I wake up to knocking on my door.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Hey… you awake?”
*Yawns* I wake up sleepily, turning on the other side of my bed. (I don’t want to get up…)
Another knock. “I’m leaving then….”
(Sounds like Lon’qu…)
A louder knock.
Lon’qu: “…Seriously.”
Tap tap.
Lon’qu: “Wake up, Laura…”
“Huh?! Lon’qu?!” My voice still sleepy.
(Am I dreaming?!)
A chuckle.
“…Did you just wake up…?”
I bolt upright. (He- He just laughed didn’t he?!)
I scramble out of bed and hit my knee.
Laura: “Ow ow ow…” (If I wasn’t awake before, now I am!!)
Lon’qu: “What is going on in there…”
Laura: “N-nothing!”
I hop to the door and swing open my tent flap.
Laura: “Hi…Morning…!”
His eyes widen, his cheeks and his ears turn red. I follow his eyes.
Lon’qu: “…”
I look down at myself…
Realization that I had legit tumbled out of bed in my pajamas to say hi to him. My face is on fire.
(I don’t want him to see me like this?!!?)
(My hair is probably a mess too…)
(A horrible sight…!!!)
I cover my face with my hands.
Laura: “ah hahah…” An awkward laugh…
And flee back inside behind my door.
(AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!)
He clears his throat.
Lon’qu: “Chrom sent me on a mission so…”
Lissa: “There you are, Lon'qu! I take it my brother talked to you?”
Lon'qu: “Er...”
Laura: (Lissa… Chrom’s little sister… the princess. Royalty…)
*Sigh* (Well… it is a mission from Chrom…)
Lissa: “Oh, stop it! Yes, I'm a girl, but it's your job to guard me! So no running away and being all weird. All right?”
(He’s ORDERED to watch out for her…) I grumble.
I grab my earpiece the farther they walk away… together.
Lon'qu: “Chrom said there was a plot on your life. Is this accurate?”
Lon'qu: “You're of royal blood. That's enough to make you a target. And any shadow could hide a knife, so we must ensure you are never alone.”
(He is so nice to amuse her…)
Lissa: “I don't have to worry about a thing with you around! La la laaaa…”
I sighed.
Lon'qu: “Don't be careless!”
My heart drops. (Words that he says to me all the time…)
Lon’qu: “Keep your eyes open! Death could lurk in any nook or...”
Lon’qu: *Sigh* Surely there is someone else better suited to this task.”
It’s painful. (I know he is watching out for her. Chrom was right to pick him… I would too…)
I’m agitated. I leave my tent and start heading over to the other training ground that’s a bit further from our camp.
Lissa: “Yeah, but you were just lazing around catching butterflies all day, so Chrom—“
Lon'qu: I certainly was not!
His yell in my ears jolted me. (For him to get so defensive…)
(Good looking… well obviously.) I snide.
Lissa:” Oh, fine. No handshaking. We can just...nod at each other.”
Lissa: “Sheesh! Do you really have such a problem with women?”
I imagine her trying to get up close and on his personal space… “Ugh…”
I start gathering firewood.
Lon'qu: I find them...disconcerting. But it will not interfere with my duty.
Laura: (Duty bound… that defines him so well…)
Lissa: “Hmm... Maybe as thanks for guarding me I'll go ahead and fix your little problem...”
I freeze. (Did I sound like that…?)
Lon'qu: “...Or maybe not?”
(He shot that down quickly…) I drop the firewood.
Lissa: “It's about time the rain stopped. I thought it'd never—ooooooh! Look! A rainbow!”
“A rainbow… what a sign…” I place a piece of firewood on the middle of the stump, take out my axe, and swing down hard.
Lon'qu: “Keep your distance. I can see it from here.”
(Good. Better be!!) I chop the firewood in half and then half again.
Lissa: “Um, can you even GUARD me against that far away?!”
(He must be pretty far…)
Lon'qu: “I can close the distance in the blink of an eye.”
(Don’t I know it…)
Lon'qu: “Enough! Stop trying to get closer!”
I hiss. As I set up another firewood to chop.
Lissa: “Hee hee! You're pretty sharp! ...But I'm just trying to be friendly. How are we supposed to be best buds if you're way over there?”
“Best buds…” “How about no…”
Chop! Chop! Chop!
Lon'qu: “I'm close enough to protect you. ...And we are NOT "best buds."”
“Protect…”
Crack! I split this firewood incorrectly…
Lon'qu: “...Do you truly not see how your presence energizes the others? How your smile and demeanor put everyone at ease?”
“…” Thwack!! “Does she have that effect on you…?” Swish! I completely missed the wood…
Lissa: “R-really? Hee... Sooo, what about you, Lon'qu? ...Does my smile put you at ease?”
My breath hitches.
Lon'qu: “Perhaps. ...From a certain distance.”
“…” Chop…!
Lissa: “Ugh, why do I even BOTHER?! I'll see you later, grump.”
Lon'qu: “But my orders... You'll be... Argh! Hmm, now that I think about it, there's been no sign of any attempts on her life... Either her would-be assailants are being extremely cautious... Or perhaps this is some sort of ruse? Are she and Chrom toying with me?”
Lissa: “The path's kinda bumpy here, Lon'qu. Should we hold hands?”
I’m in mid swing when the wood I was chopping hits my collarbone…
“The audacity.”
Lon'qu: “No.”
(It better be a no…)
Lissa: “Honestly, you think you'd be used to me by now. And you're always so serious! It wouldn't kill you to smile once in a—“
Lon'qu: “Shhh!”
