A/N: I know what you're thinking. It has been an incredibly long time since I have updated. More than a year. Most of you have probably lost interest in this story by now, and I don't really blame you. For those of you who are still around, I'm very thankful that you're still reading. Thank you for your dedication to Firelight! :) :)
If you're wondering why I haven't updated in such a long time, I am not the nineteen-year-old kid I was when I started this story. I'm twenty-four now, I've almost finished my bachelor's degree, I'm working, and I'm trying to make time for my boyfriend/family outside of work and college. My life is much busier than it was when I started this story; I am an adult now, and do not have the time for writing that I used to. I still have a passion for it and I still love it, but life gets in the way sometimes. For those of you who are still reading, thank you for understanding.
Right now, however, COVID-19 has closed down my college, my job as a substitute teacher, and I cannot travel to go see my boyfriend as often because of quarantine. So, what better way to spend my time than writing another chapter of Firelight? I've missed writing, and I am happy to be back at it! :)
Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy this new chapter :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Part IV: Unraveled: Chapter Thirty-Nine
Previously…
After being stranded on planet Earth for five long years following the destruction of her planet, sixteen-year-old Damiana found herself in Steel City. Steel City was home to the Titans East, and one night after six months of living there, the young alien ran into Titan Speedy. Through a complex series of events, the girl who had previously been known as a loner ended up assisting the archer and his team against a dangerous villain. This villain is known as Black Shadow. He is a danger not only to the Titans, but also to the Justice League.
Over a span of three weeks not only did Damiana join Titans East under the name "Firelight", but she also ended up journeying to Metropolis to assist in Black Shadow's defeat. The villain had access to a machine capable of opening rifts to any planet during any historical period. Were he to find an infinite power source to keep the machine stable, he would become an even greater threat.
Upon arriving in the city of Metropolis, the girl came face-to-face with many unforeseeable realities. Until Robin, Starfire, and Frostbite arrived to assist them, it was Firelight, Cyborg and Speedy's job to search the Metropolis Museum of History and Astrology. Black Shadow had sent a signal there upon the completion of his machine, and the trio was determined to figure out what he was after. Although, two of the young Titans found much more than Black Shadow's prize. What Damiana and the undercover "Roy" stumbled upon changed their lives eternally.
For five years Damiana had wandered planet Earth alone, disguised as a human and horribly isolated. Then, by chance, she bumped into an old family friend. Adriel was a Knight trained for the very purpose of protecting Dabnod, as was Damiana's elder brother, Saeran. The very fact that he was alive should have been impossible! Yet, Adriel managed to survive.
Meanwhile, Roy had made his own discoveries during their time in Metropolis.During his short three weeks with who he knew as "Leila", he noticed a few oddities. The girl's tendency to speak in a bizarre, unknown, language when emotional. The fact that she concealed her hair and eyes using contact lenses and hair dye. Eventually he also discovered that her race of people was massacred, and that when the dye wears off, her hair changes color. All of this seemed like an unsolvable puzzle to Roy. That is, until he came upon one specific exhibit at the museum they were searching.
The exhibit was called "Planets of the Past", and the primary planet it encompassed was one known as Dabnod. The color-changing hair, the language, the massacre of her people, everything came together during that tour. Not to mention that Leila painted the walls of her room back at the Titans East Tower with pictures of violet grasses; photographs that matched her paintings to the letter hung on the museum walls. The tour guide also informed them of Dabnodian clan symbols, as well as the jewelry that was received when coming of age. Leila wore her clan symbol on a metal band on her right upper arm, just as the guide explained was common for women.
It didn't take long for the Titans' mission to slip Roy's mind. All the young archer could focus on at that point was Leila. Less than a day was what it took for him to confront her.
Damiana was petrified when Roy first found out, but quickly came to the realization the he didn't think differently of her. There was no judgement, no fear, and he did not think her an invader. Roy's only goal was learning more about her. He was genuinely curious, and this warmed both of Damiana's hearts to the core. The two of them spent all that night talking about the late planet Dabnod.
Unfortunately, happiness came to an end the very next day. With the assistance of Adriel, who was an employee at the museum, Cyborg, Roy, and Damiana searched areas that were off-limits to the general public. Worst came to worst, and the result of their search was devastating. Black Shadow appeared. It turned out that he took what he wanted several days ago. A rare Earth mineral known as Zenotrum was missing. In a large enough quantity, Zenotrum functioned as a long-lasting power supply. If Black Shadow used the sample he took to locate more, it would truly be over.
Sadly, the three Titans and Adriel didn't get the opportunity to stop the villain. He vanished as quickly as he appeared, leaving a large, three-headed, dragon for them to battle. They were able to defeat Black Shadow's monster with their combined strength, protecting several hundred civilians. In the process, however, the Teen Titans were revealed to the world. Metropolis was under Justice League protection, making it off limits to the Titans. It would only be a matter of time before they were hunted down by the big heroes and punished severely.
Cyborg, Speedy, and Firelight returned to Adriel's residence in shame that night. When Robin, Starfire, and Frostbite made it to them, it would come time to share their shame and formulate a plan. Much to everyone's surprise, however, the Fates seemed to have different plans. Even with the endless surprises that those three days in Metropolis brought, it appeared that there was one more surprise in store. Saeran, too, had miraculously survived the destruction of Dabnod.
Under any other set of circumstances, the discovery of Saeran's survival would have been magnificent. Alas, this situation was different. Starfire, the princess of Tamaran, was present during their reunion. Having heard them speak in their native language, she became immediately aware of their race. Although she did not say anything outright, Damiana quickly realized that Starfire was aware of what she and her family were. Emotions running high, a heated argument ensued between the Tamaranean princess and the Fire Phoenix siblings. As a result, Cyborg, Robin, and the remainder of the Titans in Steel City soon realized the full truth of her, Saeran's, and Adriel's identities. Roy and Raven, having already known who Damiana and Saeran were, worked to convince the rest of the Titans of Firelight and Frostbite's innocence. Starfire herself took mercy on them.
By the time the team video conference had ended, however, the Titans made a horrifying discovery. Having assumed that they would be despised for their lineage and expelled from the team, Adriel, Saeran, and Damiana had deserted the Titans and their mission to defeat Black Shadow. Or at least that's what they thought…
Mere hours after making their hasty exit, Saeran and Adriel returned. To Roy, Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg's dismay, Damiana was not with them. When the trio of Dabnodians had left the night prior, Adriel had led them to the Metropolis Mines beneath the city claiming that it would be a safe place for a good night's rest. Instead, the mines turned out to be filled with zenotrum, and as a result, was also the hidden lair of their villain. Adriel and Damiana had discovered buckets of zenotrum while exploring the tunnels that morning while Saeran had been asleep. It was during this exploration that Black Shadow appeared, Damiana was captured, and Adriel escaped by what he called "coincidence".
