I hit refresh and there you were with a gift for us. If I could produce something like this in a rush, I'd be very happy. I hope everything is getting better at your end, and look forward to what you were writing for fall_for_sx at a later date.

In the meantime, these are lovely snapshots of the boys. I wouldn't fret about the polish - emotions aren't polished and the depth of the emotion here is beautiful. So many lines I really liked, but these just stand out for me.

Xander's learned to tell the difference.

He tumbles into moments like this, from time to time. He's learned to recognize the feeling -- it's happiness -- and it's become familiar. Still, it floors him, every time.

He'll never stop being astonished by it: finding ecstasy in a place he'd never even dreamed of wanting.

It's how he prays

Xander gets to his feet, and closes the blinds, and this way a new day begins.

Sigh, gorgeous last line.