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"No."
"Edda, come on-"
"Not happening."
"My lady, please-"
"Absolutely not Aven!" She couldn't even believe he was suggesting such a thing! Of all the reckless suggestions, this was something she never would have considered until her Core gave out!
"How else are we supposed to get used to being like this? We have to practice somehow." And yet Aven did not waver, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. Even so, the nervous sparks of energy refused to stop jumping from Edda's shell, her unease growing by the second. She got the idea, really she did. The two of them were still struggling how to move about together, and it was the only way they were going to safely traverse, but-
"You cannot expect me to be comfortable about leaping into water!" A stomp of her foot was followed by a burst of energy, small zaps of lighting jolting away from her before vanishing a few inches away. A small moment of frustration, but enough for Aven to take a step back out of reflex rather than any danger. He let out a sigh, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. He was getting frustrated, she could feel that nagging knot in the back of her mind, and yet he still did his best to keep his composure as he tried to talk her into this.
"You wouldn't be. If we do this right, I would be able to switch in right before you hit it. You'd be safe, nothing would happen to you." Again, Aven took a step towards her as he explained. He truly meant it, she knew that, but that didn't stop her anxieties from bubbling over. As much as she trusted him, that wasn't what made her nervous.
Edda took a step back when he took another forward, one arm in front of her chest to keep him a small distance away. Her own reflex she supposed, from ages of protecting herself with her shield. Such an odd quirk to have, and yet she had caught him with a similar one of baring his claws when they were in danger.
Aven stopped moving forward, and a twinge of guilt plucked at her heart... he was always trying to be gentle with her, even when she didn't want it.
"Aven, I can't. If I hit the water, I'll-" She paused, a breath caught in her chest as she tried to find the word. Death wasn't it, neither of them were capable of being destroyed like this, a natural consequence of his endurance blending with her physicality. But it wasn't any less unpleasant, feeling her body disintegrate as it desperately tried to find a safe place to recover. She had felt it when the two had reunited, when the rain had returned.
It had burned so much, in a small moment of vulnerability. She had looked so utterly pathetic when he had found her.
A claw was on her arm, and she jumped. When had he gotten so close? When was she someone who got so lost in her own thoughts to let someone get this close without her noticing?
"Edda, please. I need you to trust me." He gently squeezed her arm, the warm wisps of a long dead fire in his palms gave it a comfortable warmth across her freezing cold shell. And judging by the small feeling being amplified, she could only imagine it felt just as nice in his hold too.
She couldn't hold his gaze for long, turning her head away as she tried to bury that fear. That anxiety. She can't do it, she knows she-
A hand on her chin, turning her face back to meet his. A simple action, but it was enough for some static to jump up her shoulders and through her hair. He hadn't ever dared be this bold with touching her.
"Aven?"
"Please." His voice was hushed, a quiet plea. He really wanted to do this. He was asking her to put her life in his hands, to trust him to keep her safe outside of a battle. Could she- should she? After everything the two had been through together?
She looked at him. At the warm orange of his Core that once meant an enemy, that once meant her life was in danger. A hue that now meant safety, that meant someone was in her corner, that she had someone to turn to, to keep safe.
She took a breath. Slowly. In and out, letting the lighting in her chest settle to a simple shock that wouldn't leap at the slightest sign of danger.
"Okay." And that was a large note of surprise, one that made her laugh before Aven could get it back under control. Well, if there was one way to cut through her nerves, it seemed to be that. He jumped just slightly at the sound, pulling his hands away before he realized what she said.
"Okay?"
"Yes. Yes, okay." Another deep breath, Edda was trying so hard to keep whatever fear that threatened to take over under control. So, instead, she reached out and took his claws in her hands. A grounding force, to solidify her resolve as she spoke again. "I trust you. Let's do it."
And shock faded into relief. Into joy. A simple agreement, a simple 'yes' to a test, and he truly felt this happy? Even with their connection, Edda doubted she would ever truly understand the man in front of her.
In a brief moment, the claws in her hands were gone, Aven vanishing into their shared mind in a brief moment. A greater connection to her being, her Core, at the expense of vanishing from the physical world around them. He had to be gone, at least for a little while, for this to work.
One more breath Edda... okay, maybe two, for good measure. The comforting warmth in the back of her mind was helpful, yet she still had to fight to keep her thoughts from running too far away from her. She's fine. She knows she's fine. She just has to trust him. She can trust Aven, she knows she can.
