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It had begun with a gentle snowfall; large snowflakes slowly meandering their way down to the ground, covering the streets in a dusting of white. But as the hours ticked by, the flakes grew thicker and wetter, the once light snowfall becoming a heavy wet blanket that settled on any and all surfaces across the city.
By sunset, it had begun to weigh down, and instead of the usual notifications going off to alert Royale competitors that the nightly battle zones would soon open up, a flurry of weather warnings came on instead. What began as a yellow earlier in the day had soon progressed into orange and, as of the latest update, a red alert had been issued.
Lebanne had just seen the alert and was about tell Jacinthe that it would be unlikely that they’d activate the battle zones in such weather when another notification came in. The Royale app had called it off for the night, insisting trainers stay safe at home.
“Lady Jacinthe,” Lebanne called towards her room where she was resting before her usual night out battling. “They've canceled the battle zones for tonight due to the cold and snow.”
She could hear rustling followed by her bare footsteps on the carpet, then the sound of curtains being drawn back.
“Oh my, that is a lot of snow.”
“Indeed.”
“It looks like Snowbelle City out there.”
“I don't think it's snowed like this in at least ten years.”
There was a brief pause, the sound of more footsteps, and then the door to Jacinthe's bedroom flew open.
“We should go out and play in it then, if it's so rare.”
Lebanne frowned, crossing her arms. Advisory aside, she knew personally how chilled you could get out in such weather for too long, but clearly Jacinthe didn't know better.
“No, it's a red alert snow. Meaning we should stay inside where it's warm and safe.”
Jacinthe pouted like a child might on being told ‘no,’ which normally, Lebanne might cave upon seeing if she wasn't getting used to it by now. Five months of being her personal maid had made her fully aware that Jacinthe was not used to being told no and would honestly try and charm her way into a yes if at all possible. It was, perhaps not her duty as a maid, but as a sensible adult to withhold this whim from her.
“You will come back with your teeth chattering, your skin dry and cracked, and your body so cold you will fear you'll never be warm again,” she clarified as if the words ‘red alert’ didn't hold enough sway.
Jacinthe let out an exasperated sigh, “Fine, but I'm already rested and was so looking forward to battling tonight. Perhaps we might go down to the ballroom's battle court and play around for a few hours?”
Another chance at beating Jacinthe? Well, as much of a battle addict Jacinthe could be, it wasn't like there was a lack of chances. But if it meant Jacinthe wouldn't sneak outside into the snow, perhaps an evening of battling was in order. It would just be a bonus if Lebanne finally managed to beat her during it.
She was just about to answer— and was merely choosing her words so she sounded “proper” enough about it so she wouldn't get scolded for her previous admonishments— when the lights began to flicker above them.
“What the f-”
“Lebanne! Language!”
But before Jacinthe could scold her further, the lights dimmed before going entirely out. Jacinthe huffed.
“Zut alors, that's never happened before.”
Lebanne frowned. “I assume this hotel has a backup generator, doesn’t it?”
“I would think so. We could call the front desk and ask.”
“Wait, maybe it just takes a certain time to kick on. Here.” She turned the Rotom phone in her hand so the lit screen acted as a flashlight. “Let's sit down before we trip on the furniture.”
She held out a hand towards Jacinthe and was relieved when she placed her dainty hand in it without any fuss. Perhaps if she was poised enough, Jacinthe would forget about her little cursing slip-up…
They settled on the couch in the sitting room and Jacinthe looked towards the window with a frown.
“It's like the whole city's gone dark.”
“If something at the substation got damaged, it probably knocked out at least all of north Lumiose.”
“Still, it's odd; the hotel's power never goes out during storms.”
Lebanne was about to offer some reassurance, certain that such a well-to-do hotel had a working plan for this when a knock sounded from the door.
She looked to Jacinthe, suddenly a bit concerned.
“Well, it must be important so take me with you to answer it.”
