The night after Zelma arranged a three-mage consolation, Guy returned to his rightful position, sharing the good news with the Sword Roses.
“Ah…”
The entrance opened with a spell, and he stepped inside, taking it all in. The couch he’d sat on so often, the table his books rested on during cramming sessions, the kitchen he knew his way around with eyes closed. The pleasant light of the crystal lamps, the incense Katie had burning—to his very skin, all aspects of the workshop felt like home. How could they not? He’d spent so much time here over the ages.
“…Feels like I’ve been away for years, but it wasn’t even two months.”
“Hmph, subjective—but I bet it felt longer to me,” Pete grumbled, stepping past and then turning to face Guy.
Nanao and Chela stood beside Pete, smiling.
“Each day an eternity—how glad I am to see you returned, Guy.”
“…Yes, you made it back. Back to us…”
There were tears in Chela’s eyes, and Guy winced, shrugging.
“Like I wasn’t gonna eventually. How could I just abandon you all? Is there some other Guy I dunno who was born without a heart?”
“…Are you sure you never considered it? Not even once?” Pete asked, staring into his eyes.
Guy puffed up his chest, holding that gaze. “Not even once. I mean it. Logically, sure—I was aware the option existed. But that ain’t even worth considering.”
He remembered that talk with Mackley and the Barthés. They’d helped him a lot while he was separated from the Sword Roses. He intended to keep that connection alive. But not once had he been tempted to switch to their side—and thus, that was his answer.
Pete smiled and moved closer. Comforted, secure, he buried his face in Guy’s chest.
“Then good. Rub my head. I’ll grant you special permission.”
“Okay, sure. You’ve really learned how to wriggle in,” Guy said with a snort. He began mussing Pete’s hair, keeping that up till the boy was satisfied.
Then at last, Guy turned to where Katie stood in silence by the door, at Oliver’s side—an awkward distance between them.
“C’mon, Katie. I dunno what went down, and I ain’t gonna ask. Whatever it was, it don’t matter. I knew that from the start. How about you?”
Katie’s shoulders quivered; she was unable to budge under her own power. Nanao quickly moved over to her, took her hand, and led her to Guy. Once they were too close for Katie to flee or hide, her eyes met Guy’s, and something burst within.
“…Uwahhhhh…!”
She let out a wail and flung herself at his chest, rubbing her face on him. Guy’s arms locked around her back, pulling her in tight. Each of them had longed for this but had been unable to indulge. The heat they’d so missed provoked a sob from each.
“…Damn, you’re warm. Were you always like this?” Guy muttered, feeling the thaw inside.
He’d have loved to stay like that forever, but he reluctantly pried his arms away after a couple of minutes. It had to be done—he knew the deepest freeze here was not his heart or Katie’s.
With all his love, he mussed up Katie’s hair—then turned away to face Oliver, who’d barely kept his emotions from showing this whole time. Oliver told himself to put on a welcoming smile and stifle any conflicts within.
“…Welcome back, Guy. I really—”
“Get that phony smile off your face. I can’t bear it.”
Guy didn’t even let him finish. And that shattered the mask over Oliver’s heart. The false smile twisted up, and his lips quivered, deprived of their next words.
“…! ……………!”
“Uh-oh. Okay.”
Unable to watch, Guy grabbed him into a bear hug. Oliver didn’t even try to resist, his body cold as ice.
Trying to warm him with his body heat, Guy whispered, “I’m good with all of it. You know that. I gave you permission. I dunno what it was, but that don’t matter. I forgive you.”
He piled that on, not an empty word to be found. In fact, Guy had a pretty solid idea what had happened between his friends. Oliver and Katie had maintained a delicate closeness, and he’d been the buffer between them—his lengthy absence would inevitably make that come tumbling down and leave them both with a burden of guilt.
So before anything else, he needed to make them set that down. For a while, he rubbed Oliver’s back, then he cupped his cheeks, pulling his head up. Face stained with tears, eyes and nose red. And that cleared up the last snarl inside Guy.
“…Ah—”
He was certain now: He’d come back to stop these tears.
And at the same time, he realized his feelings for Katie were not the least bit pure. When he had her in his arms, his thoughts were with someone else.
“…I’m as nuts as the rest of you,” Guy muttered, his fingers brushing away Oliver’s tears. One hell of a messy relationship he found himself in, but he chose to view that as proof he belonged in the Sword Roses.
He didn’t want to be normal. They’d come too far for that, and it was much too late.
He squeezed Oliver once more, even tighter than before, only letting go when he was sure the boy’s sobs had died away. Guy was convinced and prepared. There was nothing more to think about—he could be himself again and feel great about it. He stalked over to the cupboards, yanked open the doors, and inspected where his baked goods ought to be.
“You ain’t got nothing left in stock, huh? Cake is one thing, but you ate your way through all those cookies and biscuits?” said Guy. “Right then, let’s make one of each. Katie, don’t just stand there, gimme a hand.”
“Oh—r-right!”
That snapped Katie out of it, and she ran over. From that moment forth, everything was normal again, and they all went about their days. Pete flopped down in a chair with an open book. Chela put the kettle on, lining up teacups for everyone. Nanao was at Oliver’s side, and the two of them settled in on the couch.
“…Oh…,” Katie murmured, using a wand to pour ingredients into a bowl.
“What?” Guy said, working next to her. In the same workshop again. “Something fall into place?”
“…Yeah, I think so,” she replied with a nod. Her hands kept moving, but she looked at him, voicing her discovery. “You’re just like me, Guy.”
“……”
Guy smiled. He didn’t even need to nod; that had always been the bond between them.
They both were enamored with the same man. Their hearts held captive by the same source. In which case, it was best to share those emotions with each other. Remembering Pete’s word of caution, Guy made up his mind to do just that. An awkward relationship, never quite siblings or romantic—from today on, he had a name for it: cohorts.
“Get all three types of flour mixed right. Texture’s way different if you slack on that.”
“Mm, I remember it all. How many times have we made this together?”
Katie smiled, doing her part—and Guy doing his, in perfect harmony. It had been far too long since the group saw them like this.
Watching from the couch, her arms around Oliver, Nanao whispered, “See, Oliver. You have not lost a thing.”
“…Yeah…it’s all right here,” he said tearfully, nodding.
Steam rose from the cups Chela poured. Every now and then, they heard Pete turning a page. The scene in their workshop just as it had ever been.