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'I think they would make a great fit for the Grudgby team!' Eda said, to a group of skeptical looking teammates.
They were in the team meeting room (really just an empty classroom that wasn't being used), discussing who could replace Odalia since she recently dropped out to focus on her Oracle studies, when Eda suggested this.
'Raine Whispers? Aren't they a bard?' Darius asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Yeah? So what? Lily's on the potion track, and she's our captain!' Eda gestured to her sister who put a thumbs up, before she smiled mockingly, 'Are you scared that they're going to be better than you, better than big, strong, perfect Dary-rary?'
Darius rolled his eyes as a couple others sniggered.
'Of course not. Sure, they can come, if that's fine with Lilith. And don't call me Dary-rary.'
Eda winked playfully at him, 'There we go! I promise all of you, you won't regret this.'
'Join the GRUDGBY TEAM? Eda, are you insane?' Raine asked, exasperated.
'Well, we need a replacement, and I kind of already got you a spot so... but listen Rainestorm, you'll be fine! You're an amazing grudgby player.' Eda said, laying back on her bed, as she summoned different types of magic to play around with.
'Yeah, when we play us two. But on a team? In front of other people? For the school? Did I mention its in front of other people?' Raine cried, as they sat on the foot of Eda's bed. Eda nudged them playfully with her feet, as they laughed and pushed her away.
'Pretty please, could you try it out? Just a game or two?' She sat up, eyes lighting up with ideas, 'Hey, if it makes you feel better, we could spike the playing grounds with traps, and OOO! I could put an abomination beast mutant that eats your flesh by the goal and-'
'Eda! I think I'm a good enough player where we don't have to cheat.' They said, a tone of confidence entering their voice.
'Does... that mean you'll play?' Eda asked warily, and they nodded.
'Yes!' Eda cried, jumping up, before suddenly tackling Raine onto the bed, so they were pinned beneath her.
'Edaaa.' they groaned at the weight above them, turning their head away to hide the soft blush on their cheeks.
'You're gonna have to get better at that, Whispers,' she put her mouth to their ear, whispering cunningly, 'Try a little harder to fight back next time.'
In a flash, Raine had twisted beneath her, pulling on her shoulder before pushing her down so that they were kneeling beside her, arms locking her in place as she stared up at them, smiling.
'That's more like it!' she grinned, sitting up once Raine had loosened their grip on her, 'Oh, and the first game is tomorrow, so be ready.'
'EDA- TOMORROW?' Raine yelled.
The Hexside grudgby team sat around Lilith, listening intently, as she explained this game's strategies.
'...Eda, I want you stationed centre, so you can attack pretty freely, and Raine, since it's your first game, maybe further back as wings?'
Raine, who was fiddling nervously with the loose thread of their sports kit, nodded quickly, as Eda grinned at them, joyful they were going to get a chance to play. She zipped up her jacket, brushing off any dust that had remained on the sleeves, ready to play.
She leaned over to them to whisper, 'Prove everyone wrong, Rainestorm, prove that a scrawny, short Bard can be an amazing Grudgby player! And I'll be looking out for you anyways, to make sure you don't get absolutely destroyed or anything.'
'I- Thanks, Eda. And, wait I'm not that small-'
'And if worst comes to worst, I still have those flesh-eating abomination mutants!' She trilled, standing up and jogging to her spot, as Raine rolled their eyes and walked to theirs.
The game started, fast-paced and rapid, against the skilled St Epiderm team. They surged forwards, partially blocked by Eda as she summoned thick vines to block, and give her a boost to the player she was targeting. She tackled them, pulled the ball away and passed it to Lilith in a flash.
It went on like this for a while, each team neck and neck, players sweating and panting, a few scratches on their arms, a couple grazes on their knees.
Eda watched carefully, as the opposing player rushed to the left, creating a large summoning circle directed straight for an oblivious Raine.
'Watch out!' Eda yelled, bursting into action as she jumped forwards, fire magic already flickering between her fingertips. She paused abruptly, skipping over her feet and hitting the ground with a thud, as Raine deflected the attack easily, using musical energy to push the player away and take the ball for their own. They passed it to Darius who threw the winning shot, and the Hexside team burst into celebration shouting and screaming, whilst the St Epiderm team sulked and hesitantly shook hands in defeat.
Eda was left on the ground, her elbow bruised up with a nasty graze. Raine was the first to notice her, 'Eda! Oh Titan, are you okay?'
She stood up warily with the support of her best friend and smiled, laughing a little, ''Course Rainestorm! Nothing a band-aid won't fix.'
Lilith rushed over to her, sighing at the sight of her sister.
'Edalyn, how could you have possibly gotten injured this time? You didn't even release any demons on the other team!'
'I may have been trying to save Raine from an attack, a little too enthusiastically,' she shrugged, 'But they got it covered.'
'Save? Eda, I was fine, you didn't have to do anything,' they chuckled, 'That scared of me getting hurt?'
'What can I say, I don't want weak little you getting wounded.' Eda joked, but Raine took that as a challenge. They lifted her up swiftly, careful of her arm, and held her confidently.
'You were saying?' Raine smirked, not struggling.
'I..' Eda blank before forming words, 'Was not expecting that.'
Lilith looked between the two for a moment before crossing her arms and huffing, 'Alright, well, Raine, can you take Eda to the healing classroom while you're... able to transport her?'
Raine nodded and grinned at a still-stunned Eda.
'Shall we, madame?' They smiled and Eda nodded curtly, playing along.
In the changing rooms, Eda slipped off her sports kit, replacing it with the normal school uniform and the yellow sleeves of the potions track. Her arm was bandaged up at the elbow, a healing sigil over the top as a pain-killer, but overall, nothing too bad. She hummed to herself as she changed, unaware as Lilith stood behind her, waiting.
