Chapter Text
"This is really it, isn't it? I hope this isn't like waking up from a dream. I want to remember you, Cass.I want to remember everything. I want to remember Harbourtown.... Even the bits that weren't good. Because they're all apart of me. Manifesting our will to change the world... I suppose we don't need cassette tapes to do that really, do we? The future has always been ours for the taking. I guess we won't see each other again, Cass. I won't ever get to know anyone in the way I've known you.... I mean, fusion isn't exactly standard in relationships, right? I'm sad, but also happy. We'll both be back where we truly belong, and better off having met each other. That feels like a happy ending. I love you. Thanks a million." Kayleigh gave Cass a big smile and a peck on the cheek.
"I'm coming with you." Cass said with resolve in his heart. He knew, more than ever, that his future lies with Kayleigh. He had never felt such love in his heart nor such fervor for life. Kayleigh granted Cass a new lease on life. He never told her, but when he washed up on that beach, Cass was content with being swept away by the waves. Having known only pain and loss in his previous life, Cass had no will to live. No dreams, no prospects.
Kayleigh blinked a couple of times, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. "I... uh.. What? Cass, I know what I just said and I mean it, but you have your own world to go back to. Don't you have family and friends that miss you?" Kayleigh's blush deepened. Cass assumed that her proclamation of love was due to not having to follow up on those feelings.
Cass honestly felt hurt. Gutted. Betrayed to a degree. To his knowledge, she hadn't even thought twice about just going home. Was he just a fling to her? Someone to pass the time with? Did she accept this relationship simply because there was no hope of returning home? Was he ever truly special to her? Cass's mind felt as though it were full of cotton. His feelings for Kayleigh were strong and true. Taking a deep breath, Cass shook his head before speaking again. "My family abandoned me a long time ago, my partner in my previous life died in a car accident. I lost my job, my...." he couldn't continue. Gulping and clearing his throat he started once more. "I have nothing left. Even if you don't want me anymore, even if I was just a small distraction for your time in New Wirral, I'd rather be in a world with you in it. Around someone familiar, someone I can trust and confide in. Even if it's just as a friend." His tone lowered to that of a pained whisper. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
Kayleigh visibly winced. Her face contorting into a sad expression. Seeing her like this tore Cass's already fragmented heart into pieces. She covered her mouth, tears started to well up in her eyes. Kayleigh coughed and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry Cass, I really am. It's not that I suddenly don't want you anymore I just.... I have someone waiting at home for me already."
Cass felt as though someone punched him in the stomach, all the air leaving his lungs. His face went pale. Cass felt lightheaded. Why was this happening to him again? He nodded slowly, chewing on his lip, almost drawing blood. "I... understand. I do! But I meant what I said. I still want to come with you, even as a friend." Cass gulped again, shaking his head before lifting his gaze to meet Kayleigh's. Before entering a relationship with her, Cass would never look anyone in the eyes. But as he spent more time with her, he found himself staring deeply into Kayleigh's eyes without any fear or reservations. His face slowly regaining color as his expression turned into one of resolve. Though his body language expressed his conviction, Cass's voice betrayed him and revealed his pain.
Kayleigh took a deep breath, clapping and letting go of her hands repeatedly. "Right, right I understand that. I do." She took a shakey breath. "Alright, here's what we'll do. You can come with me and stay at my house for a little bit till you can get back on your feet. That sound fair?" Kayleigh gave Cass a small smile.
Cass's insides contorted and twisted. Did he guilt her into accepting? Did he mess up? Cass was beginning to spiral. This just reinforces his feelings about just being a burden. A pathetic little creature that people merely take pity on until it leaves. Cass tried his hardest to put on a strong face, nodding and giving Kayleigh a thumbs up. "Bro, I super appreciate that. Really. I have SO many marketable skills I'll be out of your hair in no time." Cass tried to hype himself up best he could, lying to Kayleigh but moreso lying to himself. He felt like he was going to throw up at any moment.
There was a tense silence broken by Kayleigh slapping her forehead. "Ah dang it, I almost forgot to bring my go home pack. I'll be back in a minute, then we'll be ready to go. Sound good?" Cass nodded. Both waved at each other as Kayleigh jogged back to her home in Harbourtown. Cass let out a strained breath, the tears finally escaping the ducts in his eyes.
