It was the end of the line for Bowen and Haiku. After she had told the man about how torn she felt between him and Artorias, they had agreed that the best thing was for Haiku to return to Abaven. Bowen was still incredibly torn. She loved Haiku. There was no denying that. She would always love Haiku. There was simply this sort of manic devotion to Artorias, an almost worship, that would never allow Bowen to be what Haiku needed or deserved. Haiku would forever and always be her best friend, even if she wasn't his.

The pair made the long trek back to Abaven together. Bowen hadn't wanted him to go alone. They made small talk, but most of the time the caramel and cream fae was sick with sadness. She never wanted this. Never wanted to hurt him. As the pair neared the rapids and the scent of pack hung thick in the air, Bowen sighed. Russet ears pressed back into her skull and she seemed to shrink in on herself a bit. There was so much that she wanted to say, but she continued to be silent. This was hard enough on Haiku as it was. Telling him about her regrets wouldn't make it any better or easier.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

From the very beginning all Haiku wanted was to be there for Bowen, to help her when she needed him, to support her when she was weak. She had grown strong and recovered since he had come to stay with her in the Hallows. She found her paws and rekindled the support of her family and her pack. She had her brother and lover Artorias which meant that she didn’t need him anymore. Haiku met his goal, Bowen was whole again and he could go home.

Victory should have tasted sweet, but all he felt as they journeyed to the East was a bitter sadness. She didn’t need him anymore. All of his hard work and effort in supporting her wouldn’t be thrown away though, he refused to let her see how his heart broke. Falling in love had never been a part of his vow or their deal. So now he had to bury the feeling, to forget all together how deeply he felt for her. Haiku wore a huge grin the whole trip so he could hide the pain in his chest. It hurt but he wouldn’t let her see it. She wouldn’t feel guilty for finding her way in life or for taking the path that was best for her. He had what he wanted, Bowen’s happiness.

"Well, this is home.” He said cheerfully as they neared the border. However much it didn’t feel like home anymore. Haiku had settled far too deeply in the Hallows castle. Now that his dual toned eyes fell on the glistening river of the rapids it didn’t hold the same sparkle anymore. Not like Bowen’s eyes did.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Surging panic rose up within the small woman as they arrived at the river that marked the border to Abaven lands. Haiku's cheery words did little to alleviate the raging anxiety within her. Bowen gave her head a shake, tears already pooling in emerald eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said again for the millionth time. "I never wanted to hurt you, Hero." She hadn't. There was no way that Bowen could foresee the turn of events that would pull her wholly and completely into the world that was Artorias. The woman was slightly obsessive over her brother. It wasn't fair to Haiku. Maybe if Bowen had been a normal fae, but she wasn't. Not by a long shot.

"I..." she began, ears slicking back for a moment, "Do you... want me to walk you in or do you just want me to go?" She would leave it up to him. If it would be easier to just part ways here, then she would make the journey back to The Hallows alone and with haste. If he wanted her to stay with him while he acclimated, she would do that as well.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

He returned his broken colored gaze to her as he stopped at the border and found her expression cut him to the core. His own mask slipped as his expression crumbled for a moment as she shook her head and bubbled an apology yet again. She was sorry, but he’d come to accept there was nothing to be done. Their time together was over, she belong to and with Artorias and it wasn’t fair to keep following behind her like a lost puppy. His place had never been beside her, despite the feelings beneath the surface. He denied them, because if he embraced any part he’d break. And Bowen didn’t deserve to see any of that. His sweet delicate Bowen…

He shook himself and his soft smile returned to his features as he pushed his muzzle beneath her chin so she would lift her head. "Shh, hey, it’s alright.” He had already convinced himself now he was going to help her one last time to see. "You don’t need me, that’s supposed to be a good thing.” He encouraged her, offering an innocent kiss on her forehead as she stuttered softly. This was goodbye and they both knew it.

Haiku knew it would be less painful if he asked her to go now, a swift farewell and then he could begin to nurse his wounds. Before he could answer her question, his attention was caught by movement as a familiar form raced towards them. His elder sister Poem. She greeted him, relieved and sorrowful at the same time. She thought he was dead, she missed him, they all did. Before he could explain about Bowen but after welcoming pleasantries, Poem’s eyes stared into his similar gaze. During the cursed night they had lost Rhyme.

