#peruere x clervie

[megistusdiary]

tired of all the angst, so let me bring you all some fluff.

consider clervie got to live, and she and peruere end up together years later.

(longer post utc - tw spoilers + both characters are adults.)

they get their happily ever after, taking care of the orphans in crucabena's stead.

peruere is still a little rough around the edges. she's cold, her gaze is too neutral, she doesn't quite know how to express contentment.

clervie is her sunshine. she melts peruere's heart. she makes her smile, even if peruere's version of a smile is simply "not a frown."

where peruere is a stern father figure, clervie picks up the slack as the more gentle mother to the children. she brushes their hair, she speaks so softly to them, she reads and sings to them to help them sleep.

peruere often finds herself watching from afar as clervie stands surrounded by the children, book in hand as she shows off the colorful illustrations.

it's almost heart-wrenching to see her in the same position crucabena would stand, though the stories have changed since they were children.

where tales of bloodshed and brutality were covered up by cute little bunnies now instead lay a book of friendship and kindness, all hand-written by clervie herself.

at the end of the day when all of the children are sent to bed, it is peruere and clervie once more.

they lie together in bed, peruere holding clervie to her chest. they don't say much, but words don't need to be exchanged between them. peruere's lips rest against the back of clervie's head, her hands wrapped around the smaller woman's front.

clervie can see peruere's hands, and a small smile lights up her face. she takes her lover's hand into her own, brushing her thumb over the completely clear skin, no traces of her curse remaining.

it makes her heart flutter, and peruere knows what she's thinking even without saying anything.

she kisses clervie's cheek, giving her an uncharacteristically gentle smile, allowing clervie to turn and face her, burying her head into her chest.

peruere rests her cheek atop her fluffy pink hair as they both slowly drift off intertwined with one another <3

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

idk if this counts as arlecchino story quest spoilers but just, possible spoiler warning utc

some headcanons for my troubled angsty heart:

1. if clervie survived, i think she wouldve gotten an anemo vision because of her whole thing of fighting for freedom in the house of the hearth. she says she wanted to be a bard in arles story quest. imagine arle and clervie going to mondstadt for the windblume festival and clervie and venti running into each other, and him teaching her to play the lyre. one night, clervie sings to arle, and when she looks over at the harbinger, shes smiling wider than she has in her entire life

2. FATHER AND MOTHER. some of the hearth kids are scared of clervie and the title "mother," and how much she resembles crucabena in terms of physical appearance, and clervie takes care to try not to resemble her at all. she wears her hair in a different style (i.e. not the dead anime mom cut), she has a completely different style from her mother (she can often be seen walking around in flats and arlecchinos stolen suit jackets), and she makes sure she doesnt talk in the threateningly saccharine tone her mother used to. over time, the kids are at ease around her, no more heels clacking down the hallway at night, patrolling every corridor. shes so gentle and doting with the kids, with no hint of a murderous gleam behind her eyes

3. speaking of father and mother, they have such a healthy relationship dynamic and they absolutely show affection to each other around the others. the kids at the house have sometimes walked into the library and seen arle reading a book on a sofa with clervie leaned on her shoulder, an arm wrapped around her waist. god theyre so soft with each other and they have such a healthy example of love for their kids

4. arle has taken clervie to snezhnaya on business trips before (dw, they have someone back home to watch over the house). the first time they went there, the first thing they did was go see the aurora borealis. they sat on top of a mountain one night. clervie wrapped herself in arles winter coat (it was big enough for both of them, even though clervie had her own coat) and tucked her head under arles chin

5. clervie has stolen the rest of the harbingers hearts. they love her, probably more than they love arlecchino. signora and pantalone are ready to pour out a river of mora for her, columbina loves to listen to her singing, and sandrone tinkers with little trinkets to give to clervie to take home to the hearth kids

6. their proposal is so sickeningly sweet. clervie has been talking about wanting to go to snezhnaya again, not for a business trip, but just for a regular vacation. maybe they can even go to a winter festival together. like always, they go up to a mountainside together to watch the northern lights. clervie gets up to their usual spot first, and she turns to face the lights, arlecchino to her back. arle takes out a ring with a pink diamond, clervies favorite, set in the middle of a gold band. clervie hears arlecchino go silent and she turns around, confused, and starts to ask why, until she sees her down on one knee. she could see a tear in the corner of arlecchinos eye, but of course she wasnt going to point it out because she herself had tears streaming down her face as she said yes a thousand times over

[zo0rua]

Finally done, after 11 ish hours spread across a few days.

