“Arkay!”
Elksia’s day had been miserable, so seeing one of her best friends really cheered her up. She rushed over to Arkay, picked him up and threw him in the air as if he was a little kid.
“You’re happy to see me!” Arkay smiled. “I’m so sorry I kept on missing you…”
“It’s fine!” Elksia calmed herself down. She’d been meaning to pop by the old Dessaron HQ to pick up some stuff for ages, and now she could. Arkay being here was icing on the cake. “It’s more my fault. I’ve been so damn busy with work” It’s insane!”
“Good pay though, right?”
“Oh totally. Swimming in it. Shame I ain’t got time to actually spend that money! That reminds me, it’s your birthday on Saturday, right? I know exactly what to get you!” Elksia bounced off into the kitchen to make herself a drink. Arkay picked himself up from his beanbag in the living quarters and joined her.
“You don’t need to get me anything…” Arkay sighed as he sat down at the dining table. “As long as you’re around on Saturday, I’ll be very happy.”
“Nonsense!” Elksia beamed. “I know exactly I’m gonna get! You’ll love it!” The happy Rethan finished making her drink, a hot chocolate with extra spices, then sat next to Arkay. “You though, what’s up with you?”
Arkay shrugged. “Nothing much. Just, eh, organizing shit before the elections. Are… I’m sorry, I was about to ask you if you’re going to vote…”
Elksia nodded. “Totally get ya. You get locked in like an endless pattern! I do it as well. I heard you were spending time with your brother? Thought you’d want to travel, go back to working for General Elkay.”
“Didn’t fancy it. I just wanted to relax a little.”
“Thought so…” Elksia paused. “So, uh, you got any plans for your, uh… twenty five years?”
Arkay hesitated. Elksia wondered if she’d upset him, so she was surprised to see him smile.
“I’m kinda… glad almost, that you brought that up. Part of my plan.”
“You do have a plan?” Elksia asked as she sipped her drink.
“Kinda.”
“Better than nothing.”
Arkay smiled again, then got up to make himself a drink, grabbing a bottle of caramel soda from the refrigerator. He quickly sat back down next to Elksia, trying to work out what to say.
“Well… Part of my plan is to get all my regrets and stuff out of the way first. Make peace with everything, so I can live my years without worry. Assuming I get to…”
Elksia snorted. “You really think that bollocks Retvik said about Death lying to you is possible?”
“Stasis lied to us. The Deitics lied to us. Our own government lied to us. They said they’d fund us for five years, they’ve pretty much cut our Dessaron funding entirely in only three. Everyone lies to everyone else.”
“True.”
“I’ve lied to you, Elksia…” Arkay suddenly admitted. Elksia though just looked confused.
“About what?”
“About how much I love you…”
Elksia blinked, still clearly confused. “Is this part of your regret peace thingy?”
“Yeah…” Arkay sighed. “I remember you asking me, quite a few times, if I loved you. I know you’re happy with Vel now, and it’s like, way too late… I always said no, that I didn’t love you… But… Well, I was lying…”
Elksia didn’t say anything at first. But then she smiled. “I knew you were lying. But I totally get why. We’ve got a weird relationship. And you’re still little. And the whole first time for you. Lots of weird stuff. I mean, even if you’d said you did love me, probably wouldn’t have worked.”
“True, I guess… I just…”
“I get what you mean!” Elksia patted Arkay on the back. “But I knew. And I totally get it.”
All Arkay could do was smile back weakly. “Thanks for being understanding, Elksia…”
“It’s alright, darling… You are going to try and get a partner some time in the next twenty five years, right?”
“Yeah… I’m working on that. I’m gonna… try and fix things properly with Kass…”
“You should!” Elksia’s smile was almost starting to get unnerving. “You two are like, a super cute couple.”
“I know.”
Something on Elksia’s person beeped. An alarm. Elksia glanced at her wristband, a sad look on her face.
“I gotta go. I’ll pick up my stuff when I pop by tomorrow, it can wait.”
Arkay sighed. “Alright, have a nice evening.”
“You too, Arkay!” Elksia beamed as she raced off, slamming the front door behind her.