While Diana and Steve slept peacefully, Arthur remained awake, sitting at the bow of the small boat, his eyes fixed on the waves gently rocking the vessel beneath the dark veil of night. The sea breeze tousled his hair slightly, but he didn't seem to mind. His expression was calm, almost expressionless, but there was a silent tension in his distant gaze, as if he carried the weight of thoughts he couldn't—or didn't want to—share.
Time passed unhurriedly, until, amid the silence broken only by the rhythmic sound of the waves, Steve awoke. He stretched, letting out a long yawn, then sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes before noticing Arthur, motionless, sitting in the same place where he had last seen him the night before.
"You stayed up all night, Arthur?" he asked, his voice still hoarse with sleep.
Arthur slowly turned his gaze away from the horizon and, with a faint, tired smile, replied:
"Yeah… I was thinking about some things and just… couldn't sleep."
Steve stood up and, without saying anything for a moment, walked over to sit beside him. They stayed there, side by side, in silence, just listening to the ebb and flow of the sea. The sky was starting to lighten ever so slightly, hinting that dawn would soon arrive.
"Can I ask you something?" Steve asked after a few seconds, breaking the quiet.
Arthur tilted his head and gave a faint smirk.
"You just did."
Steve let out a small chuckle, shaking his head.
"Uh… Very funny," he said sarcastically, before sighing and getting straight to the point. "You and her… are you a couple, or something like that?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow, turning slightly to face him.
"Why would you ask that?"
Steve scratched the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed, looking away.
"Well… it's just that… she seems to be trying to get closer to you. And honestly, it's impossible to ignore the way she looks at you. But you… you seem to keep a certain distance."
Arthur didn't answer immediately. Instead, he let out a long sigh, looking back at the sea, as if searching for some answer among the waves.
Steve observed him for a moment, noting the other man's closed-off, thoughtful expression. He didn't know exactly how to help but felt he should at least try, to repay the help Arthur had given him in Themyscira. Besides, he also knew how to recognize when someone was carrying a burden far too heavy alone.
(Only an idiot wouldn't notice Diana's affection…) Arthur thought, sighing inwardly.
In truth, that was precisely one of the reasons that had kept him awake the entire night. Her gaze, her concern, her closeness… All of it made him reflect in ways he didn't want to—or perhaps didn't know how to—deal with. After all… he wasn't from this world.
Maybe there was a chance to return, thanks to the Special Space Stone, but the uncertainty gnawed at him. Should he give in to Diana's feelings and risk breaking her heart by disappearing forever? Or would it be better to push her away now, even if that also meant hurting her?
The doubts weighed like anchors in his mind, preventing any rest.
Then Steve, noticing the prolonged silence, tried to ease the tension with a more direct question:
"Do you… already have a woman?"
Arthur let out a brief, humorless laugh before replying naturally:
"Yeah. More than one, actually."
Steve's eyes widened, completely caught off guard.
"What?!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his disbelief. "How… how is that possible? How can someone have two women at the same time… and talk about it like it's the most normal thing in the world?"
Before he could concoct any wild theory, his mind involuntarily drifted back to Themyscira… Antiope… Hippolyta…
(Wait… is he… with both of them?!) he thought, his eyes widening even more as he stared at Arthur with a look of complete astonishment.
Arthur immediately noticed where Steve's thoughts had gone and let out an amused snort.
"Whatever it is you're imagining right now… just know you're completely wrong," he said with a sarcastic smile.
Steve opened his mouth to respond but ended up laughing, a bit sheepishly.
"Okay… fair enough."
Arthur then turned his gaze back to the horizon, his expression more serene, though still tinged with melancholy.
"Anyway… there's no need to think too much about the relationship between me and Diana. Only time will tell what's going to happen."
How could he not notice Steve's thoughts? But the truth was, he himself didn't even know what was happening with his life. He didn't know what was going on in his own world, nor whether the flow of time there was the same. Perhaps an eternity had already passed… or maybe just a few seconds. The only thing he was certain of was his desire to go back.
And yet… part of him didn't want to leave.
"It's not very gentlemanly of you to keep a lady waiting, Arthur," Steve teased, giving him a knowing look.
Arthur simply let out a faint smile, not replying, letting the silence speak more than any words could.
Shortly after, as the sun began to paint the sky in shades of orange, they both noticed a strong light in the distance, cutting through the morning mist.
"Look at that…" Steve murmured, pointing.
Arthur stood up, narrowing his eyes to see better. The imposing silhouette of a huge steamship stood out on the horizon, slowly approaching.
With a brief nod, Arthur and Steve exchanged a glance, agreeing without needing to say anything. With Steve's help, they prepared the ropes, and when the ship got close enough, they managed to catch the crew's attention, who kindly agreed to tow the small boat.
The sound of gears and steam escaping from the boilers filled the air as their boat was firmly secured to the ship.
Thanks to the strength and speed of the large vessel, what could have been a journey of days was drastically shortened. Time, which had previously felt like a silent enemy, now passed quickly, as if fate itself was eager to hasten the next chapters of their journey.
By the time they finally reached the port, the sky was already fully bright, tinting the sleeping city with soft shades of blue and gold. It was dawn.
(End of the world)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."