Better late than never
Sorry for the immense lateness, but at least it's done now, and Peony/Nephry hates being written by me I've found.
Title: Untitled because I can't think of one
Dedication: barrel_goddess
Game: Abyss
Characters: Peony and Nephry
Pairings: Peony/Nephry
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,037 words
Warnings: none
Summary or Description: Now that Nephry is a widow, Peony wants to get back into her life.
It was definitely not the happiest day of Nephry’s life. Funerals never were happy, but at least it would all be over with in a few hours and she could get on with her life now as a widow.
Truth be told, she didn’t want to do this. She was expected to play the part of the grieving widow and be upset over her husband’s early death, but she wasn’t as upset as she should be. She just couldn’t conjure up any feelings stronger than the normal sadness to hear that someone died as young as he had been, he hadn’t even been forty years old.
If anything, Nephry felt guilt. Guilt that she didn’t care enough to summon the proper grief that he had died. True, she had cared about her husband, but it wasn’t love. It was just a mutual caring about each other and their duty to the Score that had said they would marry.
So yes, she couldn’t wait for this to be over so she’d have to stop pretending to feel something that she didn’t only because it was proper to feel grief and not just guilt. She’d miss her husband, but she wasn’t exactly moved to tears or anything even remotely close to that.
She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she at least looked all right. She did find that black suited her, but at the same time, she’d be happy when she could ditch the expected attire for a widow in mourning.
The door opened behind her while she was concentrating on her appearance. It wasn’t until she saw a very familiar blonde haired man in the mirror standing behind her that she turned and noticed that she wasn’t alone.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Nephry,” Peony told her looking genuinely sympathetic.
“Are you?” She answered. Truly, her husband dying would be a cause for celebration for the carefree Emperor. With her being free to marry again he could press his suit again.
“I want you happy, Nephry, even if it isn’t with me.”
“The same reasons hold true now as they did then. I won’t remarry, there is no longer a reason to.”
“You don’t need to think about that now. I just want to be here for you. I want to help you through this however I can. I’m merely paying my respects to the widow of one of my people. The fact that she happens to be an old friend and the woman I love has no bearing on that.”
That was true, the Emperor did tend to pay his respects to the widows of any of his nobles, but in this case, the widow was also a woman he wanted back in his life. “And after this? Are you going to try to court me? I know you are being harassed to provide an heir.”
Peony looked shocked that she would even suggest such a thing, and he was. True, he did still want her, but he knew she needed time, and he was willing to wait for her. But he had to make sure she stopped keeping her distance from him first. If not now, then he would need to renew contact later. “Nothing of the sort. I’m hurt that you would think me so crass. I merely want to do whatever I can for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you. If you need to get your feelings out, I’ll listen to anything you may have to say. You aren’t alone just because your husband is no longer with us.”
“You think you can replace him so easily?” She accused him.
“Did you love him so much then? More than you loved me?”
She remained silent for a moment, considering. No, she didn’t love her husband more than she had loved Peony. That was easy, but could she tell him that? Of course not, not unless she wanted to give Peony an opening to resume their former relationship. “Ours was merely a childish love between two teenagers who had no one else in their lives.”
“I think you are lying Nephry. I wasn’t just the only boy available to you. If that were the case, you would have fallen for Saphir before I even arrived to Keterburg. But I’ll respect the fact that you are in mourning. I just don’t want you to be alone, even if friendship is all I can have from you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the idea of her having fallen in love with Saphir. Even as a child he’d been teased often and, well, not the sort she could be more than friends with. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
Peony nodded. “And I doubt he’ll be as respectful as I am. At least let me shield you from him.” At this point, the Malkuth Emperor was willing to do anything to get her to at least stand beside him this day.
“I can deal with him myself. If he’s annoying, Jade will be here too. He can deal with him, and you if I ask him to.”
“I get the hint. I’ll leave you alone then. But truly, consider at least writing me again regularly. It isn’t easy to deal with the loss of a loved one.”
“I’ll think about it. I have to go now, and so do you since you are to say some words, right?”
They both left for the funeral. The Emperor didn’t bother Nephry for the rest of the day, he swore he would not speak to her unless she spoke to him first, and she did not even approach him.
He returned to Grand Chokmah the next day, hoping very much that she was indeed considering his words to her. If she didn’t, then he’d write her. If she didn’t respond, he’d pay her another visit in time.
But he was heartened by the fact that he didn’t have to do this, a week after he returned, a letter arrived from Nephry. True, it started off with words saying that he should expect this as a renewal of their former relationship, but it was a start.
