Disclaimer: I don't own Bravely Default.
Mornings were relatively the same in Eternia; steely-grey, tinted by the clouds and almost perpetual snowfall that graced the immortal country.
The towering stronghold that was Eternian Central Command seemed almost an affront to the peaceful sunrise. With the purpose of the crystals, the vestal, her quest, and everything else sleeping beneath Luxendarc's underbelly brought to light, it stood more as a reminder of how the Eternians nearly assisted in the world's ruin, rather than prevent it. But time would heal the scars Eternia drew across the land. Time and compassion.
The compound was relatively silent, save for the sounds of servants milling about, having woken early as usual to prepare for the day. But one other was awake.
Holly Whyte was no stranger to early hours. When she had been assigned with Barras, she quickly had to get used to his loud, joyous, airship-shaking cries that a new day had started, bringing with it the start of another rigorous workout regime. Her normal response would be to cast a quick Aero and pull the pillow over her ears, trying to salvage the last few vestiges of sleep.
Today, however, she greeted the rising sun with a smile, relishing the warmth, finding pleasure in almost everything; the icy blue-grey of her country, the way the snowflakes danced across the window, and the hope the day would bring.
The lump next to her stirred. Yes, there was something else to find pleasure in. Slowly, she pulled down the sheets, revealing a sliver of jade hair, which she attempted to stroke, only to be met with a surprise, the owner leaping out of the sheets, pinning Holly to the bed, holding a kunai to her neck.
Konoe Kikyo's face blossomed red as she realized who she had nearly cut, the white mage smiling mischievously despite her position. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
Konoe set her kunai on the little nighttable near the bed, apologizing profusely in her usual cluster for her actions. Holly merely let out a chuckle, assuring the ninja that everything was fine, and that she was more curious about where she'd been hiding that kunai rather than her use of it.
"And I thought you'd fixed that problem." said the blonde, referring to Konoe's rapid-fire speech.
"I…am sorry." she spoke, slower, with more purpose. "It is a hard habit to break. Forgive me."
Holly leaned up and planted a kiss on Konoe's nose. "You apologize too much."
Were you to ask the exact moment Holly fell in love with the ninja Konoe Kikyo, she'd reply she didn't particularly know, only that it started when they were preparing to fight the vestal, and had given the younger girl an impromptu speech lesson, as well as a friend, and a slight dissolving of her fears.
Friendship had slowly turned to affection, and affection to love, culminating in the previous night, where they had given themselves to each other, heart, body, and soul ("Particularly body." Holly would say). The white mage could barely recall the night's passions, the only truly prominent memory that at some point she had lost feeling in her legs, and had possibly seen stars.
As Konoe composed herself, Holly stole a glance at the sight of the ninja's bare form; slender, lithe, every dip and curve in the right place, like a work of art.
Holly retracted her previous statement. She had definitely seen stars.
The white mage pulled Konoe into a hug, the kunoichi's reflexes not kicking in, though she let out a little squeak of surprise, her face, if possible, turning even redder.
"You smell nice." she purred into Konoe's ear, running her hand along the ninja's flat stomach delighting in the way the younger woman shivered at her touch.
Konoe was at a loss for words. Talking normally was still proving a slight challenge with her; things like 'pillow talk' were an entirely foreign concept. "Uh…uh…"
Holly nibbled Konoe's ear. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to." She knew the younger girl needed time to come to terms with her, them, this situation. Time and compassion.
"I…haven't been with anyone before."
Holly rested her head in the crook of Konoe's neck. "No one?"
"Isthatso—" The ninja caught herself, clearing her throat before she resumed speaking. "Is that so shocking?"
The white mage chuckled, moving her hands up to the younger woman's chest. "Well, of course. You're quite the catch, dear. Young…smart…" She gently squeezed Konoe's mounds. Soft. Smooth. Supple. "Sexy."
The kunoichi's face again took on the color of ripe tomatoes. Never had she heard those words spoken to her, about her. It was…nice. To be wanted so. A strange feeling, one she could definitely get used to.
Slowly, she turned to face the blonde, taking in the color of her eyes, blue as the untainted oceans…
-BANG! BANG! BANG!- "HOLLY!" came the unmistakeable pound and holler of the monk Barras Lehr.
For the first time that day, Holly's mood turned negative, her face matching, turning from a serene gaze into an annoyed, slightly murderous scowl. "WHAT, Barras!?" she shot back, Konoe wincing slightly.
"Look at the time, woman! It's nearly peak hour! There's training to be done!" There was a 'whoosh' sound opposite the door, no doubt the sound of him swinging his fist in jubilation. "Muscles to enhance! Things to punch! Time lost is hitting lost, let's go, go, GO!"
"IN A MINUTE!" screeched the white mage, sighing and rubbing her temples. "There's no calming him when he's like this. Sorry, dear. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
Konoe nodded, somewhat sadly, watching Holly dress, arm, and shout back at Barras whenever he urged her to hurry up. Giving the ninja a quick kiss on the cheek, Holly left, the sound of the door closing followed by that of Holly thwacking Barras with her staff, and screeching at him about ruining her beauty sleep.
