Going Beyond the Past

Chapter 73: Christmas pt 1

"Hey, Leinei, what are you doing for christmas?"

She looks up from the book she was reading, her brow furrowed. Zori, Alisa, and Ikrys were all in her room, Zori sitting on her bed with his hands pressed to the bed behind him. Alisa is sitting beside the door with Ikrys standing. She slowly closes her book, placing it on the bed before looking at the trio in turn.

"Um...before I answer that, I know I said we'd hang out if I had the time, but, I didn't think that would entail you guys busting into my room."

"Oh shit, we should've knocked," Alisa says, her eyes wide. "Zori said you'd be okay with this!"

"No, I don't mind, but yeah you knocking would've been nice." She sighs, rubbing the back of her head and sitting up straighter as Zori tilts his head. "And for the Christmas thing, I don't really have any plans. I mean I'll need to go out for a little bit but after that, I don't really have anything-"

"A few of us are getting together to throw a little party and we're inviting everyone in the Front," Zori says, cutting her off. She blinks a few times, surprised. "Granted, a bunch of them have their own families and stuff to do, but those of us who are alone, it would be helpful, yeah? And since we all know it's your first Christmas without your sister, maybe you'd wanna join us?"

"Ah..."

"Come on, just because you're an Adviser doesn't mean you can't have fun," Ikrys huffs, rolling his eyes. "We're all friends here."

She flinches at the sentence, her chest feeling tight at the three of them staring at her intently. In the nearly three months she'd been in the Front, she'd gotten close to these three, but she didn't think they'd call her their friend. She hadn't expected Zori to have a similar taste in books, or Alisa to be there to help her younger siblings, or for Ikrys to want to open an animal sanctuary. She came here expecting to be singled out and dragged through the ringer, but everyone was actually...nice.

"Um, yeah, I'll come," she says, nodding as Zori perks up. "Like I said, I just have to go out and do some things beforehand, but I'll be there."

"Yes!" Alisa cheers, throwing a fist into the air before getting to her feet. "Ikrys, we should start getting the games and stuff together!!"

"The party isn't for a few more days-"

"Yeah, but come on. Lets just go do it," she whines, shoving the taller man out of the room. Zori and Leinei laugh at their display as Alisa closes the door behind them. Zori lets out a sigh of contentment, letting his arms fall from behind him so he can lay fully on Leinei's bed. The younger girl raises an eyebrow at him, tilting her head so her short lavender hair falls into her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Y'know, I don't know a whole lot about you," he remarks, turning his head so he can look at her. "Besides you like the classics and can recite Aligheri's Inferno by heart. What was your life like at UA?"

"Um...ah..."

"Come on, I won't tell Dabi," he teases, rolling on his side with a hand propping his head up. He brushes some of his messy hair from his eyes, blowing it up after it falls back into place. "Did you have a boyfriend?"

"I did...actually," she admits, shrugging as she reaches for her book. "Though I'm pretty sure if I ever see him again, he'd hate me."

"With the whole faking your death to come join us? Yeah, I think he would," he teases, tapping the mattress with his free hand before sitting up fully and scooting closer to her. "And you said you and Dabi aren't together?"