I genuinely love how this ends with the lingering scent of honey and of their unhurried fucking, the sense of hot, drowsy days stretching before them and Aberforth taking care of 'the boy.' The future stands at a distance, waiting, but allowing them this respite.
I've gone on at great length but I still haven't managed to touch the mystery of what makes this quiet story so powerful; and I'm content to leave it that way. It's unspeakably beautiful, the artistry is extraordinary, the characterization is everything I could want, and the tragedy that underlies it gives it a haunting quality. Thank you so much for this story. I never imagined something so perfect.