Author's Note: *sighs* You know... This was meant to be a one-shot. I only added a second chapter because I didn't show Ira's dream about Ava, but a few readers asked about Ira's feelings so I decided to make a third chapter. Then again, I say that and I'll wind up with a fourth chapter before you know it. Oh well, enjoy this juicier than necessary chapter.
He would do just about anything to get out of this meeting. LITERALLY... Ira practically stopped paying attention to the Master's grand explanation about the purpose of the bangles after he touched upon the major points. Was there still red wine in the cellar downstairs? Of course, the Master purposely installed a cellar separate from the tower just in case someone decided to get a quick sip-sip and grow a terrible addiction. Which was great because Ira saw a bottle with his name written on it in silver marker. He already started making plans on taking the blender and a bucket of ice out of the kitchen while everyone was preparing to take baths and retire for the night. What would go great with red wine? Dark chocolate? Gods yes! How much munny was in his treasury? A couple million? He could dabble in some spare change for a night away from it all. He remembered the large tub meant for chilling certain bottles that the Master was particularly careful with, but he had no intention of chilling that much wine for a night. No, Ira had other plans for the big wooden tub.
"Well, Ira, what do you think?" the Master asked, breaking his thoughts.
Damn, he didn't hear that last part. What did he hear? Oh, the bangles collect dark energy! Ira gathered his thoughts and said, "Collecting dark energy sounds beneficial, but I worry that there will be wielders who will strictly focus on that and use that same energy to fight fire with fire. How can we ensure that this won't backfire?"
"Are you saying you don't trust me?" the Master asked, sounding offended.
"N-n-no," Ira replied, flinching at the notion. "I'm simply looking at it from a needed perspective. In an ideal world, all wielders are as loyal to us as we are to you. However, darkness can wear a convincing disguise. We can't be too careless."
"Very good, Ira," the Master said, pleased with his reply.
Ira nodded and zoned out when Invi started asking the Master more questions. On that note, Ira went back to picking out things that would go great with a strong, aged red wine. His mouth was starting to salivate at the mere notion. That's right! He stopped at the dark chocolate. What's a nice fruit that would send him to another place where his comrades didn't exist? There's an endless selection. Strawberries? Nope, too sexy and reminds him of Ava and her... crush on him. Blueberries? Nope, reminds him of Invi. Peaches would be heavenly but they remind him of his ex. Bananas? Gay. Hey, what about raspberries? Yeah, and a small hint of cake with soft creme. Hells yeah! That bath house shop opens late tonight, too? Fantastic! He could pick up those soft beads that soak up in hot water and mold to his body's shape. Plans made! Speed this shit up, Master!
"Welp, meeting adjorned everyone," the Master said. "I'm gonna go patrol the town. May your heart be your guiding key."
Oh, it's guiding him alright. Go ahead and patrol away, Master. Once said man left the room, Ira followed after him and quietly snuck away to his room. He could feel his comrades eyes on him, but he chose to ignore them and quietly entered his sleeping chamber. He walked to the furthest wall in front of him to search for a smaller key behind the headboard of his bed. No one followed him. No one talked to him. No one stopped him. Perfect. He found his key hanging on a nail carved out from the headboard and slowly pulled it out so he wouldn't drop it. When he placed it in his robes, he quickly warped to the Treasury Room in the east wing of the tower. Ira gingerly took about 2000 munny and 1500 jewels from his treasure chest and packed it away to go shopping, completely ignoring the presence now following him. He idly called out to Odie to join him and waited for the Chirithy to catch up to him with his little legs. Whoever was following Ira could wait. He needed to clear his head for a while, and he didn't want to think about ANYTHING this time.
