Vi ♱

It would be suicide if they did. If they so much as let out a peep above a whisper or accidentally alerted a nearby sleeping beauty, then it would be utter hell on Earth for whatever poor son of a bitch found themselves trapped outside beneath the heavy cover of the clouds. They were extra thick this late hour. Dark and blanketing the sky in a deep, near void-like state which shielded those below from the radiant light of the crescent moon.

On any other occasion it wouldn’t normally be that hard for Hakon, being out in such darkness like he was tonight. He was a former nightrunner, after all. Well versed in the art of stealth and not exactly scared to traverse the city despite the constant danger that often filled the once quiet streets beneath him. He usually kept to the high ground, vaulting, leaping and grappling his way across dangerous distances before eventually settling himself on the highest rooftop he could find in order to watch the sunrise.

It had become one of his favourite pastimes these last few years, simply sitting in silence and watching the morning rear its bountiful head. It always brought him a sense of peace when he did and oftentimes he’d be quick to remove his jacket as the night fell around him, allowing him the chance to bask in the heat of the sun's golden rays as they cast out across the town, filling the streets with the most glorious and volatile free light. 

However tonight… Tonight was far more different than he ever would have expected and honestly, deep down in the very pit of his stomach, Hakon didn’t know if he’d still be alive to see the next morning's sun rise. For starters, and for the first time in years, Hakon wasn’t travelling alone through that treacherous cover of darkness. He was with Aiden, having barely escaped the streets around the Bazaar after they’d shut off the UV lights and sent them packing. The bastards. As if trying to hang Aiden for not having a biomarker wasn’t bad enough, they just had to go and sentence them both to death by denying them entry. 

Though, in hindsight, it had been somewhat of a fool's hope that they would let them in without that comforting green band around Aiden’s wrist. They were awfully strict about it, and rightfully so, but to go so far as to switch off the light? To deny them that one measly little thing that might help them survive the chaos erupting around them? Well… that was a new low even for the Bazaar and if by some minor miracle he lived to see the next day, Hakon would be thinking twice before he delivered goods from dark zones to any of those traitors inside.  

“Hakon!” Aiden’s hushed, yet stern, voice easily drew Hakon from the deep depths of his mind, snapping him right back into reality as the kid's worried face came into view before him. “We need to move!”

“Let me think,” Hakon hissed, catching the subtle way in which Aiden’s jaw tensed as he bit his tongue. He wanted to argue back, that much Hakon was sure of, but thankfully the kid managed to swallow back his sharpened words, allowing Hakon that brief moment of peaceful silence in order to try and think about their next move. 

Not that that would even do much good, however, as right in that moment… As the pungent air around them erupted with the spine-chilling howls of waking volatiles, Hakon’s brain didn’t seem to want to work properly. Figures. The one time he needed to be on his game and he couldn’t even manage to fucking think straight. He knew they had to move. The firefly filled grass wouldn’t hide them for long should one of those ravaging beasts find its way up onto the rooftop — which, knowing his luck, was almost guaranteed to happen. 

These days both the streets and the rooftops were littered with all kinds of infected. Virals. Howlers. Spitters. There was even a fucking Banshee two buildings away from them and former nightrunner or not, Hakon wasn’t fit to deal with one of those right now. Nor was he particularly up to dealing with the wrath of a few dozen Volatiles that would come running from the screams, either. 

And neither was Aiden. The kid was barely able to stay on his feet for more than a few minutes and the time until he, himself, turned into a ravenous creature was quickly counting down right in front of him. They needed to get to some light. To find somewhere safe to wait out the night and since the Bazaar was once again showing its true colours, there weren’t many places left around the city that could offer them that. The windmills were inactive. Trading posts had closed their doors and all of the old nightrunner hideouts were likely to be out of commission after so many years abandoned, as the last one Hakon had come across in his travels needed to be repaired and given the situation they didn’t exactly have time to stand around and figure out how to fix the generator. 

