A/N: New to the fandom but absolutely loving it. Just a short drabble on how I think the end of the mission may go. Enjoy!
Loid gave Anya one last hug, a million things on his mind, unsure how to voice any of them. He supposed she heard them all, and wondered if it made any more sense to her than it did to him. They'd tried to teach her not to poke into their thoughts unwarranted. It'd just lead to heartache later, hearing things she shouldn't be hearing. People were allowed to have their private thoughts, after all.
When he stood back up with one last head pat to Anya, he had a hard time meeting Yor's eyes. If he thought saying goodbye to Anya was hard, this was almost worse. At least Anya knew what he wanted to say, all the things he thought about saying. With Yor, if he wanted to leave her with any parting words, he'd have to actually vocalize them, which was harder than he thought possible.
The what if hung between them like a wet blanket, both struggling to ring the water out but never quite seeming to gain much ground. They'd just started exploring their feelings together, their lips finding each other after Anya had gone to bed, quick morning kisses before Yor went off to work. It was so new and barely a thing, but they had been excited to see where it would lead, uncaring of what 'after' truly meant.
He'd played the part of a happy husband, and somewhere along the way, it stopped being pretend. It was so gradual, he hardly noticed until he woke up the day after the mission was completed and continued on with his usual routine with his family.
It wasn't until Frankie mentioned something that Loid realized it was truly over now. Being a spy and having a family didn't mix. It was dangerous for them and for him. If anyone realized he had a weakness, it'd be exploited and he couldn't guarantee their safety. No, it was better this way. Better to say goodbye for now before it'd get harder to leave.
"Yor-" he hesitated, what he wanted to say disappearing from his brain as he looked into her tear filled eyes. He hated the thought of leaving her like this. But he had to do it. It was the right thing to do. "Take care of yourselves."
She nodded quickly, "Of course. You can visit anytime." They both knew he wouldn't. Visits would just make it worse.
"Right," he nodded, trying not to think about never getting to see their faces again. "I better be off." He grabbed his suitcase and left, the door closing softly behind him, though it rang through the two girls with a finalty that shook them.
"Shall we go watch your Spy show?" Yor asked with forced cheer, trying to make this as normal as possible.
Anya's eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head and ran to her room, slamming it shut behind her. Yor couldn't blame her. Grabbing a bottle of wine from the kitchen, Yor poured herself a glass before sitting in the living room. This was a moment that called for wine. She wished she had something stronger, but she couldn't get completely sloshed now that she was inherently a single mother.
Loid used to take such good care of her when she got drunk, helping her to her room, taking off her shoes and helping her slide under the covers, tucking her in. Now, she propped her feet up on the couch and stared listlessly at the wall.
All the boxes had been checked, Loid had seen to that. He'd filed their divorce, and had come up with several stories for Yor to pick from as to why they had gotten divorced. He'd made it a point that of all the scenarios he had given her, that Yor was the victim and Loid the 'bad guy'. It'd help her save face with the stigma of being a divorcee.
Initially, he'd wanted to fake his death, but Yor wouldn't allow it. If he ever decided to come back, they'd never be able to explain it away. The look he gave her was heartbreaking, but she refused to believe she'd never see him again. He told her she could say whatever she wanted.
In the weeks after, when she was asked, she tried to be vague and not give too many details. Of course that led to speculation and gossip, but Yor didn't care. It only came to a head when her brother Yuri demanded to know the details. She hesitated with him being with the Secret Police, but Yuri already knew Loid's true identity, so she felt she could tell him the truth. He was the only one who could know, and she was glad she had at least someone to talk to about it.
Sympathetic, Yuri made a point of visiting more often, which did lighten Anya's spirits, though no one could take Loid's place. He was her father in every way but blood. Anya had lost one family and had now lost half of her new one. Yor wanted to get her into a therapist to help her work through her feelings but was worried Anya would divulge things she shouldn't, so she put off looking for someone.
Loid would know what to do. The sentence became her curse as she tried to live their lives. At every roadblock, she wanted to cry, knowing it was up to her to get them through this but also knowing Loid would have done it better.
Sighing, Yor picked up Anya's finished plate and started washing the dishes while Anya ran over to the TV, turning on her favorite show. She had washed about half of the dishes when a knock sounded on the door and suddenly Anya perked up, running to grab the door. Though, once the door was open, her hand dropped from the knob, and she started sobbing.
"Anya?" Yor was alarmed, without even drying her hands or turning off the faucet, Yor rushed to Anya's side, kneeling and reaching for her before she noticed who stood in the doorway. "Loid," she whispered, feeling as though the breath had been stolen from her lungs.
His visit was sooner than she expected as it had only been a couple of months since he'd left, walking out of their lives. He looked as good as ever, though more tired, on edge. Yor wondered what mission he had just completed to give him that haunted look.
"I had to come back," was all he said before he dropped to his knees to pull them both into his arms, hugging them fiercely.
His girls clung to him, crying into his sleeves, the door still open for the neighbors to hear and see as they walked by, though the trio hardly noticed. Even without Anya's powers, Yor knew he came back for them, to be with them. Loid had been given a choice, and he'd chosen them. Whatever else came their way after this, they'd be fine. He would always come back to them.
"Welcome home," Yor whispered.
