did you miss me? [remrem]

"Right now?" Remy laughed, letting herself be pulled to her feet. "But this place is a mess and I just..." she trailed off, actually not being able to come up with an excuse. Not wanting to come up with one, either.

"Okay." This was happiness.

"Right now?" Remy laughed, letting herself be pulled to her feet. "But this place is a mess and I just..." she trailed off, actually not being able to come up with an excuse. Not wanting to come up with one, either.

"Okay." This was happiness.

"Great!" Hadley replied happily, brandishing his cane and starting towards the door. "As promised, I'll play you those beautiful piano scales when we get there."

He wasn't sure if this whole thing meant they were back together or not, otherwise he probably would have kissed her. For now though, he was happy with her just coming back at all. He wondered what Remy would think of the changes that had happened at the estate. A new doorman. A new adviser...Hm. He was gonna have to figure out what to do about that. Oh well, he'd think about it later.

"I'm dying to hear them," Remy said in a joking tone. But she actually meant it--she was excited to hear him play for her, even if they were just basic scales. She followed him to the door and locked it behind her.

"I'm happy to see you're using that," Remy said, obviously referring to the cane Hadley held out in front of him. They walked out of the building and into the autumn sun. Nila trotted behind them, with Vex, not even needing to be Hadley's eyes. It was a nice sight. She did, however, miss the weight of his arm slipped through hers.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Hadley replied, enjoying the sound of the fallen leaves crunching under his feet. "I didn't want to at first, but Dr. Carver pointed out that I'd have something to hit clio with when they offer me unsolicited help."

In reality he and Dr. Carver had had a long, profound discussion about Hadley's feelings on the matter that had eventually ended with him relenting, but he wasn't about to tell that to Remy. Honestly he was slightly embarrassed about how adamantly against the idea of using the cane he'd been, considering how amazingly useful it turned out to be. He hated how much he loved using this goddamned stick.

Remy bumped him lightly with her arm, letting out a small laugh. "Maybe we can visit the coal mine sometime soon, then."

Gods, she had missed this. Had missed him.

"Yeah, use it to trip Clara over the edge of that crater," Hadley replied, laughing as well. "Whoops! Sorry, didn't see you there, Clara." It was nice how easily he and Remy fell back into joking around with each other after not speaking for so long. Being around her was just so natural.

"He's blind, you know, it really isn't his fault," Remy added to the invisible Clara, who she imagined dangling off the cliff. The two laughed and continued walking, the sun warm on their faces. "I missed you," Remy said softly. It wasn't sad, it was just a quiet admittance of what she hoped was already obvious.

"I know," Hadley replied teasingly, before quickly adding, "I missed you too." He reached his free hand over until it gently brushed against her arm.

Goosebumps appeared on her skin where Hadley had brushed her arm. She knew he wouldn't have come to get her if he hadn't of missed her too, but it was nice to hear.

"You know, it's kinda weird having two free hands, now that you've got your walking stick, there."

"I figured you'd like not having to lead me around anymore," Hadley replied, stepping up onto a curb that he felt in his path. He certainly liked not having to be lead around anymore. He was at the point where he could even get to the therapy center on his own. It was almost funny; several months ago he would have been sickened at the thought of walking somewhere alone bringing him a sense of accomplishment.

"It was never that..." Remy said, watching as he navigated with ease. "I just...I'm proud of you." She had never minded helping him. In fact, as much as he had come to rely on her, she had secretly liked him needing her. She'd always suggested the cane, and had helped him with Braille and all that, but whenever he had refused, she hadn't minded. But seeing him now made her wish she had been more persistent. He seemed so liberated and happy. It made her smile.

"Proud that I can walk in a straight line, or proud that I stopped being a stubborn asshole about using something that makes my life ten times easier?" Hadley asked with a slight laugh. If there was one clio out there who understood refusing to make beneficial changes out of pride, it was Remy. Clearly. While he had been walking around tripping over things because he was too proud to use a cane, she had been living in a presumably tiny, messy apartment because she was too proud to come home to the estate.

"Oh, you know, a little of both," Remy joked. She wanted to reach out and touch him so badly. Lace her fingers through his. Feel the smooth curls in his hair. Brush a finger lightly across his lips.

Finally they approached the estate; the giant thing loomed in front of them, beautiful and pristine as always. Lia and Jaden, the groundskeepers, had been doing beautiful things with the fall foliage. Remy took it all in. There it was. Home.

