So, I liked this HC so much i had to write something
Warnings: some amount of spoilers I guess? I did use some of Asra’s phrases in a different setting
The night was slowly falling on the city, the lanterns flicked one by one, lightnig with warmth. Their light wraped the streets in soft orange glow. Asra was just coming back from the market with the groceries. When he approaches the shop, the door is wide open and he can see the dark silhouette talking to Adria in the doorway.
“Probably a customer on his way out” - thought Asra to himself getting closer.
Adria nods and smiles making a conversation.
- You are more than welcome, see you soon!
The customer muttered some thanks and left, disappearing into the darkness.
- Isn’t it a bit late for customers?, - asks Asra smiling. He steps inside the shop, walking past Adria, who locks the door right after him.
- Yeah, but he was so distressed when he came here, I couldn’t say “no”, - Adria says almost apologetically. Soft light from the candles washes over her face while she lets out a weary sigh and going in the kitchen, - Tea? - she asks not even looking at Asra, grabbing the tea leaves from the shelf.
Asra can’t help himself but to stare at her. Her unhurried movements, gentle fingers fetching the tea, the whirls of shadows on her face. “Those stupid candles” - he thinks to himself taking off his scarfs and making his way into the kitchen to put the groceries down.
Adria glances at him with a smile, when she sees he got her favourite fruits.
The soft whistle of the boiling water breaks the silence. Adria pours the water into the small white teapot and watches as the tea leaves circles around coloring the water before closing the lid and letting the tea brew.
She then turns to Asra, watching as he carefully puts the groceries inside the kitchen cabinets when something catches her eyes. The wave of magic goes through her body and she feels the headache coming up.
- I don"t think that I ever asked about your pendant, - Adria says quietly, - where did you get it?
Asra stops for a second, he feels her inquiring gaze while she waits for an answer.
- I… found it? … sort of… - he mumbles, trying not to look at Adria and occupy himself with something. Anything really.
- You “sort of” found it, - Adria states, frowing, watching Asra move the mint leaves back and forth on the kitchen counter. Glass bottle makes whooshing sounds over the wooden surface. He nods reluctantly.
- Can I touch it? - Adria says, piercing a hole in Asra’s chest, eyes peeled to the blue stone of a pendant. She instantly flinches from the sharp pain in her forehead as the sentence flies off her lips. Asra knows this flinch all too well. He closes the distance between them in one step, looking closely at Adria, - I feel like I really need to hold it, - she says quietly.
- It’s dangerous, - he says, tucking the lonely strain of Adria’s hair behind her ear, very innocent.
It was something they did - danced around this intimacy between them. Just enough to feel somewhat close to each other. All it did was make both of them feel as if standing on a verge of a cliff.
- I can’t run away from every headache, - Adria sounds angry. She was never good at this pretend game anyway. She’d rather jump off that fucking cliff than stand there not being able to move. Asra takes in a deep breath as if about to speak, but no words escape his lips. That’s when it hits her. She narrowed her eyes looking directly at him, - You know something, don’t you? You know exactly what I’ll see.
She takes a step back. Asra is silent. She hates it so much. All these secrets, the “i don’t want to hurt you"s and a massive overconsuming mystery that is her past.
Stabbing pain in her forehead doesn’t go away and only grows stronger, making Adria squint. She remembers what Asra used to say "Clear your mind” or did he actually said it? She suddenly found herself wrapped in his arms, his chin resting on her head.
Adria reaches to the pendant on his neck, holding it tightly as if it might disappear. Asra doesn’t try to stop her, he lost this battle. The thought of him also wanting her to know the truth goes through her mind as the vision becomes clearer.
The picture is blurry as if she watches it through the thickness of water. Adria breathes fast as the feeling of guilt and regret waves through her body. Its dark blue energy wraps her like a cloud and her legs are giving away if Asra wasn’t there, holding her tightly she surely would have fallen to the floor.
- Are you alright? What did you see? - Asra’s voice echoes in her mind pulling her out of the vision. Suddenly, Adria found herself sitting in a chair at the round table in their kitchen and Asra on the floor by her knees. She looks at him closely, noticing the freckles on his face and the worried frown, “so vulnerable” she thinks. Adria moves her gaze to the table. The old pine wood has cracks and round tea mug stains all over it but there is only one in particular that cathes her attention. Adria reaches for that stain, her fingers outline the round pigment left there what seems to be ages ago.
- Did.. did we used to…, - Adria says quietly, her attention fully on the stain, - Were we in love?
She senses something from Asra she can’t properly place just yet. The swirl of different emotions. So many feelings concentrated in one place there is ought to be an explosion at some point.
- Yes we were, - there is caution in Asra’s voice as if he shared something he shouldn’t have.
- I saw, this table, - she says closing her eyes, - and the pendant lying over a letter that said..
-“I will love you through it all” - Asra finishes the sentence for her.
The silence overtakes them, all that was unsaid suddenly takes form in it and lies between them, so tangible they could cut it with a knife.
Adria inhales deeply and looks at Asra. He is still on the floor his hands on her knees. He doesn’t look at her, his eyes are focused on the emerald fabric of her dress.
- I left this for you? Why? - her voice is more of a whisper now, scared that something terrible would happen were she to break the heavy weight of the silence.
Asra takes his time before answering. He catches a ripple on Adria’s skirt and holds it between his fingers, as if this will make it easier for him to start talking.
- I wasn’t here, - he then says trying to keep his voice from breaking, - and when.. when I came back, I found your pendant.. but you were gone. That was all i had left of you.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” goes through her mind as she reaches for Asra’s face. His white curls tickle her wrist and Asra leans in to the touch.
- I was gone where? - Adria felt this was too much but she had to ask. The swirl of questions in her head didn’t go away and the more answers Asra gave her the more questions she had.
- To a place I could not follow, - he whispers and Adria knows she pushed him too far.
Asra’s face is buried in her palm, and his fingers cling on the fabric of her dress so tight she’s scared he might rip it.
She pulls him closer and kisses him. His lips are soft and wet from the tears she didn’t even notice before. Asra cups her face and kisses so desperately like she might disappear right in front of him.
Something has changed, she never saw Asra like this, too vulnerable, too scared, clunging to her as if she’s the air he’s breathing.
- I’m sorry, - she says, when they part.
- Don’t be, it’s your memories, you deserve to know, - Asra breathes heavily still not letting her go.
Adria nods but she can’t shake off the feeling that there is so much more to this story than Asra will tell. She looks at him closely examining his face. The purple of his eyes in a dimming light of the store gets a warm shade of almost brown and he looks at her with so much love and affection. How didn’t she notice it before.
- I’m right here, - she says quietly, bringing her hands to his chest. His heart is beating fast and he smiles a little.
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