30. Welcome Home #4
But nothing in the world could ever be less subtle than Davy, who gawked and pointed back and forth between Noec and Flora with wide eyes. “What the hell was that?” he demanded, with Noec grinning back as he walked away.
Elia stifled an excited giggle, and even Heron no longer hid his smirk.
After breakfast, they carried on through the day, never again acknowledging the red lily or the phantom behind its eerie glow.
As the others became occupied, Flora found herself walking along Crescent Creek, peering out at the village.
As she looked out at the wreckage Elizabeth’s demons had left behind, her gaze settled on Sona’s hut.
“Florabelle,” she heard. “Could I walk with you for a moment?”
“You never have to ask,” she said, pausing for Heron to catch up.
“You say that,” Heron teased, “but I was there for the feisty, orange-haired teenager phase.”
Flora feigned a chuckle, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.
Together, they walked along the water’s edge in silence.
There was no blood on the grass, and no blood in the water, but Flora saw blood wherever she looked.
A soldier’s boot was caught among the rocks of the babbling water, and the sight stopped Flora cold.
She could still see the feeble young woman sprinting along the inner wall of Asilia—running, begging for her life.
For her. All for her.
Heron halted, glancing back at the boot. “It would be very like you to feel guilty about things that were out of your control.”
“It all happened because of me,” Flora muttered.
Heron sighed. “It all happened to you,” he corrected. “The village, the city, the forest—none of it was your fault. You didn’t survive because of all this suffering, you survived despite it.”
Flora creased her brow and looked away. “Thanks,” she said as he rested a tentative hand on her shoulder. “I think I needed to hear that.”
“I thought you might,” he said. He squeezed twice and let go—the Heron equivalent of a hug.
Flora huffed through a smile and sniffled. She didn’t know when or why Heron had decided to care for her, but she was so grateful that he had.
She looked out toward the bridge, where Noec waited, seemingly deep in thought. While he was admiring the water that rushed under the bridge, Flora was admiring him.
“I suppose he’s probably hoping you’ll notice him,” Heron said. “He usually is.” Flora chuckled, and Heron pivoted back toward the house and waved.
Noec looked up, smiling slightly.
Finally, she thought. No longer would she have to look at the most breathtaking man alive and pretend he didn’t make her want to risk it all for a kiss.
“Heron still interrogating you?” he asked, leaning his chin on his hand as she walked up the creaking steps. Something about the sight of his hands made her weak, and something about the way he grinned made her think he knew.
“No,” she replied. “He was just sort of… existing supportively in my general direction.”
Noec chuckled. “I’d like to do the same,” he said. He wrapped his arm around Flora’s shoulder and pulled her in. “I’m so grateful to have you here next to me.” He sighed as she leaned into him. “How is your heart?” he asked.
“Relieved, I think,” she said.
“You think?” he replied. “I’m not convinced.”
Flora sighed. “Noec, are we still… friends?”
“Above all else,” he said surely. “We always will be.”
She smushed her face into his chest and murmured, “Sweet.”
He chuckled, placing an airy kiss on her head.
“I’m sorry I’m still learning,” he said after a moment, “how to open up when I have no idea what I’m feeling.”
“We’re both learning,” Flora replied, looking up at him. “We’re still growing up together.”
He smiled. Studying her eyes, he almost spoke, but fear stifled his tongue.
“What?” Flora pried. “What are you thinking?” She tilted her head and smiled. “Come on, practice makes perfect.” Lightly, she tapped the side of his head and said, “Let. Me. In.”
He looked down and grinned. “I’m thinking about…
who I want to be. To you.” His eyes met hers, and it was a sight that she should have been used to by now.
“I want to be the thing that makes you feel safe,” he said.
“I want to be a vault for your secrets and your shelter on a bad day. I want to be so persistently kind to you that you start to forget your insecurities, little by little, until one day you see yourself the way I see you.”
Flora stared wide-eyed at Noec. Nervous, he stared back and blinked.
“Is that… is that okay?” he asked cautiously.
“Yeah.” Flora cleared her throat and nodded. “Yeah, that’s okay. Sorry. I just—I’m happy. Your thoughts make me happy.”
He smiled sweetly in reply, then touched his nose to hers. “You know,” he said after a moment, “my sister would be so happy right now. About us. She used to threaten to tell you for me.”
Flora laughed. “I bet she would’ve,” she said.
Feya.
Flora paused. She thought about Feya, and about the scythe in Night Sky Forest that lived by her name—the scythe that belonged to Siren.
“Noec,” Flora said tentatively. She squeezed his hand, looking up at the gentle encouragement of his eyes. “There’s still one more thing I need to tell you.”