Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

               Sometimes, the Crystal Exarch feels much more familiar than he should. The Warrior of Light feels a strange sense of deja-vu at times, brought on by the way he moves his hands when he talks, the sound of his voice when he chuckles, even by the bit of his expression that can be seen from under his hood when he catches her staring at him for longer than she should.

            And she shouldn’t be staring so. She’s entirely worried that she’s mistaken, that her suspicions and the similarities she sees with G’raha Tia are nothing but coincidences – ones that she’s maybe even created in her own mind out of desperation to reunite with him. She had not known G’raha for long, but the time they’d spent together and then cut short had left a mark on her heart. She had wanted to know him better, to talk more, to see the way he lit up when speaking of archeology again.

And now, perhaps she’s projecting all those wants onto the Exarch, someone entirely unrelated. It was better, she tells herself, to shut these thoughts down now, than it was hold onto hope only to inevitably be crushed by reality and have her heart broken all over again. G’raha Tia is asleep in The Source’s Crystal Tower. He will not awaken for hundreds of years. She will not see him ever again. That is the mantra she repeats in her heart over and over again, trying to turn it as hard as crystal so that her adventures, and the continued loss of people she holds dear, will no longer chip at and scar it.

So, when the Exarch’s hood is pulled down, and the Warrior of Light sees his face, she does not believe it at first. She assumes that her hopes have turned to delusions, now, briefly showing her the face that she’s yearned to see again for so long. But it’s not a delusion. He’s here. And the hardened crystal around her heart shatters in a flood of emotion that she screams out his name with.

Of course, though, that flood of emotion is cut short, her shock and joy and love and frustration with his secrets is taken from her when Emet-Selch fires his gun at the Exarch's back, and only a lonesome despair is left in her.

            G’raha Tia thinks to himself – no, The Crystal Exarch thinks to himself. About how many things he wants to say to the Warrior of Light. He wants to tell her that he is so happy to see her again, about how much the time they spent together investigating the Crystal Tower inspired him – gave him the strength to enter his long slumber, thinking it’d mean being separated from her forever.

He had thought she was a fleeting yearning of his heart; one he’d lock away with himself in the tower, to look back on one day when he awakened as a bittersweet memory. But awakening, especially in the situation which he found himself in, did not smother that yearning like he thought it might. Instead, it seemed to only grow within him, like a fire in his chest.

He was doing this to save the world. He had to save everyone, of both the Source and the First. But while he of course did want to save both worlds which had been his homes, there was a loud voice in his mind that emphasized how much it mattered to save her, and not just because she was the Warrior of Light. She had to survive; he could not let her lose her life like this. He needed to know she lived a long life – that her kindness and smile would keep existing longer. It brings him guilt, makes him wonder how impure his motives are – but he finds that at the end of the day it does not change anything about the work he has to do. Instead, he uses it as motivation, the fire in his heart fueling his work and plans.

When he looks at her, he quietly daydreams of gallantly offering to accompany her to wherever she is headed next in the First. Going beyond Lakeland, staying by her side, providing her counsel when she needs it, seeing her expression when she sees new places, and not just through the crystal mirror he quietly observes from. He wants to be there, to be a part of her mission, one of the companions she laughs and cries and becomes angry alongside. He wants to see every part of her.

But he’s convinced himself that’s not what he deserves. If he’s to travel far from the tower, it must be for good reason. And with all the secrets he’s kept, both from her and the companions he so longs to be one of, how could he truly stand among them? He can imagine equally vividly a future where she learns who he is and rejoices, and one where she curses and despises him.

And he has to remind himself, that either way, it does not matter. He will do the one thing he can do for her – absorb the light building with in her, and give his life to save the person he adores more than anyone else in any world. If it’s for her, he can be proud of his long life ending that way.

Just as he resigned himself to death for her sake, the Warrior of Light makes a decision: She no longer cares if she becomes a monster – it’s more important that she saves G’raha Tia, and that she does it now. If he’s still alive, and with Emet-Selch, then she can’t wait a moment longer, especially not after spending so much time asleep and then moping. Of course, she does not want to hurt any of her friends in her death march to save him, so she’s fully prepared to go alone before the Scions stop her.

She even warns them. “I’m a danger to everyone I am around.” And it’s only when suddenly, nobody cares, that they all insist on coming with her anyways, not allowing her to abandon them so she can die for a purpose she thinks is noble, that she realizes something.

“...Did G’raha Tia feel the way I did just now?” She quietly asks herself as the group leaves the Crystarium, remembering when he tried to die for her sake. She still wants to save him, more than anything. But… the feeling of wanting to throw herself away hadn’t really been a happy one. It had made her desperate and lonely, and she was realizing how lucky she was that her friends saved her at the last moment.

She still doesn’t entirely know how, but she wants to save his life, somehow, without becoming a sin eater. She wants to have all the time in the world to spend with him. And she wants to save him from his own feelings, too, so that he wants to, and thinks that he can live with her, just as she wants to with him.

And then, once he’s safe, once she calls him by name, and sees him smile… then she’d ask him about her next adventure. And ask him if he would wish to be a part of it. Together they’d travel the lands and cross the seas and take to the skies upon the eternal wind. Her heart swells simply to imagine it…

Chapter Text

            The Warrior of Light doesn’t know much about the Allagan Empire. Raised in Garlemald, as a tool of the empire, she wasn’t exactly given an extensive education on the history of ancient civilizations. She’s heard the name before – spoken of highly by Garlean generals and scientists, and she and the other children in the facility would gather and quietly whisper stories of Eorzean and Allagan heroes in the night when their caretakers thought them asleep. But that was the extent of her knowledge.

            Those days seemed so far in the past now that she was here – left for dead by the Garleans and suddenly an ‘Eorzean’ hero herself, that now she could not recall any details of the stories, nor the heroes’ names. She recalled the love she felt for her ‘family’ of gathered war orphans most, and how their shared stories inspired her and gave her hope that one day a hero could save her. That one day she could be a hero who saves other people herself, protecting her younger ‘siblings’ much better than she could during those days.

            So she loves to hear G’raha Tia speak about Allag, and she’s taken to coming to him with the questions that she’s a bit too embarrassed to let anyone else know she has. Her first impression of him is that, yes, he’s eccentric, but she finds that she truly likes that about him. She’s already been having fun being around the variety of personalities and the energy each of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn bring to their group, as it’s a welcome change from the militarism and strict stiffness that she and her fellow prisoners were expected to behave with that suffocated her in Garlemald, dimming any internal sense of who she was. And G’raha has that sort of life and energy in spades.