They turned a corner, and Hadley could tell exactly where they were when he felt the familiar brick pathway beneath his feet that lead through the front grounds of the estate to the steps that lead to the entrance. It was especially nice to be returning with Remy in tow.

"Home sweet home," he said as the nice, new doorman let them inside. He felt for the little hook that was right by the door and hung up his cane by the little loop attached to the handle. "How's it feel to be back?"

Odd. Strange. Perfect. "Good," Remy settled on. She would have elaborated, but, "Where's Humbert?" A younger guy had opened the door for them, and Humbert was nowhere to be seen.

She looked around the room, glancing through the doorway that lead to the living room. Everything was exactly how it had been before she left. Only a few things were gone--including Remy's stack of magazines and all the other clutter she'd picked up as she moved out. Besides that, it was as homey as it could possibly get, though Remy had a sneaking suspicion that had more to do with the man that was standing next to her than the decor that filled the giant estate.

"Humbert? You mean Ex-Doorman?" Hadley asked evenly. Good riddance. "Funny story. I found out he was the one moving shit all over the kitchen, so he lost his working-here privileges." The new doorman was great, though. Pleasant guy. Always in a good mood.

"Er, speaking of working-here privileges," he segued as they walked into the living room. He figured he should probably mention Alicia before Remy ran into her on her own and things got awkward. "How do you feel about the term 'co-advisers'?"

Remy was too caught up in thinking about Humbert and wondering how she had never caught him when she heard the term "co-advisers".

"Co-what?" she asked, turning back to look at Hadley.

"Co-advisers," Hadley answered. "As in, you work as my adviser...and so does someone else who I hired while you were gone." Normally Hadley wouldn't have any problems firing his new adviser and just giving the job back to Remy. However, Alicia had ended up being surprisingly competent (not unlike Remy herself.) She knew how to read and type in Braille fluently, and was helping him improve. Once he had mastered it, she'd be able to translate all his documents.

Remy's eyebrows raised. She supposed it made sense that Hadley had hired someone while she was off living in the scrungy little apartment, but she had never even considered that possibility until now. Which was stupid, in retrospect. Of course he had needed a new adviser--she had been gone for months.

Despite knowing it had probably been necessary, she felt herself bristle a little. Co-adviser. She didn't like it. She'd tell him later, once she was settled in and could handle whatever feelings this co-adviser would bring.

"Interesting," she said, sounding unenthused.

Hadley couldn't help but laugh at her unenthusiastic tone. He didn't need her to tell him she didn't like the idea--he could tell. "Well don't sound too excited about it," he said sarcastically, glad that Remy was still as predictable as ever when it came to certain things. He found Remy's arm again, and this time pulled her towards him into a tight hug. She smelled like fruity, scented shampoo and perfume. "Don't worry, you'll still be my favorite."

"I better be," she said, smiling widely despite her disappointment. She felt her shoulders give a sigh of relief once she was in his arms. She hugged him back and pulled away only so that she was far enough away to move her face to his, pressing their foreheads and noses together.

"I missed you," she breathed, repeating herself from earlier.

"I better be," she said, smiling widely despite her disappointment. She felt her shoulders give a sigh of relief once she was in his arms. She hugged him back and pulled away only so that she was far enough away to move her face to his, pressing their foreheads and noses together.

"I missed you," she breathed, repeating herself from earlier.

Hadley smiled as he felt Remy's forehead press against his. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers down her cheek to her lips, noticing all the little subtleties in her expression. He could feel her smile. He would never stop wishing he could see her face, but this was nice, too. Having wanted to do it ever since they'd left Remy's apartment and feeling confident that Remy wanted to too, he finally kissed her.

He pulled away and murmured in her ear, "I missed you, too." He let his other hand trail from her back to her waist, before coming to rest on her hip. Now that she was here in his arms, he wanted to touch every inch of her.

His fingers left her tingling, and she shivered under his touch. When he kissed her, she closed her eyes, letting the moment sink in. This was real. Hadley was here and she was with him. Suddenly her 4am wishes were becoming reality as she and Hadley connected, his lips feeling familiar and warm underneath hers.

His lips to her ear sent another round of shivers down her spine, and his whispers made her lose her breath. She loved him, she knew now with full certainty. She’d known it before, probably, but hadn’t felt the absolute need to acknowledge it like she did now. He was everywhere. His scent, his touch. She opened her eyes and looked at him, knowing that Hadley was her home, not this estate. She’d realized awhile ago, but had starved the feeling, wanting for it to not be true.

“I love you,” she whispered into his throat, brushing her lips against his neck.