Haiku froze, his mouth hanging open and the fractures of his heart turned to fissures. Shock held him for a blessed few moments as he struggled to realize what this meant. He had sacrificed his father’s last year to be at Bowen’s side. Neither of them could have realized that consequence, and yet now he was here living it. Poem tried to comfort him but he brushed her off and asked her to leave. Assuring her he would follow her into Abaven eventually.

His glossy gaze returned to Bowen as he faced a much more difficult goodbye. A sweet numbness held him for a few precious moments of peace before the turmoil would take him in its grasp.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

As he always did, Haiku lifted her up. Even when she was doing this to him, he tried to make sure that she was okay. He was such a good, pure, loving being... and it felt as though she was throwing him away like garbage. Haiku's words brought a soft gasp from Bowen and she shook her head vehemently. "No," she said firmly, though there was a thickness to her voice as she tried not to cry. "Haiku, I love you. I will always love you and I will always need you." This was goodbye for now, but she didn't intend for it to be goodbye forever. Bowen opened her mouth to speak once more, but a shape came rushing towards them. It would have to wait.

Bowen recognized the similarities between the two wolves, though she didn't know the woman's name. In the end, it didn't even matter. The news that the woman delivered shocked Haiku so much that Bowen, who knew neither of the wolves in question, felt rocked to her core. Haiku's father had died while he was off rescuing her. That... made the tiny woman feel oh, so much worse about herself. She had said it before, but this solidified the fact. She was a monster.

Dual toned eyes turned to her and Bowen could see the pain within them. Without any hesitation, the small claret and snow fae pulled the giant, chocolate man against her as much as she could, holding him in her embrace. "Haiku, I am so, so sorry," her voice broke and the tears that she'd been holding back broke free, sliding down her cheek and spattering the man's fur. She would hold him for as long as he needed, if that was what he wanted. If he just wished to be alone and send her off, then she would begin the long, lonely trek back to The Hallows.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

He didn’t expect her to contradict him. Haiku was using the excuse to make himself feel better about it all, but her thoughts echoed his own. It wasn’t really anything good. She shook her head and looked up at him, holding back tears as she spoke again. She loved him, as he loved her. Bot Bowen wasn’t making leaving her any easier as she confessed how much she loved him, and proclaimed that she would always need him. He knew it was true but Haiku felt like he needed to reject this train of thinking if he was ever going to be able to move on from her.

Part of him was thankful that Poem interrupted the pair of him before he had to tell her how much he loved her in return, to confess how much he didn’t want to leave her. He forgot in an instant, as soon as the words left Poem’s mouth he settled into a state of shock. She gave him the time he needed, and as he looked to Bowen he accepted the fact that he needed her as much as she needed him. And now he had to let her go after everything.

But not just yet. Bowen didn’t hesitate to wrap her caramel colored arms around him tightly, he could feel her sharing the emotion that was trying so hard to sweep him away right now. She offered the sweetest of condolences as the tears finally broke through and covered her cheeks and his fur. And then he couldn’t hold back any longer, the sorrow of losing his father coupled with the fact that he was losing her destroyed his will to keep holding it all back. Haiku was defeated and he wept into Bowen’s arms. Haiku crumbled, his massive frame puddling to the earth at her paws.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

As if things couldn't have been any worse and heavier on her heart, now Bowen felt an extreme sense of guilt. If it wasn't for her, Haiku could have been here with his father, enjoying their last little bit of time together. He could have helped his family through the night sickness that had plagued the world. Instead, he had been with her, a woman who wasn't worth his time. The mental anguish made Bowen feel incredibly nauseous, but she swallowed back the bile, forcing herself to be what Haiku needed her to be. Strong, somehow.

Haiku crumpled to the ground and Bowen wrapped him up in her tiny embrace, holding his big head against her snow and russet chest. The woman whispered her condolences and many other little things that didn't make any sense. She simply sought to soothe the man. As though nature had sensed their tumultuous emotions and was commiserating, thunder rumbled and the clouds began to grow dark. Little spatterings of rain began to fall down upon the pair, but Bowen didn't move. She would hold Haiku for as long as he needed it, rain or no.

