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“Come on Marianne!” Hilda instructed quietly, trying to keep her voice down while still making sure she was heard, making her voice slightly rasp. “I don’t want to run into Seteth and get another lecture. I’m still recovering from that last one I was cornered into.”
Marianne did her best to keep up with Hilda as the two jogged through the Monastery’s halls. They were meant to take part in a training session with their class today but the axe-wielding power house that was Hilda decided she wasn’t feeling it. Her solution? Wake Marianne up before class and skip the whole day. The healer didn’t mind all too much. She loved the way Hilda had begun to include her in her escapades, even if it meant falling slightly behind on class work. She could make up the missing assignments later, so surely it would be worth it. For now, she was trying to figure out where they were going. Some secret hiding space? She wouldn’t put it past Hilda to have a few. They needed to be careful; if someone found them without their class, they would know they were skipping.
“Um, Hilda,” Marianne began, earning a quick glance from her friend. “Do you think you could maybe slow down? I understand you don’t want us to be seen, but I don’t know where we’re going…”
“Oh, you’re right, I’m sorry!” Hilda apologized in a whisper, stopping just for a moment to take Marianne’s hand, not seeing the way she held her breath at the touch. “I was thinking we should head to the marketplace.”
“Won’t someone think to check there?”
“Probably. But it’ll be so busy they’ll have a hard time spotting us immediately. We’ll probably see any professor or knight before they see us.” Hilda reasoned.
The plan actually wasn’t that bad. There was only one path from the Monastery to the marketplace; if anyone came looking for them they would need to pass through there and be spotted. The only problem was the crowds…Marianne wasn’t too keen on the idea of being pressed shoulder to shoulder with others. She was already pressing her luck being this close to Hilda. Or, rather, she was pressing Hilda’s luck. Marianne had given up on bringing up her curse to Hilda. She always responded by brushing her off, nevermind the fact her bad luck was evident. Just the other day, she had made a mess of the infirmary trying to help organize the cabinets. Hilda forgave her easily enough with a few pastries, but Marianne still felt bad for all the messes she made.
“Now I know you don’t like crowds…” Hilda spoke, a playful lilt in her voice, “But I promise to make it up to you! You like flowers, right? I can get you flowers, any kind, just say the word.”
“O-Oh, you don’t need to do that, Hilda. I feel like I owe it to you anyways, after all the fuss I’ve caused.” Marianne responded, flustered by the offer.
“You don’t owe me anymore, you got me those tasty pastries, remember? Besides, you deserve something nice for once.” Hilda rebutted as Marianne silently stewed in her words.
Finally, they arrived at the marketplace and Marianne shrunk back at the sight of the crowds. Vendors stood to the sides, shouting their deals of the day and flashing their wares as the sound of the blacksmith pounding hot iron filled their air, the sounds rising to be a cacophony over the sea of heads. Marianne took a half step back before being pulled forward by Hilda. After a few steps down the stairs, she stood her ground, causing Hilda to look back, confused. “I don’t know Hilda, maybe we should go to class.” She murmured.
“What? Why? What’s wrong?” She asked, becoming concerned, finally dropping the whispering now that they were at their destination, though Marianne still spoke softly. Hilda placed her hands on Marianne’s shoulders, looking her dead on. Suddenly, she had a feeling she knew what this was about. “Is it too busy for you?” She asked quietly.
Marianne hesitated for a moment. “I just think we might worry our classmates too much. I wouldn’t want anyone to think we’re missing or hurt,” The look on Hilda’s face made her buckle. The way her brows furrowed carefully and the way her eyes shone in the sunlight made it impossible for her to keep her lie. “…I just don’t think I should be in the middle of a crowd like this. Something bad might happen.”
Hilda was silent for a moment, searching Marianne’s face before looking away and sighing. “How many times do I need to tell you? You aren’t bad luck, Marianne. Just…a little clumsy sometimes “ She reasoned, looking back at her and fixing a small, reassuring smile on her face. “Although, I do think it’s cute how you always look after others.”
Feeling her face heat up, it was Marianne’s turn to look away. It was hard for her to tell whether Hilda’s flirting was genuine or not. She did like to shower those who lend her a hand with compliments, but she never called them cute like she did for her. For now, she wanted to discount her comments. It wasn’t like Hilda actually liked her.
