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they squeezed his hand in theirs, gently and repeatedly as they pulled him with them to the gravesite. he felt an odd feeling in the put of his stomach, something like he was encroaching on someone else's territory.
'"can you visit haurchefant's grave with me? i want to. talk through some things with him... and with you,"' the sound of their voice came back to him as he stared at their footprints in the snow.
he had agreed, something in him wanting to get as close as he could to meeting the man.
they drew close to the cut stone, their small gloved hand releasing his so they could remove a glove, skin coming to rest against against the grave. they knelt, fingers ghosting over the cracked shield that rested to the side.
"it's been awhile, hasn't it, haurchefant? sorry for that. i brought someone with me today."
he felt his ears perk at the mention of himself. even as he looked off to the side, he was still hyper-aware of what they were saying.
"he's someone very, very dear to me."
his ears twitched back in embarrassment.
they stood, pulling him a bit closer as they spoke.
"haurchefant, this is g'raha tia. he is-- was?-- the selfsame crystal exarch who snatched me from the source and deposited me into the first."
"h... hello!" his own voice surprised him. "hello, haurchefant."
"you two never met, if i remember correctly... i think you would've gotten along then. you'd probably get along better now."
he could sense the sadness in their tone. present, but subdued. past grief, accepting.
"if i remember correctly from what you've said of him, he seems like quite the wonderful fellow."
he smiled at them and they scoffed, rueful grin making its way across their face.
"he was. boisterous, and brave. a knight until the end."
they sighed, turning back to the tomb of their previous lover.
"i'll love him forever, i'm sure--"
g'raha felt his stomach turn.
"--but! that doesn't mean i don't have room to love someone else. i will never love someone the same as haurchefant, but i realised i don't have to."
their other hand came to hold his second. the cold of their skin seeped through the wool of his glove.
"i love haurchefant as haurchefant, and i'll love g'raha tia as g'raha tia, if he'll have me."
the miqo'te felt his face redden suddenly. he felt his stomach flip as he attempted to hide from the earnestness of their gaze. he suddenly felt like a young man of 24, and not the ancient creature he mentally and spiritually was.
he forced his eyes to meet theirs, face reddening impossibly more.
"i... i suppose he will."
he felt them relax, their grip on his hands slacking a bit as they lit up with a grin. they turned to haurchefant's grave once more, breathing out a laugh.
"you hear that, haurchefant? you've gained another charge. i know you and ysayle keep an eye out for me; you'll have to keep one out for g'raha too."
he felt his breath catch as that beaming expression turned back to him.
"thank-you for coming with me, g'raha. i feel settled. ready to face tomorrow with both feet facing forward."
the miqo'te felt a smile make its way across his own face. despite his stomach doing acrobatics, he felt like he understood them a bit better, like he loved them.
"i think i understand what you mean."
a pleased noise escaped them and they squeezed his hands once more before turning back to haurchefant, bowing their head respectfully to the stone and waving goodbye.
"come on then," they started down the mountainside, "we'll freeze if we're out here much longer!"
he followed after a few steps before something in him thought to turn around. red eyes looked back, only to catch blue-grey.
a tall elezen man looked back at him, ethereal and gossamer.
time felt paused. the air between the two full of emotion. he felt like he should say something, anything-- but suddenly the whispy figure smiled, gentle and kind, and then was gone.
"'raha?" they called, and he felt his face redden again at the intimate nickname. "you ok?"
he shook his head, setting off after them.
"i'm alright! just, uh, frozen a moment."
he could tell they didn't quite believe him, but they didn't press. their hand caught his as he caught up with them and they swung it as they continued forward with him.
g'raha tia faced forward, and gently squeezed their hand.