a martyr on a bridge that's burning down

HARPER

I stood outside when the roof gave in
You crawled from the wreckage you were lying in

Yes, quite convenient but the truth is what it is. It's all he has to give her, having immediately gone looking for her as soon as the fog had cleared his brain. In fact there's not much else that he has done with his days, communicating only for the sake of trying to track her down. Devoted, yes, but at the cost of any kind of happiness. Happiness that he now holds in his arms. "Never been better," he assures, a gentle teasing tone to his words that makes it all the more apparent that he is talking about her. Thumb stroking over her skin anew, Harper drinks in her face, committing it to memory anew. Relief washes through his veins in waves, and he sends a quiet prayer of thanks to the Gods above that they have been reunited. That they weren't forced to end things in the worst way right after they began.

The soft murmur has him leaning closer, broad shoulders crowding close as if to block anyone from even so much as reading her lips. A frown draws at his lips, mind racing and trying to make connections as to what she's alluding to. When it clicks, his eyes go wide and travel from her bare feet to the tip of her head. There's no real physical difference aside from her longer hair, but then again maybe she didn't need to be changed physically anyway. "So you're...one of theirs? Officially?" Keeping it vague enough just as she had. Kaiholo is quite packed, and he won't put her at risk. After a moment of stunned silence, he uses the hand still gently cupping her face to tilt her jaw and leans in to press a tender kiss at the very corner of her mouth. Not wanting to rush or take too much, to assume these are liberties he can still take after his absence. "I don't care. I don't care, Phoebe. I was so scared when I was trying to find you, I'll take you any way you are." Pulling away, he stares down into her eyes, face serious and intense. "You have me. No matter what." Even if that means war.

You're out of reach and we're out of time, I take it all and toe that line
You held my hand and pulled me down with you