Jacinthe held out her hand and Lebanne lifted hers to meet it, once more using the Rotom phone to light the way to their destination.
To their surprise, it was the hotel's general manager and the concierge holding an ample armful of wood logs in the dim auxiliary lights of the hallway.
“Miss Jacinthe, I'm terribly sorry for the delay on reaching out to you. But it seems our generator has been affected by the cold temperatures and barely has enough power to keep the emergency systems and elevators online. We're working to do everything possible to remedy that situation, but until then we wanted to ensure you had ample means to keep yourself warm.”
Jacinthe offered the woman a smile. “My, I suppose at least we have the fireplace in my bedroom to use, but I do worry about everyone staying in the normal rooms.”
“Don't fret, Miss Jacinthe. I've already sent the maids around with extra blankets and I'm certain the city is already working to remedy the larger issue. As always, we strive to handle these circumstances in the most professional way possible.”
“And we’re very thankful for that, Miss Dumas. Lebanne, why don't you help Stew out with that armful so they can get back to attending to the other guests.”
“Of course, Lady Jacinthe.”
She stepped forward and easily took the large bundle of logs from the man.
“Well, I'll let you be off. If there's anything at all I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask. I don't mind waking up the mayor with a midnight call if it’s necessary, you know.”
The manager stifled a knowing smile and gave Jacinthe a polite bow.
“You're too kind as always, Miss Jacinthe.”
“Oh it's nothing. I am merely doing what is my noble duty to look after others less fortunate.”
“But of course. In return, I ask you don't hesitate to call the front desk with any needs. We still have the phone lines and some essentials functional.”
“Duly noted.”
The manager gave one final polite nod and then turned with the concierge to attend to the suite down the hall.
Lebanne shifted the logs in her arms a little so they didn't fall before speaking up.
“I will go and get the fire started for you right away, Lady Jacinthe. We can use the candles from the bathroom as well for some light.”
“Thank you, Lebanne.”
She turned to do so, then remembered how dark the room was without its lighting and hesitated.
“Oh, my Rotom phone is in my waist tie. Go ahead and take it so you can find your way back.”
Jacinthe turned in the doorway and reached out to slide the phone from where it rested near Lebanne's hip. Then she gave Lebanne a look she was beginning to learn was a precursor to being reprimanded for something.
“And let you walk back in the dark and blunder into stubbing your toes or bruising your legs? Here, let me lead the way with the light.”
As Lebanne was learning, for all Jacinthe's talk about helping others, she did often take initiative when needed to assist, even if it was something most rich people would deem beneath them to do.
But even so, the next words out of Jacinthe's lips surprised her a lot.
“Once you get the fireplace settled and the candles lit, let's get changed into our nightgown and pajamas and have ourselves a little sleepover.”
“A-A sleepover?”
“Did you think I would expect you to go sit in the dark and cold? If the lights don't come back soon, I expect you to share my bed so you're in the warmth of the room with the fireplace.”
The idea, quite honestly, made Lebanne's mind short-circuit. The idea of a rich lady such as Jacinthe, inviting her help into her bed didn't compute. Well, it did and it didn't, Lebanne thought with a blush she was thankful wasn't visible in the dark.
But the fact was, without certain intentions, the idea was preposterous.
“I won't take no for an answer, so you might as well keep pace,” Jacinthe said, having clearly noticed Lebanne had paused.
Lebanne hoped her voice wasn't as shaky as her thoughts and took as quiet a breath as possible before responding.
“I-If you insist, Lady Jacinthe.”
“I do.”
Well, Lebanne thought, that was that.
It wasn't that she was shy— she'd certainly shared beds before when the temperatures dipped low and the shitty heaters weren't working— but for some reason the idea of doing so with Jacinthe made something strange twist in her gut.
It was an odd mix of confusion and something like excitement, not that she would ever name it such.
And as she followed Jacinthe into her bedroom, for some silly reason she wasn't going to think any more about than she had to, that feeling became less confused and more… unnameable.
