She has finally told Aydanci what her secret project is - she feels a little silly having held it back this long, it's Aydanci - and he's predictably delighted, looking at her like she's the inventor of all that's good in the entire world, and they're talking about coordinating their work, smuggling storks with his medics, him providing her alibis as she provides him a second voice when he petitions everyone who needs to cooperate with a large-scale public health plan, and they're going to combine workshops and maybe they should just live together and it'd be convenient if -

"It sounds like you want us to get married," she remarks.

He blushes - he's so fucking cute - and stammers and: "I - that - is. ... Correct, actually. Um. Will you marry me?"

She can't resist a little speculative, "Hmmm -" And he's so nervous he's so adorably nervous, and she kisses him and says, "Yes."

And with that he beams, lifts her off her feet, spins her around, and oh the way he looks at her she never gets tired of the light in his eyes when he looks at her -





"Don't go, don't go -" He can't touch her, even if he places his hand on her head it'll bend her at the neck, touches her thigh it'll stretch the skin at her knee that last little intolerable bit, he hovers and almost smooths her hair, almost strokes her arm, but he can't hold her - "- I love you, you're too valuable, I love you, you're so strong and brilliant and please don't leave me I don't want to live without you please I'm sorry just stay with me I'll figure out a way to fix it, I just, I need more time, please don't go -" She's going faint, if she draws breath again she'll just expire of the pain outright, this is better, just - not - breathing. Oh her poor Aydanci careful even now not to cry on her. Oh she's so sorry - "I don't, I don't know what to say to make you keep fighting, I'm sorry, I'm selfish," oh honey, "you're irreplaceable if you won't live for yourself please live for me, live for the people you're brilliant enough to save, live for, for, I."

But she's not getting better.

"Honey," she breathes with a bit of air she didn't know she had, and she doesn't have to listen to him weeping any more -





They're on a beach, with a few friends, barefoot in the sand, laughing, and she loves him so much she's going to burst, and they kiss so long one of her co-prentices starts whooping -

- they have a tasteful, autumn wedding.

Oh, they both say,

So there's someone you can go find, Maitimo says, someone who'll have her notebooks.

Snuggles.

And privately, osanwë need not be directed at Kib, Maitimo says very dispersedly It would not be fair to mope at him but -

The existence of at least one human with good taste is not surprising.

I'm not surprised he - she - was fending off suitors left and right, I'm surprised that there's someone 'perfect' -

I, too, am very sad I cannot kiss him forever. If that's even the case. And very jealous of a random human. But.

I haven't said anything to Kib, have I?

If it were you -

I haven't said anything. I am not going to say anything. I am going to help him find his sort-of husband and I am going to be really upset if that's it.

Yup.