Something biting lingers on the tip of his tongue for a moment, but he's too tired to attempt to be witty. Instead, he opts for the road less traveled: the unadorned truth.
"Ah." His voice seems like a small tear in the silence that is quickly mended.
Dan Hiri walks over to the bed slowly and settles down on 'his' side of the mattress. As much as he wants to reach out and touch her . . . Touching her, really verifying her presence would make this bittersweet moment too real. So for a brief moment, he allows it all to wash over him, and the silence stretches between them. Then he turns and lightly brushes the bare skin of her arm arm just as he had brushed the velvet chaise a moment earlier.
Darkness and silence . . . Alone in the night . . . This was their time, and no one else's. No children. No country. No duties. No masks. And no hiding. Not here. Not in the darkness.
Her skin is remarkably soft, and he thinks he imagines a faint trembling there. She must be cold. It's winter, and she is wearing only a thin shift and is resting above the the covers.
"Aren't you cold?"
But he doesn't wait for a reply, instead laying down in bed next to her, spooning behind her and drawing her close.
"I'm sorry we're late." They needed me. . . . I missed you.
The words get lost as he inhales her light scent. "Anything interesting happen?"
For an instant the silence seems to go on forever. The warm shadow that settles on Dan Hiri's side of the bed moves slowly, heavily, without that teasing cockiness that so often characterized him in the past. He doesn't seem very happy. Is he angry with her? She tenses, but then his fingers brush her arm and the subtle affection in the gesture makes her fight the urge to simply throw herself into his arms. An action like that might break the spell of calm that seems to have settled upon them.
He says something about her being cold. Oh, that's right. The fire has died. It is rather chilly, but when he pulls her close she's so overwhelmed with his scent and his touch and his being there, so suddenly, that she can hardly speak. He smells warm and clean and a little different, like his usual smell mixed with something else, something woodsy. It's nice. She breathes it deeply.
"Anything interesting happen?"
"N-no," Cheri whispers. "Not really..." She trails off, then rolls over in his arms so she can press closer to his warmth. Since it's too dark to see him clearly, she slides a hand up to touch his face. His hair is slightly damp. "I...I was asleep, before. And then I couldn't find you." I was afraid I never would. "I'm -- sorry I wasn't here."
It must be really late by now. He must be very tired. No questions tonight, then. Nothing but the dark and the warmth and them.
"I'm so glad you're home," Cheri murmurs. "I missed you a lot, anata." ♥
He pulls her close and drops a light kiss atop her head, hugging her tightly. "I missed you, too." More than you know.
The memory of their homecoming makes him chuckle after a moment. "You missed it. That little Maou of yours launched himself at Conrart--almost knocked him down. He missed you while he was away. He asked about you occasionally."
Cheri makes a small, pleased sound and buries her face in Dan Hiri's neck. The deep rumble of laughter that comes after a moment makes her smile against his skin. She has never heard a sexier sound in her life. It'd be nice if she could stay like this forever.
The image of Yuuri glomping Conrad makes her smile grow. Drat, how she would have liked to see that. Yuuri is just so adorable when he's happy. His feelings seemed to be contagious; people just couldn't help but share any sentiment the boy had.
"He missed you while he was away. He asked about you occasionally."
"Mmmmmmm, did he? He needn't have worried," she murmurs. Hearing that both pleases and surprises her for some reason, but she's too warm and content to really think about why. "I looked in on him earlier. He was fast asleep." She presses her lips gently to her husband's collarbone. "Too much excitement, perhaps?"
"Mmmmmm," he replies noncommittally. "It was a long trip back." And it had felt even longer for the boys' occasional sniping. "I'm glad we're back now, though.
It's quiet except for their steady breathing and Dan Hiri's heartbeat. The sound of it is lulling. She blinks sleepily, deciding to ignore the fact that the warm air between them is thick with things they can't say right now. Those things would have to wait.
He doesn't reply to her--there's nothing really more to say, not when he can still taste the dust of the road in his mouth and feel the ache of the saddle all through his back.
Tomorrow then. Or maybe later.
. . . Or maybe never. He and Cheri were very good at not having conversations, even when they shouldn't be.
