“Micaiah, I–,” Sothe started to speak before halting himself. What was there to say? What could he say to that? He had been at fault just as much as she had, after all. He raised one hand, gingerly resting it against Micaiah’s cheek, his amber eyes staring deep into hers. He probably didn’t even need to say anything. She had always been good at understanding what he had to say without him even needing to speak. But staying silent just felt wrong.
“If anyone should apologize, it’s me,” Sothe murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I never should have allowed us to be separated like that. What if you’d been hurt because of the war when I wasn’t around? I might have never found you, and it would’ve been my own fault for being on Crimea’s side.” Would he have wanted to be on Daein’s side? No, certainly not. He was just glad that nothing bad had happened to Micaiah because of it.
Micaiah glanced away, the skin around her eyes tightening into the most minuscule of grimaces. In contrast to the expression on her face, her hands found their way to the one resting on her cheek, and she held it between them, and squeezed it tight enough to translate her lingering guilt - guilt that couldn’t be simply brushed away - but also tight enough to concede his point.
Her eyebrows tilted upward slightly and she kept her eyes on their hands. “What would I do without you...” She breathed with a chuckle, quietly - but she knew he would hear her. Another chuckle escaped her, this one tinged with sadness. “You’ve grown so much...try not to leave me behind, please.”
