed and shoved Li backward. Or he tried to. His right hand had sunk into Li somehow and he had felt the warm imprint of Li’s heart as he shoved.

Li’s eyes flew open. There was the ceiling of his bedroom. He felt a warm and thudding pulse against his right palm, but it turned out to only be because his hand was pressed against his own heart. He sighed. What a strange dream. He closed his eyes and tried to think of other things. He wanted to dream a kinder dream. A body pillow shifted next to him, and an arm flopped into his chest.

Without really questioning why an arm was his bed, Li took the hand in his own. He kissed the slender fingers absently. He felt rather than saw, the arm led to a shoulder and a slim torso, which pressed closer to his back. Li turned, allowing himself to be spooned and quickly blacked out.