neck kisses! I'll let you choose the ship this time :3
[Prompt list here! After much consideration, this one will be Akiraha. <3 Takes place at the end of 5.3.]
Akira was terrified.
What if it didn't work? What if, when she woke him, he knew nothing of their time on the First, the events that brought them together? What if he didn't even know her, different as she looked from the first time they'd met? She clutched the crystal to her chest, forcing herself to remember Lyna's tearful vow that the whole Crystarium would be praying for his safe journey. If prayer and faith could give rise to primals, surely they could also ensure this would work. She told herself this over and over as she climbed the stairs, her grip so tight it hurt, one hand on the crystal holding G'raha's soul, the other running her thumb over the surface of the Azem crystal in her pocket, as if to soothe herself with its presence. She didn't know if it's magic could do anything like this, but if the soul transfer crystal didn't work she would try anything.
She wasn't entirely sure where the younger G'raha would have bedded down when he decided to stay in the tower. She certainly didn't remember anywhere looking particularly comfortable for a magical slumber. She decided to start at the throne room and go from there. When she entered and saw the bright red hair and the curled up form on the over large throne, she froze at the entrance, as if she just stayed there, it would spare her from hurt. But, of course, that was ridiculous, and she slowly began her approach.
It was as if he had been kept in stasis during his slumber, not looking a day older than she'd left him. She wasn't entirely sure what to do, but Krile had placed the other crystals next to their respective scions and the soul transference seemed automatic. With shaking hands, she placed the crystal on the throne next to him and waited.
And waited.
It seemed like forever, or maybe it was only moments, when the crystal finally did something. It glowed, like an aetheryte being attuned to, a cloud of glittering motes floating between the crystal and the slumbering miqo'te. She held her breath as she jumped up, moving closer as she fought back the fearful tears and the thoughts of it's not going to work it's not going to work. After what felt like an eternity, ruby eyes blinked open, and at least one anxiety was eased.
"What do you remember?" Her voice was shaky, barely above a whisper, as she tried to hold her panic together. If he didn't remember she would just have to tell him everything, the whole story, she would tell him however many times she needed-
But he took her chin in his hands and pulled her close, pressing his lips softly against hers.
"I remember everything," he replied, barely parting from her, and her relief was so that she clambered up onto the throne with him, clinging to his hair as she kissed him with the enthusiasm of a drowning woman finally breathing air again. He pushed her against the throne's back, lips falling to her neck as he ran his tongue over the scales there, teeth lightly grazing-
"Oof," his weight disappeared and Akira blinked her eyes open to see he'd fallen over on his side, his face bright red in embarrassment.
"I think you might need to rest a few days," Akira couldn't help her chuckle; as much of a shame as the interruption was she was just delighted that he was here to even have the chance at recovering. "It's been some time since you shut yourself in here."
"I suppose..." she almost laughed again at his disappointed expression, planting a quick kiss on his forehead before helping him down, letting him lean heavily on her when she noticed how his legs shook under his own weight.
"Don't worry, I'll be right here to pick up where we left off when you feel better," she held him close, his weight nothing compared to the greatsword she normally carried, and he leaned his head on her shoulder, ears giving a happy little flick as his tail wrapped around hers. "Dog's at the gate, he'll get us back to the Rising Stones, and we'll have Krile check you over."
She teleported them together to the bottom, thinking G'raha might not want to climb down all those stairs. Probably a good idea, considering by the time they'd reached her lilac chocobo he was leaning heavily on her, and she was pretty sure she wasn't imagining his hands shaking. She lifted him onto the bird, Dog crouching down to make it easier, then climbed in front, pulling G'raha's arms around her to make sure he was still seated as she urged her chocobo towards Revenant's Toll.
