Twenty-five years she'd been waiting for this day. Her gentle hands reached into the oddly shaped jar as she felt her auburn hair for the first time in so, so long. Her shoulders tensed as she slowly raised the now foreign head out of its confines. Now, she had no clue what she should have done in that moment, but she rested the appendage in its rightful spot upon her neck. It felt strange, but she now had full control over her eyes- a lovely sea foam green that sparkled with a faint happiness. She was hyper-aware of the scent of her empty apartment, and the sounds (or perhaps the lack thereof) that bounced off of the walls. She was victorious and it was beautiful. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, as her mouth formed a soft smile. For the first time ever, (considering before, when she'd had her head in Ireland, she didn't use it as a real head.) she wept. Tears streamed down her ivory cheeks, and she covered her face with delicate hands.
When the front door clicked open, Celty shot up quickly. 'Shinra...' The singular word sent a chill down her spine. What would he think? What would he say? Soft clicks on the oak floor of the apartment notified her that he was coming down the short hallway. And he stepped into the kitchen. Blue-grey eyes met sea green ones. The sound of bags hitting the floor echoed as the man's jaw dropped simultaneously. His eyebrows knitted together as he stared at what was before him, his eyes screaming confusion.
"Celty...?" His voice cut the atmosphere like a sharp knife cutting a thick string. His voice was thick, syrupy, as he spoke again, "Is... You finally found it." There was an insincere smile on his face. It was sad, his eyebrows upturned in an upsetting manner that screamed sadness, while his lips were curved up into a smile as he let out a laugh with the consistency of cough medicine, his words were choked. "I guess this means you're leaving now."
She shook her head frantically, holding her hands up. Afraid to speak at that moment, she relayed a message to him the way she had for years- through the screen of a phone. [Shinra, I'm not leaving. Not unless you want me to...] And, unlike the man in front of her who'd had mixed emotions plastered across his face, her emotions were raw and whole. Her eyes were sad, but sincere as a few stray tears left trails down her elegant cheeks and dropped down onto the slick black of her clothing. Her hands were shaking, and her chest felt heavy as she stared at the man, searching for an expression other than sadness and false happiness.
The man froze, looking over her porcelain face (her face was so perfect to him, not a singular flaw). He took in the soft auburn of her hair, the green of her eyes, the soft freckles splattered across her face. In all honesty, the first words that came to his mind were youthful beauty. This woman sitting in the padded chairs of his dining room table was gorgeous (she always had been, even without the face she had now, she always was.), and she was everything he'd imagined. Taking ginger steps toward her, he knelt on the floor in front of her, staring up at her and taking a ginger hand to wipe the soft droplets of moisture from her tear-stained cheeks. His eyes softened and his expression became happy, he was genuinely happy for the first time in god knows how long. This city they lived in was toxic and it was hard to find a soul that was enlightened. So, when a citizen was genuinely happy and could smile without forcing it out, they embraced it. But, instead of embracing the emotions he had, he stood and pulled the slender woman into a tight embrace.
Her surprised gasp was audible (It had a genuine, audible sound and it was glorious.), and her hands softly grasped the back of his shirt as she buried her face into the soft crook of his neck. Her chest heaved with the threat of more tears, but she was anything but grieving. Words swirling around her mind, 'I've finally done it. I'm finally able to remember. I've gotten what I came here for.' And there was this soft, tempting voice in the back of her mind, 'It's time to go home now, Celty.' She quickly dismissed that thought. This was her home. She wasn't leaving any time soon, and that was her final choice. She was going to stay here, where this man (whom she'd grown deeply fond of in the past years) could be with her.
"Celty. Don't cry. You need to smile first. It's been far too long since you've been able to." Shinra's hands held onto her, his embrace one that could have replaced years of tender ones. Her cool face against his warm neck, it was a comforting sensation for the both of them. With his soft words, she obliged, sniffling and making an effort to look up at him. Now, her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were more tear-stained than before. And she smiled. She grinned at him the way she'd wanted to all of the years she'd spent with him. He grabbed her cold hands with his warm ones and squeezed softly before he grinned right back.
Shinra Kishitani felt a genuine triumph when he realized they'd both got what they wanted. Celty, the love of his life (ever since he was a very young boy, he'd loved her), had gained what she came to this foreign country for- her head. And Shinra had gained the love of this woman, which he'd been trying to gain since he was in junior high.
Celty felt as though his smile was lighting the room. It was so pure and genuine, it'd been so long since he'd seen a smile like that from him. Of course, there were bouts of happiness that sprung from the man, but they never lasted long, despite his joyous demeanor.
A laugh bubbled up from her throat and into the air. That was the first she'd heard of her voice since she'd gotten the ability to speak. She was frightened of what she'd sound like. She was scared it'd make Shinra less fond of her (Oh, Celty, you need to realize nothing you could ever do would drive this lovestruck man away.). Shinra's eyes focused on her as his grin grew, and he hugged her to him again, happy to finally be looking at an actual face, rather than imagining one.