The Dragon's Vessel

It had been two days since Kimi had called in sick to work, at nine this morning she had received a text from Masumi, just a simple sad face. Masumi must have realized Kimi wasn’t coming in to work again today. “I wish I could tell you what’s really going on with me.” Kimi sighed, she was sprawled out on her made bed, staring up at the constellation decor on her ceiling. It was one of the first things she’d done when she set up her new room. “It’d be nice to have someone outside of the Weyr to talk with about this life,” Kimi spoke out loud but she knew that that would never happen, not with how dangerous it was for the Dragons and for the people who found out too.

Kimi got up, deciding to go get some breakfast and see who was her bodyguard for today was. She found most of the house empty but finally managed to bump into Laxus as she entered the kitchen. "Morning, you must be my bodyguard for today." Kimi guessed.

“You’re up late,” Laxus noted the time and watched Kimi shrug.

“I stayed up late organizing some work stuff, don’t want to get too far behind,” Kimi replied, going through the fridge. “I hope I can go to work soon though, I hate being housebound.”

Laxus nodded, frowning at her. “Shouldn’t have to hide away,” he grumbled.

"I can't go to work with a security detail, that'd be too suspicious," Kimi laughed without humor, turning to look at Laxus and take in his physic. "It's been a while since we've spent time alone," Kimi blushed lightly, biting her lip in thought.

"You know why though," Laxus remarked, looking at her from the corner of his eye. He hoped to deter any thoughts that were running through her head and it seemed to do so as he watched her facial expression became miserable.

"I know," Kimi whispered grimacing as she turned to hide her face. "Doesn't hurt any less though," she muttered, turning to look out of the kitchen window and into their new backyard.

“What?” Laxus asked, pretending to have not heard. He was good at that. Avoiding issues, pretending they didn’t exist. It was easier to piss people off and drive them away than deal with emotions. He found it hard to drive Kimi away though, not just because she was his vessel but because she always managed to tolerate his guarded personality.

"Nothing!" Kimi called out, fumbling with the bread to put it in the toaster. "So what are the plans for today?" She asked, clearing her throat. "It's... Thursday so everyone is working or at school." Kimi recalled everyone's schedule.

“Didn’t know bodyguards got a say,” Laxus huffed, rolling his shoulders as he shrugged. “Can’t really go out and do anything, can we?”

"Sounds like a lazy movie day," Kimi responded but she realized he might take her suggestion differently and hesitantly looked toward him, "though we're running low on groceries." Kimi quickly added as she buttered her now toast and turned to Laxus. "Have you eaten yet?" She asked, deciding to change the subject altogether.

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck, not really paying attention as he eyed out the windows. “Got other things to worry about. You, for instance.”

Kimi frowned, "huh, so now you’re physically starving yourself too?" Kimi huffed, making extra toast and leaving it on the chopping board as she took her plate of food and sat at the dining table.

“Stop worrying about me, I don’t need food and as for augmentation,” Laxus tried to keep his frustrations in check. “Can’t let it happen to you again. If I miss a ‘meal’, that’s fine,” Laxus shrugged carelessly.

"One time. It happened one time and you ended us. You didn't even try to see if we could make it work." Kimi argued as she ate her toast.

“The risk to you is too great,” Laxus cut back. “I won’t compromise your life.”

Kimi slumped forward and her head landed on the table with a loud but painless bang. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't a vessel." She exclaimed, keeping her head pressed against the table. "I'm going to end up being the crazy old dragon lady." She huffed moving her head to lay on the side so her face peeked out between her long hair.

“No-one else outside of our species knows about dragons though. So you’ll just be the crazy old lady instead,” Laxus said unhelpfully.

Kimi stood quickly, her face twisted in pain. "Not helpful! No one will want to date me because of my unexplainable relationship to you all and the fact you're all so protective over me. I'm gonna die alone!" Kimi wailed in conclusion, picking up her leftovers and dumping it, she went on to clean up the kitchen even though all she wanted to flee to her room.

“If they really... love you, then the truth won’t push them away,” Laxus grunted.

Kimi froze and her heart seemed to stop as well. So that was it? His way of consenting to Kimi moving on to someone else? If only it were that easy. "Are you," Kimi grimaced at her next question. "Are you seeing someone?" Kimi asked quietly, looking over to Laxus out of the corner of her eye. He was popular with women, appeared on tv for his boxing matches and handsome. He could easily find someone if he hadn’t already.

“What?” Laxus stiffened, turning his head to her. “No. Our lives are crazy right now as it is.”

"But you don't have any feelings for me anymore?" Kimi asked, wanting clarification on where they stood with each other.

“I... don’t know. It’s not that black and white,” Laxus frowned, not wanting to answer her twenty-one questions game.

"How do you not know? You either do or you don't." Kimi scoffed, not understanding him or why she still cared for him. She turned and headed for the lounge, wanting this day to end so she could go back to avoiding Laxus and denying that she was still madly in love with someone who could kiss her into an eternal coma. Once done Kimi moved to her room and closed the door, sliding down it to hug her knees. “I just wish we had tried, tried to find a way to make us work. If we had of tried and we still didn’t work maybe I could let go then.” But with how Laxus was it wasn’t going to be possible.