Briarfeather and Cinderblaze - Complete 2017

An Emotional Roller Coaster

Bree's eyes widened, "what?" She breathed, staring at Jay with wide eyes.

Jay cracked a grumpy smile, his blue eyes focused on Bree herself. "You fixed my vision, it's only fair that I try to fix you too."

Bree looked stunned, she had abandoned that particular project years ago, too busy with her project to heal Jay's vision to work on the device that could fix the weak muscles in her back and the torn nerves in her spine. "I..." she couldn't think of what to say, she was nearly speechless. Building the device for Jay had been something that she had hoped would've advanced their relationship a little with the display of how much she cared about him and how worried she had been as his grumpy attitude got more foul the longer he was blind.

But, in the long run, it had done nothing, she didn't even see him that often between her college work for her second degree, masters in broad medicine to accompany her specialized Technology masters degree; and Jay's improved life with his vision. If anything, all of the effects of helping him regain his vision were temporary and happened right after she had healed him, such as the hug he gave her after seeing her and his siblings in sixteen years, and the kiss he has surprised her with a few hours after his vision was healed. And it hurt the energetic inventor's feelings and flattened her hopes, but she didn't let Jay see it, the pain was usually dulled by how happy he was to be living a normal life anyway, and hopes weren't really solid, so that was okay too.

"I don't know what to say..." Bree said, still struggling to come up with something to say.

Jay opened his mouth to reply, but his phone went off and instead, he groaned. "Gah!" He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it a bit grudgingly. "Hello?" A moment later his blue eyes lit up a little, "hey Hadara, did you need something?"

Bree's heart clenched slightly and she carefully hid what she was feeling from Jay, hiding her other emotions behind her happy and cheerful nature.

"I can't, I'm a little busy at the moment..." Jay said as he studied his hoodie sleeve, blue eyes slightly conflicted.

Bree stopped herself from averting her eyes to her lap as her heart stung painfully. This was the drawback to fixing his vision. The only reason Hadara had broken up with him those years ago was because she didn't know what to do with his blindness, and Bree had fixed her for her. Which meant that Bree was now second best. Again. "It's okay, Jay," Bree smiled, pain hiding behind the cheer in her amber eyes. "I should go anyway, I have a test tomorrow in common medical remedies."

Jay's eyebrow's furrowed in confusion and he studied her expression, "I don't mind staying here with you Bree." He then winced and groaned, "it's not like that Hadara, I was just talking to her."

Bree kept her feelings out of view as a lump grew in her throat, she had become very good at hiding her nonexcitable and happy emotions over the past year and a half. Now that Jay could see, she couldn't slip up and show her emotions through her eyes. "Nah, it's okay!" she said with a bright smile, "go have fun with your girlfriend Jay! You don't have to cancel anything because of me!"

"Are you sure?" Jay asked with slight concern, "what about healing your paralysis?"

"You don't have to do it either!" Bree chirped cheerily, "I'm happy like this, I don't need to walk to be happy Jay!" She smiled a little wider hiding how much this entire thing bothered her. I just want you to be happy.

Jay looked torn, "Bree-"

"Really Jay," Bree cut him off, her voice now level and happy, "if you're busy it's okay, I'll see you later m'kay?" She put her hands on the wheels of her wheelchair and waited for him to reply, feeling a little overwhelmed now, she didn't want to choose for him, she didn't want to influence his choice either. She wasn't his girlfriend and Hadara should be a higher priority than his childhood friend who had healed his blindness and has been in love with him since they were fourteen... Right?