And she's sneaking up behind him--ever light on her feet, Abra is quick to cinch her arms around Zero's waist from behind, though she's sure he senses her. He always does. That's why he doesn't snap and snarl when she sneaks up on him.
Zero smiles, peering over his shoulder at the tiny angel and reaching back to give her a small poke.
She whines at the poke, bright eyes peering towards Zero as she pouts slightly. He could at least pretend that she had scared him!
"--What up?" She echoes, head cocking.
"Give me a hug. And kiss me."
Zero laughs, turning around and wrapping his arms around her to give her a big, bear hug. Numerous kisses are placed all over her face, affectionate and playful.
Look at her! The clever girl has a nickname for him, too! She chirps happily as she's held and kissed, tugging Zero down to press a sweet kiss to his mouth.
"Get it? Because. You're like. A dog."
He grins, kissing her back and then letting out a light, barking noise. There's a small laugh, and he runs a hand through his hair.
This wouldn't be the first time she compared him to a dog--though he isn't sure if she can remember. Either way, things feel more and more normal lately.
"Good. You're a smart beau."
And she's giggling softly, quickly ducking her features into his shoulder. She nuzzles close, so happy to feel alright with him--she doesn't remember many things, but she can enjoy his touch and voice and that's enough.
"Will--...you bathe me? Can you. Please? I'm lazy."
"Of course," Zero says, offering her a smile and tickling her sides. Scooping her into his arms, he begins to walk upstairs, humming quietly.
"Though I shouldn't be encouraging your laziness, probably. I'll only do this a thousand more times, then you gotta try it on your own."
"A thousand and--one. Don't make me do things."
A small whine as she's held, clinging onto the boy and hiding her face into his shoulder. He's the boy she trusts most. She doesn't think she could ever adore another boy like she adores him.
"Oh, you're spoiled," Zero laughs, setting her down in the bathroom and pulling out a towel. He runs the bath, the way he's done a thousand times before, but he's polite about not paying much mind to her as she gets undressed.
"Hope the water isn't too hot for the weather."
A small huff as she's set down, and she's hesitantly drawing off her scant clothing--a gauzy gown, childish panties. She's perched on the side of the bath in moments, childish in nature as she tests the water with her fingertips.
"It's--nice. I like it. You always--know the temperature."
Not the tea--but the temperature.
'I do my best," he says with a smile, looking towards her and pressing a kiss to her temple.
He always has done his best, doing all he can to make sure her baths are comfortable. (He recalls baths at the orphanage: either scalding or ice cold, always. No thank you.)
"I would--break my bones if I. Did that."
A small huff--does he want her to die? She giggles, clearly joking as she slips into the bath and happily coos at the temperature.
She looks towards Zero--it's a little odd, how he looks at her body. Like he isn't really seeing a wife. She thinks it might have to do with her smallness.
It has more to do with him not wanting to make her uncomfortable, not wanting her to get flashbacks. Plenty of the time he's tempted to look, to touch, to kiss, but he knows better than to do that; he doesn't know what will scare her and what won't.
With a grin, he kisses the top of her head.
"Cozy in your water cocoon?"
She purrs as the top of her head is kissed--she tries not to think about that, because it's much easier to pretend that it was a nightmare and she was only being reborn again.
As Abra. She's Abra. She's the only Abra there ever was.
She leans up to kiss Zero's cheek.
"Like a baby. Very cozy."
Zero presses a kiss to her nose, sitting down beside her and slipping his hand through the water, cupping some of it in his hands as he pours it over the angel's mostly-dry hair.
It's almost funny, this childlike state Abra has reverted into. Shes found that the nightmare is easier to deal with when her own actions have been simplified to that of a child's--with sporadic surges of anger and dysphoria that came to her like the water rushing through the creek.
She mewls at his ministrations, happily shaking out her golden hair.
Zero repeats this action a few more times, smiling at Abra as she chirps and coos, and quietly hums.
He doesn't mind her behavior, because to him, it isn't entirely foreign. As long as she isn't falling apart, he's happy to see her settling into life any way possible.
Soon, maybe she'll convince herself that the entire time was a dream that lasted maybe ten minutes in her sleep.
She looks towards Zero at those words, honey eyes growing soft and warm as she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
Zero playfully bats his eyelashes, laughing and pressing a kiss to her nose. Taking a sponge and dipping it into the water, he gently begins to scrub at her shoulders.
"It's an honor to be loved by you."
And she's giggling, quickly shaking her head and squeaking as he begins to scrub at her soft flesh. Oh, she wants to kiss him. These random inclinations to kiss him like she read in her old romance texts that had already been devoured by her time and time again before the nightmare.
"...You are. So silly. You did--everything. For me."
"Everything? Nah, not everything."
Did his best to become good for her, sacrificed for her, died for her, and went through Hell to find her, but not everything, not in the slightest. He thinks there's more he can do yet, and more he should do.
"But I appreciate the sentiment."
"--Hush. Grandfather says you are--not able to take credit where it is due. It is true."
