Warnings: Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, though only briefly there. Past character death. Slight attempted suicide-? (Why Kyle does it gets explained in the next chapter.)
Cannon character injury. Others. Graphic descriptions of blood and violence. Also just characters not having a nice time.
Also Barret's potty mouth.
He shouldn't be worrying so much about a girl he just met. Though technically he didn't just meet her today he met her a few weeks ago. Right around cherry blossom square, the cherry blossoms had been particularly beautiful that afternoon. He had recognized it.
Immediately. She was a girl. Though he hadn't said anything. Though he was curious, more so than he had ever been. Barret had always been curious, according to Byron. Byron had once told his son that he shouldn't go peeking in his office because he had important documents and books that a five-year-old was too young for. Barret, being lonely and by himself nothing to do – an outcast amongst other kids in Alverna. No one to talk to but the dust bunnies under his bed.
A plush buffamoo his mother had left him behind before she died when she was two, Barret had always been curious and wanderlust when it came to adventure. Beyond this hick town and the walls of the Mayor's mansion. So he crept in the Mayor's office and took a piece of paper – detailed drawings of a circle that the boy had never seen. "Barret. What are you doing in here? I told you not to come in here." Barret placed the paper back.
"I – yesn't?"
A smile appeared on Byron's face.
The fucker. Byron ruffled his sons hair. "I see you broke my rule."
Gods he wasn't a loser crybaby. He didn't have mom to rush to him and sing him to sleep anymore! Though if he wanted to, he could cry into Milky anytime he wanted. Not that he would, that's what babies did. Byron just chuckled. "I guess you'll have to help me wash the dishes and set the table tonight."
Though it wasn't the three of them and Byron wasn't a good as mom when it came to cooking. Barret nodded and placed his hands behind his back. "Do you have anything behind your back that your hiding from me Barret?" That sound of his voice, though not unkind just still punishing – Barret shows his hands – he's clean.
Though he had snuck into the alcohol cabinet once and gotten drunk. Byron was pissed. "I'm disappointed in you Barret." It wasn't a warm smile like it had been.
"Shut up! I'm fifteen. You're not the – "
"Well you'll pay for it with a hangover then! Now give me the bottle!" His dad had gotten red in the face and he had looked so scary that evening.
Barret hadn't known that was the wine that his mom and dad had gotten on their wedding day. Barret had done gone screwed up and drank it. Though not all of it, it was just a bottle of wine right? When Barret one day came back from Trieste Forest himself – "Barret!" Though this time it wasn't venomous it was a gasp.
'What now' the burnet thinks as he holds his side applying magic.
Though his dad would be just as pissed if he found out that he had been sneaking into his office reading through Magic Scripts again. Barret was seventeen. "I – could have lost you, like I lost your mother." That's why it was just a bottle of wine to his father. That's why it was just nothing more than booze. That's why he only saw Byron drink three times a year.
Their anniversary, the anniversary of mom's death and mom's birthday. He savored the drink. "I had- healing magic."
"Then I suppose you should get used to learning to maintain your Rune Power reserves. Isn't that right? Now let's find the first aide kit after you take a bath,"
Barret cried that day. "Natalie! It's Kyle she's hurt! She got hurt by an Orc in Trieste Forest; open up!" Though not even seconds later Dorothy had her leather bag and her stethoscope and no Dorothy with her – Ray was behind her. "I cleared up most of the wound with a seal,"
"You what," Ray balked. "That's extremely – " dangerous yes he knows!
"I've been training to control my Rune Power reserves for years!"
Natalie grabbed the Mayor's son by the bicep and dragged him along. "Woman!"
"You will come with me, Ray – follow everything I do." Natalie says like a woman in charge. A woman in control. Who knows what to do.
Like how mom always knew what to do.
"Yes mother."
'Momma's boy.' Barret thought bitterly though Ray was lucky to have that opportunity. To be a momma's boy.
. . .
A pool of blood and the book that Barret handed Kyle – was tossed onto the other sofa. "No! Fuck, damn Gods sweet Spirits no!" he rushes over to her. Scoops her up. "You fucking idiot you said that you wouldn't reopen your wound; you fucking lair – "
"Barret back away – "
"Hn. Oh. Your back."
"Less than an hour, stupid, troublesome, I told you. You promised!" Why did he ever think it was okay to trust her alone? How could he trust himself?
"It was… An accident," green magic flowed – when Natalie yells out. He mutters a 'healing incantation the spell is more powerful when spoken. Said with more meaning when your really putting your life on the line. This is a more powerful spell then Medication, known as Cure All. It's supposed to heal even the most fatal wounds.' Selphian texts and dialect lent him here – a Selphian spell he was reciting.
