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Hoth was one of those planets that didn't have life. Human life, that is. Yet here Valance was trapped on Hoth, with some of the most insufferable people in the galaxy. As much as Valance wanted to leave, his trail was too hot, and Hoth was, unfortunately, the best place to lay low.
It was late when he returned to Echo Base. Valance hated scouting, especially on this planet. The cold was terrible for his metal joints. More often than not, he had to sit in front of whatever fire the rebels had burnt for warmth that night so he could hopefully move normally in the morning.
He sat down on one of the empty boxes in front of the now dying fire, situating his hands just above the flames, when he heard the sound of boots crunching through the snow. The main hangar was large enough that human ears probably wouldn't have picked up the noises, but Valence's ears could pick up even the softest noises now. The boots gradually became louder as he whipped around, his palm blaster heating up, pointing it at the mystery person.
"Watch where you point that thing!" It was Han. The lights in the hangar were too dim, but the red light emitting from his hand lit Han well enough that Valance could see the familiar but aged characteristics of the other man's face.
"Sorry. I thought you were someone else." When Han didn't respond, Valance continued. "You never know who's a friend and an enemy."
Han sighed and joined him, sitting on another box across from Valance. "You know you can trust these guys. They may not seem like much, but…." Han trailed off. Valance hummed in agreement.
They sat in silence for a bit. Other people came and went, and occasionally one of them would look up from the ground to stare at the other. When Han had asked Valance a few months before to help get vital information to the rebellion, he was quick to accept. He never thought about why he didn't hesitate to help his old friend, but sitting here, face to face with Han, had caused Valance to think about it. I guess a week on this kriffing ice planet with Han Solo will do that to you. Valance slightly shuddered, the icy air starting to freeze up his joints again.
"Are you cold?" Han asked, interrupting Valence's thoughts. He looked up to him, Han's face holding genuine concern.
"Ever since…" Valance sighed painfully. He decided not to talk about the accident today. Not with Han, at least. "It's not really the cold. It's just painful. Colder weather always makes my implants hurt."
"Oh. I didn't realize they caused you pain."
"I didn't realize you cared."
Hans' demeanor suddenly changed. "Of course I do!" He lowered his voice a bit. "Between you and me, you're one of the few people here on this planet I genuinely trust with my life." All Valance could do was smile softly. He knew Han wasn't someone who let their walls down so simply.
The fire went out, causing the scenery around them to darken. Han turned on one of the small heat lamps on the floor. All Valance could do was shiver. The rooms people were given were warm enough to be comfortable, but the pain he was feeling told him that he would have a rough night.
"Do you need a warm place to sleep tonight?" Han asked. Valance looked at him, puzzled.
"What did you have in mind?"
Han smirked. Then he stood up and walked over to Valance, extending his gloved hand. "Do you trust me?"
Valance looked at Han's face, mischievous as ever, and then back to his hand. He thought about it for a moment. This was his best friend. Someone he cared for deeply.
"Of course, I trust you." Valance reached to grasp Han's hand. Han was careful when he pulled him to his feet. Valance appreciated his friend's softness with him. Han led Valance a few feet before realizing where he was taking him.
Suddenly Valance found himself in front of the Millennium Falcon. Of course, he had heard all the stories and often wondered how true they were. Seeing is different from hearing, and looking at the ship in person made him realize Han wasn't exaggerating.
Han let go of his hand and made it halfway up the ramp before turning around and motioning for Valance to join him. He followed Han down the main corridor and into the ship's cockpit. Valance stood at the entrance, watching as Han messed with buttons on the control panel until the ship made a slight noise. Han turned back to look at Valance and winked before grabbing his hand again and leading him to the ship's main quarters. The room was large, but it had been modified to accommodate one. Instead of multiple beds, there was one large one.
"My ship is relatively warmer than the bunks on the base. You should be able to rest comfortably tonight." Han spoke as he pulled out some blankets from a hidden compartment on the wall.
"Where are you going to sleep?" Valance blurted out before he could stop himself. Han smiled.
"Don't worry. There's another bed in the main hold. Usually, Chewbacca sleeps there, but he's sleeping in his bunk on the base tonight." Han suddenly stepped closer to him. "It's just us on the falcon tonight."
