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Dusk was falling, and the last rays of sun breathed warmth upon the little cozy vacation home the Valkyries were staying at temporarily. It was clear on everybody's face the relief they felt as they could enjoy each other's presence without having to fear that they may lose one another in the blink of an eye.
All of the girls were hanging out enjoying the fresh breeze of the seaside blowing through their locks. It was such a peaceful sight, they wish they could be stuck in this moment for just a little longer. Sushang and Susannah were excitedly grilling something - with supervision from Alvitr, because god knows you can't trust Susannah not to burn a burger patty to a hockey puck- and Rita and Durandal happily chatted around while mixing drinks for everyone.
The trio was around as well, playing some board games with their close partners and generally having fun. Fu Hua decided to sit this one out, and take the opportunity to catch up with Felis a little more. She's been wanting so so much to finally have a chance to talk to Felis in a worry-free environment, and it looks like there would be no better chance than this one.
Felis happily accepted Hua's invitation to sit together and chat, even if Fu Hua could see Felis's slitted pupils mischievously glance to the barbecue. After all, Felis was a catgirl who couldn't resist the call of a juicy piece of meat, even if it meant in the past that Hua would find her scavenging through the shared fridge at 4 AM in the morning to eat some leftover chicken katsu, akin to a raccoon. She found herself chuckling lowly at the memory that decided to resurface just then. She was grateful that Senti had helped jolt her memories a little, because while she does treasure all of her past, including the Flamechasers for making her who she is, she is a little biased on her memories of Felis. They bring a sort of warmth to her that cannot be replicated. The fluffy embrace of a blanket draped on your shoulders while you're sitting in front of the fireplace after coming from a freezing outside, as well as a carefree, lazy waft of wind that reminded her of the windchimes back in Shenzou, linking back to a different and yet just as important time in her life.
To Fu Hua, no one could replicate these feelings. And yet Felis did, with her mere presence, as well as her existence in her memories. She felt weightlessness take over her body as she realized that neither of them would need to suffer anymore. This newfound realization made her become more aware of an all engulfing feeling coming from the bottom of her heart, threatening to spill out and yet she was unable to find the words to describe it.
A slight nudge woke Fu Hua up from her little nostalgia trip, and it took her a moment for her mind to clear up and register Felis's voice. Her bell-like voice rang in Hua's mind, acting almost as if it were the bells on a Kagura, cleansing her heart of any leftover worries and sadness.
"What are you laughing to yourself about, Hua?" She blinked twice. She had been caught...
"Ah...nothing I just...remembered something."
The catgirl's pointy canines glistened in the low light as she smiled. "Something good, I hope?"
"I...yes. Very good. Thank you."
Now that they were face to face and with plenty of time to catch up, it's as if they didn't even know where to begin. Hua even felt a little...awkward, in Felis's presence. She had changed so much in the years that have passed, and even if Hua had also changed and matured, then mellowed and became content with herself, she still felt a little intimidated (not in a bad way) by this new Felis standing right next to her.
Still a somewhat shy, scaredy cat willing to tear down walls if it meant getting away from a stray bee that happened to buzz too close to her, but also a determined person ready to sacrifice everything for her friends' wellbeing, unrelenting in her quest of wanting to make people's dreams come true. Despite her own achievements, Fu Hua almost felt small in comparison.
As the sun went down a bit more, the remaining few rays of sunshine started moving as well, now illuminating different bits of the world around them before fully disappearing and making way for the chilly cover of the night sky. Fu Hua's eyes glanced to the newfound glow of Felis's cheeks, where for the first time in forever she'd noticed the faint specks of freckles that she couldn't remember ever being there. Her eyes widened slightly.
Maybe her memory was wrong...?
"Geez, Hua! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to drill holes into my face the way you're staring at me!" She gave a simple laugh, but Hua could pick up the fact that there was no malice in her observation. Maybe a hint of teasing, judging by her obvious tone.
"My apologies...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Felis smiled and gave her a suspicious look, while absentmindedly twirling a piece of her hair. "What's got you so focused, anyway?"
"Oh...I uh, was just looking at your freckles. I don't remember if you had them before...?" Hua let her words trail off, unsure if Felis would be upset at the fact that she might not be able to remember such a trivial aspect about her appearance, considering how close they were back in the day.
"Oh yeah!" Felis smiled, raising her head up a little, her ears perking up proudly. "They're a recent thing! I've only had them for a few years, but I like them!" She turned back to Fu hua, tilting her head. "I swear some of them look like little stars! What do you think, Hua?"
