The Andron hadn't seen so many guests since the world was ending. On one hand, G'raha Tia enjoyed the annex being a little more lively than usual — especially considering one of their guests — but on the other hand, he did find their guests a little distracting — all of them, and especially one of them. Thankfully, Krile found herself too distracted as well to notice his work suffering as a result.
Wuk Lamat managed to be the most curious of their guests, even with Lunaire meandering the corridors of the Baldesion Annex. A chipper and straightforward woman, bringing to mind how he might imagine Lunaire were she more talkative. He admitted to being fond of her straightaway, much the way he'd felt about Lunaire upon their first meeting both eons and yet not too long ago.
After her arrival, he'd set about obtaining as much literature on Tural as he could manage. A pitiable amount, he came to discover, and the most notable appeared to be on the cuisine of a few locales the author had visited. Little disseminating general guidelines on interacting with the culture or even describing the landscape. Not even a treatise on architectural design. A disappointing endeavor when compared to his latest with the world's beloved Warrior of Light. But it wouldn't stop G'raha Tia from attempting to sink his claws further into it; he was nothing if not resourceful. And he had an entire Crystal Tower's worth of aether to help him.
"I'm surprised to see you still awake." The voice startled him near out of his chair.
"The same could be said for you, friend."
The dark Viera stood in the door of the main part of the annex, his shoulder pressed against the doorframe and a smirk pressed upon his lips. His yellow eyes glowed warm from the hearth across the room. G'raha Tia wouldn't say he'd gotten to know the gleaner well — their interactions revolved around Lunaire for the most part — but he liked to think they had some level of rapport. After all, they both carried a thirst for adventure in their hearts, though their means of slaking said thirst took different routes.
"Fair enough. I expect Krile has scolded you often enough for late nights as it is."
"As if she'd be one to talk," G'raha Tia replied with a chuckle. "Nary a fortnight passes without us bumping into each other in the late hours, awake through the power of coffee and unanswered questions."
"I am unsurprised."
"However," G'raha Tia continued, lips curling into a smirk as well, "one of us is to be preparing for a long voyage to Tural with their prospective leader."
Erenville sauntered into the room, moving towards a seat nearby G'raha Tia and his cluttered desk. A stack of books blocked the Viera from sitting down, but he hurried and set them out of the way. With a grateful nod, Erenville sat down and peered at the myriad books and documents strewn about the desk. An amused exhale told G'raha Tia he'd gathered the topic of research with a quick glance.
"I'm surprised you aren't accompanying us," he said as he settled into the chair.
"Well, it would hardly be fair to Krile if I went out on every adventure and left her behind to man the annex," he told him with a smile. "It used to be, I didn't spend so much of my time away from Old Sharlayan. Just as keen to study here as anywhere else, though I did have an intrepid streak. Some would have even called it foolhardy."
"I can believe that. But you don't seem eager to stay behind," Erenville said, pointing at the scroll on Tural culture laid out on the desk. A gentle blush rose to his cheeks that he hoped the poor lighting hid.
"I'll admit, I am a bit envious, yes. Can you blame me?" The Viera lifted an eyebrow, but shook his head.
"I'm quite aware of your fondness for Lunaire." The gentle blush took a more ferocious turn. It wasn't as if he made any attempts to hide it, but he did try to remain professional as much as possible.
"My…deep affections notwithstanding, it is a hard opportunity to pass up. To travel all the way to Tural and see such a different culture with my own two eyes." He let his eyes shut and imagined himself on the ship, riding glittering waves onto new sands. Reminiscent of another time, ages ago. "I daresay the feeling would be similar to my first venture into Eorzea. Perhaps more exhilarating, given the circumstances. You'll be getting to witness history in the making. The sort of events songs and tomes are written about, then studied centuries later."
"I forget you're a historian at heart." G'raha Tia chuckled and leaned against the desk.
"Allagan history, primarily. My oft forgotten thesis on Emperor Xande is lost somewhere in the Studium."
"Mm. Then this would be outside your realm of expertise." He nodded to the Viera, who let out a deep sigh. "I'll make sure we return with plenty of good stories. Maybe even a guidebook for your future trek."
"I'll simply be happy to see all of you return."
"Shall I rein in Lunaire's recklessness so it can be assured?" Both of them chuckled at the remark.
