adelphoi | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ would that she had made it sooner..

ten years seems not so very long a time, but for alisaie is has been as a lifetime. so much has happened, so much has changed, she has lost, and grown, and changed, she has faced endless threats to her home, and the perils and tribulations of motherhood. she has lived.

but she has never, ever forgotten her promise. she would find him. she would reach him. and so she has. she can only hope that she has not come too late.

securing a path to eos was not so difficult, but learning how to travel that path without giving up her life had taken years to unravel, and even having survived the storm, hydaelyn is ever a world in chaos. crisis after crisis, primal after primal, the battles never cease, and alisaie cannot well abandon her duty to the scions for her own personal endeavors. still, she works hard, she sleeps little, every spare moment is spent in research, poring over sharlayan's libraries, speaking with ul'dah's leading aetherologists, studying the paths of aether that connected hydaelyn to its shattered echoes and devising a way to travel those paths without becoming lost, undone by the lifestream. that she will be taking a very precious passenger is all the more reason she needs to be sure of it. risking her own life is one thing, but she will not risk louisoix's. it may take decades to secure her way to eos, for alisaie's recklessness does not extend to her son.

the last year is the hardest. they are so close, picking apart the details had taken agonizingly long, and those last few months seemed to stretch into centuries before at last, at last the path was ready.

it would seem that she has arrived none too soon. the world is black, and the journey dangerous, but she remembered prompto's tales of daemons and these ten years have only seen her grow her strength. she cuts down those in her path and pushes chobi hard, and it is weeks before she is at last able to trace prompto's steps to hammerhead, and then, to insomnia. the sky is alive over the city, flashing blue and red so brightly it can be seen from hammerhead. she leaves louisoix there, exhausted from the road, to sleep deeply while she rides hard to the crown city, fueled by desperation and adrenaline alone. she will not have worked so hard and come so very far to lose him, not now, not like this, not after all they have been through, how long they have waited.

the lights in the sky have quieted by the time she arrives, but alisaie knows not what that means - she knows only what she must do. keeping to the lights, she follows the trails of black blood and ichor toward what can only be the palace, and when they reach the stairs she leaps from chobi's back, rapier in hand, to dash up the main thoroughfare, her hair wild and her breath quick and her clothing torn and filthy.

please. please. let her not be too late. ]

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[ it feels quite strange to be on the outside looking in for once, but alisaie could not be happier than to see, at last, her son reunited with his father. she has told him so very many stories, and as he'd gotten older, louisoix had asked only more and more questions, eager to know everything he could about this man he had never known, but that his mother had loved so very, very much. she told him of their adventures, how they met, the silly things they did - anything she could think of to keep the memory alive, and give her son at least a little hint of just who his father was. he had been eager to meet him nearly from the moment he could understand just what the word meant, and he has been no small help, either, keeping her on track, focused, driven.

how could she disappoint this boy, after all? how could she deny him a chance to meet his own father? how could she deny prompto the same?

and so here they are, and while alisaie is not wont to cry as easily as prompto does, it nevertheless brings hot tears to pricking at the corners of her eyes to see the boy swept up in his arms. to witness the raw emotion in this perfect, wonderful moment. she's quick to swipe the wetness from her eyes and sit up straight again after a moment - someone has to stay on task, after all, and there's no doubt that prompto is in dire need of rest, and louisoix as well. after several long moments she reaches to filter her fingers through her son's hair again. ]

You worked hard for this, dearest, we shall never needs be apart again. But you must rest again soon, and your father as well.

[ it has been such a very, very long day for him. ]

[ Prompto could have continued to hug Louis for hours and days and weeks and still it would not be enough to satisfy him, to make up for the ten long years he wasn't absent from this child's life. They have a long road ahead of them in actually getting to know one another, in bonding and forming a relationship that should have been there long ago, but when Prompto pulls back to peer into his son's face again, he knows it's going to be okay. That they're going to get along just fine, and at last their little family will become what it should have been long ago.

