Archive of Our Own

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" Fauna bursts through the windowed doors and leans out over the railing. She holds the scream until she runs out of breath. When she pulls back, she feels even more tears streaking down her face. She crouches down, panting in an attempt to catch her breath through choked sobs.

The cool air feels nearly freezing on her wetted cheeks. Being outside without her coat gives her a chilling reminder of the current season: still technically fall, but cold enough that the snow could start falling any day. Unless it just doesn't anymore. 'Cause, y'know, global warming and all. Her feelings on global warming and the fresh wound of what she just experienced collide in Fauna's brain and morph into a burning tempest. Whatever mess of emotions she's feeling, it's a lot, it's strong, and she needed to let it out somehow. One scream doesn't feel like enough, but she'll have to recover before trying another.

"So, uh," comes a voice from the opposite end of the balcony. Fauna jumps at the sudden presence and spins to face it. "You gonna jump or something? Cause, like, if so, you probably shouldn't. There are people that care about you or whatever." The source of the voice looks down over the balcony. "Actually, I doubt this drop would kill you. So, yeah, you'd just get like a bunch of hospital bills. Not worth it."

Fauna takes in the girl next to her. She has a slender figure draped in long, obsidian hair. She's leaning against the far railing, glowing phone in her right hand and a cigarette hanging off the left. She's very pretty, Fauna thinks. She would have some more elegant words for her, but words are hard right now. All she has right now is a sea of turbulent feelings.

After her surprise wears off, Fauna remembers that she's been asked a question. She musters an answer through her tears. "Oh, no, I'm, I'm not gonna jump or anything. I just..." She takes a deep sigh and looks to the ground. She doesn't finish her sentence.

"Mm, I get it. Rough night, huh?" The girl takes a drag of her cigarette and looks back to her phone. "Happens to everyone."

"Yeah."

Fauna closes her eyes and tries to slow her breathing to a normal rate. She stands back up and crosses her arms on the railing facing the street.

"Can I guess what it is?"

Fauna turns to look at the girl. She hasn't looked up from her phone. "Huh?"

The girl glances up at her. "What your problem is. Wait, I mean that like, 'what's wrong,' not like, 'what's wrong with you.'"

Fauna gives a small chuckle. "Do you really care?"

The girl shrugs. "If I get it right, will you go get me another beer? Maybe grab one for yourself too, it could help."

Fauna laughs and wipes the tears from her cheeks. "Alright, deal. Give it a shot."

The girl looks up in thought. "Hmm...is it...boy stuff? Get dumped?"

"Aw, close, but not quite." Fauna cracks a slight smile. "I'm, uh...not really into boy stuff."

"Ooh. Girl stuff?" 

"Mhm." Fauna nods. "It's a bit more complicated than getting dumped, but it's something like that."

"I see." The girl's attention goes right back to her phone. "Oh well." She resumes scrolling in silence.

Fauna takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. There's a lot she needs to sort out right now, but this unexpected distraction seems to have done wonders for her immediate temper.

Fauna takes a good look at the stranger next to her. It's understandable how she didn't see her before, given that she's dressed in very dark clothes to match her very dark hair. Black jeans, a charcoal sweater, black boots. Her hair looks almost black too, in the limited light from the streetlamps, but Fauna thinks she spies a tinge of purple to it. Along with her hair, there's some little things on top of her head. Ears, maybe...? Yeah, right. Probably just a weird headband or something. Framing the sides of her face are two thick parts of hair dyed orange. They don't look very much like hair, but...what else could they be? They're clearly attached to her hair, Fauna thinks. Those are harder to explain than the headband. She lets the odd appendages be for now; It's not like she's one to talk. The girl's pale skin stands out amongst the pitch black entourage, almost appearing to shine. It's too dark to see her eyes clearly, but Fauna can just barely spy some dark circles underneath them.

"I'm Fauna," she says suddenly. "Second year. What about you?"

The girl freezes slightly before looking up. The look in her eyes is seemingly tense despite the simple question.

"Um...Ina," she answers, then shifts her attention back to her phone, ignoring the second half of the question. It seems she isn't much of a conversationalist.

"Y'know, since you mentioned it, I think I could use a drink. How about I go grab us some beers?"

Fauna's proposal is met with another tense stare.

"I didn't guess correctly, though."

"I don't mind."

The girl looks back blankly. "Oh, uh, sure, then. Thanks."

"Be right back." Fauna opens the door and strolls back through an expensive-looking master bedroom. Maybe it was the cold air, or maybe it was that strange girl, but she feels much better than she thought she would by now. She's still upset, no doubt about that, but her blood isn't boiling any longer; she doesn't feel like crying or screaming. She just wants to have a drink with her new friend. Thankfully, she doesn't run into the one person she doesn't want to see right now on her way to or from the kitchen. "Probably left with him, huh," she grumbles to herself.

When Fauna returns to the master bedroom, the door is closed. She swears she had left it open. God, I hope I don't walk in on anybody having sex in that expensive-ass bed. She listens for a moment before slowly opening the door and peeking in. The coast is clear. Maybe someone just closed it while passing by? She figures that's as good an explanation as any and walks back over to the balcony doors.

"I'm back, I got our-" Fauna starts, before realizing that she's talking to herself. Ina is nowhere to be seen. All that remains is a cigarette butt, still smoldering on the ground.

Fauna doesn't feel like drinking anymore. She leaves the beers next to the cigarette butt and goes to retrieve her coat.

