Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 22:58:33 -0500
From: Purple Jubliee <purplejubilee17@gmail.com>
Subject: After Earth Went Dark; Part III: Chapter 4

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After Earth Went Dark; Part III
Chapter 4

       Ida moved from one person to the next, offering hopeful words or a
damp cloth. Doing whatever she could to help them recover. Elliot was
surprised to notice that she seemed to mark no difference between the men
from the New State, and the members of the camp.
       He didn't know how she could so easily help the men that had only a
few hours before been trying to kill them all. It almost made him feel bad
for leaving the man without a drink. Almost.
       Hours passed and the sun rose high into the sky. It was after noon
by the time the final tally of dead came down. Forty-three defenders and
been killed in the attack, and another six had died from their
injuries. Twenty-two had sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were
still in the infirmary. From the New State, one hundred and seventy-four
men had been killed with another fifteen mortally injured. In the infirmary
in relatively stable condition they now housed thirty-three wounded New
State militiamen.
       Marcel delivered a speech congratulating the people on their brave
actions and remembering the dead. A proper group funeral would be held the
next day. In his message, he promised that this had been a major victory
for them and that the New State would think twice before coming for them
again. Elliot couldn't help wondering if Marcel actually believed that or
not. Tyr seemed to think that they would not attack again, but Elliot
wasn't totally convinced. In fact, if he had been calling the shots for the
New State, a second attack right after the first would be exactly the kind
of thing he might think of, hoping to catch them with their guard down.
       Elliot of course did not voice these concerns to anyone, but it kept
him on edge as he continually scanned the camp and the tree line for
anything suspicious. The sentries were reposted, so he supposed he was
probably being overly cautious but still, the thought of a second wave
suddenly sweeping through them while they were unprepared was not an
appealing one.
       It was a long day. Between helping to tend to the wounded and
repairing some of the damaged defenses, Elliot found himself exhausted by
dinner time. The hard work had however kept his mind off the horrible
carnage of the battle and the dead faces littering the field.
       Jay found him in the main dining tent and sat down next to him with
a heavy sigh. That sigh pretty much summed up exactly how Elliot felt as
well. The two of them said nothing to each other for a while. Both could
tell that the other was experiencing almost the exact same rollercoaster of
emotions.
       Finally, Jay gave him a smile which Elliot couldn't help but return.
       "Well, we're still here." Jay commented sarcastically.
       "Yup." Elliot agreed.
       "Pretty sure I've got you to thank for that." Jay reminded.
       Elliot shrugged. "Tyr did all the work. I just yelled."
       With a quiet laugh, Jay shook his head. "Maybe so. Still, it's good
to know you're watching my back."
       Elliot smiled but didn't say anything. His smile faltered however
when he remembered just how close of a call it had been. It easily could
have been Jay lying dead in that field.
       "Hey." Jay snapped him out of his thoughts. "It's fine." He
insisted. "We all made it."
       "Not everyone though." Elliot answered softly.
       Jay nodded soberly. "I don't know what I expected it to be like. But
that wasn't it."
       The two ate their meal quietly. Grateful to simply have the comfort
of a friendly presence.
       With everything going on, Elliot had not had much time to dwell on
the promise that Tyr had made to him that morning. Now however, he began to
wonder just what Tyr had in mind, if anything. He knew that both of them
were exhausted so the just idea of sleeping close to Tyr was almost as
alluring as the thought of what else might go on. Almost.
       Elliot decided not to share his plans for the evening with Jay. Not
out of embarrassment, he and Jay had become fairly open with each other
about their intimate lives, as dry as they were at the moment. Elliot chose
not to say anything because talking about it would only raise his hopes
further. He realized that he was internally preparing himself to be
disappointed once more. Surely something would come up at the last
minute. Marcel would need Tyr for something, or a fight would break out in
the camp, or more Carvers would show up, or the sky would fall. Dozens of
scenarios of varying plausibility played out in Elliot's mind that would
almost certainly disrupt his chance to spend a night with Tyr
       However, as he finished his meal and bid goodnight to Jay, he
couldn't help feeling the mounting excitement. He felt almost like he was
hiding a naughty secret, scurrying away to do something he shouldn't do. It
took considerable willpower to not break into a run as he left the dining
tent heading for Tyr's private lodgings. There was one quick stop that he
had to make first, back to his own tent, just long enough to grab something
that he did not want to be without. He stuffed it into his pocket and
walked quickly back to Tyr's tent.
