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The first time was completely on a whim. A complete accident.
She had found a bunch of ruffians near the school grounds staying around for far longer than usual. They were punks, low-level thugs, people she could easily take down. Personally, if it were up to her she would've just covered her bruises up and waited for them to heal, wearing sleeves wasn't uncommon and she had plenty of sweaters in her closet that could accommodate her throughout the whole week, months even and faking had always been one of her specialties.
But a certain somebody had seen her.
"Cipher." The voice called out her name. She knew it all too well, the nagging voice that echoed through her ears whenever she was doing something prohibited by school rules.
She looked at her, Hyacine had her hands to her hips, a visible frown apparent on her figure. The top student of her batch was here, worried for her.
"Rosy, hey…" She was in no mood to talk, the fight may have been over with them punks knocked unconscious, but it was still a hazard to let them be by the side of the road. She needed to take them to an alley way or someplace out of the commonfolks way.
And Hyacine could get hurt too, she didn't want to get in trouble with the teachers more than she's already in by getting her involved.
She shook her head in disapproval, as she always did. "Let me take you to the clinic and get you patched up."
Cipher scoffed at the idea, "No way, I still need to get these guys someplace… discreet." She nursed her aching arm, seeing the bruises starting to bloom from her strategically thought through defense as those men punched her arms as she blocked.
"Don't worry about them, I already called the police about thug activity happening near school campus. They'll be arrested soon." She said, her hand already outstretched, an invitation to take her hand and lead her of to recovery.
"Always the diligent child you are, aren't you?" She laughed, "alright then, lets go."
Hyacine smiles and takes her hand, leading her to the clinic. Her hands were warm against hers, it was a strange feeling that bubbled up in her chest that made her retract it from the warmth of Hyacine's hand. She looked at her confused, but says nothing further and continues to lead them both the the clinic.
When the two entered the room she had instructed Cipher to sit on one of the beds. She chose the one closest of the end of the clinic, opting to lay down instead as fatigue began to catch up to her as the adrenaline began to subside.
She hears items being moved around, Hyacine must be rummaging through the nurse stuff to get her the things she needs to make her injuries better. She, in full honesty, would have preferred going home than staying here. Sanitized areas like this clinic gave her the heebeegeebies, she just wasn't used to it at all.
And maybe that was why she felt that way with Hyacine, uncomfortable. A different kind of uncomfortable though, if she had to compare the two, the kind of uncomfortable she felt with Hyacine was one she would rather avoid. She was the kind of person to run away from her problems rather than facing it, but with Hyacine she couldn't. Hyacine's stubborn nature wouldn't allow it.
Maybe she had a really, and I mean really, small soft spot for the girl. There was nothing about her that she could truly hate she was just… too nice.
Feeling the soft patter of feet she knew that Hyacine had found what she had been looking for, her vision had become a blur as her consciousness began to fade. Warmth spread itself across her arms as the pink haired girl worked her way through her body looking for bruises and cuts.
it was… nice.
She hummed a melody she didn't recognize as she worked, like a lullaby it sang her to sleep.
The second time was the same. Completely on accident, totally not because she wanted to go, no, no way.
…Though it would be a lie if she said she didn't linger around for a little while longer.
"Now, how exactly did this happen hm?" Hyacine teased, prodding her bruises with a cotton bud filled with medicine.
She winced, "ah, ah, not too hard please?" Pouting as best as she could as the cotton presses against her would like a thorn on skin.
Hyacine giggles, "Of course, but this is just the usual amount of pressure I use so you'll have to be brave."
"I'm sensitive~" She purred, basking in her touch.
She'd gotten into another fight a week after that last one. It was just petty revenge for what happened to those thugs the other day, didn't think there would be more of them lingering around the area. So right after she fought the crew that came around for her, she went ahead and poked the nest, found out where they were all hiding and reported them to the police.
She laughed to herself, for once the police was to her advantage. She thought she would've never seen the day where she was actively working with the police force. It seems kind of silly really.
