Ch. 15 - The Decisions He Makes

                                    

                                          
So, that lie about me tripping absolutely had not worked, evidently. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, really. Still, while Farlan had been exceedingly concerned about my injury and the fact that it was so deep and long, and was on my damned neck of all places, he was easily distracted, and that was something I could have anticipated. 
Oh, yes, he was far more interested in counting the wad of money that I'd been given, and so I let him do it, at least to get him out of my hair. I couldn't have two men fussing incessantly over me, of course. 
Levi, on the other hand... He was far more upset. As if knowing this and wanting nothing to do with it, Isabel went off to help Farlan and to check on the bird and I was so close to pursuing her and calling her out on it, but Levi had dragged me into his bedroom to actually clean and dress my wound.
So, you know. At least it was properly cleaned, at any rate.
As far as other developments from the past few days, well...
Teaching Isabel to use the gear was quite the daunting task. It spanned across several days, and I'd have wondered if it was because of my teaching style if not for the fact that Farlan and Levi had a crack at it too. She was just so full of energy, it was hard to rein her in to teach her the specifics of flight, the intricacies of using the gear.
Day by day, the bird got better, gathering strength.
Day by day, the cut on my neck got better.
Day by day, Isabel got better with the gear.
Day by day, I got a little more used to sharing a bed with Levi.
It was strange, yes, but also warm and comforting. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much better I felt after my confession from the other day. Or... our confession, I should say.
Goodness, if I had been expecting anything at all, I certainly hadn't expected him to come right out and say it back, to return my feelings. I had expected him to have some kind of feelings towards me, based solely on how he treated me. That's how relationships worked on a foundational level. And besides, how couldn't I figure such a thing? I got special treatment, it was obvious. I just had no way of knowing just how far it went, because he was so very good at keeping his emotions in check and in hiding what he was truly feeling.
It was a damn good thing that I was learning to read him, wasn't it?
Like everything else, it got better day by day, and as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, we all grew closer. We went to work each day, made some money, and had lots of fun doing it, actually. The four of us worked as a well-oiled yet incredibly dynamic machine, one where we supported each other always, and honestly... It was wonderful.
It was hard not to grow to love Isabel, just as it was hard not to love Farlan, just as it was hard not to give Levi a hard time about how much he truly loved us, too.
...Not that he would ever admit something like that. But we all knew, so he didn't have to say it. We knew because he treated us as equals, he trusted us, and he cared for us in that weird way that only he could.
In short, everything was great.
But of course, it wasn't to last.
—
Year 844:
"Amaya," Isabel called cheerfully. "Look, look!"
I peeked over my shoulder to see Isabel shoot out a wire up high and propel herself upwards, only to release it and start to free-fall. I knew she knew better than to let herself go completely, and so even when her eyes closed, there was a wide smile on her face and she was very aware of her surroundings. I turned over myself, starting to fly backwards to watch nearly with bated breath as she accelerated towards the dirt below.