wrap your hand around my heart

i've got a river for a soul

Remi inhales sharply. It feels like the first time he allowed himself to be touched by a man, back in the days of Northaven and lines he never thought he'd let himself cross. This doesn't feel forbidden in the same way of course, but there is still a moment of apprehension. A divisive break that will shatter along his timeline such that he'll never be able to go back to the moments before Ronin touches him. If there is doubt, if there is darkness, if there is anything of which the Star hasn't been completely honest about, Remi will know. He'll not blame or fault Ronin for it, but he'll also not be able to un-know it.

Ronin's worry is like an oil slick, dark but prismatic. It threatens to cover Remi in a sheen that water won't wash away. The undercurrent of love steals the breath that the Alchemist holds in the back of his throat, shivering it out through his lips in a jagged pattern.  

I don't know if it'll be okay.

The world spins and grows cold. For all his strength Remi isn't even remotely confident that he can endure this.  The what-ifs are mountainous, and the uncertainty he feels from the Star is genuine and terrifying. But of course, there's nothing to do other than embrace this new reality. And so he does.

Stepping forward, Remi pulls the hand Ronin holds around his waist while the other reaches for Ronin's hair. Taking a breath as if preparing to dive into the water, the Alchemist presses his lips against his husband's.