Inwardly, she prayed the lights would come back on soon.
But deep, deep down, she kind of hoped they wouldn't just yet.
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Once everything was in place— candles lit, fireplace flickering, pajamas on— Lebanne couldn't shake the feeling that it looked more romantic than anything else.
It wasn't their attire. Jacinthe's nightgown looked more like a simple fairytale princess gown in lavender, while Lebanne had a long sleeved silk top with matching pants (one of the many supposed “necessities” Jacinthe had bought for her early on). But Lebanne decided the room felt oddly warm given the lack of electrical heating.
Perhaps it was just her own thoughts going haywire, because Jacinthe sat happily on the edge of the bed facing the fireplace and patted the spot next to her like nothing was amiss.
Lebanne sighed, picking up the comforter from where it laid on the floor, and gently she draped it over Jacinthe's lap.
“You might not feel the need yet, but once the heat in the room dissipates some you'll be wanting that.”
An odd expression flickered across Jacinthe's face, as if she was surprised by the thoughtfulness, but it was hidden away by a “proper” smile almost immediately.
“Well then, you'd best get under it as well. I can't have you getting sick on me.”
It was gentle scolding, perhaps, a bit playful in tone. At that, Lebanne rubbed her forehead, suspecting that the stress of the situation was taking a toll on her perception of things.
“Oh see, you've already got a headache,” Jacinthe noted. “Come, sit down.”
Not about to explain that there was no headache, but that she was having weird thoughts, Lebanne settled on the far end of the bed and placed her hands in her lap. Jacinthe politely cleared her throat and held up a corner of the comforter.
Lebanne blinked. Well, she couldn't turn down the thoughtfulness now that it had been directed back at her, even if the idea of scooting in closer to Jacinthe made her a little nervous.
Why it made her nervous, she wasn't about to address at this moment, but she knew it had to do with the fact her boss was a beautiful woman who wasn't remotely as terrible as others made her out to be.
Yes, she could be a lot at times, but at quiet moments like this where she was basically instructing Lebanne to take care of herself, Lebanne found she couldn't help but feel a little fond. In the months since they'd met, Jacinthe seemed to have realized that Lebanne wasn't exactly concerned with her own well-being at times. So used to doing without, and knowing of plenty others that were worse off than herself, Lebanne had grown up not asking for much.
Jacinthe had forcefully changed that. She'd excuse it as “necessary to have the best maid possible,” but Lebanne could see through the ruse. And so everything— from silk pajamas far out of Lebanne's usual price range, to her first Rotom phone, to her own gender presentation and new name— had been taken care of by Jacinthe.
That's just who Jacinthe was. Stubborn, but kind, willing to be heavy-handed about help when she knew the person receiving it would modestly decline it otherwise. It was as if she knew deep down they wanted it but were too humble or afraid to ask for it.
Lebanne's old gang friends had joked that it was as if she'd acquired a sugar daddy, but outside of her role as personal maid, Jacinthe never asked for anything else. And the few times Lebanne had given something not required of her— such as a Christmas gift and some reassurance after a Royale loss— Jacinthe had seemed almost shocked she'd even been considered.
Some pair they were, Lebanne thought to herself. One too afraid to ask for anything and another always surprised on receiving anything without requesting it. There was probably some deeper meaning in there, but Lebanne promptly stopped before her thoughts delved into it.
And so, they sat in awkward silence, maybe three feet apart and sharing the same comforter over their laps.
She contemplated what subject to bring up, but honestly outside of Pokemon battles it was hard to pinpoint a topic that Jacinthe would be interested in. Lebanne figured it would continue like this until the lights came back on, but to her surprise Jacinthe spoke up first.
“So, are you a little cold too?”
Lebanne blinked. It was getting a tad colder, but not so much that she was uncomfortable. Then again, Jacinthe's nightgown didn't have long sleeves like Lebanne's pajamas did, and at that realization she about bolted up to go see if she could make the fire any bigger.