And she's looking towards her husband, brushing a small hand over her jutting collarbone. They have settled into a certain calmness--was there such a thing as the calm after the storm? When the sun rose over a gloomy dawn? Abra thinks that might be happening.
"He is--right. I'm so happy to be yours--...I am--yours. Yes?"
“Grandfather is getting senile.” Zero says this sweetly, kissing Abra’s shoulder and continuing to scrub at her skin. “But you're both really nice to me.”
Eyes flicker upward at that last statement. His heart seizes up.
“If you want to be mine, yeah.”
And she giggles at this, though her expression grows serious at the last bit--she looks back to Zero, absently feeling her hip and tilting her head to the side by a fraction.
"...You are. Already mine it--wouldn't be fair if I wasn't yours. You would--cry."
Jokes. Jokes. She looks away with a small shrug.
"...But yes I. Want it. Of course I do. Always."
A joke, maybe—but it’s true, in a way. There have been plenty of tears shed at the prospect that things aren’t the same as they were before, at thinking that maybe Abra isn't herself anymore, and never will be.
“Well. I’m glad. I really am.”
And he’s smiling, eyes soft as they can grow.
And she's looking down, brushing her palms over her knobby, scratched-up knees. Her lashes brush against her cheeks--she exhales slowly.
"...you're the. Nicest boy to me. I think there was some--bad. In the past. But I don't care--about that...I don't think I would--want to be here if I didn't. Belong to you."
Zero quietly continues scrubbing, then pours some more water over the angel's head before beginning to work some shampoo into her long, silky strands.
That's all he'll say about that, at least for now.
"I love you. I'm glad you belong to me, I really am."
Abra lowers her lashes as Zero begins rubbing shampoo into her hair. She feels so young when she's near him--not his wife, but his child. It makes her sad, because she knows it wasn't like this in the past--she hitches in a deep breath, honey eyes slowly raising to peer towards her partner.
"...I'm your wife. I am."
It's all so odd. She doesn't know how to be a wife, and yet, that pining remains. It lingers. She can't help it.
"Yes, you are," Zero says, blinking down at her and pouring some water over her head.
It takes him a few more moments of looking at her, watching her expression, before he realizes the weight of what she's trying to tell him.
Bowing his head, he lets out a slight breath.
"I know you are. You are."
She doesn't know what to do, mostly. She feels like Zero is the only person who makes her feel like she belongs here--but even then, it's difficult. She finds herself quivering on the inside because she doesn't know what he's thinking, if he still loves her, aches for her like husbands should.
She might ache for him. She knows she loves him more than anything else.
He seems to understand--she tucks a lock of wet hair behind her ear, watching the boy.
Zero looks at her, feeling a bit of a pang in his chest. He doesn't know what to do, either--he sees she's starting to notice things, starting to grow, but he also thinks it may be too soon to actually engage in anything. He hardly knows, he's simply trying to make it through this with a clueless mind.
Leaning in, he presses a tender kiss to her neck, and then to her shoulder--a little more intimate than they're used to nowadays, but still innocent enough.
He goes back to washing shampoo out of her hair.
She hitches in a sharp breath, going still as she feels Zero lean in. That mouth upon her neck has her trembling, such a sensation new but old at the same time. A kiss to his shoulder--her cheeks burn, and she quickly bows her head as Zero continues to rinse her hair.
She falls silent for a moment, peeking back towards Zero with an affectionate gaze before a small smile flickers over her lips.
"No problem. You are my wife, after all."
His gaze lifts, that old bit of a sparkle in them. There's a smile, and then he's pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek. Hands begin lathering conditioner into her hair, and he can't help but feel that familiar, overwhelming adoration consume him at that small smile.
"I love you, Abra. Don't forget that I love you."
And she's charmed, gaze flickering with a clear level of affection as her hair is conditioned. She breathes a small sigh, lowering her lashes with a tiny smile.
She won't forget. Even if it was a nightmare--Zero saved her from it. He fought an almost-dragon for her. She looks up towards him with a small giggle, leaning forward.
Zero laughs, poking Abra's nose before leaning forward and capturing her in a kiss. It's a real kiss, full of love and passion, and then he breaks it. Another kiss to her nose, and he's pouring water over her head, rinsing out the conditioner the best he can.
"I remember your frequent requests for kisses," he says, a small smile on his lips. "I remember very clearly, now."
The kiss has her gasping--it's deeper than she's used to, and she's flushed and smiling because Julian never kissed her in the nightmare. He tore at her but he never pressed his lips so sweetly to her own and kissed her nose and poured warm water over her head. Abra is breathless with love.
"--if you..remember--requests. Why don't you stop forgetting to--kiss me. So I don't have to. Ask anymore--? Hmm."
Zero's surprised at this, but he's happy. He's happy because this means they're making progress. It's a big step, not asking her permission to kiss her anymore--but he'll go along with it, because he thinks she might be ready, because he loves her, because everything has been worth it so far.
"I'll remember that," he says with a smile. "Definitely."
