Oh, some have laughed and some have cried,
And some have scoured the countryside;
But off they ride through wood and glade,
-
There was so much screaming. Sanya didn't understand it. At most, these people had been separated from each other for a year- and still, they were shouting and cheering like madfolk? Even she had not acted like this, when she had reunited with the one she loved after A THOUSAND YEARS.
She personally felt not an ounce of excitement about being back at school. She was supposed to be happy about six o' clock wake up times again?
Not likely.
They were in the courtyard in front of the school- it was a Sunday, and students had been arriving from the morning onwards.
No one seemed inclined to go indoors to see their new dorms and classrooms- which Sanya did understand, for it was a rare warm day.
Part of her did want to go up the dorm, sink into the not-very-comfortable mattress and stay there until someone dragged her out, though.
She was very tired, and she missed Edmund already. She couldn't wait until she could sneak over to Hendon...
Oh, and she couldn't wait to head over to the pool, too- she would be going for a swim as soon as possible, she had missed it so much. The only part of this Heavens-forsaken place she'd missed.
Mina elbowed her, "Don't be such a sourpuss."
She made a face at her, "I haven't even said anything."
"It's your face."
"Can't change my face."
She wished she could.
"No, but you can change your expression." She said, and then smirked. "See? You think I'm pleased to be back at this asinine institution? Not in the least, but I'm hiding that, because anger and bitterness provoke wrinkles, and do nothing for my complexion."
Sanya snorted, "You'd get along with Susan."
Speaking of Susan, she missed Bonnie. She wasn't going to say that out loud, but she missed her very much. School would be odd without her- she was used to not being with her during classes, but they'd been together most of the rest of the time.
At least she had Mina.
Mina rolled her eyes, "She certainly knows her way around makeup-" Susan Pevensie was very, very pretty, makeup or not, "but she's far too stolid, for my tastes."
She didn't feel like that was a fair argument, "I'd say that I'm stolid, too-"
"No, you're not. Being shy and cynical doesn't make you sensible."
Mina had been thinking lately that, if she attended university, she might take up psychology. It was truly fascinating to dig into someone's psyche and explore hidden parts of themselves.
And, unlike Sanya- who also had a keen interest in psychology- she could actually talk to people, as was a requirement to study the subject or be a psychologist.
"Besides, no one even a bit stolid would have-" she lowered her voice to a quiet whisper, "sex in their grandmother's car."
Sanya looked annoyed, "I knew I shouldn't have told you about that."
She should just keep secrets in her heart, and never let them out of there. She had not known that having friends meant being teased so often and so mercilessly.
"Your fault for choosing truth."
"Ugh, I was too lazy to pick dare."
They had been playing truth or dare on the car ride from the station to the school.
Mina had spent the past week staying at one of the Starling estates close by, and she had offered to pick up Sanya, Edmund, and Lucy in the car.
Sanya had accepted, because she didn't want to walk while carrying heavy suitcases- but Lucy had not, because she enjoyed the walk.
Edmund had been torn, because part of him wanted to ride comfortably in the car with Sanya and without the burdens of suitcases- but the other part of him didn't want to leave his sister alone.
Sanya had told him that he was a wonderful brother, kissed him when Lucy had looked the other way, and told him to have a nice walk with his sister.
"And what dare would you have even given while in a moving car, hm, Starling?"
Mina looked too cocky for Sanya's liking, "I assure you, Rainsford, I would have thought of something."
Sanya made up her mind to never opt for dare while playing with Mina ever. She was as frightening as she was stunning.
"Should we head-"
"Sanya!" Someone shouted- the voice sounded happy, so Sanya assumed that it was Lucy- but the long-limbed brunette who ran up to her was not her sister-in-law.
"Meggie?"
Meghan Roslyn didn't waste a moment in wrapping her arms around Sanya, "I've missed you!"
She didn't hug back immediately, absolutely overwhelmed with befuddlement.
Hadn't Meghan been...a child?
The girl in front of her now was as tall as her!
It had been a year and a half since she had last seen her- they had written regular letters for a time, though it had petered out a couple of months into Sanya's visit to America- but seriously! She had grown so much.
"You're so tall now." She said weakly, finally hugging her back. This was how she had felt when Jem had hit growth spurt after growth spurt. Disoriented, a bit saddened- but also proud. "How've you been!?"
