Ch.15
"What do you think about wheels?" Hoseok rubbed his chin as he circled around Seokjin.
"What are wheels?" Seokjin furrowed his brows. His confusion only grew worse when Hoseok clapped loudly. The pink hair flinched, unsure if he was safe or not.
"I have an idea! What if I create a chair for you and it's on wheels?" Hoseok asked. He was already planning it out inside his head. "That way we won't have to worry about you walking!"
"But I want to learn how to walk." Seokjin pouted as he took a step forward. "See? I'm getting better."
"Shoot. Having you on wheels makes the whole stairs things difficult." Hoseok clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Hoseok! It's fine. Watch me walk! I've been practicing in my room at night!" Seokjin started taking extra steps. His walking was slow and a bit unsteady, but Seokjin was determined. He did his best to maintain his balance. Pick up one leg and then the other! "Look at me!"
"Huh...you have improved. Can you jump yet?" Hoseok tilted his head to see Seokjin give his best hop. He only went up to his toes before the merman came falling down. "Seokjin!!" Hoseok rushed over to help the man get up.
"What's all this noise for?" Namjoon asked.
He had woken up and gotten himself dressed for the day. His morning had started out peacefully. Slowly, Namjoon was feeling himself getting used to waking up to an empty palace. Well, not completely empty. He was gaining a few extra people who he didn't quite consider friends. His feelings were mixed on whether he wanted to try or keep to himself. The only person Namjoon was allowing to be close to him was Yoongi. The vampire had turned into a bat and hung in the corner of Namjoon's bedroom to sleep through the night. Jungkook was paranoid Yoongi would take the chance to attack, but nothing of the sort occurred.
Jungkook had nothing to worry about. Besides, Yoongi could hardly cause Namjoon damage when he's in his bat form. If anything, Yoongi looked quite adorable as a small bat. Namjoon couldn't help himself from snatching Yoongi when he was sleeping in the corner. Naturally, Yoongi panicked since he was awoken from his slumber. Maybe next time Namjoon can get away with petting a bat. Yoongi quickly transformed back into his human form, warning Namjoon that he was not some pet. It was playful banter until they heard a heavy thud down below.
That's how they came down to see Seokjin groaning on the floor. Nothing new from the looks of it. It's not like Seokjin has proven himself to be great at standing on his two feet. Yoongi shook his head, heavily judging the merman. It's been weeks yet Seokjin still wasn't particularly good at walking. Much less running and even worse at jumping. The pink hair hardly even noticed they were there compared to the elf. Hoseok awkwardly smiled at the prince and vampire.
"Did we wake you?"
"Thankfully not." Namjoon sighed as Seokjin pushed himself up into a sitting position. He rubbed the side of his arms while staring at Yoongi in bewilderment. Seokjin's gaze wouldn't move, leaving Yoongi feeling uncomfortable. "Seokjin, stop staring at my guest."
"Well, I was just wondering what made you keep him. I thought he was bad news." Seokjin pointed out. He was so set on fighting Yoongi and now the vampire was one of his many roommates. Namjoon could understand the confusion to a degree.
"Lend me thine ears, Seokjin," Namjoon asked. Immediately, Seokjin brought his hands up to his ears with wide eyes.
"You want my what?! You have your own!" Seokjin was ready to start crawling for his life.
"He means for you to listen to him." Yoongi translated, calming down the pink hair. It slowly began to click inside Seokjin's head.
"Oh...I see. Namjoon talks funny, but you're going to be useful if you can translate." Seokjin chuckled.
"I speak like everyone else." Namjoon furrowed his brows with a huff. Again with this nonsense!
"Not exactly." Hoseok smiled at the prince. It wasn't the first time he had heard that. Was it really true? If anything, the others spoke strangely and occasionally used words and phrases he was unfamiliar with. Had Namjoon become the odd one? The prince turned to face Yoongi who was purposefully avoiding his gaze. Well then.
*~*
Had it been your way, you would have visited Florian. There was no vampire lingering at his farm anymore! That just meant you were free to go there as much as you'd like. Yet you were also telling yourself to slow down and think about what Jungkook said the other day. As much as you want to spend time with your lovely friend, you need to improve your magic. You might as well get started with that. Malakai was already bringing you over to the palace and Youngjo happened to be flying above you. He came and went as he pleased, but always wanted to know about your whereabouts. You were busy in the village all of yesterday with Miss Arla so Youngjo had to keep his distance. Now he was glued to your side again.
