Battle Academia (The original one)

Chapter 18: Before the storm

Of all the people that he would have expected to visit him, he was the last one he ever thought he would see here.

He had walked into the infirmary confidently initially. But right now, as he was standing with his back against the concrete wall, Ezreal could see the various emotions flitting across his face.

Garen Crownguard was not a person whose words should be taken lightly. That much he had figured out already. But there was a shadow of doubt in his look, as he eyed Ezreal curiously across the room. Garen clenched his teeth for a moment before he began to speak.

"I heard about what happened in the test", he said with a croaky voice. Ezreal couldn't help but feel like he was being interrogated. I didn't do anything wrong so why am I feeling so damn nervous? He took a deep breath trying to keep his cool and gave him a curt nod.

"Luxanna told me that you saved her life". Each sentence that left his lips sounded like a question in the form of a formal statement. Ezreal swallowed hard.

"I did what anyone would have done for his-" What was Luxanna to him anyway?, a fleeting thought leaped into the back of his head but he didn't pause for a second. "-friend". He said timidly, perfectly aware that his answer wouldn't convince anyone.

Garen run his fingers through his hair in frustration as he grabbed a chair and sat right next to his bed.

"Don't give me that. Luxanna might be blind but I'm not. I've seen the way you look at her".

Ezreal blinked. He felt as if someone was trying to rip his heart from his chest and into the open air. He stared down his lap.

"Anyway I'm not here for that. I don't care why you did what you did. All I know is that you protected her when I couldn't".

Ezreal turned to look at him. A flush crept across his cheeks.

"I just came here to say..", he stopped talking for a moment and sighed. "I'm in your debt Lightfeather".

Ezreal shot him with a baffled look. For some reason he didn't know, he felt unworthy of being acknowledged by Garen Crownguard. He opened his mouth as he fumbled for a response inside his mind but Garen cut mercilessly through his thoughts.

"Thank you. For saving my little sister", he said staring directly into Ezreal's blue eyes.

He got up and he was already at the door before the blonde boy had the chance to utter a word. He noticed him shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His voice was raspy when he finally spoke but he never turned to face Ezreal.

"She might not realize it.. But I'm grateful that she has someone that loves her so much".

The rest of his days spent in the infirmary seemed monotonous and colorless. An odd assortment of blurred interactions and never ending moments. Kayn would only leave his side to get to class and Ezreal couldn't help but realize that he had finally acquired his first true friend.

His eyes turned bright whenever Lux would visit him, which fortunately for him was on an every day basis. All they did was make small talk but he felt happy nonetheless. As he sat there, confined in his bed next to the girl with the red hair, he felt a twinge of fear creeping into his heart. What if she only comes to see me because she feels indebt to me? That's what her brother Garen felt towards him as well.. He shooed the thought as quickly as it had dared to appear before everything would head to a downward spiral in his head.

Everyone from the group project had paid him a visit during his stay in the cold, empty infirmary room. Even Sylas. He was taken aback when the boy with they dark hair told him that he was "really cool" during the mirror dimension affair. Ofcourse, Lux was present at that time, so he reckoned he's playing it good guy around her but took the compliment with pleasure anyway.