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They were in Tah'na's room, sitting around the table. The sun was low in the sky, but it still provided ample light. G'raha had requested tales of their adventures - folk songs and Edmont de Fortemps' memoirs only covered so much.
Tah'na considered for a moment. What to tell? The mention of Fortemps reminded them of Ishgard, and the first time they met Fray. It was a deeply personal story... but Tah'na wanted to share it.
"This tale begins during my time in Ishgard. I was... hurting, after what happened with Haurchefant and Estinien. I was lonely and restless. And so I wandered the Brume, the lowest part of Ishgard, where the poor and destitute live.
"There, I found someone laying on some stairs. Next to them was a soul crystal: this one," they said, and presented the dark knight crystal to G'raha.
"May I?" he asked, and Tah'na nodded. He lifted the crystal, inspecting it in the light. It was a dark red, in the shape of a spiky heart. A stylized sword was carved into the front of it. He gave it back, and Tah'na put it in their bag.
They continued, "When I touched the crystal, I fell unconscious. After I awoke, the figure was standing next to me. They were Fray, a dark knight, and they wanted to teach me..."
They told him of rescuing a girl from rapists, of communion in the sweltering Thanalan desert, of yelling at a greedy merchant in La Noscea, of how they had become two, and of the confrontation in Whitebrim.
"You fought... yourself?" G'raha asked, somewhat astonished.
"Would you like to meet Fray? My other self?" they asked after a moment. "The easiest way would be to simply... let them take control, as it were. But I can also summon them."
"Either way is fine."
It took a little out of Tah'na to physically summon Fray, so Tah'na decided to let Fray take over.
Fray? You ready for this?
Yes. Let's go.
They shifted control to Fray.
"Your eyes-" G'raha began, and then fell silent.
"Yes. They're red. So. Hello, Raha," Fray said, taking his hands into theirs.
He blushed, but didn't move away.
Unexpectedly, Fray began: "First off... what the hell were you thinking? With that stupid, shite plan of yours? We've had enough of people dying for us." They glared and tightened their hold on his hands for a moment.
"I- I was trying to save you," G'raha protested.
"No. You were trying to die."
G'raha's mouth fell open in shock at how simply they had just said it.
"You had 100 years to plan, and you could only come up with a plan that involved dying? That was deliberate." Fray's tone was short, and they let go of his hands.
G'raha looked down at the table, pressing his hands together and then apart, somewhat agitated.
"...You're right."
"You fool. You absolute fool," Fray said, and stood up from the chair. G'raha followed suit in some confusion before they gave him a crushing hug, nuzzling their face into his neck. "You didn't think we hadn't figured it out? We knew you were G'raha Tia. We- we recognized your face. The bottom part. But we were respecting your decision to hide."
G'raha stiffened, tears prickling at his eyes before he returned the hug, purring almost immediately. They couldn't help but purr back, and the hug held for several long seconds before they released him.
"Raha, don't leave again. Please," Fray said, and then pushed Tah'na back to control. Tah'na almost immediately began to tear up from their emotions.
Oh, sure. Make me cry instead so you don't ruin your image. I see how it is, Tah'na thought, though they were also amused. Fray didn't respond except to send over a sense of embarrassment.
"I- I don't know what will happen in the future. But I promise to try my best to stay," G'raha said, and hesitatingly angled his face down a little.
He wants to kiss you, Fray thought.
Oh, Tah'na thought, stunned for a moment before taking charge and throwing their arms around his neck, dragging him close enough so they could initiate the kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, and then curled upward in happiness.
Tah'na's heart swelled: an outpouring of love and affection. They thought they might burst from being unable to contain it all; a happier end than turning into a Sin Eater, for sure.
The kiss went on for several long seconds until G'raha had to break away for air. "I..." He looked both dazed and deliriously happy. "I never thought..."
"You've never had a thought, not once in your life?" they teased, seeing the chance and taking it.
He pursed his lips, affronted but amused. "Despite how some of my fellow students back in Sharlayan may have acted, it does require at least one thought to complete one's studies there."
"G'raha Tia's memoirs: 'I had at least one thought'," they continued, smirking.
"Many thoughts," he corrected. "And… many of those were of you."
That left them unable to respond; such a parry had been unexpected.
He grinned deviously. "Ah? Coeurl have your tongue?"
"Shut up," they said, and then reconsidered. "No, I think a Miqo'te just had it- he's a handsome man, goes by G'raha... Have you heard of him?"
He blushed again. "H-handsome, you say..."
"Yes. Beautiful red eyes and red and white hair and yes, beautiful blue crystal," they said, figuring that he might be sensitive about how different he looked now.
"I... I've never considered the crystal to be anything but an aberration," he admitted.
"People exist in all kinds of ways. We are all different. You should never feel ashamed for how you look," Tah'na said, and grasped both of his hands.
"... I will think that over," he said, and Tah'na smiled at him.
The orange tones of dusk caught their eye. "Let's watch the sunset together, Raha."
G'raha smiled back. "Of course... Tah." The two of them looked out the window as the sun set once again, hand in hand, heart in heart.