Work Text:
Lux was in her seventh year math class. Which was odd because she was twenty two, but she didn't have time to worry about that now. Math had always been her worst subject and there was a test tomorrow.
The teacher, Lux couldn't remember her name, was talking too fast to keep up with. Lux was frantically writing notes as she tried not to fall behind. Mother would kill her if she got another poor grade.
Suddenly the teacher stopped talking. Lux finished her last note and when she looked up, everyone in the room was staring at her.
"Luxanna?" the teacher said.
Lux opened her mouth but couldn't talk. All she could do was weakly wheeze.
Then she saw the light erupting from her hands. In terror she stuffed them into her pockets, but it was so bright that they shone straight through the fabric.
The others started whispering.
"She's a mage!"
"She's afflicted!"
"I always knew she was weird."
They started standing up from their desks and backing away. Fear and hate swirled around Lux.
She tried to apologize or explain or plead, but nothing came out.
She ran for the door.
"Luxanna, get back here this instant!" her mother shouted.
Lux ran through the halls, hideous light still pouring from her hands. Children and teachers shouted and hid as she passed.
"Luxanna!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she couldn't scream.
"Lux!"
There were guards at the door. They lowered spears and barred the exit.
"Lux!"
Lux woke with half a scream.
She sat bolt upright in bed. Tears clouded her eyes and her heart pounded in her throat.
Rio lightly set her hand on Lux's back and she flinched involuntarily.
Rio withdrew her hand and said, "You were having a nightmare."
Lux's heart gradually slowed as she remembered where she was. She wasn't in school anymore. She wasn't in the city. She was in Terbisia, in her bed, their bed, with Rio.
Lux caught her breath and shakily reached her hand out to Rio.
"I'm okay."
She tried to remember what had happened.
"I was back in school. We were in... math class? And everyone was staring at me, and then my hands..."
A stray tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it and noticed her hands were still shining.
Old habits overtook Lux and she immediately clenched her fists shut. Light streamed out from the cracks in her fingers as she forced the magic back down, like swallowing an apple.
"Nuh-uh," Rio said.
She took Lux's hands and spread them across her cheeks.
"Let it out."
Lux realized what she was doing with a start. She couldn't remember the last time she had suppressed her magic like that.
Like gasping for air, she released the strangle on herself and let the warmth bubble up in her chest. It flowed through her shoulders, down her arms, and out her palms. Slowly the flow increased until Rio's cheeks were see-through orange from the light.
Rio sighed softly and shut her eyes.
"There you are," she said with a sweet smile.
Tears welled up in Lux's eyes again and blurred her vision. She shut her eyes too and leaned her forehead against Rio's.
The tears started to fall through her eyelids. Quiet sobs shook her shoulders. Rio held her hands gently and rubbed her fingers along Lux's wrists.
Rio began to breathe slowly and deliberately, in through her nose, out through her mouth. Lux's breath soon started to match hers, in... and out. In... and out.
Slowly her sobbing stopped and the light dimmed. Lux sniffled and pulled her hands back to wipe her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Rio's waist and pressed her nose into Rio's shoulder.
"Thanks," Lux whispered. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed that.
Rio softly kissed Lux on the head and leaned back in bed. She put her hand around Lux's back, under her shirt. Lux shivered at the touch of her cold fingers, but she just squeezed Rio tighter.
Rio gently rubbed her thumb in little circles on Lux's back until they both fell asleep.
-
The afternoon sun came in speckled patches through the trees. Rio sat on a bit of rubble, keeping an eye on the gaggle of children running around after their classes. They played at the edge of Terbisia, where the forest crept in between the stones.
Luca broke off from the group proudly bearing a mighty stick.
"Rio! Look at this stick!"
Rio nodded appraisingly. "Pretty good."
It was a nice stick. About as long as Luca's arm, not many knots, thick enough to take a few hits. It had a strong bend on one end, giving it a wicked shape.
"It looks like a... oh what's it called?"
Rio gestured at the curve. "You know. The little thing you use to cut wheat."
"Oh, yeah! Like a, uh..."
They thought for a second, then at the same time said, "A sickle!"
Rio chuckled and Luca said, "Ha! Jinx!"
Rio flinched. A whisper clawed at her ear, but she shoved it away before even registering it.
Luca ran off to rejoin the others. Rio followed and resisted the urge to shake her head. She clenched her metal finger into a fist and ignored it.
Luca wielded the sickle and Anna was fending him off with a broken broomstick. Their wooden weapons clacked and the small audience cheered as they dueled. Rio tried to focus on the sound of the fighting as much as she could.
Anna overextended and stumbled, and instead of a clack there was a thwack as the stick slapped her shoulder. She yelped and fell down.
"Mylo, take it easy!" Rio scolded.
Everyone stopped and looked at Rio, confusion written across their faces.
"Who's Mylo?"
Rio frowned. She was getting confused. Mylo stared at her from the crowd of children. Rio shut her eyes and shook her head slightly. She dug her finger deeper into her palm.
"Rio?" Lux's voice cut through the fog.
Rio opened her eyes and looked at Lux, fist still clenched.
"Can you give me a hand with something?" she asked with a slight worry on her brow.
Rio blinked sharply and said, "Yeah, coming."
She jogged over to Lux and let her lead them around the corner.
When they were out of sight, Lux gently asked, "Are you okay?"
"Hm? Yeah I'm fine."
"No you're no-ot," Mylo teased.
"Can it-" Rio stopped when she realized what was happening. "Shit."
Lux knew her too well. She had seen Rio's tells before even she did. Rio leaned against the wall and slid to the ground.
"Good catch," she said with a sigh.
Now that Rio had realized she was having an episode, it was like her fucked-up brain reacted by making it worse. She curled her toes and tried to control her breathing.
Lux sat down next to her. "Can I hold your hand?"
Rio nodded and Lux took her hand, softly squeezing her fingers.
"Tell me what you're hearing," Lux said tenderly.
Rio screwed her eyes shut and tried to focus.
"I hear... it's just whispers... teasing..."
"I can't hear the whispers," Lux said calmly.
"There's clacking, like wooden sticks..."
"I hear the clacking."
Rio shook her head sharply. "I can feel Mylo standing over to me."
"I don't see him."
Rio flinched and clenched her fist again.
"Tell me what else." Lux's voice was smooth and steady. "What can you smell?"
"I smell... fish, blowing up from the river..."
"I smell it too."
"And the air, it's cold."
Rio opened her eyes.
"I can see the clouds... that one looks like a horse."
Lux chuckled. "Yeah, it kinda does."
Slowly Rio's mind calmed down. She kept talking and Lux kept confirming or denying what she could see too.
"I can feel your hand... your heart is beating quickly."
"I'm just worried," Lux said, giving Rio's fingers a squeeze.
"I feel your magic..."
It was warm and soothing, even against her brass finger. Rio leaned her head back against the wall and took a long, deep breath. She counted to five and let it out with a sigh.
"Better?" Lux said with a soft smile.
Rio slid to the left and rested her head on Lux's shoulder. "Better."
Lux still held her hand as she leaned her head on Rio's. They sat and looked out at the clouds over Terbisia for a few minutes.
Eventually there came the sound of a crash, followed by crying and a distant "Riiioooo!"
Rio chuckled lightly and sat up. "Duty calls."
She gave Lux a light kiss on the lips and went to go see what all the crying was about.