       Tyr had put his tent together himself and it was almost entirely
practical. There was a sleeping space and a very small sitting space. Tyr
had told Elliot that he did not need much room since he did not use the
tent very often.
       It was far from the most luxurious place that the two of them had
spent a night. Elliot wistfully recalled the suite at the Tournament set
aside for the Royal Champion. That was the sort of accommodation he wished
he could share with Tyr, but at the end of the day the fact that they were
together could make even a tiny and cramped tent into a paradise home.
       Tyr was not in the tent when Elliot arrived, but he tried not to let
that worry him. It was not that late yet so there was a good chance that
Tyr was still working. Elliot knew that Tyr would want to take advantage of
even the slight and fading light of dusk.
       So, Elliot waited inside the tent on one of the little stools. He
did not dare lie down because he knew that he would instantly fall
asleep. Every time a set of footsteps grew close to the tent, Elliot's
hopes rose once more. And yet every time, they receded again as whoever it
was passed by.
       Elliot sat for over an hour, growing more and more disheartened as
the time passed. It had happened, just as he feared it might. Tyr had been
called away from some important task or other. Someone as important as Tyr
had so many more important things to worry about than him.
       The tent flap opened, and Elliot jumped violently. He had not heard
anyone approach. Tyr ducked his way inside and his face broke into a smile
when he saw Elliot there waiting for him.
       Tyr hadn't forgotten about him after all. In a surge of emotion,
Elliot jumped up from where he was sitting and ran over to hug Tyr tightly.
       Returning the embrace, Tyr's subtle smile faded. "Is something
wrong?"
       "No." Elliot replied quietly, resting his head on Tyr's chest. "You
came."
       "Yes..." Tyr was obviously puzzled. "I told you that I would."
       "I know." Elliot admitted, looking at the ground. "I was just
starting to think maybe you got too busy or... changed your mind or
something."
       Tyr put his hand under Elliot's chin and gently raised his face up
to meet his eyes. "Elliot. When I said that you were important to me, I
meant it. When I said I would meet you here tonight, I meant it."
       Tears welled in Elliot's eyes but did not fall. He threw himself
into the hug once more, even tighter. "I've missed you. Being with
you. It's been so long."
       Tyr slid his hand down Elliot's back. "Too long." He agreed. Tyr
leaned in and planted a kiss on Elliot's cheek, but Elliot sought more than
that and stood on his toes to put his lips to Tyr's.
       Tyr's hand moved farther down Elliot's back, changing the atmosphere
quickly. Elliot pushed back against the probing hand, letting Tyr know that
he felt it and wanted it to continue.
       As they continued to make out, Tyr's tongue dominated Elliot's,
causing the boy to moan, his head swimming in longing finally realized. Tyr
moved his hand down farther, slipping inside Elliot's waistband and coming
to rest firmly on the rounded bubble that he had not handled in so long.
       Elliot sighed in contentment, feeling Tyr's hand groping
him. Reaching up, Elliot took down his hair, shaking it free and letting it
fall about his shoulders. Then, he returned both hands to Tyr, sliding one
of them underneath his shirt to feel the rock-solid muscle underneath.
       Tyr was always so measured and controlled, but Elliot knew that
their intimate activities pushed his restraint to the limit. That was one
of the things Elliot enjoyed the most about it in fact. Seeing the animal
lust grow in Tyr's eyes. The feeling he got when Tyr looked at him like a
hungry predator eyeing helpless prey sent shivers of wild desire coursing
through him. Tonight, Elliot was determined to break that restraint down
even further.
       The probing hand continued to massage Elliot's ass. Elliot bent
forward slightly, hoping that Tyr would take the invitation. He did. Tyr's
hand slipped between the two mounds and he circled a finger teasingly
around the sensitive hole.
       Elliot squealed in pleasure and began pushing Tyr's shirt upward,
craving a look at Tyr's chiseled torso. This however, required Tyr to
remove the hand that was causing Elliot so much delight, and Elliot whined
in disappointment as it was withdrawn from his pants.
       Seeing Tyr reach over his head and pull his shirt off though almost
made up for it. Elliot still could not explain why the sculpted abs on
Tyr's lean frame drove him so wild. He ran both hands along them and he
felt his pants tighten even further in the front.