"Aren't you going to ask where I was?" Youngjo cawed.
"Where were you?" A sigh left your lips.
"Seducing female ravens."
"Good for you."
"What!? You aren't jealous?" Youngjo flew down to be more at your eye level. He easily kept up with Malakai's running speed. "There were no others! You're the only one for me."
"I appreciate that, Youngjo." You chuckled. You could tell him to go on ahead with finding another mate, but you knew how much that would upset him. It was best to just nod along.
"What do you plan to do with the creatures anyway?" Youngjo asked.
"Don't you remember? Jungkook said that I need to learn from the light creatures...I don't know exactly what, but I trust him." You nodded.
"Does that mean Taehyung can't teach you anything?"
"I guess not. Jungkook doesn't want me learning from him or Yoongi." You sighed as Malakai began to slow down. The gates to the castle were wide open thankfully.
"Yoongi?"
"The vampire."
"Oh...what!?"
"Did I never tell you...?" You gave Youngjo an awkward smile as he sat on the horn of the saddle. Malakai had come to a stop in front of the castle, but the raven in front of you wouldn't let you leave without answers first.
He's been gone for a few days and suddenly all of you guys were hanging out with a vampire? It was a little different from that. Not necessarily 'hanging out'. More Namjoon is keeping Yoongi around for possible information. Maybe there were extra reasons but that was the one you knew of. Because of that, Jungkook wasn't allowed to harm Yoongi which terrified Youngjo. A vampire just wandering around with the prince's protection. While it sounded like that, Yoongi also had his fair warning. One wrong move and Namjoon would command Jungkook to kill him. Even if Yoongi were deceiving the prince, he wouldn't be capable of doing it for long without slipping up in front of somebody. There's six men Yoongi needs to be alert of and you. Hopefully, Yoongi doesn't break anyone's trust.
"How do you know if you can trust this guy?"
"I don't think we do...we just are. For Namjoon," You explained as you got off the horse. Youngjo stayed stuck to you like you thought he would. He flew onto your shoulder as you walked up to the large doors.
"For that guy! Why am I not surprised? He's putting all of you at risk–"
"Youngjo, I know you're worried. Being close to a vampire is pretty serious. All of us could get badly hurt, but please try to understand. If Yoongi knows any of the information Namjoon seeks about the night of the ball or the following days, then Namjoon may have a chance to heal. Let him have that. If you gave Namjoon a chance, maybe you'd like him more," You stated firmly before opening the doors. Youngjo was quiet for a few seconds as you made your way inside.
"You're too thoughtful...it's annoying, you know?"
"Hush." You tapped his head.
Anything more about this conversation, you didn't want to hear it. You've said your piece and Youngjo was going to have to live with it. Knowing two creatures in the palace could understand Youngjo, you hoped the raven wouldn't pull others into this. There was nothing more to be said. All of you just had to be patient and the truth would soon follow. You wanted Namjoon to be happier. Maybe then he'd find it easier to open up to you guys.
"Is that (F/n)?" Jimin's voice was heard first. You instantly looked up to spot him flying around and doing spins. By his side was Taehyung who was giggling and flying a lot calmer.
"(F/n)!! Did you miss us?" Taehyung came down first. He landed on the railing of the stairs, smiling to see Youngjo decided to join you for a visit this time.
"A little."
"Oooh! Youngjo is back!" Jimin threw his fist in the air as he dropped down onto the rail. He was a lot more reckless with it though. He stopped beating his wings in the air before doing a flip forward to land on the railing. Jimin was laughing as he slid down without a care.
"Careful, Jimin," You told him.
"I'm fine. Even if I fall, I got these bad boys." Jimin fluttered his wings for you.
"Oh yeah? What about the time–?"
"Taehyung!!" Jimin huffed. His cheeks turned pink as he avoided your gaze. His little tough and adventurous persona couldn't afford to take hits in front of you. Taehyung just knew him too well. Crossing your arms, you shook your head lightly at them. "Anyway...did you bring more food?"
"Is that all you care about?" You put a hand on your chest, feigning a hurt expression.
