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The night air was harsh, a sharp lance of frigid cold whose sting was only partially dulled by the heat Pyra naturally radiated. All around her, the rest of the group were huddled closely, cobbling together what warmth they could as they rested. Mòrag's back pressed lightly against Brighid, the scribbling of the Blade's pen against her journal's pages barely audible against the wind that battered their shelter. Both Nia and Poppi had taken advantage of their counterparts' warm fur, leaning against them as they slept, while Zeke had instead chosen to hold Pandoria close, his arm wrapped firmly around her shoulder.
Each pair's arragenement had clearly worked, every one of them having already drifted off to sleep, one after the other. In time, Zeke at last closed his eye, pulling Pandoria just a little closer with his last conscious effort, and even Mythra's presence slipped away from Pyra's notice, leaving her alone amongst the group. Quietly, she kept her gaze focused on Rex through her drowsy, half-lidded eyes. He had already fallen asleep long ago- almost as soon as he'd laid down, in fact, and she had been watching him ever since.
Frankly, she was envious of him. Even more so of his peaceful, completely relaxed expression, as if they were back in the relative comfort of Theosoir's inn, rather than the half-crumbled ruins they had been forced to resort to for a campsite. Sleep never came quickly for her, and when it did, it was always fitful, plagued by memories that weren't quite hers, of a guilt she felt compelled to bear, however responsible she truly was for it.
But for once, Pyra could feel all that shift just out of focus- not gone completely, but rather fading to a dull throb in the corner of her mind as she watched Rex. There was just something about his presence, about the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and the small, subconscious shifts he made towards her and the warmth she could offer that made her feel at ease. More than anything, though, it was his face. Despite the frigid conditions, and the cramped space available to them, littered with discarded armour and weaponry, he seemed completely at peace, his face almost angelic in its serenity.
Gingerely, she reached a hand out towards Rex and gently let it rest on his Core Crystal. Their Core Crystal. She could feel the warmth of his chest surrounding it in her fingertips. It was dimmer than her own, of course, the pair of them like a makeshift campfire and a roaring inferno. But Pyra understood fire and heat better than most, could feel the subtleties that made every flame unique- and Rex's warmth was no exception. She slowly traced her fingers along the edges of his Core Crystal, examining that warmth further.
It was exactly as she'd expected from him, really. A gentle heat, open and inviting. One that promised you safety and security on a harsh winter's night, rather than the destruction hers so easily brought. Just another thing she envied him for, she supposed. Even if she loved him for it, too.
Yes, Pyra loved him.
The thought didn't come easy, and the urge to force it back down, to tell herself she didn't mean it was almost overwhelming. But just for tonight, alone with nothing but her thoughts and the cold night air and the rhymthic pulse of Rex's breath beneath her fingers, she refused to lie to herself.
She loved him. She felt safe with him, all her fears vanishing into the dark that surrounded them. She didn't want this to end, didn't ever want to have to leave him, even though she knew she had to. She wanted to embrace him and pull him in as close as she could and never let go of him.
Not that she could. Maybe that was okay, though. Wasn't it enough for her to have this moment, fleeting as it was? She knew it couldn't last much longer. Her eyelids were growing heavier, her thoughts more clouded. Soon, she would fall asleep, and all this would end, and she would have to do her best to distance herself from Rex, even just a little. All her feelings for him, so intense and so precious to her, would have to be squashed back down.
Still, she allowed herself one more indulgence. Something to make this moment shine just a little more brightly in her memories. With a smile filled with equal parts sorrow and adoration, she let her hand drift upwards to Rex's hair, then gently brushed her fingers through it, just once. She opened her mouth and spoke in a low whisper, knowing full well the words would be blown far from his ears by the raging winds.
"I love you, Rex."
It was the truth. One she could never admit to him. It would only make their inevitable parting hurt her- and him- more than it already would, after all. But she meant it with all her heart.
With that, her eyes finally closed and sleep overcame her, granting her dreams far more peaceful than any she could remember having.