He felt a gentle pat on his shoulder. It was Ms. Amber. "Listen, sugar, I know I said this was a one way trip but uh..." She handed Cass a locket. "If it doesn't work out, just open this and say 'I don't belong to this world, I must return to whence I came.' Then a mirror will show up and you can stay at The Amber Lodge for as long as you need." Ms. Amber gave Cass a genuine and reassuring smile. "I may be an Archangel but.... I can relate to all of your losses." Her smile turned somber.
Cass cleared his throat and nodded slowly. He put the locket on the dirty old lanyard he had around his neck. It was a gift from Kayleigh after Cass became a Ranger Captain and received his badge. It became dirty almost immediately after trekking through the marshes for a noticeboard request. He put the lanyard and the locket in one of the pockets inside of his travel bag.
Cass sat down at a bench next to the dimensional gate, petting Barkley gently as he napped on Cass's lap. Barkley snored loudly, his tail wagging and his foot twitching in bliss. Cass chuckled "Puppy dreams. I'm gonna miss you buddy." Cass sniffed, having cried all the tears he had stored up since arriving in New Wirral. He had been here for 3 long years, having grown so close to his friends, comrades, the townsfolk... He smiled softly as he remembered the night he confessed his full feelings for Kayleigh. It was on the night of the anniversary of Cass's arrival.
The reminiscing stopped as soon as he heard Kayleigh's footsteps. She stopped in front of Cass, panting lightly. "Sorry, sorry didn't mean to take so long." She had a messenger bag stuffed to bursting and her guitar strung over her back. Kayleigh wiped some sweat off her brow before smiling brightly. "Alrighty lad let's go home" Kayleigh held her hand out. Cass grabbed it cautiously, not sure if it was still okay to have this sort of physical contact.
Cass nodded. "Yeah. Home."
Both walked towards the portal, still holding hands. Kayleigh squeezed Cass's hand before a look of realization crossed her face, quickly letting go. Ms. Amber shook her head before speaking up. "Alright y'all, one way trip to Kayleigh's world. Be good, be kind and don't forget the lessons you've learned here." Before Cass and Kayleigh could walk through the portal, Barkley bounded forward, standing next to the duo, tail wagging excitedly. "Well, take a look at that! Seems like he wants to follow you, Cass."
Cass blinked for a moment before his face broke out into a genuine smile. "Barkley, are you sure?" Barkley barked in response. Cass knew in his heart that Barkley wanted to be with him. Cass's heart felt a little lighter and his stomach felt less knotted. "Alright buddy, let's go!"
The three of them stepped through the portal, Kayleigh and Cass spreading their wings while Barkley deployed his balloon. The trio glided through different gradients of color blotting the inky black darkness of the dimension between worlds. No words were exchanged. Cass looked over to Kayleigh but she kept avoiding his gaze. The pain in Cass's chest grew. He tried to steel his heart, coming close to failing. Cass faced forward once more.
Minutes turned into what felt like hours. All the colors melded together. Cass's head felt fuzzy, as if he were staring at the true form of an Archangel. Just as Cass was on the brink of losing consciousness, a tunnel of light appeared before the group. Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, Cass looked over at Kayleigh. She wasn't moving. Cass began to panic as he willed himself forward, grabbing ahold of Kayleigh. She was unconscious. Cass held on to her tightly as they approached the light. He felt a pull as if a rope were tied around his waist. The pull felt stronger and stronger as the light grew closer. Barkley doggy paddled his way to Cass and Kayleigh, wedging himself in the small space between the two. He felt all panic and fear leave his body. The only feeling left within Cass was the determination to protect Kayleigh. He held on to both of his companions tight as they fell into the light. Cass closed his eyes tight, making sure his wings were fully deployed, before suddenly feeling ground beneath his feet.
Cass opened his eyes and looked around. They were in a forest, completely unscathed. Breathing a sigh at relief he felt Barkley jump out from between him and Kayleigh, barking loudly and happily. Barkley ran in a circle around the two, tail wagging. Cass smiled.