           When he talks of Allagan emperors and heroes and villains, and the great and terrible deeds they committed throughout history, his enthusiasm is contagious. Even now, as she finds herself sitting next to G’raha Tia on a quieter night during the expedition, next to a campfire outside of the tents, she’s listening earnestly, even reacting to the twists and turns that these stories take with small gasps and wide eyes.

            “Now, there are some remarkably important things that most people don’t seem to discuss enough about Phlegethon, at least in my opinion, based on the studies I’ve read – not nearly enough authors focus on how he inspired people during the rebellion, to an extent that he could lead entire armies to follow his example, and how that’s what makes him a hero rather than a common soldier or general. And not to mention, his-“ G’raha has been going on this way for quite a while, never running out of topics to discuss. And normally the Warrior of Light wouldn’t want to interrupt him, polite enough to wait for suitable breaks to offer comments or questions, but she wants to ask him a question that rises to her mind right away.

            “So being inspirational is what makes someone a hero? Not just doing good things?” She asks. It’s not that she disagrees – though she’s never considered it herself before, the idea resonates strongly with her and her memories of wanting to be a hero because of the tales she heard as a child. So she wants to hear him talk about it more, to know if the two of them really do think similarly on this topic.

            “Well, of course, doing good things is a prerequisite to being a hero. And you have to do them impressively, of course.” He says with an air of authority. “But heroes are born from the people’s impressions of them! Being discussed and remembered in the pages of history. And to earn that honor, you must be someone who can rally the people around you. So much so that they’ll spread word of your deeds, and it will continue being passed on.”

            “You’re right… that’s the kind of person a hero should be.” The Warrior of Light sits, hugging her knees close to herself, looking into the fire with a serious expression. She may have stopped the Black Wolf, but inside, she felt far from being the kind of person G’raha was describing. If she wanted to be a better hero, and save more people, she would absolutely need to become someone like that. She lets out a small mutter of, “I need to work harder…”

            Her small voice doesn’t go unnoticed by G’raha Tia, and her words catch him by surprise. From his perspective, the young woman he looks at now, the bringer of light, was well on her way to being the perfect hero, to the point that it made him insecure despite the admiration he felt of her. He’d quickly realized watching her that his teasing with the aethersand had not been necessary. She was clearly a skilled fighter. And she was invited to participate in this expedition as more than the simple observer he was – she was immediately trusted by Cid and Rammbroes to clear the Crystal Tower and lead their path. Not to mention that she basically recruited Biggs and Wedge to join on her own. The expedition group was practically forming around her heroism and her radiant smile.

            That bright, confident smile, though, looked so far from her current expression. He couldn’t know at all what she was thinking, but to him, it seemed like there was something… lonesome, vulnerable, and as insecure as he sometimes felt there. She looked sad, to put it far more simply. For the first time, G’raha Tia feels he sees the person that the Warrior of Light, is beyond all the glorified tales and speeches about an adventurer who drove back Garlemald.

            “You’re already working so hard. You’re… perfectly fine as you are now.” He responds, a tiny bit of pink forming in his cheeks as he speaks more earnestly to her, a bit surprised at his sudden desire to put aside his usual theatrics for her. “I believe that NOAH will be written in the pages of history because of everyone’s hard work. So you should believe that, too.”

            She turns her head a bit to look away from the fire and back to him again, a look of faint surprise on her face. But that expression settles into a smile. One a little smaller, more earnest and somehow… more intimate than the one she puts on when speaking to the others. And he can’t look away from that expression when she looks at him with it.

            “….Thank you.” She says, looking at him unfalteringly with that smile. “You too, G’raha Tia… even if we can’t convince Cid and Rammbroes to let you explore the tower with me, you’re working so hard with helping teach me about it, and making us a team with a name. You’re going to be remembered, too, I’m sure of it.”

            There’s a definite part of G’raha Tia that wonders if he really could be remembered alongside someone like her as an equal. He wants that so badly. He’ll do anything on this expedition to make it happen. Summoning all his confidence, he declares, standing up, “Of course! Just you see, they’ll be writing our names next to each other in all sorts of records in due time! It’s simply a matter of when we uncover all the secrets of the Crystal Tower!”

            The return of his dramatics brings an even brighter smile to her face, and she laughs a bit. “Of course! I can’t wait…” She says, looking up to the Crystal Tower that can be seen in the distance. “I think this expedition is going to be something really special…”

            He follows her gaze, looking at the Tower lit under the moon’s light. And it’s in that silent moment on that night, that the two of them feel the same kind of fluttering, a stirring feeling in their hearts. But surely that was simply their shared excitement over their expedition…

            Both would think of one another just a little bit more specially every time they looked at or exchanged words or stories with one another in the following days. G’raha would grab her by the wrist to show her something of interest in the cleared tower, and she’d hope that he’d keep holding onto it longer than he does. They’re filled with budding thoughts and feelings.

            The Warrior of Light’s smile is truly charming. He thinks sometimes.

            Is G’raha Tia truly alright? He was clutching his eye like it was so painful… I have to figure out what I can do to help him. She constantly frets over him when Unei and Doga show up.

            She’s fighting in the tower… is she safe? I should have gone to help her no matter what anyone said. He tries to convince himself that he’d be of any use to one with her skill level, rather than the hindrance he feels like he’s being treated as.

            Hearing him talk about Allag is so fun… I want to ask him to tell me more tonight. I bet he could tell me so much about everything I’m seeing in here. As she looks around the Tower, she gives herself something to look forward to after she returns from all the fighting she’s been tasked with.

            I’m not used to people outside of the Studium listening to me discuss Allag so much. She must be really interested in too, just like me… or maybe she’s just that nice a person, and she’s indulging me. He’s happy, but a bit bashful being asked to talk to her every night.

            I don’t want to say goodbye to you. They both think when it becomes clear what G’raha feels he must do – seal himself away and sleep inside the tower to protect the world from it being misused.

            Why is it now of all times that the yearning in their hearts, their almost innocent mutual crush that was never truly acted on, suddenly seems to be bursting out of their hearts when it doesn’t matter anymore? He can’t ask her to go on adventures with him again, to make sure they’ll be written in the pages of history together. She can’t ask him to stay and talk to her more, and she certainly can’t ask him to take her hand. Not when there are things so much bigger to worry about than their own feelings. Maybe being a hero was also about putting other people’s needs above your own, they both silently decide.

            But still, as the doors of the Crystal Tower close, she stares as hard as she can at the sight of him walking away, while he tries to resist the urge to take one last look back to burn into his mind and his dreams before he falls asleep. And once again their thoughts and hearts are in sync without either of them realizing it, hoping that the day will come soon when they can meet again.

