"Elend," Vin whispered, touching his arm. "Let's go."
As he turned to face her, Vin could actually see some of the lines in his forehead fade away. He relaxed into her familiar Elend: shoulders loosening, eyes brightening — reminding her of the young man she'd stumbled into on that balcony, free of any kingly burdens.
Vin breathed out. This was the man she knew. The man she was most comfortable with.
Elend took her hand, holding it as if it were a bulwark. "One day I'll be used to these meetings." He looked down at himself and sighed. He said nothing, but Vin heard the rest as if he'd spoken. "And these powers."
"There are perks to being a Mistborn, you know," she murmured as they walked into the pale stone corridor and out the imposing mahogany doors. "It's not all doom and responsibility."
Elend quirked an eyebrow. "I wonder who you learned that from."
A pang cut through her chest. Elend must have noticed her pause, because he gripped her arm tighter.
She'd thought, not long ago, that Elend was immune to true pain. To real fear. That his life as the only son of Straff Venture kept him cushioned from the world's hurts. He was just a philosopher trying to reach across the gulf and understand pain, wasn't he? And then, despite her trusted instincts, she'd come to realize the depth of her error.
Two fragile people, too powerful to be carefree, trying to save the world.
The only thing Vin could do to stop herself from breaking was create those carefree moments. Use her powers to pretend, if only for a little bit, that being a Mistborn did not make her a player in the fate of the world. Just the keeper of a whimsical magic that let her in on the world's secrets.
She had to teach Elend to do the same.
They had reached the outer ground of Keep Venture and stood near a copse of trees, their leaves shivering in the evening wind.
They both looked up, drawn to the mists, churning as if alive. But Vin looked past that, through the veil toward the chips of light winking through it — like the jewelled netting she'd sometimes worn to a House ball.
"Elend, we're going up there. To see those stars."
He looked down at her, eyes widening. "I know you can reach this height, but I – "
"I want to do this together, while we still can."
He stepped closer to her, the heat from his chest warming hers. "Vin…"
She couldn't see his face now, because her head rested against him. "Vin, I was going to tell you not to say that." He drew a shuddering breath. "But you're right. Who knows how much time we have?"
She wrapped her arms around him then, and he did the same. For a long time, they didn't speak. Once, she lifted a hand, running it through his hair. He pulled her closer to him, splaying his hands across her back. Eyes still closed, she leaned into his warmth, shivering when a kiss brushed her hair.
Eventually, Vin drew away, accosted by the chill after so long in Elend's arms.
"You'll need an anchor," she said, voice laced with the smallest tremble. "Two anchors. One on either side…"