adelphoi | (no subject)

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[ she's cold.

like the last time alisaie woke in one of these pods, at first, that cold is all she can feel. it sinks deep into her flesh, clings to her bones, and though she does not feel faint or hypothermic when she stumbles out of it, she nevertheless feels deeply chilled. her mind and memory feel fogged, and as she stands amidst the rows of pods she is confused, disoriented, until -

like a heavy weight, the realization crashes down.

alisaie does not think, she only moves, sweeping past the endless rows of pods as quickly as her trembling, aching legs will carry her, her heart beating wildly in her throat. she must get home. she must find them.

how long as it been? memory flashes in the back of her mind, images of home, of where she has been and what she has been doing and gods, the entire time she had forgotten this place, she had forgotten her home here, and peo, and prompto. a cold hand squeezes her heart tightly, painfully, as years of longing begin to set in at once, for though she had not remembered him then, she remembers him now, and all the time that has passed since last she set eyes on his beloved face. she's desperate now, to throw herself into his arms, but moreover she is.. afraid. how long has she been asleep? what if he is sleeping as well, no longer here? what if he has moved on? panic clutches her insides relentlessly.

but she does not need to get home. when alisaie turns the corner to the exit, he's there - she would recognize that hair anywhere, even if it looks a little less ostentatious than usual (and a little darker?), and her heart, that had been pounding hard, now stills. ]

Prompto -

[ his name feels so sweet on her tongue, riding on a rasping breath, but it's only the briefest of moments before she's moving again, surging into his arms, her hands clasping his jaw to pull him into a hard, needy, desperate kiss. ]

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[ ...And then she's gone.

The first night passes in a stupor. For better or for worse, he is numb. He is exhausted and raw and wrung-out and tired, and so for a long, long moment, he can only watch the space that she occupied before she walked out that door, lost in stupor, wondering if she will come back. Hoping that she will come back. She will, right? They've fought before, but they've never...separated. Not like this. Even after the gala, they stayed inside the same house and managed to make peace after a handful of days. Even when she had been recovering from the burns to her leg, he had stayed with her at the hospital. Even...even when he'd been killed, he pulled through death itself to return to her side, to cling to this wonderful, miraculous thing they built together.

So...she'll come back, right?

But she does not come back. And slowly but surely, the silence settles on him. The house hadn't been loud before, with how strained their relationship has been, but he still could feel her presence in the walls. She was still there, and there was Peo to bridge the gap between them. Maybe...he had been too hasty in insisting she take the dog. But...no. This was his choice. He chose to be alone, and not just during their last argument.

He's been making that choice all along, hasn't he?

He's been stupid. So...stupid. Believe their bond would mend itself didn't mean he shouldn't have taken any action, but his guilt had gotten the better of him and made him completely useless. He'd been afraid to talk to her, because of how poorly she'd taken the news of what had happened back home, but...he should have still tried. She was waiting for him to take initiative that he never took, and he rested too long on a thing that was wearing thin. And now she's gone. Maybe...maybe forever. Because how could she ever want him back when he's been so completely horrible to her?

So the second day he cries himself dry. He despairs, fears, he regrets. He contemplates the worst. That she will never come back, that he will be alone for the rest of his miserable life, and he'll have no one to blame but himself for throwing away something so good, so perfect. He looks at his photographs. He reads the letter she left for him, in case she ever returned to stasis without him. He touches every corner of this house that they lived in together, that they cherished. Where they had laughed and smiled and loved and lived, where they had talked the night before they had wedded, where they held each other and kissed. The walls are steeped with their love, with memories.

He picks up his phone, dials her number, his thumb hovering over the send button. But he never goes through with it. He's such a goddamn coward, he can't even call his own wife, but the fear of rejection, of losing it all in no uncertain terms, is too great for his heart to bear.