Bowen placed her cheek upon the giant man's head. "Do you... want me to stay with you?" Though they were essentially breaking up, he was still her best friend. She wouldn't abandon him after hearing the news that he'd just received. Bowen would send Bishop flying back to Artorias to tell him that she wouldn't be back right away.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

He was the strong one, he was supposed to be the hero, and here he was breaking in front of the girl he tried so hard to help fix. Saying goodbye, learning he’d lost his father, it compounded and became far too much for the young Destruction man. He couldn’t hold himself together anymore. He couldn’t hold his own strength and he broke in front of Bowen. Tears fell from his eyes as he mourned his father and mourned for his heart. He never wanted to leave Bowen, but this was what had to be done. He’d never felt so alone before.

She held onto him but Haiku already felt the distance between them. It wasn’t physical yet, but their relationship was changed. She spoke sweet nothings to him, and tried to soothe his aching heart but it would be a very long time before the wound began to close. He cried softly, holding to her like she was his little liferaft. Her remaining here would only make it hurt worse, if she had asked him before Poem arrived he would have turned her down right away. But he felt lost and the pain cut so deep he was desperate not to be alone.

"Please, stay.” He whispered, closing his eyes as he pressed against her soft chest. Don’t leave me, please. He tumbled into turmoil as his fragile life crumbled in his paws.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Haiku sobbed into the woman's fur and she continued to hold him close, stroking the back of his head and murmuring soothing things. The sprinkling rain began to come down harder, soaking them both, but still she held him. He asked her to stay and she gave him a squeeze. Turning her attention to Bishop where he took shelter against the rain, Bowen nodded and the raven took to the skies, back towards the Hallows to let her brother know that she would be back later than planned.

"I'll stay with you," she promised, curling protectively over the man's crown as he mourned the loss of his father. Bowen tried to keep the rain from his face, bit it didn't matter. By the time they were able to move, both would be thoroughly soaked. She didn't care. Already she'd done so much damage to the man. Until she left, Bowen would be whatever he needed her to be. Rain shield, friend, lover, caregiver. Whatever he needed.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Haiku hadn’t ever felt pain like this before. He’d seen his father’s sorrow but he couldn’t have started to know the scope of it until now. He lost his sire, and he was losing Bowen. Both had been a constant for so long, so many regrets raced through his mind as he held her tightly to him and the rain poured down. He didn’t care about the rain that fell on him, but as always his concern for Bowen outshone all of his own emotions or needs. He couldn’t help but see her as his damsel to be saved, but he couldn’t just linger over her shoulder their whole lives. Not when she had someone better and stronger to keep her safe and happy.

Bowen whispered back to him, the sound of her promise making his heart twist. He grit his teeth and knit his brows, and suddenly grabbed Bowen to carry her to an abandoned den close to the border. He couldn’t bring himself to go back to his family’s den yet, and he couldn’t let go of Bowen. Haiku didn’t know what he was going to do, but for now all he wanted was to bury his face in Bowen’s fur and forget that they had to part from each other.

What was he going to do when Bowen had to leave? He wanted her here with him, he didn’t want to let her go. This was what would be best for her, that’s how he could live with this. Haiku wanted to ask her what she thought he should do, he wanted comfort and a solution but there was none. There was no balm for this. How did he move on after this? His breath whistled through his teeth as he tried to keep control of himself as he wrapped his massive frame around Bowen’s tiny form.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Had Haiku voiced that he believed Artorias was stronger and better, Bowen would have shot it down instantly. Haiku was strong and good and sweet and all of the things that a normal woman would love in a man. ...But Bowen wasn't a normal woman. From the very first time that the captain and his brother had taken her virginity on the ship, Bowen's soul had been tarnished. She would never possess what one might call a normal sexual appetite. She was lusty and lascivious and this would never change in her. The rougher and the more taboo the act, the better and more aroused the small woman became. The sheer fact that Bowen was having a sexual relationship with her own brother was a heady thing. It was messed up. She was messed up.

Without a word, Haiku rose and snatched her up, bringing a little thrill to zing through Bowen's body. She clung to the big, chocolate brute as he carried her to a nearby den. The pair ducked within and Haiku deposited her on the ground. Bowen had to fight to control her libido. Now wasn't the time or the place. It was difficult though.

