A Feather Stolen

Time

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Anoel felt happy giving Ly the treatment she deserved.

The info-broker washed her, probably the first time she'd been cleaned since she met the thief.

And had gone through the trouble of treating all her wounds, applying cream where necessary and stitching her cuts up before covering them.

She looked different after all of that.

Younger, brighter.

Even cuter.

Both girls shared Anoel's bed, Ano taking a little extra time to put Ly's dirty clothes through the wash after giving her the only set of pajamas she had.

The rest of her wardrobe being jeans, Anoel didn't have anything else soft to wear, so she threw on a shirt she always felt was big on her.

Then acted as Ly's personal heater all night.

That was five months ago.

Ano sat in a booth this time in the downstairs bar, still toying with a small card of paper between her fingers as the ice in her drink clinked quietly.

She turned it around and around, one word just constantly repeating in her mind as she sat there in thought.

Time…

She was giving as much time to her as she needed. But she was starting to fear she was giving her too much of it…

'I'll see you soon, Anoel. -Ly.'

It was the note Ly left her when she disappeared that morning. Before she could even wake up.

What if she was in danger and needed help? What if the plan… didn't work? What if Ly needed her… and all she was doing was sitting here, waiting for her to come back on her own?

What if-

The ice in Anoel's drink clinked again as it melted more and more into her soda, small fingers putting the card away as someone's voice spoke up.

"Hey, Ano! You up for a rematch yet?"

It was Onyx again. When she glanced to him, he didn't seem to have that challenging gleam in his eyes like usual.

He looked more worried than anything else.

She'd been moping around for a few weeks now.

Of course he'd notice…

"Y-Yeah, just… gimme a bi-"

Anoel's glass suddenly threw itself over as the ground shook violently, steadily breaking glasses throughout the bar as a shockwave ripped through the air.

Ano's eyes immediately shot up to the windows, patrons standing to the feet and meandering over as the rumbling stilled.

An enormous plume of black smoke billowed into the sky in the far distance, over the horizon of the streets and surrounding buildings.

It was… huge…

Distant sirens echoed through the air as Anoel got to her own feet, boots stepping into spilled soda as she pushed her way out of her booth and through the crowd of people far bigger than her.

She immediately pressed her hands against the glass there as she looked out, small cracks of fire illuminating the inside of the smoke as it rose into the sky.

That was a bomb…

A very… very big bomb.

Anoel's eyes grew wide as she glanced back, the silence of the bar filling the air with an uneasy tension as she looked to Niro's dad. Niro himself just stood idly behind him, cleaning the dishes.

"W-What was that?" she asked quietly, most of the crowd huddling by the door now to get outside and get a closer look.

"Probably a gas main leakage, or something similar. Looks like an entire block just went up," he replied evenly, drying out a glass with a white cloth of his own. "Terrorists haven't hit that side of town in years. Hard to believe they'd try to attract Grimm now after so long of silence."

B-But that couldn't be, could it? "How would they even plan around us? We have eyes and ears everywhere."

Apparently, though, it was too much to ask for them to keep a lookout for Ly's description.

Niro's dad just frowned. "So, just a gas leak then."

"A-A gas leak couldn't cause that much damage…" Ano whined in return, turning half around to stare at him.

His eyes transferred to something just outside the window, then slowly brought his gaze back to meet with Ano's again. "Guess it was just about time it happened."

Time? What did time have to do with-

The slam of the bar door resonated throughout the tense silence, followed shortly by the heavy panting of labored breathing.

Anoel's gaze immediately shot to the noise as her eyes went wide, heart suddenly throbbing up to a rapid pace to apparently match the one in front of her.

"Anoel…?"

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a voice so painfully familiar it nearly made the info-broker's knees buckle upon hearing it.

"L-Ly…?"

W-Was… that what he meant by time?

Anoel was completely frozen, just staring at the slender shoulders quickly rising and falling on the girl before her as her mouth suddenly went dry.

"Y-You're-"

Her speech was cut off by the girl crossing the distance between them quickly and throwing her arms around her.

Ano was still struggling to move.

