Set on; some point after Pykon but slightly cannon divergence where Eretria doesn't end up on Utopia
Is dark and you can hear the noise of the animals at the other side of the protective circle the bonfire creates around the three of you. And as you yawn you looks at the half-elf boy who is snoring loudly and click your tongue, your eyes going inevitably to the elf girl who is very much awake even though she had been the first on going to sleep, claiming that she was beat. And you almost smirk at her when you catch her eyes on you, sleepy perhaps but still curious and glinting like the embers that softly crackle in front of you.
"What's up princess? Too much on your head for you to sleep?"
And you are tired, too tired because between elf hunters and rocs and monsters you have barely sleep properly since before that damned fortress in the middle of nowhere and you would really like to not think about how damned close you had been on saving the girl who is now looking at you; Soft smile on her lips, as if she knows a secret you ignore. Regal, imposing and every bit the princess she is.
And you should hate her. Only you don't anymore.
Instead, you are angry at the half-elf boy who is still snoring, resentful because you had been so damned close to be the one entering in that room. And is childish from you to be angry because is better having Amberle alive than being the first on entering in that damned room but you had wanted… you had wanted to be the first, you had wanted to be the one saving Amberle because, why not?
And if you would have been quicker, if you wouldn't have stopped to untie the rest she probably would have been the first. And is not a competition but still your lips part and you sigh.
"You seem like the one with a lot of things inside your head" Comes the rebuttal and you want to laugh at that because yes, of course. Is precisely that way Amberle keeps pushing you the things you adore and hate at the same time from the girl.
And so, instead of doing, saying, something stupid you just shrug and move slightly closer, looking at the dirt between the two of you, kicking a rock that falls onto the fire, the sizzling sound it creates echoing between both of you as you wonder what you can say to her.
And is late and you are tired and soon enough is going to be Wil's watch but you don't want to go, not yet, and Amberle is awake and her eyes are burning you in ways they shouldn't and there is the memory of a dare whispered in warm bathtubs and the exhilarating feeling of being about to win so you just speak and refuse to register it until later.
"I would have liked to go to one of those parties, on the old world"
Is the closest thing you are going to ever say about admitting that you are indeed curious about some parts of those old humans who were stupid and reckless and basically killed almost all humanity. And you aren't exactly curious of things you can't prove right now; you are better than that; you are a rover, you know better than that. But there is that image of you and Amberle surrounded by the people that would have been celebrating a party when whatever that happened occurred and is almost nice to imagine yourself in the middle of that room alone but not alone, surrounded and still completely able to speak with the elf girl just like you had done. And is strange and stupid and can't happen and still there is a part of you who wonder what kind of party that would have been, what kind of things would have happened there.
And you realize that you have been halfway muttering for a few minutes now and Amberle eyes seem wiser than ever, the same longing you feel on her own pupils and there is that second she looks about to do what you have half-expected on Pykon –nope, no going there- what you have wanted there, what you have hoped to happen.
And she does kiss you this time, once you have convinced yourself that's not going to happen and you smile and sigh and close your eyes and almost trip over the fire in your haste of kissing her again and there it goes everything, dreams of another reality be damned.
It's a really good kiss after all.