With every mention of her name, Fu Hua felt her head spinning. With everything that's happened, and despite being aware of her past, neither Kiana nor Bronya used her original name, being all too used to calling her the usual 'Fuka' name. Even Raiden Mei, who's witnessed her past as a Flamechaser defaulted back to the 'class monitor' name of 'Fu Hua', and so out of everyone, Felis was the only one left who still used her birth name. It helped her remember her roots, filling her with a heavy but pleasant reminder of who she had been, and who she was in that moment. Hua was Hua. If she had other names, like Phoenix, Celestial, and so many others...so be it. Those were all her, too.
Her thoughts were brought briefly back to reality as she heard Felis's inquisitive hum in regards to her previous question. She brought her own face closer to take a look at Felis's pale freckles on her cheeks, her brows furrowing slightly, even adjusting her red-rimmed glasses to make sure that she could see them correctly. If she'd been paying attention, Hua would catch the way Felis's gaze softened at the way her face changed expressions without being aware of it. (Felis also found her glasses extremely adorable. It just screamed 'Hua')
"Hm...so it seems..."
However, the class monitor was none the wiser at the fact that maybe Felis's question was a thinly veiled disguise to bring her just a tiny bit closer. It was at the moment that their fingers slightly touched that Hua realized she was quite close to Felis, and attempted to pull away a little, afraid that Felis might be able to feel the heat radiating off her cheeks.
She attempted to fix her voice slightly to distract herself from her bashfulness. "Th-they are indeed quite.....cute."
Hua didn't really know why her mind was so hazy. By all accounts, she shouldn't have been acting like this around Felis. They were old friends, who've went through so many things together, and so there shouldn't be this... awkwardness in the air. Maybe she was the only one?
She SHOULDN'T feel like this being so close to Felis, considering how even back in the Previous Era, Felis was pretty loose with her physical affection to her peers. She would give out hugs to most, and nuzzles to others that were closer than the rest. Hua herself had been the subject of numerous such...occurrences, considering even back then the catgirl had taken an affinity to her, despite the awkward, serious and shy soldier she was.
Even amongst the Flamechasers, Felis preferred to enact her friendship most with Hua, not being shy whatsoever to always press their shoulders together, or nudge her to get her attention. A slight touch on her arm or even a playful tail smack. Those were all ways she'd expressed her friendship, and yet Hua felt her mouth dry just at the thought of getting any closer.
"Aw, thanks!"
By now, the sun had fully gone down and the two girls were soon engulfed by the dim light of the streetlamps and fairy lights strewn around the place. For Hua, it felt as if they were in their own little world where time has stopped. She so desperately wishes to hold onto this feeling of comfort and safety for just a little more. And maybe...just maybe, she would be allowed to.
It was never lost on Hua how well Felis had adjusted to their group. She seemed to be loved by everyone, and even had a courteous relationship with the Herrschers. She was still a bit wary, but that's expected, all things considered. Fu Hua noted that she was really putting in the effort to treat everyone the same. Even if she'd lived just as long, her experiences were vastly different in regards to Herrschers.
And yet, she'd been nothing but kind, easing some of Fu Hua's worries about Felis potentially feeling unsafe and wanting to leave. She couldn't bear the thought of having to say goodbye to Felis again. She didn't think she could go through it once more.
The brush of Felis's tail against Hua's leg made her redirect her attention back to reality for now. She had the awful tendency to get lost in her own mind, to ponder and meditate on things instead of actually talking with people about them.
Felis had a mischievous smile on her face, and Fu Hua could note it looked akin to a cat that was about to commit an act that they definitely knew they weren't supposed to, but still chose to do it anyway.
"Do you know what they say about freckles, Hua?"
Hua could feel herself quietly gulp as Felis leaned in closer to her, and she could feel the catgirl's cherry scented breath on her own face. Felis's eyes were slightly lidded, and Hua's mind vaguely registered how long Felis's eyelashes are. Some of them are even pink underneath, which explained the reason for why Felis's mesmerizing gaze always seemed to hold the rainbow in it.
"W-what do they say, Felis...?" Hua was even surprised that she was still able to speak, considering how she felt as if there were a thousand butterflies going frenzy in her stomach, and her knees felt weak despite sitting down. Even if the day had already passed and it was starting to cool down, her hands felt warm and clammy.
Felis chuckled shortly, holding Hua's flushed gaze. "They say each freckle on your skin represents a kiss from the person you love."
Hua felt herself redden at Felis's words. She...didn't really know what to make of them. Not in the context of their current predicament, anyway. There's a weird feeling in her heart, but she can't put a name to it.
"O-oh. So they say...huh..."
