AN: Hello all! I am excited to bring you chapter 7, and have written 8 already. I have been on an obsessed-writing-binge the last three days, but today has topped it all. I am very keen to get back to my original now, so I'll quit rambling. Thank you to those who have reviewed - you are all so cute and kind! Thank you always to Railway Station for her chapter breakdowns via essay, and Kaitlyn Fall for being the best beta since... Hercules! YEAH!
Also, I was obsessively listening to Switch by Ashley Tisdale while I wrote this. I felt it was rather appropriate. But dun dun dun! HAPPY DRAMA READING!
The Shards
Endymion had figured out what the feeling in his chest had been. Love. A feeling he hadn't experienced so wholly and overwhelmingly since his parents had been alive. That's why it had felt so familiar and yet strange.
Endymion loved Serenity.
And why not? Serenity was everything he was not. Happy, optimistic and warm. Things he had once been, perhaps, or would have been like today, had the tragic deaths of his two best friends and closest family members not occurred. She brought laughter to his life. Every happy memory that could come to mind included Serenity in some way. And she was beautiful – both inside and out. Her long curtain of golden hair which tumbled down almost to her elbows. Her clear azure eyes that saw the world through rose-tinted glasses – like the world still held opportunity and love and happiness around every corner, no matter what it through at you. Even her hands fascinated him. They were so small and dainty and pale. The stark opposite of his.
He wondered what it would be like to hold them.
He wondered how long he had had these feelings for his best friend, no matter how deep in his subconscious.
He wondered if he should tell her.
Soon, he promised himself as he stared out the window into the night sky. It had stopped snowing moments after he'd arrived home, having traded in the flecks of ice for strong sheets of wind instead. He could hear the howling of the angry gales, even if he could see nothing through the darkness. When the right moment arises.
A horrible thought struck him.
What if she didn't feel the same way? What if Serenity just wanted to remain friends? She'd already gone through too much – they both had. They couldn't stand to lose each other. Not now. Not anymore.
He would just have to wait and see.
Endymion awoke to a cold slap to his face. He started in bed, before realising he wasn't on the receiving end of someone's fury, but a frightfully frigid gust of wind. His bedroom window banged open and shut against its frame. Perhaps he hadn't locked it properly the night before, and the strong wind had been enough to force it back open.
He quickly stood up and padded his way across the room, slamming the small window closed and latching it firmly. He shivered and crossed his arms. He hated winter. Spring was more his thing. When his and Serenity's flowers would bloom. Spring was warmth and revival and renewal.
As he dressed, grabbing as many layers as he could, he pondered what could be done that day. He supposed he could go into town, see if the blacksmith needed any help. Or Serenity's parents, the town bakers. Anywhere where he could be near a large, blazing fire or toasty oven was fine by him, no matter what the work. Unless it was chopping wood for said fires or ovens outside.
"Endy!"
Endymion didn't need to recognise the voice to know who it was. His entire body had sung in response. His blood seemed to turn to pure adrenaline, and he could feel his heart skip in his chest before thrumming a rapid rhythm.
Strangely enough, now that he was aware of his feelings for her, Endymion was a little nervous to be around Serenity. He felt both like a spooked horse and an excited puppy.
"Endy!" Serenity called again from downstairs. "If you are still sleeping, I will come up there and wake you in the rudest way I can think of!"
Endymion's lips quirked up at the thought, and he hurried on his black long sleeve.
"All right, all right," he said as he jogged down the stairs. "Keep your skirt on."
"You were keeping me waiting," the blonde sniffed.
"My humble apologies, your Highness." He gave a low bow, generating guffaws from his companion.
"You promised you would come help out at the orphanage with me today." At his stumped expression, Serenity prompted, "Last week? When I said I was going to help them with their costumes for the play?" Endymion continued to stare blankly. "You said you would come and help with the set? Carry the heavy stuff and whatnot? Was that not a suggestion of yours?"
"Oh," he said when it finally clicked in, staring unseeingly at the wall as he tried to recall the memory. "That was the day Emeraldia was playing with my biceps, right? Yeah, alright. Let me get my coat."
Serenity's scowl went unseen as he reached past her for his scarf and coat. Scribbling a note for Gran, Endymion held open the door and they both ducked through, braving the wind with hunched shoulders and beginning to journey through the town.
"Where did this wind come from?" Serenity complained as she felt her braid literally suspended in the air behind her. "It's like one extreme to the next these days. Yesterday I was sure the house would be snowed in before I got there!"