Meghan pulled back, and smiled, "Alright. I have a little sister now, so Mummy doesn't bother me as much. Daddy got a promotion a few months ago, so he's spending more time at home- I taught him how to braid my hair yesterday."
"Can you teach me?" Sanya asked with a laugh- but she wasn't joking.
She did not know how to braid- it was something Selene had judgingly scoffed at her about several times, even though she had never learnt to braid, either. And Seraphina had almost always sported short hair, so she hadn't needed to.
"Which form are you going into now? Third or-"
"Lower fourth. I skipped third." She didn't like the number three. "Most of my mates did, too."
Mina felt she had been silent for too long, so she spoke casually, "There's a chance you all would've failed third, so that's probably a good thing."
The young girl scowled at her, despite the spots of pink on her cheeks, "Rude as ever, Miss Mina."
The blonde smirked, "Petulant as ever, Petal."
Did they have to argue so soon? They weren't even actual rivals- no one could use such an adorable nickname as 'Petal' for a true rival.
Mina had only started sniping at Meghan one grey day because Sanya had had a headache, and so she had been even worse company than usual. And, in the blonde's head, the alternative to chatting with an indisposed Sanya was to argue with a child.
Meggie was only fourteen, for Heaven's sake! Surely Mina could find better targets.
Sanya was getting another headache.
"You really have grown." Perhaps it was the headache, but she felt almost emotional. "I don't think you can fit under bathroom sinks anymore?"
Meghan shook her head, some frustration in her blue eyes, "I wish! I absolutely loathe growing up. Fitting in small spaces was so very useful in hide-and-seek."
"Hide-and-seek is quite fun." Lucy said, walking up to the little group. "It changed my life."
Mina laughed derisively, "Such hyperbole, Lucille."
"I prefer Lucy, and I'm not exaggerating." Lucy said calmly, fixing her blue eyes onto the blonde. "It's the truth."
Mina looked quite affected at the coolness of her tone- her expression perhaps bordering on apologetic- and the former Valiant Queen laughed.
"Oh, your face! No, I do prefer Lucy, but I'm certainly not the type to harbour grudges. Did you see your dorm rooms yet? They've been painted-"
"Ooh!"
The smell of paint in this world was something she quite liked- yes, yes, Sanya knew about the fumes being toxic and all that, but the smell was great!
She turned to Mina, who looked wary at her sudden enthusiasm. In the year or two that she had known Sanya, the only thing the girl had been enthusiastic for were books and snogging her boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.
"Let's go in-"
"But I don't wish to see those-"
"I don't want to see those chodus, either, but I want to lie down in bed."
Anyway, her motto for this year was that this was the last year. The last year.
Last year of studies. Last year of waking up at six a.m. Last year of having to deal with-
"May! Jessie! Get off my bed."
"Well, hello, Sanya." Jessie sneered, nodding at her and at Mina, who was inspecting her nails. "I see you've found a voice? Mina no longer fighting your battles for you?"
The blonde did not even look up from her nails as she replied, "Are battles with milquetoast little girls truly battles?"
Hm, as soon as it was weather to wear gloves, she was painting her nails red. But which shade of red...
Here, May had to speak up, "Sanya's the milquetoast, if anything."
The dorm-monitor- if she was still that- nodded, "Agreed- she can't even ask to drink water in class without going into frights."
Mina's hazel eyes were slits, "It's called social anxiety."
Sanya didn't let their argument continue, stomping forward and speaking of that had set them off in the beginning.
Oh, she couldn't even take pleasure in the serene green that the room had been painted- and how she could still smell the paint!
But she could be reasonable. Yes, she could be calm.
"Just get off my bed-"
"It is not your bed!" Jessie yelled promptly- she was always ready for a verbal fight. "You did not call bags on it- we were here first-"
"First, my fucking foot-" Sanya spat back, and Jessie rolled her eyes, while May- was she praying!? Was she that scary? "I always get the bed next to the window!"
And the window in this dorm was much larger than the one in the last few! The wind would be glorious- as would watching the rain- and seeing the Moon when she couldn't sleep so much easier!
"Look, that may have happened in third- and lower fourth- and upper fourth-"
"But not anymore." May ended, stopping her prayer to Mother Mary. "Your reign of terror-"
Sanya tilted her head, "I don't think m-milquetoast people can have reigns of terror."