She added a few logs, prodded it a few times, and then once satisfied, turned back towards Jacinthe.
“Okay, just a second, let me fix this.”
As quickly as possible, she picked the comforter up and then draped it around Jacinthe's shoulders, bundling her inside of it.
“There. That should help some.”
Jacinthe giggled, clutching the blanket around herself.
“I feel like a child playing hide-n-seek.”
Lebanne felt the hint of a smile tug at her lips, but it came up short the moment Jacinthe continued.
“But surely you'll get cold as well, so we must share.”
She paused, the weird thoughts in her mind stirring up from where she'd buried them.
“Come on, I won't bite,” Jacinthe remarked, holding the blanket open on one side invitingly.
All protests died on Lebanne's lips the moment she realized Jacinthe would probably keep the blanket open until she relented. The only way to ensure she stayed warm would be to share it with her.
The fact was, whether she wanted to think about the reasons behind it or not, she was worried about Jacinthe staying properly warm. She had experience before in winter storms having to get by without a working heater, she knew how bad it could get. Jacinthe, on the other hand, was unaware and could get dangerously chilled before even noticing something was wrong.
It meant it was up to Lebanne to keep her safe.
“My dear Lebanne,” she tried, using that silly pet name she had taken to using for her. “Please. If I'm cold you surely are as well, no?”
Lebanne caved.
She threw all her reservations away and closed the distance between them, settling at Jacinthe's side.
And as Jacinthe let the comforter fall around her shoulders, Lebanne let herself relax into that little pocket of warmth. The two of them sharing a hesitant smile before they let their shoulders bump into one another.
Maybe, Lebanne thought, this wouldn't be so bad after all.
.𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ .𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁.𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .
According to her dimmed Rotom phone, roughly two hours had gone past.
Jacinthe had taken up the majority of that time trying to figure out a way to make sure all the other guests were warm enough, finally settling on paying to upgrade all of those in rooms without a fireplace to one of the open suites or executive rooms. As it was winter, they thankfully weren't as busy as they could be and the hotel manager insisted it wasn't necessary for Jacinthe to pay for such a thing as she would do the upgrading for free. Still, Jacinthe made it clear that once the power was back, she would pay for everyone in the building be they guest or staff to get a warm room service meal.
Jacinthe had just finished talking with the front desk and Lebanne could tell she was getting tired.
“Do you want to try and sleep?” she asked once she got off the phone.
Jacinthe gave her a look, one that meant she was missing something important.
“They've already begun to move everyone to somewhere warmer, and the last of their supply of firewood has been distributed. I think you've done all you can.”
She sighed, then leaned over to bump shoulders with Lebanne.
“I suppose you are correct. I just feel like I haven't done enough.”
“Unfortunately, even calling the mayor this late doesn't enable crews to fix the damage at the electrical substation any quicker.”
“I still cannot believe he was sleeping at a time like this when his city needs him. In his mansion with a working generator at that! If he lived closer, I'd go over there and unplug it just to give him a taste of what his people are dealing with.”
She held back an amused smile, knowing Jacinthe would seriously do that despite the weather if he did.
“But I must admit, without a Battle Zone to keep me awake, I do tire after this late at night.”
Lebanne shifted, ready to get up and get settled under the comforter a more normal way, when Jacinthe's hand on her forearm stopped her.
“Still, I should probably stay up just a bit longer in case something happens.”
“Lady Jacinthe,” Lebanne said, trying not to sound too scolding. “I fear you will regret that in the morning.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get the words out, a yawn overtook her.
After it finished, she spoke. “I suppose, I should at least rest my eyes.”
Lebanne held back a chuckle, then stood up and gestured to Jacinthe to follow suit.
The moment the comforter fell away, she could feel the excess chill to the room. Perhaps since they'd been cuddled up so close to the fireplace it had skewed her perception? But for some reason Lebanne had felt pleasantly warm the entire time.
