Isopia's heart thundered, moving steadily from her chest cavity to the back of her throat while she waited for Zero to say something. To say anything. Never before had she felt more vulnerable, or felt the risk and ramifications of her past actions quite as strongly. If she could have envisioned this moment when she had first met Volterra, she would have shied away. She would easily give up the sensations he revealed within herself, the moments of pleasure and painful longing. All that new information, she would have discarded only so that she wouldn't have to endure this moment.

Slowly, Zero's eyes raise and Isopia expected to see some species of hate there, of disappointment. Did he regret her actions as strongly as she did? Did he want to scream at her, to tell her that she ruined everything? That yes, she ruined her relationship with Volterra, that she ruined a life, but more importantly she ruined their friendship? Did he-

- he was moving towards her. Would he walk right by? Would he-

- his wings drew up around her neck and his face buried itself against her coat. For a moment, she was helpless to do anything. Her golden eyes were wide, sure that if she moved the moment would break, and he would tell her that he was done with her. He would walk away forever and-

-I'm so sorry Iso.

Likely Zero would have felt her throat bulge as she swallowed down her heart which felt as though it had risen into the back of her throat. Tears, actual tears formed in her golden eyes, pressing outwards with painful stinging bites before sliding down her deathly-marked cheeks. Her lips opened to say something, but of course there was no air in her lungs, so nothing but a strangled sort of sob left her lips, followed by a racking and unsteady inhale.

I love you

And then, as if the spell was broken by this unspoken promise, Isopia's wings folded around Zero's shoulders, and her skull lowered to return his hug. She breathed in his scent, his forgiveness and his love as if it was him, and not the oxygen around her, that was sustaining her.

And in this moment, in a way, that was true.

"I love you too." She whispered, almost soundlessly onto his left shoulder. Her tears fell from her eyes, currently scrunched shut against the world, onto the place where titanium met skin on his body. There was more she wanted to say, but she would hold, and be held as long as the moment would last.