For the first time in ages, Cordelia woke up feeling fully rested. Smiling, she turned her attention to the couch in her room. A sleeping, shirtless Therion still laid on her couch, one arm flung over his eyes. Blushing slightly, she shook her head and threw her covers aside and headed to her closet. She pulled out a pair of pants that she had gotten from S'warkii and a soft, snug shirt. She dressed quickly, wondering if she should wake up Therion.
She went down to the kitchen to inform the cooks that she needed a meal big enough for two. With that done, she walked back upstairs, feeling as light as air. Shutting the door to her room, she heard a rustling noise behind her. Turning to find the source, she saw Therion sitting up, beginning to stretch. She observed him as he did so, in the same way a scholar would watch their experiment. He had the perfect build for a thief—not so heavy that it would hinder his movement, yet strong enough to let him hold his own in a fight.
"Good morning, Therion. I hope you slept well."
"It's the best sleep I've had in a long while, since I've had to sleep on the ground for a while now."
"I bet it's been a long time since you had a nice, big breakfast as well. I asked the cooks to make breakfast for two, it should be finished soon, so we can head downstairs whenever you would like," she replied, sitting down next to him. She could feel the heat emanating from his arm, strangely soothed by the sensation. If his hands hadn't been in his lap, she would have reached out to hold one.
"It definitely has been a while," he said, standing up and stretching once more. He picked his shirt out of his pile of folded clothes, shook it a couple of times, and slid it on. His long, thin fingers, perfect for playing the piano, quickly got his shirt buttoned. "Let's head downstairs now, then. I think I'll enjoy a warm breakfast." He stood up, holding his hand out to help her up. She swiftly grabbed it, and hand in hand, they walked downstairs.
Halfway down, Cordelia felt herself falling. Then, just as soon as she realized it, she felt herself stop. Somehow, Therion had caught her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," she replied. "I just lost my balance for a second there."
"Why, hello, Mr. Therion. How are you doing?" Heathcote asked, with no hint of surprise in his demeanor.
"I'm doing just fine. What about you, old man?"
"I'm feeling wonderful," he replied. "So, what brings you here, Mr. Therion? Surely you weren't considering stealing anything from us."
With that, Therion began to blush. "Well, um, I just figured I would come to visit, since I was passing by," he blustered. "I thought you might miss me, old man."
"Hmm. And I assume you knew that Lady Cordelia missed you quite a bit as well, correct?"
Therion's blush got deeper at that, with Cordelia's face beginning to turn pink as well. Heathcote had to hide a smile, watching the two of them. What a wonderful sight to behold, this young love. "Well, uh, y-yes, I guessed she might have missed me a little, since it always seemed like she enjoyed talking with me," he replied, hand scratching the back of his head. "And I enjoyed talking with her, too."
"Well, breakfast is almost ready. We can set it up in the garden, if you want."
Cordelia bit her lip. It sounded nice to her, but she didn't know how Therion would feel about it. Her worries were assuaged we he answered, however. "I've never had that kind of experience, so I would like to if Lady Cordelia doesn't mind."
"Yes, I would like to do so as well."
"Then you should show Mr. Therion around the garden while you wait for breakfast to be brought out. Don't take too long, though, you wouldn't want your food to get cold."
With that, the two walked out to the garden. They went through the garden quickly, with Cordelia stopping every now and then to show something to Therion, who had a smile on his face the entire time. He usually didn't care about flowers but seeing the light in Cordelia's eyes as she showcased the different kinds filled his heart up to the brim with happiness. When they reached the table, it already had breakfast spread out. There were oranges, syrup, pancakes with strange spots in them, muffins, and something that Therion assumed was milk or juice.
"Why do the pancakes have weird spots in them?"
"Some of them have fruit in them, and some even have chocolate in them. They usually don't add them; I assume they did this time because I told them we have a guest," Cordelia replied.
"What kinds of fruits?"
"This time of year, it's strawberries and blueberries."
"That sounds delicious," Therion replied. The cooks had made a decent amount of pancakes, so Therion decided he would have one of each. He poured cups of milk for himself and Cordelia. Since the pancakes had fruit or chocolate in them, he decided he would try them without syrup. Suddenly, his hunger swelled, with his stomach releasing a wild growl. He had to work hard to not just shove everything and his mouth and make a mess. His self-restrain served him well, because the blueberry-filled pancakes tasted absolutely amazing, something he wouldn't have known if he had acted like an animal. The pair didn't talk much, choosing to eat in a comfortable state of semi-silence.
The thought of how it would be amazing to start every day this way flitted across Therion's mind, surprising him. He knew it would mean that he would have to give up thieving to do so. But when he saw Cordelia's smile and remembered the passion in her eyes throughout the many times they had spoken to each other, it didn't seem like a bad thing. He knew he wasn't cut out for a life of nobility, though.
