Hello Again
It was hard to believe that it had only been a week when it felt like a lifetime since Imogen had laid eyes on Laudna's beauty.
She'd defaulted to running and hugging Laudna the moment she saw her, desperate to feel her sluggish heartbeat against her chest, and for the time being, she felt calmer. But then Laudna's new friend, Prism, had told them about Bor'Dor, and the betrayal and pain in Laudna's eyes became obvious as the other woman seemed to make a conscious effort to avoid meeting Imogen's eyes.
Then FRIDA had made the decision to replay THAT line, and Imogen's heart had lept into her throat. She'd instantly felt her face heat up, and had tried everything she could to hide it from the group. She knew FRIDA had just been trying to help, and she appreciated it, but did they have to choose THAT line in THAT context?
And then they'd had to say goodbye to their new friends, and the whole time Deanna was chatting away in Imogen's head about how beautiful Laudna was and how Imogen had amazing taste, but no matter how much Deanna tried to get her to admit her feelings, Imogen refused. Laudna had been through too much, she didn't deserve this.
So, finally, Deanna gave Imogen a goodbye hug and hissed in her ear that if she hadn't said anything by the next time they met, she'd get a very painful lecture from her, and Imogen had laughed and nodded along, trying desperately to hide the fear on her face at the mere idea of confessing.
And then, finally, FRIDA, Deanna, and Prism had walked away down the road and vanished into the sparse crowds of civilians, and Bell's Hells was left alone together.
And then the rest of the group disappeared upstairs into the room Deanna had rented.
And then Imogen and Laudna were alone.
The sun was beginning to crest in the sky, meaning the soldiers and civilians both were vanishing into taverns and homes for lunch, so within a matter of minutes, the two of them were left alone in the street, neither willing to leave, nor willing to speak due to the strangely charged air between them.
Imogen could feel Laudna's discomfort, and it struck her for a moment that she could be the cause, which triggered a spike of anxiety. Instead of worrying, she forced herself to take a deep breath, desperately trying to avoid Laudna's gaze, which she could feel locked onto her like a hawk.
"So..."
And finally, like a dropped wine glass, the silence was shattered by Laudna's singsong voice, which was tinged with a hint of discomfort at the deadlock the two found themselves trapped in.
"So," Imogen forced out.
Laudna seemed to be struggling for a response, and for some reason, was also suddenly struggling with making eye contact with Imogen, a stark contrast from a moment ago.
"So... FRIDA seemed nice," she finally responded. "And Deanna was... intriguing. She was fawning over you quite a lot."
Imogen ducked her head, watching her foot as it slowly dug a small hole in the dirt. "Yeah, they were nice," she responded. "Deanna helped me out in the Savalirwood a bit. And FRIDA was pretty nice, they helped fix my pencil when I dropped it."
Laudna's expression shifted to something resembling when she'd returned from the dead. "You still have that?"
Imogen pretended to glance at the red moon in the distance, moving her hair to hide the faint blush she could feel spreading across her features. "Yeah," she mumbled. "Guess I do."
"...oh."
Imogen risked a glance back at Laudna, an unreadable look in her eyes as she stared at Imogen, almost like a look of wonder.
"Oh?" Imogen asked in confusion. "What's 'oh'?"
"Nothing! Just... I'm glad it means so much to you," Laudna replied. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest and began to fidget with a small spark of magic, which Imogen recognized as a nervous tic.
"You all right?" she asked. "You seem uncomfortable."
"I'm fine!" Laudna squeaked. "Just... been a long few days, I guess."
Imogen reached out to comfort her. "About that Bor'Dor fellow, I remember. I hope--"
Imogen's train of thought froze when Laudna flinched away from her touch, a powerful wave of anxiety washing over Imogen in response.
"Laud?" she asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"
"I'm..."
Laudna once again lost the ability to make eye contact, carefully observing the dirt formations in the road around them.
"I'm fine," she managed. "Just thinking."
"Anything in particular?"
"Just some stuff Ashton was telling me about our first night. Nothing important."
Imogen leaned forward, carefully observing Laudna's face. "Looks like there's more to it."
Laudna chuckled. "Yeah, it's a whole thing," she explained. "It just tied into some stuff with Bor'Dor, I suppose. Hard not to think about it"
"Wanna talk about it?"
Laudna smiled a little, although it looked unnatural, and not in a typical Laudna way. "I'd rather not," she said. "It's nothing. Just some silly comments he made. You know Ashton."
Imogen searched Laudna's expression for any sign she should be more worried, but found none. "Okay," she relented. "But only if you're certain."
"I am."
"Okay."
The two fell back into a tense silence, as Laudna stepped back to lean against the exterior of the Soot & Swill, staring at the red moon in the distance. After a moment's hesitation, Imogen joined her.
At first, they sat two feet apart, neither willing to make any attempt to move closer, but after a few minutes, Imogen jumped a little at the familiar feeling of Laudna's cool skin in the palm of her hand.
"Laud?" she asked. "You sure you're alright?"
Laudna squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about me," she insisted. "Not now, not ever. Just be here, with me. Please."
"Laud, I always worry about you. You know that."
"Just... not now, okay? Please, just be here with me."
Imogen hesitated, then nodded, shifting sideways and leaning her head on Laudna's shoulder.
"I missed you too," she murmured.
She wasn't certain if she'd spoken loud enough for Laudna to hear, but for the moment, she considered the possibility that maybe it didn't matter.
"I love you, Laud," she whispered.
"I love you too, 'Gen," Laudna replied.
And maybe Laudna didn't understand that Imogen meant a whole lot more than it sounded. Or maybe she did, and she felt the same. For the moment, she pushed the worry out of her mind. She was content to simply be present.
With Laudna.
Her Laudna.