A soft sob wracked throughout the smaller girl's body as she muttered words of relief, Ano's arms finding just enough strength to finally wrap around the girl holding her.

"We're free… it worked… he did it…"

"H-He did?" Anoel asked quietly, urgently. The grip she found in her arms grew stronger by the second as her heart finally left her throat, but still somehow echoed in her ears to make hearing harder. "That explosion… it was… your cousin?"

Ly nodded her head, still buried in Ano's neck, warm tears flowing down her cheeks as her hold tightened.

Free… Anoel's grip finally came alive as she hugged Ly back in full force, slowly burying her face into the crook of her neck as her wide eyes sheened over.

A quivered breath left her muffled lips as she shoved her own teary face into Ly's shoulder, fingers clutching at whatever dirty cloth she could get her hands on of Ly's coat.

"F-Free… for good…?" she couldn't help but choke out softly, lifting her face just long enough to get the strained words out.

"For good…" Ly echoed, loosening her grip but still holding on.

Ano was having none of that. She immediately burrowed all she had back into Ly's warmth as she rapidly nodded, stuffing her face back into the soft skin of her neck.

The plan worked…

It actually worked.

And Ano couldn't be happier.

It only took another worry to pass through Ano's eyes to make her lift her head again, moving it far enough away to look at Ly's face in concern. "W-Where's your cousin? Is he safe?"

"H-He went back to get our belongings. I told him to meet me somewhere in the city before we head for the mountains," Ly explained carefully. "There's an old mining shaft that he's interested in… says he could make use of it for something."

The mountains…? But… those were away and out of the city…

Anoel's eyes immediately grew pained again after feeling all that joy, her fingers loosening in their grip. "Y-You're leaving?"

Ly shook her head fervently. "No… not yet, not for a week at least…"

A week was… all she had? Ano's arms suddenly felt numb again as she lost her grip on Ly's coat. "W-Would you visit after?"

"I'm only going with him to see him there safely," Ly replied, the smallest of smiles appearing on her face. "Once he's there, I'm coming back."

Ano's distancing thoughts suddenly reeled back at those last few words, her mind clinging to them just as securely as she's been protective over Ly. Her entire face lit up in the same moment, the shock of the words finally letting the tears building in her eyes go.

"S-So… You'll visit after the week? C-Can I spend that week with you?" she was embarrassed to feel her voice falter and turn meek, but she didn't care. This could've been the first time she'll be able to spend an entire week with Ly.

"W-We still need that ice cream you mentioned…" Ly replied, just as shyly, her smile brightening a little as she said that. "I even have the money to pay for it now too…"

That small, beaming ray of a smile was all Ano needed. Her entire gloomy world suddenly shattered as she took a tight hold of Ly's hands and shook her head. "We have ice cream here, if you want. No charge."

"I'd like that…"

Her hands soon dropped from Ano's grasp as she reached inside her coat's inner pocket, pulling out a glass encasement.

"Look what I found too." There was a little prideful gleam in her eyes, shining with the slightest hint of pink as they turned to face Niro's dad.

The sound of a glass setting down against a hardwood counter lightly tapped into the room as he met it, Ano turning to see what he'd say too.

"I take it that's you accepting the job offer?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "I don't think the Atlesian museum wanted it anymore… they kept it in a really easy spot…"

"Only easy to you," he replied, picking up another glass from the drying rack behind him. "I'll leave your lien in Ano's room, assuming you'll be around to pick it up."

She sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "I… don't have any other plans for tonight…"

Ano's eyes lit up all over again at hearing that. "Then we'll make them!"

She immediately took Ly's hands again and tugged Ly across the room, giving Niro's dad a cheeky smile as she ran by with Ly trailing behind her.

"Starting with ice cream!"

Ly willingly followed, not before throwing the idol to Niro's dad and the man catching it without looking.

Ano didn't wait any longer to drag Ly into the back to grab a full carton of vanilla ice cream out of their freezer, slipping around Niro to grab two spoons to go with it before disappearing up the stairs in a rush.

She wanted to take Ly somewhere that wasn't her room for a change.

