Tao's jaw hurt from clenching it, letting the memory roll into him, over him, but refusing to let it overtake him completely. The nothingness, it was worse than the cold. The cold reminded him he existed, in the nothing, there wasn't even that, not even the pain to hold onto, to exist, to remind him of who, of what he was. How long? Was it merely minutes? Each second stretched to an eternity that sent his mind into reeling doubts of what was real.
Wolfram reached for him, the desperate fumblings of someone trying to keep a fingernail's grip on reality. Tao moved closer, and let out a sharp cry as a lightnings bolt of power jerked over him and then was pulled back again. He could feel it still, tingling in his fingertips, along nerve endings. Like an accidental electric shock, except he almost felt warm. The heat from the body before him, wrapping around him now, instead of just brushing along his cool skin. It was enveloping him and Tao reached a hand to cup the side of Wolfram's face.
"Here. Safe. You are real, solid." His reassurances seemed lost without the contact and he leaned forward to kiss him once. Then twice. Still reminding him that he was real. He kissed along his jaw, pulled him closer, wanting his heat. "Let them go, they aren't real. Not any more. You are real."