"No!" Taehyung and Jimin rushed to answer. Though seeing as you were now smiling at them, they finally realized you were only teasing.
"It's okay. Did you guys run out of food already?" You raised a brow as you headed towards the kitchen. They jumped off the rails, transforming into their larger forms to walk by your side. Now that they weren't small, you couldn't help yourself from feeling a little shy around them. They were just a tad bit more intimidating when they had to stare down at you. Youngjo also decided to fly off your shoulder to alert the others that you had arrived.
"You're feeding a bunch of men, (F/n). What can we say?" Jimin hurried over to the doorframe to lean against it. He was blocking your path inside just to give you a smolder. Freezing in place, you only blinked at him until Taehyung pushed him inside.
"Sorry about him." Taehyung coughed from embarrassment. He hurried inside to stand in the corner, fiddling with his fingers. "Honestly, I would help cook if I could. I'm sure that would be helpful to you. I'm sorry you have to work so hard for us...you need to break the curse, not keep our stomachs full..."
"You're so sweet, Tae. I can always teach you how to cook if you really want to learn." You walked up to the counter near him to grab the empty basket. It surprised the pixie, feeling as if you were going to get face to face with him only for you to walk by. Taehyung nervously swallowed, wondering if his face was turning a deeper shade of blue. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice Jimin's competitive glare.
"Say (F/n), you look absolutely gorgeous today." Jimin decided to make his move. He wasn't afraid to be bold and make his intentions clear as he got closer to you once more. Taehyung easily understood what was going on and witnessing it was a sore to the eyes. Jimin really meant it when he said he would try flirting with you.
"Oh...thank you, Jimin." You could hardly look him in the eyes. It was better to just keep walking around the kitchen to see what you could work with.
"You and I should go on a walk together. Let me show you what I've done to the garden at the back of the palace." Jimin ended up stepping in front of you to wink. He held his hand out for a flower to suddenly pop out and bloom. "A token of my–"
"No more. Settle down, Jimin." Hoseok came stepping in and clapping his hands to cut out the painful scene. On his shoulder was Youngjo who looked ready to attack Jimin. It'd be best if Jimin didn't return to his smaller form anytime soon. "Hey, (F/n). How are you doing?"
"Good." You smiled at him. Hoseok was content to hear that yet Youngjo wasn't so convinced. He probably thought you were suffering from Jimin's unwanted advances. You were genuinely fine though.
Youngjo went on ahead with threatening Jimin. He flew onto the counter, raising his wings and cawing at the fairy. He needed to make it clear. You just shook your head as Jimin began bickering with your raven. Stopping them felt like a lost cause and Taehyung felt the same. He was already trying to step out of the kitchen which you followed. Hoseok joined the two of you, leading you two to where the others were. Apparently they had all been waiting for you. The minute Youngjo arrived, they told Hoseok to come and get you. What was going on? It made you a little nervous, but you trusted Hoseok wouldn't lead you into anything bad without warning you first. It can't be worse than the time they all lectured you.
The fairy and raven were left behind to deal with their silly argument. It wasn't going to go anywhere. Hoseok told you not to mind them and Taehyung couldn't help himself from apologizing for his friend yet again. It's alright, you survived. You were chuckling quietly by the time you entered the room where the others were. Seokjin was seated in a chair while Namjoon and Yoongi were on their feet. They were listening to Seokjin ramble on about his progress with walking. He stopped once he saw you, the other two looking over at you at the same time.
"Good morrow, (F/n)." Namjoon nodded his head in acknowledgement. His welcoming calmed down any of your nerves. It was nice seeing his warm eyes greet you rather than icy cold ones. "Everything alright?"
"I came to see if Jungkook would be around. He said I need to get strong with my magic." You shrugged.
"Learning from creatures themselves? You'll improve your magic a lot faster than reading from a book," Yoongi said, catching your interest as well as Namjoon's. He took notice of that with all eyes on him. "Yes? I'm sure the angel must have told you something similar."
"He did...he said I should learn from Hoseok first." You gestured to the elf.
"I'm next!" Seokjin shouted. He didn't want anyone forgetting he was in the room. Taehyung was more than okay with disappearing into the background.
"Uh...I still don't know what I would teach you. I don't really have magic compared to Seokjin and Jimin. I'm a pretty weak light creature. Practically human." Hoseok nervously fiddled with his glasses.