The only other place he could think of right now was Sarah and Jana’s. But honestly, it was likely to be a useless venture hauling their asses back to their workshop. The girls had already shown their strong distrust of Aiden and chances are they’d simply remain quiet behind the safety of their door as the two men pounded on it before being eaten by volatiles. But if not them, then who could they go to? The Peacekeepers wouldn’t help them, that much Hakon was sure of. Aiden didn’t have a biomarker and if he thought the Bazaar was bad with how they treated unmarked civilians then just wait until the PK’s get ahold of him. 

“Hakon, they’re coming!”

Fuck. 

Aiden was right. There was now a lone volatile skulking across the rooftop just off to their right and if it happened to look in the exact right place it was going to see them. It’s meal. It would devour them in a matter of seconds and yet Hakon still made no move to start running, as he had no idea where the hell they even could run to. 

Well, that was a lie, honestly. He actually had a fair idea of where they could go from here but did he really want to reopen that wound by showing up at Cillian’s? It had been a while since he saw his old friend and even though he could see Cillian's home — his secure and no doubt well lit home — from where they crouched, there was a strong part of him that greatly wanted to stay away from it. Of course, he knew he’d have to see Cillian at some point to get Aiden a biomarker but he’d much rather do that in the daylight, that way if Cillian wasn’t too happy to see him then there wouldn’t be other vicious creatures roaming around to add to his misery.

“Hakon, we can’t stay here forever.”

“I know. I know. I just…” Hakon took a breath, swallowing it thickly as he closed his eyes. Fucking shit. Where could they go? Where could they get to safely without running the risk of having to do too much, well… running?

“Hakon.”

The underlying fear in Aiden’s voice had Hakon open his eyes, his worried gaze then drifting to the right on its own curious accord. He squinted in the darkness, trying his best to discern how long they had before that gargantuan volatile on the neighbouring roof made its way towards them. But no matter how hard he tried, Hakon couldn’t make out anything amidst the darkness. Not a wrinkle of red, nor a flicker of its bright white eyes could he see and for a moment… A split second where some relief flowed through him, he thought the creature had vanished. 

That was, until the unmistakable sound of ragged breathing came from a spot directly behind where the two men hid. Fuck. No wonder Aiden sounded more scared than he ever expected a pilgrim to be, there was a fucking volatile no further than a few feet away from them, snarling and grunting in such an eerie tone that it caused even Hakon’s blood to run cold. Shit. It was going to find them. If they didn’t move within the next ten seconds there was no doubt in his mind that that giant, flesh eating monster was going to come across them and rip them both to shreds.

And it was a pity, really. Hakon would have quite liked to see one last sunset before he died. To feel those comforting rays cast over his body and envelop him in a sense of comfort that, for a brief moment, filled that dark and dreary hole in his chest just long enough to allow him to breathe. He always treasured it, that feeling. Though lately, he never could replicate the true feeling of his first ever sunrise. Not really. It was never the same and it barely lasted longer than a few miraculous seconds without the added warmth of…

Shit… Had it not been for the added company, Hakon could have laughed as the thought hit him like a train. Of course. How stupid could he be not thinking of you? He did so every day of his life. Every single second of his miserable existence he spent thinking of you and yet in the one moment he was so desperate for a solution, he’d seemingly forgotten that you lived no more than fifteen rooftops away from them.

And of course, he knew he had more chance of the fucking Peacekeepers letting them him in than he did with you, but still… The mere thought of getting to safety and of getting to see you after so long with nothing but the memory of your face to keep him going, meant Hakon simply couldn’t stop himself from setting off in your direction. He’d all but jumped to his feet at the chance, having tossed his last decoy in the opposite direction before hoisting Aiden up and dragging him roughly along the grassy surface of the rooftop — all whilst silently praying that some small part of you still felt the same way about him as you once did.

“Where are we going?” Aiden asked, hoisting himself up a small, brick chimney after Hakon — who, if he was being honest, he was having a little trouble keeping up with. “Hakon?” 

“Some place safe,” was all Hakon said, leaving a sense of mystery in the air as he leapt across the not-so-short distance between two neighbouring buildings. He landed near effortlessly on the slanted roof trim, his foot slipping a little on loose tile as Aiden landed gracefully beside him. 

