Macha headed home but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She sensed that someone was following her. She stopped to look around. The street stood still in the darkness and not a sound could be heard. Macha strained her ears to listen for someone else"s breathing but she could only pick up her breath in the night. She hesitated and turned around to continue on. Macha picked up her pace, wanting to reach the more populated streets. It was late at night and many people were at home eating dinner or going to bed. She walked through the area Tyr asked her to develop, so it would be uncommon for someone to be walking around here for now.Macha turned a corner and a strong hand seized her arm, pulling her back. She did not sense the person sneak up on her and her hands reached for her wooden practice daggers. She wished that she had her real daggers, but at least she had something. The person threw Macha"s body off balance with the sudden attack and she tried to regain her footing.
Tyr came back early and longed to see Macha. He had been gone for four months and missed her. To him it was the small things he missed; watching her run her fingers through her hair, the excitement she had while putting music on in the apartment, and the small wrinkle that appeared on her nose when she gave a wide smile were the things he missed most.
When Tyr reached the apartment Macha was not in so he asked Luna where Macha would be at this hour. She told him that Macha practiced at Mia"s center every day. Tyr rushed to Mia"s place, but Macha had already left. One student informed him that Macha went to the construction site to check on the development project. Hearing that, Tyr ran over to the newly obtained area. His heart threatened to explode from containing the excitement of seeing her again.
On the way there, he thought about how Macha should not be staying out so late. The area was deserted, and Tyr still worried about Ivan"s interest in her. As he thought this, he found Macha crossing the street. She was kicking snow on the ground and looking at her feet. A warm sensation enveloped him, despite the cold night air blowing. Tyr had been in Ma.r.s.eille for a few hours now, but upon seeing her he finally came home.
Tyr began to follow her and realized she did not pay attention to her surroundings. He tailed her for four blocks before she glanced over her shoulder. When he saw her turning, Tyr moved into an alley. Macha picked up her pace, and he dashed to catch up with her.
Tyr reached out his hand as Macha turned a corner. She lost her balance, so he pulled her into him. "I missed you," he confessed, placing a kiss on top of her head. Her hair smelled like lavender and she wore the ear cuffs he bought her for Boreas"s Day. Holding her in his arms made him feel alive.
Macha was about to attack when she recognized Tyr"s voice. A soft kiss flitted across the hairs of her head and she looked up. Tyr stood in front of her, still wearing his armor. He looked tired from his travels, but a soft look touched his eyes. "Don"t scare me like that!" she cried giving him a light shove. He had scared her and her nerves were still frazzled.
Tyr messed her hair up and began walking. "You need to pay more attention. I followed you for about five blocks. If I meant to do you harm, you wouldn"t have even known." Although he said it with a grin, he still wanted to warn her. He worried that Macha was too trusting. Ma.r.s.eille could be dangerous for a person walking alone late at night, but Macha did not understand this because she usually walked with him.
Now that Macha"s heartbeat returned to normal she was not sure if he had said that he missed her. She gave him a soft nudge. "So you missed me?" she asked coyly, brushing her arm against his hand. Macha missed Tyr for the past four months. Every day her frustration grew because their relationship lay in limbo. She was left unsure how she should act with him.
"Did you miss me?" he countered. He raised a dark brown eyebrow, and Macha could not read the emotions in his eyes. Although they exchanged gifts on Boreas"s Day, four months ago, Tyr still did not hear Macha voice her feelings for him. Before he left, Macha"s actions proved she cared, but he still wanted to hear those words from her mouth. Tyr did not want to pressure Macha into a confession, but he wanted to know if she missed him while he was away.
Macha looked up at him. His question embarra.s.sed her. In her mind, admitting that she missed Tyr equated to admitting that she liked him. Macha felt like she should not confess to anything when he had been the one who wanted to change their relationship in the first place. "I"ve been really busy. I missed relaxing with you in the evenings." She thought this was a good response. Macha wanted him to say clearly if he missed her before she admitted to anything.
This was an unsatisfying response to Tyr. He expected her to admit that she missed him, not that she missed relaxing with him. "Is that all?" he tried again to put her on the spot. This time he could not hide the tension in his voice. Macha was always honest with her likes and dislikes, so he expected her to admit readily to missing him.
Macha was not sure why Tyr would not confirm if he missed her or not. The sound of his voice threatened to ruin the moment, so she decided to change the subject. "I figured out a new recipe. I wanted to make it for you since you like chocolate. Many weeks went into researching it just for you." Macha brushed her arm gently against Tyr"s hand again. She wanted him to hold her hand.
Tyr"s heart ached when she changed the subject. Feeling small electrical shocks whenever her arm brushed against his skin made him want to hold her again. He knew he could reach out and hold her, but her response disappointed him. "Oh? What is it?" he decided to go along with the change in their conversation. Every once in a while Macha"s arm would brush against his hand and his longing increased.
