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She lounges in the moonlit grass, her arms behind her, hands planted in the ground to support her upper body. Her legs lay flat, the tips of her shoes meeting and parting as she taps them together. A stronger breeze rustles her inky hair, but it does not deter her golden gaze from staring at the large, blue orb in the sky.
Rover's bangs distract her view, so she brushes them aside.
Jiyan's fingers crumple the grass as he imagines fixing her bangs himself.
Her intense, sharp eyes land on him. “So, General, are you always all work and no play?” She sounds completely serious, a direct contrast from when his subordinates would playfully jab at him with that same question.
“Forgive my impertinence, but I could ask the same of you.” He dodges the question with a friendly smile, resting cross-legged in the tall grass.
“Ah, I see; so there is a real person in there.” She smirks as her eyes narrow with mirth.
Jiyan tilts his head. “I'm sorry?”
“You see, when I heard about you, I imagined a charming, stalwart, prince-like hero. Then, when I met you, you seemed to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud—a strong stick—but a fogey nonetheless.” Rover waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, don't look like that; I still admired you immensely for your dedication to the war. You saved my life, afterall.”
Jiyan frowns. “So you're saying you have not been enjoying our meetings?”
“How could I not?” Rover sits up, cracking her sore wrists as she does so. “I find the concept of you beyond interesting, and I would have been curious about you forever had you not invited me to meet up all those months ago.”
“I'm confused.” Jiyan's gaze sweeps across the grass. “Should I be offended or elated by your words?”
Rover giggles; Jiyan's heartbeat spikes. “You are mistaken. I'm merely poking fun at you.” To prove her point, Rover pokes him in the ribs.
Jiyan's guts squirm. He takes a deep breath. “You are truly an anomaly.”
“See? Fogey. How are you so young yet you don't know how to goof off?”
Rover's hand falters in the air abnormally before it falls back down to her side. It was a bit like that time a month ago.
When Jiyan was reminiscing on when his general was still alive; without realizing, he had begun to cry. Rover stared at him like his tears hurt her. Her hand briefly flashed across his vision before he quickly wiped them away himself. When he could see again, Rover’s hand still lingered in the air, her lips pressed into a straight line. They said nothing more the entire night.
“General,”
“Yes?”
“What animal would you say I am?”
Jiyan pauses. “Animal?”
“Yes. What do you see me as?”
“I fail to see how this question has any relevance.”
Rover shifts in the grass to face him, then crosses her legs. “When I ask a silly question that has no importance or meaning, but is fun to discuss, that is an example of goofing off.”
Jiyan places a hand on his chin. “I see. So I'm supposed to go along with this?”
“Yes. Yes, you are.” She deadpans.
“Then,” Jiyan faces her. “I would say you are a heron.”
“A heron?” Rover's eyebrows lift. “Herons are white, no?”
“There are black variants.” Jiyan reasons. “Though, I don't remember you asking me to decide based on color.”
“You answered heron because of disposition?” She looks even more flabbergasted.
Jiyan offers a confused, polite smile. “Yes? You do not see yourself as refined and elegant?” Jiyan looks away, closing his eyes. He still smiles as he speaks. “You move with grace and cut through the air with such force and precision—the beauty you bring to combat marvels me.”
When Jiyan looks over, Rover looks grumpy and red. “How can you say all that when you stand before me?” Rover pokes him square in the chest. “I could not hold a candle to you.”
Jiyan finally turns his body to face her. “You cannot try to improve me while ridiculing yourself. You must have full confidence in yourself as a master to teach a recruit.”
“And I'm not trying to teach you!” She shouts. A small flock of birds caw and scurry away in annoyance. “I just—I want to see what the real person under all those scars and orders and army metaphors is like.”
Rover stares at her lap. She sniffles and bitter tears drip onto her boots. Out of her peripherals, she spots Jiyan reach for her. She bats his hand away and scrubs her eyes with the heel of her hand. Her hand then digs into the ground, shoving dirt under her fingernails. She looks up. “What are you like when you're happy?”
“I am happy. I enjoy your company.” Jiyan reasons.
“No, not like that.” Rover slides a hand down her face as it heats up. “If there was no war and you didn't lose anyone close to you; that kind of happy.”
Now, Jiyan feels challenged. “That would not be me. Those experiences have molded me into the man I am today. If you are unhappy with who I am as a person, then I'm afraid I cannot change for you.”
Rover giggles, then outright laughs, long and hard. Jiyan's about to grow concerned when she finally sighs and stretches forward, folding her body in half. Her hands blindly reach forward until they're resting on Jiyan's knees. He flinches at the contact.
Rover rises, pushing herself up—courtesy of Jiyan's knees. “I'm sorry, General, I'm just trying to figure out what I like about you.
“You… do not like me?” Jiyan prepares to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart.
“No, quite the opposite, really; I fancy you.”
The air in Jiyan's lungs leaves in an instant, as if he's been bashed in the stomach with a bat. “Pardon?” He wheezes.
“If you don't feel the same, ignore my next words.” Rover stares Jiyan down for a long moment before continuing. “You are very reliable, kind, and a hell of a gulpuff racer. You're a man of the people and it frustrates me.”
“What do you mean?”
Rover bites her lip. “I want you for myself, you dense lizard.” She huffs and claims his hand. “The city and your soldiers are your priority—and they should be, I know that—and you have no time for trivial dalliances, but I want you nonetheless.”
“Rover—”
“I'm being horribly selfish, I know, and I'm sorry.”
“Not that,” Jiyan shifts, holding Rover's hand in both of his. “Believe me when I say I know the possible repercussions of being in a relationship in my position. I would not be the only one affected; you would be in danger as well. I do not want you living in fear of what hides in the shadows—the shadows that wish to eat me alive.”
Fingers curling, Rover's nails bite into Jiyan's palm. “Have I not already fought your foes alongside you? You've already acknowledged my strength. Do you see me as a weak damsel that requires protecting?”
Jiyan squeezes her hand, nearly breaking one of her nails. “I see you as something precious, and it would kill me to see you harmed in my stead.”
“And the risk outweighs the reward?” Her voice warbles with an angry, pained sob stuck in her throat.
“I need you more than a tree needs its roots.”
“Then have me, you sap.”
Rover untangles their hands to punch him in the shoulder, but her wrist is seized as Jiyan wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her flush against his chest. Lips meet and souls melt into one under the sleepy, full moon.