Chapter 35: C35 – Morning

"Ugh..."

Ava's eyes fluttered open. Not long after she was carted off the arena, she fell unconscious from exhaustion. Right as she woke back up, she was greeted with a headache. It wasn't too bad, surprisingly. Her body was the opposite though. She felt soreness and burning from all her wounds. 

After she processed the pain of her body, she looked around. Above her was a white ceiling and she was covered in white blankets. When she looked to her side, she saw Dirk sitting in a chair with his head down and eyes closed. 

"...Dirk?"

"Hm?"

She said his name, and Dirk's eyes instantly opened. He looked up and saw Ava peering at him. 

"Oh, you're awake."

"Are you disappointed?"

Ava smirked a bit at his dull response. He shook his head. 

"No, just tired."

"Tired? Why?"

"Hm, well, it's 3 in the morning. And this chair isn't the most comfortable."

Dirk spoke as he adjusted his body, popping joints in some places. Ava watched him and processed what he said. 

"3 in the... Wait, what day is it?"

"Our fight was yesterday. Today is the championship."

"Oh, right. Wait, then why are you here?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up. Come on, we're going to the house."

Dirk stood as he said that. Ava had several questions though as she looked at him stupidly.

"House? Wait, hold on. You have your championship. You should be asleep in your house."

"I was waiting."

"You shouldn't have. Your fight starts in like 7 hours!"

"That's plenty of time. Now come on. You should be able to walk."

Dirk disregarded her panic and waved her over. She pinched her nose in confusion. She couldn't seem to understand what Dirk wanted to do.

"Why are we going to your house? I can't just leave a hospital anyway."

"Sure you can. The door is right there."

"But what about my wounds?"

"I've got a healing potion and plenty of bandages at home. That's why I want you to come to the house."

"Huh?"

"I'm giving you a healing potion. Now let's go."

"That..."

Ava looked at him with a bit of surprise. Healing potions weren't exactly easy to come by, and although she knew he used them, it was to heal from his destruction cycles. Giving her one was a big expense. Plus, they came straight from his parents. It wasn't meant for her.

Dirk spoke with a frown of annoyance the next moment, though it wasn't directed at Ava. 

"I tried, but they wouldn't let me bring the potion in here, for some reason. I guess they don't trust a kid with a potion they've never seen before. Anyway, the potion is at home, and you'll heal faster with good food in your stomach. So come on."

"I... Alright."

Ava eventually nodded and got off the bed. When she found that she was in another pair of clothes though, she frowned. These were the hospital's clothes.

"Here. I brought some of my clothes for you. Yours are bloody, and I don't know where your dorm is. They should fit somewhat."

"Oh."

Ava looked at Dirk's outstretched hand and took the shirt and shorts. They were very obviously boy's clothes, but she really couldn't think of a better option. 

"T-turn around."

"Hm? Why?"

"Cause I'm changing. Or are you just going to watch me?"

Ava spoke scoldingly with a red face. Were they so close that she would just strip in front of him? She couldn't help but have fantastical thoughts about it. 

"Oh, right."

Realizing his mistake, Dirk scratched his head and made some distance, turning his back. Ava got out of bed and took off her hospital clothes, changing into Dirk's. Her face reddened even further as she took everything off, and she watched Dirk the entire time. He never turned around though, and she sighed when she was changed.

"Alright, let's go."

Ava spoke as the waist of the shorts tightened, fitting her. As she took a step though, she grimaced. Moving hurt her wounds, and changing clothes was especially painful. It tugged on her stitches that sealed her lacerations, and flexing her muscles agitated the bruises. Luckily, Dirk's clothes were loose and soft, not making things worse. She smiled at how considerate he was in choosing them. 

Upon hearing her, Dirk turned around and looked at Ava. He had indeed chosen clothes that would feel the best with wounds. Her shirt was loose, as were the shorts, and both were made from smooth material. It was baggy on her, making it look like the clothes of a bum, but she pulled it off well. 