Macha smiled and playfully replied, "Secret. I"ll make it for you tomorrow night." There was a short pause in their conversation as they walked along the street in silence. Tyr thought about holding Macha"s hand, while Macha wondered about their relationship. Unable to contain her curiosity Macha decided to hint at their relationship status. "Tyr, I know before you left on Boreas"s Day, we... " She touched the ear cuffs nervously. Macha did not know how to phrase the question, so she left her sentence open-ended. "It"s been four months, do you still... uh..." saying the words seemed so difficult.
Tyr"s head snapped in her direction he saw her face full of uncertainty and hesitation. In a clear voice, he divulged, "I still feel the same. Are you having second thoughts?" Tyr did not want to push Macha away, so he easily confirmed his feelings had not changed. He wanted to make sure she still wanted to be his girlfriend, so he had to be transparent about his feelings. His mouth was dry and his heart stopped. A cold shiver ran down his spine and the hairs on his body raised while he waited for her response.
Macha turned to him and took his hand in hers. She exhaled and her lips curved up. "No. I just wanted to make sure." She decided to continue holding his hand as they walked. He had not said what they were, but she understood they were something other than friends. Macha decided that eventually, she would find out.
Tyr"s worries melted away when Macha took his hand. He decided he acted pettily. He should not expect her to like him so soon. Tyr was grateful that she was open to his advances and gave him a chance, unlike his cousin Freyr.
****
Tyr sat in his office reading a letter that Freyr had sent. The palace was holding a masquerade for the annual celebration of Ma.r.s.eille"s independence from Phocée. Freyr wanted to know if Tyr could send some of his guild members to help with security.
Macha entered the room and set their lunches on the edge of his desk. She pushed her chair over to his desk so they could eat together. Today she was staying on the floor that held the offices and apartments, so she wore a short tweed skirt and a low v-neck top. She specifically chose to wear the top to examine Tyr"s reaction. During his first night back, they stayed up late on the couch talking, but he did not make a move to kiss her. Macha decided she wanted to test if Tyr thought of her romantically or not. She was still not a hundred percent sure if he meant to have that type of relationship with her.
Macha smiled at him and rested her elbow on his desk when she sat down. She lightly touched her collarbone trying to observe if he paid any attention to her. "Can we go into town before dinner? I need to pick up some chocolate to make your surprise."
Tyr finished writing his reply to Freyr and put it into an envelope. He looked up and stared at Macha"s hand, which drew attention to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Tyr tore his eyes away and reached over to grab her hand. He asked, "What"s this surprise?" Tyr noticed that since he came back, Macha had been doing small things that made him excited. He was unsure if it was in his mind, or if she did them on purpose.
Macha blushed and looked down at her food. "It wouldn"t be a surprise if I told you." His reaction seemed to indicate a romantic relationship was on his mind. She decided she would give him a little more time. If he took too long, she would take matters into her own hands. Macha remembered that she had another duel later that evening. Lifting her head she informed him, "Tonight before we eat dinner I need to do a duel. Palila wanted to challenge me. We scheduled it yesterday morning."
Tyr looked at Macha and frowned. He did not remember Macha talking with the newer recruit Palila. "She challenged you?" Tyr wanted to find out why they would want to duel.
Macha could see disapproval spread on Tyr"s face. She swallowed her soup and explained, "Palila is still a new recruit and she"s just challenging me because everyone else is. It isn"t anything serious like with Constanza. It"s sort of a trend right now." Macha used her thumb to caress Tyr"s hand. She wanted to sooth the obvious anger that seemed plastered to his face.
Tyr"s brows furrowed and he withdrew his hand. Macha"s movements were making it difficult for him to focus on their conversation. He took a sip of his soup and probed, "Why is it fashionable to challenge you?" He did not like that she seemed to be bullied while he was away. They had only established their relationship for a few hours before he left, so he did not know how the guild found out.
Macha shrugged her shoulders in a carefree way. Him withdrawing his hand annoyed her. "I didn"t understand at first, but I eventually found out that at some point, I mentioned we eat dinner together. I guess it made your fan club jealous, but I don"t mind. I"ve gotten to fight a lot of different people and learned a lot from those fights." Macha viewed these opportunities as a gift. Most of the people challenged her because their friends were. She was able to make a lot of acquaintances through these fights.
Tyr did not view these fights with the same rose-colored gla.s.ses as Macha did. He saw it for what it was. His girlfriend was being bullied in his guild while he had been away. He dipped his bread into his soup and told her, "I"ll watch tonight." Tyr wanted to make his presence felt at the duel. If anyone made a comment about Macha, he would step in.