And then time crawls on. He doesn't fall into a pattern, because the only patterns that he knows here were built around her. Instead he sleeps at odd hours and forgets to eat, he runs out of groceries and loses his key. His situation with Alisaie would be reason enough to fall to pieces, but he also hasn't really...processed what happened back on Eos yet, either. That weighs on his shoulders, too. They saved the world and the sun returned, but Noctis is dead. Would he ever wake up from stasis? Should he ever wake up with stasis? What the hell does he do now?

He misses everyone so goddamn much, and while the dead tundra of Niflheim could give this a good run...he's never felt more lonely in his life than he does in this moment. It's really no different than any other moment, but it hits him particularly hard, and he just — he can't —

He can't go on like this.

It's been several days since he's found any tears to cry, but they return in full force now, and he sinks down onto the kitchen floor, burying his face in his hands, hiding his face from the world, even if there is no one around to see him cry. ]

[ returning to their old home is not as easy as she had anticipated. it's a far sight better than their treehouse, where the memories were much stronger and visceral, where prompto was, skulking about like the ghost of the man she loved, but there are still memories here. this was the first space they shared together, lived together. this was where he held her while she suffered, her body attacking itself, failing, dying. quite a lot happened here. it was their starting point for building their life together.

still, she can breathe more easily. the weight on her chest has lessened tremendously, the air about the place is not so oppressive as it had been at the treehouse. peo is nervous, uncertain, but he settles in well enough, keeps her company, and sleeps tightly against her at night, licking the tears from her face when she weeps. she's lonely, terribly lonely, but alisaie has a natural tolerance toward the feeling, she's isolated herself more than once to process or protect herself, and this is no different. besides, she has work to keep her occupied, and she spends long hours reading.

and thinking. of course she thinks. she reflects on what has passed between them, on her own mistakes and failures, but in the end, she does not act. she cannot act. alisaie has so often been the initiator between the two of them - she is decisive and forward, she knows what she wants, but this.. this is not a choice that she can make for him. prompto's heart is his own, this decision is his own, she cannot tell him to love her, she cannot force them to be as they once were, loathe as she is to admit it - strongarming the world to be what she wants it to be is generally speaking one of her specialties. but this this time.. this thing cannot be rectified with a sword or a sharp tongue.

this, as he had said, needs time, and alisaie is not a patient girl.

but she waits, nevertheless. she waits for him to come to a decision, or perhaps she is waiting for him not to come to one. perhaps she will live out the rest of her days here, in this apartment, perhaps he will never tell her the words she wants to hear. he does not call, or text. he does not come to the apartment. with every day that passes she worries that.. mayhaps he never will.

still, she has to live, and when she had packed it had been hasty. she does not have all of her clothes or books or belongings, she does not have even half of them, and while alisaie isn't a particularly materialistic girl, she could.. definitely use more than three sets of undergarments. and her books. she needs those.

so in the evening she climbs the tall path to the treehouse again with peo bounding at her side. he knows where they're going, he's excited to see prompto again, like as not this separation has taken its toll on him more than she can guess - to have them back from stasis only to be so tense and unhappy.. it shows. it will do peo some good to see prompto again, though a part of her still hopes that he might not be home when she arrives, she would prefer this to be as painless as possible.

but there's a noise before she's even fully in the door - the sound of prompto's cries.

alisaie reacts instinctively and immediately, she doesn't stop to consider that it's not all that unlikely that he would be upset. this is difficult and painful for them both. but her muscle memory kicks in, and her heart aches - regardless of his feelings toward her she still loves him, and she has ever been protective of his heart; that he should be hurting so badly chafes her very soul.

dropping her bag at the door, alisaie rushes to the kitchen and sinks to her knees, folding him into her arms without hesitation. ]

Hush, now -

[ ...He must be dreaming now. He's passed out, too exhausted or lightheaded and how he's dreaming or hallucinating, because Alisaie is here. But she isn't here. She left. He drove her away.

Yet he hears her voice over the sounds of his sobs, soothing and familiar and warm. He feels her arms close around him and the gust of her breath against his hair. He feels her warmth, her gentleness, and the feeling that envelops him is so powerful that it splits his heart in two once more.