       Tyr was not finished though, he gave Elliot a gentle but firm push
back towards the large cushion that served as a bed. Elliot let himself be
guided by Tyr's strong hands and gently laid back down onto the soft
makeshift mattress. Tyr then pushed Elliot's shirt up over his head. Elliot
stretched his arms up to make it easier for Tyr to strip the shirt off him,
then circled his arms around Tyr's neck, pulling him in for another long
kiss.
       It felt amazing having Tyr's hands roaming his slender body and
Elliot moaned into Tyr's mouth as the probing fingers found his ticklish
areas and made him jump. His own hands made their way lower as well pushing
at the waistband of Tyr's pants.
       Leaning back, Tyr allowed Elliot to work at removing his pants and
helped him along the way. Elliot could have fainted when Tyr's manhood came
into view at last. He had almost forgotten just how big it was. Easily
twice the size of his own. Some of the things that Jay had told him
surfaced in his mind and he felt a fluttering feeling in his stomach as he
imagined certain possibilities.
       Tyr let him stare for a moment before moving in closer once more to
kiss Elliot again. This time though, Elliot could feel the long rod slowly
hardening as it was pressed against him in their passion.
       Elliot knew what he wanted. He used all of his relatively light
weight to try to roll Tyr over, but even so it was mostly Tyr feeling the
momentum and allowing it to happen as Elliot pushed him to lie on his back.
       Breaking away from the kiss and panting, Elliot's mouth moved from
Tyr's lips to his jawline, then kissed down to his neck. He kissed Tyr's
collarbone and down to his chest, giving each scar he came across a quick
peck, all the while looking up at Tyr. When he got to Tyr's abs, he paused
to give them special attention, kissing and stroking them, while one hand
traveled farther south.
       Tyr grunted his appreciation as Elliot gently took hold of the now
almost complete erection. Elliot loved the feeling of it in his hand as he
slowly rubbed it the rest of the way to life. The pulsing warmth that it
gave off and the scent of Tyr and manliness was so inviting, so
irresistible. There was one thing though that he had started to enjoy even
more than feeling it throbbing in his hand. Elliot's kisses continued
downward.
       Staring into Tyr's eyes as the tip of his nose brushed against it,
Elliot could feel the erotic tension mounting. It was empowering, having
the mighty Tyr on his back like this. In some ways, Elliot was servicing
him, but in others, Elliot felt in that moment like he was in charge.
       Inhaling deeply, Elliot let out an involuntary whimper as the
familiar musk returned to him, taking over his mind. In one long, slow,
drawn-out motion, Elliot put his tongue out, and licked Tyr's manhood from
the base to the very tip.
       Tyr shivered underneath him and groaned in pleasure. His cock jumped
seemingly of its own accord as Elliot tasted it for the first time in far
too long.
       As he reached the tip, Elliot sighed with delight. Leaning forward
further, he slowly closed his lips around the tip. He felt Tyr's powerful
legs tense up underneath him as he gradually allowed more of it into his
mouth. Tyr's hands came to rest on his slim shoulders, griping them firmly
as Elliot continued his work. With one hand, Elliot began to stroke the
considerable length that he could not fit in his mouth.
       Tyr began gently thrusting into Elliot's mouth. It was obvious that
he was still restraining himself though. Elliot bobbed down on Tyr as far
as he could until he felt it touch the back of his throat and he
gagged. Tyr's hands moved up his neck to play with his hair as Elliot
continued to take him as deep as he was able.
       Using his tongue, Elliot toyed with the shaft as well as continually
licking away the leaking seed that was starting to flow from the
tip. Elliot had grown to love the taste of it. It was part of Tyr that was
now a part of him as well. He craved it and needed more.
       The strong fingers laced their way through his long hair and
massaged his head as he moved up and down in rhythm. Elliot could feel the
hands tightening slowly and he knew that Tyr would soon take over the
situation. By then, it would be too late to enact his plan. He would be
unable to resist Tyr's animal need. So, with immense willpower, Elliot
pulled himself off of Tyr's throbbing manhood, leaving it wet with his
saliva and leaking from the tip.
       Tyr groaned in surprise as Elliot suddenly stopped in his task. He
didn't say anything, but he looked down with a wordless question, wondering
if something was the matter.
       Not breaking the silence either, Elliot shook his head, assuring
that everything was fine. He stood up and pulled the small bottle out of
his pocket that he had fetched from his tent. Tossing it to Tyr, he quickly
began tugging his pants down and off, leaving him fully exposed to Tyr.
       Taking a long moment to stare at Elliot's naked body, Tyr eventually
pulled his eyes away to examine the small bottle. In the meantime, Elliot
lay down on his stomach on the other side of the large cushion.
