Work Text:
Platinum stirred awake.
She slowly opened up her eyes, blinking sluggishly, too comfortable in the stolen cloak doubling up as a blanket. She pulled it around her shoulders and softly groaned as she turned sideways on the bed, a bed that wasn't even hers, inside a Rhodes Island dorm that wasn't even assigned to her.
Her gaze fell on the person sitting on a desk not too far away, hunched over in concentration as expert hands tinkered with pieces of metal and other stuff that Platinum honestly considered junk and therefore did not even bother to learn what they were, and yet she ended up learning against her will. That's what happened when she became a little too close to the girl that used to be one her assassination targets.
The dorm was full of junk as well, a whole shelf prepped against the wall used to store some spare parts and a bunch of armors, other tools thrown haphazardly yet the mechanic seemed to memorize her own mess and instantly localized anything she needed. Her desk that was now a workshop was even worse, barely any space left on it and dangerously tipping to one side. The girl didn't care at all.
She was only using the small lamp of her desk as a light source, probably to not bother Platinum. Her usual loudness as she fiddled with materials was gone as well, replaced by a silent carefulness and delicacy that provoked a strange feeling inside her chest. Maria was way too considerate for the person that was supposed to kill her a while ago.
She groaned again, burying her face in the fluffy cloak. Maria's cloak. It smelled like her, and it was comforting. She liked it.
"Oh, did I wake you up?" Maria swiveled on her chair, the smile on her face brighter than the lamp's light. She looked exhausted yet determined, an expression she grew familiar with each time the blonde Kuranta tackled a new project or received a quite difficult object to repair. She was getting to know this girl's habits all too well, knew how to read each crease of her brow and curl of her lips, knew how to absentmindedly carry her feet to her dorm as soon as she returned from a mission. Knew those golden eyes better than her own self.
Ugh, since when has she become so corny? Probably Maria's influence yet again. Platinum picked up a few books from her when she stayed over unannounced while Maria worked on something, which in hindsight was pretty much each day and how they started to become close somehow.
Platinum had done it at first to mess with her and to satiate her eternal boredom, to get a reaction out of the tense Little Radiant Knight. When it had started to become routine and Maria lowered her guard and would start to bring her meals and extra blankets, she knew she was in too deep. Knew she needed to stop yet one day she pinned her against the wall with the intention of finally carrying out her failed plan so long ago and instead she pressed her lips against hers.
"No." Platinum answered, bundled up in the cloak as if she were a newborn. She closed her eyes, too exhausted to hold a proper conversation.
Maria knew this of course. She was starting to understand her aloofness and capricious nature all too well. Platinum wasn't sure if she liked being understood like that, being too used to her facade and her constant string of lies. Used to keeping people at bay, far from her stone-cold heart.
Maria's stubbornness was steadily hammering down the walls around said heart. They were already cracked and weak; all she needed to do was push just a little bit and her defenses would crumble down like her resistance to those bright eyes. It was infuriating.
It was scary.
It was a pain.
Calloused knuckles brushed her messy bangs away, and Platinum shivered under that tender touch. The bed shifted slightly as the taller Kuranta sat down beside her. "Hungry? Thirsty?"
She was kinda hungry. She had skipped dinner after all, too tired and annoyed to deal with the loud Rhodes's cafeteria. She had wordlessly slipped inside Maria's dorm –she had forced Closure to make a copy of her dorm card–and laid on her bed, waiting for the girl. Next thing she knew she had passed out and woken up past midnight. She had realized her injuries were healed as well.
"...Hungry." The assassin whispered. Maria's hand was so warm against her skin. She could stay like that forever.
Maria lightly chuckled. "I saved some dinner for you. Figured you came straight here after your mission, judging by your state."
"Dessert?"
"Dessert as well." Maria nodded.
Platinum hummed in acknowledgement, not moving an inch. Her laziness was currently stronger than her hunger, and the cloak comfortably weighing against her did not help her case.
