Rocbouquet heard the knock on the door and winced. She had not slept for three days, and she was quite sure she looked as bad as she felt.

It was not just the lack of sleep.

If she stayed quiet-

Another knock, and her name in her brother's familiar concerned tone-

"Rocbouquet?"

"Go away. I don't want you to see me like this."

"Sister..."

"I mean it." She sighed and forced herself upright. "But the door is unlocked."

"Will you ambush me?"

If she answered, it wouldn't make it a very good ambush, but no, she had shoved her sword under her bed the day before and left it there.

"I don't know," Rocbouquet replied, her voice too soft for Noel to hear it on the other side of the door. "I don't think so."

There was a pause and then he opened the door anyway, hesitating until he saw her and that she wasn't lunging at him.

Not yet, anyway.

Noel closed the door before crossing over to her and sitting beside her on the rumpled blankets.

"It's not too bad," Rocbouquet said softly. "Just not ready to go out yet. I think. Maybe. But I'll be okay."

"We're all still getting used to it," Noel admitted as he reached to put an arm around her and pull her close.

"Careful," Rocbouquet said, though she didn't pull away. "My back-"

She felt Noel's fingers brush over itchy dark beginnings and shivered. Once she'd gotten used to everything, once she'd slept, then she'd be able to hide all the changes and appear as she always did.

Noel finished pulling her close a moment later and she leaned against him. They were doing this together, and it would be okay.

"Brother..."

Rocbouquet closed her eyes, relaxing. Noel was warm.

Maybe she'd finally be able to sleep.

~*~

"You seem to be doing fine. I'm leaving."

"So soon?" Subier questioned. Honestly, he was surprised that Rocbouquet had come to visit him in the space he'd staked out, though he supposed he understood why. They'd been fighting together for long enough that while they weren't quite friends, they were certainly comrades.

"I don't see any need to stay. It's dark and moist and you are doing fine, aren't you?"

Subier shrugged. He didn't mind the dark and the moist was comfortable. He liked the water and while this wasn't exactly the crashing seashore of his dreams, it was enough for the time being. It was enough for him to stretch himself and do what he needed to do.

Rocbouquet clearly was doing what she needed to do as well, and differently, but Subier couldn't fault her for that.

"You doing okay yourself?"

"As if that's any of your business."

Any other woman who talked that way to him, he could have in his bed by evening if he wanted. But Rocbouquet was different and only had eyes for his cousin. And there was more Subier could say about that but he didn't dare- he knew how good Rocbouquet was with a sword and he'd seen her growing command of magic as well.

She'd answered his question though. He wasn't going to throw her unspoken answer back at her. He understood. There had been days where he'd probably have said it wasn't anyone's business. But he wasn't going to stop now.

He knew Rocbouquet wasn't going to, either.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't need to worry about me..."

"I wasn't worried. I just... Anyway, I'm going now."

She was gone a moment later, and Subier just grinned. Yeah, she'd probably have rather visited Wagnas, but that would have been complicated if he was holed up in his chambers. So that left Noel and everyone else, but she'd chosen him to check on and apparently somewhat of her own will.

Yeah, he was doing fine enough.

~*~

"You wouldn't believe what I had to do to get in here."

Wagnas sighed. He quite likely would and he was sure there would be some smoothing over to do later. But he would do it, gladly, for Subier.

"What brings you?" Wagnas questioned. He was trying to do a bit of the actual work that had been piled on him, or he had before he'd wanted to reference something, then reference that reference and ended up reading something unrelated but still important in its own way.

"Just wanted to visit."

There was something to Subier's casual shrug that suggested otherwise, but the actual reason didn't matter. The visit was appreciated, especially since more and more often, Noel was getting barred from being too close and 'distracting' him.

Wagnas ached for the distraction. Beyond divination, beyond the fight against the termites, beyond what they had chosen to do and were gladly doing... He needed the connection.

"Thank you," Wagnas replied. He meant it. "How are things in the city?"

"Quiet for the moment," Subier replied. "Not quite hopeful, but at least there are people out and about."

"We'll give them hope," Wagnas said. That would be the first step, if all went well. "We'll give them hope and then we'll give them so much more."

~*~

Dusk painted the sky purple and the trees had nearly overtaken him with shadow, but Noel kept swinging his sword. He felt comfortable again, and like he was in control of himself. It had not been easy. He had not thought it would be easy, but it would have been nice if it had worked out that way.

But it was worth it. It would all be worth it in the end. He-

"You're having less trouble today."

"Yes." His sword met Wagnas's own, drawn quickly. Wagnas smiled at him, and without need for words, they began what was less of an actual spar and more a series of exercises they'd gone through time and again. Noel knew he was striking harder, but Wagnas was as well. They moved perfectly together, and Noel calmed with each swing and each small movement.

"I don't have any regrets," Noel said once they'd finished. The sky had darkened even more but he didn't have any trouble seeing the expression on Wagnas's face.

"Nor do I," Wagnas replied as he sheathed his blade. "We've done so much more than I could have imagined. We're becoming so much more-"

Noel nodded before gazing at his own sword, still in his hands.

And there was still more they could become, but not just then, in the quiet dark of the trees.

They did not leave immediately, but finally, when it was time to part, Noel felt better and like he knew what he needed to do next.

But first-

First, he needed to check on Rocbouquet.