Pushed To Its Limit

"Just as I thought you weren't feeling well."

After coming out of the castle, Eureka walked and walked, her mind was somehow blank, she haven't been feeling well for a while now, but she decided to ignore it.

She was feeling this way back when she had just started as a captain. She had pushed her body to its limit causing it to collapse.

She looked up at Raven who was currently holding her arm, if he didn't she would have fallen down on these flight of stairs.

"I didn't think, my body's at its limit," she answered.

"You really... *sighs* Then rest, I'll be the one to stay alert for now."

"Then allow me to rest, hmmm it seems that I've said that before already," Eureka said as she lean on his body, Raven on the other hand placed his hand around her waist to support her better.

"Go on and rest," Raven said before he carried her princess like, he carried her at the right height, high enough for her head to lean on his chest.

The moment he carried her, she let go of all her alertness and fell into a deep sleep, trusting Raven fully.

Raven could only shake his head upon feeling her fall asleep fast, "She knows she had pushed herself to its limit and yet she just wouldn't rest properly."

He noticed her complexion ever since they were in the sauna earlier, he noticed her silence when they went to his father, he noticed how her sword deflected when she stppped him and hia father, the way it deflected shows her strength wasn't used, and he noticed how her breathing was unstable as they had the meeting with Akihiro.

So after coming out, he waited to confirm his thoughts, seeing how she almost fell down the stairs he was already sure that she really wasn't feeling well.

As he carried her to one of the carriages waiting, Akihiro was watching from the window of his office with Kaoru.

"She really isn't feeling well after all. We have to delay our plan for a bit, her body needs some rest," Akihiro have noticed her weakness as well, he's just grateful that Raven was also watching her.

"Do you think that something might bloom from those two?" Kaoru couldn't help but ask.

"I can't say for sure, you can see their closeness at the same time their distance from each other. But saying that they are becoming attached to each other would be an overstatement," Akihiro replied. He had watched the two of them sparring and talking over knight duty matters, he noticed how Raven would sometimes take note of Eureka's well being, he noticed how Eureka would always speak her mind to him, unlike the others, like it's the most natural thing to do. He noticed all of this but is still unsure of what is really going on between the two of them.

*****

Raven debated over his mind whether to bring her to their home or to bring her to where she lives, in the end he had decided to bring her to where she lives knowing that his mother and even Queen Haruka would fuss over her when they found out that she is sick, she might end up not resting at all.

As he entered the house, what he felt was the loneliness the place exudes. After Kaoru had returned to the castle, Eureka decided to let the servants go with him, despite Kaoru and Akihiro's disapproval, she still pushed through with her decision. They couldn't do anything and just let the servants follow Kaoru.

Raven looked down at the face of the girl he's carrying, her face that looks so calm at the same time lonely, "You always wanted to be alone, but you know yourself that you are lonely."

He then went ahead and brought her to the room he remembers as hers. After putting her down and covering her with the blanket, he went down the kitchen and took some water, warming it himself, then rummaged through the kitchen for something to cook for her, after seeing some vegetables he went up and looked for some small towel then went back to her room.

"Now I look like a thief rummaging through your things," he couldn't help but comment as he placed the soaked towel on her forehead.

After doing so, he once again went down to cook for her, <I could have just left her but in the end I'm still doing all this.>

"Eureka wake up. You need to atleast eat in order to regain your strength," after cooking he went and brought it to her room.

Eureka woke up and sat down, she was a bit disoriented but before she opened her eyes she felt that her blindfold was removed, she sat up with her eyes closed.

"You really love pretending don't you? You were blind and yet even in front of me you still pretend," Raven commented noticing this.

"It's better to pretend to everyone than to forget that I was actually pretending to one person or two," Eureka replied accepting the spoon Raven is handing her.

After eating a few spoon fulls, "I don't remember having a cooked meal here, did you do it?"

Raven who was also hungry had cooked for the two of them and is actually eating beside the bed, "A sick person needs to eat, and hungry one also needs one. I just put together the vegetables in your kitchen."

"I'm impressed that you can cook, and it is good," Eureka commented as she continued eating.

There meal was filled with silence but not an awkward one.

"You should go back to sleep, I'll clean this up before going," Raven stood up carrying the plates.

Eureka's eyelids fluttered, almost opening, but then she instead lie down and went back to her slumber.

Raven, on the other hand, cleaned up. He was about to leave but went upstairs instead to check on her.

"You promised.... Ao."

Just as he entered her room he heard her speak on her sleep.

"You really love to pretend, don't you?" he said approaching her. He reached out to the side of her eyes and wiped the tear that is falling.

"Someone who have no emotions wouldn't even cry on their sleep. The reason you don't want to get close to anyone is because you yourself don't wanna get hurt. You slowly revealed your secrets and yet you still have a lot."

He commented, he then felt a tug on the edge of his shirt. Looking down, "Then how am I supposed to leave now?"

He asked as he sat down at the edge of the bed, Eureka on her sleep held onto his shirt.

"Everyone thinks your selfless, but in reality you are selfish. You don't want to get hurt so you ought to hurt others by pushing them away. You chose to pretend in order not to get hurt by how others would react."

He brushed a few strands of her hair off her face.

"But in the end you are fragile after all, we have no idea what you have experienced since childhood. That's why even though you always want to stay away, people still tend to get close and protect you."

Raven could only shake his head, if ever he says this while Eureka is awake, she'd surely rebuke someway or another.

Eureka who was still fast asleep, moved and took a hold of his hand that was resting on the bed. She gripped it like there's no tomorrow. It was a grip of someone who didn't want to lose the only hope she had found.

"Zu..."

"Who are they? What are they to you?" Raven asked as he held her hand back.

Eureka seemed like she'll break if he let her go. He decided to shift his position and to lean on the headboard as he sat beside her.

"Just don't interrogate me tomorrow once you wake up, I don't plan telling you anything when you are so adamnant in hiding."

*****

The next day, upon waking up, Eureka stiffened. She didn't know what had happened after she fell asleep after their meal. That's why she's trying to remember how and why is Raven sleeping beside her.

The uncomfortable position Raven had yesterday caused him to unconsciously lay down instead of just sitting down.

Eureka noticed that they are holding each others hands, thinking deeper, <I must have done something again. Zu had been telling me about that habit of mine back then. I wonder what I had revealed?>

Eureka didn't move, she actually had the best sleep ever since they returned from Archic Kingdom, and that is all thanks to Raven. She had then decided not to disturb his sleep and just stayed silently lying there.

Not long after Raven woke up, <I still ended up lying down.>

He thought as he sat down brushing his hair up.

"You're awake?"

"I am," Eureka replied as she too sat up.

"Sorry, I ended up sleeping here."

"You didn't do anything so it doesn't matter."

Silence filled them again.

"You're not going to ask?" Raven decided to speak first.

"If I ask, will you be answering?"

"No."

"Then there's no point in asking. At the same time I have no desire of knowing what I did."

"I should probably get going now, I overstayed already," Raven then said.

That's when they remembered that they are still holding each others hand.

"It seems that I was dreaming last night, I apologize for this," Eureka said as she raised their hands then releasing his hand.

"It seems that it was a bad one, I'm glad I could help. Well then, see you around," Raven said standing up.

"Raven," she called out.

Raven looked back.

"I'm really grateful, more than the past times I thanked you. This time, I really am truly grateful."