*After breakfast*
Ryon's POV.
"Hey Ducan! Here's your schedule!" I grinned widely as I waved it in front of his face.
I did it. I actually remembered promising to hand him a copy yesterday.
He snatched it away from my hand, the corner of his mouth twitching in displeasure. It was as though he was contemplating on whether he should confront me about something.
I was confused to the moon and back. What is he displeased about? I just handed him a copy of the schedule like I had promised.
"Ducan?" I asked him.
He smiled at me suddenly. A smile too sweet for a person who is unhappy about something.
"Who was I paired up with?" he asked, the smile still plastered on his face.
"Fortis," I beamed confidently.
I had taken a good look at the schedule before handing it to him. It was a good thing too, for he happened to be testing my memory.
"Ah." he said in an unamused tone. "And who did you say I was paired up with yesterday?"
"Fortis?" I asked.
His eyes were burning holes into me at this moment.
"You told me it was Falice yesterday," he stated rawly.
"No, I said Fortis. But you're paired up with Falice now. You switched with Zander, remember?" I reminded him in satisfaction.
It is not everyday that I get to remind someone about something.
"Ryon," he drawled out my name in a threatening manner.
What's wrong with this guy? His memory skills must have deteriorated. Was it because he was speaking with me too much?
"Yes?" I smiled nervously.
"I'm going to ask you nicely to switch the pairings back," Ducan asked.
"I can't do that," I said, which earned a frown from him. "It was an internal swap, remember?"
He groaned in frustration. "It was your fault that I even went to Zander for a swap. Now is your chance to put things right again."
Right? Is there anything wrong in the first place? It's just a cleaning duty.
"Sorry Ducan. I am positive that I said Fortis. How could I even get something like that wrong? And I've already informed Gladion about the switch so you can approach him if you really want a swap."
With that, I turned my back to him and hurried away. Poor Ducan. I can totally understand the feeling of thinking that you're right when your memory is all confused and wrong. I've been there before.
******************************
*After lunch*
Ducan's POV.
"Fortis," I started with uncertainty.
"Oh hi Ducan!" she chirped.
Seemed like she's in a good mood. That's a decent start. Maybe lady luck is smiling on me.
"I want to talk to you about the swap," I started.
"If you want to explain why you initiated the swap, you don't have to. I know why you did that. No hard feelings," Fortis replied with a knowing smile.
"You do?" I was surprised.
Did she perhaps guessed it by herself?
"Yup. Good luck with Falice," she winked.
Wait. What?
Upon realisation, my heart dropped like a stone. So the reason why she suddenly warmed up to me again was because she thought I had given up on her. And here I was, thinking that luck is on my side.
Should I still clarify it with her? But she has finally warmed up to me again...What if she decided to avoid me again when she found out that I hadn't? Would I have a better chance getting closer to her as a friend?
"Ducan?" Fortis tilted her head in question.
I gave her a wide smile. I'll do it if it means that she won't avoid me again. I can't stand it when she avoids me.
"Are you jealous?" I smirked.
"Why would I be?" She answered with a smile.
The honesty in her voice is like a slap in the face.
Looks like I am back to ground zero.
"Because I'm the epitome of perfection," I wagged my brows at her.
"I can't believe you," she shook her head with a soft smile.
God. I love her smiles.
"Tsked. You should know how to recognise perfection when you see one," I said in a reprimanding tone.
"But nothing is perfect," she challenged.
"Then I'm the perfect imperfection," I finished smoothly.
She glanced at me from head to toe and shook her head vigorously. "Doesn't seem like it."
"Did you just check me out?" I teased and her face turned into the slightest shade of pink.
So cute.
"Nah," she wrinkled her nose in mock disgust.
"Haven't your teacher taught you not to judge a book by it's cover?"
"You're definitely not a book. The basic requirements of a book are knowledge and wisdom," she said with a grin before walking away.
It took me awhile to get what she meant. When I stared at her retreating figure, I spotted the victory sign that she held high in the air.
Damn girl. I couldn't stop the grin that stretched across my face painfully.
I don't need this small victory. I just need to win her heart.
******************************
*At midnight*
Fortis' POV.
