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iridawn · 11 months

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Coming Down

this was written for @peccaberry, and takes place within SBS, so it gets posted here! this was done in exchange for the ending art - i was just asked to do a volorei piece in SBS, which honestly, i was already kinda hinting at just as a tip of the hat LOL

it's a bit of a short, semi-rough piece, but i'm very happy with how it came out, so i'm sharing it here! big shoutouts to pecca as always

"Another perspective of certain events happening in Hisui…"

“...Volo.”

“Hmm?” Volo turned with a mischievous smile at the mention of his name, perking up even more at the sight of the Survey Corps’ very own Rei. “Ah! Rei! How wonderful it is to see you on this lovely morning. How may I help you?”

Rei, however, didn’t look so cheery, almost looking cross with him. “What did you do, Volo?” He raised an eyebrow, his hands on his hips.

Volo’s expression changed to one of confusion. Was Rei mad at him? What had he done? He blinked for a moment, genuinely lost. “What are you referring to? I haven’t done anything, not to my knowledge.”

Rei crossed his arms as he frowned slightly. “Dawn looked pretty peeved while she was leaving for surveying this morning. I asked her about it, and all she said was ‘Volo is a dickhead’, which… didn’t exactly sound good.”

“Ah! My, she’s still upset about that?” Volo let out a slight chuckle. “Perhaps I laid it on a little too heavily…” He put his hand to his mouth in thought, closing his eyes to truly mull it over.

Rei’s eyebrows furrowed further. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Rei! Really, now. You look much better while smiling!” Volo gave Rei a cheery, flowery look, which didn’t seem to win him over. “But if you must know,” he said, leaning in and wagging a finger, “I simply made an offer to Dawn that she seemed quite eager to accept!”

“I’m a little doubtful of that…”

Volo began to pace around slowly, still leaning over as he did. “You see, I had found some Gracidea while on my travels, and I turned them into a wonderful bouquet – I figured it would be quite the gift, especially as the Pearl Clan’s leader is known to fancy them. However, due to the… difficulty in obtaining them,” he said, leaning back up, “I had to charge a hefty price. But 60,000 Poke is a very good price for such a rare find, wouldn’t you say?”

“Sixty thou– Jeez, Volo!” Rei’s eyes practically shot out of his head in shock. “No wonder she was so cross!”

Volo chuckled. “Surely, Rei, you understand the concepts of supply and demand! I’m simply doing what I must to survive.”

(Volo chose not to mention, however, that it was Ginter that recommended this sale to him – he seemed to have quite a knack for making a sale. It was best for Volo not to get on Ginter’s worse side, considering he already often got… distracted instead of doing his work, so he figured he wouldn’t throw him under a rock.)

Rei let out a hefty sigh, holding a hand to his head. “Volo, I know she’s being oblivious, but you can’t use that to pull a cheap trick like that on her!”

“Oh, come now! Really, she’ll thank me for it later.” Volo laughed cheerily, amused by the whole situation. “After all, someone’s got to push them in the proper direction! You’ve told me time and time again about how clueless Dawn is.”

Rei grumbled, hanging his head for a moment. “...She kind of is, but that doesn’t mean she’s not still my friend.” He looked back up at Volo, looking slightly less annoyed, but instead, a bit more hurt. “No need to rub salt in the wound for her. Dawn’s my fellow Survey Corps member – I’ve got to stand up for her. Let her be!”

Volo let out a small sigh, a bit upset with annoying Rei. “Very well, I suppose. However, all sales are final – I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to offer her a refund. But I shall practice more restraint in the future.”

Rei nodded, smiling. “That’s good. I have to admit, though… maybe flowers will be the kick she needs.” He put a hand to his chin, humming in thought. “Dawn’s already this deep in. She may as well commit and just go for it, you know?”

“Yes, I precisely agree!” Volo nodded enthusiastically, looking and feeling rather pleased with Rei’s statement. “I’m so glad you understand me, Rei! I was only looking out for her, truly.” He let out a light laugh, before a memory hit him once more, pausing his laughter.

That was right! He went to go find those flowers for a reason, after all…

Volo perked up suddenly. “Oh! Which reminds me. While I did sell most of my findings to Dawn, I did have something extra… Excuse me for just a mere second!”

“...Sure.”

Kneeling down and taking the backpack he wore off of his back, Volo went through his goods as Rei watched curiously. He sorted through what he had, before he found what he was looking for, letting out a small “aha!” in celebration.