Much more sillier than that is that… she decided to go to the clinic. She wasn't sure what it was— why she did so. She just felt like she should and she doesn't in the slightest regret her decision. Being in the office in itself was almost as healing as being bandaged back up, most especially considering the person administering her medication.
She worked well, she knew that already, but she never got a look at her face, never needed to, and she shouldn't have. It feels like mortal sin as she peered over to look at her face, and saw just how focused she was, how her smile never faded even with how badly her wounds were she kept going like it was no big deal.
She was truly something special.
Hyacine finishes up her treatment, smoothing down her dress as she stood up from her seat. "I hope I won't have to see you back in this clinic so soon."
"Awh, you don't like my presence, is that it?" She tried to tease the pink haired girl but to no avail.
"You know that's not why," she tried to hide her smile, but fails to, "I just dont want to see you injured is all. It hurts me to see my friend hurt."
She leans down to Cipher's level, moving a lock of her hair out of the way, "Promise me you wont get into more fights. For me, please?
Her heart raced, can such a light touch really get her flustered so easily?
"I— I have to go." She suddenly stood up, clutching at her chest she moved quickly towards the door.
She felt her heart surge and leap in bounds, she could never fully comprehend it. Why? Why did her touch fill her with such emotions, why a smile pointed at her made her feel like she'd just won a novel prize.
These feelings were too big for even her to comprehend.
The next 2 to 3 visits went past her like a blur. Whizzing through her just as fast as she got out of a sticky situation.
Nothing major happened during those visits, really, nothing.
She just began to see things she never saw before. The way she swayed as she walked, the dimples that appear when she smiles, the twinkle in her eyes as she talked about her 'friend' Ica.
Something about it, about her, that made her want to come back every single time.
Maybe it was her radiant smile that made her want to keep it for herself, keep her gaze only on her, or the big heart she had that made her feel this way.
As time passed visiting her in the clinic on a daily basis became a habit of hers.
She didn't even realize until the 6th visit when a sickly boy who visited the clinic just as often as she did pointed out that she had been acting upon her whims, bringing her things, doing things for her, wanting to see her more.
That was when she gave that feeling a name: she was in love.
Being in love was a pain, she's come to know.
Being around her was almost like she had been struck with something, something that made her more vulnerable, like the sun had burnt through the thick of her clothes leaving her no protection.
She didn't like vulnerability, not in the slightest.
But that day she had to face the music.
It was a completely normal day, as normal as it could be for Cipher who worked a handful of odd jobs every now and then when she needed a pretty penny.
What she needed the money for… is a secret of course! Why would she ever tell?
Until she walked up to her station.
She doubted that she had any intention of being there to see her, no. No one even knew that she was working, not even her own mother who thought that she was busy studying for her upcoming exams in two weeks time. She must've been a lucky little lady in her past life.
"Cipher, what a coincidence!" She greeted her as she propped her arms on the counter, a casual smile had found itself on her lips.
She's never seen her outside of her uniform before, but she looked… really pretty. She shook her head, trying to shake out the ideas that began to form inside of her head.
'It's just clothing,' she thought, 'what about clothing that makes it so interesting?'
But she knew the answer to her own question, if it were Hyacine everything seemed to be interesting.
She laughs as if she weren't nervous in the slightest, "'t really is…" She added, "So what'll it be?"
Hyacine responded without missing a beat, her order came quite simple, curry with extra chili and a side of fries with extra salt and spice.
A shocker to her, she would've thought that the girl would have been more into the sweeter things in life. She asked her that exact same dialogue and she was met with laughter.
"Oh, Cipher," she began, "just because I look sweet doesn't mean my tastes are a match, if its so maybe I should get a side of you two."
She winks, flustering Cipher further, but before she could come up with a proper response she left without another word.
