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Leana scrutinized him quizzically a moment after he asked very abruptly, coiling her soft, red-brown hair into a bun as she considered.

“It means ‘Dear One’ Or ‘Valuable’, ‘Precious’. ‘Beloved’. Eazizun means those… and more. Wahid means ‘One’. ‘Singular’. ‘No other like it’.” She said, watching him with that kind, painfully compassionate look he got from Nithel so often.

That’s how he sees me…?

Alessio blinked a lot, not sure how to process. Maybe a small part of him had always still thought he was just a charity case for someone who compulsively helped people. It was hard to believe anyone truly cared about him.

But. Nithel did. He’d said it over and over in so many ways.

“How do you know those words?” Leana asked gently, staring up at him with soft, inquiring eyes.

“Um…Nithel, he’d say it a lot when…when I was upset…” Though, name a time he wasn’t upset… Alessio rubbed his arms, not sure where to look because he didn’t want anyone to notice he was blinking back tears. He’s almost been scared to find out what it meant but…it was beautiful.

A new, unfamiliar sensation of warmth washed all through him, one he didn’t even recognize. He smiled gratefully at Leana, the numbness he was so used seemed to melt away so fast everything was lighter.

“He was kind to me, even though I’m…difficult.” It wasn’t something he could earn…or even had to. It finally clicked, like the pieces of his mind had finally accepted the truth.

“That was the first time in years,” Alessio murmured almost to himself “someone treated me like a person.”

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