How to make him kneel and still heal him.
She showed me how to be a queen too in just a sliver of time, yet. . .it felt like decades of memories and conversations. Maybe that was why I ached for her now like I had known her my whole life. What she had given me could not be measured in time.
And perhaps. . .that was why I cried too. . .because everything I had done tonight had come from her.
And she was not here to see it.
She would never be here to see it.
I shook against Kenji and cried some more, hating myself for losing control when this moment was supposed to be for them. I couldn’t stop. I cried into his chest for the friendship that had not lasted long enough. For the lessons I would never hear.
I cried until the pressure in my chest eased and I told myself that she was still here.
And when I finally lifted my head from Kenji’s chest, the space returned, and Reo approached.
Alright. Fix yourself. This is about them. Not you.
Before I could wipe my tears, Kenji did it for me.
I swallowed.
The Roar got right in front of me. I thought he was about to speak, but to my complete shock, he took me out of Kenji's hold and gently hugged me.
Oh.
I stiffened for a half-second.
He rubbed my back and whispered in my ear, "Thank you."
I could not form a sentence. I was too shocked. I just bobbed my head against his chest.
He let me go as cleanly as he had taken me from Kenji and then walked off, joining Toma, Kaede, and Daisuke as they departed too.
His waitress with the mac and cheese skewers followed.
I cleared my throat and called after them. "Head to the bar. We still have our remaining signature drinks, before we open up the ballroom for our other guests and have our sit-down dinner."
Reo lifted one hand in acknowledgment without turning around. “Yes, Heart. We’ll do anything you want.”
I blushed, turned to my right, and saw Hiro coming. He was no longer sobbing. His face was calm. His fur coat was off, and those sculpted muscles of his were rippling with his movement.
He stalked forward, and right when he got close, he took me in his arms too and held me hard. It was a full-body grip. His face went into the crook of my neck and he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with my scent. "I love you so much, Tora."
I shivered in his hold. "I love you too."
"Thank you for this."
"You're welcome."
"I think this might have been good for me. The pressure is gone in my chest. I felt her close to me for the first time. The picture helped."
"Good."
Hiro lifted his head slowly and his eyes found Kenji, who was now frowning at him. "Can I kiss her, brother?"
Kenji sneered.
“Please.”
