#Damien has to stay a little longer with the color gang

[kiruamon]

Part 6

Today he absolutely had to do something about his problem, Damien decided for himself after he had a good night's sleep and a full stomach. After their shared breakfast, the residents of the small apartment hurried through the rooms in a big commotion to get ready for the upcoming school day. "Has anyone seen my jacket?" shouted Amira. "Behind the sofa. I think," it called back rather cheerfully from the bathroom, from which some ominous flashes of light appeared. "Was that the hair dryer?" asked Brian, not too surprised. "'Sorry! I'll fix it later! Promise," Vicky replied from the bathroom. "Found my jacket!" announced Amira. "Where was it?" wanted Oz to know, who just for the third time made sure he hadn't forgotten any of the school books he needed for today. "In the oven." What a bunch of messy idiots, the young heir to the throne thought as he listened to the mindless chatter from the edge of the bed. He would not spend another night here. But for that, he had to get out of here first. And… where to go then? Maybe to school, he mused. If he found that stupid mirror again and just hit it enough, maybe it would transform him back? At least with broken machines it often helped to give them a good punch to get them going again.

Yes. Yes, that was indeed a good plan! Damien was convinced it would work. But Spooky High was a hell of a long way from here. At least in his current form. Why hadn't he been able to transform into something cooler? An eagle with mighty wings? Or something that at least had longer legs and wasn't so tiny! It upset him so much to think that he should be something as uncool as a hedgehog! That was so not rad or metal at all! The little nerd snapped him out of his thoughts. The shadowy monster stared at him with his head tilted slightly to the side. " You will have to stay alone for a couple of hours… I'm really s-sorry, but we have to go to school," the noob explained to him as if he were a empty-headed toddler. But wait. Was the other really going to leave him here? How was he supposed to get to his destination then? No way! "You're not leaving me here!" Damien immediately shouted angrily and walked restlessly along the edge of the bed, looking for a way to get down from there.

"O-oh, wait, I'll help you," at least the noob understood it this time. Damien allowed himself to be picked up, although not very willingly - and only with his spikes raised in tension - and set down on the ground by the other without struggling any further this time. "Finally you got it," he puffed quietly to himself and hurriedly walked over to the beige shoulder bag in which the nerd had so carefully packed all his school supplies. "Where are you going?" the latter asked him in puzzlement, which Damien paid no further attention to for the moment. Instead, he somehow tried to get into the open bag, which he just couldn't seem to succeed in doing. "You can't go in there," the voice in his head sounded almost amused. Oh sure he could! Just wait and see! Damien tried to bury his tiny claws in the fabric to climb up it. But this new body was definitely not made for that kind of activity. He kept slipping off with his hind legs. Darn it! Did he really have to? But that was so… Graaaaaah! Gritting his teeth, he almost cursed himself for even considering this option. But at the moment, just about any means was fine with him. So he turned around and tried to put on his best begging face, like Scott did when he wanted his school lunch leftovers. "I'm telling you I really can't… I mean… " Come on! Damien stepped it up a notch and let out a pitiful whimper. If anyone ever found out, he would first get rid of all the witnesses and then kill himself out of pure shame! "But… the school is… oh… dang… " " Fine. You can come with me." Jackpot! "But you really need to stay in the bag. It's… not exactly safe at school. Especially for such a small animal." Yeah yeah, whatever! "Better hurry up and stop fussing!" demanded Damien impatiently.

Oz once again rearranged the books in his bag a bit. So that he could be sure that the little hedgehog could safely sit on them and he himself wouldn't have to worry about the little animal being squeezed in between his school stuff. "This should do it," impatiently the spiky animal scurried next to him as if it could hardly wait to come along. Quite strange, considering how little of a clinger the little one had been so far. But maybe he just didn't like being alone? Carefully, Oz grabbed the small guy and gently placed him in his shoulder bag. "Ooooz! We have to go, the bus is coming!" "I'm on my way."

_

It had taken until the third period for Damien to finally find an opportunity to escape the awfully overprotective looks of his self-appointed overseer. The shadowy nerd had just been called to the blackboard by the teacher. The perfect opportunity to finally sneak away! Damien popped his head out from between the flap and the bag and, mustering all his remaining strength, began to free himself from his prison.

