It’s not a beast’s attack this time; but I nevertheless had an ineffable urge to kiss this girl.

She could have stayed silent when I talked to her about lost patients, and I would have not thought less of her for it. But instead, her tripping over her words to deliver an indeed selfish proclamation after stumbling into every mine in the minefield in the process was obscenely adorable. And for a moment, when she said I was not a hero, and merely a man, I’ll admit I felt devastated and sad that I had lost her prestige.

It’s easy to think of her as a minor, a beauty, and something to be sheltered. She is naïve, dependent and horribly lacking in self-image and self-confidence.

Or was. This was, I think, a tremendous step forward for her. I expected a swan to hatch, but got a dragon.

I let her go, but still caught up in my strange mood brought on by this weird, shameless beauty, I decide to snap her up in a princess carry before she can react further. I stride up the outer stairs to my apartment, carrying my wife, and she turns the colour of a tomato. If this were an animation, I imagine her eyes would be also swirly shapes right now.

Ah, my door should open automatically for me, right?

It does. I go inside with her, and then pop her down on the sofa, like a Viking returning with his spoils.

Then I hesitate. A big part of me, after starting such a idiotic thing as taking her in a princess carry up the stairs, now immediately wants to attack her.

I bite my lip. I really want to. But not right now. It would destroy everything she has started to show if I shock her too much in one go. I have already gone too far, in fact. I grind my teeth together, and the bewildered, far off look in her eyes finally throws water on me. With an almost audible click in my feet, I turn around, close the door and sit on the floor in front of her, steadying my breathing.

“I’m sorry. I broke my promise not to do anything that you didn’t want.” I apologise. “In that moment, you seemed so bright in my eyes that was blinded.”

I smile wistfully. “Will you forgive me?”

She very slowly sits up, and runs her hands through her braid repeatedly. She glares at me with those deep blue eyes.

“No.” She says. “I won’t forgive you.”

Oof. Ouch.

“I won’t forgive you because you think you need to apologise. Why would you think that?” She looks cross.

“Because I broke a promise. Its very important to me that we can trust each other.” I reply without hesitation.

She looks up, and then down again. Then she sighs.

“Well, forget about it. There was nothing much to forgive, after all. I’m a repeat offender in saying things like this, aren’t I?” She chuckles. “~I~ really need to stop it…”

“I don’t want you to stop it, actually.” I reply.

“Eh?” She blushes.

“After all, you’re right. You absolutely are. Wanting to save everyone is… its hypocrisy at best, stupid and selfish at worst.”

“Oh right. Hum. If you say so.” She looks bashful, and pulls on a loose strand of hair from her fringe.

“I do say so. Point out everything you think is wrong with me. With us. With what you want. What you like. What you hate. And tell me if I break a promise.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“And you’ll do the same with me?” She cocks her head.

“Yes, I already promised that.”

“Then I’ll carry on saying lots of stupid things. I hope you don’t mind.” She looks under her eyelashes.

She pats next to herself on the sofa. I take the hint and go and sit next to her.

“Did I ever tell you I’m the fourth daughter of the family? Ruby, Jade, Pearl, and then me. I went to an all-girls school. The only men in my life are my father and my big brother Jasper. He’s the oldest, and then all girls followed. Both of them work all the time.”

I figured it might have been something like that, but didn’t know there would such a dearth of male influences in her life.

“So, if I interact really weirdly with you, its because of that. I don’t think you could say I was an amazing woman if you saw my sisters, or my friends. I’m like a stick insect next to them.” She fidgets.

“Nope. I’m sticking by that statement.” I refute.

“But why? You haven’t…”

“Even if I saw them and they were saints, I still wouldn’t change what I said.” I confirm.

“Grrr…” She suddenly snatches up her phone and fiddles with it, and then practically thrusts a picture in my face. “Describe this to me!” She growls.

“There is an image of an olive-skinned girl with emerald eyes, her short black hair in braids, looking over her shoulder, with an eyebrow raised. She has a milkshake in her hand, and she is in a lime green bikini, with the angle of the photo giving obvious cleavage.” I say, giving my best bored documentary voice.

“How can you sound so bored saying that! Sasha is a real beauty!” Lapis puffs up her chest.

“I would be lying if I said otherwise.” I admit, shrugging. “Still doesn’t make you less of an amazing woman. Not sure what your angle is here, Lapis?”

Hmm? That’s a good point. I take out my own phone and snap a picture of Lapis brooding. She is obviously shocked as soon as the flash goes off.

“Hey! HEY!! Delete that now!” She snatches my phone, and taps the screen.

“Huh?” She pauses for an instant, staring at her own picture.

I can’t help myself, and I laugh.

“See, you even paused at the sight of your own beauty.” I snicker. I manage to grab my phone back; and immediately copy the photo to my SD card to make it harder to instantly destroy.

“No! That’s not!” She balks. “AHHH!”

She suddenly dives face down into the sofa in a ^ shape. It’s a good job I’m not in my earlier strange mood, because in so doing, her butt is waving in the air, and her skirt is now sliding up down stocking covered legs and is showing her garters.

“You’re going to end up showing off your pants if you stay like that, you know.” I give her a courtesy warning.

She flips so fast she could make a gymnast blush.

“Is that part of your magic, by the way? You can really move fast when you panic. You did it before when you kissed me goodbye as well.” I query, honestly wondering.

“Eh? I did?”

“Sure. Heck, your braid was floating whilst you did it in fact. Looked pretty cool.” I nod.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Her face is suddenly really close.

“Right then as well. Practically saw afterimages.” I say as I avert my eyes and clear my throat.

“AH! AHHH!” She shuffles away, apparently not embarrassed, but her eyes are swimming.

She then jumps up, and shuts her eyes. What is?

There is suddenly the smell of ozone, and a crackle in the air. A snapping noise resonates.

One second, she is in front of the sofa, the next, she is slamming face first into the kitchen counter with a massive crash, spinning onto her back from the impact. Then a plate falls off the side and shatters on top of her prone form.

Oh shit! What the fuck?!?

I dash over to her. “God! Lapis, are you alright!?”

As I get there, she suddenly lurches up like a zombie.

Horrifyingly, there is a massive grin on her face as blood spurts from her forehead, staining her blouse.

“OHMYGOD! I CAN THUNDER-STRIDE! OHMYGOD! I CAN THUNDER-STRIDE! KYAAA!” She screams jubilantly, almost insanely, like a teen girl would for a boy-band.

And then she collapses again, like a puppet getting its strings cut. The smashed plate is crumpled even more.

Okay then.

I guess I get to practice my healing.