Disclaimer: dood, fanfiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act.
As much as he desperately regretted losing her, he simply couldn't bring himself to regret what he was faced with now.
The person before him was so...not like her. So solid and hardened and outwardly impassive, bearing none of the softness and sweetness and endearing spirit, but all of the inner vibrance—even if he didn't like to let it show.
Her touch was light and trusting; his touch was firm, maybe a little too rough sometimes, but he assumed his own was as well, and so he never really complained.
She took comfort from his strength, shelter in his embrace; he accepted his strength and shelter, and provided the same in return.
He missed her presence; he craved his.
He often felt as if he was betraying her memory by even considering this, and he damned himself for being so weak, but at the end of the day, when he sought refuge and solace in another's embrace...another man's embrace...
He tried, he really did...he tried to convince himself that it was wrong in too many ways and that he didn't deserve to be comforted, wasn't meant to be at peace...
Still...
He yielded to this vulnerability because the other man yielded as well, and at the end of the day, he couldn't bring himself to regret any of it.