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In Drift's hand sat a letter Megii came to know well. Very well. Because they wrote it.
It was the same letter Megii had poured deep devotion and reflection in. A quick idea Megii did because they were just too overwhelmed after learning that Drift left… but those pages were never suppose to leave the confines of their room. How did they get here?
When Megii decided to come over today, they were hoping to catch Drift up on everything she missed while she was away… not this. Not having their heart out on display for Drift to see. To judge.
Just looking at the page in her hand, it wells Megii up with anxiety. Their breath feels shorter. Their eyes cant focus at one spot. Their mind is racing. It was all to much for the little critter. They needed to escape. Now.
"I need to go," Megii yelps, not giving Drift a chance to response.
As soon as Megii was out of Drift's dorm, they ran. As fast as their legs could take them.
They make it to their room, heart beating out of their chest. Megii tries to focus on their surroundings to calm down. Four flower bushes. Three bugs waddling around on the top floor. Two cushions on the couch. One Lukey who just reappeared from the void.
"Hey," Megii manages out, thankful for the distraction.
"Missed you," Lukey hums.
"Missed you too. What are you up too?"
"Nothing much… Oh, I sent that parcel you had laying around by the way," Lukey notes like it was nothing. He puffs up his chest and beams that boyish smile of his to Megii, seemingly rather pleased in his action, "See, I can be helpful."
"Lucas."
The name deflates him a little, "Uh, yeah?"
"You're telling me, it was you who sent my letter?" At this point, Megii had gotten up from their chair. Their prismatic eyes shrouded in their furrowed brows' shadow, almost matching the dark ones looking back at them in uneasiness.
"Should I have not?"
"God no! When would you ever send someone's else mail!" Megii retorts and walks towards him. Every step they took forward, Lukey would take one back until his back reached the cool amethyst wall. "Do you know what you just did?"
"I thought I was helping, I don't know." Lukey defends. Megii has practically pinned him to the wall. "Thought you would be happy."
"Happy?"
"You look really happy right now," Lukey jokes. He brings a hand up to mouth, trying to cover the giggles.
"Right. Yes, I am the picture of peace and happiness. Can you stop… being you and be serious for once in your life?" Megii huffs out. It only makes Lukey laugh even harder but that doesn't stop Megii from berating him. "Do you know how much mess I'm in… because of you! I poured my heart and soul in those pages and now she-"
The hand that was once used to cover his own mouth is now locked over Megii's. The woodland mage looks franticly to Lukey for the reason but he offers nothing to explain his action. He still just trying—and failing—to not laugh.
"Should I come back later?"
Megii rips the hand off their mouth, "Drift?!"
Megii whips their head around and see Drift staring at her… at them. Drift has the same look in her eyes when she's trying to solve a puzzle or can't quite remember a word. Confusion and frustration. It makes Megii burn with embarrassment. "I think I'm going to leave."
"No, its okay. You aren't interrupting. We like an audience," Lukey, somehow, says with a straight face.
"No! We do not!" Megii starts hitting him. Batting him off the wall and pushes him towards his room while trying to give Drift their most apologetic look, "Sorry, he is like that…"
"Do you guys normally do stuff like this?" Drift sounds almost disgusted.
"No."
"Yes! Sometimes knifes are at play too," Lukey says.
Megii grabs onto Lukey's shoulders, "I need you to stop it right now. You have done enough damage already."
"I was just trying to help," Lukey flashes Megii the biggest grin, "but fine. I'll stop."
"Thank you," Megii watches him walk further in his room and takes a deep breath before facing Drift again, "I'm really sorry about him."
"Uh no, no. It's okay… I just—I don't think I realized you were into that kind of stuff. I mean I knew you and AJ fight a lot but now with the knife play, I'm just—" then Drift leans in, "Lukey? Really?"
"I can still hear you, y'know. Shared noise bubble, cause we are so close and everything," Lukey shouts from his room.
"Lukey. Go to your void. Leave. Do something—anything else."
Lukey laughs in response but its cut off abruptly. Megii goes into Lukey's room to make sure he is fully gone then says, "Don't believe a single word that man says."
"So… no knife play?"
Megii burst into laughter, "Oh god no! Unless you count the times I'm genuinely trying to kill him, no. Thank god."
"Well, let's forget about him… how are you?" Drift asks and beckons Megii to sit down next to her.
"What."
"Well you left in a hurry, I was worried I did something wrong. I followed after you immediately but Osteon stopped me in the hall, and you know how she is, so I just got here."
"Oh, um. I'm fine," Megii answers shortly.
"You don't seem fine. Come sit down next to me."
Megii slowly makes their way to Drift and sits but a good distance away, "I'm fine. Really."
"Megii…"
"I really don't want to talk about it."
Drift nods, "I won't push, but I here for you. You know that, right?"
Megii tries the contort their face the most reassuring look they can muster, "Yeah… right."
"Well…" Drift holds up the journal. Their note. "We never did get to reading this."
"Uh huh."
"Do you want to?" Drift wiggles the paper around excitedly.
"I um… I want to do whatever… you want to do," Megii forces out.
"Great! I have a feeling it's not AJ because she always put her letters in books but who knows…?" Drift is brimming with anticipation.
Megii wants get out but they can't leave twice… right? Once they can play off, but twice… Drift will surely press them on it. So they git their teeth and await them baring their soul on those pages.