It wasn't quite so simple. "Coooooome on! A LaVey wouldn't let a stupid bag stop him for sure!" he grumbled lowly as he pushed first his head and then the rest of his body out and a step further towards his sweet freedom. Only for him to land ungraceful on the ground as soon as his upper body started to tip over. Thankfully the fall hadn't been particularly high and quickly he scrambled to his four legs, shook himself briefly once and looked around searchingly. "Okay. So far so good." The first step was done! So on to the second. As stealthily as possible, Damien hurried under the rows of desks and past all sorts of pairs of feet toward the classroom door, which was… argh! Damn, it was closed! "Teacher! I have to go to the bathroom!" Ah! "Perfect timing!" he muttered. Damien waited his chance until the door opened, then dashed forward after the hurrying student out of the classroom. Hehe, he was really a hot shot! Everything went smoothly.

-

Oh Fuck! Nothing went smoothly! Up until the schoolyard, everything had just gone great and Damien had made his way through the tall grass towards the bathrooms with confidence. But then things had taken a turn for the worse. Starting with the fact that he was almost hit by a gigantic soccer ball, which flew past him like a cannonball! And then these fucking idiots, who almost trampled him to death shortly after, because they were chasing after this stupid ball! Damien had tried to get out of the danger zone as fast as possible. Exhaustedly panting and quite out of breath, he had finally reached the place where yesterday the greatest drama of his life so far had taken place. But as small as he was, everything looked strangely alien to the hellish prince. It was hard for him to orientate himself, but this was the place, wasn't it? Except that the fucking mirror was nowhere to be seen! There was not even the tiniest hint of the cursed artefact anywhere!

And to make matters even worse, the sky began darkening! "Don't tell me it's seriously starting to rain now!" he groaned, exhausted and at the end of his patience, and glanced up at the gloomy sky. Only that it was actually not so gloomy. It wasn't a cloud blocking out the sun, he realized, blinking in wonder. A shadow lay over him and… became larger and larger and… oh shit! The eyes of the usually bold prince widened in horror as he recognized the ominous figure of a raven, which landed in front of him with mighty wing beats. The pitch black creature, looked at him with dark cold eyes as if judging whether he would make an easy meal. "You're fucking kidding me, dude," Damien half-whispered in disbelief. His fur began to prickle with uneasiness. This wasn't good at all…

"F-Fuck off! You… you oversized roast chicken!" he shouted at the bird angrily and with a hint of fear in his voice. As if in response, the feathered animal in front of him cawed loudly. A gust of wind triggered by the - from Damien's point of view - huge wings, blew grains of sand and dust into his face and made him stagger back. Startled, the prince realized that the raven had taken to the air again, but instead of flying away, it was rushing towards him at an incredible speed! Running away was not an option. He could not escape the creature's sharp claws that way. And far and wide there was no cover for him. What should he do… oh damn, no idea if this went well! Damien did what seemed to him the only way to get out of this story in one piece. Maybe. He crouched himself as good as he could, raised his pointed spines and hoped that they would somehow help him against the claws or the hard beak of this beast. But, if he was honest… he already saw himself ending up as a hedgehog ragout. He was far too young and handsome to die! And then in such an unspectacular way! No wild explosions. No fire. No spectators to make sure that his story would be told thousands of years from now! Nobody would know how he ended!

"S-Shoo! L-l-leave him alone! T-this isn't food!" What? Damien's head shot up. At first he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Some dark mass, no… no, feet, legs, a yellow cardigan, and two wildly flailing arms trying to scare away the upset cawing and flapping bird! Damien could hardly believe that the nerd, of all monsters, had rushed to his help. His rescuer's voice trembled and his legs shook as if he were standing on a rickety old hanging bridge that someone had set into violent vibration. And still the shy nerd lashed out at the stubborn raven, who didn't seem to accept so easily why he should give up his prey now. "I-I… I t-t-told you to g-go away!" Suddenly the animal staggered in the air for a moment, even though Damien's classmate hadn't touched it, but the raven caught itself again shortly after and this time actually fly away. Apparently it had finally given up. In disbelief, Damien blinked up at the monster in front of him, which, leaning slightly forward, took a deep and exhausted-sounding breath before slowly turning his face to him.

