#post-war;

Aleks can’t bring himself to look Antonio in the eyes, he just can’t. It hurts. It hurts to think that after all these years, after all this time, after a damn war and the ensuing chaos... that this is what would do him in. Fuck, does it hurt.

Unprompted Asks | Always Accepting

How many times has she stared off into the swirling sands of Hueco Mundo, searching the horizon for hours, being tricked by mirages in the sands. Left disappointed, filled with rage – only to return the next day, repeating the same process, day in and day out.

It was foolhardy, waiting like this, hoping by some form of grace that she hadn’t lost – everything – but just as held sand slipped between her fingers, so too did her hope.

Those that remained in the ruins had extended olive branches, offering her a place but her pride had gotten the better of her – she wouldn’t serve another, not because she still held admiration for her former master, far from it. But ranks meant little in an army as small as theirs, though, she had accepted Harribel’s new position without question.

A harsh wind whipped up catching the hood of the tattered cloak she donned as she sat on the ruins of a once majestic castle. Her hand flew to grab it and pull it back, shielding her lone iris from sand, blinking back she turned her gaze once more upon the horizon, a lone shadow shifted among the sands. Her arm rose, rubbing at her eye to clear them but the figure continued to remain upon the horizon, oddly growing with each passing minute.

She told herself it was nothing. There was no way – it couldn’t be him – but if it was him? Realizing she had been holding her breath she exhaled, lid closing as she steadied herself. It was nothing. When opened her eye again it would be gone, her mind playing tricks on her – but when her lashes rose, the hazed figure was indeed gone…and instead she could see a solid figure approaching.

Standing, the wind caught the edge of her cloak, billowing it to the side as she slipped off the old tower’s ruin and took a few steps through the sand, pausing just as her mind screamed at her to stop. She was being reckless – what proof was it him? She had none, but something inside her told her otherwise.

Just beyond the last of the largest pieces of the castles old ruins she paused, the other wasn’t far from her now – as the wind died down, she squinted out to try and decipher if her inkling had been correct. They had donned a cloak like the one she wore, but just then a gust of wind caught the edge of the hood, throwing it back and a familiar mask crowned dark locks.

“Ggio…”

It was nearly impossible to run in sand but she somehow managed, a small fist being the first to connect against his chest before she crashed into him.

It was that time of the month again -- time to write another letter to his family. His mother was surely expecting one, if not his father too. According to her, they both happily awaited a note after each moon cycle: a little update on his life on Earth. Admittedly, Aleks loved it too. Being able to put his thoughts down and send it off to people he could trust... it was a nice change from the war. Back then he never got a chance to talk to them, not that he would’ve but the thought could have proved comforting. 

Now, a year or two after his service, he still had things to talk about.

Thank God for his mother.

This Hurts, Doesn’t It?

Aleks held his breath when he felt those fingers tracing his side. Sometimes he forgot that without a shirt on every single one of his marks were obvious. With Antonio he never gave it much thought, they slept together and it hadn’t been mentioned before. Not until now.

TXTs From a Night Ago

[Text: Antonio] im almost home