Hello lovely readers! So I have fallen in LOVE with Graces, I absolutely adore all the characters and story so far (especially one Asbel Lhant. Such an adorable little shit). I'm not finished yet, but I thought up this little oneshot when I reached Velanik. I thought, I wonder what the others would be up to while Malik and Sophie are singing away? And here's the outcome! I hope you enjoy!
Edit: Revamped and revised! Please enjoy this new extended version!
There were only two foreseeable options Cheria could think of right now. She was either going to freeze to death, or her eardrums were going to burst from Pascal's snoring. Whichever came first.
Heaving a great sigh that left a puff of evaporated air in its wake, Cheria turned over in her bed in the hope the girl's snores would reverberate less if she faced the other way. The conclusion that this in fact wasn't the case was only secondary to the fact that Sophie was no longer in her bed. Squinting her eyes in the darkness, Cheria sat up and scanned the room.
"Sophie…?"
Although Cheria didn't worry too much about her absence (she was probably driven out from the snoring), there was no denying that Sophie was still very naive about the world, and ever since Captain Malik had started telling her all those silly stories, she felt the need to be extra protective of her. Plus it was so unbelievably cold here in the Velanik Inn, even with the fresh supply of cryas, that Cheria worried for the girl's health. She slipped out from under the covers, the chilly air instantly making her shiver even more ferociously than she already was.
But where would she have gone? It was pitch black outside, and deadly silent (minus the snoring). Sophie would at least have the right frame of mind to not go out at this hour. Perhaps… she went to Asbel's room?
Cheria tip-toed across the creaking floorboards, partly to avoid making noise and partly because the floor was particularly cold. She reached the adjacent room and slowly turned the doorknob, opening the door slightly. This creaked too, and Cheria scrunched up her face, willing the noise to cease so as to not make the boys. Of course, if Asbel was anything like he used to be, nothing would wake him up. It was Hubert she was worried about, and possibly Captain Malik, who she had no doubt had probably developed super-sensitive hearing after years in training.
Slowly, veeery slowly, she opened the door further and peaked inside. It was hard to see anything in the darkness, so she opened the door a little wider. She could make out what were unmistakably two bodies in their beds, but the middle bed was empty.
"Who else is missing too?" Cheria wondered for a moment, and perhaps she lingered a second too long, because one of the shadows popped their heads up from their pillow, causing Cheria to let out a tiny shriek.
"Cheria…?"
The pink-haired girl jumped a little, surprised to hear Asbel's voice. Did she wake him? She stepped a little closer so her whispers could be hard over Pascal, whose snores could be heard even from here.
"Sorry," She whispered in his direction, "I was looking for Sophie, she isn't in her bed."
"Oh," was his unsurprised reply as he started to sit up in his bed, "Captain Malik left a little while ago too. They're probably downstairs getting away from the snoring," He joked, but Cheria didn't doubt that was probably the real reason. Asbel's voice was steady and alert, so she guessed he hadn't been asleep at all since they went to bed.
She gave a small chuckle and nodded, despite the fact he probably couldn't see her. "I'll check there then. I'm just a little worried about Sophie."
"I'm sure she's fine if she's with the Captain." Asbel waved his hand nonchalantly. Cheria couldn't help but find it funny how he wasn't worried about her now, when he was usually so doting of her… she supposed their group really was like a little family now. If only Hubert felt more part of the family…
"Yeah, you're probably right," She nodded, holding the door a little awkwardly. "Well, goodnight then."
"Hey, wait!" His voice rose a little higher now, and Cheria hoped his voice wouldn't wake Hubert. "Do you wanna stay here a little while? I mean, to get away from the snoring? We might as well keep each other company if we both can't sleep."
For a fleeting and exceptional moment, Cheria's chest gave a little flutter and she was reminded of the little girl whose heart skipped every time her maroon-haired best friend would offer to give her a piggy-back ride. But she pushed that thought back and composed herself. That was seven years ago. Even though they were friends again, Sophie's friendship pact hadn't stopped her from still being decidedly mad at him… just a little bit.
Still, the offer was tempting, and she reasoned that in this cold and with that snoring it would be a miracle if she fell asleep. The floorboards were also getting colder beneath her feet and she had to make the decision quickly before her toes fell off. "O-Okay, sure."
She opened the door wider and the light from the hall spilled into the room, revealing Asbel sitting up in his bed, a welcoming smile on his face. Hubert was in the bed at the far end of the room, and all she could see was the back of his head beneath a mountain of blankets, but he seemed to be asleep. She stood at the entrance of the door awkwardly, wondering whether to close it or not and extinguish her only light source, when Asbel read her mind and turned on the oil lamp on his bedside table. A dull light emanated on his side of the room and Cheria shut the door, heading for the vacant bed to sit.
