Me and You

Consider it Done

"Zane?" Ailani asked after a moment of silence from the boy.

His eyes snapped to attention, a look of guilt passing as he realised he had blanked out while Ailani was talking to him.

"Hey, chill. There's obviously something on your mind. Want to talk?" Ailani offered, and her kindness made his guilt grow rapidly.

"Well, I have a friend who likes this girl, and they had it going good, but then she just closed herself off and now I-" Zane's face reddened.

"He's unsure what to do." Zane finished quickly, while Ailani struggled not to smirk at his slip-up.

"Your friend," Ailani gave him a full-blown grin,"can give her space for a while. A week or so, and then you can try talking to Riyalin again." Ailani said nonchalantly as Zane's weak protests fell on deaf ears.

"Anyway, the place in South Laine? It's a yes?" Zane nodded, his ears red as he stared at the ground.

Ailani laughed and slung an arm around his shoulder, using her other arm to ruffle his hair playfully.

"You're really bad at hiding things." Ailani said in between laughs, Zane's ear reddening even more as she said that.

"Let's just go." Zane mumbled, and they walked to their own cars with lighter smiles and happier faces.

Ailani drove with Zane tailing behind her, a short drive before they reached the city.

As usual, people didn't really go out during lunch breaks, except for the occasional bunch, like themselves.

Zane walked in with Ailani, nearly knocking into her as she stopped in the middle of the way.

On the couch, Riy sat with her legs crossed, cupping her mug in her hands with a lazy smile.

Leo sat in the couch in front of her, his own mug on the table, with an equally lax smile splayed on to his face.

"Who would have thought we'd see you here." Ailani piped up, catching the attention of Riyalin and Leo.

"Hey, take a seat." Riyalin scooted to the side, easy smile as she patted the empty space beside her.

Ailani sat down and Zane shifted from one foot to the other, feeling Riyalin's harsh stare mercilessly on him alone.

"Zane. Sit down, why are you so awkward?" Ailani laughed, oblivious to Riyalin's change of demeanour.

Her previously relaxed state had been flipped into a tense posture, her smile exchanged for a fiery expression.

"I'll take my leave first then. I'll see you later Lani." Riyalin barely attempted at a smile before she stormed out.

"I'm going to go make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." Leo offered a weak apologetic smile before rushing after Riyalin.

___________________

"You can't just leave when you see him, Riy." Leo chided her, perhaps the only person who could do so without getting stabbed, with the exception of Aris.

"So what if I do? I don't want to see him, and I won't." She knew she sounded like a child, but she could care less.

Riyalin dropped into the white couch with a defiant glint in her eyes, curling up on the couch without another word to Leo.

As if sensing her anger, Winter girls came into the garden and sat down by the couch, protective of their queen.

"Your Highness, I suggest you stop acting like you do not have 700 years of experience." Leo only referred to Riyalin with formalities in his feeble attempts at easing both their angers.

"Fine." Riyalin yielded with a glare, crossing her arms as she looked at Leo.

"I thought about what you said. My Eresthrai?" Riyalin waited until Leo nodded, motioning for her to continue.

"I'll rebuild my relationship with Eric. But besides that, I will not search for any other." Leo nodded with a satisfied smile, completely opposite of Riyalin's deep frown.

"Summon him then." Leo grinned, and Riyalin's glare on him sharpened.

Her reply was only to motion for one of the girls around her to come closer.

She whispered something to the girl, which caused her surprise, but Riyalin remained oblivious to the reaction.

"You can take one of the wolves."

The girl's eyes lit up and if any mortal had been around, their spines would have shivered from the danger she emitted.

Without another word, the girl left and mounted a large white wolf, bounding out the gates of the Winter Empire.

They sat in silence, admiring the cold beauty of the garden.

Just as Riyalin became hopeful that Eric had rejected the summon, a wolf came back with Eric flying close by.

The sound of arrows being drawn taut caused Riyalin to panic, leading her to rush out of the garden.

"Hold your fire!" The soldiers held on to the arrow as they loosened the string, not a single arrow flying as they heard their queen's order.

"Let him enter." With that, she left for the garden, dismissing all, including a child-like Leo.

Riyalin returned to her now empty couch with a fiercely guarded expression, staring at the door with a hard look.

Too soon, the crystal doors swung open, revealing a blond-haired beauty, pulling at her every heart string.

"You called?" His eyes were cautious of her movements, yet he came unarmed.

"I did. Take a seat." As Riyalin gestured to the empty space in front of her, crystals solidified into a chair.

Surprisingly enough, Eric thought it was comfortable.

"Why did you call me here?" Eric asked, watching Riyalin with a new-found curiosity.

"I was advised to rebuild bridges and not burn them, you being among those." Riyalin said flatly, but her emotions were running wild the more she looked at him.

"Truly?" Eric got up from his chair and walked closer to Riyalin.

It took everything for her not to shift from her position, but she looked at him with a blank expression, watching as he approached.

"Yes." Eric stopped in front of her, sitting on one knee to be at eye-level with her.

"Then why do you avoid my eyes?" He pulled her chin to him gently, her heartbeat going wild as he gazed into her eyes.

He leaned in and gave her a shy kiss on her cheek, pain flaring on both of them as their elements ran unchecked.

In the garden, flowers wilted and bloomed continuously, from the heat and the cold.

"Consider me rebuilt."