I stand in front of his tent, debating if I should just barge in or not…
I woke up earlier than usual, since I tend to like sleeping in.
Laura: (Maybe I’ll come back later…)
I pivot on my feet to turn myself back around and run smack into something warm.
“Humph.”
I look up, my chin practically resting on his chest.
Laura: “L-Lon’qu?!”
Lon’qu: “Who else would it be…”
My cheeks flush as I’m practically still pressed in him. I step back on reflex.
Laura: “S-sorry…!”
The tips of his ears turn red.
Lon’qu: “I-it’s fine… anyways you’re here early…?”
Laura: “I was awake for once… besides you’re up even earlier?!”
Lon’qu: “I go on morning jogs.” He looks at me, I’m still blocking the entrance of his tent.
Laura: (But, he never invites me…? Mind that I’m always sleeping but still…)
Laura: “Oh…” I remember why I was even here in the first place. “Anyways!”
Lon’qu: “?”
Laura: “Cordelia today alright? With that, I hope you have a good day. Don’t forget your mic!”
Lon’qu: “Hey wait a minute….”
Cordelia: “Lon'qu, we're about to hold the war council.”
Lon'qu: “...Er, may I ask you something?”
(He’s initiating a question…?)
Lon'qu: “Why did you come to my assistance in our most recent battle?”
Cordelia: “Well, you were beset by foes and looked as if you needed the help.”
(He needed help…)
Lon'qu: “I see. You are not wrong in this.” “I would like to settle the debt quickly. Is there anything you need?”
(So he did need help…) (A debt he says…)
I just start walking though I don’t really have a particular destination.
Cordelia: “It's hardly a debt, Lon'qu. We're on the same side.” “I'd love to get some fencing lesson, but I suppose that's not possible.” “I mean, what with your crippling phobia of standing near women.””
(Does everyone notice this…?)
Cordelia: “By the way, does this phobia mean you can't help me on the battlefield, either?”
(Fighting on the same battlefield together…)
Lon'qu: “No. In the heat of battle, I am able to overcome my...inclinations.”
(Because battles are a matter of life and death…)
Cordelia: “Well, that's a relief.” “I'd hate to think you'd stand there while some brigand ran me through.”
(If he’s there and it’s within his reach, he will protect anyone…)
Lon'qu: “If you ever require assistance, you need only say the word.”
My heart drops a bit. (Isn’t that what he kind of said to me the other day?) “So he says this kind of things to everyone…?”
Lon'qu: “What has happened to my oaken practice sword?”
Cordelia: “Oh, I replaced the blade. The old one had a split in it.”
(She’s everyone’s helper though…)
Cordelia: “Er, Lon'qu? Did you know that sweat is pouring down your face?”
(They must be training with each other now…)
Lon'qu: “Yes, of course. I was just finishing my leg-strengthening drills.”
Cordelia: “Well, it's good timing, because I have a fresh pile of towels from the laundry. I'll leave one here for you.”
Lon'qu: “......”
Laura: “…”
Cordelia: “Right then! To the sound of thunderous gratitude, I'll go and prepare supper. You like cabbage stew, don't you?”
(He likes cabbage stew? I didn’t know that…)
Lon'qu: It is my favorite dish. Are you the one who keeps preparing it every meal?
(It’s his favorite….) “I really know nothing about him don’t I…” I begin aimlessly walking again.
Cordelia: “Oh, so you DID notice! Yes, that's me. I like to keep morale up by serving little treats now and then.”
My heart hurts. (He’s noticed. Of course he’s noticed…)
Lon'qu: “You help people even when they don't know it? ...Wait. Let someone else cook tonight. It's time for your first fencing lesson.”
(He must be in a good mood…)
Cordelia: “Er, but what about the whole pathological fear of women thing?”
Lon'qu: “I shall instruct you from a distance. Now tell me what you wish to learn.”
(But he doesn’t do that for me? Well… he did instruct me how to chop wood and spar but that seems like many ages ago…)
Cordelia: “Hmm? Someone tidied up all the practice equipment. Also, the laundry's been brought in and supper is on the boil. What manner of witchcraft is this?!”
Lon'qu: “I did these things.”
(Of course he’s did…)
I find myself in the marketplace somehow. My feet as taken me here without realizing it.
Cordelia: “You?!”
Laura: (She’s shocked though but of course he would help out once he’s figured out things…)
Lon'qu: “Yes. I discovered a problem during our fencing lesson. You are too worried about everything else going on in this camp. This means you are incapable of the proper focus required for fencing. I have removed the distractions so that you might concentrate properly.”
Laura: (He’s too kind… he comes off gruff but he’s not… not at all…)
Cordelia: “Lon'qu? What's happening? What are you doing? You just went pale!”