He suddenly felt Kayleigh's arms wrap tightly around his shoulders as she trembled. "T-thanks... I don't know what happened. My head felt like it was going to explode then suddenly everything went white." She let out a shakey breath. She smiled softly as she gave Cass's cheek a big, long kiss. "Luckily my big, strong hero was there for me." She beamed brightly before realizing what she had done. Kayleigh quickly let go of Cass as he also loosened his grip on her, both looking away with deep blushes on their faces. "A-ahem, so..." Kayleigh looked around at their surroundings, a look of relief washing over her face. "Oh thank goodness, looks like we landed where I was when I first got transported to New Wirral!" Kayleigh let out a nervous laugh, sitting down on a knocked over log. She looked at Cass happily before quickly turning her gaze elsewhere. "Right so! My house is only about a 10 minute walk from here. Let's take a break before heading out, yeah?" Cass nodded in agreement, taking a seat on the other side of the log as far from Kayleigh as he could reasonably be. Kayleigh handed Cass a bag of trail mix and a dog treat to Barkley. The group ate in silence.
Cass closed his eyes and listened to the nature around him. The gentle song of birds accompanied by the death curdling screams of cicadas reminded him of his time with his parents as a teenager. A small smile enveloped his face. He enjoyed the brief moment of nostalgia before feeling the familiar warmth of Kayleigh's hands on either side of his face. Cass opened his eyes quickly, his face feeling warm aside from Kayleigh's touch.
"Love, you're crying... Er, I mean... Cass... Uh, what's wrong?" Kayleigh's eyes wore a deep expression of concern. She gently wiped the tears off of Cass's face.
Cass hadn't realized that he was crying. He gently moved Kayleigh's hands away from his face. "Ah, heck, I didn't even notice! Sorry, Kay." Cass squeezed her hands before letting go. Kayleigh backed away slowly, obviously embarrassed. Cass was already tired of this game. But he understood. The process of unlearning all of their intimate actions and touches was going to be a Herculean task. But goodness gracious, Cass was already exhausted by this new dynamic.
Kayleigh sat back on her side of the log, still look at Cass with concern. "Alright well... Ready to go?" Cass nodded.
Meanwhile, Barkley looked on both of them with a deep look of confusion and a touch of frustration.
True to her word, they arrived at Kayleigh's home after a 10 minute walk. The house was medium in size, the outside painted in many different colors, as if you were looking at the inside of a kaleidoscope. The front door was adorned with a Christmas wreath, while the front porch had a doorrnat with the phrase 'Knock Hard But Not Like You The Police' with two windows with closed, colorful curtains stamped with different farm animals on either side of the entrance. Barkley did laps around the perimeter before diving into the shrubbery. Kayleigh chuckled, shaking her head.
Kayleigh stepped onto the mat while she rummaged through her bag before pulling out a key with a small 'Aha!' She fumbled with the lock for a few moments. Kayleigh was shaking visibly. Cass reached forward and gently held her hand steady. She let out a small gasp before biting her lip and nodding. As Cass let her go, she finally managed to unlock the door. Kayleigh slowly turned the knob, opening the door even more slowly. She let out a deep breath as she stepped through the threshold. Kayleigh raised her voice. "Moira? Moira I'm home!" She placed her bag on a table set next to the entry way, taking her shoes off. Cass followed her lead, leaving his shoes by the entrance.
Deep inside the house, the sound of footsteps rapidly approached. The trio held their breath, when before them appeared a woman with disheveled brown hair, dark circles under her eyes, pale white skin, ragged and wrinkled clothing with mismatched patterns... and a toddler in her arms. "Leigh? Is that really you?" she said, her tone full of disbelief. Moira walked towards Kayleigh, reaching out with a shakey hand. She gently caressed Kayleigh's cheek, tears welling up in her eyes. "It really is you, isn't it?" Moira's tone was soft and guarded, as if she could not believe what she was seeing.
Kayleigh reached up with her own hand as she leaned in to Moira's touch. "Aye, it's me in the flesh."
Both women wept openly, holding each other in a tight embrace before being interrupted by the crying child in Moira's arms. "Shhh, little one, everything is quite alright. Your mum's not sad, just happy to see an old friend again."
