“One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Two. One. Three. Five.”
The drill sergeant barked out orders, calling out which attacks he wanted at a time. Yuna complied, swinging and stopping her mock blade in time with every order the sergeant made. Her arms were sore from the last few hours of drills she had been doing. The weighted blade did nothing to help with that. But she soldiered through, moving from one stance to another.
“Halt!” the drill sergeant commanded. Yuna immediately responded, dropping her arms and straightening her back. Everyone around her followed. “Break. We’ll reconvene in ten.”
“Yes, sir,” a multitude of voices replied in unison, Yuna one of them. Then they scattered about.
Yuna went to the water station at the edge of the training ground. She poured a cup out and downed it in a few seconds. Then she refilled it and repeated the process a few more times.
“Save some for me,” a voice panted beside her. Yuna saw Caitlyn grabbing a paper cup as well. “You’re going to drink the entire damn container.”
“Of course not,” Yuna laughed. “I don’t think I can drink that much. Maybe half.”
“Yeah yeah yeah,” Caitlyn replied, waving her hand. She poured out a cup of water for herself and took a sip. “I’m going to be so sore when the day ends.”
“Me too,” Yuna sighed. “But we did kind of sign up for this.”
“Hmph. But I didn’t sign up to rescind my right to complain. And complain I will since I can’t do anything else.”
She finished the rest of her cup.
“Anyway, how are things going? We haven’t talked that much because of the sergeant killing our limbs.”
“I’ve been doing fine,” Yuna said. “A little bored lately, but overall it’s been okay.”
“Bored?” Caitlyn frowned. “With training? You’re bored with this?"
“No, I’m bored after training,” Yuna laughed. “Something would have to be wrong with me to be bored while training.”
“You never know.”
“I just haven’t had anything to do the last couple of weeks,” she explained. Her gaze drifted. “Normally there’s at least one thing, but nothing lately.”
“School?” Caitlyn said.
“Okay. It’s not terribly exciting.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Yuna’s mind wandered some more and a face bubbled up to the surface. Her heart tugged and a sudden desire flared up within her. It wasn’t an unfamiliar fire. She had felt it burning here and there on and off over the last weeks.
‘I wish she was here.’
“Talking about her again?” Caitlyn asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuna’s hand shot to her mouth. She didn’t realise she said that out loud.
“What do you mean again?” Yuna replied with a frown.
“Everytime we’re together, you mention her without fail,” Caitlyn said. Her expression didn’t change. “Especially three weeks ago.”
“I don’t think I talk that much about her,” Yuna said, her frown morphing into a pout.
“I’ll let you believe that. What was she like again?”
“She’s so cool!” Yuna replied immediately. She thought back to the times she was with Zero. “She’s really kind too and perceptive. I don’t know how she does it. But she does.”
She remembered her voice, that soft voice that would wash over her everytime she heard it. And that face that she could never forget, a picture so eye catching that it entranced her everytime she saw it.
“See what I mean?” Caitlyn said. Yuna’s mouth shut and reddened. She hadn’t meant to say all of that out loud. “Is she really that amazing?”
“I think so,” Yuna nodded.
“Hmph. You want to know what I think?” Caitlyn asked. Yuna nodded again. “You can’t get this girl out of your mind, right?”
“Well, not always. I don’t think about her all the time. My mind goes there only when I have nothing else to do.”
“Can I ask you to picture a hypothetical situation?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Entertain me for a bit,” Caitlyn replied, waving her hand. “Picture this. It’s a starry bright night outside. It’s just you and that girl. Or woman. Woman?”
“She’s a woman,” Yuna said.
“Older, hmm. Anyway, back to the picture. Just you and the woman,” Caitlyn said. “It gets a bit chilly and so you shiver a bit.”
Yuna could see it clearly in her mind. Before a lake. Zero next to her as they stared off at the shimmering water. A soft breeze blew by, chilling Yuna who was in a dress. She shivered, folding her arms.
“Then you feel something envelope you, surrounding you with warmth.”
Yuna felt just that.