As he did, that moss covered slate loosened even more from the added impact and slid slowly from the edge, landing with a faint clatter on the empty street below. And thank God for that little detail, Hakon thought to himself. Had there been so much as one shambling infected lingering down there then the rest of their ascent up your building wouldn’t have gone so smoothly and chances are you’d have easily refused them any sort of entry had they brought any company. 

But that was one of the best things about your home: the desertion. The streets, the rooftops, every single inch of the land that surrounded you was always entirely empty given the copious amount of traps, UV protection and daily clearing you did of all things infected. You always hated having them close by, especially at night. It didn’t matter how many precautions you took or that you had enough UV lights to open a tanning salon, you still never felt fully at ease inside that cosy space you called home — which meant that the likelihood of you being awake to let them both in was even higher than the VNC Tower they could see in the distance. 

“This is a nice place,” Aiden said quietly, drawing Hakon’s attention briefly towards him as he trailed his fingertip along the twinkling fairy lights that dangled along the exterior fence of your roof. “Who lives here?” 

“An old friend,” Hakon replied, a fond, yet inherently sad, smile tugging on his lips as his eyes glistened in the ambient glow of those fairy lights. He’d never forget the look on your face when he surprised you with them, after having spent the entire two days beforehand building the very fence on which they still hung. 

Hakon still remembered how easily you had talked him into building it. You hadn’t been sleeping great, you couldn’t. The mere thought of a volatile making its way onto the rooftop and busting down your door seemed all too plausible and oftentimes you’d spent the entire night wide awake, curled up against him with your face buried in the crook of his neck as he slept soundly next to you. 

You had almost envied him, with how at ease he often felt. And even with him right beside you, you still hadn’t managed to feel safe in the home you both worked so hard to build together. It didn’t matter that he was always with you. That he’d never let anything or anyone touch a single hair on your head, you just couldn’t stop yourself from growing scared each night the sun set and that wasn’t exactly something Hakon was going to let keep happening. 

Thus, after a single plea from you paired with the biggest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen, the fence was born — made from a rundown old shack you’d both dismantled from the nearby park and still standing tall as a reminder of the lengths Hakon would go to to keep you comfortable.

“Hakon?” A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, pulling Hakon’s eyes back into focus as they came to land on Aiden’s partially concerned face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Hakon gave him a reassuring smile, despite how false that statement was. He then shrugged out from under his touch before the kid could press any further, instead making his way past the small crop plot his very own hands had built as he approached your door. His hand went absently to the handle, about to pull it down and simply walk inside before he froze. Right. He wasn’t in a position where he could do that anymore, even if the door was unlocked. And so, he knocked, “Y/N?”

Nothing but a thick silence greeted them in return, causing Aiden to believe that whoever it was that seemed to have such an effect on Hakon that he kept zoning out, was probably curled up in bed asleep. But Hakon knew better. He knew that even now you wouldn’t allow yourself to close your eyes until early morning, and so he knocked again. This time a little louder as he called your name through the door once more, “I know you’re in there.” 

There was a gentle clatter from inside the house before you finally replied, “Fuck off.” 

Hakon flinched at the coldness of your tone, his heart all but sinking to the lower level of the building on which he stood. He should have guessed that would be your response, and if anything, he was starting to regret not going straight to Cillian’s as at least then those two words reaching his ears wouldn’t slice right through his chest like a knife through butter. 

Aiden, however, got a great deal of amusement from your response, already deciding he liked you as he struggled to hold back his chuckles, “I see you’ve got a lot of friends in this town, huh?” 

“Shut up, Aiden,” Hakon hissed, catching the slight roll of Aiden’s lips from the corner of his eye. Fucking pilgrim. He then knocked again, this time using the side of his fist for some added emphasis. “Open the door, Y/N, please.” 

“No,” You replied sharply, “Just…” 

There was a brief pause in your words — or rather, your lack of. Then, as a faint shudder from your breath catching in your throat drifted painfully through the door, a quiet creak met Hakon’s ears. They perked up as it did, as… he knew that sound. He’d been responsible for that sound all those times he’d tried to sneak out at night in order to find nice things for you. You had stepped forward. You had actually approached the door, and honestly, that was more than Hakon ever fully expected you to, what with your blunt greeting and obvious want for him to go as far away from you as possible. 

