Unseen | Caramel Arrow Cookie x Affogato Cookie

Slow

Life felt slow. Caramel Arrow’s alone time felt like an eternity, yet she didn’t want to go bother someone else to keep her company. Nobody else wanted to be sad with her. They move on, but she hasn’t. Nighttime was beginning to fall onto the citadel. Watchers were preparing themselves for another restless night. At this time she would have gone up to the wall and checked in on her father, the Second Watcher. Now there was nothing else to do. She laid on her bed, head laying on its side. The faint scent of Affogato wafted in the air. It still lingered after their meeting last night. She looked at the messy, wrinkled covers of the mattress. She could reimagine how they were intertwined together, how close his breath was to her and how his arms wrapped around her comfortingly. It was probably the nicest she felt ever since her father died. She sighed and turned to the opposite edge of the bed, where her bed stand was. The picture she had captured of him and her she looked at. She’d taken that picture because of her father’s suggestion.

“You should start taking some photos of your own, before it’s too late, you know.”

His words echoed in her mind. Tears forced themselves out of her eyes. She wept, despite trying to hold it back. Before it’s too late.. Now it was too late. Her room was a lot messier today, thanks to moving things in from her dad’s room. Old books, medals, photos, picture frames.. She wasn’t in the mood to sort through them, of course. Not one picture of him she had taken. She only took one picture before his death. She would probably cry some more looking through old photos, reminiscing about all of her past family, the things her father would talk so fondly about. Alone. She was alone. She let out a defeated breath. She missed her father. She missed all of her family members.

She forced herself to sit up, as much as she didn't want to. She needed to check in on Affogato one more time today before sleeping. With a heavy heart, she quietly stepped out into the citadel's halls. Each step's sound seemed to echo in her mind. She kept her eyes relative to the floor, making sure that she could still easily see if something was ahead of her. Her arms were crossed in front of her. It was the only place her hands could retreat to without pockets.

She stopped in front of his room. She knocked. "Come in." Affogato said quickly. She slid inside his room, feeling the change in temperature, warmth hugging her skin. The cold felt colder than usual lately, even with her high resistance to it. Affogato gave her a small smile. "Hey, Caramel Arrow. It's good to see you again." She tried to return a small smile, but he noticed her somberness. He hummed. "You okay, Caramel Arrow?"

She looked up at him for one second and gave a very small nod, immediately looking away. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He shuffled, setting a book aside. "Heavens, you don't seem fine to me." He crawled to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, legs hanging over the edge.

"I'm fine, I swear." She looked at his ankle. The boot was on it.

"I did all of that already." He said, answering her upcoming question. "Are you okay? You can tell me if you aren't, you know."

She quieted, looking down. Instinctively, she slumped over and sat next to him on the bed. She folded her hands together in her lap and leaned into his shoulder, which was easy since the bed was being weighed down where he sat. "I don't know.."

Affogato's heart skipped a beat, although he made sure his face didn't show it. "Thinking about your father again, Caramel Arrow?"

"Mhm." She deflated, eyes looked at her hands.

He let out a breath through his nose and wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning into her as well. "I understand." Truthfully, he probably could never understand even an ounce of the pain she was going through. He had never felt loss like she had. Her mother, brother, father.. perhaps even more that he'd never heard about, such as her watcher comrades. She was so strong.

She whimpered. She wished she could've gotten more time with him. At least a moment to hear some last words. She was left with nothingness and emptiness. It was just like when her brother died. She closed her eyes and accidentally let out a sob. She had killed him, just as she had before.

Affogato instantly hugged her when he heard her weep. This was something he may need to get used to for a while, but he'd do it a million times over for her. Besides.. the closeness of her felt nice enough. He sighed. "It's okay." He muttered.

She cried harder at his comfort. She couldn't control her grief. The day started out so well, too. She had felt so good and then it all came down afterwards. Now she felt broken again. "H-H-He.." She quivered in speech, unable to muster more.

He nodded and hummed. "I know, Caramel Arrow, I know. It isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's."

The only thing she could hang her hat on was the honor of being engraved into the Altar of The Fallen. It was the greatest of respects for him and he deserves it.

"It's okay. Let it out."

His murmuring tugged at her heart. His comfort she clung onto. She let out shaky breaths. Why did things have to be this way? She turned to face him so she could put her head into his chest. She just needed the closeness so bad. Last night felt.. good. She yearned for that feeling again, to distract from the grief that weighed down her heart. She needed it. He pat her head a few times, slowly and gently.

"Take your time."

That night, she didn't end up leaving his room.