Lux Mori

“Ellie, I’m here. It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m sorry my son of a bitch of a brother ever laid his filthy hands on you. Did he… I mean, I know he hurt you, but did he do anything…” Fake Kai cleared his throat and showed his concern, knowing what kind of person Ronin really was.

Ellie’s crying had subsided and was now simply whimpers and sniffles.

“N…No. Just… his minion beat me for trying to escape. Other than that, he was just verbally cruel. Kai, I’m so sorry.”

“Ellie, you have nothing to be sorry for, shhhh.”

“Yes, I do. I’m sorry for so much. I’m sorry I envied you your family for the longest time. When you told me how awful they were it was hard for me to believe they could be as cruel and as heartless as Ronin is… but I see now, I see why you left. Your family is scary. They have to be scarier than anything you’ve faced Topside. They are monsters, Kai and I’m so sorry for not believing you. And I’m sorry for almost giving up and letting myself die. I just…Ronin said he was going to have you killed and I didn’t want to live if I couldn’t have you, you’re my best friend in the world.” Ellie couldn’t seem to stop until a finger was placed at her lips while eyes searched her own.

“Just your best friend, Ellie? Nothing more?”

For a second, a look of confusion and pain crossed her face, and she shook her head.

“Never just my best friend, Kai. You…you know that, but you are my best friend. My only friend.”

With that, Kort did something he’d wanted to do since he’d first laid eyes on Ellie. He kissed her, softly. It was chaste and sweet, and everything he had imagined since he was little older than a kid. It didn’t matter that she thought he was Kai, he finally had the girl he loved in his arms, and he would never let her go on his own accord.