Now, with only one log left for the fire and who knew how many hours before the power might return, a real dilemma occurred to her. If they went to bed, they needed some way to maintain that warmth.
“Is something the matter? You look worried,” Jacinthe noted.
“We only have one log left. I suppose we could have some of our Pokemon come out for warmth…”
Jacinthe frowned. “I thought we concluded they'd be warmest in their poke balls by the fireplace.”
They had. In fact, it had taken them at least thirty minutes and some minor Rotom phone usage to verify that the technology for the balls kept them temperature controlled in ideal environments. Jacinthe had still insisted they place them on the mantle just in case.
Lebanne frowned. She'd just have to lay it out for her. Surely, she would see reason, right?
“To maintain our warmth, we will need something once the fire goes out. Cuddling with another warm body is ideal, but…”
“Well, I don't want to have any of our Pokemon uncomfortable for my sake, do you?”
“No, but…”
“Well, that settles it then. We'll simply have to do without.”
“Lady Jacinthe.”
She looked to her. “Yes?”
“There is another option,” she said, forcing the words out.
Jacinthe brightened. “Well, that solves the matter then. We simply must go that route.”
Lebanne sighed and ran a hand up through her bangs. She wasn't sure why this was so awkward all of a sudden. It wasn't like she hadn't spent winters sharing beds with her fellow gang members since their heater was a piece of shit that often blew out. Surely she could handle this.
“It will require us to lie as close together as possible,” she managed, certain she had to be bright red.
Jacinthe's eyebrows went up in surprise. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
It fell into an awkward silence between them. To Lebanne's surprise, it was Jacinthe who broke it.
“Um… we are both adults and I think we can definitely maintain a level of…decorum given the circumstances.”
Perhaps it was the nerves, or perhaps it was the use of the word ‘decorum’ at a time like this, but Lebanne barely held back a snort; then before she knew it, she was stifling laughter.
Jacinthe gently swatted her arm, her own silent laughter clearly written in the crinkle of her eyes and the failed attempts at holding back a smile.
“Oh hush,” she finally managed. “I'm merely saying that we're both proper ladies so this should not be an issue.”
Lebanne paused, suddenly a bit uncertain for another reason. But before she could even express her concern, Jacinthe had locked eyes with her and placed a gentle hand on her arm.
“You are a proper lady, Lebanne. You can be improper at times and use atrocious language, but that in no way lessens the fact you are a lady.”
She blinked, momentarily stunned. Then, after a moment, she felt a wave of assurance wash over her.
“Uh… thanks,” Lebanne managed, unsure what else she could even say.
“I will respect your boundaries. If you truly feel uncomfortable, just say the word. But I trust myself to you every day in so many ways, I know you will treat me with proper care and respect. You always have.”
Perhaps it was that reassurance that she was accepted, even as she was, that was the last straw of resistance she had. Or perhaps it was the fact she truly, deep down, did not want Jacinthe to suffer the cold if she could do anything to prevent it. But all her reservations melted away and she was left with only a strong urge to protect the woman who stood before her.
“Go ahead and get comfortable, I'll be right back.”
Jacinthe blinked. “Where are you going?”
“I'm gonna strip the blankets off my bed and bring them in here. That should help.”
She stooped and picked up the fallen comforter before giving Lebanne a smile.
“Okay. Don't be long. I hate to think how cold the rest of the rooms must be right now.”
Lebanne gave a nod, then with her pulse rushing in her ears, she lit up the screen on her Rotom phone and used it to direct her down the halls to her bedroom.
.𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ .𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁.𖥔 ܁ ˖⋆ ˚❆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .
It took longer than necessary for her to arrange all the blankets, but Lebanne knew it was probably because she was overthinking the next step. Still, the cold of the other rooms reminded her that there was a legit concern of Jacinthe and herself becoming chilled and sick if they didn’t do everything to maintain what little heat they had. She’d lived through situations way worse than this, but all that did was remind her how badly this could escalate.
