He was dreaming, surely. How else was he to see Ari standing over him, looking over him with an expression of concern? And he’d forgotten how there was always a small dent that creased itself just next to his right eyebrow. Ben had always wanted to take his thumb and press his finger to it, as if that might smooth out the worry on Ari’s face. Why shouldn’t he do so now? It wasn’t real anyways.

But just at the last moment, when Ben had decided to lift his arm from the ground, he became more aware of the solid ground beneath him, and the whispered murmurings of passersby. What have you done? The voice was undoubtedly Ari’s; uttering a phrase Ben had heard muttered time and time again in varying tones of mingled exasperation and worry. He was then was struck with the realization of how much he’d missed that tone, and he managed to wheeze out a laugh. Of course this would be the scenario when he’d hear it again. And to think, just the other day he’d dreamt of those exact words; only they’d been said with a tone of uncontrollable laughter, likely over something Ben had done. Ari’s face had been lit up with joy and love in the dream, and now Ben could only see stress. Sorrow. Anguish.

Ben was brought back to present by a sharp pain in his abdomen, and he gave a hiss as it laced all the way down to his legs. “Nothing,” he managed to get out, despite the fact that it was most assuredly not nothing. “Saw something and she spooked.” His horse. He’d have usually been more concerned about the animal if it weren’t for the fact that his estranged lover was here. In front of him. Making his heart flutter in his chest at an erratic pace.

Perhaps it was the fall, he tried to reason with himself. But of course, he only had to look at Ari to know that answer. “How - how are you here?”

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