When time came back into itself, it took you a moment to realize you'd just woken up and therefore had been asleep. You frowned at your own grogginess. You slowly blinked your eyes open and ran a hand down your face. When you saw past the haze of sleep, you saw Farah hovering over you, on her side, watching you sleep. Her hair was trailing down her shoulders and pooled on the bed. A few tangled with your fingers.
A blush spread along your cheeks and you half-turned your face into the mattress. Fingers combed through your hair, forcing one eye to peek open. She grinned excitedly, whispering, "Got you."
"Watching my sleep," you mumbled in embarrassing complaint. "You looked so peaceful. Far more peaceful than you usually do."
You understood that sentiment. Farah's mind had been reeling since the Burned One's return, though you still weren't sure what you'd been fighting. "Are you going to explain what's bothering you?" you retorted easily.
"You didn't read my mind once curious?" Farah asked back.
That made you frown. While you often lost control with your other power, it was rude to read someone's private thoughts without permission. You were never bad or rude on purpose.
The Headmistress sensed her misstep and reached for you, parting your hair again. "I'm sorry. You're not some selfish kid." She smiled comfortingly. "It's nothing. It should be solved soon." She moved from the bed and parted the curtains. "It's a beautiful day. And it suits. The Queen of Light is visiting." She opened the window just a smidge. Access to the outside world restored, so was your connection to their thoughts and feelings.
Your fingertips touched your forehead and you sat up, your face scrunched in pain. It was easy to tune out the waves adolescence when you forgot about them, and only Farah was capable of that. Farah called your name in concern. You waved a hand at her to ease that. You only opened your eyes again when she took the reassuring hand. "There's new gossip everyone's researching, contemplating, and telephone gaming. " You put your other hand on hers. "Do you have coffee?"
Farah smiled.
*
"So, why is Aisha your new assistant?" you asked for the millionth time.
"I told you. Callum had a family emergency and Aisha volunteered." Farah set the tea set on her desk, the water heating itself, Farah's eyes glowing and beautiful ethereal white. You stood on the other side of her office, looking over titled you would likely never read. "Oh, I'll bet she did," you grumbled to yourself. You were indignant over the obvious teacher's pet moving in so close to your girl. Your chin was suddenly taken and Farah took you. She pressed her lips hard against yours. This kiss was all passion and it appeared as if she were trying to steal the very breath from your lungs. s if she couldn't do that with a mere smile... She was consuming you and you could only hold onto her, having no protests.
When she pulled back, you could only blink up at her blearily. "Wh-what was that for?" you stammered out around a warm tummy.
Farah just smiled easily. "My girl," she quoted your thoughts.
You flushed embarrassedly. You tried to turn away as you had this morning.
Farah caught your face again, making you face her. "I must say... that surge of jealousy is very sexy."
Your pink cheeks went tomato red, and your eyes were dark with wide pupils as you gazed up at her. You looked down at her lips, wondering if you could muster the courage to kiss her with her new assistant, who had no respect for privacy, just outside. You reached your hands up to hold Farah's face. Rocking up onto your toes, you halted so close your breath accidentally teased Farah's face. But your eyes shifted a red-purple color and you looked to the door. A bundle of anxiety capable of rivaling your own had just entered Farah's office. You fell to the balls of your feet, listening to the teasing gossip.
You got lost in another room's interaction until a hand on your chin drew you back. Your eyes returned to their usual color when you looked up at the smiling Head.
She tilted and ducked her head to finish what you started. She pressed her lips to your again and again, heating your face and your stomach. Your breaths were soon coming out in pants and you grabbed at the taller woman. You eventually took her shoulders and held her back. "I have class," you exhaled breathlessly.
Farah shook her head, moving back in. "Not until later. Assembly."
