Days at Beacon were always pretty crazy, but tossing extended families and sleep deprivation into the mix only made things insane. Things had been (comparably) saner once everyone was introduced. No one came to blows, no huge surprises, just a pretty good time.

Once everyone left, though, Ben didn’t try hiding how tired he was. An all-nighter before Family Day probably wasn’t the greatest idea, given how many people were coming. The Cap’d gotten through the day, but once the last airship left he hiked back to the dorm and dropped his stuff on his desk.

Except Joyous Guard. He still wanted to have a desk.

A hot shower was just the ticket, so he made a beeline for the bathroom. He wasn’t gonna fight with his teammates for it. Not tonight. Going on thirty hours of being awake, school tomorrow… He could lay claim.

It was exactly as pleasant as he’d figured, too. Helped clear his head. He might’ve dozed off, for a minute, but the quiet was nice.

Still, it was getting late. Bastille’s leader shut off the shower, toweled off, tossed most of his clothes into the hamper on his way through the quiet room, and flopped onto his bed without a word. In a minute, with minimal movement, he had pulled the covers up almost over his head.

Tomorrow’d be a normal day. No stress.

The Bastille door was way too creaky for effective stealth.

Lauren Negasi had spent the handful of hours since her parents had left out in the gym, lifting, striking, and enjoying a super-duper brisk spin on the treadmill to burn off whatever energy she had left in her system after the events of the day. Trying to slink back like a thief in the night with her gym bag wasn't proving as easy as it had been to slip off and away from her team when they were all out at the docks, though.

At least it looked like everyone was asleep.

...

It...looked like it.

It was pretty steamy in here. Had someone just showered?

Lauren yawned and plopped her bag of clothes - including the Reviled Sports Bra of Sunless Hel - down onto the ground beside her bed. Amy's bed was beside hers, and she didn't look like she'd just stepped out of the shower. She could see Sangue even in the unlit room, and it was possible she'd showered. But it was Cap that caught her eye.

Look at him. Trying to bunker down under those covers like she couldn't see him.

Heh.

Lauren grinned and yawned again, stretching upwards and arcing her back until she heard four loud pops! underneath the sheer fabric of Ben's maroon henley. She reached down to the sides of the garment and pulled it off.

There was nothing underneath.

She couldn't find what the hell the showerhog, whoever he or she may have been, had done with the laundry basket, so Lauren tossed the shirt onto her gym bag and decided Cap could deal with it in the morning if he wanted to. She unbuttoned the black skinny jeans she'd stolen from her poor, long-suffering best friend and sighed imperceptibly as--

"urk"

...

!

She knew that sound of distress!

She knew whoooo was awaaaaaake~!

"Caaaaaap?"

There was no response. Nothing stirring under the blankets.

Why wasn't anything stirring!? She was totally stir-worthy!

Pouting, Lauren extracted herself from the stolen jeans and chucked them on top of her gym bag as well, balancing on the balls of her feet like she was about to bounce onto her bed--

--before bouncing backwards instead, plopping down face-up onto Cap's bed and wriggling up so that their heads could bop together at the forehead. She reached up and pulled the covers down to just above his waist, to properly get a good look at the pain she was causing him.

Her dark face was positively beaming.

"Are you hiding from your best friend ever?"

Shouldn’t have jinxed it.

“No, babe,” Ben yawned out and opened one eye, fixing Lauren with a sleepy stare. He could see the clock just past her head had hit midnight, meaning that his stress for the day was already beginning. “Was just tryin’ to go to sleep.”

It was pretty clear that wouldn’t be happening, though. Even keeping his eyes eye-level.

“How was the gym? Split my jeans yet?”

"Nah ah. I was thinkin' of keepin' em."

Lauren grinned and wrapped her arms tightly around Ben's muscular frame, pressing her own chest squarely into the side of his. Her chin drooped onto one of his broad shoulders, head tilting onto his pillow to stare up at him. For such a mischievous woman, her jade eyes were huge and guileless.

