Chapter Text
Blink.
There will always be those moments in your life where everything seems like it's some sort of a fever dream. Time seemed to halt, and everything just felt a bit more overwhelming than usual. As if all the good things that existed, things you never thought you’d ever experience, were nothing but a mere illusion; a fantasy which you never thought would come true. How something you’ve only ever yearned for would momentarily be within your reach, in your grasp, in your space, only to slip away in the end.
Because it was too good to be true.
The feeling of being so unimaginably blessed that her heart filled with so much inexplicable happiness hasn’t left Litana since the day she was accepted by the person she loved the most.
‘Ahh…’
Fair skin as white as sea foam matched the wonderful blue strands that shimmered amidst the yellow amber rays of the morning dawn, beautifully draping down through the strong shoulders that carry the weight of a leader. Each strand of hair fell so smoothly as she laid there between the thick white sheets of the full-sized bed, one would wonder how an ethereal beauty could ever rest so perfectly as if there were no problems in the world.
Truly mesmerizing.
A couple of strands fell through the fair lady’s face.
With a careful touch, a hand reached in her direction. Litana gently caressed her cheek with the tip of her fingers, tucking in the loose hair behind her ears, ever so slowly as to not awaken her; ever so carefully as if she was the most valuable treasure in the world; ever so delicately as if she would break easily with just a slight press of her strength.
Such a careful notion filled with tender love within each movement.
Although she knew all too well that the person right beside her, who was beautifully sleeping inside their penthouse and was just a few inches away, was already powerful and strong herself. She couldn’t help but be extremely gentle to let her take a few more minutes of rest before she goes off to work again. She wanted to let her rest more, she wanted to spoil her more. Just a bit more.
‘I still can’t believe that this is what I get to see every day in the morning…’ A hand abruptly covered the flush that was visible on their cheeks, still in disbelief, her eyes still couldn’t pry away from the woman right next to her. Litana couldn’t control the smile crookedly forming on her face. She was just too happy to be alive right now.
‘Just what did I do in my previous life to be able to feel this happy? Is it really okay to feel this way?? I feel so much happiness I fear that it’s going to be taken away from me at any moment…’
Litana was having an internal crisis inside her head as she shifted her position to face the woman.
Litana had never been the type to be scared of anything in her life. She was honest, brave, courageous, and was proud of herself for being a strong person. That was because she was the next leader of the Jungle District, known for the biggest wildlife sanctuaries that conserve the majority of their land and surrounding areas for wildlife habitats, there was no time to falter and be a coward for even a second.
Control.
From a young age, she was trained. She could control her feelings well as she bears the responsibilities of a lot of people and animals inside the District. Not just as their leader, she had to stay strong, because she was also their protector. Not showing as many emotions as she could so as to not be trampled by those bastards who wish to take her place at the top.
Ever since she had been to one of the Royals, the widely famous Student Council in Westside Academy during her college days, she, like the other members, had a path paved for them. It is only their verdict if they wish to follow that path towards a fixated future, or wish to become somebody else.
Litana had chosen both.
She chose to become the born leader she was meant to be and found a course that allowed her to protect wildlife from any harm by becoming an environmentalist that advocates for the peaceful rights of all animals and plants, not only in the range of their forest in Jungle City but to all over the Western Region.
That was the main reason why she had no choice but to be a strong woman with no show for weakness.
But who would’ve known her weakness would be so utterly beautiful that it left her heart defeated from just the grace of love?
Who would’ve known weakness was such a terrifying yet wholesome experience that one began to question how they could have lived without it? The thought of losing it and never experiencing it ever again just made her shudder.
Who would’ve known weakness was powerful enough to bring Litana’s heart into turmoil the moment she had laid eyes upon such an individual?
She accepted that fact. It didn’t even take a few months, weeks, days nor hours.
It simply took a second for her to realize that.
Since it was love at first sight.
As cliche as it may sound, Litana fell in love the first moment she laid her eyes upon such a beauty.
Suddenly, a little groan was heard from the sleeping woman which made Litana flinch in surprise. She thought she must’ve woken up from being too rough, but alas, she only heard a mumble.
“Mmm… that’s mine...chicken..” Litana blinks.
‘Pff- Oh god I love her…’ She made a low snicker, containing her laughter after hearing it. It was such a hard task to do so early in the morning, honestly.
Now that she thought about it, the way she fell in love with her was truly odd. Because it was only for a moment, but that moment led her to see a completely new version of the world. It was as if the world was turned upside down, but to the way it was meant to be.
For some reason, the colors became more vivid, as if the universe became more crystal in the depths of her eyes.
She closed her eyes in melancholy.
Her memories of that event felt as if it were just yesterday when she fell in love with Witira, the young lady of the Whale Clan.
“Litana, the professors had already taken care of the budget for tomorrow’s snacks for the students. So the lists for the groupings must be printed for later.” A blond man wearing an expensive yet simple parka with fitting black slacks approached her from behind, holding a few documents in his hand.
Even though Litana knew this person hadn't slept for days, his face still looked radiant and majestic as ever. She was impressed by her classmate’s skincare routine, Alberu Crossman, who was the same age as she was. He must have put in a lot of effort.