"You are. The ears are the only real difference and it isn't much." Namjoon pointed out. The tips of Hoseok's ears came to a point, but they weren't long like Jimin's. Hoseok gave the prince a small smile. He left his glasses alone to look at you.
"Did Jungkook say what I could help you with?" The elf asked only for you to shake your head. Jungkook really hadn't said much. So much of it was a mystery to you.
"Take her on a walk around the forest. Tell her what it's like to be an elf and the difference between you and a human. It may not come to you quickly, but she will learn fast once you both find it. I'm certain of it." Yoongi's words were surprising, but helpful. Was he telling the truth?
Namjoon began to smirk as he watched Yoongi walk off to another room. He believed he made the right decision by keeping the vampire around. Jungkook came and went when he pleased, but Yoongi was stuck with all of you. He also seemed to know about as much as Jungkook, proving his worth. The prince left to follow Yoongi while you looked at Hoseok. Looks like today would be just you and him. He was unsure even as Seokjin and Taehyung gave him supporting smiles. Because of that, you did your best to look confident. You trusted Hoseok! And if the others say you can improve your magic because of him, then you're sure of it. Hoseok just needs to believe in himself too!
"You got this, Hoseok. If you can help me walk then you can help (F/n) with her magic!" Seokjin claimed.
"There's no rush. Just test it out today and tell us how it goes." Taehyung smiled. At least Hoseok grew less tense with that. He nodded before facing you again.
"Ready to go on that walk?"
*~*
It's been a while since you've been alone with Hoseok. There was honestly a lot you still didn't know about him. He could probably say the same thing about you. Hoseok was the one Jungkook spotted and told you to keep an eye out for. There had to be something special about Hoseok that he wasn't aware of. He seemed almost apologetic as the both of you walked out of the palace. Already, he was treating it as if he had nothing to teach you. Why was he thinking like that so soon? If not magic then something else. Hoseok is an intelligent person and you've seen what he can create with his own hands. He's a crafty person which is definitely an impressive skill. He wasn't wasting your time in the slightest and shouldn't be thinking like that.
"I really don't know what to do..." Hoseok clasped his hands together just as the two of you walked past the gate.
"It's alright, Hoseok." You patted his shoulder. "You really shouldn't be so stressed about this. It could take multiple meetings to find out what Jungkook was talking about."
"I just really don't think–"
"Now, now. I don't want to be hearing that kind of talk." You put your hands on your hips. You weren't intimidating at all, but your serious expression easily made Hoseok laugh. "I'm not joking!"
"I understand that!" Hoseok assured you.
"It doesn't feel like it." You playfully nudged him. His grin continued to grow, making you happy that he was loosening up. "Alright, well tell me what else you've created. Anything wondrous?"
"You really want to hear about my crafts?" Hoseok raised a brow. Usually his kind would always tell him to shut up about his creations. The both of you were walking down the path from the castle before you took a sudden right to point towards the forest.
"We have time."
Hoseok stopped in his tracks for a moment. He pursed his lips, almost hesitant since he knew there would be no stopping him once he started. You were pretty aware of that considering that's what happened when you first met Hoseok. He's talkative and naturally has a lot to say. Building was something he was passionate about so you could understand why he was able to go on and on. You were welcoming it with open arms! And Hoseok took the chance after a few seconds. There was no need for you to say any more as he instantly stepped closer to you to describe everything he's been working on during his time at the palace.
"As you know, Seokjin is my main project. Getting him to walk is no easy feat! A baby would be easier, which sounds mean, but it's true. That doesn't mean I've given up on him! Oh no, the contrary. If anything, I'm more determined to help get Seokjin on his two feet. Though I did almost give up and put him in a wheelchair, but we won't talk about that," Hoseok whispered the last part before bursting out laughing. He was talking fast, but you were managing to keep up with his excited energy. "Aside from Seokjin, I've been running around Namjoon's castle to memorize the layout. I'm working on drawing it all down on a map and labeling all the rooms. That way I can keep track of which rooms could use some improvement! For a castle that's been around for so long and was abandoned for two hundred years, it's survived pretty well. Just a couple things need to be fixed."
"The gates and curtains were the things I noticed," You stated as he nodded.
