You Amuse Me *Izana x OC* (COMPLETE)

Scaredy Kat

 Izana POV

I can't seem to stop staring at Kitty- Kathlin as she explains what led to her changing from the young girl I knew as a child to the woman sitting before me today. I can see the resemblances now that I know who she is and I'd seen the wig as proof, but I can't wrap my mind around it. Kathlin and I were the best of friends as children, even to the point that our parents had secretly been in talks of arranging our marriage. I'd found out when I snuck into Father's office one night and heard him talking with her father. At the time, I thought it was gross because she was my friend. I blink away my thoughts as I realize that she'd stopped talking and was waiting for me to say something. Her hand leaves mine and starts to fidget with the hood of her cloak again and I recognize the same finger movements as something 'Kathlin' did with a section of her hair when we were younger. I should have known, I should have recognized the patterns but I never put it together. She is the same as she was then but at the same time the exact opposite. Her eyes leave mine and I notice the spark fading from her gaze as she lifts the hood again. I catch her hand again and pull her closer.

"Stop trying to hide from me." I whisper. "Why do you insist on hiding?"

"I have explained it to you before. Since childhood I've been reminded of how ugly I am and how much of a freak I am for how I look. It was bad enough that Mother had to hide my appearance for the sake of the family. It was dangerous to be me as well so I hid myself under the cloak and made it so people would never have to see something so hideous."

"Shut up."

"What?" She looks at me with a slight glare mixed with confusion.

"You're not hideous... Far from it actually."

"Izana, I-"

I cut her off by closing the distance between us and pulling her into a kiss. She tenses but I feel her start to relax as she kisses me back. Kitty pulls away suddenly and gets to her feet, her hood moving up to cover her face a second later. I open my mouth to apologize just as the door splinters inward. Her sword is drawn and in an instant, it's plunged into the chest of the first man that approaches her. Against my desire to take it with me, she'd insisted I leave my sword behind to allow me to further blend in here. I get to my feet and notice an old, slightly rusted sword leaning against the wall and join the fight since there are five of them against the two of us.

"Who are these people?" I ask as our backs touch.

"Old acquaintances. I'd forgotten that they'd been prowling around looking for me."

We manage to take them down with relative ease and she pulls me from the room afterward, leading me back down the stairs to bar counter.

"Cleanup and lockup please. Five to dispose of." She tells the woman.

"Not a problem, Miss. It was nice to see you again."

"You as well Zari. You've done well taking care of things in my absence. I will try to come around more often."

We move through the snow back in the direction of the castle in silence, my mind trying to still work through the information that flooded through me. Did she know who I was then? If she knew me then why didn't she say anything and let me believe that she was a common criminal? Why did I kiss her? That's an even better question that I don't know the answer to. We stop near the trees that lead back into the castle and snow clouds pass over the moon, leaving us in total darkness.

"Kitty, I just-"

"Please, don't." She cuts in softly. "I-I have to go. Take care of yourself, Izana."

Her hand leaves mine and I reach out for her and tell her to wait, but my hand only meets air. The clouds clear and the area is empty on all sides, not even footprints are left in her wake. Well, I've ruined everything I guess. I sigh and start the climb to return home.

Once I'm safely in the privacy of my quarters again, I strip from my bloodied clothes and dress in something to sleep in. After tonight I doubt I will get any sleep but I'm not sure what else to do. I push the blankets back after lighting a fire in the hearth and notice a thin piece of dark fabric on the bed. It's the ribbon for her hair. I hold it for a moment before placing it on the side table. As I climb into bed, I realize that I've automatically moved to where it would leave enough room for her to sleep comfortably beside me as she'd done before. She isn't coming though and there is a decent chance I won't see her again. I didn't intend to kiss her, if that's what drove her away. I'm not sure why I did it. There's a chance that it was simply the influence of the alcohol mixed with the sudden swarm of information that meant the woman I'd been spending my time with was actually my childhood best friend. I'm not sure what to do now. I only know of two places to find her and I don't have access to the Safehaven without her, judging by what she'd done to get inside. My only other option is to return to the cave and see if she's there. I want to give her space, so if she doesn't appear again before the end of the week, I'll try to check on her. I roll over and sigh at the large empty spot beside me. Before, I wouldn't mind as I enjoyed the freedom of not having to divide my space, but now it leaves me with a hollow feeling in my chest.