“I know you’re there,” Hakon said softly, raising his hand and placing it against the cool metal of the door — which at this point was the only thing standing in his way from finally getting to see you again. “Please let me in.” 

“No,” You said again, only this time you weren’t nearly as firm in your tone as you’d been before. The creak then met his ears again, indicating your retreat away from the door that Hakon was very tempted to kick down. “Now just… Go away and bother someone else. Before I switch off the light.” 

Even though he knew you probably would turn off the lights, Hakon still knocked again, hearing the faint rattle of the door’s bolts with how much pressure he seemed to use. He thought it might get through to you, his desperation. But no matter how truly real it sounded or how very tempted to open the door you were, it still remained closed between you. And the longer it did… The more seconds that ticked silently by, the less faith Hakon had that it might ever move from that space.

Sighing in defeat, he then leaned his forehead against the barrier that so cruelly kept him from you. He didn’t know what else he could do to convince you to open up. He always thought you just would. That perhaps simply hearing him pleading outside your door in the dark cover of night would have made you forget everything he ever did to make you hate him. 

But apparently he was wrong. 

Apparently he’d hurt you far worse than he originally thought as within seconds of his forehead colliding with your door once again, each and every UV light around him flickered off, throwing both men right back into a familiar sense of darkness. Wonderful. Not only was his likelihood of never seeing you, or the sunrise, again growing higher and higher, but now so was his possibility of being eaten alive by a freshly turned Aiden. 

Wait… Hakon lifted his head. Aiden. Fuck. How could he be so stupid? 

“I’m not alone, Y/N,” Hakon said, and almost instantly, like his voice were the very switch on the generator inside the house, that comforting glow of the purple lights around them quickly flickered on again. 

“Fucking hell.” 

The faint mutter of your inherently annoyed sounding voice had a smile rise on his face as Hakon stepped back, feeling the pure sense of excitement slowly rise in his chest again as the relieving sound of deadbolts unlatching echoed throughout the air around them. 

It took a moment, after the door unlocked, for you to finally open it but when you did… When your face appeared before him, even with its clear and obvious anger towards the situation, Hakon still felt those waves of comfort he’d so dearly missed flow through him. Oh, how it truly thawed his frozen heart to finally see you again. He never thought he would. He always thought he’d only ever get to see you in his dreams and yet here you were, standing so close to him that he could reach out and touch you. 

You still looked exactly the same as you did when he left. Perfect. You were always so utterly beautiful it pained him to have ever let you go, and you still sported that ice-cold resting bitch face. The one he’d missed… honestly even more than he ever truly thought, and the very same one that could give even Aitor a proper run for his money.  

“Damn, I didn’t think that would work,” Hakon said, a small touch of humour riding the waves of his triumph. 

“Shut up,” You snapped, though you couldn’t deny that his lackadaisical attempt at remaining serious in important situations still caused a vicious flutter to erupt in your chest. “Just get inside.” 

You didn’t even allow Hakon a chance to move on his own before you grabbed him by the front of his coat, yanking him forward and into the warmth of your home before motioning to his friend to do the same. Aiden did so without hesitation, a small shiver slipping from his lips at the sudden change in temperature. 

You closed the door behind him, quickly sliding the bolts back into place before double checking they were secure — as God knows what was now lurking outside after hearing Hakon pound on your door for five whole minutes. You then checked the generator, making sure it was working properly before you eventually turned back around to the two men who now stood awkwardly inside the wooden walls of your home.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, getting right to it and doing your best to remain collected despite the fact that the love of your life… the one who had hurt you so much that you still couldn’t fully look at him, was so suddenly back in your life. “I thought I told you once before to leave me alone.” 

“And I had every intention of honouring that,” Hakon admitted, the subtle hints of his accent thickening somewhat as he did, which easily sparked chills right down your spine. “But we had no place else to go.”

Your brow furrowed, “What about the Bazaar?”

“They wouldn’t let us in,” Hakon replied, taking off his backpack as he all but began to make himself at home. “We…”

“It’s my fault,” Aiden interrupted, gaining your attention. “I don’t have a biomarker and apparently that’s cause enough for them to leave us out in the dark.” 

