The streets of Antiva City were as familiar to Zevran as the back of his hand. He had walked them countless times, his boots pressing into the same cobblestones that had witnessed his many exploits and escapes. But tonight, there was something different in the air, a sense of purpose that had been absent for far too long. He had stayed away from Maika and their child for years, always keeping a safe distance, always ensuring they were out of harm's way. But now, with the Talon House demolished and the threats that once loomed over them scattered to the winds, it was time to reunite with the family he had left behind.
Zevran’s steps were quick and sure as he approached Lux, the nightspot that had become known as a place where desires were fulfilled and secrets kept. It wasn’t the sort of place he’d imagined Maika would end up, but then again, life had a way of surprising even him. The thought of her working here sent a pang of something—regret? guilt?—through him, but he pushed it aside. What mattered now was that he find her, that he see her and their child, and that he finally stop hiding in the shadows.
The entrance to Lux was as busy as ever, with people coming and going, laughter and music spilling out into the night air. Zevran made his way through the crowd, his gaze locking onto the bouncer standing guard at the door. The man was built like a fortress, his expression unreadable as he scanned the faces of those approaching.
Zevran flashed his usual disarming smile as he approached, slipping easily into the charm that had served him so well over the years. Good evening, my friend, he began, his tone friendly but with a hint of the urgency he felt. I’m looking for someone—Maika. I heard she’s been working here. Could you tell me where I might find her?
He watched the bouncer carefully, hoping for a sign of recognition, anything that would confirm she was here. The anticipation was almost unbearable, but Zevran kept his cool, his easy smile never wavering. After all these years of watching from afar, of keeping his distance to keep them safe, he was finally ready to close that distance. He just hoped that when he did, Maika would be there, waiting.
Maika was definitely too tired to do anything but collapse in her bed once she arrived home. The shift had been a bit of a killer, plenty of customers who asked drinks non stop with Maika not having five minutes to sit down.
She had believed that what awaited her was rest but a familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Maika's mind broke, not a coherent thought in her brain as she stared for a whole minute at Zevran, her mouth open.
And her instinct told her to run because too much had happened, so little that she could explain without reviving terrible memories.
So she ran and sprinted out of the Lux; she had always been par to par with Zevran at running. She was tired but well trained as she started to zig zag among the streets, trying to get lost in the night.
Zevran's heart skipped a beat when he saw Maika, standing just a few feet away. It had been years since he had been this close to her, and for a moment, he was frozen, drinking in the sight of her. But that moment of reunion was shattered when she turned and bolted out of Lux, leaving him standing there in shock.
For the briefest of moments, he considered letting her go—respecting the distance she clearly wanted to maintain. But then his instincts kicked in, and he was off, sprinting after her. Zevran had always been quick on his feet, and though Maika was fast, he knew these streets like the back of his hand. If she thought she could lose him in the maze of Antiva City, she was sorely mistaken.
He kept his eyes on her, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease, his movements fluid and graceful. But as he chased her, a pang of guilt twisted in his chest. He hadn't wanted their reunion to be like this—filled with fear and panic. But he needed to understand why she had run, why she had reacted the way she did.
Zevran picked up the pace, zigzagging through the narrow alleys, matching her every move. He knew that catching up to her physically was only part of the challenge—he also needed to reach her emotionally, to explain why he had stayed away for so long, and why he was here now.
Finally, as they reached a quieter part of the city, away from the crowds, Zevran saw his chance. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between them, his hand reaching out to gently catch her wrist.
Maika, please! he called out, his voice breathless but filled with urgency. I’m not here to hurt you, I swear. I just need to talk—to explain.
He kept his grip light, careful not to hold her too tightly, giving her the chance to pull away if she needed to. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel trapped, but he couldn’t let her run without at least trying to make things right.
I know I don’t deserve your trust, not after everything. But I’m here now, and I need you to know that I never stopped thinking about you—about us. Please, Maika, just give me a chance to explain.
His voice softened, the usual playful lilt replaced by a sincerity that was rarely seen in the charming assassin. Zevran had faced countless dangers in his life, but nothing terrified him more than the thought of losing Maika for good, especially now that he was finally ready to be part of her life again.
Maika was fast but her speciality was stealth and not running which showed in the fact that Zevran started to get closer and closer to her. Besides, despite of the fact that Maika had kept herself active, admittedly she wasn’t as active as her ex lover which explained why he likely has kept himself in better shape than Maika when it came to physical exertion.
Maika was breathless, her pupils dilated when she felt the touch of his hand, a familiar warmth despite of the time apart. “I know you’d never hurt me” she said instinctively at his words. It was true if she had believed that she was in danger she would have fought instead of running away. Her flight instinct had been triggered due to how unexpected the situation had been.
