Work Text:
You can feel her stare, even from meters away while you were working in the factories as you helped Exusiai properly set the packages for easier time in sorting them. Naturally, you'd very much love to get to the bottom of it immediately, but alas, you must watch over Texas and Lappland (the other glaring so hard at the other) as Exusiai does all the work with boundless energy. You don't know how exactly the sankta have that much energy. You wish you knew. Running on caffeine 24/7 really is messing with your sleeping schedule.
Though you don't really mind as it gives you an excuse to visit a certain someone.
So that's what you did. Finish up your task quickly if only to leave early and then seek out the painter that had passed by your workstation and gave you a heavy gaze for a good few minutes before leaving without a word, like a ghost.
"She was waiting for you." Nian hums when you asked her where her sister was, the older lying on the sofa, stomach down while her tail flicked midair, hands on the controller of the console as she lazily played a video game that you vaguely remember the name of but shoved it to the back of your mind because you have a different goal. "I presume she'll be by her room now."
You paused, words refusing to leave your mouth but luckily, the older dragon seemed to read you quite easily as she gave you an easygoing grin, a wink shot at you. "Nah, you don't have to worry. You won't get kicked out. She's not in a bad mood or something."
Then why was she staring at you so intently earlier…?
Nian chuckled at your confused expression, "Just go now. You'll understand." She urged you out of the lounge and then you found yourself alone in the corridors.
Collecting yourself, ignoring the nervousness and anxiety that ate you up from inside out, you turned and walked away, your destination being Dusk's room. It won't be your first.
You hope it won't be your last.
You didn't have to knock on the painted door. All you had to do was step inside, let the colors consume you as they distorted your world before creating a world that only few would dare enter in fear of displeasing the enigma that is Dusk. All you had to do was enter, and she'll be immediately alerted of your presence.
You started in a corner just full of shelves, the smell of papers and ink immediately overwhelming you before finding comfort in them. The quiet sound of the flames in the candle flickering also sounded very calming.
This was her study.
It was a sacred place, for whenever she was here, it would mean she had a piece in mind to paint out.
And suddenly, you find yourself even more on edge with every step you take towards where the center of this room is. It didn't take too long. A few seconds stride and you can already see Dusk hunched over the table, a brush in hand as she made strokes on the paper. Elegance in her pose and the way she painted.
(You fall for her again and again, and this was no exception.)
"Ms. Dusk." You tested out, her name rolling off your tongue quite smoothly as eyes the color of fine wine briefly gazed at you before returning back to the parchment of paper that she was working on. "You were looking for me?"
You weren't able to mask the nervousness of your tone. You found that out with how the corners of Dusk's lips twitched. Though, you didn't know if it twitched upwards or upwards, your eyes aren't that good with only the lights of the candle and the small bits of the rays of the sun that penetrated through the glass windows as lighting. (You didn't want to know.)
"Mmhm." She answered, setting down her brush.
"...something."
"... My apologies." You quickly said, "Can you please repeat that?" You asked, your heart pounding in your chest because you really weren't sure of what you've heard. We're your ears not tricking you?
"I want to show you something."
You missed the way how the tips of her ears adapted a redder color. Or how her tail briefly twitched from its position on her lap. You missed how her lips tightened. All because you were too focused on processing the words that came out of her mouth.
Dusk isn't the type to show someone something personally. You know that all too well as she is a privy type of person. Too reserved and collected that she had made herself a room where she can control who enters and who leaves. So her showing you something has a deep meaning, if anything.
You couldn't help the way a smile tugged your lips upwards, or the way your eyes shone brightly against eyes like sunset. "Please go ahead." Eagerness in your voice, you spoke while maintaining a polite tone. You make your way closer to the painter as she beckons you to come forward.
You blink and then the world around you changes at once.
You see yourself clad in warmer clothing, see the vast expanse of white snow that you find yourself to be stepping on. It was dark, but you can still see fine. Your eyes widened as you slowly craned your neck upwards.
You can see the stars, blinking back at you. Something you never expected to see (so used to seeing those white dots be forever there, their lights unhindered). It was like they had life injected to them.
What completely took your breath away were the sight of the auroras that decorated the night sky. The moon grins overhead, its presence dwarfing whatever decorated the heavenly display above you but didn't do anything to impact it badly. If anything else, it just made it even more beautiful.
It made you feel dizzy, spinning around like a child shown its very first toy.
"You spoke of night skies in which stars twinkled and where neon colors curtained them. In a place of eternal cold, with the lands painted in white snow. All the way in the north." You hear the painter say from behind you, having taken a seat using the snow as a cushion. The cold seemed to hardly bother her as she looked up at you, lips pulled into a thin line but there was an unmistakable amused glint in her eyes. "I had asked the lynx about something like it and she told me in detail what she exactly remembered. I also asked Nian if she has heard of anything like it during her travels." She continues on.
But you were too happy, for in this place, you feel at home. The way the cold wind embraced you, the way the snow caved in with every step you take, the way the skies looked so alive—
"Thank you." You say, out of breath and words to say. "T-Thank you very much." You say, voice trembling with emotion.
Happiness.
And for once, Dusk shows you a smile (faint, almost unnoticeable but still there and that's all that matters to you.) "I made a forest close to here if you'd like to go there. Or the village just east from here. You can go anywhere."
"Consider it as thanks for always accompanying me."
And really, you feel very indebted. For you never thought of seeing this sight again. For you never thought that you'd be taken to a place that gave you the feel of home.
You think you can never thank her enough. Not with how she looked at you, no longer devoid of expression but with her face decorated with that soft smile. Not with how she has given you this place, have painted just for you—
If you could say "I love you" to her, you would have already done so. But not now, as you feel the snow cushion your back when you purposely fell backwards, a laugh leaving your lips at how familiar it felt.
Maybe someday, you will. But for now, the two of you being like this would suffice.
(You've fallen to deep, and you don't want to leave.)