Epilogue

It was late evening by the time Majesty finished up with the Mayor - but for good reason this time.  The majority of the time was spent bemoaning how hard it was to function without Sabie around, how it wasn't her intern's fault but Sabie just knew what Anastasia would need, and it just made everything that much slower with the new girl.  That had changed into easy prattle about the baby, which the entire office had latched onto as convenient, neutral conversation.  There was a betting pool, most of them saying girl.  Perry was adamant he was going to have a strapping young boy.  Harriet was hopeful it'd be another set of twins, though, as Anastasia grouched, "such a thing tends to skip a generation.  She shouldn't get her hopes too high."

Majesty checked the orange sun as it peeked through the window, throwing the town into black silhouette.  He excused himself, and Anastasia had gripped his hand just a little longer than usual and bid him a good night.  

He closed the door quietly behind him and hesitated just a moment, because even after a few weeks he still found his body wanting to go down the other hallway and pop by Atlas's office.  Instead he ducked his way back to the lobby and waved goodbye to the intern, a sweet but harried young girl named Sondra.  The girl startled before waving back enthusiastically.

"You're headed off too?" she asked.

"I am.  I'll see you next week."

"Of course!  Have a lovely evening Your Majesty!"

Majesty's smile came a little easier this time.  That was the fun thing about new coworkers, at least.  He didn't fault anyone for dropping the "your", but it was nice to hear from time to time.  Before he could contemplate the "too" she'd used, he walked out the front door and into a conversation.

"I keep forgetting that!" Perry chuckled.  The man was standing there easily, coat slung over his shoulder.  "My folks were probably coming in the first month, but - oh!  Majesty!"

Majesty didn't quite register Perry at first because it's Atlas he's speaking to, and every time he sees Atlas he goes through the same mental gymnastics where he recognizes him, recognizes what he isn't, and has to settle back into a grim unfamiliarity.  Atlas turned back to Majesty with something of an urgency, and Majesty can only assume he'd gone through the same process because they didn't hold each other's gaze for long.

Perry drew his lips tight and looked between the two.  "Well.  Uh.  I'd better head back to Sabie.  Sorry to take up your time, Captain."

"Not a problem," he said, and Perry shot a quick salute to them before turning and leaving.

And then they were alone in the street.  Atlas was positioned so completely in front of the stairs that there was no casual way to slip past him and go on his way, and he didn't seem very keen on moving.

"Captain," Majesty greeted with a vague nod, shrugging on his coat.  It was a chill day, one that heralded the oncoming autumn.  

"Your Majesty," Atlas replied, and maybe it was Majesty being hopeful but it seemed good-natured.  Atlas turned himself out of Majesty's way but when Majesty began down the street, Atlas matched his pace.  He flustered a little at this.

"Has Perry been doing okay?" Majesty settled on asking.  "At work, that is."

"Yeah, fine.  No real change." Atlas blinked thoughtfully, setting his jaw.  "Been a little awkward how they both answer to Lieutenant, though."

Majesty laughed.  "Well, they were both Sergeant Hodges for a while.  I'm surprised those two don't get themselves confused more often."

A snort of amusement, and Majesty can't help the way his heart flutters.  "She's real excited about being an aunt."

"Anastasia told me.  Said she thinks it's twins."  Majesty chanced a playful elbow against Atlas's arm.  "Could you imagine four of them?"  Atlas shuddered, and Majesty laughed loud and deep, in a way he didn't think he had in a long while.  "Don't worry, it isn't twins." 

Atlas tipped his gaze down to the tiefling.  "Should've figured you'd know already.  What is it, then?"

"I'm not telling you," Majesty said with a musical lilt.  "That'd be cheating."

"Cheating how?"

"Cheating because you haven't joined the betting pool yet."

Atlas snorted again.  "You think I'd do something so underhanded?"

"I know you better than you know yourself, darling," Majesty replied, then clamped his mouth shut hard, the smile dropping from his face.  His heart thrummed in his chest.  He was sure Atlas would falter and leave him, as he always did whenever they… breached that subject.

But he didn't falter, didn't stop walking alongside him.  "What about Anastasia?" Atlas asked.  "Is she… doing alright?"

"She is," Majesty answered.  "Better than she has been in a while, I'd say."

"Ah."  A brief pause.  "I was worried Sabie being out would make things harder on her," Atlas admitted.  "Maybe I have it backwards though.  She and Sabie probably have a lot to sort through, huh?"

"I can't quite comment on that.  They're both my patients."  Atlas snorted a laugh, and Majesty pursed his lips.  "What's that about?"

"Nothing."  He tried to busy himself with unbuttoning his gloves.  "It's just… you and I both know you don't always draw lines in your relationship with patients."