The black hair still all tousled from the rough confrontation with the puffed-up fowl, Oz crouched down in front of him. "Whew… that was a close one." His skittish classmate smiled apologetically at him. "I-I'm s-sorry that… that I didn't get here faster… " Damien could hardly believe that this fool in front of him was just seriously apologizing to him, even though he himself had been the one to make a run for it on his own. Such a… little fool…. "You must have been pretty scared… are… you okay?"

How could anyone be so kind-hearted? "I would have been fine on my own," Damien muttered, not particularly convinced by his own words. With small steps, he approached his saver. "You didn't have to look for me. You know, I left because I wanted to. But you… you're so… so… ", Damien failed to get angry. Or throw any of his insults at him. Not when this naive fool was fighting a fucking killer raven just for him. Or throwing him those encouraging little smiles with his eyes as if to tell him that everything was going to be okay, even though he himself looked like he could use someone to give him an uplifting pat on the back. "You can barely take care of yourself. And then you try to protect someone else, of all people… " Damien swallowed slightly, barely able to believe what he was about to say. "You know, I think you need someone to look out for you a lot more than I do. So, I guess I'll take care of that for a while, whether you like it or not."

This time Damien flattened his spikes before soft, and so not at all suited for fighting, hands wrapped around his tiny body. "Oh thanks. You don't seem to be hurt. Such a relief," echoed the soft voice with honest relief in his head. "Of course I'm not. I'm pretty tough," Damien mumbled softly. "It's going to take more than a puffed-up fowl like that to beat me." Oh well. "But I guess for such a beanpole you didn't do too badly either~," a small smile flitted across his lips, even though Damien knew the other didn't understand a word of what he'd told him. Oz's thumb stroked gently across his cheek, which didn't feel too bad. Damien felt his heart slowly calming down after that frightening encounter.

For the first time, the transformed prince now took the time to look more closely at the kind-hearted monster in front of him. Oz was definitely his complete opposite. His dark skin felt cool and soft. He came across as lanky and not the least bit strong. He dutifully went to class and listened to their teachers. His voice stuttered as soon as he got nervous and was sometimes so quiet that even though it went right into his own head, it could be hard to understand. But at the same time it was as kind and gentle as each of his touches. Even now, the smooth hands held him just tight enough for Damien to have a secure hold without the risk of falling. And then there were Oz's eyes, constantly searching his gaze. Bright white, they clearly reflected every single emotion. Even without a mouth, it wasn't that hard to read them. In fact, Damien had practice at that anyway. After all, unlike his pa, his dad had very similar facial expressions to Oz. And maybe… just maybe, today had awakened a tiny bit of interest in him for this lovable fool who was so different from himself.

To be continued.

[lady-hype]

Rumah Saya (Alana Kusuma x F!MC)

Alana Kusuma x F!MC (Lia Park)

(Amnesia fic)

Word count: 4,577

[The gang’s lovable resident bartender, Lia, gets caught up in an accident. Alana is getting ready to head back to the States after a job when she gets a call from a terrified Nadia Park. Lia has ended up in a coma, her fragile state a point of contention when loved ones wait day after day for her to wake. But what happens when she finally wakes up and has forgotten who the headstrong Interpol agent is to her? Will Alana be able to take flight once more?]

**This story follows the same Lia Park from my previous fic, so her occupation is a bartender. Alana is soft for her lady, but hopefully not to the point of completely compromising her character. Also, please don’t skewer me medical side of Tumblr. I don’t claim any formal medical knowledge. Apologies for any inaccurate language translation. Hope you enjoy!**

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Text from N. Park (4:30 pm): Please get back to me when you can

Text from N. Park (6:37 pm): Alana, we need to talk. It’s about Lia. Urgent.

.

.

.

Incoming call [N. Park] ...

Alana could hear how frantic Nadia sounded. It took several deep breaths before she managed to speak clearly, evident that whatever happened shook the artist to her core.

“There was a fire in Lia’s apartment building. I’m at the hospital with her. She’s in the ICU.”

