You open up your phone to check the time and immediately let out a sigh as you run a hand through your hair and straighten out your clothes. It's 10:37 am, about a minute has passed since you last checked and you can't help but look around the hospital lobby and drum your fingers in anticipation as you wait for your companion.

Today’s the day that Flare is scheduled to get checked out of the hospital and while you’re honestly glad that she could finally get out, you can’t help but feel on edge – your mind unwilling to slow down as you wait for Flare to finish up with whatever business she has left.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath to try and calm yourself down from your wandering thoughts and instead focus your mind on what happened these past three days.

While the two of you still don’t have a clear picture on Flare’s past, photos from a couple months ago and sporadic recollections aren’t exactly a good basis for concrete assumptions, you two managed to get a vague picture of what she was like from what little you managed to get. Nothing surprising or groundbreaking, but enough to be confident in what she was like and the things she did before the accident.

Things like her close group of friends, her juniors and seniors at her job, even just the subtexts in how she writes about her experiences gives an idea to the type of person she was. It’s not a lot, but it is something at least.

She made a point of not going through the photos without you though, a gesture that amused you greatly when she said that it didn’t feel right to go through it without you. Seems like she shares the thought that this is a joint operation and not something that should be investigated individually.

Still no word on any missing persons report from Jacque however, much to yours and Flare’s disappointment. She managed to put up a good front though, an aspect of hers that is equal parts admirable and frustrating in her stubbornness over not making you worry. It’s still obvious to you that she’s troubled over it, though thankfully your talk a couple days ago dissuaded her from further pessimism.

Aside from just talking whenever you visited her, you two had also spent a lot of time texting each other after you left for the day. At first, you had only intended it for emergencies if something came up on your end or if she suddenly remembers something and needs someone to listen to her. That assumption didn’t last long though as conversations started to become casual almost immediately after you went home.

From day to day ramblings about whatever came to mind at the moment to simple ‘good mornings’ and ‘good nights’ you sent each other whenever one of you woke up or went to sleep. She had even sent you a good morning selfie that one time when you were getting ready to head out, though she immediately deleted it in embarrassment moments after you saw it. It was a shame you didn’t save it, she actually looked quite cute with bed hair.

You instinctively take your phone out once again and go over the texts you sent each other over the past couple days, not even bothering to look at the time elapsed and instead heading straight to the messaging app to pass the time. Even now, the mere action of going through your past conversations brings a smile to your lips as you scroll past a rather intense argument 4th gen Pokemon starter is the best.

So engrossed are you in reading your past messages that you fail to notice the familiar clacks of heels on ceramic tiles until it stops right in front of you.

“Looks like today’s the day huh?”

Without missing a beat, you place your phone back in your pocket before looking up and greeting the nurse before you. The time on your phone before you placed it in your pocket reads 10:41 am.

“Mornin’ Yumi, how’s Flare going along?”

“Nice to see you too Anon,” she says with an amused tone, “she’s doing fine by the way, just finishing up something important but it’s nothing too important so don’t worry.”

“That’s good to hear,” you say, feeling the tension slip away from your body as you lean back on the wall behind you.

“You know you’re not the only one nervous for today,” she says while eyeing your form, “Flare was beside herself the whole time, barely holding it together when I talked to her earlier about today.”

“Is that so?” You ask with a slight tilt of your head. Though a part of you is somewhat relieved that you’re not the only one feeling like this, though you’d vastly prefer if neither of you were like this in the first place. “Though I’m surprised you noticed that from me, was it really that obvious?"

She shakes her head. “Not really, you’re pretty hard to read at times you know?” She says as she looks you up and down, “I just guessed, honestly I’d be even more surprised if you’re actually calm under all that.”

“I see,” you nod your head and look around the room some more, “well in any case, is there any particular reason you came to see me?”

“Should there be a reason for me to come by to talk to you during my break?” She checks her watch before looking back at you. “Besides, Flare told me all about your plan to take her around town and I was wondering if there’s anything more to that.”

“Anything more?” You ask, “I just figured that with her being stuck here for almost two weeks, a change in scenery would do her good instead of jumping right back into figuring out who she was.”

She gives you a look that says that she doesn’t totally believe you before shaking her head and letting out a sigh.

“Do you remember what I told you when you first came here to visit her? How she’s a sweet girl who’s a little confused when she first woke up?” She asks and you nod your head in response. “I’m just wondering if you still remember that."

“What, you think I’m gonna take advantage of her condition?” You momentarily frown at her accusation before shrugging your shoulders. “I mean, yeah that’s a valid concern but I thought I’d have made a good enough impression on you guys to not warrant such concern.”

“No, it’s actually the opposite,” she says, much to your confusion, before letting out another sigh and looking over to where you assume Flare’s at, “you know whenever I came to check up on her, the only thing she talked and asked about was you. Not about her condition, or if anyone contacted us about her, just you and whatever it is you two talked about that day."

There's a light smile on her face as she finishes, no doubt recalling some of the things the two of them talked about while you were gone.

“I mean, her choices of conversation are kinda limited with her being stuck here so it’s not that surprising.”

“Maybe…" She frowns for a moment before looking back at you. "Either way she was really looking forward to this day and I’d be disappointed in you if you let her down."

You smile at her concern and shake your head. “Don’t worry, I have somewhat of an idea on what to do today so just leave it to me, I'll make sure this will be a day worth remembering."

“Is that so…” It seems like she has more to say on the subject but refuses to press any further. “I’ll trust you on that then.”

You nod your head and you are about to ask her when Flare's gonna be finished with whatever she has left before you realize something interesting about what she said earlier.

“Wait, so you two’ve been talking about me while I’m gone?”

"Yeah." She says as if that's the most normal thing in the world.

"…Gonna tell me what you guys were talking about?"

She flashes a mischievous grin at you. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

You feel your eyes narrow for a moment. “Yes, I would like to know that's why I'm asking you.”

“Well that would have to wait since it looks like your little friend finished up with whatever she was working on and is walking towards us right now.”

You follow her gaze and you immediately feel your lips curl upwards at the sight of your half-elf companion making her way towards you, the slight annoyance of the nurse's previous obfuscation now at the back of your mind as you take in Flare's familiar attire and give her a small wave.

Gone was the familiar hospital gown she usually wore and instead a dark gray sailor dress with its skirt just falling shy of her knees is on her person, the same dress she wore the night you found her.

Your eyes are then drawn to her neck as you notice a matching choker with a golden emblem snugly wrapped around throat, the same one she bought with the girl named Noel if you recall correctly.

The bandage on her head is also gone, the place where her scar would be is hidden by her bangs, though you no doubt think that it’s still there healing. Speaking of hair, you notice it's done up as well, in a braid that ends in a small black ribbon on the back of her head.

She’s also wearing make-up, where she got it is a mystery since you found nothing of the sort inside the bag she had with her, but a certain nurse standing beside you comes to the forefront of your mind as an explanation. Judging by the smirk she has as she watches your reaction to the well dressed half-elf, you’re right on the money.

“Well, I think this is my cue to leave,” Yumi says with a light chuckle as she turns to leave, “have fun you two!”

She gives the two of you a little wave as she walks away, leaving you alone with Flare. You never noticed it before as whenever you visited her she was always either sitting or lying down on the bed, but she’s actually quite a bit shorter than you. Even with her platform shoes giving her a few extra centimeters, she’s still a full head shorter than you.

You give her a smile as she stops before you. “Mornin’ Flare, finished up with whatever you had back there?”

“Uh, yeah. It wasn’t anything important so don’t worry about that,” Flare says before running a hand through her hair, “so uhhh… how do I look?”

With a bashful smile and a light blush, she gives you a little twirl to showcase herself. An act that brings a smile to your lips as you get a good look at her features.

“Incredible,” you instinctively say, “kinda makes me feel underdressed for the occasion to be perfectly honest.”

You’ve foregone your usual scruffy old jacket, the same one that you left in the hospital the day you found Flare, and instead decided on a sleeker one that still felt comfortable for the weather. You actually debated on whether to wear something nicer for the occasion but decided against it. Your boss might have told you stories of how he and your father rocked sports jackets when going out on dates back in the day but that might be a bit too much for a simple outing between friends.

Wait, what are you even thinking about? This isn’t even a date, it’s just you taking her to lunch and then maybe going around the city to see if anything jogs her memories before heading straight to her apartment. That’s not a date, right...? No, that sounds exactly like a date now that you fully internalize it.

“Come on, don’t say that,” she says with a shake of her head, snapping you out of your thoughts, “you actually look quite nice for today, that jacket of yours suits you quite well.”

The way her eyes wanders over your frame and how the smile on her face widens for a fraction of a second gives her the look of an apex predator stalking her prey. You stifle the cold feeling that went up your spine however as you focus on what she said.

“For today?” You ask with a slight raise of an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Do I not usually look great?”

“I mean…” She looks to the side and returns the grin on your face with her own. “To be fair, your old jacket really didn’t do you any favors.”

You snort as you feel your lips curl upwards. “Oh wow, any more… heartless critiques of my general appearance?”

“Hmmm.” She makes a show of looking at you before shaking her head. “Sorry, can’t think of any at the moment.”

“Well then I'll make sure to wear something presentable for you in the future, wouldn't want to disappoint you now that you know that I do in fact have better choices of clothing.”

“Well… I wouldn’t go that far,” she says, giving you a light smile, “just because I said it looked banged up doesn't mean it didn't look good on you. It suited you, I could see why it's one of your favorites.” She blushes slightly as she plays with her hair. “I’m just saying you look even better today, that’s all.”

“Well I’m glad to know that you find my choice of attire appealing for today then. I was actually torn between wearing this jacket, my other black jacket, the black denim jacket I got as a gift a couple years ago, and another jacket I got as a gift – that one was also black believe it or not.”

She brings a hand over her mouth as she fails to stifle a laugh. “You seem to like the color black huh?”

“I mean, what’s not to like about them? They’re a neutral color which means you can mix and match with them while experimenting with other colors plus you can put them over pretty much anything and it’ll look good unless you intentionally mess it up. Not to mention...” You look at her clothes then back at your own. “We match.”

 “I guess,” she relents, “but you really need to try and expand your wardrobe, wouldn't want people to think you only have four outfits you swap around.”

“Well I do have a gray jacket lying around so it's not all bad.”

“What type of gray?”

“Charcoal gray”

“Isn’t that just black?"

“Well it's not called charcoal black now is it?" Your response has her roll her eyes but a small laugh still escapes her lips at your stupid joke. “But like I said, you look fantastic today. I’m guessing Yumi helped you out in that regard.”

“That she did,” she says with a light snort, “she was actually pretty adamant on helping me even when I said it was fine.”

“I see…” You make a mental note to thank the nurse for helping out Flare, partly because the nurse had no obligation to do so but did so anyway and partly because, you have to admit, She does look quite nice today

“So... should we head off?” She asks as she walks closer to you and gestures to the exit.

“That depends, you ready?”

She smiles a nervous smile as she shrugs her shoulders. “Ready as I’ll ever be I guess.”

The way she smiles through her nervousness makes you feel a little bit better, like her smile found a way to burn through whatever weight you have on your mind at the moment and. You nod at her resolve and feel a smile make its way across your lips as you gesture with your head towards the exit.

“Then let’s go.”

You make a silent farewell towards the hospital before heading out with Flare in tow, as much as you hate to admit it, a part of you is gonna miss this place. Call yourself a sentimental bastard but you really did make some good memories here over the past two weeks even with the not so ideal circumstance.

“So… you gonna let me drive?”

“Hmm let me think– no.”

“Hey!” Flare exclaims in mock indignation. “I’ll have you know that my license is gold which means I’m a better driver than you so take that.”

“Yeah? So does my 70 year old neighbor who hasn’t driven a car in 40 years, that doesn't mean anything."

You two didn’t notice it at first but Flare actually has a gold tier license compared to your blue which means she had a clean record for five whole years which elevated her to that level. That could either mean she’s a really good driver or that she doesn’t drive at all. You’re not gonna take your chances with that.

“So no on the driving then?”

“Unless you’ve been hiding concrete proof that you do in fact know how to drive in the first place, the answer’s still no,” you say before stopping to think, “actually, do you even have a car?”

Flare shrugs her shoulders. “I mean, do you need a car to know how to drive?”

“That depends, do you need a kitchen to know how to cook?”

Flare ponders your words for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. “Good point.”

You arrive at your parked car a little ways away from the entrance and open up the passenger side door for Flare. You had made sure to clean up the interior beforehand first, the last thing you need is her teasing you over some fast food wrapper you accidentally left inside.

“What a gentleman.” She gives you a smile as she enters the car.

“Of course,” you say with an exaggerated flourish, “I’d be remiss if I let a fair lady such as yourself open this car door on your own.”

She covers her mouth and lets out the poshest little laugh that she can. “Well it’s a good thing that I have someone like you to keep me company for today then.”

You stop to make sure that she has everything sorted out before closing the door and making your way to the other side to get in, making sure everything's in order first before starting the engine.

Immediately the car is filled with the sounds of classic rock from the stereo and you lower the volume to make sure that it won’t overwhelm whatever conversation you have and begin your journey.

“So, where’re we heading?” Flare asks as you exit the hospital parking lot and into the main road.

You had actually discussed this with Flare the day before and decided that it would be best if you two spent the day just going around the commercial district and just look around. Leave the past identity thing for tomorrow and just spend today doing whatever you two like after almost two weeks cooped up inside the hospital.

She actually sounded excited at the prospect of going out with you. A notion which prompted you to prepare for today to the best of your abilities.

“There’s this restaurant near Liaison Square that’s apparently pretty good,” you say as you take a look at the GPS on your phone, “normally they’d be packed but since today’s a Thursday, there shouldn’t be a ton of people around.”