Her actual reign had been very prosperous and pleasant, she had to mention- very quiet pride- if only to herself.
"Also, if Edmund's parents ever ask, you're dating Oscar Waddingham and you live in Cardiff."
"Excuse me?"
What? May should be lucky that she got to be with Oscar, her long-time crush, in some setting, even if that setting was one of Sanya's lies. Heavens knew that she wouldn't be able to date him in any other scenario.
"Look." Sanya reached into her satchel- damn, her suitcase was still in the common room, where she had dumped it minutes after reaching- and pulled out something golden. "If you don't move, say goodbye to outings to town forever."
And she flicked the switch on the little lighter she held, and a spark of blue-yellow flame bloomed to life.
The girls in front of her gasped, while Mina giggled, emboldening her.
Jessie eyed the 'Indian' girl warily, "You wouldn't."
"The wardrobe looks very flammable." She said idly, before turning towards the door. "Or perhaps the door itself- I can't imagine w-we need any privacy-"
"You're crazy." Jessie said spitefully, but grabbed May's arm and pulled her off the bed.
Just before the two could settle down on other beds, she turned to look at Sanya, who was sliding off her shoes, preparing to lie down. There was something odd in her expression, like she was coming to terms with what she was thinking.
"You know- I think I've missed your wildness." She spoke bluntly, and then glanced at Mina, who had already settled in her bed and was pondering whether she'd be yelled at for putting on chandelier earrings. "And your pompousness."
"Absence makes the heart fonder, they say." Sanya shrugged, by way of explaining the very strange words that she had just heard.
She lay down, and then thought.
Some itty-bitty part of her understood. Even with such detestable folks- after you got used to them, it was strange to be away for so long. And another, very tiny, part of her could also understand why some people were so excited to be back in school- she could understand why they found it fun.
Very small parts of her, mind. Very small. Smaller than microscopic.
"Where'd you get the lighter?" Mina asked, looking up from the earrings and to Sanya- her bed was next to hers. "I thought you didn't smoke."
Sanya shrugged- she had perfected that, even while lying down and while your muscles felt like jelly. Oh, her back hurt.
"I don't. This is a birthday gift for you. I bought it to give to you later." She tossed it to the next bed, and it landed next to Mina's knee. "Happy Birthday in advance."
Her birthday was in December- but she loved presents, and she picked up the lighter immediately.
It was the same shape as the typical lighter, but it was far from plain. On the gold surface, patterns resembling diamonds and rosebuds had been etched, and her initials had been engraved in the corner- W'M'S.
"It's brilliant." Mina said, smiling at her friend, who looked sheepish and nervous. "I can finally say about a present that I shan't throw it away, and I shall make good use of it. Thank you, Sanya."
Sanya smiled back, "You're welcome."
"Hey-" Jessie asked aloud, just realising that the fifth bed was still unoccupied, "Where's Priscilla?"
Mina continued twirling over the lighter in her hands, and asked, "Who?"
"She's coming in next week." May answered promptly. "Her cousin died. Killed in act-"
"Welcome back, girls." Matron stood at the door, smiling jovially at the girls. She appeared entirely unaware that she had interrupted the ending of a very dire phrase.
"Good afternoon, Matron." Jessie said, sitting up and looking the very picture of obedient student. She wanted to be dorm-monitor again- perhaps even put in her name for Head Girl... "It's been ages."
"It has been too long, indeed."
"Missed you, too, Matron." May smiled, and made up her mind to not bother her with emergencies that some may interpret as being because of her vanity.
But pimples were a disease, and she would always be saying that, no matter how much people rolled their eyes when she said that.
"When's the list for the studies coming out?"
Studies were assigned to the sixth form- lower and upper- with two or three girls to one, and they could furnish it as they liked- within reason. Of course, despite the name, there was rarely any studying done- the pocket-sized rooms were a primetime location for tea parties, and gossip sessions, and any other personal times the occupant may wish to have.
It was usually used to gorge sweets and other goodies sent from home without having to share it with the rest of the dorm or common room.
Sanya was probably going to spend her time in the study writing in her diary- which she was doing regularly- or planning how to smuggle Edmund into the study so she could put it to proper use.
