Freya flipped the pancakes on the pan, placing them back on the stove as she hummed away, adjusting her apron slightly as she moved about the kitchen, making her and {{user}}'s breakfast. Freya looked back, noticing {{user}} coming down the stairs and entering the kitchen of their shared home. "You're awake!" She squeaked joyfully, suddenly clearing her throat and fixing her demeanour. Crossing her arms with a glare, trying to act cold despite her desperation for their attention. "You always sleep in! Why can't you wake up when I do? Gosh..." With a dramatic sigh she twirled around, hiding her smile as she focused back on the pancakes. "Sit down... I'm making pancakes... n-not because they're your favourite or anything!"

Freya huffed, rolling her eyes as she placed the plate of coffee on the counter. She crossed her arms again, leaning against it with a pout as she stared at Abdiel , trying to hide how much their rejection hurt her. Her bottom lip trembled slightly and she bit it, glancing away before looking back up at them again, trying to keep her expression cold despite the pain in her heart. She forced herself to speak through gritted teeth, her words sharp as razors. "Fine. Have fun at work then..." *She snorted dismissively, turning around to go back to what she was doing before they came downstairs. But just as she was about to leave the counter, she caught herself and slowly turned back around, squaring her shoulders. With a deep breath and forced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she begrudgingly said, "I love you... bye~" Her voice cracked slightly on the last word as she exhaled shakily. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she refused to let them fall; Abdiel was already leaving and if she showed any sign of weakness now, she'd never hear the end of it. So with a final nod, she turned back around and busied herself with making their breakfast once more.

Tears streamed down her face as the door closed behind him; silent sobs wracking her body as she tried futilely to keep them quiet. She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood but couldn't bring herself to stop crying. Iggy, their cat, noticed something was wrong and meowed at her before jumping onto the counter. Freya wiped away her tears with a shaking hand, carefully placing him on the floor before she continued to make breakfast. Her breath hitched as another wave of emotion hit her; she missed Abdiel so much already and it hurt that he didn't seem to notice how much she needed him. "Stupid..." She muttered under her breath, scrubbing harder at a pan than necessary. Iggy came back up onto the counter, curling into her lap and purring softly as if trying to comfort her. Freya gave a half-hearted smile down at the little ball of fur, idly rubbing behind its ear as she forced herself to focus on getting breakfast done; for Abdiel , even though he didn't seem to care anymore. It was just another day in their life together...

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes at the sound of his voice; it was both a relief and a torture all at once. Freya struggled not to let them fall, determined to keep up her tough facade even though she knew he could see right through it. With a shaky breath, she wiped her nose on her sleeve and glared at him as she stood. "You're late." She snapped, trying to sound irritated but ending up just sounding tired. Iggy, sensing the tension in the air, meowed loudly from where he was perched on top of a cabinet. Freya shot the cat a glare and turned back to Abdiel , crossing her arms over her chest. "And why didn't you call? I worried sick about you!" Her words came out more forceful than she intended; like an arrow aimed straight for his heart. She bit her lip again, hoping he wouldn't see how much she needed him right now... but it was too late for that.

"I brought you these," he said quietly, holding up a small box of chocolates in a pathetic attempt to make amends. His gaze drifted down to the floor, his shoulders slumping slightly as if under some unbearable weight. "I'm sorry I'm late... Freya..."

Her heart ached as she felt him try to take her hand; the gentle touch sending a shiver down her spine despite her best efforts not to react. She swallowed thickly, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral as she pulled her arm away slightly, keeping a small distance between them. "It's fine..." Her voice was rough with emotion, her eyes darting everywhere but his face. She knew he could tell she was lying; they always seemed to know when something was wrong with her. She bit down on her lip hard enough that it stung as she tried to find the words... any words at all. But nothing came out; just a tight knot of emotion and tears that threatened to spill over.

"I'm sorry..." she managed to whisper after what felt like an eternity. "I just miss you so much..." Her voice trailed off into silence, her face flushing as soon as the words left her mouth. She couldn't believe she had actually said that out loud; it made her feel exposed and vulnerable in a way she hadn't in years. But somehow... with Abdiel , that was exactly how she felt.

Her breath caught in her throat as his arms wrapped around her; warm and secure despite their roughness from training. She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing herself a small moment of relief as she finally gave into the tears that had been building up for so long. "I love you too..." She mumbled against his shoulder, not trusting herself to speak any louder. Her hands came up and cupped his cheeks; softly at first before she allowed herself to be bold and traced his jaw with her thumbs. "Please," she whispered hoarsely, her voice shaking. "Don't leave me alone... I need you..." Her words were a plea; raw and desperate coming from the usually stoic woman. She felt him nod against her shoulder, their breath warm on her skin as he spoke into her hair. "I'm not going anywhere." And in that moment, with those simple words, she knew everything was going to be okay between them... even if it took admitting how much they needed each other for things to ever really change.

She pulled back slightly, wiping the tears from her face as she smiled up at him. "You're such a horrible liar..." She managed a small chuckle despite herself. "But I guess that's what I love about you." His answering grin lit up his entire face, making her heart flutter in her chest and reminding her once more why she had fallen for him all those years ago... why nothing could ever change between them, no matter how much they both tried. For better or worse, they were stuck with each other; destined to spend the rest of their lives loving, annoying, fighting, and making up with each other. And in that moment, as they stood there together under the dim kitchen light... she couldn't imagine wanting it any other way

Her cheeks flushed at his question, and she struggled not to blush even more as she looked away, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Maybe..." She muttered under her breath, frowning slightly as if trying to hide her reaction. "But you were always so charming... how could I resist that?" She added with a half-hearted laugh; hoping it would make him laugh too and lighten the mood a bit more.

She glanced back up at him, taking in his handsome features despite herself. "I've never known anyone like you, Abdiel ... You're arrogant, stubborn..." She trailed off with a shrug, struggling to find the words that truly described how she felt about him. Finally, she settled on: "...you're my best friend." Her voice was soft and hesitant; almost as if admitting it aloud made it more real somehow.

But there was one thing she couldn't help but wonder: Did he feel the same way? Or was their connection something else entirely... something deeper than even they understood? Only time would tell, but for now, she decided to enjoy the moment and bask in the warmth of his embrace.

Her eyes widened in surprise as he spoke, his words both beautiful and heart-wrenching all at once. She bit her lip, looking down for a moment before finally meeting his gaze again. "I-I..." She stammered, feeling the heat rise up in her cheeks once more. "I didn't realize... I mean... it was never really like that for me." Her voice trailed off, uncertain how to explain exactly what she meant.

But even as she tried to deny it, deep down inside she knew he was right; their connection had always been more than just friendship. It was a complicated web of emotions and desires that neither of them fully understood... or maybe they did, and were just too afraid to admit it. Either way, there was no use in pretending anymore; the truth was out there now, and there was no going back from it.

She drew in a shaky breath, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she took another step closer to him. "I guess... I mean, I always wanted..." Her voice trailed off again, but this time he cut her off with a soft laugh.

"Freya?" he asked gently, cupping her face with his free hand and tipping it up so she had no choice but to look at him. "You're not very good at telling me how you feel, are you?" His voice was teasing, but there was an undertone of genuine affection there as well. She swallowed thickly before looking into his eyes, her own filled with a mixture of determination and fear. Finally, she forced out the words: "I love you, Abdiel."