x
Clark closed the door behind them, and Rena took a few hesitant steps forward before turning around. They caught each other’s eyes and stared breathlessly, wordlessly, lost in the colors they each longed to see for so long. The room seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in a bubble of shared history and unspoken emotions. The air was thick with anticipation and the weight of all the moments they had missed. This time, Clark was the first to move. He quickly stepped forward to Rena, still locked in her gaze. He slowly reached up, cupping her face in his hands, his touch gentle yet firm, as if grounding himself in the reality of her presence. His eyes darted back and forth between hers, searching for the confirmation that this moment was real.
“It’s… really you,” he whispered so softly, so delicately, afraid his reality would shatter into just another dream if he spoke too loudly. His voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and overwhelming relief.
She reached her hands up to his, her fingers trembling slightly as they intertwined with his. “It’s really me,” she replied just as softly, with a small, hopeful smile that lit up her eyes, tears threatening to spill over.
He wasted no time connecting their lips. He moved one hand behind her neck, his fingers threading through her hair, the other around the small of her back, pulling her closer. She rested her hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her palms, a rhythm that matched her own. They melted together like chocolate on a hot day, so sweet, so smooth. The kiss was so passionate, neither wanted to break it, but they both needed to breathe. They parted ever so slightly, resting their foreheads together, eyes remaining closed, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.
“Say it…” he whispered, his voice barely audible, filled with a desperate need for reassurance. When she didn’t answer, he opened his eyes, as did she. “Say it again…”
She smiled, gripping his shirt in her hands, feeling the fabric bunch under her fingers. “I love you.” The moment the words left her lips, he pressed his against hers again, more fervently this time, as if sealing a promise. The intensity of their kiss spoke volumes of the years of longing and the pain of separation.
After another strong, passionate kiss, they pulled apart again, resting their heads against each other. Gasping for breath, Rena let out a little giggle, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. He, in return, wrapped his arms around her back, nestling his nose in her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair, a scent that brought back a flood of memories.
“I… I thought I’d never see you again,” Rena started to sniffle, her voice breaking as tears finally spilled over.
“I thought you hated me for not coming back in time and that’s why you left,” he mumbled into her neck, his breath warm against her skin, his voice thick with emotion.
She lightly giggled, her tears mingling with her laughter. “We’re idiots, huh?” He chuckled in response, the sound vibrating through his chest and into her, a comforting reminder of his presence.
They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms, savoring the closeness they had both missed for so long. The world outside their embrace seemed distant and unimportant, as if time itself had paused to give them this moment of reunion. The warmth of his body against hers, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the gentle pressure of his hands on her back—all of it grounded her in the reality that he was truly here, with her.
Clark pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. “I’ve missed you so much, Ree,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“I’ve missed you too, Clark,” she replied, her voice trembling. “Every single day.”
He brushed a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb, his touch tender and loving. “I promise, I’ll never leave you again.”
She nodded, her heart swelling with a mix of joy and relief. “I believe you.”
They stood there, holding each other, letting the emotions of their reunion wash over them. It was a moment they had both dreamed of, a moment that felt almost too perfect to be real. But as they held each other, they knew that this was their reality, and they would cherish it for as long as they could.
“Ree…” he said as he peeled himself away from her hold, looking down into her eyes. “What… what is all of that? Out there? They are saying weird things and I must be dreaming. A man with wings, a bear wearing a jumpsuit, flying cats… why do so many of them have swords?”
“Ah,” Rena said, looking down. “Where do I even start? We should probably sit down.” She pulled her arms from his neck and guided him to the chairs to sit down. She held on to his hand, interlocking their fingers. It sent warm shivers throughout her body. She looked up to meet his gaze and began the tale of her journey through the realms.
Guardian HQ
“Veda, surely you can make an exception. Just this once,” Blaine pleaded.
“Absolutely not! We did not make an exception for you, we cannot make an exception for them. They will return to their time before they bonded with their guardians and their timeline will go back to the way it was meant to be,” Veda said sternly.