"Dear Drift,
In your recent absence, I was overcome with my emotions. My heart can't help but spill over in my care. Yet, my warmth for you is impossible to describe. So with my chest in knots and a empty space by me, I thought a letter trying to piece together my feelings for you would be good."
Drift pauses, "Wow… do you know who sent this?"
Megii feigns ignorance, wanting to be anywhere but here. Each word feels like a self-inflicted stab to the gut. Each line hits like a firecracker, making their chest want to burst out of itself.
Drift, oblivious to it all, just hums and continues on reading.
"My history has been such a lonely thing in my life and seeing you boldly and courageously renounce your past, your expectations, your title… it fills me with such a desire to do the same… or at the very least make an effort to. You gave me hope that my past does not define me and while I struggle to fully reach the lengths you have gotten to, your resilience continues to motivate me to move forward as who I am now and not what I've been told I must be.
So it pains me to no end, that despite all you have done and all the strength you posses, it seems like the past never does leave. Now not only do have to grieve the bravest, most daring person I know…"
"Oh, the letter ends there? Looks torn off," Drift murmurs, "y'know, I was really hoping to get a name."
"You want… the rest of it?" Megii cautiously asks. They don't really know what compiled them to do that.
"Of course I do!" Drift states it like the was the most obvious thing in the world.
Megii rounds up all the courage they could muster, "Okay…"
"Megii?"
"I know… where the rest is…" Megii sits up and opens their cabinet. Before Drift could even vocalize a reaction, the woodland mage pulls out a crumpled up piece of paper. Despite everything in their body telling them otherwise, Megii reads it out.
"I find myself second guessing all the ways I tried to follow your lead. Oh if you were here, I know you would set me right in a instance. But you are not.
I'm sorry I was too weak to save you like the ways you have saved me. I won't ever stop trying to get my home back."
Megii's voice cracked and wilted throughout the whole reading. Tears threaten to escape, their throat yearned to close up but they read it all. And at the end, Megii lets themself look at Drift for the first time since they started reading the final part of the note.
With a teary stare, Drift whispers out, "Oh Magpie…"
"The letter ends there," Megii utters, "Then I took off."
"To look for… me?"
Megii nods, "I didn't have a plan or any real logic to it but after writing those words… I couldn't just stand still. I needed you back."
Drift gives an almost pained expression but seems content to just sit in the moment and let the words of the letter wash over her. It worries Megii. The hurt smile… the lack of response… After sharing something so personal to their chained up heart, Megii wants to bolt.
"I'm sorry." Megii blurts out. They couldn't take the silence anymore.
Drift rushes to Megii, lightly placing her hands on top of Megii. The physical pressure make the critter lessen the harsh grip they had on the torn out page. Megii hadn't even noticed they were holding on so tightly.
Drift looks to Megii, "Hey, hey hey… There's nothing to apologize for. This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me."
"You don't think it's dumb…? That I… did this…"
"I think its dumb that you even consider me thinking that! Magpie, this is something so intimate and dripping in your care, I would never think that's dumb."
"Yeah…?"
Drift gives Megii's hands a squeeze, "I take every word you say to heart and I think the world of you. I'm honored to even have read your feelings and see that part of you. But you didn't plan on it, huh?"
"Yeah… have to thank Lukey for that," Megii gives out a sad laugh, its hard to giggle when your face is strained with tears, "But um… now that it's all said and done, I'm happy you got to hear it."
"Yeah?" Drift grins, "Got any more love notes hidden around?"
"Gah! Drift stop it!," Megii brushed Drift off, their face feels like it's on fire, "have you know, that was the only one I made!"
Drift pokes at Megii and sing-songily teases, "I don't believe you!~"
Megii huffs away but a smile fails to leave their face.
"Come on, there has to be some more. I'm so lovable afterall."
"Yeah, yeah, you would think that, princess."
"Whoa wait! Is Drift a princess?" a voice calls out. A voice Megii knows very well.
Megii rushes to Lukey's side of the dorm, "I told you to get out of here!"
"I'm going! I'm going!" Lukey skirts past Megii to get to the door, "Just came back because I got bored of the void."
"Right."
"What void?" Drift mumbles.
"It's my power. What's it to you, princess?" Lukey cheekily retorts.
Megii wants to die on the spot.
"Lukey. Bye." And Megii pushes him out the dorm. Locking it behind him. "Sorry about him… again."
"I um… I still can't say I understand why you are with him."
"I don't think I really do either…" Megii starts to pace, "Something draws us to each other I think… our pasts maybe…"
"Oh Megii, I mean I know I don't know the whole story, but I hope you know your past, whatever it is, doesn't define you."
"I know," Megii pathetically responses, "I wrote about it in the letter."
"Then you know what I'm going to say."
Megii nods.
"You are what you want to be, you make your life your own," Drift urges. "I can say for myself now how my words ring true. I left in the first place because I thought the same thing, that no matter how far I ran, how much I change, the lengths I went to, my past finally did catch up. But it didn't. I don't have a title anymore. And the only person coming for me… was you."
Megii feels like crying again, "That's right. Me."
"So whatever skeleton you may have in your closet or histories looming over you, you don't have to worry about it because I'm here. For you."
"Thank you Drift… I really needed to hear that. Can we… um.."
"Yeah?" Drift encourages.
"Can we press our foreheads together?" Megii meekishly asks.
"Of course we can."