“Wonderful! I knew it was around here somewhere.” Volo pulled something out of his bag swiftly – swiftly enough to hide it behind his back as Rei looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He could only grin cheerfully, which seemed to confuse Rei even further.

“You see, I did find a large set of Gracidea – a rare find, as you know – and their meaning is well known to someone like you. So…”

Volo swiftly pulled his hand out from behind his back, holding out a small Gracidea flower to a very surprised Rei.

“Consider this a gift of my gratitude!” Volo’s voice was upbeat and happy as he presented his gift to him. “After all, I have greatly enjoyed the conversations we have shared, my good friend.”

Rei stood almost completely still for a few seconds, which worried Volo much more than he wanted to admit. Was that too much on his end?

He kept the smile on his face, wishing not to break character, but eventually, Rei blinked quickly and looked back up at Volo, smiling back.

“I...Thanks, Volo.” Rei slowly took the flower, looking it over with awe. “Gosh, this thing’s nice. You really didn’t have to go through all that trouble, though…”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Rei!” Volo gave a smile, though this one was much more earnest. “And don’t worry – this one’s a gift. No need to pay me for it!”

“Thank you, Volo! You know, uh…” Rei rubbed a hand behind his neck. “I don’t think I’ll be out surveying today. So, if you’d like, we could spend some more time chatting. I do think hearing about all of Hisui’s history is pretty neat, anyway…” His eyes glanced to the side, and he looked a little nervous about this.

That bashful expression on Rei’s face was enough to sway Volo almost immediately. It was hard for him to say no.

“Well, if you insist!” That trademark, cheery smile popped back up onto Volo’s face. “I suppose I too can be dragged away from my work duties to spend time with someone who I’m quite grateful for.”

Volo turned around, beginning to walk off, intending to head to Prelude Beach – it was a nice, quiet place, perfect for conversation like this. “Say, have you heard of the legend surrounding these flowers? It’s merely a legend at this point, but perhaps it could happen again at some point…”

Rei excitedly walked up to Volo, an eager expression on his face. “Do tell!”

Volo chuckled happily, before beginning to speak. “Well, you see…”

The two walked and talked for quite some time, something Volo greatly appreciated. Though he and Rei had only been communicating for quite some time, it was quite wonderful.

Even if it made his future plans a little complicated, he would simply… bury those away, should they come up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How’d the surveying go today, Dawn?”

Dawn blew a raspberry as she leaned on her hands. “Eh, could’ve gone better. I got a good amount done today, but then I got a little distracted…”

“Oh?” Rei tilted his head lightly in curiosity. “Something happen?”

“...Kinda, yeah, just, um… spent time with a friend, that's all.” Dawn’s voice trailed off a little bit as she finished her sentence, looking away from Rei.

Based on that reaction, Rei could take two guesses who that friend was, and that friend likely led the Pearl Clan. Dawn was never one for subtlety.

“Fair enough.” Rei gave a nonchalant shrug. “I’m no stranger to doing that.”

The two were just sitting in the small area just south of the village, nearby Prelude Beach. It was a nice, quiet place to talk, and it was one Rei had visited quite often. The sounds of the waves crashing into Prelude Beach were quite nice to listen to from a distance, and the place being quiet, (well, it was usually quiet, until that one guy started setting up that balloon game for kids to play in the afternoons…) made it a nice place to just talk with a friend.

Dawn and Rei would often go there just to chat, away from the business of Jubilife Village. He was glad that she took so well to the idea, and now they would often do this as a way to close out certain days. And, as it was rather late, with Dawn and Professor Laventon getting back just some time ago, he figured it would be a nice time to chat. Dawn seemed like she’d rather get the space to breathe, anyway.

At Rei’s statement, however, Dawn seemed rather interested. She turned her head to him. “With Volo, right? You two seem pretty close, anyway.”

Ah, the statement that always made his heart skip a beat.

“W-well, he’s just got a lot to talk about, I suppose.” Rei tugged at his scarf lightly, clearing his throat. “But I really do enjoy spending time with him. He’s a really fascinating guy! Pretty friendly, too.”

Dawn shrugged. “Fair enough. He’s definitely been a huge help, even if he talks to me like I’m some kind of chosen hero, sometimes. Not sure what that’s about, but, I don’t really pay it much mind.” She grinned. “Kinda flattering, in a sense…”

Rei snickered. “I guess that would be kind of weird.”