“You look up and see the woman smiling down at you, her arms around you. She noticed that you were cold and says that she wanted to keep you warm.
Yuna saw that as well. Zero’s arms wrapped around her, squeezing her lightly. The warmth was so pleasant that Yuna could just melt.
“Can’t have you freezing out here,” Yuna heard Zero say. That sounded like something she would say.
“How does it feel?” Caitlyn asked.
“It feels nice,” Yuna replied mindlessly, her thoughts distracted.
“I see. Well, that’s kind of normal,” Caitlyn mumbled. “How about we up it a little? The woman turns you around to face her.”
Yuna felt Zero grab her shoulders and gently guide her around until they faced each other. She could see her grey eyes as they gazed back at her.
“Then she says something to the effect of, you still look cold.”
Zero leaned in and rested her forehead on Yuna’s. She placed a finger on Yuna’s chin and whispered.
“You still look a bit cold.” Yuna shivered. But she was the opposite of cold.
“Then she kisses you,” Caitlyn said plainly.
And that’s exactly what happened in Yuna’s mind, Zero placing her lips on Yuna’s. Yuna couldn’t describe such a feeling though. She had never felt something like that before. But now she wished she knew what it would be like. Then alarms rang in her head as she realised what it was she was exactly picturing. Heat flooded her and her hands when to her mouth, covering it.
“And judging by that reaction, I think I might be right,” Caitlyn said with a smirk.
“Wha, what do you mean?” Yuna said, flustered.
“How did you feel when you pictured the two of you kissing?” Caitlyn asked. Her eyes said that she already knew the answer.
“No, that’s embarrassing…” Yuna looked away, staring at the ground.
“Did you like it?”
Yuna didn’t reply. But she knew her face gave her answer away for her.
“How about if you picture yourself kissing me?” Caitlyn said.
Yuna frowned. She couldn’t picture that. Maybe a kiss on the cheek, but nothing more that. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Yuna just couldn’t see Caitlyn doing such a thing. It didn’t seem to be something she would do. And she wasn’t sure that she would be able to respond in turn.
“Nothing?”
“Sorry,” Yuna said.
“No need to say sorry,” Caitlyn laughed. “That’s not why I asked you that. Though it doesn’t sort of make me feel a little sad.”
“Sorry,” Yuna repeated.
“I already said it’s fine,” Caitlyn waved. “This isn’t about me right now. I think I know why you keep chattering about that woman.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you like her,” Caitlyn said with a grin.
“Of course I like her,” Yuna frowned.
“No, I don’t think you get what I’m saying,” Caitlyn said, shaking her head. “You like her. You know?”
Yuna just blinked in reply.
“You love her?” Caitlyn elaborated. “Want to be her girlfriend and do, um, things? Like kissing. But more.”
Yuna’s mind traveled down the road that Caitlyn’s words were creating before her mind halted when she realised what Caitlyn was suggesting. The heat that was starting to abate from her cheeks quickly rushed back.
“No! I don’t want to do that!” Yuna replied, vigorously shaking her head. “No! I don’t think so.”
“Really?” Caitlyn didn’t sound impressed. “Just sit on it. But be careful with who you tell this too.”
“What do you mean?” Yuna asked.
“You’ll figure it out eventually,” she said with a wave. “Just think about it.”
Yuna tried to clamp down on her racing mind as it began to piece together information unbidden. There was no way that she was in love with someone. She didn’t even know what that would feel like.
‘Gah, I’ll think about this later. I still have training to do,’ she thought, shaking her head more. Then she paused.
“Wait, Caitlyn.”
“What?”
“How do you know so much about this?” Yuna asked. She tilted her head. “Do you have experience in this?”
“Wha-what do you mean?” Caitlyn snapped, her face reddening. “Of course not. No. I just could, um, relate. Yeah.”
“Who is it?” Yuna pressed, her eyes lighting up. Something to distract herself from her own thoughts. “Tell me.”
“No, shut up,” Caitlyn growled. “I can’t let you of all people know.”
“Oooh. Why~?”
“I said shut up!”