However she had forgotten to bring with her the number for her table. She sighed, cooling her face down, chanting 'you got this!' in her head several times before she left her station, quickly noting just how much time she could allow herself to leave before another customer comes up to the desk.
She spots the pink haired girl sitting at a table with a man, his hair displayed the same color as that of the girl. However he seemed to be much older than she was, she would presume him to be her father.
"Hyacine!" She called out to the girl who immediately looked up, her face beamed as she saw her.
"It seems my side dish came faster than I expected." She said, giggling at her own joke. Her father chuckling alongside her, much to her expense.
"You must be Cipher then?"
"Yes, sir." She wasn't one for formalities but this was Hyacine's father she wanted to make a good impression on him, make him see that she is fit to be his daughter's… His daughter's…
He looks her up and down and smiles, "a hardworking young lass you are. I'm guessing that there in your hand is ours?"
"Yes, sir."
"Thanks, I'll take that off your hands."
What a straightforward family.
She turns to Hyacine who had been staring at her for who knows how long. "You won't tell the faculty will you..?"
She shook her head, "I promise I won't."
Satisfied with her answer Cipher left the two to head back to her station.
She moved past each person quickly, she snuck into the school janitor's closet and took the bouquet of roses she had carefully prepared a little while ago. Nevertheless the roses were still presentable. She'd bought the bouquet using the money she'd saved up from her part time jobs. She needed to do this fast as she didn't want Aglaea to suspect a thing. She loved her mother but she was always too much when it came to things like this.
Soon she was right in front of the clinic, everything about it was familiar yet it made her hands shake. She opened the door with quick haste, scanning the room until her eyes landed on her. Walking up to her she waits a moment till she was looking at her before handing her the bouquet.
"Here," she pushes a bouquet of roses into her arms," for your hard work."
She stood there befuddled, "uhm…" Hyacine stammered out however she doesn't say anything further.
Cipher didn't like where this was going, she began to back away slowly. "Well, that's all I really wanted to do. See ya, Ro—"
Just as Cipher backed out of the clinic Hyacine grabs her arm, wistfully pulling her back inside of the clinic. She gasps for air as the force of gravity takes them both down. The flowers smushed against their chest, she was grateful for the flourist who had cut of each thorn else it would have been a sorry sight.
"You didn't let me finish."
"W-Well, what is there to say..?"
"A lot of things! First of all, thank you for the roses." She paused, "No one's ever given me flowers before…"
Now that must've been a lie, that or Cipher had taken every single bouquet every suitor had placed upon her desk or cubby before she could get to them, then she could at least say she was successful of her operations.
"Second of all, I— I li-love you, I love you too."
Her breath hitches, suddenly the world spins in a way that makes her feel like she was on top of the world, like each page of the story has led up to this moment in time. That everything she had worked for had finally paid off.
"W-Well..?"
"You know what my answer is," she cackles pulling her closer, to which Hyacine let her do so as she pleased, relaxing into her as Cipher wrapped her arms across her body, their thighs intertwined with one another, pressing gently against skin. Then Cipher carefully pressed her lips against her own letting their warmth spread throughout their bodies, slowly they meld into one.
For once the nervous feeling she had felt all this time melted away as she pressed against the girl who made it all possible. To be this close to her, in such an intimate moment. It should have made everything worse, but instead she felt… complete, like a part of her heart had been mended with gentle hands.
Her hands tempted to tangle themselves into her neat hair, ruin it and let everyone know who did it but before they could get any farther the door of the clinic door opened with a light zip. She shot up immediately as she heard the noise but it was all too late.
A chuckle came from the woman at the door, "aha, so this is what you do when you say you need to run to the clinic, hm?"
"A-Agy..!" She sputtered, any excuse could account for her already messy attire however Hyacine's would be any issue. She looked towards the pink haired girl who only sent her a smile when she caught her eye before sheepishly looking down as Aglaea scolded them for being out in the open as they did their business.
Well, she didn't really care much about that, not anymore, not when she was here and she liked her back.