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It's late at night when Siffrin pads into the little dip in the earth that the party is calling a camp, his tail swaying softly above the ground. Isabeau and Mirabelle are sitting on the ground, grooming each other as they talk about anything and nothing. Siffrin watches for a second before Isabeau notices, lifting his head from where he's dipped it to let Mirabelle clean between his ears.
"Oh, Sif," Isabeau calls, lifting his stubby tail in greeting. Mirabelle turns to look, too, the small pendant around her neck clinking.
"Hey Isa, Mira," Siffrin responds, dipping his head. "I was, uh, wondering if I could have you for a second, Isa?"
"Uh, sure." Isabeau looks at Mirabelle, who shifts her paws backwards to allow him space. He nods and licks the top of her head once before getting to his paws.
"See you later, Isabeau," Mirabelle calls, waving her tail in farewell.
"See you, Mira," Isabeau replies. "Where are we going, Sif?"
"Follow me." They lead the way out of the camp, following a winding path through wild grasses and flowers.
For months they've been thinking about the loops. The way they've been affected by them, of course, but also about helping Isabeau for the first time. Going stargazing. Something he picked out just for them, just because of something they liked.
And he will admit - he does feel a little manipulative as he guides Isabeau to an empty field, the stars shining overhead. All he's doing is causing an event he's already seen to repeat itself.
But Isabeau's eyes are shining as he lies down in the field, staring at the sky, so they allow themself to sit next to him and put those thoughts out of his head, just for a second.
"Wow, Sif, this is beautiful. What… what made you want to do this?"
"You wanted to take me stargazing, right?"
Those wide, dark eyes are turned to Siffrin as Isabeau nods. "Yeah. I did want to take you stargazing. How did you- Never mind." Isabeau rests his head on Siffrin's leg. "I think I know the answer."
Siffrin turns his gaze back to the sky. A dark, endless abyss, broken only by the stars shining above. Framed by wild grasses and flowers. The smell of trampled grass and crisp fall air. The sound of nocturnal birds going about their lives. In the far distance, there's the howl of a coyote, and while it sets Siffrin on edge for a second, it's nowhere near close to the meadow where he and Isabeau sit, so he allows himself to relax, settling down so he's laying with Isabeau's head on his shoulder.
"You don't have to do this, Sif," Isabeau mutters.
"Do what?"
"This." He nods at the sky. "Use what you learned in the loops to try and make me happy."
Siffrin tenses. "You… you know I learned this in the loops?"
"I figured it out, that's all." Isabeau's stubby tail rests itself on Siffrin's flank. "I don't mind you knowing things about me. I never have. But you seem stressed and I can't help but feel like it's because you're doing this."
Siffrin stares at their paws.
"Sif. Siffrin. Siffarooni. You can talk to me if anything's wrong."
"I know."
"I'd like you to."
They close their eyes. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be."
"I do." He buries his nose into Isabeau's fur. "We did this while I was in the loops. You took me stargazing. Like this." With his head in Isabeau's fur, Siffrin can't see the sky or Isabeau's probably-judgemental gaze. "And you told me about your Change and how you used to be." Isabeau tenses under his rather-thick coat. "How you felt ashamed of who you were."
They wait for him to respond. To deride them, to scold them, to call them disgusting. For something to happen, for Isabeau to realize how despicable they are, bringing him here to look at the stars together.
But he says nothing, so after a second, Siffrin lifts his head. The stars cast Isabeau's striped pelt in a washed out, pale light.
"I should have told you," they sigh. "I should have told you that I knew something about you, that you had shared with me something so deep and personal. And I…"
They aren't looking at his face, their tail curled around themself.
"I'm not ashamed to know you."
He considers draping his tail over Isa.
"You've made my life better. You've made me better."
It would be a bad idea, but…
"I don't know who I was until the first time I made you laugh."
But Siffrin lifts his tail anyways and gently rests it on Isabeau's back.
"I'm not sure if I love you the way you love me. I don't remember how to interact with people properly or how to tell what I feel. But I know you still mean a lot to me. I know that I value you with my life and you were the highlight of the loops to me."
Isabeau's head lands softly on Siffrin's shoulder.
"You mean a lot to me, too," he mutters, voice muffled by Siffrin's long fur. "I want to know you better."
Siffrin turns their gaze back to the sky. Glittering, sparkling, shimmering stars.
"Well, we have time," they reply, their voice stuttering. It's strange for them to think of time as something that never slows down or stops, now. It's strange to think that he'll go to bed and wake up the next morning and Isabeau will remember this, and Mirabelle will ask how it went and Odile will tease them. It's so strange.
But at the same time, it's beautiful.
The stars here are different then they were in the loops. It's natural - the stars shift positions with locations and - more importantly - with time. Seeing a new cluster of stars overhead is a marker of the time that's passed. A marker that things are different, things are changing.
A part of Siffrin… hates that he's the one who ended up by Isabeau's side. He relishes in stagnation, in things never changing, the safety of sameness. And Isabeau literally worships Change.
Siffrin feels like they're holding Isabeau back. Like this isn't where they're supposed to be. Like they're hurting him with everything they do. And it's a horrible feeling, being so unchanging next to the paragon that is Isabeau.
But after a few seconds - minutes? Siffrin isn't sure - there's the shifting of weight on their shoulder and Siffrin looks down to see Isabeau, head tilted to the side, curled up by his side and sleeping soundly. Stubby tail twitching slightly, stomach rising and falling. It always surprises Siffrin how easily Isabeau can fall asleep.
He hesitates, then leans down to lick Isabeau's head once. Out of anxiety, he pauses before pulling back, just to check to see if Isabeau reacts. He doesn't, but Siffrin just had to be sure.
They cast one more glance at the sky and- and oh. That's a shooting star.
That's a real shooting star.
Siffrin's learned his lesson with wishing, of course. He knows not to make a stupid wish like wishing to have more time with Isabeau because that would go horribly. But there's a shooting star, soaring across the sky as he lays in this field with Isabeau and- and stars, for just a second, he can allow himself the chance to dream, can't he?
Siffrin squeezes their eyes shut. One wish. Can't let it backfire.
They wish for Isabeau to be happy.
There. That shouldn't have any loopholes. He opens his eyes again just in time to watch a flash of light as the shooting star vanishes. The faintest hint of Wish Craft dances over their tongue, light enough that they know it shouldn't backfire.
With a smile, Siffrin rests his head on Isabeau's shoulder, eyes closing gently. It's late, after all, and he's tired and warm and comfortable. He feels loved, in ways that he can and can't name. Platonic, familial, romantic. In the end, it doesn't matter.
Siffrin falls asleep in that field, wrapped around Isabeau.