[P] Head over heart when you look at me

[Atreus]

ATREUS

so give me life, give me fire
cause I'm drowning in the ocean of you and I

It wasn’t long before he spotted her, and a smile most tender pulled gently at the corners of his lips, genuine in a way that only she could invoke. She started toward him and already Atreus found himself eager to reach out and feel her, pull her close and revel in the warmth they shared. Behind her stood a conglomeration of Terrastellans, scraps of paper held against their breast and whipping in the wind as their wishes were released to the sea. Atreus hadn’t participated in the ritual himself, thinking it archaic and frankly a waste of time. But, even if the healer believed in the power of the ceremony, he didn’t need a piece of paper and wishful thinking to bring him what he sought most, for she was already here.

Helping to lessen the distance between them in those final few paces, Atreus pressed his nose into her petite frame and gently trailed it over the crest of her neck. She was a soothing balm against the volatile thoughts that so often gripped him, left to fester until they rose to the surface years later, robbing him of rest and little iteration of a normal life until then. With her, though, he was at peace – his favorite place to be – of which he had never been given the chance to know intimately.

“Fiona,” he spoke her name affectionately, lingering a moment longer than might have been necessary to anyone else before he took a step back to gaze into her benign eyes. Noting her curiosity, he followed them back to where the leather bag was situated atop the table. “Ah. This?” he hummed warmly as he shifted back over to it, glancing imploringly for her to follow. Carefully he undid the leather strap which secured it shut, unveiling the small bottle filled almost to the brim with a soft blue liquid. Leaving it for now, he craned his neck to focus back on Fiona, his expression growing somewhat pinched as he considered what to say.

“It’s a gift, for you. I’ve been working on it for quite some time.” And he had, having begun his research just before his departure for Delumine. The roan frowned when he continued, his tone dropping a decibel or two as he considered the fact something may not come off the way he intended. He only wanted to bring Fiona a small fraction of the happiness she had brought him. “… Drink this, and there would be no more having to write your every thought. My dear, it will give you your voice.” The one he so longed to hear for himself. He recalled when he had first returned to Terrastella and how she had been the first to greet him, a somewhat timid creature who had quickly showed him that she was so much more than he could’ve imagined. “But… please, don’t think that you must.” Another reach, another reassuring touch, this time to her cheek if she allowed him the privilege. Oh, the things he wouldn't do just to see her happy.

She deserved this small token for all she had done, but let her be the one to decide if it was what she truly wanted.

@Fiona

"Speaking."

credits