The Flame of Ice

A couple weeks later, on another gloomy morning, a red-eyed mechanical raven accompanies Zane on his way to work, but he doesn't pay much attention to it. - Dr. Zane, there's someone here to see you. a very criminal-looking man. The sight of him gives me the creeps! - warns the nurse on duty. - He didn't want to go to the cardiac surgeon, said he wanted you. Did you do something wrong?! - I don't recall. Don't judge people by their cover, Mia. I don't have an appointment today, but I guess he decided for me. ... - I never usually wait for anyone, iceman! A low, husky voice sears through to the bone, bringing back a memory from her funeral. Dr. Zane's low pulse increases only slightly, but enough to cause concern. What does this man want here?! - I don't usually see patients after hours. I have a surgery in 40 minutes, but I assume you're not leaving my office voluntarily, so let's not waste any time. What's bothering you? - I'm Silas. That doesn't bother you? - the man introduces himself with a slight smirk. - Should it? - N109 Zone, you've heard of it? - You're nothing more than a patient to me,” he lies. Zane's voice sounds as cold and impassive as ever. Except his pulse races a few more beats per minute because it's a powerful name. He's got the most authoritative and perhaps the richest ruler of the darkest nooks and crannies of Linkon City in his office. - Start talking substance, Silas. What brings you here and why here? - I thought you felt it, too. - I don't know what you're talking about. - Okay, I know how to play this game, Dr. Ice,” Silas says with a wink. - I have a heart condition. After an unfortunate event we both know about, it's gotten worse. - What kind of symptoms? - Zane studiously ignores the prick in his heart at the mention of her death. - Heart rate's too high. During exercise, it becomes a problem on the verge of passing out. I don't like feeling weak. - I need to do an initial exam. Please go behind the screen and, uh. take off your shirt,” Zane finds the routine, completely ‘doctorly’ request difficult this time. The red-eyed man smirks at the hesitation and nonchalantly unbuttons his shirt without moving from his seat. - I'm not shy, iceman. Why the screen? Unless it's for a more intimate setting? - Please refrain from joking, I'm trying to help. Zane pulls a phonendoscope from the top drawer of his desk and approaches. As he begins his examination, he accidentally touches the flaming skin of Silas's chest with his fingers. - Oh! - He exhales involuntarily. - Are you one of those people they say, “Hands cold, heart hot”? - No, I'm the kind of person whose heart is cold, too. The correlation is wrong, and your flirting is inappropriate. Please be quiet. For a while, Zane listens silently to the beating of someone else's heart, growing darker and darker with each beat he listens to. Sounds like there's a real problem. - Your temperature's excessively high. Your resting heart rate is 135-140 beats per minute and your heart sounds unhealthy. Unfortunately, I suspect an extremely serious pathology, which requires further tests. - This I already knew, and I am ready for further steps. But I want to answer the question of why I came to see you here. Remember how we resonated when we said goodbye, Doctor? I know you definitely felt something, and so did I. I felt so much better after that, I felt physically great for days. Before you give me all these additional medical manipulations, can I ask you to resonate with me some more? I want to see if it was an accident. Something about this half-naked, closeted man really hit home with Zane. His mocking red eyes, so serious as he voiced his request, the blazing heat coming in waves from his snow-white skin, his low voice penetrating deep inside.... The heart surgeon nods slowly, simultaneously reaching out with his left hand to Silas's hand and his right hand with the head of the phonendoscope to his chest. As soon as their energies collide, Zane almost forgets to breathe, because the pleasure of feeling such heat is prohibitive. The ice of his damned heart melts and slowly recedes-so unrealistic a feeling that a single tear involuntarily leaves the corner of his eye and moistens his cheek with a salty trail. Silas, on the other hand, breathes deeply and covers his eyelids, clearly enjoying it just as much. His heartbeat slows, almost back to normal, and his body temperature drops, still above normal and so palpably pleasurable. Their fingers intertwine in resonance, growing tighter with each passing moment, as do their gazes, which no longer contain either Silas's sneer or Zane's distrust. Neither of them wants to be the first to break the silence, and neither of them can be the first to break the healing resonance, and there's no telling how long it would last.... - Dr. Zane, it's time for your surgery! - The office door opens, and a nurse appears in the doorway. Zane bounces sharply away from his 'patient' at the girl's puzzled look at the half-naked, gorgeous Silas. - I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... - It's all right, sweetheart! - Silas smiled, slightly ahead of Zane. - It's all right,” the heart surgeon echoed almost in sync, frantically picking up papers from his desk. - I was just on my way out. - But we're not done. - Come back tomorrow at visiting hours. I'll schedule an EKG, ultrasound and MRI. Good-bye. - hiding his eyes in the floor, the doctor says as coldly as possible and runs off to the surgery.