there is always hope
The world plunged into a darkness that Ronin had begun to find comfortable - but then perhaps that was because it wasn't really, truly dark to begin with. The whisper of a breeze against his shoulders and hair seemed familiar - but not nearly as familiar as the lips that pressed to his ear. Ronin's breath hitched in his throat, and he pressed his eyes shut as if to savour the sound of Vanya's voice.
I will, he vowed, and though he meant it, he still went looking for the sea-bird as her presence faded from around them. With misty eyes he glanced back at Remi, more surprised than anything to notice that, if he wasn't mistaken, Vanya had spoken with him as well.
Gazing across the gathering - and pausing to offer Safrin a respectful nod and a bashful smile at her presence - he turned and found his hand captured by Remi. His words reached deep within Ronin to pluck at his heart strings, and it was a wobbly sort of smile with only a fraction of its usual charm that he shot back at Remi. "You expect me to follow that?" he half whispered, gazing in awe down at his hand and the heartbeat he now held within it.
"You did tell me before I died," he objected gently. "Right before. And through some miracle, I got put back down here so I'd have a chance to say it back." As he spoke he removed the matching ring from its box, gently slipping it onto Remi's finger. (The alchemist would feel Ronin's heart skip a beat as he did so).
"So here it is: I love you, Remi. Only you."
I will, he vowed, and though he meant it, he still went looking for the sea-bird as her presence faded from around them. With misty eyes he glanced back at Remi, more surprised than anything to notice that, if he wasn't mistaken, Vanya had spoken with him as well.
Gazing across the gathering - and pausing to offer Safrin a respectful nod and a bashful smile at her presence - he turned and found his hand captured by Remi. His words reached deep within Ronin to pluck at his heart strings, and it was a wobbly sort of smile with only a fraction of its usual charm that he shot back at Remi. "You expect me to follow that?" he half whispered, gazing in awe down at his hand and the heartbeat he now held within it.
"You did tell me before I died," he objected gently. "Right before. And through some miracle, I got put back down here so I'd have a chance to say it back." As he spoke he removed the matching ring from its box, gently slipping it onto Remi's finger. (The alchemist would feel Ronin's heart skip a beat as he did so).
"So here it is: I love you, Remi. Only you."