You actually scouted the place in advance to see if it’s a good place to take her for lunch and from what you had gathered, it seems like a decent place to take someone for lunch without it being too awkward with just the two of you. Plus, Flare mentioned something about not wanting to eat somewhere crowded so that’s a nice bonus.

“That’s good to hear.” She leans down on the passenger seat and rests her elbow on the panel as she takes in the sights of the city.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing you got released on Thursday then.” You take a quick glance at her observing the surrounding scenery before taking your eyes back on the road. “So, notice anything that feels familiar?”

She stays silent for a moment, while you continue to keep your focus on the road. It should take around half an hour or so for you to arrive which means there’s plenty of time for some idle chit-chat.

“It’s… weird,” she says after a moment of silence, “I can’t think of a word to describe it but it’s like… I know these should feel familiar but at the same time… it just doesn't. If that makes any sense.”

She looks at you with a confused expression before looking back out the window in silence. You recall an old phrase you heard a long time ago and wonder if it has anything to do with her predicament.

“…Jamais vu.”

“Umm… bless you?” She tilts her head to the side as she turns back to you..

You suppress a laugh before shaking your head. “No, jamais vu. It’s a french word meaning never seen and is essentially the opposite of deja vu. It’s a feeling you get whenever you encounter something in your life that’s supposed to be familiar but at the same time feels novel, like you’re experiencing it for the first time.”

Flare stays quiet for a while as she mulls over the phrase in her head. “Jamais vu huh?” She nods, her eyes returning to the city as she leans her head against the glass. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

You stop at a red light and open up your phone to see if you’re heading in the right direction, it would be pretty embarrassing if you got lost after saying all that. Out of the corner of your eye you notice Flare still glancing outside the window as she watches the swaths of people milling about – a light smile on her face as she looks at the surroundings.

You don’t know how long you’ve been staring at her fascination with the people outside but it’s apparently long enough for her to notice as she turns to you with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” She asks.

“Nothing, it’s just… you seem happier than normal.”

True to your word, there is a noticeable glint in her eye and a light spring in her step the moment she stepped outside the hospital. Even now, as she taps her fingers to the beat of the song, her mood hasn’t shifted one bit the entire time.

“I mean why wouldn’t I?” She asks as she turns to look outside the window once again. “I’ve been stuck in the hospital for almost two weeks at this point, any change in scenery is welcome in my opinion.”

“Yeah, I guess you have a point.” You have no doubt in your head about how boring it would be to be stuck in a room with nothing but your thoughts to accompany you.

“Not to mention I get to spend an entire day with you,” she says as she quickly glances at you before turning to look out the window, “I know I’ve said it a bunch before but… it really does mean a lot that you’re here with me and… I don’t think I can say anything that can really express how I feel at the moment so I’m just gonna say this: Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything, being here with me, helping me out with all of this. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I was alone with no one to help me with this so… Thank you. I know I sound like a broken record at this point but I mean it, thank you.”

You feel a smile tug at your lips as a warm feeling sprouts from your chest at her words.

“No problem,” you say, “and… if it makes you feel any better, you’ve also helped me out a lot by just being someone I could talk to. It might not seem like a lot but… good friends are hard to come by and I’m glad to be able to call you one of them.”

The smile on her face widens considerably as she continues to look outside and you find yourself mirroring her expression.

The light turns green and you continue your drive just as the music in the car changes to a familiar tune from your childhood. A detail which interests Flare judging by the way she looks at the sound system then back to you.

“Y’know, I gotta ask…” She turns to you before tilting her head at the stereo unit. “What’s with the music?”

“What about it?” You ask. “You got a problem with Hall and Oates?”

Flare lets out an amused snort before shaking her head. “Nothing, it’s just…” She trails off for a moment to think of something to say. “I just assumed with how young you are that you’d be more interested in more of the modern stuff and the like, didn’t take you for a fan of the classics.”

“Young?” You’re confused by her choice of words before letting out a snort, “well, compared to you maybe but...”

It’s times like these that make you forget that Flare is literally two centuries older than you and that compared to her you’re practically a kid, she is 223 years old as hard as it is to believe sometimes. The way she acts certainly gives off an aura of a woman who has her stuff together, but at the same time, there's something about her that–

“And what is that supposed to mean?” She suddenly says, cutting off your train of thought.

“What do you mean?”

“Compared to you.” She raises an eyebrow. “You want to say something?”

You instinctively grip the wheel tight as her voice brings in a cold edge that causes your skin to crawl. You recall Calli telling you something about not talking about a woman’s age and for some reason you feel that she’s currently laughing at your predicament.

“Oh… well… it’s– uhhhh.” Time slows down to a crawl as you rack your brain for a way to get out of the hole you’ve unintentionally found yourself in. You can feel the unamused stare Flare’s giving you and your task of keeping your car on the road is the only thing keeping you from gauging her reaction. “You see…”

Thankfully, Flare’s facade crumbles almost immediately and cuts you off once again by laughing.

“I’m joking Anon,” she says while barely containing her laughter, “you don’t spend over 200 years on this earth without having a laugh about your own age. Trust me, you get used to it.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and smile at her antics. Good to know that you hadn’t dug yourself into a pit you can’t get out with your words.

“Really now?” You turn to her, hands still gripping on the steering wheel. “So tell me Miss Shiranui Flare, how do you get used to it then?”

“Hmmm,” she ponders for a second before answering, “well you know how your taste in music pretty much peaks early in your life?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about it.” You nod your head as you try and remember what it was you read exactly. “The types of music you listen to in your teens dictates whatever types of music you listen to your whole life right?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” she says, “well… imagine how it is for us who live way longer, those who grew up listening to music that’s, at the very least, centuries old.”

You do as she says before raising an eyebrow as a strange thought passes through you as you understand where she’s going.

“...Wait, does this mean you exclusively only listen to classical music?”

A light punch to your shoulder is her immediate response.

“Haha, very funny,” She quickly retorts before composing herself. “What I mean is that for us who live longer than most, we have to constantly adapt to whatever new stuff comes out or else we’ll be forever seen as a bunch of old-fashioned weirdos. Thankfully I’ve more or less learned to adapt over the years to the changing times but in the beginning it was… rough to say the least.”

You suddenly imagine a scenario 150 or so years ago of Flare acting like an old lady while still looking like she’s in her mid 20’s and you desperately try to chase away that thought in your head. Not because it was weird, but because thinking about it any longer would cause you to laugh and you very much do not like to bring about the ire of your companion.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine living with that, I mean, I’ve already been called a boomer by some of my younger cousins and I’m barely ten years older than the youngest of them.” You let out a snort before quickly turning to her and smiling. “But like I said, it’s easy to forget that you’re pretty much ten times my own age so you have that going for you.”

Flare stays quiet for a moment and a part of you wonders if you might have said something wrong before she speaks up once again.

“Does… is it weird knowing I’m literally centuries older than you?” Her voice is oddly soft as she continues to look outside, “I mean, people normally hang out with those their age right so I was just wondering if it bothers you or not.”

You think for a moment before shaking your head. “Nah, not really. You do a great job at keeping up with the times as you said,” you say before letting out a snort, “honestly it’s kinda hard to believe you're older than me by magnitudes of generations so you have that going for you.

“You’re a great companion and an even greater friend to be around and I’m confident in saying even if we met under different circumstances, I’d still be adamant in calling you someone I truly admire. If you think of it like that, does any of that really matter if you enjoy the time with the person you’re with?”

You let out a snort before a smile settles on your face. “Besides, it’s not like I don’t have my fair share of friends who’re not my age. Jacque’s technically old enough to be my dad and I still consider him one of my closest friends. Granted there’s no way in hell I’m gonna tell him that straight to his face but you get the picture. And Calli’s… well… I think she’s older than me but I’m not really sure, she never tells me her age so I’m just gonna assume that she’s older than me by quite a bit.”

Somewhere, in a dingy apartment near the heart of the city, a young(?) woman lays on her bed scrolling through twitter as she gathers up the energy to start the day. Calliope Mori sits up to take a sip of water from her glass beside her bed when she feels a shiver run down her spine before looking around, confused by the strange sensation she just felt. She shrugs her shoulders and raises the glass to her lips before laying back down on her bed, content to just forget about the weird tingling she felt moments prior.

…That was weird.

Flare stays quiet for a long time and you  take a moment to quickly glance at her when you’re sure there’s no other cars around and to your surprise, there’s a smile and a light blush on her face the moment your eyes meet. She then immediately turns to look outside the window, covering the lower part of her face with her hand as she does so, and lets out a little cough.

“So… you don’t mind that I’m probably ten times your age?”

“Of course not, if anything I should be asking you that, hanging out with someone a tenth your age.” you say before turning to her and raising an eyebrow, “Why are you even asking about this in the first place?”

“No reason,” she quickly says, “so… about these songs…”

You realize you never did answer the original question about your taste in music.

“Well to answer your original question, you can blame my dad for that one.” You glance at the stereo as it changes the song to another one from your childhood.

“Whenever my dad took us on trips he always played the same songs he liked over and over again while he drove and it just… kinda grew on me? That’s not to say I only listen to this stuff, but when it comes to driving? I make sure to keep the tradition going and now it just doesn’t feel right whenever I drive without some of the same songs playing over the speaker.”

“Huh, that’s… actually kinda cute to be honest,” she says as she gives you a warm smile, “I never imagined you to be the sentimental type."

“Well you learn something new everyday,” you say, “what about you?, if you’re gonna judge me by my taste in music then it’s only fair that I get to know yours too you know.”

The rest of the trip goes by in a flash as the two of you talk about other mundane things to pass the time. Though for all her talk of keeping up, her taste in music is still decades old–not that you’d point it out of course. She may be a good sport when it comes to her age but you’re not gonna push your luck when it comes to how far you can go.

The two of you walk side by side as you lead Flare through the old pedestrian streets of the upper-class commercial district you find yourselves in. The sun is shining bright with nary a cloud in sight yet the cool air from the east keeps the heat at bay giving way to a nice temperate climate that is perfect for a midday stroll.

There’s surprisingly quite a bit of people still walking around even though it’s a weekday, mostly teenagers and college students hanging around and making the best of their remaining days before classes eventually start once more, their distinct chatter providing a nice ambiance as you two walk past a group loitering around a public fountain.

You do most of the talking as you lead Flare towards your destination, answering most of her questions about the district to the best of your abilities. While this place isn’t what you would call a “tourist trap”, it's still well preserved and has its fair share of interesting locales scattered about. From the antiquated buildings that are centuries old to the strange looking arches near the square, there’s always something that catches her eye that causes her to stop and ask.

None of it is particularly unique or interesting, but for someone essentially seeing it for the first time again, it’s definitely quite the sight to see, and judging by how she continues to look around with a spark in her eyes filled with unbridled joy and curiosity – she’s definitely enjoying the impromptu tour.

Who knew your extensive knowledge of the city’s local culture from your project in high school would come in handy? Maybe a profession in tourism would do you good as a backup should anything go awry.

“You seem to know a lot about the place,” she says as she eyes one of the older buildings in the area, “don’t tell me you researched ahead of time to try and impress me ‘cause if you did then consider me impressed."

You snort at her accusation as you turn to face her. “What kind of nerd would try and impress a girl with random facts about the city?”

“I dunno,” she responds, “the same type of nerd who knows random facts about the city in the first place?”

“I’ll have you know that me being a nerd and me knowing a bunch of random facts about the city has nothing to do with each other.”

“But you don’t deny the fact that you’re a massive nerd?”

“Well who’s a bigger nerd, the one who’s talking about the facts or the one who’s impressed by it?”

“Well one actively researched about the place and the other just asks questions and listens so you tell me."

She’s got you there.

"...Touché"

You turn away from her smug face and spot the restaurant a little ways away ahead of you. It’s a quaint two story building on the corner of the street which overlooks the plaza as well as the city proper due to its high elevation. It’s red brick and mortar exterior, coupled with its wrought iron fences along the sides, gives off a distinct antiquated appearance that is unique to this part of town which made you interested in taking Flare here in the first place.

The place is actually moderately packed from what you could see from the outside but there’s still enough empty tables that you’re confident that it wouldn’t impede on whatever private conversations you might have with her later.

“Table for two please.” You ask the man on the counter, a demihuman judging by his appearance you note.

“Of course.” The wolf-eared man nods his head. “Where would you like your seat? We have some available upstairs on the terrace, the weather is nice enough if you wish to dine outside.”

You glance at your companion and she looks up towards the terrace before looking back at you with a slight nod.

"Upstairs sounds fine.”

The man nods his head and leads the two of you upstairs to a private table off to the side that comes with a good view of the rest of the commercial district. You pull up the chair for Flare to sit down, a gesture which earns you a smile before taking her seat. The waiter then lays out the menu on the table as you sit down in your own chair.

“Call for me when you’re ready to order.” The waiter says, leaving you two alone and letting you flip through the menu in your hands.

This restaurant is actually fairly unique in that it’s a fusion of different types of cuisines from all over the world, how they managed to combine multiple specialties without sacrificing flavor is a mystery but not surprising. This city is considered the heart of the new world so seeing strange amalgamations of cultures is a daily occurrence.

Hell, you’re having lunch with a half-elf right now while a demihuman stands to the side in wait for your choice of lunch. You've lived here for over a decade already so this shouldn’t be a surprise.

You look over to your companion and notice a frown settling on her lips as she continues to look at the varied selection in front of you. You’re about to ask her what’s on her mind but she beats you to it by speaking up.

“Umm, Anon...?”

“Yeah?”