"Right! I did those to test out the waters and convince Namjoon to let me live at the palace." Hoseok found it humorous when thinking back on it. You chuckled along with him when you began to think more about it. There was a reason why Hoseok wanted to leave the forest. It slipped your mind on what, but he went with you to the castle fairly easy. According to him, he wasn't one to question a sorceress and angel. Still, you'd say he trusted you without a single worry. How come?
"Hey, Hoseok. If you don't mind...can you tell me why you decided to come to the castle? Leaving home isn't always easy," You said. He looked at you with a small smile when you called his name. That smile grew weaker as you continued, causing Hoseok to look away from you. He let out a sigh before chuckling to keep the atmosphere light. "You don't have to answer. But if you don't mind, I'm all ears."
"I guess you're lucky I'm such a talkative person. I might just dump it all on you." Hoseok nudged you lightly, enjoying the sound of your giggles. It was a lovely sound he'd like to hear more often. "But you're also a trustworthy person, (F/n)."
"You think so?"
"Considering you haven't killed any of us for being creatures, you're a lot better than most humans." Hoseok shrugged. He had a point there.
Killing wasn't really your thing. That went for regular hunting and also dealing with a spider in the corner of the room. Youngjo would usually take care of that for you which you were a mix of grateful for and grossed out. As long as the spider is gone you suppose. Hoseok laughed at your rambling, but you quickly gave him the floor to talk. He shouldn't have let you go on about spiders! But Hoseok didn't mind and joked about creating a device to trap the hard to reach spiders without directly touching them. Well, you thought he was joking until he rubbed his chin and mentioned releasing them outside. That idea would be saved for later.
Hoseok didn't forget about your question. He put his hands in his pockets as he took in a deep breath. Leaving home for him wasn't anything he thought too hard about. His old home was a cave on the side of a mountain. A tree hid it well, but all you had to do was walk under the ledge to find it. There were so many twists and turns to the cave, but Hoseok and other elves made it their home. It was their version of the village but a lot more compact. Hoseok would be lying if he said he didn't have fond memories there. Having so many elves around, he was bound to make friends and form good memories. Though there were also arguments between them about space and how to manage the cave.
However, that was not the worst part according to Hoseok. Apparently, there were a group of gnomes that lived nearby. They were constantly trying to harm the elves in the area and steal their territory. Tension was constantly running high because of them. There was hardly time for relaxation with so many elves on edge. Elves were going on their own just because they were getting tired of the fighting. That left the remaining elves to hold grudges and pressure the others around them to stay even with the circumstances. So Hoseok stayed despite thinking about leaving every night.
"That's when I met Jungkook." Hoseok smiled, holding his hands up to form a circle. "He came to me as a light sphere. He was so bright and I couldn't believe my eyes. Was it a real angel or was I crazy? I thought I was seeing a piece of the Sun fall down to the sky. In reality, it was an angel and he spoke to me."
"He mentioned to look out for a human?" You said as he nodded. "He told me to look for an elf. I went out that day searching for you."
"You found me!" Hoseok cheered, throwing his hands up in the air. You laughed with him as the two of you made it in front of a river. "Did you want to cross?"
"I don't mind." You grabbed the bottom of your dress to lift up.
Hoseok nodded his head, though you could see the gears in his head turning. He wasn't going to let you just step through the water even if it didn't look deep. He quickly searched for an area with large rocks. You followed Hoseok along the river until he found what he was looking for. Right away, he told you not to move as he tested out the first nearby rock. He repeated that as he slowly went across the river by hopping side to side. You thought you would be doing the same until Hoseok shouted for you not to move once more. What's he up to? Furrowing your brows, you watched as Hoseok rushed off. You had no clue what he was doing until he came back tugging a log.
"This will do!" Hoseok sounded out of breath. He was using all the strength he had to lift the log up and then push it onto the water. It splashed, but luckily didn't get you wet. The log landed between the jagged rocks perfectly like Hoseok had hopped. The log was sturdy and wouldn't move thanks to them. "You can cross now, Miss (F/n)."
"Gosh, Hoseok." You were flattered by his effort. The dresses you wore always looked nice and elegant, but it wasn't the end of the world to you if they got a little dirty. The top of your dress was white and ruffled. It was off the shoulder, but the teal bustier you wore went around your chest and wrapped around you like a vest. It tied up at the center of your stomach. The rest of your dress was teal with a checkered pattern. Nothing extremely extravagant, but nice.
