Niala was in her brewing room, cleaning up her workstation in the late evening after another day of hit-or-miss potion making, when she heard the door knocker.

  With a quickening of her pulse as she hoped for who it might be, she made her way to the shop's front and peered out the display window. Her eyes widened as she recognized the people outside and scrambled for the door, slamming its lock open and swinging it wide open in the same step she used to propel herself forward.

  “DAVID!” She shouted, ramming herself into him, arms wrapping around him in the same motion, nuzzling her head into his chest.

  “Hey Ni-”

  She pushed herself off of him almost as quick as she'd jumped on him.

  “Founding gods, you stink!” She said, pulling out her tongue, holding him at arm's length.

  He blinked.

  “Shower, now, get scrubbed. I want to rub myself all over you! Quick!” She pulled at him and pushed him towards the bathroom.

  She turned around to close the door.

  She stared at the other person who stood there. The person her mind had blanked out when she'd spotted David and company out the window.

  The person stared back at her.

  Niala turned red, angling her head to hide her eyes behind her bangs.

  “H-Hi Karline. How was the trip?” She asked.

  Karline tilted her head. “...Rub all over him?”

  “It's a manner of speech! Hi! How are you?! Do you want a shower as well? Or a bath? You can use the upstairs bathroom! Come on in!” She blurted out, grabbing Karline's sleeve and pulling her inward, locking the door behind her and pushing the girl all the way to the second-story bathroom, closing the door on her before she had time to say anything.

  Niala leaned against the bathroom door, deeply exhaling and flushing away her embarrassment. Standing back up, she knocked on the door.

  “Karline?”

  “What is it?” The muffled response came.

  “Have you guys had dinner? Are you hungry?”

  “Living saints, YES, please feed me!” A short pause. “Feed me and I'll forget about it.”

  “R-right! I'll whip up something warm and filling!”

  Food against her silence, a good trade. She sauntered back downstairs, mind racing ahead of her and already within David's freshly-washed and clean embrace.

  The meal was a quick affair, a simple stir-fry of vegetables, eggs, and chicken, with the usual Niala's secret blend of spices.

  While both David and Karline looked refreshed thanks to the shower, exhaustion was clear on their faces, so she didn't push for details; she instead simply confirmed they were in good health and only needed rest. She was more than content to let them eat in peace as she leaned on David, eyes closed, reaffirming his physical presence, the stress of the last few days evaporating by the second.

  After dinner, Niala insisted on Karline taking up one of her extra bedrooms instead of going to look for one at an inn, which she accepted with thanks. A free bed and a Niala breakfast? She'd be a fool to refuse.

  Wishing each other goodnight, Niala dragged David back to their bedroom, where she began undressing him down to his underwear and pushed him to lie in bed. She palmed the switchstone, killing the light, stripped herself down as well, and crawled up over him, laying her face in the crook of his neck and rubbing her cheek upon it.

  His brain managed to catch back up as he pulled the sheets over them, before embracing the squirming catkin using him as a pillow. She let out a soft moan of happiness, before finally going still and simply lying on top of him.

  “I missed you too.” He murmured into her ears.

  She whimpered contentedly, affirming his declaration by nestling her face into him a bit deeper.

  “Don't you want to know if we got the flowers?” He asked.

  “Shush. Doesn't matter. You're back, that's all I care about.” She said, squeezing him, pressing herself into him.

  She uncoupled from his neck and positioned her face in front of his, a giant smile on her face, her eyes drinking deep of his gaze.

  He smiled, slid a hand over the back of her head, and rose up, pressing his lips against hers, pressing her into the kiss. She offered no resistance, relinquishing control to him, making cute little sounds of happiness as they remained connected.

  A breath-taking eternity later, they released their hold on each other. Closing her eyes, she nuzzled her head back into his neck.

  “Welcome back home, David.” She sweetly whispered.

  “Yeah, I'm home.” He agreed.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  They slept, buoyed by clouds.

  Morning came too soon, but the day waits for no one. Ungluing from each other, they took care of the morning's duties, including a breakfast shared between them and Karline.

  As David helped Niala clean up the dishes, Karline, sitting at the table, squeezed her hands.

  “So, David... is there anything you want to explain or tell me now?” She asked.

  He paused and looked at her, quirking an eyebrow. Niala glanced at him, head tilted, ears lopsided.

  “Like what?”

  “Well, for starters, that blue glow.”

  Niala's eyes widened before narrowing onto David. He looked between the two women and sighed, putting down the plate he was drying up, turning to face Karline, resting his hand against the counter.

  “I told you, it was anti-curse imbuements.” He insisted.

  Karline shook her head. “Don't feed me oxshit. I saw that glow and the way you moved before. It was just like the Azure Guards demonstration I saw in Amberose once.”

  David looked to Niala, who was staring at him wordlessly, the tip of her tail twitching.

