Nyssa broke.
She broke into his arms. Sobs and apologies wailed out of her as it all rushed in. Nadir held onto her as though he never planned on letting her go, and his tears fell into her hair.
"I'm so sorry— I hurt you—I—“
"I'm okay," he whispered. "You’re okay. You're home."
Just how exhausted and in pain her body was hit her after a few minutes, and it hurt her to breathe. Fire scratched at her throat and gnawed her insides. Uncomfortable in her skin.
A creature trying to work its way out.
For a while, they merely sat there, the comfort of the ocean waves and their sniffling being the only noises to push the air. Sitting with him didn't feel real. Not yet. It was like a dream. Like she was just back at the camp and fantasizing about being back on his beach and safe again. Back to the home she'd decided for herself.
His lips pressed to her head as they sat, and he eventually pulled a fraction back from her. He pushed her hair off her face, gaze stretching over her as he’d done when he found her at the camp. She noted the blisters on his neck, not just from that morning, but others that looked like they had faded into his skin.
"Did I do this?" she managed, touching his throat.
"It doesn't matter," he insisted.
"Nadir—“
"It. Doesn't. Matter," he said deliberately, his tone firmer than even when he spoke as the Commander.
"Nyssa, I thought I lost you," he choked. "I thought that void had consumed you, and I had failed to bring you out of it. I thought I had failedyou." He paused as his words became jagged, and he forced a breath into his lungs. "I was ready to take down the Sun to bring you back. And I would have let our world fall into chaos to find you."
And she knew he meant every word.
She couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him close.
"Nadir?" she managed after a few moments, still hanging onto him.
"Yes, Princess?"
"Do you happen to have any food?"
He pulled back, smiling at her, and he held her cheek. "Anything you want." He kissed her forehead again, swallowing upon pulling back. "Lovi is coming by soon," he said as he stood. "He wants to help with your fire if he can. At least help you calm it inside you so your core doesn't constantly want to protect you now that you're home again. And considering that's the second time it has tried to kill me, I'd like to know how to tell it I don't mean to hurt you."
Nyssa wiped her face harshly. "I'm sorry—“
"It's not you," he said. "It's the form."
"But I don't know how to contain it—“
"We'll figure it out," he promised. "I won't let it take you from me again."
A knock sounded on the door then, and it opened just so.
Lex popped her head in, a small smile growing on her face. Nyssa's chest caved at the sight of her.
"There's my Princess," she said, and a tear fell down Nyssa's cheek.
"Hey, Lex."
The words hardly escaped her before Lex pushed onto the bed and wrapped Nyssa in her arms. Nyssa ignored the pain in her bones as she surrendered into Lex's grasp.
Bala was leaned against the doorframe when Nyssa looked up from Lex's shoulder. She gave her a small wave and a wink, and in that brief moment, the memory of Draven leaning against a doorframe and doing the same flashed in her mind. And Nyssa hugged Lex a little tighter.
Nadir paused beside Bala to look back at Nyssa and Lex hugging on the bed, and she gave his arm a rub.
