Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

He kissed Wallace on the lips and the cheeks and on his eyelids when
Wallace could no longer bear to look at him so closely. He kissed away the
tears, saying, “You’re real. You’re real. You’re real.”
Eventually, they broke apart.
Eventually, Hugo stood, knees popping.
He held a hand out toward Wallace.
Wallace didn’t hesitate.
Hugo’s grip was strong as he pulled Wallace up. He stared down at their
joined hands in wonder before tugging Wallace close. He lowered his head
to Wallace’s chest, ear pressed against the left side of his ribcage. “I can hear
it,” he whispered. “Your heart.”
And then he stood upright and hugged Wallace tightly. Wallace’s breath
was knocked from his chest as Hugo squeezed him as hard as he could. He
was lifted off his feet as Hugo laughed, spinning them both around.
“Hugo!” Wallace shouted, dizzy as the room spun around them. “You’re
going to make me sick if you don’t put me down!”
Hugo did. He tried to step back, but Wallace didn’t let him get far. He
interlocked his fingers with Hugo’s, palm to palm. He barely had time to
react before Mei jumped on him, legs wrapped around his waist, her hair in
his nose. He laughed when she began to beat her fists against his chest,
demanding that he never do anything so stupid again, and how could you be
so dumb, Wallace, how could you possibly think you could ever say
goodbye?
He kissed her hair. Her forehead. She squealed when he tickled her side,
jumping back off him.
And then Nelson and Apollo came running.
Except they passed right through him.
Nelson almost fell to the floor. Apollo did, smashing into the wall behind
them. The windows rattled in the turret. He got up, shaking his head, looking
confused.
“He’s alive,” the Manager said dryly. “You can’t touch him. At least not
yet. Mei will have to show you how.”
They looked at the Manager. “What do you mean?” Wallace asked, still
dazed. “How can I—”
Mei said, “A Reaper.”