The color drained from Kayleigh's eyes. "Mum...? Is this your...?" She couldn't finish the sentence.
Realization streaked on Moira's face. "Ah... Yes. This is Jack, he's my... my son." She looked apologetically at Kayleigh.
Kayleigh fell backwards, grabbing her own head. Cass reflexively caught her, his arms very gently wrapped around her. Cass exclaimed in worry. "Kay, are you alright?!" Kayleigh squeezed Cass's hands tightly before straightening herself up.
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine... I... I'm fine! Yeah." She brushed herself off, letting go of Cass. "So uh. Moira. How... how have you been?" Kayleigh's tone sounded pained, despite her attempts at being neutral.
Moira looked down at Jack in her arms. "I've been... alive. Surviving. You know how it is in our town." Moira forced out a chuckle, Kayleigh nodding slowly.
The following silence was deafening. The tension was broken by the ringing of a phone. Moira's eyes widened as she pulled a cellphone out of her pocket, shakily answering. "Y-Yes dear? N-no dear, I'm done here I was actually on my way out! Y-yes ma'am, I'll be home shortly. N-no you don't have to come pick me up! See you in a bit. O-of course, I love you too." Moira's hands were trembling as she put the phone away. Her body relaxed when Jack gently placed a hand on her face, quietly saying "Mama?" Moira's face soften, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Worry not son, Mama's here." She turned towards Kayleigh and Cass. "I have to head out, my, uh, wife is waiting for me at home. I've got to cook some dinner and get Jack to bed. I've been coming by every week to make sure the house stayed clean in case you... you ever came back. Guess I won't have to worry about that anymore!" Moira forced a chuckled, clearing her throat before placing a key in Kayleigh's hand. "When we both get a chance we should catch up, Leigh. And maybe you can introduce me to your...?" Moira looked over at Cass, squinting slightly.
Kayleigh didn't look at Moira. She just stared forward, as if boring a hole into the wall with her gaze. "Yeah... yeah. This is Cass. I'll introduce you both properly later." Kayleigh tone was emotionless.
Moira nodded slowly. "Right then... Take care now, and have a nice evening." She shuffled pass both of them, giving Cass a stink eye.
Kayleigh stood in the entryway, her face expressionless as tears flowed freely. Cass carefully stepped in front of her, cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kayleigh....?"
In an instant, Kayleigh threw her arms around Cass, bawling loudly. She squeezed him tightly, knocking the air out of his lungs. Cass wrapped his own arms around her, holding Kayleigh as he pet her gently. They held each other for quite a time.
Kayleigh slowly and gently pulled away, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry, Cass, I didn't mean to squeeze you so tight."
Cass, finally being able to breathe, shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I'm here for you bud." Cass smiled at Kayleigh, with her returning the gesture.
Kayleigh slightly pulled open a curtain. "Ah heck it's starting to get late. Want to eat some dinner and get ready for bed?" She drew the curtains closed again, opening the front door to let Barkley in. The dog ran inside and you could hear him slam down onto a couch in the living room. Kayleigh laughed, heading towards the kitchen.
As Cass followed her, he noticed how the interior of the home just screamed out to him 'Yeah this is where Kayleigh belongs.' The living room walls were adorned in different movie and band posters, with a couple pieces of abstract paintings. The coffee table in front of the fireplace was misshappened and lopsided, with circles that look like cigarette burns. There was a TV mounted above the fireplace with small figurines on top of the mantle itself. Across from the fire place was a sectioned couch, each segment having different colors and patterns and a recliner.
The kitchen was also a sight to behold. The fridge was absolutely covered in novelty magnets, ranging from cartoon characters to the shapes of countries. There was a clean island in the middle. All of the tops were marbled to perfection. The kitchenware sets were all chicken themed. A salt and pepper shaker set sat face to face, as if they were kissing. Oven mits in the shape of chicken heads dangled on the bar that opens the oven. Cass just stood in awe of it all. This was Kayleigh's home, not his, and yet.... He felt at peace here. As if he belonged. As if he could get used to these sights, familiarize himself with the locations of all the different items, helping do chores around the house....
