#fluffember 2022

With a loud sigh and rubbing his temple, Tommy stepped into your flat and slowly took his thick, black coat off, hanging it on a wooden hanger standing by the door.

"Tommy, you look like shit this time. What happened?" You asked as you walked into the bathroom to get whatever you needed.

"Just a little disagreement," he told you simply, and headed to your living room.

As you grabbed a bottle of whiskey for him, you muttered, "Little you say? It looks like a big argument where you got beaten up to me." Tommy took a seat on a couch and followed you with his blue eyes. "Might be considered a big disagreement."

"Undress," you ordered, handing him the bottle.

He accepted the bottle but put it on a coffee table standing in front of the couch. "I don't need it."

"If you say so," you nodded and sat down. Once your equipment was on the coffee table, you began slowly unbuttoning his vest and shirt.

He let you do that, his gaze never left your face. "You're not a nurse. How do you imagine patching me up?"

During the course of undressing him, you told him, "Well, my aunt is a nurse, and she showed me a few things, perfect for situations like this."

The wound wasn't deep, which made you sigh in relief. "The little disagreement doesn't involve a knife, I thought," you offered him a glance and curled your lips in a mischievous grin.

To prevent himself from groaning, Tommy clenched his teeth together as you ran your fingers along the edges of his wound. Looking at him briefly, you began cleaning the wound carefully so that it would not get any worse.

Tommy sat calmly, breathing steadily despite the sharp, burning pain that spread throughout his body whenever you touched the wound. "I appreciate it."

"Tommy Shelby appreciates something? That's something new," you said as you carefully wrapped the wound. "You ain't leaving this house today, I hope you know that."

His eyebrow was cocked. "What do you mean?"

Your reply was simple, "You're staying with me tonight. I'm not letting you walk around like this."

"Y/N, it's far from necessary."

"There is a wounded person in my house. I apologize for that, but I will decide where you stay. I will also take into account that this will not be the first time you stay here overnight," you winked at him as a smile spread across your lips.

A mischievous grin appeared on his lips as he recalled your naked form curled against him during one of his many overnight stays at your apartment. After treating his wound, you kissed his cheek before getting up.

His hand briefly stroked your cheek.

"I'll put the stuff away. You can go to the bedroom, I'm sure you remember where it is."

Tommy heeded your advice, and soon he was lying on your bed with his hands under his head.

When you joined him in your bedroom, you commented, "For once, you listened to me. This was something new for you."

"Will you now play a nurse for me, Y/N?" He asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Mr. Shelby, I have no choice but to keep an eye on you since you like to get yourself into trouble so much," you bit your lower lip, gently caressing his cheek.

He smiled at you. I really appreciate your kindness and sweet gesture, Y/N."

Turning your head away slightly, you tried to hide the blush that crept onto your cheeks. "Oh, Tommy, you're such a sweet talker!"

Tommy caught your chin between his thumb and index finger and pulled you close to him; after brushing your noses together, he whispered softly, "I can be sweet for people I deeply care about, Y/N."

"It's pouring pretty heavily out there," as he gazed out the window, Jack stated. He turned away from the pouring rain to look at you. "I don't want you to go out there, especially when it's raining like that, it's quite dangerous."

"Okay," you placed your coat and bag on the couch beside you. "I guess I'm staying the night then," you whispered, a small smile on your face, secretly excited to spend your first night with him. You were aware that Jack was a little overprotective, but it didn't bother you in the least.

Jack chuckled softly, his hands tucked into his pockets. "You certainly are. Let me go find you some sleeping clothes." Jack gently took your hand in his and led you to his bedroom. "All of my clothes are too big for you, but I think you'll look great in them," he winked at you.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," you chuckled.

Soon, you were lying with your head on his chest, and he was idly playing with your hair.

His heartbeat was soft and soothing, like the rain outside. It was a little unusual for rain to fall on Victory though, you thought to yourself.

"I'm glad you're staying over with me," Jack murmured into the night.

You smiled and reached for his torso. "I'm delighted as well. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with you. You never fail to make me smile, Jack."

"Me too, darling," Jack murmured as he ran his hands over your side. "I like the way you are, so precious and so innocent."

You repositioned yourself in Jack's arms so that you were now beside him rather than on top of him. You intertwined your fingers with his, which were hidden beneath the blanket.