“Eh, you learn to shrug it off after the 5th time or so. Bit of a bizarre compliment, but I’ll take it, I suppose.” Dawn chuckled back, sitting back up straight. “But I’m sure he’s got a lot of interesting stories to tell. Seems like a bevy of history…”

“Oh, you’ve got no idea!” Rei’s expression practically sparked up, adjusting his position to face Dawn fully. “He’s always got some interesting stories about Hisui and his past, and it’s always interesting to see him talk about it in such detail. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about it, and I’ve always enjoyed that!”

“I’ve got a friend who was kind of the same. Really big into historical stuff.” Dawn smiled to herself, looking off into the distance. “Still, always neat to talk about. Glad you’re enjoying that! Sounds like a fun guy to have a chat with.”

Rei nodded. “Of course! Honestly, I’ve only started talking to him recently, but…”

He stared off towards the distance, towards the sky that was turning to dusk, stars beginning to appear.

“...I’m really thankful for him. He’s been a really great friend, so far.” An easy smile crept up on his face as he thought about Volo, and how wonderful his time spent talking to him had been. “I’m lucky to have someone who it’s so easy to talk to, and I feel like I get along with him really well. He’s a great guy, honestly.”

Volo was just a really great guy to talk to. The way he’d spark up when talking about Hisui’s history and myths, that smile he had on his face at all times, the way he’d always do nice little things for Rei whenever they’d hang out, it really did make Rei appreciate his friendship with him.

…It was hard to deny that he was hoping for something a little more, admittedly.

“Seems like it, heh.” Dawn smiled.

“Not that I don’t like talking to you, of course!” Rei looked over at Dawn and chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t realize how that sounded…”

“Nah, you’re fine. I’m not offended! I get it, anyway.” Dawn shook her head, laughing back. “Always nice to have a friend you feel pretty strongly about. I can relate, kinda…”

…Probably more than you’d think, he thought to himself, letting out a breathless laugh as he did.

“...I’m hoping I can tell him how much he means to me, one day.”

Rei’s smile weakened a bit as he stared off into the horizon, bringing his legs in a bit more. His heart felt a little heavy just saying that. It was true, and he really wanted to tell Volo, but…

Doing so was a big move. And he couldn’t help but be nervous about it.

Sure, he and Volo had rarely spoke before, but just before Dawn dropped in, the two had really begun to grow close, as Volo seemed to enjoy having someone to tell his knowledge to, and Rei was very happy to listen.

(...And to admire his charming expressions.)

But as they grew closer, it seemed Volo was pushing forward a bit himself. He’d make small comments from time to time, and they stirred Rei’s heart something fierce. Things about Rei’s smile, or how his outfit looked nice on him, or things such as that…

Sure, anyone would see them as simple compliments. But from Volo, they felt a lot more impactful. Perhaps that was just his mind playing tricks on him, but his feelings felt hard to ignore. And he really wanted to tell Volo at least that he meant a lot to Rei, if not a bit more, but…

Finding the words and courage for it was hard, he had to admit.

It wasn’t even that he was nervous about being wrong, but more so that it was a big thing. Being so forward would require a lot out of Rei, and… well, he still was a bit hesitant.

Maybe someday, he hoped. But right now, it felt as if it was still quite a monumental task for him to do.

Dawn looked over at Rei as he stared out into the horizon, putting a friendly hand onto his shoulder. He was a bit surprised, but looked over to see a very friendly smile on her face.

“Hey, I’m rooting for you, dude. You ever need someone to hype you up for it, I’m your girl.” She grinned, pumping a fist with her free arm. “You’ve got this!”

Rei looked a bit surprised, but couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Dawn. I’ll do the same if you ever need someone to help you muster up that courage.”

“...I, uh…” Dawn hesitated for a second, clearing her throat and looking away. “I don’t know what you mean by that, but… Thanks, Rei. That’s, uh, appreciated.”

Rei couldn’t help but let out a small, airy laugh at that, quiet enough so Dawn thankfully didn’t hear.

“Any time, Dawn.”

He wasn’t sure when he’d be able to build that confidence, but he’d hopefully do it at some point. It might take him some time, but…

Surely, he’d be able to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple years later…

Rei stood outside the door to Professor Laventon’s office, taking a deep breath in, and then a deep breath out. It was rather late, and the professor – unlike anybody else in the Galaxy Team – was bound to be up. The small light underneath the door to his office seemed to indicate this.

