#Suna spent years in the Blood Sands under Loloritos 'management'

[littlelordalphinaud]

linking arms with each other

Touching

46. linking arms with each other

No ship specified so I spun the wheel in my head and we're getting...

Suna/Thancred!

Set massively pre-relationship, back in the HW patches!

"Here, take my arm," Ichigo looked up to see Thancred, his arm extended towards her. Taking a deep breath, she was quick to loop her arm through his, feeling his hand rest atop hers. "Just keep breathing. And if anyone looks at you funny, you tell me and I'll sort them out," Thancred winked, and Ichigo hid a laugh behind her hand.

"Thank you," she said, allowing Thancred to lead her deeper into the room full of well dressed people. The air was thick with music and the pungent smell of food, although all of it turned Ichigo's stomach.

"Suna! My friend!" Aymeric swept towards them, and Ichigo fought her natural instinct to flinch away. Thancred helped steady her. She couldn't run away without releasing his arm, and she knew that would make her feel far more unsafe.

"Ser Aymeric, good to see you," Thancred spoke, and Ichigo felt herself relax further. "Thank you for hosting this wonderful soirée. I must admit, seeing the Ishgardian ladies out of their layers and in simple dresses feels akin to seeing them with naught on at all." That made Ichigo laugh. She hid her mouth behind her hand and attempted to keep it to a quiet noise, but the initial sound was a raudy guffaw.

"I can ask them to cover up again, should that aid your embarrassment?" Aymeric offered, furthering the joke. "Although doing so would mean I would also need to insist Suna put on an overcoat too. Which would be a shame. That dress is rather fetching on you, my friend!" Ichigo wanted to feel good at the compliment. She'd chosen the dress because she'd liked it, and because Alphinaud had said it suited her. But hearing the compliment from someone else made her feel sick.

Thancreds touch to her hand brought Ichigo back to the moment, and she dipped her head quickly to Aymeric.

"I'm terribly sorry, Ser, I fear I may have eaten something that has disagreed with me. If you would allow it, I think it might be best if Thancred were to escort me outside for some air," she managed to say.

"Of course, of course. Whatever you need." Aymeric encouraged, waving them away. Again, Ichigo let Thancred lead her, the two of them stopping by a window. Out of fear he might move away, Ichigo tightened her grip on his arm. He didn't complain.

"You know, if you want others to call you Ichigo too, I could make the point for you," Thancred said. Ichigo shook her head.

"I don't. I want to be Suna again, I just..." She sighed, "it's hard to think of myself as her anymore. I spent so long as Ichigo."

"Well," Thancred hummed, "Ichigo or Suna, you'll always have me."