When Aleksandr woke, he heard a song.
It was beautiful, and sad, and bittersweet, not at all like the dark hymn he sang that night. It made him want for nothing, all the while building a haven, albeit an empty one. He tried to hide the smile on his face, but he couldn’t. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a shadow in front of him. He stared at the figure for a while, before closing his eyes again, content with listening.
When the song slowed, Aleksandr reached out, curling his fingers into the silhouette. Clothes, he realized. The tune faltered a little, but then the song picked up again, this time more lively, more vibrant. It wasn’t like anything he’d heard before, and though it was tumultuous, Aleksandr felt calm, if only for a few more moments.
“Aleksandr.”
He stopped. He forced his eyes open, and saw Sasha staring down at him. A deep, dark blush spread across his face then, but before he could turn away, Sasha cupped his face with both hands. He was embarrassed. He wanted to curl up under the blanket, make himself seemingly nonexistent to the world around him. But despite that, Sasha didn’t look away.
A moment later, he felt a thumb underneath his eyes.
“Aleksandr,” he said again, “Why are you crying?”