What it came down to was that she needed to put aside any personal feelings— whether that was embarrassment or something else she didn't want to address— and handle this the best she could.
But as she lifted the thick layer of blankets to crawl in under it, her heart was racing faster than a Rapidash, and it took everything in her to continue the motion and settle down next to Jacinthe.
Jacinthe's expression was hard to read in the low light, a mixture of concern and something else Lebanne had having trouble placing. She hesitated to assume it was nerves, because Jacinthe simply didn't get nervous over much of anything.
Yet, she did recall a few stray instances in which the only way Lebanne could describe her behavior was nerves. Oddly enough, those all coincided with Lebanne somehow. But surely, surely, Lebanne was just projecting her own emotions.
“Should we… get any closer?” Jacinthe ventured after the silence between them hung too awkwardly long.
Lebanne looked to the fireplace, as if it might give her an answer.
As it was, she'd just put in the last log they had, so for the moment the heat from it and the extra blanket layers was quite enough. No need to resort to desperate measures until absolutely necessary, she concluded.
“We should be fine until the log burns through, but if the power isn't back after that…”
To her surprise, Jacinthe laid back on the pillow and then turned to face her.
“See, it's like a slumber party for two. At least I assume this is what a slumber party might be like, I never had one myself.”
Lebanne felt that odd fondness settle over herself once more, and she offered a smile before mimicking Jacinthe's movements and lying down herself to face her.
“I wouldn't know either. I rarely had parties, let alone any sort of slumber party.”
Jacinthe frowned at that before she huffed a little sigh. “Well then, perhaps this is the universe's way of treating us both.”
“It's a little late, I think. We're a bit old for slumber parties.”
She reached out and tapped Lebanne's nose at that. “Oh hush. We are lovely young ladies. As Miss Diantha always told me, youth may be beautiful, but it's not all there is to life.”
“Ah yes, I sometimes forget you had the former Kalos Champion as a mentor. Does she ever visit or is she too busy?”
“Oh she always stops by Hotel Richissime when in town, so surely I can introduce you sometime. She's already quite eager to meet you from all I've told her about you.”
Lebanne blinked, suddenly feeling quite flustered. Hoping to keep the feeling at bay, she decided to change the subject to something else by bringing up one of Diantha's movies she'd seen once.
The topics kept light for awhile after that, their discussion of the movie soon turning to asking about other movies each other had seen. Lebanne's list was quite short, not always having a lot of money to spend on things like that, but she was able to recall some of the titles that had been relegated to TV channels airing old classics. Jacinthe had seen most of them herself, citing Diantha's recommendations for many of the older works.
But as their conversation naturally found its end, Lebanne realized the room had definitely gotten colder, and sure enough a quick glance at the fireplace confirmed her fears that the last of the logs was down to bits and embers now.
Hoping she could maintain a professional angle to this, she politely cleared her throat.
“Lady Jacinthe, it seems the fire might go out soon. Would you like me to get your hair in your silk bonnet before we sleep?”
But those unique eyes, with their purple and pink hues and a hint of gold, seemed to sparkle with a bit of something Lebanne couldn't discern. Jacinthe dipped her head, before shyly looking back up at her.
“This is terribly improper of me, but I must say, I'm not the least bit tired when we're having such fun.”
Lebanne gave her a look. “Weren't you yawning not that long ago?”
Jacinthe lightly smacked Lebanne's arm. “Hush. You're enjoying yourself as well, are you not?”
She paused, evaluating. It was true gauging by the fire's state that at least an hour had gone by, if not two, and not once during that whole time did either of them yawn.
“I suppose I can't argue that,” she relented. “I guess all those late nights due to the Royale have our sleeping schedule off.”
“Most likely,” Jacinthe replied. Then after a glance towards the fire and then back to Lebanne, she murmured. “But now that you mention it, I do feel the cold more than I did before.”