Trust for Adriel was low and the risks of entering Black Shadow's lair were high. Yet, it was a heartbroken Saeran and compassion for their endangered friend that convinced them to rescue Damiana. The rescue, however, did not happen nearly the way the Titans expected. Black Shadow's lair was destroyed and the zenotrum was lost; this portion of the outcome was optimal. Of course, all of this was minimal in light of the true reason that Adriel lured them into the Metropolis Mines. By use of Black Shadow's rift machine, Adriel had sent Damiana and Roy back in time to Dabnod.
Adriel was brought back to the Titans East Tower in Steel City where he was imprisoned by Robin and Bumblebee. Much to the Teen Titans' anger, the bizarre man showed no remorse whatsoever. He merely stated that his actions were necessary for the survival of the Dabnodian people.
Meanwhile on Dabnod, Roy and Damiana have a long journey ahead of them. After three days of hiking through dense wilderness, they were discovered by a mountaineer named Tenna. Tenna informed Damiana of two crucial facts: the date and their location. Damiana and Roy landed in Dabnod's Ninth Province, an area of Dabnod that is nothing besides vast wilderness and small mountain villages. The Ninth Province is weeks, possibly months, away from towns with the technology necessary to fix Black Shadow's machine so that they can return to Earth. Even worse, Damiana and Roy only have a short four months until Dabnod is wiped out of existence.
With the aid of Tenna and her eight-year-old son, Caen, the duo is hoping to wait out the frost in their village, Whisper Valley, so that they may begin travelling to more modern provinces. But first, Damiana and Roy are going to have to survive the night in a village called Murmur Creek with Tenna's brother.
On the outside, the house is tiny. It is an odd little abode with a roof thatched from lilac-colored grass, and walls crafted from pink-gray stones. It looks like it could fit two of his bedrooms side-by-side. Even then they would have to be squeezed together tightly. Upon entering the house, Roy is shocked by the number of people that this insignificant dwelling manages to accommodate. There are, of course, Tenna's brother and sister-in-law. Besides the two of them, however, there are five kids excluding Caen. Five! They range in age from Caen's age to his own age. Possibly older!
He and Damiana loiter in the doorway observing the commotion. The children's mother and four girls are crammed within a single cooking space. The mother hovers over a pot placed atop a woodstove, two of the girls coat meat with a grainy-looking substance, and the others chop up a root-like plant. Meanwhile, Caen and another prepubescent boy are on the opposite side of the room rummaging for wooden bowls. The family's sleeping arrangement is truly bizarre. Pots, pans, foodstuffs, blankets, clothing, and whatever else the family might need hangs from the ceiling. They either hang from ropes, hooks, or are secured within netting. In the case of the bowls, they are fastened to the ceiling inside of a net. Caen reaches for the bowls by standing atop a bedroll which is spread out on a wide wooden shelf. Beneath the shelf is another bedroll.
Roy fights the urge to scratch his head in bewilderment. There are no walls whatsoever. There is absolutely no privacy in a place like this! It causes him to formulate two questions. The first being how is a family of seven capable of living without personal space. The second question branches off from the first question; how do a husband and wife produce children in the first place without privacy?
He turns to ask Damiana if all houses are arranged this way on Dabnod. However, the expression on her face is the only answer Roy needs. Her jaw has come completely unhinged. As for rose red tresses and soft pink eyes, they have shifted to an astonished shade of lime. Although he had been gaping at the scene as widely as the Noble Lady, Roy exchanges his outward shock for quiet chuckles.
"I'm guessing that your cabin was posh living compared to this?"
The girl nods robotically, still consumed by shock. "Saeran and I each had our own rooms, and so did Mama! This is…unbelievable! What's more unbelievable is how many children Tenkan has…"
It takes every ounce of the archer's strength to refrain from making a crude joke. Specifically, about latex being too tight for comfort. Thankfully Caen notices them before the words can force their way past his lips. He points in their direction from his place atop the shelf. A string of loud, foreign, speech permeates the air. A single instant is what it takes for everyone in the room to stop what they're doing in order to gawk. The child loitering beside Caen seems excited about their presence, the two boys jabbering back and forth. As for the women, they back against the wall anxiously. Roy and Damiana exchange glances and move toward the doorway, clearly sensing that they are unwelcome…
"Nax fraitinat!"
Their postures stiffen. The gruff voice does not come from in front of them, but from behind them. Standing in the doorway taller than Goliath himself his Tenkan. When the duo of Titans turns around to face him, they immediately notice a thick, midnight blue, ponytail. Tenkan continues shouting with eyes focused on Damiana. Her skin pales to the color of a sheet of paper and her hair turns darker than ink. Damiana nods humbly while responding with what sounds like stuttering. Somehow she only causes Tenkan's anger to worsen. The massive man yells until he is red in the face. Before Roy knows it, there is one large hand on his arm and another on his teammate's. They are flung forcefully out the exit, neither having enough skill to maintain their balance. Roy and Damiana meet the ground in a heap.
"Lal galofrax nax reintinat!"
Tenna had been watching the scene in horror, but after her brother's final act of rage she is dragged inside by the wrist. The door slams shut with a vibrating echo. Roy hardly notices that Damiana landed on top of him, neither does he notice the black curls tickling his nose. Instead he makes a blunt comment while gazing up at the golden clouds that float lazily across the silver, evening, sky.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that these people don't like us."
"Actually, Caen likes us just fine. And Tenna…well…she tolerates us. But you're right about Tenkan. Apparently he has a grudge against nobility. He told us never to step foot inside his house again and said that we can take shelter in the barn for the night. If we go anywhere near the main house, he said that he would snap my neck and desert my corpse in the forest…"
Roy sits up out of pure shock. So swift is the motion that he accidentally knocks Damiana off of him. "Woah! Are you serious? That's insane!"
"Insane, but true." She stands to her feet and brushes off her jeans. "Let's go to the barn before we get scolded for loitering."
The structure is easy to spot. It is not attached to the house, but it may as well be. Less than a foot of space separates them. As they draw nearer, Roy can't help feeling appalled at where they are expected to spend the night. Tenkan's barn is absolutely decrepit! At half the size of the main house, it would be lucky to fit a maximum of six people. Aside from this initial inconvenience, the entranceway lacks a door and the single window lacks glass as well as shutters. Even from this distance, Roy is one-hundred percent certain that there are no blankets or pillows awaiting them either. Normally he would complain about these things aloud, but after days of sleeping in the middle of the woods and using his quiver as a pillow, the archer decides to be thankful for a roof.
