“I'm sorry.” He and Rein chimed at the same time. They shared a look of surprise and laughed a bit. Percy scratched the back of his neck before adjusting his position. 

“No, I really should be the one apologizing,” Percy leaned his elbow on the rail, “It's been years and I'm still hung up on the past. Last night wasn't very mature of me, and I’m sorry I let my emotions get the better of me.“

“I appreciate you saying that,” Rein nodded, “But honestly I would probably be in the same mindset as you if the roles were swapped.” Taking another drag, Percy took in the sight of Rein and sighed.

“... so what's up with you keeping contact with everyone except me?” 

“Oh,” Rein rubbed the back of his neck, “Ah, well…”

“You know what, you don't owe me an explanation if you don't want to give me one,” Percy raised his arms in defense, “We can let bygones be just that.“

“But I do,” a warm hand caught Percy’s before Rein flushed and crossed his arms, “I do want to explain. It's just...hard to figure out where to start?” 

“Ha, been there done that,” Percy smirked as he watched Rein tap his fingers on the rail with furrowed brows. 

“You remember how I said I cut my time in half when it came to qualifying?” He asked after a moment, “Well, I kinda just got lost in it...cause I was trying to forget...something…” 

“Forget something? That's very vague,” Percy raised an eyebrow. 

“I'm ashamed to admit it, but I watched you and someone else…” Rein trailed off with an intense blush on his face.

“Ah yeah,” Percy’s stomach churned, “You uh mentioned that last night. I know I'm not the star girl at a brothel but was it that bad to watch?” 

“Yeah.” Percy jerked in surprise ready to retort when Rein continued. “Because seeing you move on hurt me in ways I didn't expect.”

“Huh?”

“I don't think I dealt with the heartbreak,” Rein shrugged his shoulders, “I think I just studied until I didn't think about you.” 

“Forgot about me so much you didn't write?” Percy asked quietly. Rein paused, shrugging his arms closer to himself.

“Just...every time I saw you with someone else, it felt like I was becoming someone less and less important to you,” His fingers squeezed tightly around his arms,  “And...it hurt to think about that.”

“So you cut me off first,” Percy stated before he took another hit. Rein sighed and hung his head.

“I know, it’s stupid.”

“A little,” Percy exhaled, bits of anger and frustration slipped out of the smoke, never revealing it in his tone.

“There were times where I thought we would get together again, but seeing you finally…move on just kinda put the nail in the coffin,” Rein said with finality. Percy searched himself for a deeper sense of anger, but all he could find within himself is the familiar softness of love. He sighed and put out his cigarette on the rail. 

“...You ever think breaking up was a bad decision?” Percy tilted his head back, eyes fixed onto the night sky. Rein shrugs.

“The thought crosses my mind every so often,” his voice was quiet, unsure. 

“So why did you break up with me?” Percy pivoted his body to match Rein’s before nudging his shoulder, “Honestly.” Rein pursed his lips.

“You weren't doing bad in Silvermore. You got along well with the neighbors and everyone liked you,” Rein shrugged, “But you were trapped. Everytime you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you yearn for something bigger. Something better. I didn't want you to resent me for holding you back.” 

Percy guffawed and leaned his cheek into his hand, “So it really was the fact we were young and impressionable.”

“Can you say you regret the opportunities to travel and really get to know the country?” Rein looked at him with a single raised eyebrow. Percy paused to think, but he knew the answer.

“...honestly no.”

“And I don't regret the work I've put into my career, the projects I'm handling,” Rein tipped his head, his eyes sparkling with anticipation, “I honestly love it all.”

Percy hummed, his heart melting at Rein’s expression. He sighed as his chin flopped into his hand.

“We really grew into our own huh?”

“Yeah,” Rein nodded, “Yeah we did.“

“Kinda sad we couldn't do it together,” Percy murmured, his finger tracing light circles on his arm. From beside him, Rein sighed lightly.

“I know.” Rein’s eyes turned downward, almost dulling in life. Percy bit his cheek, holding back tears before he pressed his mouth into his hand.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“Huh?” Rein said with a light laugh and a raised eyebrow, “For what?”

“For making hard decisions. For being a person to look up to,” Percy smiled, “Literally and figuratively.” Rein snorted.

“That came out of nowhere,” he rolled his eyes while smiling.

“I just…” Percy murmured into his hand, eyes looking away, “Wanted to say it before we never see each other again.”