A sudden knock at the door startled the crap out of the both of you. Terrified of putting anyone you cared about in any kind of danger, you leapt back and your eyes glowed and the room misted. Farah's eyes lit up in response, quickly calming you enough for the mist to fade, and keeping her office door shut. You were still scared, she noticed, like a bunny under attack. You looked up at her with glowing eyes and she smiled, before hers went away. Aisha walked in, but paid you literally 0 mind. She nearly walked into you and you stepped out of the way, face flat, terror gone. You were concentrating on the assistant, your eyes still alight.
Farah mused on what could have happened.
Aisha smiled widely as she handed the previous evening's reports over. "I stayed late to read them last night so I wouldn't have to today. I know you want those for your office's filing."
The Headmistress appreciated the work ethic but cringed at the thought of her reading something unfiltered, meant for adult and experienced eyes. "I commend the work ethic, but I wouldn't recommend you do that again. You're right, though, you shouldn't have to read files that don't concern you or your filing. Nightly reports will come directly to my office."
You weren't proud of the joy in your chest.
The girl sensed her misstep and nodded, feet coming together respectfully. She joined her hands and smiled again. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Headmistress Dowling?"
"Yes. Tell me, have you seen Y/N?" She barely resisted the urge to sweep her finger around, as if to imply you were in the room.
"Not since last night. Should I text her the Headmistress wants to see her?"
Farah shook her head. "No. That'll be all. You should get to the assembly. Take Bloom, she needs the company."
You could feel Aisha's confusion as to how Farah knew Bloom's status had gotten out, but she shrugged it off, raising the pedestal the Headmistress was already on. Now, she knew everything on top of being amazing and powerful, both in the fairy sense and the subtle. She didn't know you'd filled the woman in this morning, over breakfast
The water fairy left.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Headmistress Dowling?" you mocked once the door was all the way shut and she was headed out the next one. You imitated her perfectly, from the breathy need in her tone to her London-like accent.
Farah faced you with shock. "You've been holding out on me."
You shrugged with a mild shudder. "I was already in her head. And I've seen X-Men."
Farah laughed. She kissed you one more time and you stayed close, your forearms on her waist, hands clasped behind her. She held your face with a constant smile, slowly driving you mad with it and only it. Her phone then buzzed. You both looked at it. She picked up her cell and unlocked it, not bothering to hide her passcode. You blushed. It was a text from Saul. 'She's arrived.' At the top of the page were two names, Ben and Saul. It was a group chat.
"Any time you text one, the other gets it?" you asked curiously.
Farah nodded. "Always."
You smiled up at her, happy she had family like those two.
*
The assembly was incredibly dull and you pulled out the cellphone dear Farah had given you. You had hers and her family's numbers in there, and a few kids at Alfea, but mostly, you found a computerized solitaire to play. You'd done it with real cards your entire life.
Apparently, five Burned Ones were a big deal because everyone was gasping while you... were bored. Once the assembly was dismissed, the students were permitted to spend the rest of the day as they pleased. You wanted to go out past the Barrier again, but had promised Farah you wouldn't. You wandered the grounds until you found the greenhouse and something occured to you. You stepped into the room and wandered the aisles. The flowers were all pretty, and you almost missed the topiaries, but you always had something new to distract you. Fiona would be entranced by all the foreign plants in here, vines with buds and bumps, but no hairs or flowers. A cluster of blue drew your attention and the smell wafted over you. You smiled at the multi-petaled flowers, drawn in by how much it was and how they all overlapped each other. Tapped to the bottom of the stand they were on was several packets of seeds. You took one, pocketing it curiously. You taped it back to the bottom and tried to move on.
But Ben blocked your way. He startled you, simply by being there, but he wasn't imposing or threatening in any way. "Hydrangeas," he noted.
You huffed a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, not a lot of plants catch my eye, but they did."
He looked down at you curiously. "Did you know blue hydrangeas represent regret and apology?" He stepped closer.
Okay, a little imposing. You matched his step back. "No, I didn't."
