AN: I've come to the conclusion that GaiusXLaura is my preferred Class VII Gaius ship and GaiusXLinde is my preferred non Class VII Gaius ship.
I'm okay with both these things.
Hot Off the Presses
Fortunately for her ears, Linde managed to grab the ringing ARCUS on her third try, carefully cradling the device between her neck and shoulder as she resumed examining the checklist in front of her. That little diversion, enjoyable as it was, had set her back a smidge. Or three.
"Hello?"
"We have breaking news," came a voice that never failed to make Linde smile, exasperating as the source was at times. "The newest arrival to the Thors branch campus faculty was caught red-handed reuniting with a mysterious stranger from Nord! A friendly stroll? A salacious liaison? Only they know the truth, but rest assured, dear readers; there's more to this story than meets the eye!"
And suddenly, Linde didn't much feel like talking on the phone anymore.
"First off," she sighed, steeling herself for what was to come, "Hi, Vivi."
"Hiya," and she could just picture her twin sister leaning back in her chair with a giant grin on her face, pointedly ignoring the stares of her editors and her fellow newshounds. "Did you have a fun time?"
"I did, as a matter of fact. When and how?"
Vivi clucked her tongue on the other end of the line in playful disapproval. "Now now, Linde! A good reporter doesn't reveal their sources~!"
Had Linde been the same timid girl from their first year, she might have left that opening alone. Pity for Vivi that wasn't the case.
"I know they wouldn't," she said patiently. "I'm asking you, though."
An indignant squawk and the unmistakable sound of someone falling gracelessly onto the floor blasted through the earpiece as clear as day, and Linde couldn't help but grin just a little. After all, what was some friendly payback between sisters, anyway?
"R-Rude!" sputtered Vivi when she had (presumably) clambered back to her feet, and there was no doubt that she was pouting ferociously right now.
"Oh, I didn't say that out loud, did I?"
"Funny. You're gonna pay for that one, but we can worry about that later. Details, Linde! Spill!"
"There's nothing to spill!" Linde protested, flushing ever so slightly. "Rean brought Gaius over to the medical office after they ran some kind of training exercise at Einhel Keep, I patched them both up and then we just… talked."
"And…?" her ever-persistent sibling probed expectantly, her anticipation palpable.
"There's no 'and' here, Vivi."
A frustrated noise. "Ugh. That's so boring. You've come such a long way, I thought for sure you'd have tried to take advantage of that cute nurse's outfit of yours instead of just fluttering your eyes and going 'Oh Gaius, look how tall you've gotten' – "
"C-Could you not?!" she yelped, her cheeks darkening into an all-out blush; old habits, it seemed, were difficult to truly get rid of. "Rean was there too, remember?"
"Ooh, tell me more...!"
"... I'm ignoring that. Look, it was definitely great to see him again, I'm not going to deny it! It really had been too long, and catching up was a nice way to spend the afternoon. That said…"
"Yeah, yeah. Nothing juicy happened," Vivi finished, sounding more than a bit disappointed. "I gotcha. Phooey, I was hoping for something exciting to gossip about for our next girls' night out…"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you then," Linde said with a fond laugh. "But then again, it's not like your version of events was any better, not unless you think all we talked about was how tall and handsome he's become."
She swore she could somehow hear Vivi's grin come back with a vengeance, and her stomach dropped out from under her as she realized her mistake a second too late.
"U-Um – "
"Hmm. Y'know, I don't think I said anything about him being handsome, did I?"
"I-I'm pretty sure you did… " she squeaked, trying valiantly to work her way out of this (and Goddess, how long had it been since she had squeaked?)
"Uh uh, nope! I'm actually looking through my notes right now," Vivi told her triumphantly, papers being exaggeratedly rustled in the background, "and I'm not seeing anything like that! I'm pretty sure that part was all you, sister of mine."
"B-But – "
"This just in, we have an update from our intrepid field correspondent! Sources indicate that while the situation's still developing, there's definitely more to this story than what was first reported. Stay tuned for further developments!"
"… I hate you."
"Love you too," Vivi said, and in spite of herself Linde still smiled when she heard the sound of a kiss on the other end. "Seriously though; next time we see each other we're talking about this till the sun comes up, got it?"
"…"
"That's the spirit!"
And with a final happy cheer, Vivi disconnected, leaving a blushing Linde staring at the all but forgotten checklist with a blank stare, the last part of the conversation playing in her head over and over again.
Her fellow club-mate really had gotten handsome, hadn't he…?
"Ugh," she moaned, burying her face into her palms. "So much for not blushing around him anymore. Oh, I was doing so well, too..."