Although, both of them were still freshman students in the Academy. They had still managed to attain such an amazing feat of becoming the President and Vice-president of the Student Council just in their first year.
The roles were handed down due to their merits and through votes by both the students and the professor's choice when they were in their last year in high school in Westside High.
She believed that Alberu truly deserved that role as the President, in fact, nobody else would’ve been a better fit for the job than him.
“Alright, Alberu. I will print this real quick just before the program starts.” Litana tied her medium-length black hair up into a tidy ponytail. She took the papers out of Alberu’s hands and casually asked, “Where are the other sunbaes by the way, and where the heck is Harol?”
“They’re busy picking up the ordered drinks in the storage room to the tents for the outside activities. Harol’s meeting up with the Northside Academy’s student council members.” Alberu replied his eyes now drifted towards the clock inside the back room.
It was almost time to commence the first day of the freshman orientation.
“Oh, I see. I guess I’ll meet up with him later.” Litana mentioned before heading out the room. “I’ll be right back, president-nim.”
“Sure, then I’ll count on you with it vice-president-nim.” Alberu flashed a bright smile, which was the last thing Litana saw before closing the door of the room.
Litana was a person who held much importance to the word ‘responsibility.' She was the type of person who knew how to complete their tasks with determination, efficiency and accuracy, no matter how big or minor it is. She will complete everything that was tasked to her.
She didn’t want to be underestimated just because she was a petite woman.
As the oldest child of a family with great influence in Jungle City, she was also the potential leader that would govern the largest land of the Western Region that had 14 different districts. But because the firstborn was a woman, a petite child at that, there would always be multiple people who would be against the idea of her leading them.
That was why Litana would gradually aim for excellence, not only to prove herself to the bastards who pull her down to the ground and try to take her place, but for the affection she has for the people and animals that reside in her city and believe her.
She worked hard, even if it was on the sidelines. As long as she pulls it off and still manages to graduate with flying colors, then everything would be set.
A few minutes later, she arrived at the printing room.
‘I need to suggest to Alberu that we should have a separate printer in the back room. Why is it so far away?’ She complained internally at the distance which took her over 10 minutes to arrive.
But it didn’t matter, she was there already.
As she opened the door, the smell of the sea penetrated her senses. The coolness of the air conditioner touched her skin making her feel the cold breeze even with the door slightly opened.
Blue.
It was a color that had her mesmerized for a moment.
The luscious blue locks that were evidently shining which looked fluid as that of the ocean, swayed to the side as the person turned their heads over to the direction of the door creaking.
Right there and then, Litana could see dark blue irises that glowed like pure sapphires, skin as white as snow with cheeks perfectly flushed with the right shade of pink flush, eyelashes that arched and fluttered with every blink they did.
‘Holy crap she’s beautiful!’
Litana, dumbfounded, fell in love at first sight with a stranger. She could feel her heart beating fast, it felt weird but also new.
Badump. Badump. Badump.
The woman in front of her tilted her head to the side, clueless at the thoughts Litana had been thinking.
‘Quit staring and say something Litana!’ She exclaimed inside, seemingly forgetting how to communicate with another life form.
Her heart was beating like crazy, her cheeks warming up which was fairly noticeable if you would come closer, her hands were also shaking as she gripped the documents in her hand.
It was the very first time she had ever experienced something like this.
It felt suffocating, in a good way. As if she couldn’t breathe and was drowning in the deepest waters in the middle of the ocean. She was engulfed by the unfamiliar feelings she had never felt before.
All Litana could do was at least try to make out some kind of sentence to let her not look like a scarecrow, idly standing like she was trying to scare off some crows in a cornfield.
She was that unbelievably awkward.
The confident, strong-willed and daring to take any challenge Litana, could not even muster up the simple question of, ‘May I use the printer?’
Only strange sounds which you couldn’t even make out if they were actual words or not left her mouth.
“A..a ma… I … yo.. see…”
“Printer...I…”
‘Oh God, why am I like this right now?!’ She immediately felt embarrassed why she turned out like this, however, her ears perked up at the sound of the lady’s voice.
“Are you okay?” The blue-haired woman’s voice sounded like that of a siren that attracted men across the sea.
It was that captivating to hear that it made Litana take a step back and turn 180 degrees to run away.
‘Why am I running away?!’ Litana questioned, but her whole body didn’t listen to her for the first time in her whole life. Her instinct told her to get away. Her heart was beating too loudly, she was afraid that the beautiful lady might hear it.
Litana ran and ran and ran, to as far as where her feet could take her, and before she knew it, she was back to where she came from.
She opened the door, panting and out of breath.
“Oh, you’re back already? That was fast.” Alberu said casually, not looking over to the door’s direction as his eyes were still fixated on the computer. “Is Harol with you? It seems that we were emailed about an extra order we didn’t…” The blond’s eyes then darted off to see Litana, leaning against the door breathless, and wondered if something happened.
“You came alone? Where’s Harol?” The blond questioned, almost alarmed at the unusual behavior of the vice president.
