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It was night once again, and the assassin found himself atop the edge of a mountain cliff covered with bright green grass. The sky was black, peppered with the smallest dots of stars in the view. He sat cross-legged with his two swords by his side, his hair blowing in the quiet wind. His eyes scanned the horizon, observing the land covered by the bright multi-coloured trees of sapphire and jade.
Ionia has always been his home, and moments like this reminded him of how grateful he was to be able to call this land so. Its presence was always a relaxing one, and taking time in solitude allowed him to recollect his thoughts after tirelessly hunting the corrupted creatures that haunted the realm.
He let his body relax more, the soft breeze brushing his exposed skin, the bandages surrounding his arms and chest threatening to drift away. His chest lifted then dropped slowly, taking in deep and long breaths. Those dismayed thoughts usually frequented his mind during moments like these, the mask’s heavy burden as a reminder of his inner self.
Tonight was different though. The image that conjured in his mind wasn’t any Azakana, nor the repeated thought of his initial death, but instead, it was the kind, caring, and shy face that made him feel an emotion he believed he could never feel again.
His cheeks flushed red as he recalled the moments they had after their first meeting. They had been warming up to each other and always enjoyed the company they brought. The two shared stories, went on long walks throughout the forests, and even ate Ionia’s famous dishes together, atop of the very cliff he was reminiscing on now. It wasn’t just the physical memories that he thought of, the way she made him feel in that moment was what mattered the most.
Lillia’s presence always made him feel comforted, appreciated, warm, free and cared for.
A palm rested against his chest, the soft thumping of his heartbeat drumming carefully against his hand. Only she could make him feel this way, and he was sure of it. Yone let out a sigh as his shoulders dropped. Deep down he knew he had to tell her his true feelings one day, and recognized that it may end up in catastrophe. She was too good for him, and he never understood what made him so special; what allowed her to feed most of her attention to him, he felt undeserving of it.
If only he could understand why an angel like her would love a monster like him.
Leaves and branches behind him sung as the breeze rushed through the air once more, and a large group of teal illuminating fireflies approached him, hovering and shining light upon his body. The sound of grass being stepped on grew increasingly louder and he turned his head to see the dream fawn wearing a warm smile as she trotted along the grass. He could’ve sworn that his heart was beating faster now, and his cheeks were redder than before. His eyes were widened at his surprise guest, and she looked happier than ever to see him, and that made him feel weak.
“Do you mind if I take a seat?” she asked.
“Go ahead, Lillia,” he replied, his voice slightly shaking. Yone watched the fawn’s every move as she bent down her thin legs and sat behind him. Curious, he looked back to the ethereal horizon to gain his composure, “What brings you here tonight?”
She took a deep breath, and let out a pleased sigh before answering, her front two hooves crossed over each other, “Well, I was thinking about how you always say that you come here often. I wanted to see if that was true,” Lillia turned to look at him, her cheeks flaring a deep red, “and I’m glad it is.”
After hearing the content in her soft-spoken voice, he turned to look back at her and their eyes locked. His gaze held hers and their faces grew increasingly red together. Yone’s widened, and before letting out a chuckle, he gave the other a kind smile, returning his gaze to the sky.
The two never had to keep a conversation going like a chore, them being with each other was always enough, but when they heard each other’s voice, it was almost like a comforting tune. And with that, Yone wanted to clarify something.
“Lillia,” he needed to know- “Why do you.. choose to be with me the most out of everyone else?” Yone asked, that slight happiness in his voice then fell to a bit of a more confused and upset tone. His mind was jumbled and needed to understand the woman’s reasoning for being so comfortable around him the most, he felt special of course, but deep down he believed it would be the wrong choice for her to stick to him. He knew that the dream fawn was too out of his league, too much of an opposite to him, and he couldn’t come to a conclusion surrounding the fact of how she even managed to accompany a lost man like him.
Her ears twitched cutely, and her hooves shuffled, trying to muster a response without sounding too straightforward, “You make me feel.. safe. I feel like.. the two of us..” she played with a strand of her lavender hair, “I-I don’t really know how to tell you Yone but.. but I feel more connected to you than anyone else.”
'Was that a confession? Should I confess? Do I tell her that I want to be with her everyday? What do I do? No, Yone- you’re taking this too out of proportion, she just explained why she sticks with you- she doesn’t lov-'
“I’m glad to hear. I feel the same way too. I was just a bit confused on why you’d pick me, a monster.” Yone wore a sad smile as he said those words, his hands resting on his lap.
“Yone..” the deer called out, “If I really thought you were a monster, I would not be sitting beside you right now.” she placed a hand on one of his and gave him a reassuring face, her eyebrows angled downwards, but her lips stretched into the smile that Yone loved to see. His eyes slightly widened and his shoulders dropped as if a weight was lifted. He felt her head rest on the side of his arm, her body warmth almost enveloping him.
He wanted to let Lillia know what he thought of her, show more of his appreciation, and dedicate himself to her. But for now, his lost knowledge of how to handle love held him back from letting her know his true feelings, though he didn’t mind.
He wanted to cherish taking in the night sky with his friend, the friend that he loved and wanted to protect.
Yone rested his cheek on top of her head and smiled, the two watching as the blue fireflies in the night danced with one another, the stars shining brighter than before.