๋࣭ ⭑ᴇꜱᴄᴀᴘᴀᴅᴇ ๋࣭ ⭑

One Day Awaited

He couldn't get enough of this.
  His head was resting in your lap as you ran your fingers through his coarse hair. He rests his eyes. You're looking down at him, examining his features.
  You both share this moment of serenity under the shade of a large white oak tree atop a grassy hill. Thick, puffy clouds roll with the wind across the sky. The grass around you sways.
  He draws out a long exhale, exuding pure bliss. This was the only time he could truly relax.

"Did you have a rough day, my love?"
The corners of his mouth turn up. Your voice is music to his ears.

"Not anymore now that I am here with you," his eyes stay closed.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" You smile.

  He hums, then dramatically rambles about the lengths he had to go through to save Dr. Venture and Co. once again. It was a "perilous journey." You recognize that throughout various points of his story, he'll outdo himself. As much as you were pleased knowing he had found people to accept him and his ways of magic, it also pained you seeing him pushing himself past his limit.
You hated seeing him so tired out to the point where his exhaustion made him physically weak. There were times when he would stop by and you could see his eyes were sunk in, his fingers would twitch from expeditious spell-casting, his joints would crack at the slightest bit of movement.
And to top it all off, he still visits you each and every day. You figure these conditions would worsen if he kept this up.

"Byron," you interrupt him mid-sentence.

"Yes, my dear?"

"You love me, right?"
His eyes open. He bolts upright, resting his hands on your shoulders.

"Why, angel, you are the very being that eases my mind from metal torture."

"That's just it," your hands gently hold his wrists.

"You're killing yourself more and more each time you come here."
You can't keep eye contact, looking away when he looks at you confusedly.

"But, seeing you is the very reason I-"

"Byron," you say sternly.
You lower his hands.

"You can't keep coming to this mindset."
The skies turn grey when you say these words. The wind picks up.
Orpheus looks at you, a mix between terror and sadness, while your own carries the sorrow you've been meaning to show him.

"Darling! I-"
You stand, not wishing to hear his pleas. The anguish in your chest rises. You attempt to make your way across the hill, but are weighted down when Orpheus throws himself onto you, clinging to your waist.
His eyes well up, pools of tears threaten to fall.
You look down at him.

"Please, stay here with me," his voice is wavering.
He buries his head in your hip, tears staining the fabric of your clothes. You partially regret interrogating him like this, but you know it would be best for him.

"Byron, love,"
You kneel to his level.

"I never meant to cause such hurt," you pull him close in an embrace.
His chin rests in the crook of your neck.

"But you need to let me go."

 Suddenly, it all comes back to him.

He remembers the way you fell when you were stuck down, when you desperately grasp his sleeves and how you swallowed quick gasps of air. He remembers your last words, stumbling out one final "I love you," before succumbing to darkness.
  Then you went limp in his arms.

"I...I..." The lump in his throat grows tighter. He shudders harshly.
He can no longer contain himself.

"I can't!" He finally gives in to his emotions. He clutches you harder.
  By this point, the wind is howling. The clouds, now blackened, engulf the sky. Leaves rip from the oak and fly away.
  What was once a reflection of his image of you becomes a horrifying storm of his own guilt.

 There's a block in his chest, and he starts to heave. He tries to speak, but it's incoherent. He's blubbering apologies.
  But then you begin to rub his back. Your warmth is a blanket that settles his woes.
  The storm quietens down along with his cries.

"Shh, shh. It's alright, my love."
  Something he's always admired about you is how you could always comfort him in times of need. You knew how to keep calm, even in situations as vulnerable as this.

"You... You were my everything," his breathing levels out a bit. The poor man struggles to collect himself.
  He recedes, now taking your face in his hands.

"You were my muse. My stars, my moon." His thumb brushes over your cheek.

"You were the sole reason I go beyond the bounds."
  Your heart breaks hearing this. You frown.
  You sigh.

"I shouldn't have been so upfront," your hands place themselves on his.

"But I think you need to move on."
  You kiss his palm.
  Then, your hands reach for his face.

"For the sake of your mental state."
  Your lips connect with his.
  Oh, how he misses these tender moments with you.
  You break the kiss, thumbs wiping his tear-stained face.

"I can't bear to see you in pain like this," you press your forehead against his.
  Your surroundings are significantly calm. It's still cloudy, but the air is refreshing.

"You're my entire world."
  The both of you stay like this in a state of tranquility.
  The leaves on the tree rustle. The grass dances about.
  Everything goes back to normal.

"I didn't want you to worry for me," he murmurs.

"I can't help that," you reply, backing away to get a better view of his face.

"Because I love you too much to see you joining me so soon," your hands move down to his chest. Now it's his turn to place his on top of yours.

"You still have a life to live. Triana still needs you. The Ventures need you."
  He blinks.
  Of course he wants to be here with you, but when you mention this, he realizes that he still has responsibilities at home he can't just leave.

"You need to shift back."
He's defeated.
You were right.

"...I know," his voice cracks.

  Another short moment of silence passes.

"No matter what, I will always be with you," you peck his nose, something you would usually do when you were both alone.

"I will forever cherish every minute of you," he wraps his arms around you once more.
  The wind picks up again, now creating a tornado of grey as the clouds dissolve. Everything turns to white.

"There will never be a day where you won't cross my mind."

"And there'll never be a day where I stop loving you."
  Your words echo as he brings himself back to the real world.

Your hold fades as you dissipate.

  The scene around him disappears.
  Orpheus's position doesn't change as he is thrust back into reality. He's still on his knees with his arms out, holding nothing now that you're gone once more.
  He deflates.
  His arms fall as he crouches over. His quivering form convulses as his hands clutches his head.
  Soft whimpers escape his lips.

He's alone again. At least in the mortal realm.
  But he knows that you're always with him, waiting for the day where he'll be able to reunite with you.
 Officially, that is.