"Raphael? Raphael are you here?"
While the inner dining area of the inn was empty, it wasn't much of a surprise. Mid-afternoon was one of the most vacant times for inns of all kinds, much less newly established ones. Re-established ones? Whichever this one would be considered. Most travelers left early in the morning to continue on their journey, lunch for the nearby workers and day laborers was over, dinner wasn't for a few hours, and any new travelers wouldn't arrive until closer to nightfall. Not to mention the bustling night crowd every inn had at their taverns. The most you would see in an inn at this time was the workers cleaning, or knights/other hired defenders for the inn.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. She could almost feel his footsteps in the floorboards before she could hear them. It made her smile. Good thing she had been able to convince Father to make it out here for the grand re-opening week.
"Sorry!" A voice boomed with all the joy in the world. "I didn't expect someo- Flayn!"
The footsteps thundered across the room. Flayn's breath was crushed away. But she still couldn't help a laugh as Raphael spun her around in his trademark bear hug.
"Flayn! How've you been?" He asked as he set her down.
It took her a moment to catch her breath again. "Good… good. Whew. The monastery is getting close to finishing up the repairs around the school parts. And now that things are calming down, my f-brother is letting me enroll as an actual, full student next year!"
Raphael furrowed his brows. "But you were a student under the Professor with us. Why would you need to be a student again?"
"Well, honestly, I wasn't fully a student. My brother did not actually enroll me, so I did not qualify for any education certifications when I was in class with you all. Many staff and faculty at Garreg Mach would attend classes as a personal benefit without being a true student. That's what I was."
"Who needs a silly certification when you got real experience with your muscles during the war?" He flexed and patted a bicep fondly. "I know my muscles learned bunches more from real fighting, not the classroom stuff."
"Yes, that is accurate. Which is why my brother finally relented and is letting me be a full student this upcoming year." Flayn clapped her hands together. "But enough on that. I'd heard from so many travelers at Garreg Mach about this grand opening week for your inn! It's so lovely to finally see it in person."
"I know, isn't it great?" His grin split his face in the forever infectious way he had and Flayn found herself smiling wider as a result. "It's only been a couple of days but I'm loving it so far! My lord was even here himself the first day, despite me being on leave for this."
"It is quite lovely, and such a beautiful area. When I heard around the monastery that someone needed an errand off this way, I begged my brother for it to be us so I could at least be here for one day on the opening week. And I am simply taken away by it all. You must be so proud of your sister."
"The proudest! She's the best little sister I could ever ask for. That's why I work for my lord, he makes sure to help keep her safe too. Talking about sisters, you said your brother Seteth was here too? Where is he?"
"Oh, he's in town doing whatever church business needed to be done. I'm not quite sure what it is. He still says I'm too young to be worrying about that type of business."
"Too young? But you're nearly as old as we are!"
"Well, maybe, not quite. I'm, lets say, younger than you even expected while we were in class together. I'm sorry if I deceived you."
He chuckled. "We didn't care how old you were, you're one of us! And no matter what you're older now, so I hope Seteth sees it. Though you still look really good."
A blush crept up in Flayn's cheeks at the unexpected compliment. Her mind felt like it actively slowed down. Words escaped her. Despite it all, her heart sped up. Rapidly.
"I-oh, um… Thank you, Raphael. I, uh, do seem to share in my fa-brother's… ability to look younger for my age." Flayn fidgeted her fingers together as her brain recovered. "You don't think I look… too young, do you?"
Raphael actually laughed. That wasn't what she expected. Though she couldn't tell why he laughed, it did disperse a little of the knotted tension in her stomach. Aging slowly always bothered her; it didn't matter how many centuries passed.
"Of course not, Flayn! You're a beautiful woman. Besides, don't you ladies usually worry about how you look? At least my sis seems to. Always gettin' on about how she's looking older. If my sis looked young like you, she wouldn't have a thing to worry about! Any man would be happy to marry you, no matter how young you look. I know I would."
The whole world stopped. Flayn could have sworn she floated up from the ground. It was incredible. This had to be one of the best days of her life.
If only she were older. Even just old enough that Father would allow her to date. She desperately wanted to be with him. No man could ever be as sweet as Raphael. Maybe, just maybe, if she did well in her studies, and any further pursuit from that, maybe Father would permit her to. Even just one date.
She needed to change the subject. "Raphael? Do you think we could practice again? Just for old times sake."
He grinned. "Of course! Sis should be able to wash up from lunch by herself. What was it that Claude called us? Battle Cry Buddies?"
"Yes! Let's go! Battle Cry Buddies together once more!"