Queen's Princess

PART II: Chapter 13

I opened my eyes some time later to see Odessa was still asleep, but her arms still had a tight grip around me. I sighed, wanting to get back to working. Who knows how many hours of day light we had left. Moving my arm free, I reached over and shook her shoulder.

"Dez, Dez, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and I was met with those captivating amber eyes of hers. It made my heart beat faster and with how close we were, I hoped she was unable to feel how fast it was going. I swear it could go as fast as the motorcycle.

"What's the matter, Y/N?" she mumbled, reaching up and rubbing her eyes.

"I was just seeing if you were awake."

"I am now. What's the prob?"

"I-It's," my gaze wandered around before it fell back into her eyes. "N-Nothing."

"Are you sure it's nothin'? You seem flustered today," she said and winked at me.

"I-I-umm, uhh," I stuttered once more. "I-It's just that, I, umm, it's getting a bit hot in here," I chuckled and pulled away from her, sitting up now. 

"Did I get too hot for ya?" she asked, a nervous smile appearing on her face.

"Yes, no, no," I said. "B-But it is the desert so everywhere is hot no matter where you go. But no, you did not get too hot for me. N-Not that I'm saying you're cold or anything, but technically speaking, people with a bigger body mass do have more body heat and such. Therefore your internal heat is much hotter than mine, b-but like I said, I-I-I'm not saying you're cold or anything. You are hot, n-n-not in that way," I jumbled over my own words.

Odessa looked at me weirdly, but ended up chuckling, "Man I really got ya."

"What?" I asked.

"Ya seem different around me now since the first time we met," she sat up. "But it's not a bad thing."

"W-What do ya mean?"

"What I mean is," she leaned towards me, getting really close to my face, but turned at the last second, her lips by my ear. "I've got you in the palm of my hand. You're at my mercy now, Y/N."

She backed away to see my face was the reddest it has been. She let out a small 'ha' before tapping the back of her hand on my shoulder. 

"If only you can see your face," she snickered, getting up. She reached her hand down and I slowly raised mine to take it. "Come on, Y/N," she reached down and pulled me up. "Do I have to do all the work around here?" she gestured between the two of us.

"D-Do all the work?" I asked.

She giggled, "It's nothing. Come on, let's get that magnet finished."

She walked out of my room and I turned my head over my shoulder, noticing how she has this confident stride. It was admirable. Everything about her was. The door opened and closed shut and I heard some clanging outside. I walked out into the living room and looked at my grandparents, who were looking back at me.

"Y-Ya heard all of that?"

"Every word," they said.

"You were very smooth there, Y/N," my grandfather joked.

"Smooth like the metal plates over there," my grandmother gestured to one of the metal plates that was wavy instead of smooth.

"Thanks," I mumbled, sighing. I walked over to my grandmother and sat beside her.

"Ya really like her, don't ya?" she asked.

"I do. I don't know what to do, nana," I said.

"Just be yourself," my grandfather said.

"Be myself? Ya saw how 'myself' was around her. I am a complete blundering mess. She was flirting with me and what did I do? Stumble over my own words."

"And that's you. That is the genuine you, Y/N," my grandfather said. "If she didn't enjoy being around the genuine you, she wouldn't have stuck around as long as she has."

"Ya never know, maybe she feels the same things towards you. Ya just need to figure it out," my grandmother said."

"How do I figure it out?"

"Tell her how ya feel."

"Tell her how I feel?"

"Yes. That's the most explicit and open way of knowing if she likes ya without asking her," my grandfather said.

"Well, if she didn't flirt with me, she doesn't like me. But I can't tell if that was flirting or not. Was this how ya were with papa, nana?" I asked.

"Kind of, but your grandfather was stubborn when it came to dating," she chuckled. "And it was way before we were banished to be out here."

"Ya would have loved the nights in Junkertown. There were lights everywhere and so many people walking the streets. It was amazing," my grandfather said.

"One day, I'm going to go back to Junkertown."

"I hope ya do," my grandmother said. "If ya can, you should go with her."

"With Odessa?"

"Yes. Ya might create a magical moment there that you'll never forget."

I smiled, "Thanks, nana."

I got up and walked outside, helping Odessa with the finishing touches of the magnet. Once we had finished, we headed out into the dunes, away from the house in case this backfired. 

"Alright, try it with the knife first," I said and placed the knife on the ground.

Odessa placed the magnet on her forearm. She opened her fist and the contraption opened up, initiating the magnet and the knife started to float into the air. The magnets spun around and the knife whirled towards Odessa. She caught it and a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Try the gun now," I said.

Just like with the knife, it floated into the air and came back at her. She grabbed it and tossed it between her hands.

"Now for the big one!" she smiled, determination laced in her eyes.

I thought the magnets weren't going to be able to withstand the weight of the axe. It lifted into the air and was hovered a few seconds before it flew towards Odessa. She caught it and let out the most triumphant yell I have heard. She raised the axe in the air, showing her idea had worked after a while of getting things right and wrong.

"Now, let's see what these bad boys can do," Odessa smiled, looking at me.

"You're on," I said, pulling out the weapon I was working on seperately from this project.