It had been several days since your dad was imprisoned inside the Fortress of Meropide. Opposite to the actions of the foregoing, he was quite temperate once he was locked behind bars, inundated by the most heinous to neighborliest residents aiming for parole. Although that was the case for the minority, there were countless individuals who sought solace within the confines of that zone. That numbing, gargantuan-sized calaboose that housed minds of which could not be comprehended by commonfolk. Stepping foot into it prior to the trial that was to be held in a week was chilling to you.
You could still catch whiffs of the smell of that place; how the stains on the walls left marks of a past act of violence that didn't completely fade. A foul legacy that dared to uncover itself if you so much as tried to unravel it. But the farther you looked into the darkness of such places, the less light that envelops you so you didn't dare to open up what wasn't mandatory. The administrative area was as far as you went inside that prison and the friendliest person there was the receptionist. To you, this might've been somewhat of a personal hell. To the guards and Gardemeks patrolling, this was just another run-of-the-mill. A dance with demons.
On one morning, you were particularly well-rested but the fatigue was still there on your face, thinking about how your life was going okay but at the same time not. You just wished your mom was here so she could knock some sense into your dad. That beating someone up in public wasn't akin to picking a fight with a kid over some toy. And of course, the legal ramifications it entailed. The guards didn't give you ample time to discuss with your dad about the why's and how's of his assault on a man of high-class in Fontainian society. In fact, your dad resembled a mimic when he conversed with you, hollow and soulless along with the other lifeless goons that hung around the place. Then, he was just sent back to his cell without further notice. And until his trial had yet to commence, he was to remain inside here for the time being, awaiting judgment to be conveyed.
You needed your mom. You'd contacted her via mail but she wasn't replying back as quickly as you anticipated. She must've been dealing with a most complicated legal issue in Liyue if she didn't reply to you in the blink of an eye. With your saved up Mora from your first paycheck, it was already more than sufficient for a trip to Liyue to contact her face-to-face but the trip to and back would take long and the trial that was to occur in the Opera Epiclese. With the Oratrice Mechanique D'analyse Cardinale broken, the manner of handling matters of the court had changed through the Iudex's supreme guidance. The entertainment aspect of the court for the masses were still active but the shifting of tides with the Oratrice being gone, the verbal clash that once took place there had now been amended, just like the course of time.
You needed your mom. But she wasn't here right now. You needed a lawyer. A damn good one at that to save your dad's ass. Even if he wasn't the best person right now. There were a bunch of them but you just felt like you couldn't trust them for some reason.
As the soft glow of dawn crept through the parted curtains, casting a gentle light upon the room, you stirred from your slumber with thoughts of your dad rushing back into your brain. The warmth of the morning sunlight kissed your face, coaxing you to abandon the comforting embrace of your bed. Before you could fully shake off the remnants of sleep, a distinct knock resonated through the tranquility of your room.
"Y/N?" You could hear Furina on the other side, knocking on the door as gently as she could. She could bash it open since this was her turf but she was too kind to do that. She knew what you were thinking about ever since that night she tried to comfort you through companionship and jokes. It wasn't even 5am yet and she had the voice of an angel first thing in the morning. No signs of exhaustion nor grogginess in her vocalizations. She must've had a proper amount of sleep compared to you.
It jolted you awake, prompting you to rise with energy you had not felt a few seconds prior.
Your bare feet met the cool embrace of the floor and as you reached for the handle, you just felt energized all of a sudden in swinging it wide open and seeing Furina in front of you with a meek smile.
"I hope you don't mind cooking an earlier breakfast than usual? I can help you in the kitchen."
"Furina," you pat her hair. "You don't need to feel sorry for me too much. I can cook food for you by myself just fine. You should sleep more."
She pouted at you. "Who said I'm feeling sorry? I just felt like doing something productive in the morning with you instead of sitting around." She puffed out her chest in pride, her big white shirt did justice on her adorable appearance. Even though there wasn't much going on in the chest department, it still prompted you to look. "Do you really think pitying someone early in the morning is a grand idea for me? Such a glum manner to start off the sunrise!"
For some reason, your hand just shoots out slowly and gently settles itself on her cheek. Were you thankful? Or did you just act based on the intensity of your feelings at this moment? Like it was the right thing to do even if there's no concrete reason you can think of on the spot. Her eyes widened at the action. The boost of confidence that skyrocketed inside you plummeted upon seeing that expression. But once her eyelids relaxed, she even leaned on the palm of your hand as if treating it like a cushion, the gentle smile on her face never leaving and giving a warm feeling. The sequence in her movement propelled your heart to backflip. If you were to faint in this very moment, no doubt Furina would panic and have no idea how to resuscitate you back to life.
Actually, maybe she did know how. You could perhaps pretend to have fun.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked, making you internally blush at her tone of voice. She was surprisingly cordial. You were used to her smacking the back of your head or making irascible comments on your cooking, even though she always eats everything you cook without leaving a single grain in sight.
