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Chapter Text

Her house was too stuffy. Her thoughts were suffocating. The air surrounding her was too overwhelming. Furina could feel herself slowly falling apart with every second she spent inside. She hastily grabbed a script the troupe wanted her to review and set out to calm her mind.

The crisp air of the court blasted in her face as Furina briskly walked to her go-to location to unwind. Café Lutece. She ordered her usual cake and tea before sitting at one of the more isolated tables and burying herself in her work. The familiar food and calming scenery distracted Furina from the passing of time.

Whilst editing the 3rd act of the script, the former archon felt her attention slowly being drawn away from her pile of papers by a swift, almost familiar, click-clacking noise.

"Furina! It's been such a long time since I've seen you!" A honey-sweet voice called out to her.

Navia.

Before Furina could get out a response other than "Hello", Navia was pulling out the unused seat at Furina's table, setting her umbrella leaning against the side.

"Navia! It's so wonderful to see you! What brings you to the court today?" Furina answered quickly, covering her surprise at seeing the blonde at the court.

Navia quickly delved into her duties of the day, with Furina giving simple answers. She sensed that Navia knew she didn't have the energy to uphold a genuine conversation, and didn't seem to mind. Even though she couldn't give the most in-depth responses, Furina greatly appreciated the gesture immensely.

The longer Furina listened to Navia's silken voice, the more comfortable she felt. Sitting in Navia's presence felt like coming home, it felt like the sun. It didn't take much time for Furina to start talking and indulging in the conversation.

Hours were spent talking about an assortment of topics, enjoying some tea, cake, and Navia's classic macarons brought from Poisson. The soft blue sky gradually turned into a golden red gradient as the sun began to set. The colours perfectly framed the taller woman's delicate yet strong features. Such beauty should only be seen in artwork, Furina thought, yet here was a masterpiece sitting right across from her.

The smooth voice of said artwork floated across the table, pulling her out of her daze.

"-I mean I can't believe he did that! I get he wanted some of my macarons but why trip up a child?! Worst part is I'm positive there would've been enough for him if he waited his turn!" Joy weaved between Navia's words as she couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of her story, clearly fond of the antics.

Furina turned her head to giggle into her hand, before opening her mouth to respond. "Your baking is delicious, Navia! I can't blame him for wanting to be there first! I'd.." She trailed off after turning back to face the blonde.

Navia was staring at Furina with her mouth open and a look of pure shock on her face.

"... what.?"

Furina's voice was suddenly small and hesitant. She felt all too cornered. Had she said something wrong? Panic was itching at her throat as she picked the seams of her glove.

"Your hair! You cut your hair!"

Ah.

That.
Furina had forgotten about that.

The majority of her hair was currently pooled on her bathroom floor. She cut it off in a daze only minutes before she left her house. The former archon rubbed at the back of her newly cold neck, feeling the choppy hair pricking her fingers through her glove.

Finally sensing the tense air, Navia frantically started waving her hands around. "It looks good! You look nice it suits you! I swear you look super pretty with short hair, well, you always look pretty!-".

Navia cut herself off, a subtle blush settling on her cheeks as she realised she admitted to thinking Furina was pretty. The smaller woman locked eyes with her, shock etched onto her features.

The blonde felt her nerves plucking at her skin, turning away from the table.

"Well, would you look at that! I didn't even realise how late it had gotten!" A forced laugh interrupted her sentence. "The Spina probably need me back at Poisson. It was so lovely to catch up but I should get going, see you later Furina!"

And just like that, Navia had gotten up and all but ran away from the café, speeding off in the direction of the Spina de Rosula's boat.

In shock, Furina watched Navia run away from her. Once there was enough distance between them, Furina allowed herself to sink her head into her hands. She pulled at her hair until it stung, beads of tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Why hadn't she said anything? Why did she get so defensive the moment Navia looked shocked? Why couldn't she act like a normal person? Why couldn't she stop scaring people off? Was she really meant to be alone for the rest of her miserable mortal life? Is that what Focalors wanted for her?

Questions swarmed her mind, blaming herself for making Navia so uncomfortable that she had to leave so suddenly, completely missing the mentioned woman's compliments and blush.

The other patrons of the café had all left earlier it seemed, so now Furina sat alone. How familiar.

She indulged in her anger and sorrow, slamming a fist onto the table. Pain bloomed inside her hand as the empty dishes shook under her force. She couldn't find it in herself to care if others saw her little tantrum, the public could think no less of her already. Furina felt so stupid. She roughly pushed her chair out from under the table and abruptly stood up.

