Superlative

EPISODE THREE

Still, Core resisted turning back to keep from drawing further attention. She could see the other students in the room eyeing them like a hawk, and with that she was pretty sure she knew what she would be seeing when Knox came into view.

It honestly felt a bit like déja vû.

"They're out of braised fish, Coraline," Knox said as a form of greeting. He stopped right in front of both Core and Aurora, face betraying no emotion at all despite the purplish bruise on his right cheek.

Hundreds of eyes were on them, waiting to see what happened next, and Core knew what she had to do -- for Knox's sake. She stood from her seat in a graceful motion, invading Knox's personal space with a gentle hand lightly brushing over his bruise.

He didn't flinch. He merely let her hover over him, letting his hand rest on top of hers. It seemed almost instinctual that they drew closer to each other, foreheads almost touching.

To an outsider it was sweet. Sickeningly sweet, even. But to those who knew better, it as an act capable by only the well-practiced.

And the best of friends.

"What now," Core demanded softly, so that anyone looking at then would think she was comforting him.

Knox closed his eyes and took a deep breath, lips pursing as he let a slow exhale out.

Now that just made the situation extra worrying. Knox was incredibly good in shielding his emotions, definitely more so than the volatile Core. It was a skill he had to learn, what with his own set of secrets to hide, and the only person he had ever allowed to see him with his guard down were his friends. Never in a public place, definitely, but now it seemed that he was starting to crack, and Core needed to keep him safe.

She promised her brother's grave that she would keep Knox safe.

"I need you to pull your shit together," Core murmured, not with any malice at all. It was gentle, like the brush of her thumb on his skin. "We can talk about it later, but not here, Knox. I want to protect you, but you have to let me."

And just like that, Knox's eyes fluttered open, and Core watched as the sparks of determination lit up the hazel orbs. "Don't be stupid," he dead-panned. "I'm the one doing the protecting here."

Core scoffed, but let him have the final word. "Ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" Knox grumbled.

Withdrawing from each other slowly, Knox's hand on Core's grasped hers and planted a gentle kiss at the back of it. Core smiled and tried to look as smitten as she could possibly be, keeping her gaze firmly on Knox alone as he laced his fingers with hers. He guided her towards the buffet spread, both of them walking side-by-side amidst all the stares and whispers surrounding them.

There were plans being hatched in those whispers, for sure. Plans to rip the two away from each other, in order to match more suitable candidates: Males who were more powerful than Knox, who were actually going to go somewhere in the Galactic Army -- an actual soldier (and not a measly strategist like Knox) that would highly benefit from having General Gray's daughter; females who were far more beautiful than Core, with faces of an angel and voices like sirens, trained and molded to be the perfect wife that would match perfectly with the aristocratic features of Knox.

Core and Knox were definitely an unlikely pair, and people had always tried to pull apart all things unlikely.

People can try, but they won't succeed, because the bond between the two went far deeper than mere love. They would just be playing a losing game, because Core and Knox had already won ages ago.