She spun on her heel, taking a moment to look back at the shallow expanse of water behind her. The two had arrived towards the constellation of the North West for the purpose of this exercise, as well as collecting Cores they had missed in their respective first visits, and still she had needed help to keep to her word. Oy. She was well trained and prepared for many things, no amount of combat would sway or scare her, and yet the thought of purposefully disintegrating was where she drew the line. Wonderful.
She couldn't think about it. She refused to. She took several steps away from the water, longer lengths than needed but she would need a running start for this. She needed to do this, she had to.
She just needed to trust Aven.
One more breath in... out, followed by a burst of lighting as she sprinted forward without a thought. Lightning followed her footsteps, the plants of soft white whipping behind her registering as nothing more than a blur. What was first grass turned into stone, rough against her shell as she ran further and further. Her foot hit the edge of the walkway.
She jumped.
For one moment she was in free fall, her hair whipping in the wind behind her as her momentum threw her high. And before she even registered she was approaching the water she was gone. She forced herself back, trading her familiarity of solid shell into a comforting pocket of warmth, of wind, of an orange Core that was becoming as familiar as her own.
She heard the splash rather than felt it. All in a matter of a few seconds, she was gone and Aven had taken her place. He sunk to the bottom like a stone, comfortable in the wet environment as he settled into the space like a second home. His own breathing was fast, a bubbling anxiety she hadn't noticed before slowly ebbing from his mind. Of course, she should have expected that he would be just as nervous as she was. He hadn't been asking her a simple thing after all.
"Edda?" His voice was winded. Breathless. And yet she could feel the anxiety that was vanishing quickly being replaced with relief, and some form of pride if she had to guess.
"I'm here."
"You okay?"
"... I am. Yes." She's okay. Better than okay actually. The adrenaline was still coursing through her, leaving her jittery, antsy, wishing to go for a proper run across the wet surface without restriction. And for... something else.
"Could you head back to the shore?"
"This soon? I thought you wanted to go-"
"I know what I said before. I just- want to do something else first." Her response only got a pause, and a shrug before Aven turned and went back to the shoreline. The manufactured ridge hadn't been far, the two could afford to take a moment and talk.
Yet, talking isn't what they did. The moment he was back on the surface and the two had enough room, Edda's arms were tightly wrapped around his torso, making the Dark Star in front of her jump.
"Edda-?" His voice was paired with a few sharp jumped in emotion, surprise, shock, anxiety, a warmth that settled right in her core. She was getting more used to sharing these emotions with someone else, even if she couldn't immediately tell what he was feeling from her.
"Thank you." Her words made him pause, a blanket of confusion being replaced with understanding. The hands that had been hovering over her back settled on her shell as he returned the embrace, resting his head on her shoulder while she buried her face in his scarf. He was so warm, so comfortable.
"Of course. I meant it, you can trust me." She knew that. She knew she could trust him, but this was different. Words and action were two different things, and he had been more than willing to prove his words with his actions. Even after all the time the two had spent together, she was still unsure of how to handle that.
But this exercise had been proof. Living proof that she could trust him, that he would catch her if something went wrong. That the two could rely on each other, both in a battle and out.
Edda took a breath and pulled away, taking a moment to meet Aden's warm core with her gaze. A small pang of confusion wasn't really needed, the tilt of his head got the silent question across just fine. It was still cute nonetheless.
"Have you ever actually paid attention when I ran like that?" A simple question, but one she was curious about. He was far more nimble than her in a fight, taking action with a speed that overwhelmed her when they first met, but outside of combat? He was considerably slower than her now.
And judging by the sudden embarrassment he felt, he hadn't expected her to notice. Adorable.
"I- why do you ask?"
"You tend to go silent when I'm sprinting."
"What's to say I'm not trying to avoid distracting you?"
"You are quite incapable of distracting me." She shrugged at those words, only to feel something of a quiet rise in her chest… that had not been a challenge she meant to throw- "Do not take that as an invitation to try."
"Really? And why not? You said it so confidently." Before Aven could tighten his grip on her hips, Edda quickly pulled away to give the two some distance between each other. That had not been the point and she was more than willing to give herself some distance to prove it. Even if she missed the warmth of his arms already- never in her life did she think she would come to value that unfamiliar warmth so much.
Seemed she wasn't the only one who was disappointed by that decision either, she wouldn't have even needed their connection to know that just by looking at Aven. It almost looked like his scarf drooped down like the tail of a unicorn when denied a treat from one of her sisters. How? How was it possible for such a deadly being to look so adorable? She couldn't wrap her mind around it!