Litana, after hearing the voice of Alberu, snapped her back to reality. Her mind now returned back to her usual sense of focus. But then she realized something.
Alberu’s gaze fell towards the same document Litana was holding and asked, “Was the printing room out of order or something?” An eyebrow raised as he tilted his head for answers.
Litana couldn’t believe it! She forgot her purpose for going all the way to the printing room and basically ran away like some coward.
“I-I… uh, there was no ink… so...”
“Oh I see, that’s a bummer, but that’s fine. We can just print it off later.” Alberu reassured her that it was not a big deal.
Litana felt a sudden pang in her chest.
This was the first time Litana had ever lied in her whole 18 years of living. This was also the very first time she had run away from something and felt like a weakling.
A lot of first times were done that day, including the first time she experienced love.
She remembered her mother’s words the moment she experienced them herself.
Sometimes, even when you have yet to encounter such an emotion, there will come a time when you’ll just know.
Nothing big, nothing cliche.
You’ll just know.
That was why Litana, graciously accepted it wholeheartedly without any time to deny it. Without any time to question it.
If this wasn’t love, what the hell was it then?
It was scary, unbelievably scary, yet her mind couldn’t stop thinking about that beautiful lady inside the printing room.
‘Ah, I don’t know her name…’ One of her regrets was not being able to ask for her identity, and now she would just continue to ponder about this mysterious woman for the rest of her life.
.
.
.
However, who knew she would be seeing her again so soon, under the spotlight of the stage as she took a peak from the backstage area behind the red curtains once again.
“Let us all greet your fellow batchmates who are the newly appointed Student Council Presidents for Westside and Northside Academy!” Reverberating applause and cheers could be heard across the caves of the auditorium.
The clapping and shrieking were deafening.
But who could blame them when the two individuals who went center stage, immediately captured the hearts of the freshmen from both schools with their charms.
However, Litana could only pay attention to the woman right next to Alberu.
‘Oh my god…’ She basked in awe from the sight of her.
After Alberu’s introduction, all her focus now heightened, ignoring the joking remarks of Harol about their friend and colleague, Alberu.
“Good day everyone, I am the Student Council President for Northside Academy. You can call me Witira.”
“Witira…” Litana mumbled under her breathe, again and again, but her eyes never missed a single movement from the mysterious lady she had met earlier. ‘So that’s her name…’
“Litana? You’re up early…” Witira made a cute yawn after slightly stretching while still lying down in bed. She raised her forearm and instead of getting up, she cupped Litana’s cheek, to which the other ultimately leaned for the subtle touch, “Good morning, love.”
Litana just sighs into the warmth of her hands. She could see a pretty smile painted on her face like a magnificent painting.
The black-haired woman could only return the same greeting, voice filled with warmth, “Good morning Witira.”
The two women gazed upon each other’s eyes before Witira leaned forward for a kiss on the lips. It was only a peck but it made Litana a bit startled from the action.
Witira could only chuckle from the cute response of her cute girlfriend.
They’ve been dating for years now, but it’s still as if they’ve just started dating, the passion was still there, still burning and staying strong, unwavering.
Still, truly head over heels.
“Do you want coffee? I’ll make it for you.” Litana asked quickly, as she got up, hoping to get away, but was then abruptly pulled back right into Witira's arms. ‘H-huh?’
“Hey, what gives?” Litana asked, her eyebrows furrowed together which looked all too adorable in Witira’s eyes. Although Litana could have escaped easily, she decided to just bask in the warm embrace of her lover instead. She could let this slide for a few minutes anyway.
“Hehe, just nothing. Can’t we stay in bed for a while longer?” Witira winks, yet there was a dark gleam in her eyes. Oh, how Litana knew that look. Those beautiful eyes reflected Litana as if her world only had Litana.
“Don't you still have work to do?” Litana tried to keep her cool, her face was unfazed but beneath it was just utter turmoil.
Witira smirked as she snuggled closer to the petite woman in her arms. "You do know today's a Sunday right? So let me just 'slack off' like what the young master Cale always says."
They made eye contact, and in unison they chuckled at the thought of that person.
Witira and Litana both had a cheeky smile as they recalled how Cale Henituse, their friend and Alberu's lover was the sole bridge on how they got together.
Litana heaved a fond sigh, defeated by her queen.
"I see you've been taking lessons from Cale after the meetings these past few days huh," Litana said, amused at both their benefactor. "Alright, let's just slack off for today. But you're doing the dishes for today, alright?" She pulled a haughty smile, one that made Witira open and close her mouth.
A hand suddenly pinched Litana's nose.
"Ow ow! That hurts!" It did not really hurt for Litana, she was just trying to be dramatic. Witira would never do anything to harm her in any way.
"I'll make you breakfast too, just the way you like it." Witira placed her hand back to hug Litana again, caressing her smooth black hair which was now in medium length. "So just stay with me."
'Forever, no doubt.'
Litana closed her eyes in satisfaction and with unbelievable happiness she thought she never deserved. But she would savor every moment she could be with her.
With her lover.
With her Queen.
With her Witira.