Jack planted a soft, feather-light kiss on your brow.

You both closed your eyes, ready for sleep, after a quiet "good night" mumbled to each other.

Jack was gone in under ten minutes. As he slept, his soft snoring filled your ears.

You remained awake, staring at Jack as he slept peacefully. You knew you weren't going to sleep anytime soon, especially since you were relishing this new experience of spending your first night with Jack, soaking in the warmth that spread inside your chest, filling you with the cosy feeling of being so in love with him.

The inside of the building is filled with loud and happy sounds.

The only thing you want is to hide from everyone, even if others have already forgotten what happened.

Throughout the entire feast thrown by his older brother, Ivar kept an eye on you, including the scene where you caught a drunk Hvitserk fucking a thrall. After seeing, you running out, crying like a child, he decided you shouldn't be left alone.

Since he is used to crawling, Ivar decides to leave his crutch against the wooden table.

As he crawls by, he hisses and curses people, trying to think of a place you could go.

Upon leaving the Great Hall, Ivar sits casually on the ground with his back against the wall; although he is good at crawling, this shit is fucking exhausting.

It only takes him a second or two to notice the shoe prints you left, and he instinctively follows them as he scans the path leading deeper into the village.

Sitting on stones, you wipe your tears away. Accepting it is still very difficult for you. Why does he do this to you when you tried your best?

You almost fall off the stone when something suddenly touches your leg. Sighing with relief, you realize it's Ivar. "By the gods, Ivar! You scared me."

He smiles mischievously. "I didn't mean to, I mean it," he says, sitting flat on his ass and adjusting his legs. "I saw you leaving and thought I'd check out the reason."

Leaving the stone, you sit next to him.

While Ivar isn't perfect, he can be a decent man when he wants to be.

"Check out the reason? You and everyone else know why."

"Hvitserk." The word is spit through his clenched teeth as if it were some kind of dark spell. It's always Hvitserk. What did he do today?"

Your tears flow again as you explain, "He fucked the thrall, everyone saw it, he made a fool of me! What the hell was he thinking? I was good to him, and he just treated me like I was nothing? Am I really that useless, Ivar?"

The abrupt, unexpected outburst makes Ivar blink a few times and grimace a bit; he had always had trouble dealing with crying people.

You quickly wipe away the tears, "I'm sorry, you probably don't care about this. I really didn't expect this to happen."

Ivar instinctively wraps his arm around you, pulling you closer to him. "Hush," he whispers.

Taking a deep breath and nuzzling him, you let out a heavy sigh; it feels so strange, but also so good and calming at the same time.

"Thank you," you whisper.

It's dark outside, so you cannot see his reaction - he smiles to himself. "You're welcome."

As you pull away, you look at him and say, "I bet you think I'm pathetic. At the end of the day, I heard so many things about Hvitserk and his unfaithfulness, so I don't see why I am surprised. I was so stupid, and now I cry for that!"

Nodding occasionally, he listens to you. To his utter surprise, he feels bad for you, and he feels he knows exactly how you feel. He has felt that way before, too. "I didn't say that, these are your words, Y/N," he tells you softly.

Nodding, you wipe your cheek, looking at him. "It must have been difficult crawling all the way here. Thank you for coming to check on me," you tell him, offering him a gentle smile.

Ivar shrugs simply. "Why are you worried about a cripple? You're going through hardship, not me," Ivar says calmly and improves his position to rest his back more against  the rocks you sat on before. Ivar whispers, "Look," and he points his index finger at the dark sky.

As you gaze up at the sky, you improve your position so that your back also rests against the stones. There are many stars in the dark sky, like beautiful lanterns set against a deep darkness.

"Make your wish quickly, Y/N!" Ivar shouts, pointing at two shooting stars. As he closes his eyes, he murmurs something to himself.

Before looking at him, you also close your eyes and murmur your own wish. "What was your wish?" You ask him openly.

A shrug of the shoulders accompanies his response, "For Bjørn to die. What was yours?"

With a blink, you soon giggle and shake your head; it's never clear if Ivar's serious or joking. You respond, "To meet someone who will make me happy," without much thought.

After a moment of thinking, Ivar leans forward and kisses your cheek briefly. The smirk on his lips widens as he stares at you for a moment. "It appears that the second part of my wish has just come true," he adds.