"Gym was fun, though. It always is. And I think it leaves me looking pretty top tier." The minuscule amount of space between the two shrank even further, and Lauren flexed one of the biceps draped over his chest playfully. "You should've seen me working out this morning. I snapped two whole stereotypes clean in fuckin' half. Can you guess which ones?"

”At this point you can keep ‘em, they’re never gonna fit me again.” His other blue eye opened slowly, almost groggily, to meet her stare. Tired as he was, he still couldn’t really suppress a faint grin. ”Stretched ‘em too much for that.”

“Can’t say I can guess, though. Let’s see...” He stretched out the first word a little, ruffling her hair and letting his grin widen. He let his other arm wrap around her and squeeze tightly, as though answering an issued challenge. ”Did you prove you could swim?”

"You cocksucker!"

Lauren smacked him in the chest and then reached down, squeezing hard once the evil succubus of Bastille had found her target. Her stare had become reproachful, and her mouth had creased in a soft pout.

"I had parents today, and you didn't," she explained. "What, no Alan and Nancy Lloyd around today? Were they too caught up at the country club to come see you?"
She returned both of her arms to a safe hugging position. One of her long, toned legs had draped over Ben's waist; it was clear she was slowly adopting a comfortable position.

"Matter of fact, I think you were the only person alone today," she continued, voice somewhat softer. "Must be one fuck of a nice country club."

Ben laughed, low and quiet, through insult, smack, and even squeeze though the latter made the sound catch in his throat a second. His grin was still irreverent even when she started to pout a little, though he stroked her hair and gave her a little wink to show he was joking.

It died a little when she explained, though, a lot more contemplative than irreverent. It took a few moments of quiet for her to get any sort of response.

”I didn’t expect Dad to come. I hoped Gramps might, but he’s pretty old. Trip’d be rough for him.” A small shrug. ”It was nice meeting your folks.”

"You shut the fuck up. You don't give a crap about my folks, pardner, and right now I don't either."

Lauren rolled over onto her chest slightly, now laying partially atop Ben as her head tilted to look at him. Her face was serious, with only a hint of her normal vibrant curiosity left in her eyes.

"Why didn't anyone come for you today, Cap?"

”Dad doesn’t want me to be here.” The Redwood native answered quietly, ruffling her hair again. ”Really doesn’t want me to. And he and my grandparents are the only ones that’d visit.”

"Oh. Well, I mean, fuck him, I guess."

Lauren shrugged casually, as if the whole matter had been settled just as quickly as that. Her mouth quirked impatiently, as if she wasn't able to believe she had been jerked around that long just for Ben to tell her that he and his dad were having a rough patch.

"I don't think my dad wants me to be a lesbo," she offered cheerfully. "He still loves the fuck outta me. I'm sure old Papa Lloyd will come around sooner or later. Just think - out of all the bajillions of little Caps that have ever been in his balls, you're the winning Cap. That's a fucking power move, man. Guys respect the shit out of power moves."

The boxer beamed and ruffled Ben's hair back.

"Don't be such a moody emo bitch about it, then," she commanded. "Family Day's over. In the morning, we'll be normal students again. End of the week, we'll have a mission, and we'll knock that fucker clean outta the park too. Because not only am I the best that the great kingdom o--"

Lauren's alarm began to honk on her Scroll, discarded across the room. It must have been a minute or two behind Ben's clock.

"--ver churned out," she continued unimpeded, as if she hadn't even noticed, "but I've also got an even better friend. And he deserves to be here."

She had gone full circle again, back to her normal playful self. Lauren sat up straight on top of Ben's midriff, forcing him to stare up at her with a wicked grin, before plopping down again on top of him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Now sleep, and don't keep me up all night by poking my ass with that thing, you horny little shit." She smacked the back of his neck this time, as his chest was firmly occupied by hers. "I'm singling you out in combat class tomorrow, and I need my rest."

Her head plonked down on the pillow, face down beside Ben's, chin neatly fitting within the recess of the Cap's collar. Within a minute and a half, Ben Lloyd's foreign fembro had fallen into catatonia.