But Alisaie is right. They're all exhausted and overwhelmed and he needs some time to digest this new, unexpected turn in his life. It's a lot to take in and digest and there's a lot he wants to need and ask, but for now, his parting words are simple, straightforward. ]

I love you, Lou. [ He squeezes the boy's shoulders, nothing but genuine pride in his tone. ] Tomorrow...we're going to spend the whole day together, okay? I promise.

[ They have so much catching up to do.

But for now, he stands, his hand slipping into Alisaie's once more to give it a gentle squeeze. ]

[ for all the stories she has told louisoix about prompto, all the details and descriptions, first and foremost she had always been sure to affirm and drive home his kindness, his warmth and smile, his loving heart. part of it had been to assure her son that no matter what, prompto would love and adore him, and be so very happy to see him, but also in an attempt to nurture that same kindness in him. most boys want to be like their fathers, after all, and nothing would please her more than to watch him grow up in the image of the man she loves most in all the worlds.

it makes it all the easier for louisoix to accept it at face value, immediately, when prompto says it, his face lighting up ith glee behind a mask of shyness. they still need to get to know one another, to learn who they are as people, individuals, but alisaie has no worries whatsoever about whether or not they will get along. there is no doubt in her mind.

but she's switching into mom mode soon enough, fussing the boy back down onto the sofa and tucking the blankets back up around his chin, though only after slipping his favorite, worn old chocobo plush back into his arms. brushing the hair from his eyes, alisaie leans to press a kiss to his brow before at last she is standing, her fingers weaving through prompto's. ]

We will be right over there, should you need anything. Sleep well, my prince.

[ Though it's difficult to step away now, after they've been reunited at last, Prompto's made his promise and he can't wait for tomorrow to come, to spend as much time as possible with his son, getting to know him and learning everything about him, his favorite foods, his favorite things, whether he likes photography, how he laughs. There's so much, and he can't wait to get to it.

It will all come tomorrow. Giving Alisaie a soft, tender look, he steps back towards the bedroom, but not before adding a few final words before they slip through the door: ]

Goodnight...son.

[ He can still hardly believe those words just left his mouth. But they did, and a smile cracks wide across his lips as he shuts the door behind them.

He doesn't say anything—doesn't even know what he would say. Instead, he meets Alisaie's eyes, taking in the sight of her once more, taking in everything that has happened in the last 24 hours.

He has never felt so lucky, so loved, as he does in this moment. ]

[ louisoix settles, the door clicks quietly behind them, and alisaie exhales softly, slowly, a blanket of ease settling over her shoulders.

they've done it. they're here, they are together, the sun is in the sky, and at last they can begin to build the life they have always wanted. it seems a daunting prospect in the sense that there is so very much to do, so very much they can do, but they have all the time in the world now to do it.

prompto meets her eyes, and alisaie smiles, soft and tired and warm, and after a few moments she squeezes his hands, and tugs him gently toward the little attached bathroom. ]

Let us get you cleaned up.

[ He's as easily as led as ever, falling into step next to her as they make the short journey to the bathroom. It's all so familiar, and yet foreign, being here with her like this, on Eos, with his son asleep in the next room. He could have never predicted that this was the way this day would go, but he's...glad. So glad. For all they have lost — for all he has lost — they have gained something of great import as well.

It's why he can't stop smiling, weary though it might be. They're both a mess and a hot shower sounds like the best damn thing in the world right now, but it'll be even more so with her at his side—though he feels oddly...bashful about it. It's been a long time since they've seen each other, since they last kissed and touched and existed in this intimate space together. It's almost like relearning a language he's forgotten, as he starts to unbutton the heavy jacket of his uniform. ]

Yeah, guess I'm a little...how'd you always say it? "Ripe"? That.

[ He wrinkles his nose through a smile. ]

We both are, I'd wager.

