3. Shut up.
“Lymle.”
Silence.
“Lymle.”
More silence.
“Just how long are you going to be ignoring me? Don’t be childish,” Faize chided the young Lemurian. “You know better than that.”
“Shut up, Faize,” Lymle said as she huffed and turned her back on him. As though to disobey him further, she began making more frantic scribbles on the ship’s surface with her staff. It was enough for Faize to pull out his hair. Normally, he was a very restrained and well-mannered young Eldarian. But sometimes, Lymle tested his patience. He was pretty sure that he was just as infuriating to the Lemurian, though really, he was the responsible one here. Lymle was a child, after all. Faize convinced himself that he wasn’t, that he was an adult, more mature.
But somehow irritation went through him. He couldn’t restrain himself. “You act like such a child. Why don’t we discuss this matter like adults? I’m trying to speak to you like an adult. So why don’t you…just grow up, Lymle?”
Lymle gave Faize a cold stare, indicating that she understood every word perfectly. Her lip trembled a bit, before her expression turned slightly angry. She normally didn’t show as much emotion on her face, though Faize could tell in the subtle pull of her lip and the turn of her brows that she was angry with him.
“Grow up, Faize,” she echoed back at him, before she began back to her scribbling on the ship once more.
Something changed between them. Faize knew that he went too far. Yet he was too proud to apologize. He was the adult, after all, he mustn’t waver. Though some part of his subconscious mind told Faize that he was the one being a child.
“Lymle.”
“…”
“I’m not going to apologize for what I said.”
“…”
Silence. Then.
“You’re going to be mad at me for a long time. I know that. I’m also pretty annoyed with you right now. But just to let you know…”
Lymle paused, hanging onto every word that Faize was saying.
“…That though you may be childish, I’m not the adult that I think I am. I try to be responsible, I try to do my duty, but really, I’m just a scared little kid that doesn’t know what’s going on with him. Please Lymle, I’ve just been…not myself lately. I’m sure that I will be better soon.”
Lymle started drawing again, though slower than usual.
“Lymle..I do care about you. Even if we get mad. Even if I’m not myself. I know that I’ve upset you, but sometimes we hurt the ones we care about.”
Lymle turned to face him, before she waddled over and gave Faize a tight hug against his middle.
“Dumb Faize. I’m not angry anymore, ‘kay? Faize is scared. It’s okay to be scared.”
“Yes, Lymle, I’m…scared…” Faize said, casting his eyes down. “I’m just afraid that I’m going to do something that I regret very much.”
“Then…” Lymle said, unwrapping her arms from around him and poking him on the nose to get his attention with her finger. “Promise me.”
“Promise you what?”
“That Faize won’t run away.”
A lump formed in Faize’s throat. He thought about running away before ,of abandoning the group, of abandoning his old self. To go on a dark ruinous path that would only lead to more pain and grief.
“I promise, Lymle.”
“Good.”
Lymle then planted a chaste kiss on Faize’s lips. Faize felt his heartbeat rise and his face flush from the heat, and he looked deep into Lymle’s eyes. That look on her face was all he needed to be able to stay.