"Barret dot – " he's breathing and kisses her. He owes her nothing. But wants to give her everything.
"Stupid, troublesome woman. The blood evaporates. She begins to regain color, but he begins to fade a little.
"Injection, now!" Something's jabbed in his thigh and he blacks out and falls onto the floor.
He hears a; "Stupid kids." From Natalie and swears it must be raining inside as he closes his eyes and feels Ray scoop him up.
"Brave fool."
. . .
"Barret – you're," hng. Not now? Really. He's in the clinic.
"I'm, awake, Kyle – where."
Not the clinic. This is his bed at his house. Home. With his dad. "At our home. I brought her here… I thought it'd be best to keep an eye on her. You do realize the spell you used could've thrown away your life… You… Just met this girl. What were you thinking,"
Wiping away a clump of his hair Barret laughs weakly. "This is no laughing matter – " Byron was caught off by a hug. "Barret?"
"She's just, so strong," slinking, sinking – Barret falls back into the cushions. "You know if there's a time in your life and you think you have everything figured out and you think you know all the pieces of your life… You think you know you want to do everything right then and there…?"
"Hm perhaps, your in love with this girl."
"Yeah." A breathless, airy sigh. "I thought it was Dorothy,"
"Gordon's daughter. Well I have no qualms with her, she's a nice girl but I don't want any of my future grandchildren to be related to Gordon." A humph and Barret is horrified and thought it's supposed to be lighter. "You're in love Barret. Now how do you plan on telling Kyle…That… Is her name right? Not a typical name for a woman."
"… Her name is something that she wants to keep to herself, but she likes Kyle."
"I can respect that."
Barret swallows. Thick and hard his Adam's Apple bobbing slightly. "How is she?"
"The poor dear, I can't believe she didn't have a proper kitchen. What on Earth were Mana and Douglas thinking setting her up in that abandoned house? I had completely forgotten that place wasn't set for proper utilities, it must've been hard." Barret swings his feet across the bed – his bed. "Though alas that's not something we can help, we're in the present and she and you are okay. I'll be more than happy to have her stay here as long as she needs. Though you did heal most of her injuries; more than once. YOU need ore rest than her."
His stomach growls harshly. "… Can I have Grilled Salmon?"
"Your just in luck that we have some in stock. Those aren't easy to come by in Alverna. I'll get started on dinner. Though do me a favor and go check on her? Then you should probably go get washed up." He nods. He could use the energy from the bath water to regain Rune Power.
"Kyle…?" He walks in to see her staring at the ceiling emotionlessly. "Just how long have you been awake."
"I never sleep."
Barret doesn't know if she's joking or not. That's not something to joke about, but – "I asked how long you've been awake. I know you fell unconscious for a while there."
She hums and twitches her fingers a bit. "I dunno, thirty minutes? Everything's always hazy."
Oh. Right she had lost her memory! Gods he was such an idiot. "Kyle," he walks over to her, wraps his fingers around hers and sits on the bed. "Did you…
Try and kill yourself?"
She looks and blinks. Brown eyes suddenly darker than they should be. "It was an accident!"
"Then tell me what happened,"
"I… Don't remember." Not good. "Honest."
"How can I believe you when you promised me that you wouldn't reopen your wound?" He says a little bitter.
"Young lady are you well?" Byron's voice enters the room and Kyle shrugs. "A verbal response would be nice."
"I don't know the answer to that question sir."
Byron trying to be professional as always. "Well then," though no smile. All seriousness. "I'd prefer it if you'd stay here then be alone." She nods. "Do you want to be alone?"
She shakes her head 'no'. "I'd rather not be alone."
… "How about a warm meal for once?" Barret gives a small, sad smile. "We have Grilled Salmon cooking with some Udon Noodles."
She gets a curious look. "I've been having a hard time finding Salmon in the waters when I fish. Where do you find it," a little lighter in her voice and excited to try an actual warm meal for once and she's never had noodles before. Well she had a noodle dish at Egan's Inn when he treated her to a meal for free. The elf was very kind and concerned when he learnt she didn't have a kitchen though she paid for her meals and he never let anyone gush over her too much.
"You can catch them in Messhina Valley. It's got a fall climate-year round which actually you can grow different types of seasonal crops there. I'll take you fishing out there some time, come on." Barret helped Kyle up with his hand and she noticed she was wearing a gown. "Oh. That? Don't worry about it. You can borrow it."
"Oh… Thanks. Also thanks for having me."
He didn't tell her that used to be his mother's night gown.
