Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Namaari hated hugs.

They were so constricting, circling in on all sides and trapping her like a prisoner in a cage. They were like the canals of water encircling Fang, keeping the rest of the world out and Namaari in.

But Namaari would never dare express that in words.

It made her seem weak, for one thing. No self-respecting warrior got freaked out by a hug. It sounded ridiculous every time she thought about saying it out loud.

Which was why Namaari now found herself pinned against Tong by Sisu’s tail. With Boun clutching her leg. She didn’t have the heart to protest, and besides, you couldn’t just turn down a hug from a dragon.

Namaari breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally released. The tension drained from her shoulders, and she brushed her tank top to rid it of nonexistent wrinkles.

Unfortunately, her sigh came out rather louder than she had intended. Raya raised an eyebrow at her, and Namaari dropped her eyes immediately. She could feel Raya’s gaze growing more intense as the seconds stretched on.

“I didn’t-” she started awkwardly.

“Come on!” said Sisu, plowing enthusiastically right through the awkward moment. “Let’s go fix some families!”

* * * *

“Here we go again,” Namaari muttered to herself, tapping her fingers on the knee that was bent perpendicular to the wall. She leaned back, letting the cold stone cut through the flush that was spreading across her body.

She surveyed the grandeur of her surroundings with slight interest, focusing on the brightly colored decorations and complex architecture rather than on the people. They were gathered in the palace of Heart, nearly a week after the dragons had returned, in celebration.

If Namaari didn’t like hugs, it was safe to assume she didn’t particularly like large crowds either. Large crowds of warriors under her command? No problem; Namaari was a pro at intimidation and strong leadership. But social crowds? It was that feeling of being trapped all over again. Unpredictable, stifling.

So Namaari was doing what Namaari did best: brooding. Although it was more of a sulk, if she was being completely honest.

“Hey dep la,” came a familiar voice.

Namaari let out a sound halfway between a chuckle and a groan.

“Raya,” she said.

“That’s me,” said the princess, leaning up against the wall next to Namaari. “Thought I’d find you hiding in a dark corner somewhere.”

“I am not hiding,” Namaari protested.

Raya raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Then why is it that you haven’t left this spot, which is particularly secluded, might I add, for the last hour of the party?”

Rolling her eyes, Namaari tried not to think about the implications of the fact that Raya had been watching her for an hour. At least.

“Besides, I thought you liked parties,” said Raya. “We had fun at the one… before.”

“A lot has changed since then,” Namaari replied softly. At the mention of the past, and her first betrayal, she unconsciously shrank into herself. Her eyes flitted across the crowded room, shoulders tensing slightly.

“I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Raya apologized. Namaari shrugged.

“It’s okay.”

“But… has it really?”

“Has what?” asked Namaari.

“Has a lot changed? Since we… were little.” Raya responded. She shifted slightly against the wall, fixing her eyes on Namaari. The Fang princess found her stare piercing, but not entirely uncomfortable. Not worse than the party, at least.

“I… don’t know,” said Namaari, breaking the silence. “We’ve had to grow up a lot in a short amount of time. You especially.”

“True,” Raya agreed. “But on the other hand…”

Namaari stayed silent.

“You said that, in another world, maybe we could be friends,” said Raya cautiously. The shouts of someone in the background pierced their conversation, and Namaari’s eyes darted around anxiously. Raya pressed forward. “Well, technically we live in a different world now- Kumandra. Does that mean…”

Namaari pushed off from the wall. “I’m sorry, Raya, I just- crowds aren’t really- I need some air.”

“Wait, Namaari-” Raya protested, catching her by the wrist.

Namaari reacted purely on instinct, her self defense training taking over. She whipped back to face Raya, twisting Raya’s arm around while simultaneously bringing her free hand up to break the hold.

Raya’s cry of surprise and pain brought the buzz of conversation in the room to a grinding halt. All eyes fixed on Namaari, still poised in an attack stance.

She froze in horror, eyes flitting from the shock on her mother’s face to the fear in Chief Benja’s, to the pure heartbreak in Sisu’s. Namaari’s mouth opened, trying desperately to explain herself, but nothing came out.

Eyes welling with tears, Namaari did the only thing she knew how to do.

She turned and ran, not bothering to look back at Raya. She weaved through the crowd, keeping her head down and knocking people aside as she went. Everything was a blur, the brightly colored clothes and decorations blending into each other, and Namaari hardly realized when she left the palace altogether. She kept running, vaguely registering the wind whipping past the shaved side of her head.

