Work Text:
“Good evening, Control.”
Saria gave a small nod as a greeting to the group of researchers. It was never a rare sight to see a group of hardworking, passionate scientists spending days and nights in the laboratory. She had once been one of them. She had poured all her time, energy, and passion into her research, yet it seemed absurd how those efforts had never been shared with the public. They now silently lay in her drawers, rottening and yellowing as the time passed.
The appearance of the new Control at RhineLab, whether in the evening or late at night, had become a common sight for the researchers. Sometimes it was because she needed to retrieve important documents, or perhaps there was an urgent problem that required immediate attention. However, the most frequent reason was to discuss something with her consultant, or to take her home if those scientists were gossipy enough to know about this.
The Vouivre stood in the elevator reserved for Control. Her posture was straight and rigid, her breath so light it seemed as if she barely exhaled. She looked more like a soldier than the head of a scientific company. That was why people still felt a sense of unease when facing her, even though Saria was much friendlier than she had once been.
Looking idly at the floor number appeared on the screen, Saria wondered how Olivia would react seeing her.
She hadn’t informed Olivia, or anyone else, except Ifrit about her arrival at Trimounts. Saria had wanted to surprise Olivia, but she wasn’t sure it would work; Olivia had become much sharper recently. Of course, Saria loved this keen, flexible and independent Olivia, but a small part of her still missed the naive little Liberi from before.
Ding!
The sound pulled her from her wandering thoughts, and there she was, at the floor where the consultant’s office was located. Saria wasn’t surprised to see that almost all the department lights were still on. It was just after 7 p.m, and surely many of the directors at RhineLab were still busy dedicating themselves to their research and experiments.
Saria walked quietly through the lobby, the droning sound of her shoes against the floor echoing in the stillness. The Vouivre stopped in front of a familiar door, frowning when she saw there was no sign of anyone inside. The Defense Section Director had reported that the consultant had returned to the company after attending a public event. And Saria knew Olivia well enough to be sure she wouldn’t leave until midnight, or even stay all night, if necessary, to finish her work.
She stood there, lost in thought, wondering if she should call her. However, Saria quickly dismissed the idea as a place where Olivia might be suddenly came to mind. The sound of footsteps echoed once more, quick and deliberate, carrying a mix of anticipation and worry.
Saria arrived at a greehouse put on the rooftop. This place was primarily built for RhineLab employees to relieve stress and relax; however, only a few of them came here, mostly scientists from the Ecological Department and Muelsyse.
RhineLab employees were impressively intelligent and passionate about their work, to the point that they forgot to eat and sleep. So, asking them to take some time to stroll through the greenhouse was a difficult task. Even though these scientists knew that walking would help clear their minds, to them, stepping away from their experiments for a walk seemed like a complete waste of time.
As expected, no one was at the green house except Saria at that time. Maybe they were still busy diving themselve in the labs or going back home. The Vouivre quickly walked past the rows of lush green plants and went straight to the door on the right. The excitement and anticipation burned quietly in her heart, scorching all the usual attention given to the plants in the greenhouse.
Though eager, Saria didn't immediately open the door. Instead, she carefully adjusted her clothes until she felt she looked presentable, then she began to scan her fingerprints.
Authenticated.
A mechanical voice echoed, and the scanning light turned green. The automatic door swiftly opened, allowing her to step into another room. It also had patches of greenery like the greenhouse, but with fewer plants.
The lights in the room were not as bright as those in the greenhouse; instead, they had a softer, warmer hue. It was soft enough to lure people into a sweet sleep.
It didn't take long for her to walk to a bed hidden behind a group of green plants, or rather, a comfy sofa which was large enough for someone to comfortably lie down and rest.
And on that soft white sofa, there was a little Liberi sleeping peacefully. Her eartufts and eyelashes trembled lightly with each breath. Her breath was very light, as if the slightest sound could easily wake her up.
Olivia looked so tender and unguarded as she fell asleep, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t gentle when she was awake. She just felt that Olivia had to carry a heavy burden on her shoulders, and having to constantly deal with those who had their own agendas made Olivia wrap herself in a tough, sharp shell. The shell was so thick that sometimes, even Saria couldn’t break through it to find the softness that the Liberi had always shown.