“Who’s gonna pay for this?” She asks as she looks over some of the prices on the menu. “I mean, I have some cash on me but…”

You take a moment to glance at some of the prices listed and nod your head in response

This place is in what you would call the upper part of town so the prices here are slightly higher than what you’re used to when eating out. Still, you’re not really strapped for cash at the moment and you did figure that it’ll be a little expensive so it’s not like it’s a surprise. Besides, it’s not like Flare’s the type of person to take advantage of kindness and it has been a while since you last splurged…

“Don’t worry about it, think of this lunch as a... celebratory gift for finally getting discharged at the hospital,” you say as you continue to look at the menu, “just order whatever you think is nice and let me handle the rest.”

“You sure?” She still sounds unconvinced as she continues to stare at the prices.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” you say before giving her a small grin, “besides, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady like yourself pay for the meal. It is my idea to take you here so it’s only natural that I’d pay as well.”

Your words bring a smile to her face even as she lets out a snort and shakes her head.

“Of course, how could I forget that I’m eating with such a chivalrous individual. First the car then the chair and now this? Please forgive me for assuming you are anything less than the ideal gentleman.”

Her voice carries with it a slight imitation of a high-class individual from the Victorian era. An imitation you decide to follow through while making sure to stomp out the grin forming on your face.

“No need to apologize my dear Flare, it’s only natural for those as kind as yourself to think of ways to repay those who have shown you goodwill. Nevertheless, you need not worry about such things, worry more on keeping your end of the bargain in helping me make this a day worth remembering.”

You finish off with a smile which Flare returns with her own.

“Very well.” Flare drops the accent and turns her attention back on the menu. “I’ll make sure to repay you one of these days for everything you’ve done, I did promise I’d pay you back for fixing up my phone after all.”

“That you did,” you say before turning your attention back on the menu, “so, anything on the menu that catches your eye?”

It doesn’t take long for both of you to pick an appetizer and a main course, yourself choosing a medium-rare steak while Flare chose a plate of Shrimp scampi. For appetizers you both decided on chawanmushi, you’re not exactly sure what that is but Flare seemed to have liked it so you decided to take her word for it and order it as well.

“What about desserts?” You figured that since you’re paying for all of it you might as well go all-in with the food.

“I… I think I’m good for desserts.” She lets out a sheepish laugh while rubbing the back of her neck. “Wouldn’t want to eat any more than I already have, you know.”

Judging by the fact that all she ate for the past two weeks were food specifically designed for nutrition in lieu of flavor, you highly doubt that she’s worried about her weight. She’s probably still embarrassed from the fact that you’re paying for all of this and you stifle a grin at her awkward expression as she no doubt looks over the desserts and the prices listed beside it. Forcing her to choose a desert would do no good, that being said…

“Well if you’re not feeling up for one for yourself, then how about we share one?” You ask as your eyes look over the menu. “How about a slice of Black Forest gâteau? I doubt I could finish it by myself and I don’t want to waste food so if you want we could do that.”

She flips through the menu to find it before nodding her head. “Sure, I’m fine with that.” There’s a smile on her lips, “Let’s call the waiter then?”

You gesture towards the waiter to come over and after double-checking your orders, he heads back downstairs leaving the two of you alone once again.

“I must say that you definitely picked a good place for us to eat just judging by the view we have but…  is it really alright for you to pay for all this? This isn’t cheap, you know.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it,” you say, trying to brush off her concern, “Besides, you promised to pay me back after all of this so just relax and have fun.”

 “Alright, fine.” she sighs and shakes her head, finally relenting to your insistence of just enjoying yourselves. “By the way, your job... I assume today’s your day off since you’re spending the day with me because you better not say you took a day off just to take me out.”

She narrows her eyes at you and you wave your hands at her accusation..

“Relax, it’s my day off. I only work from Fridays to Sundays so we pretty much have the whole day to ourselves. Again, pretty fortunate that you’re discharged today.”

Flare nods her head at your explanation before a thought crosses her head. “Three days a week?” She asks while arching her eyebrow, “what do you do the rest of the week then?”

“College, mostly.” You shrug your shoulders. “Classes won’t start for a couple more weeks so I don’t have to worry about that for a while.”

“You’re a student?” Flare asks, almost incredulously before letting out an awkward cough, “I mean, no offense but… I’m just surprised. You don’t look particularly young so I just thought…” Her eyes suddenly widen as she waves her hand around. “Not that I mind of course! It’s just, well…”

You shake your head at her stammering and fight back a grin. “I went back to college around two years ago after dropping out for various reasons. I worked at the docks for a couple of years before deciding to go back so no, I’m not a fresh out of high school kid if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I see, so a working student then?” She nods her head before a frown settles on her lips. “Wait, then are you sure you should be the one paying for this? I mean, shouldn’t you be saving up for like, books and stuff?”

You wave off her concern with a small laugh. “It’s not a big deal, the few years I worked at the docks paid quite well, not to mention what my folks left me…” you mumble out the last words before bringing back the grin on your face. “Really, the only reason I work at the bar is that I don’t want to rely on my savings, just in case something comes up of course.”

“Left for you…?” Flare asks with a worried brow before shaking her head. “So,” she starts, “what–uhhh, course are you going for?” She asks, no doubt trying to change the subject.

“I’m taking up chemistry and minoring in education,” you say before flashing her a wry grin, “If all goes well then I’m  planning on becoming a teacher.”

Flare’s eyes widen in surprise at your revelation. “Really?” Her voice carries with it even more incredulousness than the last before stopping to compose herself and continuing. “I mean, again, no offense, but I just didn’t really see you as the teaching type.”

“None taken,” you say with a shrug of your shoulders, “to be honest I didn’t really see myself as the teaching type so you’re not the only one surprised to know that I decided on teaching as something I want to do.”

The look on Jacque and your boss’s face when you told them about your plan will forever live inside your mind as one of the best moments in your life.

“Is that so…?” Flare muses, still confused at your choice of profession, “but… why become a teacher then? If you don’t see yourself as the teaching type then teaching is a pretty weird thing to go for.”

Why indeed? There are multiple reasons why you decided to do so: job stability, a growing demand, decent wage in this city, but those are just bonuses; nobody would choose to teach just for those reasons, there has to be something more. You stay quiet for a while, leaning back in your chair as your mind goes to a distant memory of the past as a smile makes its way across your face.

“My old teacher,” you say, which causes Flare to perk up and pay attention, “I had no idea what the hell he saw in a kid like me but he absolutely refused to give up on trying to get me to listen. Not just for me, mind you, but for everyone else in class.”

You look over the balcony and a smile tugs on your lips as you spot a bunch of high schoolers milling about trying to make the best of their remaining summer vacation.

“He didn’t see us as who we were currently, no, he saw us as the people we could become if we just tried. He knew I hated dragging people down to my mess so he made it so I’m the leader during every group project he makes us do. I eventually confronted him about it after we finished a particularly tedious one and you know what he said to me?”

You look at Flare before letting out a grin, “He said that if I didn’t want to be a leader the I should’ve just asked him to pick someone else, and when i asked him what would’ve happened if I did refuse, he just said that he knew I wouldn’t because I wasn’t the type of person to say no to a challenge especially if it involved helping other people.

“He told me that teaching is more than just knowing the subject, it’s about knowing the people you’re teaching and seeing how you could finagle the system in a way to get them to listen to you. Hell of a gamble he did but in the end it worked out well. Kinda wonder what he’d think if he found out I’m studying to become a teacher”

“That’s… wow, I can see why you would choose to become one after hearing all of that,” she says before a worried frown enters her lips, “but… why can’t you just visit him at school? Is he…”

“He’s not dead or anything.” You shake your head and smile at her concern. “Funnily enough, he actually moved to the Elven Kingdom with his family after being recommended for a job there.” You smile at the odd coincidence. “Part of me wants to go there eventually to try and find him and… catch up I guess?”

Your eyes wander off into the horizon towards the north-east, far off into the heart of the city and beyond, towards the docks where you saw first hand the and its numerous shipping vessels coming from places you might not have even heard of. Then even further beyond into the great blue yonder, where all nations and civilization cross paths in the vast basin called the ocean.

Places your eyes have only seen through screens and photographs flash into your mind as a sense of scale of how little you’ve seen of the earth passes over you, and how little you will ever see even if you spend your life chasing sights around the world. Flare joins your gaze towards the ocean and a comfortable silence falls around you two as you continue to stare into the distant oceans, she turns her sights back on you and speaks, her voice: oddly somber.

“If you want, when you do decide to go there... maybe I could…  show you around...? If you want to, of course.” Flare adds to the end as she returns her gaze back towards the horizon. “I know how hard it is to visit a country without knowing someone there and I don’t want you to feel lost, besides, it’s been a while since I’ve visited my parents so what better way than to kill two birds with one stone than by going with you.”

She smiles at you and the revelation of Flare’s apparent family back home comes second to her offer of companionship as a warm feeling sprouts from your chest at her words.

“Are you sure?” You ask. “I mean, I don’t want to impose or anything and I don’t even know when I’ll decide to visit the Elven Kingdom.”

You have no doubt the difficulties associated with visiting a new country by yourself and the last thing you want is to impose yourself on her familial visit but the way she looks at you chases away any worry you have in an instant. A face that causes the warm feeling in your chest to double.

“Hmmm, you’re right about that…” She takes on a pensive look while tapping her cheek before letting out a grin. “Then let’s make a promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yeah, a promise. That I'll come with you to the Elven Kingdom whenever you decide to visit there so I can show you around.”

She gives you a warm smile and you suppress a snort at the almost childlike reverence she has on a simple promise but a smile makes its way on your face regardless of your thoughts.

“That’s a pretty big promise Flare, I don’t want to make a liar out of you if something comes up that could stop that from happening.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m a woman of my words then.”

“Is that so…” you muse, “but even if I decide to take you up on that offer, why’re you so insistent on showing me around there in the first place? Not that I’m complaining or anything, it's just… surprising I guess.”

“Should there be a reason other than because I want to?” She says, parroting the words you often spoke about the reason for you helping her.

“True…” you concede. “But I think there’s a jump between helping someone in need and deciding to go with them to another country to play tour guide.”

Flare stays silent for a moment and turns once again towards the horizon far into the distance as a conflicted expression makes its way across her face.

“It’s… I told you I want to pay you back for everything you’ve done for me and…” She looks at you and smiles. “If that means playing tour guide for you then so be it.”

Her voice carries with it a certain strength that makes you believe that she’s going to keep her promise. But there’s something with her tone of voice that she’s not so sure of the reasoning she said herself.

“Then who am I to say no to your offer,” you say while sporting a reserved grin, “that is if you don’t mind of course.”

“Of course, I offered, didn't I?”

You have to hand it to this girl for convincing you to let her come with you in such a short time, you really are a sucker for a cute face huh?

“I suppose, but…” A thought makes its way in your head as you gather your emotions, “Two birds with one stone?” You feel the corners of your mouth twitch. “A little forward for you to be thinking about me meeting your parents, I mean what would they think if their daughter suddenly came home with a boy in tow?”

“I mean might as well right? If you’re thinking of visiting the Elven Kingdom then what better way than with me to show you around the place.” She leans forward and rests her chin on her hand as a sly smirk reaches her lips. “Besides, I’m just bringing home a friend to show him around, nothing much to it. Unless of course… you want something more to it?”

There’s a mirth in her eyes that promises nothing but hardships should you continue this path and yet…

You don’t back down, copying her movements, you lean forwards as you refuse to shy away from her look.

“Well I’m pretty sure the implication is clear. No need for me to say it out right, unless of course there’s a reason you want to hear it from me directly.”

“Is it though? I’m an amnesiac, remember? Maybe you could… refresh me in its hidden meaning.” She raises one finger to tap against her chin, her voice filled with a warm mirth “Please, for me?”

This woman is dangerous. Still, you’re not one to back down from a challenge as you quickly think of a comeback.

Unfortunately the waiter from earlier chose this time to come back, carrying with him a tray with what you assume to be your appetizers. He at least looks a bit sheepish as he noticed the position you two were in, leaning forward in your chairs as you two continue to stare at each other.

He places the ramekins filled with what you assume is Chawanmushi before excusing himself, leaving you two alone once again.

You let out a cough as you lean back and she does the same.

“So…  anything you want to do after this?” You say as you eye the dish in front of you, “I was thinking we could just go around town and see if anything catches our eye, it’s been a while since I’ve been in this part of town so it’ll be a surprise for me as well.”

“Sightseeing and window shopping then?” She asks with a smile, “sure, why not? It’s not like we’re in a rush to go anywhere. Besides, as long as you’re with me, I'm sure that wherever you take me is gonna be interesting.”

“And I’m sure you’re gonna make wherever I take you fun.”

The two of you share a smile as you two dig into your lunch, continuing your small talk as you go about the rest of your meal.

After finishing eating, the two of you head out once again and continue looking around the district to see what catches your eyes. It’s nothing exciting, just walking through the sparsely crowded pedestrian streets and window shopping through the various boutiques scattered about, but it’s enough to keep the two of you entertained.

It’s been a while since you last came here and when you did it wasn’t anything like this. Highrises, designer stores, well-kept gardens, all of these are fairly new in the grand scheme of things and you’re surprised by how quickly things change in this city. The wonders of gentrification you think to yourself as Flare stops by an outdoor boutique that sells glasses.

The owner, an older woman judging by her graying hair, smiles at the both of you from the side as Flare browses her wares. You gesture with your head to ask if it’s alright to look around to which she replies by giving you a slight nod.

“Anything catch your eye?” You ask as you stop beside Flare and look at the wares.

She shakes her head and you stop beside Flare and browse alongside her, the glasses range from sunglasses to non-prescription lenses, plastic frames to metal ones, stylish to the outright garish, it’s quite the variety. From the corner of your eye, you spot Flare occasionally picking up a pair before looking at you, shaking her head, and putting it back where it belongs.

“Oh hey check these out!” she says as she takes out a pair of glasses from the stand, “come on, try ‘em on!”

