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Life

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She woke up the next morning, not as refreshed as she would have wanted to be, but able to function as a somewhat capable adult. She glanced across the room at Cain, where he still slept, and decided that she would move around outside a little bit. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, waiting for the dizziness to pass, and then slowly stood up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She sat down in surprise and put her hands to her head when it started to spin. Once she felt somewhat stable, she turned to Cain and spoke.

"God, do you have to surprise me like that?" He gave a soft chuckle and sat up. She raised her eyebrows when he decided to slip his feet over the side of his bed. "What? Are you going to come over here?" He glanced up at her and nodded. "How's that fair? You get to walk around while I sit here like a good little girl?" He winced slightly as he stood and shuffled over to her bed.

"I'm not dizzy." He sat down with a sigh. "I am less likely to face plant into the floor. You though…?" He see-sawed his hand. She shoved him slightly and he landed flat against the bed. He laughed softly, with her echoing the laugh, before they both fell silent.

She couldn't find anything to say. She knew that the witch had been in control since the eclipse (how exactly, escaped her mind) and that whatever had been said was all a lie. But a small-she was lying to herself, large- part of her mind was doing the 'What if?' game. She couldn't fault it, it had kept her alive for the past four annuals, and she didn't think that it would keep her alive to kill her now, but the other part of the brain screamed, 'You love him! You know he wouldn't say those things to you! It was the witch! The witch!' Suffice it to say, she was getting anywhere with her internal argument.

He couldn't find anything to say. All that had come out of his mouth for the past four annuals had been things that he did not want to say, let alone think. Ever since he touched that single drop of black liquid, it brought him pain and misery; just when things were starting to look up. He had been the worst to DG; much like the witch in AZ had been the worst to Glitch. He wouldn't be surprised if she decided that he wasn't worth having around, and assign him someplace far away; in all actuality, that's what he would do to himself. He couldn't bear the hurt in her eyes every time she looked at him.

She turned to him, and found that she didn't see the man that had spouted cruel words of hatred, but she saw the man that she knew from before the eclipse. How he still helped her even though he was bent on revenge. How he came back, giving up his chance at taking on Zero. Him, standing before her after she gave her pep talks to Raw and Glitch, telling her about what's really important.

"Hey Cain?" He looked at her, and after a beat she looked at him. "What was really important?" His gaze skittered down her face to stare at his hands.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She reached over and clasped her hands over his.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. But I'll refresh your memory." The last part she said with a smile and lifted her hand so that it rested against his cheek. "Just before we went into the tower, you told me not to forget what was really important. What's really important to you?" She slid her hand underneath his chin and raised it so that their eyes met.

"That you don't see me as the man from the past four annuals." She shook her head.

"I don't." His eyes stopped darting around the room and rested solely on hers.

"How do you see me?" She smiled.

"I see you riding up on that white horse after I released myself from that green marble tomb. I see you in longcoat garb, with your trusty fedora sitting proudly atop your head, standing next to Glitch, ready to save Raw and I. I see you…as the man sitting before me; vulnerable but strong." His eyes searched hers. "How do you see me?" She shifted closer so that there was only a hair's breath between their thighs.

"I see a strong woman, who knows what she wants and how to get it. I see…" He trailed off, before speaking with a stronger voice. "I see the future Queen; one who cares for all her people. I see a good friend. I see…" He raised both hands so that they framed her face. "I see what's really important to me." She smiled at him.

"That's good, cause that's what I see too." He gave a soft laugh and put his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat beneath it, while he rested his cheek on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. She blinked, trying to fend off sleep, only to have a yawn stretch her face. He chuckled, the sound reverberating through her ear. He shifted so that she rested against his chest and lay down. Blindly reaching down, she grasped at air for a few seconds before grasping the blanket, pulling it up over the pair. She snuggled down into his chest, letting the steady sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep. He was soon to follow.