I had to write something for Sormik week I just had to...I know it doesn't really relate to any of the themes but weelllll it's been a long time since I've actually written anything, so I'm gonna allow myself this little victory.

Also...Mikleo's Snack Preparation talent is adorable, he gets so upset when he messes up...my son...

The walk back to Elysia was a long and silent one.

Mikleo did not know what to say. He had spent years, centuries waiting for Sorey, and now that he was here beside him, he had absolutely no idea how to react. The myriad of feelings that welled up within him was overwhelming, and it was all he could to to remain quiet.

Hundreds of years. Sorey looked much the same as ever, and yet different in some ways. There was maturity in how he held himself now, Mikleo observed, and he wondered if fusing with Maotelus had had anything to do with it. He also wondered what Sorey would think of him now. He was older, taller, and lonelier than ever.

Sorey wouldn't see me any differently,' he thought. He knew that the former Shepherd, and more importantly his best friend, did not go by appearances. And while that thought was reassuring, there was something about it that pained him as well.

He shook his head, focusing on the matter at hand. Sorey had just reawakened, but he still needed to recuperate. And so, Mikleo would take care of him until he could fend for himself again.

After all, it was what he did best.

Sorey was starting to get worried.

He had been out of it when they had arrived at Elysia, but even then he had been able to tell that something was off about Mikleo. Had he just been away too long? After all, Mikleo had acted normal for the most part, guiding them towards Sorey's house as soon as they walked through the village gates.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Sorey," he said once they were inside, gesturing towards the bed in the back room. "You've been asleep for centuries, but you still need rest."

Centuries. The word struck a chord within Sorey, and his mind was instantly filled with questions. But before he could say anything, Mikleo suddenly placed a hand upon his cheek. It was an uncharacteristic display of affection, and Sorey felt his face growing hot underneath the Seraph's cool hand.

Mikleo opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and lowered his hand almost as quickly as he had raised it. "I'll be back," he said, turning around and walking out the door before Sorey even had a moment to react.

That had been three days ago, and Sorey had done as he had said. But now he was well rested, and there was still no sign of Mikleo. Ever since they were children, they had always been together, and it felt strange being apart from him for so long. To think Mikleo had borne this loneliness for centuries made it even worse.

"He must have his reasons..." Sorey thought, laying back on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. "I guess it's my turn to wait now."

But Sorey had never been the patient type. On the fourth day, he decided to visit Mikleo.

During the last few days, he had wandered around the village and spoken to the others. They were all overjoyed to see him. He had been almost afraid to meet them after what had happened with Zenrus, but they did not seem to hold anything against him. He'd guessed that Mikleo had explained it to them when he had returned, and felt a pang of guilt when he realized that it must have been incredibly painful to do it alone.

"Melody!" He called out to the Seraph looking out over the valley. She turned around and smiled.

"Good morning, Sorey. Did you finally decide to look for Mikleo?"

He grinned and placed a hand behind his head. "Yeah. He's at home, right?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, but..." She let out a laugh. "He hasn't actually been home in years. This is the first we've seen of him in a long time, too. He practically considers those ruins his home now."

Those ruins...did she mean the Camlann ruins, where he had been in stasis? The thought of Mikleo spending most of his time there, waiting for him and exploring the ruins on his behalf, made his heart swell with an inexplicable warmth. He thanked Melody and dashed uphill, his feet carrying him to his friend's house without him even having to think.

He hesitated for a moment before knocking. When there was no response, he knocked again, harder this time. He heard the distant patter of feet against wood and within moments, he was greeted by a slightly flushed Mikleo.

Sorey had still not gotten used to his new appearance. Surely Mikleo had looked like this for centuries by now, but this was only his second time seeing the long, silky white hair that framed his face and fell down to his waist. It made him look even brighter, even more surreal than ever. And there was also the fact that Mikleo was actually taller than him now-

"Sorey! What are you doing here?"

Mikleo's voice snapped Sorey out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat. "I just...wanted to check up on you. I haven't seen you in four days...I know you were waiting for years, but it still feels strange," he admitted sheepishly.

At this, Mikleo frowned. Sorey noted that despite all the other outward changes, Mikleo's expression was still the same as ever - his brows drawn together, his calm, violet eyes filled with concern.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around, Sorey," he sighed, averting his eyes. "Just give me a little longer, okay? Just one more day, I promise."

He could not refuse those eyes. "Okay! I'll be waiting," he replied with a grin. Mikleo smiled back, and Sorey could swear that his heart skipped a beat, if only for a moment.

Then, Mikleo's hand was on his face again, and he froze. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of its chest if it beat any faster. He felt a cool thumb stroke his cheek slightly, and then all of a sudden it was gone when Mikleo pulled his hand away and looked away, quickly mumbling "gotta go" before slamming the door in his face.

Sorey knew that his face was red this time. But if it was any consolation, he could have sworn that he saw the same tinge on Mikleo's cheeks right before he'd closed the door.

