Silver Moonlight: Winterwatcher Wings of Fire University AU fanfiction

Chapter seventeen

Author's notes: Guys. Just wanted to confirm, yes, Winterwatcher will be canon in this story. Why would it be called Winterwatcher then? Jeez.

Also, I take pride in making you cry.

Pls don't hate I am doing what I lurve

"Where is she?"

It was stupid. So, so, so stupid.

The nurse at the counter looked at him with curious brown eyes. "Room 307," She answered, though with extreme caution. Winter mumbled a string of thanks and sprinted off, counting the numbers as they passed by him.

It was sparse and clean, white and polished at the edges. Lights dimmed and flickered ominously, attaching itself to the ceiling, although Winter felt like they would fall any minute.

Winter entered the room cautiously, quietly, his talonsteps clicking softly behind him, passing by bed after bed, but none of their faces matched Moon's.

And then he passed by Kinkajou.

It was slow. Winter just continued walking on until a part of his brain shifted and clicked into place, recognizing the stark white RainWing which was covered in splotchy bruises.

Winter froze, his heart stilling a little, but moved on, despite his worry. He had to find Moon.

He recently got a message from Glory about what he'd missed: Kinkajou was whacked away by Qibli, sending her toppling to the ground, leading to a serious concussion. Jade University was surprisingly still standing, mostly because more students wanted to attend the school.

Then there she was.

Her bed wedged at the very end, her scales normal and unblemished, although it was slightly tainted with a horrible shade of violet.

She didn't look too terrible, her scratches almost gone. Winter analyzed her frame carefully- a few claw marks, scratches and bruised scales. Nothing too serious.

Winter sighed, his shoulders lifting, and then, a voice:

"Winter?"

The NightWing's eyelids fluttered open, her body coming to life- her wings shifting, her scales moving, her eyes fixed on him. Winter felt his throat dry out, and shook his head.

"Hi." He decided that was all he needed to say.

"Hi." She looked up at him, light splashing onto her scales, pale and silvery, like light reflecting off of a clear lake. The edges of her eyes twinkled again, a familiar concept that Winter had never seen for so long.

He felt a surge of memories rushing over him, lasting and longing all at once crashing down, how her head tilted thoughtfully, her eyes questioningly kind, her wings like a butterfly's, swift and gentle. He didn't know how much he'd missed her until he met her again.

"I came here to check on you." Winter said.

"I know." Moon lifted her shoulders, folding her wings and tipping her head to the side.

Winter hooded his eyes on the shadows. Of course she did.

They stayed silent for a while, the quiet stretching on for eternity, interrupted by small flickers of light from the ceiling and occasional snores from the other beds.

"I wanted to say sorry," Moon said. "I should've known you were distressed or something- when I scratched your jacket- and I didn't even know until I read your mind. I said some horrible things, too..." Moon paused, brushing a claw against her arm. "...and I never got to apologise."

"It's okay," Winter said quickly as Moon shifted her curious gaze to him. "Dragons say things they don't mean to when they're in a bad mood."

Moon flicked her wingtips up a little.

"How's Qibli?" Moon asked.

Winter winced. "I don't know. He kind of ran off after he attacked you." And you don't deserve any of that, his mind added fiercely, feeling a spark of anger ignite in his chest. "And he injured Kinkajou too."

Moon sat upright, her face distraught. "Oh no! I should've seen that coming- why is she always getting herself into trouble?"

"It's not your fault," Winter insisted. "Not everything wrong has to be your fault."

Moon sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I mean, it kind of is. I have visions of the future- I should've known." She looked up at Winter, sending little electric shocks down his spine. "To be honest, I didn't know if things between us were going to be the same. I wish everything could go back to normal. But I don't know. Maybe you didn't like me."

Winter didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

"After the day you yelled at me for knocking into you- I left you a note, but I didn't think you read it. It said that I was sorry and everything, but it seemed like you were angry at me, so I guess you didn't bother to read it at all." Moon said.

Winter suddenly spun into the past, remembering the time a note was found as he woke up- he crumpled it up because he thought Qibli wrote it.

"I didn't know it was you," Winter said, struck. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, Winter."

"Hm?"

"Don't leave me ice-solated."

Winter processed this as the words clicked into place, and then wrinkled his snout.

"Are you serious?" Winter asked. "I can do better."

"Icy what you did there."

Winter pursed his lips, trying to look serious, but then he burst out a laugh and soon enough, the two exploded into giggles.

"That was terrible." Winter snorted.

"So are you."

They were surprisingly close, just a scale away. Their eyes locked into each other, breaths softening, hearts thumping louder than before, shaking and rattling his ribcage.

Moon closed the space between them, and the world exploded, and Winter suddenly felt hyperaware of what was happening around him, the cold air stilling, the lights flickering again, the wind billowing curtains at the side; it felt as if his senses became sharper, more sensitive than usual.

"So," Moon said, barely a whisper between the two. "I bet you can't come up with a better comeback."

"You're terrible." Winter said, muffled into her lips.