her hand rose as she touched the nape of his neck where his fingers tangled in her hair, mirroring the intimacy he gave her.

“i’ve got you, too.”

“nicholas…” she whispered, “i’m… scared.”

a confession.

“i don’t… i don’t want to go.”

her eyes squeezed shut, new tears slipping free and soaking into his collar. her heart thudded painfully.

“but thank you,” she whispered.
“this is enough.”

* watched

// not me messing up tenses!! 😭

// why do we do this to ourselves?! 😭

it hurt to be seen. to let the mask fall and show him not hope, not sunshine, but the wounded, broken thing beneath. a wilting flower. but she did anyway. her fingers curled around his wrist. a soft nod, her eyes still closed.

“just for now… so long as you do the same.”

just this borrowed sliver of time carved out of the ruin waiting ahead of them both. for this one mercy.

she closed her eyes tightly, and the tears she had fought so fiercely slipped free and spilled onto the hands of the man who held her.

// NO CRY!!!!! channel ur inner sanzo and whack us with the fan!!!!

she pulled back so fast as if he has burned her, her braid whipping.

“i-“
her voice cracked as she shook her head.
“i’m sorry.”

she took a breath.

“i’ll be okay,” she murmured. “really. i… just need a second.”

how selfish she was being… letting him hold her, letting herself hope, letting him see her cry. she needed to stop.

stop this.

she felt the tension beneath stubbled flesh, the fight, the truth he tried so hard to hide… and she knew he could feel hers too.

the truth she couldn’t say. the future she already knew. the time she didn’t have.

could she? could she really allow herself to want something like this? for one stolen moment?

her fingers lifted before she could even realize what came over her, along his jaw, his cheek, tenderly mirroring the way he touched her.

// * emotionally unavailable priests!

“but… if i’m super, duper careful- no touching, promise!… can i still decorate your halo?”

a tilt of her head.
“oh- and i’m aerith. it’s very nice to meet you, even if i almost, um… died trying to accessorize you.”