It's A Deal Then //Private with Chogiwae//Closed

Venali hadn't gotten much sleep after his nightmare, but it wasn't very visible on the Fae's face, only the brightness in his eyes was strangely dull as he finally woke up to face the day. The images of that night flashed around in his eyes as he got dressed, and they didn't stop until he had grabbed food for both him and Raine as well as spoons. Even though he wanted nothing to do with seeing her today, he had said that he would go over the basics of using a spoon with her over breakfast.

It was strange for one of his nightmares to follow him this much. He almost never was able to avoid thinking about his parents, but being stuck on a twisted nightmare was even worse than just suffering through constant thoughts of how weak he had been. How he hadn't been able to help them at all. It was almost a magical feeling as he tried to replay the nightmare in his mind and found it fully gone from his memory.

"I'm back," He called simply as he descended the steps down to the cells, balancing the two bowls in his hands until he reached her door. All he hoped was that this would go by quickly and she was going to be nice today, or at least tolerable. Dealing with snappy comments sounded like too much today.

At this point, Serena had the sound of Venali's footsteps memorized. She had started doing that in case she needed to prepare herself for a Fae that was surely her enemy, and so she wasn't startled when she recognized the heavy footsteps descending down the stairs and getting closer to her humble little cell.

"I'm back."

Serena snorted. He hadn't needed to announce himself like that. She already knew he was here, at the same time as always, though lacking a greeting she always wanted to punch him for. Serena lifted her head up, the knife held in her hands gently, and then blinked.

He looked like he was dragged on his face by a raging bull. His eyes were distant, his skin lost its usual glow, his hair was messy as if he hadn't bothered brushing it, and his appearance was untidy. Of course, he still was as handsome as ever. Serena knew she was paying much too close attention, otherwise, she wouldn't have noticed those details. But Venali was always well kept, and definitely did not look like he missed a night's sleep. But perhaps it was something else that was a cause of his barely-visible distress because she didn't think Venali ever missed a chance to rile her up.

"You look like shit," Serena didn't pause, didn't bat an eyelash as she spoke. Her voice was dull. "Like you were dragged through a field on your dumb princely face by a bull, and then stomped on for good measure."

"And you look like the next up and coming model," He shot back, a bored look on his face, "Not a bad comparison, but before you decide to take pity on me and actually show sympathy, I'm not very keen on sharing the reason behind why I feel like this. Also, no using that knife on me."

Even for being in a bad mood, he still stepped into her cell, taking his seat at the very edge of her bed again and holding out her bowl. The faster he could teach her this and get out of her hair the better. Arguing with her or trading snappy remarks wasn't going to help his mood. He would still be patient enough to teach her as long as she kept her comments to a minimum, that much he knew.

Serena snorted. "As if I care why you look like shit. You're not that important to me, buddy."

Model. Even though she didn't know what that meant, she could still feel the insult. Not that she cared, though. Their whole relationship was built on insults and jabs—if you even called it a relationship. And Serena didn't want the Fae to know she lacked in the education department as well (that, Serena could admit would be humiliating for her to admit), so she pretended she knew what a model was.

She took the bowl of soup from him, and since she could only spare one hand, it was hard to take it without spilling it. Once it was on her lap, she relaxed slightly. She worried her right arm wouldn't heal in time. She did have a checkup, and the doctors claimed it wasn't anything serious, but she still worried. Without the use of her dominant hand, she wouldn't be able to do anything in the trials.

Shaking her head, Serena grabbed the spoon and glared at it, hoping it would melt and spare her the trouble.

"Right. Show me how you eat with a spoon."

"As if I care why you look like shit. You're not that important to me, buddy."

Her words didn't phase him, or at least he didn't look like they had phased them. More accurately he looked like he brushed the comment aside. Her wording made him have to hide a flash of interest though. She could've said he wasn't important to her at all, but yet she hadn't, and for a minute he thought maybe their relationship was more towards acquaintance. But then he remembered their bond and internally his mood dropped slightly again. Raine probably didn't care for him at all. She cared about keeping him alive so she and her brother could live. Other than that she most likely hated him.

