Chapter Text
“Did you correct your name, in your mind, when it was said wrong?”
Baam considered for a moment, partially lost in the big eyes staring at him.
“Yes, I did, every time.” He admitted with a bitter smile, his time as Viole still a fresh wound in his mind. Trying to read Elaine’s face he fell in the same problem of not being able to say what she was thinking.
The two of them knew what her answer would be, and it was a dangerous ground. Baam chose his words with care.
“Do you remember when you stopped?”
She paused to think about it. Those hypnotic eyes growing distant as her mind drift to times long past. He loved how her eyes seemed to shift between green, blue and gray depending on the light.
True be told he was a little afraid, the conversation with Elaine had been good and enjoyable, she was usually so cold to everyone else, he didn’t want to ruin it with a stingy topic.
These talks had already become a ritual, every time he returned to Madorako’s ship after beating Evankhell’s latest challenge he would end up talking with Elaine about it and many other things, usually going way into the night.
“I’m not really certain… I recall not counting my age by the third century. But not about it… It is like that with what you forget right? Slowly thinking about it less and less as time goes, then one day you notice you can’t remember it altogether.”
Baam gulped. It was always like that, she passed most of her life in NHS, avoiding it was near impossible during the conversations.
“Do you do it nowadays?” He tried to make his voice cheerful, trying to bring the talk back to the present, the past held too much pain, for both of them.
“Not really, nowadays I wrote it in a paper and read it before sleeping.” She gave a little chuckle. “Every night.”
Bathing in the silence for some time Baam became more aware of how they looked sprawled in the comfortable bed, gazing each other in the short peace.
Those moments, above all others, made him think about the time with Rachel in the cave. How much it had improved. Baam thought.
The rock replaced by a soft bed, Rachel’s lying tongue by …
…
“Elaine… Can I make an odd request?” He said soft, almost shy. She nodded approvingly. If not abide, she would at least hear, and for that he was grateful.
“Don’t lie to me, ever, about anything. I hate when people keep stuff from me, even more when they are my friend.”
Elaine looked away, hiding the grin that was growing in her face. After everyone left last station and his training had begun, she had been the only other regular left, his only confident.
She knew what that was about. Baam had complained about the stuff his friends tried to hide.
From letting the army take some regulars to torturing a captured one, even running away to not admit something had gone horribly wrong inside the train. He had confided her all those resentments.
He is not this silly, dummies. Elaine considered once again. Although it was obvious what the lies were meant to protect. Looking at it right now she understood how precious was the brightness he carried.
She probably understood it even more than the others. Whatever was the thing in him that draw the others, it was the goodness in him that bewitched her.
My shining knight, down from the heaves to rescue me from my tower. Although she was not a princess and her imprisonment had been her own fault, the feeling was the same.
Baam was growing anxious by the lack of an answer, Elaine hold his chin, directing his eyes to hers. Holding that precious face, she gave her best reassuring smile.
“Back in the name station it was like that, never able to trust others, always in the lookout for some possible backstabbing. Even being able to order others they never felt like friends. I know the feeling boy.”
She knew she was exaggerating a little, many bosses were truly friendly, they owed her their position, their names, their loyalty. But there was no need to be that honest.
The glow in his eyes made her stop. He was really expecting a ‘yes’ now.
Elaine reflected for a moment. He really though such perfect honesty was something anyone would give. There was a certain arrogance to her savior too.
He truly thinks himself worthy of something like this.
She studied his delicate face again. It would be so easy to crack that innocence he had. In the station Elaine saw many people lose everything they had for being too pure, too naïve.
In a place like the Name station, in a place like the tower… That would not last.
No one remained that good indefinitely. It would be the best for him. Elaine decided.
Even if a noble gesture filled of good intentions all the shielding his friends did only served to halt his development, stopping him from reaching maturity.
Leaning into him Elaine hugged him tight, with her face by his ear, her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came.
It was because of the light in him she had been saved in the first place, what right she had to try quenching it.
Her handles closed hard in anger at the uncertainty in her feelings. Probably too hard, for Baam noticed.
“Is there something wrong?” He asked startled, his arms around her too now.
“That request, it is all wrong. People aren’t this honest with themselves, and you want someone to be with you.” Elaine could feel her body trembling. “You know, for someone to accept this they must be either crazy or owe you something really big.”
“ahhh…” Baam seemed to wither a bit, the glow leaving his eyes. “I understand… there is no ̶ “
Elaine placed a finger over his lips to stop him. “I do owe you my life, but I am not crazy.” Sliding her other hand by his back she faced him.
“I am only willing to do this for you… if you are willing to do the same for me.”
Baam was pretty uncomfortable now, being in each other’s arms like that they looked like lovers, but he could say they were getting at something much more intimate.
“It is a promise then?” He said unsure, wanting a final confirmation.
“It is an oath to each other.” She snugs herself in his arms. They once again stayed in silence for a time, but now it felt different, deeper, more personal.
The two of them said nothing for a time, even though a thousand things were passing by in their minds. Both unsure how to proceed.
“Baam.“ Elaine was the first to speak. “Don’t let yourself be blinded by words; words are wind. Never forget that.”
“Ok, I won’t.” He assured her, and after a pause “Elaine… I won’t betray this trust you are giving me. It won’t be like that time.”
She could not stop the smile that formed in her face, neither she wanted to. Elaine felt lightheaded, her cheeks flushed.
Enjoying the moment, she said nothing, but in her mind all kinds of stuff floated. He had plenty of enemies and untrustworthy ‘friends’, and she herself would have plenty of rivals for him.
Having influence in a person with power was a position of power itself, and one, others would fight for. Even more for an irregular that would stand at the top of the tower someday.
“Baam, would you understand if I told you that it would be safer to keep this relation of ours a secret?”
“Yehh. I do.” He thought thinking in how FUG slaved him with the lives of his friends.
He accepted more easily than Elaine expected, but that only made it easier.
“When we are in the presence of others call me Kaiser, and I will call you Viole. Talk to me with no tenderness and give my advice no obvious special attention.”
Feeling overwhelmed by joy she moved to kiss him, but stopped herself right above him.
“Remember too, Baam, all sorts of people will try to make use of and manipulate you, and it is incredibly hard to know who.”
His eyes seemed to grow curious. “How can I say you are not?” He didn’t sound suspicious or anything, it was just a question, but a smart one, and she was pleased by that.
“Watch as I won’t ever ask anything else from you but to keep your oath to me, and keep this a secret.” Elaine said with a smile, and kissed him, and he kissed her back.