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Atlas didn't hear her, or at the very least he didn't acknowledge her quietly calling out to him. The normally tense and nervous senshi had gone completely slack where he was standing. His hands were loose and still at his sides, which was definitely a rarity. Slowly, his chin lowered until his face was more level, but it still quirked a bit to the side as he listened. And not to Alcyone's voice, or the noise of the machinery around him... something else.

It was a voice -- no, it was a whole chorus of voices, swelling from from far above him, and he could recognize the tune immediately. He'd heard it a million times. He heard it every day.

The actual words were garbled and distorted, the language unfamiliar. However, there were notes to it, the simple sequence of them resonating in his mind with just as much familiarity as someone would regard Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, except this carried with it a great deal more pride and importance. Almost like an anthem.

Atlas had heard the call verse. Instantly, without even thinking about it or realizing it, he hummed the tune to the answer verse under his breath.

And as soon as the strange spell had overtaken him, it was broken, Alcyone's voice piercing through his trance and bringing him back to reality. However, it wasn't with a startled jump or flinch that he snapped out of it, and it was up for debate whether 'snapping out of it' was the proper way to describe it. Instead Atlas simply opened his eyes, and looked around with a momentary look of distress and confusion on his face. Where did the song go?

Then he remembered: it was never actually there. Not really.

His whole body heaved in a long, defeated sigh, right at the moment the platform clacked into place on the ground. Then he turned to look at Alcyone, seeming a little bit lost, his lips moving a bit as if to speak but not ending up saying anything.

It was strange. They hadn't really done much, just walked a little ways and took a ride on an unusual elevator. And yet, in spite of that, for some reason Atlas suddenly felt sort of exhausted. The touch of Alcyone's fingers against his cheek was a reassuring one -- it helped bring him back to his senses a bit to make contact with something real -- and he couldn't help but lean into it a little even as she was speaking. "I don't know," he quietly mumbled in response. He really didn't. Everything he had seen today was a lot to take in.

His brows furrowed a bit with worry at her expression, and the clear tone of concern she'd had in her voice... how long had he been standing there disconnected from reality? The corner of his mouth twitched a little bit, and then he gently brought his hand to her shoulder again, as if in doing so he could make her worry go away. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry..."

The only thing that was really stopping Atlas from mumbling out more apologies for his behavior was that, somehow, he already felt reassured beyond the need to do it. He felt Alcyone's arm creep around his waist, and as she pulled herself in closer to him the hand he had on her shoulder moved to carefully support her back instead.

This was different from the normal mannerisms from her he'd grown accustomed to. It wasn't like the simple habit of giving him an amicable kiss on the cheek as a greeting, or the friendly hug she would give when saying goodbye. It wasn't even the same as the moment they'd shared back when he'd first awakened as a senshi and he had allowed her to cry in his arms. There was a different purpose to this, he could almost feel, from those times when she was merely expressing her friendship or seeking comfort. And unlike their stiltedly-ended embrace from before, there was no doubting the fact that this was deliberate, and she wanted to be closer to him.

And -- he finally admitted to himself, slowly and deliberately spelling it out and setting it in mental stone -- he wanted to be closer to her.

He felt a pang of sympathy at her next words, as quietly and meekly as they were spoken, barely tickling at the edge of his ear. But instead of dwelling on how that meant they had both been worrying for nothing all along, he tried to chase Alcyone's current concerns away by quietly, gently shushing her as she was voicing them, bringing his other hand up to stroke her hair. Atlas didn't say anything else, and he didn't want to. He was afraid it would somehow break the spell they had both fallen under if he did.

Slowly, he was able to fully relax, his breathing subconsciously matching the subtle pace that Alcyone was setting. It brought about a strange clarity, almost dreamlike, that allowed Atlas to be just a little bit more brave -- leaning downwards a bit so she wouldn't have to strain herself on the tips of her toes, and bringing down his arm to wrap around her waist in a genuine embrace.

He should have been more nervous, there should have been a deafening rush of blood past his ears. Instead he felt only an expanse of calm, and the presence of the girl he was with pulling at him like a magnet. Maybe his tiny glimpse into the past had lent him some confidence that day. He couldn't tell.