"Does her royalty need me to feed her as well?" Maria teased, slightly pinching Platinum's cheek. If she had done something like that months ago she would've cut her hand on the spot. Now she only groaned in protest.
She grabbed Maria's wrist and pulled her in. The blonde was taken aback and slightly yelped at the sudden movement. In a few seconds Platinum laid on top of her, part of the cloak sliding down her shoulder. If Maria hadn't been so relaxed Platinum would've never been able to move her like that, considering the amount of muscles the Defender had.
Platinum wasn't weak either, excuse you, far from it. She only used her strength when she needed her bow or whenever she felt like it, which was never. Acting weak had its perks as it helped her shirk so many bothersome and dull tasks inside the ship. That meant more time spent with Maria.
Ugh. Platinum wanted to puke. She was getting too sentimental.
"Yes?" Maria recovered fast, raising a brow in amusement. She didn't try to struggle nor looked perturbed. Just curious.
Platinum gingerly traced along the line of her jaw, her skin dotted with a myriad of small scratches and cuts, most likely from her work and the field missions. She kept going down her neck, tapped along her exposed and toned arms, slightly lowered herself until her lips were inches away from hers. "You're too careless. What if I had finally moved to kill you?"
Maria hummed in thought, all the while keeping her golden eyes glued on her gray ones. "I would be dead now, I guess. Too bad?"
Platinum huffed in what was closest to a chuckle. "So you would just embrace death like that? How boring."
The blonde Kuranta raised a hand and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "If it's from you, I'm ready for it."
Something caught up in Platinum's throat at her honest words. She told them so fondly, so certain, and the way she looked at her while saying them was too much.
She had a small knife hidden in one of her pockets. Always had one, Maria knew she had one. Yet she could still feel the weight of it on her.
But the way her heart heaved against her chest outweighed that.
She finally closed the distance between them, absentmindedly entwining one of her hands with Maria's. The young Nearl smiled against her lips and rested her other hand on Platinum's nape, tracing small circles as she completely let the shorter girl take control.
After a minute Platinum pulled back to catch her breath, hovering over the knight. Maria's hand slid to her cheek, her thumb caressing it softly as she smiled up at her. It would be so easy to take her life now, so easy to pretend this was just a ruse to get close to her, to get her to lower her guard and make her job easier. She could still grab the knife inside her pocket, she could make her death as painless as possible.
But all her resolve melted when she glanced at those bright eyes. Eyes that used to look at her with apprehension and wariness, just like a prey running from its hunter. Now they were filled with warmth and trust, so painstakingly honest just like the owner.
That's when she realized she was falling for her. Such irony, wasn't it? The previous Platinum was probably laughing inside his tomb. Guess she took after her Master more than she thought.
Platinum sighed and leaned down, resting her head on Maria's shoulder. She couldn't look at her face any longer, otherwise strong emotions would threaten to take over her normally emotionless self. Her mind was already a mess, torn between her mission and what this girl meant to her, what this girl had done to her world.
"I thought you were hungry?" Maria asked with slight confusion in her tone, an arm wrapping around her small frame.
"Shut up." Platinum replied, meaning to be hostile but her voice held no bite at all. She was exhausted. Too exhausted. She really needed a vacation.
"Alright, your majesty." Maria just chuckled at her words, fixing her cloak so it would cover both of them.
Platinum closed her eyes, thankful for the silence. She could faintly hear Maria's heartbeat, steady and comforting.
She didn't want that heart to stop beating.
Her eyes grew heavier as she slowly started to fall asleep, cradled in the arms of a knight that made her question everything, that made her actually feel again and illuminated her dark and cold world, making her have hope again, something that she thought she buried alongside her old identity.
She showed her that perhaps there was another path for Platinum.
Maria brought her closer, softly kissing her forehead. "...Whatever is troubling you, I'm here for you. Don't forget that… Centaurea."
