Fenix and Aura sat inside his room, quietly at first.
Then Aura spoke.
"We don't have a lot of time... so we might not get to finish this conversation,"
Fenix looked up at her, like a puppy knowing it's about to be reprimanded. Her heart ached, and she hesitated for a moment before continuing,
"I wasn't aware... I hadn't considered that you were capable of the things you displayed earlier."
"... What do you mean?" he asked, though his voice had gone noticeably quieter.
Aura met his eyes and answered,
"Murder."
He averted his gaze and slouched in his seat before responding.
"Murder and killing are different... in a war, sometimes killing is necessary."
The reply unsettled her... but she understood.
"... So, you've done it in real life?"
His hands began shaking, so he clasped them together.
"Yes," Fenix replied, simply.
Aura's next question came a few seconds later.
"... How does it feel to kill someone?"
His face scrunched up, and he forced himself to make eye contact.
"I try not to feel anything," he muttered through gritted teeth. Aura hung her head, and Fenix started regretting how harsh he may have seemed. Aura wondered if she was being too insensitive.
After thinking for a while, he said,
"I tend to dissociate... I avoid dwelling on the action itself and continue to remind myself that it's what's required of me."
"I see..." she replied quietly.
"It was only after meeting you... that my regrets resurfaced. You made me aware that the people I'm fighting may have people they love... people who will miss them... it was a painful thing to be aware of, but... I don't enjoy killing, and I won't do it if I have another option," Fenix declared, his voice firm and steadfast.
His passion startled her for a moment. Aura then blushed lightly, with her eyes drifting off to the side.
"I haven't done much," she argued. Fenix moved his chair closer, and she could feel his intense gaze on her cheek.
"All you had to do was exist," he whispered. At that moment, he longed to touch her; resisting was painful. "Do you know why I proposed to you so quickly?"
Aura bit her lip, placing her hands in her lap as she replied,
"Because you're impatient and odd."
Her answer eased the tension, and he chuckled, despite himself.
"... Maledictus aren't allowed to marry... and people registered with powers cannot raise children. I proposed to you because it motivated me to make sure it actually happened. Regardless of the law."
Aura couldn't help but look at him and try to read his expression. The look in his eyes made her chest flutter.
"I didn't need to wait to see if I was in love with you, because every day I spent with you just reinforced the fact. I love you, Aura." After saying this, he covered his mouth with his hand and continued,
"If I want you to love me just as much... I need to be a kind person. Like you."
The silence between them stretched, then Aura took hold of his hand.
"... I was shocked... that you had to do so many awful things. You looked like a battle expert... it hurt knowing that I wasn't aware of all the burdens you had to carry before we ever met."
His lips parted, his eyes widened, and he stared at her, stunned.
She rested her forehead against his,
"I'm glad I'm here, so you won't have to go through those things alone this time," she whispered with a voice sweeter than honey.
Fenix's gaze narrowed, and he leaned in slightly,
"Me too," he replied, as he intertwined their fingers. This small action sent a jolt of excitement through her.
"Can I kiss you?" he added. She quickly spun away, releasing his hand.
"Not yet," she mumbled.
He looked disappointed, but not for long.
"Can we at least go back to holding hands?"
She offered her hand while keeping her eyes on the wall.
Fenix then weaved his fingers through hers and lifted her wrist to his lips. Aura gasped and turned to him, sharply meeting his fiery gaze.
"... I'm really glad you're here," he reaffirmed, looking at her fondly. She swallowed hard and placed her free hand against her chest.
"I was honestly expecting you to reject this side of me... it was also one of the reasons I was initially against having you on this mission," he added in a shaky voice.
Aura's heart pounded with multiple feelings hitting her all at once.
"This was a part of you, before I agreed to marry you... Therefore, it can't make me back down. I already agreed to accept you as you are, no matter what... You are my husband."
Fenix blinked, and his eyes moistened.
"Wow... are you sure I can't kiss you?"
"I need more time." Aura's response came quickly.
"I understand," he said, but his voice cracked, and the disappointment behind it was obvious.
Vision opened up his LoveNote when he got to his room. He was instantly bombarded with a series of messages,
"What do you mean?! Tell her hi?! What about me?!
Do you have nothing to say to me?!
I ate tuna for breakfast.
Why haven't you replied to me yet?
I missed seeing you sitting at my bar top.
Are you still ignoring me, huh?
Asshole!
I need to buy some new shoes, thinking about asking Tinka to craft some for me.
Oh, so even that doesn't interest you.
What are you wearing?"
Vision scowled at the page and muttered,
"How the heck am I supposed to reply to any of this?"
He tapped his pen on the paper a few times before writing,
"I'm wearing a rabbit costume."
Then he placed the pen down, not expecting a reply, but her message started updating instantly,
"What a coincidence, so am I!"
Vision snorted, trying to hold in a laugh.
"That's weird, why are you wearing that?" he wrote back.