A small soft thunk interrupted her spiral.

Navia's umbrella. She must have forgotten it in her rush to get away from Furina.

The latter let out a shaky breath at the thought, before gathering all their dishes, leaving them on the café's counter for the morning employee, and grabbing Navia's umbrella from where it lay, knocked over on the ground.

Furina didn't want to inconvenience the blonde even more than she already had, so she set out towards the aquabus to return the umbrella to its owner. Hopefully as discrete as possible to avoid any conversations the two might have.

Furina hoped this would go smoothly.

Chapter Text

Furina hesitantly stepped onto the wooden path that led into Poisson, umbrella hanging off her arm. She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, before beginning to walk towards the ship Navia stayed in.

She was lucky it was late, most residents having head to sleep for the night meant less disgusted stares to deal with. Not everyone had tucked in for the night though, those still outside ceasing all conversations to watch Furina's every move.

She felt the scorching spotlight on her skin once more as the only sound carrying through Poisson were the floorboards creaking under her every step, accompanied by the not so hushed whispers from bystanders.

Furina could feel every eye on her, every sneer and frown, every ounce of hatred seeping from each individual.

She quickened her pace.

A separate pair of footsteps matched her pace and came up to her. Furina began to turn her head towards the person before

Whack.

Pain blossomed underneath her cheek, sticky warmth flowing from her nose. A sharp ache stung her wrist.

Thud.

The force of the punch sent Furina falling to the ground with a groan, staring up at her attacker. It was an angry man holding Navia's umbrella, pulled from Furina's grasp. She tried to stand, only for the man to kick her arm, making her fall awkwardly onto her shoulder.

She subconsciously summoned the Salon Solitaire upon impact, and they seemed to shock the assailant, getting in a few hits, but he quickly opened Navia's umbrella and shot at each member.

The gunshots sang out in an almost deafening ring. The man was yelling at her yet she couldn't hear him over the insistent ringing. His face was warped with rage and grief, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. His gestures grew frantic and even more violent as he stood above Furina.

Drained of energy, the former archon couldn't summon her Salon, leaving her to face the erratic man alone. She looked around to the other residents, pleading, begging for help, but they all either turned away or watched on in support. No one moved a muscle.

In a last ditch effort, Furina reached for her sword that Clorinde insisted she carry at all times, and pointed it at the man.

"Please.. please don't do this.."

Her voice was small, barely audible, but pleading, tone drenched in sorrow.

The man halted his movements.

"Please? That's it? You know what my wife said to me before she died, before YOU killed her?! She said she was SCARED. WHERE WAS HER PITY? Is your solution to every problem to kill us? Why do YOU get to live peacefully when she doesn't? Go ahead, O'Mighty Archon. Reunite me with my beloved."

His voice was hoarse, brimming with emotion. The man stepped towards her blade, pressing it into his skin.

Furina faltered. Her sword shook in her unreliable grip. Her bloodstained hand. Perhaps she did deserve this, why should she live when so many died at her hand?

The man used the umbrella to smack the sword out of her hand, leaving her completely vulnerable.

He stepped on her wrist, Furina crying out at the pressure, and opened the umbrella once more. He aimed the gun feature right between her mismatched eyes, finger on the trigger.

Her breath was shallow and quick, panicking, paralysed in fear, just like that fated night with Arlecchino.

A swift sound tore through the air, colliding with the umbrella. It shot on impact, barely missing Furina's cheek and instead splintering the wood next to her.

Navia's claymore was lodged in the stone to her left, being the weapon which disrupted the path of the bullet. Furina sighed in relief at the idea that she was saved.

The usually sweet voice, now rugged and harsh, yelled towards the man.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!"

In one swift, furious motion, Navia pulled her claymore smoothly out of the rock and used it to push Furina's assaulter far enough away for Navia to stand as a barrier between the two.

Two Spina de Rosula members who followed Navia quickly restrained the man.

"Take him to the Gardes!"

Once Navia turned around and laid eyes on Furina, she called out to the members once again.

"Get Sigewinne! Quickly!"

With the commotion of the Spina's leader's entrance, all that were outside rushed into their homes.

The blonde hurried to kneel next to Furina, leaning over her and filling her line of sight with her terrified expression.

"I came as soon as I heard the gunshots, Furina what happened?! Are you okay, oh of course you aren't! Where are you hurt?"

