Over Our Obstacles [ENG] [FINISHED/ADDING REMAINING CHAPTERS]

Chapter 3 | Eyes Full of Stars

"Wait here, I'll be right back, okay?" Lapis led Pearl towards the wooden bench standing next to the entrance to the barn, and helped her to sit down. Lapis knew that she has to be perfectly quick and that she can't leave Pearl there all alone for too long, since Lapis was aware of Pearl being terrified of horses.

Pearl was too weak to protest so she just sat down and leaned her back against the wall, firmly squeezing Lapis' jacket that was tossed over her shoulders.

Lapis took Blue's reins and led her to her stall, pleading someone to untack her for her, then Lapis ran to the barn and climbed up the ladder. From the attic she took the large, soft blanket in which she sleeps when she spends a night there. Carefully, she climbed down the ladder and then ran straight to Pearl.

At least it wasn't too cold outside, but still Lapis felt bad for Pearl who must've been freezing. Damn, Lapis hoped that Pearl wasn't sitting in that stream of water too long. She was worried about her health.

Quickly, she wrapped the cover around Pearl and sat next to her. "Is this better?"

Pearl nodded, still feeling a little dizzy. "Yeah." She lifted her legs and hid them under the blanket, pressing them against her chest and trying to warm up herself a little faster.

Lapis gazed at her for a moment, watching as her skinny body was shaking underneath the cover– she even noticed straw blades protruding out of it.

"Oh, sorry. There may be straw on it." She apologized and carefully she dusted a few blades off of her. Few of them were still on Pearl's chest, but Lapis didn't dare touching her there so she just pulled back after that.

"It's okay." Pearl murmured slowly.

"May I-uh... bring you something? Perhaps tea, or coffee?" Lapis offered.

Pearl turned to her and smiled a little. "Tea would be nice." She blinked.

Lapis nodded and immediately headed back into the stable, Pearl's eyes clung onto her back.

Pearl really felt like something wasn't right, but she couldn't make out what. This girl was strange and yet so familiar at the same time.

She was sitting there in silence, not moving, calmly breathing, with her eyes closed and head leaned against the wooden wall. She heard birds singing, wind blowing through the trees around her, crickets chirping and sometimes a horse neigh.

She was slowly warming up thanks to Lapis' comfortable blanket. Pearl wasn't too much prone to health problems so she was almost sure that there won't be any serious issues later. Maybe she might get a cold, but that was nothing that could harm her.

After a moment she heard footsteps again, quick and hard. Pearl turned her head aside and half-opened her eyes, lips slightly apart.

The blue-haired girl approached her, now with calm and quiet steps as she got closer. She handed Pearl a mug filled with green tea. Pearl took it and nodded thankfully, cupping the mug with her cold thin fingers, holding it tightly.

Lapis sat down onto the ground in front of Pearl and watched her for a bit. She watched as Pearl's thin lips touched the ring of the mug, slowly taking a sip of the hot fluid within it, then putting it back into her lap.

"How do you feel?" The equestrian asked carefully. Pearl looked at her, not moving her head.

"... It's not the best, but... not the worst either." A warm smile appeared on her face and Lapis couldn't that easily miss that, her freckled cheeks were becoming hot again.

She shook her head and looked aside, just to avoid the girl's gaze and hide her own red face from her sight.

They were sitting there for a few moments, in silence, not speaking; just breathing, looking at each other every so often and looking away awkwardly to avoid the other's eyes.