"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life. For me. And I'm feeling good...." I sang.
"It's not dawn, it's the end of a day and unless you intend to wake everyone up, shut up."
"Must you be a wet blanket?" my mood plunged the instant I heard his comments.
I didn't even sing that loud.
"Shh..." he lifted a finger to his lip and closed his eyes.
"What?"
"Did you hear that?" he opened his eyes.
"Hear what?" I asked in surprise.
"Your friends croaking along with you."
I glared at him. Did he just compare my singing to a frog croaking? Then, a brilliant comeback came to my head and my glare dissolved into a smile.
"I could hear it very well, my friend." I planted a hand on his shoulder as I tried to maintain a straight face.
Zander eyed my hand like a disgusting bug and shrugged it off. "Who's your friend?"
I gasped. "How could you? I thought we're long past that stage."
"You thought wrong," he deadpanned.
"Is this because I refused to share the stars with you?"
"Maybe."
"What a grudge-bearer," I grumbled.
"Why? Regretting your decisions now?" he threw at me with a raised brow.
"Nah. I won't be sharing stars with you. Ever."
"Likewise," he stated.
Silence stretched before us as he dropped down to the grass without a word.
I looked to the door then back at him, considering my options. I had came out to the battle courtyard to watch the stars and I didn't expect him to be out here this late. Should I just head back inside? But I can't sleep and I wouldn't know what to do even if I went back in.
I glanced up at the sky. The stars are beautiful too...But the lone thought was watching the stars with him nearby is pretty intimidating...
I moved three steps backwards as discreetly as I could and sat down on the grass quietly. His back is less intimidating than his face.
From the corner of my eyes, I watched as his head turned slightly. I smiled, fully aware that I was still out of his range of vision.
I was pretty sure that I was successful at deluding him that I had left. However, it was too early for me to make such a conjecture.
In less than ten seconds, he turned around completely and we locked gaze.
"What are you doing there?" he asked in surprise.
I pointed up to the sky, unable to form a single word.
"I thought you don't like sharing stars," he used my words against me.
"We're not sharing," I told him. "I'm watching these stars over here and you're watching those over there."
"And there's a chance that one might overlap, no?" Zander reasoned.
"In that case," I turned one hundred eighty degree so that I'm back-facing him. "Your worry is settled."
"Don't turn around then," he challenged.
"You too," I grinned, but not for him to see.
"Very well," he answered.
I glanced up at the midnight blue sky.
The stars are really bright and beautiful here. Each of them shed their own light, acting as a beacon and compass for any lost traveller. It's not a nice feeling to be lost. In my mind, I wondered if the stars could possibly lose their way in the darkness too. Maybe they could not see their own light. What would happen if they are lost then? But I guess they could always rely on one another for direction and comfort. At this point, I suddenly thought about my mother.
She loves stars too. How wonderful would it be if she were to be here with me, gazing up at the same stars in the sky? A single tear slid down my cheek as I registered how much I have missed her. Could we be under the same sky? I raised the back of my hand to wiped away the tear and made a silent promise to the stars. I'll find a way to get home, no matter how hard it is.
Is it really home? A voice in my head questioned. Of course. I thought angrily. What would it be if it's not home?
Coming to think of it, I have only seen Zander's grandfather. What about his parents? Could he be an orphan?
I suddenly had this huge urge to turn behind and look at Zander. Should I risk it? He wouldn't know, right?
I twisted my head to the side slightly but my courage faltered, causing me to whip my head back to the front. What if he caught me turning around? But he accepted the challenge too, didn't he? If he caught me, it would only mean that he turned around too.
With this reassurance, I decided to take the risk.
I turned around and was greatly surprise to see him seated facing me. His eyes widened for a moment as our gaze locked.
Say something Fortis, my brain yelled at me and I did.
"You lost," I muttered, shattering the silence between us.
After a few seconds, he pursed his lips and stood up, a blank expression taking over his face.
"I'm going in," he said before ambling towards the door.
I nodded, although he had already bypassed me to see that.
Suddenly, he stopped midway and turned around. "There's training tomorrow, don't stay up too late."
"Okay," I answered and he left.
What was that?