The flood of questions and concerns were too much for Furina's muddled mind. She knew she'd be safe with Navia so she let her eyes fall before she passed out. The last thing she heard was "hey wait! No please!-"

Chapter Text

Furina's vision was dark, she felt more like a throbbing bruise than a person. There was a warmth around her, wrapped around her protectively and gently rocking her from what she could tell.

She attempted to peel her eyes open to take in her surroundings, only to wince at the bright lantern lights assaulting her retinas the second she got them a sliver open.

"Furina? Hey, hey, that's it! Come on, come back to me!"

It was a faint voice, Furina barely processed the words. The voice was like a ripple, tearing through the haziness of her mind.

Feeling more lucid, the woman finally managed to keep her eyes open. The previously blinding lights had been dimmed to a comfortable glow. Furina moved to take in her surroundings but winced in pain as the shuffling only brought her discomfort.

Strong arms squeeze her lower torso in a response.

Wait.

Arms? Around her torso?

Furina realises fast that her back is pressed against Navia's chest, with Navia's legs on either side of her own.

"Ah..huh?"

The former archon can't help but voice her confusion through some inaudible noises, heaven knows that if she tried to make any sentences about her current predicament her voice would fail her.

"Oh, right." Navia gives a gentle squeeze to Furina once more before continuing her sentence.

"You passed out. You were bleeding a lot from your nose so we, well, I, didn't think it was a good idea to lay you down. At least until Sigewinne gets here"

Thinking about it now, Furina is in a very relaxed position in comparison to Navia. She's practically lounging across the latter. Having no energy to get embarrassed and refute the physical attention just yet, Furina lay her head back on the Spina's leader's shoulder.

"How long was I out?"

"Around half an hour I'd say. You certainly gave me a fright! I had to carry you from the boardwalk to my spare room." Navia chuckled at the end of her sentence, trying to mask her fear.

Furina turned her gaze towards her lap, tears welling up in her eyes as she hesitantly voiced an apology.

"I'm truly sorry I caused you such a hassle."

Navia opened her mouth in rebuttal, but no words came out. She was shocked and speechless. At the lack of response, Furina began to shuffle out of the taller woman's grip, sitting next to her instead. Navia let her but was very clearly disheartened at the look of dejection and shame on the smaller woman's face. She wanted nothing more than to tell her 'It would never be a hassle to me, never!' But before she could speak her mind, the short Melusine doctor walked into the room.

She bounced over to Furina immediately, looking over her intently. The silence between the 3 girls was only interrupted by soft hums from Sigewinne, or harsh gasps from Furina whenever a painful spot was prodded at too much.

Sigewinne stepped back to look at the former archon.

"Well, it's nothing life-threatening! You do seem to have a broken nose and sprained wrist, however. I'll have to realign your nose now before the cartilage heals itself. I'll give you an injection to numb it a bit but there's a chance you'll feel some of the pain."

Furina didn't know what to say. She had seen many broken bones in her lifetime, but her curse of immortality prevented her from getting even the smallest scrape. She silently grabbed Navia's hand and nodded toward Sigewinne, who already had the injection ready.

"Don't worry, the injection won't hurt at all!" She gave a gentle smile, but Furina wasn't in a state to appreciate it.

She was right, it didn't hurt in the slightest, just a small prick on her skin and then some stinging that followed, but Furina had worse pain to deal with right now.

"That'll take a few minutes to kick in, would you mind taking your coat off so I can see your bruises?" It was asked as a question, but they both knew for her safety it would happen regardless.

After taking off the jacket and beginning to open her waistcoat, Furina became acutely aware of the other woman's presence. Suddenly pulling the waistcoat closed again, she asked Navia to please wait outside, to which the blonde nodded and left the room, standing outside the door if she was needed.

Now that it was just doctor and patient, Furina shrugged off her waistcoat and shirt, leaving her in just her tank top and shorts. A nasty dark purple bruise spread along her upper arm, no doubt from the kick. Sigewinne opened her travel bag at the sight of it to start making an ointment.

"So.. you said this isn't life-threatening?"

"Mhm! It's definitely painful but you'd be okay even if I wasn't here!" Her pestle ground against the mortar.

"Well then... Why did I faint? Navia said I was out for 30 minutes! Am I.. really that weak?" Furina's voice trailed off as she felt the familiar stinging behind her eyes.

Sigewinne finished the ointment before responding, beginning to apply it as she thought of what to say.

"I wouldn’t say that! Everyone has different pain levels, and there were probably a bunch of different factors for it! You must've been stressed so when you were finally safe, your body shut down to regain energy!"