It wasn’t until the adrenaline left her completely that she sank to her knees, panting.

Oh…. oh no. Raya… Namaari groaned, clutching at her hair. It’s been barely a week since you finally won back Raya’s trust and you go and attack her? You really are a backstabbing binturi…

Namaari squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sobs that threatened to force their way up her throat. Her entire frame shook, and she clenched her fists in a futile attempt to stop the trembling.

This is ridiculous, she told herself. How could you let yourself do this?

“Mind if I sit?” asked Chief Benja.

Namaari shied away from him, wiping furiously at her eyes. Cautiously, he sat down, far enough away to avoid startling Namaari.

“Chief Benja, I swear I didn’t mean to-”

“I know,” he said gently. “It’s going to be alright.”

“But I- I did it again!” Namaari yelled, voice cracking. “I… I hurt Raya again. I keep doing this; I let her in, I convince her that I’m good now, that I’ve changed, and then the minute she trusts me I stab her in the back. I can’t- I can’t take it anymore!’

“Come here,” said Chief Benja, opening his arms.

Namaari threw herself backward, scrabbling away on her hands.

“Stay away!” she yelped. “I- I don’t want to hurt you too.”

Chief Benja, realizing his mistake, nodded, letting his arms fall to his sides.

“My apologies, Princess,” he said. “I should’ve known you take after your mother.”

“My- my mother?”
“Yes,” said Chief Benja with a small chuckle. “Virana is not one for physical contact either. I learned that the hard way, in much the same fashion as you did. Of course, this was when our lands were still at war, so my attempt at a genuine hug was rather more suspicious than yours.”

Namaari sniffled, listening with wide eyes.

“Can I come closer?” asked the Chief. “I won’t touch you, I promise.”

A small nod.

“Ah, that’s better,” he said, edging closer to Namaari and allowing himself to lean back against the stone. “Old bones, you know.”

“Why are you here?” asked Namaari bluntly.

“Straight to the point, I see,” chuckled the Chief. “Reminds me of my own dewdrop. Raya, that is.”

Namaari’s eyes clouded over at the mention of Raya. “She’s never going to trust me again,” she muttered darkly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Chief Benja said. “She’s more understanding than you might think.”

“But I-”

“You made an honest mistake,” interrupted Chief Benja. His voice was firm, yet kind. “Our lands have been at war for all of your life; understandably you have been trained as a warrior. You acted on pure instinct, nothing more. If there’s one thing that Raya understands, it’s the instincts of someone trying to protect themselves.”

Namaari’s shoulders slumped, and she avoided Chief Benja’s eyes. For the first time since her frantic flight from the castle, she let her gaze take in the surroundings.

Much to her surprise, she recognized them.

They were on the bridge.

“You recognize this place, don’t you?” asked Chief Benja.

“How could I not?” she murmured. “That night. It haunted my nightmares for so many years afterward. The Druun, the gem pieces. My mother pulling me along, keeping me moving. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Raya- having to watch you turn to stone right in front of her...”

“But thanks to you, now I’m back,” Chief Benja said.

“No, I wasn’t the one who-”

“Yes, you were,” he insisted. “Namaari, Raya may have taken the first step in trusting you, but you were the one chosen to reassemble the gem pieces. Not her. You saved the world, and brought back Kumandra.”

Namaari bit her lip, tears beginning to stream down her face.

“You are special, Namaari. Raya sees it- has always seen it, in fact. I don’t think your actions tonight will change anything. People make mistakes.”

“But I’ve made so many,” she sobbed.

Chief Benja sighed. “But when the time came, you did what needed to be done- what was right. And now this, all of this,” he gestured around him, “is here because of you. None of your mistakes can take that away.”

Namaari stayed silent, letting noiseless sobs shake her body.

“You are all still so young,” said Chief Benja. He seemed to realize that Namaari wasn’t going to be doing any more talking. “You were just children when the gem broke- and it robbed you of your childhoods. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw Raya again… my little dewdrop is a real warrior now.”

Namaari hiccuped, another bout of tears shaking her body. Chief Benja continued.

“I admire you both in so many ways. Smart, resourceful, intelligent, highly capable. Our world will be in good hands once I and your mother have gone.”

“How can you say that?” said Namaari. “How could anyone trust me to lead after all that I’ve done?”

“All that you’ve done will teach you,” the Chief said. “There is no teacher like experience. Experience is a much harsher, crueler way to learn, but it has created some of the finest leaders of our lands. I trust that, in time, you will be one of them, Namaari.”