Once inside, however, feeling grateful becomes significantly more difficult. The earthen floor is caked by mud, and whatever animal Tenkan owns smells worse than a mule! Said animal stands on the far side of the enclosure eating sludge from a feeding trough. Roy has absolutely no idea what he is looking at. All he knows is that Murmur Creek must have some use for the creatures, because he has seen flocks of them. The odd creature appears somewhat like a goat and somewhat like a camel. It is tall with a humped back and has a beard similar to that of a goat. The creature's horns, however, are large and curved more like a ram. It is also six-legged. The animal does not unnerve Roy like Tenna's phoenix. Rather, it has him baffled. What the heck is that thing?
"You don't have to be nervous around it, Roy. A uikin won't hurt a fly. It's far friendlier than Tenkan and his family at any rate."
Damiana gestures to the six-legged livestock animal while making her remark. A uikin. He still isn't sure what its purpose is, but at least the strange creature has a name now.
Meanwhile, Damiana ascends a latter that he hadn't previously noticed. As he follows the latter upward with his gaze, an entire other section of the barn is revealed. It spans a third of the already narrow roof, so it is rather small, but it should still provide enough space for the two of them. She climbs up by three rungs and hoists her body onto the platform, avoiding the final two rungs completely. Roy does the same. Unfortunately, the space is smaller than he anticipates. The archer allows his legs to dangle over the edge of the loft as Damiana arranges her sweatshirt and the rift machine against the back wall. There is barely enough room up here for one of them, let alone both of them! They will definitely be sleeping back-to-back tonight. Thankfully the loft holds a generous amount of hay, so there will at least be some cushion.
It doesn't take long to realize that his teammate is experiencing similar thoughts. She smooths out her sweatshirt and folds it neatly, likely to avoid his gaze more than for tidiness. "Are you okay with this? It's a little cramped..."
Roy purses his lips thoughtfully for the briefest second, not entirely sure that he is okay with this. Then, realizing that they were alone in the woods for nearly four days, and also remembering that they went swimming together in their underwear, he shakes the feeling off. It doesn't take long for him to crawl closer and plop his quiver and bow directly beside the rift machine.
"No worries. It's not like we haven't slept near each other before."
Damiana still doesn't look at him, but she doesn't have to. The girl's tresses slowly begin changing to magenta. "I-I know, but…"
She trails off, not even close to completing the sentence. Somehow the archer is aware of her exact thoughts. Memories of her burning, orange, hair and hypnotizing, copper, eyes flash through his mind. More hypnotizing was the soft skin of her cheek against his palm and her parted lips. One minute they were swimming. The next minute their mouths were centimeters apart. At the time Roy wasn't paying attention to logic. All he knows is that he wanted to kiss Damiana! Now? Now Roy is left wondering why that moment happened at all…
The barn's open entrance and glassless window produces a chilly cross breeze. Yet, the enclosure is suddenly stiflingly warm. "You don't have to say it… I guess I got a little carried away at the lake this afternoon. Sorry about that…"
Roy gazes at the ground below. Watching that smelly, horned, beast eat from its trough is suddenly fascinating. Damiana finds smoothing the wrinkles out of her folded sweatshirt equally enthralling.
"You don't have to apologize. We both got carried away."
Thankfully Roy isn't drinking a glass of water, because he would choke on it. He expected Damiana to begin shouting. An hour-long rant including the words "pervert" and "pimp" to be exact. Never in this century did the possibility of admitting her attraction cross the archer's mind! Normally Roy would use this opportunity to tease, but considering how the past several days have gone, he decides against it.
"Don't get worked up about it, Damiana. What happened while we were swimming happened, and there's no changing it." At long last, they turn toward one another. Roy rubs the back his neck sheepishly at the sight of her flushed skin. "Think of it this way. We were in the middle of nowhere, not knowing when would die, or if we would find other people. Our…physical reactions…to the opposite gender…could have been a biological form of…of…stress relief."
Lilac eyes lock with emerald for a single instant. Then Damiana hides her face in her hands. "That actually makes sense. My actions were completely on impulse. I'm not usually so impulsive."
"Exactly. Instinct took us over and nothing else. Case closed."
Damiana's face remains hidden, but only for a second. Seemingly out of nowhere, her features shift to sapphire blue. The girl gapes directly at Roy as if he just revealed the answer to some divine secret. More than anything, he wishes that he could peek inside her brain. What thought could possibly have struck her to result in such astonishment?
Unfortunately, before the archer can inquire about Damiana's inner musings, his only friend on this godforsaken planet is ushered away by a voice from below.
There are many things that Damiana should be happy about. Fresh clothing unmarred by the slashes, sweat, and stains of her previous clothes. Not at all like the lovely dresses from the Capital City, but close enough in design to make her feel nostalgic. The brown dress and tan leggings are comfortable, too. Damiana should also feel happy about the steaming bowl of stew that is bursting with flavor from meat and spices. Especially after eating nothing but scant fruit from the forest and boxed food on Earth. Tenna is also holding a single, thick, blanket, meaning that they will be warm tonight.
As grateful as she is for Tenna and Tankan's kindness, Damiana is not bursting with joy. Instead her mind is on Roy's theory regarding the pond incident. Perhaps the archer is right about instinct. There may have been no romantic feelings at all! Is it possible that Damiana's bodily impulses were forcing her into passing the Dabnodian language to Roy?
Apparently the girl's distress is less than subtle, because Tenna makes a guess at the cause of it. "Don't ask for another blanket, because Tenkan will only spare one. You and your human will have to snuggle close tonight."
Damiana has been leaning against the outside of the barn and clumsily spooning stew into her mouth. She'd barely noticed Tenna looking at her. Both of them are waiting for Roy to dress himself. For the time being, the two women are stuck outside together.
She takes a massive bite before forcing a response. "One blanket is fine. It will probably be cold now that we're in the mountains, so we could use some body heat."
Now that Damiana thinks about it, one blanket will be quite useful. It's true that snuggling will be incredibly uncomfortable. Of course, a bit of discomfort is a small price to pay for an opportunity to explain the reality of the pond incident to Roy. What better place to talk about kissing and language transference than trapped in a stable together beneath a single quilt? Getting to tell Roy that it was her Dabnodian instincts instead of hormone-infused passion is such a relief!
"Ah, yes. Body heat. Just be careful not to stay up all night. We're leaving before dawn, and we have a long journey."
Damiana stares at Tenna mortified. "Oh no! Sweet Fates, no! It isn't like that at all!"