'Eda..' she started, as the sisters left the room, joined shortly after by Darius.
'We know you like Raine.' Darius sighed, checking his nails as though what he said didn't make Eda stutter and blush, flustered.
'I- what? No, no I definitely do not- Well. what?' She panicked stepping forwards, only to be blocked by Lilith.
'We only want to help! It's obvious they like you, too.' She suggested and Eda groaned.
'Guys- stop. I don't! Okay, I do not like Raine. They're my best friend. So, stop,' The look of urgency in her eyes made them quiet, 'Please?'
Darius shrugged as he began walking away, and Lilith pierced her lips at her sibling's obvious lying.
'Eda, why are you so against any suggestion of liking Raine, or vice versa?' She asked once everyone had gone away. Eda glanced in the other direction, the corners of her lips turned down.
'It's just. I wouldn't want to ruin anything. They're my best friend, you know? And they're so amazing, and smart and cool, and I'm just. Me. Troublemaker Eda Clawthorne.' She frowned and Lilith rolled her eyes.
'Raine is your best friend, and you're theirs. I highly doubt they think anything badly of you when they love you that much - platonically or.. you know, romantically.'
Eda shrugged, but she did take the words her sister said, in. And she thought about them.
In bed, when she couldn't sleep, she thought it, about Raine and the advice her sister had given and the thoughts whirled around in her head.
Would it be so bad... to let myself like them? She thought, before shaking her head at the thought.
But it's more than that, isn't it? I've got to tell them. I will.
She groaned out loud, making herself suffer with flashes of rejection and losing her best friend in her mind as she tried to let sleep take over her. And eventually, it did. She dreamt of Grudgby matches and violins.
The pair sat on their hill, on the cold winter morning, laughing as they playfully shoved and pushed each other on the frost-tipped grass, their giggles producing wisps of white breath from their mouths.
Panting Raine lay backwards, accepting defeat as Eda won their mini magic duel. The smug red-headed girl kneeled next to them, creating little crowns made of abomination goo and piled them on her head.
'..And this one is for best performance, and this one is for radiance, and this one is for my awesomeness AND cunningness, and... this one is for you.' She placed the one flower chain she had made, intricately weaved with magic, onto their head, intertwined with strands of icy blue hair.
'Aw, great, I get a second place one.' Raine cheered sarcastically as they pulled the makeshift crown down across their eyes to get a better look at it.
'This is really nice, actually.' They commented and Eda smiled as she sprouted more wildflowers around them.
'My work is more than nice. And, it's not just a second place crown, it's a crown for being you, my best friend.' Eda said, before laying down to join Raine, letting the crowns fall off her head and dissolve into the ground.
'That's awfully sincere, Calamity. Going soft on me?' They teased, pulling softly at the ginger hair by their hand, twirling it through their fingers playfully.
'Nah,' Eda said calmly, 'Just wanted to let you know I love you.'
There was a silence for a second: they had told each other they loved each other before, of course, but this time felt.. different, as the tone in the air changed and Raine paused, their hand still in her hair.
'Thanks.' the bard whispered, barely audible and Eda nodded. Raine shivered slightly, huffing to break the moment.
'It's so cold! This is the boiling isles, its not meant to be cold.' They groaned. Without a moment of hesitation, Eda slipped her varsity jacket off and shuffled up to drape it across Raine's shoulders.
'Thanks, Eda,' Raine repeated, slipping their arms into the sleeves, smiling softly, 'You sure you won't be cold?'
'I meant it, you know.' She said out of the blue.
'What?'
'That I loved you.'
'I know. I love you too.'
'Not like that, like-'
'Eda, I love you. I'm in love with you.'
She gazed into their eyes, filled with brightness and sincerity as they took her hands. Eda grinned, blushing hard, before scoffing.
'Did you- did you really just steal my big confession away from me?'
'Maybe. I've been wanting to do that for a while.'
'So you couldn't let me go first?'
'Why would I let you win, when-'
Eda slipped her arm around their waist, and tipped her head up, kissing them softly yet suddenly. They melted under her touch, letting their hands go to her neck and hair, clutching the auburn locks they admired so much between their fingers. Holding the girl they loved so much in their hands. Eda nearly felt her heart burst as she grinned, pulling away, every nerve on fire with love.
'Now,' she said slyly, 'I get first place for kissing you.' She created another crown and placed it on top of her head, cheeks flushed. When her eyes locked back with Raine's, she stared into the pupils that were wide with bliss and amusement, and she took their hand.
'So...'
'So... does this mean we're dating?' Raine asked tentatively, and Eda snorted.
'Yes! We're dating, and in love.' She grinned.
'Dating and in love.' Raine repeated, their own smile widening.
'Can I... kiss you again?' Eda asked and Raine scoffed as they pushed forwards into her arms, pressing their lips against hers, more sure, more confidently. They failed to notice the Grugby ball that had accidentally been kicked up to where they were sitting, rolling just past their legs.
'Could you pass- Oh EW!' Darius cried, snatching the ball before turning swiftly away. The pair broke apart, giggling.
'Dary-rary, where are you going!' Eda yelled, Raine still in her arms.
'All I was doing was some Grudgby practise, Titan. I would very much like to unsee you making out with the bard, please!' He complained, his voice getting further and further away, 'And don't call me that!'
The pair laughed, embracing, as they watched Darius disappear amongst the trees. Raine looked up at Eda.
'I cannot believe that all I ever wanted became true.' They whispered, and Eda sighed happily.
'I love the bard and the bard loves me.' She confirmed, planting another kiss on their forehead.