"In my apartment, why?" Ruy called back through his mind.

No answer.

"Sophie?" Ruy asked again.

Nothing.

Maybe she was just checking in, making sure he was okay. Ruy thought this as he tried to fall back asleep, but in 20 minutes, there was a faint knocking at his door. Ruy froze, not knowing what to expect. He grabbed his gauntlet from the top of his bedside table, strapping it on. He awkwardly shuffled through the apartment, his wings dragging as he did so. He slowly turned the handle, peeping out the crack in the door.

No mugging or harassment met him, only Sophie's swirling dark irises as she peeped through the crack. She gazed up from beneath his height, drops of brown seeping through her thick lashes. Ruy let out a sigh of relief, opening the door fully for her. She clearly hadn't cared for herself since the battle, but she looked a bit better. Her limp was gone, her hair tied up in a tangly mess behind her head. She still wore her black armor, most likely traveling by the rooftops to avoid questions and attention. Hanging from her shoulder was her brown leather bag. She stood as tall as possible on the tips of her toes in an effort the glance behind him to see his apartment. She didn't even try to hide her cringe.

"Am I not paying you enough?" Were the first words out of her mouth.

Ruy didn't even have a comeback. "How did you know where my place was?"

"One, I'm the one who signs your paperwork as your employer, so I know your address. Two," She tapped her temple, "Tracked your mind." She smiled.

Ruy snorted, "Of course you did."

Sophie looked up at him, biting her lip.

"May I come in?" She asked quietly, trying not to disturb his neighbors. Ruy just noticed that he was frozen in place in the door frame, leaving no room for her.

"What? Oh yeah- yeah! Come on in." He awkwardly shuffled to the side, tucking his wings close to his back as Sophie walked in. She looked around, her lip puckered out as she observed the hot wreck that is his apartment. She picked up the bottle of brandy sitting on his table, sloshing the barely touched liquid around in the glass bottle. Sophie turned on her heel, looking at him, holding the bottle.

"Really?" She asked.

He shrugged, leaning against the door frame. "It's been a long day." He answered. She snorted, placing the brandy back on the table and rubbing her arms.

"I don't want to go home to the Villa. I don't want to hunt down Ricin to ride out, I'm sure my neighbors are going to ask questions, and the house is going to be a mess..." Sophie sighed. She met his eyes.

"Do you mind if I crash here for the night?" She asked. Ruy's brain froze, but he furiously nodded his head.

"Yeah, yeah... no problem. Do you need pillows and things? I'm sure I have some extras around here somewhere." He proposed.

"Sure, but most of all, I think I need a shower." She chuckled, pulling apart her blood dried hair.

"Uh, yeah, sure! Everything should already be in there." Ruy confirmed, pointing to the small powder room near the back of his apartment.

"Thanks," She smiled. After dropping her bag on the counter, she calmly made her way toward the bathroom. The way her hips swayed from beneath her bloody clothes took Ruy aback, snapping back to reality when the door quietly shut behind her. Ruy stared at the door for a moment, then two, then three.

"Ruy?" Sophie called out.

Ruy was still in a daze.

"Ruy?" Sophie called out again.

"Yeah, yeah?!" Ruy called out after her.

"Do you have a towel?" She asked. Snapping from his gaze, he awkwardly rushed towards the closet where the towels are stored. He knocked on the door, Sophie opening up just slightly to lightly grab it from his hand.

Ruy grabbed another blanket and pillow from the closet, turning around, realizing he had no other place for her to sleep. He had no problem sleeping on the floor if it made her uncomfortable. Ruy placed the blanket and pillow on his bed, deciding it would be up to her.

It only took a few minutes, but Sophie walked out of the bathroom, wringing out her now clean hair, the blond strands looking light caramel brown with the water. A towel was wrapped around her body, the one Ruy gave her, casually humming to herself as she grabbed her bag. He watched as drops of water rolled down her collar bone before disappearing beneath the towel. Ruy knew he was staring, but he couldn't seem to tare his eyes away from the little droplets splayed along her chest, but as he turned back on her heel, quickly returning into the bathroom.