Totally confused by his behaviour, you stare at him in shock. "Second part? What's that?"

"That if I kiss you, you won't smack me."

You smack him on the head with a frown, then kiss his cheek.

Looking up at the stars, he smiles brightly and rests his back against the rocks. "Do you like stargazing?"

"Honestly, I do. They are so beautiful, just like diamonds or other shiny stones," you nodded and returned to watching the stars. "How about you?"

"I do, actually. I enjoy spending some productive alone time overthinking all my mistakes," he smiles, more to himself, joking darkly. "As stupid as it may sound, I like to imagine that my father and otherwise kings, among gods, are looking down on us from this endless darkness above."

"It's what my mom says, too," you smile and point at the big, bright star in the sky. "I give you my left hand as proof that this is Ragnar right now looking at us."

After cocking his brow, Ivar nods. "It might be. But if you're mistaken, you'd be left handleless, wouldn't you?"

Playfully pushing his shoulder, you tease, "He's watching his youngest son."

Despite his eyebrows cocked, Ivar gives you a stern look before smiling widely. "I would appreciate some help with horses if you could join me at the stables tomorrow. It's my turn to take care of them."

"I would love to help you, especially now that I don't have to worry about Hvitserk," you nod your head a little too eagerly.

Ivar smiles and squeezes your hand, telling you "Fuck him, you deserve fucking better. "I already cannot wait for tomorrow," you laugh, squeezing his hand. It may be that the youngest Ragnarsson is not as bad as his depictions by others suggest, you think to yourself

You nodded, looking in the rearview mirror and tucked a strand of your loose hair behind your ear. "I believe so. When you stopped at a gas station, I bought crackers and pickles because I didn't have any at home. The list is now complete," your lips were curled up in a smile.

As Jake parked his limo, he turned off the engine and got out of the vehicle, rushing to open your side door. His next move was to open the trunk, and he pulled out two big, wicked baskets and a plaid that he tucked under his arm.

As you closed your door, you suggested, "Jake, leave it, I can take it."

His head shook, indicating that you wouldn't be allowed to carry anything.

Since you wanted to be at one with nature and far from people, you chose a park located at the edge of the city. Jake knew there was a long walk ahead; in spite of the parking lot's proximity to the park's entrance, Lockley knew you chose a specific location near a little lake on the west side of the park for your perfect picnic spot.

As soon as everything was set for the picnic, the blanket was placed on the ground, the baskets were unpacked, you sat on the blanket to make sandwiches with Jake.

For him, putting so much effort into preparation seemed a little ridiculous, and he was certain he could do without them.

Khonshu chuckled to himself as he formed himself next to Jake who was trying to use his cellphone, yet there was no signal. "See how hard she's working, your little bug has been working like a little bee just to make you happy," he told Jake. "It would have been nice if Steven and Marc had done the same for me, little idiots."

Jake hid his phone in his jacket pocket and stared at the scrawny figure with a loud huff. "Stop being so dramatic, Khonshu."

Jake's words immediately caught your attention, and when you looked at him you asked with great anticipation, "Is Khonshu here, with us?"

“Él está aquí con nosotros,” Jake replied. “Come on, pal, Y/N would like to see you too, it’s easier this way.”

Khonshu manifested himself to you unwittingly, poking your side with his crescent moon staff, "Y/N."

Greeting the God of the Night Sky with a head tilt, you returned to preparing sandwiches. After you were done, you offered them to your boyfriend.

As Jake wasn't hungry per se, he accepted them and took a bite; oh, you knew exactly how he liked his sandwiches prepared, he thought to himself. “Gracias, cariño.”

"I see you are very adept at taking care of my friend, Y/N," Khonshu said, circling the blanket carefully, checking the surroundings. "Ideally, we all need to reconnect with nature in order to reset our frustrations. Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake stopped chewing his sandwich and narrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Khonshu. "I'm far from being frustrated, why do you ask me this?"

You could not help but chuckle when they had their brief conversation; you admired Khonshu for being an entity beyond comprehension, yet truly protecting those who helped him; you could always count on Khonshu to provide you with any assistance you needed.

Khonshu took a seat on the blanket, saying, "We all know you're the most frustrated person among us, Lockley."

