A word of warning, I guess: This is actually the first story I've ever wrote, I just realized I didn't post it here yet. It's 11 chapters long + 2 side stories. Starts with the nighttime visit in EW, and takes off from there up to the end of it. On AO3 you can read it with some added flavor in form of included pictures from the game [here sadly no idea if it's even possible to add them xD]

As I said, it's the first one - but hope you'll enjoy o/

He twitched nervously, rubbing his left arm with the right.

G'raha wasn't even sure what he was doing at her door this late, yet he couldn't help but think this may be last chance he may get to speak to her alone before their lives get even crazier.

His ears twitched when he heard her get close to the door and he steeled himself.

And there she was, looking at him, still in her summoner outfit, blue carbuncle twitching curiously next to her feet.

"Oh, apologies. I... I didn't mean to..." he stammered a bit. "If you could spare a moment before bed..."

She smiled slightly, nodding her head and he suddenly felt a bit more confident.

"Thank you." G'raha smiled and raised his right palm to his chest minutely. "I fear this may be the last quiet night we have to talk for quite some time."

"Do you wish to come in?" Surr pointed toward inside of her room invitingly.

He shook his head and she stepped closed to him yet staying inside her door.

"I am... troubled of late." His smile faded. "Unwarranted concerns, perhaps. I hope. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to share them with you."

She blinked at him curiously, and for a moment he admired how light from inside her room made her purple, slitted eyes look even darker, lovely contrast to her white hair braided elegantly in a plait. Her ears twitched curiously at his hesitation, and he blushed lightly, caught.

"Though you have bested your enemies thus far... Zenos, and even Zodiark." he continued. "Your victories have come at considerable cost to yourself. No one is without their limits... and you are no exception. I worry the added weight of the Final Days will prove more then you can bear."

He lowered his head, closing his crimson eyes.

"It is surely too much for any one woman..."

He thought he heard her gasp slightly, yet when he raised his eyes to meet hers in determination, her face was as calm as ever.

"But you needn't bear it alone." he said with more confidence than he felt. "Let me share your burden. My, um..." he smiled sheepishly. "...carrying capacity pales in comparison to yours, but I could still help. Shoulder the occasional satchel from your ever-growing mountain of, um... "his smile widens. "...baggage."

She blinked at him, purple eyes going wide.

"You have already done so much to help relieve me of my own..." his voice died in his throat. Though her expression remained unchanged, silent tears rolled down her face, and he felt panic grab his throat. What did he do...?

She gasped, stepping back and in fast movement trying to close the door between them. G'raha acted on instinct, reaching out his hand to keep the door open.

"Surr...?" he whispered hesitantly. "What...?"

She let go of the door, stepping back and hugging herself tightly, turning her eyes away from him, as more tears rolled down her face.

"I can't..." she choked out. "can't..." she sobbed and covered her face in her hands, white ears lowering to her head miserably.

He was stunned, yet acting on instinct, he pushed the door open, stepped through and closed them behind him. Hesitantly, almost holding his breath, he closed his arms around her slight form and hugged her tightly to his chest. And it was as if the dam broke. She sobbed harder, hid her face against his collarbone, and he felt her nails dig in his skin through his vest where she put her hands on his sides.

"I'm sorry..." she choked out.

G'raha shook his head slowly, rubbing his cheek against top of her head, only now noticing how even though all the power contained in her slight frame, somehow, she was built so delicately, fitting near perfectly in his arms. He found himself many times resenting his low stature in his long life, yet in this moment, holding her tightly against himself, he was glad for it.

It took few moments for her to calm down slightly, near forgotten carbuncle at their feet twitching with agitation at his mistress distress, pawing at her foot almost as if trying to comfort her.

Finally, she raised her eyes toward G'raha's, still full of tears, and slight blush covering her cheeks. She looked mortified at herself, her eyes going wide, and he smiled reassuringly, raising his fingers to push away white fringe that glued itself to her cheek. He wasn't exactly sure why his words brought her such a distress, but he didn't intend to let her feel embarrassed about it.