That night, he dreamed about running his fingers through long, white hair.

Morning could not have come sooner. The suspense was killing him; he had to know what Mikleo had been up to that had kept them apart for five more days than necessary. He all but flew up the hill just as the sun began to rise above Elysia, hoping that he wasn't too early but also knowing that he could not wait any longer.

This time, Mikleo opened the door with an almost-shy expression on his face. "Come on in," he said, and Sorey followed him into the house. He noted quickly how little it had changed, aside from the dust that had gathered on the tomes in his bookshelves.

'He really doesn't spend a lot of time here...'

Mikleo sat down in front of the fireplace, and Sorey sat across from him, crossing his legs. There was a strange contraption sitting on top of the fire, and he raised an eyebrow as Mikleo pulled it out and set it down between them.

"I tried making these, but it wasn't easy..." he sighed, and the disappointment in his tone was clear as day. "Edna was right. All these years and I still don't have the delicacy to get something like this right."

Sorey looked on in confusion as Mikleo opened the box to reveal six small, round objects. They were slightly misshapen, but he recognized them instantly.

"Marrons glacés..." he whispered, looking at the sweets, then at the Seraph seated before him, who shifted uncomfortably. "You made these...just for me?"

"I've never been good with words, Sorey," Mikleo said, his expression serious. "But I'm good at making sweets, and so I thought...this would be easier..." He trailed off and wrung his hands together nervously. "I hope they're still good."

Sorey looked down at his friend's hands; hands that he had observed countless times before. In his memories, they had been soft and delicate, but now they were rugged and calloused, probably from his travels. But the burn marks on his fingertips were new.

'Did he get burnt while he was trying to get these right?' The thought filled Sorey with a mixture of concern and affection.

"Mikleo, I..."

There was an unusual tension between them, one that had never existed before. Had it been so long that he had forgotten how to respond to his best friend's gestures of affection? Or was it because there was something different now, waiting to burst forth, and he could not identify what it was?

Then, he remembered a conversation from long ago. 'Marrons glacés require the utmost dedication and devotion to make.' 'An ancient king once sent them as a gift for his beloved queen.'

Was that what Mikleo was trying to tell him? Had he poured all of his feelings into making these sweets? Sorey almost didn't believe it, until he looked up and saw that Mikleo's cheeks had turned red yet again.

'Dedication...devotion...so I didn't imagine it. He...loves me. Mikleo loves me.'

He couldn't stop thinking about it. 'He waited so long just for me. He loves me. He loves me...' He repeated it over and over again in his mind, and a smile began to stretch across his face.

The corner of Mikleo's mouth twitched. He was getting worried. Sorey was still sitting there with that stupid (endearing) grin on his face, and he could hardly stand it.

"A-are you going to eat them or not?!" he finally cried out, unable to contain it anymore. He had spent years studying the marrons glacés they had found in Artorius' Shrine, and even longer trying to perfect the recipe. When his attempts had proven unsuccessful, he had stopped making sweets altogether, having lost his desire to do so anyway ever since Sorey's departure. He had lost his touch. That was probably why Sorey wasn't even looking at them, but at him instead...and shuffling closer...and reaching forward...

Mikleo stopped thinking when Sorey placed a hand against his cheek. He felt fingers brush his fringe aside and tuck the hair behind his ear. A few silent moments later, he found the courage to lower his gaze, where he met green eyes that were staring back filled with awe and - dare he think it? - love.

"They're perfect, Mikleo. You-" Sorey appeared to be blinking back tears. "-you're perfect. Thank you. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for loving me. I..I love you too-"

The three words that he had been waiting to hear from the person he cared about most...and they had been said.

"-I love you, Mikleo. So please, don't cry...-"

It was only then that Mikleo realized that tears were streaming down his face, and that his vision was blurry, and that Sorey was pulling him into a hug. It felt so strange to be wrapping his arms around Sorey rather than the other way around, and yet the warmth was just the same as it had always been.

"Y-you're back, Sorey," he managed to choke out, and it was as though all his doubts, fears, longing, and sadness had finally been released in that instant.

And when Sorey nodded into his shoulder and whispered "I'm home" - he knew that he was finally whole again.

Extra:

"It's a little lumpy..." Sorey pointed out as he held a marron glacé in his hand.

Mikleo pouted. "I was going for taste, not appearance."

Sorey popped one in his mouth. His eyes lit up. "It's delicious!" he exclaimed. "It's really, really sweet. I might like this more than soft-serve ice cream!"

The water Seraph smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

"Come to think of it...it's just like you, Mikleo. Crunchy on the outside, and sweet on the inside."

Mikleo's face turned red. "A-are you saying that I'm lumpy, too?" was all he managed to say in response.

Sorey thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Actually, no. You're beautiful."

'H-how can he just say things like that with a straight face?!'