/ / / / /

Two months have passed. Fauna is at another party. A pretty typical party, although much better in comparison to the last one she went to. She was quite reluctant to go to any party since then, but her roommate was able to convince her tonight. She's always been weak to the will of people she cares about.

She asks the way to the bathroom from a girl she recognizes from one of her classes. The door is closed, so she knocks a few times. No response. She figures someone probably passed out in there. Thankfully, the door is unlocked, and she enters. There's someone crouched over in front of the toilet.

"Oh gosh, sorry, I- wait, Ina?"

Ina is there, kneeling in front of the toilet, vomiting quite spiritedly. She doesn't turn her head or react at all when Fauna calls her name. Perhaps she didn't hear her. Fauna closes the door behind her and crouches next to Ina, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Ina jumps at the touch and spins around, swatting lightly at Fauna's hands.

"Who the fu- oh, it's you. Whatsername. What're you-"

Her question is interrupted by a need to turn back to the toilet. The message gets across, though.

"It's Fauna. I was just looking to use the restroom, but it looks like you could use some help."

"...I'm fine, thanks," Ina spits into the toilet.

"You really aren't."

She isn't in much of a state to protest any further. Fauna, used to this kind of caretaking, is familiar with this routine. She ties Ina's hair back securely but not too tightly and rubs her back as the vomiting continues. She hands her toilet paper to wipe her mouth with and pulls her back to let the toilet flush every once in a while. Eventually, after a particularly rough one, Ina leans back and sits against the wall, seemingly finished. Her normally pale face looks dreadful, ghostly even.

"Was that the last of it?"

"God, I hope so."

"Cool. Stay right there, I'm gonna get you some water." Fauna goes to get her a glass of water. "Here, drink."

Ina drinks. "...Thanks."

"Are you here with anyone else?"

Ina shakes her head groggily.

"Then I'll take you home."

"I can get home on my own."

"Mhm, of course you can." Fauna gives an exasperated look to match her sarcastic tone. "Anyway, I originally came in here because I had to use the bathroom, so go and wait outside while I do that and then we can leave. Together." She gives her last word a touch of extra weight.

"Mm...'kay." Ina's original protest was seemingly just a bluff. Fauna thinks she might just not have the required consciousness to throw any more of a fit. The glaze over her bright blue eyes certainly supports that theory. "I dunno if I can walk, though..." Ina sets the now empty glass down beside her and attempts to push herself off the ground.

Leaning on the wall, she tries to take a step towards the door. Her knees immediately start to buckle and she tumbles to the side. "Woah, there," Fauna says, as she catches her and lowers her back to the floor.

Ina gives a goofy smile. "See?"

Fauna puts a hand to her head. "Gosh, you're in worse condition than I thought. How much have you had to drink?"

Ina shrugs. "I dunno. Lots."

Fauna closes her eyes and sighs deeply. "Well, I guess I'll just help you outside, then."

Ina raises her head and looks into the green-haired girl's golden eyes. "Or you could just go."

Fauna pauses, stares back at Ina. "Wha- in front of you?"

"Mhm. I won't look."

"I'd really rather not..." Fauna makes a displeased face.

"S'fine, I probably won't remember anything from tonight anyways. Besides, would you really rather leave me in the wilds of that party, blackout drunk and unsupervised?" 

Fauna looks at Ina for a moment in disbelief before shifting her eyes to the floor. She's being guilt tripped into using the bathroom in front of this girl, and to make matters worse, she hasn't said no yet. She wonders if the few drinks she had are the reason she's even considering it. She glances back towards the corner. Ina is giving her best puppydog eyes, which aren't very puppydog, but are still cute in their own way. This girl...she already knows how to get what she wants from me, huh? Fauna thinks. Her face flushes, but she eventually sighs in resignation, bowing again to her own weakness. "...Fine. But cover your ears too."

"Okaaaay." Ina crouches back into the corner of the bathroom, eyes closed and ears plugged, wearing a smug smile in delight from winning the argument.

Fauna gives another "No peeking!" for good measure, and Ina responds with a nod. Let's just get this over with, Fauna thinks as she unbuttons her jeans. However, just as she sits down, there comes a loud banging on the bathroom door.

"Hey! How long are you gonna be in there? We've got people waiting out here!" Fauna jumps and looks to the door in a fluster. She's about to give a proper response when the drunken mess next to her beats her to it.

"SHUT UP!!" Ina roars. Fauna jumps once again and stares at her. Eyes still shut, ears still plugged. She never imagined such a big voice could come from such a timid girl. Apparently, the person outside the bathroom was shocked as well, or at least surprised enough to stop complaining. Fauna quickly finishes up her business and goes to wash her hands. She nudges Ina with her foot as a signal that she's done. The small girl blinks her eyes open.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Her smile looks gentle, but there's an air of smugness still present in her eyes.

Fauna remains composed, but her still-reddened face shows her embarrassment clear as day. "You'd better hope you don't remember this come tomorrow."

"I'll do my best to forget it."

Once she finishes washing her hands, Fauna goes to retrieve Ina. She helps her up from the ground and allows herself to be leaned on. Ina can walk, but Fauna is tasked with carrying most of her weight. They leave the bathroom, and their spot is taken quickly by the source of the complaining from earlier. They get a few particular looks, being two girls leaving the single bathroom together, but neither is in a proper state to pay them any mind.

Fauna lugs Ina with her to retrieve their coats and scarves. Once they get out the front door, Fauna asks her sandbag companion for directions. "Alright, so where do you live?"

"Forsynthe."

Fauna laughs. "That's on the other side of campus."

"Yup."