He always was one for late nights, anyway.

…Just get it over with, Rei.

Rei swallowed his nerves and knocked gently on the door, hearing a few footsteps before the door creaked open.

“Ah, Rei, my boy!” Professor Laventon’s voice had that same upbeat energy as always, but with a more hushed tone. “It’s rather surprising to see you up this late. What brings you to my office at such an hour?”

“Good evening, Professor.” Rei couldn’t help but smile at Professor Laventon’s jolly expression. It always did lift his mood. “You’re up awfully late. Do you mind if I come in? Just something I’d like to talk about.”

Professor Laventon let out a low chuckle. “You know I get invested in my research. I’ve been looking a bit more into the different variant of Typhlosion – the one brought in from Johto. Compared to our own, it seems to be quite prone to anger… Rather fascinating, if I do say so myself.” He shook his head. “But I digress. Come in, my boy – my doors are always open for you.”

Rei stepped inside, looking around as he did. Professor Laventon’s notes were scattered about, the place looking as messy as it usually did. The chalkboard was filled with notes, as well – it seemed Professor Laventon had been quite busy. With new faces coming into Hisui, more research was being done on the Pokemon that they had been bringing in. It made his job exciting, as always.

…But he had plans, and he figured he should be honest with at least one person about it. And he knew he could trust Laventon.

“...You look rather troubled, Rei.” Professor Laventon’s voice brought Rei out of his thoughts as he looked up and towards Professor Laventon, who had already pulled up a chair next to him. “Is something the matter?”

Rei smiled warmly, walking over and sitting onto the chair. “I’m alright, Professor. Really. Just… something I gotta tell you.”

Professor Laventon sat down on the chair that was at his desk, turned to face Rei. He only looked at Rei with an expression that indicated he was happy to listen.

Rei let out a small, sharp exhale. “...I’m leaving for a bit, Professor. I don’t know how long it’ll be, maybe for a week or so, but… I figured I should tell somebody, and I figured I could trust you.”

Professor Laventon looked a little surprised, but eased back into a light, playful smile. “Well, I suppose it would be good to tell somebody, after all! But I can tell this is a little more serious than that. What makes you want to leave, my boy?”

“...I’m going to go look for Volo.”

His cheery expression changed to one of surprise, before changing to something a bit more somber.

“...Volo?” Laventon looked down. “I’m afraid nobody’s seen him for years, Rei. I… We’re not sure what happened to him. Not since he had pulled that stunt with Dawn.”

Rei sighed, deflating a bit in his seat. “...I know that. And… I know what he did was… Well, it was heinous. But…”

He looked down at his hands. “I was too much of a coward to tell him how I felt, and… I know what he’s done, and I just want to see him again. I have to get some form of closure.”

“...How you felt?”

Rei looked back up at Professor Laventon, who took a moment to observe Rei’s expression, before he eased his expression into a more understanding smile.

“It’s been so many years since Irida has disappeared, as well. And… Well, she was going to go look for Dawn. She risked everything, she put everything aside, just for the chance to see the person she cared about again.” Rei looked back down at his hands. “And, well… I guess that stuck with me for a few years.”

He frowned slightly as he thought about that. He had planned to ask Volo out proper – to truly tell him how he felt – sometime after the festival. But Volo being busy with finding the plates (and by extension, the legendary Pokemon) with Dawn had put a bit of a stop to that plan, which was okay.

But then, Volo disappeared.

He had revealed his grand scheme atop the Temple of Sinnoh, and intended to stop Dawn – to take all the plates and start a new world. But Dawn had successfully stopped him, defeating Giratina and stopping Volo’s plan before it could ever truly begin.

Volo, however, had simply left, speaking only to Professor Laventon before disappearing.

Rei had no idea. Volo hadn’t communicated this at all to him. The only thing Volo had said to Rei was indirect – he had told Professor Laventon to communicate a simple message back to him.

‘Thank you for your kindness.’

That was it.

That was the last Rei had heard from Volo, and it wasn’t even from him directly. It was from somebody else.

That had hurt Rei much more than he wanted to admit. Not only did he not get to hear that from Volo, not only did he not get to even say anything back, but he never got to tell Volo how he truly felt.

