Belfire nudged Mia's shoulders, sending her off towards the corridors and then he was in front of Phoenix, holding his hand out to help her up.
"There's sand in your hair," he whispered.
"Both of you come up here after you wash up."
She looked back up at him, watching him turn and head back in through those open balcony doors, and then she pushed Belfire away. "Whose fault is that?" she tutted.
"Probably mine," he nodded, and she laughed again, but before she knew it, she was kicking off her boots and stepping up onto that carpet.
He wasn't in his chair, he was out on that balcony, those Implants flickering so lightly, almost like starlight as he turned to look at her, leaning back against that stone bannister, his arms folded across his chest, his head tilting to the side. She wasn't sure what to say to him, she wasn't sure what he wanted or what he was thinking, but then she heard that hiss and two thuds of boots landing on tiles.
"You were loud," Master Gabriel said.
"Maybe a little," Belfire said, pouring himself a glass of something red from a pitcher and smiling.
"Maya gave you the extra bands?" Master Gabriel asked.
"I didn't really give her a choice."
"Hmm," the Master hummed, those Implants flickering a little quicker as he watched Belfire drink. "Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ball and tossing it to Belfire. "That should work better."
Belfire almost dropped it, his eyes going big and wide, that smile on his lips growing bigger. "It's nice!" he said, throwing it up in the air a few times. "Want to play a round?"
Phoenix watched those Implants flicker so quickly, his face going so tight and his eyes so thin.
"No," he said. "And you're both too old to be playing as well."
"I don't know about that," Belfire said, taking a seat out on one of the sofas on the balcony and kicking his feet up onto a chair.
Master Gabriel looked like he wanted to say something, those Implants flickering so quickly, his lips a thin, tight line, but then he only sighed, calling her over with a quick shake of his head. She didn't know what to do when he brushed some of her hair back from her shoulder, her eyes flicking to Belfire, her heart beating a little quicker.
"Bolt is-," Master Gabriel started, but then he shook his head, looking over at Belfire and sighing. "Thank you."
Belfire's eyes went wide for a moment, his eyebrows rising, and then he looked away, nodding and staring out over the bannister. "He's a good kid," he said.
"He's from my father's house," Master Gabriel nodded. "He's had a hard time settling," he said, his voice even quieter, and Phoenix looked up at him then, almost asking him what that meant and what Bolt was to him.
"He's just a teenager," Belfire shook his head. "Just give him some time."
"Mia won that game for you, you know that, right?" Master Gabriel asked. "If it had just been between you two, Phe would've-,"
"Hmm, that's why she was on the floor all the time," Belfire cut in, his hands behind his head, a soft smile on his lips.
"You're the reason I was on the floor, Belfire," she said.
"Was I?" he asked. "But you must've seen me coming if you're so much better than me, Phe."
"You kept-," she started, but then she heard that laugh, soft and quiet, those Implants flickering like starlight as he shook his head, rubbing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, and then he sat down beside Belfire, resting his head on the back of the sofa and closing his eyes.
"You want us to go?" Belfire asked, his voice so soft and quiet, but Master Gabriel shook his head, the corners of his lips twitching like he was fighting back a smile.
She woke the next morning to sunlight, bright and soft and warm, the air so fresh she almost thought she was somewhere else.
"You awake, Phe?"
She sat up then, her neck a little stiff as she watched Belfire sleeping, his head resting against the back of that sofa, his face so soft and easy, those bands in his dreads glowing in the morning light. The Master hummed, leaning up against the balcony door in only his white trousers, his arms folded across his chest as he watched them.
"Let him sleep," he said. "Come and get something to eat."
So slowly she climbed out from under that blanket, wrapping it back up around him, her breath catching in her chest as she watched him smile in his sleep. Her mouth went so dry then, her forehead lining in a crease as she left him, walking past the Master, but he grabbed her hand, keeping her there and nodding his head towards Belfire. He looked like he wanted to say something, his face going a little tight, his eyes a little colder, but then he only sighed, letting her go and brushing her hair behind her shoulder.
"You know, don't you?" she whispered.
"Of course, I know, Phe, I know everything about the both of you."
"Why-?" she started, but then she shook her head.
"I'm not angry," he said. "You can't control how you feel, but you can control how you act, you understand that, right? You're not free," he said, his voice so soft and quiet. "You can't-,"
"I get it," she cut in. "I know, I get it, you don't have to-,"
He shook his head, those Implants flickering a little quicker. "I just want things to be clear," he said. "Things would've been different if you weren't Favourites, but you are, both of you. There are rules."
"I get it."
"I-," he started, but then he shook his head, sighing and reaching for her. He was so warm, his breath hot on her skin as he sighed again and he held her for a long while, for so long her heart stopped racing and she could close her eyes.
"I don't like-," she started, her voice only a whisper, but then she shook her head. "It's difficult being altogether. I don't-, I don't like feeling like-,"
"Things just need time to settle," he cut in. "Just be strong for now, be patient. I don't want anyone to get hurt either," he nodded, pulling away and brushing her hair away from her face. "That includes Cassie, she's been good to me and good to you."
"Why-?" she shook her head. "She said you only had her for years, why do you want three Favourites now?" she asked, and he shook his head, looking away, his forehead lining in a crease.
"I don't have to answer that, we're not-,"
"I just want to know."
He looked at her, that crease growing deeper, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. "I can't help how I feel either, Phoenix," he said, his voice a little tight and strained, but there was a burning in the pit of her stomach then, a sudden, light burning, her heart beating a little quicker.
He sighed again, his eyes flicking away, those Implants flickering a little quicker, and then she heard the sounds of slaves downstairs in the canteen and he disappeared back into the room.
"Couldn't you-," she started, but then she was shaking her head, walking in behind him and watching those Implants flicker. "Couldn't you take it away?" she asked, and he stared at her, resting his knee up against his desk, his head tilting to the side.
"Why would I do that?"
"You could though, couldn't you?"
"I can do a lot of things, but what would be the point in that?" he said, turning back around, his fingers flashing across that red light. "You're stronger together, you understand that, right…? They're not going to stop coming for him," he said, turning to stare at her from the corner of his eyes. "And looking out for you gives him a reason to keep fighting."