Diamonds and Platinum

The days and nights that passed without Balthier speaking to her were quiet and lonely ones. At this point she didn't know what she felt. She was afraid to say anything one way or another, worried that she might strike another nerve or cause another fight. Every step was walking on eggshells and some part of her was angry at him for causing this. She laid beside him in silence and fitful sleep, frustrated that he couldn't find a way to calmly explain how he was feeling so they could talk through what was bothering him. Another part of her wanted to ignore her own feelings just to have this go back to the way they were. A couple of times after he came to bed she fought with herself over it, fighting the temptation to just roll over toward him and snuggle into him the way she always had, but she didn't allow herself to do it. It felt like she was sacrificing a piece of herself and her worth to do it and now that they were living in this pack where she had something to fall back on she couldn't find it in her to do that.

Yet another day and evening on her own came and went and she laid in bed, facing the wall with her back to the door. She had forced herself to close her eyes and attempt to go to sleep despite the fact that Balthier had yet to come home, but she struggled. She hovered just on the edge of sleep and when she did finally hear him enter the bungalow her pale ear flicked back toward him to hear him cross the room and climb into bed beside her. Azzurra frowned as he laid beside her, feeling his back press into hers as if it was some kind of silent way to still be with her without actually acknowledging her. A lump formed in her throat as that frustration she had felt for the last couple of days returned to the surface and laying here like this only seemed to make it worse. She blinked open her tired eyes and rolled away from him, getting to her paws without a word and hopping down out of the bed so she could walk out toward the door with a wary sigh.

"Azzurra & Balthier"