Chapter Text

Rain falls with a pitter-patter over the rooves of The Crystarium. The Warrior of Light is gazing idly out of the window of her room at The Pendants today – a rare occurrence, but for once she has what one might call ‘a day off.’ Emet-Selch was no more, and while there were certainly still problems in The First to take care of, she didn’t need to be running around quite as much as she had been up until now. It was good to have a break, but she’s not used to it. She needs to go somewhere and do something. But what was it that she should do?

Well, she can figure that out as she’s wandering, she decides as she leaves the Pendants. Usually someone who needs help would end up calling out to her or catching her attention, and she’d devote as much time as needed to them. She fully counts on something like this to happen, but somehow… nothing does today. Perhaps it’s because everyone’s simply taking a break to enjoy the peace that’s come, but nobody seems to be in pressing, or even not-pressing need of help. Frankly, it makes the Warrior of Light feel a little bit useless, having devoted so much of herself to doing whatever the people around her need.

In the end, she finds her feet drawn towards The Crystal Tower, declaring to the guard without hesitation that she does indeed have business with the Exarch. She’s heading here because surely he has something she could do for him! It absolutely isn’t because she just wants to spend time with him, and today has provided her with a good excuse not to worry that she’d bother him with unimportant conversations!

So she (tries to) confidently and casually stride into the Ocular, though she really is smiling just from seeing him. It still feels unreal to her, that he’s here, in front of her, safe and awake!! She thinks she must be losing her mind to have this much of a reaction just from being in the same room as a single person, but she doesn’t dislike it, either. The happiness of being together was a pleasant change from the lonely dread she had felt a few days ago when she had wanted to die for him.

“Good day! How are you, G’raha? Is there anything I can help you with?” She calls out cheerfully, and as much as he’s keeping a calm face, the twitching of his ears and tail when she calls him by his name are tells of the way it seems to fluster him a bit. She does hope that he doesn’t dislike being called that – it seems like she’s the only one who uses his name, but his smile is as easygoing and friendly as ever, which reassures her.

“Ah, my Warrior. Good morning. Or I suppose it’s nearly noon, now.” Now it’s her turn to be a bit flustered when he calls her that, though she suspects he says it to encourage formality rather than imply the closeness of being his like she wishes it did. “You needn’t worry, I’m simply focusing on some paperwork at the moment. Oh, but rest assured I’ve spent the past few hours researching your companions’ return to the Source! …But at times I need to sign off on something or another for The Crystarium.”

If he was just signing papers, that wasn’t something she could do for him – but one part of what he says catches her attention, and she becomes a bit suspicious. “How many hours have you been working?” She asks, wary.

“Ah… not too many, I simply started shortly after nightfall last night.” He says, and then quickly adds, as though he’s had this conversation with someone else before, “I have not needed sleep since I awoke from my sleep in the Tower and began borrowing its power to extend my lifespan – a peculiar side effect, but one that means I can work these long stretches without worry.” He’s clearly trying to keep her from becoming upset with him, but she frowns at him anyways.

“Even if you don’t sleep, you still need rest.” She shakes her head. “There’s no way your mind can keep going that long without a break. And have you even eaten?”

He chuckles uncomfortably. “Come now, you sound like Lyna. I’m perfectly fine, I assure you. Though your concern is ever appreciated.”

The Warrior of Light’s frown deepens. “If I sound like Lyna, then I’m probably right. Really, you just said it’s nearly noon, so I’m insisting you come eat lunch.”

The Exarch tries to politely decline, but she looks at him with such determination and stubbornness that he can tell he’d only waste time trying to drag this out. He cannot imagine how any of her enemies deign to challenge her when she looks at them with expressions twice this fierce. “If you insist, my Warrior. Well then, allow me to treat you to-“

“No. I’m treating you.” She suddenly talks over him, startling him so much he stops what he was saying, and she takes that as permission to continue. “You’re going to sit down while I make you an amazing lunch! I need to pay you back for those sandwiches from before, anyways. They were delicious.”

The Exarch brushes a hand over the lower half of his face, trying to cover up some of the blush that he feels creeping in at her words. “Those sandwiches were a thank you for all you’d done for Norvandt… you do not need to pay me back.” But, he adds, his tone a bit curious, “But… I was not aware that you know how to cook. No tomes or records ever mentioned it alongside your deeds in combat or politics… that’s a waste. I wouldn’t mind trying it.”

She laughs. “Well, I don’t get a chance to cook often. And I’m sure nobody thought that it was worth committing that sort of thing to pen alongside fighting dragons or Garlean princes…” She hopes he isn’t expecting too much out of her… she’s confident in her cooking skills, but it’s still not as though she’s a gourmet chef. She had simply spent some time at the Culinarians Guild, and found she enjoyed the activity.

“All the better reason to experience it.” He says, seeming to get more enthusiastic about the idea by the second. “But… only if you eat some as well. Food is best enjoyed with others, after all.”

“Well, that seems fair enough. Then… we shall eat lunch together.” She almost turns it into a meek question, seeking repeated approval to eat together, but the Warrior of Light musters her courage, really wanting this.

And to her relief and joy, he’s elated. “Excellent! Allow me to lead you to my kitchen, then.” He begins leading her, and she quickly matches his pace to walk next to him.

“Does the Crystal Tower have a kitchen?” She wonders. She certainly hadn’t seen anything resembling one back during her initial explorations of the tower, back when she and G’raha had first met.

“Well, not at first. But seeing as I had a need to live here, certain modifications have been made to make it more comfortable. And though I do not sleep, you were correct that food is still a way for me to relax… And thus I have a fairly well-stocked kitchen at my disposal.” He admits that she was correct somewhat sheepishly, and she responds with a slightly smug giggle.

“Well then, that’s perfect!” She tells him with a smile. “What’s your favorite food? I’ll do my best to make you it.” A part of her does feel a bit bad for forcefully dragging him off with her, so she’d like to make sure it’s as worth it for him as it possibly can be.

“My favorite food… I’ve always had a difficult time picking.” He muses on the subject deeply for how common a question it is. “Sharlayan had quite a bit of delicious food, but I enjoyed it all quite equally… I’m sure whatever it is you make, I’d be ecstatic to eat it for the reason that you were the chef alone.”

The response both makes her happy and leaves her feeling unsure. Being told anything was fine wasn’t exactly helpful, no matter how earnest he seems. The Warrior of Light tries to think about if she knows any Sharlayan dishes, thinking and “Hmm…”-ing to herself as she walks next to the Exarch, who looks at her thinking so hard for his sake with a warm, embarrassed expression.

She’s broken out of her thoughts when he opens the door to his kitchen, and she’s surprised by how… home-y it is, compared to the rest of the tower. It doesn’t look like it belongs in this building at all – the walls and flooring have been covered and remodeled in a way that looks almost like it could belong in a regular home. And the Warrior of Light loves it immediately.