Valance was used to Hans flirting and just rolled his eyes. He pretty much flirted with anything that had a face. This, however, was more obvious than he was accustomed to. Valance sighed and stared at Hans' eyes. Then he did something that both he and Han last expected. Valance wrapped his arms around Han and gave him a tightening hug. The smuggler gasped but quickly hugged back. Valance wasn't the kind to show affection like this.
"Thank you. I really appreciate you doing this for me." Valance whispered into Han's ear and then pulled back from the hug. "Goodnight, Solo."
Han just looked at him. His mouth was slightly agape.
"Goodnight, Valance." With that, Han left Valance in the room, the door sliding closed as he walked out of the room.
Valance walked over to the bed, removed his cape, and tried to make himself comfortable as best he could. He imagined what it would be like to lay in a bed as comfortable as this in his own skin rather than the cybernetics that now made up his body. He, of course, could still feel the softness of the bed, but after the accident, it never felt the same. Valance wrapped himself in the covers, reminded of when Han and him found themselves having to share a bunk back at the academy. He already felt better.
-
When Valance woke up in the morning, he found himself alone in the Falcon. It was early enough that most people were still sleeping. Maybe if he left now, no one would question where he was overnight. He made his way through the ship and down the ramp to find Han and the Wookie he constantly was around. Valance debated on sneaking off before they spotted him, but before he could leave, Han spotted him and waved him over.
"Morning, Sleepyhead," Han spoke without looking up from the fire. Sleepyhead. Valance hadn't heard that nickname in a while. Han used to call him that as a joke when they were back on Cardia. He didn't appreciate it back then, but now the nickname made Valance smile. Both of them had changed drastically since they were classmates in the academy, but to see Han still keeping up with specific old habits felt bittersweet.
"What's for breakfast?" Valance asked. Chewbacca roared a response. He looked at the Wookie, puzzled, and then back to Han.
"Sorry. He's just complaining over the lack of proper food. You know how wookies are." Chewbacca roared. Valance didn't need to speak shyriiwook to know what the roar meant. "We just have rations. Here." Han tossed Valance one of the ration packs. He wished that there were better options in terms of food, but he couldn't complain. Sometimes not being able to taste anything has its perks. They both sat in silence, eating for a bit, before a blonde man, maybe in his mid-twenties, approached the three of them. When Han finally noticed him, he flashed the other man a smile and offered him a ration.
"No thanks, I already ate." He paused to get a good look at the three of them huddled around the fire. "Leia is asking for you two. Says she needs a favor with something."
Han sighed and quickly finished what was left of his rations, with Chewbacca doing the same. Valance watched Han curiously while he got ready to meet with the Princess.
"Tell Leia to give me a few minutes." That was all that Han said. The blonde boy just nodded and walked off.
"I didn't know you were on a first-name basis with the Princess?" Valance almost sounded jealous. There it was; the infamous Han Solo smirk. If Valance's voice gave off any hint of jealousy, Han definitely heard it.
"Well, I would hope I'd be on a first-name basis with the woman I helped rescue off the Death Star."
"That was you?" Valance faked a noise of surprise.
"You thought I was lying?" Han questioned, almost genuinely.
"Yes."
Han scoffed at him, pretending to be hurt. Chewbacca has already walked off, heading to the main briefing room. Han went to follow him when he paused and walked directly back to Valance.
"Do you want to come? Who knows, it might be fun." Valance stared at Han for a moment, weighing his options. He could either decline and go back out scouting again or say yes. Valance didn't know any of Hans' new friends all that well, but if they could get him to join the rebellion, something he never thought the man was capable of doing, then he liked them well enough.
Valance stood up, tried to make himself somewhat presentable, and Han led him the way. This was the second time Valance found himself following Han in the past few hours. It reminded him of how they used to sneak around the imperial academy. Part of him wished they were back to that time, where all they needed was each other.
When they reached the briefing room, the meeting was well underway. Han walked over to where the blonde man stood, while he also gained an acknowledgment from Leia, who stood facing all of them. Valance followed Han, but due to the space available in the room, he ended up next to the nameless blonde. He looked around the room, and while he spotted some familiar faces, no names came to mind. He probably should learn some of them. Who knew how long he'd end up hiding with the rebellion. Maybe he would end up like Han and become someone the rebellion trusted.
