Work Text:
“What would you want, if you got a say in all this?” Hadrian asked quietly.
Brishen’s eyes were hooded as he thought for a moment. Then he gave a painful shrug. “I wouldn’t want anything,” he said. “We both gave as good as we got and I knew I was toeing the line. Besides, that was long overdue.”
“I’m sorry,” Hadrian said honestly. “Not necessarily for reacting like that, but for how far things went and for how public it was.”
Brishen nodded stiffly. “It shouldn’t have happened in front of Harry,” he agreed.
After a moment of silence, the Phoelix got to his feet, intending to return to his own private room.
“Brishen,” Hadrian called before he’d even reached the door. When Brishen turned his head, the ACE held up the feather left behind on his pillow. “Forgetting something?”
“Nope,” Brishen returned firmly. “Do me a favor—don’t lose it.”
A small smile crossed Hadrian’s lips at the silent gesture. The agreement to an unspoken truce, now that they were proven to each other in the language that all Gheyos shared.
The ACE twirled the feather in his fingers for a moment before he reached for his mask and swapped out one of the two feathers for this newest one. Then he dropped the mask and headed for his King’s room, decision firmly made.