“How long did it take to put this together?” She wonders, with awe.

The Exarch smiles, not having expected her to take so much pleasure in a kitchen, and happy to oblige her with answers for her enthusiasm. “A few months, give or take. I had worried it was too much energy spent on something trivial compared to the other work that had to be done, but… it must have been worth it if you like it so. And the people of the Crystarium insisted on it, anyways.”

“I like it very much! I’ll be able to do a good job in here.” She nods to herself, and immediately begins looking over the kitchen. The way it looks has had her settle on a recipe – and though it might not be a very fancy lunch, she’s excited and hopes he really does like it.

The Exarch steps forward, eager to help show her where he keeps different ingredients and kitchen tools. It’s a relief compared to trying to navigate an unfamiliar kitchen on one’s own, so she happily accepts his assistance. She’s only brought to a stop halfway through chopping some vegetables when she processes the fact that he’s doing the same, cheerfully helping work through the ingredients on a second cutting board placed next to her, and has been doing so without her questioning it for some time.

She can only stare agape at him, wondering how she got so comfortable that she let the person she was supposed to be treating help with the actual food preparation. “What… are you doing???” She breathes.

“I’m cutting some carrots. Did I make a mistake?” He asks, giving her a look of confusion and glancing between her and the vegetables on the cutting board.

“No, not the vegetables- why are you helping? I’m supposed to be treating you!” She says in an exasperated tone, and accuses him, “You did this on purpose somehow. I’m supposed to be forcing you to rest, go sit down somewhere and I’ll finish the soup.”

“Ah… I’m sorry…” His ears droop a bit on top of his head, and his expression is clearly awkward and a bit ashamed. “I didn’t realize you would be so upset by my assistance. I apologize, I just… was enjoying the idea of working on it together with you.”

A pang of guilt immediately strikes her heart when he looks at her like that. More than anything, she really can’t bear to see him this way – all she wanted to do today was make him happy, and now she’s gone and done the opposite by forcing her way on him. Even though part of herself is chastising herself for being far too weak to a simple look, the Warrior of Light immediately backtracks. “No, no-! It’s fine. Really. I was just… surprised. If you’re enjoying cooking, you can keep doing so. You’ll get your food faster anyways if I have help, so…”

His ears perk back up, and a surprised grin covers his face. “Excellent. Thank you…” He says as he continues chopping carrots, looking satisfied. Ugh, and now she’s way too happy to see him looking so cheerful. How could a single Miqo’te drive her emotions this crazy? She needs to get a grip on herself, but she really can’t now that she’s hyperaware of him standing right next to her.

Despite being so overly aware of his presence next to her, she ends up so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she doesn’t notice them both reaching for the same bottle, and she jumps when their hands touch, flustered by the sudden contact. This causes the Exarch to stop his movements, and stare at the blue, crystallized hand that he had reached out.

“Apologies… feeling an arm such as this one without warning must be surprising. Or even a bit unpleasant. I’ll be more careful.” He tells her, with a forlorn look on his face.

“Huh?? No, no no! It’s not about that.” She shakes her head, and immediately attempts to explain without outing herself entirely. “I just was so wrapped up in thinking about… cooking. That it startled me. I didn’t think it was unpleasant.”

He gives her a half-smile. “You don’t need to trouble yourself on my account if it was. I’ve been told before that it can be unsettling, and I will not take offense if you agreed. It’s not surprising if people find it unusual or difficult to get used to.”

“No, I’m not just saying that. I really was just surprised.” She can’t say she likes seeing the parts of his body covered in crystal. It makes her feel an anguish burning in her heart to remember what he gave up in his quest to protect her and two worlds, but… “It’s a part of you. I could never hate or be unsettled by it.”

His ruby eyes stay fixed on her. “Really…” He murmurs, and as she gazes at him, she wonders what he could be thinking.

“It’s true.” She says, her voice quiet. “I really don’t mind. Like… I could touch your hand, or your face, if you’d let me, and I wouldn’t be bothered at all. I’m a little curious about it, honestly. It’s hard not to wonder how it feels.”

He blinks, his eyes shifting around. “I… that’s… well, if it truly doesn’t bother you, and you’re curious, that’s… I don’t mind if you want to touch it. That would be… fine. Just fine.”

And she finds herself reaching out, with hesitation, to touch the crystal on his face. He doesn’t move, though, just silently watches as her fingers come closer. When she touches it, she can feel that it’s as cool as any regular rock would be, especially compared to the warmth of his cheek. Resting her palm against his face and slowly stroking her thumb across, feeling where his skin and the crystal meet, she sees G’raha close his eyes and shudder as something like a sob escapes his throat.

“G’raha…” She speaks his name quietly, her voice filled with gentle concern. What was he thinking right now? What was he feeling? He doesn’t answer her, and instead, suddenly, as if by an uncontrolled impulse, he reaches his hand up to hold hers against his face, his hand tight over hers.

After a few moments of simply holding it, he turns his head to face towards that hand, his mouth lightly touching her wrist, his expression still pained. The suddenness of it all makes her heart skip a beat as water suddenly lines her eyes, like the flood of emotions inside of her spilling over.

“G’raha…” She says his name again, now lifting her other hand to the other side of his face. “G’raha… G’raha…!” Her voice becomes more and more desperate as he grips her hand tighter, opening his eyes and staring directly into hers.

As he quickly, and flustered by his own sudden actions, moves his lips away from her wrist, she pulls herself closer to touch them to her own in a soft kiss. Almost pulling away after her sudden peck, only to move back in again, and kiss him more deeply again, feeling his breath in her mouth and the movement of both their lips as she realizes he’s kissing her back now.

And then, almost as suddenly as it started, their kiss ends, and the two of them are simply looking at each other with wide eyes. Like neither of them knows what to say or do right now, a fear growing that the wrong words or movement will cause something to break or change in a way that they could never go back from.

Finally, one of them does speak, and it’s the Exarch. “I’m… glad it does not bother you.” He says, faintly flushed.

“O-of course. I meant it…” She nods slightly. Should she… say more right now? Finally admit aloud that she loves him? But she takes too long nervously mulling that question over, and the moment where she believes she might have the courage to passes as he clears his throat and turns back to the meal they’re preparing.

“Thank you for cooking for me. For taking me out of my office.” He says quietly as he resumes the work.

“It’s no problem… Thanks for coming.” She responds simply. She wishes desperately that she could read his mind and understand what he’s feeling. She’s not courageous enough right now to just ask, or to say or do anything more.

But maybe that’s partially because right now, she’s no longer nervous to be right by his side like this. She’s comforted and at peace to know he’s nearby, next to her, in reach. She wants to believe in them, in the future. She will have the courage to say it for real one day, and she will have the courage to kiss him again, so long as he wants her to. Even the possibility of that kind of future makes her happy in a way that words could never convey.