“I…it’s been a long time Zevran” she just said, he didn’t need explanation for being away, she had known that the promises of a new meeting so long ago in a Antivan roof had been wishful thinking. The only one that had failed had been her, at her promise to keep Arissa safe.
There was a moment of hesitation “What do you need of me?” she asked, uncertainly clear in her words.
Zevran’s heart ached at the sight of Maika’s breathless, wide-eyed expression, her words cutting through the noise in his mind like a blade. She had every right to be shocked, to feel the urge to run—he had been gone for so long, after all. But hearing her say that she knew he’d never hurt her eased a part of his soul that had been knotted with fear and regret.
He released her wrist gently, his touch lingering for just a moment before he let his hand drop to his side. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the years that had passed weighing heavily on both of them. The playful smile that usually graced his lips was nowhere to be seen—instead, there was a look of deep sincerity, something that rarely surfaced in the charming rogue.
I don’t need anything from you, Maika, Zevran said softly, his voice still breathless from the chase but filled with earnestness. I’m not here to take or demand anything. I’m here because I couldn’t stay away any longer. The Talon House is gone, the Crows who once hunted us are scattered... and I wanted—no, *needed*—to see you again. To know you’re safe, to see our child, if that’s even possible...
His words trailed off as he studied her, searching her face for any sign of what she might be feeling. Zevran was a master at reading people, but with Maika, it had always been different. She was someone he could never quite predict, and that was part of what had drawn him to her in the first place.
It has been a long time, he admitted, a touch of sadness creeping into his voice. And I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But, Maika... I never stopped caring about you, about us. I had to stay away to keep you safe, but now that the danger is gone... I want to try to be a part of your life again, if you’ll let me. If there’s still a place for me in it.
He took a small step back, giving her space, showing her that he wasn’t there to force anything, that he respected whatever decision she might make.
But if you don’t want that, if you’d rather I leave you in peace... He hesitated, the words tasting bitter on his tongue, but he forced them out anyway. Then I will respect that too. Just say the word, and I’ll disappear again, as if I’d never come back.
Zevran’s gaze was steady, his golden eyes locked onto hers, waiting for her response. This wasn’t a battle he could fight with blades or charm—this was something far more delicate, something that required him to be more vulnerable than he had been in years. And that terrified him, but for her, he was willing to take the risk.
“What the fuck did you expected me to believe with you appearing out of nowhere after so long? Maker I almost had a heart attack” she said still breathless as she looked at Zevran “I heard rumors but as you can guess I tried to stay as away as I could from crow business” she said with a sigh. Maika’s face was struck with grief at the mention of the child, despite of the fact that she had managed to “get over” it there was still a wound and Zevran had just ripped the stitches open with a sentence.
“I…if you are here to meet your child I am bearer of bad news. Arissa died years ago while I was still in the Marches” she said, her voice way more composed than what she felt at the moment. “I never stopped caring about you too Zevran but I fear that the life you would come to is not the one you probably imagined. Arissa is gone and the woman I am now is a memory of the one you once knew. Grief changes people”
“I haven’t been in peace in years and I will gladly be back with you but I think that before you decide to come to me you should know that, I am no longer the warm and lightheaded woman you once knew.”
Zevran’s expression shattered at her words, the easy charm replaced by a grief so raw it felt like a physical blow. The world around them seemed to narrow, all the noise of the city fading into a hollow silence as he took in the weight of her news. For a moment, he could only stare at her, the grief in her eyes a mirror of his own, and he felt the ground shift beneath him, as if the very foundation of his being had cracked.
Arissa... he whispered, her name catching in his throat. The daughter he had never met, the child he had dreamed of protecting from afar, was gone. It was a sorrow he’d never prepared himself for, a wound he didn’t know how to bear. Zevran had always lived a life on the edge, flirting with danger and death, but he’d never imagined that loss would cut so deeply, nor that it would come in this form.
Taking a slow, steadying breath, he forced himself to focus on Maika, who had borne this grief alone all these years. The change in her, the shadows in her eyes, the strength she wore like armor—it was all painfully clear to him now. And in that moment, he realized how much he had missed, how much he had failed to protect by staying away. The warmth that had once defined her was still there, but it had been forged into something stronger, something hardened by sorrow.
Stepping closer, he reached out, his hand hovering just inches from her cheek, hesitant, as if afraid she might pull away. Maika... I can’t imagine the pain you’ve carried, losing her and facing that without me. I wish I had been there—I wish I had done things differently. But I’m here now. Not to fix what can’t be fixed... but to stand with you, to be whatever you need, however you need it.