"And you said you could get home without me."

"...I lied."

"I see that now."

They begin to walk. Fauna is in good enough shape to handle the long walk, even with some extra weight, so she isn't bothered too much by the distance. Rather, it seems as if this is the kind of opportunity she wanted in order to get closer to Ina. She decides to strike up conversation while she can.

"So, what year are you in?"

"Fourth."

"Fourth year? Why are you still living in the dorms?"

"I'm in biochem, and they're close to the lab. Being able to wake up at 7:50 for an 8 AM is a blessing."

"Ah, I see."

They fall quiet. Ina doesn't seem to be much for conversation right now, but it isn't like she can run away.

"I'm assuming this isn't your first time getting this drunk at one of these parties."

"You'd be correct."

"So, what do you normally do?"

"What do you mean?"

"About getting home."

"Oh, that." Ina pauses for a bit, seemingly contemplating whether or not to answer. "...Honestly, I usually just wake up on the floor or on a couch, drink some water, and go home."

Fauna's eyes go wide. "What? You just let yourself black out at a party that crowded?"

"Mhm." Ina looks away.

Concern seeps into Fauna's voice. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

Ina sighs. She turns her head towards Fauna. "Well, would you believe me if I say nothing bad has happened because of it?" Fauna shoots her a suspicious glance. "Sure, a hotter girl would be in danger. But me..."

Fauna shakes her head in exasperation and begins to protest. "Okay, first of all, if you're getting this drunk, that only means nothing bad has happened as far as you can remember. How do you know what could've happened while you were out?" She pauses to contemplate that thought, but just makes an unpleasant face and shakes her head. She continues, "Second of all, thinking your looks give you a pass is pretty naive. Frat boys will take anything with a hole."

Ina chuckles at that. "Just about, yeah. Unless that hole is attached to a flat board covered in her own vomit." Fauna gives a small laugh at that. She still has a look of great concern on her face, but decides not to push any further. Ina looks at her. "Hey, wait, you didn't deny that I'm not hot."

Fauna giggles. "Oh, were you fishing for compliments?"

Ina rolls her eyes. "No, just telling the truth."

"Awh, does wittle baby Ina want a compwiment?" Fauna mocks.

Ina snaps back, "Oh, shut up," but not without a small laugh.

Fauna laughs at the light blush beginning to show on Ina's cheekbones. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you what I really think." She stops walking and turns to face Ina, at least as well as she can while still supporting both of their weight. Ina seems caught off guard. She sucks in a breath. A gentleness sneaks into Fauna's voice as she speaks. "You're very slender and you look exhausted all the time. Your hair is messy, but it seems that you take good enough care of it. And I agree, I don't think you're the basic type of pretty that a typical frat boy would be into. But that doesn't mean you don't have your own appeal; you're cute." Fauna opens her mouth to say more, but shuts it again and nods as if to punctuate her statement. Her face starts to flush warmly. Ina stares at her, trying to come up with a cheeky response. She comes up blank. Her face flushes much hotter than her companion's.

Fauna turns back to look ahead. "I didn't really wanna say all that earlier, cause y'know, I wasn't sure if...I didn't want you to..." She trails off.

"Ohh, wait, 'cause you're gay?" Ina finishes her sentence bluntly.

Fauna chuckles in appreciation of the indelicate assist. "Yeah, that. I didn't want you to take it the wrong way."

"Well, uh, mission failed, then."

"Ah." Fauna looks away. She sighs softly before attempting to just move on. "Well, anyway, let's, uh...keep walking?"

"Mm." Ina nods. The two start walking once again.

There's a short silence, broken by Ina. She speaks just above a whisper. "...Is it really the wrong way?"

Fauna glances down at her. "Hm?"

"I mean, you said you didn't want me to take that the wrong way, but I'm finding it hard to take it any other way."

Fauna shifts her eyes back in front of her. "A girl can just think another girl is cute, can't she? That can be all it is."

"Right, but..." Ina trails off.

"Look, all I mean is what I said. If you just wanna be friends, then let's be friends. If you don't, then we'll say goodbye and that'll be that."

"...I see." Ina has more questions, but a burn in her throat tells her to stop talking so much. She gives it a small break, but her sassiness refuses to be fully silenced. "You still didn't deny that I'm a flat board, though."

Now it's Fauna's turn to paint the smug smile on her lips. "I'm not gonna lie to your face."

Ina scoffs in mock offense. "Wow. Rude."

"Oh, sorry. I must've been blind to not see those giant melons before! Wow! They're soooo huge! Like a couple of beach balls!"

Ina groans, this time, in genuine offense. "Okay, point made, please stop. This is so much worse."

"And that's why I didn't do it in the first place."

The two share a nice laugh, but Ina's laugh soon turns to a coughing fit. Fauna prays for the safety of her favorite shoes as Ina doubles over in her arms. Thankfully, there's nothing left to come back up. Fauna drags Ina over to a bench in front of a nearby hall and sits her down, taking a seat by her side. Some gentle pats on the back are enough to help steady her breathing.

Fauna doesn't bother speaking until Ina's okay. "Feeling any better?"

"Mhm. My throat kinda burns and my body still feels weak but I'm a bit more conscious now." Ina's leaning on her escort's shoulder transitions into lying in her lap. Fauna begins to gently comb her fingers through the girl's midnight-colored hair.

She quickly retracts her hand. "Oh gosh, sorry. Force of habit, I guess."

Ina readjusts herself in her lap, trying to get comfy. "S'fine. It felt kinda nice."

