Until the end of time

○ f o u r ○

"Thank you so much!" Freya said as she bowed in gratitude.

After they left their luggage in their designated rooms, the exorcists made their way to the said tavern and occupied a table. They ordered their food, only for Freya, who felt like eating almost half the menu.

"Damn... you are just like Beansprout when it comes to food." Kanda said under his breath, somehow irritated by the quantity of food Freya ordered.

"I have a freaking parasite-type Innocence. I need to eat in order to keep my body working! So, stop being such a buzzkill." Freya snapped back before she took a sip from her water.

"Whatever, Chesterfields..."

"He he he! You two sure are handful. I like how you have such a fantastic dynamic when you are in a fight, but the rest of the time, you are on the verge of killing each other." Tiedoll said with a smile, making the two young exorcists blush, one's face redder than the other's.

"General... it's not like this all the time..." Freya trailed off.

"Remember then you nearly slit Kanda's throat when Allen arrived at the Order?" Marie spoke, making the girl drop her head low in embarrassment.

"Only cause he drove me nuts that day! He called me names!" Freya defend herself.

"Shut it, cursed thing!" Kanda snapped back at her.

"Kanda... what did I tell you? Do you have the brain of a goldfish?!" Freya snapped back at him again.

The bickering was going back and forth between the two exorcists, earning laughs from Tiedoll and Marie.

"No. But in all seriousness, Kanda and Freya. Don't do anything stupid while în that room." the general said in a serious tone. "At least, don't kill each other." he smiled after.

After they ate mostly in peace, the four comrades made their way back to the inn, all of them being torn from today's fight. Freya was still reeling from the fight she fought, her Innocence still sucking her resources. They parted ways in the hallway as the pairs got in their rooms. After locking the door, Freya got rid of her coat, placing it on a chair and making her way towards her supplies bag, grabbing a towel and some soap, while Kanda sits on the bed, placing Mugen by the nightstand.

"You can take the bed. You need it more than me." he spoke as he took off his boots.

"No. We can share. You took quite the damage as well today, Kanda. You also need to rest." Freya said as she searched for her sleepwear. "I'll go take a quick shower."

After Freya locked the bathroom door, she looked in the mirror hanging above the sink, realising now how tired her body looked. The bags under her eyes and her tangled hair showed the aftermath of travelling for three straight days without the opportunity to take a shower and rest. She leaned over the sink, her mind trailing back to Kanda's behaviour past these three days. He was more polite to her than usual. He was more attentive to her, and to top it all, he was somehow concerned about her well-being. That last one was confusing her at its best. Kanda was not the type to do such things. Did he like her? As in more than a simple friend? That thought was nagging her as she got rid of her clothes and turned on the shower. She felt her body relax under the warm water that poured down her body. The redhead gave in to the relaxing sensation, and she let out a satisfying sigh. She went out of the shower and dried herself before getting ready for bed. When she made her way back in the room, she saw Kanda's back facing her. Her face went hot as she saw the toned muscles, as the dark-haired exorcist was standing shirtless in the room. She quickly closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down.

"The bathroom is free if you need it." she spoke quickly as she made a beeline to her bag to put in her hygiene supplies. She stopped there as she waited for some movement. Her body stiffened as she felt two hands on both her arms, only for her to feel like a feather as she was turned around, her eyes glued on Kanda.

"Be more careful in battles. You can't keep on letting Killer Queen feed on your life force in order to heal your wounds. It may kill you for good someday." he spoke softly, taking Freya by surprise with his voice. But the redhead did not know that he himself was surprised by his actions and words. He felt his cheeks burning as he turned his face away from her, trying to avoid her curious eyes.

"I... I will, Kanda. I promise." she spoke after a few moments, her voice as soft as his, her arms embracing his waist as she leaned her head on his bare chest, only for him to become stiff at the sudden touch, but relaxing after a few moments. "I'm sorry if I come across as rude or pestering. It's just the fact that I care. Even about you..." she added. She was now fully aware that she liked him, but she did not have any expectations in what regards his feelings towards her. "I'll let go of you now. Do not want to force my luck too much." she spoke again as she retracted her arms and took a step back.

On the other hand, Kanda felt the urge to grab her and hold her in his arms. He felt disappointed at the sudden lack of touch, but he refused to give Tiedoll justice for what he said. He cursed the general in his mind, now irritated about how right the man was. He went to grab his supplies and a change of clothes before going to take a shower himself.

After Kanda closed the door, Freya went to sit on the bed, placing a hand on her chest, where her Innocence was, closing her eyes as she drew in a deep breath, and exhaled after a few seconds. She opened her eyes before laying down on the bed and getting under the covers. She closed her eyes again as she felt her body longing for a good night rest.

When Kanda came out from the bathroom, his eyes set on the silhouette that rested under the blanket. His eyes softened at the calm breath of Freya's body, content that his comrade was finally getting a well-deserved rest. He was aware that her type of Innocence required resources, which meant plenty of energy, but he never expected to see it on its act this close. It hurt every time he saw Freya using the healing abilities that Killer Queen offered, only for her life force to be sucked out of her. But the big question for him was 'why?'. Why did he feel bad for her? Why did he care that much to be genuinely concerned for her well-being. He once again remembered the general's words. He cursed once again under his breath, carefully, as he did not want to disturb her sleep. He slowly and softly placed back his supplies and clothes, carefully walking to the bed. He gently laid down, not sure if he should also get under the covers, but the cold air in the room convinced him to get tucked. Quickly, he closed his eyes, tiredness letting him drift to sleep.

After a while, he opened his eyes as he heard some noise. A mumbling, more exact. He looked to his right, only to see Freya's face scrunched, sweat running down her forehead. He knew what was going on. It was the same nightmare. Over and over again. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder as if to assure her that he was there if she needed him. Damn Tiedoll, to hell with his words. He couldn't care less as he knew that he had to protect her at all costs. He caressed her arm before placing his palm on her face, stroking it gently.

"Freya... it's okay... wake up. It's over. Wake up. I'm here, Freya." he spoke gently as he grabbed the redhead and pulled her close to his chest. As he runs his fingers through her bright red hair, he feels her stiff body relax in his embrace. Kanda was more content now that he managed to help her properly to get over the nightmare, but his eyes widened at the two little words that escaped her lips.

"Thank you..." Freya spoke softly, almost a whisper before going back to sleep, making the young samurai to smile to himself before he himself drifting back to sleep.