Maika remained in silence as she saw her former lover went through all the stages of grief that she had gone many years ago. She didn’t talk nor touch him, waiting for him to digest the news that she had needed years to process in minutes. It was hard to see someone as strong as Zevran crumble for a moment in front of her eyes, and when his hand reached her face she didn’t deny him, letting him caress her cheek.
“If it helps there was a time in which I was angry with you but now I made peace with the pace and I don’t blame you for anything. The only thing I mourn is to have failed my promise of protecting her” she said quietly “Past is past and now I have…managed to come to terms with the past, mostly” there was a part that would always hurt but there wasn’t anything that Zev could do about that “The same goes to you, this new…is hard to process, you can count on me for anything” she said putting her hand on top of his “like the old times”.
Zevran let out a soft, shaky breath as Maika’s hand settled over his, grounding him in a moment that was both devastating and tender. Her words struck deep—an absolution he felt he didn’t deserve, paired with a grief he couldn’t begin to undo. Yet, in her touch and her voice, there was still something familiar: the strength that had drawn him to her, the unspoken understanding they had always shared.
He gave a faint, bittersweet smile, his thumb brushing lightly over her cheek as he searched her face. Ah, Maika... even after all this time, you still find a way to be the stronger one between us. Always carrying the weight, always finding a way forward. His voice was softer now, tinged with a melancholy he couldn’t mask, but there was a flicker of his usual warmth beneath it. You never failed her. Not once. The Crows, the world—they stacked the odds against you from the start. But you? You gave her what time she had, and I can’t imagine a better mother than you.
He stepped back slightly, giving her space while his hand reluctantly fell away. His gaze lingered, studying her with a newfound depth, as if trying to commit every detail of this moment to memory. The weight of their shared grief hung heavily in the air, but it wasn’t the only thing between them. There was still that connection, that thread of understanding that had always tied them together.
You say you’ve changed, Maika, he said, his voice quiet but steady, and I believe you. But so have I. The years, the losses, the choices I’ve made—they’ve left their mark on me too. But if you’ll have me, I’d like to start again, not as the man I was, but as the one I am now. Flaws, regrets, and all.
He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a faint, rueful smile. And perhaps, together, we can figure out what it means to keep moving forward. Not as the people we used to be, but as the ones we’ve become.
For a moment, Zevran’s golden eyes searched hers, waiting for her response. The uncertainty in his posture was a rare thing, a vulnerability he rarely showed. But he knew this moment wasn’t about him. It was about her, about whether she was willing to let him back into her life—not as the roguish assassin she’d once loved, but as the man who stood before her now, stripped of his masks.
The night around them was quiet, the distant hum of the city fading into the background. It felt as though the world had narrowed to just the two of them, standing at the crossroads of what could be and what had been. Whatever came next, Zevran was ready to face it—with her, if she would let him.
“Oh trust me, I am not that strong; I just had enough time to go through the stages of mourning. I am here because when I was at my weakest a man and his daughter took care of me until I got better, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it” she said with a small smile, thinking on her beloved friend who saved her life. “I taught her about you, she really admired you…and she definitively had your hair” she said with a small smile.
She listened to his words carefully, a part of her yearned to reconnect, to take again what was lost but she was admittedly afraid, what if they had changed too much? What if what was between them was more a yearning of the past than a compatibility of the present? She breathed as she pondered, her mind foggy and her heartbeat rushing.
And she just kissed him, the way she had wanted to kiss him for so many years, pouring grief, want, happiness and sadness into a kiss as she pushed him in her frenzy to the nearest wall (although likely he was strong enough to refrain her if he wished so)
Zevran barely had time to register Maika’s words—the mention of a man and his daughter who had saved her, the image of their child with his hair—before she kissed him. The weight of her lips against his, the fire and urgency in her touch, caught him completely off guard. But only for a moment.
He responded instinctively, his hands rising to her waist, pulling her closer as he melted into the kiss. It was fierce, raw, and unrestrained, a collision of grief and longing that had been building for years. When she pushed him back against the wall, he let her, his body yielding even as his own passion surged in return.
The kiss was a language unto itself, speaking of all the things they couldn’t put into words: the sorrow of what they had lost, the yearning for what might still be, the tentative hope that something new could rise from the ashes of their shared pain.
When they finally broke apart, Zevran’s breath came in shallow gasps, his golden eyes searching hers, alight with something that was equal parts wonder and vulnerability. For a moment, he said nothing, letting the silence between them stretch, filled with the echoes of what had just passed. Then, with a soft, almost incredulous laugh, he spoke.
Well, Maika, he murmured, his voice rough with emotion, if that is what mourning and change have done to you, I must say... it suits you.
He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing lightly against her cheeks, his gaze soft but intent. I have missed you in every way a person can be missed. And if this is how we begin again, I could think of no better way to start.