His trip through Daybreak Town was actually pleasant. Odie seemed to enjoy picking flowers and asking Ira about them. The vibrant red poppies were a favorite for the Chirithy and, of course, the daffodils. Some blue daisies and a regal violent caught the little one's attention as well. By the time the two returned home, Ira guessed the Chirithy would have a bouquet ready for him. He didn't mind it, though. Odie wanted his master to be happy, and the flowers were the only things he knew would work. Ira stopped walking for a moment to guide Odie to a garden where some colorful roses were. He picked out a radiant orange rose and dusky purple rose from two separate bushes and made sure to dethorn them before adding them to the Chirithy's collection. When he finished, Ira and Odie continued their shopping with the cakes and chocolate and bath beads picked out. Ira even took the spare munny to buy pajamas for Odie and himself. The Chirithy was more thrilled to be accessorized than anything. Ira smiled at that, which made Odie shyly ask to go shopping for more items, and he chuckled at the simple request before nodding in response. Odie was better at helping him avoid thinking than a human or a pet! As gratitude, Ira went on ahead and bought Odie a necktie and cuffs with red pearl links.
After laughing softly from Odie's excitement, Ira found himself being nuzzled by his new friend and attracting a few wielders from his union. His day seemed to get better and better with time. A small group of wielders decided to follow him around town, feeling that he was approachable when he smiled. He didn't realize he was such an intimidating figure until they brought it up. The group of wielders seemed to be a small party of eight. The party leader was out on a mission in Beast's Castle from the sounds of it. The others were curious about Ira's good mood and held off on their mission out of curiosity. They asked multiple questions about light, darkness, and everyday concerns that a teenager would be wrapped up in. He found himself liking the conversations he was engaged in with his younger followers. Most of them admitted liking seeing Ira smile and behave like a normal person. They were so used to him being the serious mentor that they didn't realize he was actually cooler as a person.
"Master Ira, is it okay if we stay with you for a little longer?" a young girl with pink hair styled in long ponytails and red overalls asked. "I finished my missions for the day."
"That'd be cool! It's not every day you get to talk to a Foreteller. Let alone be around one," a young boy with dark blue hair and a casual blue outfit said.
Ira reasoned that they were close friends and smiled at them. Meh, why not? He could use the distraction. He nodded at them and said gently, "I don't mind. I'm hungry as a horse anyway."
"That was cheesy, Master Ira!" the girl said, giggling. "C'mon! I know a great place to get a burger."
"Actually, I could go for a steak," Ira remarked, putting a finger under his chin. "I wonder if that old restaurant on the edge of town is still there..."
"An old restaurant?" the boy questioned, scratching his head. His wavy, dark blue locks danced between his fingers from the motion. "What's it called?"
"The Spotted Kitten," Ira responded. "It used to be a live music venue. Because of its popularity, a restaurant was opened. Over time, it grew. I used to go there a lot before I became a Foreteller."
"Aw, I'm jealous!" the girl complained, pouting. "That means there were people who knew you before you were Master Ira - friends from back then."
Ira chuckled at this and said, "Well, I wouldn't say that, but I did have a girlfriend that I used to take there."
"Really?" the boy questioned, eyes widening from the unexpected information. "Didn't expect that. What was she like?"
"She was unbearably smart," Ira replied, leading the two to the direction of the restaurant. "But she was always there to get me out of trouble and was sweet as flower nectar."
"Aw, that's so romantic!" the girl remarked. She then realized something and asked, "What happened to her?"
Ira shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath to simmer his strongest feelings down. He then said, "My master found me and wanted to teach me about the light and darkness. I soon started seeing Heartless and my future under his wings. She didn't understand it all, so we started spending less time together. Our feelings kept changing over time and before I knew it... She was gone. It was an emotional time, but I don't regret any of it. Our hearts were connected in a way that surpassed even rational thought. The last time I saw her, she was with someone else and she was happy. That's what I really wanted for her in the end. To be happy... even if it meant not seeing her for a long time."
"Do you miss her?" the boy asked, looking down at the ground. He looked ashamed to ask that question and like he was wrapped up in his own thoughts about someone else. Maybe he, too, had a girlfriend that he recently split up from.
"Sometimes," Ira answered. "But only when I'm on a mission nowadays."
"Why then?" the girl asked, tilting her head cutely.
"To remind myself why I chose to fight for the light," Ira said, stopping his journey. He looked up into the sky, feeling a gentle breeze pass across his skin, and smiled. He then continued, "My mission is to gather Lux not just to maintain the balance between powers but to give it to the people we leave behind when we battle the darkness. I want people like her to always have a sun to light their days long after mine are over. I want to give her a world that grows and changes with the seasons because I want her to see how beautiful the seasons truly are, too. Ever since I started this journey as a guardian of light, I noticed that simple things like flowers are precious. If I can give her those things as a Foreteller and a man, then fighting on the side of light is a simple thing. I will fight if it will give her a world where she can be free and never fear."