All knew was that when he did, finally, kiss her, it wouldn't have made a difference whether they had been on Atlas or on Earth.

The message was as clear as day -- there was no need to talk anymore. If the quiet initiative Atlas had taken could be likened to a question, then the other senshi's response would easily have been translated into yes, yes, a thousand times yes, with such conviction that rang through his mind he didn't have to hear it spoken. He didn't need to question it. And most importantly, he didn't need to question himself. He wanted this. He wanted to be able to do this every day, and there was no better way to tell her this but to pull her in closer and keep kissing her.

His arms remained around her waist even as they finally pulled away, one hand with its fingers twined in the wild curls of Alcyone's hair. And then, his breath issued out of him in one more sigh, though this one wasn't out of anxiety, or defeat, or even of relief. It was of contentment. Atlas was exhausted, and definitely confused by the mysteries he seemed to uncover with each step in his abandoned homeworld, but at that moment he wasn't letting that bother him.

He was simply happy.

And he untangled his hand so he could reach it up to Alcyone's face and brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, in a silent expression of gratitude.

"Are we ready to go back?" he asked after a moment's indulgence, his voice swelling gently through the silence. "I think we've had enough adventure for one day."

His shoulders free from Alcyone's grip, Atlas was able to stretch back up closer to his full height, and -- because at this point, he really couldn't resist the temptation to -- he rested his chin on her head again. But this was entirely so the trip back to Earth would be as comfortable and painless as could be managed.

No, really.

"It's going to pretty much be like it was when we arrived here," he explained as a precaution while summoning his phone into his hand again. "So... brace yourself, I guess."

His arm gave Alcyone a reassuring squeeze around her waist before he dialed Earth, and they were sent rushing through the fabric of space again, before reappearing in his dorm -- and the horrific pressure headache from hell assaulted them both once again. Simon had apparently powered down the instant they'd arrived, so at least his companion had a nice argyle sweater to press her face into. It still hurt like hell.

For a few minutes the both of them remained that way in a bit of a crumpled heap, neither of them really favoring the idea of moving much. In spite of having something softer to land on this time than a stone floor or an equally stone wall it was still a pretty miserable experience, and Simon hadn't even taken any notice of what sort of way Alba might have been lying on top of him because he was too busy trying to chase away the sensation of the room spinning around him. He could feel it even with his eyes screwed shut.

The discomfort eventually subsided, fortunately for them both, and Simon's breathing resumed its normal pace again -- which he noticed because his senses had become flooded with the warm scent of Alba's shampoo again. Her hair was all over the place. However, he was more than happy to pull and smooth it back into order for her. His gloves had disappeared along with the rest of his fuku, and so this time his hands were thoroughly treated by its pleasant texture running between his fingers. That was something he couldn't hide the fact he was enjoying: Alba would be able to pick up a faint hum of satisfaction rumbling through his vocal chords.

Simon shifted a bit, but only to stretch out a little and give Alba some room to move if she wanted to make herself comfortable. It was obvious he had no desire to get up. Upon lying down, he'd discovered that he was just too tired to really want to leave his room or his bed again. As instantaneous as it was, space travel had still taken a lot out of him, emotional rollercoasters aside.

"Are you feeling okay?" he quietly asked. His hands were still lost in her hair. It was already becoming an addiction.

...Maybe someday she'd let him brush it.

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to," Simon replied, and in saying so made it obvious that his own opinion was the same. He didn't want her to leave. If it meant forcing himself to stay awake for a bit longer, it would be worth having her company. For a moment he let his eyes flutter closed, allowing himself to simply enjoy the sensation of her forehead against his, her hair tickling at the sides of his face -- but the closeness of her lips ended up impossible to ignore, and he tilted his chin upwards so he could steal another soft kiss.

A giddy sort of bashfulness set in just a second later. Simon could feel his cheeks tingling with a light blush, and his embrace affectionately tightened around Alba's waist as his mind started to piece together what his heart already had.

"Thank you," he muttered earnestly, shifting a bit more so she could rest her head comfortably on his shoulder. "For coming with me, I mean. If you hadn't, I... I wouldn't have been able to come back with you..."