From Amazing Height
It's only a handful of days later when Riven stalks up to Musa, who's packing her bag after practice, practically fuming, with a rather confused Timmy in tow.
"Ask her what you asked me"
Riven demands and Timmy looks bewildered between the fairy on the ground and his mentor whose steaming by his side,
"Umm, I'm thinking of picking up the boomerang as a weapon think you can tutor me some more?"
And Musa frowns bewildered though a dash amused as she tries to figure out how this all concerns her
"...Ok?" But Riven keeps glaring at her and she feels lost and thinks she's probably missing something
"Wait, from me?"
"N-No, I asked him" Timmy admits equally bewildered and they both look at Riven whose glowering at her
"As if you didn't fucking know!"
"Know what?" Musa asks beyond confused getting to her feet
"Stop sending people for me to tutor!" Riven's frustration shows as he snaps taking a step closer pointing at her accusingly and leaning down to get in her face
"She didn't send me-"
"I didn't send him!"
Timmy and Musa's voices mesh as they protest together but whereas Timmy's confused Musa is amused and affronted. The sincerity in their faces is genuine enough though that it stumbles Riven. Rivne who's now less fuming, more grumpy, and more putout?
"Wait, people? what people?"
"It wasn't a fucking specialist so I know it had to be you-"
"Riven! Who the hell else asked you for tutoring?" Musa cuts him off and her assured denial and questioning suddenly has him feeling unsure and self-conscious which makes him angry and the rapid-fire change in his emotion is like a firework display. It's all bright colors and loud noises and the empath studies him closely afraid she'll miss something and there's a final spike of panic and anger as he reveals:
"Your fucking sun princess, that who"
"Stella? Stella asked you for tutoring? In what exactly?" she doesn't mean to sound amused or to come off as condescending but her confusion makes him defensive
"Hey! just because I'm not a fucking teacher's pet like your lot doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing!"
"If you're so good Riv, then why are you surprised she asked you?" she points out and her question stumps him and she can see the fight practically leave him as he deflates.
Riven keeps staring at her though, searching her face for answers, looking so on guard and she has nothing to hide so she steps forward and smiles because he's not intimidating as he likes to think especially to her who's getting to know him now.
He's become hyper-aware she realizes, after their chat in the cafeteria of the people surrounding him and it's a little sad because she didn't mean to question him or his friendships, she'd meant to just say he had people. But evidently, the idiot has rationalized the people surrounding him being there due to her which is just not true.
She's not going to let this line of thinking stand, so she grows serious and levels with him as she tells Riven honestly
"I didn't send anyone and believe it or not, I don't go around broadcasting private conversations for fun"
She's a little subtle but one thing she personally values is discretion even amongst friends, hell believes in it and she'd always gotten the sense that he does too,
"So the fact that my tutoring demand went from one student to three in a matter of two days"
"You have other studen-Who's your other student?"
She's genuinely curious and a little impressed and something shifts in his eyes, and she can practically see understanding settle in the storm of green as he looks past her and she just has to follow her gaze to realize what he's put together.
And Musa doesn't need him to even say anything as she guesses with a big smile:
"It's Brandon isn't it?" and she cants help the giggle that escapes her, how Riven knows about the flirtatious dance going on between Stella and Brandon is beyond her
"Still want me to tell you why Stella ask you to tutor her?"
"Shut up" he mumbles as he runs a hand through his hair and Musa doesn't even try to hold back her laugh which just irks Riven more as he grumbles
"Just what I fucking need, two idiots who can't flirt using me to get together Like fucking want to spend more time on runes an
"Wait this for Runes?" surprise is evident in the empaths voice and clear on her face and when Riven nods his affirmation she's quick to plead her friend's case,
"Look you have to help her, Stella really is failing that class, so all this aside if you can help her-"
He looks a tad distrustful like he's not sure what to do now and when all else fails in the playbook of Riven he targets the nearest object though it holds no real heat Musa thinks
"This is all because you fucking got in my head-"
"Shouldn't your own emotions be the loudest voice in your head?" She throws his words from the Maze back in his face with a teasing smile. And somehow Riven looks both proud and affronted at the same time as he smiles ruefully and shakes his head at her audacity.
Looking beyond her to Brandon, Riven's sigh sounds more like a resigned groan and Musa doesn't need the green-eyed specialist to say anything else as she's sure he's going to tutor both the lovebirds.
It makes her smile wide and big as she studies his face and he looks so done with the idea of having to endure teaching Stella and Brandon already it's comical, his eyes finally fall on hers and the moment he sees her full-blown all-knowing smile he scoffs and rolls his eyes but it doesn't hold and instead, a smile tugs at his lips
It's nice to see him relax and smile Musa thinks as she le
"So, is that a no, to the boomerang then?"
They both whirl to face Timmy who's looking at the two of them with a blank look and it's painfully obvious that they both had forgotten he was there.
"The two of you can hang back after practice on Tuesday and Thursdays" Riven
"Both of us?" Timmy mutters
"Hey! I didn't ask to be tutored!" Musa protests but Rivens not hearing her
"You need all the help you can get and this all your fault anyway" their mentor declare entirely serious now and Musa splutters in indignation but Riven's storming off calling out as he goes:
"Timmy if you want me to teach, you bring her along."
Musa not sure what's exactly happening but as she turns the empath find the towering specialist in front of her leveling her with his rather convincing puppy dog eyes
And no! she already has too much on her plate there's absolutely nothing Timmy can say that would sway her-
"Please"
Fuck
"So, remember how you broke my headphones two Tuesdays ago and told me you'll owe me, and I can call it in anytime? Well. I'm calling it in"
It's not Aisha's words that really trouble Musa, nor the fact that she's fidgeting or even the concern and guilt that is rolling off of the water fairy. No, what unsettles the empath is that whatever this favor is, it's important enough to have dragged her suitemate all the way down to the training ground.
Sure it's a fine afternoon mid-week, spring now in full bloom all around them, but Aisha doesn't have any classes around the training area, not even close.
On any given day The blue fairy rather spends her time in the suite or the library when it comes to studying or the river if she's letting off steam or just enjoying herself. The fact that Musa's standing next to her team is only a sad coincidence mostly because the empath can practically feel all eyes falling on her.
She's been getting that feeling a little more since the small confrontation with Riven in the cafeteria.
For one because Musa had caught Beatrix watching her a couple of times which is just super fun. Why is she even still in school? Musa can't help but think. The first time she'd sensed the storm fairy only to turn around and find the girl in question staring at her had been really strange and really bizarre. Especially because there is a constant current of rage, contempt, and jealousy that simmer in the storm fairy that frankly is a little exhausting. And all the girl does is just stare.
Something's shifted in between Riven and the mind fairy too and Musa's not sure exactly what it is. Maybe it's the fact that Musa is beginning to kinda admit to herself that she may, somewhat, care about the green-eyed specialist, maybe. I mean how can she not, she's getting to know him in a strange new way.
It's the hours they now spend in training two times a week on top of everything else with Timmy long after everyone's gone, though the specialist who roped her into this has started skipping our earlier and earlier.
Or the fact that she walks with him to the east library after practice on days he has to tutor Stella and Brandon, or "the hopeless duo" as Riven likes to call them, volleying between teasing him and encouraging him for helping out their friends. and pointedly ignoring him as he grumbles that his pupils are not his friends.
