He almost doesn't, but finally Kratos does return to where he left Malos and Anna and the rest. The sun has set, the moons are high in the sky, the stars shining brightly. They've set up camp, in his absence. Likely Malos told them all not to hold their breaths waiting for him. Or maybe Malos had more faith in him than that.
(He's not sure which is more comforting, if either is more comforting. It's hard to think about Malos at length, because then the five-year-deep wound he's trying to ignore just starts hurting again.)
Everyone's sleeping, when he arrives. The Aegis and his driver are near each other, no surprise. Nia's stuck around for now, though after the healing job she did earlier, that should be expected as well. Malos and Anna are asleep near each other, of course they are, they always are. (Seeing Anna, alive, peaceful, like this is any other day and nothing's changed, opens that wound again. He tries not to think about it.) (...Maybe he should have gone ahead to save Martel alone. Then he could unpack things with Anna, later-- But saving Martel as an excuse to avoid his wife feels wrong.)
Actually, there is one person awake. The Lloyd-who-is-not-his-Lloyd. Kratos scowls before he can help it, worried for the boy's health, but then it occurs to him someone had to take first watch.
Kratos makes eye contact with the boy from across the camp, suddenly nervous. Lloyd hasn't exactly seen the best of him so far, has he? It would probably be too presumptious to approach Lloyd, but it also does not sit well in Kratos' stomach to say nothing at all, so:
"If you are only awake becuase you're keeping watch, I'll gladly take over for you," Kratos offers. (He knows his own mind, and knows if he attempts to sleep it will not be peaceful, so better to not try tonight. He does not really wish to sleep before he gets the chance to talk to Anna, anyway.)
Also...
"And I am sorry, for earlier," Kratos says. He believes his anger was justified, but throwing a tantrum does not exactly make a good first impression, and Lloyd was right, saying that Kratos could have easily taken his anger elsewhere. That he regrets, if nothing else.
TIMESKIP HEAVEN NOW??
(He's not sure which is more comforting, if either is more comforting. It's hard to think about Malos at length, because then the five-year-deep wound he's trying to ignore just starts hurting again.)
Everyone's sleeping, when he arrives. The Aegis and his driver are near each other, no surprise. Nia's stuck around for now, though after the healing job she did earlier, that should be expected as well. Malos and Anna are asleep near each other, of course they are, they always are. (Seeing Anna, alive, peaceful, like this is any other day and nothing's changed, opens that wound again. He tries not to think about it.) (...Maybe he should have gone ahead to save Martel alone. Then he could unpack things with Anna, later-- But saving Martel as an excuse to avoid his wife feels wrong.)
Actually, there is one person awake. The Lloyd-who-is-not-his-Lloyd. Kratos scowls before he can help it, worried for the boy's health, but then it occurs to him someone had to take first watch.
Kratos makes eye contact with the boy from across the camp, suddenly nervous. Lloyd hasn't exactly seen the best of him so far, has he? It would probably be too presumptious to approach Lloyd, but it also does not sit well in Kratos' stomach to say nothing at all, so:
"If you are only awake becuase you're keeping watch, I'll gladly take over for you," Kratos offers. (He knows his own mind, and knows if he attempts to sleep it will not be peaceful, so better to not try tonight. He does not really wish to sleep before he gets the chance to talk to Anna, anyway.)
Also...
"And I am sorry, for earlier," Kratos says. He believes his anger was justified, but throwing a tantrum does not exactly make a good first impression, and Lloyd was right, saying that Kratos could have easily taken his anger elsewhere. That he regrets, if nothing else.