And that feeling can really sting, especially over the course of a couple of years. Rei had slowly felt better about it, but it was hard to deny how absolutely horrible it felt, especially right after he had learned about it.

But yet, despite all of this, his feelings for Volo hadn’t changed. Because, despite everything, Volo had cared.

His final message before leaving for good was to simply thank Rei for his kindness. That was his parting gift to Rei. Despite everything he had done, despite how he had felt, that was what Volo had wanted to do for Rei.

It had been years since that, but Rei knew Volo had to be out there.

And he wanted to find him.

“...Seeing her so dedicated to what she wanted to do, and eventually, finding a way to do that… I want to do something similar.” He gripped his hand tightly, feeling it shake slightly from how firm the grip was. “I… I know what he’s done, but I still care about him. I just want to tell him that, in-person. Wherever he is.”

He looked back up at Professor Laventon, much more serious than before. “I don’t intend to go the same distance she went, but… I do at least want to look for him. I know he’s still out there. And I don’t know if he’s changed or not, but that doesn’t matter. I… I just need to see him again. Or at the very least… try to.”

Professor Laventon looked rather surprised, his mouth hanging agape.

“...I will return, of course. I don’t intend to leave forever. I just… I need to look at least once, Professor. I hope you’ll understand.”

For a moment, there was nothing but dead air. But after that moment had passed, Professor Laventon only leaned forward, putting a hand onto Rei’s shoulder.

“...I can quite understand that emotion.”

Rei’s expressions softened, now looking more curious than serious.

Professor Laventon continued, only chuckling gently. “I, too, hesitated on telling the man I loved how I felt before I left for Hisui… and, well, it’s something I’ve regretted for some time.” He let out a low sigh as he sat back up, looking outside the small window by his desk somberly for a moment.

Rei had no idea. He was kind of shocked to hear this so suddenly, honestly.

But it was rather comforting to hear that he had experienced something similar.

“...So, I suppose I shouldn’t stop you.” Professor Laventon looked back to Rei, a smile on his face. “It would be wrong for me to stop someone who’s dedicated to the feelings in their heart, I think, and you certainly wouldn’t want to regret it. After all, I’m well aware you can defend yourself should something come up.”

Rei couldn’t help but tear up a little, only sniffling lightly as he did. “Thanks, Professor. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll come back. No matter what happens.”

“I know you will, my boy. I’ve got complete and utter faith in you. And I’m sure you’ll get that closure, whatever you end up finding.” Professor Laventon smiled earnestly. “I’m sure he’s still out there. He never did seem like one to go out easily.”

Rei nodded firmly, wiping his eyes. “Yeah. I don’t know where I’ll look, but… I’ve got some good ideas on where to ask. I’ll go from there, and… I’ll be back. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’ll be back. I just can’t go on without having that closure.”

“I understand completely, my boy.” Professor Laventon stood back up, an eager smile on his face. “It’s quite late for the both of us, though. I suppose it’s about time we take our respective leaves to catch some sleep, no?”

“...Yeah, good point.” Rei stood up once more, making his way towards the door and looking back towards the Professor.

“...Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that.”

Professor Laventon, who was now blowing out his light, only shook his head lightly. “Of course, Rei. Any time you wish to speak, I’m always happy to.”

Rei couldn’t help himself, turning around and walking up to Professor Laventon and bringing him into a hug.

The professor was surprised, but returned the gesture, chuckling lightly as he did.

It felt nice. Rei was very appreciative of that, and it was just another boost to his confidence in seeing out his mission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A considerable amount of time after…

It had been a few weeks since Rei had set out to try and find Volo.

He had started small, heading to the one area he thought would give him some answers – Cogita’s Ancient Retreat. He had already asked Ginter and Tuli if they knew anything, but they couldn’t provide any answers on where he had gone, simply stating that he disappeared with everything he had.

So, asking Cogita was perhaps the next best option. And she had only made one, somewhat cryptic suggestion…

That there was a small island out in the distance that could contain the answers he seeked. It was an area that hadn’t been explored by people, mostly being viewed as an area where wild Pokemon roamed.

She spoke no further on it, and seemed to know just as much as anybody else did – but that clue was all Rei had to go off of, so he was set on doing so.

Seeking out the help of an old man named Deza, who had brought a Wingull with him from his home region of Hoenn, Rei had set sail for the island, which was a bit of a distance north of the Cobalt Coastlands.