With naught else to do, Konoe began the task of dressing herself. She could still feel the warmth where Holly touched her, little aftershocks on her body from a once great earthquake.
"Sexy." she whispered to the air, feeling her lips tingle at the word. The word used to describe her. A giggle escaped as she tied her hair into its usual ponytail. "She thinks I'm sexy."
The sound of a meaty fist connecting with the hard, unyielding flesh of an Ice Golem rang out across the mountains. But 'unyielding' was merely a word that meant 'had yet to meet Barras Lehr'. The monk's fist shattered the golem into fine, bite-size chunks, raining down on the clearing the brawler had chosen for training. The lesser creatures,
The Frosti and the Ice Wolves, turned tail and ran at the sigh of this hulking, battle-crazed goliath, who cackled proudly.
"That's the fifth one this morning!" he boasted, his voice stopping somewhere in mid-Ancheim. "Five more, and I'll be done with my warm-up, and the real pummeling can start!"
From her spot nearby, Holly sat, a figurative lump on a literal log, casting the occasional Aeroga or Holy at whatever unfortunate creature dared come too close. But no matter how many wolves or bears she bested, her funk would not clear.
"Holly, what gives!?" The white mage looked up to see Barras headlocking a bear, the creature clawing pathetically at the monk. "You're not your usual self!"
The blonde scoffed, tossing a hand behind her back to blast away a foolish cluster of Mandragora. "What makes you say that, you big oaf?" The jibe was weak, and she knew it.
Barras grunted as he snapped the bear's neck, dusting his hands. "Well, you've yet to snap at me for going overboard. 'Barras!'" he shrieked, in a horrible imitation of Holly's voice. "'Don't use your bare hands when fighting a bear! Use Qigong Wave to attack from a distance!'"
Holly glowered. "I sound nothing like that."
The monk's joyous laughter rang out. "I guess impressions aren't my strong suit. Not like your ninja girlfriend, right?"
It was a good thing Eternia was so cold; Holly barely registered the moment when her heart froze. With a look of pure horror, she turned to Barras, eyes wide and threatening to pop. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
"That's a new look for you." grinned the monk.
Holly was on her feet, staff pointed at Barras' throat before he could react. "I swear to everything, Barras, the Templar, the duchy, Eternia, hell, even the crystals, if you so much as breath a word, one syllable—"
"Take it easy, Holly!" laughed the monk despite his position. "If I wanted to tell anyone, I would have! You know me!"
He was right. He was the biggest mouth in Eternia. Possibly Luxendarc. Withdrawing her staff, she folded her arms across her chest. "How'd you find out?"
Barras chuckled as he struck a pose. "I'm more than just rippling muscles and raw animal magnetism."
Holly cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Cute. How?"
The monk sighed. "You have no sense of humor. I overheard the two of you talking last week. And for the record, the 22nd floor isn't really a good place to sneak around."
Holly wondered two things; how he had come to that conclusion, and how Barras Lehr, the most unsubtle person she had ever known, had managed to sneak up on her and a trained ninja.
Barras was one of the few people she trusted with her secret preferences. It had been agonizing for her to finally reveal that part of herself to him, and the only reply he had given was he hoped the girl she ended up with wasn't a lightweight. She had laughed at that, then punched him.
The white mage smiled at the memory, getting to her feet and grabbing her staff. "Well?"
Barras cocked his head in confusion. "Well, what?"
Her reply was smacking Barras on the knee with her staff, making him yelp. "We've been out here a whole hour and I've yet to see a respectable body count. Now, are you gonna get in gear, or shall I light a fire under you?" For emphasis, she flashed Holy at the end of her weapon, her trademark sadistic smile coming to her face.
The monk laughed uproariously, clenching his fists. "Well said, Holly! Just sit back and watch me work; you might learn something to teach that ninja of yours!"
"Stop jabbering and start punching!"
Barras couldn't have said it better himself.
Konoe held her hands steady, taking careful aim at the practice dummies opposite her. The training room was empty save for her, allowing the ninja to fully concentrate. Her breath was still, barely audible, and were it not for the steady rise and fall of her chest, one would think she had died standing. She was the image of focus and concentration. In this moment, it was her and her targets, nothing else mattering. Well, save for one thing.
With a movement so fast it would require Slowga to ever fully capture the process, Konoe threw the objects in her hands, the throwing stars barely glinting before embedding themselves directly in the chests of the targets. To anyone but her, it would have seemed as though the shuriken had simply appeared in the dummies. All had hit their mark. All but one, slightly off-center.
"Something troubles you."
Stifling a shriek, Konoe whipped around, kunai drawn, only to relax at the sight of the valkyrie, Einheria Venus leaning against the doorframe. "You, ah, left it open. I saw and I couldn't resist getting the chance to watch your technique up close."