And so, though their conversations return to light small talk, and their hands are busy with cooking, and then eating at a table where they sit across from one another, there’s happiness there. And a sense of intimacy shared between them in this quiet moment that only they two will know of.

It’s a day with a memory she shares with the Crystal Exarch, G’raha Tia, that she’ll always love, as she’s sure she’ll always love him. Even if one day the two of them return to painful experiences that test her resolve, she’s sure that this day, and this love, she will never, ever forget.

Chapter Text

G’raha Tia walks through the Rising Stones, near midday. Arrangements for the Scions’ journey to Sharlayan were proceeding, and it seemed that they could depart any day now. He figured that he ought to make sure he made the most of his time to prepare while they were still in Mor Dhona. Training, making sure his gear was in good condition – there was a mountainous list of things to do, and everyone was busy.

Despite his numerous tasks, the Warrior of Light catches his eye when he passes by her, as she always does. She was sitting down on one of the couches, her back turned to him, likely oblivious to his presence. She had taken an interest in practicing red magic more prominently lately, and it seemed she intended it to be her focus upon their departure – indicated by her careful polishing of the rapier she is holding.

He’s taken by surprise, though, but something that most people would typically find to be a mundane change – her hair is different. From the time she was summoned to the First, the Warrior of Light had worn her hair in a high ponytail, braids carefully wrapped around her head. He had always thought it was quite pretty on her – practical, but still eye-catching. Today, however, her hair is loose, hanging down by her shoulders with a few stray unruly strands curling out in some places.

“Good day.” He greets her with a smile, which she returns vibrantly upon recognizing his voice and turning her head around to look at him. Would his heart ever stop swelling when she looks at him with such joy? No, he’d probably never stop being overjoyed by it. “Did you not feel like doing your hair today?”

“Hmm… not exactly. I just wanted a change.” She touches a strand of her hair self-consciously when he brings it up. “I guess this is less of a change, and more going back to how I used to have it, though.”

“Right. You didn’t do your hair up when we first met.” He remembers, of course. It’s not that he particularly minds or cares either way, as she looks pretty no matter what, but it does make him curious. “You didn’t seem to pay it much mind then. How did you decide to start doing it differently to begin with?”

She suddenly flushes. “Oh… it wasn’t really by choice.”

“Not by choice?” He echoes, not understanding how that would happen.

“Ah… it was when I first arrived at Fortemps Manor. Right after the Bloody Banquet.” She sighs and begins explaining. “I kind of… I was a little freaked out about the whole ‘being a fugitive’ thing. So, I thought, maybe I should change my style, you know? To be less recognizable in case I had to leave Coerthas for some reason.”

He nods, not seeing what there was about that to be so embarrassed about. “That seems reasonable enough. How did you change it then? Was it to the same ponytail you had until now?”

She shakes her head. “No, it was shorter. I, uhm… I tried cutting it myself. But I never had before, at least not anything more than trimming my bangs, and it was a huge mess… the Fortemps family had to have their maids fix it for me. When I was in Ala Mhigo and Doma I just put it in a normal ponytail, and then Tataru insisted I should dress up a bit and be ready for everything in the First. And she taught me how to do that style, a sort of goodbye present before I left, I guess.”

G’raha Tia looks at her in surprise, before smiling. “You cut it yourself? Really? Count Fortemps didn’t write anything about that in his memoir. I would have remembered a story like that.”

She looks at him with relief. “Really? Oh, thank goodness…” She touches a hand to her chest. “It’s… really embarrassing. I don’t really want anyone to know something like that happened.”

He leans forward on the back of the couch she’s sitting on, lying his arms across it, and resting his head in one hand as he looks at her. “But you told me about it?” There’s a bit of innocent glee in his voice at that.

Bashfully, she looks away, and begins polishing her rapier again at a furious pace. “Well… I guess I did. I don’t know, I didn’t really think about it. I just started telling you.” She says hurriedly. The pace of both her polishing and words slow, though, when she adds, “I guess I don’t mind telling you these sorts of things. You used to listen to all my questions about Allag and history. So, you already knew some embarrassing things about me.”

“It’s not embarrassing.” He looks at her, the admiration in his eyes undiminished. “You’ve seen me at… far worse.” He can’t help but cringe at his own memories of various interactions with her – the aethersand incident and his dramatic entrance upon introducing himself to her were by far the worst, but there was plenty more than that. He had no idea why she dealt with him after all that, but he was grateful for it.

The Warrior of Light lets out a cheerful laugh. “You’re not embarrassing. No matter how much everyone teases you sometimes, I’ve never thought that.”

He chuckles with her as he blushes, touched by her words. She was too kind to him. “So, then, why go back to your old hairstyle? Just didn’t feel like it anymore?”

“I don’t know. I just want to wear it like this for a while.” She examines her reflection in the rapier’s blade as she speaks. “It’s just… I was thinking about how much has happened. And changed since I came to Eorzea. It’s strange and I just… wanted to remind myself that I’m the same person I’ve always been.”

He sees her reach into her pocket, and though she doesn’t take it out, he catches a glimpse of an orange stone in there. He realizes what it is almost immediately – the convocation crystal, the one made for Azem, which she had told the other Scions about. He wonders what she feels when she touches it. He can’t imagine it.

“Of course. You and everything around you might grow and change, but so long as you hold onto your ideals, and the people you care for, you’ll never lose the core of who you are.” He does his best to comfort her, drawing upon the same feelings he held in his heart when he spoke to her by the cliffside in Kholusia, before she climbed Mt Gulg.

“You think so…?” She asks quietly, and he nods.

“Of course. You’ll always be yourself.”

She contemplates that, and he hears her murmur, perhaps to herself more than him, “…You are you, and no one else.”

And as is her usual wont, her quiet, contemplative side quickly disappears, and she smiles brightly. He only hopes that he’s done a genuine job of cheering her up, even a little, and she’s not simply putting on a brave face for him. But before he can make sure, she changes the subject.

“What about you, G’raha? I’ve never seen you with your hair unbraided. Would you ever wear it out?” She asks him.

“Hmm… not typically. I don’t want it getting in the way during an adventure.” He responds. She lifts a hand near his face, but doesn’t actually touch him.

“Can I see it?” She asks, and he nods. Why not, if she’s curious? But when she reaches her hand even closer, begins pulling the tie out from his braid, and loosening the strands with her fingers, he swallows hard, suddenly very self-conscious.

She looks delighted, though, as she spreads his hair around his neck and looks at it, continuing to run her fingers through it. Their faces are so close right now, and he’s scared she can feel how erratic his breath is on her face, and how much his heart is racing when her fingers brush against his neck.