Hesitantly, Chief Benja reached out with one hand.

The Fang princess startled slightly as she felt the touch on her back, but it was light and soothing. It circled lightly, up and down, never staying in one place for too long.

It was the comfort of a hug without the constrictive feeling that made Namaari so uncomfortable.

The sky darkened around them, the Heart Chief and the Fang Princess, crouched in their corner of the world. It was a moment of peace, one of the first in generations.

At length, Chief Benja wordlessly got to his feet, offering Namaari his hand.

She took it, wiping the last of her tears from her face as she stood.

“I’ll see to it that you get a room to yourself tonight,” Chief Benja said. “You deserve some rest.”

Namaari couldn’t honestly imagine herself falling asleep, but she nodded somberly. “Thank you.”

Chief Benja smiled, his dark eyes crinkling. “Oh, and Namaari?”

“Yes?”

“Should you be interested, Raya was indeed watching you just as closely as you were watching her. During the party, I mean.”

Namaari choked. “I don’t-”

“There’s things to mend in your friendship first,” said Chief Benja placatingly. “I’m not suggesting you go there right away. But, when you’re ready…”

A dusky blush stole its way over Namaari’s face. “In all honesty, Chief Benja, there’s a long way I need to go before I’m ready for that.”

“I admire that you recognize that,” he responded. “If I can offer one word of advice?”

Namaari tilted her head.

“Don’t wait too long. Life is short, and it’s wise to make the most of it.”

“Thank you, Chief Benja,” said Namaari, inclining her head respectfully. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Chapter Text

“What do you mean she left?!” Raya yelled, voice cracking.

“Namaari departed this morning with a small group of Fang warriors. Something about a scouting mission.”

“Scouting for what? The Druun are all gone, in case she hasn’t noticed!”

Chief Benja sighed. “I suspect Namaari has other motivation than Druun.”

“Yeah, she’s running,” said Raya bitterly. “Like she always does. Whenever I’ve gotten her pinned down, whenever I think ‘maybe this time, I’ve got her figured out’ she slips out from between my fingers, stabs my back, and disappears!”

“Is that really what you think of her?” Chief Benja asked.

“Yes!” Raya exclaimed. She paused, sighing heavily. “No? Oh… I don’t know. I just… I thought things were different this time.”

“They are.”

Raya huffed. “But then why is she running? Again?”

“Dewdrop, let’s think about this,” said Chief Benja calmly. “If you had just recently gained back the very fragile trust of a childhood nemesis, and then publicly attacked her a mere few days later, what would you do?”

“But she didn’t attack me,” spluttered Raya. “Not really. I caught her off guard, and her instincts took over. There’s no shame in that.”

“I told her much the same thing.”

“You talked to her? When?!”

Chief Benja sighed. “Last night. I found her on the bridge, in a considerable state of distress.”

“That should’ve been me! Ba, why didn’t you take me with you? I could’ve helped!”

“If I remember correctly, you were having your wrist set,” chuckled Chief Benja. “Which was rather more important at the time.”

“Not to me!” Raya declared. “Ba, I can’t just let Namaari go. We can be friends, I know it.”

“Well then, Dewdrop, I think you know what you need to do.”

* * * *

“Tuk Tuk! C’mon buddy, please focus,” Raya moaned. She slumped in her seat, resigned to letting Tuk Tuk chase another small creature in circles.

“We’ll never catch Namaari at this rate,” she muttered. “It’ll be nightfall by the time she stops, and she’s got at least a two-hour head start.”

But apparently, luck was on Raya’s side.

She continued riding hard, making it deep into the lush plains surrounding Heart. By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, Raya was scanning the land around her for a place to camp for the night. She wasn’t a tracker by any means, but she estimated Namaari couldn’t be too far ahead. In fact, based on serlot prints she’d found only a few minutes before, Raya was practically right on top of her.

A soft glow from a nearby clearing caught her eye.

“There you are,” Raya murmured to herself, eyes narrowing. She edged Tuk Tuk quietly closer to the light, which revealed itself to be a campfire. Four shadowy figures were crouched around it, one of whom was unmistakably Namaari.

Raya dismounted cautiously, shrinking into the undergrowth surrounding the clearing.

“Princess, what exactly is your plan?” she heard one voice ask. “Forgive me for being so bold, but there doesn’t seem to be much scouting we can do out here. The Druun are gone.”