Venali watched as she finally took the bowl, noting how hard she had to concentrate not to spill the bowl because of using only one arm. Some deep twang of pity for her shot through him and reluctantly he decided to send someone down that could hopefully help fix her arm. When she took the spoon he finally snapped back into reality though, blinking a few times to focus again.

"First, show me how you would normally eat with a spoon," He said, nodding at the metal utensil and drumming his fingers against the side of his bowl while he watched.

The Fae was quiet for long enough to rouse Serena's suspicion. She peered up at him, watching him blink out of whatever he was thinking before addressing her, and then she scowled. Of course, he'd do that. He must have known she was simply jesting when she claimed she knew how to use a spoon. She hadn't thought he would still bother with it, but she was wrong.

With a sigh, she slowly followed the instructions he gave with the fork. She curled her middle finger, ring finger, and pinky inwards, the spoon held in place by her thumb and index finger. Holding was easy. Eating from it was not, though Serena still remained confident. If she messed up and was embarrassed, he'd have a laugh. So she dipped the spoon in the soup, feeling his heated eyes on her, and slowly leaned forward to press it against her lips. It didn't really occur to her that maybe she should've brought the spoon closer, but it still worked, though awkwardly.

She licked her lips, then turned her attention to Venali, who was still looking at her. She quirked an eyebrow.

He watched her quietly, tapping his spoon against the side of his bowl. "Good, but next time, bring the spoon up to your mouth, don't lean that far forward." On his face, the only thing that showed was amusement at her technique, even as he demonstrated with his own bowl of soup and spoon.

At least she knew how to hold a spoon this time, so he wouldn't get growled at for helping her like last night. Venali wouldn't complain if he had to help her again though; she was learning anyway. Until she needed it though, he would stick to the edge of the bed and focus on his own bowl of food, trying to banish the sour feeling that lingered around him from his nightmare.

Serena scowled at Venali, mostly at the way he was making fun of her technique. He certainly was enjoying feeling superior, wasn't he? Though she wouldn't admit it, she did feel a bit glad watching the amusement cover his features. The tension from his body had washed away a bit, and that was when Serena instantly banished those thoughts. The bond between them was clouding her mind and her better judgment.

Rule number seven, she reminded herself. Never, ever, trust a Fae.

"I wasn't aware even the Fae had nightmares," Serena started out of the blue, trying her hand at eating from the spoon again. She didn't think he had a nightmare, but the way he was behaving (and he seemed a bit tired as well) made her think so. She was usually like that after one of her own nightmares. "Perhaps it's because of your human blood?"

(Sorry mine is short..I just feel mentally exhausted atm)
Venali tensed back up at her comments, scowling at the ground and huffing, "Whether I have nightmares or not is none of your concern. You don't care, remember?" As soon as he had started to relax a little, she had to bring his mind back to his nightmare. Couldn't she let him forget about it and move on? He knew she liked to annoy and bother him though, so it didn't seem he would be able to relax while he was around her.

How she had even suspected it was a nightmare interested him. Though he was careful to hide his interest, going silent and continuing to eat, critiquing her again. "You don't have to look like you're handling a bomb when you use a spoon, relax your hand." It was a terrible job of moving past the subject of his nightmare, and it was clear.

(That’s totally okay! :D)

Serena knew he wouldn’t respond to her question. It surprised her a bit to know she was right, though. He’d tensed up all over again, and… well, she hit jackpot. But what was his nightmare about? Dying? It would make sense, she mused. His life was in her hands, and he was already nervous about it. No surprise, though.

“I think that’s because I’m not left-handed,” Serena replied, smiling at him mockingly. “Also because maybe my injuries are hurting. Though I don’t suppose you understand that, with what your quick healing and all.”

"I'm not fully Fae, Raine, there are some injuries or weapons that I can't use my quick healing to heal, so yes I do understand," Venali replied, returning a mocking smile as he set his empty bowl on the ground, "I'll send a Fae doctor in that can relieve some of the pain and speed up the healing in your arm once I leave, if you promise not to kill them."