Haiku curled his big body around hers and Bowen molded herself into him as she always did. Her body shifted just a bit so that she could hold tightly to him, placing her with her belly against his side. Forelegs wrapped around the big man and she placed soft little kisses across his soaked fur. Bowen would be content to stay with him until morning, then she would find something and make him eat.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

No matter what Bowen thought Haiku couldn’t forget the fact that she chose Artorias over him, he wasn’t good enough for her or at the least not right. However great his qualities were, they were not what Bowen needed, so he was the inferior. He knew that fact would haunt him for a very long time. No matter what he did he could not be the one she needed. Like he told her earlier, it should have been a good thing. He could find happiness knowing she was taken care of in every way that he couldn’t. He couldn’t be what she needed, he couldn’t have her. He would never accept that she was anything but perfect, and he was the one that didn’t measure up to her needs.

For now though he tried to forget that he was going to have to let her go, for now she was his. She made him feel whole as he struggled with the loss of his father. She was here for him to slowly accept the way things would have to be. For tonight he could keep his arms around her, and for a few moments pretend like they would be given a happily ever after. She didn’t protest as he carried her to shelter and curled around her there. She reciprocated without hesitation. Her own slender limbs clinging to him as they settled down.

Bowen pressed herself against him just like it was any other day together, and the normalcy helped relieve much of the tension that lingered in his body. What really brought him from the depression that was creeping in were the sweet little kisses she placed upon his wet fur. His heart yearned for her and Haiku held her tighter to him, and very carefully shifted his muzzle towards hers. It started with a sweet caress as he breathed her in and slowly shifted to press his lips to hers. He waded through the pain and despair as he craved the light Bowen brought to his life.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

She shouldn't be like this, she told herself. The man had just learned about the death of his father and here she was, thinking about sex. It was difficult not to, pressed so very tightly against his big, strong body. The way that he lifted her and moved her where he wanted as though she weighed nothing, that added to the appeal. Bowen tried hard to deny her libido, to beat it down into submission but Haiku made it so very hard.

The chocolate brute had his arms wrapped around her tightly and the little kisses that she peppered on his face and head seemed to be helping, but not in the way that she'd planned. He turned his muzzle up to catch a kiss and Bowen pressed her lips into his, one paw moving up to slide pink pads along his cheek. "I'll be whatever you need," she whispered to the man that she still loved and would always love. Green pools sought blue and lavender. He was in pain, but if this was what he needed, she would gladly cover up the pain with pleasure. He had only to say the word or make a move and she would go along with him.

Anticipation flared in the young woman's core like red hot metal. The russet and snow fae kept her eyes locked on those of her lover as she silently asked what he needed and wanted from her. All the while she kept her svelte frame pressed tightly against his own, her paws moving, stroking, caressing of their own free will. Both wolves were soaked to the bone, but it didn't matter to Bowen. All that mattered was chasing the darkness from Haiku's eyes, if only for a moment. Tentatively, she kissed him again, soft lips gliding over soft lips. Outside the rain thundered to the ground but inside, something thundered within Bowen as well. Haiku had the power to shut it off or set her aflame. The choice was his.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Haiku didn’t want Bowen to be anything but herself, and had he known about her trying to control herself in that moment he would have stopped her. He wanted every fluke and flaw because that was what made this woman, the girl he had saved so long ago and cared about so deeply now, who she was. He was privileged to have seen low and high, and Haiku wanted to be there for her through the rollercoaster that was life. He would be there, even if they were separated. Whenever she needed him.

Just like he needed her now. He wanted to cover the difficult emotions, they were too strong and too much for him. Here in this old dingy den he could forget about the world outside. There was no Abaven, the Hallows didn’t exist, it was just Haiku, Bowen, and the earth around them. Her paw caressed his cheek as he leaned in for a desperate kiss. Desperate to hide everything beneath the surface. He just wanted to forget, to live in this moment with her for eternity. She whispered to him, giving him permission to unlock their desire, to hide his pain with her.

He met her emerald gaze and he found his hope there, for now he’d forget about future and past while he got lost in her. Bowen leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, further dissipating the sorrow that lingered in his heart. The burning passion she held within her was breathed onto his lips. The cold nothing was chased away as she warmed him from the inside out. Going from feeling so empty inside to being so filled with her love was unlike any experience the young man had so far.

He was welcoming in her subtle advances, and her soft kiss pulled him from the pit but sent him over the edge. Haiku wanted her and he needed her and that was plain in the way his lips pressed to hers and his toes dug into her soft fur. He closed his eyes as he lost himself in her so he could forget about everything that hurt.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Haiku reciprocated those familiar, warm feelings of lust and love and Bowen gave herself to him completely. As far as she was concerned, he could have her however, wherever and as many times as he needed. She would be what he needed and the big brute could bury his pain within her. It was the least that Bowen could do for him.

