Title: Chase
Character/Pairing: Senel, Stella
A/N: I finished both ToL and ToA a while ago, so now I'm cleaning house of my prompts and finally writing for both of them. I really liked how Senel actually wasn't romantically interested in either Shirley nor Chloe and Stella's death, man, that was unexpected.
Summary: in another life, senel swims after stella. in another life, she isn't dying in his arms.
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In another life, Senel swam after Stella.
"Senel, you're so slow," Stella complained, giggling as she slid through the water like a fish. Her movements were effortless and graceful and Senel felt clunky as he swam after her. Despite practicing for the past three years, he couldn't compete with a Ferines. Not in a head to head match, at least.
"I'm not that slow." Senel glowered when she just laughed at that, slipping through his fingers whenever he came close. The water was starting to get cold, the last of the sun's warmth already fading away.
"Are you sure you don't want me to catch you instead?" she teased, cocking her head. "I'm getting tired of waiting."
"...I can do it." Senel glared at her. "And don't go easy on me."
"If I did, then we'd never get approval," Stella sighed, swimming backwards. And really, she was just showing off. "But I did want to get married today, you know."
Her back hit a wall and she turned, surprised. Seeing the river dam behind her, she turned to him with a small smile. "That was clever."
"It was the only way I could do it." Senel wrapped his arms around her as the water started to glow.
"I didn't think you were sly enough to actually come up with a trick."
"I can use my brain sometimes, you know."
Stella laughed, resting her forehead on his. "But only sometimes."
In another life, though it took almost the whole day, Senel caught Stella. His arms held her tight as the water glowed, the ritual complete. Nerifes's approval was stamped by the seal of their lips.
In another life but not in this one. In this one, Stella lay dying in his arms and he could do nothing about it.
In this one, her life slipped away and there was no amount of chasing that could change that.
"What about us?" Senel pleaded, gripping her tightly. "We made a promise. We were going to do the ritual."
Stella opened her eyes slowly, giving him a weak smile. "Senel," she gasped, clutching him with the last of her strength. "We…"
"Stella?"
Her strength ebbed and she let go. "In another life, we would have been happy."