It was ridiculous how quick Lauren could fall asleep sometimes. Genuinely insane. She could go from a pep talk, to harassment, to sleep in half a minute. It boggled the goddamn mind. Bastille’s leader stroked her hair a little while he let what she said sink in, a little bit of his smile returning. She was a good best friend. The best, honestly. Kinda in the name. Even if she was batshit crazy.

She had a point, though. He and Dad’d get through it. Just might take a while.

So he hugged her a little tighter and closed his eyes, pulled the covers back up, and let himself drift off to sleep.

In the brief silence that hung in the air doubt flourished, and she wondered if this was the right choice. You've only just met. You don't even know him. Normal people don't just spill their life story to a complete stranger. Just how far gone am I? An image of her own face came to mind, the first time she had used a mirror after arriving in Vale. Pretty far gone, huh? Can I even be normal again? I know I want to, but....

Even if he says what I want, that I can trust him... can I really? How can I be sure? Her eyes narrowed at her own thoughts, her fears and doubts coming to a head all at once while she waited for Luke's answer. But there is a way I can know for sure. It would make things really, really weird but I could do it and erase any doubt. ...Yet you know how trust works, Bya. It's not about being sure but choosing to give that power to someone, even knowing they could betray you. Or fail you.

Like you failed everyone that put their trust in you?

...Yes. Just like I failed them. Just like I failed... her.

She gripped her mask tightly, almost too tightly, as her mind spiraled into self destructive thoughts. It was only a very few seconds before Luke answered. Plenty of time to tear herself apart in her own head; to cover every little uncertainty and insecurity she had procrastinated on.

"Yeah, you can trust me."

It was the strangest, most conflicting tangle of emotions she had ever felt in her life. All in a split second, set off by his simple assurance that she could, in fact, trust him. Joy, fear, relief, regret... hope. She couldn't even sort it all out. So she didn't even try. The important thing was that he had given his word. No matter what happened she could hold on to that one thing; the fact that Lucas Schwarz had stepped into the complicated realm of trust with her. Words didn't feel like enough to express her gratitude, but it was a start and it was all she had for now.

_{"Thank you."}

Oh gods, that's it. There is no going back now. As if that was ever really an option... She swallowed nervously, wiping away fresh tears. She really hoped she was not going to start crying as often as this on a daily basis. She could stand to let it go today, but it would be really inconvenient and embarrassing if this became a regular thing.

---

As she spoke, each time my mouth automatically opened to respond to or comment upon something— She would shut it down, either through gestures or continuing on.

It was probably for the better. The less I spoke, the more she could say, after all.

I listened in, admittedly having recoiled at one point so we didn't end up literally butting heads, but nonetheless listened; and a few things were made eminently clear to me.

For one: I had unwittingly taken for granted that Shiroyama was a town that got by without walls— And more importantly that it was an oddity in doing so. Our quintet of operational shrines was a rarity, if not an entirely unique system, to Vale and the world at large. Most other wall-less towns were doomed where we were not.

Another was that my sinking suspicions were confirmed—

I wasn't nearly qualified to hear this.

In fact, I was closer to being qualified not to. This was something that, if not a psychiatric professional, should at least be dealt with by someone like Tanner. Experienced, worldly, and for all his frivolity, level-headed.

Not me at all.

I wasn't cut from the right cloth-- nor did I have any ground to stand on with what I said.

"You... You did save her, though?"

But, as was my way.

I still did say it.

I had said I would help. Not trying was the most surefire path to failure man could ever pave.

I'll freely admit it—I am an idiot.

But I also am an idiot who wants to keep his word.

"If you saved Lily, then... Should you really blame yourself for the Grimm taking part of your soul?"

---

She hadn't even realized she had fallen silent so long, lost in the memory of that night.