Valance hadn't realized how little he was paying attention, not until Leia called out Han directly. The room was empty now. The meeting must have ended. He watched as Han moved closer to the holomap and looked at it tensely.
"We need you and Chewbacca to scout out this cave network Luke found on the other side of the planet." She was confident, which made for a good leader.
"Why us? You could send anyone else." Han argued back.
"I need someone I can trust for this."
Han sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The Falcon needs repairs. I don't think she'll survive the trip."
"We can use the Broken Wing." Valance blurted out without thinking. Everyone turned to face him now.
"That could work. Han and Valance could scope out the cave, while Chewbacca and I can work on the Falcon." The blonde one said. Han grumbled.
"Fine. Only if Chewbacca is there to oversee." Chewbacca roared as he agreed. "However, If I see one thing out of place, you will regret offering, Skywalker."
"It's settled then. You two should get prepared. You'll need to leave before sunset. Threepio will make sure to get supplies to your ship." Leia spoke directly to Valance now. "Good luck."
Everyone surrounding him began to talk amongst themselves, and he felt no need to stay any longer. He walked out of the room, heading towards where he had left his ship when he first landed on Hoth. He had not been on the Broken Wing in a week and frankly couldn't remember the state that he left it in. He walked up the ramp and saw the mess in the main hull. He sighed. There were clothes everywhere. He began to pick some up when he heard steps ascending the ramp.
"You don't have to clean up for me." It was Han. Valance turned around to face him.
"It's fine. I needed to clean anyway." Valance continued cleaning. Han stood around before he bent down to help Valance.
"I just wanted to thank you for offering to help with the mission." Valance looked toward Han, whose expression was soft. His hair was messy, with the curls falling in his eyes.
"No need to thank me, just trying to do my part to help." Valance smiled, which Han returned.
"The droids dropped off the supplies, so we can leave whenever you're ready."
They both walked down the ramp and brought up a crate of supplies. Valance opened it to find at least a week's worth of rations and other supplies. He took everything out and set it where it belonged. When he returned to the main hold, the ramp was closed, and Han was missing. Valance walked towards the cockpit and found Han sitting in the pilot seat.
"You are not flying my ship."
"We both know who's the better pilot." Han chuckled.
"If you bring up the Kessel run again, I will slap you myself." Han looked at him with a shocked face. Valance's face was serious, then broke out into a smile. He walked over to the co-pilot seat and sat down.
They sat in silence as they flew out of Echo Base. Han had already set the coordinates to the cave system, so there wasn't anything for Valance to do. They wouldn't land until sunset, and even then, they would have to spend the night on the Broken Wing before they would set off to explore the cave in the morning. Valance walked out of the cockpit and went to the central area for something to eat. Han must've left the ship on autopilot because the other man joined him not long after.
Han refused Valance's offer for a ration pack and joined him at the table. They sat in silence for a long time. He occasionally would look up to Han, who had closed his eyes. At some point, when Valance wasn't looking, he could sense Hans' eyes on him.
"I never asked, but what really happened…." Han pointed to his face, in the same spot where the synthflesh had peeled off, and the cybernetics were exposed. Valance was slightly embarrassed. He meant to put some on before arriving on Hoth since it made most people uncomfortable, but he forgot. Other beings tended to stare at him often. Being a droid or human was one thing, but it was another to be both.
Valance sat silently, debating on if he should tell Han. When Valance left the academy for the infantry, they both had been different people. Back then, Valance was human.
"It's not something I want to talk about right now." Valance took a flask and drank from it. He couldn't taste it, but he could feel the burning at the back of his throat. That was enough for him.
Han looked at Valance before he grabbed the flask from Valance's hand and drank it. He shuddered and coughed.
"What the hell is in this?"
All Valance could do was laugh. Han stared for a moment and then joined in. The two of them laughed and talked for what seemed to be hours. Han and him compared the lives of being a smuggler and a bounty hunter, respectively. Valance listened to Han brag about helping destroy the Death Star, including being awarded his medal. Valance could help but smile at Han being proud of himself.
A beep from the cockpit startled them both. Valance stood up and straightened himself.
"Looks like we've made it." Valance walked into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot seat. He removed the ship off autopilot and carefully maneuvered the ship down to the ground. Once they landed safely, he went back and joined Han again. He walked over to an extended bench that popped out from against the wall and pulled a bar from the bottom of the seat. The bench, now a bed, was large enough to comfortably fit at least two people. Valance, however, preferred to sleep in the cockpit, which meant he rarely ever used it. Valance was sure the only time he ever used the bed was when he had someone over.
