Winds of blustering sand often kicked up during the long stretches of the day, pelting their clothes and getting in every crevice it could. Whenever they took a brief pitstop to set up camp, Subaru would dig through his pockets only to find a deserts-worth of sand sitting plush against his body. He'd shake, and shake, and even hang his clothes upside down, but he could never remove the feeling of something coating his hands, making eating a more arduous chore than it rightfully ought to be. The granules of sand seemed to get everywhere, making his neck uncomfortable as he continually scratched it.

It had been hell for the first few days of crossing the Sand Dunes. Hot weather wasn't his forte - the most he'd been accustomed to was heatwaves rolling through Japan every few years - but dealing with the constant sand caking his skin was a new sensation. There's a reason he didn't go to Okinawa often… beyond being a layabout for most of his teenage years. Dealing with scalding sunlight and freezing twilight for days on end could break even the strongest of wills, or so he'd imagined. Julius looked no worse for wear, which had only incentivised his gripes about the whole situation all the more.

This is all for Rem, he'd remind himself, only tacking on Julius as an afterthought. She deserved to live more than him, so it was all but fair that he brought her back to her sister, safe and sound. A desert or two was nothing for the sake of keeping everyone alive, even if his instincts screamed at him to get as far away from the area as possible.

Subaru had dealt with far, far worse than sand. Didn't make it any more enjoyable.

Nothing had felt different this morning. Meili had kicked up a fuss about needing to stretch her legs more, something about being locked up in a mansion for ages, but quickly piped down when Subaru just gave her the most deadpan stare he could afford. They kept to pace, wary of any earthworms and mabeasts that roamed the earth, idly chatting to each other to pass the time. With the sun beating down on their backs, Subaru opted to focus more on what he'd do when Rem was back.

First things first - he owed her a hug. There was that one idiom - absence makes the heart grow fonder, was it? - that strongly resonated with him, and Rem was a testament to that fact. He'd do just about anything to get another portion of her cooking, scarfing it down with Beatrice and Emilia by his side. Ram would probably scold him, but she'd be too preoccupied with talking her sister's ear off to truly chew him out like usual. Dinner with everyone, even the Anastasia camp, sounded like a long forgotten dream.

As for Emilia, a date sounded nice. More than nice, honestly. Just the thought of holding her hand had him sweating bullets, and the idea of being lovey-dovey with her was almost too much to handle in the heat. It was cheesy, and almost definitely the reason why Beatrice kept sighing whenever he was lost in thought, but it was something that kept him going through day upon day of travelling through the desert.

Subaru just wanted to be with her. Romance aside, she meant everything to him, and just spending time with her felt right to him. They didn't have to come up with a name for their relationship. There was no pressure to define how the pair of them truly felt about each other. All that mattered was that Emilia was happy, because her happiness gave him the will to go on. From her smile, to that light cadence her voice took on when she was teasing Beatrice, everything about her just gave him more reason to make sure she never lost that feeling of joy.

Emilia had been through a lot, all things considered. Isolation can very easily destroy a person - he'd been more than acquainted with how soul-shattering the shut-in lifestyle had been - so it was no surprise the century of ice had left marks on her psyche. She was naive, and far too trusting, yet she never let her trauma hold her down from trying to help the citizens of the Elior Forest. It was something Subaru had always admired about her, most likely due to how close to home it hit for him. Both of them just wanted to make the people around them happy, to right their wrongs, and to be a person worth the love they receive.

Seeing her beam at Meili, or clasp Beatrice's hand in hers, it reminded Subaru of home. Having a family that truly cherished him, would press cold towels on his head when he fell ill, fed him soup and hold his hand through it all. Looking at Beatrice's soft smile confirmed it. This wasn't the family that he had grown up with, but instead the family that he had simply been adopted into.

He wouldn't trade it for the world.

Nightfall swept in with a bitter chill, causing the party of travellers to settle down along a flat part of sand. Julius had quickly grabbed a few planks of wood and tinder, striking a piece of flint with his sword to spark a hearty fire a short distance from the carriage. Everyone else had helped unload a few of the bags to retrieve some food or light outerwear to help ease them through the cold onset of night.

As Ram made quick work of the fire, preparing a small portion of soup for the youngest member of the group, Beatrice had decided to nuzzle into Subaru's side, pressing her body as close as she could to him. He ran his hand through the top of her hair, releasing the twin tails and smoothing through the stray locks into something far more comfortable to sleep with. A comfortable silence enveloped the pair, Beatrice softly sighing at the sensation of Subaru's hands combing through her hair.

"Feeling cold?" Subaru asked playfully, resting his arm around her shoulder.

She looked up to him with a frown, picking up his hand and placing it back on the top of her head. Taking the hint, he resumed his earlier ministrations, detangling and running his fingers through her hair fondly.

"You're good for that, I suppose. Betty would prefer you think more of her wellbeing, in fact."

"You know my priority is your wellbeing," he sing-songed, tapping his finger on her nose, "I'm just thinking about things. Like what comes after this, y'know?"

"And a certain half-elf, I suppose," she rebuked.

"Well, I can't argue with that."

"Whatever happens will happen, but it'll happen with all of us, in fact. Don't let your worries consume you like always, I suppose."

"I won't," Subaru promised, "I've got you to worry about me instead."