He hadn't meant to. He only wanted to help. He didn't want to see her or anyone else hurting, she knew that much. But there was a metaphorical knife in her heart, one that she had slowly been reaching for. A knife she hoped to somehow pull free, if she could. If it was even possible. But Luke had just unintentionally twisted that knife, before she had been ready. She knew she should have been ready; this was the whole point they had been working towards. And yet, in spite knowing this, she had not even remotely been prepared.



_{"I didn't save her."}

I didn't save her. I swore on my life and soul I would protect her; not just from monsters, but anything that could bring her harm. I promised that she could trust me.

The tears returned, flowing freely as she stared down at the mask in her hands. Lily's mask.

"I broke... my promise."

The first true sob wracked her body.

They sat at a bench. She nibbled on the bread he brought, and he soullessly stared at the skies.

After meeting Lauren’s happy family, Sangue eventually departed for a moment to meet with Apophis. She ended up finding him by the cafeteria, and they walked together in silence.

As of recently, Apophis treated her a bit less like a child, though he still generally saw her as one. She knew little, yes, but she had enough maturity to know the consequences behind something as simple as picking up a weapon and using it to end life- whether it be on the Grimm, and perhaps occasionally, people. She wished not to experience it too much, but she knew combat was a necessity in to purge the monsters of Remnant.

But as she grew, Apophis changed too. Not as much as her, but the change was still there. And the more she grew, the more she learned why people didn’t like him. She did not judge him, but many people were generally prone to judgment- and not all judgments were always unreasonable. Sangue Naga knew this, as someone who is frequently judged for her actions, and occasionally, her thoughts.

The bread tasted good. Plain, but good.

“This place doesn’t sit right with me,” Apophis muttered as he watched several students chatter excitedly with their families. “Never did and never will.”

From what Sangue knew, Apophis had been at Beacon before. Long before he met her, he did. He refused to describe why he had been there in the first place.

“…Apep.”

He remained silent, prompting her to talk.

“…How… were my friends…?”

Continuing to face the skies, Apophis raised an eyebrow as he snorted.

He didn’t know how to describe them. On one hand, they were a motley group with just the right amount of confidence that would normally piss him off. On the other hand, said confidence didn’t go to waste, instead being used to bolster the mold that held the team together. Something about the team gave him the impression that they would take care of Sangue well.

But they wouldn’t do too well in having her mature. At least, not now.

Sangue waited for his answer patiently, and somewhat expectantly.

“They’re alright,” he finally answered. “Immature for my liking, but they’re not using you like a tool.”

And at his answer, Sangue was honestly surprised. He never described anyone as “alright” before, let alone describe why they were alright in his book. She nodded as she continued eating her bread.

Their world fell silent once more. Sangue ended up receiving more bread from Apophis. She glanced at him, noticing that his expression looked more distant than ever.

As she ate her food, she continued to glance at Apophis every now and then.

“…I’m… happy to meet… you again…”

The crimson-haired man did not budge. He neither turned to her nor opened his mouth to respond. The muscles of his neck did not twitch. It was a common sight for Sangue.

According to Mark, Apep got into fights with many Hunters, though most of them ended violently. And all of them went to his favor- otherwise, he wouldn’t be next to Sangue. He would tell her that power was a privilege, and that he knew the privilege too well to the point where it hurt him. But he claimed that he never regretted for fulfilling the reason behind his lust for power.

And she, unlike him, feared that lust.

She was afraid. She knew the feeling of ending a life, but to treat it as a step in a staircase to strike despair was something she had recently come to disagree with Apophis.

She knew he simply did not admit that what he did was frightening. Yet, she decided to remain quiet about it, afraid to reveal conflicting views on a topic that determined others’ lives.

Because in the end, she did not want to lose the one man who knew of her earlier life. The life she lived before meeting Bastille.

It was still fortunate that he at least approved of her friends.

“...A…pep.”

“…”

“…Do… you know… what love… is?”

For a moment, Sangue regretted asking the question. As soon as the words left her mouth, his whole body froze deathly still, stiffening more than a corpse would. For some reason, he feared the word. Despite his apparent pride in hurting many for his own gain, he would falter whenever someone brought the topic up nearby him.