[clouvu]

Nothing in the world belongs to me But my love, mine, all mine

[vrachis]

“you remind me so much of her.”

“but i’m not her, i’m just… me.”

— arlefuri.

[knavesflames]

“Promise”

Just a little thing about Clervie and Arlecchino that lowkey apart my heart thinking about it. Again, very sorry if this is not good!! Am new to writing things down other than in my notes sooo bear with me as I get better pls 😩

Contents: angst, the tiniest mention of self harm. It isn’t graphic, it is mentioned in passing only once, and very vaguely, but thought I’d put a TW anyway🥰

Word count: 2453

Writing under the cut!!:D

At age 9,

Peruere sits in the garden, holding the small box. The lid is open as she places a small lumidouce bell next to the spider. The lumidouce bell will die and wilt underground, but at least the spider won’t be lonely, she thinks.

“Peruere!”

The loud childish voices rings out in the garden once again. A sigh leaves Peruere’s lips. She isn’t in the mood to talk to the person she secretly calls sunshine. Looking down at the splayed out body of her pet spider, her lip quivers. Once, twice, before a tear falls onto the wood of the makeshift coffin. The dread rising in her as she sees her hands changing doesn’t go unnoticed, but she pushes it down. ‘What is that? Why am I changing?’

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sunshine once again, the voice now muffled with chewing.

“I brought cake. Want some?”

Peruere’s now charcoal hands take the cake, pausing as the sunshine (or Clervie, but Peruere prefers sunshine) takes it from her hands and places it on a leaf in front of the small grave.

“You must know spiders don’t eat cake.”

“Yeah, I know! They can’t eat cake here, but in spider world they can.”

Her voice is almost irritating to Peruere, who is only trying to be angsty and sad. But how can she be sad when the sunshine is right there?

“Clervie, I want to sit in silence.”

Clervie can’t help her eyebrows furrowing before she sits down with a small thud.

“I’ll sit with you, then.”

Peruere sighs as her eyes, eyes that are unlike any others in the house of the hearth, glance towards the sunshine. She doesn’t persist. Secretly, she’s glad for the company. Clervie smiles back as she plays with the small patch of lumidouce bells.

“I don’t care that you’re different. I think you’re cool.”

Her eyes narrow, eyebrows furrowing before she responds.

“Why? I’m completely different from you.”

“I like that. Even our teddies are different. I think everyone being the same is boring. They won’t be the king because they are all the same. You will be king one day, Peruere. Can I sit with you when you are?”

Peruere feels just a small amount of dread at those words. The words that remind her that one day, she indeed, will have to do what Mother says and fight to be king. Something is off about Mother, she thinks. She is too kind, too caring. She doesn’t like it. Not just because she doesn’t deserve it (that’s what she tells herself in the mirror before she sleeps), but because Clervie, the sunshine, is falling for it. In that moment, she makes a silent vow to protect the sunshine always, even if it is cloudy.

“We can be king together.”

“Do you promise? I don’t want to be left behind.”

“I promise.”

At age 11,

Peruere and Clervie, the sunshine and the moon, sit in a deserted part of the house of the hearth. Their favourite part is the room with the wide window, where they sit and stare at the sky, talking about their dreams. Or rather, Clervie talks, Peruere listens. Though this time, the roles seem to be reversed. Next to them, a tray of medical instruments. Scissors, bandages, gauze, disinfectant. Peruere sits, her blackened, gentle but clumsy hands tying a bow on one of the bandages. The look on Clervie, I mean, the sunshine’s, face was much brighter than ten minutes ago. This is the first of many times, unbeknownst to them. Peruere speaks softly.

“What happened? Your wrists looked like they got hurt.”

“Nothing, Peruere.”

Alarm bells ring in Peruere’s head. Clervie was never this closed off, not with her.

“Did you do this to yourself? Like Céline? She got upset at herself so she hurt herself. I don’t like that, tell me you didn’t do that. It’s dangerous, Clervie.”

Her eyes, shining black, filled with worry. Her hand grabs the sunshine’s, giving it a little squeeze, encouraging her to talk.

“No, that isn’t it. I argued. With Mother. I don’t want to fight everyone to be king. I want to be friends with everyone, I want to eat bulle fruit with everyone. Why do we have to fight?”

“I do not like it either. I want to run away sometimes. Do Mothers always argue with their daughters?”

“I don’t know.”