"I have no worry Lunaire will fare well. She always manages. And I take the impression your eye may be elsewhere, as it is."
Erenville's jovial expression hardened and his gaze flitted away. Perhaps not as easy a discussion to have as G'raha Tia's unmistakable affection for Lunaire. He had gotten the impression Erenville's relationship with Wuk Lamat was anything but straightforward, but refrained from speaking on it. She seemed quite happy to be around her childhood friend, and he never made any wayward comment to suggest he didn't feel the same. He wondered if Wuk Lamat's mysterious brother had anything to do with his relative silence on the matter. He wondered if he simply misunderstood.
"Let's forget I said anything. If we're full honest, it'll be the twins that need to be kept up with."
"Agreed." Erenville let his expression soften. "Alisaie strikes as being a handful."
"I wouldn't discredit Alphinaud's ability to get tangled into a mess."
"I won't be keen on having to dodge diplomatic disasters while we're there."
The Viera began to rub one of his temples, as if imagining what sort of conundrum the twins could bring to him. So long as Alisaie didn't find a cause to rally behind, G'raha Tia didn't expect to hear war declared on Eorzea or Old Sharlayan while they were gone. If anything, it could be a good opportunity for Alphinaud to flex his cunning. He could hear Alisaie's inspirational speeches and Alphinaud's calculated arguments in his head. Skills that seemed to come naturally to them; it had taken quite a bit of time as the Exarch to develop those traits himself. An enviable pair of prodigies.
"Can I admit to the actual reason I'm surprised you're still awake?" G'raha Tia peered up from the spot on the floor his eyes had fixed on.
"Oh?"
"I had assumed you'd want to spend as much time with her as possible before she left."
G'raha Tia blinked a few times, but couldn't respond at first. He had to admit, the thought crossed his mind. More than he could express. But he knew they both had duties neither of them could neglect. His desire to see her did not make the piles of work disappear — no, they usually grew larger as he ruminated on the wish. And she had to prepare herself for the upcoming journey. She would have to sharpen her mind and body — not that she would ever let either dull — if she wanted to prove herself a worthy champion.
By all accounts, she would have been more than suitable enough, but he knew it wouldn't be enough for Lunaire. He had caught her on more than one occasion training in her room in the Andron. Strengthening her body, testing her endurance, and honing her reflexes. And no fewer than twice were his reflexes tested when he stepped into the room unannounced. He was grateful she trained with wooden knives. All of it to bring herself to a level she felt satisfied with, which she never seemed to reach.
"She has enough on her plate as it is without my interference."
"You say that as if your presence would do anything but bolster her."
"I'm sure it would." He tilted his head up, gazing through the ceiling to a distant star. One he'd dreamed of touching so long ago. One he'd finally stretched his hand out toward and discovered to be within reach. And now he pulled his hand back, as if afraid of what would happen if he held it too tight. "But I don't want her to become distracted by me."
"Well, she should be asleep right now. You might be hard pressed to distract her from sleep."
"I wouldn't say I haven't before." Erenville feigned a cough. "But that's not what she needs right now. She doesn't need me getting in her way."
"You underestimate how much she is motivated by the people around her." His gaze drifted down from the ceiling and back to Erenville. The softness in his eyes had disappeared again, replaced with an icy fire. "You talk about her being a hero. Of all the great things she does — none of which can be denied — but you fail to mention your role in it. She is able to do what she does because of the people she cares about. The people she loves. Because of you."
It was G'raha Tia's turn to glance away. Lunaire often reiterated how important her friends were to her. How important he was to her. He didn't dismiss it, necessarily, but he did attribute some of it to her humility. He knew she would be insulted to hear him decry his importance in her life. After all, he did have to admit, there were many times she would not have been able to move forward without them. The harrowing journey through Ultima Thule being one example. And he need not live through the Eighth Umbral Calamity again to know she could very easily fall.
Yet it had become almost second nature to take Lunaire and her capabilities for granted. Not to say he didn't appreciate her abilities — he would be the last person to accuse of that. But it had become too easy to believe his contribution amounted to little in comparison to hers. He knew it wasn't true, but he couldn't claim to have defeated the universe-ending, physical embodiment of entropy, either.