Felis lets out another giggle that somehow manages to sound like sakura petals landing gently on a mountain stream. "So..." Felis let the pause linger on for a moment. "Would you like to help me get some more freckles, then?" Hua's mind went blank for a moment. She'd almost didn't register the way her friend's eyes glistened while waiting for a reply.
What did Felis mean by...
Suddenly, Fu Hua felt a metaphorical smack upside the head. But...on the inside. It managed to grab her attention enough not to get lost in the moment. Quietly, she'd heard Senti's voice somewhere in the back of her consciousness.
"She's asking you to kiss her, dumbass. You're so daft I'm getting second hand embarrassment just watching you."
...oh
Oh.
In that moment, there was no more class monitor, or Celestial, Azure Empyrea, Phoenix, Shadow Knight...it was just Hua, somehow transported back to the faraway days of her youth. She'd felt like all of the wisdom and knowledge she'd acquired from her thousands of years of living have been completely erased in favor of leaving her completely stunned and speechless.
It took a few seconds for her to open her mouth, yet no sound came out. Hua was overcome with an indescribable feeling, rendering her star struck at the sight of Felis's whole being against the background of faint glittering stars already present on the breaking sky.
"Ouf, Hua...!" She heard Felis let out a quiet whine. "You're really making me do all the work here, aren't you?" She didn't know what those words meant until she suddenly felt Felis's warm lips on hers. It took her a bit to break free of shock and lean into the soft touch, closing her eyes and allowing herself to enjoy the moment.
She hadn't expected this at all but she couldn't deny the way sparks were now dancing on her skin from this...electrifying feeling. It was nothing like she'd ever felt before, no festival or victory could ever come close to matching the feeling of this moment right now.
She could feel Felis smile into the kiss, and almost felt her begin to pull away ever so slightly, leaving her with an overwhelming desire for more. Against her usual demeanor, Hua leaned in closer to Felis to chase the taste of her faint cherry lips and try desperately to hold onto the dizzying feeling of the closeness they shared.
She faintly heard an amused hum, before she felt Felis bite her lower lip gently, making her jolt and pull away slightly from the sudden sharp feeling (dang those cat teeth of hers!). Hua gave Pardofelis an almost... questioning look, as if to demand an answer for why they stopped kissing.
It isn't until Felis's next words break her from daze that she realizes...
"And that's for making me make the first move, and yet give me this look when I try to pull away."
...she may have just been a little greedy, a feeling so unlike her, she briefly reels backwards with a startle at the way her own body and mind acted without her even realizing it.
"W-wh...I- uhm. Felis, I...m-my apologies-..." Hua had never stuttered this badly before, and the way her brain had completely forgot to function normally made her embarrassed and horrified at the same time. Fifty thousand years of being alive and yet she couldn't string two words together after being kissed?
Felis gave a short but well meaning laugh and motioned for her to stop trying. "Yes, yes, I understand, you can stop trying now...your whole face is red!"
Hua let out a quiet yelp as she closed her mouth and looked shyly to the side. She'd never been this bashful before and it almost freaked her out, if it weren't for what had just happened. She wanted to say so, so much, but she had suddenly clammed up in the face of Felis and the unexpected kiss...which she couldn't deny enjoying.
"Well..." Felis purposefully trailed off her words. "If you'd rather have me leave to take a moment to gather yourself..."
"I-No!" Both girls were a bit shocked at Hua's determined answer, considering she couldn't say anything before. "I-I...I mean I...your company is uh. Appreciated. And..if you wouldn't be opposed to it, I would erm, like to..." Hua trailed off, unable to phrase the question. She could barely even think it, let alone say it out loud.
Judging by Felis's following victorious grin, there were no other words needed from Hua. She let out a slightly teasing chuckle. "My, my Hua, so needy...!" Fu Hua felt her face go ablaze from those words. She had to stifle the urge to hide her face in her palms. "Just shut up and kiss me already, will you?"
Fu Hua felt her ears burning just hearing that coming from Felis, but she couldn't deny the way her heart felt as if it was leaping from joy.
Indeed, she had been...secretly wanting this, but she'd never allowed herself even the thought of it, locking it deep away in the furthest corners of her mind to prevent herself from potentially hurting her friend if the feelings were not reciprocated. After all, she knew Felis would want only the best for her, but she didn't want to make Pardo uncomfortable with her presence, being aware of her feelings and all.
Was she actually not as subtle about it as she thought? Well...that's a question for another day. Hua was past letting herself get lost in her own thoughts and questions, and instead decided to allow herself to get lost in Felis's lips.