You pick it up from her hands and examine it closely; half-rimmed, square frame, and a gunmetal gray–bordering on black–exterior, Not too showy while also being stylish enough to draw a couple eyes to it. It also matches your clothes, a detail which Flare no doubt spent a long time on deciding for you.

“Glasses huh?” You put them on and immediately feel how snugly it fits. “How do I look?” You ask with a smug grin while crossing your arms and striking a pose.

She laughs at your ridiculousness before stopping and taking in your new look before giving you a nod of approval. “Surprisingly pretty good, it actually suits you quite well,” she says before taking a pair out for herself and putting it on, “what about this one, does it look good on me?”

She places her hands behind her back and beams up at you as she slowly sways around. The oval shaped pair of half-rimmed glasses rests gently against her dainty face as she gives you a sheepish smile, the sight of which also causes you to smile in a way that causes Flare to widen hers in return.

“Also surprisingly pretty good.” You give her a thumbs up before taking off your glasses to look at it more closely. “Too bad I’m not much of a glasses kind of guy so you ain’t gonna see me wearing these anytime soon.”

“That’s too bad,” she says before taking them off herself, “it actually suits you quite well if I do say so myself.”

You smile at her compliment before shrugging your shoulders and gesturing at the pair she’s holding. “So you planning on getting that?”

She shakes her head. “Nah, I was just checking them out.” She moves to place the glasses back where she got it before stopping as an idea slowly forms in her head. “Actually, put those on one more time.”

“Uhh, sure?” You put on the pair once again as she does the same. “Gonna tell me why?”

“I wanna take a picture,” she says as she pulls out her phone, “I just realized we never took a picture during lunch and I wanna take as many as I can to remember this day. Plus I need a wallpaper for my phone, pastel colors aren’t really doing it for me.” She finishes with a sidelong grin as she tilts her head to beckon you closer.

“Okay but why the glasses?”

“Well, I wanna take a picture of you wearing that since you look cute in it and I doubt I’m gonna get the chance to do that after this.” She opens up the camera app and raises the phone above her head as you stand beside her.

She actually has to raise her arm all the way up due to the size difference between you two which causes you to laugh before taking the phone away from her hands.

“Here, allow me.” You raise her phone above yourselves and you feel Flare move closer to get a better angle.

You look up at the phone and see yourself and Flare standing side by side. She’s sporting a wide smile and giving the camera a peace sign with one of her hands while you stand by idly before mimicking her grin. You finally get a good look at yourself wearing glasses and you gotta admit, it does kinda look good on you.

Before you take the picture, a thought passes through you and before you can even think about it you put a hand around her shoulders to pull her closer. You see Flare’s eyes widen ever so slightly from the screen before a smile makes its way across her face, even wider than the one previously as she rests her head on your shoulders.

In that brief moment of contact, you felt it, the feeling of contentment, of satisfaction, of forgetting for just a brief moment the troubles and tribulations of your everyday life. For these brief seconds, it's just you two in this sparsely populated pedestrian street, taking a picture and enjoying the day for what it's worth.

You hear the click of the camera and you realize you must’ve pressed it without you knowing, too engrossed in that fleeting moment you two shared to notice the movement of your fingers. You drop your arm around her and hand over the phone, a part of you wishes for the contact to last longer and from the way Flare shifted when you let go, she feels the same.

She fiddles with the phone for a bit before bringing up the home screen, a home screen that now showcases the two of you wearing glasses while sporting massive grins over your faces. The composition of the photo itself is nothing to write home about but you would be lying if you said that that isn’t one of your best works. Just looking at it brings a smile to both of your faces.

“There,” she says with a grin, “now I have something to remember this day by.”

“Not bad if I do say so myself,” you say, impressed by the picture before placing the glasses back on the stand beside you, “you mind if you send it to me later?”

She nods her head as she takes off her glasses to place it back on the rack. “Remind me to do so.”

You turn your attention towards the shopkeeper who has a light smile on her face as she looks at both of you. “Thanks for letting us have a look miss.”

“It’s fine,” she says, the smile not leaving her face, “I’m just glad to see you young’uns enjoy yourselves”

A part of you wants to point out that Flare’s probably older than her by magnitudes of generations but decide against it. You know a time for teasing and this is not one of those times. Flare gives the old lady a deep bow and you quickly do the same before saying goodbye and continuing on your way.

The rest of the walk around the shopping district goes by in a flash but something seems to have changed in her demeanor as you continue looking around. For one, her smile seems to be even brighter than before as the two of you continue to look around and two, she walks even closer to you than before, her hand brushing up against yours every once in a while due to the proximity but either she doesn’t notice or doesn’t care about the brief contact of skinship.

And to be perfectly honest, neither do you.

After walking for an unspecified amount of time, you find yourselves in one of the older parts of the district. Well you say older but it actually houses some of the newer buildings in the area, the reason you say that is because almost everything you remembered about this place is either gone or replaced by something else. The old bookstore run by the old couple was gone, the music store you always passed by was also gone, even the convenience store you frequented with your friends is in the process of being moved.

Funny how things could change so much in such a short amount of time.

That’s not to say you dislike the new changes but… there’s something about seeing some of the traces of your childhood getting replaced that makes you strangely… nostalgic of the times you had once taken for granted.

“Hm? What’s that?” Flare points at one of the newer looking buildings and you had to do a double take to make sure what you’re seeing was real.

It’s a bright multicolored three-story building with flashing lights and neon signs at the front which says Solar arcade at the front. Even from this distance, you could still faintly hear the cacophony of sounds associated with an arcade of that size.

“I can’t believe it…”

“What, the arcade?” She asks as she looks at the multicolored building. “You’ve been here before?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” you say with a nod, eyes still not leaving the aforementioned building, “I’d have thought with how the place had changed up over the years that the place might’ve shut down or moved entirely. Didn’t expect it to still be up and running, looks like it even expanded in a couple places.”

And expand it did. You would’ve been excused if you had thought that this was a new business altogether but the same name and location tell you that this is in fact the same arcade you always frequented as a kid.

“Really now.” She looks slightly intrigued by your words before a teasing grin forms on her face as she turns to look at you. “Don’t tell me you used to skip school just to hang out around here, I know you hated school but don’t tell me you were a delinquent as well.”

“Alright then I won’t.”

Your words cause Flare’s eyes to widen slightly as she looks between you and the arcade in front of you and a smile makes its way across your face as you gauge her reaction.

“Wait, seriously?” She asks. “You actually skipped school just to hang out here?”

“Hey, skipping school is a strong word, I prefer… academic unavailability due to the monotonous bestowal of information. “ She gives you a deadpan look and you continue your explanation. “Besides, it’s not like my grades suffered so it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

She just shakes her head at your response. “Still, you shouldn’t have skipped school even if you did keep up with your grades. I mean, what’ll your future students think if they found out their teacher was a delinquent when he was their age?”

“…That I’m cool, hip, and down with the kids?”

She continues to look at you with a blank expression before shaking her head and sighing.

“God, and I thought I was old fashioned…” She looks to the sky and mutters under her breath. “Lord have mercy on your future students…”

“Yeah, yeah, yack it up why don't ya.”

She lets out a small giggle before turning back to you. “So… any interesting stories you have in your time as Delinquent Anon?”

“Hmmm…” You rack your brain for something interesting to say. “I got arrested once.”

“Wait what?” She looks at you like she’s confused as to what she just heard.

“…You know maybe I shouldn’t have started off with that.”

“Wait wait wait wait, there’s a story there and I wanna hear it!”

You let out a nervous laugh as you rub the back of your neck. “Remember my old detective friend I talked to you about? The one who kept an ear to the ground if your name was mentioned at the station?” Flare nods and you continue. “Well he was actually my Juvenile probation officer before he became a detective and that’s how I met him.”

“Juve– wait, what in the world were you doing that required you to have a probation officer in the first place?”

“Nothing illegal I’ll tell you that much,” you say while looking away, “hung out with a couple of people with… less self-restraint than the norm. They aren’t bad people, just… kinda stupid I guess.”

She wordlessly urges you to continue and you oblige.

“They got into a fight and I was there when the cops showed up, since I was known to be friends with them I also got caught. I was lucky in that nobody saw me do anything stupid and that I was doing pretty good in my academics so I got off light compared to everyone else. After that, I met Jacque as my probation officer and well… the rest is history as they say.”

“That’s… huh.” Flare looks unsure as to how to properly take in this information as she looks at you with a strange expression.

“You… don’t believe me, do you?” Honestly you were kinda expecting this sort of reaction, not many would take kindly to those with a sordid past, doubly so if they insist that they did nothing wrong.

Doesn’t make it sting any less though.

“What?” She looks confused at your words before her eyes widen and then vehemently shakes her hands. “No no no no, I believe you! It’s just… surprising, that’s all.”

You look at her for a moment to assess her reaction before sighing in relief.

“That’s good to hear, most people just assume I’m lying when I say I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then most people are pretty stupid if they think someone like you is a bad person.” She lets out a huff as she kicks a stray pebble off the street. “You’re probably the nicest guy I know… granted I currently don’t know a lot of people but you get the point.”

You look at her for a moment before shaking your head and laughing  “Thanks Flare, really means a lot hearing you say that.”

“No problem Anon,” Flare says before looking you up and down before nodding her head, “and… yeah, I could see you as the delinquent type, could even picture you hanging out with some of your friends in your school uniform smoking in some random alleyway.”

You smile at her attempt to lighten the mood and decide to indulge her curiosity. “First of all, that’s kinda rude of you to say. Second, I don’t smoke, never have and never will.”

“Really?” She asks, a little bemused by your answer. “A delinquent who doesn’t smoke, any particular reason for that?”

“I mean, should there even be a reason?” You shrug your shoulders. “Just because I was an unruly kid  doesn’t mean I need to conform to what the masses believe a punk should act like. Smoking isn’t cool no matter how you slice it and I refuse to be a part of the cycle that glorifies the reliance of outside substances to have a modicum of emotional stability.”

As you finish speaking, Flare again looks at you with a strange expression; but instead of one filled with unease, it’s one of slight amusement judging by the slight twitch of her lips. You’re not sure how long she stayed like that but she eventually cracks and breaks into a fit of giggles before shaking her head.

“What?” You ask.

“Nothing, it’s just…” She hesitates for a moment before continuing her giggling. “God you’re such a dork”

You let out a snort. “You’re one to talk…”  Despite your words, you really do appreciate her attempt to alleviate the mood. “So the arcade…”

“Oh yeah!” Flare exclaims before looking at the building then to you. “You wanna head in and see how much it changed?”

Despite her words saying that going in is for the sake of curiosity. You’d be a fool to not notice the excitement in her voice as she looks between you and the arcade as she waits for your response.

“Sure.” You shrug your shoulders and smile at the way her expression brightens at your words.

“Then let’s go!” Flare grabs your sleeve and practically drags you to the front entrance.

You’re momentarily taken aback by her eagerness to get in but that surprise quickly turns to amusement as you match her speed and enter the building.

The interior looks exactly like what you would expect just from the exterior; blaring lights, roaring sounds, and the distinct smell of old carpet that causes a nostalgic smile to grace your features. The last time you came here was years ago and even then it was half the size and only had a fraction of the machines inside.

The sounds of music from the numerous rhythm games to your left as players slam the plastic buttons in accordance to the songs, the distinct clacks of strikers hitting pucks in air hockey towards the back, the cheers and screams of frustrations of fighting game players to your right. You can even hear the sounds of metallic balls hitting pins coming from the pachinko machines on the second floor, probably only casual ones that award game tokens to discourage actual gamblers.

“Looks like a lot has changed since I last came here,” you say as you continue to look around, impressed by how much it changed over the years, “where do you wanna start Flare?”

No response.

“...Flare?” You look to your right and notice the distinct lack of your female companion.

You sigh and let out a smile as you make your way deeper inside the building in search of the girl that no doubt went ahead of you to look around. Thankfully there aren’t a ton of people around to hinder your search but the lights and sounds make it hard for you to get a good look at the upgraded interior.

You’re tempted to call her on your phone until you finally spot a familiar head of golden locks beneath a stylish hat standing beside one of the numerous crane games scattered about. As you walk closer you notice her eyes looking around the numerous prizes while pacing around the machine.

“Interested in playing?” You ask as you eye the numerous plushies stacked inside

Flare jumps and lets out a slight yelp as she quickly turns around to face you, her ruby eyes wide before returning to normal as she notices your amused expression. You quickly try to stifle the grin forming on your face at Flare’s flustered expression and subsequent pout as she notices your failed attempt to do so.

“Hm? Oh y-yeah, I guess…” She looks to the side, still a little embarrassed about being caught off guard. “I noticed the crane games from outside so I went to check them out, sorry for going ahead of you.”

“It’s fine,” you say as you look at the machine in front of you, “so, anything in here that catches your eye?”

“Oh, uhhh.” She looks a little embarrassed as she looks at the pile of plushies inside the machine before shaking her head. “Not really, just wanted to look around…”

You let out a snort. “Come on, I noticed you looking at the prizes while walking here so no need to hide it.”

“Well…” She still looks a bit embarrassed but she nevertheless points at one of the numerous plushies inside the machine.

It’s a small white plump bird with orange and blue highlights wearing a matching beret. There’s also a matching one right beside it that sports a small pocket watch on its neck. Honestly they’re both pretty cute, though you're slightly partial to the one with the watch.

“Is that so…” You open up your wallet and take out your old arcade card before gesturing at the machine. “Wanna play?”

“I mean…”

“Come on, let’s have some fun with this.” You let out a grin as you swipe the card at the machine, the screen below lighting up to say that you have three tries before you need to re-swipe. “Honestly I’m surprised this card still works all things considered.”