"You can take the bunk if you want."
Han nodded in disagreement. "No, I can't-"
Valance cut him off. "Think of it as a thank you for letting me sleep in the Falcon last night."
Han smiled softly and then just simply nodded. The Broken Wing wasn't small, but it definitely was smaller than what Han was accustomed to. There weren't any private closets or rooms, and while Valance would've probably just slept on the floor, he wanted Han to have at least one final night of privacy. Who knew how long they would be exploring the cave.
The next morning, Valance woke to the sound of someone in the cockpit. When he opened his eyes, he saw Han sitting next to him. When he noticed Valance was awake, he smiled.
They prepared themselves to head down into the cave, with Valance grabbing various blasters. Han agreed he would take the other supplies like food and med kits. Han and Valance agreed that a sleeping bag would hold them back and decided to leave them behind. They walked down the ramp and closed it to prevent anything from getting in his ship.
The cave was damp, with cold, snowy air blowing in from the entrance. Valance and Han were dressed head to toe in clothing suited for the harsh conditions on Hoth, but even then, it wasn't enough. Valance could see Han shivering. When Han caught him staring, he sighed.
"Let's just get this over with."
"What are we looking for anyway?" Valance questioned.
"Leia wants a backup base on Hoth in case we need to leave Echo Base for any reason. We're meant to canvas the cave until we read any and all dead ends."
Even though it was early in the day, the sun only lit a few feet into the cave. Valance and Han pulled out their flashlights, hoping that nothing would jump out at them immediately. The two of them walked in silence for what had seemed like hours. The cold once again was getting to Valence's joints. Eventually, they would have to stop, but for now, he would just ignore the burning sensation creeping up his body. Han looked down at the portable Chrono on his wrist. "We should probably stop and rest for the night."
Valance agreed. He didn't know how much longer he could've gone before his whole system failed on him. Han pulled out some pieces of junk and tossed them to the floor, with Valance lighting the items to create fire to keep them warm. Han laid down near the fire, using the backpack as a pillow, and closed his eyes. They agreed that it was too dangerous for both of them to sleep simultaneously, so Valance offered to take the first shift. He sat on the floor and pulled out a ration pack to eat when he realized Han wasn't sleeping. Valance tossed a pack to him, who caught it almost immediately.
"Mimban. That's what happened."
Han looked at Valance with sorrow. "Right. I forgot you were stationed there too."
Valance was rendered speechless. He looked at Han for a moment. He could tell that Han was genuinely interested to know.
"You were there. Right before the accident, I called out your name. You barely had time to respond before the bomb went off. In fact, I think you were the last person to see me before I became this." Valance motioned to his own body.
Han had a face of realization and sat up. "Is that why you're helping us now?"
Us. He knew what that meant—the rebellion. Valance couldn't tell Han the real reason why he stayed on Hoth. Not yet.
"Among other things, yes. The empire never cared for us. They don't care about the galaxy. They took my home…." Valance paused. He felt his eyes watering. "They took my body. I gave my life for them, and what did I get in return? I got thrown out like trash. If I can do anything to get back at them, I will."
Han looked like he wanted to say something. He had this look whenever he was thinking deeply about something. That's when Valance heard a noise.
"Han… did you hear that?"
Han immediately jumped up from where he was on the ground, Valance following suit. They both looked around, looking for the source, but Han hadn't heard the noise, so he didn't know what to look for.
"Are you sure it wasn't the wind?" Han asked before he backed up into Valance. He rolled his eyes.
"Of course, it's not the wind!"
Han pulled out his small blaster while Valance pulled out his larger one. He then flashed his light in all directions to see if he could get a better look at the noise. By now, Han had turned on his own flashlight, which caused the cave to become even more lit. Valance's left eye could see something shift in the more profound distance in the cave, but he still couldn't determine what it was. He used his cybernetic eye to zoom in closer. Whatever it was, a giant creature with white fur, it caught sight and charged directly at them.