He didn't move further than setting his bowl down though, leaning against the wall as he sat on her bed. More than anything, he was just making himself comfortable, but seeing that she didn't seem to like him in her cell, he was also trying to tick her off.

"I know that'll be hard for you, seeing as you don't like anyone's help."

Serena thought he'd leave once his food was finished. That was what he always did. He never stuck around for long. So when his bowl of soup finished, Serena was looking forward to him to leave. He didn't. Instead, he just made himself comfortable on the edge of her bed, the same mocking smile on his lips, and she wanted to wipe it off.

"Trusting someone is a liability," she said through clenched teeth. "So yes, Half-Fae, I prefer not to accept anyone's help. Especially when it puts me under debt."

Shaking her head, Serena focused on her food, using it as an excuse to pretend Venali wasn't there. She ate achingly slow, hoping he'd get bored and leave before she snapped and stab out one of his beautiful eyes.

He rolled his eyes, glancing over at her, "Who said anything about debt?" Venali snorted and turned back to look at the ceiling, "Trusting someone is never not a liability, Raine, but sometimes trusting them can actually be a good choice."

It was boring just sitting around, something that he guessed she was doing on purpose. As much as he wanted to leave her again though, he had nothing else to do, and no one else that would willingly spend time around him. Raine really couldn't choose whether to spend time around with him or not, but at least he couldn't be commanded to leave or left because of some excuse.

"So, Firey, since you don't want to talk to me, I'll talk to you. What's your favorite color?"

Serena would never trust someone other than her brother and Alec, much less a Fae. She rolled her eyes and set her bowl away, then leaned back, her pillow pressed against her chest. She took careful breaths, feeling her chest ache all over again.

When he didn't leave, she let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't have one," she replied, knowing he wouldn't rest until she answered. She didn't have any energy in arguing with him, either. "It's all the same to me."

Truth was, she never really had the time to think about such things, not after the murder of her family. She was always on the run, always looking behind herself, always paranoid, putting Alec above everything. Sometimes she admired nature, but she never stopped to relax in it. Serena and her brother's entire childhood had been robbed, and those thoughts brought up the hatred she'd pushed away.

"There has to be some color that you like more than the others," He continued, not satisfied with her answer, "And if there's not, then I'll have to find a way to change that." Venali looked over at her, an eyebrow raised in question. He hadn't even attempted to move from where he sat, and it was clear he wasn't leaving. At least until she answered.

He wasn't sure what he would do if she really didn't have a favorite color, though taking her to the flower gardens popped into his head within minutes. Not only would she have to choose a favorite color, but she would also get some time outdoors and get some fresh air. The fact that he cared about her not being stuck in a cell all day was new he found as the thoughts crossed his mind. Internally he was confused about his change in thoughts towards her. Only a week ago he couldn't have cared less about her, but now he was talking to her about things other than her trials, going out of his way to teach her to use silverware, and now taking her outside if she didn't have a favorite color.

"I don't care about colors," Serena snapped, irritation seeping into her tone. "They're just colors."

Serena had no idea why he was even sticking around, or why he was all worked up over her not having a favorite color. Why did that even matter? She meant what she said; they were just colors, irrelevant, and unnecessary. Red was the only color she despised, though gold wasn't too far behind. Her family had bled red when Scythe had killed them. And gold was the color of her worst enemy.

"It doesn't matter. Having a favorite color, or favorite color changes nothing."

And there was her snappy temper again. Venali just gave her a half-smile and shrugged, quite amused at how fast she could go from tolerating his presence to wanting him gone. For now, he would go along with what she wanted though, standing and taking both of their bowls with him.

"Make sure your afternoon is clear tomorrow." It was clearly both a joke and promise that he would be back, "The doctor I talked about will be down soon.'

As much as Raine would've loved for him to walk away just like that, he didn't leave right away. Instead, he took his time picking up the bowls and walk to the door, purposely ticking her off that much more. He did leave immediately once the door was closed and locked behind him though, mockingly waving to her as he did. Now he just had to figure out what else to do with his day.