“One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Two. One. Three. Five.”
The drill sergeant barked out orders, calling out which attacks he wanted at a time. Yuna complied, swinging and stopping her mock blade in time with every order the sergeant made. Her arms were sore from the last few hours of drills she had been doing. The weighted blade did nothing to help with that. But she soldiered through, moving from one stance to another.
“Halt!” the drill sergeant commanded. Yuna immediately responded, dropping her arms and straightening her back. Everyone around her followed. “Break. We’ll reconvene in ten.”
“Yes, sir,” a multitude of voices replied in unison, Yuna one of them. Then they scattered about.
Yuna went to the water station at the edge of the training ground. She poured a cup out and downed it in a few seconds. Then she refilled it and repeated the process a few more times.
“Save some for me,” a voice panted beside her. Yuna saw Caitlyn grabbing a paper cup as well. “You’re going to drink the entire damn container.”
“Of course not,” Yuna laughed. “I don’t think I can drink that much. Maybe half.”
“Yeah yeah yeah,” Caitlyn replied, waving her hand. She poured out a cup of water for herself and took a sip. “I’m going to be so sore when the day ends.”
“Me too,” Yuna sighed. “But we did kind of sign up for this.”
“Hmph. But I didn’t sign up to rescind my right to complain. And complain I will since I can’t do anything else.”
She finished the rest of her cup.
“Anyway, how are things going? We haven’t talked that much because of the sergeant killing our limbs.”
“I’ve been doing fine,” Yuna said. “A little bored lately, but overall it’s been okay.”
“Bored?” Caitlyn frowned. “With training? You’re bored with this?"
“No, I’m bored after training,” Yuna laughed. “Something would have to be wrong with me to be bored while training.”
“You never know.”
“I just haven’t had anything to do the last couple of weeks,” she explained. Her gaze drifted. “Normally there’s at least one thing, but nothing lately.”
“School?” Caitlyn said.
“Okay. It’s not terribly exciting.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Yuna’s mind wandered some more and a face bubbled up to the surface. Her heart tugged and a sudden desire flared up within her. It wasn’t an unfamiliar fire. She had felt it burning here and there on and off over the last weeks.
‘I wish she was here.’
“Talking about her again?” Caitlyn asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuna’s hand shot to her mouth. She didn’t realise she said that out loud.
“What do you mean again?” Yuna replied with a frown.
“Everytime we’re together, you mention her without fail,” Caitlyn said. Her expression didn’t change. “Especially three weeks ago.”
“I don’t think I talk that much about her,” Yuna said, her frown morphing into a pout.
“I’ll let you believe that. What was she like again?”
“She’s so cool!” Yuna replied immediately. She thought back to the times she was with Zero. “She’s really kind too and perceptive. I don’t know how she does it. But she does.”
She remembered her voice, that soft voice that would wash over her everytime she heard it. And that face that she could never forget, a picture so eye catching that it entranced her everytime she saw it.
“See what I mean?” Caitlyn said. Yuna’s mouth shut and reddened. She hadn’t meant to say all of that out loud. “Is she really that amazing?”
“I think so,” Yuna nodded.
“Hmph. You want to know what I think?” Caitlyn asked. Yuna nodded again. “You can’t get this girl out of your mind, right?”
“Well, not always. I don’t think about her all the time. My mind goes there only when I have nothing else to do.”
“Can I ask you to picture a hypothetical situation?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Entertain me for a bit,” Caitlyn replied, waving her hand. “Picture this. It’s a starry bright night outside. It’s just you and that girl. Or woman. Woman?”
“She’s a woman,” Yuna said.
“Older, hmm. Anyway, back to the picture. Just you and the woman,” Caitlyn said. “It gets a bit chilly and so you shiver a bit.”
Yuna could see it clearly in her mind. Before a lake. Zero next to her as they stared off at the shimmering water. A soft breeze blew by, chilling Yuna who was in a dress. She shivered, folding her arms.
“Then you feel something envelope you, surrounding you with warmth.”
Yuna felt just that.