Their faces get closer, and closer, and he feels himself about to lose control of his impulses and throw himself over the couch to embrace her passionately, just thinking about how much he wants to hold her, kiss her.

And then he hears someone loudly, exaggeratedly coughing behind them. And G’raha Tia slowly, horrified, turns around, to see Thancred sitting at a table behind them, a mug of Tataru’s hot coffee in his hand. Though the other Scion isn’t looking directly at them, Thancred is wearing an extremely exhausted expression on his face, which lets G’raha know everything he needs to about what just happened.

G’raha slowly moves away, just as the Warrior of Light does, both clearly extremely embarrassed by the entire situation. But a part of him is also a bit frustrated to have it interrupted. He sighs and begins doing the braid back up in his hair.

“Well…. Uhm, I… there you have it.” He says awkwardly.

“Yeah…” She responds in an equally awkward tone. “It… it looked nice on you. Maybe you can show me again sometime. Later.”

He brightens into a goofy, bashful grin. “Yeah. Yeah, if you want me to. O-Of course.” And his excitement at that thought can’t even be dampened by the loud sigh he can hear come from Thancred. There was still a bit of time before they left for Sharlayan. Time to spend with her, that even with all his bashfulness, he would certainly not let himself waste.

Chapter Text

“Just like that? Then...G'raha Tia is...?”

The Warrior of Light’s words trail off, leaving the Crystal Exarch to wonder exactly what she would have said, though he can infer what she’s asking.

At once, his heart swells with a mixture of emotions.

He had told himself not to expect her to even remember the boy named G’raha Tia. The time they had spent together had been all too brief, and she had shared many grander adventures with many other people. Of course, she would have remembered that someone had sealed himself away in the tower, but he would not have blamed her if the details had escaped her in the time since. The fact that she brings up his name at all fills him with joy.

But he’s also anxious. This plan was contingent upon too many details – should he be discovered before the Lightwardens are disposed of, it could set everything in jeopardy. It was a horrible, selfish thing to do to her, to set her on a path without telling her what lay at the end of it, but regardless of if she had any attachment to G’raha Tia or not, he was certain that she would not allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for her. No, as cruel as it was to her, it was better to keep his identity shrouded in mystery so that he could die a villain instead. It would be… simpler.

But oh, how his heart yearns to pull down his hood and smile at her. To see if she’s surprised, to see if she’s happy to see him. Even a hundred years later, apparently he can still fantasize like a young man. How embarrassing.

Still, he pushes those feelings aside and responds.

“…I am not familiar with that name.” He lifts a hand to his chin in faux contemplation. “Is there something that I should know?”

Her eyes bore into him for a few seconds.

“G’raha Tia…” She says, closing those eyes when she says his name again. “G’raha Tia is… is a friend of mine. He was… he’s a Miqo’te. About this tall, if you include his ears.” She holds up a hand, and the Exarch has to hold back a sigh of relief at the fact that the hood covers his ears. She’d somehow remembered a detail like that correctly, and it would have been far too obvious if her hand had matched his height. Hopefully she does not make the connection.

“He has bright red hair. It’s long, and he ties it in a braid behind his head.” She continues. “Oh, and you’d know about his eyes if you met him in the tower! His eyes are bright red too. He has the royal blood of the empire that built the tower, so only he can control it fully.”

The explanation has more details than the Exarch had thought were needed for her to explain when he asked. He’s pleased, though, and opens his mouth to try and respond – except the Warrior of Light keeps talking.

“How to describe his face – uhmm… it’s pretty handsome, honestly.”

The Exarch nearly loses his composure, not knowing how she can say such a thing seemingly without giving it a second thought.

“Oh, and he’s a bard! He has great aim with a bow. And he can sing well, too.”

He tries to stop himself from sputtering. He knows he has a bit of a habit of humming and singing to himself in the evenings, even now, but even back then he had the good sense to only do so when he was alone – sitting at a campfire, or lost in a book. Had she overheard it at some point? When? How did he not know this? He can’t believe she saw him do something like that!

“When I met him, he entered from a high vantage point, and jumped all the way down! Maybe he would have done something similar meeting people after waking up?”

No no no no no no no why does she remember that, why does she have to bring it up?? Why is she explaining it with a smile on her face, she must be laughing at how ridiculous and embarrassing his behavior was, oh, why was this happening????

“Oh, but most importantly, though,” She seems to get herself back on track. “You’d know him because he sealed the tower, with himself inside. If you could open it, it’s only because he woke up and came out, because, you see-“

She launches into a more detailed explanation of the Crystal Tower expedition. This is far less… focused on strange and embarrassing details about his past, which allows the Crystal Exarch to gather himself a bit. She was more talkative now than when they had met, but he should have remembered that she herself was… a little bit eccentric. Perhaps her focus on these strange details is just part of her personality, and it’s coming out even moreso now with her increased talkativeness. Yes, that had to be it.

She seems to revert back to the quieter young woman she had been before toward the end of the story, though. It brings back memories of the expression she had one night when he spoke to her at a campfire – when they discussed what heroism meant.

“And we promised we’d find a way to wake up G’raha soon. And he smiled.” She says slowly. “Then… he turned away and walked into the tower. And the doors closed… and we still haven’t found a way to open them.”

She looks at the Exarch, and he can feel the expectation in her gaze. It was obvious – she wanted him to tell her how he had been able to open the tower, and where G’raha Tia was now. He can only guess at her motives – he wishes it was because she cared for him, but he tells himself it’s much more likely she’s concerned about if the tower is being used safely, if G’raha’s promise to protect it’s power had been fulfilled or not. It was concerning, after all, that a stranger had taken over.

And to hear this story explained to him, as a stranger, to act as though he had no connection to any of it… it fills him with heavy melancholy. What he would give to go back to those days.

The Crystal Exarch wishes he could reassure her. That he is here, that the tower is in safe hands. But instead, he lies.

“An extraordinary tale. But I'm afraid I found no such individual residing in the tower when it passed into my care.” He’s used to lying, to speaking in half-truths like this. But even telling himself that he wasn’t really lying that he hadn’t found someone named G’raha Tia when he took the tower into his care, it still stings to speak that way to her. He tries to brush past that as quickly as we can, avoiding the guilt he rightfully feels. “Mayhap we can revisit that mystery another time. For now, I think it best that we focus on the present.”

His words are firm, and he does his best to move on with the conversation naturally. At least he had made it through this hurdle. He would do whatever he needed to see the source of his admiration, his inspiration, of all the warm feelings being with her brought to his heart, safely through this endeavor. G’raha Tia needed not to be a part of it.