"Anyway, what I originally wanted to propose was another exercise of this nature." Edda couldn't afford to get too distracted. Aven had a point with proposing this exercise initially, the two of them needed to learn to trust each other in and out of battle. In battle was easiest, it was what the two were most familiar with, but outside of it was still a work in progress. And if these harmless exercises could help with whatever comes their way, then they had to fine tune it now.
And judging by Aven's reaction, he knew exactly what she was going to propose to help. She hadn't exactly been subtle, but it didn't stop the sudden spike of anxiety and fear when she put it to words. Huh. No wonder Aven had been trying to help her calm down enough to try, this feeling was extremely unpleasant to experience secondhand.
"And that proposal would be?"
"You let me take control for a while. Let me run as far as I can manage." And that spike only grew in size, higher and sharper than Edda had admittedly been prepared for. Almost as if there was a sudden spike through her temple, she couldn't help the wince that escaped her. Ow- okay then, that hurt.
Aven almost immediately looked apologetic at her flinch, his hand on her lower arm almost immediately to help stabilize her just slightly. Again, he was always so careful when trying to take care of her. It's sweet.
"Sorry-"
"I know. You can't exactly control it, neither of us can."
That didn't stop the apologetic look on Aven's face, and he slowly took a breath while he pulled his hand away. The spike dropped down, just enough to stop hurting, but she could still feel the bubbling anxiety that was twisting in her chest. Trying to control it, but not enough to calm down completely. The two still weren't fully used to sharing these parts of themselves with one another after all.
Edda took Aven's hands in her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. The warmth of his palms contrasted the cold of her own well, something she found did a good job of grounding the both of them when the need arose.
"Aven." She started slowly, taking a breath of her own. She had to remember, he had just asked the same of her. This wasn't something she could expect him to do easily. "Do you trust me?"
"With my life." Ah. Well. That was quick, something that made her heart jump in her shell. She hadn't expected to answer so fast, or so earnestly. Ahem.
"Right. So, I need you to trust me with this. Like you said, we need to be able to trust each other. Even when we're afraid." She squeezed his hands in her own, letting a bit more of her frozen magic seep between her fingertips. He squeezed her hands in turn, some more of his heat billowing from his claws. A comforting routine that the two of them had fallen into, something that gave them comfort even now.
Aven took a slow breath in, tightening his hold on Edda's hands, before letting it out as he loosened his grip. It only took one more round of the familiar routine for Edda to follow suit, squeezing his hands as her breathing slowed to match his. In, then out, warmth, then cold. Ebbing and flowing from one of them to the other, as easy as they existed next to each other.
Slowly, she felt the fear in her chest lessen, and Aven let out one final breath… he could do this. He knew he could do this.
"Okay. I trust you." She didn't get the chance to say anything more, he was gone the moment he made his decision. He did seem to have an easier time letting go of control than she did, a consequence of their natures perhaps? She wasn't sure. But that was something to ponder later.
Edda smiled, holding her hands together and imagining it was his she was holding, before once again turning back to the water. Now, this part she had long grown to enjoy. A simple thing, an indulgent thing, something her sisters would never had thought her capable while she was so small. And yet, yet now she couldn't help but come to love it.
A deep breath, several steps back, and she let go of her hands as she braced herself.
"Ready?" She could already feel the energy bubbling to the surface of her shell.
"As I'll ever be." He was shaky, she could feel it. But he was holding on, holding on so tightly for her sake. That's all she needed.
The jolt of lightning was bigger this time, a perfect arc that matched her enthusiasm to run.
Her feet hitting the water this time felt exhilarating. The familiar splash of cold at her feet as she bolted across, she could feel it just barely brushing her shell as she ran down the lake. Round white flowers bloomed around her as she ran, some lost their petals due to the wind that whipped behind her in the process. Even her hair, long and flowing as it always was, was buzzing with the energy that solidified her shell as if she were in combat.
Once the next part of the architecture covering the water came into view, she got an idea. A stupidly impulsive and rash idea, but it was one that got her energy pumping all the same. And judging by the sudden concern she felt, Aden had a vague enough idea as to what she was planning.
Well, nothing could stop it now!
"Ready?"
