Jaikus was completely silent as he stared down into the depths of coffee cup, emerald eyes watching as that bit of foam idly drifted across the surface of the liquid. He took a very long moment to fully digest the information that Emryc has revealed to him, as well as to process his own raging emotions.
While the Axxilan didn’t vocalize an immediate response to anything that was said. he was a naturally expressive individual - and his every internal reaction played out clear as day in his face.
It surfaced and receded in waves, but there was an indescribable sense of relief and joy that etched itself briefly onto the Axxilan’s featured - brought about by the revelation that his sister was alive. It was news that shocked Jaikus to his very core, because it was news he didn’t even believe to be possible.
The Axxilan had been there in the aftermath of the raids on his family penthouse. Zain, Aiyla, Rayan, Nadia, his brothers and sisters - alongside his own parents - has all perished that day. Jaikus has seen the grizzly remains of what had been his family, and it burned a permanent reminder that left no mystery to their fates.
Hatice had been different. While members of his family has been strewn throughout the property, his youngest sister had been notably absent from the carnage and hadn’t been located since. While it had initially been a source of hope for the Axxilan, months spent searching has resulted in nothing but disappointment - tearing that wound open each and every time someone of vaguely similar appearance was found and subsequent proven to be the wrong person.
Eventually, Jaikus had given up on the search. There were countless Axxilan civilians who had perished in the conflict, and countless bodies that had never been found. His own sister had been counted among those ranks, and Jaikus had mourned her along with the rest of his family.
While the revelation that he’d been wrong all this time was undeniably positive, Jaikus’ expression didn’t reflect it at every moment. The longer he sat there, the more that feeling of guilt seemed to crawl through his stomach, tightening in his chest to the point that it was painful. Tears had already begun to well in the Axxilan’s eyes, though they hadn’t quite begun to roll down his cheeks.
It was guilt felt because Jaikus had failed his own sister. Guilt because he had failed on his search to find her, and to pull her out of the devastation that had befallen their family. Guilt because whatever she had suffered on the years since the attack was, on some level, was his fault. If he had tried harder, searched longer, none of it would’ve happened.
He sat there, and dozens of questions swirled within his mind. The news that she was safe and sound was a relief, and yet he still h e wanted to know exactly which level his sister was operating out of and what she’d been doing all these years. Why she hadn’t attempted to return to the upper levels, or even reach out to the extended relatives that still lived scattered on Axxila.
Jaikus blinked a few times when Emryc spoke, the words immediately drawing the Axxilan out of his flurry of thoughts.
“Me?” He asked quietly, emerald eyes suddenly flicking up to look at his partner. Though Emryc didn’t say it outright, Jaikus could clearly note the reluctant and discomfort in his partner’s voice. There was a purposeful usage of words, and it all indicated that the half-Sephi had no desire to be a part of tracking Hatice down.
The Axxilan was quite for a very long moment, emerald eyes never breaking contact with his partner. While it wasn’t vocalized, Emryc would undoubtedly notice the faint frown that tugged at the corners of his lips. The fact that his partner wanted nothing to do with his venture was a painful pill to swallow.
A moment more, and Jaikus finally rose up from where he was sitting. He took a few steps toward his partner, reaching down to wrap his fingers around the half-Sephi’s hand tenderly. His thumb brushed across the top of Emryc’s hand, squeezing him tightly.
“Emryc, you are my partner.. You’re my family.” He muttered quietly, leaning in close and against the half-Sephi. “I need to find her, to face her after all this time.” He said firmly before pausing, exhaling softly. “And it is something I want to do with you by my side every step way.” He looked down, staring at the half-Sephi’s chest. “You are the most important thing in my life, Emryc.. And I want you to be a part of this not as a bystander but as the man I love.”
Jaikus lingered in place for a long moment, savoring the familiar comfort that came with being close to his partner. It was something he never grew tired of, and in that moment, it was a pillar of support that he leaned against more than ever.
Even still, his thoughts on the matter didn’t cease, Whatever his own desires, Jaikus knew that this was something that made his partner deeply uncomfortable - and he stopped short of outright asking or pressuring the half-Sephi into going. He always expresses what he wanted and felt, but has never forced his partner into a corner or pushed him into something that Emryc didn’t want. This would be no exception.
Though he didn’t move, Jaikus exhaled softly as he glanced up at his partner. “You know that I will never ask you do anything you don’t wish to..” He mutter quietly, though if was certainly loud enough for his partners sensitive hearing. There was no edge of resentment of malice to his words, genuine as he always was. Whatever Emryc said would be accepted and wouldn’t be broached again, regardless of how that might have cut or pained the Axxilan deeply.
