- room 301 - monday after classes - 6/22 -

[cutsthestrings]

The thing she hated about attending classes (well, that she'd discovered she hated about attending classes because this was really the first time she'd had a situation like this pop up) was that even after a horrible morning, she was still expected to attend. She couldn't fail to show up, of course, since she had no idea how close of an eye her

Comments

[future_sandworm]

Having woken up and discovered that he was now in human shape and no longer a desert mouse, Leto longed for human company. He hadn't seen Fiona for a while, and she might be out as her door was closed, but he tried a light knock.

[cutsthestrings]

...that was probably not the incoherent shriek he was looking for but it was followed with the shuffling of blankets and a book thudding on the ground and finally with the door being swung open by a somewhat damp-eyed Fiona. She swallowed before she could speak, her mouth open for a few moments before the words would come out; obviously, she'd been dreading someone else.

"Oh," was what she finally produced. Another swallow. "Leto. Hi. How're you."

It should have been a question, but it just ended up sounding like a thing to say.

"Missed you this weekend. My brother was here. My dad too. Couldn't seem to find you."

[future_sandworm]

The shriek, and then the look on her face made Leto frown. Instinctively he took a step closer and reached out to touch her cheek. "For some reason I turned into a desert mouse this weekend. What happened to you?"

[cutsthestrings]

She practically dove at his hand, at one sign that someone wasn't afraid of her, that someone who knew actually wanted to touch her, spend time with her. Trusted her. She put her hand over his.

"Nothing," she said plainly, "nothing happened. It's-- for all I know, I'm being stupid. I'm probably being stupid."

She looked over at him and turned just far enough to gesture to the room.

"You can come in. S-sorry about the closed door. I wasn't-- it's been a bad morning. Class was good, though."

I'm babbling like Eliot. He infected me with babble.

[future_sandworm]

He entered the room, pushing the door closed behind him. Fiona liked closeness, he knew, so he slipped his arms around her waist. "You can tell me, if you like," he said, then kissed her cheek. "Or refrain from telling me if you prefer."

[cutsthestrings]

The closeness helped more than she'd ever be able to say, especially right at this moment. She put her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"About class or... the other thing?"

She was stalling, she knew she was stalling, but she didn't know what else to say.

[future_sandworm]

"About what bothers you," he replied, holding her close. "Your brother and father came to visit?"

[cutsthestrings]

She nodded, putting her own arm around him half way to give him a squeeze. It was comforting, like the pillow, but also warm and solid and another person. Which made it much better than the pillow.

"Yeah. Eliot was here. I brought him around to meet people. Dad was here too."

She managed a genuine little smile.

"It was nice."

She blushed a little.

"He was nosy, but not in a bad way. He got to meet a few people too."

[future_sandworm]

"I'm sorry I missed them." Especially considering who Fiona said her father was.

Leto smiled at her. "You miss them?"

[cutsthestrings]

She nodded.

"Mostly Eliot. I don't know Dad enough to miss him," she admitted, though there was still that little smile. Her father was definitely charming, and in a non-combat, life or death situation, she'd actually gotten to appreciate it. The hug or two she'd gotten from him hadn't hurt either.

"I'm sure they'll be back at some point. Probably not at the same time, though."

[future_sandworm]

"So that's not what upset you." He pushed her hair away from her face.

[cutsthestrings]

She shook her head.

"No, that was today. And-- it's probably just in my head. With my dad here the other day, I--"

Fiona gathered her thoughts for a moment before finally looking at Leto.

"When you do something risky, something you want, you enjoy, you know the risks but after a few minutes, it's okay. You're not so worried. Then when you're done, that's when you start jumping at shadows."

Like when she'd had the chocolate what seemed like ages ago. She'd eaten the chocolate from Ringo's, enjoyed it, and that had been that, but then she'd worried about the wrapper and if her Gran--Mother would find out. It sucked.

"Things were different this morning, at the salle. One of Arthur's servants" as she had no idea how many he had, or really anything about how things were for him other than that he was Leto's roommate "kept glancing at me and when I asked him about it, he said--"

She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. I walked out before our lesson. Went to class. Came back here."

[future_sandworm]

As far as Leto knew Arthur only had one servant. "Merlin? What did he tell you?"

He didn't even bother trying to hide the anger. "The idiot! He's always nosy!"

[cutsthestrings]

"That he was 'simply looking after the safety' of his lord," she said quietly, ducking her head and practically burying her head against his chest.

After a moment, she took in a breath, swallowed, and pulled back a little to tell him.

"I told Arthur last week. About... being a goddess. Said he didn't 'get' weird. I believed him. Then, with my dad and Eliot, and my family not trusting me and--"

Fiona closed her eyes.

"I shouldn't have left."

[future_sandworm]

Leto drew a deep breath, caressing her hair. "If it is any comfort to you, it's not just you. Merlin have threatened me too. He is very..." possessive "loyal, and expresses it in unsuitable ways."

[cutsthestrings]

Her shoulder shook, just one quick twitch, but she kept her head down until something sunk in.

"You mean, you don't think Arthur told him? A-about what I told him?"

She really had been stupid. And she's snapped at Merlin all the things she'd just assumed because-- Dammit.

"It was just Merlin being loyal?"