"Hector," Jonah breathed. He could barely believe his eyes. Just a second ago, there was nothing, and now his lover was standing before him, covered in blood and gnarled roots.
Hector gave him a shaky smile. "Hi, Jones," he said, and promptly collapsed into Jonah's arms, clinging to Jonah as if his life depended on it.
"Whoa, whoa. I've got you, Hec. I've got you," Jonah murmured as they sank to the ground together. "It's okay, you're okay." He couldn't help the sob that broke free. He had thought he would never see Hector again, and now that he got to hold him in his arms again, he never wanted to let go. "I can't believe—How did you even get here?"
"Made it back to Zelda's house," Hector rasped. "Went through the cabinet to try and find you."
"Well, you found me." Jonah laughed softly, more tears escaping him. "How are you feeling?"
"Been worse," Hector shrugged, then let out a pained groan as the movement jostled his wounds. "Been a lot better, too, but I'll be fine. The tree arm you made for me kept me alive."
Jonah smiled. "And I'm so glad it did. But it doesn't have to anymore. I'll take care of you now, okay?"
At that, tears suddenly welled in Hector's eyes. "I missed you so much, Jones," he whispered. "I thought— I thought I was going to die without ever seeing you again."
Jonah wrapped his arms around Hector's trembling body and pulled him into a tight hug. "Shh, shh. I'm here. You're safe."
Hector nuzzled gratefully into Jonah's warmth, and Jonah gently ran his fingers through his hair, whispering sweet nothings to him until the tears stopped.
Then, Hector let out a big yawn, the exhaustion of the past weeks finally catching up with him. "It's okay, Hec," Jonah chuckled. "Get some rest. We have all the time in the world."
"Night, Jones," Hector mumbled, so quietly that Jonah could barely hear him, and fell asleep with his head on Jonah's chest.
Jonah gently kissed his lover's forehead, smiling fondly at him. "Good night," he whispered. "Sweet dreams."