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Alana’s flight was the longest eight hours she had ever experienced. She had received the dreaded call while waiting for her flight. Most of her time thereafter was spent with her head in her hands, hair mussed, and eyes shining with unshed tears. The poor soul that was seated next to her was the unfortunate recipient to her ire when asked if she was alright. The rest of her flight was spent in anxious silence, practically bolting out of the plane and airport once she touched down back in New York. She got into the nearest cab and directed it to the hospital where her lover had been admitted.

Alana rushed out of the cab and power walked to the elevator, taking it up to the appointed floor. As soon as she stepped out, her head whipped around to the soft exclamation of her name. Nadia had all but run up to the Interpol agent to hug her before stepping away. The tired lines near her eyes only gave away her sleep-deprived state. 

“I’m glad you made it. It..it’s been a rough few hours.” The artist’s voice was barely above a whisper, not wanting to disturb friends that had fallen asleep. Sloane and Hayden were leaned up against each other dozing off while Damien had a cup of coffee in one hand and his head in the other. Steve had lifted his hand up in a silent greeting before leaning down to pet Dipper, who was (like the good girl she is) laying down on the floor, keeping her paws to herself.

Only a silent nod was given before Alana looked around the hospital, worry painting her features. She spoke softly once her gaze returned to Nadia, “How did this happen?”

Nadia frowned as she twisted the fabric of her sweater, “Party gone wrong. Things got out of hand and everyone was too drunk to put out the fire so they just hauled ass. Lia was sleeping off a night shift from the bar when it happened..” Tears welled up in the artist’s eyes before she choked back a sob. 

Damien walked up and put a comforting hand on Nadia’s shoulder, “I’ll tell her the rest, Nadia. Go relax with Steve, you need it.” He waited until his friend was nestled up against her fiance before continuing the story, “Lia was out cold on her floor when the fire department found her. Too much smoke inhalation.” His styrofoam cup cracked a bit when his grip tightened. “She...she’s in a coma. We don’t know when she’ll wake up.”

The pit in Alana’s stomach grew tenfold. She could feel the sting of tears coming back, so she turned away and cleared her throat, quelling the shakiness in her voice, “Bring me to her..please.” There was no command in her voice, only a silent plea. 

For a moment, Damien could only stare at his former partner. Alana Kusuma, certified badass and strong as hell, was trying her hardest to hold it together. The walls threatened to build back up, to defend her vulnerable heart from hurting again.. Damien nodded and said a few parting words to the group before leading Alana to Lia’s room.

Each step that Alana took was filled with trepidation. A small part of her had this fear that Lia would be gone by time the agent made it to her room. Of course she instantly deemed it irrational to think like that but the thought of losing the one person she was falling hard for was overwhelming. It had taken Alana a long time to find someone who saw her and didn’t run away. All these thoughts came swirling to a halt when Damien left her in front of the door to give her some privacy. She slowly reached for the door and stepped inside.

Waves of relief and sadness washed over Alana when her eyes fell to the figure laying on the bed. Timed slowed down to a halt as steady beeps reached her ears. “She’s still alive...” Those words echoed in Alana’s mind over and over, almost in an attempt to soothe her heart. The brunette took this moment to take a seat by Lia’s bed, soaking in the sight of her lover. Soft raven-colored hair fell across the bartender’s forehead in a slight swoop, almost touching closed eyes. A slow rise and fall of the bartender’s chest made Alana realize she had been holding her own breath. 

Letting out a shaky exhale, Alana gently grasped Lia’s hand that lay lifeless to her side. The familiar warmth caused the brunette to smile as she brushed her thumb against her partner. Every small patch of skin that Alana touched was like coming home. The roughness of Lia’s knuckles and the tender feeling of her fingers was something Alana committed to her memory, using that as a salve when her longing became too much some days. When Alana looked up at Lia’s unconscious face, a dam broke inside of her and tears came rushing down before she could stop them. Her voice was small and so broken, “Lia, please stay with me..We have so many firsts to experience. Our first Christmas together, New Years..all that sappy crap you love teasing me about.” Alana’s grip tightened slightly as she lowered her head against the bed, sobbing quietly into white sheets. 

I still need to tell you that I love you.

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Lia’s comatose state had stretched on for longer than anyone had anticipated. Alana was at her side every night, hoping for any improvement to show up. After a month had passed, the bartender finally showed signs of regaining consciousness. And after a couple days Lia was finally somewhat awake but disoriented. Her stupor was broken when Nadia came into the room, excited energy rolling off of her.