"Ready- Edda, what are you-"
She leapt. The moment her feet reached the edge of the white stone, she leapt into the air above, spinning and preparing for a plunge into the water. Instantly their positions were switched, Aven more than ready to take her place the moment they broke through the surface. The anxiety spike from him couldn't compare to the adrenaline and delight coursing through her shell, and she was laughing as his feet hit the ground and the bottom of the lake.
"EDDA! What was that?!" He was worried, she could tell that much by his voice, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing in pure delight. Something so impulsive, so sudden, she never would do that had she not been lost in the feeling of pure excitement and yet she still did it! The rush, the excitement, the surge of trust that Aven would catch her, it was all incredible to feel one after the other. She was smiling as big as her face would let her, her laughter refusing to drop even when Aven began the walk back to dry ground.
Of course, the moment the two were safe she stepped out once more. She was laughing even still, spinning in a circle as she tried to express just how happy she felt. Though, she didn't get the chance to as Aven was standing in front of her the moment she stood still to regain her balance.
"Edda, my lady, what in the world possessed you to-" And yet he couldn't even finish his sentence before her arms were around him, squeezing him tighter than she had ever allowed herself to in the past. Granted, she may have ran into his chest a bit too hard given how he had to take a moment to stabilize his balance before he returned the embrace. The jolt had finally cut through the haze of joy in her mind, a spark of confusion and slight worry.
"My lady?"
"Sorry, sorry, that was-" Edda pulled away just enough to meet his gaze, her laughter bubbling down enough to speak, yet refusing to settle into anything softer than giggles. She was overjoyed, overexcited, thrilled even! " -I didn't even plan it! That was impulse!"
Aven blinked once, twice, about three times before he responded. "Impulsive. You?"
"Yes!"
"I don't believe you."
"Well, you better! The Star before you was impulsive and jumped into the water knowing you would catch her!" She leaned back just a bit as she pumped an arm into the air, admittedly enjoying the warmth moving on her back as Aden adjusted to hold her still. His claws always felt perfect against her shell, just the right amount of pressure.
"Well, hopefully you don't make that a habit. I was worried." Aven didn't sugarcoat it, even if she felt his anxiety simmering down. Always so open and honest with her at times, almost to a fault. It was honestly rather sweet.
"Awwww, you were worried about me?"
"I- yes? Why wouldn't I be?" Aden's words only got a laugh, Edda leaning forward and moving her arms to wrap around his shoulders instead. She heard the points of his feet shuffle as he went to adjust his position again, though he was most certainly surprised by her sudden boldness. "My lady?"
"Yes, my flame?" A pang of warmth shot through her at those words, a familiar warmth that always seemed to spark whenever she teased him or got too close like this. She had felt it on her own as well, when he brushed her hair out of her face or when the two of them had fought together for the first time, but this… she had long figured out this warmth wasn't her own. And perhaps she was far too excited to not play with it, even if Aven was trying to maintain his composure.
He had gone to say something, but his breath got caught in his throat when one of Edda's hands moved to his hair instead, twirling a lock around one of her fingers. Even his hair was warm, much like the rest of him. A comfortable warmth, one she couldn't imagine herself without anymore. A warmth that she would never wish to part with ever again.
"Edda?" He was breathless, his hands frozen in place on her upper back. Yet he didn't turn away from her, didn't shy up, didn't vanish into their shared space alone to process his embarassment. He stayed. He stayed and returned her stare, even as the warmth in his chest continued to bloom in them both.
Edda was an impulsive woman that day. And it seemed her streak wasn't ending soon.
Her cold hand moved to his cheek as his pulled her closer by the waist, and for an agonizing moment the two paused. A single pause, waiting for the other to object, to stop this, to decide to change their mind and hide for the two of them to never speak of this again.
No moment came.
And they kissed. Cold and warmth melted into each other, sparks of orange and blue blending into green in the air around them. Lightning zipped off Edda's shell, winds from Aven swirled around them. Neither of them cared, as the moment had shrunk into nothing more than the two of them. For as long as this moment lasted, nothing else needed to exist but them. No water, no plants, no sky, no Stars. Just the two of them. No one else.
Even when they pulled away for air, it was only for a brief moment.
"Aven."
"Edda."
A whisper of the other's name, before they melted into each other once again. Hands in hair, across shell, buried in a scarf that had a mind of its own. They had known each other for so long now, and yet it felt so exciting to explore one another again in an all new way.
She could spend the rest of eternity in his arms and be content.
And judging by the warmth she felt only growing between them as they lost themselves in each other, she could guess she wasn't the only one that felt this way.