talldarkbitter | crywolf; mia

[ Going through the halls, he doesn't know how he manages not to just stop the moment they seem to be alone enough. Thinking of all the things he's going to say get him climbing the stairs to the second floor, where he pulls the key to his room.

It's as safe as it's going to be in there. It's dusty and empty, save for two beds and a lady's mannequin, which is wearing a flowing white dress.

Suddenly, all the things he could say don't matter quite so much in that moment, when he shuts the door and simultaneously cages her by it. Not pushing, not even touching yet, just blocking her from the rest of the room. Close.

Diego swallows thickly, the hand not leaning him against the wall lifting, shaky, to brush his fingertips across her cheek. Like he's afraid they'll pass right through. ]

I didn't think I'd ever see you again... in this life.

[ "In this life." There it is again, the simple, awful truth that everyone's been dancing around. Well, almost everyone.

But Mia's a smart girl. She knows how to put the evidence together. ]

I think I understand. You woke up- you woke up after I was dead, didn't you?

[ Her eyes trace the edges of his mask, and one hand raises slowly towards it. ]

[ He doesn't move to stop her. Her question has got his mouth in the hard lines of a frown. If Mia can't trust him to give her the hard truths, who can she trust? Not Wright, the coward. ]

After you were murdered.

[ Now that he's behind closed doors, emotions fill his voice. ]

I couldn't protect you, Mia. I'm sorry.

[ He failed. They're words he's been saying to the air for so long, half hoping she was still there. And then, after some of the things he'd done, wished she wasn't.

His mask begins to smoke a little, almost like something is fussing with the electrical system. ]

Don't- [ It's too much, it's too much all at once. He failed her? After all he'd done? After all that had been done to him? ]

Take this off. I want to see you.

[ He hesitates a moment, but then he lets his hand move back from her face, reaching back to undo the mask. There's a soft hiss of servos and then the great metal plate falls off in his hand, the lights on the visor now gone dark.

He looks at her with his real eyes, still brown but much paler than that dark roast they used to be. They're a little wet. There's a pale scar across his face from where a dagger nicked across years ago.

Diego's guilt and self-loathing has built up for so long by now, he's waiting for her disgust or her pity. But she asked, and damn if he can deny her anything right now. ]

[ She gasps quietly. The scar is new, so is the way his eyes don't seem to track or focus. It's hard to speak around the lump in her throat, but she had promised herself that the next time they spoke face to face, she'd be smiling like he taught her to. Her hands reach back up for his face, thumb swiping along the discolored flesh of his scar. ]

That's a good look for you.

[ ~~Thanks, your mom technically gave it to me.~~

Despite himself, Diego gives a little huff of laughter. It's an affectionate thing, more than mirthful, if such a thing is possible. He doesn't deserve her in the least.

But that isn't going to stop him from leaning in to kiss her smiling mouth. Alive, Mia is alive. Nothing else matters. ]

[ The familiarity of this floods back into her. His coffee-dark scent, the callouses on his hands, the prick of his beard, all the sensations that she'd done her best to put out of mind- they hit her all at once, making her feel warm, head to toe.

She makes a small, involuntary noise into the kiss, her hand slipping around the back to his neck to pull him against her. Diego is here, Diego is awake, Diego is kissing her. It's not the only thing that matters, but it's pretty damn important. ]

crywolf; mia

evening the 1st;

Re: evening the 1st;

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