Clervie’s hands, still trembling from the adrenaline, push open the window. They stare at the stars for a while, before her voice rings out once more, soft, quiet, always optimistic.

“I heard that in Snezhnaya, coloured lights dance in the sky at night. When we grow up, shall we go see it together?”

Peruere wonders if they’ll ever go and see it, or if it’s just another empty promise. Just like how Mother promised her spider wouldn’t die, how the fish she caught wouldn’t be eaten.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

At age 13,

The sun shines. Both the actual sun, and Clervie, Peruere thinks. Her fingers are splayed out on the picnic blanket, the wet paint on her nails shining in the light when her fingers twitch. Painted black, like her skin on her arms, and red, the colour of the lipstick they stole from Mother a few weeks ago, the colour of Clervie’s hair. She makes a noise of satisfaction, secretly looking at Clervie through her fingers. It looks like she’s looking through prison bars, she thinks. But Clervie is the sun. If anyone should be in prison, it’s her, not Clervie. She doesn’t like the way she thinks about Mother, but Mother harms the sunshine. Her sunshine. Her eyes widen, just slightly as she realises that maybe feeling so warm and fuzzy inside whenever she sees Clervie isn’t exactly a usual way to think of people. She doesn’t feel that for anyone else. She stares a bit longer. How the red of Clervie’s hair reminds her of the burning sun. Of the fire in the lounge of the house of the hearth. Fire is good, she thinks. She could protect her sunshine with fire. In a split decision, she takes the red nail polish in one hand, a strand of her white hair in the other. Snow and blood. Blood on snow. Those colours seem to be awfully present in her life as of late, and her heart begins to twist as she thinks of what it means for her future. Before she can think any harder, Clervie’s giggle cuts through her thoughts.

“What are you doing, silly?”

Red paints on the snow coloured hair.

“I’m like you now. I have red hair. That way, we will stay friends forever.”

“I like you too much to leave you, silly. It looks good with your hair. The red. You should paint it every day, and that way, you can—“

Words are cut off by clumsy lips meeting clumsy lips. Only for a second, a second that feels forever. Peruere’s cheeks flush the colour of the painted strand as she mumbles apologetic words.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I-“

“It’s okay. I liked it. I want to do it more. You should still keep the red strand. Promise you will?”

“Yes, I promise.”

At age 16,

Mother has been increasingly cruel, to both her and Clervie. Especially to Clervie. How could someone be so evil to someone so kind is something Peruere cannot fathom. She despises seeing Clervie cry, to hear her quiet sobs at night. Her eyes are always bright, always happy. If not for her own sake, for Peruere’s. But the sun has been hiding lately, hiding behind clouds and avoiding words. The red strand of Peruere’s hair, once painted every day with nail polish to match Clervie’s, now permanently dyed, retouched every eight weeks, hidden under most of her hair to avoid Mother’s wrath. And now? They stand in the field, Clervie, facing Peruere with resigned eyes.

“You know it’s the only way. Mother will kill us both if you are not king. Have you not noticed the children disappearing?”

“I have. It does not mean your life has to end. You cannot take your life—“

“No. That will not satisfy Mother, and you know that. You must do it.”

Hate, fear, dread and sadness twist Peruere’s gut so hard she feels as if she will throw up. She fight the urge to retch at the very suggestion that she dulls the sunshine she has grown to adore so.

“I cannot. I will not. You cannot ask me to do something like that.”

“You must.”

She hates that Clervie is right. She hates that Mother is so twisted and sick that this is the only choice. She begs anyway, something she told herself she would never do.

“Please. We were supposed to go to Snezhnaya together. To see the coloured lights in the sky. There is no ‘we’ without you.”

A chuckle is heard, the familiar chuckle that lights up Peruere’s heart, the chuckle that feels like it’ll reverse her curse entirely. She can’t deny the sadness she hears in it though, especially not when she sees a tear slip down Clervie’s face. The sight brings tears to her own eyes and she looks away, unable to stare at her any longer. The longer she stares, the harder it will be. She knows this, but her eyes move back to her anyway.

“You will look at the coloured lights, and you can trust I will be there in them.”

“No! This is not fair.”

“You know I’m right, Peruere.”

“And I hate that you are. You’re always damn right. Stop that.”

Another chuckle is heard behind tears.

“I plan to.”

“Don’t joke.”

“I’m sorry. And I’m sorry you have to do this.”