"By teatime, I believe. But my focus is on your health certificates." Her expression turned severe. "You all best have remembered to carry it- Jessie, May, and especially you, Mina! I don't wish to know how many cars your parents have, and how fast they can drive up to the school- I want you to hand it to me on your own."
"Oh, alright!" Mina rolled her eyes- Matron had grown more annoying, easily.
She should have stayed in Sintra with her grandparents. They doted on her, and would never subject her to schooling- a virtue her parents did not possess.
"I'll bring it down to you when I head down for tea."
"Very good." She eyed her for another moment- all the rich girls were very troublesome, indeed. "Have a fun gab session, then, girls, I'll see you three next with the health certificates."
"Yes, Matron." Mina, Jessie, and May chirped in unison, and Matron departed with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Wow, Sanya." Jessie said, and the other girl lifted her head to look at her, wondering what about her was 'wow'. "Matron did not notice you at all."
May giggled, "She even said three instead of four."
"I'm invisible." Sanya shrugged- she didn't mind it. It was practically a superpower, and it was definitely better than being the centre of everyone's attention, focus, or criticism. All three, usually. "Only way anyone would notice me is if I had a crown on my head."
Even then, being noticed was far from guaranteed.
Jessie snorted, "Well, no one's ever giving you a crown."
Sanya opened her mouth to reply.
Then, thinking better of it, she opted to close her eyes and pretend that this bed was anything like her bed in Azraq.
Pretence helped.
--
Edmund's mouth felt drier than a desert, as he signed his name at the bottom of the letter.
He stared at the page, trying to read what he had written- he had taken the entirety of the past week to write it- and he swallowed.
Anxiety was such an awful, awful feeling.
But he should have known it was coming. There was nothing else as nerve-wracking as writing your application letter to Cambridge University, applying to study law. Applying for the Law Tripos, to be specific- that was what the undergraduate law degree was known as.
Oh, he should've written that into the letter- that he actually knew things, that he had researched and- oh, he had written it.
He must have been thinking of one of the earlier drafts- there were eighteen, at last count, and the floor around his bed in the dorm was surrounded by papers.
"Aren't you done yet?" Sanya asked from where she was lying on his bed, giving him a look. "I didn't risk expulsion to see you write letters."
When she had walked into the room, two of his dorm-mates- whom she had never spoken to- had been leaving. They'd whispered a 'good luck' to her, before shutting the door behind them.
And then she had heard the sound of running.
He didn't even look up- how could he look up!? This had to be perfect- alright, perfection didn't exist, but it had to live up to expectations!
"Do you care about being expelled?"
"No."
"Does Maude have enough money to bribe the school into keeping you?"
"...yes."
"Then it's not a risk." He snorted to himself, before saying, "Besides, you used to watch me write letters in Narnia all the time."
He winced quickly, and finally did look up, turning around to see where she was lying down, combing through the most recent draft for spelling and grammatical errors. He hadn't asked her to do it, but she seemed to enjoy it.
"Sorry. Starting over, I know- sorry, I forgot."
"It's alright." She herself slipped up a lot. It was difficult to not mention old memories- she liked the feeling of nostalgia more than she had thought she would. "But, you know, I had a life and many duties there, so watching you write letters was much like what I assume watching television is like."
And she had had Jem with her. While her husband worked on notices, or letters, or other paperwork- she would play or conspire or giggle with her son.
Their son. She meant their son, of course. Jem was theirs. She was not making that mistake again.
"I don't understand why you're writing it in the middle of June, anyway. You'll be in school the rest of this year- and university for you will start from next September, right?"
"The first of October, for Cambridge, actually. But there's early admission into the Law Tripos course-"
It was like his brother had had for his medical course- but was it still early admission if Peter had spent almost two years trying to get in?
"And I want to join from the winter term, which starts in January."
She blinked, "But we'll be in school in January."
He blinked back, "T-term ends for us in December, Moonshine. For the graduating students this year."
"What?"
"Did- did no one tell you?"
"No." Sanya said, quite dumbfounded.
How had she not known? Then again, how could she have known!? No one had even mentioned- well, the teachers might have, but it wasn't like she paid attention to them.
Ignoring the fact that this lack of knowledge may have been her own fault, she shrieked, "No one tells me anything! Why didn't you-"
"I thought you knew! You kept muttering 'last year'-"
"Yes, last school year, not-"
Wait, why was she upset? This was something to be elated by. Term would end in December- in six months. Only six months of waking up at six and of studies and exams! Then freedom!