“Alright. If you really don’t want to be here, we can go find our class. I may not want to train, but you’re more important than a few hours of sweating in the sun.”
“No!” Marianne insisted, earning a surprised stare from Hilda, making her shrink back again as her face reddened. “I-I mean, you’re important to me too. I can manage a crowd…for a while.”
Hilda beamed and hugged Marianne tightly. “You’re the best! I promise, I’ll stick right by your side the whole time. I’ll even get you those flowers I mentioned!”
A small smile appeared on Marianne’s face as she returned the hug. “I might like that,” She commented, before being cut off by a small gasp.
“What are the- Flayn is right there.” Hilda mentioned, pulling away from the hug to point towards the stables. Sure enough Flayn was rounding the corner. Not good. If Flayn spotted them, they would either need to explain themselves and risk her going to Seteth, or find a place to hide. The second was nearly impossible with their position on top of the stairs. Not only that, but there wasn’t enough time to make a decision in the first place. Flayn had already locked eyes with them and gave them a respectful nod before looking perplexed. “Good afternoon, Hilda, Marianne. I was just heading to our class’s training. I had lost track of time whilst I was in the stables. Shouldn’t you two be there already?”
Hilda opened her mouth, ready to come up with an excuse on the fly, but Marianne, surprisingly, beat her to it. “Yes, but I had to leave before training began after I realized I hadn’t seen Hilda yet today. I was worried so I began looking for her.” She lied quickly, surprising Hilda.
Flayn looked between the two for a moment before nodding and grinning. “Oh, Marianne, you’re so thoughtful! Very well then, I will meet you two there. I do need to run to the classroom before I go to training.” She explained before bounding away.
Marianne let out a long sigh before being wrapped into a tight hug from Hilda. “That was amazing, Marianne! Ugh, I love you so much!” She exclaimed.
“U-Uh?” Marianne couldn’t speak, shocked by Hilda’s outburst. She clearly didn’t mean that, she couldn’t! She was just happy that Marianne was able to fool Flayn that was all.
“Um? Oh!” Hilda stepped back, realizing what left Marianne speechless. Now it was her face that had reddened with blush. “I’m sorry, Marianne. I mean, obviously I love you, you’re my friend, but, ah…pretend I didn’t say anything. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“N-No, it’s not that,” Marianne insisted quietly, heart sinking slightly. “It’s just-“
“I mean…” Hilda spoke carefully, watching closely for Marianne’s reaction. “I could mean that I…you know. Like you?”
Marianne had never seen Hilda look so nervous. Her hopes rose again at the sight. Did…did Hilda really have feelings for her? The thought sent her stomach into knots. “Really?” She asked softly.
“Y-Yeah, of course! I, uh, wow. I’m never usually this bad at finding the right words.” Hilda said, laughing a little with a nervous smile on her face. After a moment, Marianne laughed too, hers much quieter that Hilda’s but still making the other woman relax. “I guess I really am saying this now,”
“Marianne, I do, really, like you. At first I just thought you were kinda cute. I mean, you were quiet, and super shy, but you always held yourself so gracefully,” Hilda smirked a little and nudged her slightly. “Until I realized how much of a klutz you were. Not that that’s a bad thing though. I think it’s adorable. Which makes you adorable.”
Marianne’s slight grin never left her face, in fact it grew with each of Hilda’s words. Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized that Hilda really did like her. A rush of relief swept through her when she finally knew her feelings weren’t just one sided. “I really like you too, Hilda,” She said, earning a wide smile from Hilda, “I really like how encouraging you are. And I, um, think you’re really pretty too.”
Hilda laughed, wrapping Marianne into another tight hug. “So are you! Your hair is literally gorgeous, and you have got to tell me how you keep it so soft looking!”
The two laughed as they stood there together, slowly falling into another lapse of silence, just enjoying the fact that they weren’t alone in their feelings. Finally, Hilda pulled away, a wide smile on her face. “Okay, new plan. We can go back to training, but you and me are going to get dinner later. Deal?”
Marianne smiled and nodded. “Okay. Deal.”