He's not getting it still, Musa thinks. He goes on too many missions, is up almost non-stop in between classes, patrolling, and tutoring. Still isolates himself, when others arent actively following him or demanding his attention.
He has no sense of limit she's beginning to hypothesize and he's still acting like he's not walking around with several big targets on his back. Had she not been there when Ericson threatened Riven, Musa thinks she would not even dream that he had people after him from how cavalier he acts. She's starting to get a little pissed that he's so dangerously aloof with his own safety and care.
At least now, Musa thinks he knows there are people around him, getting him to believe that they care is another matter and one Musa knows he has to accept on his own. That doesn't mean she doesn't fantasize about shaking him sometimes when he's being extremely pig-headed, like when he calls Dristain's invite to go into town to get drinks an "obligatory invite". Lately, whenever the team invite him, his eyes fall on her and She can feel his gaze now regardless of where she is
Even now with Aisha here, Musa can feel Riven's eyes on them, his interest is piqued so is the rest of the teams really and they are a nosy bunch. It's not just her team either.
Already a great deal of the other specialists are studying the newcomer openly, including members of her own team so Musa lowers her voice and gently guides Aisha to the side, the last thing she needs is more gossip, and she all but hisses
"What did you do?"
"Listen-" The water fairy falters, Aisha actually falters, which now causes Musa's mind to flick through scenario after scenario as to what could have possibly rattled her ever confident friend
"Please tell me you haven't released a psychopathic murder from her prison" and the mind fairy is trying to be funny to lessen the tensions but must miss the mark because all she gets from Aisha is a grimace
"No, but that would be preferable"
"It was supposed to be a joke" Musa exclaims aghast which causes the nerves and worry to double if possible in the blue fairy
"Aisha spit it out for god's sake you're scaring me!"
"Do you remember Eaton?" it takes Musa a second to recover from the whiplash the change in conversation just took her for to remember the subject of her friend's question
"Tall. Pretty eyes, water fairy, really good at mathamancy, a bit of a player " Aisha nods as the mind fairy rattles of the list but then goes mute as she keeps staring at Musa and the empath is close to just rattling her friend until she spills everything but then the words come rushing out of the blue fairy
"I may have given him the impression that I'm setting him up with you"
Musa blinks owlishly, once, twice, three times as her friend's words register, her mind suddenly lights up with an intense chirping of interest, curiosity, and indignation from her teammates, but the mind fairy can't bring herself to care because she's having her own feeling about what she's being told
"I'm sorry You may have what?"
"Ok, no. I definitely told him you'd be going out with him this weekend"
"What! Why?" because if there one suitemate whos the least snoopy when it comes to people's romantic lives is the girl in front of her and Aisha's not the sort to spring things on people either. She's also a shit liar evidently because her eyes look around Musa as she behind to mutter off excuses
"I just you know thought you'd look good togeth-
"Aisha-
"Well it's been so long since Sam and frankly-"
"Aisha."
"Ok, alright fine he's the best when it comes to fine-tuning the water weather control and he won't tutor me unless-"
"Aisha!
"Please please please!" Aisha abandons and all pretenses as she grabs Musa's shoulder pleading with a fraught look in her eyes.
And Musa never seen Aisha desperate let alone begging for anything but here she is looking like her life hinges on the empath going on a date.
But this doesn't add up, this isn't her friend, the blue fairy is competitive sure, but not this competitive none of her excuses even make sense.
"That can't be all, you'd never sell me for tutoring."
Musa's sure of it as she straightens up, she notices Timmy and the team openly staring now. So pulling Aisha a bit further away she drops her voice even more until its a gentle whisper before she probes:
"You want me to tell me what's really going on?" Her tone is softy as she gently places a hand on her friend's arm and evidently, the small act of kindness is all it takes to break through the worn-out defense of the blue fairy. As Aisha takes a steadying breath, she tries to reel in her emotions and Musa realizes that if the water fairy is willing to do this, it must be big.
"My parents are pushing me to date him, and they like him- like him as a candidate for ...the future. which means now they want me to start seeing him. Now they won't understand a lot of things but loyalty to a friend is one thing they do get, if I say a friend of mine date this guy they don't question me rejecting him."
"Your parents? But the only people who practice arranged marriages on Andros are…." Musa trails off as pieces come together and she doesn't have to hear an answer as her friend's embarrassed and sheepish look is enough for her to piece the puzzle together.
"Yeah, my parents are royalty in Andros" There are so many things Musa wants to ask, so much more she wants to say but Aisha's not ready for that, and frankly her well-being is the most important thing to the empath.
"Empath you coming?" someone calls and Musa doesn't even turn to look as she calls out
"Just a sec"
It breaks the mind fairy's heart to see her friend so distressed especially since Aisha is always there for all of them.
"Why didn't you just tell me why you needed my help?" Musa asks honestly confused and Aisha wraps her arms around herself and looks down at her feet before she mutters
"Because it's so embarrassing I'm- I'm technically an adult! I should be able to pick my partner somewhere down the line instead of being traded like some pawn" and Musa can't stand it anymore and pulls her friend into a tight hug.
Aisha practically collapses into the embrace and it worries the empath more as she tries to project love and tranquility and take on some of the heap of worry that is on Aisha's shoulders, whispering that it'll be fine, they'll handle it, they've got her back.
The gratitude that pumps off of the blue fairy is immense. After a beat, the blue fairy pulls back and Musa tries to work out the logistics of it all to distract her friend a bit.
"So, how did you convince him to go along with this?" she wonders at this the water fairy gives a shrug and small smile as she admits
"I didn't have to, he doesn't know of my family's plans and well he sorta asked if you were seeing someone and I said no and that I could put in a good word. He like you"
"He likes me?" Musa splutters in disbelief feeling heat creep onto her cheeks, and the other fairy gives a small airy chuckle as she nods
"Yeah, and I made it very clear, just a date. That's it." She pauses studying Musa "Unless of course, you want more" and the empath shoves her friend good-naturedly. As Aisha studies her though Musa can sense guilt begins to creep in a second later and the water princess looks worried as she begins "Listen if you don't want to.."
"It's fine it's just a date and it has been a while since Sam. It's not a big deal honestly.''
What's the worst that can happen she has no reason really to say no, Musa tries to reason with herself.
But she's suddenly hyper-aware of the intense gaze on her back and her mind flashes to a Cheshire smirk and dancing eyes and the empath ahs to forcefully push it all to the recess of her mind because it's not like that, they're not like that.
Maybe she does find Riven insanely attractive, both his mannerism and his strange and complicated code of loyalty not to mention his ridiculous sculpted body, and yes they flirt but it's Riven his default besides anger is flirting. Besides Riven is not into her, hell he barely acknowledges her as a friend and, and they're-friends, sort of. They're friendly, she tries to justify for herself.
So, no she has no good reason not to help her friend out here.
"I worry about you," the mind fairy confess's Aisha "We fall on you to support us so much, you know we're here for you too right"
"You're done pimping out your friend or what?" Riven's voice snaps like a whip startling the two fairies.
Whereas the others in the team are hanging back, he has stepped forward and is openly shooting daggers at the water fairy.
Aisha looks affronted at his words but her guilt has her keeping quiet and Musa finds herself defending her friend as she protests:
"Hey! it's not like that!"