"Oh, whatever. I'm just glad to be going back to the house- specifically, my bedroom early."
She didn't call the Rainsford house home, Edmund noticed, slightly disappointed. He really had hoped- England would never be Rihaaya, or even Narnia, but it could be some makeshift home to her, regardless.
"If I do get into Cambridge-" if I leave, "are you going to be alright?"
She didn't want to think about that. How could she handle it if he left yet again? Not well. Definitely not well.
She didn't want to answer the question.
But he had asked it, and she knew well how fast time could fly- and she needed to be prepared. She couldn't chase after him and settle in Cambridge- no one did that much to stay close to people who were just friends.
"You'll visit every week, right?"
"If not more."
"And I'll visit you, too." She would learn the train schedule, and she would start mentally preparing from right that moment to talk to the ticket-people. Whatever they were called. "I'll- I'll manage."
It would be easier to survive than him being away to spy on giants, at least.
"Enduring." He said softly, and she smiled a little, even though part of her wanted to cry.
They'd have to say goodbye again.
"I have to ask, though- are you really not going to go to university?"
She shook her head. That was one decision she had not questioned from the moment that she had made it.
"If I can be High Queen without having to do university courses, I can certainly get by in this world without the same."
"You had palaces and enormous treasuries back there-"
"Ed, going to university won't ensure that I will find a job and make money. Your mother went to university, and- while being a housewife is arguably the toughest job-" perhaps being High Queen could compete with it, but she wasn't going to get into that, because she had at least had advisors and courtiers and too many servants to count, "she's not making any money, is she?"
"That's because she had us- she could've worked-"
"Would she have made enough money to support a family- or even herself?"
Here, Edmund faltered. It was sickening to admit, but- no, she wouldn't have. No one paid women as much as they paid men- and that was only if anyone actually deigned to given women a proper job, which was rare.
"No." He spoke, grimacing. "No, I don't think so."
"See?" Sanya rose from the bed, and walked to the chair Edmund sat on.
She leaned against the chair, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, gazing up at her.
And she could pretend, just for this millisecond, that they were King and Queen, consorts and spouses and parents, and that they were contentedly chatting in their royal bedchambers, their children sleeping a few feet away. She could pretend that they were home.
But milliseconds ended too quick.
"I'm not fond of hard work, or of studies, so I'm quite content with sponging off the Rainsford family fortune for the rest of my life."
Edmund could never do that- not even if it was his own family fortune. He preferred to work hard, to earn all the privileges and riches he possessed. He remembered how he had been tempted by the treasure during his last time in Narnia, mere months ago- he had wanted it for his family, to ease their lives- and how he had learnt, once and for all, to never get tempted again.
But he wouldn't judge, and neither would he force his preference onto his wi- his friend.
And after the past thousand years of Sanya's life, he didn't blame her for wanting ease and comfort.
"Will the Rainsford family fortune last your whole life, though? I don't wish to be that cynical-"
"No, no, I'm exactly that cynical, so I asked Maude about it. She said that, unless I end up buying ten or twenty islands, the money should stretch far enough to let ou- um, my great-grandchildren lead comfortable lives, even."
"Goodness."
That was rich. To last three more generations- and he knew that comfortable for rich folk meant something different than it meant to people of the middle-class. Comfortable to them meant living in mansions, and having access to every luxury known to man.
He had known the Rainsfords were rich- but that rich?
But he was glad. Sanya deserved to be comfortable.
"Yeah." She had gaped at Maude for thirty seconds after she had been told this. It had been extreme even for someone who had been a Queen. "It's crazy, I know. There is so much money. Apparently, the only reason that Maude has not bought back all the estates the family had had to sell off years ago is because Rainsfords have a humble and frugal streak."
That was what Maude had said, at least. Sanya suspected there was another reason- that her husband and child were dead, and how was she to share so many homes with a strange, foreign child?
"Humble and frugal compared to other rich folk in this world, I think, because she buys a new set of diamond earrings every few months." Then she gave Edmund a rather guilty look. "I have a hankering to steal them and put them on sometimes."
From having trunks full of the most precious and valuable necklaces and earrings and tiaras and bangles, all of which she never wore- to wanting to steal someone else's jewellery. Oh, how she disliked herself.