She put the mortar and pestle down before continuing.

"Your immortality, were you ever able to be injured when you had it?"

Furina shook her head slightly.

"Well, that's what it is! You're so unfamiliar with pain that your body doesn't know how to process it! Most humans grow up with small doses of pain here and there, so while others could have a different reaction, that's just because their bodies know how to handle it! It'll take you some time to adjust, but it's very normal for your case I'd say!"

Sigewinne took out a soft bandage and began to wrap Furina's ointment-covered arm with care, before helping her manoeuvre back into her shirt.

"So, I'm not weak.?"

The voice was so timid, Sigewinne would've surely missed it if she wasn't helping the woman button her shirt. She took Furina's hand in hers before speaking.

"You're the strongest person in all of Fontaine, silly!" It sounded teasing, but warmth and comfort leaked from every word that Furina couldn't help but cry. The Melusine held her hand for a while longer, squeezing occasionally in support.

A knock on the door interrupted the gentle moment.

"Hello? Is everything okay in there?"

Sigewinne looked to Furina, who was now wiping her eyes, for approval, and once it was granted she hopped over to the door that separated them and invited Navia in, who quickly rushed to sit next to the patient.

"The injection should be in effect now! This might hurt a little but it'll be over soon, I promise! Try to stay still, please."

Before she had to ask, Navia settled one arm around her shoulders and used the other to hold Furina's good hand. She whispered words of encouragement as the Melusine doctor stood on the bed and placed her two hands on either side of the former archon's nose.

"Should we do a countdown or-"

Navia was cut off by the cracking of cartilage moving. Bubbles formed and popped rapidly around the former archon as she yelled in pain, quickly bursting into tears before Sigewinne put a bandage with some metal woven inside it onto the freshly broken nose. The metal was to ensure the cartilage would heal the correct way.

"You did it! It's all done now, you did amazing, Furi!"

Furina buried her head into the crook of Navia's neck as comfortably as she could, unable to process the nickname. Sigewinne took Furina's sprained wrist and wrapped it in some bandages and a wrist brace, listing care instructions Furina couldn't hear.

The blonde was now running her fingers through the shorter woman's white and blue hair in a comforting motion, hanging on every word the nurse had told her.

"-ou said it happened here, yes?"

"Yeah, not too far from the ship."

"Well I think it would be safer to-"

Furina caught a few bits of sentences, but couldn't make heads or tails of them.

A little while later, Navia handed the injured woman some medicine and water, the Melusine having left already to return to the fortress of Meropide.

Not having to be told twice, Furina gulped the water followed by the pills and stood from the bed. Navia followed, much to the former's surprise.

"I've got a boat ready to take us back to the court! Let's go."

Then, without warning, Navia picked up a blushing Furina and headed towards the ship.

"That medicine you took will make you super drowsy, I don't want to risk you getting hurt even more, madame." Navia winked at the last word.

The boat ride was uneventful, and before long they were back walking again, this time with Furina on Navia's back, per her request.

Warmth bloomed throughout her body as Navia trotted towards her residence, but unlike earlier, this warmth was greatly welcomed. She was lucky they were covered in the blanket of night, or else who knows what the media would do with this image.

The smaller woman inhaled Navia's scent and sighed in relaxation. Maybe tonight's events weren't the worst thing in the world.

Chapter Text

The gentle rocking of each step taken almost lulled Furina to sleep, yet her nerves disobeyed her tired body and didn't let her rest.

Before long, the two women reached their destination, prompting Furina to get off Navia's back and root around in her pockets for her keys.

"Thank you for accompanying me here, truly, but you can return to Poisson now, I'll be okay." Her voice was tired, but she finished the sentence with a smile.

"I'm staying here with you."

There was no room for argument in her tone, just pure determination. Furina opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish, looking for a response only to end up silently unlocking the door and allowing them both inside, locking it behind them.

"Sorry it's so messy I... can we sit down for a second?" Forgetting her small talk, Furina asked what was on her mind with no hesitation.

Navia nodded, leading the two to the plush couch positioned against the wall.

Before she could voice her confusion, Navia spoke up to explain herself.

"I'm being pushy, I know, and I'm truly sorry for that! But Sigewinne thought it best if you had someone monitor you to make sure you react well to the medicine! She said it might be too strong for you and.." Navia inhaled quickly to calm herself before continuing.