"Oh. Alright, then." Fauna resumes stroking the girl's hair. "Just don't fall asleep here. We're almost there."

"Mmm." Ina gives a small groan. Fauna isn't sure if it's a protest or an affirmation, but leaves her be nonetheless.

After a few minutes of stargazing, Fauna realizes that the breathing in her lap has calmed to a slow, constant rhythm. She looks down for a moment. Despite tonight's mess, Ina still looks quite pretty. Fauna reaches her hand towards the pale cheek facing up towards her. So soft. The tiniest bit sunken in. She probably hasn't been eating properly. Fauna wonders for a moment if she's cooked for herself even once in all her years here. She highly doubts it; from what little she knows about her, she just can't see it. Despite her earlier scolding, she lets the girl rest a bit more. Her hand resumes its hair stroking and she lifts her gaze again to the stars. Tonight was not Fauna's usual night, but she still found a wide smile creeping onto her face, and a certain peace growing in her heart.

The warmth in her hand and the placid breath in her lap come together to overshadow the cold air of the night. She nearly forgets everything outside of the immediate moment.

A particularly chilly breeze shakes Fauna's focus. She feels a slight shiver come from her lap as well, and her responsibility comes back to her. She gives a light shake to the slumberer's shoulder. "Alright sleepyhead, let's get you home before we freeze out here."

"Mmm..." another ambiguous groan. Fauna chooses to interpret this one as protest and drags Ina up to her feet.

Ina lets out a big yawn as they set out once again. Fauna catches it and yawns in turn. "Uh oh. I can't be falling asleep too, I'm supposed to be the responsible one."

Ina giggles. The rest of the walk passes in a comfortable silence.

"Aaaand here we are." Fauna announces the duo's arrival in front of Forsynthe Hall. She takes Ina's ID from her and lets them into the door. Thank god there's an elevator, I don't even wanna think about dealing with stairs right now, Fauna thinks to herself. She shares her thoughts with Ina once inside the elevator. "Lucky you. I lived in Maple last year, on the fifth floor. Had to take the stairs every time."

"I lived in Maple my first year too, but only on the second floor. I had a friend on the fifth floor who wouldn't shut up about the stairs."

"They're pain."

"Indeed they are."

The elevator dings at the sixth floor. The two step out towards a short, silver-haired girl with headphones on there to take their spot. Her music is loud enough to hear clearly in the quiet hall. She gives the pair a curious look as they pass, and continues to stare at Fauna after boarding the elevator. Ina's awareness is much too low to notice, however. Fauna returns the stare wordlessly until the elevator door closes and the gaze is severed. A friend of hers, maybe? Fauna thinks. She makes a mental note but decides not to ask Ina about it right now. "Which way?" she asks instead.

"603." Ina directs Fauna down the hallway to the right, fumbling around in her pocket while they walk. "Here's my key."

"Thanks." Fauna opens the door and fumbles around for a lightswitch. She finds it and flips it on. "Ohhh my."

The room illuminated before her is an absolute mess. She can hardly see the floor through all the clothes scattered about. 90% of identifiable clothing appears to be sweatshirts, sweatpants, sweaters, and t-shirts, with the occasional plain pair of underwear strewn about on top.

Ina looks at Fauna when she doesn't move for a bit. "You look uncomfortable."

"I think what I'm feeling is disgust." 

Ina sighs. "Whatever. Don't judge, just get me to the bed."

Fauna snaps out of her shock. "Ah, right. Try not to trip on the everything sprawled across the floor."

"It's my own mess. I could navigate it with my eyes closed. I do, actually, frequently." Ina gives a proud smile.

"Please don't. Not right now."

With some help, Ina successfully makes her way over the mess and to the opposite side of the room. Fauna dumps her into the cluttered bed. "Aaaahhh..." Ina lies face down and shoves the clothes currently occupying her bed onto the floor. She gets ready to drift off before feeling something tug at her foot.

"Oh, you're not sleeping like that. Come on, sit up for a sec."

Ina groans, this one very clearly a protest groan, but still obliges. Fauna removes her coat first, then her shoes and socks. "That top will get wrinkled, let's change you outta that too."

Ina eyes Fauna. "I want you to take a look at my room and ask yourself if I'd care about a wrinkled top."

"I want you to take a look at me and ask yourself if you're gonna fight me in this state. C'mon, arms up."

"What are you, my mom?"

"I'm taking care of you, that's what I am. Because clearly, you aren't doing it yourself."

Ina pouts, having lost a fight she picked herself, but once again obeys. She doesn't have the energy nor the brain power required to fight back any further than a snarky remark. Her top is pulled off and tossed into the laundry basket. It's the only thing in the laundry basket. Fauna goes over to the closet and is delighted to find that not every piece of clothing is on the floor. She tosses Ina a charcoal gray sweatshirt. "Put that on. Do you want pants?"

"Pants are overrated."

"True. Should I step outside while you change?"

"I don't really care."

Fauna shrugs. "Fair enough. It's not like there's anything to see under that bra anyway."

"Oi!" Ina swings a fist in Fauna's general direction, not even close to making contact but certainly getting her annoyance across. Fauna giggles at her feeble attempt.

While waiting for Ina to finish changing, Fauna picks up a cup off of the cluttered desk and asks Ina if it's clean. "Clean enough," she gets as an answer. She shakes her head and gives a heavy sigh before moving to fill it at the sink. She takes a few sips before passing it to Ina, now wearing a sweatshirt and not much else.