Cordelia had some similar thoughts on her mind. She knew that Therion loved being a thief. She fully believed he would fit in well in the social circles of nobility due to his looks and the somewhat haughty attitude he had. However, she had the feeling that he thought that he wouldn't fit in and wasn't cut out for "this kind of life".
"Is it okay if I stay here for a little while? If so, I need to go grab my belongings from the inn."
"Of course you can," she beamed. "If you want, we can send someone to pick up your things."
"I'll do it myself, but thank you for the offer," he smiled. Standing up, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Would the lovely Lady like to walk to the gate with me?"
Cordelia agreed, face warming from the kiss.
At the front gate, Therion gave Cordelia's hand a quick squeeze before he started to run back to the inn. Cordelia walked back to the house, knowing she wouldn't have to wait too long for him to come back. She strolled back to the gardens, taking the long way into the mansion. When she got back, Heathcote was at the door, waiting.
"So, Lady Cordelia, when did Mr. Therion arrive? I did not see him yesterday myself."
The question made her flustered. "He came like a thief in the night," she replied. "He climbed to my window, and almost fell asleep standing up, so I allowed him to stay."
"And you didn't come to get me so that we could get him a room set up for him?"
She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. "I didn't want to disturb you."
"Surely you did not make him sleep on the floor?"
"Of course not!" she stomped her foot. "He slept on the couch!"
"Then all is well. Where is he now?"
"He's going to the inn to pick up his belongings, then he will come back here. We need to set up a room for him."
Heathcote nodded, and started climbing the stairs, motioning for Cordelia to follow him. She obliged, staying close behind him. The room she chose for Therion was diagonal to her own. She made sure that the blankets were clean, double checking the basic toiletries that were contained in every wardrobe of the house. With the bathroom just down the hallway, he would be able to bathe whenever he wanted. And with Cordelia close by, they could easily say goodnight.
The last thought made Cordelia smile. She then wondered back out to the gardens, deciding to spend her time there while she was waiting on Therion. Ever since he had left, this garden had been her place of solace. it had been the only place she could relax for so long; now, with Therion back, that might change.
Sitting down, she leans back against her hands. Closing her eyes, she listens to all the sounds surrounding her, takes in all the scents of the different flowers, and just lets her mind go blank. The scents of the flowers are almost intoxicating, swirling around her. A new scent mingles with that of the flowers, one that Cordelia doesn't recognize until she feels a slightly cooler wind against her face. Opening her eyes, she sees that rainclouds have gathered, and are quickly moving towards Boulderfall. She decided that a little rain would be nice, since it always cooled down some when it was over. She also loved the feeling of newness it gave, how it seemed like a different world right after the rain ended.
A decent amount of time having passed coupled with the approaching storm prompted Cordelia to walk back inside. She made her way to the foyer, waiting for Therion there.
Then, just as she got comfortable, the door opened wide, and Therion stepped in. She couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. "There you are. I'm glad you're back!"
"Glad to be back, especially since it looks like rain; sorry I took so long."
She shook her head. "As long as you didn't run into too much trouble, all is well. I am glad that you got here before the rain did, though."
Both stared out the window, watching the darkening sky. The clouds billowed heavily, the trees were beginning to shake in the wind, and you could see the lightening forming in the clouds. It was startling to see how it had changed from peaceful looking rainclouds into a full-blown storm. They stood together in the foyer like that for a moment, until Cordelia finally took Therion's hand.
"I'll show you to your room now," she smiled, pulling him along.
He kept a hold of her hand, filled with contentment at her touch. It really had been a long time since he had let his guard down; it was relaxing to be able to finally do so. The room he would be staying in was a nice one, with a large, fluffy-looking bed, two chairs, and a small table right next to the bed. He sat his belongs in the chair, rolling his eyes and sighing when a few things fell off and hit the floor.
"You can put your belongings here in this wardrobe, if you'd like," said Cordelia. "There's also a bathroom just down the hallway, and it has been prepared for you to use it whenever you would like."
"I swear, you're too generous for your own good sometimes," Therion replied, a silly smile gracing his face.
"Well, it works out well for you, doesn't it?" Cordelia teased back.
"Yes, it does," he returned. "But I do hope you know that I do really appreciate this," he added, turning serious.
To answer, she just grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"So, I didn't get to see the entire place the few times I've been here," he said. "Do you mind showing me around some more?"
"Not at all," she said, walking out the room. "Just follow me."
And so he did, making sure he was never more than a few steps behind her.
I've enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy reading it! : ) I'm currently working on a couple of different fanfics at once, on top of school, so updates may be somewhat sporadic. I will do my best to post regularly, though. Once a month, at least, I promise!
Happy travels, Octopath fans!