“You a pilgrim?” You asked, and Aiden nodded. “The one they wanted to hang?” 

“How did you know about that?” Hakon asked, drawing your gaze which instantly hardened. 

“News travels fast here,” You replied, and that was all you intended to say before a soft sigh involuntarily left your lips at the subtle way in which he flinched. You then allowed your shoulders to sink, your body slouching as you leaned back against the makeshift kitchen counter. Fuck. You really couldn’t bring yourself to keep this ice-cold act going. You were tired. Sore. And just having Hakon back in your space with that sad look in his eyes was making it seem impossible for you to keep up that shield. And so you sighed again, “Vincenzo told me, when he came to pick up the medication for his father.” 

Hakon couldn’t help but chuckle at that, “Still giving Alberto placebos, I see?”

You folded your arms, “There’s no harm in it.” 

“True,” Hakon nodded, mirroring your stance as he leaned back against the wall, “But I never would have taken you for the type to charge extortionate prices for something that doesn’t do anything.” 

“I don’t charge him anything,” You said, to which Hakon raised his brow and even Aiden seemed curious. “Vincenzo knows they’re fake. But according to him, Alberto thinks they’re helping him. Says he hasn’t seen his father so spritely in years.” 

“That’s nice of you,” Aiden chimed in, drawing your eyes and seeing the first real smile to form on your face. “There aren’t many decent people left in the world who would do something like that.” 

“I help where I can,” You exhaled, pushing yourself off the counter to check on the water you were boiling. You lifted the pot from the stove when you saw enough bubbles, pouring it into an even bigger pot that was filled to the brim with greenery. “And besides, I owe Vincenzo for all the weapons he helped me with… And the gossip he brings. I’m not really welcome around the Bazaar, so it’s handy having someone around to keep me updated on things.” 

“Wait, why aren’t you welcome?” Aiden asked, his brow dipping as he exchanged glances between the distant couple. But he couldn’t read them. Hakon was as closed off as he expected and you… You were even more stone-faced than Spike could be and if anything, that peaked his curiosity further. “I mean, you do have a biomarker, don’t you?” 

“I do. But that doesn’t really make a difference to the people of the Bazaar given that I’m a healer,” You explained, gesturing briefly to the wall of planters that stood behind him. You watched intently as he turned, his eyes widening as they grazed across the rows upon rows of bright, bushey greenery that overflowed from each colourfully painted wooden box. “Have you ever come across a healer before?” 

“I have,” Aiden said, lightly running his fingertips along the edge of a partially serrated leaf. “But back there, most people seemed to worship them.” 

“If only we could be so lucky, as here… People don’t take too kindly to us. It doesn’t matter how often we save their lives, or that of their loved ones, they still treat us like dirt. They call us witches. Scammers. Some people even try to hurt us, which is exactly why I decided to live so far from the majority of the population,” You told him, focusing your attention back to the large pot behind you. You lifted a wooden spoon, stirring the mixture slowly as a brief, yet tense, silence erupted throughout the room. “You’re welcome to stay here for the night, but come sunrise… I want both of you gone.” 

“Understood,” Aiden replied, and you couldn’t help but be thankful for Hakon having had the decency to bring someone with manners. “Thank you.” 

You gave Aiden a welcome nod before redirecting your attention to back your work once again, hearing the quiet whispers of Hakon as he told his new friend exactly where he could rest up for the night. You hoped Hakon would go with him. To perhaps get some rest himself and leave you be, but after a quick mumble from Aiden in response, you could only make out one set of retreating footsteps. Instead, the other pair began to slowly make their way towards you, forcing your body to grow tense as the hairs on the back of your neck stood up like soldiers.

“What are you making?” Hakon asked curiously, acting as though he were simply returning home from a run to find you cooking dinner. “It smells… Interesting.” 

You couldn’t help but smile at the, completely contradictory to his words, tone in which Hakon used, “It’s fennel.” 

“Ah, I see,” Hakon mused, edging his way even closer into your peripheral vision. “Is that another placebo?” 

“No,” You shook your head, continuing to focus on the swirling mixture in front of you. “It’s used for digestive issues.” 

“Oh,” Hakon rolled his lips, his cheeks flushing red. “Sorry for asking.” 

