Ichó couldn't imagine anybody felt happier than them at this moment. You'd agreed to stay with them, here, much easier than they thought you would. In all honesty, they had been anticipating far more resistance. They'd planned for far more resistance.
But you came willingly into their arms. And Ichó couldn't be happier. Your past be damned, you being here now was what mattered.
Yet, at the same time, they knew nothing came without its price. In the day you still had to go to work, even if they insisted you didn't. In the night you spent countless hours in the library.
You'd told them you spent a lot of time in the library in your past life too. They heard the name of someone new, a 'Kaja'. And for some reason, these names felt like distant friends.
Ichó questioned why, but never to your face. They didn't think they could handle that look of heart break in your eyes when you'd speak of these people in your past. About 'Omari' and 'Quinten' and once, just once, you brought up a 'Chava'.
Confusing. Everything was so confusing. They just wanted to know everything about you, and yet they couldn't handle it. How pitiful, how outrageous.
"Give it up."
Ichó was a bit startled by the words. They narrowed their eyes, breathing in the air of the parking deck deeply. "You again," they scowled, their eye narrowing. 'Val' again.
All of these names, all of these questions.
"My name is Valentine."
"Convenient. You must be excited for tomorrow?" Ichó chuckled airily.
"I want you to give it up, please."
Give what up?
You?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Valentine averted her gaze, her rosy tinted sunglasses slipping down slightly. "You're in love, aren't you?"
Since when had everybody been able to read them so very easily? "Not that it's any of your business, but yes."
Slowly, Valentine lifted her hands and slipped off the sunglasses. Revealed instead was perfectly matching pink eyes to their own— only, hearts replaced pupils, a clear milky white and almost glowing. "Give it up. My bow." Valentine now demanded. "You cannot handle its power."
Looking into her eyes, Ichó knew just who he was stood before. A god. A god like the one you'd stood before, but different. Ichó gulped and tensed up, then smiled slyly. "You want your bow? Sure. You can come get it."
The sight of Valentine, her presence, it was suffocating. They wondered if you'd felt this way stood before Satia. They wondered if all gods were like this.
One thing burned at Ichó's skin. They knew now that they'd had a proper meeting with this Valentine, that something had to be done.
And as Valentine hesitantly agreed, they felt wonderful.
This would be a great Valentine's Day gift for you.