Nervousness was a strange thing. Sometimes it expressed feelings you didn't realise you had: excitement, affection for someone else. Other days it could destroy everything.

At that moment, you weren't sure which of the two was controlling you. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and lifted your chin.

When your eyes opened again, there was a strange feeling, as if a hole had been cut in your chest. The man looking back at you from the mirror was tired and yet so full of excitement.

Everything in your body was tingling. And yet, for the first time in months, your head was silent. You didn't have to think, not that day.

Only hope.

As if in a trance, your gaze wandered out of the window. Not far from your property was the shore that separated the two cities.

The bridges were down that day. The light of the sun was reflected in the water, bathing it in gold. Hundreds of shapes were cavorting on the bridges. From a distance, they looked like insects, one colony meeting another to forge peace.

Or to start a war. A tremor ran through your shoulders.

"Hey...", Jayce's voice made your insides quiver.

Hands wrapped around your torso, pulling you against a strong chest. Jayce rested his chin on your shoulder.

"You look so... normal.", he remarked with a smirk at your reflection.

Your hand found his. Fingers interlinked.

"We can't afford for the people of the Undercity to see us as superior.", you said, looking at the simple leather clothes you were wearing. "We come as kindred spirits. Friends."

Jayce grumbled in agreement. He too had put on simple clothes. The long, white coat would have been too conspicuous, too ostentatious.

On this day, poverty and wealth would meet. It would have been foolish to believe that this would not affect the mood.

"Soon the time had come.", Jayce withdrew, the loss of his warmth sending goose bumps all over your body.

"Are you scared?", you asked, your eyes still fixed on your reflection.

Perhaps the question was directed at yourself. And to be honest, you didn't know the answer either. Jayce, on the other hand, was as firmly anchored in his direction as you'd ever seen him.

"Afraid, no.", he admitted. But worried. What if all our work isn't accepted?"

"We can approach them with good ideas, but ultimately the Undercity will decide for itself what it wants.", you followed him to the window.

Your hands found his shoulders, danced over his body and found their place on his chest. You breathed a kiss on his neck. His breath trembled at the soft touch of your lips.

"We'll make it.", he whispered and smiled.

"We will be one.", you lovingly guided his head towards you to kiss him.

Trembling, he took in your closeness. You thought you could float. But before you could forget what you had to do that day, there was a knock at the door of your room.

You hurriedly exchanged a quick glance. Officially, you and Jayce were just business partners. Unofficially, the rumours were already doing the rounds.

Still, you didn't need to add fuel to the fire. At least not until the dust had settled in the new world. Then perhaps you would be able to go public.

Secretly, you were already thinking about the future.

What would it be like to get married?

Sharing a house?

Perhaps to give the world more than just unity?

And you too. You and Jayce. But now was not the time to dream about it.

"Come in.", your hand reached for Jayce's to hold him tight.

Your fingers intertwined. The door to your dormitory opened and Viktor emerged. This time he didn't have his crutch with him.

Instead, he stood firmly on both feet, a mild smile on his face. His brown hair glistened in the sun. Almost as strong as his eyes.

"You look well, my friend.", Jayce put a hand on his shoulder.

Viktor looked between you two before offering you a hand. You took it.

"Are you ready?", you asked.

Viktor shrugged his shoulders uncertainly, modestly.

"I don't know.", he admitted, almost shyly.

"We need someone the Undercity can trust."

"Someone who is one of them.", Jayce pulled Viktor into a tight hug. "We trust you, Viktor. And they will too."

"And then they will open up to our ideas.", you patted Viktor's hand with a smile. "You are our last piece of the unity puzzle."

He laughed, soft and happy as he never seemed before. His hug around Jayce tightened as he clutched your hand.

He was nervous. You all were. And yet you couldn't describe that nervousness. It was like a shot of pure adrenaline that made your head spin and yet made you feel nauseous.

"Come on.", you patted Jayce on the back of the neck so that he let go of Viktor before he could choke.

The two of them parted only hesitantly. You could feel the excitement in both of them, the feeling when you were about to reach your destination.

You were so close. All you had to do was reach out and grab it. Full of pride, you took Jayce's face in both hands, kissed him and fixed the brown strands of his hair.

Then you took his hand, took Viktor's hand and stepped out into the hallway of your house.

Everything had once started in this place. It would continue in this place now. And maybe one day it would all end on this day.

The unknown awaited you. And you could taste it: the future.

Without thinking about it, you had to smile. Jayce leant down to you and breathed a kiss on your neck.

"Thank you.", he whispered against your (S/C) skin. "That you found me."

You laughed softly as Viktor rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for running into my arms.", you said back and kissed him.

The doors of the mansion opened. Glistening golden light flooded your eyes. Colours played in the sky. And you could hear them, the people of the Undercity, singing and cheering.

Hope was in the air.