“You look up and see the woman smiling down at you, her arms around you. She noticed that you were cold and says that she wanted to keep you warm.
Yuna saw that as well. Zero’s arms wrapped around her, squeezing her lightly. The warmth was so pleasant that Yuna could just melt.
“Can’t have you freezing out here,” Yuna heard Zero say. That sounded like something she would say.
“How does it feel?” Caitlyn asked.
“It feels nice,” Yuna replied mindlessly, her thoughts distracted.
“I see. Well, that’s kind of normal,” Caitlyn mumbled. “How about we up it a little? The woman turns you around to face her.”
Yuna felt Zero grab her shoulders and gently guide her around until they faced each other. She could see her grey eyes as they gazed back at her.
“Then she says something to the effect of, you still look cold.”
Zero leaned in and rested her forehead on Yuna’s. She placed a finger on Yuna’s chin and whispered.
“You still look a bit cold.” Yuna shivered. But she was the opposite of cold.
“Then she kisses you,” Caitlyn said plainly.
And that’s exactly what happened in Yuna’s mind, Zero placing her lips on Yuna’s. Yuna couldn’t describe such a feeling though. She had never felt something like that before. But now she wished she knew what it would be like. Then alarms rang in her head as she realised what it was she was exactly picturing. Heat flooded her and her hands when to her mouth, covering it.
“And judging by that reaction, I think I might be right,” Caitlyn said with a smirk.
“Wha, what do you mean?” Yuna said, flustered.
“How did you feel when you pictured the two of you kissing?” Caitlyn asked. Her eyes said that she already knew the answer.
“No, that’s embarrassing…” Yuna looked away, staring at the ground.
“Did you like it?”
Yuna didn’t reply. But she knew her face gave her answer away for her.
“How about if you picture yourself kissing me?” Caitlyn said.
Yuna frowned. She couldn’t picture that. Maybe a kiss on the cheek, but nothing more that. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Yuna just couldn’t see Caitlyn doing such a thing. It didn’t seem to be something she would do. And she wasn’t sure that she would be able to respond in turn.
“Nothing?”
“Sorry,” Yuna said.
“No need to say sorry,” Caitlyn laughed. “That’s not why I asked you that. Though it doesn’t sort of make me feel a little sad.”
“Sorry,” Yuna repeated.
“I already said it’s fine,” Caitlyn waved. “This isn’t about me right now. I think I know why you keep chattering about that woman.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you like her,” Caitlyn said with a grin.
“Of course I like her,” Yuna frowned.
“No, I don’t think you get what I’m saying,” Caitlyn said, shaking her head. “You like her. You know?”
Yuna just blinked in reply.
“You love her?” Caitlyn elaborated. “Want to be her girlfriend and do, um, things? Like kissing. But more.”
Yuna’s mind traveled down the road that Caitlyn’s words were creating before her mind halted when she realised what Caitlyn was suggesting. The heat that was starting to abate from her cheeks quickly rushed back.
“No! I don’t want to do that!” Yuna replied, vigorously shaking her head. “No! I don’t think so.”
“Really?” Caitlyn didn’t sound impressed. “Just sit on it. But be careful with who you tell this too.”
“What do you mean?” Yuna asked.
“You’ll figure it out eventually,” she said with a wave. “Just think about it.”
Yuna tried to clamp down on her racing mind as it began to piece together information unbidden. There was no way that she was in love with someone. She didn’t even know what that would feel like.
‘Gah, I’ll think about this later. I still have training to do,’ she thought, shaking her head more. Then she paused.
“Wait, Caitlyn.”
“What?”
“How do you know so much about this?” Yuna asked. She tilted her head. “Do you have experience in this?”
“Wha-what do you mean?” Caitlyn snapped, her face reddening. “Of course not. No. I just could, um, relate. Yeah.”
“Who is it?” Yuna pressed, her eyes lighting up. Something to distract herself from her own thoughts. “Tell me.”
“No, shut up,” Caitlyn growled. “I can’t let you of all people know.”
“Oooh. Why~?”
“I said shut up!”
