"Liv, get down from the tree," her father hollered from below.

"I'm just picking an apple," she replied without moving. She was trying to see which one was the best looking.

"I can pick it for you. Just get down. Before you get yourself hurt or worse," her father said, as he walked to the bottom of the ladder.

Liv looked down and made a violent motion with her hand. "I'm fine. Go. I don't need you here to bother me."

"Come on, Liv." Her father frowned. "You know how these things go. If you get yourself hurt, something could happen. Now get down."

"Nothing's going to happen if you don't make it," Liv sneered and turned her attention back to the tree.

She found a good one and reached out.

"Liv, why do you have to be so—"

"What?!" She turned back around almost losing her balance. "It's not my fucking fault th—" he yell turned into a shriek as the ladder's rung creaked and broke off.

She twisted sideways, heard and felt a crack from her ankle and fell back onto the ground. Her back hit the ground first. The impact was hard. Her eyes opened wide. Then everything was black.

***

Liv rose, gasping for air like it was the first time. It was dark in her room at the temple. Not too dark. She put a hand on her face that felt grimy as cool sweat ran down it.

Then she sensed something. She took her hand off her face with a sudden movement and looked around like searching for prey. It wasn't hard to find. The guy lurked like he was trying to be noticed and even made a sound when she looked around.

Liv sighed. 'Well, he might be a creep, but at least he's not experienced.'

Then she said, "I know you're there Fabian."

The door slid slightly open and Fabian snuck in as if someone was watching him as well. "H— hey. Sorry, I just heard a noise and came to—"

"Yeah, sure, I know you were already there but whatever," Liv said waving a hand.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Fabian's cheeks flushed as he looked away, observing the room. "Uh, what happened to the nightwear I gave you?" He asked, seeing that she had the same clothes on as she did when she had arrived except for her cloak which lay in the corner.

"I prefer to sleep with my clothes on. And you really think I'd wear that shit? I mean come on."

"All the women wear it here."

"Well, I'm here only temporarily. So I think I can sleep wearing what I want. Though I apologize if you wanted to see me wear something else. Oh, by the way, I like what you're trying to do. Shift the conversation to me not abiding by the temple rules instead of explaining what the fuck you were doing watching me sleep," Liv said, dropping the conversational tone with the curse word and staring at Fabian who backed up.

"I was just curious."

"About what? How my body looks like in your nightwear?"

"What?" Fabian said, almost yelling and then looking shocked at himself before whispering, "I am a man of the gods."

"Gods as in the Love Gods? You realize you're not making your case very well here."

"I am to be head priest after my father," Fabian insisted, tapping himself on the chest.

"Fine," Liv said, tired of teasing him. "Then what were you curious about?"

Fabian turned all shy again. "I just wondered... if you really slept."

Liv's face dropped. "You really are a moron, huh? You seriously believe everything they say about me?"

Fabian hung his head. "Some myths are true and... and," he mumbled. He seemed like he was about to go.

Liv clicked her tongue. "Wait up." Fabian turned. "Sit down. You ruined my night and then you try to leave? I can't just fall asleep again. Don't you think the noble thing to do is to keep me company since I can't sleep?"

He nodded slowly and sat down in a cross-legged position. He really was a monk. Or at least trying to be.

"Were you having a nightmare?" he asked. "It didn't seem like I woke you."

Liv looked down at her hands that lay in her lap. "I was." She had forgotten already before he brought it up. It wasn't that uncommon. Though the nightmares had lessened with Inu.

"What was it about?" Fabian asked. Something in his voice was comforting. It was empathy. He seemed to actually care.

"The day my eyes activated."

Fabian's mouth hung open for a while. "So that was true. That your eyes worked differently from the rest."

"Not really. They just didn't work in the beginning. They were dark yellow from my birth, but they didn't seem to have that same gleam that the myths went on and on about." Liv pointed at her eyes. "Look at them now?"

Fabian scooted closer and brought his face close. They looked into each other's eyes. Fabian's expression didn't change. He wore the same look of enrapturing curiosity that could only come from seeing the thing you had heard of since you were born. Liv's face grew softer. Less strained. Fabian's round, dark eyes had such an effect.

"Wow, they're... alive. It's like a fire is bounding between the edges of your irises."

Liv let out a laugh that sounded like something of a giggle as she pulled away. "That's one way to describe them, I guess."

Fabian shook himself out of his reverie and licked his lips before swallowing. "How could something so beautiful..."

He fell silent at the thought. Liv didn't know what to say either. He had no malicious intent against her. But she still could feel it. Something wrong. But maybe it was just her. She was what was wrong.