Flare at least attempts to look a little bit sheepish as she walks up to the machine to try her luck at the game. That sheepish look of course vanishes almost entirely the moment her hand touches the controls.

“Well if you insist…”

You smile at the optimism she has over the game.

“You know these things are rigged right?” You say as you pat the side of the machine, “they purposefully make it so the grip weak until you put a set amount of cash in or they just make it random, if you want a fairer game then you should probably consider the UFO catchers since, while harder, they aren’t as bad as these things.”

You recall a moment from your childhood before you even moved into this city. Your dad took you to an arcade that just opened and you begged him to get you one of the bear plushies inside one of the crane games after you spent so much time trying to get one.

It might’ve been weird to ask him to get it even though he probably had no idea how it worked but, I mean, who wouldn’t? At that age your parents were basically superheroes who could do anything and if anyone was gonna get the prize it was your dad. You didn’t know it at the time but he probably spent a little more than triple the price of getting the bear in a store. Looking back it was probably–

“Got it!”

You whip your head at the machine as Flare jumps up and down, the machine blaring the sounds of ‘congratulations!’ as you stare dumbfounded. She reaches down to grab the white bird with the blue beret and shows it to you. She doesn’t say anything else. She just looks at you with that ever-growing grin on her face as she holds the stuffed plushie in her hands.

You stare at her then at the plush then back at her again before you finally say what’s on your mind.

“...You know, it’s times like these that I wished I picked up smoking.”

Flare barks out a laugh and you just sigh and shake your head.

“Wanna try your luck then or would you rather go for the UFO since they aren’t as bad.” Her grin doesn’t recess one bit and you silently nudge her away from the controls to focus on trying to get the one with the watch to try and reclaim your honor.

“You mentioned earlier that you used to come here a lot back in high school, what was this place like back then?” Flare asks, trying to make small talk while you try your luck on the machine

“A lot smaller with a lot fewer options on how to spend your time here.” You watch the crane grasp the white bird wearing the pocket watch and sigh as it fails to get a grip on it. “We mostly just hung out over there and played fighting games.”

“Oh really,” she glances at the arcade cabinets on the other side of the room, “how was it?”

“Horrible in the good kind of way.” You let out a smile as you recall your which was immediately dashed away as you watch the plush fall from the crane’s grasp.

“What do you mean?”

You sigh as you try again. “We used to do money matches on who’d win and well… you can guess how that usually ends when it’s a close fight and hot-blooded kids get worked up over losing a match and their cash.”

You can almost hear some of the screams of ‘stop grabbing!’ or ‘I teched that throw!’ in your mind as you recall some of the more intense matches fought over there. Life was so much simpler back when all you had to worry about were the next exams or the latest drama in school.

“I don’t even play fighting games and even I know that that’s just asking for trouble.”

“Oh boy you don’t even know half of it!” You point outside the building and into the alley across the street. “See that alleyway over there?” Flare nods. “We used to call it ‘fight alley’ cause if you fought inside the building you got banned, so naturally instead of calming down they just fought outside. You know, like normal well-adjusted children.”

The crane fails to grab the white bird and you let out a sigh as you once again swipe the card at the machine to try your luck once again. You only have a couple more tries before you need to top off at the counter.

“That sounds… intense.” She then puts on a pensive expression before snapping her head at you. “Wait, is that how you got caught in a fight?”

“Nope, that was different,” you say, “In fact, fighting games, along with Jacque, was actually the reason on how I managed to get a clean record, though that’s a story for another time.”

Flare looks at you with a confused expression before shrugging her shoulders. “Remind me to ask you about that then.”

“Sure.”

Your face contorts into a grim visage as you realize this is the last swipe you have before needing to top up your card at the counter.

“You know, if you want we could ask one of the staff members to help you out with this,” Flare says with a teasing grin, “Don’t want you to spend too much money on getting a matching plush.” She accentuates her words by tossing the stuffed bird up and down much to your displeasure.

“No no, don’t worry, I got this.” No you don’t. In fact, you just straight up missed the plush leaving you with only two more tries.

“You sure?” She holds the white plush up to her chest before looking back at you. “I mean, that staff member’s been looking this way for a while now, I could ask him to move the plush somewhere easier for you to grab.”

“Don’t worry I got this, just give me more time.” You manage to pick it up this time but it falls out of your grasp immediately afterwards. One last try.

“Oh Mr. Staff member~”

“Oh don’t you dare!”

In the end, it took you a trip to the counter to top up your card before you got that plush. You’re a bit ashamed to say how much you spent getting that damned white bird but the screams of joy Flare let out when you finally did makes the dent in your pockets definitely worth it.

After that, you two spent the next hour or so bouncing between the multiple games scattered around the arcade, from the racing games where you two spent most of the time just crashing into the walls, to the fighting games where you spent the most time teaching Flare how to properly do inputs before going against each other, and finally to the rhythm games where Flare schooled you so hard that you were pretty sure you saw a kid laughing at you from the sidelines.

You're still nursing your bruised ego as you watch Flare continue to look around the building, the bright smile on her face making the pain of losing in front of a massive crowd dissipate almost entirely. Almost.

“So, what else do you want to do?” You toss the damned white bird up and down as you two continue to look around the arcade. “There’s the shooting games, the air hockey rink, skeeball, karaoke, or do you wanna head out and look around the city some more?”

“Hmmm.” Flare stays silent for a moment debating her options before covering her mouth and letting out a small yawn. “I’m thinking we should head back to my apartment to be honest, I’m getting tired.” She raises her arm to stretch for a bit before turning to you. “Actually, what time is it anyway?”

You instinctively check your watch to see the time before remembering your watch is broken and take out your phone. Flare doesn’t say anything about your little mistake but the amused grin on her face tells you everything you need to know.

“It’s about…” You raise an eyebrow as you notice how late it actually is. “About 5 in the afternoon, didn’t realize how long we’ve actually been here.”

“Really?” Flare mimics your surprised tone before a smile makes its way across her lips. “I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.”

“That it apparently does Flare.” You pass by a vending machine on your way out before suddenly feeling a bout of lethargy as the actions of the day finally take its toll on you and you find yourself mirroring Flare’s earlier yawn. “You want something?”

You gesture at the vending machine before taking out your wallet and putting in a couple bills to get some canned coffee for a quick pick-me-up.

“Oh, um, not really, thanks though.”

“Well that’s too bad since I already put in enough money for two drinks so you don’t really have a choice for that matter.” You smile as you hear Flare let out a snort before pressing the button and hear the familiar clink of metal hitting the bottom of the machine. You kneel down and take out the ice cold can of coffee before looking back up at your companion. “Coffee?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t really drink coffee, sorry.” She then presses one of the buttons on the side and you hear a thud as whatever she chose also hits the bottom of the machine. “I’m more of a tea person to be honest.”

“I can respect that.” You take out her cold bottle of barley tea and stand up to hand it over to her. “Doesn’t mean I agree with it though.”

“You don’t agree that I prefer tea?” She lets out an amused smile as she takes the bottle from your hand and opens it up.

“I don’t agree that you don’t drink coffee.” You lean on the wall beside the machine and open up the can before taking a sip. “Any particular reason for that?”

“Not really, just never liked the taste.” She takes a sip before gesturing at the can in your hands. “And sorry to say that you can’t convert me into liking it, many have tried and many have failed.”

“What a terrible shame then,” you respond, “the not converting you part and not the disliking coffee part, though that is still an equal shame in my opinion.”

 “Oh really?” She takes great amusement at your words before turning her attention back on her drink as you do the same. “Hey Anon?”

“Yeah?”

She gives you a warm smile as her eyes dart between the white plush in her hands to the rest of the arcade. “Thank you for today, I had a lot of fun.”

“Hey don't thank me yet, the day’s not over so save it until we reach your apartment.”

“What, you have something more planned for today?”

“Not really, but you never know what could happen next. Life’s funny like that sometimes.”

“That it is…” She mutters, “so much could change in so little time, that I could attest to.” She lets out a happy sigh and you’re not sure if it’s because of today or because of some distant memory she subconsciously recalled. “Can’t believe today’s almost over, feels like so much time has passed and yet… “

“It feels like it goes by too quickly.” You finish her sentence and she regards you with a light nod. “Really makes you wish that this would all last forever huh?”

“Yeah.” She smiles as she takes another sip of her drink. “But I’m glad I could at least get to spend it with you.”

“I could very much say the same to you Flare.” You feel a great deal of comfort in her words as it looks like you managed to complete your goal of making her happy, at least for today.

The orange haze of the setting sun greets your eyes as you turn the corner and you’re forced to lower the sun visor or risk getting blind by the bright light. It’s getting late and after a short walk back to the car you’re well on your way back to Flare’s apartment, you’re not quite sure what to do once you get there, but judging by the GPS in your phone, you better think of something quickly as you're already getting close.

“Hm? This place…” Flare shifts in her seat to look around, her eyes scanning the almost empty streets underneath the setting sun as you slow down your drive to look around as well.

“You recognize this place?” You look around and you feel yourself agreeing with her as something about the area feels strange. “We’re nearing your apartment so…”

Just as you say that, you spot a familiar bridge overlooking an equally familiar riverbed off in the distance. It seems that Flare also spots it and reaches the same conclusion as you as her eyes widen in recognition of the place.

“Is this…?”

“Yeah.” You nod your head. “The place where I found you that night.”

What a coincidence that you found your way to the place where you first found her on your way to her apartment, or perhaps it’s not much of a coincidence now that you think about it. Her place is only a couple minutes away and the bridge is close enough to the station that she probably goes by here on a regular basis.

Close enough for her to reasonably get here on foot, even during the rain…

“Can we…?”

“Already ahead of you.” Thankfully it’s a fairly quiet street and you have no trouble finding a place to park your car on the side of the road.

You stop the engine and unbuckle your seatbelt before heading out. From the corner of your eye you spot Flare already walking towards the staircase across the street as you lock the car door and quickly make your way over to her. There’s a strange expression on her face as she looks down on the spot where you found her crumpled form almost two weeks ago. It’s not apprehension or unease but a strange… curiosity mixed with a feeling of melancholy on her face as she stops at the top of the staircase.

“So, this is where you found me huh?” Her voice is calm, calmer than you thought she would be as if she was anticipating this event for quite some time now.

“Yeah, noticed you laying there on my way home from over there.” You gesture at the bridge as you stop beside her, “actually now that I think about it, the place I work at is fairly close to your apartment all things considered. I guess I just didn’t notice it since it was really late when I went there.”

“Is that so….” Flare walks down the steps, her eyes still glued at the bottom of the staircase. “And the hospital?”

“Over there-ish.” You point at the general direction of the hospital as you follow her down the stairs, careful not to trip and fall like last time, “it’s only about a 15-minute walk but since I carried you over and that it was raining pretty hard at the time it… took a little longer than expected.”

Flare stays silent as she digests your words, or perhaps she’s merely thinking of a way to continue the conversation to whatever it is she’s going at.

“What…” She hesitates for a moment before steeling herself for this conversation. “what do you think would’ve happened if… you hadn't found me that night?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that… if you hadn’t looked over here that night, if your boss hadn’t closed up early that night, if your phone hadn’t run out of power… what do you think would’ve happened?”

“That is… a very difficult question to answer…”

A part of you already knows the answer but you don’t really want to say it. It was freezing that night and the rain hadn’t let up until morning, several hours after you had first found her. When she woke up she had a fever that refused to let up for a couple days, leaving her delirious the entire time she was recovering.

Granted, someone else could’ve found her in your stead but even so, the only reason you were out that night in the first place was to head to the station on foot cause your phone ran out of batteries. Nobody would have decided to walk towards their destination in that weather voluntarily and even if they were, the rain was bad enough that even if they were they probably wouldn’t have spotted her down there.

Thinking about it, it was a miracle that you found her in the first place now that you put all the confluence of events together.

“It’s just… interesting to think what would’ve happened if you hadn’t.” Her voice snaps you out of your brief introspection and she takes it as a cue to continue. “How such a small event in such a small time frame can change so much.”

There it is again, that strange melancholic inflection in her words as she turns towards the flowing waters. You can agree with her statement, things like these happen all the time, that you can attest to but at the same time…

“Why the sudden introspection?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess I just had a lot of time to think about these sorts of things…” She trails off as she thinks of the proper words to say, “listen Anon, I–”

“If you’re gonna say thank you again then you better say it in a different way cause you’re sounding like a broken record at this point.” Your attempt to liven up the mood proves moot however as she shakes her head with a reserved smile.

“No, it’s not that. Though, yes, I have to thank you again for carrying me all the way to the hospital in the pouring rain seeing how far you actually carried me… No, It’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite some time now…”

You momentarily frown at the way she’s dancing around the question. “What is it?”

She takes a deep breath before finally having the courage to ask whatever it is that’s been bothering her for so long. “Why did you go so much out of your way to help me?”

You furrow your brow at her question. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that…” She trails off, trying to find the proper words to say before answering you. “ My phone, my apartment, visiting me every day, your detective friend, today, I mean, I get wanting to help someone passed out in the rain but… why everything else? It’s not like I’m ungrateful or anything but… why go out of your way to help me so much?”

She looks at you with a conflicted expression and you find yourself asking the same question; why indeed? You’re not gonna lie and say that the prospect of helping out a cute girl wasn’t a part of your decision process nor was the excitement of investigating something like this but that doesn’t explain the lengths you went out of your way to help her.

You’d have been content to just visit her every once in a while while you two waited for the hospital to finish with its own investigation of Flare’s past but something stopped you from doing so. Hell, you even went out of your way to contact Jacque for some help as little as that may be so what is it?

What prompted you to do so much for this girl?

“Tomorrow alright? You’ll be here tomorrow?” For the first time since coming here, Flare looks almost scared. Like she’s afraid that once you leave the room you’ll never come back. Once again, you’re reminded that she’s an amnesiac that has no idea if she has friends or family looking for her, as far as she knows she’s alone in the world with no one else to talk to. No one else to confide in.