       "Elliot..." Tyr's voice was raspy from the excitement of their
games. "Where did you get this?"
       "Jay gave it to me." Elliot responded in barely a whisper, not
moving from his position.
       Tyr did not say anything for a long moment. Eventually Elliot looked
over his shoulder to find Tyr staring at him seriously with the bottle
still held in one hand. "I don't know if..." Tyr started.
       "I want to..." Elliot insisted. He looked Tyr in the eyes to show
that he was serious. "Please..."
       Elliot did want this. He wanted it more than anything. Even as he
thought about it though, his small body began to tremble. It was uncharted
territory, and he was scared.
       Tyr could see this and ran a gentle hand down the arc of Elliot's
back. He leaned in on top of the smaller boy, still keeping most of his
weight off him, but just enough to provide a comforting pressure. He kissed
Elliot's neck tenderly, setting the small bottle of oil lubricant that
Elliot had brought to one side.
       Moaning in happiness, feeling Tyr on top of him, Elliot's nervous
shaking slowed. Tyr's hand ran from his ribs down to his hip then back up
again as Tyr continued to kiss him sweetly.
       "I don't want to hurt you." Tyr confided in Elliot's ear before
kissing it gently.
       "Mm..." Elliot whined. "But... Even if it hurts some... I want you
to. I..." His voice caught in his throat and Tyr finished the thought for
him.
       "I love you." He spoke in a low whisper.
       It was the first time those three words had been spoken aloud
between them. Both had known what the other felt to some degree, but
neither had been able to take that one large step of vocalizing it. Now, as
Tyr's hand laced with Elliot's they took it together.
       "I love you..." Elliot repeated the phrase, feeling tears rolling
from his eyes. "I love you too." Suddenly he rolled over, underneath Tyr,
unable to bear not being face-to-face. He wrapped his arms around Tyr's
neck and his legs around Tyr's waist and kissed him for all he was worth.
       Tyr pressed his hands to the back of Elliot's head, feeling the rush
of intensity as well. He allowed a bit more of his weight to press down on
Elliot's slender frame and Elliot sighed contentedly against his mouth.
       They kissed with unrestrained passion the likes of which neither one
had felt before, as though a dam had burst and all the feelings that they
held for each other were now free to be expressed through this long
intimate kiss. Their tongues danced together, twining and
untwining. Extensions of two bodies that were as close as one.
       After what must have been several long minutes, Elliot finally
pulled back, panting, his head falling gently back to the soft padding
underneath, his hair splayed out behind him like spokes on a wheel.
       "I want you, Tyr..." Elliot said again quietly, looking up at his
handsome lover. "I want you to be... inside me..."
       This time, Tyr did not protest. Slowly, he nodded and once more
grabbed up the bottle of oil. Opening it for Elliot to see, he allowed a
large amount to drip out onto his fingers. Then his hand disappeared.
       Elliot did not have to guess where the hand had gone. His legs were
still wrapped around Tyr's waist and he soon felt the strange erotic
tingling of something touching his tight hole. The oil was cool and made
him unconsciously clench his legs tighter around Tyr before forcing himself
to relax.
       Tyr kept his eyes locked with Elliot's as he teased gently with his
lubricated fingers, drawing soft whimpers from the boy underneath him. Then
suddenly, he slipped one inside.
       "Mmm..." Elliot grunted in surprise. His Adam's apple bobbed up and
down as he swallowed hard. Tyr had not entered roughly and only gone about
to the first knuckle, but it was still a startling sensation between the
chill of the oil and the warmth of Tyr's finger now inside him and slowly
pressing further.
       Wiggling slightly, Elliot again made himself calm down. He tried to
take long even breaths as the probing digit moved deeper into him. "Ahh!"
He gasped as the finger touched something inside him that sent a wave of
pleasure rocketing through him. Tyr's finger began to pull out, obviously
thinking that he had hurt Elliot somehow, but Elliot shook his head
frantically, wordlessly begging Tyr to keep going.
       The finger reentered, rubbing against that secret spot once more and
making Elliot whine. Elliot suddenly screwed his eyes shut and whimpered as
Tyr gently inserted a second finger, stretching the hole a bit more. A
brief sliver of pain was included with the pleasure this time but soon
Elliot felt the second finger slide deep into him alongside the first.
