Weak To Fire

28

Y/N hadn't really counted the days she hadn't been home in her very own little forest. It had been a good while, but she had been distracted and busy. Busy spending time with Mereoleona, busy watching over Fuegoleon and busy hanging around Leopold and trying to cheer him up. She hadn't even thought back to home in what felt like ages. She wondered whether everything was still going to be the same there. A lot could have happened ever since she had left and she was a little scared to return, but Mereoleona had insisted they go back.

Y/N knew that Mereo didn't like the capital much and that she preferred to be by herself (or with Y/N) somewhere far away from civilization. Y/N wasn't sure why, because she absolutely loved being near the capital and having people to spend her time with, but it wasn't like she didn't miss her old home. Plus, there was just something different about being close to natural bodies of water instead of a bathtub, no matter how big it was. It was objectively better.

So after Mereoleona had brought it up a few times, Y/N had finally agreed that they should head back, at least for a while just to get a break from everything that was going on in the capital. From what Y/N had witnessed there was a lot going on in terms of politics among the Magic Knights and she could see why Mereoleona didn't enjoy having to deal with that. Y/N was glad she didn't have to deal much with all of that and she was pretty sure that that was one of the reasons she still loved being in the capital. But Mereo wanted a break and she really deserved it.

So they had packed up a few things (not that they needed much out in the forest, except for a few rations of food and some clothes) and had made their way back towards the forest. Y/N had been ready to walk there, but Mereo had insisted on getting there on a broom because it was much faster. Y/N was aware that it was faster but she found it difficult to fully trust a broom, because... well, because she had never been on one before. Flying through the air on those things just seemed like it was unnecessarily dangerous, especially with how impulsive Mereo could be.

Y/N hadn't really wanted to admit it to Mereo, because she knew that she'd never let her hear the end of it, but it wasn't that hard to figure it out and Mereo had found the reason for her reluctance to travel by broom pretty quickly. And she had found it completely hilarious, much unlike Y/N. Still, she had finally managed to convince Y/N that it was perfectly safe and that she was going to be careful and all she needed to do was to hold on tight and Mereo would take care of the rest. So Y/N had finally agreed, despite not being too comfortable getting on a broom.

And she survived, but... well, she wasn't sure what exactly Mereo thought being careful meant, but it sure wasn't the same that Y/N had been thinking of. She survived the flight on the broom, but Y/N really wasn't sure how she was still alive. By the end of it she was pretty sure that she never ever wanted to be on a broom again (except for emergencies, maybe, but she wasn't going to tell Mereo that). Mereoleona seemed to think that she was joking, but Y/N was completely serious. She had no idea how Mereo hadn't died in some horrific accident yet.

Then again, Mereo was tough. The kinds of situations that woman survived were insane, and yet here she was, standing right in front of her, perfectly healthy, making her camp just beside Y/N's old lake. Y/N had disappeared in the water for a while after that flight, just to relax and somehow regain her composure, so Mereo had started putting up her hammock and making herself at home once more. Y/N had to admit that she had missed natural waters and that she had missed her lake and the forest around it, so she barely noticed how much time passed while she was back in the water.

The sun was already starting to set when she came back up to the surface and she saw Mereo working on a small bonfire, so they could have dinner. Y/N swam up to the shore and watched her, wondering whether she was going to take a break soon and check up on her. Y/N hoped so, because she was sure that Mereo thought she was mad at her and she wasn't. She really wasn't mad at her, she just needed a little time to herself, that was all. But she'd have enough time to explain herself at some point. They were going to be here for a while after all. It didn't take long until she caught Mereo's eyes and waved her over. Mereo took her time, before she finally sauntered up to the lake, taking off her shoes and sitting down, legs dangling in the water.

"Hey. You look happy in your lake." Mereo commented, smiling down at her. Y/N nodded. She was pretty happy, even though she didn't want to admit it. The difference between a natural body of water and the bathtub was pretty big and she felt more relaxed and refreshed than she had ever felt in the capital. Maybe it was a good idea for her to stay here most of the time. But she could think about that some other time. Maybe Mereo wouldn't have as much business in the capital as she expected anyway and then Y/N still had her all to herself.

"Yeah, I am pretty happy. Sorry, I just needed some time after that flying bit. I'm just not used to it. And I don't really think I want to get used to it." Y/N admitted. Mereo laughed and lay back, looking up at the sky, her arms crossed behind her head. Y/N let her eyes wander over her body. Even through the clothes she could see just how toned Mereo was under all that fabric.

"That's alright. I was surprised you even tried it in the first place. And I guess it's not for everyone, but it's just the fastest and most practical option if you don't have someone around who can use spatial magic." Mereoleona sighed. Y/N nodded. It had been fast, that much was true. It had been way too fast for her liking. And way too turbulent. But it didn't matter anymore now.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Still, I don't think I'm a fan. Anyway, we'll be staying here for a bit, right?" she wanted to know. Mereoleona glanced down at her, a big smirk forming on her face.

"Why? You missed this place more than you're letting on?"

"I mean... Kind of? It's been so long, I kind of forgot how nice this little clearing is. It's not like I want to stay here forever all of a sudden, but it's nice to be back." Y/N answered. Mereo nodded.

"I'll be staying here until I get another mission. Not sure when that's going to be." she said. Y/N still wasn't sure what exactly that was supposed to mean. Did that mean she could just tag along with Mereo? Or would she prefer her to stay here? The living arrangements weren't really that clear to Y/N.

"So... when you leave, what does that mean for me then?" Y/N wanted to know. She didn't even know whether she wanted to tag along to the capital. Maybe if the next mission was in a few months or so. But right now, she was kind of happy out here, right where she was. She found herself thinking that she'd like to stay for a little longer than just a few days or weeks, maybe.

"Well, it's up to you, really. If you want to come with me, then you can, I'm not going to stop you. But if you want to stay for a bit longer, then that's fine with me, too. It's not like you'll be out of the world, you know?" Mereoleona answered. It seemed like she didn't really have a plan, either.

"As long as we'll see each other fairly regularly..." Y/N said. Mereoleona sat up, brushing some wet strands of hair out of Y/N's face, before leaning down to kiss her lips softly and gently.

"Of course we'll see each other. I wouldn't want it to be a thing where we only see each other every few months. I want to stay with you. I want to spend time with you."

"Okay, that's good. Because I kind of would like to stay here for a little bit, but I wasn't sure what our plan was and..."

"Ssh. Let's just play it by ear, okay?"

"Okay."