He smiled faintly. "Sorry. I've been in a dark headspace. Needed some time away, but I guess it follow you."
You nodded understandingly. "Yeah, uh, emotions are hard. Trust me, I know." You wanted to leave, but something occurred to you. "Is this the same thing that's shaken Farah?" you asked.
Ben didn't answer, but his dark stare told you all you needed. Plus, his brain screamed 'yea'. He was super freaked and projecting like he didn't know.
You needed out of there. You couldn't let his dark headspace take you in. Perhaps that made you selfish. You considered it a survivor move. You already had enough darkness in you.
Now, isn't this ironic. As Aisha said she would, if Farah wished, she texted you that you were wanted in the Headmistress' office. She sure liked to throw around her weight now that she had a half-way worthwhile title. But she wasn't saying it came from Farah, or that it was even Farah who was summoning her. That worried you a little, but you showed up all the same. She should have still been in there from her meeting with the queen.
Low and behold, she was. But so was the Queen. Luna smiled gently at the young woman. "And this is the woman who saved your life?" she asked, practically ordering an introduction.
So, you introduced yourself. You were urged to sit with a kind smile.
"I understand you originate from the First World. Where are your parents?" She smiled broadly.
"My foster parents lived in Tennessee last I heard, but I ran away five years ago."
"And you're how old?"
"21, ma'am."
The woman laughed modestly. "Oh, call me Luna, dear. Now, how did you know how to defeat that monster? Even dear Farah didn't and she's older and wiser."
You frowned at that. "The monster, the Hollow, it was from my world. I have yet to find any reference to my life from the past 5 years in your history or understanding of the First World. It's a great deal more dangerous than it looks," you hinted pleasantly, inclining you head toward her.
She smiled more genuinely, making you feel more comfortable. Perhaps you were making a good impression. "I understand you and Farah have, as the kids call it, caught feelings. It's not some sort hero complex, you think?"
You laughed hysterically. As if you were a true savior to the Headmistress. "Oh, no, ma'- Luna. While you may not have record, Miss Dowling wasn't a target. And they're relatively easy to kill, especially with a fairy's skill set. If you're a target, your in direct danger. If you're just in the way... a fairy can take it. A specialist too, I'm sure."
"They're invisible?"
"To most. Perhaps not the Queen of Light. Light's very visible so your power might, I dunno- they're not here. You don't have their targets as a part of your population as Earth does. Except me, but they can't cross portals anyway."
The Queen nodded, looking greatly relieved. She didn't need another massive, fast, and strong, and invisible on top of the Burned One threat. Next, witches would be coming back. Luna knocked her fingernail into the wood of her seat. "And your feelings for Farah, they aren't simply because she's your teacher, I hope."
You were having trouble following the interrogation, likely an interrogation tactic. "No, Farah's... a lot more than a teacher."
"Yes, she's Headmistress. A perfect way to graduate on top and have a future set up for you."
Your face fell flat. "She's kind, and patient, and helpful. And that all makes her a wonderful teacher, but it also makes her an amazing woman. She cares so much, about everyone and everything. She does everything she can to make the world safer for everyone else. Who wouldn't love that? Who wouldn't want to bask in it, want to help, want to see behind 'She's strong.'?"
Luna smiled. She stood and faced the teary Headmistress. You worried you'd just cost her her job, made everything worse by feeling so much. "Congratulations, Farah," she bade.
Farah gasped and turned to you. You stared back in confusion, though happy for whatever made her so elated. Your head spun with it. Then you were really spinning, when she scooped you up into her arms, carrying you on a ride with gravity. You laughed with her cheers and was suddenly dropped. You locked your legs around her, possibly a cruel idea for if she couldn't hold you, she couldn't hold you. But it was instinct. You just did it. At perfect eye level with the woman, she kissed you.
A/N: Unlike Freyja, we played nice lol. We got the Queen's permission!!! I was loathe to use Y/N.