"That's what makes you the one, huh?" the boy remarked, making Ira turn and hum in response. Gula said something similar, didn't he? The boy looked up and smiled to say, "The leader of the Foretellers. Fight for the light so the rest of us have a peaceful future not just a guaranteed future. That's a goal I can get behind."
The girl nodded in agreement and said, "Me too!"
"Me three!" Odie cheered, hugging Ira's face and making him laugh.
Ira's stomach growled obnoxiously and reminded him of why he was headed to the edge of town. He then said, "Well, it won't do us any good if we fight on an empty stomach. Besides, I have no idea what Odie eats."
"Odie likes sweets," the Chirithy replied. "Master Ava gave me some before we left, and we ate cake at the bakery."
"Sugar will make you fat," Ira scolded gently. "You're eating a fruit salad instead."
"Actually, I could go for a side salad," the girl commented, walking ahead of the group. "With whipped cream on top!"
"Hey, wait for me!" the boy called, following the girl and Odie.
Ira was about to follow them when he felt a familiar presence behind him again. He turned sharply to see who it might have been but saw no one there. Not wanting to lower his guard, he merely kept a closer eye on his surroundings as he walked away. He had to be especially mindful of his followers' safety. He also had to remind himself to ask for their names. While he wasn't a forgetful person, he did have many in his union. A reminder helped him keep up with who's who. Regardless, Ira proceeded to follow his small group with caution unaware that he was being followed by two very familiar presences.
Master Invi waited until Ira disappeared from her direct line of vision before coming out of the shadows. She didn't want to disturb her leader and was surprised by the new information she just heard, but it didn't convince her about Aced's words when they left the meeting.
A couple of hours ago...
"Ira's acting strange today," Invi remarked in a whispering tone. "I've never seen him so quiet before."
"Neither is Ava. She didn't say anything at all during this meeting. That's rare on her part," Gula said.
Both Foretellers looked at Aced who just chuckled and shook his head lightly before walking off. He also was quiet during the meeting and he's never quiet about anything, but he also never smiles during their meetings and his lips were trapped in an amused state the entire time. Even the master was behaving differently! He normally was really upbeat about his creations and how they affected their roles, but he was more serious and sounded less interested in the bangles. He even paid special attention to Ira, speaking slowly and asking him questions to keep him up to speed. It was like he knew Ira was terribly distracted today, and Aced also knew the same thing but found it funny. Suspicious of their most vital leaders being silent, the two decided to follow Aced and demand an explanation.
"You know what's going on, don't you?" Invi asked, stopping Aced from leaving the chamber.
"About what?" Aced asked, genuinely confused by the question. It was too general to be strictly about Ira and Ava.
"What's the deal with you four? The master's more serious in meetings, Ira's tight-lipped, Ava's avoiding eye contact, and you're smiling an awful lot. Something's up. So... what the hell?" Gula asked, getting straight to the point.
"Gula!" Invi scolded.
"Would you rather that or the f word?" Gula asked, folding his arms and giving Invi an uninterested look through his mask.
"I'd rather know what happened," Invi replied, turning her attention back to Aced who was grinning darkly now. "What's with that smile?"
"How bad do you want to know, Invi?" Aced asked in a more seductive tone, making the shy Foreteller blush.
"With that tone? Not that much," Gula remarked, flinching. He turned to walk away and said, "Let me know what he says, Invi."
"Trust me, she won't be able to repeat it back," Aced replied, putting a hand on his hip. "That's even if she REALLY wants to know. So then... how bad do you want to know, Master Invi?"
"Alright, you're scaring me," Gula said, turning around. "What do you know?"
"Depends on where you want me to begin," Aced answered.
"Um..." Invi started, thinking about the situation. Which part bothered her more? The master being serious or the unusual silence from Ira? Well, the master was watching Ira half the time, so it must be Ira causing everyone to act weird. May as well start there. She then decided on that and said, "Start with Ira."