“Are you seriously planning on ghosting me for the rest of our lives after tonight?” Rein scowled at him before Percy put a fist over his heart.

“I'm a-”

“You're not an elf who never goes back on his word, you're a human who has intimacy and confrontation problems,” Rein rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Tsk,” Percy clicked his tongue, “Alright yeah, maybe.” Rein’s eyes softened and looked away, a blush painted on his face.

“Sorry that was harsh.” Percy laughed and shook his head.

“Yeah but it was true.”

“...so” Rein looked at Percy, “What now?”

“What do you mean?” Percy turned his head to look at Rein.

“Well, there’s no way I’m gonna let you waltz out of my life,” Rein shook his head with a smile before his gaze softened, “Not again.”

“Ha! You’d be surprised,” a mischievous grin slid onto Percy’s face before Rein lightly elbowed him.

“I’m serious,” Rein’s eyebrows furrowed intensely, his head dropping onto Percy’s shoulder as he murmured, “I missed you.” Percy paused, his brain short circuiting. As if moving on its own, he felt his fingers slide against the silk robes that weren’t his own until they met familiar fingers.

“I missed you too,” Percy whispered as he intertwined his fingers with Rein’s. The world kept turning and the night twirled on as Rein and Percy relished in a quiet moment just for them. After a while, Rein popped his head back up and sighed.

“Any thoughts?” He asked. Percy hummed in thought.

“We could start writing letters again?” He suggested. Rein nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

“We could.”

“I could visit you up in Silvermore,” Percy pointed at Rein with a small smile.

“You could.”

“Or vice versa.”

“Where do you live again?” Rein’s face scrunched up in an attempt to remember.

“Small town west of Ecostead,” Percy shrugged, “Nothing much to see really.” Rein hummed before he looked at Percy with raised eyebrows.

“There’s you.” Percy reeled back in surprise, not missing the sly smile plastered on Rein’s face.

“Rein, are you flirting with me?” He asked incredulously. Rein shrugged his shoulders and hummed casually.

“I’m just stating facts,” he smirked.

“Right, right,” Percy grinned, “Anything else you care to state for the record?” The casual vibe slowly washed away as Rein stared into Percy’s eyes, a softness sinking into the air. His eyes flicked down to Percy’s lips.

“I wish I could kiss you,” he almost whispered.

“Why wish?” Percy teased as he leaned in, laughing slightly as Rein pulled back with a smile.

“Because it’s not a smart idea given everything that’s happened,” Rein briefly squeezed Percy’s hand, “Because I think, if we should start anything, we should go slow.”

“So you want to start something?” Percy raised an eyebrow.

“Do you?” Rein mirrored. Percy searched Rein’s face for…something. For an answer. For a reason. All he could see was a push. 

“I’m gonna let an arrow fly, and I’ll just have to deal with the consequences after.”

“An arrow? What does that–”

Percy tilted his chin up as he pushed his lips into Rein’s. The kiss was soft and nostalgic, but it was also new and electrifying. With a pop, Percy drew back to a look of shock on Rein’s face. Percy shot him an apologetic smile.

“You can hit me if you–”

A second, deeper kiss almost knocked the wind out of Percy. His arms wrapped around Rein’s neck almost instinctively, the sensations jolting all the nerves in his body. No one knew who stopped first, but they both drew apart from each other heavily panting with a flush across their faces. Percy snorted as he dropped his head into Rein’s shoulder.

“Ha, go slow,” his chest heaved as he grinned.

“I’m serious about that,” Rein grimaced, his grip on Percy slightly tightened.

“I am too, I just…” Percy softened, “Really wanted to kiss you too.” Sighing, Rein pulled him closer to his body.

“What happens if everything just goes back to the way it was?” He murmured into Percy’s hair, “Or it’s worse the second time?”

“That’s something we’ll have to figure out when we get there,” Percy stroked his back reassuringly.

“What if we’ve just changed too much?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to rediscover everything about you,” Percy pulled back, giving Rein a confident smile, “Even if it’s something completely different than before.” Rein smiled before pulling away and leaning against the rail, Percy following suit.

“Is it ok if we just start as friends?” Rein asked. Percy snorted.

“I’m not sure how long that’s gonna last at this rate, but of course,” he looked at Rein with a soft smile.

“Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll get married like Poppy and Brianna,” Rein joked.

“Hmm…” Percy scrunched his face in thought, “Maybe in like ten years?”