As Jake was about to start an argument with his godly friend, he heard you squeak so loudly he thought his head would explode. "What the fuck, nena?"

With a hand gesture you pointed towards the closest bushes; Jake and Khonshu looked there as well.

There was a small and round wild rabbit peering out of the shrubs, its nose twitching continuously as it was observing the gathering carefully.

“A rabbit,” you whispered, barely moving your lips. “Oh my God, what a beautiful baby. Tsss-tssss, come here, little one,” you slowly leaned forward, reaching your hand out to the rabbit.

"Perfect, a fucking rabbit is what we need now," Jake said with a roll of the eyes.

"Shush!" As you hushed him, your tone grew a little angry; you didn't want to scare the rabbit away.

Khonshu mocked Lockley, "And who claimed to be a haven of peace just a moment ago? It's just a wild rabbit, and you've already got a problem."

“My apologies, Khonshu, but Y/N is a freak when it comes to sweet, little animals y ella quiere adoptar todos ellos y consentirlos con buena comida," Jake said with a frown.

"Shut up, both of you, I'm luring this little baby to us," you hissed.

Even though Jake hated being around animals because you immediately turned your attention away from him, he remained silent.

Observing your attempts to attract the rabbit closer, Khonshu chuckled deeply; he knew your purpose was to pet it. Whenever he observed humans, he was surprised by their nature and the things they found attractive, such as petting animals.

Soon, the rabbit hopped close enough to nose the blanket and plastic sandwich bag; after that, it sat on the blanket and sniffed your jeans.

“Oh my God, oh my God, it’s so close,” you whispered, feeling your heart beating faster with happiness and excitement. 

“Nena, it’s just a wild rabbit,” Jake tried to explain, looking at you; he saw how narrowed your brows were as you slowly turned your head towards him - it indicated that you were growing angry with him, like never before, so he raised his hands in the air, shrugging his arms, silently apologizing to you.

As the rabbit raised its tiny head to gaze at you, you reached out a hand to touch its soft fur on the back, but the animal simply jumped into Jake's lap and soon started cleaning its tiny face.

The man froze and looked at you. "En serio, Y/N, ¿qué coño?"

Your mouth dropped open; you couldn't believe the rabbit had chosen Jake over you! Although Jake liked animals, he wasn't very emotional about them, so your surprise at seeing the wild rabbit curled up on his lap was even greater.

Khonshu chuckled lowly and said, "Well, well, Jake, if I had bet on Y/N touching the rabbit first, I would have lost my hand."

Angry and upset, you turned your head towards Khonshu and huffed angrily. "Shush, Khonshu."

This elicited a loud chuckle from the God of the Night Sky.

Jake began slowly petting the rabbit's back, risking being scratched by it; apparently, the animal enjoyed all the attention, as it rolled itself in a ball and twitched its nose as it observed the surrounding. “Pet it, Y/N,” Jake encouraged, giving you a brief glance. “Move your hand slowly.”

You frowned at his words at first, but soon followed his advice and began gently stroking the rabbit's back and head. "It has such soft fur!" You exclaimed. "Jake, will we be able to keep them?"

A frown crept across Jake's forehead. "¡De ninguna manera, nena!"

As you sighed loudly, you lowered your head.

Suddenly, you heard some noises in the bushes and soon a few more wild rabbits joined you.

You gasped loudly, looking around, as you hadn't expected anything like that to happen.

Bunnies had a variety of fur colors, from black to beige.

"When it comes to adopting a rabbit on Jake's lap, you need to consider getting them all, Y/N, it seems they're a family," Khonshu suggested as he reached for one of the sandwiches and pulled a piece of lettuce from it, offering it to the nearest rabbit with black fur who gladly accepted the treat; unfortunately, another rabbit hopped closer and took the lettuce directly from the black rabbit's mouth, chewing it quickly.

A few of the rabbits even allowed you to pet them without getting bitten, and it made you smile brightly. "What a day! It is such an honor to commune with nature in its purest, fluffiest form!" You exhaled, looking at both Khonshu and Jake.

As Khonshu held the rabbit in his hands and took a closer look at it, he nodded, remaining silent; the rabbit dangled motionless in Khonshu's hands for some longer moment, but soon started wriggling, trying to make its way free. Khonshu then put the bunny back on the grass. “I’m not going to hurt you, little, fluffy bug.”