A few moments later, Sophie came out with her hair in a long braid, a black human t-shirt that was cropped right below her navel. She wore a pair of green joggers, the lace loosely tied around her waist. She still had a few open gashes, which slightly oozed blood. She didn't seem to care about them much, but Ruy silently got up and grabbed the first aid kit.

As she brushed her teeth, he walked up behind her, tucking her hair over one shoulder and looking at the wound. She froze slightly, but Ruy continued to graze his fingers lightly over her injuries. He smiled slightly, enjoying the small shiver that went down her spine and small goosebumps appearing where his fingers lingered a little too long. He had no idea how she still got injured through the armor she was wearing, but he knew the one on her shoulder, and upper back needed stitches.

How she had such high pain tolerance, he did not know.

Ruy dressed the one on her back quite quickly, since it was easy to pull the skin together and her t-shirt moved enough for him to get at it immediately. Her shoulder, not so much. She finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, now just standing still for Ruy as he secured the bandage over his stitches. Ruy could see the outline of a new tattoo on her back, peeped just underneath her t-shirt, but he didn't ask about it.

"Sit down," he said quietly. Sophie didn't protest as she sat on the side of the tub, her toes curling as Ruy started to stitch her shoulder. It was stitched over her family crest, the wound almost the entire size of the tattoo. But after it healed over, the ink may not be in the same place. Ruy finished his stitching, his line of work making it so he could dress any wounds effortlessly. Right as he was getting up, starting to put things back in the kit, he heard Sophie turn around and stare at his wings.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. Ruy stayed quiet as he put away the supplies in the metal kit, his wings awkwardly rustling behind him.

"You tell me what happened to you; I'll tell you what happened to me?" He asked. He finally turned to her, their eyes meeting—deep azure blue on shining golden Brown.

"A secret for a secret?" He proposed.

Sophie cocked her eyebrow.

"Nothing happened to me." She reasoned.

"Hmm. Is that why you have a new mystery tattoo on your back? Is that why you have this new mystery set of armor that I've never seen before?" He glared at her harder.

"Is that why you have an ocean of boundless deadly power just sitting in your body?" He asked.

Sophie was quiet.

"You didn't see me use it." She said back, not even trying to deny it.

"But our men did. They described it to me when I asked, Soph. They told me it was like night and hell bent to your will, you crushed the Neverseen like it was nothing. They told me how storms, not just lightning, whole bloody storms flew to your grasp. How you spent all of it on protecting them." He snapped. Sophie was quiet.

Ruy was the second in command in her guild; of course their men would tell him.

"So," He breathed, turning back to the medical kit, putting returning things to their little spots in the metal box.

"A secret for a secret. That is my deal." He said sternly. Ruy wasn't sure if Sophie was going to kick his ass for being this stubborn with her, but he didn't care. He needed to know.

"Okay." She breathed.

They didn't move as they told one another what happened. Sophie remained propped on the edge of the tub, Ruy leaning against the porcelain sink. Sophie explained how the cord wasn't part of their Mirthless blueprints, what it really was. She tried to brush over her interactions with Vespera, but Ruy wouldn't budge. Ruy was relieved to know that she didn't physically hurt Sophie, but it still worried him that she was nowhere to be found.

But Vespera wasn't the main focus when it came to the story.

Ruy paled when Sophie explained Kynareth inexplicable detail. She told him word for word what she looked like, what she said, and what she did to Sophie. Sophie's eyes were distant as she recounted it, her hand reaching back and tracing over the markings Kynareth seared into her flesh.

But then she described her power.

