Welcome to Gaia! ::

Almary winced, but didn't pull his hand away from Massalia's. "I want you both safe," he muttered softly, looking down. "You and Subra," he added, heaving a sigh. "The chibis... I don't want them to die, but you two are. You're all I have left, except my court. And you don't want to come with us if we get away..."

He swallowed and turned to face Massalia, no longer bothering to wipe away his tears. "I don't get it - forget why I bother with you, why do you bother with me? What makes me so important, I - all I ever did was join the Dark Moon and leave you guys."

He looked down at their joined hands, and frowned. "I don't... get it..."

"Oh, damn it all," Almary muttered, and pulled Massalia into a hug. Okay, so calling him and Subra 'contacts' just wasn't going to work. "Calm down, y' big stupid.... come here," he muttered, and tugged the Eternal over to sit under a tree.

"You may be sixteen but you've done a heck of a lot in my eyes. Y'know that?" He asked awkwardly, trying to comfort Massalia without giving in to his own weakness. "Maybe... maybe you couldn't save everyone, but you got your mom and your sister to safety, and Subra's okay. I'm okay too, just... a little different."

He attempted a smile in order to perk his old friend up. "All things considered, you've been doing really well. You have. You know me, Massy - you know I wouldn't lie about this."

Oh. That he could sympathize with. "You'n'me both, Massy," Almary muttered, leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree. "You and me and Subra too. We're all old, in a way..." He sighed, then looked down at their still-entwined hands.

"Which... doesn't really make it any better, huh?" Squeezing Massalia's hand warmly, he tried to make eye contact with the older boy. "What you need is for someone to look after you, stupid," he murmured. "Subra too - you guys need someone to keep you both from overworking... keep you sane, as much as any of us are in this war."

He paused, frowning. "...Odds are one or both or all three of us will die sooner rather than later, so... you can hate me for this after we get out of this, and not before." And without further ado - without waiting, lest he manage to talk himself out of it - he leaned over and kissed the other boy soundly on the lips in a brief but not-entirely chaste expression of affection.

Almary was pleasantly surprised by Massalia not immediately pulling away or punching him, both of which the blue-haired teen had expected. Returning the hug, he rocked the White Moon senshi for a moment, imparting what little comfort he remembered taking from similar motions in the past.

"...I still wanna kiss your girlfriend, too," he admitted slowly, even shyly. "But I don't mind watching you two together. You... you need something to go right for you, and me... I don't want to ruin that." Swallowing, he... didn't pull away at Massalia's words, but he did flinch.

"I don't know if I can, Massy. The Dark Moon... we're neutral, but we're still... I don't know that it would be safe - for you guys - if I did... and I want you and Subra safe. Here, elsewhere, on another world I don't care I just don't want you two dying and... and leaving me..."

"...Massalia," Almary said, frowning at the other teen. "You... you are needed. When you're fighting extinction, every person's needed." He bit his lower lip, nibbling on it for a moment, then added. "...I need you. To know you're safe, at least. It's... someone's gotta take care of this place if and when I leave. You're... you and Subra are the only ones I trust to do it."

He paused and pulled Massalia into another, tighter hug. "I won't promise that, because I'm not going to let either one of you die. You're gonna survive and live happy lives and not have to be afraid any more."

Empty promises, and he knew it, but... he didn't want to think about surviving the death of either of the only two people that truly mattered to him in this broken world.

"I'll keep you guys safe. Both of you."

Almary stayed quiet for a while, processing Massalia's words. "If you never awakened," he said softly, after the silence had begun to stretch painfully long, "We would have never become friends."

He sighed and frowned, but didn't move to get up or even pull away from the other boy."I think... I think you need a break," he added, voice soft. "Want me to talk to Subra, see if she can take a few days to just... spend time with you? Maybe there's a way I could help or... or something?"

Losing Massalia and Subra - to death, at least - was not and never would be an option.

"I care," Almary said slowly, frowning. "Don't... don't I count?" He knew they weren't the same faction any more, but that had never stopped Massalia from caring about anyone - look at his old friendship with Avior, for example.

Patting Massalia's shoulder, the frown turned into a scowl. "I can guess what you're thinking. Don't ---- don't go down that road, Massy. You would be missed. Subra still needs you. I need you - and we'll help you, y' big stupid, if you'll just let us."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Why not go camping with her for a while? Get food. Make out under the trees. All that good stuff."