Work Text:
“Happy Birthday, Zahhak!”
Those azure eyes stare up from the pages he was looking through… to see that flickering candlelight approaching his eyeline. The voice he had heard was Amid, who held out the cake with a soft beam. He sighed softly, but a slight smile crept across his lips.
“What’s all this now…?”, he said as he placed his pen down softly with a chuckle.
Ran walked up from behind Amid, crossing his arms with a wide beam.
“It’s our gift to you.”, Ran says as he gestures to the cake.
Zahhak’s eyes glimmer softly, but he picks his pen back up with a soft glance back downward, brushing the white strands of hair out of his eyes.
“Thank you both… but I don’t wish to make a big deal out of it, really…”, he says with a slight hesitation.
“Cmon Zahhak, it’s your birthday… you can’t just be in here working all day!”, Ran says with an impatience in his voice.
“Exactly! The cake tastes so much better when it’s fresh… with your favorite, white chocolate~”, Amid says with a tempting tone.
“Everything still needs to be planned accordingly… even on my birthday, I mustn't let myself falter.”, he retorts back with a shake of his head.
“Well
everything
, can wait!”, Ran says with a smile.
With a quick motion he grabbed Zahhak’s arm to pull him away from his desk, laughing all the way as Zahhak followed after him.
Zahhak scoffs with a smile as Ran drags him away, but he doesn't fight it. He supposed… maybe this time he would let himself enjoy this…
After being pulled to the dining room, he sits down at the table, Ran and Amid both are by Zahhak’s side…
“Before you blow out the candles… you should make a wish, Zahhak!” Amid says as she sits down next to him after setting the cake in front of him… candles still ablaze.
“A wish? … I don’t see why I should…”, he starts to say, glancing at the candle wax softly dripping down.
“... after all, I have everything I could ever want, right here.”, he finishes with a soft look in his eyes.
“You could always ask for more, yknow?”, Ran says as he leans in towards the cake with another chuckle.
Zahhak looked at Ran, then at Amid.
He really didn't wish for anything more.
It was enough, to be in this moment…
His head leans in towards the candles… a wish forming in his mind. Closing his eyes…
We promised… to travel again… all three of us…
If he could wish for anything…
…Stop talking. You’re just wasting your strength!
It would be…
No… The darkness is eating away at him… I can’t… heal…
within all of his power…
This… was all I could do… I know I should’ve done more…
no matter what… happens…
Would it be foolish of me… to ask for your forgiveness now?
… to forever see them safe… happy… and…
But I suppose… this isn’t the worst way… to go…
…to always… be by their side.
*blow*
~
The pure white flowers were gently placed by the grave… dewdrops of water rolling down the petals.
Ran stood up… letting himself take a deep breath.
His grave stood high… on the tallest peak. All of Theranhad was to be seen from here… in a peaceful and untouched place.
There was a gentle rain falling today. Ran held his head low… staring down at the place where… he lay.
“It’s been a while.”, he began to speak with a soft tone.
“We’re doing just fine… so don’t worry too much.”
“I know you must be… watching over us even now.”
“Amid plans to come later… once she and Aria take care of some important matters.”
“Theranhad has been so peaceful… just as you would have wanted…”
…
“But why… did you have to be such… an idiot…”, he says as his voice begins to crack slightly.
“Why couldn’t you just let me help you… with the weight of it all?”
Ran paused with a soft exhale as his head dips down… the silence deafening in his ears as the rain continued to patter against his hair.
…
“I’m sorry.”
The rain masks the tears that softly drip down his face, lips softly trembling.
“I’m sorry that… I was too late.”
“To truly understand the pain you felt.”
“...I was blinded by my rage.”
…
“...and it cost you your life .”
Gently his hands wipe away the tears which were mixing in with the rainwater on his face. It never hurts any less… no matter how much time passes. But…
“Zahhak…”
He lets himself smile… bending down again to gently touch the gravestone with his palm.
…
“You were loved… you still are loved…”
…
“I want you to always remember…”
…
“That we will always be here…”
…
“...by your side.”
…
“Happy Birthday, Zahhak.”