He had been there for a few weeks now, living off of the materials he had packed, as well as making do with what he could find on the island, with foods such as berries and other resources.

Deza had said he would return in time should something go wrong, and Rei could send one of the Pokemon he had with him over to the shore should he need to return early. This was the plan, and he was ready for whatever was ahead of him.

Rei wasn’t exactly confident in his chances here, but if it was the best chance he had, then he had to do something.

It was an uninhabited island, thick with forestry and various Pokemon. Some of these hadn’t been seen in Hisui before, so Professor Laventon’s alibi of Rei going on a surveying expedition wasn’t exactly wrong. Seeing a place that was so natural, filled with Pokemon he had never seen before… It really was something else.

Some were native from Hisui, but others seemed to be entirely unique to this small area. He would have to report his findings when he got back – he still wanted to figure out if that ground-type Pokemon he caught, the small creature that seemed permanently buried into the ground, had feet or not. It was truly hard to tell, and he didn’t exactly want to pull the poor thing out of the ground.

Based on his accounts, and keeping track of the area by making a map, Rei was now approaching the southeast area of the island. He had made some good progress so far, almost entirely looping around the island, and it seemed that someone was here.

Rei wasn’t sure if it was Volo, or if it was someone else entirely, but…

It was worth a shot, at the very least.

The path he was taking was thick with wildly growing trees and grass, however, making it a pain to navigate. He also had to be weary of wild Pokemon as he made his way through, which made maneuvering quite a pain. He nearly got caught in a territorial fight between Pinsir and another Bug-type Pokemon, which had powerful spikey pinsirs on the top of its head.

If somebody was here, they had to be quite fierce to live in such a place.

But there seemed to be at least some semblance of a trail, and these and other small hints were what pushed him forward to find what he needed.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of pushing through tall grass and plants, Rei came to a small clearing in the forest. He wiped his face of leaves and other material in his face, and just in the middle of it, saw…

…A small tent.

It seemed untouched, silently sitting there. It looked rather plain, almost beat up – as if it had been there for quite some time. He was shocked to see anything like this here.

Despite this, Rei wasn’t sure if it was lived in or not. He very, very slowly approached the tent, trying as hard as possible not to make any noise. If there was somebody in there, he didn’t wish to startle them – but he also wasn’t sure if there was anybody in there, and he didn’t want to make noise to disturb and alert the local Pokemon, if there were any.

As he very slowly approached the tent, he made his way to the front of it, barely grabbing the front of it to try and peek inside, and…

“Excuse me. I do not wish to know who you are, but I only ask you leave me be. And I do not wish to see anybody else.”

A voice from behind made Rei almost pause in place.

He knew that voice.

His eyes widened in amazement, as he slowly turned around to see…

A man with tattered clothes, looking slightly worse for wear, but… that same blonde haircut as always, and the same look in his eyes.

Volo.

Who, upon seeing his face, looked rather surprised to see Rei, as well.

Rei was just shocked to see him. Despite all the time that had passed, seeing Volo in person still caused his heart to leap in the same way. Despite everything Volo had done, he still cared for him. He still loved him.

And that was okay, because Volo was right here, and now he could tell him that.

The air was still for what felt like an eternity, no sounds being heard as they simply stared at each other in awe.

“...Have you come to finish the job that your fellow Survey Corps member did not?”

Rei paused for a second. “I… I came looking because I wanted to see you again.”

Volo’s eyes widened in surprise, before easing into a light smile.

“I suppose you didn’t come just to hear some stories of Hisui, though.”

Rei shook his head, smiling back. “Just… I’m glad you’re okay. I didn’t know what happened.”

Volo walked up to Rei. “Well, I suppose I did leave without warning. I had my reasons for that.”

Rei could only nod.

“...It’s much nicer inside, if you’re willing to come inside.”

“Absolutely. Because there’s something I need to tell you, too.”

As Volo walked past Rei and stood at the entrance to his tent, that same, upbeat laugh could be heard.

“Perhaps, then, we have the same thing we’d wish to tell one another. If I can wager a guess why you’d come all this way to see me, anyway…”

Rei’s heart felt as if it was doing loops, now.

“...Probably.”

And with that, Rei headed inside.

Whatever had happened, Volo was here, and Rei could finally talk to him again.

Rei could tell him how he felt.

#jewel box lite #kinda. not really but like.#hey close enough LMAO

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