I sigh. People passing by look at me and I just smile and say hi.
Lon'qu: “I am steeling myself for our next session. It is a complicated procedure that cannot be shouted from a distance. I must...approach you...and hold your arm...to show you how...to perform the action...”
(Holding her arm…. the pit of my stomach seems to drop even more…)
Cordelia: “Gracious, Lon'qu! If it's so stressful, we can skip the lesson.”
Lon'qu: “N-no! I owe you...a debt... Just...watch well. I don't want...to do this again.”
(And he’s going to go through with it…)
Cordelia: “You have my undivided attention!”
I tried to make reasons, excuses. (Cordelia did ask for fencing lessons, and he said he was going to do whatever she wanted so…)
(Ugh, whatever.)
Market seller: “Young lady, would you like to buy some vegetables?”
Laura: “Ummm I’m not really sure what I need yet, I’m just looking thanks!”
Market seller: “I’ll throw in a secret cabbage stew recipe.”
My ears perk up with the mention of cabbage stew. “Huh…?” I walk up closer to her stall.
Market seller: “This bag contains everything you need to make cabbage stew, beef, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions. All yours for 10,000G.”
I considered her offer. (I do have some gold since I’ve also been training and sold some bouillon I found the other day… this is quite tempting…)
Market seller: “All you have to do is prepare the ingredients then simmer everything together. It’s quite easy and tasty.”
(Lon’qu does like cabbage stew…)
Laura: “Alright you got me, I’ll take it please…”
I hand her the money and she hands me the bag.
Market seller: “Thank you young lady. Have fun making that stew.”
Laura: “I will…! Thank you!”
(What am I doing exactly…)
Holding the bag in my hands, I end up walking towards the cooking area where meals are prepared.
(He definitely won’t find me here.) “I barely cook…” I start chopping up the ingredients that don’t need to be peeled.
Then I peel the potatoes and carrots and onions. Then chop them.
“Ugh, my eyes stings.” (I hate chopping onions.)
I’m crying but I continue on. Chopping the meat next, then I pour everything in a pot and let it do its thing.
Once in awhile I stir the pot. (I really hate cooking, but this does smell good.) 3 hours must have passed by now, because the sky is getting darker.
I put out the fire and take the pot off when it starts sprinkling.
(Really now…)
It starts lightly first and then it gets harder.
(Oh boy…) I take the pot and start walking back towards his tent…
(Why is it raining out of nowhere?!) I try to walk as quickly as I can with this pot in my hands.
By the time I make it to his tent, it is pouring.
(I am soaked to the bone.)
I sneeze.
Laura: “I’m—“
The tent flaps open and he practically pulls me in.
“Ah!” I almost drop the pot, but he grabs it his hand on my hand since I’m still holding it.
Lon’qu: “You’re soaked.” (His voice full of concern…?)
He takes the pot and sets it on his table. Then, he grabs a towel and puts it on my head and starts moving it in circles.
Laura: “…! W-wait a minute…!”
He stops. “…W-what?”
Laura: “My clips…”
He removes the towel off my head and I could feel that it’s super frizzy and probably crazy looking…
Lon’qu: “Heh.”
(He’s laughing at me…!)
My cheeks grow hot…
Laura: “Y-you’re laughing at me aren’t you…”
Lon’qu: “N-no.” He removes both my hair clips with precise moments then just as quickly throws the towel back on my head and continues drying it.
My heart quickens. I don’t know what to say or do, that I just let him do what he’s doing.
He continues to dry off my hair and then the towel on my shoulders.
Lon’qu: “…Are you cold?”
Laura: “I-I’m fine…” The warmth of his hands radiating through the towel doesn’t even make me register that I am freezing from the rain.
Laura: “Achoo!” I sneezed into the towel…
Even more embarrassed now, “S-sorry…” my snot probably on his towel… (oh my goshhhhhhhhh there’s no way I can recover from this… is there?!)
“…”
I can hear the rain still pouring outside.
He sighs.
Lon’qu: “Of course… You need to dry off…” He walks off then comes back with some pajamas… (his pajamas…)
He holds it out towards me.
My cheeks are on fire.
Laura: “Huh??!!”
His face is also on fire.
Lon’qu: “I-It’s better than getting cold and getting sick.”
Laura: “I-I guess…” The moment I reach out to grab it, he tugs it back and throws it across his room.
Lon’qu: “N-Nevermind!” He grabs more towels and practically throws them on me.
(W-what was that about!!?)
Lon’qu: “J-just stay b-bundled up!!”
Laura: “O-okay…” I wrapped myself in his towels like a snowman…
He nods at me in approval and takes deep breaths.