No, no, that was not fair. Platinum had managed to keep her composure so far, but Maria had to utter that name. A name she thought she had forgotten, a name she thought she had left drifting in the wind after taking the mantle –burden– of Platinum.
She was suddenly standing amongst the tall and imposing buildings of Kazimierz, right beneath the K.G.C.C office. But this time, the annoying Maria Nearl was standing beside her, smiling defiantly. Radiantly. Holding her hand.
She couldn't help it. She squeezed her eyes as hard as she could, but a strained sob passed through her clenched jaw. No, no, no, she couldn't cry like this, not in front of Maria–
Maria gently caressed her head as she let the Armorless Union assassin's tears damp her shirt. She kept that motion until Platinum's breathing steadied, until she felt her finally relax and succumb to a much needed sleep.
"Wake up, you dumb knight."
Maria groaned, refusing to open her eyes. "...Five more minutes."
Platinum rolled her eyes. "Your aunt is waiting for you outside."
That got the blonde's attention as she sat up immediately, frenzied golden eyes looking at the door. "Huh?!"
"I lied." Platinum deadpanned, sitting at the edge of the bed with her arms crossed and already dressed for a mission.
Maria released a big sigh of relief, to later shift her eyes towards her and pouting. "Why did you say that? That almost gave me a heart attack."
"But you're awake now, no?" Platinum stood up from the bed, her tail swishing behind her. "Hurry up or we'll be late for our mission."
"A-Ah, I totally forgot we had a mission today!" The knight scrambled up from the bed, quickly sorting through her clothes and armor thrown around the dorm.
"Of course you did, mechanical girl."
As she patiently waited for Maria to gather all her stuff, something on the desk caught her attention, something she hadn't noticed before. She walked towards it, and carefully lifted up a small figurine that seemed to be made of wires and parts of other devices. She shifted her hand to examine it from different angles, trying to decipher what exactly she was looking at.
"G-Gimme that!" When Maria realized what she was holding she quickly tried to take it away from Platinum's hands, but the hunter was faster, hiding it behind her back as the knight unsuccessfully continued to retrieve it. She was blushing furiously, as if caught doing something embarrassing.
"Not until you tell me what it is." She used one hand to hold Maria back as she tried to reach behind her to grab the object. Platinum was pushed against the edge of the table and removed her hand. As expected, Maria was not expecting the shift in balance and barely managed to not topple over Platinum, both hands on the desk to steady herself. Their faces were inches apart now, and Platinum couldn't help herself. She smiled.
"Clumsy knight." She slightly pushed Maria's chin down with her thumb. The knight stared dumbfoundedly at her, mouth agape and cheeks flushed a bright red.
Platinum raised an eyebrow. "Something on my face?"
Maria remained in silence, entranced by the assassin, as if she hadn't understood what she just said. "...You're beautiful."
Platinum knew her looks were one of her biggest assets, yet she felt her own cheeks warming up at such a sudden and honest compliment. Her pulse quickened and the short distance between them became unbearable. She wanted to kiss her so bad that she ended up shoving her away instead, overcome by her own conflicting emotions.
"Hmph, I know that," at least her voice somehow didn't betray her embarrassment. She crossed her arms, one of her hands fidgeting with the stolen object. She raised it up in slight curiosity. "So, what is it? A new toy of yours?"
Maria took more time to recover, her cheeks still tainted a slight pink as she straightened up, golden eyes casted down. "I-It's a small archer figurine. It was supposed to resemble you but guess I'm not that good at making stuff with my hands, yet."
Platinum looked at the figurine properly this time, and she realized the small bump it had was supposed to be the bow, held in place with thin wires that represented the hands and arms. Alright, she could see the resemblance if she tried hard enough, but it was definitely still on a child skill level. "It's kinda ugly."
"I-I know! That’s just a practice one. The real one will be much better, I swear!"
