She didn't want to live that way anymore.
Cerpin had been the first troll she'd actually gotten to know. He'd forced his way into her life and stayed there, digging his nails in deep. The two of them had fought countless times, each striving to keep each other safe and to broaden their worlds. She wasn't sure if she'd actually succeeded in that for Cerpin but he certainly had for her. He'd made some missteps for sure but he'd also been incredibly patient with her. He'd taken care of her when she lost herself in fear. He'd taken care of her when she was too depressed to get out of bed. He'd done so much to keep her in his life.
A pessimistic voice pointed out that of course he had. She was his engineer. He needed her. He'd invested a lot of time and money in her. Sure he could start over but it would mean uprooting all of his current work and having to first find another to help him. Not to mention explaining everything to Byakko and the rebels. They were both trapped in this arrangement now. She swallowed at this realization, unable to push it completely from her mind. It hurt to think about.
A second voice pointed out that she had spent her life with this man, even fallen in love with him. Cerpin could act fake when he wanted to, sure, but she'd seen his true bad behavior. He was capable of some terrible stuff but he wasn't a terrible person underneath it. He was a boy who'd grown up in a dangerous world and then had it shattered around him. Cerpin had done his best to adjust, to try and change his ways. It was impossible to beat everything out, though, and she didn't hate him for that. She was the same way, really. It wasn't like she'd managed to unlearn lowblood behavior and become a shining role model for other redbloods to aspire to.
They were both doing the best they could. They had both accepted each other, flaws included.
She still loved him, even if he did not.
She couldn't lie to herself. It still hurt. But her life would hurt far worse if she abandoned everything here just because of pride. He'd admitted it first, he needed her- missed her. She was his partner. As the song ended, she understood it was time to answer his call.
"I miss you too."
The door opened.
Yamashii
KitsuneAura