Chapter 3 - Elevator

If you like someone who worked in the citadel, and if that someone was working in a different division from you, the chance you would meet that person was very low. The citadel had four towers, and each of it was fifty stories high. Therefore, it would be such a miracle if you could accidentally meet that person as you walked down the hallway or as you entered the elevator.

That exact problem was experienced by Eira Heallint. The young medic always wished whenever she walked down the hallway, she would accidentally meet the marshal of the crownsguard, seeing the glimpse of his tall figure or admiring his lustrous blue eyes even though it was only for a split second. Sometimes, she wished when she entered the elevator she would meet him, and just like that, staying in that small room, breathing the same air as him even though it would be only until their destination floor did them apart.

But, as the raven-haired medic walked out from the elevator, she should taste the bitter truth that her delusion would never be fulfilled. Moving her feet in a steady pace, she opened the wooden door which would bring her to the world of the books. Library.

She gave a smile to the people she met inside, mostly because they knew that she was the daughter of the royal council member. They knew about her, yet, sometimes she couldn't remember their names.

Advancing her way to one of the bookshelves, she scanned the title of the books, one by one until she found the book she needed and took them out from there. After leaving the aisle, how foolish for her to hope that the marshal would be there to check a book out from the service desk. If only Cor loved books just like the Amicitia in front of her, surely Eira could occasionally meet him here.

"Yo, Eira." Gladiolus raised the book he was borrowing after he left the counter and noticed her presence behind him.

"Hi, Gladiolus." Raising the corner of her lips, Eira gave him a smile before handing out the book she wanted to read to the service desk.

"Henruit?" he asked, peeking the book title which was being held by the librarian.

"Yes." Eira nodded.

Gladio then started to open the conversation, knowing that someone else read from the same author. He kept talking to Eira, from the service counter until they left the library and walked down the hallway.

Gladio had a charming personality. He was good at melting the awkwardness in the air, and he could make anyone feel relaxed to talk to him. Lot of crownsguard medics had a crush on him, they even fighted―in silence―to be able to treat him whenever he was injured and visited the infirmary. However, this raven-haired medic he was talking to silently hoped that she could have this kind of conversation with the marshal instead, which obviously was impossible since the man in his forty-three was out of her reach.

As they immersed themselves in their conversation about the book, the elevator they were waiting for was opened. Eira entered the elevator while looking at Gladio, so when she raised her head to see the one inside the same elevator, an audible gasp escaped her lips.

"Oh, Marshal, training room?"

Eira quickly walked to the opposite side from the elevator door when Gladiolus greeted Cor. Hugging her book and looking down, she hoped that the crimson hue didn't smear both of her cheeks right now.

"Yes," Cor replied to Gladio's question.

She was sure her heart almost stopped beating when she saw the captivating blue which was gazing down at her a few seconds ago. Oh the Six, they were so beautiful and she was almost stunned because of their enticing beauty.

In front of her, Gladiolus began to talk with Cor. Good thing that Gladio was here so she didn't need to be alone with the marshal. Her hands were trembling slightly and her heart had sped up its pace. She wanted to faint, being so close with Cor like this.

Raising her head slowly, Eira mustered her courage to take a glimpse of the man she silently admired. She was the one who wished to meet him accidentally like this, but when the Astral granted her wish, she was the one who was troubled by it.

She stared at his back quietly, even though the heart inside her chest was making a ruckus just like the thunderous storm. Cor's back was so broad and sturdy, now her mind was being impolite as she imagined how it felt to hug it from behind. She could faintly perceive his scent that mingled with the fresh aroma of his cologne. And it definitely lured her to touch his back. Clenching her hands, she tried hard to hold back her desire. Cor was dangerous, as his sole presence was enough to make her have inappropriate imagination.

"Going to infirmary?"

Eira almost screamed when Cor suddenly turned his head and looked at her. She flinched then quickly raised her head to look at him. She didn't expect he would talk to her. Wait, he was talking with Gladio, wasn't he? And Eira didn't even realize that they had stopped talking. Well, her wandering mind was the one to blame.

"Yes." She nodded. Her cheeks were burning in flame, she was sure that they had been smeared in crimson hue. Bad news, the lamp in the elevator was bright enough so it was guaranteed that Cor and even Gladio noticed that her cheeks flushed.

