Tiff lay shivering under her blankets, troubling thoughts clouding her mind. After a few minutes of fitful tossing and turning she crawled out of bed and crept out of her room, giving up on sleeping for the moment.
Carefully, she made her way down the short hall, doing her best to keep her footsteps soft and light. As she passed by her brother's room and then her parent's room, she paused and enviously listened to their light snoring. How could they be sleeping so peacefully when she felt like she was dying inside?
She finally reached the end of the short hallway and shut the door behind her. Letting out a long breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she started walking through the castle towards the stairs that would take her to her favorite balcony, the one that looked out to the ocean. The dark castle seemed ominous and foreboding at night, and Tiff was glad for the warm moonlight that streamed through the windows, illuminating her path. When she passed a certain room she paused and turned back, catching a murmur of conversation. It was unusually late for anyone to be up; Tiff's heart skipped a beat as she pressed her ear against the door and heard a familiar voice that sent pleasant shivers coursing through her.
"Sword..."
"Come on Meta Knight!"
"It's pretty obvious, why not just tell her?" Came Blade's rusty voice. A strange feeling settled over Tiff, concentrating on her stomach. Blade continued, "We see how you watch her when you think nobody's looking-"
"And sometime you whisper her name at night!" Sword interrupted, and the two knights erupted into quiet gales of laughter, their amusement sounding somewhat muffled by their helmets.
"Who?" Tiff cried out, and then clapped her hands over her mouth a second too late. The laughter stopped. Metallic footsteps clinked on the other side of the door.
Tiff panicked and sprinted towards the stairs, running towards her original destination. A single, ragged sob escaped from deep inside her chest. How could she deal with the fact that she knew Meta Knight was in love with someone else? The very thought made her heart feel stabbing pain.
She reached the top of the staircase and stepped out onto the balcony, into the cool night air. A fragrant breeze gently blew her hair, loose from its usual ponytail, around her shoulders as she lifted her face to the stars and took a deep, shaky breath. Why did she ever think that Meta Knight would return her feelings anyways? He probably thought of her as just another girl in Dreamland, maybe he even thought she was stupid, or too bossy…
Tiff lost her train of thought and dove behind a nearby pillar when she heard footsteps padding up the stairs behind her.
"Tiff?" Her breath caught and she squeezed her eyes shut, praying that Meta Knight would go away. A shadow fell over her. "Tiff?" Tiff nervously opened her eyes, trying to ignore her fluttering heart when she saw him standing right in front of her. Meta Knight's eyes gleamed curiously at her from behind his mask and his midnight blue cape swirled around his shoulders.
"H-hi Meta Knight." Tiff muttered. He silently offered her a gloved hand and she hesitated before taking it, surprised at how easily he pulled her up from the ground, as if she weighed nothing at all. She immediately turned to leave but hesitated when Meta Knight didn't let go of her hand.
"What is wrong Tiff?" He asked softly.
To her horror, she burst into tears, wretched her hand out of his, and dashed down the stairs. As she reached the bottom step and stumbled to a halt, she leaned against the rough stone wall and struggled to catch her breath. She was furious at herself for losing control of her emotions, although the sharp pain in her heart made her feel nothing would ever be okay again. A soft noise startled her and suddenly Meta Knight was there, pulling his cape around himself. Tiff turned her head before they could make eye contact.
"Leave me alone." A tear ran down her cheek. She froze as Meta Knight lifted his hand, brushing her face with the back of his glove.
"You are upset." He observed. "Because you overheard our conversation?"
Tiff flushed with embarrassment and tried to dodge around him, but he stepped in front of her before she could go anywhere.
"It's nothing." She protested, feeling her face warming in mortification.
Meta Knight tilted his head. "Tell me what is wrong."
Not trusting herself to speak, Tiff tried to walk past him again, stopping when he didn't move out of her way. Her insides quivered as she suddenly realized how close she was to the knight, although they were barely touching.
"You do not have to be jealous." He sighed. Tiff was slightly disturbed at how he seemed to read her mind.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered.