Nodding, Konoe set about retrieving her weapons, pausing on the last, the one that was slightly off-mark. Lapses in her aim were rare, but not unheard of. But the cause for it was clear to her; her feelings regarding Holly.
"Do you wish to talk about it?" asked the valkyrie, her voice tinged with concern.
She did, but not with her, with no one else but Holly. But Einheria, despite her ferocity in battle and her no-nonsense attitude, had levels of compassion she kept in reserve for moments such as this. If there was anyone in the word she could trust besides Holly, it was Einheria Venus.
"Einheria…" Konoe spoke, pocketing her shuriken. "How versed are you in matters of the heart?"
That was certainly a question Einheria had not expected. "Erm…what exactly do you mean?"
The kunoichi nervously shuffled her feet, pointedly avoiding Eimheria's eyes. "I…need some insight in regards to love."
The valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Love…with who?"
Konoe was silent.
"Would you rather not say?"
"It's not that…" Konoe put in. "Can you promise to keep what I'm about to tell you a secret?"
Einheria placed her hand over her heart. "I swear on my honor, as a member of the duchy, a warrior, and your friend. You have my word."
"I'minlovewithHollyWhytewe'vebeendatingforthepastfewmonthsandonlyjustlastnightdidwebecomeoneanditwasfantastic."
"ButI'mstillconfusedaboutthiswholesituationI'veneverbeeninarelationshipbeforeandIdon'tknowwhattodo."
"You'retheonlypersonIfeelcanprovideinsighttomaintainingarelationshipandthisismyfirstoneeverandIwantittogowellansIloveHollysosososomuch."
"Willyoupleasepleasepleasepleasehelpme?" Konoe took in a large lungful of air as she finished; the stress of the situation made her regular speech pattern see foreign, and she nearly ran out of breath.
Einheria's eyes were wide as the kunoichi finished her explanation, cheeks dusted slightly pink. "Y…You're in love with Holly?"
"Yes."
"And the two of you had sex last night?"
Konoe blushed at that question. "Yes."
"Huh…" Einheria clucked her tongue. "Well, in regards to your concerns, I should say that they are completely unfounded."
The kunoichi tilted her head. "Pardon."
The valkyrie smiled and shook her head. "Konoe, you became attracted to Holly because you're you. She fell in love with you. And she bedded you because you're you. Whatever worries you have about the relationship becoming unsuccessful are nonexistent, because you're doing everything right. And I've known Holly for quite some time. She's not the type of woman to do anything, or anyone…" She winked as she made that little remark, causing Konoe to blush deeper. "Without reason."
Einheria's words resonated in Konoe's heart,and she felt her resolve steel. "Einheria…thank you."
The blonde gave the ninja a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'm glad I could assist. Take care." With that, Einheria left, hiding from Konoe the mischievous smile on her face. 'Mephilia owes me a considerable amount of pg.'
"Ow, ow, ow! Gentler, woman, geez!"
-slap- "Stop your whining you big baby!" Holly snapped back, lugging Barras behind her like a sack of potatoes. Awkward, considering the six-inch spike of ice protruding from his left shoulder, courtesy of a well-place strike via Ice Golem. "This is your fault, besides, thinking you could bite through an Ice Golem's neck. Does anything run through your head besides 'hit' and 'hit harder'?"
"Nope!" laughed the monk proudly.
-slap- "Idiot."
Holly's mood was lifted when she saw Konoe appear from around a corner, both girls faces lighting up at the sight of the other. "Holly!" exclaimed the kunoichi. "Thank goodness I found you—what happened to Barras?"
"Just a flesh wound." the brawler replied. "Nothing to worry about." As if to punctuate his statement, a small arc of blood squirted from the wound, landing on the floor.
For the third time, Holly slapped Barras, ordering him to walk himself to the infirmary, and to try not to spill blood everywhere. The monk huffed but complied, giving Holly a knowing wink as he left that nearly incurred an Aeroga. "Sorry about that." she said. "He's like a child, I swear. Though, I've met children smarter. How's your morning go—"
Her words were cut off when the ninja pulled her close, yanked her, really, into a deep kiss. For the first time in a long time, Holly was shocked. After what seemed like far too short a moment, they broke apart, leaving Holly breathless.
"Holly…" Konoe squeaked out before clearing her throat. "I'm very new. To all of this. But I love you, I trust you, and I want this to work, to be meaningful." She gulped. "And I'm sorry if I wasn't…satisfactory the previous night."
The white mage snorted before exploding into laughter, wrapping her arms around Konoe's waist and planting a kiss on her neck. "Oh, honey…if you want this to be meaningful, first step is your self-esteem. Which I believe could use a boost." Holly hoisted up the kunoichi, making her squeak yet again, her face turning red. "For starters, you were excellent last night."
"I-I was!?"
Holly smirked. "Why else would I be going for round two?"
END