"You should, if you want to." He shrugged. It wasn't truly stealing, even if that was how Sanya had put it. She didn't even like jewellery, for one. Why steal something you dislike? "They're going to be yours someday, anyway. She might even be buying them for bequeathing it to future generations."
"Hm." She hadn't considered that. "Maybe I will. I think she gets necklaces, too."
She rarely, rarely wore jewellery- apart from her star earrings- but those earrings actually were very pretty. And necklaces looked nice on her collarbone- Ed had been the one to tell that one day, before he'd unhooked the necklace she had worn to some Ball or the other, and then kissed her there.
And then he'd kissed her everywhere else.
"Perhaps you can come over and take photographs of me wearing them-"
Edmund's eyes twinkled, "That's a bright idea-"
But why wouldn't she ask Lucy to? They were close friends, for one- and his sister was better at photography, and she had more knowledge of jewellery.
"Wearing only them." Sanya ended- she was blushing, but still managed to look quite pointedly at Edmund.
She was entirely willing to strip down and let him take photographs of her then and there, too. She would do it even if he didn't take photographs.
"What do you think?"
To be very honest, if she was going to wear only a necklace and nothing else, she would have preferred wearing her crescent moon necklace.
But that was still with Edmund, and she felt odd asking for it back- perhaps he felt odd about giving it back, too.
It was fine, she supposed. If not with her, it was right that it was with Edmund.
He stared at her for a solid few moments, before groaning and dropping his head on the desk.
"Don't do this to me, Moonshine-" agony, agony, the sweetest agony, as he imagined a necklace snuggled just above the scar on her collarbone, and all her soft skin and ample curves on display, the Moon on a cloudless night, "I have to finish the application letter, but now all I'll think of is pictures of you naked-"
She grinned, and combed her fingers through his soft waves of hair.
"You can see me naked in real life, if you're willing to take a little break."
He lifted his head up slowly, his eyes darkening as he looked at her bright eyes and nervous grin, and the curved edges of her chapped lips- and her knee-socks...
He knew he was a goner- he was already wondering where his tie was, so he could put it around the doorknob- but, still, he made one last protest, "Moonshine..."
Such determination- but such distractions.
"Cambridge is six months away, Edmund." Sanya said, her brows raised. She let her fingers move from his hair to the stars on his cheeks, and he licked his lips. "I am right here."
Well, since she put it that way.
--
Clarke was whistling, quite oblivious to most of his surroundings as he made his way back to his dorm. It was exceptionally sunny outside- he liked sunny weather, and England so rarely had it.
He had plans to go out for a walk before tea- he just had to fetch his hat. None of his dorm-mates could tease him about the wide-brimmed hat, as they usually did, because he was quite sure the dorm was empty-
"Ah!" He screamed, walking into his dorm room and seeing that it was definitely not empty. "What are- ah!"
He screamed again, his hands flying to cover his eyes from the sight of the two naked people on one of the beds.
"There was a tie on the door!" Edmund yelled, sitting up and grabbing the blanket to cover Sanya and himself as much as possible. "You know that means to not come in!"
Sanya was mortified, of course- obviously, she was, because she was utterly naked except for her knee-socks, which Edmund had asked her to keep on- but she couldn't really find herself to get as agitated as Edmund was. She was in far too euphoric a mood.
Besides, after people walking in on them having sex so many times, it was hard to be very bothered about it. One got used to it.
Instead, she spoke in a wondering tone, "Do you lot have sex so much that you have a system-"
"No, it's not for sex, it's for-"
Clarke hissed, his hands still on his face, "Don't go spilling our secrets!"
She rolled her eyes, because she'd understood the 'secret' instantly.
"Clarkey, do you think women don't know about- about- what's the English term, Ed?"
"Wanking." He supplied casually, before falling back in bed.
His mind was rather at ease, despite the embarrassment of being walked in on- as long as Sanya was so near and close to him, he knew he wouldn't worry much about the application letter he still had to finish.
He loved her. He loved her so much.
"Mate, you can stop covering your eyes now. Our bits are covered."
Sanya stifled a giggle. Bits. There were such funny words in the British colloquial. And Edmund had an almost preternatural ability to always, always make her laugh.
Something about being in love, perhaps.
Hesitantly, though still quite scared about being mentally scarred, Clarke lowered his hands and looked to his dorm-mate's bed again.
