‼️ PAUSED ‼️ ❝ 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘 ❞ ~ [ᵂᵉˡᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᴴᵒᵐᵉ/ᴿᶠ ᵂᵃˡˡʸ ˣ ᴼᶜ]

[𝟏𝟎.] 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

"Adoration often arrives unannounced, like an unexpected guest to the heart's grand celebration, reminding us of the beauty found in life's delightful surprises."
 
 
              _______ 💉 ______
   
  
  
The room settled into an uneasy silence once again, a familiar shroud that enveloped them.
The moments of connection they had shared earlier felt like fragile threads, momentarily woven together before slipping through their grasp.
  
  
Their paths had converged unexpectedly, a collision of two individuals who had once been more than distant acquaintances.
In those fleeting moments, they had brushed against the edges of understanding, almost as if the scars that adorned Vincent's body had briefly whispered their stories to Walden's empathetic gaze.

{{{ But such connections were fragile, easily shattered by the weight of their history. }}}
  
  
As they both sat in contemplative silence, they couldn't help but wonder what could have been.
The "if only"s lingered like ghosts, taunting them with visions of an alternate reality where their bond remained unbroken.
If only they could rewind time, erase the mistakes, and undo the pain that had driven them apart.
If only their differences had never driven them to that breaking point...
  
  
Vincent's lips parted, a tentative syllable on the tip of his tongue.
He braced himself, knowing that their exchange could easily devolve into yet another confrontation.
But perhaps, deep down, they both craved that confrontation - a chance to air grievances, to speak their truths, and to acknowledge the pain that had driven them apart.
  
  
  
  

In an unexpected turn of events, it was Vincent who decided to break the ice, despite the history of tension between them.
He wanted to address the matter that had been lingering in his mind - the collaboration that he had definitely not initially proposed.
With a slight hesitation in his voice, he directed his question towards Walden, wondering if the offer was still on the table.
  
  
  
"So," Vincent began, his voice laced with a hint of awkwardness.
"Are you still up for it? The collaboration, I mean."

He responded with a shrug, masking the intrigue that sparked within him.
Despite his hesitancy, he made sure to convey his sincerity.
  
  
  
"I mean, I may have my doubts, but, if it goes well ... Then, sure, I'm in."
 
 
Vincent's surprise painted a flicker of emotion across his usually stoic face.
He had expected resistance, a firm rejection, perhaps a few more pointed words exchanged in their typical fashion.
After all, their arguments from just last week were still fresh in his mind.
 
 
Yet, here was Walden, his tone reluctant but assuring, his agreement given almost as if they had never quarreled at all.
 
 
A fleeting smile danced across Vincent's lips, a mix of astonishment and relief.
It was a rare instance where a spark of hope ignited within him, a glimmer of the possibility that second chances were not entirely out of reach.
 
 
The acknowledgment of this unexpected turn of events was enough to soften the edges of his weariness.
For a brief second, he allowed himself to believe that perhaps there was more to Walden than the arguments and tension that had defined their interactions.
Vincent's lips curved into a faint smile.
  
  
  
"Well, I suppose that's good to hear."

The awkwardness of the situation hung in the air.
Walden decided not to press further, sensing that the topic had run its course.
Leaning back slightly in his seat, he regarded Vincent with a newfound sense of curiosity.
The man before him had always been an enigma, shrouded in a veil of stoicism and distance.
Yet, during their conversation, Walden had caught glimpses of a different side of him.
  
  

  
  

In the midst of their comfortable silence, Walden had begun to gather his thoughts, until it was abruptly shattered as the clinic door slid open with a metallic creak.
 
 
A group of armed men rushed towards Vincent with exaggerated concern, their cries a mix of drama and humor. It seemed as if they had never seen an injured person, especially their own leader, before.
  
  
  
"Sir! You're okay!" A soldier cried out, his voice filled with a mix of joy and disbelief.
  
  
  
"Commander! I thought you were dead!" Another soldier cried out, tears flowing down like waterfalls, his emotions overcoming him.
 
 
But before the second soldier could continue his emotional outburst, he received a swift slap to the back of his head from a nearby comrade.
  
  
  
"Knock it off, private! Have some dignity." Another soldier scolded, trying to maintain a sense of decency in the midst of the emotional outpouring.
  
  
  
As the men clamored around him, offering their exaggerated condolences, Vincent could only exchange incredulous glances with Walden, both equally puzzled by the outpouring of emotion.    
Despite the absurdity of the situation, there was a faint moment of vulnerability shining at the corners of Walden's eyes.    
 
 
 
 
 
Perhaps this is what it feels like to have a family.