Forget-Me-Not (Varian x Reader)

Chapter 54- Captian Lance

Jump-scare warning^^

Varian and I make our way up the winding steps of the tallest tower of the castle, where the rooster is going to be constructed. As we walk, we review the blueprints of the machine, each of us holding one side of the paper. The early afternoon sunlight pours into the tower through the arch-shaped windows, giving us just enough light to see the assembly instructions.

As we walk, I feel a warm fuzzy sensation grow within my chest. I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia; just me and Varian are on our way to create an amazing feat of science, just like we used to do as kids. When Varian's father got trapped in the amber and our world was turned upside down, I feared that we would lose these special moments to the past.

"So, before we install the internal chamber-"

Varian's train of thought is interrupted when the two of us are abruptly stopped in our tracks by none other than Lance. I sharply inhale a breath.

"No need to consult the schematics." Lance grins. "It's already been assembled." He announces, taking on a heroic stance.

I stare at Lance and scoff. "What are you wearing?" My voice asks, eyeing the gold guard uniform filled to the brim with medals (I'm 99% sure Lance didn't earn those himself) that he's dressed himself in.

Lance acts hurt. "(Yn), I am wounded by that comment. I'm temporary Captain of the Corona Guards, and that is a position I take very seriously."

I roll my eyes.

"Wait wait wait," Varian suddenly cuts in. "You said the rooster is already assembled?!"

Lance leads us to the castle roof. "And we improved your design." He proudly states. "Now it actually looks like a rooster! You're welcome."

Varian and my jaws drop in horror as we stare at the monstrosity before us. The rooster now looks like a literal rooster. I glance over at Varian who is much too stunned to speak. Lance had just created an extra two hours of work for Varian and me, as we would now have to disassemble the rooster before we could even build it.

"You okay, Var?" I check.

The corner of Varian's eye twitches as he puts on a huge smile. "Y-Yeah...never better..."

:-:-:-:-:-:

It's nightfall by the time Varian and I have managed to take apart the rooster and reassemble it to its original design. My arms throb from the hours of loosening and tightening bolts, and my blouse and gloves are covered in oil and dirt. I find great relief in the project finally being completed.

"You ready to get this beauty running?" Varian asks, gently nudging me with a smile on his lips.

I grin at my boyfriend and nod. I suddenly notice a smudge of dirt on his freckled cheek, and I slowly cup his face in my hands and wipe it off with my thumb. "Now I'm ready."

Varian blushes a bit from my touch but quickly regains composure.

"Eww get a room you two!!" Angry gags from a few feet away. The girls had been sitting on the roof watching us for the past few hours, and they were getting antsy. "Get a move on, will ya?"

Varian quickly leads me over to a wooden barrel of Flynnolium, the rooster's main energy source. I snatch a spare pair of goggles and slide them over my eyes as Varian does the same with his own. Grabbing a pipette, I peer over the edge of the barrel and dip it into the green liquid. I suck up a small amount of Flynnolium and pass the pipette to Varian so he can distribute the exact amount needed to power the rooster.

I watch as Varian's fingers gently handle the pipette and smile to myself. I love watching the amount of care he puts into everything he does; overlooking not a single detail. Ever-so-delicately, the alchemist releases a single drop of Flynnolium into the rooster's energy tank.

Unsatisfied with the lack of a reaction from the rooster, Lance scoffs from behind our backs. "Hmm...I don't think that's enough."

Varian drops the pipette in annoyance and pushes his goggles onto his forehead. "Okay." He stands up and turns to face Lance, frustration and amusement painted on his features. "With all due respect, I'm the alchemist, and the only other person who has clearance to offer critiques and suggestions is (Yn)." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Flynnolium is very powerful. Add too much of it, and this thing will shoot so far we'll end up warning another kingdom."

"Hey, Var?" I ask, tapping his shoulder.

My boyfriend turns his attention to me. "Hm?"

"You forgot the fuses."

"Oh, right!" He dashes back toward the tower before stopping in his tracks and turning back to face me. "Heh, you wouldn't happen to know where I left them, would you, Angel?"

I chuckle and shake my head at his dorky self. "I'll show you."

As we head to the ladder, Varian glances over at Lance, Catalina, and Angry. "Keep an eye on the stuff and do. Not. Touch. Anything." He says, following me up the ladder.

A few minutes later, Varian and I return to the roof, fuses in hand. "We're baaaaccckkkk~" I announce in a singsong voice.

"O-Oh, great!" Lance snickers to himself. "That's a-awesome."

The girls giggle a bit, too, and Varian and I exchange a glance. "Why are they acting so weird?" I ask Varian in a mumbled voice.

"They're always acting weird." He mutters back. He shrugs and walks over to the rooster and lights one of the flares. I step over to him and grin, excited to see the rooster's first test run. "And the rooster's first test is a go in a-three, a-two, a-Oh you don't have to stand back. I calculated it so the blast is contained and focused-" Before Varian can finish his attempt to calm the girls down, a mega neon green explosion erupts from the rooster, sending us all flying back.

I land directly on top of Varian, but I'm much too stunned to feel flustered by the awkward position we're lying in. I stare down at Varian who is covered in ash and smoke. His hair is blown back from the force of the blast, and his eyes are wide as he pulls his goggles onto his head, leaving a ring of ash where the goggles once rested. I tilt my head in amusement. He kind of looks like Ruddiger.

As I pull my own goggles off my face I feel safe assuming I also have a raccoon mask around my (ec) eyes. As the two of us sit up a feel a sharp throbbing in my skull. "Ugh, my head..." I groan.

Varian looks at me with sympathy as I place my ashy hand against my temple. "Oh my goodness, Angel...I had- I had no idea that would happen...I could've sworn my calculations were correct..." His eyes suddenly widen and his head snaps in Lance's direction. "You added more Flynnolium, didn't you?!"

The alchemist gets to his feet and storms over to Lance, looking about ready to revert back to his villain arc.

I watch as Varian shrieks at Lance, my eyes widening as my boyfriend begins cussing the temporary captain of the guard out.

Oh boy... I think to myself. Finally, after a good five minutes of harsh rebuking, the banging in my head has subsided enough the stand up and approach Varian. I sigh a bit and place my hand on the boy's shoulder. "C'mon, Var. We'll fix this mess tomorrow." I say, leading him away from Lance and the damage his careless behavior caused.

As the two of us make our way down the stone spiral staircase that leads out of the tower, the sharp throbbing in my head returns. I clench my jaw in pain and lean up against the cold wall of the stairway, desperately praying that the chill of the stones will ease my headache.

The second Varian realizes that I'm no longer beside him, he quickly backtracks up the steps to me. "(Yn)? Are you okay?"

I slowly nod. "M-My head." I sigh.

Suddenly, Varian scoops me up into his arms and begins carrying me down the steps. He holds me as though I'm a bride, and I can't help but blush. "You don't have to carry me, y'know." My voice admits.

Varian shrugs, "I know. But you're in pain and I want to help." He glances down at me. "I don't mind at all."

Despite my pounding head I smile a teeny bit and nuzzle my face into Varian's chest. My eyelids flutter shut. "Thank you."