Riven though barely registers her protest and rather stares daggers at her friend.
"You mind?" Aisha snaps as she finally finds her voice and there's a tense standoff before Riven exhales sharply in a huff swinging his staff as he stalks back to the group.
"Please tell me you can kick his ass"
"I wish" Musa chuckles and the empath nudges her friend who Riven's words got to, with a soft reassuring smile "Don't mind him he's just being ornery and I don't mind!" Aisha studies her but after a moment nods, guilt is starting to gnaw at the blue fairy though and so
"You know how Riven can get, if I could get him to stop running his mouth I would" and her statement gets a small rueful smile from the blue fairy who after a moment voices a surprising question
"Would you though?" and Musa can't help the affronted look that falls over her face "You guys always seem to like bantering with each other" The statement is a little too on the nose and Musa finds herself panicking as she turns the conversation with humor
"Ok keep insulting me like that and I won't go" she jokes pulling her friend in for another hug
"Thanks, love, it really means a lot" Aisha mutters into the empath's shoulder.
"No problem just have him text me or something"
And because Musa knows the team is still looking at her she adds louder
"Just don't send him here, they're so nosy! who knew the specialists were the schools biggest gossip"
The affronted noises that rise from her mat lets her know there will be hell to pay later but at least she's sending off her friend in much higher spirits as Aisha actually laughs at her teammate's reaction.
The blue fairy has been there for all of them and has never complained Musa thinks as she comes back to the mat. The purple fairy can't help but watch her suitemate as she treks back to the building, feeling honestly concerned with all the expectations and burdens that Aisha carries.
The empath is still debating which of their friends to clue in first when she notices that her team has abandoned training and they're all just staring at her. Hell, even Lydia's who's been more quiet than usual is quietly starring at her from the other side of the mat.
"So, you have a date then?" Aldrich looks far too excited and Timmy and Dristan are all hovering. Lydia further back is now not quite meeting her eyes though she and Riven have paused their sparring and their mentor is heavily brooding radiating anger.
"Who is this guy?" Timmy asks sounding ever disapproving
"Umm, we sparring or…? The empath tries to veer the conversation but none of them is having it
"Where is he going to take you? And why did he not ask you himself" The bespectacled specialist is being protective and Musa feels her heart melt because he's kinda like her older brother. The guys on the team though don't need her to answer as they take over the conversation.
"Probably Magix pub in town" Aldrich offers his own two cent
"A pub, for a first date?Really? how crass" Dristain judges his taste far more refined but Aldrich takes the judgment personally as he protests
"What? its low key, plus close to school and the woods if you want to sneak off to-"
"Enough" It's Vesper who finally comes to her rescue
"We have work to do and no time to waste" and Musa's about to send the team captain a grateful smile that is before their leader adds "Plus she's going to need days to get ready so don't go distracting her"
She's going to murder them all.
The rest of practice is lackluster as the whole team takes turns needling her trying to get more information about what going down though Musa stays tight-lipped as she can, taking all the ribbing good-naturedly though.
When her phone chimes as everyone leaving, Musa finds it hard to not be impressed by how fast Eaton moves, and how smooth he is in, she's trying to think of some witty combat, a little lost on how to flirt on command when Riven blocks her path.
"Some friends you have" Riven's voice is sharp, harsher than she's heard it be in a long while as he frowns at her"This is fucking why I keep to myself" and Musa feel indignant because who is he to judge
"She needs my help-"
"What by pimping you out?"
"No one is pimping anyone out! Will you stop saying that!" and Musa hates the insinuation and is at the end of her tether after the long hour of prying she's endured. They mean well but she's just about had it, especially from Riven who's just been silently irate and cross this entire time.
"Well if the shoe fits. I don't know what your so-called friends told you but Eaton is no fucking prince charming and I can name three people he's screwing right now."
"Like you've never been with anyone who had anyone else on the side right Riven? What happened? one of your conquest whose him over you" Musa deflects with a huff because she's not really seeing Eaton because she likes the guy but the empath is not going to confide that to Riven especially when he's being an outright ass for no apparent reason.
"When you're fucking me, you sure as hell wouldn't need a second-stringer like Eaton in your life" any other time the heat in his eyes would be doing all sort of things to Musa, and while the energy between them is ridiculously charged, she more pissed off than angry right now with his attitude
"I know dating is a foreign concept for you Riven but most people don't end up shagging when they go on a first date. But even if I did, What's it to you anyway?" and for a single heartbeat she hopes, like a fool that he's going to give her a reason to not go on this date, but he doesn't and rather spits out
"It's nothing to me, but a guy like Eaton who's so far out of your league just wants some easy fuck so go enjoy mediocre shag with that twat"
"What the hell is wrong with him!" she can't help but demand after she's watched him storm off. His words hurt more than she wants to admit and that pisses her off even more. She's kinda glad only Vesper and Timmy were around to see this meltdown but when all she gets is disbelieving looks from the duo she can't help but honestly ask:
"What?"
Receiving only exasperated sighs and disbelieving looks as her answer.
Timmy knows what most people think when they see him.
Sure he might tower over most of the students in the school, but unlike Willis whose equally broad as he is tall, Timmy knows he's always been more lanky than brawny.
Plus he wears glasses and people have the strangest reaction to them. As if the two pairs of glass suddenly diminish his capability in the field by fifty percent. It's never made sense to Timmy because he likes his glasses. Always has.
It's funny how people always tell him how smart he is but then seem to forget it when it comes to social situations. As if somehow being able to fully grasp quantum physics and the theory of multiverse handicaps him from being able to tell who has the hots for who and who wants to beat the crap out of someone else.
And he likes Riven, the guy can be a dick but he's also really solid once you're one of his people.
It hadn't always been that way, last semester had been horrible under Rosalind. Timmy had nearly been killed by a group of Solarian mercenaries because he'd been helping this one poor lost student.
He can't remember what triggered them just pain as they went about beating the living daylight out of him, But Timmy clearly remembers that it was Riven who pulled them back, beating up one guy so bad he had to be hoisted off and then he'd leveraged his standing with Rosalind's number one pet to get them to scram.
who kept an eye out for the misfits. He was by no mean an open opposer or an outright hero but a vigilante of sorts. For the rogue loners who had no big group Riven definitely had a soft spot for.
What more, Riven's romantic, like a huge ass closeted romantic. It's kinda sweet and Timmy's there's never known a specialist who's more desperate to be a hero than Riven.
He'd seen it first hand when early last semester Riven has walked Beatrix everywhere, from class to missions and outside, everywhere really for no particular reason.
One time he'd even seen the specialist casually pick a flower in the garden, as the duo had been walking and talking, and handed it to his girlfriend of the time. The girl had frozen the flower before crushing it in her palm absentmindedly, it had been the first time Timmy had seen Riven pause and look at Beatrix with something besides giddy excitement.
It was kinda sad seeing Riven slowly realize over time how much of a pawn he was to the storm fairy.
Timmy's not sure what happened exactly next but Riven just disappeared for a bit and when he came back, he looked worse for wear and he just stopped. Stopped talking, stopped hanging out with Beatrix, and just stopped interacting.
Despite all of his brain, Timmy's not sure why Beatrix is still here. Why she hadn't been kicked out too.
So yeah as far as upperclassmen go, Riven is Timmy's favorite. And as protective as his mentor is over him Timmy feels the same. Especially because lately it feels like Riven's quest for being a hero is blinding him to everything else.