Finally, Saria was able to pull her gaze away from her face and begin admiring her today outfit. A long purple dress paired with high boots and a mustard-brown shawl. In the past, Olivia never seemed to wear clothes like this, but since becoming an important figure in the Columbian scientific community and frequently attending press conferences, her fashion style had changed to suit her new circumstances.
Saria always thought to herself that she looked absolutely stunning in such outfits.
This was the first time she had seen this dress. She wondered when Olivia had bought it and whether she had bought it herself or with someone else. The Vouivre suddenly realized that she had never given Olivia any gifts related to clothing.
Perhaps I should plan a shopping trip with her.
Saria thought, eyes wandering to the thing in the Liberi’s arms.
It was a stuffed owl, while her face rested against a plushie looked like Ifrit. The plushie was made by Ifrit herself, saying that it could stay by Olivia’s side and be her emotional support. Meanwhile the owl one was....a sample product from RhineLab business section. Justin had introduced this stuffed toy to her and Olivia, even giving a presentation on its benefits in promoting both RhineLab and the Scientific Ethics Consensus Committee to the public, and how it would bring RhineLab a fortune.
In the end, his idea was rejected, and the stuffed toy ended up becoming the consultant’s body pillow.
Her attention didn't linger on the stuffed animal for long before it shifted to the familiar sleeping face.
Olivia looked so relaxed and peaceful while sleeping. In these moments, she was no longer the prominent figure weighed down by responsibilities and ideals. Instead, Olivia was simply a normal person, letting all her guards down in the comfort of her own space.
Saria wished Olivia could have more moments of serenity like this.
The visible exhaustion lingering on her rosy cheeks made Saria hesitate, unsure whether she should wake Olivia up or not. She was flustered with the choices, unknowingly closing the distance between her and the sleeping Liberi. However, the subtle fragrance from Olivia quickly pulled her out of the dilemma.
She knew this scent. It came from a little-known perfume in the market that she was using. Olivia had once complimented the scent and asked her the name of the perfume. It had only happened a few months ago, yet Saria had completely forgotten. Now, the familiar scent made her feel like Olivia was infused with her scent. That thought quickly turned into a soft feather brushing against Saria’s heart, making it itch unbearably.
At such a close distance, Saria could see the light makeup on her small face. Her cheeks were dusted with a layer of pink blush, her eyelashes were curled, and her lips were coated with a layer of lipstick, which smelled so good.
Will it taste as sweet as the way it smells?
Saria licked her lips, wondering. She wanted to taste it.
She lowered her head, lower and lower. The closer they got, the more alluring the sweet fragrance from her lips became. When they were just an inch apart, Olivia suddenly frowned, her eyelashes trembling lightly as a warning of her awakening.
In that moment, Saria snapped out of her daze. She immediately sat up straight, pretending to tie her hair while her heart beat loudly in her chest. Her whole body felt like it was burning, as if she were sitting on fire. The Vouivre silently hoped that she still looked normal, and if not, that Olivia wouldn’t notice anything odd.
Saria cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound normal. She was thinking what should she say, but when facing those wet amber hues filled with drowsiness, every word on the tip of her tongue suddenly disappeared and her heart quickly melt into a puddle of sweetness.
“Saria?” The consultant dreamily rubbed her eyes, trying to gain back consciousness.
Saria slightly frowned, grabbing her hand to stop her rubbing action. Her incredibly warm skin made Saria pause for a moment, and grabbing strength also faded considerably.
“Hey, don’t rub your eyes.” Her voice sounded so light, as if she were afraid of startling her.
Olivia looked at the figure in front of her. She had took off the lens so her vision was a bit blurry; however, they were close enough for her to see the expression on Saria’s face. And Olivia chose to watch her in silence.
The dreaminess in those amber hues slowly faded away, replaced by a tenderness that felt almost too much to bear. It was this look again, the one Olivia had used on her recently. Soft, knowing and full of quiet emotion. Saria still hadn’t, and perhaps could never, bear it. The weight of it settled like a fragile thing, delicate but unbearable, a gaze that seemed to pierce straight through the walls she had carefully built around herself.
Saria swiftly lowered her hand, trying to redirect her gaze to the Ifrit plushie on the sofa. She felt a tightening in her chest, a rising tide of emotion she couldn’t quite name. If she let herself meet the Liberi’s eyes for even a second longer, she feared that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself. The temptation to reach out, to close the distance between them, and to press her lips to Olivia’s would be so great. The thought alone made her heart race, but she shook it off, not understanding why she had such breaking-borderline thoughts like this.
