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She is there when he comes home.
Lacking the bureaucratic weights that he shoulders day in and day out, there was little reason for Chain to be stuck in the office like himself. At least, that’s what Steven insisted. She ought to enjoy the rest of her free time rather than hang around the office, forced to do nothing but watch him type away, now that there didn’t seem to be any immediate threats. For the moment, of course.
And still, she was there. Waiting for him. To offer arms both weightless and still full of warmth, to catch him when the day’s toils finally feel too heavy. And in that embrace- those few seconds of silent contact- Chain Sumeragi simply closes her eyes in thought.
How precious will this one moment be to herself in the future? This simple little gesture; how many times will she anguish over not appreciating it more? Is it possible that something will happen that may even make her regret it?
The paths they have taken are no different than anyone else’s- an end of some sort will come for them all. Even those that try to deny or escape death can’t do so forever. They just happen to take part in jobs and missions that bring themselves that much closer to it, day by day. These are thoughts that Chain actively refuses to indulge in when she can help it, but the difficulty of doing so reaches a certain point.
Finally, she is on a road of some happiness. Selfish as it may be compared to all the other work she’s done- as a Where Wolf, monster hunting, simply being a Libra member- the day she unpacked her belongings into Steven’s home was a high she had not known.
How cruel it is, to know it must end. Eventually.
Their arms will separate. Lips will part. They must enter separate rooms, go to different places. Even as they join together over and over, for years to come, there will be far more instances of being apart. And at the end of that road- their roads- one of them will be gone.
She can try to be the romantic and have lofty visions of lying down together in each other’s arms, taking that long sleep at the same time, but Chain has seen too much to be so ignorant of reality. Whether a sudden accident, prolonged sickness, or simply the slow suffocation of aging, one will be leaving the other behind to mourn.
She doesn’t want this embrace to end. There is no alcohol here to numb the worries, so Steven’s warmth will have to be her vice- she does NOT want this hug to end! But for no matter how long she may cling, or he may ensnare her, it will end.
But at least… until then… she can try to prolong this for just a little while longer. And even when it comes time to help him prepare for dinner and the next day’s work ahead of them both, she can look forward to when they can be together once more. Free of stress. Free of the violence right outside their windows.
Free of this fear.
Yes, the next one will be just like that.