"Come on, come sit here," Asbel patted the end of his bed as he whispered, "Otherwise we won't be able to hear each other. I don't bite!" He added with a grin. She wondered where this sudden burst of energy came from, but she complied and sat on the end of the bed, tucking her knees up to try and keep warm. Pascal gave an especially loud snore and the two of them giggled slightly.
"I can't believe how much she snores. Is she always like that?" Asbel asked, and Cheria sighed and gave a little nod.
"Not all the time, but quite often. She also sleep-talks."
"Wait, seriously? What does she say?"
"Mostly just those funny words she uses all the time, you know, like 'coinky-dink'."
Asbel chuckled. "Somehow I'm not at all surprised by that." His expression softened then, like he was reminiscing on something. "Heh, this reminds me of the old days when you used to stay over. Remember, Hubert would always fall asleep first?" He pointed his thumb in his brothers' direction, wearing the toothy grin he wore as a child.
Cheria nodded, somewhat solemnly. "Yeah, I remember." Of course she remembered those nights. On days she was feeling especially well, she would beg her grandfather to let her sleep over at the Lhant manor. She spent so much time with the boys anyway that Lord Aston was usually pretty generous with these sleepovers. They would set up a myriad of blankets and pillows in the boys' room and play, and when Hubert was inevitably the first to fall asleep she and Asbel would talk. Sometimes Asbel would be in a silly mood and try to draw on Hubert's face, but other times he would tell her all sorts of stories, some he'd heard from Hubert or his parents, some he'd make up himself. Then eventually her eyes would begin to get droopy and Asbel would coax her to stay awake, until finally sleep claimed them both and the three of them would be bundled up in the middle of the room amidst the blankets. Those were among her favourite memories. She forgot all about her sickness on those nights.
Asbel was sitting cross-legged on the bed now, a relaxed expression matching his unruly bed-hair (more unruly than usual, anyway). She wondered if this was what he looked like those nights he and his friends from the Knight Academy would talk about Riot Peak. She still couldn't believe some of them had been girls…
The sting of his absence hit her again. She could hardly believe that after seven long years, Asbel Lhant was sitting here right in front of her. Even though she'd had the chance to tell him now, he could never know how much those seven years hurt. She'd lost count of how many times she'd cried herself to sleep, or started writing him a letter only to scrunch it up and throw it away. On many nights, she'd peer out of her window and wonder what he was doing at that exact moment, wondering if he even cared about his childhood friend anymore… whether he ever thought of her, or wanted to see her again. And now he was suddenly in her life again, like he'd never left. Of course, she wasn't really mad at him anymore, but it didn't make the past hurt any less. He was no longer the mischievous boy she knew, but he was just as kind-hearted, and equally as thick-headed. He was so thick-headed…
Her thoughts became scattered as Asbel spoke up again. "It was lucky Pascal had those horns today, huh?"
His voice had become more solemn now. "It really was. What made you think of that, though?"
"Well, I guess just seeing those kids looking for cryas… I've been thinking about how unfair it is. We didn't have to worry about that stuff growing up, but these kids don't even know if they get their next meal. It made me wonder…"
"It is really sad seeing people in such poverty," Cheria nodded in agreement. Even with a bit of cryas, the inn couldn't hold any heat at all. "I wish we could do something to help."
"But surely there must be something, right?" He piped up, a determined look on his face. Oh Asbel, she thought, ever the optimist, ready and raring to change the world. It was one of his most endearing qualities, she thought. He was always willing to help people and it pained him to see anyone in trouble. She always thought those qualities would make him a good Lord one day, but Asbel seemed to think otherwise.
"Well, maybe one day we can help… but for now, the whole world will be in trouble if we don't stop Richard," she reminded him. His gave a small nod, his determination unshaken.
"You're right… Once we get to Zavhert, we'll be one step closer to helping our friend."
Cheria couldn't help but doubt Asbel's trust in Richard. Sure, he was nice enough as a boy, but now he was power-hungry, crazed, almost… inhuman. When she saw him again for the first time in seven years at Wallbridge, she could hardly believe he was the same person. Something about him was different… she didn't know what might have caused the change in character, but she didn't like it one bit.
"What's wrong?" Asbel asked, and Cheria dreaded to answer. If she said something bad about Richard, what would Asbel think of her? No matter what, he seemed to trust the King wholeheartedly. But even so, she had to be true to herself. Telling lies just to make someone like you more was a childish thing to do. She wasn't going to lie, especially not to Asbel.
"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking… well… don't you think Richard's change in character is a little… sudden?" She said carefully, hugging herself even tighter.
"What do you mean?"
"I know we have no idea what's going through his head, but something's changed in him, Asbel… he's not the same. And it… it scares me."