"Very well," Aced replied, removing his mask. "I can either start with what happened this morning or what happened before the meeting. Take your pick and choose wisely."
"Okay, no, you're really scaring me. What the fuck?" Gula questioned.
"What happened before the meeting? That's my only concern right now," Invi said.
"To be blunt, and pardon my language, Invi. I know you hate cussing," Aced started, walking up close to the two. "Ira was close to having a fuck dream about Ava. Close being the operative word."
"What!?" Invi and Gula shouted more than questioned.
"Bullshit!" Gula said, waving a hand to dismiss the mere thought of such a thing.
"Think about it. You're not a dumb kid," Aced said darkly. "Why else would the master focus his attention on Ira? Why would Ira be so shut off from the rest of us?"
"Ira's almost always to himself," Gula replied. "Besides, he's never shown interest in anyone romantically. I thought he was a monk or a celibate when I met him."
Aced stopped smiling at that when Invi nodded at Gula's words. That concerned him even more than what Ava said. Ira really doesn't talk to anyone about anything. How is he supposed to be the leader if he doesn't know who's supposed to be following him? He thought at least Invi knew a bit more about him because she can keep a secret, but Invi just agreed with Gula and by default Ava. Gula, being the one who could give two shits about anything, is probably the most approachable out of the entire group because he's a good listener and secretive. He doesn't even talk to him? He was lost more than ever now.
Aced decided to just tell the truth to them out of annoyance and confessed the whole story, "Well, he's not. He's about as sexual as a normal person and was proud of it once. That was what I respected about him so much. He was proud of who he was and where he came from. He didn't let anyone tell him otherwise. He also has a good heart. Anyone would want to follow him because of that. When he became an apprentice like the rest of us, he changed for the better and shunned any desires he used to have. Every now and then, we'd talk about our past lives over a beer or two."
"Ira drinks?" Gula questioned, tone laced with utter disbelief.
Aced looked at Gula and took note of how serious he and Invi took this information. They really don't know about Ira at all. He then asked, "You don't know anything about him either, do you?"
"What else is there to know? He has these kinds of dreams about every girl?" Invi questioned.
"No, he's not a pervert!" Aced defended, almost insulted by the question as if it were directed at him. In reality, it sort of was. He and Ira had a lot in common on a personal level. Aced ignored his feelings and continued, "This was recently. As in last night recently. Last night, the master performed an experiment on those pets he was giving us. He took a piece of Ira's dream first and read through it just to see if anyone familiar was in it. He just so happened to see Ava in the dream the most. He didn't really analyze it or anything because we all were in the same dream doing different things. Since it seemed harmless, he gave his dream piece to Ava's pet thing. Her reaction to it interested the master, so he took her reaction to the dream and gave it to Ira. When he tried to take Ira's reaction out, the little pet thing was resistant and scared, so he read through some of it and convinced the pet to give it to Ava. I found Ava in the kitchen and she told me what she saw: an unfiltered fuck dream. I found it amusing because I thought it was her first wet dream, but she said something to me that bothered me. It was like what you just said, Gula. You don't know Ira beyond the mask and his constant thinking. Neither did she. I told her to tell Ira about the dream, not knowing about the experiment."
"Why would a young girl as sweet as Ava want to tell an adult male like Ira about such a thing? I would think he's too noble - " Invi said before immediately stopping. "Oh, I see..."
"See what?" Gula asked.
"You were telling her to use that dream as a way to get to know Ira the way you do," Invi said. "I wouldn't think to tell him about such dreams because I don't know how he'd react. I also would think he wouldn't want to know because it's too dirty compared to him. We don't even think he drinks, but you know he does."
"Ira's pretty normal to me. I mean Luxu was - " Gula started before stopping.
That's right! Last night, Luxu was talking about this girl from Invi's union that he had a crush on and wanted Gula's opinion on the matter. When they tried to talk to Ira about it, Ira's thoughts about Ava discouraged Luxu from telling him about how sexy he thought the girl really was. Ira never said he had desires for Ava. He only said he thought about how valuable she was as a defender of light.
"Such noble thinking shouldn't be corrupted" is what Luxu told him after Ira had left.
