A/N: Takes place a couple of months into their relationship. Probably very soon after Solitude, since it mentions stuff that happened there.
Whip rubbed her head, chuckling. "I haven't had that much to drink in awhile."
"Me either," Adel replied. "I don't feel too bad now, but I feel...a little off, at least."
It was late in the morning, and the two had decided to take a walk around the fields where the Sky Noah was docked; mostly to get some fresh air. They had decided to go out with the rest of the team last night-them being Ralf, Clark, and Leona. Leona managed to stay sane-she didn't usually drink too much-but Ralf and Clark had convinced the other two to put quite a bit away.
So now, the two decided to get rid of their hangovers-Whip's being a bit worse than Adel's due to the tolerance difference-with a bit of fresh air.
Looking up at the overcast, early fall sky-the two in light jackets-she laughed. "I think the last time I was this drunk was one of Ralf's birthdays,"
"I can't remember the last time I was. Maybe it was because of them, as well."
"Bad influences," she snorted, shaking her head, though jokingly.
Thinking for a moment, he scratched his head. "I feel bad for never having asked this, but...when is your birthday?" He realized, after the two odd months they had known each other and the weeks they had been fully together, he never asked, and he felt oddly guilty about this.
Whip grew silent, slowing her walk. She was sort of hoping this wouldn't come up, even though she knew it was inevitable. She was enjoying her relationship with him so much at this point...but she was worried about the truth really getting out.
They had talked about a lot with each other, naturally. They had been dating, now, for a little over two months. She even spilled some of her worries with him. He knew about her time in NESTS-about the testing and the like. He had even come to the hotel to comfort her in the middle of the night recently, when she was suffering nightmares. She had helped him through his impossibly dark spot early on. They had even slept together by now; more than once...and their first time had been the first for the both of them.
They had bonded about as much two could bond this early on. It felt...completely natural.
But she was terrified to tell him that she didn't know her birthday...because clones didn't have birthdays.
They had dates of creation.
Adelheid blinked, noticing the sad look on her face as she looked off to the side; rubbing her arm and then scratching her hair nervously.
"Seirah?" he asked, turning her gently toward him as they both stopped.
She looked down a few moments before finally looking off to the side, trying to meet his gaze.
"I...wasn't born normally, Adelheid. Those tests...they weren't just me being born in NESTS and growing up there. I was…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "I was basically...made," she finally spat out. "Cloned. It's why I even wonder who I am."
Whip knew he wasn't pressuring her...but there were things that she felt might as well be out in the open sooner than later...and this seemed to be about the only time she could have mustered up the courage to finally say anything.
Feeling his hand immediately come up-brushing across the tears on her face just like he had when he had driven to the hotel in the middle of the night-he immediately met her in a deep kiss; this almost surprised her, as he never said a word. She felt his thumb brush away another that had fallen, as he stayed there, not breaking away from her yet.
As he finally broke, he cupped her face in his hands.
"Like I told you that night...you're Seirah."
She smiled sadly at him. "I'm...sorry. I seem to get...lost in this still."
"Don't apologize," he said, kissing her forehead. He felt like he had no idea what she went through, besides the things she had told him. "You know I'm here to unload on. With anything."
She pressed her forehead to his shoulder for a moment. "I was...afraid to tell you. I didn't know how you'd…"
"React?" he smiled softly. "You're still the same Seirah I met two months ago. Nothing will ever change that." He nuzzled her head as she leaned there.
She slid her arms under his, pressing against him. He held her close, stroking her hair. They separated after a few moments, though they still had each other's hands.
"Did you ever consider picking a day?" he asked.
"I did...but I never knew what," she said. "I...don't want my creation…" she trailed off.
He thought for a moment. "What day meant the most to you in your past?"
Whip thought about this for a bit. "When I joined my new comrades," she said after some time. "That was when I felt like I could really start to live."
He smiled at her as they stood there. She blinked, smiling herself and pushing back some of her hair.
"I always considered that day as being one of the most important to me," she said. "I guess I could use that?"
"I don't think there are any rules against it. Even if there were, who the hell cares?" he said, touching her under the chin.
She grinned at that, pressing her forehead to his chest again, as he slid his hands behind her head. "It was October 12," she said. "Very soon."
"So I guess we're celebrating, then?" he said, gently.
She smiled up at him. "Yes. We are." She stayed there for a few moments, both incredibly comfortable...and immeasurably relieved.
After a few minutes passed, she looked up. "Hungry?" she asked. "Wait...I can't believe I asked you that, of all people."
He shrugged sheepishly. "How about at the hotel? I like the room service there."
"Different from the fancy stuff here, eh?"
He nodded. "I'll drive."
As they walked to the parking area near the Sky Noah, Whip found that one of those longtime missing pieces of a puzzle had now found a home; a piece that she had been trying to get to fit ever since she had attended her first birthday party for her teammates.
A/N: A super short blurb in between the longboi. Whip is not someone who whines or anything like that, but in game she isn't immune to shedding a few tears; she strikes me as sometimes emotional, but not overly so, seemingly choosing to keep things to herself and occasionally letting it spill out. One could imagine she would be worried telling the entire story to him...wondering how he would react.
Oh yeah, Adel's little food thing; I headcanon him as having like, a bottomless pit for a stomach. Maybe it's his blood, maybe it's his build, maybe it's everything, but he puts away food in almost amusing quantities.