“Lia! You’re awake and okay! I’m so so so happy.” Nadia’s words came fast as she rushed over to give her cousin a gentle hug. There was a telltale dampness on her shoulder. When Nadia pulled back, her cheeks glistened with tears that only highlighted the huge smile on her face. “Everyone’s been worried about you. I texted them when the doctor told me you were finally awake. They’re on their way.”

Lia smiled weakly and caught up with her cousin while they waited, processing what she had missed that past month. One by one, her friends filed in. Sloane squealed like a kettle and smothered Lia in a hug while Hayden gave a more subdued but, no less happy, embrace. Damien opted for a playful jab at her shoulder while they shared an inside joke. Lia’s laugh devolved into a cough after a bit, waving off any concern her friends showed. 

Alana watched from a corner in the room. Smiling fondly as the bartender’s vigor seemed to be returning to her. Alana stepped forward and opened her mouth to speak when she saw Lia’s eyes fall to her. Something felt off about the way her lover looked at her. The agent brushed it off and said in a light tone, “You gave us quite the scare, Lia.”

Lia laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck, her voice cautious, “Ah sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scare you, uh...” Her brow furrowed as if she was searching for an answer, but the silence was deafening. Especially to Alana. Lia was looking at her like she was a stranger. The way the bartender was worrying her lower lip while scrunching her nose slammed into Alana like a freight train. 

She doesn’t remember me.

“Lia, d..do you not know who she is?” Sloane spoke up in an alarmed tone. 

“I....I don’t. Should I?” Noticing the tense atmosphere, it bled into Lia as well, searching the uncomfortable faces of her friends. She unconsciously bunched up the thin blanket in her fist, slight panic filling her eyes. She looked at Alana, whose expression was something akin to being..broken, but it was so brief that Lia saw it disappear after a second, replaced with a veil of aloofness. Despite the uneasiness she felt, she asked anyway, “I’m sorry.. Who are you?”

Alana could feel her friends eyes on her and it only added to the weight that had settled onto her very being. She shrugged and smiled wryly, “I’m Alana. I’m..a friend.” Her voice was calm and cool, almost distant. She turned away towards the door with her phone in hand, nonchalantly brushing her hair over her shoulder, “Sorry, have to step out. Job’s calling.” 

To an outsider, they wouldn’t give Alana’s exit a second thought. She seemed like a busy woman with little time to spend socializing. She had herself put together and ready to face a calamity, if need be. But anyone who was fortunate enough to see past that image knew the devastation she felt. They didn’t need to be mathematicians to add everything together.

While Alana was “on the phone”, the rest of the group sought out Lia’s doctor, briefing them on the situation. They wanted answers. After a short while conversing with the doctor, they all waited until Alana returned before they spoke just outside their friend’s room.

“Unfortunately, it seems that Lia is suffering from amnesia. At this time, I cannot determine the permanence of her condition. However, we will keep a close eye on her for the duration of her stay here.” The doctor looked around the group before speaking again, “If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.”

Steve waited several beats before raising his hand up a bit, “How did this happen?”

Nodding, the doctor looked at Lia through the window while explaining, “The amount of smoke she inhaled did a substantial amount of damage to her lungs and brain. That and she was deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time. That, in turn, induced her coma. Amnesia was the unfortunate side effect.”

There were a few murmurs within the group of friends before Nadia stole a quick glance at Alana and spoke up, “Is there any way for her to recover any lost memories?” The artist saw the agent almost imperceptibly stiffen before she cast her gaze towards Lia.

“All things take time, Miss Park. It has to happen naturally, if at all. But you could possibly increase the likelihood of that happening if you brought her anything of sentimental value. It may help stir up some memories.”

After questioning the doctor for a few minutes longer, they took their leave to attend to other patients. Everyone exchanged glances with each other, talking amongst themselves about the new development. Nadia took this opportunity to pull Alana aside. “Hey Alana, how are you holding up?” she asked in a kind tone. She could see the inner turmoil in the agent’s eyes when the brunette looked at her.

“I’m fine.” Alana shrugged and crosses her arms, wanting to put some type of barrier up as if it would help her through her emotions.