Lebanne had braced herself for this moment, but for all her concerns about being embarrassed and flustered, her first thought was not for herself but for Jacinthe. In all the months she'd served her, she'd concluded that Jacinthe was one of those people who simply ran a bit colder than usual. At least, given her usual attire almost always including gloves and longer sleeves, it seemed to make logical sense.
Which meant, it was probably easier for her to get chilled, given their current circumstances.
Words spilled out before her thoughts even began to catch up, “We need to keep you warm. Go ahead and turn around.”
“Turn around?” she asked.
Lebanne wasn't about to explain that having her face to face would merely embarrass the hell out of her, so she simply muttered. “Yeah, face the window.”
She seemed perplexed by the instruction, but still did as requested. That meant the rest fell to Lebanne to muster up the courage to go through with. But through the hammering of her heart, one word stood out amidst the barrage. Trust. Jacinthe said she trusted her to take care of her, which meant Lebanne needed to put all her weird thoughts aside and keep her lady warm.
Slowly, she reached under the covers and slid her arm over Jacinthe's waist.
“Oh.” Jacinthe practically whispered with an exhale.
Lebanne froze. Afraid she'd gone too far and gotten too close.
But, after a moment, Jacinthe's body relaxed back into Lebanne's hold. Shoulders gently falling back to rest against Lebanne's chest, the top of Jacinthe's head fitting neatly under Lebanne's chin, and at last, the feel of two heartbeats intermingling in such a way Lebanne wasn’t sure which belonged to which.
And with that, Lebanne felt the tension ease out of her shoulders; a fond smile curled at her lips that she was thankful no one else might see. She felt… safe. And she truly hoped Jacinthe did too.
How long they lingered in that moment of silence, neither could tell. But finally, after what felt like hours, Jacinthe's oddly quiet voice spoke up.
“I… take it you've done this before with someone?”
The question was accompanied with a slight shift, a sudden tension in her previously relaxed body, that Lebanne couldn't understand. Why would it matter if she had?
Then, she realized, maybe Jacinthe had never been that close to someone besides her family members before?
For some reason, it made her instinctively want to clutch Jacinthe closer. To reassure her that someone would be there for her now.
“Yeah,” she said tentatively. “Back before the mess with Team Flare, I lived in this shithole— sorry!— I mean, I lived in a really cheap flat with some friends. Our heater, was, like the rest of the place… so…”
“Merdique?”
Lebanne paused. Did Jacinthe just curse? A wild grin curled at her lips, something thrumming in her veins, like she'd unlocked the most secretive of puzzles. Before she could stop herself, a snort of laughter escaped and she found herself pulling Jacinthe a little closer, as if trying to convey how much she enjoyed this little slip in decorum.
“Yeah,” she managed after a moment, “it was quite shitty. So it was often going out when we needed it the most.”
“And so you chanced upon this… method?”
“We uh, well all four of us had grown up kind of rough. But we knew when the temps dropped, if you snuggled up close with a Pokemon or pal, it made things more bearable. So when your teeth are chattering, you put your inhibitions at the door and do what you've gotta do to survive.”
To her surprise, Jacinthe leaned back as if nuzzling into her arms. Then, her gentle voice said softly.
“I‘d like to hear more about these winters you've lived through, if you don't mind. I grew up in Kiloude City to the south, so we had rain at most. Aside from visiting places like Snowbelle, this sort of weather is quite new to me.”
Lebanne blinked, honestly surprised Jacinthe was interested in her past. But, as she was discovering, Jacinthe had a lot of genuine charm if you just got past her exterior.
“You sure that won't bore you to sleep?”
“I am quite the apt pupil when it comes to listening, I've been told. At least, when I feel the person has something worth saying. And I'm finding, your words are always worth listening to, my dear Lebanne.”
