About twenty minutes later, Brant and Ace stood on a high point of the rooftop, Hannah and Keira in their arms respectively. Keira clutched Ace tightly and rested her face in his neck. They carried on a conversation in hushed tones, which Brant respectfully refrained from eavesdropping on. 

Baird limped around the corner and joined the group. He gave Brant and Ace a grave nod each before shifting his focus to the girls. He stepped behind Brant and cautiously greeted Hannah. Brant felt her cheek move as she grinned and exchanged a few words with Baird. After patting her head, the martial artist stepped away and moved on to Keira. 

Keira's face brightened at seeing Baird, and she slid out of Ace's arms to embrace him. Baird held her close and reassured her. 

Finally, the Stingray descended and touched down a few yards away. The door slid open, and Aaron welcomed them in with open arms. When Keira spotted her brother, she sprinted ahead and threw her body into his. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but then, hearing her whimper, he settled for silent comfort. 

Once Brant, Hannah, Ace, and Baird had all entered the ship, Aaron closed the doors. He gave them all a once-over, flinching as he observed their various states of disrepair. 

Physically, Keira's only ailment was a slight limp, though clearly her overall injuries didn't end there. Baird was bruised and beaten all over, despite his vehement assertion of wellness. Hannah's left eye was swollen, with a bruise encircling it, and her face bore little nicks and cuts, in addition to a long slash on her right arm. 

Brant met Aaron's eyes. It appeared a floodwater of words waited on the other side of his face, anticipating expression, but he held it back. Brant felt the same restrained torrent within himself. 

"Well," Aaron began, shifting his gaze back to Baird, "it's good to have you all back. Thanks for your efforts, guys." 

Brant, Ace, and Baird nodded and each mumbled their own brand of wearied affirmation. 

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Aaron said as he nudged Keira toward one of the ladders, "As soon as possible, I'll send Sila back to mend you two." His gaze darted between Baird and Hannah. 

"I already said, I don't need anything but some sleep." Baird objected. 

"I beg to differ, man." 

Brant sighed. "I'll take care of Hannah." he turned from Aaron to the girl herself, "I owe it to you." 

She swallowed and nodded. "Thanks." 

Brant stood behind Hannah with outstretched arms as she ascended the ladder. She reached the top with no mishap, so he climbed up after her and scooped her into his arms. He made his way to the back of the ship. 

"I can walk, y'know." Hannah said. 

"That doesn't mean you need to." Brant retorted, pushing a door open with his foot. 

He stepped into a small room containing nothing but a twin-sized bed and a cube-shaped cabinet serving as a nightstand. It barely came up to Hannah's knee. The only other object in the room was a black handle on the wall. Brant squinted at it and soon realized it was attached to a hinged table that could be pulled down when needed, and then pushed back into the wall when not in use. 

Brant gingerly laid Hannah down in the bed. He cupped his hand under her head and lifted it to slip a pillow underneath, and then he tucked her under the blankets. She sighed with contentment and grinned at him. 

Brant returned the smile for a second before stooping down before the cabinet and pulling its top drawer open. He groped around in the clutter until he found what he needed. Closing the drawer with a thump, he placed a bottle of ointment and a handful of various bandages atop the cabinet. 

With a sigh, Brant sat on the edge of the bed. He squirted ointment on his finger. With a gentle touch, he applied it to Hannah's bruised eye, moving his thumb in a circular motion. She tensed when he first touched the contusion, but relaxed a second later. 

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Hannah." he said gently. 

Despite the low volume of Brant's voice, Hannah jumped, startled. "I...I think I do kinda get it. I missed you, too." 

Brant shrugged as he squeezed another dot of ointment onto his thumb. "Well, you've gotta understand, for me, it wasn't just distance. It was guilt, too. I really thought you were dead because of me. We all did." 

Hannah pouted. Her brown eyes darted over his face. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." Brant said sternly, "What could you have done about it? It was my selfishness that hurled you into this mess. My...quest to prove myself, and my honor. And that's what I've been realizing these past three months, Hannah." 

Hannah stared up at Brant during his long, seemingly endless pause. "What's that?" 

"In my zeal to prove my worthiness, I only achieved the very opposite! I became so obsessed with it that I made myself unworthy. You were right all along, and I should've listened." 

Hannah grimaced when he applied a little too much pressure on the bruise. "It's alright." she spoke slowly, "Sometimes, we gotta make a mistake to fully realize where we're goin' wrong." 