"Almost there." Hoseok stretched his hand out of for you as you made it near the edge. You took his hand, hopping down to the ground with him.
"What a gentleman." You teased.
"Of course, M'lady." Hoseok went down on one knee with one arm behind his back and the other still holding your hand up. You couldn't help yourself from laughing which seemed to be happening constantly with Hoseok. "Did I sound like Namjoon?"
"Making fun of him when he's not even here to defend himself?" You raised a brow as Hoseok stood up again.
"Did I?"
"A little," You answered quietly. That didn't stop Hoseok from bursting out into laughter and immediately you were laughing with him. Did his laugh have to be so infectious? The two of you were practically leaning on each other for support.
Honestly, your time with Hoseok was fun. The two of you didn't really do anything besides talk and laugh nonstop. Exploring the forest turned more into a stroll while the two of you made all kinds of jokes. Hoseok was incredibly hilarious when he used his body for humor. He was completely exaggerated with his humor at times, but that's what got you to crack. It was fair to say that Hoseok and you had a similar humor. You were trying your best not to give in, but instead you were acting goofy with him in the forest. It almost made you feel like a kid again, yet it was a lot more freeing this time around. No adults hitting you with a ruler to act like a lady or anything.
Just you and Hoseok running around the forest without a care in the world.
There was technically no progress for your goal to break the curse. That's okay though! Hoseok and you can try again tomorrow. It might end with the same result, but you weren't going to give up. Both Hoseok and you wanted to see what Jungkook and Yoongi had been talking about. What were you going to learn? As curious as you were, you knew you had to be patient. Good things come to those who wait after all! So while you waited, you made muffins once you returned back home to your cottage. These wouldn't be for the creatures at the castle. These would be for Aletta to try.
She told you that she wanted to try your baking. Maybe she was only being nice, but you went on ahead with doing it. You only made a couple muffins so hopefully that would be okay. They were just blueberry muffins. Nothing outstanding, but you hoped this would be good enough. You wrapped the muffins up in a cloth and went on your way to the village. Getting to the bakery didn't take long and as expected, Aletta was taking care of the front area all by herself. What surprised you was seeing Verona sitting at a table all by herself as well. She didn't look happy compared to Aletta who perked up to see you.
"(F/n)! What brings you here?" Aletta immediately went around the counter to come up to you.
"I made muffins for you to try–" You nervously held them up. Although you were intimidated to show off your baking skills to a baker, Aletta eagerly snatched the plate from your hands.
"This is going to be good! I can sense it!" Aletta grinned. She instantly took in the smell of the muffins, sighing pleasantly. "Doesn't look burnt or smell burnt. Blueberry muffins, right?"
"Correct."
"I'll take a bite." Aletta grabbed one muffin before handing you back the plate. She wanted to make sure you didn't second guess your actions. You did your best to smile as she took a bite. She chewed for a few seconds yet it felt like an eternity. "Oh wow. You know, I'm usually not a fan of blueberry muffins but yours are about to change my mind."
"R-Really?" Your eyes grew.
"It's not super dry at all and the blueberries are so sweet. Did Florian give them to you? He's always got the freshest." Aletta took another bite. The smile on your face became more genuine. "You don't mind if I take another? I gotta show my parents! They're just in the back."
"Yeah, go ahead." You nodded as she took another muffin. Aletta stuffed her mouth with the rest of her first muffin before rushing towards the back room. You couldn't help yourself from giggling at her. Despite how shy you could get, Aletta easily made you feel comfortable.
Your eyes were on her until she disappeared behind a door. Then it was just you. Well, that wasn't true. You took a step away from the counter and turned around with the plan of sitting at a table to wait for Aletta to return. The plan came to a halt when you saw Verona seated quietly at the corner table. Right. All the overthinking about the muffins made you forget anyone else was here. You gave her a friendly smile, but Verona didn't even bother to look up at you. She kept to herself as she stared down at the floor. One hand was on her arm, her thumb repeatedly scratching the same spot. Your smile began to fall when you noticed how red and irritated that spot was.