       Tyr began to slowly move the fingers in and out in a rhythmic
motion. Elliot was delighted to discover that every time Tyr's fingers
pushed all the way inside him, his dick twitched involuntarily. Then Tyr
slipped in a third finger.
       "Ohhh..." Elliot moaned and arced his back as he gripped Tyr's
shoulders tightly. This new finger caused a bit more pain than the second
one had, but Tyr's free hand rubbed his thigh comfortingly. Elliot knew he
could stop this at any time. Tyr wouldn't do anything if he thought it
would risk hurting him. But Elliot did not want to stop. There was
something intimate even in the pain somehow. And as the third finger moved
to join the others and Tyr ever so gently began to pump them in and out of
Elliot's tight hole, Elliot felt more sure than ever that he was ready for
what was next.
        As Tyr continued to finger him and the tempo slowly increased,
Elliot let out quiet reflexive gasps that he almost didn't realize he was
producing. His dick continued to twitch when the fingers entered him, and
it had begun to leak profusely. Elliot's mind was in a haze of ecstasy but
the small logical part of him that was still present told him that he
couldn't last much longer.
       "Tyr... Tyr..." Elliot half gasped half moaned with all the
willpower he could muster. "Do it... please... I can't..."
       Heeding his warning, Tyr slowly removed his fingers. Elliot whined
in displeasure but was immediately silenced when he felt the large warm
throbbing rod, slick with oil, pressing gently up against his entrance. It
wasn't even inside him yet and already it felt big. The nervous tremors
returned, making Elliot's entire body shake like a leaf. Tyr leaned down to
kiss him deeply, his strength bolstering Elliot's resolve.
       "I love you." Tyr told him again quietly.
       Elliot, his face a blend of anxiety and desire, sucked in a breath
and whispered. "I love you too." Before giving Tyr a nod to continue.
       With a gentle push, the tip entered him. Elliot's eyes popped wide
open and his voice cracked to a whole new octave as he squealed. Almost
immediately he felt Tyr begin to withdraw.
       "No!" He cried out. Elliot's slim chest rose and fell rapidly as he
panted, trying to find the breath for words. "Stay!" Was all he could
manage.
       Tyr got the message and froze with the tip still inside Elliot as
Elliot tried to compose himself. The entry had hurt far more than he had
expected it to, but his determination held strong. The stinging pain had
been almost like a blinding bolt at first but already was slowly starting
to diminish. Elliot continued to just breath, in and out.
       Allowing his head to fall back to the floor once more, Elliot gave
the nod then immediately gasped loudly as Tyr pushed forward another half
an inch. It was very strange feeling himself stretching to accommodate
Tyr's considerable size. Elliot could fell the warmth of it pulsing inside
him and radiating through his entire body.
       It did not take him as long this time to give another permissive nod
to Tyr. When he pushed forward though, Elliot cried out involuntarily. He
shook his head to ensure Tyr that he was ok. A sheen of sweat coated his
entire body and his face had begun turning red. Something about it though,
the feeling of it filling him, throbbing within him, and knowing that it
was Tyr, it felt right. Elliot knew that, despite the pain, this was what
he had wanted all along. Even before he had understood the concept, almost
from the moment he had met Tyr, he had longed for this feeling.
       Tyr pushed gently again, and this time Elliot's pained moan turned
into a whimper of confusion as the tip of it bumped against that secret
spot that Tyr's fingers had found before. His eyelids fluttered as his
brain short-circuited trying to make sense of the mix of sensations.
       Then another push, and Elliot's entire body jumped. The heat of
Tyr's long manhood was resting right on his pleasure spot. He could feel
Tyr's heartbeat pumping through it, and each pulse sent a shockwave of
pleasure coursing through his small body. His dick which had gone soft
began to rapidly come back to life despite the pain, which was quickly
taking a backseat to this new sensation.
       With a nod and a mumbling moan of incoherent gibberish, Elliot asked
Tyr for more. And when he got his wish, something clicked inside him. The
animal part of his brain took over. The hurt was still present, but his
instincts had other concerns, like demanding more of this powerful feeling
that he had never experience before.
       Tyr apparently had similar ideas. Even though he had not made it all
the way inside Elliot, he began to pull out slowly before pushing himself
back in. The thrusting drove all thought from Elliot's mind, and he howled
like a wild thing as Tyr mated with him.
       Although Tyr's thrusts were shallow, it was a constant cycle of
euphoria and withdrawal as Tyr gave it to him and then pulled
back. Elliot's yelping high-pitched screams and Tyr's heavy masculine
grunts could be heard far beyond the confines of their tent as Tyr
penetrated his young lover over and over.