"Yeah, but I can't help but regret it cost everybody else so much." 

"It cost you too, didn't it?" 

Brant paused. "I guess it did to some extent, but only because—" 

"It's 'cause ya actually care." 

"That's exactly it." Brant admitted, "If this whole ordeal's taught me anything, it's who I truly care about, and how terrible life becomes without them. Now, it's for them I fight. For you, I fight." 

Brant turned his attention to the cabinet top. He opened up a bandage and spread some ointment on the gauze section. Then he rotated his body to put it over one of the nicks on her face. He raised an eyebrow when he spotted her beaming up at him. 

"What...what're you smiling about?" he asked. 

"You've finally got it!" Hannah exclaimed, "I could tell somethin' 'bout your 'why' of fightin' was always off. Somethin' wasn't servin' ya right, and you fixed it." 

Brant gave her a reserved smile as he patted the bandage down. "Again, I wish others didn't have to get hurt so bad for me to realize it. But listen, there's something else I was thinking about the other day." 

Hannah sat up and rested her head against the headboard. "What's dat?" 

"You know...you're an amazing person. From the moment I've met you, you've been the most kind and generous girl I've ever met. You're slow to pass judgement, sweet and understanding, and never seem to hold a grudge. If sunshine were given a body, it'd be yours." 

Hannah flashed her teeth at Brant, the corners of her lips elevated. After a few seconds of eye contact, she closed her lips and hung her head a little. But she said nothing. 

"So," Brant continued, "I really appreciate having you in my life. You're a blessing. And I was thinking...I've never had a girlfriend before, never put any serious thought into what I'd want in that kind of a relationship, but now I see, what more could I want, than someone like you?" 

He stared at the wall, in a thoughtful trance for a moment. "Of course, after what I did, I completely understand if you're still mad. And I'm not sure if I'm really as much benefit to you as—" 

Hannah giggled and placed a finger on his lips. "Ya talk so much, I can't never get a word in. I'm not mad at ya, and yeah, you've been a blessin' to me too." 

"How so?" Brant asked, conveying disbelief in his tone. 

"Well, y'know, it's really easy sometimes to fall into a pattern of dismissin' folks just 'cause they believe dis or dat. I mean, look at you! When I first metcha, ya didn't only believe in the Alcontean gods, but thought ya was one of 'em!" 

"That's true." 

"So yeah, knowin' you's really helped me in some ways, tryin' to understand someone who don't think quite like I do. Dat ain't the only thing you're good for, of course, but it's just what I first thought of." 

Brant smiled. "I know I'd still be lost, if it weren't for you. I don't even know how to show adequate gratitude." 

"Ain't dat what ya are doin'?" 

"I guess so." 

Brant closed his eyes, leaned forward, and kissed Hannah's forehead. Then he moved down and gave her two pecks, first on her left cheek, then the other. He withdrew a few inches, opened his eyes, and met her gaze. Her glance darted between his lips and eyes several times before she held onto a stare, with a curious smile poised on her own mouth. 

"May I?" he asked, his voice quiet but not hesitant. 

Hannah nodded, closing her eyes and drawing her lips in for a second. They emerged slightly moister than before. "Go ahead." 

After inhaling, Brant closed his eyes again and placed his hand gently on Hannah's chin. He tilted his head and leaned toward her, slowly pulling her closer. His heart jumped when he felt her soft lips meet his own. With his other hand, he caressed the back of her head, running his fingers through her silky brown hair. 

After a few seconds that seemed much lengthier for the concentration of pleasure contained in them, Brant withdrew. He smiled at Hannah and took her hand into his. Their fingers intertwined. 

"Thanks...for just being you." Brant said. 

"It's not like I could be anythin' else." she replied with a kind smile. 

Brant and Hannah maintained a dreamy stare for several moments. Then he finally snapped to attention and reached for a bandage. "Let's not leave this job undone." 

Hannah giggled. "By no means." 

********************* 

A/N: Well, this chapter is quite the treat for Brannah fans, I'd assume. I mean, wow, they're official now! Finally! 

*hyperventilates for a few minutes* 

Okay, I think I'm done. So what are your thoughts on those two? 

And for our random question, what food are you craving right now? 

(I could do well with a nice bowl of pasta, with some sort of creamy sauce here. 😁) 

And I guess that's it! Have an awesome day/week, and I hope to see you in Saturday's update!