Despite the many treats you gave them (apples and bananas you brought with you for picnic purposes), the bunnies soon became bored with you, and they hopped into the bushes, disappearing among the leaves.

You waved your hand farewell to your furry friends, yelling, "Bye, babies, stay safe! Oh, boy! It was so exciting and nice!"

"That was nice indeed. A little odd, but nice. I'd never seen wild rabbits so close to humans. Perhaps they had rabies?" Jake shrugged his shoulders casually.

Khonshu got up from his seat and improved his grip on his staff as he said, "If they had rabies, you'd be bitten by those little beasts already, Lockley."

You tilted your head, looking at Jake after eating your sandwich. "How can you say such a thing? Nothing odd about that, they were looking for friends, and they found us. I bet they sensed good vibes from me."

Lockley snorted loudly and shook his head in disbelief. “Would you mind if I reminded you that the first bunny chose me over you?"

You crossed your hands over your chest. "You're being cruel to me."

"Y/N, I'm just telling the truth."

"Stop arguing, kids," Khonshu said as he returned to the blanket. "The only way to make Y/N happy again is to get her a bunny."

Jake rolled his eyes, snorting louder. "There's no way I'll let a bag of bones and furry flesh roam around my apartment."

Making the cutest puppy eyes you could muster, you looked at your boyfriend; you knew Jake couldn't refuse them. “Baby, I promise I'll keep the flat tidy, and I'll care for the bunny, and I'll prevent it from destroying the walls and cords, and I'll feed it, so you won't have to worry!" You finally earned a loud groan from Jake after staring at him for a few minutes.

“Bien entonces, déjalo ser,” Jake sighed.

Immediately, you threw yourself on Jake's lap, wrapping your arms around his neck and planting kisses all over his face with a loud squeaks of happiness. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"

As Khonshu observed the scene, he chuckled to himself.

"Te juro, vas a matarme un día de estos, estoy seguro,” Jake whispered deeply, giving you one of the tightest embraces you have ever experienced. “I love you, my little bunny.”

SPANISH TRANSLATIONS: Él está aquí con nosotros - he’s here with us

Gracias, cariño - thank you, sweetheart

Nena - babe

… y ella quiere adoptar todos ellos y consentirlos con buena comida - … and she wants to adopt all of them and spoil them with good food

En serio, Y/N, ¿qué coño? - seriously, Y/N, what the hell?

¡De ninguna manera, nena! - no way, babe!

Bien entonces, déjalo ser - well then, let it be

Te juro, vas a matarme un día de estos, estoy seguro - I swear, you're going to kill me one of these days, I'm sure

Picnic [Moon Knight]

Stargazing [Vikings]

Dinner Cooking [The Hobbit]

Bed Sharing [Genshin Impact]

A Helpful Ally [Peaky Blinders]

The Emotional Reunion [Harry Potter]

A Little Nervous [Moon Knight]

Bad Hair Day [Genshin Impact]

After a while, and after seeing your hands clasped together, Steven felt at ease, and a bright smile appeared on his lips, and a gasp left his parted lips as his heart pounded within his chest.

"Is something wrong? Do you like it?" You asked him softly, looking at his flushed face.

Steven nodded eagerly before whispering, "Yes, I really like it, your palm is so soft and warm, it is just so new to me, it's an important step I take..."

You laughed out loud and shook your head slightly. "Oh no, Steven! You are always so kind to me. When we're out in public, I like it when you hold my hand."

He frowned slightly, unsure whether you were joking or not. "Why? It's just me holding your hand…"

"Because it means and shows that you take me seriously, and I like to give a sign to other girls passing by that you're taken by me," you smiled as the two of you walked down the street in the heart of London. "And I find this one of the best signs of affection you can show to your significant other."

Steven's face flushed. "You're so lovely, Y/N."

You placed a brief kiss on the top of his hand that you were holding. "My lovely boyfriend."

He intertwined his fingers even more with yours and shook your hand briefly. "I adore you to pieces, Y/N."

Your thumb massaged the top of his hand as you squeezed it strongly. "I adore you, too, my dear."

You two walked side by side as Steven enjoyed the warmth of your hand, the softness of your skin. "You know, Y/N, I prefer metaphorical than physical hand holding, I prefer linking arms and strolling. I'm not sure why," he said out of the blue.

