Carlos' hands were placed firmly on his boyfriend's hips holding the other man against him. Cecil's fingers were in their usual position, combing repeatedly through his hair, whispering sickly sweet compliments against Carlos' lips between passionate kisses. This was how most of their days off went, as well as the hours after they were off from work. They took every moment alive and safe to be together, he was beginning to think maybe they should move in together.

"I think I should go shower, I still have some of that purple goo in my hair from where the microwave at the station exploded."

Cecil ran his fingers back through his own hair, he pulled his hand away showing he in fact still had the mysterious goo tangled in his shoulder length black hair. He gave Carlos one more kiss before standing up and making his way to the bathroom.

He lay back on the couch, waiting for the other man to get done with his shower. He figured he could make them dinner after Cecil was out of the shower and then...

A loud scream from the direction of the bathroom made the scientist jump up from his spot on the couch and run down the hallway. Inside the bathroom he found Cecil sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall and his hands over his face, his legs pulled up against himself as if he were trying to hide himself away from something.

"Cecil, Cecil what's wrong?"

The older man didn't respond, he continued to sit there occasionally shaking his head. Carlos knelt down next to him cautiously placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. Cecil jumped at his touch, he lowered his hands and his black colored eyes were wide, he looked terrified.

"I-I saw it, th-that thing from the Sandstorm...I saw him."

"What, what do you mean you saw him?"

"In the mirror, I knew I shouldn't have looked; mom always told me to never look in a mirror because it'd lead to my death. I shouldn't have looked."

Carlos stood to his feet, he glanced between the man on the floor and the mirror. It wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen in Night Vale, Kevin had found his way there through a portal so why not a mirror? The scientist moved to get closer to the mirror, but was stopped when Cecil grabbed hold of his pant leg.

"No don't go, he'll kill you."

His voice came out small, scared.

"It's fine, I promise he won't kill me; I'm just going to take a look."

Of course if Kevin somehow was in the mirror and could get through he couldn't confirm his own safety. He was pretty sure that the other man could kill him with ease. He was curious and he wanted to find a way to calm the radio host down and checking was the only way to do so. He stepped closer to the mirror expecting some ghastly view into another world.

He saw himself and nothing else.

"Do you see it?"

"I see myself, no one else is here...Come here and have a look."

Cecil shook his head in refusal.

"Cec come on, I swear I'll be right here; no one will hurt you." He offered his hand out to the older man.

After a moment of hesitation the radio host took hold of his hand allowing his boyfriend to help him to his feet and gently pull him over towards the mirror. Carlos continued to hold his hand, standing next to him as the older man looked into the mirror. The look of terror on his face was renewed as he looked at his own reflection.

"Can't you see it? He's right there, he's looking right at me!"

"I just see us, nobody's there Cecil." He said feeling completely confused by the other man's reaction.

That's when he remembered the day of the sandstorm; Cecil had been scared, told him he had seen a man with Obsidian black eyes and a wide inhuman mouth. It had confused him hearing that, considering that the man he described was himself, he'd forgotten about all of that until right now.

He placed a hand on Cecil's cheek gently turning the older man's head away from the mirror so that now his black eyes were focused solely on him. He noticed the way his body was trembling, it was like a frightened small animal.

"Cecil what do you look like?"

Cecil furrowed his brow at the question, in a normal world it would be a dumb question, but right now it was very reasonable.

"What do you mean, you see me every day."

"I know, but I want to know what you think you look like."

The host shrugged and looked away for a second like he had to really think about it.

"I assume I look like a normal man, average really."

"You've never looked in a mirror before..."

"No of course not, not until now. Mom always told me it'd lead to my death, so I never questioned her about it. What is this all about?"

Carlos brushed his fingers through Cecil's hair, was there really a good way to tell somebody they looked nothing like they thought that they did?

"Cecil what you just saw in the mirror wasn't Kevin, that was you, is you."

The older man pushed his hand away and took a step back, he looked a good bit offended by the statement.

"Why would you say something so hateful to me, I'm human; I don't look like that...That thing."

Carlos placed a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him already knowing his hand would be pushed away again.

"Cecil I don't know what Kevin looks like or what, who he is, but I know that you have Obsidian black eye and your mouth is-"

"No stop lying to me, you told me you would never lie to me."

This time Cecil left the room, a door slammed shut a moment later.

Carlos lingered in the bathroom wondering how to approach this; so far he was doing a terrible job at this. He knew how Cecil felt about the peppier yet somehow demonic man who had traded places with him for just a few minutes. He didn't blame him for his fear or his hatred, but they were identical according to Kevin and according to Cecil without him even knowing it. He just couldn't figure out why Cecil didn't know about his appearance, was he entirely human?

Humans didn't have eyes like that and humans weren't born with wide mouths filled with sharp teeth. There weren't exactly that many ways to go about this scientifically; he knew after all of this time in Night Vale that science didn't always have the answers. Sometimes he had to think in terms of science fiction or in the ways of religion and myths of other cultures. Was his father human?

What if Cecil's father wasn't human, maybe some demon or monster from some other dimension. If this were something completely normal by Night Vale standards then Cecil would know about it and he wouldn't be so offended and terrified...He couldn't figure it out, it intrigued and confused him, but at the moment he had something else to deal with.

He left the bathroom and went back to the living room, Cecil's shoes were still on the floor by the front door so he hadn't left. Carlos went back down the hallway stopping outside their closed bedroom door; at least he hadn't left the apartment. It was late and he didn't want Cecil upset and out wandering the streets so late at night, or at any time of the day in Night Vale of all places.

He still didn't know what to do or say, he was as lost with this as Cecil was. He slowly opened the door, he stepped into the mostly dark room; the only light coming from the constantly moving black helicopters outside. Cecil was lying on the bed on his side, curled up in a ball like he had been in the bathroom. Carlos lay down behind him wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. He was pleased to not be told to leave or pushed away like before.

"I'm a monster"

"Don't say that about yourself."

"That thing from the sandstorm was a monster and I look like him...God, what am I?"

"You're you and you look like you, you don't look like Kevin."

Cecil turned over to face him, tears streaked his cheeks.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Generally people know what they look like, I just assumed that you knew."

The older man shook his head.

"I don't get why you're even here or why you even talked to me in the first place, why didn't you run away the first time we met?"

Carlos thought about it, about the first day in Night Vale. Nobody had looked completely normal and yes Cecil's appearance had slightly unnerved him, his piercing black eyes and Cheshire grin had been very inhuman, but something about him had been purely human and very much alive. The way he spoke, the way his eyes lit up when Carlos was in the room, the shy smiles he gave him, and his awkward pick up lines.

"You never scared me, you're so beautiful Cec."

"Don't"

He pressed his lips against the older man's forehead.

"You aren't Kevin, you aren't a damned thing like Kevin."

"What am I?"

"You're human"

Cecil gave a sad laugh.

"It's true, you're human as far as I'm concerned."

"I'm sure according to science that is a total lie."

"Forget science, this is me talking; I don't care what tests, wizards, or God would tell me about you. I've known you for so long and I know you aren't whatever the Hell Kevin is. You're Cecil, my wonderful, hyper, odd, and gorgeous loving boyfriend. You are the one thing in this town that has never frightened me."

More tears fell from the radio host's eyes as he listened to his boyfriend's words. A shy smile played across his lips, he wrapped his arms around Carlos' neck and buried his face against his chest.

"I love you Carlos"

"I love you too Cecil"