"Away, woman!" It was his brutal tone that caused Sumia to nearly jolt out of his skin. She rubbed the back of her head, opening her eyes to see who exactly she had landed on. Being a Shepherd wasn't the easiest job in the world, and it hardly helped that she was surrounded by others who were much more graceful and talented than herself. The pale-haired young woman gasped, leaping back only to land on her bottom again. A short whimper passed her lips. It appeared that she had knocked over the man known as Lon'qu, a mysterious myrmidon who hailed from Chon'sin. Biting her lip, the pegasus knight fiddled with her fingers, trying to sum up the courage to speak.
"I-I'm so sorry!" She was quick to stand up and apologize rigorously. "So, so sorry!" She bit her lip. The last thing she wanted was an unfavorable relationship with one of their strongest warriors. Lon'qu gave a long, drawn-out sigh as he stood up, crossing his arms. She reached out to help him up, but he ignored her hand. The action only crushed her confidence further. He seemed to notice, and guilt stabbed him in the gut.
"It's fine." The powerful myrmidon was quick to reassure her. Unfortunately, his gruff tone of voice didn't seem to better her feelings. Gods, why did he have to be so incompetent with women? He resisted the urge to groan in exasperation. Sumia didn't seem to shrivel underneath his gaze, but her eyes lit with realization as she spotted something that he had perhaps dropped. Before he even had the chance to move, she had already bent over and picked it up. She cast a quick glance at the cover, and spoke immediately, cutting him off before he could even open his mouth.
"Oh! I love this series!" She told him. Although the book appeared worn and beaten, she could still make out the distinctive cover image. "You have very good taste." She smiled over at him, reaching out to hand the book back to him. "I-I have the other books back in my tent. If you ever want them… I could lend them to you." He cleared his throat, and she flustered slightly, realizing how eager she had seemed. However, she could have sworn that she spotted a light fluster on his face? Must have been her imagination, she decided, as the dark-haired man took the novel back gently.
"Thank you…" He stated, a bit awkwardly. "I'll be going now." He told her, leaving her puzzled and perhaps a bit disappointed. Had she made a bad impression on him? Sumia could only wonder as she watched him leave, before she picked up her own belongings.
"Hello…" Sumia jolted at the unexpected voice, managing to drop the plate she had been holding earlier. It landed with a loud crash, causing her to flinch once more. She knew that it was Lon'qu had spoken, but she was too embarrassed at her blunder to even face him.
"I'm sorry!" She apologized, face flustered as she hastily swooped down to pick up the pieces. In her frantic attitude, she managed to cut her finger. Cringing at the sharp sting, she paused as she felt a hand grip her wrist. "Oh–uh, Lon'qu…" She looked up to him. The myrmidon, although serious, was absolutely flustered. Really flustered. Completely red in the face. "Sorry…"
"Gods, stop apologizing. Nothing has been your fault." His tone was a bit harsh, and he released her wrist. "I'll tell someone who's on duty to clean it up. Come with me. We'll bandage your wound." Sumia blinked at the order. He was quick to stand up and turn away from her. As she calmed, she wondered what he had wanted from her in the first place. She followed him hastily from the kitchen tent, where all of the dishes and bowls were kept. "I'm sorry for the other day." His wording was slow, as though he was carefully considering what he was saying. "I was… harsh. I did not mean to be."
Lissa, who had seen him blushing, had demanded to know why. After telling her about the encounter, he had been scolded by her for the awkward and brisk way he had handled Sumia. He had left her feeling guilty. And he felt guilty himself. She was a considerate person, from what he had seen of her, abet clumsy. She was always attempting to care for other people. Lon'qu had been harsh with her in his hastiness to get away from her. Sumia blinked up at him, spotting his reddening ears, and a smile bloomed on her face. All of this time, she had thought that she had offended him.
"Oh, that's fine." It really wasn't. Lon'qu was momentarily puzzled at her generosity. "I'm just glad I didn't offend you or anything." Too courteous and kind. Sumia might not be confident, but she was understanding. "I'm just clumsy and awkward–I thought I–"
"You owe yourself more self-confidence than that." Lon'qu cut her off, peering over at her. His face was mildly flushed, she noted. "You're… too considerate to others. You should take care of yourself more often… I would… not like to see you fall ill." Her soft eyes widened as he spoke, showing his own considerate side. They arrived at the medical tent, and no one seemed to be inside. "You're much more than awkward or clumsy." His voice lowered into a soft mutter, but it was still audible.
He had a very kind side, despite his gruff attitude. The discovery prompted a gentle smile from Sumia.
Surprisingly, he didn't mind Sumia's presence as much as he did with other women. Not that he hated women, but his irrational fear had a habit of popping up at the worst times. Sumia was kind, and noting that he seemed to be wary of females, was considerate enough to keep her distance. She had brought him some more books from the same series to read… And went out of her way to interact with him.
Blast it. He scolded himself, finding a small flush blooming on his face. The last thing he wished to do was show that type of emotion around camp. The myrmidon sighed, running a rough hand through his messy, dark locks. He sat alone in his tent, lost in thought for some time, before he realized that he hated being idle. Pushing off of his cot, he went to leave his tent, only pausing at the sound of a loud thump outside. Blinking slowly, he rushed out, into the camp. It was near dark now, he noted, perhaps having lost track of time. He raked his gaze over the area, only to nearly jump out of his skin as he spotted Sumia, who had toppled over after tripping on a branch.
"Sumia!" He was quick to move over to her, crouching by her side. Waves of panic caused his heart to thump wildly, until she lifted her head. "Are you alright?" Quickly, she moved herself into a seated position.
"Yes, I'm fine." She gave a slight laugh. "I just tripped over a stray branch." He gave a soft, almost exasperated sigh, standing up and offering her a hand, which she gratefully took. He was almost lost in how soft her hand was, or how well it fit into his own. "You're okay…?" He was puzzled at her question–until he realized that he had not blushed, or flinched at the contact. Upon seeing his puzzled expression, she gave a soft giggle, which caused him to fluster.
"Well, if it's you… then I feel fine…"
"Sumia." The pale-haired young woman turned, a smile blossoming on her face. However, a befuddled expression soon emerged, seeing how serious he looked. At her stare, he broke into a blush, as though unnerved. "There's something that I've decided to tell you." Raising her eyebrows, she peered over at him curiously.
"Yes, Lon'qu?" They were pretty close now… Although Sumia had to admit, that deep within her there was a definite wish to be closer to him. She cared for him very deeply by now, and their relationship was now a far cry from the misunderstanding when they had first met.
"I-I want you to have this." It was a quick and graceful motion, in which he knelt down on one knee and procured a small, velvet box. Her heart caught in her throat as he slowly opened it, revealing a pretty ring, with a gleaming gem in the middle. The feelings that overwhelmed her threatened to knock her over completely, and she seemed to tremble. "I want you to marry me. I love you." There was a flicker of doubt on his face, as though afraid of rejection.
"I-I accept, Lon'qu." A soft smile bloomed onto her features, and he could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat. "I love you too. How could I not?" Soon, the ring had been slipped onto her finger, a testament to their future together.