"Actually, I'm happy that you said that. I'm looking forward to speaking with Roy directly." Tenna offers a patronizing smirk that would make just about anyone feel an inch tall. "Lady Fire Phoenix, I understand that you care about how you look in front of me. You are nobility, so I can understand if you want to look proper in front of a 'commoner'. But I am telling you that I do not care about what you do with your human. I don't care if one of you sleeps outside while the other sleeps inside. I also don't care if you make the barn rattle. Whatever you do, just don't allow your personal feelings to cheat him. Do not keep him dependent on you. That is not fitting for a man."
The two women gape at each other, the older one with sternness and the younger one with disbelief.
Unfortunately, there is not a chance to respond. The redhead that has consumed the conversation emerges from the miniscule stable. While the very sight of him should be unnerving, she is instead taken aback. Roy wears a long-sleeved tunic the same shade of dirt brown as the garments worn by herself and Tenna. Instead of being ankle-length like a woman's clothes, his tunic stops at the knees. His waistband is also much thicker than the waistband of a dress, and that is considering if a dress has a waistband at all. He also wears tan, loose-fitting, pants, made from animal fur, and knee-high boots made from the hide of that same animal. Roy toys with his sleeves and with his hem, clearly unfamiliar with the billowing fabric. It takes all of the girl's strength not to giggle.
"I don't know how anyone can wear this. It's so loose that the wind makes it float! I feel like Cinderella!"
"If you don't like it, then I guess you're wearing your Titan uniform for the next four months. I'm sure you and your sleeveless arms will do just fine during the frost."
Roy smirks at her sarcasm. The moment prior Damiana didn't feel unnerved, but now those nervous feelings are swirling around in her gut. Nothing that comes from his mouth creates this sudden anxiety. It is simply that mischievous smirk, and the way it makes his eyes sparkle. Sleeping beneath the blanket together will be incredibly nerve-wracking to say the least…
"Okay, fine. I'll wear the tunic. I'm sure Bee would kick me out of the Titans East if I froze to death before finishing a mission."
Damiana tries to find a response, but for once, doesn't have one. All she can think about is whether or not she is going to tell Roy about language transference. Taking away the romantic aspect from what happened at the pond would be a great way for both of them to move past it and focus on escaping Dabnod. Of course, when she does mention it, he will doubtlessly ask her to pass him the language…which she really doesn't want to do…
Tenna takes this opportunity to shove the blanket into the crook of Damiana's elbow and to shove Roy's stew in his direction. Panic surges through Damiana's brain. It is strange how quickly things change. Sleeping in the same vicinity with Roy felt completely normal the night prior. Now here she is, debating whether she is going to keep quiet or risk making out with the archer half the night.
Before reentering her brother's house, the mountain lady grants them each a look. A dour look to the girl and a sympathetic look to the archer. "I've warned you twice now, Lady Fire Phoenix. Show your isolated human some compassion."
Comparing this stew to anything familiar is difficult. The chunks of meat are larger than stones and tougher than leather. Eating it is like eating one of Black Canary's alligator skin purses, only instead of tasting like wasted money, it tastes like venison. Thankfully the broth makes the work of chewing easier. Oil pools at the top of the thick, fatty, liquid. Dipping the meat in the oil softens it, if only slightly. Swimming amongst the broth are short, white, stalks with small, stringy, stems protruding from them. Clearly edible roots. Roy was hesitant to taste them, only to find that these vegetables are tender and flavorful. They are like onions with a punch of bitterness. The roots, the broth, and the meat create a meal that isn't necessarily pleasant, although it could taste worse.
Damiana's laughter echoes through the loft. "Here, Roy. This might make your stew more edible."
Before he can ask, the girl reaches a hand over his bowl and drops in a handful of something. It looks like red, oval-shaped, petals. He stirs the soup while eyeing the new ingredient skeptically.
"They're miltkith flowers. Mama picked them from the field and added them to our soups all the time. Tenkan had them sprouting up like weeds between the house and the barn, so I took one for us to share." A playful kick to his shin is punishment for his hesitation. "Try it. I know you'll like it."
"Alright, fine. How bad can it be?"
Their eyes never leave each other as the archer raises the spoon to his lips. He is cautious about trying the flower petals. Knowing Damiana, they could be incredibly spicy and may give him digestive problems. Even in the midst of their crisis, the girl is not above messing with him. Thankfully, this is not at all the case. The flowers contain a type of tangy sweetness that balances out the bitter, salty, flavors. A second after tasting it, Roy is enjoying his meal at a much quicker pace. The chunks of meat are even growing softer.
Dazzling, pink, eyes contain nothing but satisfaction. "See. I told you it was good."
"Okay, fine. I stand corrected."
He is about to ask how she stole a flower from Tenkan's garden. Tenna was outside with her that entire time! However, that is when the memory of Damiana's fifteen minutes of absence returns. While he was in here poking at the odd stew with a wooden spoon, the girl was outside. What she was doing, Roy didn't know. Now it seems that this mystery has been solved.
"Well, I guess I know why you took so long coming inside. You were busy playing kleptomaniac."
"Yes, Roy. I took a miltkith flower, so I guess I'm a criminal. You better watch me, or I might steal Tenkan's uikin too!" Her entire face glows with humor. "If you want an honest confession, I just wanted to stretch my legs before being cooped in this loft all night. Tenna says that we're leaving before sunrise, so it's not like we'll be here long, but I figured it couldn't hurt."
"Before sunrise? That is pretty early. But I'm not surprised. Tenkan probably doesn't want us around."
All traces of her previous humor vanish. "Unfortunately, you're right about that. Tenna promised that we'd be gone before he wakes up in the morning. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason Tenkan is letting us stay here. He said himself that if he sees the slightest hint of any of us by daybreak that there will be consequences."
The redhead gawks. "When did Tenkan say that? Did that happen while he was kicking us out?"
"No. It happened on the path earlier. Tenkan was angry, and Tenna had to beg for mercy. I know it doesn't seem like it, but Tenna did us a huge favor by getting us this barn to sleep in. Without risking her neck, her brother wouldn't be letting us sleep on his property at all."
An image of the weathered mountain woman with the coarse voice comes to mind. Truth be told, Tenna seems like one of the crassest people on the planet Dabnod. It is amazing how different this same person seems to Damiana. A pang of remorse strikes.
"I never thought of it that way. I just figured that Tenna felt sorry for us."
"Tenna does feel sorry for us, but it's not what you think. She is a strong believer in the Fates and believes that we are her responsibility because the Fates put us in her path. She said so during our conversation by the pond."
"Okay, so the sympathy isn't coming from the goodness of her heart. We're more like lost puppies that she found and that the Fates are ordering her to take care of."
Damiana sighs peevishly. "It seems that way. Come to think of it, she did call you 'my human pet' once."
