After he moved the blankets into the bedroom and dropped them back on the bed, Nevin sat down with a heavy thump on top of them. He dropped his face into his hands and just breathed, his shoulders shivering. Despite knowing that she was okay, there had been a moment of hesitation as he left the bathroom - that it had all been not real, that he hadn't managed to rescue her. But she was there, and trying to help him out.

He wasn't alone.

He stood up and slowly got dressed, wincing as his motions tugged in his bruises and made them ache. Damn. And they were in awkward locations - he would have to get help to properly apply a bruise cream to reduce them. But - he had someone to help with things like that. Or… Or he could just use his thread tendrils to do it. But he would prefer to be close to Eteri right now, reaffirm that she was here.

Dressed now in simple trousers and a loose white shirt, Nevin headed back out into the kitchen and paused. Eteri was sitting at the table, staring resolutely at something on top of it. Her tail lashed behind her in almost agitation, maybe anticipation? He swung his eyes to see - another cup of coffee. And beside it, a toasted slice of bread with a lump of butter sitting on top of it.

Plans to slip by her and get the bruise cream right away melted away as he saw her glance up at him. She offered him a small smile. “Tried...making the breakfast.” She pressed the plate of toast over to where he usually sat. “Please?” Worry laced her voice. “Nevin...please….”

Nevin stepped forward and wrapped one arm around her, hugging her back to his chest. With his other arm, he reached out and snagged the cup of coffee. A tentative sip lead to a long swallow before he set it down and pressed a kiss into the top of her hair. “The coffee is delicious, Eteri. Let's give the butter a chance to melt, the toast looks good already.” So he stood, leaning over behind her, holding her close, waiting until the butter had melted enough. Then he reached out and poked it with a long finger, spreading it around before he scooped it up and took a bite.

“Warm and just slightly not crisp. This is great, Eteri. Thank you.”

She turned her head up to him, her eyes lingered on the dark lines of his face and Nevin could tell she was worried. “Am happy.”

Nevin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then tilted his head down to kiss her softly. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. “And I'm happy with you, Eteri.” Then he stood up right with a wince.

“I actually need some help, if you want to.” He raised an eyebrow at her slowly.

She practically clambered out her chair and forced him to sit down.