[ Oh.

Has Ardyn ever kissed him like that before? A simple, fleeting thing, done simply because he could. A kiss without teeth, without hungry desire or the need to claim. It makes something in his chest flutter, and X’rhun suddenly feels twenty summers younger, giddy in a way that was robbed from him by time and war and the crushing weight of regret. ]

Ardyn, I… I am not sure what to say. [ He breathes out a small laugh. ] It is not often I am without words, you know, so you may want to mark the occasion.

[ A joke, a moment that allows him to gather his thoughts and try in vain to tame the rapid beating of his heart. ]

I’m glad… though that seems terribly inadequate, that you have chosen to embrace this chance you’ve been given. From the moment I found you again, a part of me was afraid that you were simply seeking another way out. So, I dared not speak about… us. I cannot say now whether or not that was the wise choice, but in the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

I love you, and there is nowhere I would rather be than by your side.