Lips fed hungrily at one another further fueling Bowen's fire. He needed her, but she needed him as well. The small fae repositioned them both gently, lifting one big foreleg and wiggling under her lover. On her back below him, Bowen placed them chest to chest. Once comfortable, the small fae wrapped sable arms around the man's neck, pulling his mouth back down to her own once more. Bowen released a soft, breathy moan into that kiss as Haiku's paws pressed into her. Back bowing, she pressed the length of herself up against him in turn.

Breaking away so that she could take a much needed breath, Bowen pressed her cheek against Haiku's, her arms still around his thickly furred neck. If this was to be their last time together for a while, she would try to make it memorable for him. "However you want me," she purred into his ear, letting him take the lead so that they could both attain the highest plateaus of pleasure.

Like Haiku, Bowen didn't think of the past, she didn't think of the future. She only thought of the here and now. What could she do to him? What could he do to her? Bowen wanted nothing more in this moment than to be the vessel that would hold the pain that he carried so that he didn't have to. She would take his pain so that Haiku could experience joy and bliss before the weight of the real world inevitably claimed them once more.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Haiku wasn’t think of anything but how close they were, but Bowen was much more experienced and had the forethought to shift herself against him. She wiggled under his leg and with their chests pressed together she returned to the dimension shifting kiss. Bown pulled him in and held onto him as tightly as he held her. She molded herself against him and fit against him like she had always belonged there. Haiku gripped her desperately, indulging in her for this moment like it would be their last.

It didn’t matter if it was or not, it was the only moment that mattered. Haiku lost his breath as he tasted her tongue and lost himself in her kiss, but gasped for breath when she pulled away to breathe herself. His skin was hot wherever they touched, and the desire in his belly erupted and overflowed for her. A dark chocolate paw ran down her svelte side and grabbed her hip as she whispered up at him, giving him full reign over her body. She would be his tonight. The rains outside washed away the sorrow and despair that haunted the young Destruction man, and he ignored everything but the girl that he loved.

He wouldn’t accept that he was losing anything right now, would conceive that these actions would hurt him more than help, but the moment demanded he drown himself in Bowen. She was easy to manipulate, becoming putty in his paws as white marked toes guided her thighs against each side of his hips. Haiku pressed himself against her, but paused for a moment, savoring the anticipation in her verdant gaze. A smile played at his lips as he lowered them to hers, pulling her even tighter as he savored her kiss and joined their bodies together.

Haiku did as intended, with little effort lost himself within the woman he held against him. Bliss overwhelmed the darkness that lingered in his vision. Bowen was the light that kept it all at bay, and Haiku wanted nothing else than this moment to show her how much her love really meant to him.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Haiku grabbed her hip like he owned it and Bowen groaned her pleasure into their melded mouths. Claws pulled through the brute's thick mane as he adjusted his position above her. The woman's silken thighs slid across slick, chocolate fur and she was ready for him to do as he pleased with her. She would gladly take whatever he wanted and needed to give, for she wanted it as well.

This didn't feel like the last time for anything. There was no finality to the act. If it wouldn't be detrimental to his progress, Bowen would love to spend each of their reunions in the same manner. And there would be reunions. It was something that they needed to discuss, but words could be saved for later. This was too important right now. He was too important.

The small smile on Haiku's face just before they were joined brought both a shiver and a gasp from the russet and snow fae. She wanted to see him smile, always. Haiku moved and Bowen moved with him, their bodies locked in a heated dance as the fires of pleasure engulfed them both. The small woman held on, riding out the waves of ecstasy that he always brought her to.

-Fade and time skip-

Later, when the pair lay there in one another's arms, their breath regained, Bowen nuzzled her forehead against Haiku's dark throat just below his chin. Her body ached in all the right ways, but she would be ready for round two as soon as he said the word. They lay there silently for a time, then the fae's muzzle rose, placing a kiss upon Haiku's chin. "There are important things that I want to talk to you about, but only when you're ready." Pale claws continued to comb gently through the brute's coat, rhythmically, soothingly. She was content to talk now or later. Whatever he wished.