Seeing that she was ready, the two walked out. While there was still some activity in the hospital, nobody questioned them as they walked out. Ava was also able to adapt to the pain of her wounds, so she didn't draw any attention by limping. 

Soon, they were outside and walking back to Dirk's house. The night was dark and breeze cold with nobody outside. They walked the dark pathways side by side. As they did, Ava brought the shirt she was wearing up to her nose, smelling it. She felt a bit embarrassed, but she liked Dirk's scent. 

"You did good during the fight."

Suddenly, Dirk spoke. Ava put down the shirt and thought about the battle they had. 

Toward the end, Ava really was angry. Every day she would imagine what Dirk was capable of and how amazing he was. But when he spoke of dropping out so easily, it made her mad. Unlike Dirk, she placed huge importance on things like the tournament. It was a big deal, and she couldn't understand how Dirk didn't see that. 

This brought her to another point though. How was Dirk, who was only just about to turn 13, so good at fighting? How did he speak as if he had the experience of an adult and soldier? She never really questioned these things that were obviously out of place. Things like where he learned martial arts from, how he was so good at fighting, how his pain tolerance was so high, and how he spoke oddly wise words occasionally. But now, after that battle, she was questioning it. 

"...Hey Dirk..."

"Yea?"

"How... did you get so good at martial arts?"

"..."

Dirk went quiet. This question had been asked before, but he had brushed it off by telling her that his mother had trained him. This time though, it was different. She was questioning that and him too. She knew that there was something else to him.

Could he tell her though? That he was someone from a different world? He suddenly wanted to. He wondered how nice it would be to get the secret off his chest. But with that information, he didn't know if he could trust her. The two were close, close enough that he could trust her with access to his home, but this was something quite a bit deeper. 

But he also didn't want to lie. Dirk thought for a while and eventually spoke.

"I can't tell you that. Not right now at least. Maybe when we're older. I want to, but it'll have to wait."

"...I understand."

Hearing him, Ava nodded. She was a bit shocked that he didn't say that his mother taught him. That meant she didn't, and there was truly something there that she didn't know. But she was also a bit happy. He didn't lie to her, and he wanted to trust her. Like when he gave her the key to his home, this meant a lot to her. 

The two didn't take long to arrive home. When they did, Dirk immediately brought her to the kitchen. A case was already on the table, and he popped it open to reveal three rows of potions. They were all for healing, and he plucked one out. 

"Drink it."

"I..."

"Just drink."

"...Sigh."

Seeing his determination, Ava sighed and took the bottle. She downed it in one go. When she was done, she looked at the empty bottle in surprise.

"That tastes surprisingly good."

"Right? I thought it would taste bitter, but who would've thought?"

Dirk smiled at her as he agreed. He thought it would taste like Earth's medicine, bitter or sour. But it actually tasted really good. It was sweet, but not too sugary like candy. If he didn't stop himself, he could drink those things like water. 

"Alright, now for dinner."

"Oh, let me help."

"You're going to sit on the couch and stay still. If you want something to do, massage your muscles and get your blood flowing."

Dirk spoke as he dragged Ava to the couch, sitting her down. She looked at him with a bit of a stunned face before looking away, unable to stop a sweet smile from surfacing. 

While she rested, Dirk went on to cook a large meal for both of them. It took a bit, but when he was done, Ava's stomach growled. She smelled the aroma and could already taste the savory meat. She walked over as Dirk set the table, and the two of them quickly started eating. 

Ava gobbled everything up, as did Dirk. Both of them had large appetites, and within half an hour, the table was cleared. The two sat back with full stomachs and content faces.

"That was good. Thanks for cooking."

"Sure. I've got the correct timing for the meat, so I can cook as well as chefs."

"That's good. You'll have to teach me next time."

The two smiled as they spoke. After a few more minutes, they finally decided to clean up. When everything was washed, Ava prepared to leave and go to her dorm. 

"Well, thanks for the potion. And the food. I'll try and be here in the morning. I definitely won't miss your battle."

"Hm? You're leaving?"

"Uh, yea? To go to my dorm?"