…Yeah, that was it.

You move towards the railing overlooking the waters and rest your hands on it as you think about the words to say. Flare silently follows you and stops just behind you as you continue looking outwards into the river.

“My parents and I moved here when I was about 11 cause of my dad's job.” Your words cause Flare to perk up judging by the noise she makes behind you, “moving to a new place is always hard, doubly so when you’re just a kid who now has to say goodbye to all of his friends back home but it wasn’t all bad. My parents did their best to make sure that I had everything I needed, made sure I was happy, made sure that everything would be fine in the end.

“My… fondest memories of this city was when my parents took me to the fair they set up every year by the banks. They even took a day off just to take me there because they noticed I was a bit down after trying to fit in with all the new kids.” You feel your lips curl upwards. “They were the best.”

“Were…?” Flare looks at you, silently questioning you about your choice of words but she already knows the answer.

“They… died in an accident shortly after we moved here,” you answer, “we barely even unpacked before it happened, barely even adjusted to the new school. Funny how life can change in an instant when you least expect it."

“Anon…” You can't see her but you could hear the concern radiating from her voice from behind you. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to…”

“It’s fine.” You wave your hand to dissuade her fears, “it’s been well over ten years at this point so it’s not like I’m still hung up about it.

“My uncle and aunt moved in with me shortly after to take care of me since they also lived in the city. They did their best but… they never really planned on raising a kid and they were always busy with their job so it was mostly just me taking care of everything.” Well, maybe not just you now that you think about it…

“My current boss was actually the one who recommended me to work at the docks, he was close friends with my dad back in the day and he'd always tell me stories about them when I was growing up. It was… nice to hear about them from him even if they were few and far between but even so it’s just… nice to know the type of person they were…

“It’s just – I don’t know. I just wish that I’d know if they're… happy with what I’ve done, happy with who I became,” you mutter to yourself before shaking your head, “sorry for bringing the mood down and going on a tangent. I guess what I wanted to say is that I know what it feels like to be alone. When I saw you during that first day I guess it just… felt like looking in a mirror… if that makes any sense.”

Silence falls around the two of you as you continue to look out into the waters, the soft orange glow of the setting sun reflected on the river's surface gives you something to look at. You let out another sigh and you wonder what the hell you were thinking dumping all of that on her, all you wanted was to tell her you saw a part of yourself in her that day but… the words just didn’t want to stop after saying all that.

Before you could turn around and apologize some more, you feel a pair of arms wrap around your midsection and a warm softness of a body press against your back.

“...Flare?”

“They’d be proud,” she says, her voice slightly muffled by her face pressing on your back. “If they were here right now… they’d be so proud of who you became.”

You say nothing and instead just stand there dumbfounded at Flare’s sudden act of intimacy. True to her namesake, the warmth of her body is enough to make you forget everything else and focus on her as well as the rhythmic breathing from behind you. Flare takes your silence as her cue to continue speaking.

“When I woke up after recovering from my fever it… didn’t take long for me to realize something was wrong. When the doctor and nurses asked me who I was and I couldn’t answer them it was… terrifying. I was so confused, I was so scared, I was so frustrated that I couldn’t remember anything but worst of all… I felt so alone, and I absolutely hated that feeling.

“When they told me it might take weeks for them to figure out my identity I was… content to just wait it out and see what they find eventually. As much as I hated being alone, I hated being a bother that much more so I stayed quiet and agreed to stay there until then.” She briefly smiles and squeezes you closer, “obviously that didn’t happen since you’re here with me.

“It didn't take long for Yumi to tell me about you and how you carried me all the way to the hospital. At first I was… hesitant to call you when she told me she had your number. I didn’t know you and I was scared to meet someone new when I don’t even know anyone else at that point. But after meeting you, talking to you, getting to know you, everything you’ve done, we’ve done, together. I’ve never been more glad to have agreed to Yumi’s suggestion.

“You’ve made my situation more bearable, made my days brighter, made me look forward to what happens next because I know you’d be there no matter what…”

Her voice hitches for a second and she takes a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know when my memories will return or what the future has in store but… I’d like it if you would still be a part of it.” She squeezes you closer, her voice so soft that you’re afraid it might blow away in the wind. “So… can I ask that you’d still be here…? In creating new memories with me?”

“…And how long would that take?” Your words are soft and your answer curt as you’re afraid any more would cause your voice to falter.

“That’s the best part isn’t it? As long as you’re with me we can create as many as we want… together.” Her voice wavers for a second as she attempts to get the proper words out. “So please, stay with me until then… and afterwards, when I remember everything... I’d like it if you’d still be here as well.”

For that briefest moment after Flare’s declaration you felt… at ease. You’d have thought that your heart should be racing, your mind running a mile a minute, your hands to clam up, and your breath to be stilted, but you feel nothing of the sort. It was as if… for the first time, everything was where it should be, everything finally clicked into place.

Was it really that simple?

As you continue to feel Flare’s warmth on your body you’ve decided that, yes, it really is that simple. Your mind is unclouded and you finally realize what your next steps are, what you want to do. No further thoughts are necessary, no need to analyze the situation and her words before formulating an action, it’s just there in front of you. All you need is to reach out and… take it.

You raise one hand to where Flare has hers wrapped around your body and gently lay a hand over it. You don’t need to think about anything else, no thoughts for the consequences, no time for second guessing. You turn around, still holding her hand, and finally get a clear look at the girl who had turned these past two weeks into something reminiscent of a mystery novel you read all those years ago.

Her eyes are red, even more so than usual from the tears shed before, yet they are filled with so much warmth and affection as she looks up at you that it makes the heat of her hand feel small in comparison. And her smile, the smile that first crossed your mind when asked what you thought of her, shines so brightly even as she attempts to hide it from view.

She takes out the handkerchief that you gave her a few days ago from her front pocket to wipe away any stray tears left on her face. You instinctively reach out and grab the hand she’s using to wipe away her tears and her eyes widen slightly as you take the handkerchief away from her grasp.

She does not pull back, and instead, leans into your touch as you use the soft cloth to wipe away the remaining tears on her face.

You never realized how beautiful she was until this moment, but now, you make sure to never forget that for the rest of your life.

“Walk with me for a moment Flare.” A gentle smile forms on your lips as you run a thumb along her knuckles.

“To where?” She asks, a confused expression forming on her face as she does so.

You glance towards the footpath alongside the river. “To anywhere really, just… walk with me for a while.”

She nods her head before adjusting the grip on your hand to intertwine her fingers with yours. You squeeze her hand and she reciprocates your actions as if to say I’m with you with just that small gesture. You feel a smile forming on your lips which Flare mirrors with her own as you lead her further down the path before you.

You two are silent the entire time. It’s not an unpleasant silence nor an awkward one, no, far from it, it's a silence born on trust as you take in the atmosphere. Just enjoying each other's company as you walk alongside her, uncaring of the destination and just… feeling each other’s warmth.

You don't know how long you two have been walking but when you finally stop to look you find yourselves in a secluded part of the footpath. It’s absolutely silent with only the sounds of distant chirping to keep you company. A perfect place for just the two of you.

The two of you stop at the bend of the river, giving you a perfect view of the setting sun, it's orange light reflecting on the surface of the water. The sight of which causes the both of you to stop and stare.

"It's beautiful isn't it," she says, no doubt talking about the scene in front of you.

A part of you wants to reply with a cheesy 'not as beautiful as you' but you no doubt think it'll just ruin the moment. You hesitantly let go of her hand and stop just in front of the railing overlooking the waters, your hand grasping the metal fencing as Flare does the same beside you,

"Yeah, it is." You've been living here for the better part of your life and yet you've never just… enjoyed the view provided to you everyday. You guess you just never had a person to enjoy it with until now. “People usually think that cities are formed around rivers as it’s a source of clean water and while it was at the beginning, it doesn’t explain why cities got so big in the first place.”

She gives you a look to continue, curious as to where you’re going with this and you oblige her.

“It’s because of trade,” you continue, “this city was formed as a center of trade between the old world and the new; from the great plains of Pekoland to the millenia old Elven kingdom, every single nation and kingdom who wanted a part of the great riches associated with intercontinental trade had to pass through here. Even now, centuries later, it’s still considered the heart of the new world.

“It was a perfect confluence of events that made this city into one of the most diverse and opportunistic places in the world. It’s what made this city so enticing for people of all walks of life to go to. What made my parents move in here… and what probably made you move in here as well…

“All of that history, all of those events, made in such a way that enabled the two of us to meet.” You shake your head as your eyes refuse to look away from the flowing water. “I don't really believe in miracles but… I refuse to think that our meeting was just based on random chance.”

Your declaration is met with silence as Flare takes a moment to take in your words. Her cheeks are slightly flushed and her eyes wide as she meets your gaze before quickly moving away towards the river yet the smile on her face never once leaves the entire time.

“I… didn’t think you had it in you to say all those things,” she lets out a nervous giggle as her eyes move between you and the waters. “If someone were to hear you say that they might think of it as incredibly… romantic.”

There’s something about her tone of voice that causes you to stop. It’s not teasing as it lacks the familiar cadence that comes with that. It almost sounds… hopeful, like she’s still unsure of something in her head. She eyes you from the side briefly before joining your gaze onto the river, looking at the reflection of the setting sun on the calm waters.

Just as you are going to answer her earlier statement, a gust of wind interrupts you as well as Flare's sudden yelp as the wind carries with it the hat she’s wearing. Thankfully you manage to catch it just in time before it carries it towards the river to meet the same fate as your previous umbrella.

"That was a close one.” You examine the stylish hat in your hands before turning to your companion and placing it on her head. She takes this chance to close the distance and you finally notice how close you two actually are. Your hand, still resting atop her head as she looks at you with a growing hint of trepidation and anticipation.

The wind blows heavily around you and you find yourself lost in the sight of her soft ruby eyes piercing your very essence. The world is silent save for the gentle noise of the flowing breeze reaching your ears, their sounds, filling you with a slight confidence as if they themselves are speaking to you.

Do something

Make your move

This is your only chance

The world screams at you to do something as she slowly brings her hands up your arms and onto your shoulders. Her body is tense, like a coiled spring ready to kick back at any second as she scans your face for anything that might give her a sign of something to hold on to.

Her face; mere centimeters from yours, so close that every puff of breath from her stilted breathing brings a shiver up your spine. So close that you can feel her individual strands of hair brush against your face. So close that you can see her dilated pupils, filled with nervousness and a hint of yearning as she leans forward ever-so-slightly, her chin just slightly tilting up as her plump bottom lips quiver in anticipation.

You don’t know if it was you who leaned in first or her, and frankly, you don't have it in you to care anymore.

You press your lips against hers and take comfort in finally having the chance to do so with this half-elf that has captivated you for so long at this point.

She lets in a soft intake of breath at your action before melting in your hold. A hesitant hand slowly moves from your shoulders, tracing its length until you feel her fingertips brush against the nape of your neck as she slowly brings you in closer. A sensation that causes you to shiver against her touch.

It was soft, it was gentle, it was chaste, yet lightning shoots up your spine regardless as you focus on the sensation of her warm lips on yours. It was not a declaration of affection, but a confirmation of what was always there, just hiding underneath your turbulent hearts. You bring a hand to her hips then onto the small of her back as you pull her closer to your body, basking in the warmth she exudes, to express in actions what you could not in words.

When you two finally pull back you see Flare smiling at you, a smile far brighter than any you've ever seen on her face, a smile that makes you forget everything else and just focus everything on her, a smile that you decided you want to see as much as possible starting today.

"Flare, I…" You are cut off as Flare leans in for another kiss, this one more aggressive and forceful than before as she pulls on your neck to bring you in closer.

You were momentarily taken aback by her unexpected action, standing there dumbstruck before regaining yourself and leaning in to deepen the kiss. She mewls in content as your hand moves from her hat to her cheek as you hold her closer and take in everything about her. From the taste of her mouth, to the smell of her hair, down to the warmth exuded from her body.

You make sure to take in everything about her, to memorize everything by heart and to never forget a single one of these feelings.

She pulls back and you're mesmerized by the sight before you; her flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips as she breathes in and out, out of breath from the intensity of the kiss you had shared.

“Anon…” She breathes out from her slightly parted lips, still wet from your attack.

You never wanted anything more in your life until now.

This time you are the one to cut her off as you pull her in for another kiss, pressing her warm body against yours as you try and pour in every single emotion you've been bottling up this past week. To make up for everyday you disregarded the feelings you have for this wonderful girl before you.

You hear her gasp and her grip tightens as she pulls you in closer, deeper, and more frantic as the realization of your reciprocated emotions fills her with courage. She makes a wordless sound of approval against your mouth and you give her lower lip a tentative bite in response, an action she rewards you with by letting out a soft moan.

You suddenly feel her tongue brush against your lips, slowly and hesitantly at first, testing out what she can do as if afraid of pushing you away with her forcefulness. It’s a gesture you respond with in kind by pushing out your own to mingle with hers. As you explore her mouth and wrestle with her tongue as the both of you battle for dominance Eventually though, Flare relents and you’re free to have your way with her, to finally show her what she means to you.

When you finally break the kiss, the sight that greets you is one you wish to never forget. Her face is flushed as brightly as her dusky skin would allow and you can’t help but think that she is the most beautiful woman in the world right now.

You rest your forehead on hers as you feel her warm breath on your face. Just the sound of the two of you catching your breaths can be heard as you two embrace in the warm light of the setting sun. You want nothing more than to have this moment last forever.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that," she breathes out, her face flushing as brightly as her dusky skin would allow.