It wasn't just Invi who wouldn't have thought to tell Ira about anything of a dirtier nature. It was almost everyone!
"Wow," Gula finally responded after some thought.
"Did she tell Ira about the dream?" Invi asked.
"No," Aced answered, hearing Invi let out a relieved sigh. "I found her in front of my bedroom door after I left the kitchen. She said she was too scared to tell Ira because it felt too real to be just some dream, so I asked her what dream Ira said to her to make it seem like it was the real Ira. She told me everything Ira said about a fantasy he had. The only problem with that was that Ira DID have a fantasy just like the one she told me. That worried me, so I went to find the master to ask if maybe he told Ava or if she had overheard him. I just so happened to catch the master leaving the library, and he told me the whole story."
"So, Ira's always had a crush on Ava? Or is that a recent thing?" Gula asked, now a little confused.
"That I'm still not sure about," Aced answered honestly. "He's never said he was attracted to her or Invi before. Everything dealing with him has been recently. Starting from last night, especially. Ava's a different story. The master bought some books for Ava in the library months ago. They were directly related to those dreams she had about her future husband."
"Oh, she told you about that, too?" Gula remarked but not giving it any real thought. "Well, it's innocent enough, but she never sees the guy's face or anything. The guy could be anyone."
"Name me three features she distinctly told you that described the guy in her dreams," Aced challenged, looking directly into Gula's eyes.
"I guess being tall and toned isn't distinct enough," Invi said after a pause, surprising Aced. So Ava did tell just about everyone about it... except Ira. Invi then realized something and said, "Oh! She did say he had a mole on his left shoulder."
"Come to think of it..." Gula said, tilting his head upwards to the ceiling to think carefully. "She said an odd one a while back. I think it was a callous on the right middle finger. Before, when she first told me about it, she said something about dimples in his back."
"Lower or upper?" Aced asked, already knowing the answer to the question.
"I think she said lower," Gula replied. "But what does that have to do with Ira? Does he have any of those features?"
"He has ALL of those features," Aced said, giving his mask a good look before placing it back on his head. "I don't know how she knows about those three in particular, but the master figured out who matched that exact description. He just kept it a secret. It's really Ira's response to everything that's got him curious. That's why he's been focused on him throughout the meeting. The fact that Ira's as quiet as he is right now means he's distracted by something, but it's not by Ava this time. I think Ira's trying to figure out how to get some time to himself so he can properly focus on his role. That's essentially what Ira cares about the most. If you think I'm just pulling your leg, follow him around and see for yourselves."
"So, Ira had a girlfriend before he met us?" Invi questioned aloud, hearing Gula hum in thought.
"Guess so. He cared deeply for her from the sound of it," Gula said with a worried tone. "That answers why he never really thought about you or Ava in a romantic way. I don't think he ever got over his ex. He didn't pursue anyone else after her and wished for her happiness despite the pain he felt."
"But even so, his desire for a safer world is pure and true," Invi said. "It's admirable if not a little sad."
"Doesn't look good for Ava, though," Gula whispered. "I don't want her to be heartbroken from all this. It's already confusing for them."
"Maybe the best thing to do is to simply watch. They need to figure this out on their own," Invi said. "If Ava hasn't realized that she's been dreaming about Ira yet, then that means her dreams haven't advanced to the level of Ira's presumed response. We don't even know what fantasy Ira had that triggered all of this."
"It couldn't have been THAT bad," Gula said, waving off the notion. "If Ava was able to retell it to Aced at all, then she didn't dive that deep into Ira's world."
"But how deep did she manage to get?" Invi questioned, looking into the sky to see dandelion seeds fluttering in the wind.
Ira could confidently say that he enjoyed his time with his union members and Odie. After he escorted them to their homes, he walked with Odie to the watch tower where a quiet wine cellar was awaiting him. He was happy that his chocolate didn't melt yet, but he also frequently put a minor Blizzard spell on it to keep it solid. As he was approaching the entrance to the tower, he finally felt another familiar presence nearby but it was closer than the others he felt before. He swiftly turned around and lightly gasped before Odie said...
"Master Ava!"