Asbel realised the fear in her voice and looked straight into her eyes. He didn't waver once as he spoke. "Cheria, I won't let anything happen to you, to anyone, by Richard's hands. I'll protect everyone and I'll find out what's wrong with him."
It may have sounded heroic, but Cheria couldn't help but feel it sounded a little misguided, too. Should he really just blindly trust him, because of a silly childhood friendship pact? Was Asbel really this naïve, like Hubert said? "But Asbel…"
Asbel pushed his rear forward a little so he was sitting closer to the pink-haired girl, never losing eye contact with her. "I won't let him hurt you. I promise."
She looked up at him now, at the dedication in his eyes, and resolved to trust him. She never did learn how to resist that look.
"I hope Richard will be okay, then." She gave a weak smile, and Asbel seemed to be satisfied with her answer, because he smiled and nodded back.
"I hope so too." He finally looked away, and she could tell he was deep in thought. He was probably trying to figure out what could have possibly made Richard turn like this. And more importantly, what he could do to help him. Perhaps if given the choice, Asbel would leave the inn right this second and head to Zavhert as quickly as he could, so he could at least see and talk to him. She knew this was how she felt the day he left.
Her shivering had become undeniably overpowering and Asbel seemed to have finally noticed. "Geez, Cheria, you're shaking like a leaf!" Looking around, he found the spare blankets in the shelf of the bedside table, and his maroon locks fell into his eyes as he leaned down to grab them. He reached forward and wrapped one around her. "Luckily we're only here overnight, huh? Maybe Zavhert will actually have warm rooms."
"T-Thanks…" She smiled weakly as she wrapped the blankets tighter around her, basking in the extra warmth. These bouts of kindness often reminded Cheria of the old Asbel, who despite his boyish antics always seemed to be there for her. Of course, Asbel was still very kind hearted, but he was also a bit clueless. The amount of times Cheria had looked up to see Captain Malik giving her a hand after battle instead of Asbel…
In-between the snores, the two of them suddenly heard Pascal mumbling through the walls, though they couldn't understand what she was saying. They both chuckled.
"I've never heard anyone snore like that before, even at the Knight Academy," Asbel commented, and Cheria looked a little downtrodden. Asbel said he didn't miss those days, but she couldn't bear to imagine how much she missed out on.
"What was it like, having a dorm room there? It must have been awful when you first got there." Cheria didn't want to imagine 11-year-old-Asbel in a tiny, dark room all by himself after everything that had happened to him, without a friend in the world…
"It wasn't so bad. They took good care of me. Although my uniform was a bit too big to start out with," Asbel grinned. Cheria smiled at the thought too. "Everyone made me feel welcome, especially the other guys that had to dorm too."
It wasn't exactly the answer Cheria was hoping for. While he was off having fun, Cheria was at home in Lhant, crying in her room and having to go to school without Asbel and Hubert. Many, many times over the years, Cheria would look out the windows of the small classroom and wonder how things would have been different if they had never left. She imagined Asbel playing pranks in the classroom and they'd all have so much fun. But instead…
Asbel noticed her shift in expression and piped up, "Uh, but I mean, it wasn't fantastic or anything, I really did miss home a lot!" He waved his hands about in his defence. "So… what was high school like in Lhant? I remember how excited we were about moving up in the world, before everything happened."
Cheria remembered how grown-up she felt about going to high school. Asbel was raring to go too, but only because it was one step closer to getting to the Knight Academy. "Well… it was really boring without you, actually. A lot of the kids in our grade felt the same. It was just school, though." She shrugged her shoulders, trying not to care, but she truly did. Those days could have been something really special.
Asbel's shoulders drooped and he looked down again. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have been there."
Cheria didn't answer. She didn't really know what to say. Asbel had always wanted to train to be a Knight, so she doubted his words. The fact of the matter was, he left her and never looked back-
"I would have wanted you to come, by the way."
Cheria's eyes lit up in surprise. "Huh?"
He looked at her with a serious expression. "Remember, you said you weren't sure if I would have wanted you to come see me? I would have. I would've loved to see you. I'm sorry I made you feel that way… I just didn't feel like I could come home until I could protect everyone. And that includes you."
Cheria felt heat rising up to her cheeks, and she looked down at her hands, unsure of how to respond. Knowing Asbel would have wanted to see her… and all those times she talked herself out of it… "Well… well how was I supposed to know that!?"
He chuckled. "I know. But I would have. And I would have said it before, but the others were standing there, and, well… this is kinda just between us, you know? I feel like I didn't say enough, so I'm making up for it now. I mean, I made you cry… and not just that… I abandoned you for seven years…"
She looked back up at him, at his earnest expression, and couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd forgotten all about the cold, about Pascal's snoring, and even about where Sophie was. All she could take in was how compassionate he looked as he tried to form his words (which was a feat in itself as Asbel was definitely not one for deep and meaningful conversations). And was that… a blush?
