Between worlds

A Story by Kriss

LGBTQ+ romance with travel between planets idk (Silly gay romance with fantasy aspects)

I woke up today feeling exhausted, which isn’t unusual for me to be honest. Today is going to be the exact same as any other day… unfortunately. My life isn’t necessarily bad, I mean I have a decent job, a loving family and friends and colleagues that I like hanging out with! I’ve always felt kind of stuck, not because I don’t have dreams, but because the one thing I really want just feels so far out of reach. Everyone around me seems to have a plan. Take my friend Weston for example, he’s my best friend and colleague. Obviously he doesn’t want to work at a bookstore his whole life, I don’t either but he sees it as a stepping stone for his dream job of becoming an author. For me it’s more like a livable income. Something to hold me over while I figure out how, or even if I can even chase the one thing I actually care about: Acting. It’s not that I don’t know what I want. I do, I just don’t know how to get there, or if it’s even possible. Everything I’m passionate about feels unrealistic. Like wanting to be an actor is some kind of delusion I’m supposed to grow out of. Anyway, that’s enough whining for now. I threw on some clothes I left on the floor a few days ago and headed to the kitchen. I always check the calendar on my fridge before I leave for work in case i’m forgetting something and wouldn’t you know it, I was in fact forgetting something. I grabbed my phone off the counter and called my mom, her face is constantly buried in her phone so she answered me pretty quickly.

“Hi sweetie, it’s been so long since we last talked!”

“Ma’ it’s been 5 days.”

“I know I know, it just feels like so long ya’ know with you living in New York and everything-”

“Mom! I’m getting side-tracked, I have work in a bit. I just called to wish you a very happy birthday, and say that I’m sorry I couldn’t be there celebrating with you.”

“Oh, honey that’s very sweet of you but there’s no need for apologies. Besides, me and your father are coming to New York in a few days to celebrate your big audition thing, remember? You said that this could be your big break, so we’ll be there ready to celebrate when you get it.”

“If I get it ma’.”

“Yeah yeah whatever, now what are you doing standing around talking to me, don't you have a job to get to?”

“Alright alright I’m leaving, love you ma’ see you in a couple of days.”

“Love you too hun, stay safe.”

I hung up the phone and left for work. I take the subway to work, mostly because it’s convenient but also because… I’m terrified of drivers in New York, everywhere they go it always seems like they need to get there yesterday. They drive so fast and so recklessly for no apparent reason! The bookstore I work at is pretty close to the station so I don’t have to walk very far to get there, it’s maybe like 15 minutes max. As I stepped into work my face filled with dread as I remembered that I agreed to cover one of my co-workers shifts. I almost melted into the floor when I further realized that said shift was the last shift of the day, which meant that I had to close up for the night. At least I had Weston there, he had to be there at the same time as me. A few days ago he told me that he was going to some big party or something so he’d have to leave like half an hour earlier than me. I didn’t mind it though, this party is supposed to be some big deal or something so I was happy to cover for him since it seemed to mean a lot to him, I mean for Christ’s sake he’s the only thing keeping me from quitting this job and probably becoming homeless, so it’s the least i could do for him. I walked into the breakroom to put my stuff away before my shift started and I spotted Weston out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to have seen me as well since he stood up and started walking towards me.

“Hey Wes, how’s that book coming along? You’ve been working on it for ages!”

“It’s going great, actually. Finished the chapter I’ve been stuck on since… forever. And I didn’t even hate it.”

“Aw hell yeah! Am I finally going to get to read it?”

“Mmm… still marinating. But you’ll be first, swear.”

“You always say that and then ‘accidentally’ delete the file.”

“That happened once, get over it!”

“Alright fine, It’s forgotten.”

“But in all seriousness, I owe you dude.”

“Not a problem, besides you’d do the same for me.”

“We should probably get to working unless we want a repeat of what happened last week.”

“Oh yeah, Pierce rained hellfire on us. I mean give us a break dude we were like two minutes late.”

