Fiction
Blood and Water: A Trans Messiah and His Beloved
I will die for you
The sun is just spilling over the mountains, gilding the surface of Lake Gennesaret as Yasha kneels on the wave-smoothed rocks at the edge of the water and dips the scrap of fabric he carries. Whorls of red curl out into the water, fading into the waves. Yasha twirls the rag in his fingers until the water runs clean. He’ll need to boil it soon, but this is good for now.
“Yasha?” He looks up at Yohan’s voice, and his heart skips a beat. Yohan comes closer, setting his sandalled feet carefully on the wet stones. “Is that blood?”
“I… yes.” Yasha plucks the grey rag out of the icy water and squeezes it. Water falls back into the lake like a tiny rainfall.
Yohan falls to his knees next to Yasha, water soaking into the hem of his robe. “Are you injured?” he asks, his voice tight with concern.
“No.” Yasha raises his head to meet Yohan’s eyes and smiles. He’s certain Yohan will accept what he’s about to tell him, but there is still a frisson of anxiety now that the moment is here. Mother had always said to tell no one ever.
Yohan reaches out and takes Yasha’s hand, his dry skin warm against Yasha’s damp fingers. “What is it?”
