"What about this one?" she asked. Erend laughed, looking down at the scar near his navel that she was pointing to. They had been talking for hours. He stared at her, trying to memorize the way she looked in that moment. She smiled at him shyly. "What?" she had asked. He smiled back at her, laughing quietly.

"You look much more comfortable than I do," he said, gesturing to his attire, his usual orange and cream striped shirt and a heavy leather vest. She shook her head.

"Well, that isn't my fault. And no one is telling you to keep it on." She took a sip of her tea, maintaining eye contact with him. He shrugged and removed his gambeson, then sat down at the table in the chair closest to Aloy. He pulled off his boots and sat them aside. He kept his eyes locked on hers and took a drink from his own mug. The tea was hotter than he had anticipated, and he sputtered, tea spilling onto his vest and shirt. The liquid scalded the skin beneath, and he jumped up from his seat, pulling the liquid soaked fabric away from his skin.

"Fire and spit!" he cursed. "Did Olin leave any clothing here, Aloy?" She shook her head, trying not to laugh. She picked up her mug and moved to a couch in a corner of the room.

"He took everything with him after we rescued his family." Erend dropped his gaze to the floor. He pulled off his shirt and picked up his mug, sitting a respectable amount of space away from her on the couch.. Aloy stared at him, noting that the wounds he had acquired at the battle of the Spire had scarred. She also noted various other scars scattered about his chest and shoulders, suspecting that they littered his back as well.

She swallowed, trying to push away the thought that the scars he had gotten defending her were the largest.

She reached over and brushed her fingers across the scar that signified the day he had almost died.

"I know where you got this one," she said quietly. She pointed to another scar, "what about this one?" she asked. Erend laughed, looking down at the scar near his navel that she was pointing to.

"You wanna trade scars, huh? That one's from Ersa. Second week into being a member of the Vanguard and I showed up without my armor. Told her it 'wasn't worth wearing if we weren't going to actually hurt each other'. She made us sparring partners and used me as an example, haha. Got me with her spear, which she never trained with. Never forgot my gambeson after that." He traced the scar lightly with his finger, smiling. He looked up to meet her eyes. "My turn." He tapped the scar above her eyebrow. She frowned slightly.

"A Nora child threw a rock at me when I was also a child. He hated me because I was an outcast. He died at the Proving." he brushed his thumb across her cheek, an odd combination of rage and sympathy bubbling in his chest. She saw the first emotion flash across his features, quickly hidden by the next. "It's okay," she said, "all of it. I know things had to happen the way they did." She touched another scar, just below his collar bone. This one was clean, linear, not like the jagged marks near it. Erend brought his hand up to hers, holding it gently.

"That one's from me, Aloy. After Ersa died, after she was laid to rest and… after you left, after that night we spent together, I… well, I didn't know if I could still feel anything. I was so numb all the time, so drunk. I just… I needed to know I could feel something. It was just a small knife, a quick cut. And it hurt. I felt it. I bled. Avad had talked to me, told me to get it together. And from that moment on, I was able to feel. And to guard my emotions. I was able to be better. And I never did it again. Just that once." His fingers were intertwined with hers, his thumb brushing across her knuckles. Her other hand had found its way up to her face, covering her mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

"Erend," she choked. Tears spilled out of her eyes and Erend brought his free hand up to her cheek to brush them away.

"Hey, he whispered. "Don't. It's okay. And it was better than going out and letting a Stormbird or a Stalker remind me I could still feel. It wasn't smart, it wasn't the right thing to do, but I did it anyway. And now I'll have this to carry with me forever. A little reminder." Aloy brushed a finger along the length of the scar again, then gently pressed her lips to the spot. Erend shivered, then brought his own fingers up to her chin, pushing it up gently until their eyes met. "Never again, I promise." He brushed his lips against hers. "My turn," he whispered. "This one," he ran a single finger along the scar that marked her otherwise perfect throat. She swallowed slowly, breathing out.

"Helis," she said, a slight crack in her voice. "At the Proving. He — Eclipse, they were after me. He… he was going to kill me. His knife was pressed against my throat. Just a little deeper and… but Rost was there. He shot him. It was the last time I saw him alive. The last thing he did was save my life." A tear rolled down her cheek, and Erend caught it with his thumb.

"I'm grateful for him. I'm grateful that he loved you as much as he did. I'm grateful that he was there, when the Eclipse attacked you. You're here because of him. You're here because he loved you so much that he was willing to lay down his life for you. You're here, in part, because of him. And I wouldn't have gotten to know you if not for him. I wouldn't have been able to ask you for help finding my sister. And I wouldn't have been able to fall in love with you." He glanced down at the floor with this last admission, still not entirely sure he should be saying those words to her.

"I miss him," she said. "Every single day."

"I know that feeling," Erend whispered. "I think about Ersa all the time."

"Do you think it will ever hurt less?" She wrapped her fingers between his as she spoke.

"I imagine it's a lot like scars. Raw and angry at the start, but they start to fade, more and more over time. Always there, but less painful as life goes on. Maybe." He pulled her into his chest, her skin warm and soft against his. She sighed, letting herself relax against him. He brushed his fingertips along her arm, feeling her skin prickle as he made contact. He pressed his lips to her hair, soaking up every moment he could.

He was worried it wouldn't be this way forever.

He continued to brush his fingers along her skin, moving his hand lightly to her exposed back and waist. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed again. He brushed over the smooth skin and the rough scars. One was larger than the others.

"This one," he said, and tapped it lightly. She sat back, brushing her own fingers over the hardened skin.

"Nil," she said. Erend stiffened, remembering the man she referred to. He had known the Carja soldier for longer than he cared to admit, remembering his ferocity during the time of the Red Raids. He had seen him briefly at the Battle for the Spire, but never processed the thought that he knew Aloy. How had they ever been close enough for him to wound her? And why?

"We were clearing out a bandit camp together. I was trying to get one on a watchtower, and Nil was shooting ones below. I slipped on the ladder and fell right when he loosed an arrow, and I fell into its path. It stung, but we had to keep fighting. We dressed it as best we could, but it didn't stop me from getting sick. Eventually it healed, though. I forget about it all the time." Erend brushed his fingers across the scar once more, a strange sense of jealousy creeping into his chest. Had Nil seen more of her bare skin than he had? Had her cared for her while she was sick?

"So you two were… together, then?" Aloy looked at him, eyes full of curiosity.

"Only when we were clearing camps, and for short periods after. Never for very long. We may have made camp once or twice, but that is about it." Erend's ears were hot. His whole body was hot. They made camp together? Had they shared a tent? If they had, what else had they - his thoughts were interrupted by Aloy, pressing her lips to his. She smiled as she pulled away from him.

"What was that?" he asked, lips curled into a smirk.

"I could see smoke coming out of your ears. I had to get your attention somehow. What's on your mind?" Erend swallowed hard.

"Aloy, if you… want him instead, if you and Nil-" Aloy burst into laughter, tears springing to her eyes. She placed her had on his bare chest, smiling.

"Erend, I don't want anyone but you." She pressed her lips to his again, then yawned. "I'm tired. Will you stay with me tonight?" Erend beamed at her, nodding his head fervently. She placed the two empty mugs in the sink and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. Erend followed shortly after, smiling to himself the whole time.