“Goodbye…,” a whispered word to three turned backs, directed to all, but focused more on the center.

One sends a backwards glance and an attempt at a smile.

The man in white does not.

And neither does… he.

For a moment, she thought he would. He started to turn his head, but stopped only partway there, probably reminding himself that it wouldn’t matter if he looked or not. He’d never gazed on her visage before, and he never would. So it didn’t matter now. He supposes even if he could see her, it would only make this harder. Especially if this is anywhere near as tormenting for her as him.

He hastens his pace, past the other two, but only slightly. He’ll need them to get up the stairs – to the roof. They can leave a little easier from there. He needs to be somewhere safer, quick.

Nina lowers her golden gaze as the three go up the stairs, single-file for the sake of space. Tears prick the corners of her eyes and for a minute she tries not to think about the hurt that was already sewn into her breast, into the beating and slowly breaking heart.

It doesn’t work.

When she closes her eyes, trying not to see the reality of now, she sees the reality of what was really only a few hours ago. Even if it feels more like an age. She sees Pyre – or Thomas, rather – laying on the floor and bleeding from the gut wound received from Janoe’s spear.

She sees him dying.

And then alive again,

…Immortal – A Fayte.

And, oh, how good it had been to just hold him and know he was still there…

It was funny. In a bitter way.

She’s realized, even before this – more than most will or have, that you can never know how much someone means to you, what they mean to you…until you’ve lost them. Or almost...

And by then it’s too late.

The second time she has lost something, although now it was on a much smaller scale when measured person-by-person. But it hurts just as much.

Maybe more.

She hears the door close above her, and the tears quiver on her eyelashes. They threaten to fall any moment now.

This is it.

This is goodbye.

Something explodes in her chest – The tears spill over – And her legs carry her up the stairs.

They are still on the roof, but they won’t be for much longer.

“Wait!”

The three men – Faytes – are all startled by this sudden outburst.

Pyre, who’d been looking more-than-somberly downwards, is the first to look up. He turns to the source of the word – the direction of the door they had just exited – only to nearly have the wind knocked out of him when a small body crashes into his own and clings to him. It takes only a moment to register that it is Nina who is holding him now, Nina who is sobbing loudly against his chest. And his arms slide around her shoulders in the next moment, and he sinks to his knees, bringing the small woman down with him.

She doesn’t say anything. She just sits and sobs and clings and presses against the warm body – warmer than any she has ever known – and never, ever wants to let go. The tears fall unrelentingly.

Osiris and Lux’rei are respectfully quite as they watch.

Pyre and Nina loose awareness of them.

“Nina,” he whispers huskily, neck bent so his lips brush against her soft hair. “…Nina…”

She sobs more, one arm slides away from his torso to wrap tightly around his neck. She never fully lets go of him, childishly thinking he’ll disappear right away if she does. Nina sucks in a breath between long sobs and pushes her face into his black mass of hair. Her nose brushes against his neck, her lips a hair’s width away from doing the same.

Pyre’s hand tangles itself in her hair, mindful of the claws, the other at the small of her back, holding her as tightly to him as he dares to.

Finally words find their way to Nina’s mouth, and they spill out senselessly. “I-I’m so-rry, so sorry. I just, I- I,” she hiccups on the words, having trouble breathing. “I-I’ll mi-ss you so-o much and I – “ She sobs wordlessly again.

“Nina,” Pyre speaks, this time striving for her attention. He slowly moves his arms, each hand finding their way to her shoulders first before very carefully cupping each side of her face. He tilts her head so her neck is no longer bent, and knows that if her eyes aren’t turned away, she is looking at him.

Nina takes a moment to quiet her crying. His hands are big. His wrists are at the base of her neck and his fingertips reach her cheek bones. Her breathing slows, though tears still stream down her face and the occasional hiccup slips past her lips.

Once she is calm, Pyre takes a moment, hand stroking the side of her face gently, catching her hair again. “…This isn’t… This isn’t going to be the last time you and I will be together.” He pauses, allowing this to sink in.  “…I’ll be back for you… I don’t know when, but… I will be….. I promise.” He presses his forehead to hers. He can’t see them, but her lips must be right there.