How Kynareth made her shadows into Night, made her lightning and ice into Storms. But it was too much for her, Sophie was powerful, but she had no idea what she was doing. She was barely able to reject the power when it almost killed her, but when it ended, everything was gone. Even now, Sophie couldn't use her shadows or ice and lightning; it was like Kynareth took them with her when Sophie returned the power. Sophie could barely use her telepathic powers now. She had a sneaking suspicion her abilities were being held hostage until Sophie did what Kynareth asked, visiting this mysterious Throat of the World.

"I think she may be the reason that I can't inflict, enhance, or teleport anymore, either." Sophie finally looked up at Ruy, her sunkissed skin glowing pale in the dimming light, his throat catching a little as she once again looked up at him.

"It's just a theory, but... I don't know; maybe it's the reason no physicians can figure me out. Maybe it is something beyond them." Sophie shrugged.

And Ruy hated the look on her face as she whispered: "Maybe she had a hold of me long before this stupid battle."

Ruy was quiet, his arms crossed as he processed it all.

"Who have you told?" He asked, his voice quiet.

Sophie looked at the dirty tiled floor. "Just you." She answered.

Ruy nodded, not knowing what to say. He knew Sophie hated being told what to do, what to say and what to be. Maybe that was the reason she couldn't get herself to look at the tattoo now adorning her back; it was a reminder that she lost everything she fought for. She wanted her life to be her own, not a puppet to be controlled again.

She left the Lost Cities for that exact reason.

"A secret for a secret, that was the deal." Sophie breathed. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. Ruy sighed, his wings shuddering.

It was his turn.

He explained everything. He explained the mysterious crystal Cato found that linked them together, the Dunmer public seeing him for the first time, the King pushing him past his breaking point, the mysterious crystals his stepmother gave him. The way he moved through time and space to get to the battle in time. When he was done, Sophie was open-mouthed.

"Do you know why the crystal connected us?"

"Not. A. Clue." Ruy groaned.

Sophie groaned, running her hands through her hair. He realized long ago it was an endearing habit of hers, whenever she did it it was often due to her thinking hard, it allowed for him to see the cute little furrow between her brows and the way her eyes squinted when she concentrated.

"Great, we have the Vatarian Leaders to deal with, my powers gone, a weird connecting crystal, The Dunmer Kingdom, the Inalian Senate and public, the nut job goddess harassing me-" Outside, thunder rumbled dangerously, as if in a warning.

"Oh, get over yourself!" Sophie snapped at the storm, likely thinking it was Kynareth.

"We have to keep everything balanced, Sophie." Ruy decided.

Sophie looked at him with tired eyes, her hair falling out of her braid. her hair was back to its signature honey blond, the water mostly dried out of it.

"We can't let things go, but we can't be hasty. We should try to handle things carefully and smartly. Kynareth hasn't done anything yet; maybe she could wait?"

"But how long can I go without my powers without anyone noticing? I don't want to tell the Guild about Kynareth yet; I have no idea how they will react."

"They reacted well to me being Vespera's son and half Dunmer."

"I don't want to risk it." Sophie sighed.

Ruy pushed himself off the sink, pointing his head out the door.

"Again, we should take it slow, be careful about these things," Ruy repeated as Sophie walked out of the bathroom, Ruy right behind her.

"I guess." Sophie sighed as they both quietly padded towards his small kitchen. Ruy watched her out of the corner of his eye. Strands of her blond braid now stuck out, her long hair framing her face. Her golden-brown eyes glinted in the moonlight, complimenting the warm sunny glow to her skin. Her sculpted body moved easily and casually, even when her brain was running a million miles per hour.

Ruy grabbed two glasses from his cabinets, filling them up with water. He heard Sophie haul herself onto the counter, humming, and listening to the sounds of the night.

Ruy handed her one of the glasses. He turned to place ice in his drink, out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sophie run a finger over the rim of her glass. He watched as frost started to form, her hand shaking with the effort of it.

She was trying to use her frost powers, to prove that she could still use them.

The frost barely did more than slightly chill the water, her Froster powers sputtering out. She sighed in defeat, taking a sip of the water and placing it back onto his counter. Ruy couldn't imagine having to lose his powers, what might be going through her head right now.

