The Renegade: Oblivion

Ch. 12: True Love Revealed

Frostbite sat at the edge of the bed, staring out the small window at the gradually fading moon worriedly. After Aspect had left, she went to go talk to Romotan, not about anything particularly important but just to discuss everything that had happened since she had seen him last. She made the decision to tell him about her arranged marriage to Shogun Isu and made him swear to not turn her in if he were to go looking for her. Although he wasn't too happy about it, he reluctantly agreed.

After a while she had dinner at the bar and then went back to her room. Now she was awake, waiting for her friend to return.

Suddenly she heard the door slide open and she turned to see her friend standing there. "Aspect!" She leaped to her feet. "Did you-" The smile on her face quickly vanished when she saw the blood running down his face.

"Hey, Frost." Aspect nodded to her. "I talked to him like we agreed. He gave me directions, and-"

"-A BLOODY LIP?" Frostbite interrupted, horrified. She raced to him and grasped the sides of his face, pulling him in close so she could get a better look. "What the actual crap?! Did he do this to you?!"

Aspect caught his breath, feeling his face flush red at both the closeness of their faces and the unusually attentive behavior that Frostbite was exhibiting. "Frost, it's okay. I've gotten hurt much worse than this before. Granted, it was when I was much younger, but-"

"Shut up and let me doctor you." She interrupted, pushing him back onto the bed before reaching into a nearby drawer.

"What are you doing?" Aspect asked, stifling a laugh.

Frostbite shot him a look. "Getting you some salve for your lip. What, do you think this is all a game?"

He shook his head, suppressing a smile. "You're just not usually like this."

"YEAH? Well, he shouldn't have attacked you!" The Blacklai Fox came and sat beside him, lifting his face to get a closer look at his mouth. "Hm. Looks as if he busted it. You're lucky he didn't knock any of your teeth out." She opened the jar of salve and, after wiping the blood away, dabbed a little on his lip. "You didn't bite your tongue, did you?"

"No. Frostbite, I'm okay." He averted his gaze, feeling overwhelmed by the attention she was showing him. "Not to be that guy, but you keep seeming to forget that I'm the Black Warrior. Venge was a tick compared to some other people I've faced." When her expression didn't change, his face softened. "Frost, it's not your fault. I'm glad I was able to keep you safe."

Frostbite sighed and rested her head on her hand. "...Well... I just feel so... bad. It's weird. I don't like it."

"Don't blame yourself." He leaned back on the bed tiredly, gazing at her through slitted green eyes. "And anyways, that's besides the point. I got the info we needed. Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm tired," The Blacklai Fox confessed, yawning. "Any chance we can discuss this in the morning?"

Aspect's gaze softened, feeling a wave of affection come over him. Her fiery attitude had vanished, leaving a soft, shy fox behind. "Of course." He sat up. "I'll sleep on the floor, if you like."

Suddenly Frostbite crawled up beside him and grasped his wrist before he could slide off the bed. "Wait. Don't... don't go." She averted her eyes, a shy smile crossing her face. "I need you."

His heart caught in his throat. "What do you mean?"

"I... Aspect, I..." The Blacklai Fox stammered, searching for words as her spiked, fluffy tail thumped against the bed. "...I need you. I want you. To protect me, to feel me, to... love me."