Another warrior chimed in. “I agree. When will we be returning to Heart?”

“We will scout because I say so,” Namaari said firmly. “And we will return when I say so.”

Raya chuckled under her breath, bringing her hand up to her mouth to stay quiet.

“But what-”

“No more buts,” growled Namaari. “I’m going to collect more firewood. All of you are giving me a headache.” She stalked off into the surrounding forest, passing only a few yards away from Raya’s half-concealed position.

“Stay here, Tuk Tuk,” she whispered. “I’m going after her.”

Raya slid stealthily through the undergrowth, following the pale glow of Namaari’s white tank top. Although it was night, the air was mild and pleasant, eliminating the need for a cloak. In fact, Raya sincerely regretted keeping hers on; it snagged constantly on plants and stones.

As she crouched, struggling to free her cloak from a particularly prickly bush, it ripped.

The sound seemed to tear the very stillness of the night in half.

Well, shit, Raya thought.

“Who’s there?” Namaari exclaimed, hands instantly going to the blades at her sides. “I warn you, I’m armed.”

Raya coughed slightly, dropping the remains of her tattered cloak into the bushes as she slowly stood.

“It’s just me,” she said, raising both hands above her head to show she was unarmed.

“Raya?” Namaari whispered, incredulous. Raya watched several emotions play out across her face: shock, confusion, and then fear. There was something else there, something that looked a little like hope. Raya wasn’t sure if she was just being optimistic, though.

“Hey, dep la,” she said, settling for a half-smile. Namaari’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Wh- why are you here?” Namaari asked. “How did you find me?”

Raya shrugged. “My Ba pointed me in the right direction. And I know a little about tracking.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” rasped Namaari anxiously. “Why are you here?”

“Namaari,” Raya said softly. “Why are you here?”

She watched as the tension drained out of Namaari’s shoulders, and the Fang princess dropped her head in shame.

“It’s just… better this way,” she said quietly. “Clearly I can’t be trusted. I’m heading back to Fang; the guards can go back to Heart if they so choose.”

“You can’t just leave-”

“I already have.”

“Namaari, last night was my mistake. I take full responsibility for startling you. Please, you can’t leave now! It’s taken me so long… I finally trust you again.”

Namaari looked up, tears welling in her dark eyes. “But I don’t trust myself... ” she said. “That’s the problem.” She took a deep breath, preparing to sweep past Raya and return to her camp.

Her path was blocked.

“Raya, get out of the way,” Namaari pleaded. “I’m leaving.”

“No,” said Raya. “You’re not. We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to talk about this, and then, when I’ve convinced you that you deserve to be trusted, you get to choose. And if you still want to leave, if you still want to give up on this, I will let you. But I am not giving up on you, Namaari. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

Namaari’s eyes widened at the steel in Raya’s voice. Raya was willing to fight for this. Namaari was equally unwilling to hurt her again.

“Fine,” she said simply, dropping down to a seated position in the grass. “We’ll talk.”

Raya followed suit, awkwardly supporting herself with her left hand as she sat down. Noticing Namaari’s glance, she hid her other arm behind her back.

“Raya…” Namaari said warningly.

“It’s nothing,” she replied hurriedly.

Namaari gave her a pointed look, holding out her hands as if to say give it here. Huffing, Raya held out her right arm, a heavy splint on her wrist. She watched Namaari, carefully gauging her reaction.

“Wait- was that-” Namaari’s eyes widened, “-did I do that?”

“It was my fault, not yours,” Raya insisted. “I should’ve known better.”

“But that was- when I tried to get away...” breathed Namaari. “Is- is it broken?”

Raya gave a small nod.

“I’m… I’m so sorry!” Namaari burst out, burying her face in her hands. “I- see, this is the problem, Raya! I don’t ever mean to hurt you, I swear, but I do it anyways. The very first time we met, in Spine, with Sisu, in Fang. This just isn’t meant to work!”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” said Raya. “And I don’t think you do either.”

Namaari just shook her head, letting the tears fall. Raya waited patiently, letting Namaari let out whatever emotion she wanted to. It was high time.

Finally, Namaari broke the silence.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Raya,” she rasped. Coughing slightly to clear her throat, she continued. “For six years, I didn’t stop thinking about the look on your face when I kicked you down. I- Raya, it hurt so badly. I was just doing what I was told, I made my mother proud of me, but I lost the first friend I ever made. It… it made me angry.”

“I was angry too,” Raya whispered.

