Lavender & Ice

32. Reunited

"That would be the medicine. You're on a lower dosage now so you could wake up, so I imagine you'll start feeling more soon." The words seemed to pain him.

She reached up and placed a weak hand on his face. "You're here." She smiled. 

He reached up and placed his hand on hers, holding it against his face. "I wish I was able to get here sooner. Before ..." his voice stopped as his throat choked. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, Shima. In our dwelling. When I heard you scream, I ran to get to you but I was too late. By the time I-"

"Ki." She spoke softly, turning her hand to hold his as she brought them down to her lap. "We knew they would come for me at some point." She said sadly.

His voice grew harder. "I didn't want you to be alone, I thought we'd have more time, I-"

"Shh." She closed her eyes and drew in a breath. "You're here now."

His right hand rested on top of their joined hands, as if he was afraid she'd be taken from him again. "Shima, I..." she watched as his throat bobbed and he looked down at their hands. "I've never felt such fear. When you were taken, I..." his eyes bore into hers, searching. She removed her hand from his and brought it up to the left side of his face, running it comfortingly along his cheek, behind his ear, before eventually setting it back down onto his hands as her strength faltered. He leaned his head down, resting his head beside their hands, looking up at her. "I never wish to feel like that again." He whispered.

"Oh, Ki..." she felt a tear run down her cheek. "I never wanted to cause you pain." She sucked in a shaky breath and he sat up, looking at her before reaching with his right hand to wipe away her tears, their other hands never parting.

"You may have caused me confusion and frustration at times, but you have never caused me pain, Ashima. You have brought adventure and curiosity and wonder into my dull life." He smiled. 

The words he spoke and the sound of her full name from his lips was more than she could bear. She shook her head, looking away as she breathed deeply. She felt as if they were standing atop a ridge, nearing the edge. Should they stay back on the side they've been or dare to cross the pinnacle to the other side? The fear is always that once you cross, you can never return to the way things were before.

"But I will only bring you pain, Ki." She spoke softly.

"No." He said sternly.

"I want you to be happy. You can't be happy with me in your life." She said with broken words, hardly able to speak them.

"Why do you think this?"

"What of your people? Of your life?" She shook her head again before speaking quietly. "They hate me. They would hate you too, even for just being my friend."

"Shima-"

"Ki, please... please, I can't bear to cause you more pain. Wh... what if I'm sentenced to... to death? Or what if I'm forced to leave?" She said between sobs. "Let's not make this any harder on you. Return to your life and forget about me."

"I could never simply forget about you, Shima." He scoffed, rubbing his head in frustration before looking her in the eye. "They see your innocence, they won't sentence you to death. But they will try and find a way to send you home." 

"You know this for certain?" She stared at him in anticipation, her muscles tense.

He simply nodded.

Ashima thought she had cried so much that she was incapable of producing more tears. She was so wrong.

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