"I could say the same."  Your words cause her to let out a small laugh as she rests a hand on your chest

The two of you say nothing more as you enjoy the moment for what it is. You run a hand through her blonde hair as she nestles her face on your chest, relishing this small instance of happiness from this brief physical contact during a time of uncertainty.

The sun has set beneath the horizon at this point and the glowing street lights as well as the soft haze of twilight are the only source of lights available at this moment.

The drive to her apartment is slightly harder than normal due to the added difficulty of only using one hand to drive as the other one is currently occupied by Flare’s hand refusing to let go. Not that you mind of course, the warmth of her hand proves to be a much needed distraction to what just happened a few minutes ago and the escalation of your relationship with the blonde half-elf seated beside you.

You spot her apartment and slow down to park your car on the driveway near the building, stopping the engine before Flare almost reluctantly lets go of your hand and reaches for the door. You step out and immediately make your way towards her, stopping just beside her as you follow her gaze up towards the tall building. Not even the white plush in her hands can stop her look of apprehension from forming on her face as she looks up.

You take the chance to intertwine your hand with hers before speaking up."Nervous?"

"Kinda…" she looks at you before squeezing your hand and turning back to look at the apartment. "Honestly, I kinda forgot about the whole memory thing ironically enough, had too much fun today and it just… slipped my mind.”

"Well who can blame you," you respond with a smile, "a lot happened today."

"Yeah." She returns your smile and nods her head, “thank you.” She walks forward with renewed vigor, taking the lead towards her apartment as you follow her slightly from behind.

The two of you stop in front of her door and you pull out her apartment keys that you always kept on your person just in case and turn the key, hearing a familiar click as Flare’s breath hitches briefly beside you. You open the door and immediately flick open the switch to bring light into her darkened abode before taking off your shoes and closing the door behind you.

She lets go of your hand and walks forward, examining the photos on the wall as you step forward to turn on the remaining lights inside her apartment.

“So this is my apartment.” She runs a hand along one of the photos hung on the wall as she continues to look around the cozy living room space. “I… it feels familiar.” She spots the door you haven’t entered yet and gestures to it. “You said you haven’t seen the inside of my room right?”

“Yeah, like I said, it’d feel weird if I snooped inside without you here.” Not to mention you really didn’t want to find anything that would be considered private.

She nods her head and walks towards the door before opening it and stepping inside. You quickly follow her and feel around for the light switch inside her room, her form the only thing illuminated by the light from the living room behind you. You feel a bump on the wall and flick open the switch to finally get a good look inside her bedroom and–

Holy shit it’s Sans Undertale.

You’re not sure what it says about you that that’s the first thing you notice on her shelf but it is and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your eyes then look around some more and notice the large bed on the corner of the room along with the multiple large plushies and pillows stacked on top of it.

Of course there’s the massive amounts of Undertale paraphernalia on her shelf beside it but you put it in the back of your mind as you also take notice of some of the more interesting ones to you, particularly a Sekiro statue that you’ve been meaning to get for quite some time. Lucky her.

Your eyes are then drawn to the desk on the other side of the room which has a PC on it as well as a fairly expensive chair in front of it. Beside it is a window that shows a decent view of the distant skyline of downtown.

“You uhhhh… really like Undertale don’t you?” She responds with a blush as she continues to look around the room.

It doesn’t take long for you to notice a cell phone resting on her nightstand and you quickly make your way towards it.

“Is this…” You pick up the phone and press the power button but nothing happens. It’s probably run out of juice but you have no doubt in your mind that this is Flare’s old phone, which means…

“Hm?” Flare spots you fiddling with the device in hand before rushing towards you to look at it as well. “Is this my phone?”

“Seems like it,” you respond before frowning, “you know I probably should have at least looked around your room for a bit. This phone would’ve probably saved us a lot of headaches when it came to learning about your past now that I think about it.”

“True…” She mutters before giving you a smile, “but if you had then we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to spend the day like this.”

You let out an amused snort. “I guess you’re right about that one…” You put down the phone on the table as Flare sits down on her bed.

“So… what now?” She takes the massive dolphin plush from the pile in her arms and gives it a tight squeeze.

“Now…” You look around for a moment, pondering what to do next before your eyes eventually settle on the sparse kitchenette through her bedroom door. “How about dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah.” You nod your head, “I did promise you that we’d spend the day without the whole memory thing looming over our heads and I’m not sure if you noticed but the day’s not over.”

She mulls over your words for a bit before smiling and giving you a nod. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She stands up to follow you towards the kitchen. “So, what do you have in mind then?”

“Not sure,” you answer, “I usually just order food for dinner when I’m tired but I think I can whip something up for the both of us if you have something in your fridge we can use.”

“You can cook?”

“What’s with that surprised look?” You ask, a little insulted and a little amused at her surprise of your cooking abilities.

“I mean, don’t college kids have a diet that exclusively consists of cup ramen and energy drinks or are you telling me that the internet lied to me.”

“No, those things are still true,” you respond, “though it’s mostly to save time than anything else really.”

“Is that so?” She hums to herself and you briefly wonder if you should ask her when she went to college before deciding against it. The answer is probably before you were born and you’re not gonna risk her ire no matter how much she insists she’s fine with talking about her age.

“Let’s see…” Looks like she’s not the homecook type judging by the lack of ingredients in her fridge and cupboards, but there’s still enough for you to scrounge something up “We might have enough for curry but we’ll have to go out and buy some extra ingredients, unless of course, you want your onions moldy.”

You scrunch up your face before taking out an onion covered in black spots and give Flare a look which she responds to by looking to the side with a heavy blush

“Hey, it’s not my fault that I haven’t been home for almost two weeks!” She exclaims, her face burning up in embarrassment. “And curry’s fine with me, I think there’s a grocery store near here where we can buy some of the stuff we’re missing.”

You nod your head. “Good, just help me throw out some of the rotten stuff and we can be on our way.”

“Alright, but first…” She enters her room for a brief moment before coming back with a brown wallet in hand. “I’ll be the one paying since it’s technically my groceries alright?”

You shrug your shoulders. “Fine by me.”

After taking out all the rotten food in her fridge, the two of you head out towards where Flare assumes the grocery is at. Thankfully her memory seems to be intact in that regard as it’s only about a five minute walk from her apartment and you soon find yourselves inside the store to pick out the remaining ingredients needed for tonight’s curry.

She had also decided to shop for other miscellaneous items to replace what you two had thrown out and soon you find your little shopping basket filled to the brim with various foodstuffs. Though as you kneel down to pick up one of the last ingredients needed for the curry, Flare takes that moment to question your decision.

“Sake?” She asks with a slight grin. “A little forward for you to go for something like this, trying to get me drunk?” Her tone of voice betrays her accusation and you roll your eyes at her teasing grin.

“I usually cook curry with regular sake instead of cooking ones cause I prefer the taste.”

“Is that so…” She murmurs, the smirk still not leaving her face, “So you aren’t trying to get me drunk to take advantage of little ol’ me?”

“Flare, if I wanted to get you drunk I’m not gonna use some cheap bottom of the shelf sake, I like to think myself at least classy enough to offer a girl something better.”

“And what would that be then?”

“Probably an expensive wine, champagne if I’m feeling really fancy.”

“Is that so…” She just looks down at your hunched over figure, her eyes mulling over the options in front of her before quickly leaning over to give you a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back.

It was quick, it was brief, but it was just enough for you to feel her soft lips on yours and leave you wanting for more. Your eyes widen for the briefest moment as you’re momentarily taken aback by her forwardness, a feeling she no doubt takes pride in judging by her smug visage as she pulls back to admire her work.

“Alright I trust you,” she says so matter of factly as if she hadn’t just kissed you mere moments ago leaving you dumbfounded.

This woman is dangerous

You quickly pull yourself together and stand up. “Let’s just finish this up and go back okay?”

She lets out a small giggle as she holds onto your arm as the two of you walk to the counter to pay for your grocery. The walk back to her apartment is an uneventful ordeal barring the fact that she had refused to let go of your arm the entire trip back, though it's not like you’re one to complain, you actually like this arrangement you find yourself in.

You place the bag on the counter and Flare begins taking out the ingredients and places the rest of it in the fridge while you take out the cutting board and knife as you formulate the best possible way to do this.

“How ‘bout I start with the ingredients and you start with the rice and the table?”

She nods her head as you begin preparing dinner. It’s been a while since you made curry and doubly so for actually serving food for others so this might take a while. After rinsing the ingredients, you begin chopping up the vegetables as Flare stands off to the side washing the rice.

You find yourself in a rhythm as Flare quickly finishes up with her tasks before standing to the side to watch you begin preparing the meat, chopping it in sizable chunks before taking out the dutch oven hanging on the rack on the wall to give it a preliminary wipe and bring it to a heat on the oven

“So… tomorrow huh?” Her voice snaps you out of your trance and you quickly glance at her from the side.

From the way her hands keep on fiddling with themselves and how her eyes constantly move to the side, it doesn’t take a genius to know what she’s thinking about and how she feels about it.

“Yeah, tomorrow.” You place a little bit of oil in the pot and place the meat inside to brown before turning to face her. “You feeling okay?” Her only response is a subtle wince and you mentally kick yourself for asking something incredibly obvious. Of course she’s nervous, who wouldn’t be? “Sorry, stupid question.”

“No it’s fine,” she replies, “it’s just… what do you think will happen when we… you know… find someone who knows me?”

She looks at the wall and towards the photos adorning it and you follow her gaze towards the people within the frames. While there are quite a bit of photos hanging on the wall, the same people can be seen on most of them giving the impression of a tight knit group of friends. Even in the scrapbook you brought to her, the same holds true which means that whoever they are, they’re very close to your companion.

“If you want me to be honest then I think you better prepare for an explanation as to why you suddenly disappeared without warning.”

She frowns. “You think they’ll be mad at me for disappearing?”

“More like worried sick that you suddenly disappeared without saying anything,” you answer, “If they care about you even half as much as I do then they’ll definitely ask questions so it’s best that you’re prepared.”

Flare stays silent for a moment and you take the moment to check the meat to see if it’s time to flip before returning to the vegetables to further chop up the potatoes. As you begin your preparation however, you feel a familiar pair of arms wrap around your midsection for the second time today.

“Do you mean it?” Her voice is slightly muffled by her pressing against your back but you could still sense the warmth in her voice as she does so.

You let out a snort. “Of course I do, they wouldn’t be your friends if they aren’t worried about you now would they?”

“No, not that.” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “That you… that I mean a lot to you?”

There’s an undercurrent of self-doubt in her voice, as if, even now, she’s still unsure as to what she means to you. As if she’s still afraid you’ll leave her and never come back the moment you walk out this door and head home. The dichotomy of her confidence in kissing you in public not even half an hour ago to the insecurity she’s showing you is one that surprises you but at the same time, you feel like it shouldn’t

You put down the knife and turn around, surprising her with your sudden movements before wrapping your arms around her and pulling her into a hug. She stiffens for the briefest moment at your embrace before leaning in and relaxing at your touch, burying her face into your chest as she does so and letting out a content sigh.

“…Yeah, you mean a lot to me.” You run a hand through her hair which rewards you with a small giggle coming from your blonde companion. “So don’t go disappearing on me in the future, promise?”

You don’t see it, but you can feel the happiness radiating from her as she nods her head at your words.

“Promise.” She raises her arm and returns the warm embrace. “…Thank you.”

You don’t say anything and instead just continue to hold her close to your chest as you continue to run a hand through her hair.. Feeling the warmth exuded from her body, the gentle touch of her hands, the soft fabric of her dress, even the scent of her shampoo – one that reminds you of sakura blossoms, a deep forest clearing and… burning meat?

“Shit the meat!” Your eyes widen as you quickly untangle yourself from the embrace and grab the tongs to flip the meat before it burns.

You hear Flare’s voracious laughter from behind you, a laughter that makes your mistake slightly more bearable even as you hastily flip the meat in an attempt to salvage the situation. In the end, you managed to salvage the meal and make something that’s palatable for both of you. It’s not your best work but judging by Flare’s eagerness to finish the curry, it’s good enough.

After finishing, Flare insists that she be the one to clean up since you were the one to prepare dinner. You’re not one to complain since washing the dishes is your least favorite part of cooking so you instead take the time to look around her room for a charger for her phone. Your efforts however are unrewarded as you continue to search, though a single photo frame on top of her nightstand catches your eye in the meantime.

It’s Flare giving the silver-haired girl, Noel if your memory serves you well, a hug from behind, one hand holding the camera towards them and the other holding her close. Noel’s eyes are wide and she has a massive blush on her face, yet the smile on her face betrays her true emotions as she nervously leans in towards the half-elf behind her.

She’s really close to this girl huh?

You put down the frame and your eyes light up in triumph as you spot a charger plugged behind the nightstand, hiding it from view until you finally noticed it. You plug her phone into it and place it on the nightstand before heading back out onto the kitchen just in time to see Flare finish washing the dishes.

She turns around and you’re about to ask her what she wants to do next before you suddenly feel a yawn forming and cover your mouth in response. It seems that the day has finally caught up to you and you glance up at the clock on the wall and notice that it’s getting pretty late, all things considered. There’s a bit of tension in the air as Flare turns to the clock then back to you, a frown visible on her face as she notices your tired expression

“So… are you leaving soon?” She looks a bit disappointed at the prospect of you leaving for today and you find yourself mirroring her emotions.

“I mean, maybe?” You shrug. “I don’t have much to do so I can probably stay here for a while before I have to leave but I’m getting pretty tired already…”

“Is that so…” She mutters underneath her breath before turning to face you. “Can I ask you something? And promise you won’t judge okay!”

“Sure…?” You have no idea what she could ask of you that warrants such a reaction from her but you doubt it could be anything bad.

She fidgets under your gaze, her eyes suddenly finding difficulty to meet yours as she nervously bites her cheek in preparation for whatever it is she has to say.

