Author's note : Aaa~! I really love the cover photo for this fanfic~! Finally the artist (artist name: yamyou)
finished my commission! It's so beautiful! Check the full picture on my instagram: fluoxetinehcl

Chapter 7 - Car

The smile didn't disappear from Eira's face as she organized her desk and put her belongings inside her bag. She was happy right now, because she saw the glimpse of Cor's figure for two times today. Of course the first one was when the man walked toward the training room while the latter one was when the man returned from that place.

She visited the citadel on Sunday for the last two weeks to heal Noctis's sprained ankle. She thought that perhaps Cor would also be there, training, like what he usually did after his working hours. However, she only met Noctis with his adviser who accompanied him to the infirmary.

After casting the spells, she then left home right away, hearing from Ignis that no one was using the training room that day. And it happened twice, for the first Sunday, and the second Sunday.

But, even though she couldn't meet Cor on those days—it was also a holiday after all, Cor probably at his home, resting, and such—she still could see him on working days like today. And it was more than enough to make the heat gathered in her chest, along with happiness that made a smile bloom on her face.

"Are you going to have dinner with the Marshal today?" an auburn-haired medic bumped Eira's side with her elbow, playfully teasing the raven-haired medic younger than her with a smirk passed over her face.

Dinner. It had been more than a month since that miraculous night when she had dinner with Cor. Since then, there was nothing in particular between Cor and her. Just like usual, Eira could only see him when he walked past the infirmary when he was going to or returning from the training room. And the only time she could talk with him was when she coincidentally met the man in the hallway. Cor was rarely wounded, so the man didn't visit the infirmary in the past weeks.

"Of course no, Raine," Eira replied, with a slight of disappointment in her tone. She zipped her bag, clutched it with one hand while the other hand fixed the position of her red muffler. "Do you think that I have the courage to invite him to dinner?"

Raine giggled, "Who knows? Maybe you'll ask him to a date instead."

Eira paused her movements only to curl her lips into a pout before uttering, "Well, I'm going home. Good luck with your night shift." Waving her hand at the woman two years older than her, Eira moved her feet to leave the infirmary.

"Say hi to Marshal for me!" Raine teased her again, giggling in a mischievous way even though Eira glared at her and asked her to shut her mouth.

She still could clearly hear Raine's laugh even until she walked for a few feet away from there. Raine loved to tease her. Of course, if only she could hide her excitement when Cor passed by in front of the infirmary, Raine would never notice that Eira Heallint secretly admired the marshal of crownsguard.

Eira was too honest. Only by looking at her expression, her friends would know what she was thinking about. She blushed easily, and whenever Cor was walking in the hallway, Eira's eyes would be sparkling in excitement and she would lose in daze, stunned by the marshal's charm.

She told Raine that it was not different like when Raine was fangirling over her favorite actor whenever he showed up on tv. But the auburn-haired medic refused to believe her explanation and insisted that Eira had a crush on Cor in a romantic way. Moreover, after Raine heard how happy Eira was when she told her about that miraculous dinner with the marshal.

Impossible, it was what Eira told to herself. That man was forty two years old while she just turned eighteen years old last week. There were a lot of charming crownsguard around her age, Gladiolus for example, or even the prince's advisor. They were handsome, such gentlemen, but Eira didn't find them attractive compared to Cor Leonis.

She couldn't remember since when she took interest in the marshal. Perhaps, when the first time she treated him? Well, certainly not when the first time she knew him thirteen years ago. Five-years-old Eira surely didn't know how to fall in love, moreover to the twenty-nine-years-old Cor Leonis. Now when she was thinking about it, the younger Cor must be as handsome as the present Cor. Unfortunately she didn't clearly remember it. Oh, perhaps if she dug the old albums in her home, she would find some of his photos. Okay, now she was excited to do so.

The sound of her high heels tapping the marmer floor was the only thing that echoed through the hallway. Humming softly as she walked toward the lobby, Eira was really in a great mood today. But that hum should end abruptly when in a sudden she caught the marshal walking out from the hallway on her left. Red hue painted her cheeks, she quickly bit her lower lips and stopped humming.