“And then I saw you again, for the first time after so many years, and you joke? You tease me? You act like nothing has happened, and yet we both draw swords at the first opportunity.”

“I think you did your fair share of teasing as well,” protested Raya.

“I just- what is your deal, Raya? I know it took a lot of convincing for Sisu to get you to trust me again. And considering my track record, you were absolutely right to doubt me. Why are you so sure now?”

Raya sighed. “I was angry at you for such a long time. It was easier than being sad, in a way. It gave me a purpose, a way to focus my energy, something to keep me going.”

Namaari nodded in agreeance.

“But I wasn’t really ever mad at you. I was mad at myself; I blamed myself for taking you to the gem that night. When it broke, it was as much my fault as yours, the same way we were both at fault for Sisu’s death. I think… once I realized why I was angry, and not just that I was, it helped me process a lot. And honestly? I always hoped, deep down, that we weren’t real enemies.”

“It certainly never felt like it,” Namaari murmured. “All the nicknames. And the witty comebacks.”

“Frenemies,” chuckled Raya. “We’ll call it that.”

“What now? Raya, I don’t want to be around you if I’m constantly afraid of hurting you again. I can’t bear doing any more damage.”

“Well,” said Raya seriously. “I’ll just have to get to know you better.”

“What?”

Raya nodded. “If I’d known you got antsy with big crowds, I would’ve been more understanding at the party. And if I’d known you didn’t like being touched, I definitely wouldn’t have grabbed you.”

“No,” Namaari shook her head. “It’s not being touched. I don’t mind that at all. It’s just… here, give me your hand.”

Raya obliged.

“Not the broken one, idiot,” Namaari scolded. She couldn’t help but chuckle; the fiercest warrior she’d ever met at times also seemed the stupidest.

“Oh! Oops, here,” said Raya, holding out her other arm instead.

Namaari took a deep breath. “See, it’s not being touched,” she explained. “It’s just when people grab me too tight.”

She wrapped her whole hand around Raya’s arm in demonstration, and squeezed.

“It makes me feel… trapped. Caged. My instincts tell me to attack, and it’s hard for me to fight them.”

Raya nodded in understanding. “That makes a lot of sense.”

“Really?” said Namaari. “I- well, I’ve never actually told anyone this before. It seemed stupid.”

“Oh, not at all!”

“That’s… a relief,” Namaari said. Her lips softened into what could almost be described as a smile.

“Okay, so no grabbing,” said Raya. “Got it. Oh, so hugs really don’t sit well with you, do they?”

Namaari grimaced slightly. “Yeah.”

“No wonder you were so uncomfortable when Sisu pulled you in.”

“I mean, I try not to be. It just… yeah, it’s something I have to work on.”

“Or don’t,” Raya shrugged. “It shouldn’t matter. Although I have to admit, I would like to be able to hug you, if a moment called for it.”

Namaari raised a single eyebrow. “And what kind of moment might that be, dep la?”

“An exciting one,” Raya said coyly. She blushed openly, smirking at Namaari.

The Fang princess dropped her gaze, using one hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Okay, okay, … what else should I refrain from doing?”

“Where to start…” Namaari teased. She laughed at the brief look of hurt that crossed Raya’s face.

“Actually, that’s kind of it,” said Namaari. “And honestly, I don’t mind physical contact. It’s only a problem when it takes me by surprise.”

“What if I did this?” breathed Raya. Slowly, carefully, she slid her hand into Namaari’s, lacing their fingers together.

Namaari blinked in surprise, her hand instinctively tightening. She exhaled, loosening her grip.

“That’s… nice,” she said, painfully aware of the blush painted across her cheeks.

Raya smiled up at Namaari, rubbing her thumb in circles across the back of Namaari’s hand.

The Fang princess looked down at their intertwined fingers, a smile tugging at her lips. Feeling bold, she reached out for Raya’s other hand.

Raya obliged, moving gingerly as to avoid hurting her injured wrist. With exaggerated care, Namaari took Raya’s splint in both hands, raising it to her lips for a chaste kiss.

She looked up to Raya’s unreadable expression, suddenly bashful.

“It’s… my mom used to do it, whenever I’d hurt myself in training,” Namaari explained. “She’d kiss it and say ‘See? All better.’”

A smile tugged at the corner of Raya’s lips. “My Ba did that too.”

It suddenly struck both girls that, despite growing up opposite sides of the same conflict, perhaps they weren’t so different after all.

“Thank you for coming, Raya,” Namaari said earnestly.

