Chapter Text
During their days at Saint Epiderm, Raine had always felt like an outcast- like they were never really at home. The other students had teased them for coming from less a less financially endowed family than the rest of them, and they jeered at Raine's pursuit of such a 'lesser' magic tract of being a bard. Once they'd transfered to Hexside, things had improved drastically: between being reunited with their quickly growing friendship they'd kindled with Eda, and having a fresh start overall, things finally felt like they were turning around. Raine only feeling even more at home when their friendship with Eda eventually deepened into something more. Then there came the curse and her pushing them away; the lies, the fights, the aching heartbreak - eventually they split apart and Raine felt homeless all over again.
Raine and Eda walked closely together as they basked in a comfortable silence that had swept over the pair, their linked hands each holding on tightly as if fearful if either were to let go, the other would suddenly vanish again forever. Sounds of nocturnal critters rustling through fallen leaves and the soft whistle of the brittle autumnal breeze sang the pair a nighttime symphony as they relished finally being able to enjoy eachother's company away from prying eyes. The old worn path they traveled on grew darker the further they strode away from the main CAT's encampment and the activated glowing ore boulders that surrounded it; Raine had just begun to raise their hand to make the spell circle necessary to ignite the weathered lanters that lined the path leading towards the Latissian forest, when Eda buried her free hand in her hair and pulled out a small handful of paper sheets. After squeezing her hand shut around the scraps of paper, Eda held out her open palm where 5 glowing light spell balls rose up to dance around the couple as the tiny lights bathed both witches and their surroundings in a warm comforting glow.
"I never did have a chance to ask before" Raine started softly, daring to finally break the silence. "the symbols you've been using to cast magic lately, what are they and how did you figure them out?"
"Oh, these?" Eda asked as she reached into her hair and pulled out yet another etched on sheet of paper, Raine making a mental note to remember to ask her how the whole 'hair handbasket' deal worked at a later time. "They're called glyphs and each different glyph casts it's own spell, a lot like spell circles. And I wasn't the one to figure them out, that was actually Luz. The kiddo is the real expert on them and you should really ask her about it sometime; titan knows the kid loves having an excuse to gush about all she's learned on the subject." and Raine enjoyed getting to see look of fond pride that glazed over Eda's face as she bragged on about the young human girl and her ingenious approach to learning magic.
"She's crafty and creative, just like another witch her age I used to know" Raine teased, bumping Eda's shoulder with their own, making them both break into soft giggles. "You're so good with her; and King too. Parenting really suits you."
Eda just snorted in response, cheeks flushing a soft pink. "Hush you! I could say the same of you and your trio of baby bards; though you may want to warn Pinky there to watch who she calls old - I'm confident enough in how foxy I am to not let it get to me, but I think poor Darius was about to blow a vein."
"You're telling me" they grumbled, rolling their eyes. "Between that and their bets over, y'know- I'll have to have a word with them to be more mindful of their audience, especially now with the younger kids around."
"Oh please, you think those two haven't heard worse from me? And Luz has been attending Hexside for a few months now, I can only imagine what sort of madness they get into now with pensta-scrolls being so popular. Titan knows we were chaotic enough without them when we were young."
"Mostly you" Raine jested. "I was just caught in the crossfire of whatever wild scheme you were trying to pull off that week."
"Griffonshit! Half those pranks only worked as well as they did because you were the one planning them!" Eda jested, mis-matched eyes sparkling with delighted mischief when they met Raine's green ones.
"Well one of us had to make sure you weren't locked up in detention all the time like a dingus. Who else would I have eaten lunch with? Odalia and Alador?" Raine grimaced at the thought.
"Pssh. You know I'd have just snuck out to join you! Especially since you always managed to find those apple blood cartons. No matter where I looked, I could never find them in the cafeteria or any of the vending machines on campus and yet you always seemed to have them, especially when I was craving one. How did you ever manage to pull that off? I never did figure out your trick."
"I just kept a case or two of it in my locker." Raine shrugged nonchalantly. "They were already my favorite juice to begin with, and then once I discovered they were your favorite too it made me like them that much more because I- Oh." and they caught themselves, bright red heat coloring their cheeks as they suddenly averted their gaze.