"Eira, going home?" Cor asked, with his usual hoarse voice that surely melted the young woman who was currently flustered by his sudden appearance.

"Ah, Marshal," she stuttered, her heart had already caused a ruckus in her chest. "Yes."

It was a pure coincidence, moreover now the marshal walked next to her as they walked into the same direction. She looked down, didn't dare to raise her head even though the urge to admire his enchanting eyes was unbearable. Eira fixed the position of her muffler, covering the lower half of her face as the precaution so that if her cheeks blushed, the man on her left side wouldn't notice it.

The two walked in silence, only being accompanied by their footsteps. It had been a month since their dinner, and even though she could finally have a chatter with him, Eira had forgotten how to do it again. But, she should muster her courage to talk with him.

"How about you, Sir? Staying late?" She gripped her bag harder. Both palms were already covered by a thin layer of sweat, and they were getting cold because of how nervous she was right now. But the yearn to hear more of his hoarse voice was too strong.

"No. I'm going home."

Oh the Astral. She really loved his voice. The deepness of his tone. The hoarse voice that pleasantly left a trace in her ears. Just a simple answer from him made her chest swarmed by fluttering butterflies.

But, now she didn't know what to ask. What now? What to ask? Oh, no…

"Hmm? Doesn't Lizette take a leave today? Who's assigned for taking you home?"

Eira blinked in surprise as she heard Cor asking about that matter.

Lizette was the crownsguard who was being assigned to accompany her, basically drove her and followed her almost anywhere—unless Eira asked her not to. Eira was the daughter of a royal council member after all, and her guard was chosen from crownsguard members. And as the marshal, it wasn't odd for Cor to know about the post of every of his subordinates.

"No one. I came here by taxi. So, I'll go home by taxi as well," she replied. Lifting her muffler to make sure it covered her lips, she gave off a smile. Happy to know that there was a concern in his tone. It was totally okay for her to feel that Cor was worried about her, wasn't it?

Actually, Crown City was relatively safe, and the House of Heallint wasn't a famous and big family unlike the Amicitia or the Scientia. Also, her parents weren't overprotective or strict. So, going out without any accompanying crownsguard wasn't a big deal. Citadel only requested taxi from a trustworthy company owned by a relative of Caelum anyway, so it was totally safe.

"William should've asked me to assign another crownsguard for you. Why wouldn't he?"

Eira turned her head toward the tall man, only to be enveloped by the heat because their eyes had just met. Hastily moving her head to face the front, she replied, "Well… I asked Dad not to bother with it…"

"Why?" Cor crooked his eyebrows.

"Hmm… Because the royal taxi is safe enough?" Okay, now Eira was confused by her own answer. She often commuted by taxi, and sometimes by subway if she was bored with cars. Even though now when she thought about it, it was indeed a rather reckless act to go out without any guards.

But, the gun which had always been sheathed in her leg holster under her dress was enough to protect herself, wasn't it?

"I'll drive you home then."

Eira halted her feet as she heard his offer. Stunned, she wasn't sure with the thing she just heard. The marshal offered himself to drive her home. Wait, she wasn't dreaming, was she?

"Eh?" She raised her head, looking at the man who glanced at her before frantically refused him, "No! No… I mean… You don't need to, really. I don't want to bother you, Sir."

Cor blinked in surprise, part opened his lips, and gave a slight pause before letting out a soft chuckle, "It's okay. There's also something I wanted to talk about with William."

His chuckle surprised her. Eira was astonished by how beautiful his soft laugh was. Even she didn't know whether beautiful was an appropriate word to describe his chuckle. She had lost almost all of the vocabulary in the world.

"Ah… Umm… Okay, then," she replied with an awkward nod.

Eira wanted to scream, telling the world how happy she was right now. The marshal deliberately offered to spend his precious time driving a mere medic to her home.

She stared at Cor who walked slightly on her front. Usually the man walked faster than this. But, this time he maintained his speed so he wouldn't leave her behind. Noticing how concern the man was toward her made her heart fluttered.

"Don't tell me that you also return home by taxi even if it is almost midnight?" he opened a small talk when they arrived at the elevator hallway. Pressing the button, Cor crossed his arms over his chest then turned his head to face the young medic.

