Author's note: I didn't notice that the training ground and training room is different. Just realized it now, and I'm going to start fixing the previous chapters. *crying and laughing emoticon here* (*/ω＼)

Thank you for the lovely review! It really encouraged me. Happy reading~

Chapter 6 - Training Room

A weary sigh escaped the marshal's lips after he signed the last paper on his desk, confirming the schedule of crownsguard work assignment for the next year and such. He disliked administrative work. It strained his muscles because he was forced to sit for hours in his office. But, the man couldn't flee from his responsibilities, and on the days when he stayed in Insomnia like this, he would be busy with a pile of documents he should review before he could go to the training room and move his muscles which had already screamed because of sitting at the same position for a long time.

He sat up, leaving his seat and massaging his shoulder while glancing at the window from his office. The view of thousands of skyscraper buildings of Insomnia entered his sight, along with a faint blue wall that surrounded the entire city. Beyond that wall, the peace in the crown city was the dream yearned by the less fortunate people who lived outside. There was a never ending war due to the thirst of power and authority. And when the night came, there were daemons that lurked beneath the darkness. Without the wall that could protect them, those who lived outside the border needed to hide under the light, so that they wouldn't be killed by those vicious daemons.

Cor took a deep breath, now massaging his forehead while walking out from his office. Glancing at the watch on his left wrist, Cor decided to visit the training room, hoping to move his muscles to refresh his mind.

As the man entered the elevator, he lost in thought. Mind travelling to certain memories of the past, Cor remembered a weird lively night he spent at a certain izakaya where he had a pleasant dinner with a particular crownsguard medic.

Eira Heallint.

He wondered what she was doing right now. Obviously in the infirmary, right?—If it wasn't her day off.

Cor remembered how he was smiling for many times that night, talking with the raven-haired young woman who accompanied his dinner, and chuckling as he found their conversation amusing. Her black eyes were shimmering as she spoke and he liked the way she lifted both corners of her lips as she smiled. He wondered whether it was what it felt like if he had a daughter or a younger sister.

But… No, something was different.

The elevator stopped midway. Cor blinked, looking at the floor he was currently at before moving his gaze toward the steel door that was opened and revealing a familiar figure who then grinned widely as he saw the marshal.

"Oh, the marshal of crownsguard," a raven-haired man entered the elevator then patted Cor's shoulder, "Face as stern as usual, huh?"

"William," Cor greeted him, glancing down to the man shorter than him. "Lively as usual, hmm?"

"Spread the smiles to the world," William crossed his arms then smirking at him, "Unlike a certain marshal who finds it difficult to smile?"

A soft chuckle escaped Cor's lips upon hearing his words. "I can smile, Will."

William Heallint raised one eyebrow then gave a dubious look at Cor, "You called that a smile? Well, at least you're trying."

Cor gave a muffled chuckle but didn't reply, since the man five-years older than him continued his talk.

"Remember that Eira cried seeing your face for the first time? I wonder if she'll cry again if you look like that when you visit the infirmary."

There was a loudest thud in Cor's chest as he heard the name that was mentioned by William. It felt like Cor was being caught red-handed after doing something guilty, only by hearing the name of his daughter who was having dinner with him the other day. Moreover, Cor had just been thinking about her before William entered the elevator. It didn't mean that Cor did something wrong, though. But, somehow it was unpleasant for him, and only by hearing her name from her father's lips, it caused a ruckus in his chest.

It was only a dinner, not a date. It was a normal thing to do. Just a dinner between a marshal and his colleague. Well, the colleague was accidentally a young woman whose father was a member of the royal council who was standing next to him right now, though.

Good thing that the elevator chimed as it arrived at William's destination floor. As the door opened, William patted Cor's shoulder again before bidding his goodbye at the marshal who—unknown to him—had dinner with his daughter.

Cor relaxed his stiff shoulders. He didn't even realize since when they stiffened. Weird thing was, his heart was beating at such speed that made him unpleasant. Why did he feel uncomfortable after he talked with William like that? Why was his heart racing so loudly when he heard her name?

He inhaled deeply, filling every corner of his lungs with air to regain his composure then walked out from the elevator as he reached the ground floor, where the training room was. And also, the same floor where the infirmary was.

The marshal didn't understand why his heart failed to calm down as he walked in the hallway. Eyes looking straight at his front, but there was a slight excitement when he knew that he would walk past the infirmary.

He wondered if Eira would be there, if their eyes would meet as he passed by the infirmary entrance, or if she would give her sweet smile at him. Just like the night in his favorite izakaya the other day.

Funny. The thudding in his chest got louder in every step as he brought his body closer and closer to the infirmary. The man could even hear the throbbing from the vein in his neck, and it felt like his whole body was also throbbing, following the fast rhythm of his heart.