Dan Hiri sighs and inhales a bit more of her scent with the motion. It's hard to remember the world on the other side of the door when she's in his arms. That was one of the reasons he'd left the first time, actually. But that had been a lifetime ago. Things were different now. Conrart was grown. Cheri was no longer Maou. The world had turned many times in 70 years and he has merged in a place far different than the one he left behind.
A different world. A different life.
Different choices now maybe?
Tomorrow.
The human draws a bit closer and holds her seemingly delicate body against his. Now he really can hear her heartbeat.
It is the very last thing he is aware of as sleep finally overtakes him.
"Ah." His voice seems like a small tear in the silence that is quickly mended.
Dan Hiri walks over to the bed slowly and settles down on 'his' side of the mattress. As much as he wants to reach out and touch her . . . Touching her, really verifying her presence would make this bittersweet moment too real. So for a brief moment, he allows it all to wash over him, and the silence stretches between them. Then he turns and lightly brushes the bare skin of her arm arm just as he had brushed the velvet chaise a moment earlier.
Darkness and silence . . . Alone in the night . . . This was their time, and no one else's. No children. No country. No duties. No masks. And no hiding. Not here. Not in the darkness.
Her skin is remarkably soft, and he thinks he imagines a faint trembling there. She must be cold. It's winter, and she is wearing only a thin shift and is resting above the the covers.
"Aren't you cold?"
But he doesn't wait for a reply, instead laying down in bed next to her, spooning behind her and drawing her close.
"I'm sorry we're late." They needed me. . . . I missed you.
The words get lost as he inhales her light scent. "Anything interesting happen?"
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He says something about her being cold. Oh, that's right. The fire has died. It is rather chilly, but when he pulls her close she's so overwhelmed with his scent and his touch and his being there, so suddenly, that she can hardly speak. He smells warm and clean and a little different, like his usual smell mixed with something else, something woodsy. It's nice. She breathes it deeply.
"Anything interesting happen?"
"N-no," Cheri whispers. "Not really..." She trails off, then rolls over in his arms so she can press closer to his warmth. Since it's too dark to see him clearly, she slides a hand up to touch his face. His hair is slightly damp. "I...I was asleep, before. And then I couldn't find you." I was afraid I never would. "I'm -- sorry I wasn't here."
It must be really late by now. He must be very tired. No questions tonight, then. Nothing but the dark and the warmth and them.
"I'm so glad you're home," Cheri murmurs. "I missed you a lot, anata." ♥
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The memory of their homecoming makes him chuckle after a moment. "You missed it. That little Maou of yours launched himself at Conrart--almost knocked him down. He missed you while he was away. He asked about you occasionally."
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The image of Yuuri glomping Conrad makes her smile grow. Drat, how she would have liked to see that. Yuuri is just so adorable when he's happy. His feelings seemed to be contagious; people just couldn't help but share any sentiment the boy had.
"He missed you while he was away. He asked about you occasionally."
"Mmmmmmm, did he? He needn't have worried," she murmurs. Hearing that both pleases and surprises her for some reason, but she's too warm and content to really think about why. "I looked in on him earlier. He was fast asleep." She presses her lips gently to her husband's collarbone. "Too much excitement, perhaps?"
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It's quiet except for their steady breathing and Dan Hiri's heartbeat. The sound of it is lulling. She blinks sleepily, deciding to ignore the fact that the warm air between them is thick with things they can't say right now. Those things would have to wait.
All things in time.
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Tomorrow then. Or maybe later.
. . . Or maybe never. He and Cheri were very good at not having conversations, even when they shouldn't be.
Dan Hiri sighs and inhales a bit more of her scent with the motion. It's hard to remember the world on the other side of the door when she's in his arms. That was one of the reasons he'd left the first time, actually. But that had been a lifetime ago. Things were different now. Conrart was grown. Cheri was no longer Maou. The world had turned many times in 70 years and he has merged in a place far different than the one he left behind.
A different world. A different life.
Different choices now maybe?
Tomorrow.
The human draws a bit closer and holds her seemingly delicate body against his. Now he really can hear her heartbeat.
It is the very last thing he is aware of as sleep finally overtakes him.
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