#hapi few3h

The stars were shining especially bright that night, as though attempting to keep Shez company. He could identify some of the constellations by name now, though he hadn't retained most of the lessons Hapi had given him. He was usually too focused on the way her eyes lit up whenever she spoke about them, too focused on her voice and how freely she spoke, deep within the recesses of the night and far enough away from camp that they didn't risk anyone overhearing them.

Private, stolen moments. The ones that brought him the most amount of joy in this bleak, endless war.

He sat in a clearing somewhere in south Adrestia, watching lights flicker from camp across the river. He sat, waiting patiently for Hapi, listening to the sounds of the crickets and the wind rustling in the leaves.

It felt like both a second and an eternity passed before she was sitting next to him, smiling in a gentle way, a way that was seen so rarely by anyone but him. It blew him away every time, smiling brightly back up at her.

"Hello, my love," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she leaned in to give him a quick peck to the cheek. She snuggled closer into him, taking comfort in his presence.

"I'm glad the skirmish went okay," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We had it handled," Shez assured her. "It was only some bandits."

"Still," she said. "I don't like the idea of losing you. Especially if I'm not there to at least try to help."

"I know," Shez said. He hoped he could convey just how much he meant it.

"I just..." She trailed off, thinking her words through. "It's like I look at you and- and suddenly everything is okay. I haven't felt that in years. I don't want to lose that."

"You won't," Shez murmured. "I promise."

"I better not." The words were vaguely threatening, yet the vulnerability in her tone and the way she snuggled into him made it all the more special to Shez.

She was special to Shez.

"I love you," he said, loud in the quiet of the night.

Constance was in a predicament.

She loved Hapi, she really did. She was beautiful and smart and witty. Sure, she wasn't noble, per se, but Constance had been won over long ago and stopped trying to logic her way out of loving her.

And if she were honest with herself - an admittedly rare occurence - she was the happiest she'd ever been with Hapi.

However, her snoring may just do it in.

It was loud and aggressive and almost wild in nature, causing Constance's eye to twitch at every intake of breath. And it was constant, as well - it hadn't ceased at any point in the several hours she had been asleep. It may have impressed Constance had it not been such a consistent bother, preventing her from getting any sleep at all.

She twisted a lock of Hapi's hair around her finger, trying to focus on something other than the incessant sound of her snoring. The beauty of her smile, the feeling of her arms holding Constance loosely, the softness of the hair around her finger, anything. But the snoring was still so unbelievably loud.

Was this really what she was going to spend her life doing? Hapi was, of course, the love of Constance's life and the woman she would fight tooth and nail to marry, but she really could do without the snoring.

The bells began to toll yet again, chiming to four before stopping. Constance heaved a heavy sigh, debating getting up and starting her day early. She glanced back at Hapi, admiring her until she interrupted the moment of peace with another snore.