Cass shook his head, trying to shoo away those thoughts. It wasn't appropriate to think like that anymore. He could feel his face shift into an expression of sadness and pain.
His wallowing was interrupted by Kayleigh sighing loudly. "Of course there's not going to be any food in here, no one's actually lived in this place for who knows how long." She shook her head, reaching for the landline phone on one of the counters. "I'm just gonna order some pizza, surely they'll have the kindness in their heart to give the long missing but no longer girl some free pies. Any preferences for you, Cass?"
Cass perked up. "Uh, I'm pretty basic, just some pepperoni on a thin crust. I'm scared of how my body is gonna react to heavily processed fast food"
Kayleigh chuckled. "Well, worse comes to worse, the toilet is just down the hall." Kayleigh placed her order at the local pizza place.
Within the hour and a knock on the door, the delivery driver showed up. He was a lanky teenager with a serious case of acne and a massive head of white curly hair barely contained within a hat bearing his store's logo. "Like, duuuuude. No way Kayleigh you're like, actually alive and stuff. Do you even remember me? I'm Sean, you used to babysit me."
Kayleigh's eyes widened "Little Seanie the sheep boy? My goodness, you've grown up! When was the last time we even saw each other?"
"I dunno man, probs like 3ish years at this point? It's been a wild. Also that's Big Sean the Sheep Man to you, lady" Sean handed Kayleigh two boxes of pizza, two big bottles of soda, a box of cheesey breadsticks, a bag of dog treats and a Tupperware full of brownies with a note that had "Welcome back we missed you!" scrawled on it in messy handwriting.
Kayleigh smiled, placing the food on the island. "Thank you Seanie, I'm glad that no one forgot me. Afterall. It's good to be home."
"So like, where did you end up going? Were you being chased by spies or some--- oh." Sean saw Cass in the living room sitting next to Barkely, both of them watching a show on the TV.
Kayleigh blushed as she realized what Sean was insinuating. "Oh no, no, no you daft little boy it is absolutely not what you think it is."
Sean threw his hands up in response. "I didn't say nothing dude, your business is your business. Now I gotta head back to the store, I'm the only driver they have today on Christmas Eve."
Kayleigh stood there stunned for a moment. "It's Christmas Eve?"
Sean nodded. "Yeah dude. Well I'll see ya later, happy holidays and all that jazz" Sean tipped his hat at Kayleigh and Cass before leaving.
Without even bothering to serve herself any food, Kayleigh threw herself onto the couch, still taken aback. "It's Christmas Eve...." her tone was that of sadness.
Out of reflex, Cass was about to scoot closer and teach for Kayleigh before stopping himself. "Hey, uh, Kayleigh. You good?"
Kayleigh shook her head. "Absolutely not, this means nothing is gonna be open tomorrow! Who knows when we'll be able to get groceries." She said it with a pout.
Cass was taken aback for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. Kayleigh threw a pillow at him. "Hey this is serious! I don't think we'll be able to bum free food off of people for long!"
Cass still laughing, stood up and lightly hit Kayleigh with a pillow. "That's all you're worried about? We'll figure it out tomorrow!"
Kayleigh sat there in absolutely disbelief. "You dare hit wife? Wife hit back now." Kayleigh hit Cass back with an onslaught of two pillows. Both were laughing as they hit each other back and forth with the pillows as Barkley tore into the dog treats.
The fierce fighters both fell to the floor, with Kayleigh landing on top of Cass, both out of breath and smiling. Out of habit, Cass wrapped his arm around Kayleigh's wasit while she lay her head on his chest, tucking the top of her head under his chin. The 'couple' sat there, enjoying each other's presence in silence. Cass's eyes slowly blinked close, almost drifting to sleep as Kayleigh suddenly jerked up, pulling herself away from Cass.
"Ah.. sorry.. I just... force of habit you know." she chuckled nervously. Cass could feel his face turn into an expression of hurt and sadness, turning his gaze away from Kayleigh.
"Right yeah... uh... I'm gonna go... freshen up and get ready for bed. I'm actually not that hungry, I'll eat later if I feel the need." Cass got up and dusted himself off, heading to the bathroom without noticing that Kayleigh was reaching towards him.
