Trinkets
It was C’jen’s first time in G’raha’s quarters, and it felt more intimate that it should’ve been. It wasn’t as if it was supposed to be awkward; the warrior of light and the crystal exarch had become an item soon after the red miqo’te had finally awoken from his slumber. However, they’d been so busy with their individual tasks that the couple had nary any time with one another.
“This is…it’s comfortable.” C’jen felt strangely nervous, and his boyfriend looked at him with confusion.
“Is it not to your liking? I fear it has been a long time since-“
“No! No, not at all!” CJ put his hands up in front of him and shook them, much to G’raha’s apparent amusement. “I’m just…it means a lot you’d let me here, into your private space and all-“ CJ had more to add on the subject, but something on the dresser caught his eye, and he froze. The man across from him seemed confused at the expression on CJ’s face, and he followed the latter’s eyes.
“O-OH!” G’raha flushed as red as his hair, and his ears pinned back immediately. “That is, I-I…I meant to hide it before you arrived…!” C’jen didn’t seem to even hear the man as he wandered slowly to the furniture and reached out to carefully pick up the item of interest.
“I was wondering where this little guy had gone…have, have you had him the whole time?” It was not an accusation, but G’raha still looked embarrassed and swished his tail nervously.
“I-I confess, I found him-it when we were together on the expedition. It was, I know, wrong of me to procure your mammet! However-…!” The man went quiet, and CJ looked over the automaton with a critical eye. His mini-sized likeness stared back at him with painted eyes, its little tail swishing in his hands.
“You brought it in with you?” It was so quiet G’raha almost didn’t hear the other man say it, but his ears pricked up at the words and he gulped softly. CJ’s expression was unreadable, and the former exarch was trying not to be crestfallen by the lack of an emotional response. He bowed his head a bit in shame, ears now flat against his head.
“It…I wanted something to remind me, I suppose.” He flushed further, feeling the words he was about to say were important, but embarrassing all the same. CJ looked up when he said that, brows furrowing in confusion.
“The descent into slumber, I…I did not wish to go alone. I wanted a friend.” The words felt like a shot through the white-haired man’s heart, and he felt a rush of emotions crash over him. G’raha had always put on an air of confidence; his quips and determination had always inspired C’jen during the more stressful hours of the NOAH expedition. But to hear that his friend, his ally, his lover had been terrified to sleep? To possibly wake up with everyone he knew dead and gone-
By the twelve, the man had.
That reminder alone dropped a stone in the Red Mage’s stomach, and he suddenly felt ill.
“C’jen, are you well? I apologize, I shouldn’t have-“ G’raha didn’t have time to finish as his boyfriend’s body jolted forward into his own, arms enveloping him into a warm embrace. Gra’ha sucked in a breath at the actions and slowly brought his hands around the man’s waist, his nose pressing into the man’s shoulder and taking in his scent. He could tell C’jen was emotional, but he was unsure how to comfort him best.
“C’jen-“
“I’m sorry.” The words made the redhead flinch a bit, and he turned his head to come face to face with watery red eyes.
“You…you must’ve been so scared, so lonely…!” CJ’s voice brought in the midst of the sentence, and G’raha felt a lump form in his throat. It was easy to forget that the Warriors of Light were people; so many treated them as gods amongst mortals. He remembered being in awe of them all when they met, but especially of the man in front of him.
Seeing him like this was a gentle reminder that they could love and hurt as much as anyone else.
"C’jen…” He murmured, but the other man only burrowed his face closer into G’raha’s neck. The former exarch found himself sighing softly and sporting a sweet smile as he turned his head to brush a kiss on the other man’s forehead.
“Your likeness was a reminder that I will never be alone. Two hundred years did not change that. When I saw you in the Crystarium, I…” G’raha could feel his embarrassment coming back, his tail twitching.
He felt C’jen smile against his neck.
“You?” G’raha sputtered at the weepy but playful tone from his lover’s mouth. The reaction earned him a chuckle and a quick kiss to his neck tattoo. G’raha was almost tempted to refuse to divulge those feelings, but with C’jen moving his lips up to kiss his cheeks and jaw, he could barely think as it was.
“I…I….” His mind was practically wiped clean as C’jen finally pressed their lips together quickly, and then touched their foreheads together.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be alone, ever again.”