       There was no stopping now. Even some sudden catastrophic disaster
Elliot knew, would not stop Tyr from breeding him. And that was the one
thing that he wanted now more than almost anything he had ever wanted in
his life. To feel the warmth of Tyr's seed flood him from the inside.
       Each rapid shallow breath that Elliot took produced another
squealing yelp as Tyr's pace quickened. The sweat on Tyr's brow and the
look of absolute animal hunger on his face told Elliot that he was very
close. Good. He wanted Tyr to claim him.
       With a thrust that was measurably rougher than any before it, Tyr
pushed himself deeper inside Elliot than he had yet gone. Still not using
the full length but more than Elliot had become accustomed to. Elliot
screamed as the glorious mix of pleasure and pain threatened to knock him
out. Then he felt it. Tyr throbbed powerfully inside him and Elliot felt
the strong jet of his seed being planted deep. It pulsed again and again,
shooting more and more, filling him, leaking out of him.
       Elliot squealed as his own orgasm rolled over him. His own seed
splashed impotently along his chest and stomach, while Tyr's masculine
essence filled him to overflowing. He didn't ever want it to stop. He
wanted Tyr to keep pumping more into him until his insides couldn't hold
any more. But even Tyr, after seven powerful shots, was expended.
       A steady stream continued to leak out of Elliot's hole as his brain
tried again and again to reboot. Tyr slowly pulled his gradually deflating
rod out of Elliot, eliciting a cooing moan from the boy. Elliot felt empty
without it now, even as he began to come down from the high.
       Elliot was certain he would never be able to move again. But that
was fine. As long as Tyr was there too. Tyr's muscular chest was heaving in
the dim light and Elliot's eyes traced his body lazily, still not quite
able to form real thought but definitely able to enjoy the sight.
       He began to feel the ache of his stretched hole, but it was that
almost-pleasant ache of a well-worked muscle. Tyr obviously found his wits
first and used a nearby bit of cloth to clean the residue off of Elliot and
then off of himself. He had not apparently found all of his wits yet though
as the cloth he chose also happened to be Elliot's shirt.
       Elliot noted this with more humor than the situation called for and
he began to giggle. Tyr, looking down at him and still catching his breath,
couldn't understand what was so funny. However, the sight of Elliot lying
naked and spent, giggling madly, was enough to bring an
uncharacteristically wide smile to his face.
       Letting himself down gently, Tyr laid down next to Elliot, letting
his breath out in a rush. Elliot turned his head to look at him, long hair
falling across his face, still quietly laughing. Tyr gave a short chuckle
as well, reaching out a hand to stroke the hair off of Elliot's face and
pin it behind his ear. He leaned in and kissed Elliot's forehead.
       Finally finding his mobility, Elliot inched himself closer and
rolled over next to Tyr so that he could lay his head across Tyr's
chest. The gravity and importance of what they had just done together began
to settle over him, silencing his giggles. Tyr's hand roamed his back as
Elliot pondered what it meant.
       "Have you ever..." Elliot had to clear his throat when his voice
cracked from the earlier strain. "Have you ever... done that before? With
anyone?" He asked without looking up at Tyr.
       "No." Came the monosyllabic reply after a long silence.
       "Me either." Elliot confirmed, although it hardly needed saying. The
silence returned and Tyr continued to rub his back and shoulders gently,
though his strokes were getting slower as the exhaustion caught up with
both of them.
       "I love you." Elliot said yet again. He loved hearing the words
aloud. But he loved even more hearing Tyr say them.
       "I love you too." Tyr responded quietly.
       The world began to fade as darkness stole into Elliot's mind. Just
on the cusp of sleeping and waking however, he felt Tyr rumble a single
word that he almost was not sure was real.
       "Mathias."
       Elliot did not have the slightest clue what that could mean and was
about to write it off as a strange half-dream. But something forced him to
put forth the effort to mumble. "Hmm, what...?"
       "Mathias." Tyr repeated softly. "There was a time... when I had
another name... and that was it."
       A feeling of warmth and closeness crept through Elliot, although in
his near-delirious state he did not fully understand why. Tyr had shared
with him something of intimate importance and it made Elliot's heart
leap. He tried to mumble one last "I love you." But the long sleepless days
and overuse of adrenaline demanded their payment. The warm embrace of a
restful and happy sleep washed over him, carrying him away.