God Eater: Shattered Dawn

Chapter 33: The worst/best day ever

Lupa's POV

Slowly the crying stopped, and I was left shakily leaning into Soma against the wet fabric I had cried onto. I felt a little bad that I had ruined his shirt.

Neither of us spoke, holding each other in an embrace. Finally I mustered enough strength to talk. "Sorry for crying on your shirt."

He gave a bark of a laugh, and I realised that his voice was equally shaky. "Sorry for crying on your shoulder."

His hood was down, and I had a good view of his uncovered hair. I reached up and picked up a few strands, watching the way the white hair captured the silver of the moonlight.

Soma slowly moved away, pulling up his hood and tucking his hands back into his pockets.

Around us, the grass began to lighten as my sorrow was replaced by strength, and I felt the warmth of dawn shining upon us. The tree swayed in a slight breeze, branches waving.

I heard Aria give a huge yawn and stand up, stretching her cramped muscles. She stopped when she saw us two.

"Oh, Ari. Good morning." She frowned at us, then evidently her memories returned. She closed her notebook unquestioningly and walked to my side.

"We should go." Ari said pointedly. "The others are probably waking up now."

The sleepover. Oops.

We legged it back to my room, only to find everyone waiting outside. "Where have you two been?" Sakuya demanded. Then she saw Soma.

He quickly backed away. The girls were looking at me expectantly. I stuck my tongue out at them childishly before walking up to Soma, who was just opening his door.

"Thanks for everything." I smiled, then, whilst I had his attention, I leaned up to his face and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Gasps came from behind me and I think I heard someone faint. Wierd.

Soma's cheeks were now cherry red, and he looked to the side for a moment. "...Welcome, bakka."

He left promptly.

"Dare complete!" I grinned. Sakuya promptly undied.

"That was too cute." She sighed. "But I thought the dare meant a proper kiss..."

"At least you were brave enough to make the first move." Ari commended me. "Now, methinks we have some dares to complete!"

"Isth si syea ghouen." Licca shrugged, "Yhe Onnka, nca I injo oyu no uryo reda?"

"Resu." Kanon shrugged. "Atth lduwo eb olco."

"I get it!" I shouted, grinning. "You switch the first two letters with the last two letters. If it's a two letter word, you switch both letters around. If it's a three letter word, you put the first two on the end."

"Sye." Licca nodded. "Sit' na dol genguala em dan Onnka dema pu enwh I strfi edinjo Irnrfe."

"Seoth rewe eth ysda..."

It looked like Licca's dare was going to be easy. We girls split up, Licca and Sakuya one way, Aria, Kanon and I the other.

Aria seemed to be biding her time, waiting to find the right person to punch. We sat on sofas in the entrance, me reading and Ari drawing, while Kanon went to talk to someone.

I was completely absorbed in the book I was reading, not concentrating on my surroundings, while Aria was glancing around often.

The book was about a Valkyrie, a winged person a little like me, who was destined to collect souls from the battlefields, but instead chose her own path.