DragonBonds

Epilogue

Knock-knock-knock

The sound of knuckles hitting the front door rang out into the living room where Cloud was lounging, watching TV while he waited for... something. When the knocking started, he got up and opened the door, shocked to see his partner, but not upset about it.

He smiled at them, and let out a soft chirp.

"I didn't plan on leaving today, sorry I look like kind of a mess."

The ringtail's tail curled around their leg, and an unnaturally soft voice came out of them.

"Hello Cloud. I apologize, I guess Zephyr didn't tell you. I um... Invited him out today."

Oh... Oh!! Oh!!!

The confusion on Cloud's face morphed into excitement as he realized that 1) he still got to relax today, and 2) this was Alabaster. The calico nodded and quickly pulled his hands to his face and started rubbing his eyes to let Zephyr know he was wanted. After a second of vigorous face rubbing, the calico dropped his hands, and the originally dramatic and destructive Drake, now in the driver's seat, clasped his hands behind his back and looked away from Alabaster for a second.

"Zephyr," Alabaster cooed quietly.

Zephyr's ears flicked, and he glanced up at Alabaster.

"Uh... Hi," he replied.

Alabaster gave him a soft smile and curled his long tail around Zephyr's ankle very gently.

"It's good to see you today. You remember what I asked for today, yes?"

Zephyr crossed his arms over his chest and hummed softly. "Uhm... You wanted to talk?" Zephyr drew his ears back a little, but a small smile was starting to form on his face.

"Yes. Come on, let's go to the uhm... Coffee shop! Yes, yes. Gosh, last time I was up here we had a tavern. Coffee shops are very new to me."

Zephyr couldn't help the little chuckle that came from his mouth at the remark.

"Yeah, I bet they are. Though I've only been here for almost a year and everything is still new to me. Funny how that works, eh?" Zephyr gently bumps Alabaster's arm with his elbow. "Eh?"

The taller Drake snorted and continued walking, a little further ahead than Zephyr.

When they finally got to the coffee shop, the two of them sat down and waved at the baristas with smiles as warm as the sun.

"Sooo," Zephyr drawled, pulling out his chair and sitting in it, folding one leg up and letting the other dangle. "What did you wanna talk about?"

Alabaster sat down, their eyes fixated on Zephyr, their soft gaze taking in every bit of his face.

"I... I want to talk about us, Zephyr. About... What happened, and what I've done to you, and how I can be better."

The moment Alabaster mentioned what happened, the joking smile all but vanished, and all that was left in its wake was a regretful, mad calico cat with deeply furrowed brows.

"What about it?" he snipped, his tail lashing against the chair.

"Zephyr-"

"Listen, there's nothing you can do to make any of it go away. You know that, right? You're going to try and make things better and pretend it didn't happen, when you know it happened and that you fucked me up for good. There's no escaping that for you anymore, Al, not while you're up here with me now. The day I let you forget is the day things are actually better, and it isn't now."

Zephyr kicked a paw up onto the table as Alabaster sipped on his coffee, staring down at the reflection in the mug with a frown as Zephyr spoke. He was right, loathe as they were to admit they were wrong in most capacities. He was right about this one, and the Drake let out a sigh.

"I know. I know, which is why it took me so long to ask you out to this... Date, I guess is the easiest way to put it. I didn't know how to approach the situation properly, so I did some research on modern couple date spots and so I sort of... chose a coffee shop at random. I figured a more comfortable atmosphere would help to ease any tension or moods." They twiddled their thumbs, not looking up from their mug.

"I just... don't want to mess up this chance at reconciling."

Zephyr put his paw back down to the floor and stared at Alabaster intently. He squinted at them and then closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath, and setting his paw on Alabaster's.

"Listen," he said, his voice softer. "What you did to me was bad, and it hurt me a lot. A millennia trapped somewhere over something I didn't ask for but am anyways... I just want you to know that that was bad and that you understand."

He paused for a second.

"Though, I will admit, after going to therapy with Cloud, I... may have definitely severely overreacted to your imprisoning of me. I hurt Cloud, I hurt his friends, I almost kinda destroyed the populated world with chaos." He let out a hollow chuckle, and then slowly put Alabaster's paw up to his muzzle and closed his eyes, figuratively kissing Alabaster's hand.

"I shouldn't have done that either. Both of us made mistakes- some more than many, but mistakes nonetheless- and if we want to get back to how we were when we were just created, we need a fresh start."

"Like..." Alabaster smiled and pointed his spare hand at Zephyr. "A coffee shop?"

"Yes," Zephyr sighed. "Like a coffee shop date."

Alabaster smiled at Zephyr, leaning over and touching their nose to his in a kiss.

"I hope it's not too early, Zephyr, but... I love you. I always have."

Zephyr snorted and nodded.

"I love you too. Now let's go get some snacks, and we can watch a movie at the Colvi house? I think Cloud and Andi wanted to watch a movie so we can work on our stuff while they watch. Sound good?"

Alabaster gave the barista a tip, and walked out of the store, holding Zephyr's hand.

Maybe things would get better with time.

...

Somewhere, a tear in the veil opens.

END OF ARC 1