"To be honest, even if you were okay, and even if Sigewinne hadn't recommended me to stay here, I'd still be here. Furina that... that was so scary. I just heard some gunshots and then..."

She broke into tears.

"I saw you on the ground. You looked so small and lifeless, it was terrifying! Watching you pass out, covered in blood, YOUR blood, and I couldn't do anything about it! I hated every minute of it! I felt so... so helpless, it was awful!"

A shuddering breath interrupted her spiel.

"If only I hadn't been so forgetful then this never would've happened! And I'm making everything about me when I should be comforting you! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry this happened, and I'm sorry for making this about me! Please forget what I said. But.. I'm staying the night, I have to."

Navia was out of breath. Her mascara was running down her face and was smudged onto her hands where she tried to wipe away the onslaught of tears.

Furina was.. speechless, to say the least. She didn't know how to comfort the taller woman, still reeling in the show of genuine care and concern.

"I... okay"

She spoke without realising, the sentence drifting across the somber air between them. Dedicated to the accidental move, Furina continued.

"I have some clothes Clorinde left the last time she stayed over, you should wear those"

The injured woman feared Navia would be upset at her lack of response, but was only greeted with a warm smile, tears twinkling in her eyes making the blonde look absolutely ethereal.

Furina stood from the couch the moment she felt her cheeks being dusted with pink, reaching her hand towards Navia in the form of a question. Standing up herself, the two walked towards the only bedroom in the apartment with Furina leading.

They didn't say much, and they didn't have to. Navia took the neatly folded clothes from Furina's vanity chair, which she presumed were kept ready should Clorinde ever want them back, and headed towards the en suite bathroom to change. The pyjamas were soft. Well worn but smooth to the touch, smelling like both Furina and Clorinde. The scents of her two favourite people lingered around Navia, bringing an immediate sense of comfort.

Before long, the blonde was knocking on the door, questioning if she was able to come out. The answer she was awaiting came in the form of a gentle hum, almost silent.

The sight before her was not one she expected, however she couldn't say it was unwanted. Furina stood with her back to the door, in her pyjama shorts and bra.

"I just.." she took a shuddering breath. "I can't get my top on."

The humiliation was practically pouring off the woman in waves. She picked at the stitching of the top she held in her hands, growing more and more uncomfortable in the stretch of silence.

Navia felt frozen. Her eyes glued onto the blotching bruises that adorned Furina's porcelain skin. It was wrong, so unbelievably wrong to see such violent marks upon her blemish-free complexion. However, the woman she watched shrunk in on herself, catching Navia's attention once more.

Walking over silently, feet gently padding across the floor, Navia took the nightshirt out of Furina's hands. She helped her into the oversized t-shirt, perhaps Clorinde's, with touch so gentle Furina could have cried.

Navia's soft fingers ghosted over her skin, lingering long enough to make the other yearn for more. With her help, Furina slipped into the t-shirt with minimal pain, and a welcomed warmth spreading through her chest.

Something had changed between them today. Something unspoken but something special. Touches that lasted moments too long, glances shared of concern.

Navia slipped her fingers into Furina's good hand and guided her to the shorter woman's bed. They both lay down beneath the covers, indulging in each other's shared warmth. The bed wasn't big enough for them to both stretch out comfortably, but it never crossed either of their minds.

Navia didn't have to be invited to share the bed to know that both women needed to have the other right across from them.

It took some shuffling, uncomfortable shifting and painful groans before Furina could comfortably relax. She rested her head atop the other woman's chest, the steady thrumming of her heart served as the world's sweetest lullaby. Navia kept both arms around Furina's injured frame, delicate and hesitant to not touch a sore spot, but encompassing and protective to let Furina know she was safe. That nothing would happen like that again.

"...Navia?"

A whisper interrupted the silence of the late night hours. The mentioned woman hummed in response.

"It's not your fault. I'll never blame you for it so please don't blame yourself on my behalf. You saved me, but you also did everything to help me, and.. and to support me. Thank you, Navia, you made this bad night have a pleasant end, I'm glad you're here with me."

She couldn't respond. Navia knew her voice would betray her should she try and reply. She squeezed Furina to show she was still awake, that she heard every word, and the other woman just nuzzled her head further into Navia's chest, content.

Navia pressed a delicate kiss onto Furina's hair. Hoping to convey her feelings of love and gratitude in the motion.

"I'm glad I'm here too."

They were both exhausted, falling asleep only moments after they finished their sentences, wrapped in each other's warm embrace. Something had changed between them. Something for the better.