cascade | kotlc

10. Rewind: Prologue

- J. R. however long the healing process is

"How's transmitting to Silveny going along?" she finally dared to ask after Fitz and Sophie had been attempting to communicate telepathically with Silveny for at least the past hour. She had almost fallen asleep in Fitz's cot already, what with his naturally warm bed and his sweet cologne scent.

"This feels like banging our heads into a wall," Sophie groaned out loud.

"She's definitely the most stubborn creature I've ever met," he agreed. "And I have June as my girlfriend-"

"What?" she cried, huffing and gathering spiraling winds in her palm.

He gave her a kiss that shut her up and caused her to release all her winds that swept around them and fussed up their hair. "And I live with Biana."

"Excuse me?" Biana asked, blinking into sight in the middle of the Healing Center and startling Sophie and Fitz so badly they knocked over several vials that shattered on the floor, and even June could hear Silveny blasting SOPHIE OKAY? FITZ OKAY?

"She's just a Vanisher," June commented at Fitz's adorably panicked expression. "Do you really have to be this scared every time?"

He sighed, shaking his head in brotherly disappointment. "I should probably get used to her tricks, shouldn't I?"

"Jealous?" Biana asked, disappearing again and reappearing next to Fitz's cot and flicking the tip of her nose before June caught her wrist and tossed her through the air and onto a cot.

"I have a super awesome warrior queen as my girlfriend," Fitz said, grinning at her and making June blush at the compliment, even though he'd reassured her at least several thousand times about her beauty and power. "And I'm allowed to get out of this bed now, and my crutches don't slow me down as much as you think."

"I know," Biana deadpanned. "Tam told me he saw you guys last night. Thanks for hailing me to let me know."

"Thanks for all the visits," Fitz countered, his tone trying for sarcastic teasing, but his eyes had dropped down to his legs and were brimming with sadness. So June crawled into his lap and tilted up his chin, which made him smile a little, but it was nowhere used to the perfect smile June missed so much.

He pressed his hand to his chest, breathing heavily, and June rested her head on his shoulder and smushed her nose against his chin, which made him smile again, and this time it was much more sincere and overwhelmingly bittersweet.

"I figured it would be better if I just checked in with Sophie and June and left you alone until you were better," Biana mumbled, fidgeting with Calla's ring, which was projecting folding and moving bioluminescent tesseracts all over the walls.

Fitz blew out a breath. "Well, I guess it's a better excuse than Mom and Dad's, at least."

"It's killing them, you know," Biana said quietly, casting curvy lines and waves over her feet as she nervously shuffled them around. "Knowing you're here, still recovering, and don't want to see them, but you're still with June."

"What does that mean?" Fitz snapped sharply when June cringed and hid under his shoulder and the pooling covers at the subtle shade. "If you want me to leave my girlfriend after she's been crying over me for the past ten days, because I got injured, then think again."

"I know. It's just, I catch Mom crying all the time-"

"Good," Fitz said.

"Don't be like that."

"And don't tell me you're on their side now!" Fitz snapped back, and June gave him a worried glance when he took a long breath and rubbed his chest. "I'm fine," he promised when he caught her cautiously staring at him, and she shook her head. There was no possible way he was 'fine.'