“Anything for you, dep la,” Raya smirked. Her expression turned serious. “Will you come back to Heart with me?”

Namaari sighed. “I still think you’re a fool for trusting me,” she said. “But I don’t think I really have much of a choice.”

“That’s the spirit,” Raya said cheerfully.

“Besides, I’m done running from my mistakes,” said Namaari seriously. “I can’t take back the ones I’ve made in the past, but I can do my best to make up for them in the future.”

Raya smiled at the determination in Namaari’s voice. “I’m proud of you,” she said. “I don’t think you’ve heard that enough.”

“Raya, I-”

Tears glistened in Namaari’s eyes, and she surprised both of them by opening her arms, leaning forward into Raya.

“Namaari, is this- are you hugging me?” asked Raya incredulously. Namaari nodded, and Raya responded by wrapping her arms gently around the warrior.

“Is this okay?” she asked. “Just tell me if it’s too much… I can move, or-”

“It’s perfect,” Namaari interrupted, leaning forward to nestle her chin on Raya’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, letting her body melt into the embrace.

“Wow,” Raya murmured, her left hand stroking Namaari’s back. She smiled to herself, both surprised and honored at the level of trust Namaari was giving her. Feeling something wet trickle onto her shoulder, she looked down to realize that Namaari was, in fact, crying.

“Hey, dep la, what’s wrong?” Raya asked, voice full of concern.

Namaari gave a soggy attempt at a smile. “Nothing… I just… this is really nice,” she said. “I’ve never felt comfortable in a hug before.”

“Well, I’m honored to be your first,” said Raya. She reached up with her good hand, hesitantly wiping a tear from Namaari’s cheek.

Namaari’s whole face softened, lips curving into the first genuine smile Raya had ever seen from her. Years seemed to melt away from her face, and Raya felt her breath catch in her throat. Their eyes locked, and for a moment the world stood still.

“We should- I should get back to the others,” Namaari said, rubbing the back of her neck. “They’ll wonder where I’ve gone.”

“Okay,” Raya whispered. “I should probably get back to Tuk Tuk too. No telling what he’s gotten up to.”

“Tuk Tuk is here?” asked Namaari. She stood, holding a hand out to help Raya up.

Raya took it gratefully, grunting slightly as she pulled herself up. “What, did you think I ran after you on foot?”

“Well, no,” said Namaari.

“C’mon, let’s get back,” Raya said with a smirk. “Your bodyguards are getting worried, I’m sure.”

“They are not my bodyguards!” protested Namaari. “They’re Fang warriors. I’m a Fang warrior. Just a big group of warriors…”

“If you say so,” Raya teased.

Namaari narrowed her eyes. “I do.”

“Hey,” said Raya, bumping Namaari lightly with her hip. “Thanks for agreeing to talk with me.”

“Thank you for making me,” Namaari replied. “I… needed that.”

Raya snorted. “Duh.”

“Just because I’m going back to Heart with you doesn’t mean you get to tease me all the way there!”

“It does, though.”

“Fine,” Namaari grumbled, “but whatever you give me, I’m dishing back.”

“Looking forward to it,” said Raya.

Their eyes met, Raya grinning cheekily, and Namaari felt herself relax. She returned the smile, less confident than Raya but just as genuine.

Huh, she thought to herself. The more I do that, the easier she makes it.

Chapter Text

If the Fang soldiers accompanying Namaari had questions about the sudden appearance of Raya, Princess of Heart, they kept them silent. A few of them exchanged questioning looks, however, when Raya rubbed Namaari’s shoulder gently before retreating to a corner of the clearing to sleep.

One even offered to give up their bedroll, but Raya dismissed their request with a laugh.

“I’ve got Tuk Tuk, and my cloak,” she said. “We’ll be more than comfortable.”

“You mean the cloak you tore in half on that bush?” said Namaari slyly.

Raya shot her a glare. “It’ll do.”

“Catch,” Namaari responded, tossing her a blanket. Raya started to protest, but Namaari silenced her. “It’s a spare.”

“Thanks,” said Raya. “Goodnight, dep la.”

“Goodnight,” Namaari whispered, watching Raya as she curled up against Tuk Tuk’s side. She shook her head, hardly believing it was real.

“We head back to Heart tomorrow,” she told her soldiers, retreating to her own bedroll without another word.

* * * *

“Why are we stopping?” Raya asked, steering Tuk Tuk around in a loop to put herself next to Namaari. The Fang Soldiers stopped as well, twisting back in their saddles to look at their leader.