"Often saw you late at night. Don't force yourself."

Eira widened her eyes, surprised at the concern he gave her. Cor noticed it. He noticed that she often spent her time in infirmary until late at night. The butterflies fluttered in her stomach upon knowing that simple fact.

"No… I have fun spending time there." She shook her head, lifting the corner of her lips as she gave him her sheepish smile.

"Oh, " Cor didn't continue his words since the elevator chimed and told the people inside that they had arrived at their destination floor.

Eira bit her lower lips when the steel door in front of them opened. Struggling to calm down her heartbeat, she softly took a deep breath when she moved her feet to leave the elevator. The two crownsguard men were walking before her, they talked casually as they advanced their way to the training ground. It meant that they would go in the same direction. And it meant that she would have more time to gaze at the straight back of Cor Leonis, at least, until she arrived at the infirmary.

She should run slightly since those two men have long legs, thus they walked way faster than her. Eira panted a bit, trying to follow their pace. It was a rare occasion, she didn't want this chance to slip by. Walking at the same hallway at the same time with the marshal, staring at his back as he walked in front of her, hearing the hoarse voice of him as he chatted with the Amicitia; it was a simple happiness from a small coincidence.

Usually, she could only see him for a glance when Cor passed by in front of the infirmary. Only through the gap from the opened door and the windows.

He was rarely injured, thus the chance to heal him was so low. When she counted it, Cor only visited the infirmary four times this year. Didn't mean that it would be better if Cor got injured everyday. No, she always prayed for his safety, especially when she heard that the man should leave the Crown City for his mission outside.

She just wanted excuses to see him more, and much longer.

"Well, Eira, good luck for your shift!"

Eira blinked in surprise when Gladio suddenly turned his body and waved his hand as they arrived in front of the infirmary. Her heart let out a loudest thump before starting to beat in a thunderous rhythm for once again. When finally she managed to calm the uproar in her chest a few minutes ago, it seemed that she should do it all over now.

"You too. Good luck for your training," hoping that her tone didn't quiver, she replied to Gladio. A smile passed over her reddened face, and clearly Gladio could notice that she was blushing right now.

"I'll make sure to hit Marshal and make him injured," he winked, deliberately teased the young woman whose face was now getting redder after hearing his statement.

"Hmm… Let's see if you can, Gladiolus," raising one corner of his lips, Cor gave off a muffled chuckle and looked at Gladiolus. The man obviously didn't realize it that Gladio was teasing the medic who had a crush at him. Cor saw it as a challenge, and he didn't know that there was a hidden meaning beneath Gladio's words.

Eira wanted to melt. Both of her ears were shrouded by heat from the one that crept from her cheeks. The autumn almost over but she was burning, as if that the coldness in the world was a mere illusion. All of it was because of the way Gladio winked at her before glancing between Cor and her. The womanizer Amicita definitely knew that Eira had a crush on the marshal of the crownsguard only from a few minutes they spent inside the elevator. She was too obvious, yet, the man she liked was too clueless. Bet that woman, romance, and relationship were not the priority in his life.

But there was another thing that made her want to drop off her wobbly knees to the ground. Cor's smirk. The man was smirking. She rarely saw it, she rarely witnessed it. If only someone would snap a picture of him when he lifted the corner of his thin lips, she would print it and keep it inside her wallet then brought it everywhere. Or, she would set it as the lock screen of her phone, and perhaps after that she wouldn't open her phone anymore because seeing the lock screen would be enough to make her hover in happiness.

"See you later, Eira." Cor's hoarse voice reached her ears and brought her down to the earth.

However, she was currently stunned. Her tongue was stiff and she couldn't even move it to let the simple 'See you.' to slip out from her throat. At least she could nod and give an awkward smile at them before they turned their bodies and walked away from there to the training ground beyond the door at the end of the corridor.

Both of her feet were being nailed down to the floor as she couldn't move even an inch from there. Hugging the book in front of her chest, she kept staring at Cor Leonis—she ignored Gladiolus next to him. Mouth slightly agape, she almost forgot how to take a breath until they disappeared at the end of the hallway.

When she couldn't look at the straight-broad-back of the crownsguard marshal anymore, she placed her hand on the wall, trying to support her quivering legs so they wouldn't fall down.

Oh, the Astral...