"Your mind is troubled, Tiff." Meta Knight observed. "What is it that you wish to say? You can tell me anything." He shrugged his shoulders, his wings unfolding slightly.
"I don't want to tell you anything." Tiff mumbled.
"Very well." Meta Knight's eyes flashed blue. "But I think you will change your mind." He turned away, and despite everything, Tiff found herself following him to the nearest open window. Her chest was tightening, but with a great effort, she was able to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She looked out into the darkness of the night and felt Meta Knight watching her. "Do you trust me?" He murmured. Puzzled, Tiff turned to him. Why wouldn't she, after he saved her and Kirby from danger so many times?
"Yes." She whispered. Meta Knight carefully wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly. Taken by surprise, Tiff opened her mouth to ask what was going on when he leapt out of the window. The night air rushed past her and she frantically clung to Meta Knight, burying her face against his side, too startled to scream as they swiftly plummeted. Just when Tiff thought that she was going to die without ever knowing if she was loved, Meta Knight snapped open his wings, carrying them up to the large domed top of the castle. He landed on the roof and released her from his arms. Tiff shivered and shakily sat down, glad to be on something solid. It was so dark that she could barely see the outline of Meta Knight beside her, but the stars gleamed and twinkled, and the orange light of the moon reflected off of his mask.
The darkness of Dreamland below looked awfully vast from the top of the castle. Tiff shivered again and impulsively leaned against the knight, blushing as his heat seeped through his cape and into her skin. He stiffened slightly and Tiff jerked a few inches away, reminding herself that Meta Knight probably hadn't brought her here for them to stargaze together.
"Tiff..." Meta Knight seemed to shift minutely closer, a hint of regret in his voice, but Tiff jumped up. Why was he acting like he cared about her?
"Why are we here?" She demanded, as Meta Knight stood slowly and gazed at the creamy moon that hung low in the sky. "I already know. That I'm not the one."
He sighed. "Tiff. You really do not know anything." Tiff wasn't pleased at this response. She started to cross her arms, but froze when Meta Knight turned, reached out, and cupped her face in his hand. Tiff drew a shaky breath. He had never touched her like this before. All of her senses went on hyper-alert as he stroked her cheek; his hand was trembling slightly and Tiff almost forgot how to breathe.
"Meta Knight." She whispered. "I already know that you don't love me. You don't love me, but...I love you." She murmured, knowing that she had to tell him before she burst. Meta Knight stroked her hair softly, his breathing slightly ragged.
Then he pulled her to him and launched them back into the sky. Even when they ducked through the window, Tiff felt like her heart was still soaring among the clouds, free of the burden that had been tormenting her for so long. Meta Knight didn't let go of her when they had landed back in the castle, but pressed himself closer briefly.
"You should not." He rasped, and in a flash of blue, was gone.
Tiff stood all alone in the hallway, feeling like she was dreaming. Then the meaning of his words hit her, along with the realization that, despite her confession to him and despite her desperate hoping, Meta Knight did not love her back. Although she should have known better, her fragile heart felt like it had just been shattered into a million pieces.
From the deep darkness at the end of the hallway, Meta Knight watched the tears fall from Tiff's sparkling green eyes. He let out his breath in quiet anguish, shooting a lingering glance at the window before retreating quietly towards the room he shared with the knights. He knew he couldn't ever let himself express how much he cared about her. He couldn't let her continue to care this way for him, and though it impacted him deeply to see her hurt, he knew rejecting her words was the best thing to do. For if he gave into the temptation to admit his own feelings, there was no guarantee she would be safe from the secrets that might work their way into her life.
Tiff's sweet scent lingered around his shoulders, and he imagined he could feel remnants of warmth from where she had leaned against his side. Closing his eyes, Meta Knight vowed to himself that he would always protect her. Even if the day did come, when the secrets would reveal themselves and she wouldn't want anything to do with him.
The possibility of that day was the thing he dreaded most in the world.