Ava looked up with surprise to see Ira and Odie carrying bags. She looked outrageously tired as she waved and didn't even bother to put up a front about it. Ira waved back in response and chose to show a slight smirk instead of a full-on smile. No more of the double-personality trick this time, brain. Ira simply watched Odie hop off his shoulder and hop from one foot to the other. Good, the Chirithy can distract her. He won't have to talk. Sorry, Ava, Ira's in shut-off mode until tomorrow. Odie ran to her despite the obvious fatigue from the other Foreteller and gave her a big hug. He even gave her a healthy, red poppy flower from his bouquet.
"Oh!" Ava replied, giggling softly. She said, "It's beautiful, Odie. Where'd you get this?"
"Master Ira took me exploring in town today," the Chirithy explained. "We made new friends and we went shopping! I collected all the pretty flowers when we went to the gardens and meadows. There were so many to see! Now I feel bad, though. You didn't get to see any of them..."
"You're so sweet, Odie," Ava said, cuddling the little creature. "But don't worry. One day, we'll go together. We'll collect some dandelions and make wishes. I'll wish for you to find as many daffodils as you can so that Master Ira will keep smiling just for you."
Odie hummed for a moment and then said, "I like that wish, but I don't know if that's the one I would wish for..."
Ava perked up at this. She thought for sure Odie liked seeing Ira smile. She then asked out of pure curiosity, "Oh? What would you wish for?"
Odie looked down at his flowers, afraid to say his next choice of words out loud, and whispered into Ava's ears instead. He said, "Well, earlier, Master Ira called himself a creep and he looked so sad. He had a dream of being unkind to you, and he was so upset by it that he was saying apologies in his sleep. He really is sorry about these dreams. I don't think he's a creep at all if he's sorry. I think he's a special light and... I'd like to be his friend like the other wielders we met today. Because if I'm his friend then I get to see him smile the way he did before. I wish you could've seen it. Three parties came to visit us just to talk to him, even a smaller one from Master Gula's union. That's my greatest wish. To be friends like today."
"That's a great wish, Odie," Ava said in a whispering voice, smiling sadly. Odie turned to the tired Foreteller, hearing the sadness in her voice. She then smiled brightly and said, "Well, sounds like you had a better day than me. I'm beat!"
"What happened, Master Ava?" Odie asked.
"Oh, I was just training one of my wielders. He's really strong. Great potential!" Ava replied, losing more energy than she can produce to respond with gestures.
"Looks like he trained you harder than you trained him," Ira remarked, smirking in a friendly, joking manner.
"I'll say..." Ava mumbled.
"Here," Ira said, handing Ava a bag of shrunken beads. "Dump these in hot water for your bath. You'll feel better."
Ava took the bath beads and then looked up to question Ira, but she was silenced when she saw the gentle smile on his face. It must have been the same one that Odie saw because the Chirithy hopped out of Ava's arms and into Ira's to nuzzle in the Foreteller's neckline. The sweet gestures being displayed by them both sort of woke a different side to Ava. She then remembered the creature's words. Ira was sorry about the dreams he was having? Sorry about being unkind to her? She never had dreams of being mistreated. She only ever had dreams of being catered to and embraced. Wait a minute, what was that other meeting about with the Master and Aced? Luxu was with them, too. The Master whispered something to him and made Luxu follow Ira after he left the room. Even earlier today, she spotted Gula and Invi talking about something. She was sure Ira was there, but he must've left them behind or something. Did Ira have a dream about her, too? Then, the young Foreteller snapped...
"Odie..." Ava called, eyebrow twitching. When Odie perked up at hearing his name, she then said, "Would you mind waiting in Ira's room for me? I have to talk to him about something important. I forgot about it after training."
Ira was no fool. He sensed the anger lurking underneath those words. Odie nodded at Ava and disappeared in a ball of light to do as told. When he did, it was a death glare match between the Foretellers. One of them was bound to break the silence, and, after a few moments of pissed-off silence, Ira finally spoke up.
"Your question was what exactly?" Ira asked, no longer smiling or smirking. He was in serious mode now.
"Have you been having sex dreams about me?" Ava asked, not even sparing a blink in between the question. It wasn't subtle.