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered, lowering her eyes to his crystal necklace, yet she made no movement to release herself from his arms. "I.." she seemed hesitant to continue, so he smoothed his arm delicately down her back. "...you have no idea, how long I've waited for someone to say that to me." she lowered her forehead against his collarbone again with a sigh. "Sometimes... sometimes I feel like everyone around sees me more as a symbol then as a person." her ears twitched nervously, tickling his chin.

He was glad she couldn't see his face at her words, guilt sinking deep in his gut. He was also to blame for it, wasn't he? He nearly idolized her, putting her on the pedestal not any mortal could be comfortable with. She was his hero, his inspiration, didn't he say?

Yet now, holding her delicate frame, and witnessing vulnerability she scarcely would let anyone see, he was remained of sweet, timid Miqo'te girl who would follow him around their camp in the Find, when they first discovered the Tower. It made him so cocky and probably near insufferable at the time, to have famed Warrior of Light hanging on his every word, with bright, curious eyes. She would chuckle at his jokes (which must have been terrible, if he would be honest with himself now), let him drag her around Mor Dhona landscape while he tried to impress her with his vast knowledge of the area, and of the Allagan Empire.

It remained him of the emptiness in her eyes when he looked behind him while the doors of the Crystal Tower were closing.

It was so easy to let the idea of her, T'surreal Sa'angello, the Warrior of Light, Eikon Slayer, Scion of the Seventh Down, to blind him to the simple fact that she was still that girl, barely three years older, yet with weight of the world resting on her slim shoulders.

He tightened his arms around her when she moved as if to back away from him, and hid his face in her shoulder, ears dropping to his head.

"Tis me who should be sorry" he whispered. "I... We all put so much faith in you, place so much burden on your shoulders... With not though given as to how it must affect you."

She shook her head, again tickling him with her ears, that now stood up in agitation.

"No, G'raha, no..." she choked on a fresh wave of tears." I know what my role is. I know non of you intends to... I know that there are some things only I can do because of the Blessing..." her ears hugged her head tightly again, and he soothed his hand through her hair.

"It's okay" he whispered by her head reassuringly. "Just let it all go, I have you."

He hugged her tightly to his chest when she seemed to take his words to heart and started sobbing uncontrollably again. He rested his cheek on top of her head, pretending to himself that his crimson eyes weren't watering also, as guilt and remorse eat up at his insides at her ever sob.

Finally, after few long minutes, she seemed to exhaust herself too much to do much else then rest her head against his shoulder, her arms falling limp to her sides, as residual shivers racked her frame slightly.

Humming in the back of his throat, he moved slowly, as if not to startle her. Putting his arm under her knees, he picked her up, earning himself surprised, teary look of purple, slitted eyes, yet she looked just too exhausted, resting her head against his shoulder again, full of trust. Making his heart squeeze painfully.

With more confidence than he felt, he adjusted her in his arms and stepped fully in her room. Carrying his prize, with blue carbuncle waving between his legs agitatedly, he approached her bed and lay her down on it delicately. She seemed too tired to even say anything, hiding her face in the pillow, yet when he tried to back away, he found her hand grabbing tightly on his scarf, surprising him.

He heard, "Stay" muffled by the pillow, and even though he wanted to protest, he thought better of it. Showing so much vulnerability must have already cost her dearly. G'raha gently disengaged her fingers from his scarf and sat down on the edge of the bed to shed his shoes. She moved timidly, to make space for him next to her, and as soon as he laid down, she hid her face again against his chest.

He didn't say anything, sighing deeply, and curling his arm around her back, feeling in response her sneaking hers around his middle. Carbuncle jumped on top of the bed and curled itself in the ball behind her knees.

G'raha rested his cheek against top of her head and sighed deeply again, promising himself he'll get up and go back to his room as soon as she will fall asleep.

That was his last thought before he drifted off.