•Comatose•

•Prologue•

•Third person POV•

(Two days after The
announcement of a new Lance)

"Tessia? Tess wait!" Arthur called out, reaching for the silver haired beauty in front of him. He could hear her scoff, shoulders tense as she whirled around to glare at her childhood friend. Arthur could clearly see the anger and hurt in the elven princess's eyes, which made him internally wince. She had that look in her eyes because of him, after all, and it didn't sit right with him.

"What do you want? You've been following me around this entire time. What could you possibly need from a weakling like me?" Tessia hissed as she stood her ground, watching through narrowed emerald eyes as Arthur looked stunned for a moment.

"...I need to talk to you...in private. Please Tess, I know you're angry with me-"

"If you know that much, then why are you still talking to me?" She spat.

"..for god sake." In a rush of movements too quick to properly react to, Tessia gets pulled into an empty room. She gasps in surprise when Arthur slams the door behind them, before pushing her against the wall.

"You know damn well the only reason I said anything that upset you after Director Goodsky died, was to keep you from getting yourself killed! Her death hurt me too! She was one of my mentors. You think I didn't feel anything after I learned of her death? Tessia, I care about your life and I do not want to see you get hurt, or worse, killed because you went out to get petty revenge out of anger." Arthur said as he backed away from her, turning around and running a hand through his locks out of frustration.

Sucking in a harsh breath, he continued in her silence. "I know what I said down there hurt you. Even I admit that I could have said it a bit more tactfully. But I meant every word of it. I won't let you endanger yourself by going out there and trying to fight a being that could wipeout an entire city within an hour. All for something as petty and frivolous as revenge that won't change the fact that Goodsky is dead. You mean too much to me. Tess, you're all I have left." He finished with an exasperated sigh.

"..you talk as if you already experienced this.." Tessia whispered as she stepped towards her human love. Feeling bad for ignoring him, avoiding and snapping at him, she tapped his shoulder twice. Silently asking for him to turn around.

"You know I have. You know what I did in my previous life. But this is different. I'm not commanding an army and watching from the sidelines. We are fighting beings that are practically deities and demigods." Turning around, Arthur's eyes widened as he was engulfed in the warm arms around his waist.

"...I can't loose you to something that got me killed whilst trying to compete. I was worried...I was scared and I believed every word you said because I knew you meant it. I...love you and I can't imagine what life would be like without you." He whispered as he wound his arms over her shoulders, pulling her close and hiding his reddened face as he computes the words that just left his mouth.

Meanwhile, Tessia stood stunned for a moment. His words replaying in her mind over and over until it clicked and everything fell into place.

'Did...did he just confess to me?'

"You—say that a-again?" She asked timidly, as if she expected him to lash out at her stuttered request.

"I love you. I can't live without you." Arthur murmured in reply, backing away only enough to look at her face. His hands cupped her rose red cheeks, thumb brushing over her pale pink lips with a tender look on his face.

"And...I am sorry I was so harsh with you."

"Apology accepted. Now shut up and kiss me." Tessia demanded with half lidded eyes. Pulling her closer whilst ducking his head down a little, Arthur pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead before diving to her lips. Ever so soft with a sweet sort of longing and finality.

..As sweet as that moment was, it could never have prepared them both for the dire future that awaited them...

__________**********__________

Greetings my beautiful nuggets!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

See ya~!