Backdated to Jan 29th??, after being rescued

Love was weird.

Merric crept into the apartment, sore and exhausted. His wrists ached, rubbed raw from the rope and he desperately wanted to sleep. He stumbled through, kicking off shoes and stripping off week old clothing. Gray eyes looked at the couch on his way to the bathroom, deciding that no, he wanted an actual bed tonight.

Bed meant Nina.

Definitely a shower first.

He turned the shower to the hottest setting, not bothering to wait for it to warm up before getting into the shower. Scalding water melted his stiff muscles and Merric let out a heavy sigh. Nina probably noticed he was gone, right? Maybe she’d thought he’d abandoned her, again, but didn’t have the motivation or energy to go find him. Or leave. Wouldn’t be the first time, and certainly not the last he wasn’t important enough.

Clearly ‘Jarosite’ wasn’t important enough to warrant much of anything. Where had he gone wrong with the whole ‘Negaverse’ thing? He was apt at combat and a lethal fighter, but he didn’t go out and corrupt anyone or train the younger agents. He’d never… really had the drive to do any of that. He’d figured someone would guide him, then Albireo corrupted and he’d spent two years being angry. The anger fizzled out though, leaving him with listlessness and no direction. Merric ran his fingers through his hair, untangling the long strands.

Would they miss him if he vanished, just gave it up and stayed with Nina?

They haven’t yet…

The water ran cold, rippling gooseflesh across his skin. Water dripped from his hair as he fumbled in the dark to find pants. His sweatpants eluded him; four pairs of questionably clean boxers later and Merric just said ******** it. Pants were overrated anyway and there was no need for them at this moment. He did make the effort to fish his phone out of the week old jeans though, to find that the magical pocket of space all his stuff went to did not retain electrical charges.

He wandered into the bedroom, curling into bed around Nina. The smell of her, the warmth of her skin relaxed every muscle the shower hadn’t and he buried his face in her neck. She was home, and Merric felt whole finally. He trembled, holding her tight. How he’d missed her, how he’d forgotten what holding her was like. An apology would be said should he wake her, but for now he’d cling to her as though she’d disappear from his arms.

Could he do it, he wondered some hours later, too worried he’d wake up in that chair again to sleep. Could he go with her to the White Moon? Once, he would have said no, he couldn’t. The Negaverse was the only thing he knew. It was his home. He had no ties like she did, what would wait for him on the other side?

The Negaverse wasn’t his home though.

She was.

“Where you go… I will follow, Nina. Across a hundred worlds, and ten thousand lifetimes, I will find you. I will always find you.” His voice quietly echoed off the walls of the bedroom, whispered against her hair with absolute certainty. For her, he would do anything. For her, he would shed the Negaverse and step into the Light with her.

Until the end of time.

[ WC: 559 ]