"Yea, no. Follow me."

Dirk shook his head as he waved her over, and Ava followed him upstairs. Aside from his bedroom, there was another door. He went inside and turned on the light, revealing another bedroom. 

"This is the second bedroom for this house."

"They come with two?"

"Yep. There isn't usually only one person who lives in the house. Anyway, you'll be staying here, at least for tonight. If you want, there are other clothes in my room you can pick out that are meant for sleeping."

"N-no, that's fine."

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"Then go ahead and do what you need. There's a bathroom right there too. I don't recommend bathing right now though. I also don't have another clock, so I'll come in and wake you in the morning."

"Oh, okay. Can I really sleep here?"

"I wouldn't offer the room otherwise. If there's anything else you need, I'll be in my room. Don't worry about disturbing me."

"...Alright."

"Then goodnight."

Saying that, Dirk left for his room. Ava entered her bedroom and looked around for a while before going to the bathroom and cleaning up. She then went to the bed, slipping under the cool covers. 

As her body relaxed, she could feel her heartbeat send tremors through the bed. She quickly fell asleep, still a bit fatigued from the day before. 

.........

"Wake up."

"Hm?"

The next morning, Ava's eyes gently opened to the sound of a familiar voice. She found Dirk standing on the side of her bed, shaking her shoulder a bit. 

"Hmm..."

"Breakfast is ready. Go ahead and clean up. Come down when you're ready."

"Oh... Oh! Alright."

After taking a few seconds for her brain to boot up, Ava understood and got out of bed. Dirk went down, and when Ava had freshened up, she went down as well. 

The aroma of food hit her nose, reminding her of a pleasant family brunch. She couldn't help but smile as she found Dirk taking a few bites of food. 

The two ate in comfortable silence. The food was warm and easy on the stomach, so it served to energize Ava for the day. She found herself thinking about if every day were like this. She wouldn't mind that at all. 

When they were done, Dirk stood up. 

"Alright, come over here."

Wondering what he wanted to do, Ava simply nodded before following him to the couch. There, he popped open the potion case and handed her one. 

"Drink."

"..."

Ava stood there hesitantly, but after Dirk forced it into her hand, she reluctantly drank. The sweet taste did nothing to quell the sense of guilt that rose up within her. She felt like she shouldn't be letting him do this for her. 

"Alright, now sit down and give me your leg."

"Hm?"

"We're gonna change your bandages."

"Oh!"

Hearing that, Ava's face suddenly lit up. She did enjoy him applying her bandages. She tried not to let her excitement show though as she calmly sat down, resting her legs over his lap. 

When he pushed up her shorts though, she got goosebumps. He slowly undid her bandages, exposing the wound and stitches. Ava was curious and looked at it, but cringed when she saw how ugly it was.

"Ugh, look what you did to me! No wonder it hurt so bad."

"When we dungeon dive in the future, there will be more of this. You won't scar anyway, and it's only a superficial wound. I suggest you get used to it."

"Hmph. You're so heartless."

"I will touch it."

"No! Don't!"

Ava smacked away his hand that was about to brush over the stitches. Seeing him smile, she huffed and laid back down. Dirk proceeded to clean the skin a bit before applying a fresh bandage. During this, Ava thoroughly enjoyed his gentle treatment.

And fortunately for her, there wasn't only one wound to treat. Next was her arm which also had a deep cut from his rock arrow. He did the same thing with it as with the leg. Then came the wound on her side.

"You'll need to take off your shirt."

"W-wait, what?"

"I need to get to the bandage."

"..."

Ava went silent at the outrageous request, but Dirk really did need to get under her shirt. Her wound was on her side just under her chest. He couldn't get to it with the shirt in the way. 

"I..."

"Or just take out one arm."

"...Fine."

Nodding, Ava pulled her arm out of her shirt. However, even with that, her chest would still be exposed. Unfortunately, the only thing she could do was cover it with her hand. Like this, she let Dirk take the bandage off of her. Her face burned the entire time, and she couldn't help her heart which beat out of her chest.