“But Veda, we… we wouldn’t be here without her help. She… she has nothing to go back to. We’d be sending her back to—” Versa tried to reason.
“NO! The answer is final. No humans should know of the guardians’ existence. Their memories will be wiped. END OF DISCUSSION,” Veda snapped.
“Veda, may I propose an ultimatum?” Aviv interjected.
“What is it, Aviv?” Veda sighed.
“Since there are so many involved in this incident, it will be hard to erase everything. For those in the worlds Rena visited, they keep the memories of a traveler in search of someone. We remove the guardian pieces but Rena remains. It would be a smoother transition and would cause fewer problems should any memories surface.”
“And what about Rena and that boy? What about them, hm?” she narrowed her eyes.
“The boy will be easy. He has no memories other than what he has seen since he has woken up. The last memory he has is right before Odysseus took control.”
“And Rena?”
“Her case is a bit more complicated, but here is what I propose we do for her…”
Back in Sy’s Office
“…and then you walked into the Lab and I…” Rena started to tear up as she reached the present time of her story. Her voice trembled, and she could feel the weight of all the emotions she had been holding back.
Clark looked at her with such care in his eyes she thought she would melt on the spot. He gently grabbed both her hands and squeezed them, his touch warm and reassuring. He then dropped her hands, looking down, disappointment written all over his face.
“So… if I had just been a few months sooner… none of this would have happened. You wouldn’t have suffered so much,” he said, fighting back tears, his voice breaking with regret.
“NO! Clark, please. Don’t put the blame on yourself. I could have stayed longer but I needed to get out of that place. I figured after 8 months you weren’t coming back so that’s why I left,” she reached out and grabbed his hand again, causing him to look back up at her. Her grip was firm, as if trying to transfer her strength to him.
“And…” she started but then looked away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t do it all over again.” She turned back towards him, her voice steadying. “They…” she stuttered, “The adventures I had, they healed me. Clark, I traveled to other worlds. I met so many amazing people. They became the family I didn’t have. They can’t replace you, but they were there when I needed them most. It was almost as if this whole mess needed to happen. To remind me that I won’t ever truly be alone. There will always be people out there for me, I just need to let them in. Lucy helped me find the closure I needed. Fairy Tail gave me a family and place to call home. Hawks was the friend that made me laugh again. The Black Bulls were the wild card to remind me it’s okay to be myself. The Pirates helped me remember my dreams. They were all my unlikely heroes. They pushed my pieces back together, so I wouldn’t be a muddled puzzle for you to solve.”
She smiled at him, letting him know that it was okay, she was okay. They were together at last and she felt like nothing could tear away the happiness she felt in this moment. Her smile was radiant, a beacon of hope and love.
He looked at her and all the struggles and pain he endured during those three and a half years faded away. He saw nothing but her radiant smile. The one he had dreamed about every night. The one that kept him going in the hard times. He returned her smile as he leaned in closer to her, she mirrored his action and leaned in as well, both longing to feel the connection that would tell them this wasn’t a dream. They were really sitting in front of each other. Just as they were about to connect, the door to Sy’s office burst open.
“REEENNnnaaaa… aaah… sorry… was I interrupting something?” Blaine said awkwardly, his voice breaking the intimate bubble they had created.
“BLAINE YOU CAN’T JUST… BARGE… in… there,” Versa ran up behind him, looking inside at the two red-faced individuals. She turned to give Blaine the side-eye. “They were having a private moment. You nut!” she playfully smacked him on the arm.
“OW! Sorry… I didn’t mean to interrupt but, we’ve come to a decision,” he said, scratching the back of his head, looking genuinely apologetic.
Rena just sighed, grabbing Clark’s hand as she stood up. “Okay, we’re coming,” she said, squeezing his hand for reassurance. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with a mix of love and determination, ready to face whatever came next together.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl65THeTeq