Cass stripped bare, tossing his clothes into a corner, tears streaming down his face. He could barely contain his frustration and pain. It took everything he had to not just sob loudly as he wept. He took out a clean set of sleeping clothes from his travel bag and laid it out on the bathroom sink counter. Cass turned the nobs on the shower and jumped in without any regards for the temperature. The water was cold. Once Cass finished washing his body using what seemed to be years old soap, he stood under the stream of water.
Cass wanted this situation to be over. He wanted all of this to be cleared up. He wanted for Kayleigh to either fully break up with him already so he could move on or to just accept their relationship. He didn't want to play these stupid will they won't they games. His self worth and esteem were already in the garbage, his heart couldn't take anymore of this. Cass loved Kayleigh so much, he would say he'd die for her but it's evolved into he'd live for her. Before meeting Kayleigh, Cass was more than willing to welcome death. But that faithful day, when they met on that beach, when she showed Cass such genuine kindness, his heart melted. It wasn't romantic attraction at first, but as they spent time together he grew so fond of their relationship, platonic as it was at the time.
Kayleigh laid on the floor with Barkley next to her. She hated herself for the pain she was putting Cass through. And most of all she was beating herself up because.... she didn't feel any pain seeing that Moira moved on. If anything, she felt relieved. She chided herself for being so happy that she wouldn't be forced to end her relationship with Cass. At the Night Bridge station, she meant it with every fiber of her being when she said that she loves Cass. So why wasn't she sad about Moira? Kayleigh grabbed a pillow and groaned into it out of frustration. How did this even happen? How did she even manage to properly fall in love with a man? She could've sworn she no was no longer attracted to men, but Cass was different.....
Everything took a turn when they fused for the first time. Cass and Kayleigh were on the back foot when they fought Morgant. As Cass was about to be killed, Kayleigh pushed him out of the way and took the blow for him. Cass thought that Kayleigh was about to die, but instead of falling their hearts connected. Their desire to live and see the sun rise together granted them the strength to become one and defeat Morgant.
From that day forward, Kayleigh knew about Cass's feelings for her. Afterall, fusing meant all their feelings and thoughts were laid bare to the other. She didn't realize it at first, but the feelings she held were also more than just platonic. Every night they spent under the stars together she'd catch herself staring at Cass more and more. Everytime she thought of him, her stomach filled with butterflies, her face would blush a deep crimson. She'd turn into a babbling mess whenever Meredith would tease Kayleigh about it. Until one day she built up the courage to play a song for Cass.
She invited him into her home. She was beyond nervous. What if she messed up? What if he didn't like the song? What if Viola managed to steal him away, just like she threatened....? She pushed all those feelings down and began to play her song. Her eyes were closed, but her fingers strummed away. Despite the nervousness, she didn't make a single mistake. She finished playing and was scared of the silence that followed. She opened her eyes and saw that Cass was sitting there with an awestruck look on his face. Kayleigh blushed deeply. "S-So how was it?"
Silence. Cass didn't utter a word. Kayleigh shut her eyes tight, expecting the worse when suddenly, she felt a hand very gently but lovingly lifted her face up. And that's when her head felt like fireworks were going off. Her lips tingled with an unfamiliar yet very welcome sensation. Cass kissed her. Kayleigh leaned into the kiss, putting forward all of her feelings and love behind it. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Kayleigh felt like if she let him go, he'd disappear. This one kiss felt like she was finally able to breathe properly. Kayleigh felt as though she'd drown as soon as the kiss ended. But instead, they sat on her bed, holding each other and kissed for what felt like an eternity.
Once they finally let each other go, Kayleigh pressed her face firmly against Cass's chest. "That was the first time I've ever felt so much from kissing a boy."
Cass raised an eyebrow. "Oddly weird thing to say, but thank you I suppose?"
Kayleigh chuckled in response. "Don't worry about it. Let's just.... enjoy the moment."
From then on, their budding relationship blossomed until Cass asked her to properly go steady. It was a moonlit night in the Cherry Meadows as Cass---
Her reminiscing was interrupted by the sound of the water shutting off. Kayleigh shook her head to clear her mind. She got up and put the food away before going into her bedroom and getting her own toiletries and sleeping clothes ready.