Peruere feels like her breath is being sucked out of her, like she can’t inhale enough and yet, exhaling is impossible. Her brain is telling her she has to. She has to give the sunshine a merciful end, lest Mother give her a far worse fate. But her heart is screaming. Tears drip down her face, her body wracked with silent cries. Her hand goes to the hilt of the dagger she always carries.

“But I love you. You are my sunshine.”

“I love you, too. And so I will always be here when the sun is shining. I am not afraid.”

“I am.”

Peruere is not one to be scared. She never has. But now, her hands are clammy, she feels a sweat gathering. She feels her heart thumping in a completely different way than when they share small kisses and giggles. She feels like she’s killing herself instead of her love. The dagger is unsheathed now, the blade glinting with every tremble of her hand. Oh, God, there it is again. That smile, the one that melts Peruere every time. Images flash in her mind of every time she bandages Clervie after an argument with Mother. Images of what could happen should Mother take Clervie’s life into her own hands, and before she can think twice, the dagger has pierced her skin. Clervie’s clothes are staining with blood as red as her hair.

“No. No, no— please. Clervie, you can’t. Why did you tell me to do this?”

Red ‘X’ irises stare into blue ones. A beautiful bluey green, one that Peruere has always admired. Has always adored looking into. Not now. Not while she watches the life drain from her eyes. Watching the sun burn.

“You will make a great king.”

“Stop that.”

Anger boils inside Peruere, anger like she has never felt before. She swears she will kill anyone who threatens to hurt the ones she cares about. She won’t let this happen again.

“I’m sorry. Thank you.”

Clervie’s soft words fill her ears for the final time before her body drops to the floor with a thunk. Peruere stares down at her, anger filling her so greatly, she becomes blank. She decides she will never feel again. She will never love again. The sun was a star, but the sun has burned and died.

“Do you promise you will be with me in Snezhnaya? Promise?”

“..Clervie?”

She is met with only silence, and the sound of the lumidouce bells waving in the wind.

At age 28,

Arlecchino walks through the halls of the House of the Hearth, watching stoically as the children play, as they watch the two children perform their magic show. She calls out, her voice strict, unfeeling.

“Meet in the dining hall when you are finished. Dinner is served shortly.”

Met with a chorus of “Yes Father”, she nods, satisfied, before turning away. Her heels click against the tiled floor as she walks through the halls, her hair flowing in her ponytail behind her. She takes the long route, avoiding the west wing of bedrooms, something she has avoided for many years. Her footfalls come to a stop as the sun hits her as it shines through the window. She feels a tug at her heart, and she clenches her fists tightly before sighing, turning quickly on her heel. She walks with purpose, walking past the many bedrooms until she slows, coming to a stop in front of the bedroom door she has kept locked. The ring of keys in her pocket makes a sound as she pulls them out, and she listens to the way they jingle as she unlocks the door and slips inside. She blinks back heartache as she stares around at the room. It has been well preserved, it looks like it’s still very much lived in by a sixteen year old girl. She goes about, dusting the surfaces in silence, cleaning up any signs that it hasn’t been touched in such a long time. She opens the window, watering the lumidouce bells that sit on the windowsill outside. She stops by the bed, where two teddies sit— one pink with a white ribbon, one black and white with red ‘X’s for eyes. Her hand, now black with darker patterns all over from how far the curse has advanced, softly pets the pink one, swallowing down a shaky breath. Her nails, painted red and black, like they always have been, gives a gentle scratch under the chin.

“Good morning, Clervie. The children are doing well today.”

Her hand slides into her pocket, pulling out a small, gift wrapped box, placing it by the teddy.

“Happy birthday. I told you I would not forget. The sun is shining brightly, and the colours in the sky at night have been vivid lately. You would have found them beautiful, I am sure. I would have loved to look at you as you stared at them in wonder.”

The birthday gift joins another 11 on the bed, each one in different phases of aging. She stands again, smoothing down the bedsheets before placing a small kiss on the pink teddy.

“See you next year, Clervie. I promise.”

[ice-draco]

Arlecchino: Can you keep a secret?

Furina: Do you know anything about my life?

Arlecchino: No, I don't. Good point.