With that being said, we stopped loitering and got to work. It was a pretty chill workday considering it was a saturday in early summer, but I’m not complaining. The day went by pretty quickly and before I knew it, Weston had finished his shift so it was just me and the books. Usually when I have the last shift I just close early and check out some of the old books we have lying in storage. We get almost no customers this late anyway so, no harm no foul right? Anyway, I did what I usually do and checked the storage for any interesting new books we had. At first I didn't really find anything, but then out of the corner of my eye I saw this super old book. It piqued my interest so I decided to check it out. It was massive, almost twice the size of a normal book. It was bound in a thick, worn leather and it gave off an intense aura of mystery and wonder. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, with bright green threads running all across the cover, that under the dim light of the bookstore made it seem like it was almost glowing. I opened the book and was immediately engrossed in a sensation that- i can’t really describe. It almost felt like… home? I don’t know, it just felt like a sense of belonging; like it was inviting me in somehow. It got so intense that I didn’t notice the book changing before my eyes. The glow got brighter and more colorful, the threads started wrapping around my fingers like vines. It felt like the room was spinning, and suddenly I couldn’t tell which way was up. My stomach twisted and my heartbeat got faster with every second, my vision was blurry and i could barely see straight. Everything felt out of place, as if I were caught between worlds. Suddenly everything went dark, and I passed out.

After what must’ve been hours I woke up with a searing headache, laying on top of a thick thorny bush. I had no idea how I got there or even where I was. Once I got off the bush it took me a moment to regain my composure but when I did, I realized that I was definitely not in New York anymore. The more I took in from my surroundings the more I started realizing that this wasn’t like anything I’d seen before, all the fauna, and even the atmosphere felt completely alien to me. Before I could fully grasp my situation, something sprung from out of a nearby bush right onto my face causing me to topple over right back into the bush I woke up in. And again when I tried to get out, something grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out. I swear this place would not give me a f*****g break.

“Wait… you’re not Pimo,” said the man who pulled me out. He was gorgeous, the most beautiful man I had ever seen, he was at least six inches taller than me, with long green hair resting on his shoulders. He resembled a human in almost every way… except for his ears, I noticed them almost immediately. They were long and pointy, almost like an elf; but that can’t be, elves don't exist… right? I released myself from his grip and decided to try and get some answers.

“No, I'm not, and what on earth is a Pimo? Also, w-who the hell are you? Also-” I asked, safe to say I was more than confused and I was gonna get some answers if it was the last thing I did. He cut me off before I could further convey my confusion though, which might I add was quite rude of him.

“Woah, calm down, calm down. I can see you’re slightly confused, let me just…” He then proceeded to pull a thorn out of my hair, his touch felt electric and it sent shivers down my spine. I slapped his hand away, still overwhelmed with everything going on.

“Just tell me where I am, please!” I said. I had almost calmed down at this point, I couldn't help it, he was just such a calming presence.

“Let me bring you to my father, ok? He knows more about this stuff than me,” he said. His voice was calm, as if this was a regular occurrence for him. Even though I was still confused and disoriented, I agreed. It seemed like his father knew what was going on and he seemed trustworthy enough. He helped me get my bearings and we started walking towards what looked like a village. While walking he started telling me about my whole… situation, well as much as he knew about it anyway. He explained what I had suspected since I came here, that I was in fact not on earth but a completely different planet called Aiden, bit of a weird name for a planet if you ask me but… eh who am i to judge. He also told me that it is hundreds of galaxies away from earth. I was enjoying our conversation but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following us… I looked around but there was nobody there. He noticed and asked if everything was ok and I told him about my suspicions.

“Hmmm, I think I know exactly what this is,” he said as he crouched down and started inspecting the bushes next to us. He was behaving in such a strange manner, I tried to ask him what it was but he just shushed me. I was about to tell him off for it when I noticed one of the bushes was… glowing? He spotted it too and as if he were a cat trying to catch a mouse, he lunged into the bush with a celebratory “Gotcha!” He stood back up with a fluffy purple ball in his hand. Turns out, it wasn’t a ball at all. It was a lemur-like creature with ears bigger than any creature on earth. Its fur somewhat resembled a galaxy with the way it was glowing in purple and blue hues. It was genuinely the cutest thing I had ever seen.

“This is Pimo,” he said.

“Oh my- can I pet it please please plea-” He then cut me off, which again, rude.

“Hmm, wanna find out?” He looked so smug when he said that so it really could’ve gone either way; but in that moment I literally would’ve imploded if I didn’t get to pet that thing so I cautiously yet eagerly reached my hand out to let it sniff me. Before I could do anything it lunged at me! At first I thought it was attacking me, but a few moments passed and I realized that it was just very excited. It stayed on my shoulder the rest of the way there cuddling me as we walked.

