The night before we cross into Mystix.

Tensions are high, of course. Hardly anyone can get to sleep when they know their next few days may decide the fate of the multiverse.

And the same goes for myself and Francis. We’re in a bedroom in our very hastily built base camp in the outskirts of San Francisco, atop the ruins of some Silicon Valley place whose ancient lore befuddles me.

I’m laying in bed, unable to get to sleep and constantly checking through my stats to see just how prepared I am for the battles to come. But Francis is standing there, pacing around without even using his phone or anything. Utterly peculiar behavior.

“Francis?” I ask. “Are you coming to bed anytime soon?”

He sighs. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I’m just...”

“Just what?”

He plops down on the bed and kisses me on the cheek. What a lovely guy. “Eryk, I love you.”

“Yes, of course. Likewise, I love you.”

“But... I have the nagging feeling that this isn’t gonna actually work out well, and I wanted to make sure you knew something stupid about me that might make all of this pointless anyway.”

“Uh-huh? I’m not sure I follow.”

“Well, uh, you know how we haven’t made love yet?”

“Ah, yes. You’ve turned it down a few times, but I thought nothing of it. Is there something wrong with my muscled figure that makes me unattractive?”

“No, god no. I mean, don’t call it muscled figure because that’s kind of weird, but...”

“Francis, you’re trembling,” I say.

“Yeah, haha. Sorry.” He pauses and then blurts out, “Eryk, I’m asexual.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...Eryk?”

“Sorry,” I say. “I was waiting for you to continue.”

“Continue?”

“I was assuming you’d explain. I have no idea what asexual means.”

“OH, RIGHT. Yeah, uh, Eryk, so what I mean is, I’m not really into the sex thing. I don’t feel sexual attraction. Actually it seems kind of gross to me. And it’s really hard to admit that, especially to a partner, but I know obviously you’re the one that needs to know if anyone.”

“I see.”

“You see, there’s, like, this guy. There was, I mean. A few years back, he and I were sort of, you know. But then things went sour because I wasn’t willing to go all the way with him. He got angry and stormed out of my life. And I spent a few years just pretending I was a normal hetero dude into girls. It was a lot better that way than admitting I’m asexual. It really is a dealbreaker to a lot of people. And I know it might be to you, so...”

“Of course not,” I say. “I love you, Francis. That’s all I need to say, I think.”

Francis gulps. “Really? I’m not just imagining things while trapped in a simulacrum or whatever and this’ll all be revealed to be a dream within a dream?”

“Please, dear. I can’t follow you when you make silly references.”

“Sorry.” He giggles and kisses me again. I kiss him back with romantic, nonsexual passion.

“I of course highly appreciate the intimacy of making love,” I say. “But love overpowers that by a mile. As it should for anyone.”

“You’re sweet.”

“No. In this respect I am nearly a reasonable adult.”

We cuddle for an hour or so before finally falling asleep. If this was Francis’s ultimate revelation he had been building to for these past few weeks, I am suddenly relieved. My heart couldn’t take any more sudden dramatic revelations before the battle finally begins.