"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

There really wasn’t anything like being close to Bowen like this. The intimacy was a divine act, and something that could never be replicated. Her love was unique, deep, and for the night all his. Her claws dragged through his fur and the sounds of her pleasure were echoed similarly from his own throat as he loved her. He’d come here feeling like their relationship had changed completely but as he held her beneath him nothing changed. Their deep desire and primal need for each other didn’t differ. It was stronger almost, as he grasped to keep hold of her. Her reaction to the joy that peeked through his sorrow meant the world to him. Her celebration in his happiness was the most desirable quality of all.

He lost himself completely in her and Bowen did the same, every movement was a deeper dive into ecstasy and Haiku cemented in his mind the feelings she gave him right now. It was enough love and fire that it could completely overwhelm the realities of his life. Bowen became his everything for the night.

-fade-

Their time together was never long enough but Haiku was gasping for breath and only just regaining it as he lay there with Bo. His chest heaved, but he held her close and she snuggled in against his chest and his neck. He smiled into her caramel cream fur, and kissed her forehead as his toes caressed her shoulder to hip. She settled against him, fitting herself perfectly against his larger form.

He didn’t know how long they were laying there before she reached up to kiss him and spoke softly against his muzzle. They still had a lot to talk about. "Tell me,” He requested softly as he wrapped his arms around her and held her like he’d never let her go. He was still riding the high with her, now would be the clearest his mind would be for a long while.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Tell him, he said and Bowen took a deep breath. She curled more tightly against him and placed one paw upon his chest. "Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I'm gone. It doesn't mean we'll never see each other again." The small woman nestled up under Haiku's chin, getting as close to him as she could manage. "We can send messages with Prose and Bishop. I can visit you. You can visit me. We can meet in between." Though he would no longer be living in The Hallows, Bowen didn't want to end everything that they were. Not unless that was what he wanted. "If it's easier for you to not see me, I understand." Bowen loved him. She would always love him. Above her love for him was the desire for him to be okay. If meeting periodically would just rip open his wound, then perhaps it would be better if he never saw her again.

A long sigh escaped the minuscule fae and her claws pulled through the thicker fur on Haiku's chest. "There's something else," she spoke softly against the big man. "I have no desire to have children now," she admitted, hesitating for a moment. "If... if in the future I want to have pups... would you be their father?" Bowen drew back to search the brute's face. She was unsure of how he would react, but Bowen knew in her gut that if she couldn't have children with Haiku, then she would never have children at all.


"Bowen & Haiku"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

He steeled himself the best that he could as he told her to go on. He looked up into the sky as she curled tighter into him and he held her closer. Everything was changing between them. He’d had the best year of his life, but it was never meant to last. She never belonged to him.

Bowen spoke to him quietly, telling him this wasn’t their last meeting. It would be like when he left her all that time ago. He said goodbye and left her, and then she was abducted. Haiku’s whole body trembled with the thought. He was going to have to trust someone else to keep her safe. He was supposed to be her hero, but he wouldn’t be there for her. At this point, he needed her to be there for him. He was so weak… He held her tighter, she mentioned messages and meeting in the middle, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same. She offered to stay away from him and he thought she might as well rip his heart from his chest. He thought he would have to say goodbye to her once before, but he couldn’t really bear the thought of it.

Haiku hated this, hated that he had to let her go and leave her side, hated that he couldn’t be enough, that he wasn’t the one that was made for her. That they didn’t belong together like he had let himself believe. Mostly he was disappointed in himself, that he let himself feel so deeply for her, and he’d let himself get to this point. So hurt, but unable to release her. If they could go through all of this trouble, why did he have to leave her side? Because he wasn’t good enough.

"I know.” He returned softly. They would send their ravens back and forth, they could visit, they could meet… He knew it wouldn’t be the same though. "Best friends. I’ll be your hero.” Haiku ignored the part of him that knew breaking things off completely would be the only way to heal. He just couldn’t bring himself to release her. Haiku loved her, she had his heart and there was no taking it back.

She went on. Haiku’s tricolored gaze lifted to her verdant gaze, he held her eyes for a long moment before she spoke. This was what he wanted. Her laying on his chest, him holding her tightly against his chest. Knowing this was going to end… He swallowed the lump in his throat as she went on. Bowen wanted him to be the father of her children. It was the one thing he had that Artorias did not. The only thing he could offer her. "Yes.” He told her without hesitation. "Yes, I would, Bowen.” He whispered to her softly as he held her closer to his chest, and said his vow. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the sweet woman in his arms.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby