Chapter 2
"Always the same eyes, the same green eyes that could turn to silver when amused and the iciest blue when angered," Tony murmured. "It's how I knew you, even in those lifetimes - those lifetimes when we never actually met."
"London. It was 1894, I believe? It was the time of Oscar Wilde, he was far braver and more reckless than I had ever dreamed of being. He believed he should have been able to love as he wished, no matter what society demanded of him, while I, I had far more secrets, secrets he couldn't even begin to guess at, even as we socialized at the clubs, and at the theater, I knew I had to hide myself, my true self away. I didn't dare fall in love with you. You were an actor, the finest I'd ever seen. But, I could never help myself, and damn, if you didn't know it. There was one night, one opening night, I sat in the box seats with Oscar, and you caught my eye from your very first lines, and I didn't dare look away, Oscar found it most amusing, but I knew who you were, and all I could do was sit and watch, you had the most beautiful voice -"
"Hamlet." Stephen whispered in amazement, then pushed up on an elbow, and grinned down at him. "I was getting a little long in the tooth to play him, but makeup did wonders, and I hadn't played him yet. I played it for weeks, sometimes, sometimes it felt like forever, but you were always there, the same seat every night. I always hoped you would be at the stage door after one night, or I'd find a telegram from you." A slow smile brightened his features as he remembered, "...but there were always orchids, beautiful orchids, those were from you, weren't they? Every Friday night, never a card with them." He closed his eyes tightly, then blew out a breath, and looked down at him. "That's all I remember from that time - you, and your remarkable eyes, I never saw you again, after we closed. When I finally got up the courage to look you up, you had closed your house -"
"I couldn't bear it, not being able, I couldn't -" Tony reached over and threaded his fingers into the dark curls and watched the green eyes turn silver. "I left for the States for a few years after the play closed, and by the time I returned - damn, I'm sorry."
Stephen shook his head and whispered, "I know. I understood - He understood."
Tony studied the face he had loved time after time, each time was different, and yet -
"There are more things in heaven and earth..."* Stephen smiled gently at him, then asked, "I know you have better things to do today, but do you mind if we just stay in bed a little longer?"
"I don't mind at all," Tony answered, then closed his eyes as Stephen curled around him, once again, making him feel safer than he ever had before in his life, and he wondered how long this could last.
"As long as you want, Tony, as long as you need me, I'll be here." His voice, the voice that he had loved, would always love then sang him a song, one of those ancient songs in a language only he understood until they both drifted off to sleep, and their pasts left them in peace for a few hours.