"Shower's open." Cass called out to Kayleigh.
"Thanks!" Kayleigh walked back out. "Hey so if you want, I only got the one bed here. I can sleep on the couch while you get some proper sleep on the world's second comfiest bed."
Cass gave her a questioning look as he brushed his long, black hair. "Uh, bro it's your house and it's your bed. I'm not doing that to you. The couch is good enough for me."
Kayleigh nodded. "Right. Right uh... here you go." She pulled out a set of blankets and pillows from one of the linen closets, handing them to Cass. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate. I'll be nearby." Cass nodded as Kayleigh took her turn freshening herself up in the bathroom.
As Kayleigh bathed, Cass set up the couch he would be sleeping on. Barkely snoozed away on one of the recliners, being tucked in by one of the blankets. Cass turned the TV off as he laid his head back onto the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was a mess of jumbled up thoughts. He loves Kayleigh so much it almost hurts. But he needed to steel himself, he needed to be ready to let her go and live her life. He didn't own her, she was her own person. And she didn't owe Cass anything. Despite everything they went through together, it isn't an excuse to tie her down. Cass could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as the sound of flowing water stopped.
Kayleigh stepped out of the bathroom, her hair contained within a towel. She wore a comfy pair of sweatpants with teddy bears on it and a t-shirt with the silhouette of a rabbit's head. "Alright, lo--- Cass. Yeah. Cass. Goodnight. And again, if you need absolutely anything at all please come get me."
Cass's heart felt like it was going to shrivel up. She almost called him love again. He was going to miss that. He was going to miss her. He was going to--- "Uh. Yeah. Of course. Go ahead and get some sleep now, Kayleigh. It's been a long day. Goodnight."
Kayleigh nodded. "Night, Cass." she breathlessly mouthed the words 'I love you', not having the strength nor the courage to say it aloud.
Cass tried his best to focus on Barkley's breathing. It was the only thing distracting him from his thoughts. He finally felt himself slowly starting to drift to sleep as suddenly his covers were lifted up and a warmth pressed itself against his side and a face pressed against his neck. "Kayleigh...? Wha--?" Cass felt a finger press against his lips.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so incredibly sorry. I know things are complicated right now and feelings are all over the place. But right now, with no uncertainty, I want this. No, I need this. I need your touch, your warmth. Your reassuring presence. For tonight, let's pretend like none of these complications exist. Let's pretend like we're still back at New Wirral. Just you and me. And then, tomorrow.... tomorrow I swear to you that we'll discuss this properly and figure out where to go from there."
Cass looked down at Kayleigh. His heart melted. She always looked so beautiful to him. Her soft features, her gorgeous eyes, the shape of her mouth especially when she would smile. Every aspect of her was something that Cass's heart yearned for. His body, acting on pure instinct, leaned down and.... Cass kissed Kayleigh deeply, but gently. With all the love he could muster. He feared, however, that Kayleigh would not reciprocate anymore. But he needed this now more than ever. Cass needed to feel the warmth and softness of Kayleigh's lips, even if it would be the last time in his life.. Cass was so scared that Kayleigh was repulsed by him now and that he would be kicked out onto the street.
But that wasn't the case.
Kayleigh returned the kiss, reciprocating with the same amount of fervor and love that Cass was giving to her. She held on as tight as she could. Again she felt as though she's been drowning while she was not kissing Cass. Despite it being less than 24 hours total, she missed his kisses. His proper touch. His love. Was she really going to give this up? Why didn't she offer to go with Cass to his world? Or why didn't she ask to just stay at New Wirral with him? Cass was the best ranger around, they'd had no trouble being able to feed themselves, maybe even adopt some pets and.... maybe start a family together.
Kayleigh felt the blush in her face as it burned. She tried not to think about the prospect of child rearing but here she is. Both Cass and Kayliegh held each other, kissing gently but repeatedly. Until finally, their lips separated as Cass pressed his forehead against Kayleigh's.
Without anymore words, the couple fell asleep in each other's embrace.