"Yes." She nodded, eyes staring at the floor because she didn't dare to look at his face. To be able to walk and follow him was an endeavor, talking to him was a struggle, looking at his face was an impossible thing to do.

"That's quite dangerous," he uttered.

The elevator chimed and its steel door slowly opened before them. Walking inside with the man, Eira replied with a soft giggle, "It's not like what you think, Sir."

"Crown City isn't totally safe. Even though there's no daemon here, there are still criminals here. Robbery, mugging, especially at night. Also, you're a daughter of a royal council member," Cor then gave a pause, seemingly hesitant to speak then continued, "At any rate, it's dangerous."

Eira frowned when hearing a pause from the marshal. Chuckling softly, she then replied, "Well, I'm not walking alone on the street. And it's a special taxi provided by Citadel, though. Even sometimes, I got the same taxi a few times, I even know the driver's name, his family, his wife's name, and his daughter's name. He talks a lot."

Cor glanced at her, the creased on his forehead got deeper. Clearly from the expression he made, he wasn't pleased by her answer even though she tried to convince him. The man then uttered, "But still, if I were William, I wouldn't let my daughter go home alone without guard."

"What an overprotective father." Another giggle escaped from Eira's lips hearing his response. Cor was too worried about her, and she was really happy to receive his concern.

They walked out from the elevator as they arrived at the basement floor. After that small talk, Eira's shoulders weren't as tense as before. She started to get relaxed and the clamor inside her chest slowly faded out.

As she had a seat inside his car, the scent of his musk and his cologne rammed into her nose. Eira bit her lower lips, trying hard not to fill her mind with inappropriate things. Great, she wondered if he had a lover in the past and―

"Is it too cramped?" he asked, destroying her imagination.

"N-No," she stuttered again. Unfortunately, she couldn't regain her composure after all. When she thought that her heart started to beat steadily, it began to pound rapidly and for once again created a ruckus and knocked her chest harder than before.

"Okay."

Eira put her seatbelt with her trembling hands. She was too nervous. It was the first time she was in the same car with the marshal, and having dinner with him was totally different with this. Oh the Astral, she was in the same car with the marshal, the legendary immortal, Cor Leonis.

The heat gathered inside her chest. Still digging her teeth onto her lower lips, Eira stole a glance at the man on her left who was driving the car. His side figure was so endearing. Oh, and that jawline was so perfect she wanted to admire it forever.

However, she shouldn't stare at him for too long, afraid that he would notice her fervent gaze. Now she really wanted to slap her cheeks to clean her head from impure thoughts.

The silence enveloped the atmosphere inside the car. None of them talked, and what was heard was only the soft sound from the car engine and the white noise from the road. The traffic was a bit heavy, since it was rush hour. People were coming home from their workplace, just like what she was doing right now with the marshal.

After a few minutes trying to calm down the ruckus in her heart, finally the young woman got used to his presence. Well, her heart was still beating fast, though.

"By the way, next week is Glacian Day, isn't it? Will the Marshal have a day off?" she broke the silence. Going home with Cor Leonis, having the man drive her home, and spending time like this with the marshal was a rare chance. Miracle, if she would name it. Of course she didn't want to let this chance slip by only being engulfed by the silence until she arrived home. She wanted to know more about him, to talk with him, to hear his voice. Just like the time when she spent a beautiful dinner with him. She wanted to hear his chuckle again and see the charming smile he gave as he slightly lifted the corner of his lips which rarely happened in the citadel.

"Perhaps," he replied, with eyes fixated on the road.

"I'm curious. What does the Marshal do on his holiday?" Eira asked, slightly turned her head toward him to look at his face as he replied. She smiled, happy to be able to look at his face right now. It wouldn't be weird to look at him if she talked with him, right?

"Nothing in particular. Probably, going to the training room." The man was still staring at his front as he talked. Oh, his side figure was so beautiful, Eira couldn't lift her eyes from his visage.

"You're training even though it's a holiday? Nothing else?" she asked, didn't want to let the conversation meet its end.