"Drink the rest of that." Fauna crosses her arms and leans up against the desk opposite the bed, her hips pushing some junk into other junk. "So, did you learn something today?"

The older girl dramatically sighs and rolls her eyes. "Yes, Mom."

"Good girl. What'd you learn?"

Ina twists her lips into a smug grin. "That your carpet matches your drapes."

Fauna goes stiff. She feels her face catch fire. "Wha- you-"

Ina bursts into laughter. Fauna raises her voice a bit louder than she knows she should at this time of night.

"You had your eyes closed!" She marches over to the bed.

Ina cannot contain her laughter. "I peeked a lil' bit."

"Oh my god...you little devil!" Fauna yells.

"Oh, come on, I had to! You have this weird hair color, I had to know!"

"Oh, so I'm the one with the weird hair, huh? Then what the hell are these!?"

Fauna lunges at Ina and grabs one of the squishy parts of her hair. Ina gasps and her laughter comes to a sudden stop. She visibly squirms and makes some displeased noises before swatting at Fauna's hands. "Stop! Stop! You can't touch those!"

"Oh, can't I? I'm touching 'em right now!" Fauna climbs on the bed and straddles her slightly drunken enemy. A rather frightening grin has found its way onto her face. Ina gets a slight chill seeing the look in her eyes. She isn't sure how serious Fauna is, and isn't quite sure how scared she should be, but she's definitely a bit scared. Certainly overwhelmed, at the very least. Any attempts at fighting off an angry Fauna are futile. "And what about these, huh?" Fauna reaches up to grab one of Ina's flaps.

As soon as she grabs it between her fingers, Ina squeals. Fauna's eyes widen. It's somewhere between a moan and a yelp, and it makes Fauna release her grip immediately. Ina quickly buries her face in her hands, but it's not enough to hide the fiery flush racing all the way down her neck.

"Oh," Fauna says, her rampage coming to a grinding halt. "They're sensitive, huh?"

Ina nods slowly, without revealing her face.

Fauna's face quickly matches in crimson hue. "I, uh...I'm sorry. I didn't know." Fauna gets up and steps back from the bed.

Ina sits up. She lifts her face from her hands, but still hugs her knees and looks away. "It's fine. It happens," she mumbles.

Fauna can't take much more of this atmosphere. She turns towards the door. "I should probably get going..."

"Wait, you're going?" Ina's head perks up quickly. Her face is still red, but she seems to have suddenly forgotten her embarrassment.

Fauna looks back. "Yeah?"

Ina shrinks back into herself. "I thought you were gonna sleep here."

Fauna blinks. "...Where? The floor? On a bed of dirty clothes?"

Ina shakes her head, not even bothering to retort. "The bed. I don't take up much space."

Fauna opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again. She lets out a breath before trying again. "Thanks, but no, I'll just go home..."

Ina sits up on the edge of the bed. "Come on, I mean, you've helped me out this much, the least I can give you is a bed to sleep in for the night. Besides, is it even safe for a girl to walk around this late by herself?"

Fauna puts her hands on her hips and gives Ina a small smile. "Y'know, I really don't wanna hear about a girl's safety coming from you, miss black-out-at-every-frat-party. I can get my roommate to come pick me up, I'll be fine."

"But it's so late, and..." Ina continues to protest.

"She stays up late."

"You don't have to go."

"But I'm going."

"Why?" Ina pleads.

"Because I want to, and that's that. Goodnight, Ina." Fauna takes a step towards the door.

"Wait!" Ina leaps up and grabs Fauna's wrist.

Fauna, surprised at the sudden contact, looks back. Her eyes meet a stare much deeper than she had ever seen on that pale face. She sensed something rather than saw it, a deep black pit in those eyes. A worried emptiness, usually lain dormant, rousing itself unwillingingly and rearing its ugly head, just enough to catch a glimpse, a shadow.

In this pit, Fauna felt something call to her, something aching and familiar. She recognized it immediately despite never having seen it from the outside. The pit in Ina's eyes was the same pit in Fauna's stomach after the events on that night when they met. That pit is the same that swallows up her ability to sleep when she climbs into a cold bed which she used to share. That pit is the same currently weighing on her conscious mind as she is desperately clinging to whatever relationship she has with this odd girl. She is not being motivated by goodwill or simple kindness. She is beginning to love this girl, but she is so terrified of overstepping the boundaries of their friendship and losing what little ties hold them together.

In the deep azures aimed at her, Fauna sees her whole self reflected. Her fear, her loneliness, her want.

Perhaps, deep down, she was trying to leave because she wished to be chased. She never could have counted on it working, though.

Ina doesn't say anything; maybe she doesn't know what to say. Thankfully, she doesn't have to; her face betrayed all her deepest emotions, ones she might not even know about. And what that face told Fauna is that the last thing Ina needs right now is to be left alone.

She might not be able to put her feelings into words yet, but Fauna's patience is bottomless for this girl, and she'll wait until she can.

"You really don't want me to leave, huh?" Fauna says gently. Ina musters a single nod. "Alright. I suppose I'll stay."

Ina nods again. She seems happy, but also reserved, embarrassed of her own happiness. Fauna sees in her behavior a cat that isn't too familiar with you yet but still wants to be pet. It's cute, very cute, she notes.

Ina sits back down on the bed. Fauna helps herself to a sweatshirt from the closet and a pair of sweatpants that seemed clean enough. They were actually folded, albeit a bit roughly. "I'm gonna borrow these, if you don't mind."

"Sure," Ina replies, her voice quiet. Fauna asks her a silent question with a stare, and she simply stares back for a moment before realizing. "Oh, uh, should I leave to let you change?"