He slowed down his pace before sneaking a glance inside the quiet infirmary, then quickly turned his head and faced the front. The man now crooked his eyebrows. From that split second, Cor saw that Eira wasn't there. Only a blonde-haired young woman who was sitting alone on her desk.

Perhaps, it was her day off, Cor assumed.

As he advanced his way to the end of the hallway, his heart began to beat at a slower pace. He gradually regained his composure, and he finally calmed down the ruckus in his chest when he arrived at the small yard that connected the end of the hallway to the training room.

Cor sighed, halting his steps only to lift his head to the sky above. Slightly greyish cloud covered the sun, preventing the faint warmth of the winter sun to be perceived by his body. Chilly wind brushed his cheeks, slowly extinguishing the flame in his chest he didn't even realize had been scorching him since he stepped on the ground floor of the citadel.

He took another deep breath and began to walk across the yard. Glancing at the maple tree which had shedded its leaves, his mind chanted a name of a certain medic that piqued his interest recently.

Eira…

Weird. There was a trace of disappointment in his heart when he didn't find her figure in the infirmary a few minutes ago. But, the man couldn't find the reason why the disappointment shrouded his mind like this.

Cor then shook his head, remembering her father whom he met just minutes ago, and forcing his mind not to think about her anymore. He swore that he just thought that it was fun to talk with Eira, that it was what it felt like to talk with a younger sister, or a daughter. But it was someone's daughter, so, perhaps a niece?

"Khh… Damn you Gladio."

"Don't whine. If you weren't skipping practice, surely you can avoid that attack without losing your balance, Noct."

"Not going to apologize, huh?!"

"Okay, okay. Please forgive me, Oh, the Prince of Lucis."

Cor frowned as he heard the conversation between Noctis and Gladio which was clear enough even though he hadn't even arrived at the training room, yet. Walking past the entrance, Cor scanned the room and found the prince and his royal shield at a certain corner.

However, before Cor opened his lips to ask about what happened, his eyes caught another figure who was crouching in front of the prince. The heart which was calming down before now began to create a boisterous noise in his chest. It was the medic whom he was thinking of as he left his office until he arrived at this place.

Eira had drawn a magic circle on Noctis's leg, right on his ankle which had been covered by bandages. As the magic spell which gave off a faint light disappeared into his leg, Eira then talked with her usual tender voice, "Now let me see your hand."

Cor walked slowly to approach them while watching the young woman draw another magic circle on Noctis's hand that had purple bruises on it. He then averted his gaze toward Noctis who was frowning as he endured the pain. Cor stood silently for a few feet apart, didn't want to disturb the healer who was currently chanting a spell in her whisper. He wanted to know what happened to the prince, but the question could wait until Eira finished her job.

He unwittingly moved his gaze again to see the medic. Cor couldn't see her face from there as she was now facing toward the prince and the old man was standing behind her.

Now when he remembered about it, Eira was born in the same year as the prince. They were the same age. And the man was wondering what his life would be if he was born twenty-four years later than what his birth year was supposed to be. Cor frowned upon creating weird thoughts in his head. What was he thinking about? If he was born in the same year as her, what was going to change? No, Cor was sure that he wasn't a creepy old man who had romantic interest in a young woman in her eighteen and now hoping that he wasn't born earlier, right? He just thought that it was fun talking with her, and not more than that.

"Ah, Cor." Realizing that Cor was there, Noctis called the marshal who then slightly startled because he was lost in thought.

But, the marshal wasn't the only one who was surprised by it, because the medic also gasped in surprise and she unwittingly stopped her incantation midway. The magic circle she had drawn on Noctis's hand dispersed into the air, and Eira quickly apologized, "Ah! S-Sorry. Let me recast the spell."

"Noct, you surprised her," Gladio chuckled.

"Eh? Me?" Noctis scowled at his royal shield.

Cor actually knew that it was his fault. If only he didn't sneak closer and waited in the other corner instead, Noctis wouldn't notice him and Eira wouldn't be surprised by it. But, since they had already known about his presence, Cor decided to ask, "What happened?

"Noctis lost his balance when he tried to avoid my attack as we were sparring and he ended up spraining his ankle since he fell in a weird position," Gladio answered, face mocking the prince who glared at him.

"Is it severe?" Cor asked.

"No."

"Good then."

Cor returned his gaze to the medic who finally finished casting her spell. She stood up, then said, "It would be healed in two weeks, but if I cast the spell on it everyday, it would only take around a week."

"Okay, so I'll visit the infirmary again tomorrow," Noctis replied.