I almost walked past the village when we got there, I mean I didn’t see any houses so who could blame me. Turns out all the houses were actually just mostly submerged in the ground, and the roofs were like little hills with grass on them; like the roofs of some old viking houses or something. Once we finally made it to his house he told me to wait outside while he went to fetch his dad, so that’s exactly what I did. It took him a good ten minutes to return, but the adorable little fluffball was all I needed at that moment. Before I knew it the mysterious elf had returned, accompanied by a more mature looking man, who I assumed was the father he had told me about earlier. He told us more about what was going on, and explained that this was a lot more common than either of us thought. He also told me that he had seen this happen to all sorts of creatures from all kinds of planets but never to a human.

“There’s a book about world hopping in the archives, you kids should go check it out. I’ll make sure you’re allowed access,” the older man said. Then, turning to the elf boy, he added, “And Aiden… be careful.” He then slipped back into the grass-covered house, leaving me standing there with one very important realization.

“Wait, your name’s Aiden? Are you named after the planet?” I asked. Aiden looked at me, then burst out laughing. Like a full-on chortle. I squinted at him.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

Still grinning, he said, “Yes, my name is Aiden, and no, I’m not named after the planet.”

“But earlier, didn’t you say this planet is called Aiden?” I tilted my head, confused.

“I said: ‘My name is Aiden.’ Then I said something about you not being from this planet, so I totally get the confusion.” Turns out, the planet’s name is Elmoyra not Aiden, which honestly makes a lot more sense. As we walked to the edge of the village we stopped at the base of a towering cliff.

“We’re here!” Aiden said triumphantly.

“Huh? There’s nothing here though...” I said, confused once more. Aiden let out a small chuckle.

“Well, let’s just say that my people are very proud of our nature, so we try our best to keep the buildings and stuff hidden.” He smiled, proud of his culture.

“Huh… well how do we get inside then?” I asked. I swear, this world is way too confusing for me.

Aiden just smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask that.” He then gently nudged me away from what looked like some sort of platform on the ground with some ancient runes or something carved in the stone. I won’t lie, my immediate thought was

“Ooouu, a new ancient language for me to learn.” but I realized that it might not even be a language. I also figured that we had more pressing matters to attend to. Aiden pressed a few buttons in some pattern as I watched on curiously. A few moments passed and soon enough a massive door opened up on the cliff. At first it moved outwards a bit and I genuinely thought it was going to fall on top of us, but then it started moving to the side, opening the archives.

We stepped inside and I'll be honest, the archives weren’t really what I expected. For some reason I expected there to be flying books and moving staircases everywhere, but it honestly just looked like an extravagant circular library. It was massive though, it reached all the way to the top of the cliff and it had a sunroof letting in the natural orange hue of the sun. In the center of the room there stood a podium with a book on it. The book gave me a similar feeling as the book that brought me here in the first place, but it wasn’t quite the same, as if it were a different version of the same object. However when we looked at it, it was all just runes and weird symbols. I looked at Aiden wondering if he could decipher any of it, but he looked back at me with a puzzled expression.

“I think this might be some sort of ‘book of coordinates’ but I don't know… it’s not written in a language that I’m familiar with. I’ll have to ask my father about it,” he said.

We returned to Aidens house to retrieve his father, then led him back to the archives. He inspected the book and unsurprisingly he seemed a lot more familiar with the language than either of us.

“So… what is it?” Aiden asked, his words filled with hope.

“Well, it’s not coordinates, that much I know. From what I can tell it’s more of a guide to the portals. I’ll need some time to fully decipher it, since it’s kind of a dead language,” he said, rubbing his chin. It was kinda funny, he looked like an exaggerated cartoon character. I made the suggestion that Aiden should show me around the town, introduce me to the locals and stuff like that. Honestly it was really just a ploy so I could get to know Aiden better, see what type of person he is. Aiden thought it was a great idea but his dad was a bit hesitant, he didn't want me to grow attached as it would make leaving much more difficult. I wasn’t worried though, my life back home had everything I needed. The next few days were awesome, Aiden introduced me to more of the locals, gave me a tour of the village and a lot of amazing sights outside the village. It was genuinely the best time I’d had in a while. There was one day in particular that I loved. Aiden and I were on a patch of grass just outside the village. it was filled with beautiful glowing flowers that filled the air with the most delightful aroma. I was lying on the grass, my head resting on a small patch of moss. Aiden sat next to me playing with Pimo

“Do you have any party games here?” I asked Aiden as I soaked in the sunlight.