Majesty let out a weak chuckle but it felt like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.  But... Atlas had never brought it up to him.  Hell, he'd hardly spoken to him beyond anything but work in the past few weeks, so he swallowed hard and stepped up to Atlas.  "We, um-"

"No, I'm … I'm sorry, Majesty," Atlas interjected.  "I can't, not now-"

"I think you can, Atlas.  I think you have to."  Majesty stuffed his hands in his coat pockets.  "Did you even notice where you've been going this whole time?"

Atlas's eyes widened a bit before he looked up over Majesty's head.  They were at Majesty's house.  At their house.

Majesty could see the muscles in Atlas's jaw moving as he tried to will himself to say something.  "I can't… just walk back into your life."

"I know.  But I can invite you into the house at least."

Atlas took in a deep breath and snorted it out, nodding curtly, so Majesty unlocked the door for them and led Atlas inside.  He watched as the bull unconsciously started to undo his work belt before realizing the rack he'd hang it on wasn't there.  "I can hang that up in the washroom," Majesty offered.

"I'm not staying."

"Then you can get it on your way out."  Majesty extended a hand.  

Atlas sighed and passed the belt over.  It always amazed Majesty how heavy the damn thing was - although, he corrected himself as he entered the washroom, he'd never really held it before.  Not in this life.

Atlas hadn't left the entryway by the time Majesty returned.  "Sage tea okay?" Majesty asked from the doorway.

"Don't you think it's a little late?" 

Majesty didn't admit to him that he hadn't slept well in the weeks after the Merge.  It probably went without saying.  "Okay, you want chamomile then?"

Atlas made a noise and finally started on his way over to the sitting room.  "Sage is fine," he said.

Majesty was grateful for the distraction of making tea, allowing himself to sink into the familiarity of a process that no interdimensional nonsense could take from him.  The water boiled quickly and Majesty scooped four tablespoons of leaves into the pot, just in case either of them wanted more.  Of course, he was probably going to go through the whole pot himself.  Atlas wasn't big on tea - he only agreed to it to be courteous.  Majesty stood against the kitchen counter and allowed himself a moment to just be, eyes closed, breathing in the comforting smell of sage before he set up the tray and shouldered his way into the sitting room.

He wasn't surprised to find Atlas in the spot he always sat - the other Atlas always sat - with the beginnings of a fire sputtering in the hearth.  His coat was draped haphazardly on the arm of the couch.  Majesty set the tray down on the table between them and swiped the poker from Atlas's grip.

"You're still too heavy-handed with this," Majesty huffed.  He moved some of the larger logs out of the way, giving the little flame time to gather itself amongst the kindling.

"I'm just heavy-handed in general," Atlas groused back, and Majesty couldn't bite back a laugh.  He poured his tea and sat back, watching the steam ripple and curl up off the surface of the drink and dance in the firelight.  

They lapsed into silence that Majesty made no effort to break, and he could almost convince himself it was comfortable.  Atlas's presence always set him at ease, even with the nagging he felt at his heart.

"I need to apologize.  About Angie," Atlas rumbled at last.

This surprised him, but Majesty managed a level, "Okay."

He rolled the mug Majesty had provided for him in his hands, looking down at his lap.  "It wasn't fair to you.  I came to a conclusion too quickly."

"We never could have known what really happened," Majesty put in.  "I don't blame you for what you thought."

"It wasn't even good Guard work, though," Atlas grumbled.  "I was just… mad at you.  I wanted to believe the worst of you.  There's no excuse for that."

"There were a lot of factors-" Majesty started, but Atlas leaned towards him and put the mug down on the table hard.

"I don't need a therapist right now, Majesty," he said tersely.  "I need you.  I need you to know that I fucked things up for us and I don't know how to make that right."

Majesty blinked up at Atlas in surprise, face flushing.  He nodded vaguely, taking a sip of the tea to try and bide time.  "I apologize.  It's hard to… parse what we are right now.  I don't want to overstep."

"Not like that line was ever really clear to begin with."  Atlas took the teapot and strained tea into his mug, though he still didn't drink it after he hefted the cup into his lap.  "I just want us to be honest.  That's all we can do now."

"Then I wouldn't say you fucked things up on your own," Majesty put in.  "I was the one who crossed that line first.  And I wasn't... professional to you after things got sour."

Atlas leaned back into the couch and thumbed his nose.  "That's one way of putting it," he replied quietly.

Majesty winced, running his fingers over the rim of the teacup.  "I'm… truly sorry.  You shared things with me in confidence and nothing gave me the right to betray that trust."

"Calling you a serial killer is pretty good motivation."

"That doesn't make it acceptable, what I said."