While the Axxilan didn’t vocalize an immediate response to anything that was said. he was a naturally expressive individual - and his every internal reaction played out clear as day in his face.
It surfaced and receded in waves, but there was an indescribable sense of relief and joy that etched itself briefly onto the Axxilan’s featured - brought about by the revelation that his sister was alive. It was news that shocked Jaikus to his very core, because it was news he didn’t even believe to be possible.
The Axxilan had been there in the aftermath of the raids on his family penthouse. Zain, Aiyla, Rayan, Nadia, his brothers and sisters - alongside his own parents - has all perished that day. Jaikus has seen the grizzly remains of what had been his family, and it burned a permanent reminder that left no mystery to their fates.
Hatice had been different. While members of his family has been strewn throughout the property, his youngest sister had been notably absent from the carnage and hadn’t been located since. While it had initially been a source of hope for the Axxilan, months spent searching has resulted in nothing but disappointment - tearing that wound open each and every time someone of vaguely similar appearance was found and subsequent proven to be the wrong person.
Eventually, Jaikus had given up on the search. There were countless Axxilan civilians who had perished in the conflict, and countless bodies that had never been found. His own sister had been counted among those ranks, and Jaikus had mourned her along with the rest of his family.
While the revelation that he’d been wrong all this time was undeniably positive, Jaikus’ expression didn’t reflect it at every moment. The longer he sat there, the more that feeling of guilt seemed to crawl through his stomach, tightening in his chest to the point that it was painful. Tears had already begun to well in the Axxilan’s eyes, though they hadn’t quite begun to roll down his cheeks.
It was guilt felt because Jaikus had failed his own sister. Guilt because he had failed on his search to find her, and to pull her out of the devastation that had befallen their family. Guilt because whatever she had suffered on the years since the attack was, on some level, was his fault. If he had tried harder, searched longer, none of it would’ve happened.
He sat there, and dozens of questions swirled within his mind. The news that she was safe and sound was a relief, and yet he still h e wanted to know exactly which level his sister was operating out of and what she’d been doing all these years. Why she hadn’t attempted to return to the upper levels, or even reach out to the extended relatives that still lived scattered on Axxila.
Jaikus blinked a few times when Emryc spoke, the words immediately drawing the Axxilan out of his flurry of thoughts.
“Me?” He asked quietly, emerald eyes suddenly flicking up to look at his partner. Though Emryc didn’t say it outright, Jaikus could clearly note the reluctant and discomfort in his partner’s voice. There was a purposeful usage of words, and it all indicated that the half-Sephi had no desire to be a part of tracking Hatice down.
The Axxilan was quite for a very long moment, emerald eyes never breaking contact with his partner. While it wasn’t vocalized, Emryc would undoubtedly notice the faint frown that tugged at the corners of his lips. The fact that his partner wanted nothing to do with his venture was a painful pill to swallow.
A moment more, and Jaikus finally rose up from where he was sitting. He took a few steps toward his partner, reaching down to wrap his fingers around the half-Sephi’s hand tenderly. His thumb brushed across the top of Emryc’s hand, squeezing him tightly.
“Emryc, you are my partner.. You’re my family.” He muttered quietly, leaning in close and against the half-Sephi. “I need to find her, to face her after all this time.” He said firmly before pausing, exhaling softly. “And it is something I want to do with you by my side every step way.” He looked down, staring at the half-Sephi’s chest. “You are the most important thing in my life, Emryc.. And I want you to be a part of this not as a bystander but as the man I love.”
Jaikus lingered in place for a long moment, savoring the familiar comfort that came with being close to his partner. It was something he never grew tired of, and in that moment, it was a pillar of support that he leaned against more than ever.
Even still, his thoughts on the matter didn’t cease, Whatever his own desires, Jaikus knew that this was something that made his partner deeply uncomfortable - and he stopped short of outright asking or pressuring the half-Sephi into going. He always expresses what he wanted and felt, but has never forced his partner into a corner or pushed him into something that Emryc didn’t want. This would be no exception.
Though he didn’t move, Jaikus exhaled softly as he glanced up at his partner. “You know that I will never ask you do anything you don’t wish to..” He mutter quietly, though if was certainly loud enough for his partners sensitive hearing. There was no edge of resentment of malice to his words, genuine as he always was. Whatever Emryc said would be accepted and wouldn’t be broached again, regardless of how that might have cut or pained the Axxilan deeply.
@Sreeya