“What do you mean by party games?” he replied, tilting his head ever so slightly.

“Well, on earth we have these party games, usually they’re played by two or more people at parties; hence the name,” I explained.

“We don’t really have many parties here…”

“That’s a crime,” I said, lifting my head up from the soft patch of moss beneath me. “Okay then, let’s bring Earth to Elmoyra. Have you ever heard of a game called 20 Questions?”

Aiden tilted his head again, he did that a lot when he was curious, which was apparently all the time. “Sounds… complicated?”

“It’s really not. The name literally says it all. One person asks a question, the other answers. Then we switch. The idea is to learn about the other person, but mostly it’s an excuse to avoid awkward silence.”

Aiden tilted his head. “That’s it?”

“That’s it, low stakes. Unless you’re scared,” I teased.

“I fear nothing,” he said, dramatically placing a hand on his chest, acting offended. “You start.”

“Alright, I’ll start easy. If you could shapeshift into any animal, what would it be?”

“Easy, a windroo. I mean come on they can fly!” He exclaimed, lifting Pimo up to the sky.

“Fair enough. Your turn, let’s see what kinds of questions linger in that brain of yours.”

“What’s the weirdest earth food you’ve eaten?”

“Octopus!” I said with no hesitation. “It’s so chewy and slimy, and it stares at you when you eat it! I swear, it’s a crime against nature.” It continued with silly questions like favorite foods, weird talents, embarrassing childhood memories. We joked about whether we would rather fight one huge Pimo or ten tiny ones. But as the game went on, the questions started shifting, it was gradual at first. Do you miss Earth? Have you ever been in love? What’s something you regret? They were harmless questions that slowly turned into something deeper. I told him about Weston, about my mom, about a particular summer day that I hadn’t thought about in years. He told me about his dads, and how he always longed for a deeper connection with someone. We didn't always answer right away. Sometimes we just… let the silence speak for us.

At one point, he asked: “If the portal opened right now… would you go home?” And I couldn’t answer, not honestly. Because the truth was, I didn’t know anymore. I looked at him, and I realized I didn’t want this to be temporary, I didn’t want to leave him.

Later he asked me, “What would you miss most if I left?” I didn’t look away when I answered. “Honestly? Everything, this world is so amazing and nothing like earth, it’s as if it just… fits.” My chest felt tight. And for the first time since arriving here, I wasn’t just afraid of being stuck… I was afraid of leaving. Before we could finish the game, Aiden’s dad interrupted us, he looked exhausted like he had been running. I was honestly glad that he interrupted us, the questions were leaving me too confused and conflicted.

“I’ve figured it out,” he said, he didn’t seem as excited as i thought he would be. “And…?” I asked, my voice filled with excitement.

“Well thousands of years ago, there was an ancient civilization that lived on Elmoyra, that civilization studied the stars and planets. They found out that sometimes when planets align in a very specific way; portals open between those planets. They learned how to harness that power to make a stable portal that was open forever right here on Elmoyra. However they were eradicated before they could learn how to control where and when the portal would activate on the other planets. We’ve been trying to learn it ever since we came here but so far we’ve had no success. The archives are the only connection we have to this ancient civilization, so it’s been hard trying to figure out just how it works,” he said. I was amazed at just how full of rich history this place was, but I was also very curious as to how the earth portal situation was so I asked him.

He answered with: “The portal opens tonight at sundown.” My face lit up and I smiled, I was finally going back to earth! However what he said next shook me to my core. “There’s a few problems though, since they never figured out how to control it, the portal will only stay open for a couple of minutes and… there might not be another portal on earth in the next few decades, it might even take centuries. Even if there was, there’s an even lower chance that you’d be able to find it before it closes let alone get there. I suggest you get your affairs in order, say your goodbyes and such.” The smile on my face dropped and my expression dimmed.