"Hey, kettle. I'm pot. Nice to meet you," Ira greeted, furrowing his eyebrows at the question.
"Don't be coy!" Ava argued. "I haven't been able to sleep since last night, and Aced won't tell me anything about why you were so tight-lipped earlier at the meeting. So say it."
"Say what?" Ira asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That you dreamed about me in a non-friendly way," Ava replied, raising her voice and flushing out of anger.
"Only if you admit the same sin, kettle," Ira answered calmly, walking towards Ava until he was close enough to lower his voice and add a growl to it. "Having a fuck dream about your leader isn't exactly appropriate or lady-like."
"Fine, ya big pony pot!" Ava insulted, stomping her foot. "I might have had... a particularly uncomfortable fantasy that... involved you."
"Doing what?" Ira probed, more curious to see if Ava would say it.
"Don't you make me say it!" Ava snapped. "Almost everyone knows now!"
"Very well," Ira said, surprising Ava enough to calm her down. "Yes, I had one of you after we met at the clearing, but it didn't escalate to the level your dream had. I was more confused by why you were pursuing me. I still am. That dream was more or less a reflection of that confusion."
"You said... it didn't escalate to what I dreamt, right?" Ava asked, earning a nod from the man. She let out a deep breath, pouted, blushed a bit, and then said, "Well, to make this short, I guess I sort of have a crush on you, Ira. You're very noble and kind and thoughtful. You're always thinking ahead and, even when you're distracted, you focus on the important things. It's... kind of annoying actually. Yesterday, I might have lied a little about the Master teaching me how to give him a massage. I told him about this dream I had about a future husband. He was just massaging my back, but there was something about the dream that bothered me. I couldn't figure out what it was. He told me to describe the man, but..."
"But?" Ira probed.
Ava blushed, gulped, and then said, "I... I couldn't. Not to the master anyway. Since I was too embarrassed to say, he taught me how to do massages. The dream still bothered me, though. I couldn't figure out why, so I told Gula instead and described the guy to him. It was a little more appropriate between us, after all. I didn't know the master was eavesdropping on us but, when I finished, he was laughing. I thought it was because of what I said, but it turned out that he wasn't laughing at what I said but who I described. He's the one who told me that I was dreaming about you. After that, I got scared because... we hadn't even shared a friendship yet. We still didn't in the end. With our new roles now, it looks like we'll never be friends. I wanted that most of all... Just to be friends..."
Ira gasped then said, "You said something similar in my dream! No, almost exactly like that."
Ava perked up at this and said, "I did?"
Ira nodded and replied, "Yes, and... I wanted to apologize to you. I never meant for you to feel mistrusted or disliked or even weird. You're too valuable as a protector of light and you're still growing as a person. Soon, you'll be the most admired leader of us all. I'm sorry this crush is stressing you out so much. Sounds like it was eating you alive."
Ava was quiet for a moment. Quiet enough to alert Ira that she was frozen. Her lips twitched for a second, making Ira furrow his eyebrows at the strange gesture, and she started to form a sentence but dropped it and only made a noise in its place. Ira's lips puckered in a curious bow and it only grew more prominent when Ava subconsciously reached her hand out to touch him. Only her hand didn't make it to his face and he stood with an odd tension in his shoulders. His skin sort of... ached to feel her fingertips against his cheek if that was where she was going to caress him. It didn't seem like an aggressive move was about to stir from her.
She finally alleviated the silence and responded, "You know... part of me... hates you."
"What?" Ira questioned, not understanding.
"In the dream... that's what I was feeling," Ava responded. "Frustration, annoyance, and then... hatred. My darkness is what escalated the dream into what it was. What made yours escalate, Ira?"
At that question, Ira was deathly silent and showed no signs of speaking again for a while. He merely looked at Ava and started seeing the truth the way she was probably seeing it. That's what made it all so disturbing. The fact that his darkness wanted to ruin Ava's innocence and the fact that Ava's darkness wanted to ruin his nobility was a testament to the hidden desires the two seemed to share. Both want to destroy the other for whatever sinister reason. No longer wanting to hide anything from Ava now that the two seemed frustrated with each other, Ira decided to just be honest from here. There'd be no point in shielding someone who he thought for sure was an innocent flower from anything now.