"You won't return to your apartment and stay here instead, Noct? Can you move freely with that kind of leg?" Gladio crossed his arm over his chest.

"Khh," Noctis groaned, "How inconvenient. Eira, can you come to my apartment tomorrow then?"

"Eh?" Eira who was cleaning the medical kit she used now stopped her hand, turning her head at Noctis and looked at him in puzzlement.

"Tomorrow is Sunday. It's her day off. Also, with that leg, it's better if you stay in the citadel, Noct," Cor suddenly replied. The man himself didn't even understand why he should defend the medic. Was it jealousy? No. No. He was sure that it wasn't jealousy. Cor just thought that it would trouble the medic. It wasn't her duty to give support at the prince until she needed to visit him in his apartment. Her post was in the citadel infirmary, and outside of it, it was no longer her responsibility. He just didn't want Noctis to be spoiled.

Rather, he just disliked the idea of Eira visiting another man's place.

"Ah, right. Tomorrow is Sunday," Noctis mumbled.

"Um, if you want to stay in the citadel, I can come here tomorrow," Eira offered.

"Guess I'll stay here, then," Noctis mumbled, "Should ask spec to bring some things from the apartment, huh…"

Cor crossed his arms over his chest, not pleased by her offer to the prince. He knew how much this young medic stayed in the citadel until late. She should take a day off, and he didn't like the idea of her to overwork like that. But, the prince and the medic already made a deal, also it would be weird for Cor to be too considerate toward her. It was also not his place to stop her for offering her kindness.

With a bit of struggle, Noctis tried to stand with the help from Gladiolus while thanking the medic for treating him. Afterward, the prince bid a goodbye to the marshal who then asked him to take a rest and wished him so that his sprained ankle would be healed faster.

And when the two men left the training room, it was only Cor and Eira there. It was Saturday, no crownsguard activities after twelve p.m. Gladiolus was exceptional, because he—and sometimes Ignis—often visited the training room even on Sunday.

"It's your precious Sunday, are you okay with it?" Cor asked for her confirmation. If only she honestly replied that she was troubled with it, Cor would tell Noctis to wait for Monday or until her shift day.

He watched her as she took her med-kits before she stood up. Eira then turned around to face him and gave off a sweet smile he adored before replying, "It's alright. I also have nothing to do at home. Thank you for your concern."

Slightly red hue gave its color to her cheeks, and seeing it made Cor wonder whether it was really cold today. Eira blushed so easily, was she really weak to the cold?

"W-Well… I'm going back to the infirmary." Eira then bowed down, gave another smile at him then turned around to walk out from the training room.

Cor didn't say anything and stared at her as she moved her feet. There was something in his heart which told him that he still wanted to talk with her, or merely to see her.

"Eira," and the man didn't understand why the name slipped out from his mouth.

Eira halted her step, turning her body then looked at him while slightly tilting her head. "Yes?"

He gulped, didn't know what he should say. Cor had no reason, calling her name unconsciously like that. His heart began to throb loudly, tormenting him in an unpleasant feeling that was so foreign for him. Cor should find something to utter, but it seemed that his mind couldn't think clearly. The man began to question himself, about the reason why he didn't want to let her leave his sight, why he called her name, and about what to say right now.

Her eyes were fixated on him, with traces of puzzlement that emitted from them. Cor should open his mouth, to tell her something before she thought that he only wasted her time.

"Thank you for your help," Cor eventually decided to say his gratitude instead. Face as stern as usual, without any intent to lift the corner of his lips to form even a tiniest smile.

Eira part opened her lips for a split second, seemingly surprised by his words, before she gave off another smile and replied, "You're welcome."

Cor watched her as she bowed again and proceeded to leave the training room. The tread she produced as her heels tapped the floor was getting further and gradually disappeared from the air. Meanwhile, the marshal was still not moving from his place.

He sighed, brushing his face with his palm, upward to the forehead until the top of his head and ruffling his own hair. Shutting his eyes, the rain of thoughts permeated his mind. He wondered why he couldn't stop thinking about her.

She was too young, even though this December she would turn eighteen and legally considered as an adult —Cor knew her birthday, he secretly looked it up from the crownsguard database since he was curious about her. She was the daughter of his friend, and her father was only five years older than him. Cor should stop thinking about her, before these peculiar feelings started to evolve into something that was inappropriate.

What a pathetic and lonely old man he was. An opposite gender just being kind to him for a few times, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Perhaps, being alone for a long time made him thirst for romance he never had. Unfortunately, the marshal shouldn't let the young Heallint to be the one for his romance. He was too old, and she was too young. Giving a muffled chuckle, Cor opened his eyes, moving his feet while cursing himself for the feeling he called as a sin.