They were still clearly naked- he refused to let his eyes drop below Sanya's nose, and Edmund's jaw- but the blanket covered them from collar to feet, so he could be assured that he wouldn't have to see unholy things again.
He didn't think he'd ever lose the image of the unholy things he had already seen out of his head, though.
"Why?" He asked flatly. "Literally, why? Why- how did you even- what- I- this isn't- aren't you two not together-"
"We're not." They assured him at the same time, and both wished they could say that they were together.
But being together brought pain, and- and they wanted to never hurt each other again.
They were friends. That kept their hearts safe.
"We're just having sex."
"Oh, Jesus-"
Sanya blinked at him, "Clarke, you're Jewish."
"Exactly! You've driven me to the point of bursting into exclamations about someone else's God!"
"Oh, calm down, mate." Edmund said, hoping to soothe his frenzy- but he was quite unable to fight a little grin. Sanya had kept her knee-socks on during sex- he would never stop smiling. "You didn't even see anything that-" hm, what was the word?, "drastic."
"Good thing you didn't come in five minutes ago." Sanya added, smiling mischievously. "You'd have run out screaming. We were-"
Before she could reveal something actually scarring, Edmund- pink-cheeked- burst out warningly, "Sanya!"
She went red- oh, her mind truly was addled. Why had she been about to say that!?
"S-sorry."
Clarke gave her a look, "I'm never giving you comic books again."
"Mean."
"Unsympathetic."
"Selfish-"
"Alright, alright, children, enough." Edmund sat up again, the blanket falling down a little and revealing some of his smooth chest- just above of where he had his scar. "Clarke, er- let us put on some clothes?"
Sanya snorted to herself, because she quite doubted whether they'd even be able to find their clothes. They had torn and tossed and thrown it every which way and with such fervour, she wouldn't be surprised if some of them had fallen out the window.
Her- friend went on, "Then the room's yours-"
"No, I don't need the room right now, I just came to get my hat." He said, striding over to his bed and kneeling down to pull his suitcase out from under it. "Going for a walk-"
"Oh, I'll come with you, if that's alright, Clarkey." The 'Indian' said, hoisting herself up to rest on her elbow. "I have some more points to make on Woman In Red and Wonder Woman-"
Besides, she had to walk about a little, or her legs would be like jelly until January.
Edmund leaned closer to her suddenly, and whispered into her ear, "Are you going to tell him about the costume?"
Sanya blushed, her body reacting instinctively to his breath against her skin- but she managed to whisper back, "Yes, but seeing it is just for you."
Everything was just for him.
"I'm truly honoured." He smiled and kissed her cheek. Then his eyes widened suddenly, some flash of remembrance sparking up. "Oh, speaking of costumes- remember when you were the narrator for the Christmas play?"
"Unfortunately."
And why was he bringing that up? He hadn't even reacted upon seeing her in it.
"Well-" Edmund's smile became a smirk, and he bent down to kiss the little scar on her collarbone, "you looked very, very attractive in the suit."
"Really?"
"Really, truly." He had wanted to unbutton it off her the moment he had seen her wearing it- or, even better, he wanted her to strip herself of the suit, as he did nothing but gaze. "You were so handsome in that- and so sexy."
She laughed softly, a little stunned, "Thanks, beautiful." And then she pecked his lips, a quick gesture of adoration. "I'll keep that in mind."
Clarke missed this little exchange, as he had been preoccupied with finding his hat- he soon found it, and he straightened up and nodded at Sanya.
"Yes, of course, it's alright. You're probably the only person I know who won't complain about the heat-"
Sanya snorted again, "This is hardly heat. This would be spring weather, in Ri- in Calcutta."
However did the Britishers who stayed in India survive the weather? If the British people she knew ever went there, they would melt on the spot.
She wished she and Edmund could go to India someday, though. He had enjoyed the warmth in Rihaaya- he would enjoy it in India, too, if they went sometime in the spring or in autumn.
Or monsoon, her favourite season. She wondered if India, too, had five seasons like Rihaaya had.
Clarke didn't know what to reply to that, so he said, "It'll be great fun to have you come with me, Sanya, but you have to wash your hands before- you know where they were- rather, around what they were-"
"Clarke." His dorm-mate's tone was warning and weary at once- and he was blushing yet again. Such complexity. "Get out."