If he ever loved. Who he loved.

“You got some nerve to ask me that right now,” Apophis spoke flatly as his gaze to the skies went hollow.

Pausing for a moment, Sangue took a small breath before she spoke again.

“…Did… you…?”

His only eye finally tearing its gaze off the skies, a murderous glare turned to Sangue’s direction. It was the same look he made when he was about to thrash out at something more human than Grimm. Her soft gaze remained fixated to his own.

“It’s already bad enough you talk like you're mentally retarded,” he spoke. “Now you’re asking sentimental bullshit I didn’t ask for.”

Turning away from Sangue, Apophis cracked his neck- almost to a dangerous degree.

“I thought I told you I’m not telling you about my past life.”

He turned to her with a look demanding for an answer. Sangue fell silent as she chose her words in her head. She had mostly taught herself how to speak, with Apophis occasionally fixing her mistakes whenever he gets annoyed with her speech patterns. Thinking slowly often helped when she was not in combat, or was in a good position to think carefully.

She spoke truthfully, “I… want to know… if… what I feel for... my… friends…”

With her bread close to her chest, Sangue looked down and stared at the hands that carried the food.

“…is love.”

She turned to the crimson man with her sharp, yet soft gaze.

Apophis stared at her, his mouth opening to say something. But nothing came out when he realized that he had just talked her down before knowing what she was actually trying to ask.

She wasn’t trying to ask about him specifically. She wanted to talk about her friends.

She was asking a completely different question from what he presumed she would ask. Something that she’d obviously talk about on a family day.

And it caught him off-guard.

I'm a dumbass, he thought as if couldn't trust himself.

Of course. She was different from most of the people he had to deal with. He kept forgetting that, even though it was something he shouldn’t forget. His habit of shutting people up regardless of whether they were very reasonable or not had gotten in the way again.

For a moment, he flinched, knowing that despite insulting her for her lack of knowledge compared to others, he had just judged her in an even more immature way. He wanted to refuse the truth again like he always did.

But to her, he just couldn’t. Not when she didn’t do anything in particular to deliberately piss him off.

Being at a Hunter academy was getting to him again. Sangue did not like being separated from him, yet she did in order to pursue a career as a Huntress. She probably waited for him to come and just talk with her, not have him be an insensitive moron who couldn’t stop being edgy in the middle of a family day.

Taking a deep breath, Apophis rubbed the temples of his head as he shook his head. “Ugh, give me a second,” he mumbled as he took a moment to fix his composure.

Shortly after, he looked back up as he leaned against the bench a bit more comfortably.

“Sorry,” he muttered, the word itself being a very foreign one. “That was pure shit on my part. Should’ve known you were trying to be… sensible, or whatever that’s supposed to be.”

He crossed his arms. "Just forget what I said. I won't bring it up again."

Sangue blinked. She then shook her head quietly, as if he had not said anything hurtful to her. “It’s… al…right…”

He really didn’t deserve her.

“Anyway…” Apophis put up a thoughtful look as he pressed the bottom of his lip against his upper lip. “My background literally comes from being a manhunter, but I… guess your ‘love’ is real? It’s not always the romantic shit people like fawning over. It exists for anything treasurable. I’m not an expert at this so fuck if I know.”

The redhead stared at him for a few good seconds. Suddenly, her lips curled into a small smile as she twitched. Apophis froze when he realized she was stifling a laugh.

“…What’s so funny?” Apophis growled as he scratched at the stitches at the corner of his lips.

Much to his surprise, she answered,

“It’s… nice to hear you… talking about love.”

His eyes widening, Apophis stumbled in his words. An extremely rare moment of him flustering occurred as a very faint blush filled his lifeless face. He quickly shot back, “I’ll put you on the ground if you ever tell Mark. That bartending shitstain’s going to have the time of his life if he knows I- dammit, you seriously better not tell him!”

With her small smile, Sangue nodded quietly as he sighed in relief.

She felt happy, knowing that Apophis opened up to her a bit more.