Through red-rimmed eyes, he turns his head up just enough to look, to see if the phantom he wants so desperately to be real is actually there. ]

...A-Alis-saie?

[ She...she came back? ]

[ no matter what becomes of them, no matter how far apart they drift, if he chooses to remain only her friend, or even her acquaintance, she will always be powerfully protective of him. she cannot help it. he is so strong, stronger than even he himself knows, but his heart is a tender, gentle thing, soft and sweet where hers is hard and unyielding. it is something she must preserve and protect, even if she is guilty of harming it, she cannot bear to see him like this. ]

I'm here.

[ she says, smoothing his hair back from his ruddy face with one hand, though she still holds fast to him, scooping him close to her body while peo wags his tail nervously and whimpers, uncertain of whether or not he should approach. ]

Try to breathe, my love. Deep breaths, with me.

[ Try to breathe, my love.

Her voice reaches around his heart and holds fast, the lifeline that he needs to pull himself out of this. He no longer has to question that this is real, because of course it is. He doesn't deserve her, he doesn't deserve this, but still she's here, holding him, soothing him and cradling him close. His arms wind right back around her, holding fast like his very life depends on it, his face pressing to the crook of her neck, inhaling her skin, his heart railing within his ribcage.

It's strange. How he could forget her for ten years and never miss a beat, and yet once he remembered her, losing her for even one weak his nearly crushed his heart.

He held her when she vented her tears, and now she does the same for him. Tired as he is, it doesn't take him long, but by the time he finally starts to slow and breathe deep, settling breaths, her collar is soaked with his tears, his skin warm and flushed, his weight heavy against her as he leans on her for support. ]

I-I-I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...

[ He manages between those steadying breaths, his fingers in her clothing tightening still. ]

[ it isn't a difficult thing to do, to hold him like this, to cradle him near to her heart while he expends his grief. she's done it a hundred times before, and he has done it for her. they were there for one another long before they became romantically involved, he was her dear friend, her confidante, and even once they became more he was still those things to her. they were the best of friends, they laughed together, they mourned and wept together. this is easy. natural. even if it makes her heart ache.

and so she rests her cheek to his hair and rocks gently, back and forth, back and forth, one hand smoothing over his cropped hair, the other against his back, her thumb rubbing soft, small circles between his shoulder blades. like she had before, she knows he need only get it out, expel the pain through tears and sobs, and while it won't fix what is broken it will give him a chance to breathe, and he will feel all the better for it, able to think more clearly. alisaie closes her eyes and rides it out with him, silent save for the occasional soft, soothing whisper.

but even the most violent of storms must come to an end, and he soon begins to quiet against her, though she still keeps him close. ]

It's all right.

[ she says softly, her voice low, and smooth, yet still sad and despairing. even if what happened is not his fault, or hers, it still happened to them, it is still happening, and they are both hurting deeply, in places that are difficult to heal. ]

You are not to blame..

But...b-but I...

[ Maybe it's not his fault. Not what brought on the situation in the first place, at least. And maybe it's not even his fault that he forgot, that he had feelings for someone else, that he kissed her. But these things still happened. And he can blame being disoriented but the suddenness of all these revelations when he awoke for the first couple of days of his inaction. But everything that's happened since then...his inability to move in any direction, the tension, their fight, their kiss...that was all his fault. He did those things. Even now, he has no real excuse for why he hasn't tried to call her. Once again, he let fear control him.

Wasn't he supposed to have let that go a long, long time ago? Why is he always so damn eager to fall on his sword?

Slowly, he pulls back, but only just far enough that he can look into her eyes, so she can see the raw honesty in his own.

He isn't running away. Not this time. ]

But I-I am. I...I-I didn't talk to you. I pushed you away. I w-was afraid you didn't trust me anymore, or I thought I had to figure it all out before I could give you an answer, I-I haven't even told you what happened back home...I was so afraid of losing you...