They had made it almost all the way back, in fact, all the way to the edge of the bridge leading back to Heart. Someone, however, had halted her serlot.

“Um… Namaari?” asked Raya. “You with us?”

Namaari heaved a sigh that shook her whole body. “I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do… what.”

“I can’t go back to Heart,” she said, voice cracking. “It’s too much, I’m not ready.”

“Okay,” said Raya, shrugging. Namaari blinked.

“It’s not ‘okay,’ Raya, I promised you last night that I would go back with you and now I-”

Raya cut her off. “Oh, hush. Take a breath, dep la.”

Namaari obliged.

“So you feel like you’re not ready. That’s fine- we don’t have to go back yet.”

“We?”

Raya nodded. “I’ll stick with you. We can go back to Fang, if you want, or just camp for a few days. Whatever you feel like.”

“Are you- are you sure you’re okay with that?” asked Namaari.

“Why not,” said Raya. She smiled encouragingly at Namaari. “What’s life without a bit of adventure?”

“You, of all people, should not have that mentality,” Namaari muttered darkly, but she cracked a grin. “Okay… um, maybe we should head back to Fang? My people will need help with the repair work, and as their princess I-”

“Namaari,” Raya cut in. “I appreciate that you’re trying to look after your people. But that’s not important right now. What do you need?”

Namaari paused. “A break,” she admitted sheepishly.

“That’s what I thought,” said Raya. “So that’s what we’ll do- we’ll take a break.”

“What about us?” interrupted one of the Fang soldiers nervously. Namaari’s head snapped up, blinking a few times as she remembered her and Raya weren’t alone.

“I don’t expect you to come with us,” she said, and the soldiers breathed sighs of relief. “Go back to Heart, enjoy the party. I’m sorry I made you leave it in the first place.”

If the Fang warriors were surprised at Namaari’s apology, they did a good job at concealing it. One of them eyed Raya though, who winked rather cheekily. The soldier blinked in confusion.

Snapping to attention, the soldiers turned around on their serlots and headed across the bridge.

“Well, it’s just you and me now,” Raya remarked, looking over at Namaari.

Namaari sighed heavily, but the corner of her mouth tugged upward as she met Raya’s eyes.

“Hold on,” said Namaari. “We’re completely unequipped for this.”

“What do you mean, unequipped?” countered Raya. “I mean, I know our friendship has had some rough spots but I think we can spend a few days together without-”

Namaari cut her off. “No, I meant supplies. If we’re camping, we’ll need an actual bedroll for you, for starters, plus food, and definitely water.”

“First of all, my bedroll is fine,” said Raya. “Second of all, there’s plenty of rivers nearby that have perfectly safe water- and I would know. As for food, I’ve got plenty of jackfruit jerky with me!”

She smiled winningly at Namaari.

“No,” Namaari said flatly.

* * * *

“This is a terrible idea,” Raya groaned.

“Shush!” Namaari hissed. “We can’t be heard.”

“And why not?”

“You know why! If my mother catches us back at the palace, we’re doomed,” Namaari responded.

Raya huffed. “See, I don’t understand why we can’t just- oof! Namaari!”

“Quiet!” Namaari whispered, pressing a finger to Raya’s mouth, her other arm pinning Raya into an alcove of the palace walls. Raya went slightly cross-eyed looking down at Namaari’s hand on her lips, feeling heat flood to her cheeks.

“You know, for someone with personal space issues, you seem to have a very easy time intruding on everyone else’s,” Raya pointed out.

Namaari dropped her arm like she’d been burned.

“C’mon, let’s get this over with,” Raya said, brushing lightly against Namaari’s shoulder as she stepped out from the alcove.

The girls ran lightly around the perimeter of the palace, melting from one bush to the next in an attempt to stay concealed. This was made easier by the fact that it was late afternoon on what seemed like the millionth day of partying, so most of the castle’s inhabitants and guests were asleep.

Glancing upward, Raya skidded to a halt at a particular section of palace wall.

“We’re here,” she said as Namaari stopped next to her. “My room’s the third floor, second door on the left. I should have a pack in there with bedrolls, change of clothes, that sort of thing. Grab anything you want from my drawers. Food, unfortunately, we’ll have to sneak into the kitchen for.”

“Where’s the kitchen?” Namaari asked. “I can stop by after.”

“That’s okay- the kitchen’s ground floor. I’ll grab food while you grab our stuff,” Raya explained.

