The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Three (Draft 3) "Hello, Pretty Pretty"

Morpheus shivered. "You taste sweet."

"It's the cloves. I'm guessing smoking's not a deal breaker?"

Morpheus opened his eyes. Julien was still close, his pupils wide, darkening the blue of his eyes. "Do Vampyres get cancer?"

Julien laughed and leaned back in the tub. "We do not."

"Neither do I."

Julien turned away, to the pair of Djinn who held towel and spare tunica. His floral tattoo continued down the left side of his back: a vine sprouting deep purple and pale pink orchids.

Morpheus didn't bother to lower his gaze as Julien stepped from the bath. He had a lean and hungry look accentuated by his height and undressed state. Julien patted himself with the towel then accepted the tunica from Hepburn and pulled it over his head.

"I didn't know you had jeannies. Sometimes you do show up with an entourage, though." Julien smoothed the red tunica beneath his hands. It was a little short for him, but he looked very much like the next Caesar, except that he had fangs.

"I am crazy attracted to you right now."

"Sweetie, that's your Roman fetish."

"I don't have a—" Maybe he did. "It's not a fetish."

Julien tipped his head towards the couch. "Would you like to sit with me?"

Morpheus nodded. Once Julien sat, Morpheus took his place close beside him.

Julien's hand hovered, nearly touching Morpheus on his thigh, then his hand, before retreating to touch his own thigh. "This is confusing."

"Because I'm younger me?"

"Yes. No." Julien paused. "I'd always thought you a bit Born Sexy Yesterday that first time we met, but you were the one doing the asking." He shrugged. "It's just hitting me how mistaken I was. I never realized this meeting happened. What if I've already said the wrong thing? What if I break the time continuum or something?"

Morpheus laughed. "You couldn't do that." He noted Julien's confused expression. "Really. It doesn't work that way. Time just exists. Whatever you perceive to have happened happens. Whatever you say to me now is what I will understand you to always have said."

It took a minute for Julien to process.

"Trust me. It doesn't help to try to go back in time and tell someone, 'don't play quoits with Raphael,' if you've already witnessed him die in a quoits-related accident."

Julien touched Morpheus on his hand. "So, whatever I've said, or am about to say, you've known it all this time? I mean, the future you, he'd remember all of this?"

Morpheus nodded. "Yeah."

"So, if I said, 'don't even try to be with me'?"

Morpheus sighed. "It might make me want you more."

"I'm not really comfortable with the idea that you'll pursue me just because I accidentally revealed things happened that way."

"Didn't you just say I'd know my type? Whatever I do will still be my choice. You think I can't be attracted to you without knowing the future?"

Tears welled in Julien's eyes, red tears that made his irises seem intensely blue.

"Do you really not believe it?"

Julien shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Murph. I'm just...I'm sorry. I'm realizing this is a chance to say things that I wish I could have realized or said long ago. But I couldn't. I didn't. And I'm sorry."