"Your ability to seduce me," Ira said. "I don't remember having a dream about fucking you before, but the dream that I did have of you was almost enough to undo me. What stopped me from just taking you as you were was the possibility that someone else touched you before that. I wasn't jealous of the other guy. I wasn't even mad. Part of me... wanted to take it back for you... I don't know... It was like if I wasn't your first then the sex wouldn't work."
"If I were your age..." Ava said after a silence passed between them, "would you have had that same dream?"
"... I don't know. I haven't thought about sex in years since I broke up with my girlfriend," Ira said in a low voice as if he were reliving a past he hoped to forget. "I never really wanted to touch another woman since then. I guess that's what really scares me."
Ava perked up at that and questioned, "You get scared about things?"
"Only recently," Ira answered, placing a Blizzard spell on his forgotten chocolate. He wondered if Odie would return to his side if he took too long. The argument seemed to be finished and was relegated to normal talk. Ira guessed it was safer for the Chirithy to call for him now. He then said, "I worry about the darkness spreading as the master said, and this lingering thought in the back of my mind fears what will happen if we fail to protect the light. Truth be told, I don't want to lose the life I left behind when I came here to become the master's apprentice with all of you. Then that means that she'll die. I didn't become the master's apprentice just because he chose me. I did all of this to protect her, even though I knew she was slowly slipping away from me. The more I got to know all of you, the more my reason for leaving felt right. I suppose learning the way of the keyblade created this sense of nobility in me. That's what you all seem to see. But, you know, I don't want to lose you all either. You helped me grow into something I never would've thought possible. I'm scared of losing everything to an entity I can't truly see."
"... Maybe you should visit her," Ava suggested with a sad smile, gaining Ira's attention. "It sounds like you never really broke up with her."
"She's with someone else now," Ira replied, making Ava gasp lightly. "There's no need."
"Oh..." Ava whispered. She took a moment to think about something to say but instead shook her head and walked closer to Ira. She took his hand into hers and gently kissed the callous on his fingers. Ira gasped lightly and briefly before exhaling softly and subconsciously rubbing Ava's bottom lip with his thumb. Ava finally spoke and asked, "Can you say that word again?"
"What word?" Ira questioned, feeling a strange urge to push one of his fingers a few centimeters into Ava's mouth. Not quite fully inside the cavern but just at the base of her lips where moist surface and dry surface meet. He didn't realize that his voice dropped a bit.
"That f word," Ava replied, blushing as she took his thumb to where he wanted to touch and sucked it a little.
The action made Ira's heart thump uncontrollably and he had to question Ava's sudden flirtatious reaction to the information. He asked, "Why?"
"Well..." Ava started, sucking more area on his thumb's knuckle and lightly kissing it. "I've never heard you use a dirty word before. It's attractive. And... I'm happy that you haven't touched anyone else or went back to see your ex. That means you took a celibate, re-virginal path when you became an apprentice."
Ira raised an eyebrow at this and lifted Ava's chin with his index finger, feeling the cool air pass over his moistened thumb. He then said, "You should be more careful around men like me. We might take your little flirting as an invitation to fuck you."
"... Ira... " Ava started, blushing profusely now and embracing Ira fully to feel the warmth of his body. "I want those dreams to be real... It doesn't have to be today, but... one day... if we're ever frustrated or angry or just in the mood... will you, um... be my first...?"
Shock, desire, agreement, trust. Any of those feelings or another related to what he listed in his mind was what he was experiencing right then. Ava wanted him to be her first lover? He wanted to say that he didn't understand, but she already admitted to having a crush on him and he admitted to himself earlier that he might have developed a small crush on her until he rejected the idea because of the age difference. Now, he was starting to consider the request. As in REALLY consider it. It was clear that underneath the cute girl was a seductive, sexual teen but he's yet to realize what unleashed this other side to her. It didn't feel like darkness at all. It was more like pure attraction and he reciprocated similar feelings. What was the master trying to do by feeding them these dreams? Wrapped up in more of his thoughts, Ira returned Ava's embrace and nodded in acceptance of the request.
He then said, "I'll be your first. We can start tonight."