If Serena hadn't been so injured, so would have picked up her boots and chucked it at his head. That would've shown him, but unfortunately even bending hurt, much less throwing something with pressure.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath, followed by more profanities, enough to make someone's ears bleed. How he infuriated her. It was alarming how he made her emotions a scrambled mess; she was calm, then angry, in a blink of an eye. Next time, Serena swore to herself. The next time he was here, she was going to give him a good whack over the shoulders. Maybe then she'd feel better.

For now, she had an appointment with the doctor.

Venali wandered out of the cells, humming to himself once he reached his room again as well as when he decided what to do. Seeing as he was leaving in two days, it made sense to pack now. That way, he would easily be ready to go whenever he was told to leave. It would also allow him to try to block Raine out of his mind, along with her ever-changing emotions and hatred of him.

While Venali settled to his task, just like he had said, a doctor appeared at her cell door minutes after he had left. The doctor was clearly fae, though a fae that wasn't as high up as someone like Venali was. Unlike Venali's golden tan skin, he had skin that was tinted a deep blue color and matching short-cropped hair. He looked kind, or at least not mean, it was hard to tell. "Miss Raine?" He called into her cell, carrying only a small bag with him.

Serena was still annoyed because of Venali, but she then told herself by paying him any attention, she was basically giving him control over her. She hated that more than she hated him in general, so she instantly forced her to think of something else. Like Scythe.

Instantly, Venali no longer consumed her mind. Instead, it was the Fae with the cruel smile, colored in red after he had so brutally murdered innocent humans.

A Fae doctor stepped in, disrupting her thoughts. Serena sighed. “I’m here.”

(Once again pardon the short response, :/)
The doctor didn't bother to introduce himself, just walked in and motioned for her to sit up as he walked over to her bed. "Your arm and ribs are what is causing you pain, right?" He asked, setting his bag down and not touching it as he waited for an answer. Unlike Venali or Arya, he didn't try to start a conversation, seeming to want to just do his job and get on with the day.

(No worries! We can’t always write long replies. Mine isn’t long, either)

Serena was relieved when the doctor didn’t chatter her ears off. Maybe it was because he was a full-blooded Fae—communicating with a human was probably as disgusting to him as eating bugs was for Serena (don’t ask, long story). Perhaps even more than that.

In reply, she merely nodded and straightened herself a little, letting the doctor do his thing. The quicker he did so, the better. She had a bit of exercising to do, and she was not going to let them hold her back.

He was silent as he walked over to her, pressing a hand firmly to her injured arm and closing his eyes. Nothing happened for the first few seconds, but slowly the pain in her arm and side would start to ebb away, getting replaced by cool numbness. The doctor stayed like this for several minutes, nodding once he was satisfied with his work and only repeating a few more words to her, "Your arm should be healed fully, and your ribs will only need a few more days of rest until they are finished. Both will most likely be numb but usable for the rest of the day."

With that, he stepped away from her, grabbing his bag and leaving her alone without another word. True to his word, her arm and side would be numb, but she would be able to workout.

[TIME SKIP: TWO WEEKS]

True to his word, Venali had gone for the little fask his uncle assigned him. Serena had no idea he’d even left until Arya informed her, and the girl felt a little bitter at the fact that the Fae hadn’t even come over to say goodbye. She would have reminded him to keep his ass alive.

Serena scoffed. That had been two weeks ago. Almost. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t enjoyed his absence. She did. Not seeing his face or hearing his voice was the best thing ever. She felt extremely pleased, and it was so much better since she could finally exercise without causing herself too much pain.

The next trial was nearing closer, and she needed to be at her best.

Venali had hated almost every moment of his uncle's trip. Not only was he forced to work with the Fae that Raine hated with a passion, but he also had to work with his cousin, rounding up whatever humans they found. Personally, he didn't mind when humans lived their lives, as long as they didn't interfere with his, he couldn't care less. But under his uncle's orders, he was forced to become the monster he hated being when he had to capture families or random humans.

Thankfully the week and a half had gone by quickly, and he got out with only a single arrow wound from one feisty boy. It had even healed up to the point that there was just a single bandage visible peeking out from under the sleeve of his shirt by the time he reached the palace again. Hopefully, Raine wouldn't spot it and yell at him about how close it was to his heart and a killing shot. Raine. She hadn't crossed his mind all week, and without her insults, he had actually been almost bored.