She hummed in acknowledgement, still looking at the figurine. "And why me? Do you miss me so much during missions that you need to make a miniature version of myself?"
"That's not it!" Maria quickly denied. "I mean, I-I do miss you but it's not because of that!"
It was cute seeing her like this, panicked and skin flushed. It was a nice sensation as well, knowing somebody else missed you, even if that person could pierce your forehead with an arrow at any given moment.
Maria released a big sigh, a hand rubbing behind her neck, still refusing to make eye contact. "It's just that… I noticed you've been kinda bummed out lately. I'm not sure if it was exhaustion, or something more complicated." She lowered her hand, her expression serious now, eyes locked on hers. "I wanted to ask but…I guess I didn't want to push you. So…I decided to make something for you. Something small to carry around and make you feel better? Ugh, I don't know, it was silly! I shouldn't have done that."
Her ears drooped. "Last night left me really worried, however. Are you okay?"
Am I?
Platinum herself didn't know. Refused to delve too deep into her thorny heart, least she remained trapped and lost for eternity. The figurine seemed to be heavier in her hand. She sighed, propping herself up from the desk and walking past the knight. "I'm keeping this."
"H-Huh?!" Maria turned around quickly. "But it's not even the finished one! And you just said it's ugly!"
"I did." Platinum pocketed the figurine, sliding her quiver behind her back. "Now it's mine."
"Centaurea!" The knight grabbed her wrist, halting her steps. Gods, wasn't she stubborn. "Don't change the subject. While I know we're not exactly–hum, ehem , anyway– I worry about you, and if there's something or someone bothering you can tell me–
The assassin groaned in annoyance and turned around, planting her lips against the blabbering knight, silencing her on the spot. Perhaps she needed to do this more often, whenever Maria would get too carried away with a subject. It was not because she liked kissing her when she least expected it. She certainly didn't cherish the memory when she did it in front of Margaret Nearl, and her priceless face afterwards.
"Maria Nearl, you talk too much." Platinum whispered as she pulled back.
She barely suppressed a surprised yelp when she was pulled back into a rather needy kiss. She almost forgot they were supposed to go into a mission, almost forgot the world existed outside Maria's messy dorm, too distracted by the way in which the knight's hands caressed her scalp and the weight of her body against hers.
"And you, Centaurea," Maria pulled away first, hands unmoving, eyes unwavering, so close she could feel her breath on her mouth. "You are a coward."
Platinum silently stared at those golden eyes, stunned. Then, ever so slowly, a foreign sound slipped from her throat. She realized she was chuckling. She had forgotten she was capable of making such an action.
"Checkmate." She smirked, stepping backwards.
Maria still looked unamused, however. She sighed, glancing at one of her clocks. "We should hurry."
"You're the one in pajamas." Platinum pointed out.
"And who's fault is that?!"
That night, after returning from a longer than necessary and annoying mission and sneaking inside Maria's dorm once again, Platinum found herself staring at the ceiling as an unconscious Maria breathed peacefully next to her, some new bruises on her face and arms. She had passed out immediately after their mission, too exhausted to remember that she was upset with her after their slight argument, if it could be called that.
Platinum took out the figurine from her pocket, examining it yet again. She had refused to give it back, and Maria quickly gave up in retrieving it, knowing it was a futile battle. It was far from perfect, some wires were crooked and her perfect face and body definitely didn't look like that. But she couldn't stop staring at it, couldn't help but wrap her fingers around it and bring it close to her chest.
Was she getting sick or something? Her insides felt weird. She turned her head slightly, tired eyes landing on the sleeping face of the knight. Her long and golden mane of hair cascaded through her back and the bed, and she had never looked so beautiful before.
She called herself Blemishine, claiming her light was still imperfect and flawed, yet that light managed to reach inside Platinum's dark and lonely world, shattering it as its core. She huffed as she recalled memories of her Master, of what he had done for the person he loved.
The hunter had once again fallen for the prey.