“Sorry...” Saria quietly said.
Olivia gently shook her head, as if answering Saria’s words, and the familiar, gentle smile appeared on her small face once again.
“You’ve finished all your work?” Saria frowned in surprise.
She knew Olivia was a workaholic, always immersed in her tasks, even sacrificing her sleep just to finish them. Given her position, her workload was often stacked like a mountain, and it was unbelievably rare for her to have such a light day.
“Yeah, a day like this is so rare, isn't it?”
“...”
“When did you come to Trimounts? I didn’t hear anything about your trip.”
The Liberi yawned, glancing at the watch on her wrist.
Hm, a bit sooner than she had expected.
"You already knew I'd be here today, didn't you?" Saria let out a small breath.
"No, I didn't. Why would you think so?"
“If you have this much free time, you’ll come home instead of resting here. And... when you finish your work, knowing I'll be at RhineLab, you always sleep here while waiting for me.” Saria pursed her lips.
Olivia silently regarded her before letting out a soft laugh. Her laughter made Saria feel a flicker of frustration, but at the same time, it soothed all the negative emotions within her. It sounded so sweet and warm.
“It’s not my fault that the military and Maylander are so informative. They thought that something unexpected had happened, causing you to come to Trimounts off-plan. Moreover, it’s also not my fault that you know my habits all too well.”
Saria didn’t respond, merely sighing in disheartenment.
“So what’s the occasion? I don’t remember any meeting or paperwork that’s important enough for you to come here so suddenly.”
The silence hung in the room for so long that most people would have thought Saria didn’t want to answer. But Olivia remained patient, knowing that wasn’t the case. Saria simply needed a little more time to sort through her thoughts and feelings.
“I want...to see you.” Saria uncomfortably scratched her nape, taking a deep breath before finishing the sentence.
Her answer brought a bright smile to Olivia’s face, her amber eyes sparkling like stars themselves. And those stars were so bright, so ethereal that Saria couldn’t bring herself to look directly at them.
“Silence...”
“...” Olivia said nothing, as if she hadn’t heard the helplessness in her voice, or more precisely, as if she hadn’t heard what Saria had called her
“...Olivia”
“Yes?”
“It’s almost 8 p.m and I know you haven’t eaten anything. So, do you want to have dinner with me?”
Saria redirected those stunning stars and their topic of conversation by a simple offer, which was always a move between the control and her consultant.
“Give me five more minutes, and we’ll have dinner." Olivia smiled, clearly not minding her attempt to change the topic.
Then she lazily leaned against Saria, her eyes half-closed as if she were about to drift back to sleep. Her breath danced around Saria’s neck, and the warmth of her body spread through the fabric, making her stiffen. Saria didn’t know where to place her hands, and in a fleeting thought, she felt as if her hands suddenly became so unnecessary.
Olivia could easily notice Saria’s tension and felt a little down by her reaction. The Liberi let out a quiet sigh inwardly. Though reluctant to leave her restful shoulder, she decided to sit up straight. But before she could move any inch, an arm wrapped around her waist, becoming a steady support that allowed her to rest her head more comfortably.
“What do you want for dinner?” Saria turned her head in the other direction as if she were looking at something incredibly interesting.
Olivia completely relaxed into that embrace. She slightly tilted her head but could only see her beautiful white tresses and an adorably flushed ear. The consultant closed her eyes in delight, trying to suppress the desire to stroke her ear.
“How about the Yanese restaurant we visited last time? I’d love to try their dumplings again.”
“Sure.”
Saria answered with a hoarse voice carrying a rare hint of shyness, still not looking at her.
Olivia seemed not to mind her avoidance, even the disappointment earlier was replaced with joyness sparkling in her eyes. The Liberi sighed softly in contentment, then closed her eyes, her head gently nuzzling against Saria's shoulder like a little bird seeking a soft, comfortable perch.
It was so strange how her shoulder felt so much more comfortable and softer than the sofa behind.
“Saria, I forgot to say this.”
“Hm? What is it?” Saria turned her head, finally bringing herself to look at her.
“I miss you.”
The lava hues in her eyes softened, melting into a warm light, like the sun's touch on a winter's day. A smile, delicate and graceful, mingled with her words.
“I miss you too.”