MinakoJupiter: Okay, this is it: the final part of the TDHAW saga.
chaos: TDHAW?
MinakoJupiter: Time Dosen't Heal All Wounds, followed closely by A Reflection Over Scars.
chaos: Ah. Well, shall we get on with the story?
MinakoJupiter: Of course! Why else would I be typing like crazy at...2:12 in the morning?
Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks; the characters just visit me every so often.
Moving On
Aerrow jolted awake from another nightmare. It seemed that ever since he killed the Dark Ace, his dreams were haunted by the events that scarred both his body and his soul. Each night, some part of that week he was held prisoner by the Dark Ace came back to him, making him remember what happened. Sighing, he got out of his bed and headed towards the kitchen.
'Not like I'm going to be getting anymore sleep tonight, anyway...' he thought miserably, his leaf-green eyes clouded as he tried to force the images of his nightmare out of his mind...
Piper had been sipping a cup of tea when Aerrow walked into the kitchen. She was quite surprised to find anyone else up at this hour...but from the way Aerrow looked right now, something must have happened.
"Aerrow? What are you doing up?" she questioned, setting her tea down and walking over to the red-head.
"Couldn't get back to sleep..." Aerrow whispered in reply, casting his eyes away from the girl in front of him and onto the floor.
Piper didn't buy it; Aerrow was usually a sound sleeper, and unless the Condor's alarm went off, he wouldn't wake up until everyone else did. Something was up, and she wasn't about to let him get away with that excuse.
"Alright, Aerrow. I'm not letting you use that excuse." she sighed out, pushing him over to the table in the center of the room.
"Piper, I can walk fine by myself..." he grumbled, not exactly liking being shoved. Sighing in defeat, he sat down at the table, Piper taking the seat next to him. Knowing he wasn't about to get out of this one, Aerrow started telling her about what had been going on every night...
It was much later when Aerrow finished, his chin now resting on his folded-up arms, emerald eyes staring at the table and not at the girl beside him. Piper was at a loss for words; how come he hadn't told anyone earlier? Was he still worried they'd leave him because of what happened? Very gently, she placed her arms around his shoulders and drew him into an embrace, trying to comfort him.
"I just...felt so weak...I couldn't do anything to stop him..." Aerrow murmurred, his head resting against her shoulder.
"It's not your fault, Aerrow..." Piper whispered soothingly, knowing she would never be able to fully understand what he went through that week, but wanting to help him move on regardless. Her eyes widened a bit when she felt something moistening the shoulder of her uniform. Looking at his face, she was surprised to see silent tears slipping from her captain's eyes.
"I hadn't ever felt so scared...until that happened...I was so scared that...I'd die in that place..." Aerrow whispered, tears falling like rain. Piper just pulled him closer, letting a chocolate-colored hand press his head against her shoulder. Aerrow relaxed in her embrace as she let him cry on her shoulder; he eventually cried himself to sleep. Piper had never seen Aerrow cry, not even at his mother's funeral. It was awkward to see this strong teen break down like this, but she knew he needed it, especially now. Smiling softly, Piper rested her cheek in Aerrow's ruby hair, falling asleep as well...
Aerrow woke to the sun's first rays on his face, noticing that he had fallen asleep on Piper's shoulder. A light blush appeared on his face at the memory of how she'd gotten him to open up to her, how she stayed and comforted him as his mind relived those moments that scarred him forever. A soft groan came from Piper as she also woke up, carnelian eyes fluttering open slowly. Glancing at the red-head's face, she smiled at him as he sat up, still blushing.
"Feeling better?" she questioned, a hand still on his shoulder. Aerrow nodded, trying to force the ever-growing blush down.
"Thanks, Piper..." he muttered, turning to face the cyrstal specialist.
"Don't mention it...You definately didn't need to keep that locked in." she replied, moving to stand up, but stopping when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist. Looking at the Sky Knight as he stood up, their eyes meeting as they faced each other. She was about to voice her confusion when she felt his lips lightly touch her own. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but in her mind it seemed like it had been hours. As he oulled away, he moved his hand to the side of her face, gently cupping her cheek.
"Ae-Aerrow..." she stuttered, not entirely grasping the whole concept of the kiss yet. Her face turned completely red when he pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her.
"Thank you...for helping me move on..." he whispered, green meeting orange. He would've said more if Piper hadn't placed a finger on his lips.
"You're welcome...Aerrow..." she muttered before they both leaned in for another kiss, the only witness to this new couple being the rising sun...
MinakoJupiter: sniff So cute...
chaos: I think I got a cavity from that one, Mina...
MinakoJupiter: Yeah right, chaos! Well, the end of a trilogy has been posted! Please review and tell me what you think!