(Leo)
The whole day, I did not process the fact Ophelia and Koharu were finally back. Unscathed! And together! What kind of miracle had the kingdom just experienced?
The party happened so quickly that it whirred in my memory, becoming a speckle in my thoughts by the time the sun would have set somewhere normal.
People always said tiredness was surefire after something stressful. I was certain that was the case for me when I practically crashed onto my bed of flowers. It was hard to gauge the amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins for the past week in the immediate aftermath of everything, but I knew it must have reached dangerous levels for my heart and mind. Two aristocrats had been missing, I could have been dismissed, and all the drama with Algor was definitely enough for most people's lifetimes. Who would have thought?
The tension left my body like radiation from the sun, melting into a liquid like heated fat. If that was what relief was like, then I wished it would come without such hardships preceding it. All the time! (Then, though, it would have lost its appeal like a constant dopamine rush.)
Speaking of the sun… It was wonderful to think how it would soon not be eternal with Inei's announcement at the end of the party that the kingdom would be reunified tomorrow. I could hardly believe that, too! The glowing ball plagued my vision like a cocklebur that would never leave me alone when I tried to sleep.
I always faced the moon when I was by myself, hoping I could rest without damaging my eyes during the night. Every time I woke up and watched the sun's snarky smile flit by, I felt like I would go blind under its derisive gaze, and I subsequently cursed myself for having rustled the petals beneath me while unconscious.
That night, though, I faced that beacon, wanting to greet it goodnight one last time before it tucked itself away for half of each day. It was strange how I missed something so irritating to me, but it was perhaps like killing a bug and feeling remorse for it afterwards.
The light was so strong that it did not feel pleasant against my retinas, but I let it burn me right then, basking in that warmth that made me always neglect a blanket and strip my shirt. It was oddly liberating to not be constricted in the fabric.
Perhaps I would miss that stupid, glowing ball more during the nights than my bitter thoughts let on.
Alongside a faint tapping noise, I then heard the grass crinkle, blades ruffling like feathers as leaves cracked like ice cubes. It wasn't long ago I heard the shouts and camaraderie of the castle's celebration, yet that soft sound was jarring. I was used to clobbering hooves and more rowdy steps in the Galaxy Meadow, so hearing something gentle try to hide under the wind and natural order of things heightened my senses, bringing me on edge.
Not wanting the hammock-like flower bed to sound the alarm that I was there, I stayed still. My eyes remained open, trying to search the area like a camera while zooming in and out of any areas where I could detect the slightest shift. The erratic motion of my eyes risked making me dizzy, but I figured I was better safe than sorry when it came to intruders.
Actually—it hit me suddenly—how the heck would someone have become so astray that they ended up in the sky? It was crazy to think of any normal person ending up here, which drastically reduced the number of options to—
"Lele."
I immediately shot up and met the gaze of Sinclair, who found their way to my little clearing. Their eyes became larger and breath hitched a little, a gentle scarlet painting their cheeks. One iris settled on a red tone, while the other became a royal blue as they tensed, and they shifted their view over.
"How did you get here?" Then, I sighed in relief, knowing a robber or crook didn't show up beside my bed frame. It wasn't all a celebration, though, as something dark settled in me again.
"Mm. I'll explain in a moment… Just… Do you, uh, want a minute to put a shirt on? I'll turn around." They pointed behind themself and spun on their heels.
Right. I was half nude.
They seemed rather flustered at the sight, so to soothe their awkwardness, I grabbed my shirt from another flower and slid it over my scrawny torso to conceal sparse patches of hair atop soft flesh. (Had they not mentioned it, I wouldn't have really cared. Nudity didn't usually have much of an effect on me.)
"It's on," I said after, and they swivelled around, a little nervous still but not nearly as bothered as they were a few seconds ago.
Gulping, they nodded.
"How'd you end up here now?" I repeated.
A bashful pink filled their gaze. "Don't get mad at me, but I followed you from the party. Since I don't have the means to come here without a little help." They held up a glittery hand covered in fairy dust as the weak wings on their shoes struggled to flap.
I must have left it on the chair when we sat together, I thought.
My eyes turned sharp. "Why, though?"
"I wanted to see something."
When I simply gestured for them to continue, they said, "Since Algor…"
That name slashed through my soul as I winced, trying to force that man out of my mind because of the jealousy he evoked.
"…is gone, I was wondering if I would be able to sleep again without the nightmares. I wanted to be with you in case they come back, though, since nobody else knows how to comfort me. Is that okay?"
They seemed to beseech me for approval as their eyes glimmered—desperation. I couldn't deny them such a thing. My heart was already too soft, water under a thin layer of ice.
I nodded, and their face lit up, masking the weariness that had collected on their features like dust.
"Yeah," I told them. "I'll turn a few of these flowers into a bed for you."
Slightly raising an eyebrow, they appeared as if they were about to pout. "I can't cuddle with you tonight…?"
I wouldn't admit my pulse pounded faster, harder at that.
"Mm… no," I answered as I lifted my hands, bringing them together to meld a set of flowers together across the pathway.
A soft hammock formed between them that blended galactic pinks and blues with starry dots, creating a nebula that resembled the dichotomy of my emotions.
"Any reason?"
"No reason. I'm just not in the mood."
Lies, lies, I spat. I was always in the mood to be close to them, but I was frustrated by something unknown. There was a tight feeling in my chest that worsened as they gave me a begrudging nod.
Ah, all the things I would have done to keep them in my arms, even though I was the one letting go in the first place. I was pathetic, really, in that I was still so bitter after the kingdom's troubles had passed and abandoned me with my thoughts.