“You sure you won’t need help carrying anything?” Namaari asked, eyeing Raya’s injured wrist. It was the reason Namaari was climbing the balcony to Raya’s room instead of Raya doing it herself.

“Me? I’ll be fine,” Raya said confidently. “Just try not to get lost on your way to my room, got it?”

Namaari rolled her eyes, moving back a few paces to get a running start. She launched herself at the wall, using a thin column to shimmy her way up onto the railing of the first balcony. From there, she reached up to the second balcony, using purely upper body strength to execute what was basically a glorified pull-up.

Raya suddenly realized that she was staring, and with a swooping feeling in her stomach she realized that her mouth was hanging wide open. Tearing her eyes away from Namaari’s back muscles and giving herself a mental shake, Raya lowered her hat and headed toward the kitchens.

“You wouldn’t happen to need help with that, would you?”

Raya’s back stiffened, and she let her head slump forward as she realized she’d been caught.

“Hey, Ba,” she said sheepishly.

“Hello, Dewdrop,” her father replied, making his way fully into the spacious palace kitchens.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Raya burst out.

Chief Benja raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly does it look like?”

“I don’t- you tell me.”

“It looks like somebody is back at Heart. Which also means that somebody must have been successful in winning over a certain Fang Princess,” Chief Benja said.

“How did you know that?” Raya asked, sounding panicked. “You didn’t catch Namaari, did you?”

“Catch Namaari? No, I simply assumed that you wouldn’t return to Heart until Namaari agreed to come with you; if you were back it must mean that so was Namaari.”

Raya breathed a sigh of relief.

“Where exactly is Namaari, then?” asked Chief Benja.

“Um… she’s… getting some things,” Raya said evasively, gesturing vaguely to their right. “Ba, please don’t tell anyone we’re back. We aren’t staying.”

“And where might you be going?” he responded.

“Namaari- well, we talked last night-” Raya started. “There’s some stuff we have to work out, and Namaari said she wasn’t really ready to come back yet. We’re going to camp for a few days- we won’t go far, I swear- but she just needs a break.”

“So you came back for provisions,” said Chief Benja with a smile. “I assume you weren’t going to force her to eat that jackfruit jerky of yours.”

Raya groaned. “Can everyone just lay off me and my jerky? I mean come on, I was making do with what I had!”

“I’m just teasing,” said Chief Benja, chuckling lightly. “How long will you be camping for?”

“I’m not sure. Probably a week or so,” Raya said. “I want to give Namaari all the time she needs.”

“In that case, you might need this,” he said, pulling a large pack from behind his back with a grin.

“You didn’t…”

“I did. I had a feeling something like this might happen.”

Raya, dropping the bundle of food she was balancing, rushed forward to pull her father into a hug.

“You’re the best,” she murmured into his shoulder. He squeezed tighter.

“Go enjoy your time with Namaari,” Chief Benja said. “But don’t stay away for too long. I’m looking forward to spending some time with my daughter after so many years apart.”

Raya nodded. “Me too. I wouldn’t go, but-”

“Namaari needs you,” her father said. “And besides, why would you spend time with a crotchety old man like me when you’ve got someone like that vying for your attention? I can hardly compete!”

Raya raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “What do you mean, ‘someone like that’? And I hardly think Namaari is vying for anyone’s attention.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure,” chuckled Chief Benja. “Stay safe, Dewdrop.”

And with that, he slipped out the door, winking smoothly.

Raya stood in surprise, unused to having her own trick turned against her.

“Pssst,” came a voice from the window. “Are you ready to go?”

Raya whipped around to see Namaari’s head poking in from outside, a pack on her shoulders.

“Yeah,” she responded, pulling the bag of food over her shoulders. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They broke into a light jog once they reached the bridge, safely out of sight and hearing of the inhabitants of Heart.

“So, have any trouble in my room?” Raya asked.

“No. It’s… nice.”

Raya chuckled. “I’ll take it as a compliment. My dad caught us, you know.”

“He what?!” Namaari spluttered, eyes wide.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Raya said. “He didn’t mind. I’m glad we told someone actually- that way they won’t get worried.”

Namaari relaxed visibly. “He just let you leave?”

“He thinks I’m in good hands,” Raya smirked.

Taken by surprise, Namaari nearly choked. She paused for a second, letting that bit of information sink in.

“Your dad is a very good man,” she told Raya.

Raya hummed in agreement. “He is, isn’t he?”