#yuorhonor

       the  hotel  room  was  quiet  and  dark,  safe  for  quiet  hum  of  the  dimmed  lamp  on  the  bedside  table.  they  were  sitting  on  opposites  sides  of  the  room  and  if  tifa  didn’t  know  any  better  she’d  think  he’d  be  asleep.  however,  she  did  know  better.  she  knew  him.  so,  instead  of  letting  the  silence  eat  at  her  she  decided  to  speak  up. 

aether's eyes drift from the crude snare hidden beneath the leaves to zack, lingering just long enough to catch the flush creeping across his cheeks. he says nothing at first. the silence stretches, not unkindly, before the corner of his mouth lifts into something too restrained to be called a smile.

❝ it is, ❞  he agrees. ❝ which is why i'm trying very hard not to ask how you nearly walked into it. ❞

the words are delivered without mockery, only quiet amusement. he steps past zack, crouching beside the disturbed earth. whoever had laid the trap hadn't even bothered disguising the tension in the rope properly; one tug with the tip of his sword sends the mechanism snapping harmlessly into the air. the bent branch whips upward, scattering leaves before settling back into the canopy.

aether rises, brushing the dirt from one glove. he glances back at zack, golden eyes carrying the faintest trace of fondness. ❝ next time, let me be the one who almost trips over the obvious bait. ❞

how  were  it  possible  that  he  spoke  with  such  ease  ?   words  flowing  from  mind  to  tongue  without  a  barrier  that  needed  to  analyze  his  sentence  before  his  confident  octave  rung  outward.   without  regret  —  –  seemingly  uncaring  to  judgement,   or  social  differences.   maybe  this  could  be  a  piece  from  his  character  she  could  inherent   …   saying  things  just  as  they  bloomed,   instead  of  waiting  for  stalks  to  near  their  time  of  seed.   living  in  the  present,   rolling  with  whatever  were  next  to  come.

❛  well  …  if  i  can  ask  anything  —  –  what  is  it  you  like  lying  about,  hm  ?  ❜   irises  settle  upon  those  haunting  yet  alluring  mako-infused,   her  next  inquiry  needing  to  know  how  a  soldier's  trade-mark  were  embedded.   curious  to  know  if  such  a  cosmetic  change  were  painful,   or  if  the  exposure  to  mako  naturally  brought  change  to  natural  optical  pigments.  she  doesn't  mean  for  her  gaze  to  linger,   even  if  they  were  wading  the  waters  of  acquaintanceship,   the  tops  of  her  cheeks  illuminating  in  rosy-hue  once  she's  realized  just  how  long  she's  been  inspecting  his  eyes.  ❛  my  guess  …  is  instead  of  eating  your  vegetables,  you  hid  them  instead.  i  can  see  you  telling  a  good  lie  to  your  mom  about  how  good  they  were  —  –  though  hidden  away,  instead  of  eaten  !  ❜

" it's fine. " reply is brisk. tone cold. a poor attempt at detachment, really because utahime cares. she feels deeply and it is a trait that has branded her a hysteric and prone to weakness. while some of her peers are kind enough to sugar coat the sentiment or avoid it all together, there are some who perhaps believe in a certain tough love. either way, to react in the way she would like to to have her tone warble and lip wobble, would only emphasize this unfortunate truth.

the walk to campus walls is a limping one. further attracting eyes and hushed whispers from peers. underclassmen and staff witnessing another IORI INCIDENT. the slash against her back throbs furiously, blood soaking through uniform fabric and leaving a trail of footprints in her wake.

his hunkering presence feels like concern. that is another wound to the ego she tries so desperately to maintain. inside, she slumps forward. forehead pressing against paneled walling as her hair descends like a curtain around pink flushed cherub cheeks. " i'm fine. "