CONTROL - Ver. 2

XI

The second day's festivities came to a close with an unpredictable outcome of points. Rin had waited for Sting to arrive and walk her to her inn as he had promised, but he never showed. A pit settled in her stomach. Had she scared him away? Unbeknownst to her, Sting was fuming at the outcome of the last match, just as she had predicted. He couldn't bear to show his face to her due to his outrage over his guild's total loss for that day.

He blamed himself for being so stubborn in the first activity of the day, but it was just one point. It was all Yukino's fault. And he'd abandoned his mate over all of it.

Meanwhile, Rin rendezvoused with Leese, finally making it back to their inn where they could wind down for the evening before regrouping with the guild at the bar. The Exceed could tell something was off with her partner the second she flopped onto their bed with a lack of energy. She had even been extra quiet during their travels home.

"What's wrong, Rin?" The cat pawed her way onto the brunette's back, nuzzling into the body warmth she gave off.

"Nothing," she lied. However, Leese knew her too well to believe an answer like that. She flexed her claws and gently scratched at the girl's back.

"Secrets don't make friends!"

"But friends make secrets," she shot back. Leese scratched her again, this time making her flinch in pain. "Hey, cut that out!"

"Tell me the truth, then." Rin sighed, burying her face into the fluffy pillows provided by the staff. She knew that she had to tell her best friend. After all, she was truly the only one that could really be trusted with this kind of information.

"Well," she proceeded to tell the Exceed about what had gone down between her and the blonde in the corridor and how he flaked on meeting her when he promised to walk her home. Leese listened intently. I mean, this was Rin's mate for life, so she understood how easily the girl was becoming attached to him. It was fate, after all.

"Maybe it had to do with Yukino losing," she offered, though it came out as more of a question. "If it's bothering you so much, why don't you go talk to him?"

"Because I'm the one that asked him for space this week." Which, in hindsight, seemed like a good idea. However, she was now regretting it as she noticed that her attachment to him was stronger than she originally thought. Their bond was growing and the dragon ethernano in her body was drawing her to him. She really couldn't help it.

"Then take it back! I don't understand why you always make everything so complicated." Rin groaned at her Exceed.

"Probably the trauma," she mumbled with sarcasm. "Sorry for wanting to protect myself from getting hurt again."

"Why are you still hurt over Tenroujima? Everyone came back! It's like it never happen―"

"Just because they're back now doesn't mean the last seven years didn't happen, Leese!" The brunette was clearly frustrated by all of the events leading up to this and she was taking it out on her partner even though she didn't mean to. "I had to grow up and mature at such a young age... And I had to figure out this crazy power by myself! They weren't there when I became an adult, o-or when I had my first drink!

"They weren't here to protect the guild and that left it all on me! And then I became a Council dog and things only got worse. Now, I'm under their control for the rest of my life because of what I did―!"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Rin! What happened wasn't your fault and the Council knows that! They're not controlling you; they're protecting you and making sure that that whole mishap remains a secret because it wasn't. Your. Fault."