"Verona?" You took a few steps closer to her. Finally, she lifted her head up to look at you. She was almost confused on why you would choose to speak to her. You didn't point it out, but you were glad she was no longer scratching herself with your attention on her. "Would you like to try a muffin? I made them myself..." You held the plate towards her. You wanted to say more to get a conversation going, but the words felt stuck in your throat. All you could do was anxiously wait to see if she was interested.
"Ah...I don't know. Haven't been feeling well lately." Verona shrugged. Her eyes didn't stay connected to yours for long. She had hardly looked you in the eyes anyway.
"Just in case you change your mind then." You placed one muffin in front of her. It's not like you planned to eat all of them by yourself. Though you didn't really get along with Verona growing up, you saw no reason not to be kind. You didn't have it in you to act like she didn't exist. Besides, something told you she needed the company.
"...you don't have to be nice to me, you know?" Verona spoke up. Raising a brow at her, you watched her sigh heavily and slump in her chair. "I think being mean to me is well deserved at this point."
"Why do you think that?" You set down the plate of muffins. The action seemed to shock Verona and more when you sat down at the table with her. "I don't know a lot about you and I think it's fair to say it's mutual...but still, I don't see what I would gain from being rude to you even if I knew every skeleton in your closet." Verona didn't say a word after that. Her eyes remained stuck on yours for once as if she was searching for what she wanted to say. Her lips twitched yet nothing ever came out. The most you got was a sigh from her.
There was a lot going on in Verona's head and you couldn't even imagine what had her hanging her head down. There was one thing for sure and that was how unused to this version you were of Verona. She was always speaking her mind, bold, and every step of hers had power. She carried herself with meaning and did as she pleased. There was a fire of determination in Verona that felt like it would never dim. She was a fiery spirit, yet you weren't seeing that colorful girl anymore. She looked exhausted with the dark circles under her eyes. The repetitive sighs and the tip of her nose looking red as if she had recently cried. It didn't feel right to see that. The last thing she deserved was to be kicked when she was already down.
"Eat the muffin, Verona," You said as she let out a scoff.
"Is this your version of sympathy?" She tapped the muffin in front of her.
"You're looking fragile and pale as a ghost. It's best not to get sick." You encouraged her to at least take a bite. It was clear you weren't giving up, causing her to narrow her eyes on the treat.
"...do you know?" Verona questioned. You watched as her other arm wrapped around her stomach protectively. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. The whole village practically knows about it already."
"I overheard it, but I wasn't certain if it was true. It wasn't my place to ask further," You admitted. Verona continued to quietly tap the muffin. "Did you want me to ask if it was true?"
"The whole village is talking about it, (F/n)." Verona was annoyed. Her voice made it clear with how defensive she was. Everyone was stripping her away of her privacy and using one of her toughest moments as hot gossip. She felt like nothing she said mattered. The only thing she could do was protect herself and this baby.
"I want to hear it from you, Verona." You noticed her eyes tearing up when you said that. "Others in the village will say all kinds of things. If it's you they're talking about, I want to hear it from you." She was quick to wipe her eyes. She didn't want to be caught dead crying either despite her situation. Verona looked away from you to rapidly blink her eyes and collect herself. You didn't want to tell her you overheard from Florian and Elias. Much less what occurred before you found out. Forget Elias. He's the worst kind of person.
"I mean, yeah. I am...it's still hard to say the word and believe it myself." Verona rubbed her stomach. There was no belly yet, but she was definitely feeling the symptoms.
"If you ever need any help at all, I'm more than willing to do what I can," You stated. It was a response that Verona hadn't been expecting. She wasn't sure what she would get from you. Lately, she's been used to every negative reaction in the book. Verona blinked at you for a moment as if to make sure she heard you right.
"...I guess I'll try a muffin." Verona looked away from you, quickly taking a bite. She couldn't bring herself to vocally thank you. Her emotions have been a muddled mess and this was her solution. You smiled at Verona as she chewed from her big bite. Eventually, her fast chewing slowed down as a small smile appeared on her own face. "These are really good. I'll give you that."
"Thank you, Verona. It means a lot." You giggled, nudging the plate of muffins towards her. You weren't sure if she's been eating right after finding out the news. Maybe you could make her something actually nutritious if she'd like. Verona finished her first muffin quickly and reached for a second without another thought. Finally, a snack she could keep down.