[edgeray]

"MOON, TELL ME IF I COULD

send up my heart to you." - My Love Mine All Mine, Mitski

Arlecchino x Clervie Blurb

moon, a hole of light 

"Moon?" Peruere asked as she sat on the window sill beside the red-haired girl, the two of them observing the twilight night sky, stars beaming down on them and greeting them with a luminescent sight. Clervie nodded, her smile more radiant than any constellation that night. 

through the big top tent up high 

“If you say I'm the sun, then you have to be the moon, right?” 

here before and after me

She observed the moon, squinting her red-crossed eyes a bit at the round, white floating orb. It looked beautiful. Could she really compare? 

shinin’ down on me 

The shorter of the two leaned her body onto the other, their shoulders connecting to one another as Clervie laid her head on the white-haired girl's shoulder; hand-in-hand were a cursed, charcoal hand with a smaller, softer one, and yet they fitted perfectly with one another. 

moon, tell me if I could 

“Pureure. One day, I'm going to take you to see the Snezhnayan lights. And then, after that, the rest of Teyvat,” she whispered, intimate enough only for only the two of them to hear and no other. Emerald eyes gleamed towards the other girl. 

send up my heart to you? 

Pureure remained silent for a few moments, before shifting her body to lay her head on top of Clervie's. “Do you promise?” 

so, when I die, which I must do

“Yes.” 

could it shine down here with you?

Pureure stood, immobile and unwilling, as Clervie embraced her, resting her chin on top of her shoulder like she had done so many times before, except her hold isn't as tight–it's slipping, and Pureure wished that she could have held her tighter then. 

‘cause my love is mine, all mine

“You will be… a great king…”

I love mine, mine, mine

“I'm sorry… thank you…”

Nothing in the world belongs to me

Clervie fell, and so did Peruere's world. Her sun was gone, and without it, how else can a moon continue to shine? 

But my love mine, all mine, all mine,

[asoulsreverie]

I HAVE A THEORY.

We see none of the other children in/after this scene. What if it's like a rite of passage? The next 'King' being decided may be a duel/war to the death, after which only the one standing behind comes the so called 'king'

So now, Clervie being 'kind hearted' was obviously seen as a weakness, thus all the others target her FIRST. but Peruere protects her, until all the others are dead. That's why clervie barely has any wounds, but Peruere is covered in Blood

Which mean they were the last two standing. And since there could be only one person standing, and we don't know what 'Mother' would do if they 'ceremony' isn't completed, (we saw syringes so maybe they'd be tortured) One of them had to die

Clervie knowing Peruere would never hurt her, sacrifices herself, by walking into Peruere's sword, and hugging her, so they can be close even in her death.

AND NO I'M NOT OKAY BUT I SHALL PROCEED

So the 'pruning' of the plant was not only Clervie (while it was mostly directed to her), but all the other supposedly 'weak' children of the House, until only one survived

I NEED FANFIC WRITERS TO NOTE THIS PLS I NEED THIS WRITTEN MORE COHERENTLY

Also I originally posted this on X

[alfikaethystic]

Éclipse Éternelle | Teaser

PAIRING | Arlecchino x Original Character! Reader

Setting : Modern AU

SYNOPSIS | Character Preview

Genre : Angst, Hurt with Comfort, Found Family, Triggering Content.

PERUERE was once an orphan who had no future to look forward to, Clervie was the only person in his mind he hoped to hold onto his hand until the end. The day came, and she passed away too soon. How bittersweet it was, for a long time he lingered around as husk of the shell she left behind. A corpse of a spider, waiting to wither.

Until you unexpectedly entered his life and commenced a back to back chaos to stir in his life worthwhile. Arlecchino Di Knave, a celebrity undergoing pressure from society after his most recent controversial scandal with the Damselette. MASTERLIST | First Tentative Chapters CHAPTER 1 : The Arachnid's First Corpse Bell CHAPTER 2 : The Second Dove Who Caught Spider CHAPTER 3 : Spider and Moth to a Flame CHAPTER 4 : Arachnid's Web of Downfall CHAPTER 5 : A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing CHAPTER 6 : Ailurus Fulgens CAHPTER 7 : The Canis Lupus' Cave CAHPTER 8 : Nature's Serendipity CHAPTER 9 : Hearth's Infatuation CHAPTER 10: Lesser Panda's Snapped Bamboo CHAPTER 11: Fortunate Oddity CHAPTER 12: A Moment of Solitude CHAPTER 13: Wolf Has The Ailurus FUTURE CHAPTERS TO BE ANNOUNCED. . .

Be at ease, and ask to be tagged if I update!

[flowerhotpot]

peruere x clervie edit wip to shh by IU

[megistusdiary]

your clervie and puruere scenario was so sweet and wholesome and I was wondering if you could give us some more of this alternative world where she lives. Maybe when she meet and takes care Lyney, Lynette and Freminet🥹

aww yeah! absolutely. i'd like to think in my little happy fantasy land....

