Spaces in between (Stockholm Syndrome: Extended chapters)

Anniversary special 6

Hey, the world isn't terrible after all...

Jessica.

The girl we rescued.

She had a huge smile on her face. I didn't. I looked surprised. Her arms were around me in a suffocative hug. Archer had talked her into it and she'd only been too happy to oblige. She reminded me of another of Archer's friends.

Okay, the world isn't a bed of roses, but baby it's not so bad. I know the day we met Jessica we'd also met the guy who'd drugged me. It had started of terrible, but we got a happy ending, didn't we? Today Jessica is back to her old self, happy, bubbly...she's even taken to you.

"What's with your friends?"

Archer chuckled and shrugged. "Girls find gay guys cute?"

"I am not cute", I said.

"Sure you aren't", he said. "What we did for Jessica was great", he said adopting a serious tone.

I nodded.

Paradise is where we are...

This picture was one of my favorite pictures. It was of us in our new house in Brentwood, cuddling on the couch. There were a bunch of boxes around, a sign that we had just moved in and hadn't unpacked yet. We were so happy that for once Archer didn't stress about the mess that surrounded us. Marx had taken the picture after helping us move.

We didn't just buy a house, we bought a home. I said it before, anywhere with you is home...but a 2-storey paradise kind of takes things a little further. We didn't just decide on the house because it was beautiful and close to work. We also thought it was in a good neighborhood to raise kids and had top schools. This isn't just a house; it's an investment into a future we both dream of.

It's paradise.

"I wouldn't be here with anyone else", I said.

"You wouldn't be here at all".

We walked on to the next picture hand in hand. Something told me it was the last one. Instead of a picture, it was just words.

I have walked this road with you...

I have taken these stairs with you...

I have made giant leaps with you...

I would never have done this with anyone else but you...

Felix,

Our journey hasn't been easy

It wasn't impossible either

We are here

And together we can go anywhere

Happy Anniversary!

I turned to Archer and enveloped him in a hug. He buried his head in my chest. I closed my eyes and focused only on our proximity. He was really there with me. We'd truly had a marvelous journey.

"I love you", he whispered.

"I love you too. Thank you".

"I didn't really do much. We created these memories together", he said, his head emerging from my chest.

I opened my eyes. "Every memory you showed me today, I felt like I was physically there, reliving it. This is an amazing anniversary gift".

"This is nothing. I would write our story in a book if I could. I would document every moment", he said.

I chuckled. "You would need volumes. Something like two books wouldn't cut it".

"There are small versions of the pictures by the way. I compiled them into a book and put it under your pillow".

"I have a question. When did you get the time to do all this and where did you hide these pictures? They can't exactly fit in your wallet"

He chuckled. "Our house is very big".

"More rooms to have sex".

"Gawd", Archer groaned. "We should take a picture right now for our journey next year", he said brightly.

And so we did.