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“Let’s go home.” It didn’t matter for how long he said it, I still failed getting used to it. The idea of a home seemed alien to me still. Seemed…like something I would never reach. There’s a part of me that is still hesitant to believe this is real, that this is my solace among this world we live in. Even when we get beaten up by those losers of team RWBY and company, things are better. Roman is…my family. Retreating to get our wounds licked and just laying down is nice after a long day.
I nod and follow him out and in no time we’re back at the apartment we share. Still displeased with everything that happened, I just want to rest so we can make another plan. We can still plot something else in the meantime. Now that Roman is involved in this dust trafficking thing, there’s always something to do. But I don’t make it through the threshold of my room before he’s calling me over. I grunt and roll my eyes, making my way there reluctantly with slow steps.
He’s sitting on his bed, in only his undershirt and pajama shorts,his usual, mischievous smile is only softly brushed by the lamp, painting it with this unique tenderness. Torchwick may seem like a tough, superficial guy on the outside, but he’s more of a tender man that he lets see through. I can see he’s authentically worried about me.
“Come lay with me” He nods at me to emphasize his order. “I know today was tough, darling, but let it go. Come on.” My crossed arms fall as I give him another eyeroll. Before I join him on the bed, I take off my clothes and change into a comfortable sleep gown, and crawl on top of the comforter as Roman, laying on his side, puts his arm under my head. He wiggles closer so his face is only a few inches from me and looks me straight into the eyes with those emeralds, those eyes that always fill my body with static. “Are you hurt?” One of his hands hover over my ribs as a signal, but I shake my head. My aura wasn’t depleted in battle, and his is ever depleted at all, but I still give him a worried look. He kisses my forehead gently. “I’m not hurt, I promise.” I nod again and cuddle closer to him, legs intertwined and eyelids slowly closing from the weight of sleep that suddenly washed over me.
I hear him yap about his next plans to deal with Ruby Rose, oh, that Ruby Rose. It makes me a little bit jealous that that little girl can capture so much of his attention. Even a nickname. “Red.” It makes me want to get rid of her so all of his attention can be in me again, like it’s supposed to be. Sometimes I wish I could do more for our plans to go better, to help his name be known by all Remnant, and so we get rich and can finally live in peace. I love this man, I owe him my life, I owe him all that I am. Devotion is the only way in which I can begin to express all the gratitude I have for all he has done for me.
His voice is like the breeze calming me down as I settle between his arms, finally relaxing. His speech has turned a little bit slurrier, overtaken by sleep, while I let the cadence of his words lull me into sleep. Open. Close. Then my heavy eyelids close again and I’m left with only his sound and his smell. It’s nice, having a home to retreat to.