This Happy Ending

Carrying the beautiful princess in his arms, Jason floated to the center of his Spiritual Realm and gently laid her down on the bed. With a bright smile plastered on his face, he tilted his head and pinched his cheek several times.

"It's not a dream, is it?" he asked aloud, wanting to validate his thoughts. "This is…this is real. Right?"

His voice trembled, and he delicately stroked his lover's dark brown hair as she slept.

"Alea, I'm sorry for all the pain and trouble you had to go through," he whispered nervously to the unconscious Elf. "I-I never meant to cause you pain, but I'm just so glad to see you again."

He chuckled and squeezed Alea's hand tightly before letting out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Just like that kiss you left me promised. Do you remember, Alea? You said that it meant…we'd get to see each other again."

The hate reader's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before staring at the clear sky above.