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Setsuna does not tell the others when Saphir appears.
Those she loves and cherishes above all else have earned the respite as they build a new future together.
Her queen and the first man Setsuna ever loved.
Her princess and Helios.
The inner Senshi and the king's bodyguards.
All have begun to find a new place for themselves as their love blooms. With Haruka and Michiru together raising Hotaru, it's hard not to feel like an outsider even amongst the outer Senshi. Hers, she often thinks, is meant to be the loneliest of fates.
Until he appears.
She is as surprised to see him as he is to see her, more so because it's clear he has retained his memories. She doesn't ask how. Somehow, she is unsurprised by the revelation.
"You're here," he says quietly, disapproval clear in his eyes as he notes the doors behind her.
She shrugs. Queen Serenity had assigned her this task—where else would she be?
"There are other ways to safeguard the door," he continues, walking closer to her.
"Perhaps," she allows, "but none are as secure."
"You sound like my brother," he chides. "Always so fixated that you can't consider other possibilities."
Her mouth snaps shut as she grips her staff. Even now that they are no longer enemies, he has a way of getting to her.
And she can sense that they are not. There is something almost soothing in his aura now, something that suggests he's not here to make enemies. And though Setsuna does not often put her trust in others, she finds herself wanting to trust him.
He turns to leave and she wishes she could find something to entice him to stay.
But she does not.
Little does she know that he'll be back.
When Saphir returns, it's without any of the pomp or fanfare she's expecting. He's dressed far more simply than she ever recalls seeing him before, a simple midnight blue button shirt opened enough to expose some of his smooth, muscular chest, and a pair of black slacks.
He looks almost normal and in that moment, it's easy to forget he had once been amongst her greatest enemies.
"Still here, I see," he notes but he doesn't sound disappointed so much as resigned.
"And you've returned," she returns calmly, though beneath her facade both her curisoity and her anxiety have peaked.
He smiles slightly and she is surprised by how beautiful she finds him. She never expected to find anyone else attractive, not after... "I can't seem to leave you alone," he says, shrugging one shoulder. "So I came back."
She softens. Knowing that someone cares enough to check in on her when most would not bother has her heart fluttering. Aside from Small Lady and the occasional visit from the king and queen, she does not get many visitors to the door she has been entrusted with. She misses the Senshi, but after their enemies have been vanquished, she can no longer find the excuse she'd need to stay by their side and abandon her responsibilities.
But that doesn't mean she isn't lonely or that she doesn't hope for companionship, either.
"I won't open the door for you," she cautions as she watches him.
Saphir runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not asking you to."
She relaxes. "Then you may visit, if you wish," she says, hoping that he will. She should feel guilty about keeping Saphir's return a secret from her queen and king, but she doesn't. She senses the earnestness in him, the desire to be something more than his fate has settled for.
Setsuna understands those desires all too well.
He snorts. "You wouldn't stop me, anyway," he says with a confidence that reminds her of days gone by. To her surprise, he pulls out a picnic basket from behind his back. "I brought lunch."
She waves a hand towards the bench beside her, at the edge of the quiet gardens she's been tending to over the years by the gate. Hotaru has helped, when she visits, and several of the plants had been gifts from the queen herself. She cannot fully contain her eagerness to see what he's brought with him as he sets the basket down.
As though sensing that, he reviews each item in turn as he removes it from the basket. She sucks in a breath when she notices everything appears to be homemade.
"Did you make this?" she asks softly.
He shrugs. "My brother was often busy. It was the only way to get him to eat." A slight smile crooks at his lips. "Something it appears you share in common, Pluto."
"Setsuna," she corrects without thinking. Hearing Pluto only reminds her of her duties and with him, she finds she wants to be reminded of herself.
"Setsuna," he echoes, his smile widening a little. Something about the way he says it is unique.
For the first time, she's with a man and there are no lingering memories of her first love. She only sees Saphir before her.
"Help yourself, Setsuna." He waves her forward. "If I know anything about workaholics, you're likely quite hungry."
Her stomach rumbles in agreement and he actually chuckles, inviting her to do the same.
And though she tries not to, she cannot help but picture a domestic scene: Saphir cooking while Setsuna tends to the children.
The image makes her yearn for things she'd resolved she'd never have but when she meets his blue eyes, she swears she sees that future reflecting back in her eyes.