"Because why, Rainestorm?" Eda encouraged, jabbing their side and snorting as they waved her hand away. "C'mon, don't leave me hanging!"
"...because they made me think of you." they breathed in a hushed whisper, hand rubbing the back of their neck as they fumbled with embarrassment.
When Eda didn't respond they groaned regretfully and tugged at their hair. "Sorry. That's probably super weird."
"What?! No! Raine- that's..I-" and they glanced over to see Eda sporting a redened face of her own, eyes blown wide in wonderment. "What I mean to say-" she carried on after nervously clearing her throat, eyes looking everywhere except at Raine. "-is that the reason it was even my favorite to begin with, was because you're the one who introduced me to it. Hell, even now decades later when I drink apple blood I often think of you, and that amazing moment back in the cafeteria on your first day at Hexside." and as she risked a glance up at the head witch, both of their eyes met in a stunned silence that slowly dragged itself on.
"Back at the compound," Raine fumbled, once again bearing the role of breaking the silence. "you asked me 'why you?' about protecting you with the rebellion, and..." They faltered, voice quivering. Opening their mouth to try again, a soft whine was all they managed. "...damn, this is harder than I thought it would be." They chuckled humorlessly, starting to shake a little.
"Hey now, easy" Eda cooed softly, turning to fully face them as her hands came up to rest on their upper arms, thumbs tracing soothing circles over their biceps. "I swear whatever it is will be okay, I'll be able to accept whatever answer you have for me" and Raine gazed at her hesitantly before trying again.
"it's- it's- ughh." They looked away groaning, a blushing flustered mess as they raised their hands to scrub at their face. "Fuck it, Darius was right- no regrets! I have to do this!" they lowered their hands to meet Eda's eyes, taking a deep breath, and blurting out quickly: "Im doing it because I'm think I'm still in love with you." and they felt the way Eda's hands seized and clutched almost painfully onto their shoulders; saw the way her eyes widened and misted over, mouth hanging agape just enough for her sharp golden fang to peek out. "I never really moved on after we broke up. Titan knows I tried, but no matter who I dated they were just... never you. And I know I have no right to say any if this; I know I'm the one who ended things between us, and you have kids now, and you've probably moved on, but-"
"Does it look like I've moved on?" Eda croaked out, eyes blinking rapidly when, to Raine's horror, tears began to trace their way down her face. "I regret everything I did that made me lose you. Shutting you out, pushing you away; I always swore I was doing what I had to in order to keep you safe- that I didn't realize until it was too late that I was breaking your heart all the same. I'm so sorry for all of it, Rainestorm. I know I don't deserve you, and with the kids it's all too mu-"
"Don't deserve me? Oh, my beautiful Calamity, isn't it clear that I'm the damned fool who feels like I'm not good enough for you? I pushed you away after the parade to keep you safe, making the exact same mistake I so selfishly turned my back on you for when you needed someone on your side the most, and what's worse is that by doing so, I just put you and your kids at greater risk!" Raine squeezed their eyes shut, turning their head away sharply as hot tears poured down their face. "And I know I've apologized already for that, but I still can't tell you 'I'm sorry' enough to ever make up for it all."
"And I've already told you: there's nothing to apologize for." Eda murmured softly, hands coming up to cup Raine's cheeks, soft thumbpads brushing away stray tears as she nudged their face and coaxed them to face her. As silver and gold met emerald, both witches audibly gasped before chuckling softly, Raine gripping onto Eda's shoulders. "Fuck Raine. What are we doing?"
"Being the blind old fools we swore as kids that we'd never be?" they supplied, bittersweet smile on their face as they tugged Eda close enough to rest their forheads together.
The bard gulped nervously before breathing in a rushed voice: "I really want to kiss you right now, would that be okay?"
Eda answered them by leaning forward and meeting their lips with her own. "And for the record" she breathed, pulled just a hairsbreadth away. "I'm pretty sure I'm still in love with you too." and then her lips were back on their's.
And for the first time in decades, Raine finally felt like they were home again.