[ So afraid it crippled him. But not anymore. He can't do this anymore. ]

[ he pulls back to look into her face, and she meets his gaze with her own - for the first time in weeks it feels like he is really looking at her, truly seeing her, and it feels.. so good. it might only be the surge of emotion, he might backpedal right back into frightened inaction again, but it still feels so good to feel seen, noticed, like he's looking at her and not their past, not at what he wants to see.

alisaie exhales a soft sigh, her brow creasing tightly, and she leans to gently touch her brow to his. ]

You will never lose me.

[ surely she has assured him of this before. no matter how they might argue or hurt one another, even if they cannot regain what they once were, if his love for her has.. dwindled, he will still never lose her. she will always be his champion, she will always care for him, protect and defend him. they might need this time apart, but no matter what happens between them, now or in the future, he will always be a part of her heart. there is no denying or erasing that. ]

I promise you.

[ Her words are simple, straightforward, and really, in his heart of hearts, he knows them profoundly. He only needed to be reminded, and hearing them now, when he is most vulnerable and raw...they connect to him so deeply that he shudders, his expression crumpling, a whimper of relief passing his lips as his grip on her tightens even more. ]

A-and you'll never lose me. I-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry it took me so long to figure out how to say that...

[ But in the end, it's all that matters. Will it hurt, if Cindy wakes up, and he has to break her heart? Yes. Yes, it will. Will he feel guilty? Yes. But he will accept that, should that day come. He will meet it head on and do right by her as much as he can. Because when all is said and done... ]

It's you, Alisaie. It's a-always you, only you. You...mean the whole world to me. I-I love you, I love you more than anything.

[ And that's all that matters. This isn't how he should have told her, and he still has such a long ways to go in making things up to her. But he will not wait any longer to tell her, and he will never make her question again. Though his heart still aches, it is resolved now, his will resolute. ]

[ there's no denying that those words soothe her, that they assuage a deep fear in her gut, the terrible thought that she might have lost his love forever. it has weighed on her for weeks, since they first awoke, since she kissed at him and he looked at her with unfamiliar eyes, as if he was looking through her. past her.

yet still there is misgiving in her heart. it took them so long to get to this point, it took him so long to decide it - what if he does not truly mean it?

it isn't fair to think that, she knows. all this time she has been urging him to make up his mind, to decide what it is that he wants, what it is that he feels, and here she is questioning it. yet having lived in fear for near on a month now, it is difficult for her to take it at face value, to absorb it. still, there is one thing she knows, for sure - ]

I love you, too. I always will.

[ she whispers, her hands now resting on his chest, but for the sweetness of her words her voice is still.. strained, and sad, her eyes down. the last thing she wants is to hurt him more when he is already so raw, so she must be delicate. ]

But are you.. sure?

[ Is he sure?

He doesn't answer right away, even though he already knows his answer. He lets it sink in, past his impulses and instincts, and lets it settle on his mind, because it's an important question for her to ask. If she's asking him this, it's because she needs to, so even if it hurts, he will give it its due.

He breathes in and out, his chest rising and falling beneath the pressure of her hand, and when he glances back up to meet her gaze again, he doesn't speak. They've...always been much better at communicating through physicality than words, anyway. So he lifts his hands to her face, leans in, and kisses her in a way that is somehow gentle and tender and sure and passionate all at once.

Yes. Yes. He is sure. He will always be sure. He will never doubt again, never doubt their bond, their love, so unbreakable and strong that it could move mountains. It is unconquerable, even after all they have been through, and so he demonstrates that to her with clearest way he can, his lips parting over hers, his thumbs rolling softly over her cheekbones. ]

[ when he hesitates at first alisaie feels her chest tightening with apprehension. whatever answer he gives will surely be the true one, he understands the weight of this, they both do, he must know that he cannot placate her with a half-truth, or a kindness meant to smooth her feathers - she needs to know, well and truly, what he wants. she has waited so long, gods, she has waited, these weeks have been terrible and grueling, they have felt like years while she pined for an answer that would not come. for better or for worse, after this, she will no longer need to wait.