What's more, is that Musa is one of Timmy's favorite fairies. She's funny and real, in ways that most of the fairies seem flighty and airy, maybe he's being biased; there's long been a competitive spirit that has run between the two groups for age but, Musa is anything but fickle.
After taking first place in specialism everyone now knows the empath can move things with her powers. And honestly, most specialists started taking bets as to whether the fairy would stick around or not but Musa's showed up the next day as if nothing had changed. Timmy thinks for her nothing did she still showed up every day, stays way past everyone, and puts in all the work.
The fact that Riven had seemed a little more quiet than usual when he heard of the rumors of her quitting and had shown up extra early the day after, keeping a not so subtle eye on the path the empath usually took had been the first real sign for Timmy that Riven was not just flirting with the fairy for fun but actually cared.
The relief their mentor's face had shown at the sight of the petite mind fairy had been so stark that Timmy thought saying that Rivencared was putting it a little too mildly.
Timmy thinks though that neither his mentor nor the fairy, are aware of how the two of them act when they are together on or off the mat. They lose a little bit of reality like they forget there are other people around.
The fact that no one else seems to pick up on the strange mating dance the duo is engaging in boggles Timmy's mind. How are people so blind, and he knows they don't know because specialists are the worst gossips and the whole school would know if anyone really saw anything worthy of note.
Blessedly though he realizes he's not the only one who knows of what's brewing when he sees Vesper covertly reveal to their empath that it's Riven who got her the package and he doesn't need the fairies powers to see the way the gift effect Musa.
And he'd wish they'd get on with it because frankly there so much sexual tension he can stand. He'd never really seen a girl so blatantly eat up a guy, Timmy always assumed it was just a guy thing, until he witnesses how Musa seems to be drinking in every inch of Riven when she thinks no one looking. Eyes so bright and loaded with so much pent-up emotion it makes Timmy actually blush.
And you'd think Riven was doing something spectacular besides whacking a dummy with a stick, their mentor is fast and good but the tall specialist just doesn't see what the big deal is, hell the green-eyed specialist still had his shirt on at the time.
The fact that Riven is so fucking clueless to it all is just the cherry on top. It takes everything in Timmy to not throw it in Riven's face some days.
Like when Riven's lecturing him for the thousands time about being aware of his surrounding. Timmy keeps his face impassive as Riven rants and curses about not reacting in the least, all the while fantasizing about the exact sentence he'd throw in his mentor's face.
"If I'm so blind then how come I know Musa walk you to her friend's tutoring on the other side of the castle when her room is clearly the other direction."
or
"My spacial awareness is perfectly fine, your the one who keeps bumping into Musa and practically morph out of air whenever she's around"
And his absolute favorite;
"I'm not the blind idiot who can't seem to see that the fairy I'm into is into me too."
But he says nothing, because he does like Riven and frankly because when Riven's yelling at him at least he's with the group.
Aldrich has been a little cagey in regards to the fairy, his sister Lydia even more so, and while Timmy is not one for gossip he knows it's because of Musa's ex. Though the exact reason why is ever-changing until recently and what the walls are whispering is pretty damaging and Timmy refuses to speculate on that until he knows more.
Despite all that Aldrich pulls Timmy and Dristan aside and tells them of a conversation he'd overheard in the cafeteria. Going into great detail about how Musa stood up for Riven and the conversation that ensued.
Timmy wonders why they can't tell the whole team, Vesper should definitely be told, but both his companions look at him like he's lost his mind.
"Because of the bro code dude" Aldrich drawls alike it's obvious' and from the way Dristain nods evidently it is.
But Timmy thinks it's also because the two are fond of their pseudo-family and are trying to protect Riven in their own way. Timmy's solution is to just ask for more tutoring and to keep an eye out for Riven's wholly terror of an ex. Which of course the sneaky bastard uses as an excuse to spend more time with the fairy Musa.
The two idiots, well their approach is to stick closer to Riven which honestly is a shit show because before all that they already followed Riven like he was some messiah, one they hated but revered at the same time, now closing ranks. It's only a matter of time because someone gets clued in. It's a wild dynamic and once even before their genius plan was put in place Timmy had heard Musa mutter, as they'd watch Aldrich and Dristain follow Riven,
" They're like baby ducks following their mama" Timmy had choked, nearly dying but it was an apt description and once seen could not be unseen
"You tell them and they'll kill me" and she's only half-joking but her humor is one of the many reasons Musa is Timmy's favorite fairy.
As fond as he is though, he's about ready to duct tape her to Riven and lock them in a closet because they bicker and flirt so interchangeably bickering is their flirting and he never really needed help with the boomerang. Timmy only wanted Riven to not be alone and if he's with Musa then he isn't alone and Timmy
When he's there though they usually do try to mindful, always including him which is nice but arriving is a gamble especially the few times he runs late and they've started sparring while they wait for him.
The tension is so bad sometimes Timme feels like at any point he's stepping into a mind field rather than his own tutoring session.
One time, weeks into their arrangement, he walks in late while Musa's trying out Riven's dueling swords and she's pretty good. Riven though is looking at her mesmerized his pupil so fucking blown that his usually green eyes are looking brown even from a distance and so entranced that he doesn't even notice Timmy.
That day Timmy had just walked away, skipped out before either one was any the wiser. Riven still had the audacity of taking him to task for bailing on them. The tall specialist has to literally bite down his tongue to keep from spitting out "Bet you'd forgive me If I got Musa to practice with your swords again"
Timmy though has no regrets because it's only a matter of when not if before these two collide and when they do the bespectacled specialist wants to be as far away from that scene as possible.
When Aisha shows up with the crazy request Timmy's reaction is genuine when he feels his protective instinct kick in because frankly what does Aisha know about this guy?
When he hears the name Eaton his scowl deepens, the fairy isn't a bad guy but he's a player all the guys know that. Has a thing for sleeping specialism girls especially but isn't exactly choosy.
When Aisha starts to explain why she's asking Musa to do, Riven clutches his staff so hard, Timmy thinks it going to actually break.
But then Musa pulls her further away and they can't hear the rest, a fact that puts Riven more on edge as mutters under his breath all sorts of oath and curses
"-Fucking bleeding heart is going to get her killed-"
Timmy can't say anything, it's not his place, and they wouldn't be here if Riven would just grow up say something about his feeling to their resident fairy. But Riven seems set on just glowering from the distance and Timmy is not above egging him on with what seems like benign comments.
"Isn't that guy the one who made one of the second year specialist girls cry?" he wonders casually
"Nalia, poor thing was crushed. I heard he's a grade-A fuckboy" Bless Dristain and his plethora of gossip Timmy thinks
Riven's protective instinct is the shortest way to get him moving and all it takes is another innocent barb:
"I hope he doesn't hurt Musa like he hurt her"
And just like that their mentor reacts
"You're done pimping out your friend or what?" Riven backs down though and when Musa comes back to the mat the conversation that follows is teasing.
It all goes to hell though when Riven decides to show his concern and jealousy when he verbally attacks the empath's choice and Musa is clearly not in a mood to be contradicted, the more Riven digs at her choice the more she pushes her heals in.
When Timmy said it would come to head in an explosion this is not what he had in mind and it's not the way to go about this Timmy wants to yell at his mentor but he walks away leaving a confused Musa in his wake.