[ he certainly isn't the only nervous one. ten years is a very, very long time to be separated from someone so dear, someone she had been so intimate with, and while her love for him has not faded, it is still easy to feel like a fumbling virgin again. she had been the confident one when first they had made love, so why is she so anxious now? it is a sweet anticipation though, and she is all too quick to intervene when he begins unfastening his coat. ]

Let me.

[ her fingers work slowly, delicately, snapping each button open while she dips her head to touch her brow to his own. it isn't long before she is pushing her hands beneath the dusty jacket and easing it off of his shoulders, her voice soft and quiet. ]

I have always loved these clothes on you..

[ but she loves them even more when they're on the floor WINK WONK ]

[ She takes over the task of unbuttoning his coat for him, and Prompto's eyelids drop heavily as she touches her brow to his. It's been so long. So long since they've had this quiet, close intimacy — even the kisses they had shared earlier weren't entirely private, even if there wasn't anyone else nearby. But now...they are closed off, their attention undivided from one another, and he can feel it, too. That nervous energy that sparks between them. It's not entirely unwelcome, even if it's unfamiliar. They've waited a long time for this.

As his coat drops to the floor, he guides her hands over the buttons of his vest, urging her to continue, even if there's a slight trembling in his fingers. ]

Had to take our home back in style. [ He nudges his nose alongside her own, inhaling deeply. ] We knew this day was coming for a long time. Seemed...right to go all out.

[ In more ways than one. ]

[ the vest, of course, it next, with his guidance. alisaie works each button open carefully, taking her time. ]

Of course you did.

[ even at the end of things, style is a priority for him, even if his hair is a bit more responsible now than it once was. the vest gives way, and alisaie carefully slips her fingertips beneath it, grazing his bare skin as she eases that, too, over his shoulders and off.

he is so.. different. she can still see him, of course, the boy she had fallen in love with, he's right there, the shape of him, the feel of him, the warmth. but prompto has broadened, filled out, and he's still lean and slim but stronger now, wider beneath her hands, but still with all the same old nicks and scars that she remembers. her palms skim up his chest, over his broadened shoulders, following the sweep of his collarbones. ]

I am.. so proud of you.

[ Its unreal, that familiar-unfamiliar feeling of her hands skating over his bare skin, and Prompto's breath catches in his throat as his hands fall to clutch him her dress. Gods, he's missed this. The affection, the gentle, warm, intimate touches, her soft, reassuring words in his ears. If she had come to him today and found that they had failed, that all their years of hardship and toil had been for naught, then he's sure he could still find comfort in this, in her.

But things haven't turned out that way, and now their natural course of action is to celebrate. Tomorrow there will be much to do, and there is a long road ahead for them and Eos both. But tonight...tonight is for recollecting, celebrating, rediscovering what has been lost between them. ]

Me, too. [ It's much easier than it once was to admit that. Lifting his hands, he starts to unbutton her own coat, careful and sure. ] We sacrificed a lot to get here. Everyone did.

[ He leans in to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. ]

[ how long had it taken him to come that far? to be able to say such a thing with certainty? it warms her heart to hear it, to know that these long years of separation have not seen him regress. it would have been so easy for him to fall back on his old, toxic habits in a world gone dark like this, bereft of close companionship, lost in a world of monsters. but he didn't. he is just as strong as she has always known he is, so much more resilient than he had ever given himself credit for.

alisaie smiles, her eyelids heavy, even as his mouth finds the corner of hers, though it soon gives way to a softly exhaled sigh. ]

If only I had arrived sooner.

[ she is not so arrogant to think that she could have made any great impact, but still, to know that he had suffered here, that she was not near to support him, to aid him, is a blow. it isn't her fault, nor his, nor anyone's, but still she cannot help but regret. ]

[ It hasn't been easy, but Prompto likes to think he's come out on the other side of these ten years better, stronger. That Alisaie can recognize it is all the confirmayion he needs, really. She's always had such a good sense for who he is, often better than he does himself.