At that, you let out a quiet laugh, a sound so sweet that Hakon could have fallen to his knees and cried. 

“It’s not for me, you idiot…” — said affectionately — “It’s for the PK’s… Aitor asked me if I could cook something up as apparently a few of his men have had some unfortunate run-ins with a dodgy batch of sausages.” 

Hakon blinked, “You know… I really can’t tell if you’re joking.” 

“Trust me,” You turned to him, allowing him to read the near trauma that was written all over your face from the entirely new, and nearly unbelievable, odours you had smelled. “I wish I was joking.” 

With a genuine chuckle leaving his lips, Hakon could already feel as the tension in the air slowly began to chip away at itself. It had been a while since he last spoke to you. He had bumped into you at the metro station a good few… God, he didn’t even know how long it had been. All he could really remember was how you were both forced to make awkward small talk with each other whilst you waited for Aitor. 

It had been rough that day. Painful. You had both practically pretended like you were strangers and to this day, it still remains one of the worst moments of Hakon’s life — with letting you go being the first, obviously. He hadn’t wanted to. Not one bit. But after everything that happened with the TV station and the rumours that began to spread, it just wasn’t safe for him to be around you anymore. So he left. And ever since that day neither of you have ever fully been able to talk freely with each other. 

Until now, it seems. 

“There’s some leftovers in the cooler if you’re hungry,” You said quietly, forcing Hakon’s distant gaze back towards the hurt that still lingered deep in your eyes. “I need to gather some more herbs but I won’t be long.” 

“Wait,” Hakon’s hand gently hooked around your arm before you could move, drawing your eyes to the shock that riddled every single line that was present on his face. “You’re going outside? At night?”

“Yes,” You said simply, as if it were no big deal for you to be doing so. You then shrugged your arm out from beneath his hold, ignoring the pain that bubbled deep in your stomach. “A lot has changed since you left, Hakon. Since I learned that I couldn’t rely on anyone else to look out for me… I had to teach myself: how not to be scared anymore. It didn’t take long, though. Not really. I was already so used to the pain you caused when you left that when I came face to face with my first night out, there really wasn’t much else that it could throw at me.” 

And with that you pushed past him, knocking his shoulder a little rougher than you meant as you made your way towards your escape. You slipped out quickly, leaving the door partially open as Hakon simply stood there, staring absentmindedly into the pot you had left simmering atop the old camp stove you’d both found in a nearby house. He guessed he should have expected that: your bitterness. He hadn’t exactly done a very good job when he left you — if there even was a thing such as that. He’d been blunt. Brutal. He’d said some things he hadn’t truly meant and now it was all coming back to bite him in the ass. 

And hell, maybe he deserved it. He hasn’t exactly led what you would call a respectful life, but he really thought he was making up for that ever since he met you. He knew it sounded corny, but you really had changed him. You’d shown him there was a lot more to life than simply being angry at it and with each day he spent with you, the more he’d begun to feel like a whole new man. 

Until the TV station came along, anyway. That fucked-up mission had really thrown a spanner into the works of… Well, pretty much every aspect of his life and ever since that fateful day, things had never been the same for Hakon. He fell back into his old ways. His cruel ways. He’d hurt you more than he ever wished to do and yet, despite his dire want to be with you once again, he knew it was simply too late for him to do anything about it. 

You clearly hated him, otherwise why else would you have been willing to leave him outside without so much as a single beam of UV light? You may be talking to him now, but if it hadn’t been for Aiden you never would have let him inside in the first place. You’d have left him to die. To be eaten by the dead, or even potentially turn into one himself, and it was all because of his own stupid mistakes. He already knew there was no part of you that could ever learn to love him again, but in that moment… As he wallowed in the regret of his own actions, he desperately needed to know if perhaps one day… You could at least find it in your heart to forgive him. 

Therefore, after a moment of thought about whether or not this conversation would play out in his favour, Hakon slipped out of the house in hopes of catching you. But he was too late. He’d lingered, neck deep, in his own thoughts for far too long that by the time he made it outside the safety of your UV lights, you had already disappeared into the darkness of the city surrounding him. He had no idea where you’d gone. Or where you could be. He knew the likelihood of you being close by was strong, but he didn’t want to take the risk of venturing out and getting lost in the shadows — not when at any moment he could step headfirst into one of the many traps you and Vincenzo had laid out. 