Valance grabbed Han's hand and pulled him in the opposite direction towards the cave's opening. Suddenly at the last minute, Valance let go of his hand and spun around, using his palm blaster to shoot at the cave's roof. The whole cave shook, with debris falling everywhere. Han watched Valance in shock as he turned back around. Whatever it was, it couldn't follow them for now. Valance grabbed Han's hand again and continued their trek back to the cave entrance.
After what seemed like hours, they finally had reached the Broken Wing. Valance felt like he was going to pass out any second. He walked that entire cave twice with barely any rest, and now that they were up at the surface, the snow and cold were getting to him once more. Valance lowered the ramp, the two of them walking up to it out of breath before raising it once more. Valance sat down immediately on the bed that was laid out while Han went to the cockpit to turn on the heat.
"Thanks," Valance mumbled when Han returned. Han joined him on the bed, who looked just as tired as him. He laid his head on Valance's shoulder. If Valance could get flustered, he would've been. He hadn't felt like this since Yura all those years ago. Valance moved his head slightly so he could look at Han better. Han removed his head from Valence's shoulder, and their eyes met. Valance brought his hands up to Han's face, cupping his cheeks ever so slightly. Valance decided he would take a chance. He leaned in closer and paused. Valance wanted this to be Hans' choice as much as it was his. If Han didn't want this, he could push Valance away. Han didn't, though. He did the exact thing Valance hadn't expected. Han leaned in and kissed Valance.
Valance kissed back with the same softness that Han had kissed him with. Han almost immediately deepened the kiss, gaining a soft groan from Valance. He pulled back from the kiss and looked at Han. Valance instantly felt guilty for putting Han in that situation.
"We should sleep. We'll need to leave early tomorrow." With that, Valance stood up from the bed and went to the cockpit, leaving Han behind.
The following day, the two of them worked silently while they prepared to head back to Echo Base. Valance could sense Han occasionally looking at him while he worked. Eventually, they were ready to take off.
"I'll clean up here. You can pilot us back to base." Han looked at Valance. He simply nodded and walked off to the cockpit.
Valance could feel themselves take off, and he sighed. As he made the hold as tidy as possible, he thought about what happened between Han and him the previous night. Back at the academy, and even now, Han was a massive flirt. It was just a part of his personality. Valance learned to ignore it and ignore how it made him feel. His feelings for Han had been pushed so far to the back of his mind that he forgot about them. Then when Han found him on Nar Shaddaa, it all came rushing back to him. When Valance needed to hide on Hoth, he kept to himself. Yet when Han let him sleep in the Falcon a few nights ago, something changed. They weren't the same people they were on Cardia.
"The kiss was a mistake." is what Valance told himself.
When they landed on Echo Base, Han immediately walked off the Broken Wing and deep into the base without saying a single word to Valance. He was tempted to run after Han but decided to leave it alone. Valance assumed that he needed to brief Leia about the cave anyways. When Valance walked off his ship, he was hit once more by the freezing temperatures. He shivered.
"I once asked the Princess to have the rebels build better heaters as a joke." A voice said next to him. He looked and saw Tolvan standing next to him. "As you can imagine, she didn't find it all that funny."
Valance chuckled. Tolvan was one of the few people on Hoth who truly understood him. Cybernetics were common in the galaxy, but it was the first time he ever had met someone who had total body replacements. Valance met Tolvan the first day he was on Hoth and frankly had hated her at first. She reminded him of the empire, and it pissed him off. However, after two days on the planet, he found her getting drunk off the most robust alcohol she could find and decided to join in. They ended up bonding over their feelings for people they were probably better off without and how the empire screwed them both. They had been good friends ever since.
"How was the trip with your lover boy?" Tolvan asked while she helped inspect his ship for any damage.
Valance rolled his eyes. "He isn't my lover boy." Tolvan looked at him skeptically. "I'm serious!"
"Sure. Based on how fast you two returned, I'm assuming we don't have a new backup base?" She asked, immediately changing the subject. Valance shook his head.
"We got attacked by a wampa. That wasn't even the most eventful part of the mission." He paused, but he continued when Tolvan made no indication she was going to speak. "We kissed."
Tolvan looked at him as if she couldn't believe what she heard. "No wonder you're moody."
"What do I do?" Valance asked.
She scoffed. "I wouldn't come to me for relationship advice." Tolvan was right. She was the wrong person to talk to about his situation with Han. "Just be careful. We don't need to have another thing in common." With that, she walked away, probably to yell at someone over how badly they did their job.