“Why don’t you tell Lia the truth about what’s going on with you guys?” Nadia frowned.

“I’m pretty much a stranger to her.” Alana huffed out in frustration before taking a deep breath to steady herself. “I am a stranger to her, Nadia. I can’t just force her to go along with something like that. It wouldn’t be fair to her.” Alana tore her gaze from the artist, her hands gripping her own biceps. “Who’s to say she would still want that with me?”

Nadia sighed and wrapped her arms around Alana, who still remained closed off. Her embrace seemed to untangle the tumultuous knot in the agent’s body slightly. She knew that both her cousin and Alana were in a fragile state right now. But if she also knew them both well enough, they would make it through this because they had each other’s backs against all odds.

“Alana, my cousin is still the same person. Even if she doesn’t remember you, her heart does. I’m sure you’ll be able to captivate her again.”

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It had been a week since Lia’s amnesia diagnosis. She had been moved to a private room with a decent-sized window. Her friends were paying frequent visits to check up on her, but one Interpol agent seemed to be unmistakably absent. Lia began to worry and wonder if their first interaction horribly offended the brunette, so she started inquiring about her whenever her friends stopped by. Despite the sincerity behind her worry, most of them could only shrug and tell her the same answer of “She’s busy with work.”

It was Sunday night when Lia was up in her bed, turning around a velvet jewelry box in her hands as she gazed out the window. She ran her fingers along the soft material absentmindedly when she tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. “I wonder how Alana is doing..” she murmured to herself.

“You called for me, babe?” 

Lia snapped her head towards the sweet, melodic voice that had reached her ears. She saw Alana leaning against the door frame, a wide grin unconsciously spreading across the bartender’s face as the agent closed the door behind her with a soft click.

“Alana! it’s good to see you again. How’ve you been? Is work treating you well?” There was something infectious about Lia’s smile that Alana couldn’t help but mirror. Lia didn’t know why she felt so relieved to see the brunette, but the sheer amount of joy was too much to hold back.

Alana’s smile softened to a gentle fondness that had formed out of habit months ago. Every time she had looked at Lia, her heart melted, but she would never tell her lover that lest she be teased relentlessly. Almost everything the raven-haired beauty did made her heart flutter. The way warm brown eyes had looked at her with such love was sometimes too much for her to comprehend, but she never complained. 

“I’ve been well. Sorry I’ve been MIA. Work’s been calling me out to do some side stuff recently.” Alana rolled her shoulders to stretch as she took a seat next to Lia’s bed. When she was settled in, her eyes fell to the box in Lia’s hands and lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that you’re holding?”

Lia looked down at her hands then back up to Alana, smiling sheepishly as she opened the box to show what was inside. She gingerly lifted up a golden necklace with a small red bird pendant hanging down the middle. “I honestly have no idea. Nadia brought this over a few days ago. She said this necklace was important to me. I’ve been trying to figure out why since then but I got nothing.” Lia chuckled nervously while gently turning the pendant around between her fingers, “But it’s incredibly beautiful.”

While Lia cradled the necklace between her fingers, Alana couldn’t help but smile. There was something beautiful about how the bartender looked at this very moment. Black hair fell over her face in a beautiful curtain that hid deep brown eyes. It covered just enough of her face that Alana could only see her mouth from where she sat, but there was a serene smile playing across her lips that captivated the brunette just like it had time and time again. If she could stop time right now, she would be happy. But something tugged at the back of her mind. Where would she be if Lia’s memories never came back? Was her heart willing to put walls back up again?

Alana hadn’t realized she was staring until Lia cleared her throat to get her attention. “Alana? Do I have something on my face or am I just that pretty?” The bartender’s mirthful voice was accompanied by a cheeky grin, chuckling as she put the closed jewelry box on the table beside her. 

Familiar warmth surged into Alana’s chest and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “Of course you are, babe.” She winked and smirked as she leaned back, quirking an eyebrow when Lia was looking at her expectantly. Tone light and easy, Alana spoke once more, “Did I miss something?”

“I asked you what you do for a living. I don’t think I really know what you do.” Lia tilted her head to the side slightly.