"I have to. I cook for you, you know?"
"Hm." You blush more at that reply.
"What?"
"Maybe I should talk to you more often."
"Aren't we doing that right now? Talking."
"You seem to smile more whenever we do."
You roll your eyes as you get past her and walk down the stairs with her following behind you in pitter-patters coming from her footsteps. "So... how do I help you?" she asked.
"Keep up." You tease her as she kept asking you over and over what she had to specifically do to help by poking your shoulders repeatedly as you both descend the stairs.
"S-slow down..."
"Be faster and you'll be fine."
"Ugh."
The first ever cooked meal you received was from your dad. That memory was still clear in your head. How he used to smile and how he behaved around you and his wife. There wasn't much of that in the present.
Seeing Furina alongside you being your cooking assistant in the kitchen was funny to witness. She was unsure most of the time, eyeing your movements and deciding if it was appropriate to step in or not.
"Here's the ladle."
"That's a regular spoon, Furina."
"Here's half a cup of water."
"It's more than half... Aren't you a Hydro user?"
"I chopped some Bulle Fruit."
"I think you meant to say mince. Mademoiselle Crabaletta could do a finer job. Why Bulle Fruit?"
"Can't you just cheer me for helping out?"
"In order to do that, you'd have to do a decent job." You harmlessly pinch her cheeks.
"You're annoying."
"Thanks."
Maybe you did like Furina. She was effortlessly likable. There might never be a shot with her but you were going to act the same as always and not hope for anything more. She was giving you a chance to make a living by her side. If you so much as act on your feelings, tell her outright and receive the possibility of being rejected, then it would spawn awkward moments and you wouldn't want that. Besides, she was your boss, not some random girl. She pretty much ruled over Fontaine for five centuries too. No big deal.
Amidst the cooking, you and her did make small talk and enjoyed yourselves. You were starting to like her more and more after that night.
It just so happened that the discussion naturally went to your dad again.
"I'm thinking of getting help from a lawyer." You say as you help Furina cut other Bulle Fruits on the cutting board with a knife by guiding her from behind with your own hands holding hers. You just wanted to feel close to her as much as possible but you kept the distance respectable enough in a way that it seemed like you were just guiding her through the movements.
"From how you talk of your dad, it does seem like he's not the type of person to just start a fight without reason." Furina mentioned, shaking in front of you. "And... why are you so close to me?"
"I couldn't stand seeing you mincing the fruit. It's... a cook thing."
"A cook thing, you say?"
"A live-in cook thing, Furina."
"My bad for not being used to kitchen utensils, Y/n." she huffed and puffed, looking the other way with her cheeks flared up.
You smile as you pat her hair. "If you want, I can teach you basic stuff. You're already well-versed in the art of filming. Why not try out something new?"
She tilted her head to look at you from behind, her rosy cheeks mixed with her timid expression made you internally swoon. "I'm not terrible at cooking. I just don't do it much..."
You raise your palms up, stepping back slightly. "I-I'm not saying you're not great at it. I just thought it'd be a way for us to spend time together too... That is if... you'd uh... like that..."
"Sure... we can do that..." Now her face was hidden from you. "Hanging out is fine..."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah... I'm okay with it."
"Cool..."
"Mhm..."
"Yeah... cool..." you say to yourself, patting yourself on the back for grabbing this opportunity by chance to spend more time with Furina.
Why did her voice become quieter though? Maybe her levels of arrogance fluctuated depending on the time intervals of the day. Usually, she'd be more creative with her words. You could've sworn there was tension but you didn't want to get ahead of yourself. You were just a live-in cook. And while you were just that, it didn't mean you were dense as a rock. You picked up on something but you didn't really get your hopes up. So you just dismissed it.
"Want me to lend a hand in your dad's case?"
"Oh... Um..." Was it polite to say it's alright or there's no need?
"I'm not sure how trials go now but I can definitely recommend you someone. You can praise me another time if all goes well with my referral."
"You don't have to, Furina..."
"I want my live-in cook to smile more often in my house. I will not take no as an answer. The sooner this is resolved, I assure you'll breathe easier."
Okay, maybe you did like her a lot now.
You could only hug her from behind in the kitchen.
Respectfully.
The ambient warmth wraps around her. Your silhouettes move gracefully amid pots and pans, and you just appreciated in that moment how both of your shadows meshed well in silence.
"Thank you then, Furina." You were lesser. You were no one important, after all. But if it was just a recommendation, it wouldn't hurt trying it out. Beats trying to find someone else for the whole morning and going through a lengthy process.
"T-thank me more another time or I'll cut your pay," she said. "Get off now. Who told you to slack off in stirring the pot? Back to work now. Chop chop."
"Aye-aye, ma'am."
As always. Still a brat. A good-hearted brat. A really cute and good-hearted brat.
You could've sworn, her fingertips held your forearms a little bit before letting go quickly in your hug. Just a little.