@impinged || ♥’d for a starter
who needs tears when all it takes is a pointy hat to stop an ex-defender in his tracks? far from frozen, though. it's more like his entire body's been set alight, his speeding heart seconds away from bursting! he has every right to still be upset -- everyone else is -- but how could he be? he's so relieved he can't even find it in himself to care.
because... because siffrin's here! on the same island! he doesn't look hurt, either; the House was practically wiped, and he's just... lazing around! near a massive tree, of all things, covered in lights and tinsel. pretty as it is, isabeau can only acknowledge it for so long before his mind circles back to the person beneath it, and the remaining distance between them as he tears through the snow.
"sif!!" trembling hands reach across the final stretch... then stop, inches away, as his stomach sinks with ice-cold clarity (urghh, what am i doing!? it doesn't matter how much i want to grab him -- to pull them close and prove they're real -- i can't just--).
"what the crab were you thinking?!" he blurts instead, only to shut his big mouth with a flush. "sorry, i'm just... really glad you're okay. i-i mean, you're super strong! always have been! but taking the king on alone? that's..." well, 'reckless' doesn't even begin to cover it. he can't scold them, though; hates the idea of doing it again, really!
so he backpedals, gripping his sleeve, "i. um... look, if this is all some sort of messed-up dream i'm having, can you just, i dunno, pinch me or something? i don't wanna get my hopes up!!" 'cause he dreams about siffrin a lot (like, a lot) and this is definitely giving 'too good to be true' vibes??