He pushes her coat down and away, not giving it another thought. ]

If you could have, you would have. You're here now. That's all that matters.

[ And it is. For all he had hoped he would see her again, a part of Prompto had feared, reasonably so, that he never would. That they would remain worlds apart, ever pining for one another, but separated by dimensional walls. But she is here, and that in and of itself is so miraculous that he can't even think to look at it in any other way.

His hands move along her sides, smoothing over her dress, the curves of her different than he remembers, but somehow, still the same. It takes more courage than he might want to admit, but after a moment longer, he slips his hands beneath the hem of her skirt, rucking up her dress as his palms move over soft, warm skin. ]

Think I can get used to these new legs of yours...

[ He huffs a little breathlessly against her lips. ]

[ he's right, she knows - it is not as if she had been idly taking her time, sitting on her hands and sipping tea while he waited for her. still it is impossible not to have a little regret, not to look at all that has become of this world, all he has suffered, and not wished that she had arrived sooner.

but she is here now. she is with him, touching him, he has met his son at long last, and on this auspicious day, at that. though eos is in shambles, and desperate need of healing, dawn is quite literally on the horizon; things can only get better from here. they are together, and if history has taught her nothing else, it is that they can face any difficulty, hand in hand. for all of their hardships, the sun rises upon a brighter future..

with a soft chuckle in her throat, alisaie turns her head enough to bump her nose to his, brushing their mouths together, breathing in his words. ]

I suppose there is a bit more to them than you might remember.

[ and yet, not so terribly changed. the old scars all still remain, the remnants of her burn, the shot to her hip, and of course, those that she had brought to nysa with her, as well. alisaie is taller, longer, leaner, but she is still the same girl who tackled him headlong into a lake, who held him on a rooftop, who promised herself to him irrevocably, eternally.

to save him the trouble, alisaie snags the lifted hem of her dress and tugs it right over her head. when was the last time anyone saw her like this? their intimacy is so easy and natural and yet still her face flushes hot as it had so many, many years ago, when first they kissed in a frozen cave. it takes her only a moment to work open his belt and trousers. ]

Turn on the water, won't you?

[ It's so very, very difficult to move away from her then, even to complete a task so simple as turning on the water, but the less space that exists between them, the better. If he ever stops touching her again, it will be too soon, but after kissing her bottom lip and tugging on it gently, he reaches over to turn on the shower, hot steam beginning to fill the bathroom almost immediately.

But then he's snapping close to her once more, his arms wind around her waist as he mutters her name in a quiet, private shiver, pressing his face against her neck so his mouth can get at her throat.

They've waited so long for this. ]

I thought of you... [ His words gust hot against her skin. ] ...Every day. Every night. [ His mouth drags up to the corner of her jaw. ] You were always with me.

[ Even if she, physically, was not. ]

[ it is going to be difficult to ever be too far from one another, she's sure, if even these few brief seconds feel like too much, when it seems far too difficult to even bother to move toward the shower at all. especially once his arms close around her and pull her flush against him so tightly. he's so warm..

alisaie's eyes flutter closed, her arms up and sliding around his shoulders all but instantly, like it is all too easy to fall right back into it, to fit their bodies together. gods, it has been so long since she has been so close to another person, since she felt an intimate touch, since she could lean into someone and draw her fingers over soft, living skin. she missed him so much. so much more than she could ever express. so much more than she could ever find the words for. ]

Yes, I was.

[ she was always in his heart, always thinking about him, always looking into the night sky and wondering if he was looking at the same, imagining that he was thinking of her in the same moments she was thinking of him.

a shivering exhale rushes against his skin as alisaie dips her head to rest it to his shoulder, burrowing into the dip of his collar, arching her back to press as near to him as she possibly can. the gust of his breath to her jaw and ear sends a shiver down her spine, goosebumps prickling her fair skin, her heart kicking up into her throat. ]

And you, with me.