She then replied,
"What's weird about it? Couples often wear matching outfits."
Vision lifted his pen to his chin and traced the letters on the page with his fingers.
"Has she been anxiously waiting for a reply this whole time?" he murmured.
A little later, he began writing again,
"How are you? I missed you, too. I'm sorry for being an asshole and not replying sooner."
This time, there was a delay before she replied.
"Really?"
"Of course. When I come back, let's take another trip together."
She wrote back quickly this time,
"Okay. Yeah, that sounds great! I'm looking forward to it! Where should we go? Do you have anything in mind?"
He then shut the LoveNote and took a nap.
Shade's eyes lit up excitedly as Panther led him around the game room.
"I didn't know we had a place like this on the ship," he mumbled in awe.
"Yeah, he doesn't look it, but Pierce is a real game addict," Panther remarked casually.
Shade rushed over to the touchscreen table and asked,
"Can we play games on here?"
She nodded, and he beamed, saying,
"That's so awesome. Only elite S-tier students were allowed to have consoles back at the academy. I hadn't gotten enough honor points to earn one yet," he began scrolling through the game catalog with a wide grin.
Panther sat beside him with an uninterested expression.
"Oh, okay."
Her reply didn't seem to bother him as he suddenly turned away from the table and looked into her eyes.
"There's a karaoke feature, do you want to try it?"
His energy threw her off.
She pouted and closed her eyes, then said,
"Yeah, sure."
Shade excitedly handed her one of the microphones from under the table and started the game up.
Meanwhile, Flow was making a lighthearted complaint.
"I feel so sore after all that running."
Veil tilted his head and gave her a curious look,
"Can't you just use your powers to heal?" he questioned with a raised brow.
"I could, but who knows when it'll be my turn in the arena. I don't want to use my ability to deal with such a small issue; it might hold me back later."
He tapped his chin, pondered over her statement for a moment, then said,
"I can give you a massage."
His offer made her happy, yet skeptical at the same time.
"... Just a massage?" Flow muttered carefully.
"Yeah, a full body massage," Veil replied with a peculiar expression.
It was a look that would usually look innocent, but because it was Veil, it had the opposite effect.
Despite her qualms, Flow lay down and allowed him to get to work.
Veil massaged her legs, gently easing the tension from her sore muscles.
"I was actually surprised earlier by how powerful your ability is," she mumbled.
His hands moved down to her calves as he replied,
"That was nothing," he admitted while gradually rubbing up to her thighs. "Back at the academy, I had to take suppressants to keep my power in check. Now that I've weaned off that crap, I can distort memories, control inanimate objects, and even warp reality to a degree." His hands hovered over her butt. The temptation was strong, but he kneaded her lower back instead.
"You... didn't do any of that during the simulation," Flow muttered in response.
"Exactly... because I didn't have to... and even allies don't need to know everything I can do," he answered while lifting her shirt and trailing light kisses up her spine.
"V-Veil," she stuttered, "You said you were only going to give me a massage."
He licked her, and her back arched involuntarily.
He smirked, then replied sharply,
"I know what I said."
Flow pressed her lips together and stayed quiet as he began stroking her shoulders.
"You're so tense... try to relax," he teased.
She exhaled softly, attempting to do as asked.
Veil then brushed her hair away and nipped the back of her neck.
She inhaled sharply, stiffening up all over again.
"You're such a bully," she accused softly. He lay against her back, hugging her waist, and replied with his lips pressed against her nape,
"You love it," he argued.
She shivered, squeezing her eyes shut, and was unable to deny what he was saying at all.
"... In school... did a lot of people avoid you?"
Flow asked suddenly. Veil paused for a moment, then his fingers began tracing the waistline of her pants,
"Veil?!" she chastened, then she added, quieter, "Are you even listening?"
He unbuckled her belt as he replied,
"Nope."
He sounded disinterested and ground against her back as the layers of his self-control melted away.
"Bu-b-but... with mind control... weren't people... wary of you?"
He unbuttoned her pants, and Flow attempted to roll away, but he held her in place.
"If they were, they wouldn't dare say anything to me about it," he answered calmly while slipping his hand into her underwear.
"You said you would behave!" she reminded him again in a shaky voice. Though she put up little resistance otherwise.
"... I am behaving... promised you a full body massage," he corrected.
"That's!..." she hesitated for a moment before continuing, "really misleading."
He chuckled, then removed his hand as he slid down to sit on another bench.
"I was annoyingly popular in school," he answered, with his eyes on the exit.
"... Ah... I guess my assumptions are way off."
She gazed down at him, still lying in the same spot, when he said,
"Get up."
His sudden demand startled her, so she blinked in surprise.
"We still have an hour left in our break. Let's spend it in my room."
It took her a moment to register what he was implying.
"Let's go," he stated, now making direct eye contact with her.
She slowly sat upright, and at that moment, he began walking out of the room with her trailing after.