"You do? With me?" They'd talked about chickens as a show of commitment before, but Lily wasn't sure how serious that was, especially after he'd left her to return home via the Beacon back in Taravast. As much as she would have liked there to be one, she did her best not to think about a future with Eleven like that, certain it wasn't in the cards given his obligation to Erdrea.
"Of course with you," he said with a faint smile, then lifted a hand to drift through her hair. "If you wanted."
Eleven sighed softly. "I told myself that I would retire after I fulfilled my role. I still want to, and there's no one else I love the same way as you."
"Better not be," she scoffed, smiling slightly as she did her best not to turn red while considering the scope of what he was suggesting.
"You want to retire here, or take me home to meet your mum?" For a moment she considered offering up England as an option, but the budding war that seemed so far away after so long held her back.
"I'm lost to time in Erdrea. I don't think I can go back." That had been difficult to accept, but at least he'd left it with Yggdrasil shining again. "So in this world, if there's peace to be found in it somewhere- if you wanted to.."
"To stay together?" She grinned, going bright red at the question. "As in always? In a," not about to go asking him if he was proposing to her, Lily searched her brain for an alternative before settling on–
He tipped his head, wondering about that. He didn't know too much about Wangji and Wei Wuxian's relationship and didn't particularly want to.
Eleven looked to her and wondered.
For several moments, he let himself imagine a future that wasn't Lonalulu, to what would make him happy in this world. What sprang to mind was the paradise he'd spoken to the Seer within- a tiny cottage with a waterwheel overlooking a riverbank, surrounded by flower fields and the hazy ridges of distant mountains. He imagined she was lonely, but he wouldn't be. They'd have a garden and a chicken coop, a stable for a horse, and a cart with which to travel to and from the nearest village or town for trade.
..Children perhaps, if ever they were blessed with them.
His heart stuttered in his chest, drawn to wonder what his mum would think of her.
"I- yes, if you wanted to stay- if there's a time where this world isn't falling to ruin." Such things seemed so far away as to be impossible now, but if somewhere that future existed, he wanted it.
"I don't know what to say," Lily breathed as she stared at him with wide eyes, smiling and stunned.
"Yes." Her arms went around him as she squeaked the word out, pulling him into an incredibly tight hug, stifling a jubilant, girlish little giggle against his shoulder. It was more than she ever expected to hear about a future together and she couldn't hide how happy it made her.
"Even if it's always falling to pieces, I'd want to stay behind with you." Saying something like that wasn't without a twinge of guilt accompanying it, and her expression fell as her thoughts turned to the fight she was leaving behind, and all the people she wouldn't see again.
It felt like a promise- like the start of something. Tenuous, he reminded himself. People disappeared. If he lost her.. Goddess, but he couldn't be sure he'd have anything to hold him steady. He'd tear off to Taravast, travel for a time in a vain search, then stay in Ellethia if death didn't find him before then, and spend his life working to repair that cycle.
Eleven's arms tightened around her. He prayed to whatever deity might hear him that they could stay together.
He breathed and pressed a kiss into her hair. "I think my mum would have liked you, too."
Keeping her arms around him Lily rest her head against his shoulder, smiling to herself. "I didn't want to hope you'd want something like this," she began, her voice muffled partially against the fabric of his coat.
"I've been so torn about going home and back to the war." If Hermione had still been fighting it in the time she hailed from, what difference would it make if she continued down the path being abducted to this world had set her on? Honor and duty were important, but a future with Eleven was more than she had let herself hope for previously, how could she refuse?
Eleven's stomach dropped. The war. What an awful thing to go back to. He shivered and loosed a breath.
"You shouldn't have to," he said, even knowing as he spoke the weight of obligation she was likely struggling under. "If you could be happier in this world, staying with me.."
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branchandroot
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Date: 2022-03-08 11:58 pm (UTC)"Really?"
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Date: 2022-03-09 12:36 am (UTC)Eleven sighed softly. "I told myself that I would retire after I fulfilled my role. I still want to, and there's no one else I love the same way as you."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-09 01:03 am (UTC)"You want to retire here, or take me home to meet your mum?" For a moment she considered offering up England as an option, but the budding war that seemed so far away after so long held her back.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-09 01:22 am (UTC)"I'm lost to time in Erdrea. I don't think I can go back." That had been difficult to accept, but at least he'd left it with Yggdrasil shining again. "So in this world, if there's peace to be found in it somewhere- if you wanted to.."
no subject
Date: 2022-03-09 01:34 am (UTC)"In a Wei Wuxian, Wangji sense?"
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Date: 2022-03-09 02:19 am (UTC)Eleven looked to her and wondered.
For several moments, he let himself imagine a future that wasn't Lonalulu, to what would make him happy in this world. What sprang to mind was the paradise he'd spoken to the Seer within- a tiny cottage with a waterwheel overlooking a riverbank, surrounded by flower fields and the hazy ridges of distant mountains. He imagined she was lonely, but he wouldn't be. They'd have a garden and a chicken coop, a stable for a horse, and a cart with which to travel to and from the nearest village or town for trade.
..Children perhaps, if ever they were blessed with them.
His heart stuttered in his chest, drawn to wonder what his mum would think of her.
"I- yes, if you wanted to stay- if there's a time where this world isn't falling to ruin." Such things seemed so far away as to be impossible now, but if somewhere that future existed, he wanted it.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-10 03:10 am (UTC)"Yes." Her arms went around him as she squeaked the word out, pulling him into an incredibly tight hug, stifling a jubilant, girlish little giggle against his shoulder. It was more than she ever expected to hear about a future together and she couldn't hide how happy it made her.
"Even if it's always falling to pieces, I'd want to stay behind with you." Saying something like that wasn't without a twinge of guilt accompanying it, and her expression fell as her thoughts turned to the fight she was leaving behind, and all the people she wouldn't see again.
"I wish you could've met my Mum and Dad though."
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Date: 2022-03-13 10:20 pm (UTC)Eleven's arms tightened around her. He prayed to whatever deity might hear him that they could stay together.
He breathed and pressed a kiss into her hair. "I think my mum would have liked you, too."
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Date: 2022-03-14 03:18 am (UTC)"I've been so torn about going home and back to the war." If Hermione had still been fighting it in the time she hailed from, what difference would it make if she continued down the path being abducted to this world had set her on? Honor and duty were important, but a future with Eleven was more than she had let herself hope for previously, how could she refuse?
no subject
Date: 2022-03-22 05:04 am (UTC)"You shouldn't have to," he said, even knowing as he spoke the weight of obligation she was likely struggling under. "If you could be happier in this world, staying with me.."