Bai You awkwardly nuzzled the other person with the tip of her nose.
Then she tilted her head, and their lips finally parted just a little.
A hoarse, almost inaudible breath escaped from that small gap.
"... I can't breathe anymore."
The moment she saw Bai You open her eyes, Varesa seemed to freeze in place due to extreme shock, as if she had even forgotten to breathe.
Their eyes met.
She remained bent over, staring directly into Bai You's open eyes, which were misty but clearly reflected her own, her mind blank.
Is it a hallucination?
Was it because she cried and begged for so long that, in the end, God took pity on her and created a dream for her that could move and talk?
She dared not move, afraid that if she moved, this dream would shatter, and the person in front of her would close their eyes again, returning to the state where they would not respond no matter how she called.
"... Bai You?" Her voice trembled as she asked softly.
"Mmm." Bai You responded weakly, her voice trailing off softly, "It's me."
Varesa seemed to be jolted awake by those two words. She tremblingly reached out, first to feel under Bai You's nose—
A soft, warm breath brushed against her fingertips.
She then touched Bai You's face, her neck, and her chest.
It was warm. It was warm. Her little face, which had been cold all day and couldn't be warmed up no matter how she tried to rub it, was now warm.
In that deathly still heart, a faint but real beating could be heard, one after another.
Alive.
Her Little Bai You is alive.
"You're awake..." Varesa repeated blankly, tears welling up in her eyes. The next second, without warning, the tears burst forth.
"You're awake! You're really awake!"
She laughed and cried at the same time, carefully and with all her might, gently pulling Bai You into her arms.
She didn't dare hug her too tightly, afraid of hurting her, yet she couldn't bear to loosen her grip even a little, so she could only support Bai You's head with one hand.
A hand stroked her back gently, as if trying to soothe away all the fear of the day with this embrace.
"I thought you didn't want me anymore... I thought you really didn't..."
She sobbed uncontrollably, hot tears falling into Bai You's hair, "Do you know how scared I was..."
"I'm here." She raised her soft hand and clumsily wiped away Varesa's tears; as soon as her fingertips touched the surface, new tears fell.
She couldn't stop wiping away the tears, and her own eyes reddened, her voice hoarse and soft.
"Don't cry, Varesa, I'm back."
Varesa gently raised her hand and lightly tapped Bai You's forehead, the force as light as a tickle.
"You scared me to death, you know? Don't ever do that again! Don't rush in alone again, and don't leave me behind again, do you hear me?"
"I heard you." Bai You obediently replied, her ears turning red, and reached out to hug her back.
The two of them held each other quietly for a while, the fire in the fireplace crackling softly, making this moment of reunion warm and tender.
Varesa was the first to remember, and she suddenly looked up.
"That's it! Columbina and Odette!" Her eyes lit up, and even her voice came alive.
"They've been waiting all day, they're still outside, I need to tell them!"
She almost staggered to the door, flung it open, and shouted outside in her hoarse, yet surprisingly bright, voice.
" Columbina! Odette! Come up quickly-- Bai You is awake! Bai You is awake--!"
Downstairs in the small living room, Columbina was explaining the reason to Odette.
Suddenly, a sound came from upstairs, followed by a "bang," as if someone had knocked over a chair.
The sound of hurried footsteps surged up the stairs almost immediately.
Odette ran ahead, not even having time to knock, and the first thing she saw when she rushed into the room was the bed—
The little person leaned against the headboard, covered with a blanket, their face still pale, but their eyes were really open. They even turned their head and weakly smiled at her.
Odette...
"You... you really..." Odette covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening.
But at this moment, all the composure I had maintained throughout the day shattered completely, and tears streamed down my face.
After a long pause, he could only manage to stammer, "It's good that you're awake... it's good that you're awake."
Columbina followed behind, but did not speak immediately. She walked to the bedside, closed her eyes, and very gently sent out a Kuuvahki.
Last time, when this wisp of power sank in, it found an unfathomable stillness.
But this time—it's brimming with vitality.
"Alright, alright, stop looking so sad." Varesa wiped away the last of her tears, sat back down on the edge of the bed, and pulled Bai You closer to her.
Her tone betrayed both joy and trepidation. "I just woke up, I'm still weak, I need to eat something. Odette, is there any warm porridge left in the kitchen?"
"I'll go cook it now, I'll go now..." Odette went downstairs to cook porridge, her eyes red.
Varesa leaned against the headboard, letting Bai You nestle comfortably in her arms, gently stroking her hair.
The stove was burning brightly, and its orange-red light fell on the two of them, making them feel warm and cozy.
Holding her like this, listening to Varesa's rambling, reminiscent tales of something lost and found, Bai You slowly felt sleepy again.
She yawned slightly, her eyelids drooping, but the corners of her mouth turned up, and she snuggled closer into Varesa's arms.
Varesa."
"Hmm?"
"I'm going to sleep for a while," she said, her eyes closed and her voice soft and mushy.
"This time... I woke up as soon as you called."
Varesa lowered her head and gently kissed the top of her head, her voice so tender it could melt water.
"Okay. Go to sleep."
"I'll sleep with you this time too, we're not going anywhere."
Thank you everyone for your support! つ♡⊂