“Ten? That seems long.”

“Oh? Ok, what about six months?” Percy laughed as Rein rolled his eyes.

“Ok, now that’s insane.”

“Cut me some slack, normal friends don’t talk about the rate it takes for them to get married to each other!”

“Touche,” Rein gave Percy a light hearted look before saying, “If we manage to stay together for at least 4 years, I’ll think about proposing.”

“Ok, and if we manage to stay together for 4, I’ll actually propose,” Percy goaded before Rein scoffed

“You’re gonna steal my thunder?”

“No, I’m just quicker. Hell, if the mood strikes me maybe I’ll ask you to marry me in a year,” Percy winks as Rein shakes his head.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Don’t worry, you can say no,” Percy smiled. He leaned onto Rein’s shoulder as he interlocked their arms. A gentle kiss pressed into Percy’s crown before Rein leaned his cheek on Percy. 

The sound of glass breaking and cheers broke the spell. They whipped their heads around the corner to see Brianna flushed red with alcohol, a confident smile and shards of glass at her feet. 

“You’re on!” She slurred to Yekatarina who downed a large glass of mead. Poppy stood behind Brianna shaking her head. Lani cheered from Paxus’s back, her right ankle wrapped in white bandages as Celena shielded the injury from party goers. Groaning, Rein slapped his hand to his face before turning to Percy with a look of disbelief.

“Should we get back out there?” He raised his eyebrow. Percy pursed his lips, eyes flitting from Rein to the party. It did look like everyone was having a good time. Instead, Percy wrapped his arms tighter around Rein and nuzzled his face into his shoulder.

“Just a few more moments?” He looked up, “Please?” Rein smiled and held fast.

“Ok.”

______________________________________________________

A YEAR and a HALF LATER

You’re invited to the marriage celebration of:

REIN GAIA & PERCY MURATOV

Save the date!

Poppy heard a crash from the kitchen followed by Brianna’s angered voice. 

“They’re WHAT!?” 

Poppy walked into the kitchen to find her beloved wife white knuckling a pristine envelope with the wax seal insignia of House Gaia with orange cosmos petals pressed into the pages.

Brianna flipped the letter around, “ON THE SAME DAY OF THE BABY SHOWER!?” Poppy calmly took the papers and scanned over the message.

“We couldn’t have known–”

“THEY COULD HAVE TOLD US THEY WERE GONNA GET MARRIED MONTHS AGO!” Brianna stomped through the cottage, grabbing her coat from the hook as Poppy followed close. 

“I’m sure the letter got–”

“I’M SENDING THEM A LETTER.”

______________________________________________________

You’re invited to the baby shower of:

Poppy and Brianna’s child

Acacia 

Save the date!

“Oh yikes,” Percy grimaced as he scanned the content of the letter in front of him. Rein swung around the corner, setting his books down as he craned his neck to see.

“What?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he read the date, “Oh, weird.” Percy hummed in agreement as he read the date for a third time.

“Well, they knew we were doing this months ago since you sent them that letter right?” he looked expectantly at Rein.

“Wait,” Rein pinched the bridge of his nose, “I thought you sent that letter.”

“I sent letters to Aunty Yak and Lani. I thought you were gonna send letters to everyone else.”

“Wait, I thought you did it all in one go?” Rein raised his eyebrow and stared at Percy. A pause. Two. Two and a half. Percy deflated as he sighed.

“...oh boy, maybe I said I was gonna do that.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure we can work something out. It’s just a party after all, we already did the boring part,” Rein smiled and flashed the golden ring on his finger to Percy.

“Heh, true. Thought you were gonna divorce my ass for a second there,” Percy put the letters down on the table as Rein unceremoniously popped himself on the sofa and drew a book from his robes.

“If I didn’t want to be married to you I wouldn’t have said yes,” he flipped the book open and began perusing its contents. Stepping towards the sofa, Percy leaned his head over the backside, barely blocking the words on the page.

“Do you regret saying yes?” He asked lightly. Without looking up, Rein answered. 

“No.”

“If I asked you in five years, would you have said yes?”

“Probably.” 

Percy leaned in closer and grinned cheshirely.

“If I asked in ten?” 

Rein laughed, eyes still focused on the book.

“I don’t see why not!”

“Even at the end of the world?” Percy leaned in with Rein closing the distance between their lips.

“Even if the end is now.”