The ability to speak the Dabnodian language could really come in handy at this moment. This way Roy could enter Tenkan's hut and give that backwoods mountain hag a piece of his mind! 'Human pet'?! When the alien girl continues, however, it manages to soothe his boiling blood. Damiana runs fingers through midnight blue tresses in pure vexation, and charcoal eyes are squinted as if she has a migraine.
"Tenna confuses me. I feel like we're lost puppies. Yet, I also feel like she values us. People in this region do not take kindly to outsiders. Tramping into remote mountain villages with a Noble Lady from the Capital City and a human is like wearing a giant target! Helping us is already creating tension with her brother. I can only imagine the trouble it will cause in Whisper Valley." Another sigh. "Fates or no Fates, I don't understand why she would put so much at risk for us."
Dabnodian Nobility from the Capital City are hated? He wishes Damiana would have mentioned that! That would have explained so much about Tenna and Tenkan's treatment! Not to mention the rest of this village. All of their cruelty isn't attributed to him being an alien after all!
"So, it isn't just me that's drawing the attention. It's both of us. Great!" The more Damiana's powerful status sinks in, the more terrifying their future difficulty in the next village seems. Especially the chances of meeting another hulking, angry, giant! "I hope Tenna's husband isn't as hateful as her brother. Will he blast us down the mountainside with his air powers, or is he going to crush us to death with rocks?"
If Roy was paying closer attention, perhaps he would notice her blackening tresses. "Um…neither…"
"Neither? That's my bad. I guess he'll drown us, or maybe challenge you to a fire dual! Based on her flesh-and-blood's reaction, I can only assume that the man she married is going to be just as nuts!"
"Actually, Roy, Tenna's husband won't do anything to us..."
"Really? Cool! I guess Tenna got tired of violence and marry a pacifist."
"Will you shut up?!" It is this wounded shout that earns Roy's attention. "Tenna's husband died in the war against Tamaran. So did two of Caen's brothers. Caen's living brother is fine, but he's still away fighting. Caen and Tenna are the only two left." Hair and eyes are pure ink. "I'm from the Capital City where Queen Guayusa started the war, and this war is the reason why Tenna's family is dead."
The archer doesn't speak for what feels like eternity. He simply stares. Dabnod is more complicated than he ever could have imagined! Four months from now this planet will be nothing but space dust, but right now it is a world at war. A war that they got tossed in the middle of the instant Tenna found them.
Roy lays a hand on Damiana's shoulder. "I didn't realize how much being from the Capital City was affecting you. Is your social status and this war the whole reason we're sleeping in the barn?"
No verbal response is given. She nods in what can only be described as shame. This earns a disappointed frown from the redhead.
"It's alright for you to tell me these things, you know."
She grimaces sharply. "I know."
"Really? Because I don't think you believe me. You need to believe me, because I mean it. If something this big is affecting us, tell me! All we have while we're stuck here is each other. The only way for us to get through this is together."
"I believe you, Roy. Really, I do! Being back on Dabnod has just been challenging. Experiencing my home in such a different way is new for me, and it's hard to cope with."
Roy's hand travels to her chin and gently grasps it. He tips Damiana's head so that she is looking directly at him. All that's important to the archer in this moment is that she understands.
"That's why you need to tell me what's happening! I can't understand people like you can, so you need to translate! You need to tell me what people are saying and why they're saying it. If all I get is a brief synopsis four hours later, then there is absolutely no way for me to help you through the turmoil you're going through."
Damiana's hair is no longer black. It lightens to plum. "You're right. I've been so caught up in my own emotions that I never told you what the real problem is. That I'm the real problem. I'm sorry."
Roy releases her chin. "Don't apologize. It's not like I'm trying to make you feel guilty. I just want you to understand that this is a struggle for both of us. Hearing everything that happened today is frustrating! I was there for all it, and I couldn't do anything. You didn't even bother telling me about Tenna's intense life until hours after meeting her!
"It was frustrating on the path to the village, too. You didn't tell me where we were going or what the plan was. I didn't know we were spending the night with Tenna's brother in Murmur Creek until we were most of the way here! I thought we were going to Whisper Valley before you said something! I didn't even know that Tenna has a brother! I didn't know about Caen, either. I had to ask who the weird kid was that ran up to us! And I definitely didn't know that you being nobility is a bigger problem than me being an alien!
"I understand that learning what your home is like outside of the Capital City is hard for you, but being an alien on a planet where nobody speaks English is hard for me. We are both having problems. If you start translating for me, then we'll be able to cope with both of our problems at once."
Damiana's disposition is unlike anything seen from her before. Troubled, stormy, eyes are trained thoughtfully on the smelly uikin, which is currently sharpening its horns against the wall below. Meanwhile, plum tresses change to the darker shade of bruise-colored purple. Less than a minute later, Damiana's hair transforms into sapphire blue. It rests at a blinding shade of sapphire for nearly two straight minutes while the girl's eyes become a lovely shade of azure. One deep breath. Two deep breaths. Three breaths. It is on the third breath that rose red and soft pink return as the dominant colors. All of this happens while Damiana watches the uikin with a cool, collected, stare.
When the perplexing, Dabnodian, girl finally talks, it is with a calm so fragile that a meager whisper could break it. "The language barrier really is a problem… For both of us."
The archer has more than one thousand ways to respond to this blunt remark. Yet, he doesn't utter a word. His biggest fear is that his will be the whisper that shatters the calm. Damiana ultimately continues without prompting.
"If you could fully understand everything that's happening, it really would help. Especially with there being so much turmoil on Dabnod…"
"Exactly. All you have to do is tell me what's going on. You can do that, right?"
More deep breaths. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. A kaleidoscope of colors, too. Magenta. Orange. Lilac. Magenta once more. The thin layer of glass that is the calm of her voice is starting to shudder.
"Well…uh… Yes. Technically, I can translate. You don't have to understand a word of the Dabnodian language the entire time you're here. I can tell you what everyone is saying and give clear descriptions about what is happening. That is certainly an option."
"Uh…cool… That's great! Exactly what I was looking for, so we're all good here. It's not like there are other options."
He would love to look Damiana in the eye during this conversation, but her face is hidden by her knees which have been folded up to her chest.
"Sweet Fates, I can't believe I'm saying this. Say it, Dami. Here it goes!" The nervous sigh she unleashes is the sound that breaks the glass of tranquility. "I might be able to do language transference!"
If Roy had a mirror, he would see a man scratching ginger locks in complete and total bewilderment. "Language ter— Language traf— W-what are you talking about?"