“I work for Interpol. My job takes me everywhere around the world. That’s why I’m gone a lot.” Alana felt no hesitation in the admission. She was proud of what she did, but she apprehensive as to how this Lia would take it. She didn’t know if something had changed. She didn’t know if they had changed. 

Lia stared at her for a few moments before her eyes widened in excitement, “Really? That’s amazing! I’ve only traveled around a few times. Hardly ever stray too far from Brooklyn. What are some of the places you’ve been to?”

Alana couldn’t help but chuckle as she regaled Lia with a long list of the places she had traveled to. The more she had listed, the more the bartender seemed enthralled. Each place had a tale to go along with it. Alana didn’t notice, but Lia was smiling more and more when the agent got particularly passionate about something. The brunette would never know that, in that very moment, there was a shine in her eyes that warmed Lia’s heart deeply even if she didn’t know why.

“...And then in Paris, I’m not sure if you remember, but you helped me interrogate Remy about Eros operations. You played the bad cop very well.” A throaty chuckle left Alana’s lips before casting a glance towards Lia.

The bartender’s expression seemed thoughtful for a moment before smiling, “I don’t remember that, but it sounds like we had a lot of fun. What happened after that?” 

“We actually..” Alana’s voice trailed off, stopping short when she remembered that night. The night when she opened up to Lia for the first time was unforgettable. She subtly bit her lip and cleared her throat, “We had drinks after that. Just to unwind.” She ran her fingers through her hair before shaking her head, “I uh.. had some minor family issues going on at that time. You and your excessively good nature just..sat and listened, patiently.” Alana couldn’t help but smile ruefully to herself. 

Just being so good to me...

The joy had left Lia’s face and there was only concern as she carefully leaned over to reach for Alana’s hand, “Hey..is everything ok?”

Alana’s gazed followed Lia’s hand like a hawk, staring down at their adjoined hands for a few seconds before shrugging at her, “Yea..thing’s are fine.” The brunette stood up and gave the raven-haired beauty’s hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. “I actually have to get going. Gotta do some work stuff. I’ll be back again soon.” She started for the door, but not before turning to give a little wave as she walked out.

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Much to the joy of her friends, Lia was given a clean bill of health within the first week of December. And true to her word, Alana visited when she could, talking and “catching up” with her friend. With each conversation they had, the small flame of hope inside Alana grew more and more. But whenever she thought it was too much, she quashed it with the walls that had slowly begun building themselves back up. She didn’t want to get hurt and disappointed again, but she didn’t want to completely abandon the possibility of Lia recovering her memories. The agent certainly was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Lia was sitting on her bed with her nightstand drawer open and a small box in her lap. She was shuffling through the box when she reached into the open drawer and pulled out a familiar velvet box. The hand that was moving things aside in the box stopped almost immediately. Sliding it off her lap, she opened the jewelry box and took out the necklace, inspecting it. Getting settled back into her apartment was hectic on top of working out her bartender job, but this moment of solace always grounded her. There was something about this necklace that..spoke to her, but she couldn’t figure it out the meaning even after all this time. 

Lia gently brushed her fingers against golden metal, relishing in it’s simplistic beauty. When she turned the small red pendant around in her fingers, she raised a brow in curiosity when she noticed an engraving on the back. How had she missed that? She brought the pendant closer and upon closer inspection, she had read the engraving out loud, “Rumah saya..” Lia said the words over and over again in her mind, a mysterious familiarity tugging at her heart. But she groaned in frustration when, again, nothing came from her rumination.

The bartender’s head turned at the chirp of her phone, notifying her of a text.

Text from Nadia (3:46 pm): Hey Lia! Steve and I are hosting a Christmas party on the 24th. I’ll be inviting the gang over.

Text from Booze Ticket (3:47 pm): Sweet! We doing potluck or anything? I bet you guys miss my culinary talents.

Nadia is typing....

Text from Nadia (3:50 pm): Lia, I don’t think any of us are in the mood to get hospitalized. xoxo

Text from Booze Ticket (3:50 pm): Ruuude. But I guess I’ll be there.

Lia chuckled and put her phone down, placing the necklace back in its box. She had a lot to look forward to: the party and getting her life back together.