The Crystal Exarch seems like he’s avoiding the question even though he answered it, the Warrior of Light thinks. But maybe that’s only because she’d also been avoiding the one she really wanted to ask him.

Pointing out how tall G’raha had been including his ears was silly. But she’d been conscious that it was the same as the Exarch’s height without them, and somehow, despite that she’d wondered, hoped even for a connection between the two simply from their connections to the Crystal Tower – she was too cowardly to pursue it.

So she had lain out every memory, every slight detail she could remember about G’raha Tia, even the embarrassing ones, like thinking he’s handsome. Just to try and see if the Crystal Exarch would react. Even just a little. But it was so difficult to read his expression with that hood covering his face – she couldn’t tell what the slight movements of his mouth meant as she had talked.

Maybe this was fine for now, she tells herself. Maybe it would be better, instead of hounding the Exarch with questions about G’raha, to learn about him more slowly. To try and figure out for herself if there really was any connection there. Or if it was all a fanciful delusion she’d created to try and ease the pain of knowing that she’d likely never see G’raha Tia again. If the latter was the case, it would be terrible to treat the Exarch in such a way, regardless of his intentions in bringing her and her friends to this world known as ‘The First.’

She’d wait. She’d learn. She’d get to know who the Exarch was, or what he showed of himself to her, in any case. And she hopes that, no matter what answer lies at the end of this newest adventure, she can finally find peace in her heart with all of her memories of the love she’s never been able to forget.

Chapter Text

At first, G’raha Tia had considered chipping off a part of the Crystal Tower itself. But he reconsiders immediately. To do so would be playing with powerful forces – what if he was careless, and removing even a bit of the tower destabilized the entire structure, or the unbelievably vast amounts of aether stored within it? As much as this embarrassing little project meant to him, he couldn’t risk it.

He sighs at that realization, almost giving up on his idea. But then he suddenly remembers – Mor Dhona is filled with crystal. It wouldn’t be hard to simply take some from another formation. He’d have to carefully consider where from – the orange corrupted crystals would be no good, of course. He couldn’t get something like that for her.

Then, G’raha realizes once again that he’s missing the obvious solution – there were plenty of crystal formations along the base of the Crystal Tower. Chipping at any of them wouldn’t risk any problems, but it should still provide the sentimental connection to it that he was hoping for when he first considered using a piece of the Tower.

So G’raha packs a satchel with a pickaxe, and sets out on the path towards the Crystal Tower’s base. He’s not much of a miner, perhaps it would’ve been easier to simply request a merchant to sell him the materials, or hire a proper miner to go get this crystal for him. Perhaps F’lhaminn would have been willing to aid him, having been a miner herself. He could’ve easily asked, and he very much doubted she would have refused, especially if he explained why he wanted it. But he’d much rather do this himself, from start to finish. It would (hopefully) mean more that way.

He passes several crystal formations while walking on his path down, closer and closer to the Tower. He ignores them all, though, having a particular spot in mind. Eventually he reaches it – sitting undisturbed on the ground before him, almost hidden in the rubble. The beacon he had set for the Warrior of Light, his means to finally complete his summoning spell and bring her to The First. There’s a strange sort of nostalgia in his chest when he sees it there. So much had happened since then… what would he do if someone had told him that his struggle to summon her would have led to where he was now? G’raha Tia chuckles a little to himself at the thought. He would’ve never believed in something that wonderful. He still couldn’t quite believe it.

G’raha Tia leaves the beacon where it is, not wanting to disturb it nor the significance that having it be there held for him. Instead, he directs his attention to the closest crystals to it, and takes the pickaxe out of his satchel, readying himself with a deep breath.

It isn’t too difficult to chip a bit off of the formation, and he’s delighted. But when he picks up the small piece he’s taken off, he’s suddenly unsure. He holds it up towards the sun – does it reflect the light the way he wants it to? And this shape… it’s not quite right. And it’s really too small for his tastes – he had very carefully chipped away at just a bit of the crystal, so as not to make a piece too large, but perhaps that had been a poor choice. A piece slightly larger than he wants really would’ve been better – then he could chip more carefully at that, polish and work at it until it is the proper size and shape.

But what if he makes another mistake with that piece, or it isn’t quite right? He couldn’t risk that, either… His anxiety turning this into a much bigger job than he meant for this to be, he finds himself packing several pieces of the crystal that he’s carefully chipped off into his satchel. Please let this be enough, he prays to himself.

And now, back in the Rising Stones, alone in his room, he has to contend with creating the perfect crystal, like he’d been imagining. There would be no way to test how it looks in the sunlight down here, so he’d also need to covertly bring them back upstairs at some point… he’d have to make sure he didn’t try to do so any time the Warrior of Light was coming to or leaving headquarters. There was so much to worry about.

He is glad he took multiple crystal pieces, though. He ends up breaking the first one quite badly when trying to reshape it. So he proceeds with the rest more carefully, trying to keep his hands steady and not worry too much about how she was going to react, because thinking about that only made him shake in nervousness.

It takes a while, but eventually G’raha Tia does have a few different pieces to choose from. He carefully lays them outside in the sunlight while sitting along a path in Mor Dhona, considering the subtle differences in each one’s color and shine. He spends quite a while out there. Surely the position of the sun at different times of the day was worth considering as well?? It does change how the crystals reflect and sparkle. He has to make sure he picks the most beautiful one. G’raha Tia even asks the opinions of curious passerbys. Some take quite a bit of interest. Even a few of his fellow Scions stop by.

Alisaie is quick to laugh at him for being so concerned over something like this, and she and Alphinaud are far too curious about what G’raha plans to use the crystals for, bombarding him with questions he has difficulty dodging, for he certainly does not trust one of them to not let it slip to the Warrior of Light if they know. Thancred seems amused by G’raha Tia’s conundrum as well, but says nothing more of it. Urianger considers the question quite seriously, finding G’raha commendable for considering so many angles to the conundrum, and luckily seems quite uninterested in prying into secrets that would have to be guarded, something which G’raha both feels grateful and guilty for. Y’shtola points out the crystal that has the aether she finds most beautiful for G’raha, a knowing smirk on her face than makes him incredibly embarrassed and nervous.

With his companions’ input, and many hours of his own consideration, G’raha Tia finally settles on a crystal. Yes, yes this would be the one.

The Warrior of Light steps into the common area of the Rising Stones, fully rested after a night back. She had spent the last few days away, enjoying some traveling and adventuring. She had come home late last night, so today she was looking forward to seeing everyone again today, especially him, because if she hasn’t lost track of the date, today was-

G’raha Tia seems to stand before her just as soon as she thinks of him. She’s delighted to see him, having missed him the entire time that she was away. “G’raha!” She greets him with a smile. “How are you?”

