[closed]

[poison_earl]

Characters: poison_earl and faithful_slave
Location: The park, Casualty Communal some time after
Rating: A for Angst PG, for now?
Time: Sep. 21, right after this thread.
Description: A long-awaited reunion between Cain and his faithful manservant, Riff. Warning: high levels of angst ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Comments

[faithful_slave]

After everything they'd been through, after Riffael and Alexis, it was understandable that Cain wouldn't trust Riff right away, expected even. Still, it left Riff with mixed feelings, there was the ever-present regret that he'd not been strong enough right from the start to stop Riffael causing Cain any pain, but there was also relief. Cain was here, he was whole and well, and Riff had been given a chance to prove himself and make amends for his failings.

Finding Cain in Death City would be more difficult than finding him in one of his estates, however. Riff was unfamiliar with his surroundings, which left only familiarity with Cain to point him in the right direction. Knowing his master as Riff did, it seemed likely that Cain would have headed for parkland, whether consciously or otherwise, which gave Riff a starting point.

Without any thought as to his direction, without consulting a map to find the nearest park, Riff started walking. In the back of his mind he kept track of his surroundings, but more of his attention was on the image of Cain and on his desire to find him. He'd once described finding Cain as simply attuning himself to Cain's emotions and, while it wasn't an entirely accurate description, it was very close and he knew no other way to explain his methods. He simply focussed on his master and let his feet take control. And, unfailingly, he would find him.

It seemed today would be no exception, while his mind had been elsewhere Riff's feet had brought him to a park. And, more importantly, his sense of Lord Cain was stronger here. Slowly, as if he were approaching a skittish animal, Riff crouched before one of the bushes and pushed its branches apart.

"Lord Cain?"

[poison_earl]

When Cain first heard the steps, he dismissed the sound, thinking it was probably someone walking nearby; he was in a park, after all. But the person walked further in his direction, until finally those steps were far too close to him for the stranger to be simply walking by. The Earl tensed immediately and finally raised his forehead from his knees-- far too slowly, as if scared-- to look at the person who found him... and who turned out not to be such a stranger, after all.

"Riff..." The name left his lips in an exhalation of breath, so very quietly, as reverently as if Cain had whispered a prayer instead of his manservant's name. His eyes were widened and the surprise was clear in his expression, almost as if the Earl hadn't already seen Riff through the network and was actually seeing him for the first time, ever since he had been brought to Death City.

It was really was him. Riff was there, Riff was alive-- they were both alive-- and they were finally together, and before Cain even noticed what he was doing, he was pushing the branches further apart so he could get closer to his manservant. With a small, anguished sound, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around Riff's shoulders just like he had done seconds before the tower collapsed upon them. For a moment, he allowed himself to just cling to Riff like a lost little boy, fearing that the other man would disappear if he did something as simple as loosening his hold on him.

[faithful_slave]

In that moment, with Cain safe in his arms, Riff's regrets seemed almost insignificant. This, here and now, was what mattered. Everything else, everything Riffael had done, everything he needed forgiveness for, was secondary.

"I'm here, Lord Cain," he whispered into his young master's hair, holding him close and offering the support he so obviously needed.

[poison_earl]

He closed his eyes, inhaled Riff's scent. It had been only a couple of weeks but it felt like an eternity, being away from him: specially given their death. "You took too long. Lousy servant," he whispered right back, but his voice was nothing but a whisper, muffled against Riff's clothes. And then, even more quietly: "You found me." Even though they were in a new city, even though they had never been in such a place, Riff had found him. He whispered those same words again, but this time, there was an odd mixture of awe and relief in his voice. "You found me..."

Cain became silent and held even more tightly to the other man. If Riff found him like this-- just like he had done at the tower-- then it meant that Riffael was gone. They had been given a second chance at happiness.