"What you said… well, it made me feel bad, but in the end I was really happy that you were my friend again. And I also wanted to say that… well…"
He made a move to grab her hand, but decided to retract it, unsure. Cheria waited with bated breath.
"…I missed you too. I'm sorry I left. I'm just…I'm really glad we got to be together again."
For a moment, Cheria let down all her inhibitions and just took in Asbel's wonderful words. Here he was, Asbel Lhant, telling her he missed her! He actually missed her, thought of her during those seven years… Asbel, who was always so terrible with words, was actually saying something so incredibly sweet. She smiled as widely as her lips would allow me, drew in a deep breath, and lunged forward to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Taken by surprise, Asbel was pushed back with such force she almost knocked him down, so that his legs unfolded to keep himself steady and they were caught in an awkward embrace. "Woah! C-Cheria?"
She squeezed his shoulders tighter and muttered into his shirt, "I'm so glad we're together again too. Promise you won't leave me again."
He chuckled softly, regaining his posture and returning the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing slightly in reply. She was comfortably between his legs now and he buried his head into her shoulder a little, finally able to really connect with her after all this time. She felt his chest vibrate against hers as he spoke. "I won't. I promise."
Getting a little embarrassed about how close they were now, Cheria retracted from the hug, but she smiled up at him as she sat back. "I'm going to hold you to that." She sighed in contentment, and looked back over to where Hubert was sleeping. "I'm so glad. It's like things are returning to normal again. You and me, and Hubert…"
Asbel scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, but… Hubert's still kinda mad at me, I think. I don't blame him though. I hope he knows how much I missed him, though."
"I'm sure he does," Cheria nodded, and looked back over at the blue-haired boy, who hadn't budged since she entered the room. Perhaps because it was so cold. Speaking of which, she sure missed the warmth from that hug…
"Hey, your blanket fell off…" Asbel leaned forward to wrap the blanket around Cheria again, who blushed as his fingers ghosted over her shoulders.
"Oh, thank you… And… thanks for telling me all that. That can't have been easy."
He gave a cocky grin. "It was easier without the Captain and Pascal gawking at us. It's always been easy to talk to you, Cheria. Especially now that you're not mad at me!"
Cheria went hot with embarrassment. "Let's not remember that now. I just… I really appreciate it, Asbel. And… maybe one day I can tell you something I can't say in front of the others too…" She trailed off as she spoke, wondering if she should really be saying this. But if Asbel could speak up about his feelings, why not her…?
"What do you mean?" Asbel asked, looking utterly confused. If he didn't know what she meant by that, then this was a lost cause on him. She sighed dejectedly.
"Never mind…"
"What? What did I do now?" He sulked the way he always did when he accidentally annoyed her. She just shook her head and smiled.
"Maybe when you grow up a bit more you'll understand what I mean about certain things."
"Hey, I'm older than you! Come on, tell me!" He pouted, grabbing the ends of her blanket and waving them about.
"Shh, you'll wake up Hubert!"
"Ah, he'll be fine if he can sleep though-"Asbel fell silent, and Cheria looked at him with a confused expression. "Hey, I just realised Pascal stopped snoring!"
"Oh, you're right!" Cheria had gotten so wound up in Asbel's speech that she too hadn't realised the enigmatic girl had indeed stopped snoring. "I didn't think she'd ever stop…"
Asbel let out a yawn and stretched his arms out. "Well, now that it's finally quiet maybe we can get some sleep. We should probably be as rested as we can for tomorrow. Thanks for keeping me company, Cheria."
Cheria smiled despite herself. "You're welcome." She stood from the bed and crept towards the door, opening it up just enough for her to slip through. She wanted to say so many things to him right now, but decided that maybe that could wait for another late-night conversation. "Goodnight, Asbel."
"Night, Cheria." She saw him smiling up at her before she slipped out, shutting the door behind her.
Tonight had certainly been an interesting night. But more importantly, it reminded Cheria of the old days, of those old sleepovers… Except now she could appreciate how much Asbel really had grown in those seven years. He could be so sweet sometimes.
But he was still so thick-headed.
When Cheria got back to her room, she found Sophie safely tucked into her bed. Smiling warmly, she slipped back under the covers of her bed, remembering the warmth from Asbel's body, the gentle sound of his voice, the way his chest vibrated against her when he laughed… she wondered if he would ever get the message.
…
Pascal's snores began again only moments after Cheria left the room, and Hubert's only choice seemed to be to ponder over the conversation he'd just heard. Though he only really got one fact out of it.
"How my brother is still so unbelievably oblivious, I will never understand."