But the man only shook his head without saying anything. Rather disappointed by the answer, Eira moved her head again to face the road. She curled her lips into a pout. Lower half of her face was still being covered by her muffler, so even if Cor glanced at her, he wouldn't see the way she was sulking right now.

It took an endeavor to open a conversation with him. And he just replied with those kinds of answers. Now she didn't know what to say anymore.

"How about you?"

But then she blinked in surprise when Cor suddenly asked her instead. Turning her head to the man, Eira replied with a wide smile adorning her face as her muffler slipped down to her chin, "Well, for Glacian Day I only spend the day at home. Dad insisted that everyone should stay at home and spend time together. But, for the winter holiday after that, I'm going to watch some movies or maybe go to the shopping centre."

"Movies, hmm?"

"Do you watch movies?" Eira asked, still looking at his face. The warmth seeped into her heart as she caught his expression wasn't as stern as usual.

"Sometimes at my home."

"Not going to the cinemas?" Eira tilted her head, curious about it. She wanted to know about him, about what he was doing if he wasn't holding his sword.

"Not even once." He shook his head, which then surprised the medic.

"Not even with a friend or… a lover?"

Cor chuckled by her question. Eira widened her eyes, realizing that she just asked an impolite question. Flustered, she quickly apologized, "A-Ah… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to prey into your private matters…"

"It's okay."

She bit her lower lips, feeling stupid because of her curiosity. How impolite of her, asking the man something like that, even though the urge to know whether Cor had a lover or not was so unbearable. Looking down at her lap, she clutched her white dress, forcing her brain to state another sentence to melt the awkwardness that choked her.

"W-Well… Being the King's guard since thirteen, then now as the marshal, surely leisure isn't in your dictionary, is it?"

Another chuckle escaped from his throat, "I never thought about it. But, movies, huh? Perhaps, someday I want to try going to the cinema."

"Ah… Umm… M-Maybe you want to try to go to the cinema during winter holiday? I… I've got two free coupons which could be exchanged for tickets for any movies…" Eira didn't think much when she blurted out that invitation.

How dare a mere medic who was twenty-four years younger than him invite the marshal to watch a movie together? Eira cursed herself, being embarrassed by her own self. Yes, yes of course she wanted to watch a movie with him. No matter how she thought about it, Eira had just invited Cor Leonis, the marshal of the crownsguard, to watch a movie together with her, right? She knew that she was too young and Cor wouldn't be comfortable to go to the movies together with her. Moreover, Cor was her father's friend. It would be very awkward for him.

Cor turned his head to look at the medic then frowned, "Huh?"

Oh the Astral. Eira wanted to hide her entire face with her muffler. Her cheeks were burning in heat, and it felt like the car was hotter compared to a few minutes ago. It was winter outside, even though it wasn't snowing yet. But, for her, it felt like she was being burnt in a blazing flame.

It was embarrassing. She wanted to bury herself in the deepest dungeon in Eos.

"Is it okay?" Cor asked. "I mean, isn't it better if you use the tickets with your friend?"

Eira could hear the thunderous beating in her chest. Her head was spinning because of how nervous she was right now.

"N-no! It's fine!" she squealed, "I-I mean… You haven't visited cinemas before, right? I'm going to be your guide then. Also… You may say that it's a gratitude for dinner... the other day."

A soft laugh escaped Cor's throat, which then caught her attention so Eira turned her head to face the marshal who covered his lips with a hand while laughing. Cor Leonis was laughing again. She didn't expect that she could see it again today and Eira wished she could record it. But, no, no, Cor was laughing because she had stated a weird thing. She should be embarrassed by it. Why would Cor need a guide to visit the cinemas? Foolish Eira.

"Well… I'm looking forward to your guidance then, Eira."

Cor moved his blue eyes, looking at her with the serene gaze for a few seconds before looking back at the road. He slightly lifted the corner of his lips, making a thin smile on his handsome countenance.

Eira was astonished as she caught his expression. Throwing her back to the seat backrest, she stared at the road in daze. The strength had disappeared from her limbs, couldn't believe what she did a few moments ago. She just invited Cor to a date. To a date. And the marshal agreed.

A date…

"Maybe you'll ask him to a date instead."

Raine, since when can you read the future?