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Fauna smiled as she watched over the deers. It was the miracle of life, and it always made her heart soar.
Yet, she could feel darkness approaching.
From the other side of the clearing, a clock ticked down.
The two looked at each other for a moment, time standing still as their gazes locked.
“Don’t do this.” Fauna breathed, a warm air carrying through the cold freeze.
“I have to.” Kronii responds, taking another step closer.
Fauna looked down at the frozen newborn. “But he’s just started life.”
Kronii glanced at the weak mother. “And hers is about to end.”
Time took another step forward, hand reaching down, ready to touch the deer. Before she could, however, Life ran forward, interrupting the action by grabbing onto Kronii’s wrist.
Suddenly, flowers bloom in rapid succession through the contact.
Kronii immediately recoils, shaking the leaves and petals off of her arm.
“Fauna! What the heck, I’m just trying to do my job!”
“Just a little longer, please.” Fauna begged, standing in front of the deers.
Kronii bit her lip, holding her wrist as she backed up. Fauna wordlessly followed her as they retreated back into the bushes. Time resumed, and leaves started falling to frame the scene.
The doe craned her neck, immediately cleaning her newborn. However, the baby tries to stand in the middle of the cleaning, and thus gets knocked back over by the mother simply trying to do her job.
Kronii looks away from the scene, glancing at Fauna who smiles, and even lets out a small giggle at the fall.
Time gulps. Her heartbeat falls just slightly out of its intended rhythm, before she forces it to return to normal.
“You know,” Kronii whispers. “If you want to give it more Time, then why not give it more Life?”
Fauna looks at her and blinks. “I can do that?”
Kronii scoffs. “Did you not know?”
Fauna shrugs. “I usually let nature run its course.”
“Of course you do.”
A beat of silence as the two of them watch the fawn begin nursing.
“If you usually let nature run its course, then why did you try to stop me this time?”
Fauna looks down, slightly guilty as her gaze falls to her twiddling fingers. “I got attached…” Immediately her head snaps up to Time. “I know I wasn’t supposed to! I just-!”
“It’s okay.” Kronii cuts her off by grabbing her hands. Flowers begin to bloom once again, but it's slower this time, more controlled. “It happens.”
Fauna looks up to her, some of her hair fallen to cover one of her eyes. “You’ve gotten attached?”
Time looks at Life, softening as their hands intertwine.
“I have.” She breathes.
Fauna looks at her, glance constantly switching between Kronii’s eyes in a silent request to elaborate. Instead, Kronii sits down properly, and Fauna mirrors the movement.
Time moves the bush out of the way to give them a clear view of the deers from their new angle.
“Here.” She mumbles, taking Fauna’s hand and raising it up to point her palm at the deers. With slender fingers, she opens up Fauna’s hand more. “Focus your energy.”
“How do I do that?” Fauna whispers.
“The same way you made flowers grow on me earlier. You just need to harness yourself and send your feelings in that direction.”
Fauna hums in response, and she watches the deers gradually become more lively. Quickly, the pair takes to standing and eventually they walk off.
Fauna looks at Kronii, eyes bright and grin wide.
“Good job.” Kronii smirks, moving her hand to pet Fauna on the head. “They were still supposed to rest for a couple of hours, but I guess you also gave them a bit of energy.”
Fauna smiles excitedly, before not being able to hold herself back and tackling Time in a hug. Kronii ends up falling to the ground with Fauna on top of her, her hands having thrown themselves around Life in an instinctive attempt to protect her.
Kronii doesn’t say anything, and ends up allowing herself to be hugged, even going as far as to let her hands rest on Fauna, almost like she was embracing her back. One of her hands wanders, brushing itself through Fauna’s hair.
Fauna hums at the comforting touch before propping herself up a little bit, hovering over Kronii.
“What was it, Kronii?”
“What was what?”
“You said you’ve gotten attached before. To what?” Fauna innocently smiles.
Kronii scoffs. “Don’t make me say it.”
“Hm? But, I wanna know.”
“You should already.”
“Come on, Kronii.” She leans down to, voice becoming smooth as silk as she lowers it. “Please~”
Kronii stiffens up under Life’s song.
“You really don’t know?”
Fauna shakes her head, causing Time to sigh.
Moving her hand that was previously combing Fauna’s hair, she brings it up to brush Fauna’s bangs out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. Then, she proceeds to hold it against Fauna’s cheek, which became more and more flushed by the second.
“Kronii?”
“You asked.” Time mutters before craning her neck up and closing the gap.
Fauna gives a surprised hum, jumping back a bit at the surprise and immediately breaking the kiss.
Kronii lets herself back down with a heavy exhale, letting her head fall to the side to avoid eye contact. “Sorry.” She breathes out, closing her eyes in regret. “I just… I’m sorry.”
Time seems to freeze for a moment, but rather it ticks on, achingly long as there’s a silence. It makes Kronii anxious as she winces an eye open to look at Life.
“Fau- mmf!”
Before she can call out the name, she’s interrupted with another kiss. Kronii naturally wants to melt into the kiss, but desire overcomes her as she pushes back, wordlessly asking for more.
Her heart falls into a faster rhythm once again as she’s granted so, Fauna bringing her hands up to her cheeks to pull her closer. Slowly, Kronii rises in Fauna’s hands, bringing them to a sitting position as Fauna stays on her lap, their hands wrapping each other like overgrown vines.
A perfect mix of Life and Time.
When they break, Fauna’s entire face is a deep red, eyes still flickering between Kronii’s, who can’t tell which heartbeat belongs to her anymore.
Yet, Life pulses in Time’s hands, and that’s all she needs to know.
“We should work together more often.” Kronii blurts out, not being able to stop the words before they’re already out of her mouth.
Fauna can’t help but to giggle at that, leaning forward to just barely touch their noses together. “Oh, as if you could get rid of me now.”
“I don’t think I’d ever want to.” Kronii smiles, closing the gap once more.