A week had passed, and Valance had barely seen Han, although he was partially to blame for that. If Han was avoiding him, then Valance was just as guilty for doing the same. They would occasionally sneak quick glances at each other, but that's as far as their interactions ever went. It was almost as if they never knew each other.
Valance was walking one of the many hallways of Echo Base when a droid rolled straight into him and ran over his foot.
"Watch it!" He told the astrometric. Immediately, the droid started yelling at him, and while Valance wasn't proficient at speaking droid, he definitely understood the profanities it beeped at him.
"Sorry about Chopper; He's cranky. I haven't been able to give him a good maintenance check since we came to Hoth." A green Twi'lek spoke up now. He recognized her from the few briefings he attended but couldn't remember her name.
He looked at Chopper. The droid looked innocent but considering he ran over his foot only a few moments prior, Valance decided not to get on Chopper's bad side. "It's fine."
The Twi'lek smiled. "Hera Syndulla." She put her hand out. Valance grabbed it and shook it.
"Beilert Valance."
"Oh, so you're the infamous bounty hunter I keep hearing about," Hera spoke.
"People are talking about me?" Valance asked skeptically.
"Solo won't stop talking about you. Said you saved his life." Valance scoffed at the idea of Han speaking about him, especially with the silent treatment they've been giving each other.
"I doubt that."
"He cares about you, Valance. I've seen how he looks at you and how you're reacting; I'm assuming you care about him in the same way." Hera spoke softly now.
"Love and rebellion don't mix," Valance said point-blank.
Hera sighed softly. "I like to think that you can't have a rebellion without love. So many of us will die for this cause, so why not live out our last days with the person we love most."
"Sounds like you know what it's like to love and lose." Valance truly looked at Hera now.
Hera looked like she was lost in thought for a moment, then smiled. "My husband…" She paused again, fixed her composure, and spoke once more, "He sacrificed himself to save the lives of the people he loved most. He may be dead, but I got so much time with him."
Valance didn't know what to say. Hera's husband's death was still a sore subject. Hera grew a serious look on her face.
"If you don't tell Han how you feel now, when will you tell him? When he's dying in your arms?"
Hera was right. He could die in 20 years, or he could die tomorrow, but he'd rather die knowing he was honest about his feelings for Han. Valance went to thank her, but she was focused on Chopper, who had rolled off, causing more chaos on the base. She muttered a sorry and ran off after him.
Valance needed to find Han immediately. He headed toward the hangar bay where the Falcon was, which was the most likely place Han would be.
Hangar bay 7 was the smaller of the two bays, with the Millennium Falcon standing out like a sore thumb. As Valance walked closer, he could hear Chewbacca and Han arguing over ship repairs.
"Solo!" Valance yelled as he walked up to the Falcon ramp. Valance could tell everyone around him quickly glanced over to where he stood but returned to their work. Han walked down the ramp with a serious glint in his eyes.
"What do you want?" Han asked, putting his hands on his hips. Valance didn't know how to put his thoughts into words.
"We should talk about what happened on the mission." He replied. Han rolled his eyes and began to walk back up the ramp. "Han, wait-"
Han turned back to face Valance. "I dunno. You didn't seem like you wanted to talk about anything with me."
Valance sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just thought you didn't want anything to do with me after I…."
Han scoffed at him. "Valance. I kissed you. You were the one who ran off afterward. If I had a problem with it, I wouldn't have finished the kiss you started".
Valance stayed silent. Han was right; he made a big deal over nothing. Valance then impulsively stepped closer to Han, closing the large gap between them. Valance needed to take this chance now before it was too late.
"So you wouldn't have a problem if I did this?" He spoke, and before Han could reply, Valance grabbed him by the collar and smashed his lips on Hans.
The other man quickly relaxed into the kiss and used his hands to pull Valance closer. After a few moments, Han pulled back, looking at Valance with a puzzled face.
"What was that for?"
"You looked like you needed a good kiss," Valance replied. Han softly smiled at him. He grabbed Valance's hand and gripped it tightly.
Han gulped. "Are you sure you want this? Love and war don't work well together."
"I would rather die knowing that I lived out my last days with my lover than living alone for the rest of my life."
They leaned forward, their foreheads touching. It was a tender moment that even a war slowly finding its way closer to them couldn't ruin.