"Hey, we were joking" Drisatin complains when the rest of the group learns about Riven's blow-up the next day. Timmy only tells the boys because Riven clearly needs all the help he can get before he fucks this up!
"Yeah well, I wasn't! She fucking doesn't need some like Eaton" Riven mutters as he works through another sequence of hand to hand against a dummy
"Oh and who does she need" Dristain teases
"Someone like Timmy" how quickly the answer comes out makes Timmy worry that the fool might really think there is something actually going on or that there could be.
"She's like a sister to me and I'm pretty sure she sees me in the same way, she's a teammate you know"
"We should crash their date" Is Dristain generous offer because of course if he can't gather gossip he'd like to witness it
there's a pause and with horror, Timmy realizes they're truly considering this insane plan.
"I have watch" Riven mutters and for a second Timmy thinks their mentor is actually going to make the right move until he turns to the other three and encouragingly says "But you guys should go and Timmy wants to throw his staff because this is the worst idea.
She's going to kill them
The date isn't a disaster, actually as a whole it's quite nice.
Musa doesn't make a big fuss about it, threatening Aisha to keep quiet, the empath plans a quick escape that weekend so by the time the girls find out about her plans, she's already out the door. Though their screams of outrage follow her down the hall. Her water friend can handle them for all the trouble this is causing her.
Eaton is nice.
Tall and broad-shouldered with ridiculously high cheekbones, smooth dark skin, and warm brown eyes. He's quite handsome, kinda beautiful Musa thinks with a start as they walk to the bus that takes them into the small town nearby.
Her mind flashes to green eyes sculpted back and roguish smile for a moment but Musa shakes her head trying to focus on the man in front of her and Eaton's definitely confident and has no problem speaking
The conversation is only a little stiff at first, but it gets better as they arrive at the cafe he suggests. The place is warm and has pool tables and darts, it's a chill hangout place. No pressure, sure they'll garner some attention but it's just coffee.
She can tell he's been trained in the art of the court because he doesn't let the conversation drop, not once. It's all easy questions, nice humor, and heavy flirting. He's a little too on, for Musa's taste, and his behavior is just a touch performative and she can read that he thinks he's got her in the bag. A fact that she finds highly off-putting. But his charm and charisma are enough that she thinks hey why not, it's been a while since she's been on a date, and screw Riven just because he's not interested doesn't mean she's not allowed to see people.
They move from coffee to pool and she catches him staring at her ass which hey, she checked his out too but then he asks if she needs help leans down, and places a hand on her lower back, it's well-rehearsed move.
It's kinda cute because he doesn't linger and more so because it's evidently his thing, light small touches here, a hand just hovering on her waist there and she doesn't mind it.
The whole date is kinda just basic, nice; doesn't do much for her really until he accidentally hip checks her which makes her miss, and then has the audacity to say:
"It's ok most girls your height cant really do well in this game" and it's a basic fucking shot she's going for and that comment brings out the competitive side of the empath.
She sinks three of her ball and sets herself up nicely before handing him the pool cue. They play pool. He's good, she's better but the conversation becomes more competitive and trash-talking and less flirty more friendly but it suits the empath fine.
It's all going pretty good now she's having a pretty decent time especially since she thought the date would be a drag and strangely she had felt just a touch guilty and Riven's behavior made her more upset than she wanted to admit but it's all fine.
That is until Aldrich, Dristan, and Timmy walk into the cafe and she just knows they're here to check in on her.
She misses her shot and is off her game until Eaton excuses himself to the bathroom. The moment his back is turned she marches over and wacks them on their shoulder and hisses:
"I can't believe you!"
"Hey Musa! Fancy seeing you here" Dristain drawls a big easy smile on his face and Musa wants to smack it right off.
"Fancy seeing you here my ass! You honestly thought it was a good idea to come here?"
"Riven thought it was a good idea" Aldrich mutters under his breath, smiling into his drink before turning to look at the empath "You know love there's only one coffee house in this town, you don't get to hog it
"Plus its could be worse" Timmy adds trying to placate her
"How?" because short of Riven showing up this is the worst-
"We could be here in disguise" Dristain looks over to the other end and just as Musa turns four heads duck down not two tables over.
She doesn't recognize them at first has to do a double-take but right there are her suitemates in the world's strangest outfits! is that bloom in a short red curly wig and is Stella wearing sweatpants and a fedora?
"I'm going to kill them"
"Actually, they look like good people for us to join and your dates coming back, Don't want him to think your not interested" Dristain teases and the empath watches helplessly as her teammates joining her suitemates.
The humor and just joy that emitting from their table distracts the empath for the remainder of her date.
She has a really hard time focusing after that the more she looks at the table the less she hears Eaton and why are they so happy? What could they be talking about? The fact that they keep glancing her way does very little to help her concentration. She has to draw the line when the cafe door open and Sky and Brandon enter and she can't do this anymore
"How about we walk back" she suggests, needing to get out of the cafe and away from far too many prying eyes. Eaton to his credit is only a little surprised
"Like walk back to school?"
"Yeah, do you mind?"
It's about a forty-five-minute hike back to school but anything beats sitting here and being roasted by her people.
The walk back becomes grows quieter as time goes by especially when Musa chooses for them to stay closer to the road and far away from the rock many
But again it's not unpleasant in any way, Eaton is nice. A nice gorgeous royalty who does absolutely nothing for her. The fact that she keeps thinking of how her body whenever Eaton makes a move and it just fizzles rather than catch fire makes her a Fucked, she's fucked!
"Listen, I, I had a nice time I really did-"
"But?" and his demeanor is kind like he's been expecting this open and relaxed in a way they haven't been all day.
"I'm just not feeling this" It's blunt and maybe a little too direct but she's never believed in entangling with people's emotions.
"Well it was more than I thought I'd get when Aisha started talking to me just to get her parents off her back" His eyes are dancing and Musa feels shock zing through her
"You knew!" and he laughs at her outrage head tossed back, he shoves his hands in his pockets and shrug
"You think my name comes up on a shortlist for marrying into royalty and my family won't tell me about it?"
"Then-wha-why?" She's honestly at a loss and Eaton won't meet her eyes, rather looks toward the school as he shrugs and states:
"I'm not looking to entrap some poor girl, Aisha's not the only person who wants happiness"
He says it nonchalantly but Musa can feel the sincerity of that statement. Sure the guy's a player, but this is certainly a hard line for him. One which Musa can honestly respect.
"That's really sweet"
"Sweet enough that you'd want a second date?" he flirts and Musa can't help but laugh shaking her head no and he swears, pretending to pout. They walk in silent there's a surprising chill in the wind Musa thinks as she rubs her arms, the school now not too far off when suddenly Eaton pulls her in by the waist looking down at her, his gaze searching and serious and she can feel curiosity and competitiveness peak high in him.
"Is there someone else? Is that why you said " and the question abrupt and his look so intense that Musa falters for just a second
"No-not really,"
And he stares into her eyes searching for something when he suddenly is dialing the charm up to a hundred with a smile that is nothing short of a smolder and bedroom eyes that you'd have to be dead to not feel.
"How about a kiss for goodbye?" Musa's a little thrown but doesn't really mind she know his reputation and it's known that he's a good kisser and she's a bit dazed and it's not like it could hurt.
