#shezval

Shez was back in Zahras.

That's what he guessed this place was, at least. It had been a while since he'd been there–not since Arval lost control, really–yet it still brought him an admittedly strange sense of calm. He had spent a lot of time here, with Arval praising him or calling him an idiot with icy distance that they thought hid the biting worry they'd been feeling.

He missed them. He missed them a lot.

Shez sighed, sitting down on the piece of floating rock that he had opened his eyes to. He would be here for a while, it seemed, though there was little to keep him entertained. He leaned back on his hands and sighed.

Arval. He hadn't allowed himself to think of them in a long, long time. How long had it been, now? Last he indulged must have been right after the war, when everyone went their separate ways and he found himself almost bored in his role as commander, with most of their battles already having been fought. He laughed at the thought, though it was... empty. Hollow.

How long had it been since he had seen their eyes, bright red and orange like a fire? How long since he had last held their pristinely-white hands? He closed his eyes, bit his lip. He didn't want to cry tonight, but he wasn't certain he had a choice.

"You're an idiot."

Shez inhaled sharply, standing up and turning around. And, Goddess above, there they were. Floating, arms crossed, cheeks tinged an unfamiliar pink.

"Arval," he breathed. He took a hesitant step forward, aborting it after a moment; what if they weren't really there? What if this was a cruel joke brought on by grief? But then Arval floated closer, and Shez stuck out his hand anyway; when had he ever listened to logic?

Their hand was cold. It was never warm, not here, but it was comforting all the same. Shez pulled them closer, into a tight hug. Arval hugged him back, and Shez had to swallow back tears.

"You're real," Shez said. "You're... you're real. You came back."

"Of course I did," Arval said. Their tone was harsh, but it soothed something in Shez's chest, and he let out something that was a cross between a laugh and a sob.

They pulled apart after a few moments, Shez pressing a gentle kiss to Arval's forehead. Their blush from before came back, and they lifted a hand to their cheek, as though confirming that they were, in fact, blushing.

But then they looked up at Shez and smiled. And let the Goddess damn him, but he melted.

This was not Epimenides. This was not the violent creation of Those Who Slither In The Dark. This was Arval, his partner in destiny (whatever that meant). This was Arval, whom his heart had ached for.