  She wants to know just as much as Karline does. Why did I hook up with a glutton for mystery?

  Oh, right, because she's adorable.

  He stepped over to the table and sat down in a chair opposite of Karline's, looking her straight in the eyes.

  “Karline, this is deathly important. I did what I did because I needed to, for both of us to stay alive. You understand?” He spoke, solemn.

  “I, ah, sure, I understand.” She said.

  He leaned forward an inch. “I'm not sure you do. This is a secret I have to keep, no matter what. That means the least possible number of witnesses.” He let his words settle before continuing. “With the situation back there, what do you think was the best course of action for my own and lone benefit?”

  She stared at him, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple as she understood what he meant. “It... would have been to... leave me behind.” She intoned.

  “That's correct, but I did not. I saved your life, risking my secret, because I want to trust you to keep it. Is my trust misplaced?”

  She alternated her gaze from David to Niala, who herself was staring straight at her, the usually bubbly and earnest catkin missing, replaced by a creature perched upon the razor's edge of decision, waiting for her answer to know which way the pendulum would swing.

  The sunlight filtering in from the windows seemed to somehow dim.

  She swallowed hard. “I get it. My life for your secret. I get it by the blood pits, stop trying to murder me with your glares!” She shrank back in her chair.

  David smiled and looked at Niala over his shoulder. The creature had departed, leaving bright and happy Niala in its stead, who returned David's smile.

  He looked back at her. “Good, glad we're on the same page. To answer your question, yes, I have abilities like the Azure Guards, no, it wasn't anti-curse imbuements. I was trying to avoid a situation like this. I'm sorry.”

  Karline nodded repeatedly. “It's alright, I get it, no worries, never going to tell anyone.”

  She took a deep breath and resettled herself on her chair. “I was just curious, and I do thank you for saving my life from that thing.” She said with sincerity.

  “What thing? What happened? It's story time! Tell me what happened now!” Niala announced, pulling a chair up against David, sitting and capturing one of his arms against her chest, wrapping it with hers.

  He smiled and began retelling their expedition.

  The trip north, the stone pillars with the light crystals, the underground passageways, and the wonders of the hidden sanctuary. The ruins of the botanical garden and the flowers. The Fel, and the mad race to escape it.

  Niala squeezed David's arm as tight as she could, now aware of how close she came to losing him.

  With their tale told, the flowers delivered, and Karline paid for her help, the courier woman left for the Riverwall Bazar, where Ruinlands adventurers peddled the treasures and trinkets they managed to bring back, hoping to sell the various jewels and personal effects David had picked up from the complex's floor and handed to her.

  David and Niala were lounging on the couch, Niala having insisted she needed more cuddling time to recharge her David reserves.

  He didn't exactly object.

  Removed from the bustle of the town proper, on the outskirts as they were, with windows opened to let in the day's fresh breeze, billowing out the curtains, with the lights off and only the sun's rays bathing the living room in the warm mid-day glow, they let time flow over them to the sound of each other's breathing.

  Unease bubbled up within David, however. The recent talk with Karline about his secret reminding him he had another one that he'd yet to tell Niala.

  This wouldn't do.

  “Niala.” He said.

  “Hmmm?” She purred.

  “I have something else to tell you.”

  “Hmmmk.”

  “It's a big one.”

  “Hmm-hmm.”

  “My family, the Wayman, it's my adoptive family.”

  “Hmm – ok?” She said, opening her eyes and looking at him from his shoulder.

  “My birth family is... my actual name is David Wardenfel.” He said, locking gaze with her, waiting.

  She blinked. “Wander...” She shot upright, hands grasping his arm. “Wardenfel!? The noble family that's been the king's Marshals since forever?! You're a WARDENFEL?!”

  He nodded.

  “I'm going to marry a NOBLE!?” She blurted out.

  “What?” He asked, blinking.

  “What?” She asked, blinking.

  “You said m-”

  “Ican'tbelieveyou'reanoblewhydidn'tyoutellme!”” She crushed his question under an avalanche of words.

  He sustained her stare for a few seconds before sighing.

  “I didn't think I was anymore. I was thrown out of my family's estate when I was 14. I thought I'd been disowned...” He trailed off.

  Peering into his eyes, she saw a flash of that deep sadness she'd felt so many times before. She scooted over closer, draping an arm over him and holding tight onto the one she still grasped, she laid back her head over his shoulder.

  “Could you tell me about it? I'd like to hear your story, from the beginning.” She said, as gentle as the wind's kiss.

  He hesitated. At first, only a few words made it to the surface. Just enough to displace the first brick. The rest slowly widened the gap, and soon he told her everything.

  His pain, his fear, his shame at being too weak to uphold the legacy of his family.

  She held onto him, never letting go, a promise of safety for him to look towards, alone and adrift in the storm of his past.

  The warmth of her body pierced through the tempest, a caress of love, reaching all the way down to the drowning man.

  No, not alone anymore.