Ephemeral Dream

VII: Confrontations

I couldn't stop myself from staring at Neo as she lay on my bed, staring up at me with that almost star struck gaze, while mentally kicking myself.

How could I have been so stupid? I knew exposure to my Sky Flames could forge a Guardian Bond! Neo had already been exposed to one huge burst back underground; the small flame I'd used just now to observe it must have finished it off!

I grimaced, knowing this one was completely on me. I really needed to be more careful in the future.

"Okay..." I took a breath. "Okay... First things first... Can you talk, or are you mute?"

Neo stared at me, before raising a single finger.

"You can talk?" I asked just to clarify.

She nodded.

"... Are you going to?"

She shook her head.

"Right... Okay..." That was going to make things more annoying... "Can you use your illusions to make words in the air so you can respond to my questions?"

She tilted her head, as if contemplating such a thing, before bright pink words appeared in front of my face.

'Yes.'

"Okay, that makes things easier..." I looked at her. "What are you doing?" I asked her.

'I'm laying on your bed with my head on your lap... Was that not obvious?'

"Let me change the question," I said. "Why are you doing this?"

She stared at me... And then the cutest, most horrifying smile I'd ever seen came to her face.

'Because you saved me... I was so cold in that dark place... But then you appeared... My light in the darkness... You saved me...'

If my blood was cold before, it all but froze now.

Do not go full Yandere, do not go full Yandere!

"What do you want?"

'I want to stay with you. Can I?'

I hid a grimace.

Technically speaking, Neo could stay with me. If I turned all my Gold to Lien, I'd have twenty million. That was enough to buy a house, get Neo a new wardrobe, make her a good weapon, and hire some tutors for her to catch up and enrol in Signal next year. With more than enough money left over for other things.

But should she stay with me?

I bit my lip as I thought about it... Before I took a breath and made my choice.

"Neo..." I said slowly. "I can't give you a concrete answer right now. I've got a lot of family drama to deal with tomorrow, before I can make a commitment like taking you in, so I'll make you a deal. How many more days are you going to be here?"

I watched her frown at my lack of a solid answer, before she became contemplative. 'Three or four days... I was living on the streets before I was kidnapped, so I have lots of damages from there that the Doctors are taking care of before I can leave.'

"If you wait those three to four days, I can give you a more solid answer on if you can stay with me. Is that acceptable?"

'... You promise I'll get an answer in three to four days?'

I nodded. "I'll do you one better. I promise, even if I don't let you stay with me, that I'll still be around so you never have to be alone again..." I wanted to bite my tongue as I said that, as I could feel that was the influence of the Guardian Bond affecting me.