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It was the night of the Christmas party and the gathering was in full swing. Nadia had one too many drinks and Sloane was a sputtering mess when the artist started calling her variations of “science queen.” Steve and Khaan were absorbed in a deep discussion about various recipes and their health benefits while fussing around in the kitchen. Damien was busy playing with Hamza as Dipper aroo-ed and nudged both of their hands. 

Alana was sipping on a glass of whiskey, scanning the room when her eyes fell to Lia and Hayden. The pair seemed to be discussing something while Hayden motioned her hands idly as if explaining something to the bartender. Lia nodded every so often, completely rapt. 

The agent lifted an eyebrow when she saw Hayden pointing toward her and motioning for her to come over to them. She sauntered over and almost missed the interested gaze Lia was giving her. Almost. Alana tilted her head as she propped her glass-holding arm atop her other, letting her drink slightly angle her wrist down. Her eyes flitted briefly to the familiar necklace around the bartender’s neck before she spoke, her voice was as cool as always, “What’s up you two?”

There was a slight smile as Hayden tilted her head to Lia, “She was asking me how to say certain things in other languages. Apparently, she wants to try and impress her customers every now and then.” The Match crossed her arms in a relaxed manner and continued, “There’s a few I uh..don’t know.” Hayden tried to feign ignorance, failing miserably due to poor acting skills and the fact that Sloane had told the agent long ago that the former had fluency of numerous languages under her belt.

Alana set down her glass and smiled, “Alright. Lay it on me.”

A smile slowly spread across Lia’s face as she spoke up, “Okay, so I want to help customers feel at home while they’re at the bar. It’s kind of like my second home. How do you say “my home” in some the languages you know?”

“Hm, well in Russian..” Alana began listing off what she knew, catching the joyful glint in Lia’s eyes when the agent had told her a story about the language’s related country.

“....And in Bahasa, “my home” is “rumah saya.”

Suddenly, Lia’s eyes widened and she gasped. Her eyes gravitated to Alana’s and she saw the agent’s eyes flick up from her neck, where her necklace was. Honey brown eyes stared at her expectantly, curiosity and fear subtly coloring her gaze. The bartender unconsciously touched the red pendant hanging from her neck and saw Alana’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly as she waited with bated breath. Lia felt something pulling in her mind. Something was pulling at the gates of her memories that threatened to break the barrier entirely. 

The way Alana’s tongue rolled to say those two words resonated inside her with striking familiarity. The world and her friends were all forgotten around her, with only Alana at the center. There was something about the way Alana’s brown hair fell into all the right places that had Lia’s heart in a vise. There was a stray lock of hair that fell down over the agent’s shining eyes. They both realized that they were on the cusp of an epiphany and the weight was bearing down on them. Lia managed to tear her eyes away from Alana’s to look down at the pendant that was now turned over in her fingers. Her fingers began to tremble along the small divots of the engraving that was now resonating in her heart and mind as one. 

Tears had finally begun falling, leaving streaks down her cheek and settling on her hand. She lifted her head to meet Alana’s gaze again and sniffled, causing the agent’s eyes to widen even more in alarm. She felt a familiar warmth enter her space as Alana gently placed a hand on on her bicep. Lia shook her head to assuage any fears the agent may have had. The bartender finally spoke up in a shaky voice, “Alana...I remember everything. Running from Eros, our date in Paris..and this necklace that you gave me.” Lia gently took Alana’s arm from hers and guided it up to her cheek, leaning into it. “I’m your home..”

There was a choked sob from in front of the bartender. Alana gently pressed her warm palm against Lia’s cheek as tears fell freely. The agent’s smile was brighter than the Christmas lights around the apartment and her eyes sparkled even more radiantly than the star that sat atop the Christmas tree. “Yeah...” She gently pressed her forehead to Lia’s as cheers from their friends started filling the air when they realized what was happening. Alana let her eyes close as tears continued to fall, “You’re my home, Lia.”

Lia’s smile only seemed to match Alana’s in radiance as she pressed a sweet and gentle kiss to tear-stricken lips. “I love you, Alana Kusuma.”

There was a sharp intake of breath as Alana’s heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. However, it was not out of fear. The only thing she felt was her heart filling with love. Love for the woman who had let her fly free. For being her safe place to land.

“...I love you too, Lia Park.”