Lebanne leaned forward at that, her lips brushing gently against the top of Jacinthe's hair, as she gave her the slightest squeeze of gratitude. Despite her past, Jacinthe always managed to reassure her that her value had nothing to do with how poor she'd grown up. A stark contrast with most rich people she'd met.
“Well, I suppose the first time was when I was eight…”
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Lebanne was honestly uncertain on when she fell asleep. In fact, she wasn't even sure she'd noticed when Jacinthe had dozed off either, both of them talking until they naturally curled into each other's warmth and fell asleep.
But, given that they'd been up so late, it didn't come as too much of a surprise that it was past daybreak when Lebanne blinked her eyes open. At some point, the power must've returned, because they'd kicked off most of the blankets by now. Yet, despite that, they'd remained cuddled up close the entire time.
Still, when Lebanne registered their positions, she almost hated to wake Jacinthe where she was peacefully sleeping in her arms.
The knock at their front door, on the other hand, had no such qualms, and promptly snapped her awake. She turned, realized she was still very close to Lebanne, and gave a bedazzling smile before she shifted to get up.
Lebanne started to follow suit, but Jacinthe stopped her.
“Go ahead and stay there. I'm sure this is just the late breakfast I requested, and I want to personally thank the staff for bringing it around.”
She blinked, bewildered, but was too tired to question it too much. Still, she was quite surprised when Jacinthe returned moments later with a maid carrying two large trays of the best breakfast the hotel had on the menu.
It was only after the maid had handed over the trays and bid them a good day that Lebanne realized how extremely unprofessional her situation must have looked to an outsider. She was trying to find a way to express this concern to Jacinthe, but hadn't managed the words by the time Jacinthe settled on the bed beside her.
“Don't fret. I can see your brows furrowing, and I won't have it this early in the morning.”
Lebanne stifled a yawn, but chanced a glance at the clock. It was halfway to noon.
“It's not that early,” she countered.
Jacinthe just tutted. “What have I said about breakfast when we get up late because of the Royale?”
She had to resist rolling her eyes, although it was with a certain fondness she desired to do so.
“It's not too late for breakfast until after lunch,” she recited.
“Precisely. Now, eat up. You worked extra hard last night, and I'm certain you could use the energy.”
Would it be so bad if the maid started spreading rumors about what she'd seen? Lebanne wasn't sure. Part of her assumed the maid had probably seen worse and was professional enough to not say anything, but the other part of her knew a piece of gossip this juicy was something women loved to share.
As she mulled it over, Jacinthe held out her fork with a piece of ham on it.
“Come now, eat. I'll start to fret if you don't.”
Lebanne paused.
Perhaps there was something just… undefinable about their relationship. Surely most ladies did not behave this way with their maids, but she was beginning to get the impression that Jacinthe hadn't really had a maid or much of anyone else before now. And maybe that's why Lebanne felt this odd desire to worry about her when most people would rely on a friend or loved one. She needed someone to watch over her since she was so often focused on helping everyone else, so why not be that someone?
“Lebanne, please,” Jacinthe reiterated, holding the fork closer. “I truly will worry.”
She leaned forward and took the bite off the fork, chewing it quietly before offering Jacinthe a smile.
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind this morning.”
Jacinthe tilted her head in concern.
But before she could explain, Lebanne decided maybe it didn’t matter if people got the wrong idea about them. It's not like she hadn't had people assume she was involved romantically with a friend before now. There wasn't any harm to it.
She shook her head. “Don't worry about it. It's just silly sleepy thoughts. Nothing important.”
“Well, I'm here to listen as always.”
And perhaps it was the reassuring smile on her face, or perhaps it was that bit of fondness that was becoming a persistent presence, but Lebanne simply returned the smile and then reached out to get a bit of egg off Jacinthe's cheek.
“Oh. Thank you,” Jacinthe managed.
Lebanne felt her smile brighten, followed up by a sentiment she felt quite strongly all of a sudden.
“And I'm here for you, Lady Jacinthe. Always.”