here i am with arms unfolding

two

just a small note, i unpublished this since i wanted to hold it off until the 2nd.

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So this was the hard part.

"Fundy?"

"What." Fundy said, his voice no longer unreadable. It was like he'd pulled the mask off, he could taste the defensiveness. It took everything Eret had not to flinch.

"I'm sorry. Fundy I'm so sorry, if I could take everything back I would, I would bend space time to make you happy again. To bring it back to what it was before. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what happened and I'm sorry it took so long to tell you all of this, but I need to apologize, I can't live with myself if I don't." All the words came out too fast, like a train without breaks, but Eret kept going. "I'm sorry that I made you feel like you didn't matter to me, you did, you matter to me so much and I threw it all away for nothing. I guess, I guess I just wanted you to know that." His voice lifted and cracked on the last word, but before he could overthink it, Fundy interrupted.

"Thank you." His voice was meek. Quiet and contemplative and barely audible, but it sent chills down Eret's back.

And for a while they just stood there, quiet and still, just focusing on eachother's breathing. Then, Fundy gently grabbed Eret's hands into his sweater mitted paws, pulling them closer to each other.

"Eret, can we try again?" Fundy asked, voice still small. "I still don't know how to do that, I know it takes time, but it's all I want."

"Fundy, I don't know. What if I mess it all up again? What if I hurt you again."

"Eret, that's just growing up. You mess up, you pick yourself back up, you learn."

"Then I would like that Fundy. I want to try again."

Eret pulled fundy into a tight hug, something he'd been dying to do. Fundy let out a big breath, and then a sob, and then a half sob half laugh. For the first time that month he felt warm and surrounded and safe. For just a moment he put all his uncertainty aside.

"I missed you." Fundy muttered into his shoulder. Eret smiled,

"I forgot what was important."