It was hard to imagine the future. Dying regularly had him look more towards potential catastrophes than any tangible form of happiness, but obsessing over the doom and gloom would only serve to worry those around him more than normal. Gritting and bearing it all was hard, understandably, but it was worth it to see Beatrice open up to him, feel the warmth of her by his side. Having someone in his corner made the weight on his shoulders a lot lighter.

They were all supportive of him in their own ways. Anastasia and Julius kept their distance but stood close enough to pull him up if need be, and Ram was always there to forcefully drag him out of any self-destructing thoughts. Meili… was a lot more complicated, but Patrasche carried enough love and support for two people anyway, so the murder-child was less of a concern than she probably should have been.

That left Emilia, who was finishing up a generous portion of soup by the fire, lighting up her pupils in a way that left Subaru winded. She did anything she could to support him, from lap pillows to drowning him in praise, and every moment with her alone was a blessing in and of itself. Something in the look he cast her must've read as yearning, because he felt the heat beside him move away.

"Betty will go to sleep, I suppose," she explained, giving Subaru some space to sit by himself.

Beatrice really was the best, he thought, seeing how Emilia had stood up and padded over to sit next to him. While not pressed as close as Beatrice was, he could feel warmth roll off her in waves, keeping him from huddling closer to the campfire.

"Asleep already?" Emilia hummed, casting a glance to Beatrice's curled up form.

"Yeah. Beako needs her beauty sleep or she'll be all cranky in the morning."

"It is pre~tty late," she yawned, stretching her arm up, "I just wanted to chat with you for a bit, but I'm all sleepy."

"We can always chat in the morning, anyway. I'll probably heading to sleep soon myself-"

He cut himself off. Emilia had rested her head on his shoulder, blinking blearily at his flustered look.

"Is this okay? 'm just… need a minute…" she spoke, breath coming out in a puff of white fog. Her hair draped over his arm, silver trails rolling down his body, and he couldn't stop the lopsided grin from spreading across his face. This was really happening.

Emilia's breath evened out slowly, exhales becoming longer and longer apart, until she had inevitably dozed off on Subaru's shoulder. Red rushed to his cheeks, burning him inside and out at the thought of her being so comfortable with him to sleep with him. On him. He meant on him, obviously.

It was the feeling of trust that had him all sweaty and feeling like he'd just experienced his first kiss. Comforting him with a lap pillow or a hug - that was just to cheer him up. No further meaning in it besides the one he would apply in his daydreams where she would confess to him in the moonlight. Actively seeking him out, wanting to embrace him of her own volition - that was something new. A trust that he hadn't felt with many people before. An unwavering belief in him to keep her safe, keep her in a comfy position, that it shook him to his core.

They'd been sitting together for what felt like eons when she started to shift. Probably waking up, he thought, mourning the loss of contact between them. It had to be uncomfortable leaning on someone like that, even if the little spot of drool she'd left on his shoulder indicated she at least got a little sleep out of it. At least now he could breathe, recuperate after the-

She wrapped her arms around him, head slowly dropping to his lap. Nuzzling into his waist, a gentle smile adorned her face, and he felt like he was going to combust.

Emilia was far too cute for her own good. And as he reached down tentatively to give her a head pat, she was far too adorable for his sake as well.

As the world around him drifted to sleep, his friends giving lofty "good night"s and dousing the fire out, Subaru couldn't think of anything beyond the girl in his lap. Hadn't been able to think of anything but her all day, but that's besides the point.

Everything he had in this world he owed to her. His joys, friends, troubles and enemies sprouted from his bond with her, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Even if there was an easier path alone - it wouldn't have been worth it. What good is peace when you can't grant it to those you love? Facing strife was hard, but even harder was travelling a path without the girl he loved most.

Moments like this cemented that feeling to him.

Like the rain flowing down busy city streets, collecting in puddles and the soles of bustling pedestrians. As certain as the seasonal drift between swaying leaves and barren trees. Times change, realities swap, and Subaru is in love with Emilia.

Sand filled his socks and pockets, but she filled his heart, so he didn't quite mind the feeling of either on his fingertips.

Sleep beckoned him as he was smothered in Emilia's warmth. He initially resisted the urge, wanting to memorise the feeling of how soft her hair was in his palm, but his eyelids drooped all the more at the repetitive motion of stroking her head. The person he cherished most was with him, and he wished to feel that warmth for all eternity.

To let that love resonate until they were old and gray.

"- Up. Wake up, Barusu!"

He rose up reluctantly, bones creaking from the uncomfortable position he'd slept in. Cracking his neck had eased some of his tension from the night, and he wiped at his eyes for the hundredth time that week.

Was last night real? Emilia was nowhere in sight, leading him to think that either he'd dreamt the whole thing, or she was embarrassed at the whole ordeal. He'd hoped for the latter, but he wasn't going to complain about having a pleasant dream for once. Having an easy night's sleep at the cost of a few muscle aches felt like a fair trade to him.

"They're freshening up behind the carriage, so don't get any lecherous ideas," Ram heckled, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I wasn't going to-" he bit back, only to pause as Emilia emerged from behind the carriage, "Oh, uh, Hey Emilia-tan! Hope you slept well. Felt pretty cold last night, huh?"

"It was. I had you to keep me warm, though," Emilia replied, and a light dash of pink coloured her cheeks suddenly. She swallowed, seemingly struggling to get the second part of her sentence out, and he waited with bated breath to see how she would react to sleeping on him.

"I was wondering if… you could do the thing you did last night. It felt reeeeally good," she said, tilting her head in confusion at Subaru's reaction.

She really was going to be the permanent death of him one day.