Laura: “A-are you okay…?”
His cheeks are still red.
Lon’qu: “Don’t be a-absurd. I’m always o-okay..!”
(Uh huh. Riiight.)
Silence. I’m looking at him, but he’s looking away…
“…” the rain continues to pour.
Laura: “W-well hopefully the rain lets up soon…”
Then, my stomach growls.
His eyes widen as he faces me now.
Lon’qu: “You’re hungry…?”
Laura: “I didn’t eat dinner yet so…”
We both look at the pot. (It’s probably cold now, but it’s not like we can heat it up in this rain…)
Lon’qu: “Did you cook this?” He asks as he opens the lid.
Lon’qu: “…cabbage stew?”
Laura: “Yeah… though it’s probably messed up by now…”
He takes out a ladle, two bowls, and utensils. He scoops out some cabbage stew for me first and then himself.
Laura: “Y-you don’t have to eat it!”
Lon’qu: “…but you made this… for me?”
(Well yeah, I heard it was your favorite.)
Laura: “I g-guess…”
I scoop some on a spoon, and take a bite.(Oh no…. it’s kind of salty.)
Laura: “Wait…! D-don’t eat it..”
But… he eats it anyways and continues eating it…
Laura: “You don’t have to force yourself to eat it…” Even though I say this, I take another bite because I am hungry.
Lon’qu: “Thanks for cooking… this is my favorite, Laura...”
(The way he said my favorite and my name after, made it sound like I was his favorite but clearly I must be delusional because he’s talking about the stew…)
(But still, I am happy.) A huge grin spreads across my face.
Laura: “Thank you for eating… thanks for having dinner for me.”
Lon’qu: “…Anytime.”
(Again with this anytime… but does he really mean it?) (Or does he say this to everyone…)
We both finished eating. The rain getting louder and louder.
I break the silence.
Laura: “It doesn’t look like this rain will let up… I’ll head home soon, unless you’re letting me stay the night?” I tease.
Lon’qu: “…!!” He looks so taken a back his face once again flushing.
I couldn’t help, but tease him a bit more.
Laura: “It’ll be nice, don’t you think? Warm and cozy, sharing each other’s body…”
He’s frazzled now. His hand covering his mouth as he looks at me. I was so enticed on how he was behaving that I didn’t finish the rest of my sentence. I had meant to say body warmth. Now I’m flustered because he’s so frazzled.
Laura: (I think I took this a bit too far…)
Laura: “I-I’m kidding…!” I reach out to lightly touch him on his arm as a reassuring pat, but the moment my fingers touches his arm, he scoots back and flies off his chair.
I get up quickly towards him, wanting to help him get up.
Laura: “A-are you okay??
On instinct, I reach out to try to pull him up off the ground.
Lon’qu: “D-don’t…!”
He must have seen it happening because the moment he said that, the towels fell off of me and I tripped on them… his face seemingly coming closer as I ungracefully fell on top of him.
Laura: “Wha…!”
Lon’qu: “…!”
My head hit his broad shoulders. His warmth seeped into me.
Laura: “S-sorry! I’ll get off…!!” I put my hands down as it landed on top of him to push myself up… (But now it’s like I pinned him down!??)
We are both staring at each other. Well, I’m looking down at him watching his eyes. His eyes flicking around though… (to my eyes, my face, lower then just as quickly back up)
(Not sure where to look…?)
His chest is heaving. His voice drops low…
Lon’qu: “P-please… just go h-home.”
My heart and stomach drops simultaneously.
I still have him pinned down, but he’s put one arm to cover his face away from me now.
I get off of him finally, accidentally kneeing him in his stomach.
Lon’qu: “…!”
Laura: “S-sorry!” I squeaked out as I run out of his place.
The moment I’m outside, the rain hits me hard and cold.
(He doesn’t want me around so much that he practically told me to leave!!)
Wetness hits my eyes and cheeks, as I run home as fast as I can.
(This is what I get for teasing him huh…)
I’m drenched from head to toe when I get home. I change out of everything and put on fresh, dry pajamas and wrap my hair into a towel.
I wipe my face dry in another towel and plop in bed.
“Why does he affect me so…?”
I sigh a long draining sigh. As I take out my list, and cross out Cordelia’s name. “The list is still long… still got long ways to go…”
When I hear a sigh in my ears. My heartbeat picks up…
(His mic…) I had totally forgotten about it too…
Lon’qu: “Too… close…”
Lon’qu: “!”
Then, rustling like the mic being plucked and thrown somewhere.
“G-geez. It feels like I’m the one that was tossed away…” I take off the earpiece and throw it in the jar.
I pull out my doodle book, sigh again… but my hand draws his face anyways… his vulnerable blushing face…