"It's pronounced 'language transference'." Another shaking sigh. "Dabnodian nobility, especially knights and scribes, are known for their ability to transfer languages to other intelligent species through lip contact. Saeran and Adriel know how, but I never learned. It requires a lot of time and practice."
An eternity is what it takes for the reality of this blunt and clumsy confession to sink in. Did he hear that correctly?
"Hold on! Did you really just tell me that Dabnodians can teach languages through…kissing?!"
Damiana covers her head with her arms. "No! Not kissing! Language transference! Passing languages to others through lip contact is a long and delicate process that should never be compared to kissing!"
"Okay… Then how does language transference work?"
"I'm not really sure. Adriel and Saeran said that it took them weeks to learn how to pass languages. It took hours of making out each day before they were able to pass the Dabnodian language to those Azarathean girls. Since I never learned, I don't even know if my languages would pass!"
"Making out? You just said that 'language transference' and 'kissing' are not the same thing!"
"Well…they're the same form of physical interaction if that's what you're asking… It's the result that's supposed to be different."
If Damiana was curled up any tighter, her spine would break in half. The entire time Roy is trying to decide if this is really happening! His teammate, who is clearly humiliated and hiding herself the best she can in this cramped loft, just revealed an incredibly useful skill. A useful skill which she clearly doesn't want to try learning. Yet, she told him about it anyway! Now Roy is the person taking a deep breath. Not three or five. All he needs is one. Then, after a long moment of staring, he finally speaks.
"Alright. Language transference. What you're telling me is that you might be able to teach me your language through lip contact?"
Although the action appears to take every ounce of willpower, the Noble Lady raises her head to look at him. "Yes. I wasn't formally taught, so it could take a while, but we could at least try it. I didn't think that learning language transference without guidance from a Knight Master or a Scribe Master was possible, but what you said about the lake changed my mind. It really could have been our instincts telling us to make lip contact! If we follow our instincts like we did this afternoon, then the language might pass."
For the second time today, the archer is elated that he is not ingesting anything. Otherwise he would choke to death right here in this smelly barn. The idea of following the instincts that they were following while swimming together in their underwear makes him think of anything but language transference… Yet, Damiana has a point. A romantic moment like that doesn't spring up out of nowhere, does it? Damiana's alien instincts telling her to transfer the Dabnodian language makes much more sense than a random rush of adrenaline and teen hormones.
Roy takes two deep breaths this time. "Okay... If you really want to see if language transference will work, then we can try it. Our theory about the lake does make sense when you put it that way."
"Good! Following instinct isn't the best idea, but it's the only idea I've got." Remorse overwhelms her features. "At first I wasn't going to try it at all. Thankfully, your talk of depending on each other brought me to my senses. It isn't right to take this kind of opportunity away from you."
Silence ensues. Amazingly, it is comfortable silence. Damiana's cheeks are flushed, and for once, this is the only feature that is pink. Curled tresses shift to different colors of blue simultaneously. The varying shades of sapphire, teal, and cerulean make her hair look like crashing waves on the sea. Brilliant, azure, irises only work to enhance the ocean-like quality of her lovely locks. Roy wonders if these vivid blues are Damiana's guilt colors. However, this doesn't seem likely. Her coloring seems to represent something entirely different that he can't quite pinpoint.
The archer isn't sure what brings it out of him, but he begins chuckling. "What are you so ashamed for? I tease you all the time! I can see why you didn't want to tell me." He gives her curls a playful tug. "So thanks for not hiding your abilities from me. And double the thanks for actually offering to use them."
Sapphire blue transforms into magenta at the lighthearted gesture. Then comes silence and apprehensive stares pointed at the other. Language transference sits between them like a complex puzzle, neither of them volunteering to pick up the first piece so that they may commence.
"So," says the archer at last, "did you have a specific time and place that you wanted to try this?"
The girl doesn't answer immediately. Instead she takes a moment to move their empty bowls from the floor of the loft to the windowsill above. Then she spreads out the heavy, fur, quilt that was given to them by Tenna. With slow and uneasy movements, she crawls beneath it.
"Well…not exactly… I kind of wanted to get more comfortable with each other first. The more comfortable we are, the more likely it is that language transference will work." Damiana's fingers fumble with the edge of the blanket almost as if they're frozen. Once the blanket is pulled back, Roy realizes in surprise that he has just enough space to slide beneath it. "If we want to get comfortable, then I think snuggling is a good place to start…"
Roy suddenly feels ready to curl up into a ball much like Damiana. Language transference doesn't make him overly nervous despite it sounding awkward. Roy has kissed plenty of girls. Admittedly, most of it was while he was high or intoxicated, and all of it was with girls he barely knew. Still, kissing is somewhat familiar. But snuggling? Roy has never done anything like that! How does snuggling work? Where does he put his arms? Where does Damiana put her arms?
Although the redhead is very nearly experiencing a meltdown, it is Damiana's uneasy yet expectant gaze that forces himself to crawl under the covers. He is sweating like a sinner in church, and Damiana doesn't appear to be doing much better. They still manage to smile anxiously at each other, though.
"Snuggling is good... You're right! We can work our way up to the lip contact part."
"Exactly. We don't even have to make lip contact tonight. We can just cuddle so language transference is easier later."
"A whole night of cuddling. Great. This is going to be a long night."
There isn't a drop of snow on the ground, yet the icy breeze says that there should be. If this were the weather on Earth, it would doubtlessly be snowing. Spending five years in the Midwest and in the Eastern United States have taught Damiana that frosty air and bitter wind always means snow. On the remote regions of her home planet, however, Damiana isn't sure what cold means at all. Their group has been hiking since the darkness of early dawn, and now the sun is high in the sky, suggesting that it is near noon. It grows colder with every mile they hike. Still, there isn't any snow. While nothing helps stifle her confusion, the lack of precipitation is clearly for the best.
A single, fleeting, look at Roy reveals that the swift drop in temperature is making a severe impact. The redhead rubs his hands together and tugs them inside the sleeves of his tunic, and then he snuggles deeper into the thick, animal skin, collar. The new clothes are thick enough for Damiana, but probably not for Roy. When the cold gets too unbearable, she can control the energies from her second heart to increase her skin temperature. As can most of her species. Not to mention her fire abilities, which keep her warmer than even the average Dabnodian when utilized correctly. While she initially suggested snuggling the night prior to create a romantic mood for language transference, tonight's reason will likely be warmth. It is tempting to grab Roy's hands and warm him right now with as cold as he seems, but all it takes is recalling last night for her to change her mind.
*Flashback*
"This is awkward… Sweet Fates, why did I suggest this?!"