Nina is no less than shocked. She trembles in his hold. It’s hard to process all of this so fast. “Y-you don’t hav- “

“I want to,” he insists. In his hands, he feels her nod her head and more tears spilling over on to them.

She feels like crumpling into his arms and crying some more. But it isn’t the time.

“..Pyre,” it is Lux’rei’s clam voice who interrupts the moment – though his lips don’t move. But that is all he says. They need to be leaving.

Pyre understands. “..Just a moment,” he requests, not changing his position in the meantime.

Nina’s earlier sobs have ebbed into soft whimpers, and her eyes are closed. Her heart feels a little less like it’s breaking now. More like it’s being pulled on.

“Nina.”

She realizes how claming her name can sound coming from him. She tries to quiet to listen better.

“…I-I…”

She opens her eyes and sees that his face is a bright shade of white, which makes her want to giggle through the tears. So she does.

Pyre feels relief bloom in his chest at the sound of that. What a lovely sound. Much more preferred over her crying, much more like the Nina he’d come to know. Sunset colored eyes move over the area he knows her face is in, if only because he holds it there.

Nina realizes what he is doing and suddenly felt flustered. She wants to ask him if something was wrong, but she can’t find the words to do it. Slower to come into the realm of realization is the fact that their mouths were getting closer together. Her blush deepens.

Pyre gives her forehead a bit of a nuzzle. Judging by the feel of her breath he could just… press his lips to hers, if he wanted to..

And so he does.

Nina is, needless to say, surprised. After the initial shock wears off her eyes flutter closed and she kisses back.

This kiss is, at best, clumsy due to both Pyre’s lack of sight and Nina’s inexperience. But it is a sweet kiss. Pure and honest.

They pull back, both of their faces flush. Nina is the first to speak.

“Pyre?” Her heart flutters. She winds up sniffing rather loudly because there is snot coming out of her nose, due to her crying. She is embarrassed, but this... being in Pyre’s arms, so, makes it okay.

Pyre chuckles softly. “Hm?”

“…I… I think I love you,” she says softly, whispering the last part.

Pyre’s cheeks flash white for a moment. “…I think I may love you, too, Nina.” He swallows, seeming bothered about something. “…I-I know I have no right to ask you to wait for me, but –“

“I will,” Nina’s answer comes without hesitance. And she flushes due to how hasty it sounded. “…If …If you’ll still want me, I’ll wait.” She smiles a little.

Pyre returns the smile that he can’t see. “..Thank you. …I’ll be back, I swear.” Their foreheads are still pressed together, and he hesitates a moment before tilting his head to brush his lips against her own.

Nina welcomes the second kiss, but it is brief.

Someone clears their throat. Suddenly the two are aware again of the two men there, behind them, making them both look downwards and blush madly. The flames that lick Pyre’s body flare up with his embarrassment.



Lux’rei frowns in the Second’s Fayte direction, wishing he’d been more tactful in getting their companions’ attention.

Pyre helps Nina to her feet.

“…You should be.. going now,” the woman says ever-so-softly, her hand clasped in one of Pyre’s. The ache in her heart is still there, pulling. But not breaking. And that’s what’s most important. For him, she can wait. She can wait a long time.

Pyre bends down to kiss her temple. “…I’ll be seeing you,” he whispers his promise again. Then he steps back and finds Lux’rei, holding onto his arm. He notes the pulling sensation in his chest, and imagines the tugging substance will become more taunt once he leaves this place. But it won’t stay that way.

Osiris stands next to the First and Third Faytes, grinning a little as a soft light engulfs them. He turns to Pyre, “I knew you had the hots for her.”

The last thing Nina sees is Pyre’s face turning white and sour-looking as Osiris bursts into laughter, and Lux’rei hides a chuckle behind his hand.

Then they’re gone.

She wants to laugh and cry, and does a bit of both – chuckling as a few more tears spill over. Her heart is pulled at more, but she knows.. it won’t be for long.

This wasn’t goodbye, afterall.