"Well, that depends...can I trust you this time?" Fauna gives a skeptical glare.

"Oh, uh, well...yeah, I mean, I already saw what I wanted to see, so..."

Fauna shakes her head. "I still can't believe you did that...whatever, just forget about it." Fauna waves a hand towards Ina, which Ina takes as her signal. She closes her eyes and lies down on the bed, facing the wall.

"I really don't think I can forget something like that so easily." Ina's absent smugness finds its way back into her smile.

"Fine. Go ahead, remember it. Tell the whole world about my pubes for all I care."

Ina laughs at that thought. "I think that would embarrass me way more than it would you."

"You never know...don't underestimate the embarrassment I'm capable of feeling," Fauna quips back, pausing to pull her head through the yellow sweatshirt she picked out. "I'm done."

Ina opens her eyes and turns her head to look. "That sweatshirt's kinda ugly, isn't it?"

Fauna spreads her arms and looks down. "Yeah, but I mean, it wasn't on the floor, so it gets some points for that. Plus, it's huge. I love big sweaters." She flaps the sleeves which easily go past her hands to demonstrate its size.

"Ah, yeah. Big sweaters are the best," Ina agrees, before letting out a huge yawn. "Should we go to bed now?"

Fauna stifles a yawn of her own. "Sure," she responds. She turns out the lights after making a mental note of things to avoid tripping on when making her way back to the bed. She manages to successfully dodge her way through the minefield.

Ina lies on her side, facing the wall. She scoots herself as close to the wall as she can to give Fauna plenty of space. How considerate, Fauna thinks as she climbs under the covers. She lies on her back, and tries not to think about the fact that Ina still isn't wearing any pants. Not the time, Fauna. Definitely not the time. You have to do this right.

"Goodnight, Ina," she says, quietly.

"G'night," Ina responds.

Fauna closes her eyes and decides to sleep. Today was quite busy after all, and now that she finally has the chance to rest, her limbs begin to feel all the exhaustion catch up at once. She reflects on her day: her roommate invited her to go to a party, and she reluctantly accepted. The party was pretty regular, but she hadn't been to one in a while, so it was fun. Then she ran into Ina, just by chance, and ended up staying with her all the way until now. Fauna realizes that she never told her roommate about her leaving the party early, with someone else. She also realizes that telling this to her roommate would have prompted lots of questions that would just spawn more questions.

Fauna shifts onto her side to look at Ina. She begins to ask herself the questions her roommate never did. 'How do I know this girl?' Her long, dark hair is draped along her back, letting Fauna get a tiny peek at her neck. It's thin, and looks soft to the touch. 'How did we end up sharing a bed?' Even in the dark of the dorm room, her pale skin is clearly visible. It seems to absorb and glow with what little moonlight snakes through the curtains. 'When did I start feeling this way towards her?' She shifts and readjusts her position a few times before finding one comfortable enough. 'Why did she...' Her shoulders move up and down steadily in turn with her breaths.

"...Hey." The word falls out of Fauna's mouth inadvertently. Ina's shoulders stop moving, but she doesn't respond. Fauna knows that she was heard; the wind outside is not nearly loud enough to drown out her voice, however quiet it may have been.

"You know, if you stop breathing, it becomes very obvious that you heard me." Ina's body jerks a bit at this additional comment, before continuing to rise and fall like before.

"Mm." Ina hums in acknowledgement.

Fauna lies on her back again, looking up at the ceiling. "If I ask you a personal question, will you give me a real answer?"

Ina hesitates. "...Depends on the question."

"Hmm..." Fauna muses. "What if we trade? I'll answer a question that you have first."

Ina hums again in thought. "Alright, sure, why not."

"Ask away."

"What color are your panties?"

Fauna smirks. "Funny. Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

"Oh, right. Light blue."

"I would say they're closer to mint green, actually," Fauna corrects.

"I see, I see. I'll remember this too," Ina jokes.

Fauna laughs, before taking a deep, patient sigh. She uses a much gentler tone when she speaks again. "Are you sure that's all you want to ask me? You can ask anything, and I'll answer truthfully."

Ina's shoulders freeze again, this time not to hide, but to think. She lets out a few sighs as Fauna waits. Finally, in a small voice, barely audible even in the quiet of the night, she speaks.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Fauna hums in thought for a moment before responding. She shifts onto her side once again. "I can tell you, but I'd rather you turn around first."

"...Why?"

"I can lie to your back. I can't lie to your face."

"Mm..." Ina's small groan sounds like a no, but she rolls to face Fauna anyway.

Their eyes meet, and Fauna gives a slight, kind smile before telling her story. "Do you remember the night we first met?"

Ina's eyes dart upwards in thought. "Hmm...on that one balcony, right?"

Fauna nods. "Mhm. That's the one. If you remember, I was pretty upset that night."

"Pretty upset is a bit of an understatement," Ina chimes in. "I really thought you were gonna jump off."

Fauna giggles bitterly. "Yeah, it was...it was a bad night. Probably the worst night of my life up to that point."

"You said it was 'cause you got dumped, right?"

Fauna sighs. "Something like that, yeah." She sees Ina's head flaps perk up. It seems that she's caught her interest. "You wanna know the whole story?"

Ina shrugs to feign disinterest, but another twitch of her flaps betrays her. "Sure, if you wanna tell it."

