Chapter 488 - 489: Come With Me.

Chapter 488: Chapter 489: Come With Me.

It’s a long silence. One that somehow feels like the longest and most terrifying one that Khobi’s ever faced.

"So?" Khobi prompts, breath ghosting against his lips, "...How about it?"

He’s ready for it; ready for the worst.

(Hopes he is.)

"...You askin’ me to run away with you, Khobi?" Loac finally murmurs huskily, eyes flitting open to lock with his, and despite the teasing quirk to his lips there’s no hiding the dazzling glimmer of unbridled joy sparking bright in the depths of his eyes; radiant, breathtakingly blue. An open sky stretching out towards the wilderness; frothing with anticipation for the unknown to rise up beneath him.

"I guess I am," Khobi admits with a small, hopeful smile of his own, and he’s not to know it but there are sparks dancing in his own eyes too; rich and red and full of wonder, "...Will you? Run away with me?"

Instead of answering, Loac kisses him. Instead of with words, he tells him in the way he pulls him close; kissing him slow and full of untethered, undisguised longing, like he’s been aching to kiss him like this. And maybe he has, because Khobi’s been aching for it just the same; his heart fluttering in his chest, too light and swollen too full to be capable of pounding. And Khobi kisses him back just the same; indulgent and full of the words he’s up until this moment kept simmering within him, dropping his hands away from Loac’s so that he can take his face in both hands the way he desperately wanted to. So that he can smooth his thumbs along the crest of his cheeks and cup his fingers along his jaw, and kiss him not just because, but because he’s precious and important and he doesn’t want to let him go.

It’s a kiss that doesn’t end as one, nor at two; a kiss that he never wants to end, and feels like it never has to.

And then, when Loac finally withdraws; fingers lightly twisted in Khobi’s shirt like he can’t believe there was ever a moment where he thought he could just let him go, he’s wearing that look --that breathtaking, unmistakeable look --laid bare, like he doesn’t care who sees as long as Khobi does.

As long as Khobi’s looking back at him just the same.

Which he is.

"...When do we leave?"

I trust that you’ll get Khobi to where he needs to go.

...

Xena tries not to cry, really she does, because tears are unbecoming of a princess. Royal houses are meant to be the foundations upon which their kingdoms are built, which means that they need to be stronger than all those around them. Princesses are too often seen as weak and fragile little creatures, so she has tried so hard her whole life to prove that she is capable of the same stony mask of the kings and princes of other kingdoms; capable of weathering the same storms.

But tonight there’s no one here but her, the cousin she’s loved like a brother, and the man she would have welcomed into her family, so she cries when they come to her as the sun gives way to dusk to bid her a final goodnight.

Loac doesn’t tell her not to cry, and he holds her tight when she hugs him and rests his chin in her hair and lets her muffle her sobs in his chest. He looks so dressed up; so handsome, all fancy for a night out with his friends.

"...You’re not mad?" he asks quietly, giving her head a light pat to let her know it’s fine if she wants to keep crying; that she needn’t pretend with him. That if she’s mad he can take it.

But Xena’s not mad. Gods, why would she be mad?

"...I just want you to be happy, Loac," she tells him softly, more to the damp fabric of his chest than anything else. "That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you." She withdraws just enough to peer up at him, and even though she doesn’t need to ask; can see it clear as day in his face, she asks anyway, just to hear him say it.

"Will this make you happy?"

He has to know she sees him glance over at Khobi; has to know that after all these years she can see the way his mouth curls up into a smile when he catches him looking. He has to.

"It will."

She knew; she already knew, but hearing it makes all the difference, and with those two simple words a weight falls away from her shoulders.

"...Then I’m not mad." She hugs him tight again; as if one last hug will somehow make up for all the hugs they haven’t shared over the years and all the ones she’ll miss once he’s gone. He indulges her this much, because even though she’s not mad, that doesn’t mean she’s not sad. She’s only just gotten him back and here she is on the cusp of losing him again.

No, no, she scolds herself as she wipes away at her eyes with her sleeves. It’s not very ladylike, but she doesn’t much feel like a lady right now. She can’t think like that. She’s not losing Loac. He’s found himself; found a path he wants to walk.

She spares a look for Khobi Frost, standing off to one side like he’s not sure whether or not this is a moment he’s meant to intrude upon. Xena offers him a warm smile and strides over to wrap her arms around him so that he knows that there’s nothing to intrude upon; that this moment is for him, too. He seems a little surprised by the gesture, but not as much as he once might have.

And someone he wants to walk it with.

Who is she to stand in his way, when that’s all she’s ever been searching for herself?

"Whatever happens, Khobi," she promises, and even though her cheek must be making his shirt ever so wet he doesn’t seem to mind, "...If you ever find your way back here, there will be a place for you. I’ll make sure of it."

"...Thanks, Xena," he replies, voice surprisingly gentle. It sounds like he really means it. She’s known it for quite some time now, but Khobi Frost has quite the good heart, doesn’t he? And he’s already proven that he can handle Loac, when he needs to. That he can look after him, too.

"...You’ll come back for my wedding, won’t you?" she adds, as she releases Khobi to get one last, good look at her cousin before he goes. She’ll see him again someday --call it woman’s intuition, but she knows. "...Because I won’t forgive you if you aren’t there to see me married."

"Wouldn’t miss it," Loac assures her with a wry chuckle, "...Gotta make sure Montrel doesn’t do anything stupid." She laughs at that, but there are still tears beading in the corners of her eyes. A little quieter, he asks her if she’ll be okay, and she really means it when she tells him that she will be. She’ll worry herself sick about him, obviously, but she thinks as long as he’s with Khobi, everything will be okay.

"I love you, Loac," she tells him, trying not to linger on how many more times she should’ve said it, "...I’ll miss you."

She doesn’t expect him to say it back, but after a moment she hears it, low and a little hoarse, "...Love you too, Xena."