She's still not fully ready to admit to herself that she may be into someone far more brooding and chaotic, someone who thinks he has no friends and prefers his own company to anyone else, especially hers, someone who preferred blond older specialist and was definitely
Thoughts of Riven make her glum but his words from earlier make her mad enough that she wants to say fuck it she's on a date for god sakes. Her gaze falls to Eaton's lips and that all Eaton needs as he kisses her hard abruptly and before Musa can even fully register or respond he-
"Curfews is in fucking 5 minutes!"
Riven's bark jolts through Musa's body and causes her to jerk away from Eaton who simply goes stiff and frowns. Bitter resentful anger, flares in Riven before a whole slew of emotions, all negative all dialed to the max rage inside him.
But Eaton seems ever unfazed as he straightens up to his full height ignoring their audience and simply studies the empath with a serious look
"You're braver than I thought little fairy" Eaton whispers and he reaches down and tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ears and the heated look Riven's been leveling them with somehow doubles in intensity.
Ever as cool as his element Eaton back's away and as he goes he calls out his smirking
"I had fun! Anytime you're ready for round two just hit me up"
And the empath doesn't even know how to respond but with a tight-lipped smile because Riven's presence is overwhelming her
Her room is through the archway the fuming specialist is at and she tries to calm the hordes of butterflies that have just now decided to awaken in her belly.
But he stands in her path but she's not going to engage him, keeping her eyes straight she doesn't want a confrontation especially when she's so confused. She plans to just walk-
"The date was that fucking good huh?" his tone is short and clipped and he's brooding
"Like you fucking don't already know, I saw the guys texting you"
"Swearing again? Did he not satisfy? did you have to pretend-"
"What do you want Riven?" and she stops toe to toe because he is really raw and really wired and she's either picking up all of it or some of it is her own damn emotions.
He says nothing, just hovers a little closer eyes locked with hers and she hates how her whole body is lighting up just by his proximity when it had been so dormant all through her date.
"You planning on seeing him again?" His voice is loaded and serious but the empath is having a hard time piecing together why
"What is it to you? Clearly, I'm in his league so you don't have to worry yourself about his well being any more" she makes to move but he won't budge from her path as he taunts
"I thought you were smarter than that"
"If all you're going to do is insult me-
"You don't want a guy like that!" there's a spark of desperation that comes and goes so fast she thinks she imagined it.
"Don't tell me what I want. I know exactly what I want and I go after it. Can you fucking say the same?"
She throws down the gauntlet, lets him do with it as he pleases. She's not going to beg, to plead. Riven's pissed off face doesn't move, almost likes it's etched onto his face now, his eyes still blazing
And she realizes that she does want him to react, desperately so but he just hovers, not moving, just starring and she's not going to be cowed, si tilting her head up she meets him stare for stare
"You suddenly have a problem with me Riven?" a thousand emotions whizz through him, with none any clearer than the next mixing together until they're all beyond recognition
"I'm just tired of the drama"
"Drama?" disbelief is evident in her voice
"It's like every fucking day someone new is by our mat with their sob story" he spits the words out indignant but it's a weak argument and she honestly expected better and she smiles sardonically as she takes a step forward looking up at him squarely
"I could be a bitch now, and tell you some fucked up line like 'I'm so sorry my friends need my help, at least I show up for them' but we both know that I won't mean it that and you'd just use it as an excuse to just right me off."
She thinks maybe this is what it's all about. She's seen too much, become too close, but that still doesn't make it ok for him to be such an ass.
"If that's what all this is, and you're trying to push me away, none of this is necessary just walk off, I'm not going to chase you down. If it's something else well, when you figure out what the hell is wrong with you, you let me know"
Keeping her head held high she walks past him and heads to her room without a glance behind.
Her date thankfully doesn't create too big a wave, she's never really cared about what people thought. But since decreasing her headphone usage people's attention comes with added baggage. Blessedly most people are too happy to talk about the upcoming school carnival that Alfea is planning to boost morale.
Riven avoids her the following morning and frankly, she's ok with it as the date and her confrontation with the specialist forced her to consider certain developments. Developments that she's not sure she's ready to examine closely, all too happy to ignore the day before.
As happy as she is to ignore the day before, her mind instantly picks up the whereabouts of her mentor when it seeks to link with him the moment she enters the training fields in the afternoon.
Until yesterday though she had never really, willingly admitted that her awareness of him is perhaps might be emotionally based and that it might go beyond the thick magnetic pull they share.
She still isn't sure if she's ready to confront that on her end because whatever this pull is, it has its hook in Riven too. Because even that very afternoon after everything, Musa catches him studying her, and he's Riven so when she does catch him, where any normal person would have looked away embarrassed, he stares back. Which should be weird but it's not because she can't really bring herself to look away either.
The empath begins to question exactly how much time she's spending on the training grounds when a days later as she's finishing up training, Sam approaches her.
There's a moment where she flashes to the last time he came to see her but Sam looks calm and collected and he waits as if he's looking for an invitation expectantly and smiles at her. She's seen him around campus from afar but they've kept out of each other's path.
"This isn't a social club-" Riven begins after days of silence
"It's a field Riven. It's open to the whole student body" Vesper voice is chiding, far more softly than Musa expects and she's already on edge because of her ex she's not planning to make it more awkward by having whatever the conversation here
"I think I'll call it early" Musa mutters, as she walk s off the mat;
The empath is not sure what exactly brought Sam over but she's one hundred percent sure she doesn't want to have the conversation in front of people. So hastily grabbing her things she walks toward her ex greeting him with a soft smile.
Had she'd stayed she'd hear Dristain chuckle at the group watch them go
"Bet you he's come crawling back now that he knows other guys are throwing their hat in"
"She's pretty kick-ass, no way she'd be single for long," Timmy adds while covertly glance at their mentor, who is too busy boring holes into the backs of the retreating couple; also missing the rather nervous look on one of their female teammates
Musa may not hear what them but she does feel the weight of Riven's stare on her back long after they walk away
"Hey stranger"
She keeps her tone light and airy they're both doing better she realizes, it's nice solace considering
"Can I talk to you?"
As they walk back toward the building they don't garner much attention despite the flurry of students pulling down equipments in lieu of the approaching storm.
"So, how are you doing?" It's a weak greeting but they need to start someplace.
But Sam easily falls into conversation with her
"Doing ok, it's strange to think we only have a couple of months until the end of the school year." and Musa shrugs, unsure what to say next, which way to gear the conversation toward but Sam though seems to have finally tightened his resolved as he slows down and takes a deep breath
"I've been meaning to talk to you for some time-First to say I'm thankful you had the guts to say wha needed to be said, you were right I should have had us talk way before that afternoon"
"Sam-"
"No, you were right, we were drifting for quite a bit especially when Rosalind came and we were so busy with everything else after that we just kept getting more and more pushed to the back I guess." He's not apologizing just admitting that he too now sees what happened, he chuckles as he rubs his neck
"It's pretty shitty to say but I just thought you'd always be there for me to turn back to and we'd be the same as before Rosalind and the burned ones. That was pretty naive. I can see that now. and When I heard about your training and it had been going on for a while I panicked but, by then I guess we were too far gone." He's thought about it
"We became too different" Musa conquers because she'd thought about it too, not at first but in months that followed she'd thought about them and how they ended. She harbored no guilt but Sam was everything she'd ever wanted so why had it not worked? And why did she have no regrets over it being over?
