#god their friendship SPIKES in that pre-shb bit

[nadana-vhet]

"you don't have to pretend. not with me, not ever." 👀 but obviously take your time, gotta study for those midterms

HI IT’S BEEN SO LONG BUT I REMEMBERED THIS WAS HERE AND ANSWERED IT! ILY FOR THIS @oreoz-unfortunately!! <3

“You don’t have to pretend. Not with me, not ever.” Alisaie squeezed N’adana’s shoulder.

The two of them sat on the edge of N’adana’s bed, nestled in her room in a back hallway of the Rising Stones. It was quieter than usual, which normally would have been welcome, but it filled them with a sense of dread knowing it was only quiet because their friends lie in an uncurable coma only a few doors away.

N’adana sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She had unfortunately been caught sobbing when Alisaie came to her door, and the elezen refused to believe any of her normal excuses as to why she looked to be such a mess. “You’re not going to think less of me?”

Alisaie shook her head, “Of course not! We’re friends, N’adana. When you’re around me, you’re allowed to pretend you’re not the Warrior of Light sometimes.”

“Truly?” N’adana’s eyes widened, almost disbelieving at the idea. Ever since she had joined the Scions, her entire identity had revolved around being the Warrior. At some points it almost felt like a character she had to play, with the only respite she had being her friendship with Alphinaud. Even then, if he hadn’t opened up to her during their stay at Camp Dragonhead, she wasn’t sure if she would even have had that. But now Alphinaud was gone, too. It was only her and Alisaie now.

“Truly.” Alisaie nodded, grabbing N’adana’s hand and squeezing it in affirmation.

N’adana let out a sigh of relief, “Gods, you don’t know how much that means to me. I’m always so… afraid… that people will stop respecting me if they think I’m just another blabbering kid.”

Alisaie’s eyes widened in surprise, not realizing that the Warrior had felt so insecurely about how people viewed her. She always seemed so confident and carefree.

But now Alisaie supposed that’s how she wanted people to see her.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a time that neither of them could place. After a while, Alisaie sighed and stood up from the edge of the bed. “I suppose it’s late, and we should both get some sleep.”

N’adana bit her lip as Alisaie hesitated in the doorway, blurting out before she could even manage to think, “Do you want to sleep in my room tonight? Truthfully, I just… don’t want to be alone right now.”

Alisaie blinked, her hand tightening around the doorknob as she considered it. “Neither do I.”