but his response comes not in words, as she had expected, but in the warmth of his hands framing her face, the touch of his callused thumbs, and more, in the press of his mouth to hers.

for the first few moments it feels unreal, and alisaie can feel a tingling warmth sweep down her body. their recent kiss had been so hot and needy and incredibly painful, and more than once this week apart she had thought that it might have been their last, that it would be all she had to remember their love by, but now comes another, sweeter kiss. it's warm and welcoming, but strong and assured, like strong hands supporting the broken pieces of her heart it lifts her up, fills her empty spaces with a warmth she has not felt in.. far too long.

a soft sound escapes into the kiss, a quiet whine, low and desperate, and soon she is recovering, sliding her arms over and around his shoulders to hold close to him, tilting her head to slot their mouths perfectly together as she knows they fit. the world collapses, narrowing to this tiny space in the world, to this hard kitchen floor, to the late afternoon sunlight slanting yellow through the swaying curtains, to the touch of his hands and the pressure of his mouth, irresistible, perfect. ]

[ Her answer to his kiss is crucial, and for those few moments that she doesn't react, his heart is pounding, railing, sounding like a drum in his ears that she must surely be able to hear. What if this isn't the answer she wants? Should he have explained first? Is it asking too much, too soon to kiss her now? But then she's responding in kind, her arms winding around his shoulders and holding him near, and something like a dam loosens between them at last, spilling forth brilliantly.

His relief is palpable in the way he sighs into the kiss, his fingers threading into her hair, while his other arm winds secure and fast around her waist. The world falls away, and it's easy to forget that they are sitting on their kitchen floor, late in the afternoon, in the outskirts of Wyver. All that matters is that they are together, and that this kiss is deep and warm and perfect.

There is no doubt in his heart or mind in that moment. This is right. This is where they belong, both of them, and he will never be afraid to fight for this again.

He doesn't break this kiss off, but he does murmur against her mouth as he continues to kiss her, some of his words lost between them, some of them a little clearer. ]

I love you. [ A kiss. ] I love you. [ Another kiss. ] I love you. [ And yet another, long and lingering, as he breathes with her, infinitely connected. ]

[ he cannot understand how sweet those words sound to her, how she has ached to hear them, really hear them - not the hollow shell of them repeated by rote, not angrily spat, but true and full and fierce. she breathes them in as he speaks them like she cannot live without them, soft, quiet sounds are lost between their mouths, and alisaie feels dizzy and disoriented, lost in a warm, cradling fog.

she laughs, she cannot help it. there's a giddiness in her belly that flutters and flips, and hot tears fill her eyes, spilling down her face, wet against his cheeks, but still she's laughing, breathless and soft and intensely relieved. at last he is not saying what he feels he should say, he's not trying to fill the space or grasp at something he does not fully understand - he's come back to her with all that familiar warmth and love and sweetness. ]

I was so afraid..

[ she whispers, her mouth dragging over his, her nose bumping and nudging his own affectionately, sweetly. she cannot get enough of him. ]

I-I was so sure.. that you were gone..

[ And he can't get enough of her, the warmth of her body and her kiss and her breath so achingly familiar that he finds more tears to cry, though this time they are only tears of joy, of relief, of love after fearing a thing so precious lost. This doesn't fix what he did, or erase the hurt that he caused her, and he still has a ways to go to make up for that. He knows. But this is an important first step, the most important first step, and he will not rush it, but savor everything about it. ]

I know. [ He murmurs, low and soft, privately. It's been so long since they've been able to do this, share such an intimate space, and it's a thrill all over again, to be so close to someone, to know them as well as he knows her. ] I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I did.

[ And he'll own it. He won't make excuses. He is done making excuses. ]

But I could...never not love you.