"I suppose she'd told you all about how much we mean to her."
"She doesn't have to say it. I can see it plainly on her face." The shame rose through G'raha Tia as a wave of red cresting over his cheeks. Erenville snickered, then rose to his feet. "But I should be taking my leave. Twould be best if I followed your advice, else I will have to endure an unneeded lecture from a woman who has no room to speak."
"Hmm, we're kindred spirits, then."
"Indeed. Good night, G'raha. Try not to stay up too much later."
"I promise it won't be more than a few bells." The Viera shook his head again, then patted G'raha Tia on the shoulder before departing. His eyes lingered on the door for a few moments as he listened for the familiar sound of the door to the Andron.
The more stubborn side of G'raha Tia kept him rooted to the spot. He didn't want to be caught by Erenville creeping into the dark Andron to go get rest. Especially not if he'd be caught sneaking into a particular room. But, as the thought of a warm bed crept into his mind, a yawn crept out of his lips. There would be no harm in deciphering the intricacies of Tural's cuisine another night.
He waited a little longer until he felt sure Erenville had taken up a room before he stepped out into the corridor leading to the Andron. Cool night air rushed into the room, reminding him how stuffy the annex could get when absorbed in his studies. Even still, he wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and pressed on to the Andron.
Lunaire had taken up the room he used to take his naps in before his fateful trip to Eorzea. For some reason, it made his heart pound, as if it were some predestined thing and not pure coincidence. If anything, it meant he either liked the comfier rooms of the annex or that Miqo'te all had similar sensibilities. Even being raised by Elezen, Lunaire would still have the same predilections. After all, a Miqo'te tail still waved and swayed for the same reason, no matter how one was raised. Some simply knew how to control it better.
But all of the pondering kept him lingering outside her door. He hesitated outside, as he'd done many times before. Not once had she turned him away, yet his heart always leapt into his throat when he stood in front of her door. She'd told him he was welcome to come in at any time, no need to knock. No caveats. Whensoever he wanted to come see her, he would be permitted entry, though he imagined she would have circumstances when she would disallow his presence. Was being in the midst of sleep one of those circumstances?
He hated to wake her, but he didn't want to barge in either. While he agonized over his decision in the hall, the night would grow no younger. He smacked his cheeks to embolden himself, as he'd seen Lunaire and Alisaie do before, and boldly opened the door to her room. Then he timidly shut it behind himself and stood inside the door, an anxious mess.
The only times he'd come into her room unannounced while she slept had been while she recovered from her fight with Zenos. Extenuating circumstances, in his opinion, so the situation prompted them to handle things differently. Would it be audacious of him to nonchalantly disrobe and clamber into bed beside her as she slept? Would he be risking her ire if he did so? His breaths became shallow as he realized the failings in his plan. What did he plan to do now?
Despite how dreadfully stupid the idea seemed, he tiptoed to her bedside and knelt down. The braids in her hair had been undone, leaving loose waves cascading across half of her face. She slept with her lips parted, enticing him into a kiss he forced himself not to steal. The blanket covered half of her, tangled around her legs in a way he could barely make sense of while the rest had been pulled into a ball close to her chest. Her ear twitched as he moved; did she stay alert, even while asleep?
"Lunaire," he whispered near one of her ears. Her ear flicked in response and he almost leapt back. "I… uh…do you mind if I…?" Her eyelashes fluttered half open before sagging back down, revealing the tiniest sliver of violet and gold.
"Raha…? Mm…Raha…" His heart thudded hard in his chest at the syrupy tone she'd spoken his name in. His personal name, at that. A name he should have been used to hearing, but made his chest swell nonetheless when spoken by her.
"Would you mind terribly if I came to sleep with you?"
The nod came with no hesitation. He couldn't even tell if she'd fully woken, but her arms released the balled up blanket and reached out for him. She groped at him, as if attempting to drag him onto the bed with her immediately. If she tried, she certainly had the strength to do it. He took a step back to get down to his smallclothes, then climbed onto the bed with her. She grabbed onto him and nestled herself against his chest before he could even get settled in, but once she'd curled up to him he found no reason to move.
Perhaps Erenville had been right. He did underestimate how the people around her motivated her. How much she needed them. How much she needed him. And perhaps he underestimated just how terribly he was going to miss her.