Zevran leaned in, pressing a brief, tender kiss to her forehead, as if grounding himself in her presence. When he pulled back, his smile was smaller but no less genuine, a hint of his familiar charm returning even amidst the vulnerability. But if you are going to push me into walls, at least give me a little warning next time, hmm? Not that I am complaining, of course.
His words carried a hint of his usual playful tone, but the depth of his feelings lingered beneath the surface. Zevran had been through many things in his life, but this—this reunion, this rediscovery of something he thought he had lost forever—was unlike anything he had ever faced. And for once, he wasn’t afraid to embrace it, no matter what came next.
“You are not the only person that has changed as you said it” she said with a small smile, letting herself enjoy his touch; she had been way too long deprived of her lover she deserved some enjoyment, even if it was for a night. “That’s so sweet” she said playfully, tenderness slipping on her tone “And charming, I see that some things never change” she enjoyed his closeness.
“I missed you too, and talking about pushing towards walls there are bits of you that I missed too” she said delving back into playfulness to match his tempo “Perhaps…” she looked around, a glint in her eye that was so familiar and that had put them in the predicament of the baby on the first place “An alley is not the best place to reconnect but…are you opposed to other forms of getting to remember each other?”
Zevran’s golden eyes lit up with a familiar mischief at Maika’s playful words, the spark of their old dynamic rekindling in an instant. The grief and weight of the past didn’t vanish, but it shifted, making room for the fire that had always burned between them.
Ah, Maika, he said, his voice low and teasing, his lips curving into a wicked grin. You wound me. As if I would ever oppose such a suggestion. But you are right—an alley lacks a certain... ambiance. And for you, I would want nothing less than the best.
He took a step back, though his hand lingered on hers, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin. Unless, of course, you insist. I am but a humble servant to your whims, my dear. Wherever you wish to lead, I shall follow.
Zevran’s gaze softened for a moment, the playful glint tempered by the genuine affection that had always been at the heart of their connection. But wherever we go, Maika, know this: you are my home. Whether it’s in a grand estate or the narrowest alley in Antiva City, as long as you are with me, it is enough.
He stepped closer again, his voice dropping to a near whisper as his fingers lightly traced the curve of her jaw. So, what will it be, my love? Shall we find somewhere more fitting for our reunion? Or shall we scandalize the night itself and remind these streets what true passion looks like?
His words were daring, his tone a blend of sincerity and irreverence that only Zevran could master. No matter what came next, it was clear that he would follow her lead, content simply to be by her side again.
“Not that the lack of ambience has stopped us before but perhaps we could go to my home, get some wine on the way…” she said as she ran her fingers through his shirt, adding a hint of nail on the process.
“It’s hard to resist you but for the right reward I’d be willing to wait” she said with a small smile.
“A part of me believed of that by the time that we met again you would have made a life of your own…” she admitted quietly “It’s not like you lacked suitors; I wasn’t jealous admittedly, I wished for your happiness even if it was away from me” she confessed in the alley, the intimacy and the darkness as the only witness.
“My home is yours, remind me to give you a key. It’s small and humble but the mattress is soft and the sheets are clean which is way better than I have had at times in the past if I am honest” she said with a chuckle as she pulled him closer to kiss his neck, a hint of teeth gracing his skin.
Zevran let out a pleased hum at the sensation of her nails trailing down his chest, his body instinctively leaning into her touch. Her words, her warmth, her very presence—it was intoxicating, more than any wine they could pick up on the way.
Ah, my dear Maika, you do know how to keep a man on edge, he murmured, his lips curving into a smirk as her teeth grazed his skin. His fingers curled lightly at her waist, resting just above the curve of her hips, reveling in the way her body fit against his, even after all these years.
Her confession, though, gave him pause. He had expected anger, resentment—perhaps even indifference—but not this quiet acceptance, this willingness to let him go if that had been his choice. It sent a pang through him, unexpected and sharp.
A life of my own? Zevran repeated, his voice softer now, contemplative. He let his fingers drift to her chin, tilting her face up just enough for their eyes to meet. Perhaps there were fleeting pleasures, a few souls who tried to claim a piece of me—but none ever held me the way you did. None ever felt like home.
He brushed his thumb against her lower lip, his smile gentler now, laced with something deeper than charm. You were never a passing fancy, Maika. And as much as I tried to tell myself I could move on, that I *should* move on... I never truly did.
He let the moment hang between them for a breath before his smirk returned, this time with a more teasing lilt. But, of course, if you wish to reward me for my patience, who am I to argue? A fine bottle of wine, a warm bed, and the promise of your company? Truly, you spoil me.
He took her hand in his, pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles before giving her fingers a playful squeeze. Lead the way, my love. Just don’t expect me to be *too* patient.