So she took her to the roof instead.

The breeze fluttered her hair as soon as she breached the door to the open sky just outside, one hand still tightly holding onto one of Ly's own as the carton rested in her other hand.

Ly held the spoons.

"Wanna sit up here?" Ano asked, turning an excited gaze back to look at Ly just behind her. "It's away from the bar. Quiet too."

"Yeah... " Ly breathed out, smiling softly as she took a seat on the edge of the rooftop, her legs dangling over the edge.

Anoel climbed down next to her, plopping herself onto the edge to sit herself closely against Ly's side to overlook the streets below.

And the hazy, smokey sky above the cityscape before them.

"Okay. It's vanilla, but I don't know if you'd like it. Is that okay?" Ano asked, moving the carton into view to set it on their conjoined laps.

Ly looked to her and nodded, the same small smile still adorning her face. "I'm just happy to eat ice cream…" she replied earnestly, offering Ano one of the spoons she held.

Anoel gingerly took the spoon from Ly's small hand with barely contained excitement, prying the lid off the carton of ice cream between them as she smiled. "I'm happy to eat it with you, and see what you think of it now that you're having it again."

Ano's eyes quickly cast up to look back at Ly's irises, hoping to catch the second the flavor hit her. But that was when she started to notice the lack of blue in them…

They were even pinker than last time, now.

"W-What's wrong?" Ly asked quietly, dipping her chin away sheepishly under the info-broker's gaze.

She hadn't even realized she was staring. "Your eyes…"

Ly's gaze returned to Ano, furrowing her brows slightly as her irises changed to accomodate more blue. "I-Is there something wrong with them…?"

Ano watched the small transition and leaned in, brushing her nose over Ly's to try to get a closer look at her irises. "They… were pink a moment ago… The same thing happened when Niro's dad offered you that job last time you were here. Only, they were pinker this time."

A sudden, visible realisation washed over Ly, her eyes developing a soft, pink hue again as she stared down at the street, watching the passersby, staying aloof with a distinct lack of interest.

"This is the first time I've felt genuine happiness in a long time… My eyes… they change to reflect that," she said earnestly, her little smile returning to her face. "I-I guess you've only ever seen them blue before."

Ano's own smile started to form as she brushed her nose up against Ly's cheek, wanting her gaze to turn back to her as a toothy smile came over her features. "I like it. They look good on you… Mine only change color to match my mood."

Or was it emotion? She always forgot that specific part.

Ly turned to face her, "I noticed that…" Her smile grew a little more as she looked directly into Ano's eyes. "I thought that was pretty cool."

Ano's cheeks tinted pink as she leaned away, but her eyes shimmered gold at the comment. "I-I've never really liked it. They give me away."

"Yeah… I guess I got off lucky then…" Ly returned distantly, eyes adopting a fully pink hue as she continued to stare.

Anoel only found herself shrinking away from that steady interest, her eyes suddenly flashing orange. "I-I don't know… It's hard for luck to make someone that pretty."

Ly's chin dipped as her face heated into a small blush, her eyes looking down to the tub of ice cream between them before gazing back up to Anoel's.

Ano finally found it in herself to drop her gaze away as she looked to the carton of ice cream too, suddenly too nervous to meet that gaze. "D-Do you… wanna t-try the ice cream n-now?"

Her eyes were burning orange now, steering radically away from the gold shade they had earlier.

"Y-Yeah…" Ly's voice came out as a little breathless as she took her spoon into her right hand. "It's been sitting there melting and I haven't had any yet..."

Ano's eyes immediately widened at that, an apologetic gaze shooting out of them to meet Ly's face again. "S-Sorry! That's my fault… I get hot when I'm nervous like this."

"Well… I don't have a curfew anymore…" Ly replied looking down to the ice cream for a sparing moment before returning her rosy eyes to Anoel's with a warmer smile. "We can always get more."

"T-This was all we had in the f-freezer… We were going to restock tomorrow, but…" Ano trailed off, staring down at the melting tub of ice cream in shame.

