Disclaimer: I sent away for the rights, but they haven't come yet.


Sight

Rydia paused just outside the door and swallowed, failing to get her fear and worry pushed down past the lump in her throat. Four days had passed since Edge had returned, battered and bloody, stumbling over every step as though he was too tired to lift his feet. Three days had gone by since Izayoi had reached a point where sleep was more effective than healing poultices and had allowed her to see him. And yesterday – yesterday she'd learned that Edge would never be the same again.

She drew a steadying breath, trying to regain her composure and courage, and slowly pushed open the door.

Edge was awake. He sat on the side of the bed, hands resting in his lap. For somebody who had nearly died four days ago, he actually didn't look all that bad, she tried to tell herself. The blood was all cleaned up now, and though he sported some brilliant bruises and areas where bandages were going to have to be changed for a while yet, blood wasn't splotching the linen red, and she didn't even smell the coppery tang in the air anymore.

Still, none of this was a comfort to her. Despite her attempts to ignore it, her eyes were drawn towards his face, where a length of clean bandages wound around his face, covering his eyes.

Edge turned to look in her direction. "You have to be the loudest thinker I know," he teased gently, his unmasked lips quirking slightly. When she didn't respond, Edge sighed. "Don't just stand there, Rydia. At least come in if you're going to gawk."

"I don't gawk," Rydia protested before she could stop herself. The smirk returned to Edge's face, and she was sure that one eyebrow was raised, even though she couldn't actually see them.

"She speaks."

She rolled her eyes out of habit, shut the door, and sat next to him on the bed. "How did you do it?" the summoner finally asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"Know it was me."

Edge chuckled. To Rydia's practiced ear, it sounded forced. "Ninja, remember?"

Rydia narrowed her eyes at him. "That isn't an answer."

His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, but he didn't say anything. Rydia sighed, knowing that, for once, Edge wasn't trying to tease her. Slowly, carefully, she ran her hand over his thigh, placed it on one of his hands, and tangled their fingers together. He tensed at the initial contact, obviously not expecting it, and gripped her hand tightly. "It's so dark, Rydia," Edge finally whispered, turning to face her, pain etched into the corners of his mouth.

Rydia blinked rapidly to get rid of the water in her eyes. "I know," she whispered, drawing her blind husband into a tight hug. "I know."