Page 82 of To Fight and To Fold

"N-no!" Thea sputtered, and shivered as if threatened. "No," she repeated more calmly. "The drawings are from some of the kids here. We all have our duties, but I lend a hand where I'm needed. Sometimes that's at the school."

"Oh." Aaryn's heart stuttered for a beat at the image of Thea surrounded by small kids drawing dragons, and she cleared her throat, changed direction. "Are you going to add my dagger to your collection?"

Thea sensed the challenge and smirked. "Yeah, why not," she said, and crossed the room to unthread the fabric from the dagger and balance it gently on the wall in an empty space, sheath and all.

Aaryn rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, waiting. "What, is that a wall of weapons you've taken from all the other women you've lied to and brought back here?"

Thea snorted out a laugh. "I'm flattered you think so highly of my abilities." Her gaze snapped to Aaryn, and it became painfully obvious Aaryn was putting on a front. She felt it like a mask that didn't fit. "You're the first."

"Well—" Now she was at a loss. "I'll get that back, eventually," she muttered, and Thea chuckled.

Aaryn hated that she liked the sound of it.

“Unless I teach you to use something better,” Thea taunted.

Thea opened her wardrobe, which Aaryn noticed was filled with more dark-colored clothes. At least that hadn't changed—a piece of normalcy among all this newness. She pulled out a tunic and a pair of trousers, and gathered sandals from the bottom.

"I'll wait outside while you change. Try not to snoop," Thea said, and handed her the pile.

"No promises," she teased, and then caught herself.

Thea was so at ease here, it was proving difficult not to slip into this… new version of the casual camaraderie they'd had before everything had gone wrong. Before Thea had lied, and left her letters, and snuck into her room, and found her at the ball…

“Before you go,” she began. It was going to take ages to get out of this dress, and she was more eager to get back to Starspark than she was embarrassed to ask for assistance. “Will you get my laces?"

Thea cleared her throat, cheeks slightly coloring before a smirk slid onto her lips. "I'd love to."

Aaryn rolled her eyes and tried to pretend like Thea's attitude wasn't so… frustratingly attractive.

Thea stepped closer and Aaryn felt like she was wading through water, the tension was so palpable.

Aaryn turned away from her, keeping her gaze low. "If you can just unlace the first few rows, I can get the rest."

"Of course," Thea said, voice carefully neutral.

Aaryn felt the tug of the string, heard the hiss of it sliding through the eyelet, and her breath caught.

Cautiously, she glanced up and caught sight of them in the mirror across the room. Thea was focused, brow furrowed, and the facade of her smirk was gone, cheeks just as aflame as Aaryn's.

It struck her so endearingly her chest seized, and this moment was so very different than all the ones she'd imagined.

Aaryn used to daydream of Thea unlacing her from her dresses and finding her way beneath them⁠—

She jerked her thoughts away from such a dangerous direction—she couldn't have such forbidden thoughts with the subject of them in the very same room!

Besides, all of those urges had fled the moment she realized Thea had betrayed her and stolen her dragon.

Yeah. Very convincing.

The laces expanded slowly, bit by bit. Thea cursed. "Why are there so many strings? Why would you wear this? Just—" Thea yanked at each side of the corset, which pulled Aaryn off balance as the strings loosened all the way down.

Aaryn found herself breathless, despite her lungs filling deeply for the first time in hours.

"How's that?" Thea asked.

Was Aaryn projecting or did Thea's voice sound… closer, lower?

Warmth scattered through her, and she nodded and breathed out, "Th-that's good. I'll be able to manage the rest, thanks."