Chapter 29: Xavier

Ari was still completely out as I stepped back into my room. She clutched the pillow I had replaced myself with to her chest as she snored softly. I couldn't help but to let my eyes wander over the perfect curve of her body as she curled in around the pillow just as tightly as she had me. 

'I'm going to head out to pick up my paperwork, and before you ask, yes, I'll bring back breakfast. Will you stay here with them for now, just in case she needs something?' I asked as I quietly popped the door open and walked out, being sure to lock it behind me. 

I made quick work of heading down the hall to my office. Pulling the file of paperwork off the surface of my desk. I quickly thumbed through its contents, making sure nothing was out of place. It was a precaution I had taken to, considering one time one of the General's phoenix's feathers had landed in the stack, and when I opened it on my desk, it nearly burnt the whole damn room down. This one was just documents, though, simple busy work that the professors didn't want to do, but was more than enough to keep the other assistant and me busy when we weren't working in classes. Tucking the file under my bad arm, I headed back down the stairs and towards the dining hall. I honestly liked being up this early. The silence of the normally busy halls always brought a sense of peace to me that I couldn't quite describe. 

Pushing the door open to the mess hall, I looked up at the kitchen just as the old cook rounded the corner and smiled at me. 

"Right on time as always." He called in his raspy tone, and I raised an eyebrow at the old man just like every other morning. "The only sane person in this shit hole." Arthur grinned as he looked up at me, his bushy white brows furrowing as he took in my expression.

"I don't know who told you that I was sane, but you might want to recheck your sources," I told him, making him smile at me as he turned to grab a steaming mug off the counter, holding it out to me as I walked over to him. 

"You're the one who finally took out that bastard tactics professor. I call that one of the best moves anyone has ever done for this shit hole." He laughed, a dry raspy sound as his wild tufts of white hair disappeared into the kitchen once more before coming back with a fresh plate of breakfast, consisting of an extra portion of meat just for Bane. 

"Fair enough, I guess," I grinned as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Where's that dragon of yours?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow at my shoulders, where Bane normally sat and would already be trying to steal all the meat off my plate.

"He's protecting something." 

"Something or someone?" He asked, but I didn't answer. The old cook was far more observant than anyone gave him credit for. "I see, well, give me just a moment, and I'll fix you up another plate for her. She must be the one he tried to attack on the field. Good move by the way. Sure, you might have sacrificed a bit of blood, but you caught him in the act and were able to dispatch him under the accordance of the rules while keeping your girl safe." I still didn't answer, but that alone was enough of an answer for the old man, and he just chuckled as he walked back into the kitchen for a couple of moments before emerging once more with a plate piled just as high as mine. "What's that pretty little redhead drink?" He asked, and I just shook my head, but couldn't help but to chuckle at the nosey old bastard. 

"I just need hot water for her right now. She's still recovering." 

"And she's already got you, of all people, wrapped around her pretty little finger." He chuckled to himself once more before grabbing another mug and filling it with hot water. "Now, you'd better promise me that you're going to hold onto that little girl and pull her out of this hellhole. This is no place for someone like her." 

"I was already planning on it, Arthur. Thank you." 

"Any time, kid," he told me as he placed everything on a tray and handed it to me. I couldn't help but to smile to myself as I walked out of the mess hall. He was one of those people that you never expected to make a tentative friendship with, but when he started making food early for me every single morning, simply because he saw another person up when he was. It just kinda happened. Neither of us liked this place, but neither of us wanted to be at any of the camps either, so here we were. 

Walking back up into my room, I was a little shocked to see two big, bright blue eyes blinking up at me as I opened the door. She yawned and stretched like she had just woken up. The first bell hadn't even rang yet, and I really wasn't expecting her to be up yet, especially with everything going on. "You should still be sleeping," I told her as I set the tray down on my desk along with the file of paperwork. 

"I could say the same to you. You were the one who was up early enough to get cleaned up, collect a file, and bring back breakfast." 

"I'm normally up at least two hours before the bells. Generally, it gives me some time to shift before anyone else is awake. It also gives me time to eat breakfast and still file all of my reports before your combat class, along with slipping in an extra coffee break." I answered before taking the vial of herbs off the nightstand and dumping half its contents into her cup. I didn't miss the spark of interest in those eyes at the mention of me shifting, though. She sat up, and I handed her the mug. 

"So, did you shift this morning?" She asked, taking a sip of the tea as I shook my head. "Why not?" 

"Because I left Bane here with you, and while it's really hard to tell the two of us apart from the sky, if you get anywhere near us, it's rather easy. Generally, we fly up the mountains together before swapping places. He shifts small and holds onto me as I fly, just in case we have to do a quick swap so no one notices."

"Fair enough, so then how often do you have to shift?" 

"At least once every few days, otherwise I tend to be... less than friendly." 

'Less than friendly? You become a complete snarly asshole.' Bane chimed in, and I raised an eyebrow at him in challenge.  

'You do realize that I am currently holding your food right now, right?' I taunted, and he grumbled, but didn't respond. 

"You're not very friendly to begin with." Ari shot back at me with a soft giggle, and I raised an eyebrow at her now as Bane laughed at me. 

"You do realize that you're in my room, in my bed, and I brought you breakfast." 

"Oh, don't worry. I know exactly where I'm at, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm rather enjoying that fact at the moment, but I don't think I count towards that whole friendly thing. Not considering that as much as I thought you hated me at the beginning, you've never once glared at me like you do anyone else. Honestly, the looks I get from you are downright warm and cuddly compared to what you give anyone else, including your own familiar. So I really don't think I count in that regard." 

'She's got your ass there.' Bane commented, laughing as I just shook my head at the two of them, but handed her a plate full of food as I sat and ate with her. I did, however, make sure to share a slightly smaller portion of my food with Bane than I normally would, but apparently the surly dragon was right, considering he started cuddling up to Ari instead of fighting with me over it, and got a good portion from her as well.