They hugged in her bedroom the night before leaving Steel City. They fell asleep together the night he revealed that he knew she was an alien. Not to mention their brief time on Dabnod where they were lost in the wilderness together, slept directly beside each other, and went swimming in their underwear. After all that, something as small as snuggling should definitely not have been awkward. Yet, it was the most uncomfortable thing Damiana had ever experienced. Roy had a rigid arm wrapped around her shoulder. Meanwhile, Damiana sat with posture like stone, trying to maintain at least an inch of distance. When the archer spoke, the girl felt like burying herself in the lilac hay.
"Not that I'm telling you what to do, but snuggling doesn't work if you don't move closer."
"Of course. I know that. I'm just pacing myself."
With the greatest reluctance of her life, Damiana closed the one-inch gap of separation. Whether it was instinct or pure effort, Damiana isn't sure, but Roy managed to calm her. He rubbed between her shoulder blades in circular motions, slowly moving down to her middle back, and eventually to her lower back. At first the girl's posture was more solid than stone at the unfamiliarity. But apparently Roy knew what he was doing, because she finally relaxed into his touch. She rolled over, hugged his waist, and snuggled into his chest during a moment of boldness.
"Is this okay?"
"Yes, it is. I did suggest that you move closer."
"Oh… Right…"
Neither Roy nor Damiana said anything more. A minute or so later, the archer flipped them over so that she was lying fully on top of him. Her stunned yelp did not deter him, because he continued rubbing circles. Gentle circles eventually gave way to a loose arm encircling her waist. At this point, Damiana assumed that Roy was falling asleep. The sound of Roy's steady heartbeat and even breathing was actually causing her drift off as well. She hugged Roy tighter, rested her head in the crook of his neck, and closed her eyes. All feelings of awkwardness were melting away. At least for that moment. The next moment, embarrassment returned as if an atomic bomb of the emotion had detonated!
Hot, moist, lips crashed down on Damiana's out of nowhere. Had she been fully awake, perhaps their night would have ended differently. Unfortunately, instead of sinking into the kiss flawlessly and whimsically, the startled girl leapt off of Roy as if his skin were acid. Sadly, she never found her footing. Instead she managed to trip backwards out of the loft and land on top of Tenkan's uikin, which bucked her off of its back and into a pile of hay.
"Dear God! Damiana, are you okay?!"
Roy rushed down the ladder, over to the hay pile, and pulled her out by the arm. Damiana wanted nothing more than to slap him. She easily could have slapped him. Yet, she did not. Instead, the girl pulled herself from his grasp and yelled.
"What the heck, Roy?! I thought we were only snuggling!"
The archer shifted from standing directly beside her to standing on the other side of the barn.
"You said follow our instincts… It seemed like the right time, so I followed my instincts…"
"Your instincts didn't tell you to warn me?!"
"No… My instincts told me to be spontaneous…"
"When I said 'follow our instincts', I guess I should have been more specific. Anyway, I'm going back to sleep."
It was because she was rubbing her sore back that she didn't notice midnight blue strands in her peripheral vision. She did not notice the utter mortification on the archer's face for that same reason. The most significant thing that the girl's aching back made her miss, however, was that Roy did not follow her back up to the loft. When Tenna barged into the barn and woke them up before dawn that morning, Roy was sleeping in a pile of hay on barn floor.
*End Flashback*
When Damiana's mind exits the painful memory from the night prior, it is discovered that her mind had escaped from reality for far too long. Roy is staring at her and she at him. The archer's forest green eyes with the golden flecks are utterly mortified. Before Damiana has the chance to look away, Roy is averting his gaze toward the nearest tree. Disheartened, the girl turns so that she is facing Tenna. All it takes is a sympathetic frown from the woman to worsen her mood.
"I'm guessing that the language transference didn't go as planned?"
"You could say that…" 'The idiot kissed me in a surprise attack!'
Tenna's frown morphs into a smirk. "I presumed that you and your human were accustomed to being physically close. It seems I was wrong. You're acting like flustered children."
"If we're acting like flustered children, it's Roy's fault!"
Mother and son gawk in stunned silence. Damiana hadn't realized that Caen had been paying attention to their conversation. Yet, the eight-year-old's seafoam locks immediately shift to charcoal.
"Roy wasn't mean to you, was he? You said that Roy was your friend."
Damiana quickly expels the small boy's fears. "No, Caen. Roy wasn't mean! Absolutely not! He just did something that surprised me."
"What did he do?"
Caen's hair transforms back into its original seafoam color and his eyes to ocean mist without much prompting. Of course, the shift in color does not impede his inquisitive stare. As a matter of fact, Tenna's stare might be nosier than her son's. The girl bites her lower lip hesitantly before finally deciding on a safe, yet accurate, way to describe the incident. When she explains, her focus is on Caen.
"You have cousins. Right, Caen? Have any of Uncle Tenkan's kids ever scared you on accident by sneaking up on you?"
"No, but Zaetaka used to do that to Zaesa all the time. Zaesa blasted him down the side of the hill once because he scared her so bad!"
"Your daddy didn't do that on purpose, right?"
"No. Zaetaka was only teasing."
"Exactly! That's kind of what happened with Roy last night. He scared me really bad. He didn't mean any harm by it. It was just an accident, but he still feels bad about it."
"Oh okay!" Caen's eyes light up with understanding. Then curiosity overtakes the child once more. "What did he do to scare you?"
Damiana doesn't answer. Heat rises to her cheeks with burning intensity. Tenna guffaws, and the girl's hands shoot up to cover her face.
"Sweet Fates! Since it was a failed language transference attempt, I can only imagine!"
"What's so funny, Zaesa? And what's language transference?"
The mountain woman takes her baffled little boy by the forearm and guides him deeper into the forest. There is a stream nearby. They appear to be going in that direction. When she removes the paring knife from her waistband and gives it to Caen, this inference is confirmed.
"Come on, Caen. I'd say it's about time for lunch. Why don't we catch some fish for everyone? I'll even let you scale them."
"Really? Thanks, Zaesa!"
Tenna's sympathetic smile returns, if only for an instant. "Lady Fire Phoenix, you and your human can collect firewood. Meet us by the creek once you're finished."
"But we don't need firewood, do we? I can cook the fish just fine using my hands."
"Collect it anyway."
With that said, they vanish. The last thing Damiana hears before facing Roy is Caen's perturbed and pleading voice; "I still don't know what language transference is!" Damiana wants nothing more than to release her irritation in a large, fiery, exhale. It would likely burn down many of the surrounding trees, but what does that matter? Tenna unleashed that punishment on the forest by leaving her alone with her impulsive teammate! Before the girl can move, however, Roy speaks from ten feet away.
"What's going on? Did they desert us in the wilderness? Does Caen have to go potty? You need to tell me these things, Damiana. We had this conversation less than twenty-four hours ago!"
