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Mikleo regretted having to use the memory of his late grandfather this way, but he wanted some space. Desperately. And it wasn't a lie, he did need time and solitude to grieve. The death of his grandfather and the death of his friendship with Sorey as he'd always known it. The two main relationships in his life, more than half of who he was. Gone, changed.
Sorey wasn't wild about the idea. He knew something wasn't right with his friend and it worried him. But in the end, he respected Mikleo's wishes and when the time came for them to part, he offered Mikleo a supportive smile and a closed fist to bump. It meant a reaffirmation of their camaraderie for Sorey, Mikleo could see that, but Mikleo was looking for something else, even he didn't know what this something else could posibly be yet. So there was no bump. Mikleo extended an open palm instead. Every bit of Sorey's face showed how taken aback he was by this, but he recovered. Sorey, Mikleo thought, could recover from anything. It took a few uncomfortable moments, but they clasped hands and shook. Their handshake was firm, warm.
And that was that.
Mikleo went back to Elysia and really understood what some people meant by the expression "you can never go home again". He'd been there no more than a miserable month when he found Edna on his doorstep, the picture of bored nonchalance. She'd come to give him something, she said. As it turned out, it wasn't a collection of caustic remarks she'd been saving for a month, but a thirteen pages long list of places that would get five stars for guaranteed FUN in Zaveid's own personal travel brochure for young seraphs. Before ashocked Mikleo could point out that, firstly, Zaveid's idea of fun was bound to diverge wildly from his own and secondly- Edna tapped his head with her umbrella. A gentle tap, wonders never do cease.
"Moving on means moving on, Meebo."
Edna should know.
Extensive traveling had always been on Mikleo's plans. His old plans, the ones that involved Sorey. Ancient ruins, history, writing books together. He figured he could still do those, by himself, at a more leisured pace now that he didn't have Sorey's mortality to consider. But Edna was right, he could do them later. He needed to move on first, to figure out what was left of him beneath the huge pile of Sorey-marked debris. There was something left, right? Yes, Mikleo thought. I'm more than this. Life may have started with Sorey, but it didn't have to end with him.
Edna pointed at one of the places on the list and casually remarked that her brother had written to her about it. "Cute boy seraphs. Like Meebo."
Mikleo took a deep breath. Yeah, he'd try having fun - Zaveid style.
Honestly? A small part of him really couldn't wait.