[he definitely owes her an explanation. a whole lot of explanations. but somehow, as she approaches, an explanation is the farthest thing from her mind. in fact, the words barely leave his mouth before she lifts a hand and presses her fingers against his lips to silence him, as she had done all those years ago on the train. explanations can come later]
[. . . right now, she just wants to watch him]
[she studies his face carefully. takes in every single feature and compares it to her memory. he's definitely older. more exhausted, more weathered than she expected him to be. but the resolve in his eyes speaks more of a king than a young prince, and she can tell he's grown in more ways than just physically]
[. . .]
[aaaah. . . she missed that face. she missed it so much it tugged at her stupid heart even when she was trying not to think about him. how unbecoming of a Lord of Spirits, right?]
[there's something else in the way she looks at him. something that isn't just her scrutinizing and memorizing his every feature. something softer, a silent question, maybe. it's been so long-- and now you're here. where do we go from here?]
no subject
[. . . right now, she just wants to watch him]
[she studies his face carefully. takes in every single feature and compares it to her memory. he's definitely older. more exhausted, more weathered than she expected him to be. but the resolve in his eyes speaks more of a king than a young prince, and she can tell he's grown in more ways than just physically]
[. . .]
[aaaah. . . she missed that face. she missed it so much it tugged at her stupid heart even when she was trying not to think about him. how unbecoming of a Lord of Spirits, right?]
[there's something else in the way she looks at him. something that isn't just her scrutinizing and memorizing his every feature. something softer, a silent question, maybe. it's been so long-- and now you're here. where do we go from here?]