Zeref didn't pull away.
Not immediately.
Not even when his breathing finally started to stabilize and the abyssal fire around him stopped surging like it was trying to break out of his skin. The horns dimmed first, then the tail lost its sharp tension, and slowly, piece by piece, the demonic form receded until he was just Zeref again, exhausted, scorched, and far too quiet.
I stayed with him through all of it.
My arms were still around him when the last traces of instability faded. Not holding him down anymore. Just there. A reminder that he hadn't been left inside that state alone.
When his weight shifted slightly, I finally moved.
I pulled out an HP potion and pressed it into his hand.
"Drink," I said softly.
He did.
No argument. No hesitation.
Just quiet obedience, like his body had already decided it was done fighting for now.
We didn't move from the spot.
