Bloom Soldier AU
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter.)
It had been two days since the lesson and Bloom had just had a nightmare, or memory really, and woke up with a scream in her throat that she viciously fought back. She refused to worry her friends more than she already had.
They had been keeping an extra close eye on her ever since she woke up from the lesson. Whenever she was eating, Flora added more food to her plate. Whenever she was studying, Tecna helped her without prompting or asking if she needed it. When relaxing, Musa would play some soothing music instead of loud hip hop. Whenever doing nothing else, Stella wouldn't talk of boys and fashion and instead talked about how the day had gone always showing more interest in Bloom's answers than anyone elses.
In short, they were mother henning her and trying not to show it. They failed epically at being subtle.
Dressing in a tank top and shorts, Bloom hooked up her MP3 and put in her headphones as she left her dorm room.
%$#$%#%$#$%
DuFour's eyes snapped open as she awoke from her sleep, a horrified and angry feeling of self-hatred and loathing flowing down the bond from her mate.
'Nightmare or flashback? I better go check on her.' DuFour thought as she quickly got dressed in a t-shirt and blue jeans and left her room. Following the bond she walked down the halls and out into the quad where she found Bloom doing sit ups at a rapid pace with headphones in her ears.
'Look at those abs.' DuFour nearly drooled when she saw her mate's body, a flash of anger filling her at all the scars she could see thanks to the tank top and shorts. Who dared to harm what was hers?!
'Looks like she's done with those and going for a run. I'd better join her.' DuFour said watching as her mate did a small flip onto her feet and began jogging out of the gate.
With nary a sound DuFour joined the smaller and younger woman as they began lapping Alfea, knowing from the feeling of recognition that hit her bond that her mate knew that she was there.
"I'm not going to be talking." Bloom said taking out one headphone and not missing a beat in her run as DuFour jogged at her side.
"I won't be asking." DuFour said trying to play it smooth as she jogged beside her mate, occasionally glancing at the girl beside her. Bloom gave a small snort at the obvious blush on the woman's cheeks as she continued jogging, sticking her headphone back in.
She could tell whenever someone had a crush on her, it had come in handy more than once during both training and on missions. This was the first time that one of her teachers had a crush on her though. Oh well. She'd think about it later. For her part DuFour smiled and blushed a bit at the feeling of amusement coming from the bond. What had her mate amused?
'Yeah and what do you want to think about instead? The memory, the scream that would have woken the whole school? The nightmare…no the flashback?' Bloom's inner voice said whispering directly into her brain and overpowering the music she was listening too as she picked up her pace a little bit.
Bloom didn't bat an eye as she turned her music up a little more to try and ignore the voice.
'You can try and drown me out but I'm still here little soldier. I'm always here. You just keep running. It's what you do best. Run little soldier run! Run like a rabbit, smart as a hobbit, don't even try flying away. You're just running from what you have to deal with eventually! You can't run from this little girl.' The voice whispered into her ear louder as she picked up her pace just a bit more, making DuFour frown but keep pace as the feelings changed from amusement to something…negative.
'Yes I can. I can run from anything if I try hard enough.' Bloom thought back as she began blaring her music at full volume, making DuFour look at her concerned since the music was loud enough for her to hear every word.
'You can run true…but you can't run forever. It all comes back eventually. Run little rabbit run. Run rabbit run!' The voice mocked her with a cruel laugh as Bloom took off at full speed, trying to unsuccessfully run from the voice in her head and forgetting about the woman next to her who started for a moment. DuFour hesitated for just a second, feeling the self-loathing and need to escape over the bond that her human mate couldn't feel not fully at least, before she took off after her human mate.
'Is she really human? She's running faster than any human I know of and she's been running longer than most humans can!' DuFour thought as they made their tenth lap of Alfea, DuFour waving at a few of the teachers that were awake and moving around now that spotted them.
'She's running from something or trying to at least. Well…I can't blame her. There are lots of things to run from.' Faragonda thought to herself as she watched the two running around Alfea, noting them making their twelfth lap before she gave a small shrug and smile.
'Well running is supposed to be good for you and keeping in shape shouldn't be too bad.' Faragonda thought with another shrug as she joined the two on their fifteenth lap, keeping up with the two women easily for at least three laps before she began to slow and eventually stop on her fifth lap.
"Bloom? Bloom? BLOOM!" DuFour shouted as she reached over and took one of Bloom's headphones out after the twenty-fifth lap as they passed Faragonda who was panting and in disbelief.
'I used to be able to go longer than that. Sitting behind that desk doing paperwork all day has really taken its toll on me.' Faragonda said only turning to look at those still running when she heard DuFour yelling Bloom's name.
She turned just in time to see DuFour yank one of Bloom's earbuds out of her ears and end up flat on the ground with Bloom pinning her down, a knife to the red clad woman's throat.
"Oh…Miss DuFour…my apologies." Bloom said blinking for a moment before putting away her knife.
"I seem to have the bad habit of startling you Miss Bloom. I was wondering when you planned to stop running as we've already made twenty five laps of the Alfea grounds?" DuFour said standing as the red head got off of her, wondering how the girl got inside of her guard again. Did she lower it instinctively when around her mate or was Bloom just that well trained?
"Oh…sorry I was…distracted. Thank you for stopping me." Bloom said blinking as she noticed the shocked teachers and few early rising students staring at her.
"Any time Miss Bloom. Most exhilarating morning run I've had in a long time." DuFour said smiling charmingly at her mate who didn't seem to notice the charming smile as she nodded at the woman and turned to head to her room to freshen up for the day even though she was only a little winded. Looks like the enhancements the government gave her when they discovered her powers still worked in the Magix Dimensions.
"Where did you get those scars Miss Bloom?" Griselda asked just as the red head was passing by her, staring shocked and horrified at the scarred and marred skin that was exposed on the girls fit body by the clothes she was wearing.
A flaring of Bloom's aura as the girl froze and tensed, had everyone either on their knee's panting under the force of it or sweating as they tried to remain standing. Those closest to her were also sweating from the pure heat coming from the aura.
Everyone made a mental note not to ever mention scars around Bloom again as her voice traveled quietly and sternly across the court yard.
"Don't ever ask about those again. The past should stay buried where it belongs."