Fauna takes a deep breath. "There was this girl I had been dating--or, thought I had been dating--for about a year and a half. At that party, I ran into her making out with some dude. I freaked out on her, asked her what the hell she was doing, and she just told me it was none of my business." Emotion creeps into Fauna's voice, and her tone softens as she continues. "I said, 'Of course it's my business, I'm your girlfriend,' ...and she just laughed. She said she was never serious about me in that way."

Ina opens her mouth in shock. "...That's awful."

"Mhm." Fauna lets out a long sigh. "If we just hung out a lot and had sex occasionally, I could've seen that coming. There are girls like that, after all. But we did so much more. We went on trips. I met her family. We even considered living together next semester. And then all of a sudden, that's just 'playing around?' I'm just your pretend girlfriend?" Fauna shakes her head indignantly. "I couldn't believe it. This bond that I thought was stronger than any I've ever had, this relationship that finally lasted longer than a year, and all at once...not just had it ended, it hadn't even existed in the first place. When I came out to that balcony, my world was genuinely falling apart."

Ina stays silent. Her face shows that she's listening, and that encourages Fauna to keep going.

"So when I talked with you that night, and you didn't care at all, it kinda shocked me."

"Wait, wait, hold on a second." Ina puts her hand up in objection. "I cared!"

Fauna laughs out loud. "You could not have cared less!"

Ina flusters. "Wha- I- I mean, sure, I wasn't all tender, 'cause you were a stranger to me, but, like, I asked what was wrong, and heard you out, right?"

"You guessed what was wrong with the prospect of me getting you a beer if you got it right."

Ina opens her mouth to try to defend herself, but no words come out. Fauna giggles at the sight of her lips flapping about.

"Anyway, it's actually a good thing that you acted that way." Fauna continues with the story. "That wasn't the first rough breakup I've been through. Normally, whenever I'm upset over a breakup, I'll go to a friend and cry it out and then move on. But, recently..." Fauna's gaze turns downcast. "The past few times, whenever that happens, my friends will say things like, 'You're too good for them anyway,' and, 'You'll find someone better someday.' It used to make me feel better, but after hearing the same things so many times and seeing no change, it just...it makes me wonder when, or if, this fabled 'someday' is really coming, you know?"

Fauna's face adopts a gentle smile. "When my world fell apart, and I talked to you, you didn't say anything of the sort. You didn't try to comfort me, or tell me things were going to be okay, anything like that. It gave me a reality check, I think. It reminded me that that's just kind of what life is like. There's way too many people out there with way too many feelings for one single person to just shatter everything. The world will not end just like that, no matter how much you may want it to." Fauna takes a deep breath. "Of course, I was still upset over the breakup, but I was able to make peace with it. After our little chat, I felt okay. You were just there, and that was enough." Ina wears a small smile upon hearing the happy ending. "Well, that is, I felt okay until I got back with those beers." Fauna smiles teasingly.

Ina's smile droops. She avoids fauna's gaze. "Oh, yeah...that..."

"It's okay, I forgive you. It actually leads right into my question, now that I've answered yours."

Ina looks at her dumbly. "Wait, did you really answer my question? I asked why you're nice to me."

Fauna pauses. "I, um, I thought I did. The general idea, at least. Do I need to be more...direct?"

"I think so. I don't quite get it."

Fauna blinks. "Are you teasing me again?"

"I'm not." Ina shakes her head. "Not trying to, at least."

"Oh boy," Fauna sighs. "Fine, I'll spell it out for you, but don't blame me if you get all embarrassed and blushy again."

"I was blushy?" Ina whispers to herself as she reaches a hand up to her cheek.

Fauna clears her throat. "Whether you realized it or not, you were there for me in one of my lowest, most vulnerable moments." She looks Ina in the eyes. Ina tries to meet her gaze, but has trouble holding it. "You gave me a different kind of comfort and peace than I was used to, and it changed my perspective on a lot of things. Things relating to me, things relating to other people, things relating to life. Ever since that night, I wanted to talk to you more. I wanted to meet you again, I wanted to spend time with you, to get to know you. It seemed like that chance had come and gone, but tonight has redeemed that chance. I'm glad we got to meet again, even if it wasn't in the neatest of circumstances. So, to answer your question, I'm nice to you because I like you. Because you mean something to me." She gives a wide smile. "Take that as you will."

Ina's attempts at holding eye contact completely fall apart in the last few sentences. She buries her head under the covers and curls up into a ball. Fauna giggles. After a moment, Ina inches her head back up for air. "...Am I blushy?" she asks.

"It's a bit too dark to tell, but if I had to guess, you probably look like a tomato," Fauna teases.

"Aaahh..." Ina groans and retreats. She probably blushes even harder, not that fauna can see to confirm.

"So, question answered?"

Ina's slow nod shows even under the covers. "Question answered."

"Alright, now my turn." Ina peeks her head back up to hear better. "So, that night, you left after I went to get us beers. Why?"

Ina stares blankly. "That's your question?"

"Mhm." Fauna nods resolutely.

"Uh..." Ina thinks. "I don't know, I guess I just wanted to?"

"No, no, I need a better answer than that."

"What do you mean, a better answer? That's really all it was!"

"Nope, you're not running away! Really think back to that night. Was that all it was?"

Ina really thinks back to that night. Fauna helps jog her memory. "You guessed at what was wrong, and almost got it right, but not quite. Then, I offered to get us beers anyway, and went off. When I came back, you were gone. What went through your mind during that time?"

Ina thinks harder. Her face is mostly hidden underneath the covers, save for her eyes, looking anywhere but at Fauna. Eventually, she begins to speak, slowly. "I...I remember feeling kind of...what's the word...put off? by you offering to get us beers, despite me losing the deal."