[ It just shouldn't have taken him so long to figure out how to tell her that. Shivering, he kisses her again, his eyes fluttering shut so he can sink fully into the feeling of it. ]

[ she falls silent again for a few more long moments to appreciate the kiss, and it lasts, it lasts for what feels like hours. she presses to him and explores his mouth as if it is something new to her, because in many ways it is. he still tastes the same, he still feels the same, but the shape of his mouth has changed a little as he's grown, and so has hers, and there's the scratch of his stubble that is a new and different sensation to grow accustomed to as well.

but gods, he smells so good, he feels so warm and strong, and kissing him is like a dream.

by the time she breaks to breathe again her mouth feels raw and almost sore, but it's a lovely feeling, and she can't pull her mouth from his even to smile, and speak again. she shakes her head. ]

I hurt you, as well. I'm sorry, Prompto.

[ he saw the ugly parts of her that she does not like him to see, and while the fight felt natural and raw and almost necessary in some ways, she still feels guilty for having hurt him, for having flung such poisonous barbs with the intent to hurt him. it was unkind, and to him.. ]

I should have been more patient, I know..

[ It's an exquisite kiss, one that seems to last for hours, and yet even by the time they part it doesn't seem like it's been long enough. They will need time to mend, but also to make up for all the lost years between them. They have so very much catching up to do, and there's not enough time in a day for him to give her all the kisses she deserves, all that he wants to give her.

When they break apart, he doesn't open his eyes, instead just listening to the sound of her voice, her precious, wonderful voice, that he feared he might never hear again. Why had she come back? Had something...pulled her to him, even though he hadn't contacted her to come?

She's always known his heart so well, after all. ]

I...I never should have made you wait that long to begin with. Getting here after being home just...I dunno, shook me up, I guess. A...a lot happened back there while I was gone.

[ Far more than he's told her. He'll tell her everything, of course, in due time, but there's something he should tell her before the rest, much as it might make his heart ache to do so. ]

Noct...he...he's gone. Gave his life to bring back the light.

[ he keeps his eyes closed, and so she takes advantage of it, pressing soft, gentle kisses to his brow and his nose, over his cheeks, nuzzling at his ear and jaw, but when it becomes clear that he has important things to say she sits back again, her arms looped around his shoulders. the only thing she wants more than to kiss him right now is to talk with him, to listen to him, to hear everything that has been in his heart, to hear about how he has lived his life these past ten years.

it does not seem as if he has a happy story to tell.

alisaie's face falls, her expression soft and sad, her brow creased in concern, and she can feel the sinking in her breast as her heart grows heavy. noctis..

while she certainly can't claim to have known noctis even slightly as well as prompto had, she nevertheless knew him. they were friends. he married them, so many years ago. to hear that he is gone.. gods, how prompto must be feeling. how long ago was this? how many months or years has he walked on without his best friend beside him? he is strong, so much more strong than he would ever give himself credit for, but grief is one of the worst feelings in the world. no doubt he is bearing it far better than alisaie would.

gently, she tips her head forward to touch her brow to his. ]

Oh, Prompto..

[ she breathes, carding her fingers through his hair. ]

I am.. so sorry.

[ it isn't enough. such small words could never be enough. but it is all she can say. ]

[ Maybe her words don't change anything, but it's still a relief to him to hear them spoken. He has ached to share this with her, but he didn't quite feel...right doing it, until he had given her his answer, like he would be asking for too much. Now, however, the walls that had been erected between them begin to fall, and things behind to feel familiar once more. Such as her kisses, soft and sweet, against his face, and in spite of everything, one corner of his mouth tugs up into a smile.

He loves her so much. Why did he ever put off telling her so? But they can only move past that now. ]

It...it's how it had to be. He...defeated Ardyn, and then...he gave his life to destroy the Starscourge once and for all. After ten long years, we finally got to see the sunrise.

[ A soft exhale as he bumps his nose to her own, nuzzling to her cheek, inhaling the scent of her skin and reminding himself just how much he has to be grateful for right now, with her. ]

That's...the last thing I remember before I woke up here again.