Upon stopping at the pedestrian crossing on a red light, you squeezed his other hand tightly as well. "I'll help you with the physical hands holding too, and I'm sure you'll love it," you assured him sweetly, bringing his palm up to your lips once again and gently brushing his rough skin with your lips. "The taste of everything is enhanced by love."

You couldn't believe what you saw when you first saw him; were your own minds playing tricks on you?As soon as you realized that it was him, there were no words to describe how happy you were. The first thing you did was throw yourself into his arms and embrace him tightly.

Sirius didn't want to draw attention to himself by embracing you in the middle of Diagon Alley, so he asked if you'd like to have a cup of tea near where he stayed. 

As you gripped Sirius' shoulder, your arm twisted away from you; the next thing you knew, everything went dark; your eardrums seemed to be squeezed deeper into your skull; the next thing you knew, you and Sirius were standing in the middle of a long, dark corridor.

Seeing the place, you smiled; there was no way he could take you anywhere else. Just to make sure he was really here, you glanced at him again. "It's going to take a lot of tea if we want to discuss everything," you whispered, smiling at him.

Kreacher was asked by Sirius to make a pot of tea and prepare some biscuits he had baked the previous day.

He then led you to the living room, where he invited you to sit on the couch. "There isn't much to talk about. I've been immersed in the most poignant darkness you could ever imagine."

Looking at him, you shook your head; in an attempt to make any sense of what you were saying, you moved your hands frantically. "Why didn't you contact me or come see me? How did you escape?"

"Let me keep it a secret forever, it cost me everything," he said as he crossed his legs. "I did not contact you because it was not a wise idea; they were searching everywhere for me, which could have led to trouble for you."

"With or without you, I tend to get into trouble, especially with my niffler running around," you rolled your eyes and moved closer to him. "I've been worried. Every day I wondered how you're doing. I've missed you dearly."

"So many years, right?"

As you stared at him, you sighed and said, "Too many years, indeed."

Seeing your expressions, he could tell you were relieved that he was free again. Taking your shoulders in his arms, Sirius embraced you, hugging you softly. "I'm so happy to see you doing well, Y/N."

Hugging him as tight as you could, you smiled. There was no way you could keep it together anymore. "There is no single word that can describe my happiness now. I thought I would never see you again in my life, but here you are, with me again."

As he brushed a strand of your hair away from your flushed cheek, he asked, "Will you join us in our fight against Voldemort?"

"Does Niffler like shiny things?" You asked, raising an eyebrow as you cupped his hand and nuzzled it. "Of course I do. It's been a long time since I promised to follow you no matter what. And I don't break my promises."

Kreacher quickly served tea and biscuits.

Slowly, Sirius played with your hair as he held you close. "Upon hearing how eager you are, I'm conflicted. It won't be easy or safe, but I can't afford to lose you."

You nodded. "Let's not think about that right now. Let's just enjoy the tea."

A small mug filled with hot liquid was handed to you by him as he said, "I wish you could meet my godson. I believe he will play a major role in the battle against Voldemort."

Before taking a little sip, you blew on the cup and smiled softly. "I'm sure I'll have a chance to meet him."

He downed the mug quickly, returned it to the table, and then wrapped his arms tightly around your figure, holding you close. "I missed you so much. Every night, I dreamed about you."

Putting the cup away, you sat comfortably on his lap. As your arms wrapped around him, your head rested on his shoulder. "There are no words to describe how much I missed you. When I first saw you, I was sure that you were a ghost. Thankfully, I was mistaken."

"The only thing that brought light to the darkness surrounding me was you. Whenever I thought of you, I felt a little better."

"It doesn't matter anymore. You are free and back with me," you said softly, gently touching his chest.

The pieces of Sirius' heart that had been struggling to fit into this world became so quiet as he cuddled with you, as if they had found peace, as if they needed your glue to bridge their gaps and connect together again. "My love," he said quietly.

Assuredly, you said, "I am here and I am not leaving. I will never let you go."

The soul connection of your eyes, your sweet touch, and the strength of a long-awaited hug told the story of the emotional reunion Sirius was experiencing. Having joy take center stage once again, filling Sirius' heart to the brim, was a sweet release, a relief that made him gasp quietly. "It's so pleasant to be reunited."