A tiny smile crossed his face as he tried to decide how mad she would be when he visited her. He listened to his footsteps on the stairs as he went to do just that, utterly bored and without a single thing to do now that he had finished talking to Eldon.

It had been hours since they started walking, little Serena deduced. Her feet were aching, but she never complained once. Even when each step felt like she was walking on spikes, even when she felt bruises, she didn’t complain.

Her mother had noticed and she stopped, pursing her lips. Her mother always made sure Serena maintained the childhood taken away from her, as little as she could give her. She loved Serena relentlessly, and though they could not laugh loud, for sound traveled wide, Serena could never remember a time where her mother hadn’t made her cheeks hurt from smiling. “Serena darling, come here. Let me carry you.”

Serena had looked at her mother, grateful and relieved. The last time she slept, it was fitful. She couldn’t sleep next to her mother anymore, so being in her arms would have sounded good.

”No.” Before Serena could utter a single sound, her father interrupted in this stern voice. “No one carries anyone.”

Her father was a different story. His love was hard. He gave praise where it was needed, but he never gave too much. He’d treated Cynthia the same way. The only one he treated far more lovingly was her youngest brother, baby Alec.

”She’s tired,” argued her mother.

”She needs to learn. The world will never go easy. If you keep coddling her, she will become easy prey.”

”She’s a child, and I will not—“

”I can do it, mother,” interrupted Serena quietly, her small hands gripping the straps of her backpack tightly. She didn’t want to disappoint her father. “Father’s right. I need to do this.”

The world will never go easy. That was the first thing she learned from her father, and time and time again, he proved to be correct.

Serena’s eyes opened when she heard footsteps descend down the stairs. She instantly knew who it was. The careful steps, the apparent weight on his left foot than his right, the quiet clicking of heels against the floor.

Venali. He had returned.

"Your favorite half-fae is back," Venali called as he finally reached Raine's cell, a tight smile on his face, "Did you miss me, monster slayer?" Casually, he tried his best to hide the showing bandages, holding his hands behind his back. As long as she paid as little attention as she did normally, he would be fine. If she noticed though…he was guaranteed to get an earful.

"I'm sure your week and a half of boredom was torturous, so I just came by to cheer you up." He continued, leaning against the side of her cell with his sore arm momentarily. Almost instantly he stood back up straight though, cursing internally for drawing attention to the wound.

Serena rolled her eyes, making sure the action was seen by him, along with her clear exasperation. She didn’t understand why he felt the need to converse with her; they both hated each other, and that was felt by every Fae and human in the vicinity. There was no need for any pleasantries. But perhaps he acted like that because she got annoyed. Typical male bastards.

”I was incredibly emotional when you left,” she said with a deadpanned expression, then smiled at him. “That emotion was happiness.”

Shaking her head, she reached for a glass of water when movement caught her eye. She frowned, looked at Venali with narrowed eyes, and found his bandages under the collar of his shirt.

The left side.

“You… what the hell happened?”

Her insult was clever, Venali would say that. It even made him snort as he rolled his eyes. At least he was back to dealing with jabs at his ego and insults. But then Raine's demeanor changed. It wasn't strange for her to frown at him, but with a look of….concern? Or some similar emotion that could pass as faint concern more for her life than the loss of his.

"There was an incident on the trip. I'm fine, if you're worried." He replied smoothly and with a mocking grin, tugging up his shirt slightly to cover the showing bandages, "I suspect it's concern about your near-death that's worrying you though. Did I guess right?"

Serena pulled herself to her feet and yawned, covering her mouth as she did so. Stretching her arms, she turned her attention back to Venali. Sometimes she hated just how beautiful the Fae were. Their beauty always blinded humans, something her species wasn’t used to fighting.

But for Serena, his beauty was lethal. If she let his good looks get to her, she was as good as dead. Behind that face was a monster, and that was what Serena kept reminding herself.

“It should have been your face,” she replied flatly, trying to calm her slight concern. ”We all know how much it needs to be reconstructed.”