Can we Try?

First Dates and Slow Realizations.

Five months..Deity had been out of the coma for five months. Sure, it took her some time to build her muscle mass up again..and relearn to walk-Cole grimaced as the guilt bubbled up in his chest again. It..burned. He knew he couldn't control what happened. But his Songbird was tough..being an elemental master had something to do with that, sure. He knew she promised to always forgive him, but..worry lay in his heart. He'd never hurt her that badly before. Staring at himself in the mirror, Cole began practicing pick up lines. Nah, Deity didn't really like cheesy. She liked genuine..he'd been with her for four years, he should know that by now! He grumbled and rubbed his face in frustration-only to hear a small laugh. Whipping his head around to see Jay watching him through the open door, the earth elemental growled. "Why are you laughing?!" Jay chuckled and caught his breath from laughing. "Because you're nervous, dude-" He shakes his head, leaning against the door frame. "Look Cole, you know Deity. Four years, two kisses and not even one date?" Jay looked at the floor in thought, then back at Cole. "But you consider her your girlfriend, and you love her. She feels the same way. Trust me. Just..be you. I know you're all corrupted and destroying the weapon didn't save you." Cole grimaces and looks at himself in the mirror at that statement. It was true. When they destroyed the weapon-and even after Lloyd saved his father, Cole still looked the same the next mornings. He'd cried. Because he knew that he was like this forever. He was incurable. Cole flinched when he felt Jay's hand on his arm. "Cole. Look at yourself. I want you to stare at yourself until you remember why she stayed the first time it hurt her. Then think about the man underneath the corruption. The one she fell in love with." Jay cracked a smile. "Look at me, being a sap. Can't help it dude. You guys are ah...real good for each other, y'know?"

Cole watched Jay pat his arm and then leave..so Cole turned his attention to the mirror..and stared at himself. Her voice echoing a statement in his mind from a brief memory made his chest hurt and a lump stick in his throat. It burned-he was tearing up. 'Do I know what would happen if you killed me? Of course I know..you'd hold me tight to your chest and cry your heart out, because you caused mine to stop. You'd hold me and refuse to let go, because you love me, Cole. ...You know what though? I'd forgive you. Even as my eyes were slowly closing and I was leaving you, dying in your arms..even though you caused it..I'd forgive you. Because I love you.' Cole has to take a shaky breath to steady his emotions. That..that had been after he'd broken down and admitted that he was in love with her the first time. After a hug turned into a corruption attack had cracked three of her ribs and broken both of her arms. She'd been blind then..she couldn't even see him then and she'd loved him. She had a taste of the danger..but maybe she wasn't scared. Not of him. Of what the corruption had done. He watched his red eyed reflection, slowly smiling. Yeah. He knew why he'd fallen for her, too. He'd been so scared to let her in..and she was patient..She waited for his walls to slowly crumble..truth was though, her small visits had started that. The way she'd walked without fear-so confident and sure of herself. She hadn't been able to see the world around her but..he had seen the way her eyes slowly lit up the first time he spoke to her. It was the first time in a while someone had smiled at him instead of an unsure gaze. Instead of..fear. He'd still been unsure and a bit closed off, but he had slowly started falling. Slowly but surely. 

He quickly showered and dressed, wiping the steam off the mirror after he was finally dried and clothed. He could do this, right? Sure, it was the first date he'd ever had..and they'd be alone..in public-He shut his eyes and took a breath, trying to relax. She trusted him..so much. He opened his eyes and ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "Yeah, yeah you can do this-" Searching his room for his grey hoodie, he chuckled. "Right right..she's got that." Well, it wouldn't be too cold tonight. Coming out of his room and locking the door, Cole carefully made his way down the hallway of the ship. Now..where was she? She hadn't been in their room, obviously. Making his way into the kitchen, Cole paused. There she was..silently baking. He chuckled a little when she turned around to look at him, flour caught across her face. "Heard me coming down the hall, huh?" Deity dusted the flour off her face-she'd been prepping dough for tomorrow. "Course I did, Cole. I mean, it's not like I don't pay attention...I learned to listen out for you a long time ago-" She pauses, watching Cole. "I didn't mean it like that, and you-" Cole slowly comes closer and takes her hand. "I know, I know how you meant it. You meant when we first met, right? Y'know, today is four years right?" She looks up at Cole and tilts her head. "Since..Since we got together?" Cole slowly strokes her cheek, smiling. He knows she's a little slow at trying to piece things together still after being out for so long. "Yeah. I'm surprised you didn't forget about me-" Deity's gaze seemed to shift to worry. "I..I almost did. I..I couldn't remember your name when I was out, I-" Cole keeps stroking her cheek. "What matters to me is that you came back."