I know I have another story to attend too, but Alphen and Shionne's final campfire conversation was too cute; I couldn't get it out of my head, and this popped up.
Enjoy!
Beta-read by Wild Blue Sonder
"Say, Shionne." Alphen itched his flushed cheek. "What color would it be?"
"What color would what be?"
"The, uh... kitchen," he clarified, clearing his throat. The urge to pull her into a tight embrace grew unbearable as her cheeks darkened further, thorns be damned. "What color would you want for the– I-I mean, your kitchen!"
"Our– um, my kitchen? Hypothetically, right?!"
Alphen nodded zealously. "T-that's right."
Shionne twined her fingers and looked down. "Can I ask why you're curious?"
"Well, I mean..." Alphen thought fast, and blurted out a good enough excuse from the jumbled mess that was his brain, "You've got great fashion sense! After all this is over and I put my fighting days behind me and we buy–"
"Y-you buy?" Shionne repeated, her heart battering her ribcage.
"I-I buy, thank you." She nodded and he continued. "A house. I want it to look, you know, good. So... do you have any recommendations? I was thinking red, maybe a hot pink for the walls."
"Is there any special reason for those colors?"
"I've grown... fond of them."
Shionne's heart skipped a beat. "R-really?" She calmed herself down and fought to keep her face out of her hands. "I think... if it were me, I would use blue."
"Blue? I thought your favorite color was red." The words came tumbling out faster than his tongue could catch. But she did favor red, right?
"I like it, but blue has been winning me over lately." Seeing Alphen's eyes dart around the place, Shionne just wanted to reach out and pinch his cheeks, thorns be damned. He was always so cute when he got all flustered.
"I see. Personally, red has become my favorite color. It's... alluring. But you're right. Blue is rather gorgeous." Alphen clenched his fists. Watching the breathtaking woman before him fidget and blush tugged at his heartstrings. Those magnificent crystal clear eyes of hers... Control, Alphen, control!
"How about a compromise? Upstairs could be hot pink, and downstairs could be blue," Shionne proposed.
Alphen crossed his arms in thought. "Yeah... Yeah, that could work!"
"I'm glad you like the idea." A small smile formed on her lips. She hated her thorns now more than ever; he looked so adorable, and the only thought running through her mind was pulling him in for a nice hug. Shionne wanted to hold him, nestle his head into her chest and stroke his hair. Was that really so hard?
"It's such a simple solution, yet it never crossed my mind. Seriously, I don't know what I'd ever do without you, Shionne."
"I'm sure you'd be fine," she laughed.
"No way. I'd be lost without you," Alphen insisted.
The reality of their situation struck Shionne as a self-deprecating smile formed on her lips. "You're overreacting. If I wasn't around—"
"It would be hell," Alphen finished, somber. "I can't even imagine my life without you. I don't even entertain the idea. If you weren't around, I don't know what I would do." Realizing his volume had risen, he quickly collected himself. "S-sorry. It's just..."
"No, it's okay." Shionne felt the same way. A life without Alphen sounded like hell itself, and the mere idea of it tore her heart into pieces. "At least we got the kitchen and walls done. Is there anything else?" Judging by the expression on his face, something was on his mind but his pursed lips kept it contained. "Come on, Alphen, this is important! I-isn't it?"
Mustering his resolve, he spoke. "A double bed or a single bed? I want to know which one, because I was thinking a single."
Her skin prickled. "Why single?"
"I mean, like, a double bed would be too big. Not like we'd need all that space for snug– erm, if I'm the only one using it! What do you think?"
It took Shionne a moment to gather her bearings, entranced by the mental image of being caged in his arms throughout the night. "I think a larger bed is better. More space is never a bad thing. W-what if there's an issue and you need more room? Things happen."
"Things?"
Shionne began fidgeting with her fingers again. "Y-yes, things. Less space makes some things harder. L-like getting restless over a bad dream! You could roll off the bed."
"I guess you have a point. Especially the way you sleep, you might fall off the bed at night."
"What's that supposed to mean? It's not like you're a peaceful sleeper either! Besides, I'm not that restless," Shionne argued.
"Oh yes you are," Alphen grinned. "Do you know how many times I check on you because I think an enemy is attacking?"
"D-don't overaggerate! Do you know how many times I check on you because of how you grind your teeth? Sometimes I think it's gunfire."
"Gunfire?! Hey! That was uncalled for!" A lovely floral scent invaded his nose, and after noticing that two lovely azure eyes occupied his vision, he finally realized how close their faces had drawn. A long, thoughtful silence occurred; they only had to tilt their heads and then...
"I'm going to share this with everyone!" Shionne shot up from her seat, food in hand, and hustled toward the rest of the party bantering amongst themselves, leaving a blushing Alphen alone.
"Shionne, is something the matter?" Rinwell questioned.
"Wrong? N-nothing, why?"
"I don't know, but I can tell something is up." She squinted in an attempt to analyze her friend's expression.
Dohalim added his insightful two cents. "I believe the word you're looking for is 'disappointed'." He peered at Alphen, who had yet to move. "Did something happen between you two? Or… did not happen?"
"Dohalim," Kisara stated, "you need to learn when to hold your tongue."
"Hey, I'm curious, too. The two of you were chatting for a while– longer than usual. I don't think I've ever seen you guys so red," Law commented, chomping on the food from Shionne.
Rinwell cringed. "Close your mouth when you eat."
"D-don't worry, it wasn't serious."
"It wasn't? I presumed you two were speaking about your future toge—"
"Dohalim." Kisara sent her compatriot a glare that silenced him automatically. She then motioned Shionne away from the group. "I have time to talk if you want. Would you like some advice?"
"...Hypothetically speaking," Shionne began and Kisara smiled, "do you know any quiet places in Viscint?"