Dirk didn't mind any of that though, only seeing her medium breast through his peripheral vision. He smoothly removed the bandage and exposed the wound. Looking at it, this was actually the worst one. It was deep enough to have exposed her ribs, and it was lucky that none of them were broken. He felt apolegetic before cleaning it up. The damp cloth wetted with medical cleaning solution sent chills down Ava's spine. She felt ashamed to be enjoying this as much as she was. 

Eventually, Dirk had her raise her elbows so he could wrap her back up. He brought the bandages around her torso, completely covering the wound. With that, he was done, and Ava put the shirt back on. 

"T-thanks."

"Sure. With two potions a day and clean wounds, it should heal quickly."

"Yea. Isn't that too much though? I can just heal normally."

"It's fine."

"...Thanks..."

Ava spoke softly. Dirk didn't say much, but she knew he cared. Was this him worrying about her? Even when he did destruction cycles, he only drank one every few days. This was a large expenditure. Even if he was the one who gave her the wounds, he had no reason to care so much for her. 

Dirk nodded and was about to stand from the couch, but Ava stopped him. Pulling his hand, she quickly brought her lips to his cheek. Dirk was surprised as he felt her warm breath on his skin. She slowly backed away, not as flustered as she thought she would be. 

"I just... As a thank you. I'll pay you back someday."

"I... don't do this expecting to be paid back."

"I know. Just... I want you to know that I'm not using you. Or taking advantage of you. Well, I guess that's not the best way to express that. But... I'll show you. When I can."

"...Okay."

Dirk nodded slowly, but his mind was filled with the kiss. 

'That... felt nice.'

He couldn't help but be dazed a little, his guard lowering significantly. He wasn't sure what this feeling was. He just really wanted more of that. Unfortunately, he had to reign himself in. 

"So... we should get ready to leave. The battle is in 20 minutes."

"Oh, okay... Wait, 20 minutes?! Then why are we still here?!"

"So we could treat you?"

"You need to get to your battle, dummy!"

Saying that, Ava shot off the couch and pushed Dirk up to his room. He looked at her weirdly before going into his bedroom and changing. When he came back out a couple minutes later, the two went for the door. 

"We're going to stop by your dorm on the way there."

"You need to get to the arena."

"And you need a change of clothes. If you want to make it in time, then hurry along to your dorm."

"You... Ugh! Come on!"

Ava huffed at him frustratedly before stomping off. He smiled before following. 

A few minutes later, Ava shot into her dorm while Dirk waited outside. The first thing she saw were her dormmates who were getting dressed.

"Ava?"

"Oh, hi guys."

"Ava! Hey, are you okay?! Where have you been?!"

Her friends rushed over to her, looking her up and down. She smiled as she cursed inwardly, wishing for her friends to get out of the way so she could get changed. 

"I was in the hospital. I'm fine though."

"Hospital! Ugh, that asshole friend of yours. How could he hurt you so badly?!"

"H-hey! It was a battle! People get hurt in battles. He did nothing wrong."

"Ava, you don't need to defend him. Look, just stop hanging out with that guy. I know it must hurt to have discovered how two faced he was. He didn't try to do anything else to you, did he?"

"No! Just... be quiet, will you?!"

"Ava, you need to stand up to him! You're beautiful and talented! If you want, we can teach him a lesson for you. It's time to unchain yourself from that sadistic piece of horseshit."

"Agh! Just let me get my clothes!"

As her friend refused to listen, Ava shouted and pushed her way through the dorm. She hurriedly took out some of her clothes and threw them on, all the while her friends continued to talk smack about Dirk. Eventually, she hurried out and slammed the door behind her with a red face. Her shame increased when she saw Dirk's smiling face.

"I... I'm sorry. They just-"

"It's fine. You're friends seem nice. It's not bad to have people who will fight for you."

"I-I guess. Let's just get to your fight."

Ava grabbed his wrist and quickly pulled him out of the dorms just in case her friends decided to chase her. Luckily, they didn't, and they two rushed to the arena where Dirk would fight for the championship.