He did, muttering to Sanya that he would wait in the entrance hall for her.
After Sanya and Edmund were more clothed than naked- the former was pulling on her skirt, her shirt still unbuttoned, and the latter simply could not find his shirt- she turned around to him and said, "I think it's safer to have sex in the forest than in our dorms."
"You're right." Edmund nodded- ah, there his shirt was- how did it get on top of the wardrobe? "See you at our spot after tea?"
"It's a date." Sanya smiled.
But the smile faded almost instantly, as she realised what she had said.
Why!? Why did she not think before speaking? She did not want to chase Edmund away- she didn't want him to leave again-
"I- I mean- I didn't mean-"
Edmund couldn't explain it, exactly- especially considering how staunchly he had been stating that they were friends- but he was happy to hear her say that. Far too happy, and happy in a way that no friend would be to hear that.
"No, it's alright, Moonshine." He spoke reassuringly, and took her hand. She looked at him, her lips parted and her brown eyes bright. "It is a date."
Sanya smiled again, and clasped his hand tightly. The starbursts of love that she had felt after telling him that she loved him for the first time- she felt it, again.
She felt it whenever she was with him, if she was being truthful- but it felt different, in moments like this. Moments where they really were in their own bubble, as she stared into his dark, star-twinkling eyes, like they knew nothing but each other.
It felt greater, and her heart swelled.
They were starting over, yes. They were just friends, yes.
But they could grow to be more.
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-✧･: °*✧*°:･✧-
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(I had to)
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(Look at their faces. The school could have flown away or been dumped underwater, and I don't think they would have noticed.)
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(and a meme, to end the trio-quartet)
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I've just realised that there are two callbacks/references to Titanic in this book- the paint-me-only-in-jewels dialogue here and the hand slapping against the car window in Ch32- and I don't think I like it.
Back at school! Publishing this the day after my own college restarted- ugh. We should all just band together and burn all the educational institutions down. I think this common cause might unite Sanya, Mina, and the dorm-mates quite well. Battle makes for strange bedfellows, after all.
YES, MEGHAN IS BACK AND SHE IS TALL NOW!!! Not quite the pine tree that Jem was, but yet another one of Sanya's adopted, light-eyed kids has turned out willowy.
Ngl, the whole Mina calling Meghan 'Petal' was very cute and their bickering was, too, but then I remembered that Mina is seventeen and Meghan is fourteen, so. I do know a few couples from school that had that age gap- but, yeah, just no. Not right now, at least. Maybe twenty years down the line, they can embark in a passionate, 'Carol'-like affair.
What am I even saying.
Oh, I'm just imagining Edmund's face, had he been around the day that Jem outgrew him- Jem is 6'3, and Edmund is 5'11, by my headcanons.
He missed almost everything in their children's lives...
YES, EDMUND IS APPLYING TO CAMBRIDGE, and apparently on his own, because damn, boy has the drive and the determination and the smarts to go about it.
Sanya wishes he went about it a little less and went inside her a bit more, but she supports him.
Friends supporting friends!
And she didn't break down at the thought of living in different cities!
You know what I call that? Growth.
And she helps him maintain that work-fun balance. All work and no play makes Eddie a dull boy- but thankfully Sanya is around to help him enjoy.
Poor Clarke. He just wanted his nice sun-hat. Issokay, maybe Superman will be kind enough to burn away the memory of whatever they were up to (what WERE they up to? and what had they been doing five minutes ago that was 'worse'? Hm...) with his heat vision.
Edmanya aren't even flustered by anyone walking in during intimate moments anymore, they've become used to it. They don't actually ever kiss in front of others (save for that one time in front of the bullies in Ch8), but apparently lying in bed and being very obviously naked in front of others is just fine.
Will friends finally turn to lovers? Well- 🤷♀️
Sanya's actually not a fan of Mina smoking, but she still gives her a lighter as a stupendously early birthday gift. Go figure.
And Mina just constantly being Sanya's personal guard and defender? I stan.
Finally, someone has adopted Sanya instead of the other way around (extroverts do often adopt introverts).
6.4K words chapter. So TINY. Little baby of a chapter.
Next chapter is not this short, though. And it definitely doesn't have filler vibes. Do nOt miss the next chapter!
And, as always- I humbly and unashamedly ask you to vote on the chapters, and perhaps comment, too :)