[ For as long as it has been, there is simply something right and natural about holding her in his arms like this, feeling her wrapped around him, her heartbeat pounding against his. It's just as good as he remembers, these sweet touches and longing heat, and perhaps a bit better, for the years that have stretched since their last encounter like this. He wants nothing more than to lose himself in her, to pull her apart bone by bone, in all the intimate, private ways he still knows innately, and for her to do the same to him, until the world around them is meaningless.

His fingers draw down her spine, over every every bump, every dip, as he hungrily maps her skin with his palms. She is the same, but different, too, and he is all too eager to learn everything new about her body. For all he is exhausted and weary and spent, for all they have so much to talk about...they've waited what feels like a lifetime to touch again like this, and he is in no rush to stop. ]

Then we were never far apart.

[ Spoken in a whisper, as his hands settle on her hips, to guide her back towards the shower with him. He lifts his chin to kiss her mouth again, deep and warm, his lips parting against hers. ]

[ it's true, she knows - for as much as she ached for the distance between them, he was always in her thoughts, in her heart, and she in his, and in the end that is what was able to bring them back together: the unshakable drive to be together. that they were born to different worlds is irrelevant. fate had seen fit to draw them to one another, and neither of them would ever give up on the other.

but she does not have to say as much. he knows it, she need not voice it, especially when his mouth closes over hers again, warm and welcoming, and she follows him into the shower without missing a step.

they used to do this so often. alisaie loves the water, and prompto loves being clean - shared showers were so commonplace as to seem normal, many of them simply innocent time savers, flinging water at each other and laughing, or sharing for the sake of speed and convenience. but still others were like this. healing. powerful. necessary. they have always connected well this way, never needed words where their hands and mouths would do just fine, tending to one another, allowing the restorative properties of warm, clean water to soothe their aches.

alisaie does it without thinking. even as they kiss her hands slip into his hair to work the water through it, soaking it down to the scalp, before her palms skim down over and along his arms and down, to snag the small bottle of shampoo. given how long-limbed she is, she hardly needs break the kiss for more than a moment in order to reach it. ]

[ As her fingers slip into his hair, a soft, vulnerable sound slips from his mouth into hers. Every touch since they reunited has been good, precious, but there are some in the spots where he loves to be touched that unravel him in an instant. He's always loved her fingers in his hair, from her soft, gentle carding to comfort him, to her sharp tugs on his roots in the heat of passion. He knows what she's about to do, and while he gives half a thought to grabbing that shampoo first so he can work his fingers through her hair, she's there before him, and he won't fight it. Especially not with her mouth still warm and sweet on his, his tongue dipping past her lips so he can reacquaint himself with her flavor.

And she may have the shampoo first, but that isn't going to stop him from winding his finger through her hair to pull it loose from her braid. It's slow work, especially distracted as he is by her kisses, but his fingers are deliberate and gentle, determined to show her by his actions just how grateful he is to have her here, to be with her once more, at the end of it all.

But it's not the end. Not really. It's a beginning. ]

[ she cannot help but smile against his mouth when he all but melts into her touch, groaning in that satisfying way that he always has when she's washed his hair. she could never forget how much he loves this, how many nights she spent with his head on her chest, her fingernails scratching over his scalp, how many occasions she ruffled his hair while passing by.

tonight calls for a bit of special treatment. so she takes her time, working the soap through his hair carefully, drawing her fingernails over his skin, rubbing slow circles at the nape of his neck, tugging gently at the roots of his hair. he deserves spoiling tonight.

her braid is a bit more formidable now than it had once been, so after a moment she drops her hands to assist him, her mouth curving into a smile, her voice a soft whisper. ]

What do you think of our little Louie?

[ It's a question Prompto hardly needs to answer, given the way his smile blooms against hers, but he is, of course, happy to voice his thoughts as well. He'd be happy to shout them from the rooftops, to carry Louie in his arms and show him to literally every person he knows - in due time. For now, he laughs a little breathlessly while she guides his hands through her braid. Gods, did she always have this much hair? ]

He's perfect.

