Chapter Text
“Watch out!”
Susie’s voice carried clearly across the hallway as a Frisbee of sorts flew just past Kris’ head. It clattered to the ground next to their feet, quickly scooped up and thrown back to Susie. It was early morning but Kris’ parents were already up and about so there was no worry about noise complaints or being told to calm down.
She kept getting glimpses of Kris’ stupid little face grinning wide as they threw the Frisbee between them, occasionally hitting the walls or the floor or the ceiling. Their cheeks pulled up toward their eyes, a deep scarlet hue, soft skin showing just how vulnerable their species was. Not that Susie had ever met any other humans. Ever.
It was an interesting feeling, the twirling in her stomach, like something good had gotten in and was sitting there in a cozy little sunspot. And the way her throat closed when they smiled at her in that stupid sheepish way they did. Their smirk whenever they fought together. All of it made her insides turn to jelly. Kris was so much smaller than her, their hands could be completely engulfed by just a finger or two of Susie’s.
She wanted to completely ruin their friendship. She knew it would never be the same if they did kiss but the feeling of it was just too good to not imagine.
The Frisbee smacked her square in the face and she roared. It was a good, deep roar, arising from a pit in her belly. Kris came rushing over, a silent fretting bird, the way their hands moved her hair out the way so gently. They signed,
<Wash you up>
Susie’s sign was pretty shoddy, especially with blurry vision and Kris’ movements being so fast, but she understood the gist of what they meant. The way they sped away from her hurt her heart, but their elegance even when not trying was something to be admired. That’s why she was staring so intently at them. Note because she was checking them out.
Putting a hand to her face and checking for blood she laughed,
“Kris! Kris! I’m fine.”
They wouldn’t respond but it felt nice to talk to them anyway, too many people treated them like they couldn’t respond at all. It was weird.
They came back with a wet towel anyway, because of course they did. Secretly, Susie felt so accomplished for being someone that Kris was so eager to take care of, even though she fell so easily into the role of the protector and the tank. Being cared for had a nice warm feeling to it, she could actually relax without having to worry about everyone else’s emotional and physical state. She could just be a teen girl without having to worry about being a soldier for everyone else.
It’s what made her fall for them so easily.
They were such a good friend, they were so funny, so vicious sometimes, and yet they still managed to care for all their friends as though they really did love them. And, from what Susie saw, maybe they liked her most? It was a stupid thought she shot down instantly though. Who knows how the rest of the group would react to that.
With the towel to her face, Kris was signing with one hand. Sorrowful, she looked at them, dismay in every word she said,
“I don’t know what you’re saying, mate”
Kris rolled their eyes and made a face of affection, of course she couldn’t process sign when it was only one handed, what did they expect. Well, they mostly signed for themself, like a mutter under the breath.
They patched her up, it was only a tiny cut, but Kris insisted on the entire process, from disinfecting to dressing. Susie wouldn’t have even bothered looking at it if she were on her own.
They spent the day together, went on an adventure with Ralsei and Noelle just into the forest. There wasn’t much else to do when they were avoiding other creatures, especially adults. Susie came back to Kris’ house again for the night and they spent a bit of time play fighting. Kris always wanted to fight, and Susie couldn’t ever say no to them, it helped she enjoyed the play too.
They wanted her to not use her hands, just to see if she could. And although Kris was strong, they weren’t strong enough to stop her leg from being able to completely pin them down. Kris tapped out, smacking the ground repeatedly, probably as hard as they could. She let them up immediately.
<I- can’t- breathe> they signed intermittently as they gasped for breath.
“I’m so sorry!”
<You’re so much stronger than I remember.>
“Heh… Yeah”
She got off them, sat on the floor cross-legged. Kris came right up to her, noses almost touching. They both leaned into each other, breathing into an almost-kiss.
Susie pushed them away. For some reason unbeknownst to her, she did not think it a good idea to kiss in their room right then. Something about them seemed a bit off. Their movements a bit stiff, every action they made far more calculated. Would it be crazy to say their eyes weren’t always so red? It must be the lighting. No matter, she couldn’t kiss them whilst they were being so weird. Let alone the fact they shouldn’t kiss at all. Everyone would be so mad at them.
They were friends.
“What are you doing?”
Kris’ face changed, it got softer, more human. Their signs were far more flowy, a language that danced through their hands,
<I really care about you Susie. You’re my best friend and I feel very close to you―> Susie’s face turned red, her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Kris’ words were concise for her limited understanding, but they encapsulated more meaning than the actual signs used, <-I want to spend the rest of my life with you in it.
<You’re my best friend.>
Their smile was lopsided, their eyes relaxed and gentle. Everything they were was perfect and Susie knew she’d never find someone as funny and caring and loving as Kris. But the words stung. They came out like they were being fought against. Each word a strategized move, but what was the intention? The repetition of best friend felt purposeful. Did they know about her feelings? Was this a subtle rejection of everything she felt?
Kris was in Susie’s lap, curled up like a dog. She had started playing with their hair absentmindedly. It was soft, smelt like artificial apple, straight with split ends everywhere, a dark auburn colour. Her nails ran through the strands in a repetitive motion, like stroking a dog.