“Can you…” She takes a deep breath before turning back to you, “stay the night?”

“…”

You say nothing, not because you don’t want to or because you have nothing to say, but because you doubt you can keep a straight face while doing so. In fact, it’s taking everything you have right now to not showcase any emotion at her request. When you’re sure you properly heard her the first time, you can only say the first thing that pops into your head.

“Excuse me?”

“Not like that you perv!” She exclaims before composing herself, a deep blush still emanating from her face. “It’s just… I’m nervous about sleeping alone in this place and well, I… don’t want to be alone for tonight.”

“Oh…”

Another bout of awkward silence greets you as you think of a way to answer her request. Obviously you want to say yes but you don’t want to sound too excited at the prospect because that would just be weird so you take the chance to formulate a proper response.

“Uh, sure.” That’s the best you can come up with? Thankfully Flare doesn’t seem to mind your rather lacking response and only widens her eyes in surprise.

“Really?” She sounds almost incredulous as if not expecting such an easy answer before clearing her throat. “I mean, thanks but um… do you need a spare set of clothes to sleep with or are you fine with that?”

This time it’s your turn to clear your throat as you answer her. “I… carry an extra set of clothes in my car just in case.” You gesture at the door before turning back to her. “I don’t know about you but I’m not really looking forward to sleeping in jeans.”

You let out a nervous laugh which Flare returns before glancing at her room.

“Alright.” She nods her head. “While you do that I’m… gonna take a shower.”

“Yeah…”

You quietly step out of her apartment and close the door behind you but not before giving Flare a short wave which she returns with a blush – one that you no doubt have on your face as well.

You take a few steps forward before leaning your hands on the handrails near the staircase and let out a nervous sigh. The feeling of the cold metal on your hands proves a decent distraction to whatever errant thoughts are floating in your head at the moment. You highly doubt Flare has any ulterior motives in making you stay the night with her, she may be a slight tease but you doubt she’s the type of person to make a move this early in your… relationship.

Just saying that word in your head causes you to grip the railing even tighter as the reality of the situation finally settles in and you’re left to wonder what happens next. You don’t regret your actions and you definitely don’t regret what happened next, but even so, you can’t help but feel nervous regardless.

Thankfully a cold gust of wind blows away whatever reservations you have left and you make your way down the stairs and into the empty streets below to take your extra set of clothes from your car before heading back up.

You enter her apartment and lock the door behind before making your way towards the couch and sitting down with a heavy sigh. You can hear the sounds of flowing water coming from her bathroom as she apparently forgot to close her bedroom door and you’re left to sit idly by while you wait for her to finish her shower.

“Anon, you there?” A yell from her room snaps you out of your idle thoughts and you turn your head at the doorway.

“Yeah I’m here, you finished?” You yell back.

“Yeah, I’m finished. I have a spare towel here if you wanna take a shower as well.”

“I’m down for a shower,” you reply back, “is it alright if I come in?”

There's a brief pause coming from her before she replies back. “S-sure!”

You stand up from the couch and head inside her room and immediately stop as your brain attempts to come up with an explanation to the sight before you. When she said you can come in you had thought she had already changed to her nightwear but it appears you are mistaken as all she’s currently wearing is a towel and a smirk on her face as she notices your expression.

“…What?” Try as she might, there’s no hiding the increasing blush on her face as she holds the towel towards you even as she attempts to look smug.

From the smirk on her face, she knows exactly what you’re thinking about. Though who could blame you? The way that towel clings to her body and how it barely reaches halfway down her thighs leaves very little to the imagination. Her smirk widens ever so slightly and her blush deepens considerably as you take the moment to look at the choices before you.

You could bite the bullet and take the towel from her hands and silently enter the bathroom but that would be the coward’s way out. Not to mention you really want to wipe that smug grin off her face. With that out of the way…

“You know… if someone were to come here and see your actions they might… misconstrue it to mean something else Flare…” You step towards the blonde half-elf and lightly brush the side of her face with the back of your hand.

Her eyes widen at your unexpected actions and you take that moment to lean forward and briefly bring your lips against the corner of her mouth, letting it touch so tantalizingly close to her own before moving it up against her cheek. She attempts to move her face to chase your lips but you stop her before you can connect earning you a small frustrated whine from her as you continue your movements.

You reach the base of her elongated ears and you feel a soft intake of breath coming from her as you let your lips slowly brush against its length before returning to the base.

“Flare…” Your low guttural voice against her ear causes her body to stiffen and you take pride in the fact that it was your actions that caused such a reaction.

“Y-yeah?”

You take the towel from her hands and give her a quick peck on the cheeks

“Thanks for letting me use the shower.” You quickly make your way to the bathroom, leaving the dumbfounded girl behind you before closing the door.

You take a deep breath before immediately pressing your weight against the door behind you and slide down onto the floor. You have no idea what came over you when you pulled that stunt but the way she looked at you with such pure want when you pulled back…

…Yeah, a cold shower would do you good right about now.

One uneventful cold shower later and you’re now dressed in the spare clothes you brought with you, that being a pair of sweatpants and a gray shirt, after checking the mirror to see if what you’re presentable, you knock on the door to get Flare’s attention.

“Flare I’ve finished dressing, is it alright for me to leave?”

“Uhhhh yeah sure go ahead.”

Thankfully as you step out of the bathroom, you see Flare sitting in front of the dresser brushing her hair, this time, fully clothed. The moment her eyes meet yours through the reflection of the mirror a blush erupts on her face and you no doubt do the same as you step forward and close the door behind you

“That was fast,” Flare comments before continuing to brush her hair, “don’t tell me you were itching to finish just to see me in my pajamas?”

She’s wearing a simple oversized gray hoodie that goes halfway down her thighs and a pair of pajama shorts, nothing fancy yet the simpleness of it has its own allure.

You smile as you walk closer to her. “While that is a bonus, I’m sorry to say that I just take quick showers.” You stop behind her and grab her hand mid stroke through her hair. “Want me to help with that?”

She lets go of the brush and turns to you. “You know how to brush a girl’s hair?”

“Flare, I highly doubt that hair brushing is a skill that needs decades of experience in order to be good at.”

“Well I’ll be the judge of that then.”

You smile at her words and begin the process of brushing her blonde hair. Making sure to start at the bottom and grasp her hair just inches above where you start in order to not accidentally pull on her hair and cause her unneeded discomfort. Flare silently hums through an unknown tune as you continue your ministrations, closing her eyes and letting out a few hums of delight as you continue to brush her hair.

“Wow, you’re really good at this.” She leans back and rests herself on you, preventing you from continuing your brushes. “Have a lot of experience brushing girls' hairs?”

You may not have a lot of experiences with the opposite sex but even you know a trap when you see one.

“You could say that, minus the girl part of course.” She looks up at you and urges you to elaborate. “I–uhhh, had pretty long hair throughout high school and I wanted to make sure it was in great shape the entire time.”

“Wait really?”

“Yeah.” You continue brushing her hair, hoping that your curt answer would dissuade her from further questioning.

“…How long are we talking?”

Figues…

“A little bit past my shoulders?”

She moves away from you and turns around and you can almost hear the gears turning in her head as she pictures you with longer hair in a much younger body. To her credit she manages to keep a straight face for a solid three seconds before immediately breaking into a fit of giggles. Your answer to that is to  forcefully turn her around once again to continue your brushing.

After making sure her hair’s in order, you turn around and walk towards the living room but Flare stops you just as you’re on your way out.

“Where’re you going?” Her voice is firm yet there’s a bit of nervousness as she addresses you.

“…The couch?” Your answer has her momentarily frown before looking away in embarrassment.

“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” she says in an almost demanding tone that’s entirely overshadowed by the blush forming on her face, “I asked you to stay here so I’m not letting you sleep on the couch while I sleep on the bed.”

“Are you asking me to…” You trail off as your eyes go towards her bed and back to her.

Her response is the blush on her face turning a shade darker as her grip on you tightens considerably and you realize that, yes, she is asking you to sleep with her on the bed. Try as you might, however, you can’t fight back the blush forming on your cheeks at her answer even with her tight grip offering a decent distraction.

“I-it’s fine by me if that’s what you’re worried about and besides…” She looks at you with her trademark grin. “I know you wouldn’t do anything I’d object to.”

The way she says it would almost be considered seductive if it were not for the fact that her face is currently lit up like a christmas tree even as she looks up at you with a smile. Then again, her cute blush renders you at a loss for words that no amount of seductive skill could’ve done to you.

“A-alright.”

Her smile widens ever so slightly at her victory in convincing you to sleep in the same bed as hers and you soon find yourself laying beside her as you attempt to sleep. You would not find rest however no matter how hard you try as your mind refuses to slow down as you stare at the ceiling, your previous thoughts outside on the stairway coming back with a vengeance as sleep continues to evade you.

The words from Nurse Yumi on the first day you met Flare rings in your mind and you wonder if all you’re doing is taking advantage of her situation even with the helpful nurse’s apparent approval. Make no mistake, you wholeheartedly believe the feelings you share are true yet the events surrounding it makes it hard for you to think that this situation is anything less than ideal.

Was she only acting like this because she has no one else to talk to? To confide in? To be with? If you had met under different circumstances would she have even given you the time of day? As much as you wish to answer yes to that final question, you could never be sure and that’s what’s bothering you so much.

The uncertainty of whether or not her feelings are caused by the situation she found herself in or your own actions is what’s driving you up the walls. It would be simple to just ask her yourself yet you know for a fact that whatever she says won’t dissuade any of your growing fears.

What would happen tomorrow when you finally meet one of her friends or god-forbid her family? Would they be happy that you helped her or would they be angry at how you seemingly took advantage of her weakened state to get her into this relationship?

Who’s to say that the Flare you know is the ‘True Flare’ to begin with? Memories are what makes us who we are and if we lose them, do we lose our sense of self? When she does regain most of her memories… would she even be the same person? Would she still feel the same way? And even if she doesn't, can you handle the aftermath of what happens?

“Anon…?"

“Hm?”

Her voice brings you out of your thoughts and you realize you probably spent the past couple minutes staring at the ceiling with your eyes wide open

"What's wrong?" Her voice is filled with concern and a twinge of something else you can't exactly make out as she turns to you. “Can’t sleep?”

“…Yeah, something like that.” You can barely see her silhouette from the meager light coming from the distant city skyline outside the window as you turn to her. “Just… thinking about what happened today.”

Silence falls around you as you’re not quite sure how to continue this conversation without revealing what it is exactly you’re thinking about.

“Do you… wanna talk about it?”

“Hm?”

“I mean, if you want of course. It’s just… talking about it usually helps and…” She trails off, thinking of a way to extend this conversation. “You know you didn't have to agree with sleeping in the same bed as me. Just knowing you're here’s enough if that's what you're worried about…”

“What? No no, it’s not that. It’s just…” You trail off, unwilling to continue the conversation in fear of making the situation even more awkward than it already is.

Unfortunately, your reluctance to elaborate only causes the situation become more awkward than it already is

"…Is it about what happened earlier? By the river?” Her words cause you to sit up as well and you finally notice the growing anxiety forming on her face as she looks at you. "I mean… a lot happened today and I was wondering if… well…" She hesitates for a moment before continuing. "I don't want to push you into doing something you don’t want and… it’s fine if you want to take things slowly.”

You stay silent as Flare continues to look at you with ever growing trepidation. Her eyes are moving all over the place, refusing to focus on any single thing even as her breathing hitches ever so slightly.

“If that’s the problem then… i-it’s fine if you…” She hesitates, unwilling to follow through on her original thoughts as her eyes refuse to meet with yours. “I just don’t wanna ruin what’s between us and if you want we could… y-you know…”

There it is, the same fear of loneliness that has plagued her ever since waking up alone on that hospital bed almost two weeks ago. The same fear that she confided in you earlier that day. Was that why she couldn't sleep as well? Was she afraid of you coming to regret what happened between you two? Even now, she’s more concerned about keeping things stable, keeping you happy in order for you not to leave that she’s willing to forgo her own emotions just to have you stay with her.

You almost want to laugh at her assumption yet as you look into her ruby eyes filled with deep concern over you that you don't care anymore. You want this girl in front of you and there’s nothing else there is to it. So what if the situation is less than ideal? What you feel towards her and what she feels towards you are real and that’s all that matters.

You slowly bring a hand to the side of her face and she shivers slightly as your fingers brush against the base of her ear. She brings up a hand to hold yours as she looks at you with such a pure yearning on her face as she waits for the words to placate the worries of her heart.

With your mind set in stone, you pull her into a kiss, chaste at first, just feeling her warm lips against your own. Then, as her lips parted against yours, you deepen it, answering her concerns with your actions as words would no doubt fall short of the intended effect. When you pull back you see an expression of pure happiness on her face as you finally answer the remaining question still lingering in her mind.

"I'm not leaving you okay? And I meant every word I said earlier about how much you mean to me.”

She looks at you, making sure that your words are true and not merely there to placate her worries before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Don't ever scare me like that again you hear?" Her voice wavers ever so slightly before composing itself right at the end.

"I won't." You lean in and give her one last kiss before resting your forehead on hers, content to just feel the warmth exuded from this wonderful girl. Slowly however, she leans forward and lightly pushes you onto the bed to rest her body on yours as she closes her eyes.

“Wha–”

“Shhhh, just let me have this.” She murmurs in your chest, clutching you closer as she does so. “Please…”

You say nothing and instead nod your head as you bring your arms around her to pull her closer, eliciting a content sigh from the girl resting on your chest as you slowly run a hand along her hair. Her rhythmic breathing finally lulls you to sleep and as the last vestiges of consciousness leaves you, you could swear you heard Flare mutter something underneath her breath that you couldn’t quite make out.

"…Gi Melin."