A long, irritated, sigh escapes. "I was getting ready to tell you that we're supposed to collect firewood while Caen and Tenna are fishing! We're taking a lunch break!"
"Oh, sorry… I thought you forgot…"
The archer and the noble lady stare at each other for an eternal second. Somehow the remorse in his emerald gaze is all it takes for her exasperation to fade.
"I know I should've said this last night, but I'm sorry. I wanted to put a jump on the language transference, and I got ahead of myself."
Damiana decides to tiptoe closer. She picks up a few twigs along the way, feigning a pitiful attempt at collecting firewood. Roy is granted a response once she is two feet away with a handful of kindling. Her small, uncomfortable, smile somehow manages to ease their discomfort.
"Don't blame yourself. I did say that we should follow our instincts. Your instincts said to initiate lip contact, and you followed them. I just wish that you would have told me about it first."
Roy scavenges the ground for twigs as well. The rustling of the leaves provides a calming ambiance, as does the sound of a scurrying, orange, qwerthzig. It swishes its mouse-like tail, twitches a rabbit-like ear, and scampers off with a large seed in tow. The teens watch the creature until it disappears from their line of vision. Then Roy answers, though it is with nervous laughter.
"This is going to sound insane, but I was hoping to shock you so much that the language would pass instantly. It seemed like a better idea than slowly building our way up to the lip contact part."
Damiana gawks in disbelief. Is she hearing this correctly?!
"You thought you could surprise me into passing my language? Roy, it doesn't work that way! It takes time, and effort, and training! Passing the Dabnodian language takes intense focus. If I am unaware that the lip contact is coming, then I won't be able to focus enough for even a single syllable to pass!"
"Hey, I know that now! I've been listening to you and Tenna jabber at each other for half the day, and I still can't understand a word!"
"If you really thought that your surprise attack would be enough for you to understand mine and Tenna's conversation, then you were mistaken."
"Yes. Like I said, I know that now!"
Roy bends over to collect more twigs. Damiana follows suit, searching between trees and under bushes until her handful of kindling becomes an armload. Once their conversation resumes, Damiana is surprised that she doesn't drop the firewood from disbelief.
"You can burn me for asking this if you want, but when are we going to try language transference? I know it makes you uncomfortable, and I know I'm not your preferred language transference partner, but I don't think waiting is a good idea. The longer we wait, the longer it will take for me to learn your language."
More than anything, the girl wants to argue against him. There is nothing wrong with taking their time! Whether it is slowly or quickly, they will attempt language transference eventually. When Roy continues, however, Damiana finds her position harder to stand behind.
"We're in the middle of nowhere right now, and not speaking Dabnodian is already making life tough. Once the frost ends and we get closer to the Capital, I'm sure it will be even harder, because I won't be able to help you. Figuring out how to fix the machine, where to go for parts, and who to trust is not something you should be doing on your own. We're supposed to be working together! Transferring the Dabnodian language to me is part of working together!"
Complete and utter desperation is reflected in the archer's deep emerald pools. All forms of dispute evaporate from the girl's mind without a trace. A groan of mild frustration escapes her lips.
"It's not that I don't want to transfer you my language, Roy. I do! It's just going to be difficult. I've never even kissed anyone before, let alone used kissing as a method for language transference. I'm going in completely blind here."
"Oh! Well why didn't you tell me that? If you were nervous because you've never…uh…made lip contact…before, I could've helped ease you into it. I thought for sure you'd kissed a boy before!"
"Well, I haven't. I'm sorry I'm not as smooth with the guys as you are with the ladies." What exactly prompts her to say this, Damiana isn't sure. It could be the level of intensity painting Roy's face, the urgency of their conversation, or perhaps both. Nevertheless, this is what she says next, and it astonishes her more than it does Roy. "How exactly would you 'ease me into it'?"
Roy scratches his head pensively as he molds his thoughts into words. "I wouldn't do anything dirty if that's what you're wondering. I'd just try to make you feel comfortable. Put an arm around you, rub your back, cuddle, maybe an experimental peck on the lips. Exactly what I did last night, pretty much. Only this time I'll take it slower now that I know you haven't kissed anyone."
Guilt suddenly starts to sink in. Roy did try his hardest to make her feel comfortable last night despite misreading her body language. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hard on him…
"If that's what you mean, then easing me into it is a good idea. It was actually working. If you would've given it a few more minutes and then asked if I was ready, I might have said yes."
Perhaps she said too much. The redhead gawks, utterly astonished. Then he smirks, saunters closer, and tugs a strand of her hair teasingly. "Thanks for the feedback. Now I know exactly what to try when we get the chance later tonight."
Every inch of Damiana's body suddenly feels so warm that she feels as though she might overheat. Roy's smirk falters a bit, as if afraid that he'd said something wrong. Technically he did with that last perverted statement, but Damiana does not let this frustrate her. What possesses her, she hasn't the foggiest clue, but the noble lady fires back full force with an action of her own. Damiana grabs Roy by the front of his tunic, tugs him closer, and brushes his lips with her own. Far too brief and too gentle be considered a full kiss, but definitely enough for Roy's eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Just don't be too cautious. Now I know what to expect, so I'll be fine."
For once, Roy is the one who is red-faced. Even so, he still succeeds in returning her smile. This isn't his friendly smile or his playful smile. Instead, it is that special brand of smirk that gives Damiana butterflies. The archer is opening his mouth to say something. Probably something to worsen the butterflies in Damiana's stomach tenfold. That, however, is when Caen's voice is heard through the foliage.
"Lady Fire Phoenix, Zaesa needs the firewood! We've already scaled most of the fish!"
"Alright, Caen! Roy and I are coming!"
Both of their smirks have transformed into disappointed frowns.
"Come on, Roy. We need to get this wood to Tenna. Caen says she's getting impatient."
Roy's frown shifts from disappointment to total annoyance. "Okay, fine. Let's go."
The duo of Titans tramp through the woods toward the mountain lady and her son without another word for the rest of their journey. This time, however, their mutual silence is buzzing with energy.
A/N: I know that this chapter was not up to my usual standard. It has been a year since I've written anything besides papers for college, so I apologize if it wasn't as long or as exciting as you expected. I could have had Damiana and Roy perform language transference in this chapter, but after the romantic moment at the pond in the previous chapter, it didn't seem quite right for things to go that smoothly. Damiana is nervous and awkward while Roy is more bold, so I figured that this will cause some problems. In the next chapter, however, I plan for things to get more exciting. Both with language transference, and with the larger plot.
With quarantine, you can look forward to another chapter soon. Thank you for reading! :)
Forever and Always,
OCQ