[ Unquestionably. Prompto may have only just met him, but of this, he is sure. He is absolutely the child the both of them always wanted, to one the ached for when they had been unable to conceive on El Nysa. Though it hurts, knowing how much of his life he has missed, Prompto is so, so very glad his son was there to keep Alisaie company on Hydaelyn, until they could be reunited as a family once more.

Tears spring again to his eyes, a sob catching in his throat. ]

H-he's everything we ever dreamed of...

[ His heart squeezes, exquisitely bittersweet. ]

[ nothing feels better than the shape of his smile against her mouth. ten long years, but her skin still remembers the feel of it, her heart still remembers the warmth his smiles bring, still as radiant now as they had ever been. life had been so dull and grey without him in it, muted, muffled.

how could she ever have survived, without little louie? ]

He certainly is.

[ she whispers, while working the water now through his hair to whisk the suds away. ]

You will find you have much in common. I can hardly wait for you to get to know him.

[ She washes the suds from his hair, her fingers bringing a cleansing, purified feeling with them, and it feels like she's washing away far more than the dirt and grime and sweat from taking on the nastiest daemons the Starscourge could cough up, and the Infernian himself. It's as if she's washing away ten years of pain, of heartache and longing, just like that. It will take time for their hearts to heal and fully bond together again, but in this moment, it's so easy to feel as if everything is right as it ever could be.

At least he finishes untangling her braid, reaching for the shampoo so he can do to her as she has done to him, just as they've always done. This simple, intimate act of washing one another has always brought them closer, but there is something particularly satisfying about doing this with her here and now, like they are breaking down even the phantom of walls that might have arisen between them. ]

Yeah? Gotta say I appreciate his choice of stuffed animal. [ He laughs, quiet but thick, as he draws the shampoo through her hair. ] Gods, I-I can hardly wait...

[ Were the boy not so clearly exhausted, Prompto would have kept him up all night, if he could have, making up for lost time. ]

[ it truly is a necessary thing, standing beneath the crash of warm water, tending to one another in the simplest, most basic of ways. so many times they have done this, found comfort and intimacy in the simple act of washing one another, and were she a poet alisaie would no doubt have words to properly appreciate this sort of ritual cleansing, how it scours not only their bodies but their hearts and souls, but she must instead settle for the feeling.

with prompto fully rinsed now, alisaie turns her back to him to more easily shake out her hair and offer him easier access. ]

Well, I taught him young to appreciate his father's truest love.

[ she teases, gently. ]

But you will have now all the time you need.

[ and she can hardly wait to see their relationship flourish. ]

[ His fingers sink deep into her hair as he lathers it up, gently pulling snarls loose and working in the suds. There's somehow more of it than he remembers, but that's just fine. It's just more of her to love, more of her to take care of, to adore, to touch. He tips his chin up to press soft little kisses behind her ears as he works down the length of her hair, until it is gleaming and clean. ]

I will. [ He chuckles softly. ] Your timing is...uncanny.

[ Had they arrived a day or two before, a year before, things would have been infinitely more complicated, and while Prompto would never, ever wish to be parted from them as long as he had been, if they were going to be separated so long, at least they've come now, to see the dawn in this world as it was always truly meant to be. ]

[ gods, it feels so good. she's filthy from the road of course, it's like as not been days since last she was able to wash beyond a simple wipedown, and few things feel quite so good as a hot shower when you're caked with grime and sweat.

but his fingers in her hair..

alisaie leans back into it gratefully, the weariness of her travel, of ten years worth of sleepless nights and hardworking days, finally catching up to her, settling deep into the marrow of her bones. it takes so much effort just to keep on her feet at all now that he's unraveling her seams with his gentle fingers. ]

Would that I could have come sooner..

[ uncanny is certainly right, but it's frustrating, too, that she had not arrived in time to help in any meaningful way, even if only to support him. ]