“Wait, you’re saying that if i leave now… I might not ever be able to come back?” I could see the edge of Aiden’s lips twitch downward, it wasn’t much, but it said everything. I could tell he didn’t want me to leave. As we made our way up the mountain I couldn’t tell how I was meant to feel. On the one hand I was so excited to go back home to my mom and Weston but on the other I was sad to leave Aiden, Elmoya and most of all… Pimo. I didn’t think anything of it when Aiden’s dad told me not to get attached but now… I regret not heeding his advice. We got to the top of the mountain just before sundown. At first it looked like there was nothing on top of the mountain but as I turned around, there it was… the portal. With stairs of white stone leading up to it and torches on both sides it was surrounded by an arching gate of the same stone with mysterious glowing runes covering the surface. The portal itself was a lilac hue with white speckles that looked almost like stars. I stood there for a moment just staring at the portal.

“I guess this is it…” I said, turning my face towards Aiden.

Aiden looked down, his eyes refusing to meet mine. “Yeah… i guess,” he said, his tone melancholy. I turned back around to look at the portal, it had started flickering. When I looked through the portal it was almost as if I could see the bookstore, like it was semi-transparent and it showed me where I was going.

“It’s now or never Ezra,” Aiden’s dad said. I took the first step up to the portal but I turned back around, there was something I hadn’t done yet. I ran towards Aiden and embraced him with open arms. He returned the embrace immediately. He let go but his touch still lingered on my body. I turned around to face the portal, my feet felt heavy as I walked up the steps, 1… 2… 3… 4… why couldn’t I bring myself to take the last step. I turned around once more… “Goodbye… I’ll miss you.” Aiden said nothing, I turned back around and took the last step. I was one step away from earth, my home, my family. I raised my foot but before I could take the last step a voice was heard from behind me.

“Wait…” I turned around to see Aiden looking at me with tears forming in his eyes.

“My whole life I’ve never felt a connection with anyone as much as I have with you, I’ve never believed in fate… until I found you in that bush. For me this isn’t just a connection… It’s love at first sight.” I just stared at him, I didn’t know what to say. I turned around once more… the portal had started flickering again, indicating that it was about to vanish. I took a deep breath and whispered under my breath “Bye mom…” A tear rolled down my cheek as the portal vanished, and I was stuck. I took another deep breath and turned my back to the portal. “You just had to wait didn’t you?” We shared a small chuckle with tears still in our eyes. I stepped off the platform and walked towards Aiden. He took my hand, held it up to his heart and smiled. We didn’t say anything, we just stood there, hand in hand, looking into each other’s eyes.

It had been 3 days since I made the decision to stay. Me and Aiden sat on a gentle slope just outside the village, the grass soft and cool beneath us. Above, the sky shimmered with unfamiliar constellations, bright strands of color dancing on the night sky like northern lights. Aiden laid back, his hands behind his head, watching the stars. I sat cross-legged beside him, Pimo, curled up in my lap, fitting perfectly in the crevice of my legs. The cool breeze of the night carried the scent of flowers I didn’t recognize, sweet and faint. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this... still before,” I said after a while. Aiden glanced up at me, a slight smile plastered on his lips. “Still’s good. Most people spend their whole lives running and never stop to feel it.” I looked down at Pimo, then at the sky, then at Aiden. “What if I’m not supposed to feel this good here? Like I’m... betraying everyone back home, I just left them… forever wondering where I disappeared to.” Aiden was quiet for a moment. Then, softly said “You feel it because it’s yours. It was your decision, nobody else’s; and I for one am beyond happy to get to share this life with you.” His hand gently caressed my face. I didn’t move when Aiden shifted closer. I just leaned, ever so slightly, until my head was resting on his shoulder. The stars above kept glowing and the world was still, like it wanted me to enjoy this moment and stop focusing on the past. So that’s exactly what I did. I leaned in closer to Aiden burying my face in his chest. I still didn’t know if I had made the right decision, but in that moment… it felt right.

Ten years later, me and Aiden have been living our lives on Elmoyra. At first it was tough, I needed to get used to all the differences of living on Elmoyra but now I really feel like I belong here. Me and Aiden got married and we now have three beautiful children; two girls and a boy named Willow, Aurora and Weston. I still think about earth and the life I’d be living if I had left that night but I wouldn’t change it for anything.