Rain to Sea

Epilogue

Few years later 

Off develops a midnight ritual, to everyone's greatest relief, it involves neither lighthouses nor cigarettes. But he undergoes the ritual with a reverence which to be honest a resonable person might find a little odd. Off might argue otherwise because the way cookies melt in his mouth can only be compared to a spritual experience. 

Cookies. Gun bakes them. It's magic. 

"It's a crime to eat my cookies at midnight without sharing.'' Gun catches him red handed one night with the cookie jar in hand. Off can only smile sheepishly at his one and only bed warmer. 

"It's a crime to be this cute all the time. Do you see me complaining about it?'' Off retaliates because he can't think of a clever quip when his brain is otherwise occupied with the marvel of cookies. 

"Wow Papii, That's so original.'' Gun slips over the counter and eyes Off with disinterest. Gun's interest lies with the cookies, Off knows for sure. 

"I take it back. You aren't cute. At all.'' 

"It's proven beyond reasonable doubt that I'm cute. Now give me my cookies.'' Gun tries to snatch the jar from Off's hands. There's a struggle, a tug of war where neither one is willing to back off and Gun ultimately snatches the box because he is  a cookie demon. 

"You cookie demon. Give it back.'' Off yells but before he could do anything about it, the demon has already stuffed his mouth with a fistful of cookies with an apparent lack of grace. 

"Papii, shall we go to the lighthouse?'' After the demon's hunger is satisfied, he insists on this crazy plan. 

"No way.'' Off denies. They never visited the lighthouse since that particular incident where Off almost had a heart attack in fear of losing Gun. Gun never broached that subject noticing Off's reluctance to take him there until now. 

But Off's the one with a weak heart, Gun exploits his weakness in every possible situation by giving the sad puppy eyes which he is currently doing now. The pout is the ultimate weapon. Off can only surrender. 

"Promise me you'll stay close to me all the time.'' 

"I can do that.'' Gun smirks suggestively because he need not be reminded of  being close to Off. Bending himself until he is perfectly aligned with Off's body, Gun questions, "Is this close enough?'' 

Off places a peck on his lips as an answer. 

And when they do reach his old but now somewhat condemnable friend that is the lighthouse at dawn, Off tugs Gun closer to him not letting go of Gun's hand for a second. But then again this tall magnificent monster has done nothing wrong but sheltered him during those difficult years of grief. He owes it so much that he can feel himself kneel infront of it seeking for forgiveness. After all, he the one who is aware of how abandonment stings, had ultimately abandoned his comfort place. 

But Gun pats his shoulder, murmuring words of  comfort near his ear lobes like he always does. Gun has always been Off's consolation.

They reach the top in silence and camp in the middle with Gun sitting with his back pressed to Off's chest. 
Having Gun between his arms, Off's arms involuntarily wrap around his love. It's like muscle memory to Off. Something that is deeply ingrained in his brain. 

The crescent shaped moon does look like one of Gun's half-eaten cookies. With that thought,Off chuckles. 
"I think I'm in love with those cookies. I can't get them out of my mind.'' 

"Fickle husband.'' Gun chides sweetly. 

Off thinks back to a time when he had feared words expressing an attachment or a connection, which meant that he had something to lose.  Back then, he has been afraid of Gun being his anchor bearing all his burdens but now he thinks he couldn't have done any better without Gun being his anchor. Off has been drowning in self-hatred and wrapped in chains of anxiety thinking that happiness wasn't a possibility for a fallen soul like himself. Self-love hasn't been an option but that has always been the key. And Gun's affection is his medication that led him towards that key. That goal which he is closer to achieving now. 

"Thank you for not giving up on me.'' He says with an unshakeable conviction. 

"I'm just keeping my promise, Papii.'' Gun responds as if whatever he has done for Off is something that is not laudable at all. Whereas if it was another person in Gun's shoes, that person wouldn't have had second thoughts about running miles away from Off's presence. Navigating through Off's emotional outbursts and occasional unresponsiveness. Well, that requires patience for one and also an unvanquishable faith and love which Gun was and is still capable of. 

"And I'm keeping mine.'' Off says now because it's easier to say it now more than ever. Off says it while clasping Gun's hand bearing the symbol of their promise with his own hand. The faint clunk of their rings colliding with each other will forever and ever remain a melody to his ears. 

Once in a while, Off thinks, he'll be excused to talk in terms of forevers. Perhaps who knows, Rin and Emma might have wished just for that too. 

...................................................................

A/N  That's it guys. It's finally done. 😵  
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