And so instead, he waited. 

Until the sun was nearly on the rise again, Hakon waited (im)patiently for your gracious return. He honestly hadn’t expected you to take this long. To leave him hanging. There were a few times he’d almost been tempted to head out in search of you in case you’d somehow gotten lost. Or worse: hurt. But thankfully, after a few more minutes of frantically pacing the front of your house with all sorts of nightmarish thoughts seeping into his mind, Hakon’s ears finally picked up on another all too familiar sounding creak. Without even thinking, he went to it. He swung himself effortlessly up and over the railing above him and came to land on the very balcony responsible. 

“I should have guessed you’d be up here,” Hakon said softly, watching as you rid yourself of the coat that would only shield you from the warm rays of the early morning. He heard you sigh quietly as you did, tossing the heavy material over the edge of the railing before finally turning to face him. “Did you think I wouldn’t find you here?” 

“No,” You said sharply, drawing your gaze away from him and casting it out towards the horizon. You couldn’t look at him. Not now. Not when the moment you had once shared together for years loomed so close. “I guess I just hoped you’d have the decency not to follow me.” 

“Mon amour,” Hakon whispered, reaching out to lightly graze his knuckles down the side of your face. You closed your eyes as he did, your breath hitching in your throat as you were unable to stop yourself from leaning your head into him. He opened his palm as you did, allowing you the chance to slip perfectly into it. “I never wanted to hurt you, Y/N, I need you to know that.” 

“Then why did you?” You asked, the pure innocence to your tone breaking Hakon’s heart for a second… third… maybe even a fourth time this night, “Why did you leave me?” 

“I had to,” Hakon told you, gently wiping away the first tear to slip past your lashes. “After what happened with the TV station, it wasn’t safe for you to be with me anymore.” 

“Don’t you think that’s something I should have decided for myself?” You asked defensively, trying your hardest to bite back your bark. “Don’t you think that that’s maybe something we should have discussed? Together? As a couple?” 

“I do now,” Hakon admitted, feeling the guilt rise thickly in this throat. “But back then, I was lost… I was so scared of the possibility of losing you that I wasn’t in a place where I could think clearly about my decisions.” 

“And what about now?” You murmured, catching the first spark of hope that filled Hakon’s eyes as his brows raised above them. “Are you in a place where you can think clearly now?” 

Hakon nodded, “I am.” 

“And?” 

“And…” 

Hakon lifted his other hand, ghosting it along the side of your face which was slowly beginning to shimmer in the first rays of the rising sun. He had fully intended to talk to you. To properly voice his further intentions but as he looked at you… As he gazed deep into the love that still lingered behind the sparkles of your eyes, he figured his actions would be far better suited at voicing how he felt for you. He never was any good at it, even back then. He always struggled to find the right words to say and so instead, he simply decided it would be best if he let his lips do the talking for him.

And so he kissed you. With such a tenderness to his motion, Hakon pressed his lips ever so lightly against yours, as though he were testing the waters. Waiting for any spark of uncertainty to arise from your reaction. But instead of pushing him away, like he once feared, you only pulled him closer, sending the chaos of the world around him into a faded blur of amber light as he fixated solely on the comforting warmth, and slight roughness, of your lips on his. 

“That was well said,” You exhaled humorously, yet you were deeply struggling to open your eyes as the lingering tingle of his lips slowly faded from your own. “But I uh… I think you could probably word it a little better.”  

With a chuckle Hakon pulled back into him, kissing you ever harder… Even deeper as you slid your arms tightly around the sturdy frame of his body. Hell, you were all but melting into him at this stage. Your hands had already worked their way up the length of his muscular back and your fingers were slowly but surely delving deep into the short strands of his hair. 

Hakon never truly thought he’d experience a moment better than his very first morning with you but as he stood there… As he drowned in the taste of your lips with the clouds clearing overhead and the sky growing golden, he couldn’t but think that the sunrise… would never feel so damn perfect again.