All the hard work, everything Arra had fought for, the years spent training, struggling to get up higher, the Trials, the sweat and blood, the respect she had earned at long last; it had all just slipped through her fingers like fine grains of sand. Decades of effort, erased by one moment. One mistake. One instant of carelessness.

Beaten by a pacifist.

She managed to hold in her tears until she got to the waterfalls.

It was the perfect place to hide. Other vampires rarely showered any other time of the year, much less during Festival. Nobody would find her here. She sank to the floor, cradling her damaged arm against her, replaying the moment where it had all gone wrong in her head. Tears stung the corners of her eyes, but she simply couldn't let them fall. She hadn't cried in years. Then she remembered Kurda's hand, held out in front of her. I can't.

The waterfall mostly drowned out her quiet sobs.

How long she sat there before she heard the footsteps, she didn't know.

I know those footsteps, she thought, biting her tongue and forcing herself silent. Then she groaned. Nobody would find her here, that was right. Not unless they had a mental connection to her. Larten, please, she pleaded in her mind, please just leave. I can't stay strong in front of you right now. Go. But the footsteps kept coming. Pulling her knees up against her chest, her head dropped down into her good arm. She forced herself not to look up when he stopped in front of her.

"Arra?" Her heart melted at the sound of his voice. It was so familiar, so comforting, yet at the same time it made her ache. He would never talk to Arra like he talked to talked to her... Never. No matter how much she hoped. 'Stuck in the friendzone', a saying that usually only applied to men. Yet here she was. Stuck in the friendzone. "Are you okay?" Her heart was pounding, and her tongue was tied in knots. Go away, she thought again. "Arra," he repeated, and reached out a hand to stroked her hair. That was it. Hot tears streamed down her face. Her shoulders began to shake. Larten sat down next to her, an arm sliding around her. Why was he even here?

"Larten?" she willed her voice not to shake, "I guess since I have no more reputation to speak of anymore, after that, I can stand to get laughed at. I need to tell you something."

"Anything. I promise I won't-"

"I love you," the words poured out because it didn't even matter anymore, "But we can just be friends. It doesn't really matter." That was a lie. After a few seconds of silence, she felt his other arm wrap around her and she was pulled into his lap. "H- hey! What- what's this for?" She instinctively tried to pull away, but he held her tighter against him, pressing his lips to the side of her neck.

"I love you too," he murmured.

"Impossible," Arra felt numb.

"Why?"

"I'm just your only living option. That doesn't count as love. If you could go back and saved her, you would."

"But what if I would trade it to be with you?" Arra was silent. Part of her wanted to accept this but the other said it was too good to be true. "Just give me a chance," he pleaded. She felt him press a kiss to her jaw and shivered. How many times had she wished he would do this? She began to cry again.

"I'm pathetic," she whispered, wiping her eyes.

"A person cries when they've been strong too long, not when they're weak."

"Don't crap out philosophy and expect me to feel any better."

"There's the Arra I know," Larten laughed. Arra tried not to, but she ended up smiling. "You'll get back on top eventually," he told her, "you've done it once before."

"But how many men am I going to have to beat up before that happens?" Arra groaned.

"I dunno," Larten mumbled, kissing her neck again, "but you will get there."

"Would you by any chance agree to a match?"

"Maybe," his teeth grazed her skin and she shuddered again. "But that can wait until tomorrow night, right?"

Arra turned her head, catching him by surprise and pressing her lips to his. Instead of simply allowing it, like he had years back, he placed a hand on her jaw and kissed her back. When she finally pulled away, she was grinning. He traced lazy little circles on her back with his thumb and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Yeah," she answered his question, "it can all wait for another night. But you're getting up on those bars and I'm beating you."