[ So, that answers her unasked question. It was recent, very recent, and all told, he really hasn't had a chance to properly grieve yet. That's on him as well, but even so, it feels good to finally acknowledge it, like washing out a wound that has been festering for far too long. ]

[ it's so easy to be thoughtlessly affectionate with him, to bump their noses together, to kiss his skin and receive his kisses in return - even after a handful of years it feels easy, and simple.

though her heart still breaks for him, and for noctis, and eos, for their loss. in the end it seems to have brought about the necessary end, and alisaie is not unfamiliar with the idea of a necessary sacrifice, but nevertheless it makes her heart ache. for several long minutes, alisaie simply maintains her silence, honoring the moment, allowing them to simply.. feel it. mourning is a long and painful process, alisaie knows it far too well, but at the very least he need not bear it alone any longer. she will be here, for him, however he needs.

at last alisaie tips her head forward to rest her brow to his. ]

Wherever he is, I've no doubt that he is at peace.

[ Prompto has no doubt of that, either. Noctis chose to follow the path laid out for him, to make that necessary sacrifice, and in the end, it was always his choice. If had had done otherwise...it would have been hard to blame him.

But no, he had embraced his fate, serving as an inspiration to them all, a beacon that he can look to whenever he loses his way.

He takes in a deep, shuddering breath, leaning his brow heavily against her own when they meet. ]

...You bet he is. I...uh, did see him back up in the pods, after I woke up.

[ So...that was a bit of a shock, even if he already knew that the dead could return to this place. It's another thing entirely when it's your best friend. ]

Still...whether I ever see him again or not, it'll...it'll be okay.

[ Even if they never see any of them again it's okay, because they have each other. ]

[ he's come a long way.

years ago, prompto would have broken down entirely just to hear that noctis had gone back into stasis, alive, but now he is strong enough to accept his death with calm and responsible dignity. alisaie certainly would not be standing so tall were their positions reversed, and while he was going through all of this, mourning the loss of his dearest friend, she was only making his life difficult, she left him -

it stings, and it shames her, and she will have to make amends, she will have to apologize, but not now. he won't want to hear it now. but she won't forget. ]

Yes, it will.

[ she says, softly, both hands smoothing back through his hair, her thumbs coasting over his cheekbones. ]

I love you.

I love you, too.

[ He repeats back quietly, reverently, his hands lifting to cover her own and press the warmth of her palms against his jaw. He's so very lucky to have her, and now that they've come back together at last, he can truly begin to heal. They can both begin to heal.

After a moment he ventures to speak again, though his tone has shifted somewhat, something of his usual timbre returning to his voice. ]

Y'know...I really was gonna call you.

[ He would have caved soon enough, but her returning at the time that she did may have made it easier on them both. ]

A-and...you can come back anytime you want! But if you still need anymore time...it's okay.

[ He asked for way too much time from her. So if she needs some in return, he understands. ]

[ a soft, breathless chuckle passes her lips, and alisaie shakes her head. ]

You needn't explain yourself to me.

[ whether he had planned to call her or not, whether he would have chased her down at their old apartment.. it does not matter. she would have forgiven him either way. but he offers her now an option, it would seem - to stay, or to go, and while alisaie knows what her heart wants without question, she does not know if it is the right choice. does he still need more.. time? more space?

sitting back from him, alisaie's hands drop to his chest. ]

Peo misses you dearly. If nothing else, he should stay.

[ it's unfair to the poor pup - he'd missed them both so terribly, and now they pull him every which way, like as not he has no idea where home is, and the separation and tension between the two of them has had him nervous, sad, and on edge. he needs to decompress, to be soothed. ]

As for me, I.. I do not know what is best. Do you need time, still? What would you have of me?

[ she does not want to leave him to ache and grieve alone, but that may be what he needs. ]

[ The question has scarcely left her lips before he answers: ]

I want you with me.

[ His response comes so quickly that she may think he hasn't thought about it enough, but the truth is that he doesn't need to think about it. He knows what he wants now, and the last thing he could ever want is for her to go back to staying somewhere apart from him. He scarcely wants to let her leave his arms, let alone their house.

A moment after he's spoken, however, he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, and then, speaking against them: ]

Will you come home?

[ Home. ]

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