WHO: Presto and Erin WHAT: Reunion after a canon update and far too long apart. WHEN: after he returns on the 9th. WARNINGS: Clinging and mentions of violence STATUS: Closed and Completed GDoc
As soon as the portal was secured, the dragon dead, and carved up securely, Presto headed home. He wanted nothing less than to see his girlfriend, who he had missed for eleven long years. He had worked as a wizard, making himself better, traveling across Faerun once they had left the original Realm, and he had never forgotten her. Not once.
As he landed outside the door of their place, he pulled out the long silver chain that had hung around his neck for that whole time and the key at the end of it and used it to open the front door.
And he said simply one thing.
“Honey! I’m home!”
***
Erin had spent most of week in the cave, even after Anna gave her some peace about the whole situation. It hurt too much to stay in a place that screamed Presto so it was easier to camp out in the cave.
Sure that had a lot of him in it too but she was also about isolation because she didn’t want to deal with anyone. She went to school but only because she was so close to graduating and she wasn’t about to screw that up because of this. It was not worth the possibility of summer school or repeating the entire year when she could practically feel the diploma in her hand.
He happened to catch her in the apartment while she was getting more clothes to take to the cave. She was aware someone was coming in before he even said anyone was coming in thanks to her ears and immediately she was specious, as no one else had a key but her. It didn’t occur to her that it might be Presto until she heard his voice. It only took her a half second to drop what was in her hand and run out into the living room.
“Who the hell are you?” She asked when she saw someone standing there that was definitely not her boyfriend.
***
Presto took a long moment to just take in the sight of her. She had not changed at all,and he grinned lopsidedly and boyishly at her, a look that had not changed despite his body being taller, stronger, more muscled. “Really, Erin? Eleven years, three months, and two days, and you’ve already managed to forget me?”
“It’s me. It’s still me. Presto. I’m back. After all this long time, I’m back.” Joy and love and hope filled him as he looked at her. At last.
***
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, not believing this was really Pr\sto in front of her. However, one sniff told that it was and a lock of shock crossed her features.
“No. Way” Was all she could say as she walked towards him, stepping over the mess she’d made when he first disappeared. She hadn’t made the effort to clean it up yet because she just didn’t care. When she reached him, she just looked up at him silently for a second before she launched herself into his arms, holding on for dear life. She was afraid this was a dream.
***
Presto caught her with an off and hugged her tight, too. “Hello, love. It’s really me. I’m really home;” he hugged her close, kissing her hair and just delighting in holding her again. It had been so very long.
He sighed softly, happily. “I’ve missed you so much. So very much.”
***
“You said you’d never leave again” She mumbled against his chest, the fact that he was much taller not going unnoticed. This was a different kind of embrace than they used to have but she didn’t mind it at all. It had been a long time since he told her that but it had stuck with her, hoping it would be true. Of course the dome didn’t care about promises and took him away from her again anyway. She really hated this place sometimes. “I’ve really missed you” She told him as she pulled away so she could get a good look at him.
***
“If I could help it, sure.” He poked her, gently and kissed her hair, and her ears, and he smiled and he lifted her in his arms, and started toward the bedroom, completely unphased by her looking. “Me too, love, me too.” He smiled softly at her.
“I’ve put on a few inches and a few muscles…” he winked at her.
***
She laughed when he poked her because he got her right in a tickle spot. She didn’t reply to what he said about leaving because it didn’t matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was that they were together again. She gasped when he picked her up so easily then she grinned and wrapped her arms around him, letting him carry her to their room. “No kidding” She replied as she reached out with one arm to feel his muscles.
***
He smiled softly, then bent his head to kiss her, slow and gently, but lovingly. “I missed you so very much. LIke, I cannot say how much.” Presto sat down on the edge of the bed and settled her next to him, smiling warmly, eyes full of tears.
“I thought I would never get home again. I spent time learning every kind of teleportation and travel magic I could, just to try to find this place again. But I never could.”
***
“You can show me later” She suggested as he put her down on the bed beside him. Sometimes actions were better than words and that would be true in his case. She was in no rush to do that, though. They had all night and she wanted to find out more about where he came from. “So you can just teleport at will now?” She wondered as she got settled on the bed, smiling as Booker came to join them with a happy wag of his tail. “Someone else missed you”
***
“Absolutely. Right now, I just need more hugs.” He shivered. “A lot more.” He looked down and nodded. “I can do a lot more with magic now, though I am sure the dome will restrict a lot of it, as usual.” He smiled unsurely. “I have no idea how much will work here.”
He pet the dog, grinning. “I’ve missed him, too. I had a little mastiff over there for awhile, called him Booker 2.”
***
When he said he needed hugs, she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him like she has always done, resting her chin on his shoulder as she got comfortable. “There’s only one way to find out” She pointed out, meaning that they could do a test run to see what the Dome would let him do. “Booker 2? That’s adorable” She told him as she kissed his shoulder and reached down around him to give the dog a scratch on the head.
***
Presto sighed happily and softly. He pet Booker and leaned back into her, just absorbing this and letting it sink into him. He took a shaky breath, and let it out, tears trickling down his face.
He nodded. “We could check it out soon. See what happens.” He cleared his throat. Gods, after so long, he was home. He took another shaky breath.
*** “We can tomorrow. Right now I’m not moving from this spot” She told him was she moved her arm back up to wrap around his chest. She didn’t care that he was suddenly way older than her. He was still her Presto and she was just happy to have him home. She could go back to living her life now instead of a shell of it.
***
“This is perfect to me, just this right here. I love you. Erin. I love you and I pray to never leave you again.”
And he held her and snuggled her close and kissed her hair and just sighed softly, happily. He was home, and nothing else mattered.