When we finally meet again, will you remember me as I remember you? My thoughts are drawn to you like -how did you put it - like a moth to a flame. I am the moth, and you are the flame. All you need to do is ignite and I will gladly burn for you. The way your eyes light up whenever you discover something new, or the way your brassy copper hair shines under the moonlight, or that little snort when you laugh, or how freckles dot your cheeks and nose and shoulders and chest like stars dot the void of the universe.

I still wait for you, every night under the crystal willow where we first met. Under the leaves of diamond and silver where we last saw each other. Our names our still carved in the trunk, "Damian and Hero best friends forever." Remember when you carved it? We were so young back then, just a week after we first met. You cut yourself on that makeshift knife you made from the sharpened rocks we found in the floating rainbow river. I remember wishing that you would never feel pain like that again as you winced and deep red blood dripped down your finger. And then the cut closed, and the red liquid went away, and the knife would no longer scratch you. From that day forward you were invincible in our little dreamland, and we learned that we had the power to make anything possible.

You always had some sort of game for us to play, a new plan you wanted to try. And I was just so happy to be a part of it. To share this world with you with your crooked smiles and that glint of determination eyes. I was willing to follow you to the end of the universe. I still am.

I'm sorry for what happened that night. I should’ve listened I should've thought about your feelings. But when you came to me on the night of our eighteenth birthday with tears in your eyes wishing that you could just leave your world and live in your dreams forever all I wanted to do was hold you tight and kiss away your pain.

And then I did.

And you kissed me back, soft and slow, your fingers in my hair, my arms around your waist and for a moment it felt like things were going to be okay. But when you pulled away your eyes held sudden heavy sadness I’d never seen before. You kissed me again, soft and sweet like honey and then you were gone.

It's been three years since years since that day. I don't know if you've received any of the messages I sent out into your galaxy. I don't know if you'll ever get this one. But when I finally find your Earth -when I finally find you- I swear I'll hold you close and kiss every freckle on your body and hurt anyone who's ever wronged you. I wish I could have told you that night that we don't need anybody else. That we don't need this world or our dreams or even this universe because you are my universe. And as long as we're together we can create any world that we desire. When we first met you told me you’d call me Hero because I reminded you of your favorite superhero, but night after night you proved to be the hero of my dreams. I don’t care if it takes an entire lifetime to find you. You spent your nights saving me, now let me be the one to save you.

Love forever and always,

your Hero xx

~~~~~

Damian Herne (August 2, 20XX – August 3, 20XX)

On August 3, 20XX, the day after his eighteenth birthday, Damian Herne was found dead on the side of the road near his previous residence due to an overdose of doxepin. Damian was…