Ly dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out some spare lien cards. "I-I meant buy some… but let's eat it now before it becomes just cream."

Anoel gave a tiny nod as she brought her gaze back to Ly's, finding it to be the pinkest it's been so far. "Y-Yeah… I-I still struggle w-with delicate things right now, s-so I'm glad we have time this time. For when I mess up."

"I don't think you'll mess up," Ly replied innocently as she dug her spoon into the ice cream, slowly scooping out a large mouthful, bringing it up and placing it in her mouth.

There went the tiny licks theory. At least, with spoons. Not cones.

She needed to find her a cone now.

Ano watched carefully as Ly ate her bite, not scooping her own yet as she felt herself transfixed on just the idea of witnessing the faces Ly might make after eating the ice cream.

She hadn't had it in so long…

The girl's face changed slightly, a thoughtful expression spreading and her small nose crinkled slightly as she closed her eyes and shuddered involuntarily.

"Ow… I-I forgot about that…"

Brainfreeze. It was brainfreeze.

Ano couldn't help but giggle at the cute display, watching as Ly winced a little as she leaned in again.

Anoel was really good at messing up, so she was really hoping this wasn't one of those times.

"I-I can help with that… if you want," the info-broker teased softly, leaning in to peer into Ly's squinted eyes and brush up against her scrunched nose.

The girl's eyes widened as she realised how close Ano was, the smallest hint of confusion in her pink eyes as her breath hitched and her cheeks reddened. "H-Huh?"

Ano couldn't help but smile nervously at how fast Ly's blush formed, her thoughts quickly getting drowned out by the beating of her heart. "I can make the brainfreeze go away. And I need to make due with the promise I made."

Ly's confusion only grew until her eyes widened a fraction further at what Ano meant.

Her mirthful smile couldn't be cheekier. "Brainfreeze still need to go?"

Ly's blush only got worse as she dipped her chin, Ano happily leaning in closer. After a few seconds, Ly gave the tiniest nods of her head to answer her.

Ano smiled at that… because Ly was lying.

She silently closed the minuscule distance between their faces and lightly pressed her lips against Ly's own, feeling Ly freeze and lock up from the gentle kiss, offering the tiniest little whimper.

When Ano suddenly started to feel concerned that she really did mess up again, her eyes cracked open in worry. But as soon as she did, she watched Ly's blush only spread before melting into the kiss.

That was enough to flutter Ano's heart in her chest as she suppressed a squeal, breaking the contact with a stupid smile and a little pant.

"I told you I'd have to kiss you if you were away longer than two months this time," she muttered under her breath, keeping the tip of her nose brushing against Ly's cute one to give her the tiniest bit of distance.

The girl inhaled and quickly hid her flustered face away for a moment as she continued to breathe.

"I-I-I uh…" her stammer only made Ano's simpering smirk widen as she waited for Ly to make eye contact again.

When she did, her eyes were fluctuating erratically between a brilliant cerulean and rose gold before settling on a mix of the two as she turned back to meet Ano's expectant gaze.

Her cheeks and nose were still a bright red from the embarrassment, but there was a longing look in her eyes that the info-broker couldn't ignore.

Anoel's heart was beating out of her chest at that, hoping the girl couldn't hear how deafening it was right now as she happily gazed into the bright eyes looking back at her.

"Did I make the brainfreeze go away?"

Ly hesitantly nodded as she took a deep breath. "Y-You d-did more than that…"

Ano quirked her head in reply to that, a small hint of confusion changing her expression. But that was overtaken with a reddening blush sweeping through her own cheeks. "I did?"

Ly silently nodded in response, her eyes adopting a slightly pinker gaze as the longing held within them grew.

"I-Is it b-bad to admit…" Ly paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing briefly before letting them relax, "I enjoyed that…?"

Anoel's smile returned as her blush spread to her ears, softly shaking her head. "N-No. I did too."

She couldn't help but cheekily grin as her heart fluttered again, nuzzling the tip of her nose against the tip of Ly's, hot to the touch.

"Can I have another one?" Ano asked in a light tone.

Ly's slow nod was all the permission she needed.