Title: It will be fine...
Rating: G
Fandom: Hexyz Force
Relationship: Irene von Rosenbaum/Levant von Schweitzer
Wordcount: 937
Short summary: It’s easy to quell her fear of that when there’s something more to be afraid of… It's easy to quell his fear of that when despite everything, she still loves him...
Irene is running through the tower, barely breathing, barely thinking. Or rather, she’s focused on one thing and one thing only. Leon, Leon, Leon…!
She has spent too much time sitting, waiting, thinking, fearing. But Gardner is right. There is time for this no longer; she has to move or else she will lose Leon forever. And if there is one thing she is not willing to lose in this life...
She can’t deny that she’s still afraid. She can’t shake the memory of that form and how he struck her, hurt her with that awful attack. But this many days later, what is she really afraid of? The fact that Leon might turn into that monstrous being once more, or the fact that…he might not actually come back.
If anything, Leon should be blaming her for his fate! It was her fault that they had climbed up Fort Faulken’s walls even though it was dangerous. It was her fault that he fell. It was her fault that he was taken in by Faust, treated like an experiment, forced to…forced to become that!
But Leon has always been a dear friend to her, has always given her the strength to exist in a world that seemingly didn’t want her, has always thought well of her and treated her kindly. Even if he might not love her the way she loves him, she knows he cares for her. She knows deep down he left for her sake.
And that’s why she’s here running, chasing after him. Yes, she’s still afraid of that. But that fear is easily quelled, easily squashed by the fear of losing him. When she finds him, she knows exactly what she wants to say to him. And she hopes, prays, believes that it will be enough.
*****
Levant doesn’t know what he wants to do, except to never do that ever again.
He could only…watch. He could only watch as his other forces, the other beings who had been stuffed into his body by Faust, awoke and took over his body with indiscriminate rage. In that form he swung at Bahn but he also swung at Irene, at Griek, at Ciel. Irene… When all she was trying to do was reach out a hand…
Levant doesn’t ever want to do that again.
So he has run away, so he has gone to hide. Something happened along the way and he’s lost his bearings, but does he even want to be found in this world by others if he can just hurt them unexpectedly, any time? He can’t… This is not why… Why is she here?
She can’t…she can’t come close! She can’t say those things to him! He’s a monster! He doesn’t…but…
She is right. Her words soothe him, quell his fears. If she can still love him, despite everything, then what else can he do but respond to her favor in kind? With what time he has in control of this body…how little it might be…
**(weeks later)**
“You know, Leon…”
A lot of things have happened in the past few weeks, including a rather unforeseen and crazy end to a journey that Irene began literally to save the love of her life. Some things have been solved, but many things have been left for her and the others to take care of. Such as being Empress of Rosenbaum and rebuilding a nation for the people, for all of the people and not just the humans to live and prosper in…
“What is it, Irene?”
When Leon smiles at her so gently and sweetly, Irene can barely remember what that form looks like. When he holds her hand with his own very human hand, lacing their fingers together…
“It’s…nothing.”
She smiles. He has never turned into that again. The one who made him do so is long gone, but also, she and the others have found peace, found happiness. There is no reason to think he’ll ever disappear into that, not when he’s so present here. Her fears over that are completely quelled.
Squeezing his hand, she leans against him, resting against his steady presence. “Everything will be fine with you at my side.”
Leon smiles. “I’m glad to hear that.”
*****
Levant runs his fingers through Irene’s hair, her long golden hair, as she sleeps beside him. It’s hard to break the habit of staying up later than her, making sure she’s asleep and safe, even if he’s here as her lover and not as her bodyguard. Still, the sound of her relaxed breathing and the warmth of her body next to his are things he appreciates every night. It wasn’t like he never wanted these things before, but rather that he didn’t know he would want these things. Not back then, not until…
But everything is fine now. Just her being here beside him quells all his remaining doubts. Sure, inside of him still is a mixture of forces, results of grotesque experimentation and horror; that will never not be part of him. But she still loves him. She loves him because she doesn’t care about that when she can have him, her Leon. He understands that more than ever.
Because to the world, she’s Empress of Rosenbaum. But to him, she’s his Irene, his precious Irene. And that’s enough to keep him here.
“I’ll always be by your side,” he murmurs, kissing the back of her neck. “Irene…”
He shifts his position slightly so that she’s tucked more firmly against his body, then closes his eyes, welcoming sleep so that he can be her support when the sun rises again.