Suspended Imagination Chapter 4: Rustling Memory
Written for this prompt at buckleup_meme
Sequel to Escaping Reality
He managed to avoid Jim for 2 weeks by doing tests on all of the neurotoxins that he’d found. He had almost gotten something when a hand touched his shoulder and he jumped, spinning around. Jim stood before him, looking extremely haggard, like he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“Jim,” he breathed, unable to keep the mixed fear and joy out of his voice.
“You ran away from me, Bones,” Jim said. Len looked down, the shame almost a palpable thing in his chest. But he couldn’t have stayed; it was too painful to look at Jim and know that he didn’t remember what they had. Another part of him was afraid for an entirely different reason: when Jim did remember, what would he think of the fact that Len had gotten married to someone else, even had a child with them?
“Bones? Hey, you okay? Calm down. Look at me.” He snapped his head up, only to see those blue eyes that he knew so well not even recognizing him in the way that they used to. It made him feel worse, the pain increasing.
“Bones…” Jim’s hands were on his shoulders now, and he wrenched away, turning back to his test, trying to get his breathing under control, and noticed something he hadn’t noticed before. One of the toxins he had ruled out due to the main ingredient, which was pretty much deadly to Jim, had pinged back with a response, based on his rather more informed knowledge (which meant that he understood far more than Jim had when the latter had said he felt like he got hit by a truck).
“Jim… “ He didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. “Do you know where your ring came from?”
“No. I woke up after the coma with it on my hand. I assumed Winona got it for me, but I’m not really big on wearing things on my hand, especially back then when I worked with a lot of machinery. So I put it on this chain and forgot about it.”
“I know where it came from.”
“…You gave it to me, didn’t you,” Jim said, letting go of his arms. Len looked up, to see something on Jim’s face that he’d never seen. Of course, it had been years since he’d seen him, so he could have gained new expressions. “What happened?”
“I can’t tell you until you remember… Which might happen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, you’re allergic to the cure.”
“How allergic?” Jim had that look in his eyes, like he was prepared to do anything to get what he wanted.
“Deathly allergic.”
“So how do you remember but I don’t?” Len sighed; he’d known this would come up.
“My family hired a telepath to block my memories of you, after I moped around for a year trying to find you. Your family stole you back and drugged you into compliance. My block broke after seeing you. Yours is a little more complicated; it may never be resolved, unless I can develop something you aren’t allergic to.” He saw a note of realization in Jim’s eyes, and felt hope blossom for the first time.
“You’re in love with me.”
(Onto Chapter 5: Roses in December)
Sequel to Escaping Reality
He managed to avoid Jim for 2 weeks by doing tests on all of the neurotoxins that he’d found. He had almost gotten something when a hand touched his shoulder and he jumped, spinning around. Jim stood before him, looking extremely haggard, like he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“Jim,” he breathed, unable to keep the mixed fear and joy out of his voice.
“You ran away from me, Bones,” Jim said. Len looked down, the shame almost a palpable thing in his chest. But he couldn’t have stayed; it was too painful to look at Jim and know that he didn’t remember what they had. Another part of him was afraid for an entirely different reason: when Jim did remember, what would he think of the fact that Len had gotten married to someone else, even had a child with them?
“Bones? Hey, you okay? Calm down. Look at me.” He snapped his head up, only to see those blue eyes that he knew so well not even recognizing him in the way that they used to. It made him feel worse, the pain increasing.
“Bones…” Jim’s hands were on his shoulders now, and he wrenched away, turning back to his test, trying to get his breathing under control, and noticed something he hadn’t noticed before. One of the toxins he had ruled out due to the main ingredient, which was pretty much deadly to Jim, had pinged back with a response, based on his rather more informed knowledge (which meant that he understood far more than Jim had when the latter had said he felt like he got hit by a truck).
“Jim… “ He didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. “Do you know where your ring came from?”
“No. I woke up after the coma with it on my hand. I assumed Winona got it for me, but I’m not really big on wearing things on my hand, especially back then when I worked with a lot of machinery. So I put it on this chain and forgot about it.”
“I know where it came from.”
“…You gave it to me, didn’t you,” Jim said, letting go of his arms. Len looked up, to see something on Jim’s face that he’d never seen. Of course, it had been years since he’d seen him, so he could have gained new expressions. “What happened?”
“I can’t tell you until you remember… Which might happen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, you’re allergic to the cure.”
“How allergic?” Jim had that look in his eyes, like he was prepared to do anything to get what he wanted.
“Deathly allergic.”
“So how do you remember but I don’t?” Len sighed; he’d known this would come up.
“My family hired a telepath to block my memories of you, after I moped around for a year trying to find you. Your family stole you back and drugged you into compliance. My block broke after seeing you. Yours is a little more complicated; it may never be resolved, unless I can develop something you aren’t allergic to.” He saw a note of realization in Jim’s eyes, and felt hope blossom for the first time.
“You’re in love with me.”
(Onto Chapter 5: Roses in December)