The fire popped as it climbed onto one of the large logs, startling Majesty.  Atlas let his gaze slide over to the fireplace, propping an elbow on the arm of the couch and resting his head on his fist.  He sighed heavily.  "I guess we're both kind of fuck-ups, huh."

Majesty hummed in agreement.  "At least we've acknowledged it.  First step towards improvement."

Atlas huffed a dry laugh.  "I suppose.  So where does that leave us?"

"Where do you want it to leave us?"

"Please don't be cryptic, dear."

Majesty groaned.  "I'm not trying to be.  I meant that in earnest; what do you want?"

Atlas blinked at him for a moment and Majesty was caught in the way the firelight reflected in his lashes.  "I want to... live my life," he replied slowly.  "A life I decide.  Not one I feel belongs to someone else.  Not something I didn't earn.  I want-" he stumbled over his words for a moment before he finished, "I want it to include you."

"Then we can try," Majesty offered.  He put his cup down on the table and placed his hand firmly over Atlas's.  "I want to try."

"But what if we fuck it up again?"  His voice came out soft, something that always took Majesty by surprise.  "I know what it feels like to lose you."

"And I know what it feels like to love you, and I'd risk everything for it."  Atlas clasped Majesty's hand and he ran his thumb over the knuckles, broad, callused, strong.  "I said I'd never give up on you.  I don't want you to give up on yourself.  We'll fight together."

Majesty must have said something right because Atlas grinned warmly, and Majesty's heart stuttered in his chest.  "Things aren't going to be the same, though," Atlas said, his expression softening a little.  "No matter what we do, it's never going to be like it was over there."

"I know," Majesty said, a smirk spreading across his face.  "You said you wanted to earn it, right?  Because I can definitely make you work for it, if that's what you want."  

"Oh, no, I take it back."  Atlas pulled his hand free of Majesty's and swatted at his shoulder.  "You're an absolute monster when you have something over me."

"I was kidding, no!" Majesty chuckled, grabbing at Atlas's arm.  "I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"Now that would be different."

"You're so unsupportive," Majesty whined.  He hoisted himself up out of his chair and over to stand in front of Atlas, cupping his jaw with his hands.  Atlas's eyes fluttered shut and he pressed into the touch, sighing soundly.  

"Just get down here," Atlas said, bringing his arms around Majesty's back.  He acquiesced, folding easily against the bull and nestling his cheek against the coarse, short hair between the bull's horns.  Atlas held him tightly, one hand at the base of his neck, curled into his hair, the other resting at the base of his tail, and it felt so right.  So much so that Majesty couldn't find it in himself to slip out of the embrace, just ran his hands absently up and down the broad muscles of his back while Atlas brought his head up onto Majesty's shoulder, their horns grazing and interlocking.

"If you don't leave now," Majesty muttered into his fur after a while, "I may not let you leave at all."

Atlas faltered just a moment before he pulled back and held Majesty's arms loosely, and he looked so intensely at him that he thought - hoped - that Atlas would stay after all.  "Yeah, I should go," he admitted.  He passed his hand through Majesty's curls, gripping gently and pressing their foreheads in the briefest of touches before he brought himself to his hooves.  

"I'll get your belt," Majesty offered with a pat on Atlas's arm.  He maneuvered his way past Atlas and trotted over to the washroom, pausing just a moment to press his face into his hands and sigh.  His nerves felt like they were all alight.  

Atlas was waiting at the doorway in his coat, buttoning his gloves back up.  He plucked it from his hands with ease and Majesty was very briefly jealous of the belt.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Majesty said, leaning against the doorframe.

"What're you up to tomorrow?"

Majesty pressed his fingers to his chin.  "I'm going to join the betting pool for the baby, of course."  Atlas snorted and cuffed Majesty on the shoulder.  "Maybe I'll stop by your office too.  Who knows.  I'll take it one day at a time."

Atlas's dark eyes hovered on him for a long moment and even with the chill wind coming through the doorway, heat flushed up to his ears.  Atlas passed his hand down the back of Majesty's head one more time and buried his fingers into his hair, tipping his head back just enough to kiss him chastely.  

"Good night," he said.

Majesty replied with an extremely dignified squeak of affirmation before making a show of clearing his throat behind a closed fist and answering, "Yes, good night."  Atlas smiled with his eyes and stepped out the door, Majesty watching him go until he was out of sight.  

The fire was blazing happily when Majesty finally made his way back to the sitting room to collect the tea tray.  Sure enough, when Majesty picked up the mug he found Atlas hadn't had any of his tea.  Sighing affectionately, he poured the liquid back into the teapot.  He sat down with the empty mug cradled in his hands, resting his head against the back of the chair and listening to the popping and crackling of the fire.  Everything felt warm and safe and secure.

For the first time in quite a long time, Majesty found himself drifting into a peaceful sleep.