Punch Drunk Kiss

8

Blaise had jumped. Or fallen. He was unsure. So much smoke in his lungs had made him unable to focus, and he couldn't tell what he was doing at this point.

Unbeknownst to him, he'd fallen off one of the Paradise's towers, and was rocketing towards the open ocean.

Blaise opened his eyes, stinging from the smoke. Was Lantern OK? He was too disoriented and panicked to check on him.

I'm so sorry, Lantern... and Harlan, he thought as he hit the water.

-

"What do you mean, burning?!" Harlan demanded, jumping up off of Tabitha and squaring up to the two employees.

"On fire, ma'am."

"Is Lantern OK?" Tabitha asked.

"We don't know. We were sent out once the fire got out of control."

Harlan sort of collapsed to her knees, not before Tabitha caught her.

"... Take us back," Tabitha growled at the employees, and they obeyed, leading a wobbly Harlan and a determined Tabitha back to the private boat.

-

When they got there, the ordeal was pretty much over. Harlan had to drag Tabitha through a crowd of evacuated employees to get to her husband laying on the marble ground of the Paradise. He was soaking wet and unconscious, and Harlan immediately knelt at his side, holding his head to her chest.

"He fell," Lillie said gently. She was holding Lantern. Tabitha was relieved that the baby was OK. He gazed down at Blaise, who was still unresponsive.

"In the water?" Harlan asked, finally speaking up. Her voice was raspy.

"Yes. The temperature must've caused him shock," Lillie confirmed.

"My poor dear... if I knew this was going to happen, I would've spent more time with you," Harlan whispered, though Tabitha heard her. She looked at Tabitha, with such a look in her eyes that he knew they were over; then back at Blaise. "Wake up," she urged him, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

A few moments passed, then Blaise awoke with a start, coughing and spluttering. His eyes were bleary; Harlan wiped them with his cape. "My baby," she said, delighted.

"What..." Blaise cleared his throat, his voice having come out broken and raspy. "What happened?"

"You're alive and that's all that matters," Harlan said. "We'll talk later."

Blaise managed to sit up by himself, looking over his shoulder at the brutalized Paradise. Harlan also gazed at it, and Tabitha suddenly felt responsible.

"Well. That's years worth of work lost," Blaise said, sounding defeated. He shakily got to his feet. "I'm sorry, everyone. I'm not sure how this happened. You all will be paid for your work," he said, addressing his employees. "The Aetherian rule is over."

-

Blaise sat on the edge of the hotel bed, holding Lantern in his arms. His son looked up at him curiously. Blaise smiled down at him. Harlan was petting Raiju on the floor, waiting for Tabitha to be finished showering.

"Harley," Blaise said.

"Hm?"

"Be honest with me here. What was going on between you and Tabitha?" Blaise asked, dangerously calm. He didn't look up from Lantern.

"Blai." Harlan's voice was edging on a warning.

"I'm not mad," Blaise said. "I know we were starting to fall apart. I just want to know, so we can fix things."

"We kissed a few times and made unkeepable promises. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Harlan snapped.

"Nothing... physical?"

"Of course not." Harlan replied to him so hotly that Blaise felt a chill down his spine. He'd not heard her talk to him like this for years.

Blaise stood and put Lantern in his makeshift crib, then knelt to Harlan, who immediately averted her gaze. "Harl... I'm not mad," he reassured her. Raiju sensed their tension, beginning to growl.

"You should be, because he makes a hell of a better boyfriend than any Aether could be. You and your Arcforsaken family have proved to be nothing but trouble for me, and I am so. So sick of you." Harlan glared at him, dead in the eye.

"So that's that, then."

Her tough demeanor immediately broke at the thought of losing Blaise like this. Blaise noticed. He swept her into his arms and she cried on him, so unwilling to leave the man who'd saved her from certain doom yet who'd put her through hell for the past year. He understood.

"I'm sorry." Blaise kissed her on the forehead. "I never stopped loving you, Harlan - stress causes me to act out. I had no experience ruling a region with no one else but a girl I'd met 6 years ago. It was difficult, and I shouldn't have projected on you like I did."

Harlan looked up at him, her eyes disbelieving. She didn't say a word, so Blaise continued,

"I don't blame you nor do I blame Tabitha. But we made a promise when we got married."

"I don't... I don't know what to do," Harlan admitted, interrupting him. Blaise tipped his head on one side. "I don't know. I just don't."

"Do you want to go back to just dating?" Blaise asked gently.

"It's all so much." Harlan wiped her face on her sleeve. Blaise held her hand. "Marriage was too much of a commitment, but Arc above, Blaise. I love you so much. I don't care what happened before, I just want you."

"It was the wrong time," he agreed. "I think we need time away from each other."

"What?" Harlan's voice rose in a panic.

"I love you, Harlan. But I need time to think." Blaise stood, releasing her. Harlan stared up at him. "I've booked a flight for Hoenn. I'm leaving in the morning."

"No!" Harlan cried. "No, please, I'm so sorry, I know what I did was-"

"Harlan," Blaise said, his voice so sharp that she shut her mouth. "I've made my decision."

"Blaisey..." Harlan whimpered.

"Please, Harlan. Don't make this harder than it has to be." Blaise climbed into the top bunk, rolled over, and said nothing more.

So that's that, then, his voice echoed in her ears.