And that was all he needed.
Title: Untitled because I can't think of one
Dedication: barrel_goddess
Game: Abyss
Characters: Peony and Nephry
Pairings: Peony/Nephry
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,037 words
Warnings: none
Summary or Description: Now that Nephry is a widow, Peony wants to get back into her life.
It was definitely not the happiest day of Nephry’s life. Funerals never were happy, but at least it would all be over with in a few hours and she could get on with her life now as a widow.
Truth be told, she didn’t want to do this. She was expected to play the part of the grieving widow and be upset over her husband’s early death, but she wasn’t as upset as she should be. She just couldn’t conjure up any feelings stronger than the normal sadness to hear that someone died as young as he had been, he hadn’t even been forty years old.
If anything, Nephry felt guilt. Guilt that she didn’t care enough to summon the proper grief that he had died. True, she had cared about her husband, but it wasn’t love. It was just a mutual caring about each other and their duty to the Score that had said they would marry.
So yes, she couldn’t wait for this to be over so she’d have to stop pretending to feel something that she didn’t only because it was proper to feel grief and not just guilt. She’d miss her husband, but she wasn’t exactly moved to tears or anything even remotely close to that.
She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she at least looked all right. She did find that black suited her, but at the same time, she’d be happy when she could ditch the expected attire for a widow in mourning.
The door opened behind her while she was concentrating on her appearance. It wasn’t until she saw a very familiar blonde haired man in the mirror standing behind her that she turned and noticed that she wasn’t alone.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Nephry,” Peony told her looking genuinely sympathetic.
“Are you?” She answered. Truly, her husband dying would be a cause for celebration for the carefree Emperor. With her being free to marry again he could press his suit again.
“I want you happy, Nephry, even if it isn’t with me.”
“The same reasons hold true now as they did then. I won’t remarry, there is no longer a reason to.”
“You don’t need to think about that now. I just want to be here for you. I want to help you through this however I can. I’m merely paying my respects to the widow of one of my people. The fact that she happens to be an old friend and the woman I love has no bearing on that.”
That was true, the Emperor did tend to pay his respects to the widows of any of his nobles, but in this case, the widow was also a woman he wanted back in his life. “And after this? Are you going to try to court me? I know you are being harassed to provide an heir.”
Peony looked shocked that she would even suggest such a thing, and he was. True, he did still want her, but he knew she needed time, and he was willing to wait for her. But he had to make sure she stopped keeping her distance from him first. If not now, then he would need to renew contact later. “Nothing of the sort. I’m hurt that you would think me so crass. I merely want to do whatever I can for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you. If you need to get your feelings out, I’ll listen to anything you may have to say. You aren’t alone just because your husband is no longer with us.”
“You think you can replace him so easily?” She accused him.
“Did you love him so much then? More than you loved me?”
She remained silent for a moment, considering. No, she didn’t love her husband more than she had loved Peony. That was easy, but could she tell him that? Of course not, not unless she wanted to give Peony an opening to resume their former relationship. “Ours was merely a childish love between two teenagers who had no one else in their lives.”
“I think you are lying Nephry. I wasn’t just the only boy available to you. If that were the case, you would have fallen for Saphir before I even arrived to Keterburg. But I’ll respect the fact that you are in mourning. I just don’t want you to be alone, even if friendship is all I can have from you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the idea of her having fallen in love with Saphir. Even as a child he’d been teased often and, well, not the sort she could be more than friends with. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
Peony nodded. “And I doubt he’ll be as respectful as I am. At least let me shield you from him.” At this point, the Malkuth Emperor was willing to do anything to get her to at least stand beside him this day.
“I can deal with him myself. If he’s annoying, Jade will be here too. He can deal with him, and you if I ask him to.”
“I get the hint. I’ll leave you alone then. But truly, consider at least writing me again regularly. It isn’t easy to deal with the loss of a loved one.”
“I’ll think about it. I have to go now, and so do you since you are to say some words, right?”
They both left for the funeral. The Emperor didn’t bother Nephry for the rest of the day, he swore he would not speak to her unless she spoke to him first, and she did not even approach him.
He returned to Grand Chokmah the next day, hoping very much that she was indeed considering his words to her. If she didn’t, then he’d write her. If she didn’t respond, he’d pay her another visit in time.
But he was heartened by the fact that he didn’t have to do this, a week after he returned, a letter arrived from Nephry. True, it started off with words saying that he should expect this as a renewal of their former relationship, but it was a start.
And that was all he needed.