He stood in front of her, taking a sip of his water and placing it near her glass.

"Hey," He breathed. Sophie looked up at him. He ran his hand up and down her arms, realizing they were cold.

"It's going to be okay. We are going to get this all figured out." Ruy promised. She relaxed slightly, but her face was still morose. But could still see the slight furrow between her brow. Absentmindedly he reached up, smoothing his thumb over the space, causing her eyes to flutter a bit and a small breathy sigh to escape her lips. He smiled softly before placing his hand back on her arm.

"I'm home, I'm home and I'm not going anywhere." She breathed to herself. Ruy understood why she needed to say that. She spent so long trying to return to Inalia, her home that she held so close to her heart and so fiercely defended. And with so many things changing, she was worried that Inalia would come into jeopardy. She worried that the Neverseen and the Elven Council, two groups who have made her life hell, would come and ruin her city. Her city of warmth and dreams, the one where she could always return when she needed it most, to the people waiting within the culture she held so close to her heart.

"I promise that no matter where you go," Ruy slid his fingers into hers,

"No matter what happens." He placed his lips on his cheek, pressing a small kiss into her flushed skin.

"I will be right next to you." He breathed.

Because Inalia was his home too, it was a home of hope, a land of dreams.

Like hell was he ever going to let it go.

He had no idea why Vespera hated Inalia so much; they place where she was born and raised, the land that raised her only to watch her try to tear it apart.

Ruy pulled away from Sophie's cheek, but she met his lips, parting them slightly against his. Ruy didn't freeze, he simply wrapped his arms loosely around his waist, turning his head and kissing her back.

Sophie didn't know when she exactly fell in love with Ruy Ignis, once her enemy. She didn't know where life was taking her, what hellfire it was going to drag her through. But she didn't care. Because she was going to fight. She was going to rip apart the prejudice against her species. She was going to slaughter the nightmares plaguing her world.

She was going to tear the Neverseen down brick by brick with her bare hands.

And Ruy was going to be right next to her as she did it.

As Sophie's eyes fluttered open, her hands drifted to his shoulders, to the mighty wings branching from his back. The smooth leather reflected in the moonlight, the powerful talons resting at the apex of the mighty wings. Her eyes gazed over his face, his newly pointed ears, the markings decorating his shoulders and chest, crawling all the way down his upper arms and stopping above his elbows.

They were long delicate swirls, a dark purple-ish blue mixing with swirlings whorls of midnight black.

His Dunmer markings.

She used her hand to trace one of the lines decorating his muscled shoulder blade and only smiled as Ruy's teeth grazed her lip at the contact. She fully pulled apart their lips, smirking at him.

"They are new, huh?" He chuckled, watching as her eyes took them in.

Sophie smiled as she ran her hands over the planes of his chest and back, both observing the tattoos and the muscle underneath. But her hand went to the base of the wing, observing them carefully.

Sophie spent her days in the skies, flying above the clouds on Ricin, enjoying the sky's kiss.

But to have her own pair of wings? She could only imagine.

She fingers delicately grazed the main muscle of the wings, admiring as he folded and moved them.

"They're beautiful." Sophie breathed, admiring how the moonlight made the black leather shine an elegant blue. But Ruy's eyes were solely on Sophie, looking at her with a small smile. Not a smile like he was about to pounce on her, or a smile of cockiness, but one directed only at her.

It was a smile that no one knew.

One of love and peace, like she was the savior of the peace of his mind.

It made Sophie go aflame.

She moved her hand to his cheek, running her thumb over the sharp lines and beautiful curves of his face. He was hand down the most handsome man she had ever seen, and here he was, loving her with all of his heart.

Sophie reconnected their lips, parting her lips and tilting her head, resting her arms around his neck. Ruy didn't hesitate, gladly reconvening their mouths, his hands at her waist tightening.