Her eyes flicker slightly downwards. She can see his tail flicking back and forth in… is it nervousness, or excitement? She can’t quite tell, but she’s incredibly curious, especially since he’s looking at her like he desperately wants to say something.

“You’re back! Thank goodness.” He sighs in relief, and she tilts her head back at him.

“Is something wrong? Has something happened?” She asks, hoping nothing’s been amiss while she was away.

“N-no. Not at all. It’s just, I…” He trails off, rubbing his arms in his telltale nervous tic.

“Yes…?” She gently tries to coax more out of him, patiently waiting to hear whatever it is that he has to say.

“I… I was hoping you would spend some time with me. I have… I have something to show you.” He clutches his fists in determination as he speaks, and she smiles at him.

“Of course. I have all day free, if you’d like.” Well, this works out quite well for her – it was something she was hoping to say to him as well.

“Really? Oh, perfect.” He smiles brightly, eagerly, setting her heart aflutter at the sight. He was really just too… adorable sometimes.

The two of them set out from within the Rising Stones, G’raha Tia leading her to the edge of a wall in Mor Dhona. He takes a deep breath before asking her, “Would you be up for a small adventure? Climbing up to there.” He points upwards, and she cranes her neck to see that it’s at the roof of the building they’re in front of.

It doesn’t look particularly hard – plenty of balconies, ledges, windowsills, and stones to hang onto as they climbed. Perhaps the residents wouldn’t appreciate it so much, but… that was fine for today. Because it seemed fun, and would make G’raha happy.

“I’ll race you.” She says cheekily, before finding a promising spot to begin scaling the wall.

“I’d be proud to compete and lose to the Warrior of Light.” He calls after her, beginning his own climb.

“Oh, G’raha… come on.” She tries to roll her eyes, but she’s really just laughing.

She does, in fact, make it to the rooftop before him, and when he’s almost at the top, she reaches down her hands to grab onto his and help pull him up. G’raha Tia pushes himself upwards, using his momentum and her grabbing onto him to hop onto the roof. She pulls him upwards, and in doing so, he lands much closer to her than either of them had clearly expected, as evident by the way they both stare and blush at one another in surprise.

It seems to take G’raha a few moments of them staring at one another like that before he suddenly remembers something. “Ah-! Well, now that we’re here, I, ah… I wanted to sit down.” He almost mumbles.

“Sit down?” She asks, and he nods. So as he begins to sit down, she sits next to him, still holding onto his hand with one of hers.

She takes a deep breath, and tries to simply take in this moment – the pleasant sunlight on her face, the gentle wind passing by, and the scenery of Mor Dhona – crystals and the Crystal Tower lining the horizon. And especially the feeling of G’raha Tia’s warm hand.

“Is this view what you wanted to show me?” She asks, and she would be happy if the answer was yes – it was beautiful.

“No… I mean, I did want to be able to look at the view while I showed you, but…” His tail is swishing nervously again as he sits next to her, and he reaches his free hand into a pocket on his pants. “There’s… something else…”

She can’t see what he’s pulled out of his pocket – whatever it is, it’s small enough to fit into his palm, his fist tightly closed around it. “Would you close your eyes?” He requests in a gentle voice.

Her curiosity burning, and somehow embarrassed, she immediately complies. Though she can’t see, she can feel him let go of her hand and get up, something which she’s a bit disappointed about, until the sudden feeling of something small on her chest, and his hands moving around her hair catches her by surprise. She’s sure she must be turning red, and she’s grateful that she can sense he’s behind her, so hopefully he can’t see it.

“A-Alright. Open your eyes.” He says as his hands move away, and she hears him sitting down at her side once again.

Her eyes flicker open, and the first thing she sees is him staring intently at her. Clearly, he means to gauge her reaction closely.

Reaching her hands up to touch and her eyes downwards to see what the small weight that was placed on her chest was, she sees a small, blue crystal, attached to a gold-colored chain that now goes around her neck. A necklace.

Delighted, she gasps softly. “You didn’t…” She says, looking at it with awe.

“I-I didn’t spend too much on it if you’re worried about that.” G’raha Tia says hurriedly. “I-I only bought the chain, and put together the rest myself from crystals near the Tower, so…”

“You made this? For… for me?” She looks at him with wide eyes, her mind going blank with delight and shock.

“Yes.” He gulps hard, looking at her with a pink tinge to his cheeks. “I… uhm. Thought I ought to repay you for all that you’ve done for me. And… and today is Saint Valentione’s, so…”

“G’raha…” She doesn’t know what to say at first, and despite herself she can feel herself smiling, in a way that she only does when he touches her heart like this. Does he even realize how much this means to her. “Thank you. I love it. Thank you so much.”

“R-really?” He smiles back, eager, and she nods at him to confirm it.

“Of course. I’ll wear it always.” She lets the necklace rest on her chest again. It would be difficult to get her to take it off if she didn’t absolutely have to. “I have something for you, too. For Valentione’s…” She admits. His gift had been so wonderful – she hopes hers can measure up.

“What? For me?” He says in awe.

In answer, she reaches into her own bag, and pulls out a small, leather-bound book, handing it to him. He takes it with shaking hands, and opens it up to see the blank pages within.

“It’s a travel journal.” She hurriedly explains. “You see how they have a space for writing locations next to entries…? And blank pages to sketch vistas… or that’s what the merchant said, at least…” She’s a bit embarrassed, now – he made her something, and she only bought her gift.

“B-basically… I thought it might be fun if you want to write down all the places you want to go. M-maybe even together. And then… when we go there, you can fill each entry in.” She feels her cheeks getting hotter and hotter as she explains, and she nervously glances at his face to see how he’s reacting.

He’s staring with wide eyes at the journal, holding it gingerly. And she sees that water’s lining the bottom of his eyes, tears forming.

“Ah- oh my gosh, if it’s not to your liking, then I-“ She panics, but he wipes the tears with his arm and shakes his head.

“No. No, no no. It’s perfect.” He smiles, at the journal, and then at her. “It’s perfect.”

Her heart skips a beat. Thank goodness, it made him happy.

Filled with adoration, she leans towards him. “Happy Valentione’s.” She says, gently kissing his cheek.

G’raha Tia freezes in spot, blush traveling across his entire face as he gingerly touches the part of her face where she kissed him. And he’s stuck frozen there, just blinking with a wide-eyed look on his face.

“G’raha…? G’raha?” She asks with concern, but he doesn’t move.

Oh no, she may have broken him with how sudden that was. That’s a problem, especially since she had kind of hoped to kiss him some more. Well, she just holds his hand for now and looks at the view again as she waits for him to recover. Touching the necklace lightly with her other hand, she lets out a happy sigh, thankful for today, and for G’raha Tia.