"I will always be with you, Jeff."
Joker woke with a start. How many times has he had this dream? Was it even a dream? It felt so real, so… right.
It had been over a year since the Crucible fired. No one really knows exactly what happened, what it was that Shepard did, but the Reapers stopped their assault instantaneously. They became our guardians, helped to rebuild, their collective knowledge passed on. It was almost surreal.
With a heavy sigh, Joker eased his way out of bed and in the bathroom. He felt right here, in their apartment, the apartment Anderson had given it to Russ. A year after the Citadel was reopened, Hackett had personally given it to him, along with the option for early retirement, which he gladly accepted. After everything that happened, so much loss, the loss of his best friend, the man he loved… He was done.
He looked at himself in the mirror, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. It's amazing he still looked human. That's not to say he hasn't been taking care of himself. Weekly visits from Chakwas made sure of that. He chuckled to himself, rubbing his beard… "I could stand to clean this up a bit." He said to no one in particular. Cupping his hands under the faucet, he brought a bit of cool water up to his face, wiping away the sweat. He once again looked at himself, catching a blue twinkle in his reflections eye. Blinking, it went away, but he swore he saw it.
Making his way back to their bed, he looked longingly at the side that was Russ'. He knew the man was never coming back, he had accepted that. Being here, in this apartment, it made it easier. Jeff had never expected himself to feel the way he does, but this place, there is just something about it, something calming. He could feel it in the air, the walls, everything about being here made him feel... Safe.
Crawling back into bed and pulling the covers up, he felt the threshold of sleep once again approach. "Goodnight, Russ." he whispered as his eyes became heavy once again.
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The ghostly blue form stood at the edge of the bed, watching over him as he slept.
"I will watch over the ones who live on. Those who carry the memory of the man I once was."
"I will never forget."
"I will always be with you."
"I will always love you, Jeff."