They share a fond look, and Musa finds nothing but pleasant memories when she looks at the man in front of her with nostalgia, like reviewing childhood years, their sweetness tinted with a glow of innocence lost by the hardship of life and reality.
Her time with Sam will always be a reminder of who they were when there was nothing but peace before the world turned on its axis and life changed so irreversibly and they with it.
They begin walking slowly again, the wind sweeping by them sticky and warm, bringing with it a series of thick grey clouds.
"I am sorry for how it all went down though, I shouldn't have confronted you like that" Sam continues and Musa can now chuckle at the memory of Sam approaching her that day.
"Don't be, if -if you hadn't confronted me that day I don't think I would have really had us talk I was pretty checked out too" it's hard to admit but it had been easy not dealing with Sam
"You look good though out there, you've found your stride, plus I heard your powers are shifting too"
"Thanks, a lots has been happening. But my fighting is mostly better and I really owe that to Vesper and the team" Sh'es beginning to ramble but she feels
"Sam? What is it?" and for the first time since they been talking he begins to reaffirm his grip on his bag looking cautious
"I'm seeing someone," the earth fairy blurts out and Musa barely has time to register his statement before Sam's continuing in a rush of words
"And I don't want to cause you any pain Musa or her so if this-this is - It wasn't supposed to happen like this and if you- know I realize it's awkward-but I heard you're seeing people again and thought you won't care now"
"Sam! Sam! I'm glad you're happy." At his still shifting she finds herself reassuring her ex
"It's been months I-, we knew eventually we'd both move on. This is good. I want you happy!" but somehow her comforting words make him look all the more guilt-ridden
"What is it?"
"I'm seeing Lydia"
"Lydia" and it takes a second for Musa to remember who Lydia is and a second more to recognize why Sam's being so cagey.
Lydia, one of the triplets, his roommate's sister, one of her teammates, well sort of. She's been referring to them as her teammates but they're not, they're Lydia's teammate.
Does this mean she has to ignore the group now? Will Lydia want her to keep her distance and find a new sparring team? Will the team kick her out?
Sam though plows on somehow being reassuring and he's looking at her with pleading eyes half panicked trying to be
"We'll keep us a secret until the end of term, I promise -'
"You guys don't have to do that" and she means it honestly, plus she doubts Lydia would happily want to do that
"Honestly! It just was a surprise" and she goes for broke as she gives Sam an open smile
"I'm happy for you. Really," and her ex is looking at her like he's not believing her so she's probably overdoing it Musa thinks. The empath aims for honesty as she reassures:
"I-when we broke up, I didn't mean to hurt you, that was never my intention, so I'm happy you've found someone. Really. " It's a little bit bizarre honestly having this conversation because frankly she remembers still feeling all sorts of things from being with him, but remembers them as though she's watching a home movie or childhood photos, they evoke no emotion but nostalgia. It's that realization that slips the last nail on the box that holds their emotions. Like fossils of what was she sees it as evidence of their shared relationship proof of its existence
Musa thinks it's only fair to trade some of his honesty and epiphanies for her own as she admits: "You're right after, I didn't notice you spiraling, mostly because I was spiraling too, but I'm glad we are both ok now you should tell her I wish you both the best. You don't have to hide anything because of me"
Sam gives her a genuine smile before he sighs looking at the school.
"It's mostly Lydia really. She's so worried, and I don't even know why? I think she saw how the whole school tore you to pieces and I swear Musa I didn't say anything, I was with my suitemates and I trust them with my life so I know,
"I believe you" and when he still looks upset she finds herself reassuring him "I Believe you Sam I do"
"Plus Lydia is pretty great" her personal worries aside the two of them suit each other well.
"Yeah she is" and because Sam's still a little hesitant despite looking happy, she finds herself repeating:
"Tell her not to worry there no problem"
Musa makes it all the way to the hallway the suites are in before she realizes she left her history book by the training field.
The others always joke that she needs to not do her homework there after class but Silva's been checking up on her grades, one of her TAs let her know that the specialism master had asked to see a progress report on her work and she's now double set in keeping her stellar grades
When she gets there the whole field is practically abandoned except for Riven and Sky fighting and the sight makes the empath pause as she watches the two of them go.
It's the first time she's seen the two friends hang out let alone, spar and it warms her heart. She doesn't dare think that her words kicked Riven into opening up but maybe they nudged him just a tad.
Riven's usually so sure-footed that seeing him be actually challenged and pushed to his limit, she thinks back to Willis and the first time she truly took him in as a fighter. She knows most of his combinations now, knows he favors his right foot and that if you fight him you best be ready for a rogue kick and more mental warfare than anything.
It's been strange since her date, the tension boiling and she but she's not going to put up with it.
She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't register the other occupants of the field until her friends are in front of her
"Are we just killing the earth fairy or a specialist too?"
It feels like Stella appears out of nowhere with Bloom in tow
"Wha-"
"Brandon told me he saw Sam pestering you today, I love Terra and that might be the only reason I stop short of killing her brother but the hell did he want after the mess he made for you" but Musa's far more interested in the beginning of the sun fairies sentence than anything else as she spots the brunet specialist by the mat calling jabs at his two suitemates going at it.
"Oh, Brandon told you?"
"Don't go there we are talking about you right now" Stella doges and Musa detects notes of guilt still and she'd thought they were past this and would be sparred an awkward conversation with her friend, evidently not!
"There's no way we are not going there especially if I'm going to be talking about my love life" but Stella studiously ignore the comment
"So what did he want?"
Musa finds herself giving them a rehashing of the conversation she had earlier and it feels still strange. While Bloom nods with a reassuring and approving smile:
"Well that was mature of you"
Stella snorts looking pissed off "What an asshat! Want me to overexpose all his plants? Some of them might even burn"
"Stella!" Bloom scolds though the blond looks nonpulsed and just as determined as before. As disapproving as Bloom is, and rightfully so, Musa thinks, the empath can't help her smile because it's a really sweet gesture
"What? She's the ex she has to seem benevolent and above it all. I'm one of her best friends it's my duty to offer to ruin his life and hold a grudge till the end of time." The way Stella utters it makes it sound like a royal decree or one of the fundamental laws of the universe, maybe it even is.
"Don't tell Terra that" Musa pleads because the nature fairy might actually take it as an actual decree and the last thing the mind fairy wants is for her roommate to feel bad in any way about this, the way both Stella and Bloom grimace is enough for Musa to know
In the far corner, they see Sky step off the mat and Brandon take his place, and Bloom unconsciously steps toward her guy before remembering the conversation she's having with her friends.
It's kinda adorable the guilty look she gives them but the feelings that the fire fairy is exuding is so overwhelming that Musa is more than happy when Stella mutters:
"Go be disgustingly happy"
That's all the prompting the fire fairy to be off. The empath's eyes follow her friends retreating form and naturally get drawn to the matt where Riven has paused for water his bare chest heaving and drenched in sweat as he's studying her over the
His viridescent eyes are piercing as he openly studies her and she stares back with a half-cocked head daring him to say a word.