(longer post utc)

also, if i remember correctly, freminet was the first of the 3 to enter the house. and clervie would absolutely adore him! she would help him come out of his shell, always supporting his interests and hobbies. she would probably recommend him some good books and things, and encourage peruere to have some silent reading time with the older children herself.

as for lyney, clervie would love him. they seem like two peas in a pod. she would adore all his little magic tricks, especially when he would produce a rose from seemingly out of thin air. she would always be the first to see any new ideas of his, helping him tweak them, fixing any tears in his outfit (so chiori doesn't rip him a new one...)

clervie would probably find lynette to be the most like peruere. she finds it endearing, actually, how obviously lynette is trying to imitate her father. from the way she wears her hair, to the way she drinks her tea, her demeanor, and even the way she swings her sword. it's all too similar to someone clervie loves. she likes to tell lynette stories from peruere's past, joking about her pet spiders, brushing lynette's hair and lulling her to sleep.

she obviously loves all the children at the house, but she knows peruere is closest with these three, so she sees them more often.

i guarantee they begin to see her as their more tender and gentle mother figure, glad she's there to soften their father a little bit more. after all, peruere is much kinder when clervie is near.

[megistusdiary]

wake up, cleruere nation

i showed bun my new blanket, and she said the cats are clervie and peruere. now i can't look at my blanket the same!!

what do you guys think?

[megistusdiary]

If Arlecchino sees you as a replacement for her childhood friend (Clervie) and you accidentally find out, it makes you very sad and when she finds out she is next to comfort and prove Show you how much she loves you, not see you as a replacement by feeling guilty about you. 🤭

i think you guys are obsessed with hurting me

angst with arlecchino

arlecchino x fem!reader

warnings: angst (hurt + comfort), suggestive at the end

it was a mistake to look in her journal. you should've known better than to pry into her personal thoughts. that journal was for secrets, and as she always said, things she kept secret from you were better that way.

the only way she even knew you read it was the singular teardrop left on the corner of the page. it irreversibly smudged the ink, leaving a permanent addition to her writing that spoke louder than any of the words on the page.

"let me explain." she answered you, finally managing to corner you as you lay in your shared bed, tears in your eyes.

"explain what? that i'm just... some replacement for someone you lost?" it's obvious you're hurting, and so is she. while she wishes you would've never set foot in her office, she also knows her own internal thoughts are the problem.

she approaches the bed, gently kneeling down at the side, wrinkling her neatly pressed pants. "please listen." and you can hear the desperation in her normally cold tone. "i never meant for you to see that journal."

"but i did."

"what you read was something i've kept bottled up. you are not clervie's replacement, you are my wife." she tells you firmly, reaching over to hold your hand. "i saw good in her, good that i knew i couldn't possess myself. i am cursed, after all. it's the same good that i saw in you." she pauses, looking up at you. "i see things that remind me of her in you, not the other way around."

"what difference does it make? you'll always compare me to a girl you keep alive in your memories alone." you sniffle, wiping your eyes.

"i won't deny that clervie will never leave my memories. she was the only friend i've ever had until i met you." she rubs her thumb across the back of your hand. "i fell in love with you not because of clervie, and it takes me time to see the resemblance. it is no surprise i would seek out someone so... kind-hearted."

you stay quiet and she pulls your chin to look at her. "i have no intention of lying to you like this. i can say that i love you over and over until my lips bleed, but that won't change a thing in your mind, will it?"

"no. i suppose not." you frown and she cups your cheek.

"then let me prove it to you. i hope you know those words were written in a... particularly troubling time for me. they brought me comfort... to see that i have you. to think she would be happy for us."

she slides into bed with you, bringing you closer to her chest and wiping your tears. "you're not a replacement. you're my wife. you are the most important person in my life at all times." her lips press into your forehead as you snuggle into her.

"prove it." you mumble, half-teasingly, but you yelp when she rolls you over, looming over you instead. "arle-"

"peruere. that's my name, and i am aware you know, so say it."

"peruere." you breathe out softly and she sighs, looking troubled.

"i haven't heard that name in ages. it brings me... discomfort, but coming from you, it's almost like it means something loving again." she hums, leaning down to kiss your throat. "let me show you how much you mean to me." she offers.

you smile up at her, nodding as she kisses away your tears and slowly descends your body, taking gentle care of you for the night.