Fauna nods and speaks softly, curiously and without accusation. "Why did you feel put off?"

"I don't know, I just..." Ina pauses again, not used to this kind of introspection. "I felt like, you didn't have to do that, and I didn't get why you did it anyway. If you were just getting one for yourself, I would understand, but for me too?"

"It never occurred to you that I just wanted to have a drink with you?"

"I guess not." Ina sighs. "I felt like I owed you something, or I would owe you something if I took that favor, so I just decided not to take it."

"I see. So you wanted to keep a certain distance from me?" Fauna asks.

Ina nods. "Mm, yeah, that's a good way to put it."

"Okay, time for question part two: so, tonigh-"

"Woah, woah, woah, I never agreed to another question!" Ina protests.

Fauna retorts, "You agreed to one question. A multi-part question is still one question!"

Ina groans. "What are you, a textbook?"

"I'm in charge of the questioning, that's what I am. Now shut up and listen."

"Fine, fine. Ask away, question master."

Fauna grins, proud of her new title. "Okay, so, part two: before, you wanted to keep your distance from me, but tonight, you wanted me to stay with you." A familiar red hue creeps into Ina's cheeks. Fauna continues in a gentler tone. "Why the change in heart? What makes tonight different from that first night? What made you stop me from leaving?"

Ina hides most of her face in the covers once again, leaving her eyes above them. She takes time to properly think before answering. When she does, she speaks softly. "I don't know why, but when you were about to leave, I felt like it was a mistake. I felt like I would regret it if I let it happen. I kinda reached out without thinking."

Fauna hums with a small smile. "You know, when you did that, the look on your face is what really changed my mind. You looked distraught."

"Distraught?" Ina touches her face again. "I didn't even know I was making a face."

"Is it okay if I add a part three to the question?"

Ina smiles. "You're the question master."

"Indeed I am." Fauna looks Ina in the eyes. "How do you genuinely feel right now? About me being here, about our time tonight, about this talk, everything."

"How do I feel about it?"

"Mhm."

Ina gives pause, the longest pause of the night. Fauna remains patient. She's coming to find that Ina isn't the greatest at expressing herself through words, but she's got time. She can do it if she tries. Finally, Ina speaks.

"It's uncomfortable. It's awkward. I'm not used to this sort of thing. It's like..." Ina searches for the words. "It's like eye contact but with emotions."

"It really is, isn't it?" Fauna laughs.

Ina chuckles back. "I hate eye contact. I can't do it."

Fauna hums understandingly. "So, do you hate this?"

Ina looks at Fauna, surprised. "No, I don't."

"Me neither," Fauna beams. It's vague and weird, but it feels like Ina's making progress. She's answering questions that she needs answered. "Y'know, I might not seem like it, but I'm a bit uncomfortable too. It usually takes me a long time to open up to someone like I have to you."

This revelation seems to pique Ina's curiosity. Her flaps give a little wiggle and she looks at Fauna expectantly.

Fauna obliges her wordless request. "You've only heard one example, but I've got a pretty rough record when it comes to relationships, at least within the past few years. Every girl I fall for ends up being either straight, unfaithful, or both. After being hurt enough times, I just kinda put up walls to protect myself, but you can't form a new relationship through a brick wall. I think, overall, I'm still very hesitant to let those walls down. But with you, we first met when my walls had just been absolutely demolished-" Ina sucks in a breath, but resists her urge to point out the phrasing. "-and so, I had already been fully vulnerable with you, which created a sort of trust."

"You trust me?"

"I do." The two hold eye contact for a few seconds, the longest stretch of the night. "Do you trust me?"

Ina breaks the eye contact. "In a way, I suppose..."

Fauna smiles, deciding not to press Ina too hard for a more definitive answer. She'll take what she can get.

"Then, on nights like this, or really any day, any time, when you can't take care of yourself, will you allow me to help?" The eye contact returns.

"Just so you know, that's like, all the time."

"Then, all the time, will you allow me to take care of you?"

Ina's discomfort peaks. Her face burns wildly, and she retreats fully under the covers. Fauna doesn't let her run away so easily. She puts out her hand, and speaks in a calm, warm tone.

"You don't have to say it out loud. If your answer is yes, grab ahold of my hand."

There's a placid stillness between them. It lasts just long enough to water the seeds of nervousness that lie in Fauna's heart. Before they can sprout, however, Ina moves.

Her hand weakly grabs onto Fauna's.

Even Fauna's virtuous patience has a limit, and in that moment, her unbridled joy overpowers any restraint she has left. She explosively dives under the covers and wraps Ina into a tight hug.

"Wah! Wha-" Ina yelps in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"It's a hug, dummy, it's part of taking care of you!"

Ina's shock wears off and gives way to a pleasant feeling. With Fauna's warm body pressed against hers, her surprisingly strong arms squeezing just barely enough to not hurt, and the flowery aroma of her hair now very present in her senses, she feels utterly at peace. An unwitting smile creeps onto her face as she limply returns the hug.

Neither wanting to break the embrace, they stay attached like that.

Ina feels the rise and fall of Fauna's breath become steady rather quickly. "You asleep already?" she murmurs, careful not to wake her.

Fauna doesn't respond.

Ina takes a deep breath. "...Thank you," she whispers, even quieter. "...Fauna."

The shape of her name in Ina's voice sparks Fauna's heart into overdrive. She prays with all her might that Ina doesn't hear it.

And for the first time in her life, Ina wanted without reservation.