"I definitely see the appeal of this class" mutters from her side and Musa cant help the breathy snort that the comment elicits from her
Her gaze remains locked with the shirtless specialist on the mat and the empath can almost taste the curiosity that's ooze as Riven studies her, with hints of, is that worry? The specialist finally turns when Brandon calls to him and Musa can't help but frown as a question rises in her:
"How did Brandon know?" because he hadn't been there when Sam had approached and gossip doesn't travel this fast.
Stella shrugs "Not sure just said your mentor thought we'd like to know"
And as surprised as Musa is she can't help closing her eyes and looking skyward with a heavy sigh because of course, of course, Riven would clue her girls in, the bastard didn't have the guts to talk to her but had no problem running interference for her.
She also kinda hates how much she finds it sweet because she'd rather have him just speaking to her.
They watch some more before Musa confides something that puzzles her to the blond
"I think Lydia feels bad, it sounds like she really wasn't sure she wanted it to get out that they are dating "
Stella snorts at the comment
"Yeah of course she doesn't everyone's going to say they were probably cheating on you" Musa can't help but look at Stella bewildered
"Oh c'mon why would they do that?" the sun princess looks at the empath like she's lost her mind
"Because the Harvey's have been friends with the triplets family for like years, look there were some students who even were sure that Lydia and Sam were a thing last year"
The empath takes in the information with a frown because all this was certainly news to her, though it changed very little in the grand scheme of things.
"Why do you think Sky is close to Terra?" Stell goes on
"Sky is close to Terra?" Musa echoes dumbstruck
"Honestly how are you the empath? Shouldn't you be picking up all this with your mental sonar?
And Musa looks unamused at Stella phrase of choice for her powers
"You never even have decent gossip" the sunshine princess complains
"You want to tell me what the story is here or am I supposed to just use my mental sonar" Musa snarks
"I thought you could read minds"
"Stella"
"Ok fine, Sky was practically raised here by Silva during the school year, the summers though he spent somewhere else, not sure where but I know he spent some of them with Riven."
"So sky and Riven knew each other before?" Muda surmises surprised and Stella nods
"Yeah they've been friends for years, I mean they reconnected last year, why do you think Riven never went after Terra?"
"I thought it was because of their friendship last year" the empath answers honestly and the sun fairy considers the notion before shrugging
"I mean maybe, but no Sky wouldn't have stood for it, frankly neither would have Terra...You can't be that surprised" Stella levels with her and the empath has to admit it makes sense, the empath is still digesting the information keeping her eyes on the dueling specialists when the Solarion heir calls her name.
"Musa-"
"Hmm?"
"Did Sam wreck you that badly? You're a little out of it love" Stella hedges and her voice is soft and her eyes worried and Musa is happy to dissuade her friend of her misconception as she responds with a snort:
"If only"
The answer is enough to quell the blonds concerns but not her interest as she asks after a pause:
"You plan on elaborating?" and Musa wants to but it's hard to explain, she pauses as she gathers her thoughts-
"I thought I'd be heartbroken you know? but we were just, I don't know, just a bit awkward? Mostly fine. Just, weird"
"And that's bad because?"
"It's not! It's just... I can remember thinking Sam was it, you know, 'the one' the best thing that ever happened" and Musa honestly can, she remembers the butterflies and the sneaking, remembers thighs pressing into her and small secret smiles
"But then, I also remember wanting to smother him when he had no problem moving on after the battle and just being annoyed with him and not really caring if he was there or not. It was like, like-" The empath struggles to explain her feelings, and when the words don't just come she abandons the sentences with a sigh. Stella says nothing as the empath gathers her thoughts before she begins again
"I should care that he was potentially sleeping with someone else but I don't believe it, he's not that guy. And I kinda don't think I'd care now really, I'd be betrayed but not heartbroken. isn't that strange"
"What were you guys like during Rosalind?" and the question echoes something that Sam said earlier making Musa think that maybe their issues had started earlier than even she had realized? The mind fairy tries to think back to the month before the battle, during Rosalind's reign, months she'd tried so hard to forget.
"Busy. I was helping you all. He was trying to stick close to his dad and help him out. There was just a lot you know. I worried about him a lot at first but it just got pushed back with everything" that had been the problem she thinks, they disconnected, had to really, but when they came together they never took the time to actually reconnect.
"When he told me he was dating I was genuinely happy and when he told me who it was all I cared that it was Lydia, and not even her more like someone on my team and how it was going to affect the group dynamic" it makes her sound crass she thinks almost a bitch but it's so in contrast with how she feels
"But I loved him, I did"
"I know you did" the sunshine princess assures, smiling gently at her friends, her eyes understanding and knowing in a way the mind fairy had never seen before.
"But it just-" and Musa doesn't have the words to describe what she's getting at but Stella does
"I loved Sky you know, he was rock, my best friend. I've known him for most of my life and we mean a lot to each other" the gust of wind ruffles the blond's long hair, in betwixt the clouds a series of sun rays peek out as the Solarian princess looks at the specialist in question who is currently holding his redheaded girlfriend in his arms laughing at something she's saying looking utterly happy. There's no bitterness in Stella, no malice as she speaks, the mind fairy can attest to this
"He loved me too" Stella adds and Musa believes her because there are remnants of a strong bond between the two of them even now.
"But its different, at some point he became someone I just wanted in my life at any cost really, whether we were kissing or having sex became irrelevant, like you said we both had bigger things to worry about and so long as he was in my world I didn't care if he was with me."
"But it shouldn't be like that. when the world was going to shit the first thought on Skys mind was Bloom and despite everything our little changeling has gone through, she chose protecting Sky at the end over exacting revenge on his father for what he did to her family" They watch as Bloom pulls Sky in for a kiss the two of them looking far happier than they were months ago
"That big love is selfish, you'd let the world burn to save the person you love, They taught me that" Stella confesses and Musa finds herself hanging on to her friends every word as she puts into words what she's been feeling these past months
"You loved Sam, he probably loved you. But sometimes relationships change, the love changes"
Musa exhales because the way her relationship had faded into nothing had made her at times feel as though it had never been and if she was honest it left her a little anxious and hesitant about future relationships. A fact that is somewhat evident on her face as Stella adds with a soft knowing smile:
"It's a little unsettling, isn't it? the person who's your whole world might one day just stop being that."
"Imagined if that only happened for one of you" Stella mutters as an afterthought and it's a terrifying notion especially since she already feels so much as an empath.
"That would destroy me"
Stella doesn't offer her false words as they watch their two specialists battle it out on the mat but she does offer her friend some truth
"Maybe for a bit, but then time goes on and someone who is no one will be your whole world again."
It's loaded and Musa's not sure if she's ready to admit the truth in Stella's words, especially as she watches Riven study her from where he's speaking to Brandon her heart hammering under the intensity of it all announcing the truth far louder than her voice can right now, so instead she share something she'd realized with her suitemate in exchange.
"I think my desire to be able to take care of myself became everything. I became my whole world"
And despite not looking away from the scene in front of them, Stella's eyebrows rise in surprise as she ponders the matter over before she says:
"Maybe that's the ultimate goal."
AN: Ok, I need to know, is my pacing right? Do their actions and reactions make sense? Does their dynamic? jealousy has always been tricky for me to write! so I hope it worked out! I would love love love to hear what ya'll think about this update!
In other notes this was only half of our chapter but it just got so long I had to split it so, here's part one and part 2 should be up shortly in the next day or two!
Also to all my reviewers, I love you, I write for you and I appreciate every single word you drop for me!