I stiffened. I can feel my blood trickling down.
Lissa: “That is SO rude! Gods, I'm only trying to—“
Lon'qu: “Get behind me! Quickly! There's a— Hngh!”
My blood runs cold.
Lissa: “N-no, Lon'qu! You're hurt! Please, you can't... Don't die!”
“…”
Lon'qu: “...Ngh. It's just a single arrow. It won't kill me.”
(HE TOOK AN ARROW!!! FOR HER.)
(I don’t know why, but this bothers me a lot…)
Lon'qu: “I wager we've found your assassins. Stay close!”
Lissa: “Here, hold still. Let me tend to your wounds.”
I grumble… the blood pooling in front of my top. (Healing him is MY job.)
Lon'qu: “I'm fine. Are you hurt?”
Laura: “……”
Lissa: “Lon'qu, you just... You saved my life.”
(He would… for anyone… if someone is in trouble, he would save them. That’s just how he is…)
Lon'qu: “I followed orders. You should be safe now, but I'd better escort you to your tent, just to be certain.”
(Such a knight… truly…)
Lissa: “Now that you foiled the plot, I guess your bodyguard duty will be over... I suppose we're done walking together like this, huh?”
Lon'qu: “I see no reason to continue.”
(Or so he says…)
Lissa: “Yeah, but... We were finally getting close. I'd be sad to lose that now.”
Lon'qu: “Do not lay this at my feet. I told you to keep your distance.”
(But the girls don’t stay away… and you can’t say no…)
Lon'qu: *Sigh* I...suppose...we could still chat. If you want. ...From time to time.
A long breath escapes me. Thwack! I swing my axe, split the firewood in half. Feeling the wetness of my blouse.
Lissa: “You mean it?! Oh, yay! Thanks, Lon'qu!”
Lon'qu: *Grumble, grumble*
(Why… are you so sweet like this Lon’qu…)
“Geez. I made a mess.” Wood everywhere, some good cuts, some bad ones… (Is that my blood on that wood there? Gross.) (I need to clean all of this up…)
I sigh.
I look down and notice that my blouse is covered in blood.
(Well… this can’t be good…)
I walk a little ways to the stream with a cloth that I found in my pocket. (Good thing I grabbed this.)
I dip it in water and then dab it at my cut first…
I wince. It’s cold and it stings.
(It shouldn’t even have bled this much?!) I sigh.
I rinse the cloth in the stream and wipe my cut again. I wince again. (Something is stuck in there isn’t it…) I can’t see from this angle… I’m going to have to ask someone to take a look… I dab the cloth at the front of my blouse now. (Yeah… this isn’t going to come out…)
“Where are you…?!” His voice in my ear. I had totally zoned out. (Not that I can reply anyways…)
“Were you attacked?!!”
“Huh…?” Before I can look towards to the sound of the voice.
He places his hands on my arms and turns me making me face towards him. His eyes scanning from my head to my toes.
“L-Lon’qu?!”
Lon’qu: “Are you okay?! You’re bleeding?!”
His voice panicked almost.
Laura: “I-I’m fine!” “It’s stopped…” My eyes take in his sight. His bandages from where the arrow has struck him.
Laura: “A-are you okay?” My hands absentmindedly to touching his bandages.
A sigh of relief escapes his mouth.
Lon’qu: “When I saw all that wood… I thought…”
(Was he worried about me…?)
I laugh dryly.
Laura: “That… was my mess.” “B-by the way, can you check out my cut? I think there might be a splinter in it…”
I point to the spot where I got hit.
Lon’qu: “Hold still.” He takes a step closer to me, to see better. He takes out a smaller dagger.
I can feel his breath on me…
(Which now I’m conscious about the way I’m breathing…)
My cheeks feel hot. I look down at his hands, but I couldn’t help looking up and my eyes meet his eyes.
Lon’qu: “I’ll make it quick…” With his steady precision, he removes the splinter with his dagger. Takes the rag from my hand, and rubs it on the cut with his thumb, feeling.
My breath hitches…
(I don’t feel anything poking out…)
Lon’qu: “Should be out now…”
Laura: “T-Thank you…”
My chin accidentally brushes his knuckles…
He lets go of the cloth and whips his hand away like he’s burned.
Lon’qu: “…!”
His cheeks getting flustered by the second.
(Does he really hate touching me…?)
The cloth catches on my blouse, I pick it up and put it away.
Laura: “Anwyays, I-I should clean up…” I walk back and start with the good cuts. I stack them neatly in a pile for those who might need to use it. Next, I take the uneven cuts and start to put those in its proper pile.
He comes by and helps me clean…
I take the broom and sweep up the rest.
We clean in silence…
Laura: “T-thanks for helping me out yet again…”
Lon’qu: “If you need anything, just ask and I’ll come…”
Laura: “Anything…?” I look towards him. Curious.
Lon’qu: “Within my abilities.”
I get greedy.
Laura: “Anytime? Anywhere…?”
He nods his head.
Lon’qu: “For you…”
Laura: “I’ll remember this forever you know!”
Lon’qu: “Then, call on me…”
(Him making promises like this… I must be the luckiest girl in the world.) My face spreads into a smile, I couldn’t help it.
And he… smiles back.
(H-he’s smiling!!) I had to call him out on it!!
Laura: “Y-you’re smiling…!!!” His warm smile… making me feel dizzy.
He frowns. “N-no…” (His frown is so cute too…)
Laura: “If you say so…”
(But, I know what I saw!)
(And, I’ll remember it…)
That night, I doodled his smiling face.
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