Endymion glanced up to ensure they were still heading in the right direction and that their downcast eyes had not led them wayward, when something sharp flew into his right eye. He stopped walking and cried out, immediately rubbing it to relieve the stinging, but it was no use.
"Endy?"
"God this hurts so much but I can't feel anything in there!" Endymion groaned as he kneaded his eye. "Something just flew into my eye."
"I'm not surprised," Serenity commented dryly, glaring at the wind. She moved closer. "Here, let me take a look."
She inched as close as she could and peered into his eye, using her body as a shield against the wind, but she could see nothing..
"I don't see anything," Serenity murmured sympathetically, laying a hand on Endymion's chest and giving him a slight pat. "Perhaps if you blink enough, you can get it out." She shifted slightly, and that was all it took for the wind to divert around her. Endymion grumpily opened his mouth to reply, when all of a sudden he began coughing.
Serenity blinked as Endymion's coughing fit quickly escalated and she began to fear he was having trouble breathing. It eventually subsided, though Endymion continued to swallow repeatedly, as if he'd swallowed something unpleasant and it had lodged in his throat.
"Endy?" she asked slowly, eyeing him warily. "Endy, are you okay? Did you swallow something?"
"What do you think?" he snapped at her. "I just started coughing because it's fun? Because I want to spend as much time as possible in this God-awful hurricane? Jesus, Serenity. Think a little."
Serenity snapped her mouth shut. "I'm sorry," she apologised quietly a moment later. "You're right, that was dumb."
Endymion gave an unimpressed hmph.
"Let's-let's get out of here, shall we?" Serenity tried. "Get out of this weather and into the warmth of the orphanage. Maybe that would make you feel better."
"The orphanage is no warmer than being out here," Endymion objected with a sneer.
"Endymion?" Serenity had no idea what was wrong with her friend, but she felt like she was rapidly losing control of something.
"So what exactly am I doing at the orphanage?" asked Endymion as he continued walking. "Lifting stuff? Don't they have matrons there or something?"
Serenity stayed frozen where she stood. "Endymion, what's the matter? Why are you so upset all of a sudden?"
"Because for some reason," Endymion stopped and turned to glare at Serenity. "I'm going to spend my day in a freezing building with no fireplace or heating system, carrying beams of wood or little plastic chairs or maybe even crying, winging little children, when I could have been working somewhere warmer and actually doing good."
"You are doing good," Serenity argued, a hint of anger beginning to colour her tone. "You're helping them put on a play for their fundraiser. You offered to help last week – I didn't ask you to do this!"
"Yeah, right," Endymion spat. "We both know that when I offer something, it's only because you've pushed me into doing it in the first place. It's what you do, Serenity. You push."
Serenity felt like she'd been slapped. Not only was he looking at her like he wanted nothing more to do with her, his unexpected mood swing was frightening her, and he'd called her Serenity. Twice. He hadn't done that in years. And never in all their years of friendship had she heard the tone he was using now.
It was like she wasn't even talking to Endymion.
Tears stung her eyes, the pain intensifying due to the icy winds blowing into them. "Then don't go!" she yelled at him. "Go home! See if I care!"
Endymion stormed past her. "Gladly. See you when you rework your attitude!"
Serenity stood there on the deserted path for a long time, staring wide-eyed at Endymion's retreating back, even after he'd gone. Her heart wouldn't stop beating ferociously in her chest, and she was close to hyperventilating.
"What just happened?" she whimpered in the howling wind.
Oooooh, it has happened! The slivers of Wise Man's mirror! What will happen to our Endy and Sere-bear? Also, I just love how appropriate Switch is for this chapter. Here are some lyrics from the chorus. Because I can copy and paste like a pro!
Hey,
So strange - you switched in front of me
Hey,
You've changed - not like you used to be . .
'Cause you get in my head and hold my heart
When I'm here, you're there - we're worlds apart
So reverse your words - go to the start
And switch back, to my world . . .
Hey,
You're just - talking like a machine
Hey,
I'm stuck - on every word in between . . .
Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a lot of fun to write! Reviews are lovely of course *eyes slide to the big happy Review button*
Also, if anyone wants to have a crack at what Sailor Moon references I used in this (or any other) chapter, go right ahead! I will give you the easy one - in Season 5, a shard of Nehelania's mirror got into Mamoru's eye! :O
