To Lyger 0: I've never bought furniture from Ikea, but I don't know if I would ever want to buy furniture from there…
"Do you think we should get a new kitchen table?"
The Knight glanced to his left at Valkyrie and quirked an eyebrow at her, rising a little higher to avoid a power line. "Well, we'll have to at some point. Unless we're planning to eat in front of the television for every meal for the rest of our lives!"
Valkyrie pursed her lips at him with a deadpan expression. "You know what I mean: we have my grandma's old table, but one of the legs is a little shorter than the others. And the surface is so badly scratched that that laminate is almost gone. Mom said it was on its last legs when she told me about it…"
He snorted. "No, I know what you meant," he assured her quickly, drifting closer to her. "And I would absolutely be okay with getting a brand-new table. Especially if we can get something that's easy to move and will last for a while."
She stifled a laugh. "Really? You're already planning our next move when you haven't even moved in yet?"
"I'm planning on spending my life with you," he pointed out simply. "I doubt we'll be living in this apartment the whole time. Especially if we start having kids."
Her eyes widened. "Wait… kids?" She flushed, swallowed, and dropped a dozen meters before recovering.
The Knight froze in place, watching her as she propelled herself back up to his level, her eyes wide. "Um, yes?" He coughed nervously and looked away. "I'm sorry; I just… don't you want to have kids?"
Valkyrie started, looking at the Knight in surprise. "Of course, I do!" she answered him quickly. "I've wanted kids longer than I can remember – most of that time with you," she added under her breath. "But I just… the suggestion surprised me, is all. Somehow, I didn't think expect to be having kids so soon."
He nodded in understanding and reached for her hand. She swallowed, looking into his visor, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "It's okay," he told her quietly, pulling her in close. "I don't know if I'm ready for that, either. We don't have to think about having kids until we're ready. Whenever that is."
She let out a relieved breath, and her shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Maybe after university?"
He smiled, squeezing her hand. "We can wait as long as you want."
Leaning in closer, she pressed a kiss to his helmet. "Thanks."
Turning his attention to the city below them, the Knight allowed himself to relax, idly scanning the streets over which they flew. The whole of Berlin lay spread out below them, lights from the buildings showing the extent of the city, the crisscrossing pattern of roads, with the rivers winding through and around it. He breathed deeply. Going on these patrols with Greta was easily the best part of the week: just the two of them in the otherwise quiet sky, talking and spending time in each other's company. In looking for their apartment, that had been one of the most important criteria – that it was close to the center of the city (and the university), with a private balcony from which to leave for their patrols. Perhaps he wasn't living in their apartment yet, but this way, he could spend as much time with her as possible, in the peace of the evening.
"Hang on… what's happening down there?" asked Valkyrie, pointing down toward a bar just across the street from the edge of Forst Grunewald, along the outskirts of the city.
The Knight followed where she pointed to spot a woman stepping through the bar's front door, stumbling slightly, a man guiding her along with a hand on her upper arm. "It looks like she had too much to drink," the Knight observed.
"Maybe…" Valkyrie pursed her lips, her brows furrowed intently. "But… I don't know. Something about it just… feels wrong. The way he's holding her arm."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to go down an take a closer look?"
She nodded, releasing her hold on his hand and riding an air current down lower. Circling around, the Knight drifted to the side, trailing a little behind Valkyrie as she approached the couple. The woman lifted her head to look at the man and seemed to trip, nearly falling to the pavement. The man jerked her arm hard, holding her upright. Finally, Valkyrie dropped down to land in front of them.
"Hi!" Valkyrie called. "I noticed your friend seems a little… unsteady. Is everything alright?"
"Hmm?" The man jumped on spotting Valkyrie but immediately nodded. "Of course! Absolutely! She just… had a little too much to drink! Come on, let's get you home…"
The woman stumbled, looked up at the man, and her breathing hitched. "W–wh–" She gasped. "N–no–no–"
Valkyrie frowned. "Is everything okay here?"
"Of course it is," the man told her, his mouth set in a thin line. The woman tried feebly to pull her arm out of his grip.
Valkyrie eyed him carefully. "Are you sure? Because she doesn't seem to want to go with you…"
"Well why don't you mind your own business, hero?" the man snapped at her. "Keep your nose out of my business, and maybe you won't get into trouble yourself."
Suddenly, the Knight dropped off the building where he had been waiting and landed in front of Valkyrie with a heavy thud, sword already drawn. "I believe my partner asked you a question," he told the man severely. "Now either you explain what's going on with the lady, or I get to the bottom of this…"
The man scoffed. "Not much of a lady, the way she was flirting with me – especially after getting a couple drinks in her. I just–"
The sword raised to point at the man's throat. "I'm going to stop you right there," the Knight growled. "Unhand the lady. Or I 'unhand' you."
The man jumped, releasing the woman from his grip, and sprang back away from the Knight, his eyes wide with terror. "Jeez, man, I was just hoping for a little fun…" His eyes drifted toward Valkyrie, who folded her arms over her chest.
Clenching his jaw, the Knight stepped forward. "Get the hell out of here, and make sure I never see you again. Got it?" Even before the man had turned to sprint away, the Knight called to Valkyrie, "Call her a taxi."
A couple minutes later, the woman was bundled into the taxi and headed home, and Valkyrie turned to the Knight, her eyes alight with amusement. "You know," she murmured, leaning in closer, "that was kind of… exciting. When you just appeared out of thin air to protect me." She smirked, sending a blast of air down the street in the direction the man had fled. "Even if I didn't really need the protection…"
The Knight grimaced. "Sorry – I just… I couldn't just sit around and watch him be so rude to you. You didn't deserve that."
She sighed affectionately, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's okay; I don't mind you being all protective."
The Knight nodded and started to open his mouth to answer, just as a woman jogged up to them.
"E–excuse me?" she asked, looking back and forth between them. "I… um…"
The Knight raised an eyebrow at her expectantly, but she didn't say another word, just staring at them, seemingly frozen in place. Her mouth opened and closed dumbly, and she looked back and forth between them. He looked a little closer, his eyes furrowed, studying her unusual appearance. Old, raggedy clothing with the appearance of having been washed poorly and then allowed to dry while she wore it. Holes and wear spots all around her shirt and pants – the pant legs all but ripped off at the knees. Her hair a tangled, matted, shaggy mess. The Knight cocked his head. "What can we help you with?"
The woman gulped. "I… uh…"
"Do you need somewhere to stay the night?" suggested Valkyrie.
Mutely, the woman nodded.
"You'll want to go two blocks north and then another block east," she explained. "There's a shelter right there. You can't miss it."
The woman looked back and forth between them for a long minute before finally nodding. "Th–thank you…"
With a grin, the Knight pushed off into the air. "Good luck!"