If You Won't, I Will

Ivy thought it would be a good idea at first, but now her fantastic plan seemed like a complete waste of time.

How wonderful it would have been for her to surprise Sakura with the dress that she had sold the day before. It really was a gorgeous dress, and the woman had looked like an angel herself in it. Sakura really didn’t have many nice things, and though she wasn’t one to complain about it, it still broke Ivy’s heart to watch her sell another one of her possessions. The way she had done so many times in the past in order to make sure that the girl was fed and clothed and taken care of. But for the first time, they finally had the extra funds get it back.

Granted, it was coin that the woman had won, but she and Zero had had a hand in that victory. So, in a way, it was theirs, too.

It would be a shame not to spend it responsibly.

Ivy had been so excited as she and Zero made their way through the streets and towards the vendor who’d purchased it. The woman had said that she probably wouldn’t be able to resell it, and she hadn’t.

But she wasn’t making it easy to get it back, either.

“Four gold seems like a lot,” Ivy argued meekly, her sight set solidly on her toe scuffing at the ground while she tried her best to haggle the way Sakura always did. Despite knowing that she needed more oomph in her voice and a sturdier backbone, she found herself falling short. So very, very short.

“It’s a dress from the heavens,” the woman told her. “It’s not going to be cheap.”

“I… I know. It’s just… that’s almost six times the price that you paid for it.”

“That’s how this business works, honey. You purchase something and then sell it for more than you bought it for. It’s called profit. I need to make a profit in order to survive. I can’t just go holding everyone’s stuff for them for free.”

“Of course not.” Oh, why did this have to be so hard? “I wouldn’t expect you to. I understand that you have to make a living. It just seems like it’s... so much more expensive than it…”

The woman sighed and cut the girl off. “Listen. That’s the price. You either pay it or you don’t. Besides…” Her eyes shifted to the coin bag that Ivy was nervously shuffling in her hands. “I know you have it. Word spreads fast, especially when a fox woman wins a fighting tournament. You want the dress back? It’s going to cost you four gold.”

“But that’s not fair!” she piped. “It sounds like you’re just charging me more.”

“Life’s not fair. I’m sure that must be difficult for you to understand since you’re young and pretty and I’d bet men are happy to give you whatever you want. But I’m not a man, and I don’t care about your looks. It’s either four gold, or you can move on and get out of here. You’re wasting my time.”

It wasn’t a feeling that Ivy felt often, but it was slowly building and wanting to take over.

Anger.

She knew how to get exactly what she wanted. All she had to do was look the merchant in the eye and tell her to hand the dress over, and she would do it without a word.

It would be so easy.

But it would be so wrong.

This wasn’t the same as The Kingdom where she had to control minds and erase memories in order to protect others. It was only a dress, something that Sakura didn’t even particularly care much about. It would be terrible for her to make the woman give it to her, and Ivy would never forgive herself for taking advantage of someone for such a petty reason.

She would just have to let it go.

“That dress.” The two women looked up at the boy who had stood by silently with his head down, his crimson irises now boring into the merchant’s dark eyes as a haze settled over them. “How much would you sell it to someone else for?”

“One gold,” she responded obediently.

“So, you’re charging us more?”

“Yes.”

“Because the fox woman won?”

“Yes.”

Zero considered it for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll pay one gold for the dress. You’ll give it to me. Then you’ll forget about us and the dress.”

“Yes.” The woman turned and grabbed the white dress from where it was hanging on display and carefully folded it before handing it to the devil who stuffed it into his bag.

“Will you, please?” he asked Ivy and she hastily pulled a gold coin from the small sack and placed it in the woman’s open palm. “Thank you. Have a good day and safe travels.” He took the girl’s hand and led her away as the woman wished them the same, her eyes slowly returning to normal at their departure.

Ivy walked along with Zero, looking back at the woman as she came out of her stupor and went about her business as normal before peering up at the boy. “Do you think it was okay to do that? Control her like that? Maybe it was wrong?”

“I don’t really care,” he confessed simply, his attention set ahead as he guided their way through the busy crowd. “It was also wrong to try to swindle you, but she had no problem doing that. We paid what she actually wanted, and you got the dress you wanted.” He glanced at the girl, her eyes betraying the guilt she felt, and smiled softly. “It was my choice. You don’t need to feel bad for it.”

“But you did it for my sake.”

“And you controlled those in The Kingdom for mine. And in the den, as well.”

“That was different, though.”

“Maybe.” Zero shrugged, his conscious free from shame. “But she was a bitch, so I don’t mind.”

Eyes bulged nearly out of her skull as Ivy gasped. “Zero!” she scolded. “That’s very rude!”

He still didn’t really care. “Ren and Sakura say it.”

Ivy pursed her lips. She couldn’t argue that the man and woman said it, sometimes a lot. But that was a word that she never would have expected from his mouth. “That doesn’t mean you should say it. It’s a terrible thing.”

“Well, she shouldn’t act like a bitch then.”

Another gasp escaped the girl, and she tugged at his hand in retaliation. “Zero!” A pout puckered as she watched the boy’s lips curve up and a few light chuckles spilled from them. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

The smile grew. “Maybe.” Zero was beginning to understand why Ren was so keen on antagonizing everyone. It really was fun.

Even if Ivy wanted to, she couldn’t even pretend to be upset with him, not when she was so pleased with this new behavior. He had always been so quiet, so reserved, uncertain of what to say and how to react out of fear of doing it wrong. But little by little, he had opened up, like a flower blooming, exposing the true beauty within himself. Becoming more confident. More of who he really was.

How she loved to see it.

See him.

Ivy released his hand and wrapped herself around his arm, pulling them closer together. “I like it when you tease me,” she admitted with a small smirk. “But I don’t like that word.”

“I won’t say it then.” Zero glanced at her, a mischievous raise to his brows. “I’ll find other ways.”

The girl giggled, looking forward to it. “Thank you.”

The two made their way through the festival, exploring the different booths and spending Sakura’s well-earned coin on food and a few things that caught the girl’s eye that the boy couldn’t talk her out of buying. Time seemed to pass quickly, as it always does when one is thoroughly enjoying themselves, and evening was soon upon them and disappearing to the night. They weaved through the dispersing crowds, following the flickering light from the streetlamps, until they came to a clearing in the road dedicated to a band and the dancers who moved along with the melodies they played.

Entranced violet eyes followed the skirts of women while they flared out with every twirl from their partners, two bodies swaying together under the glow of the lamps and moon as they twisted through others just like them. What a beautiful sight, one the girl wished to be a part of. But when Ivy looked up to the apologetic gaze that had been watching her, she knew it would be a wish unfulfilled.

“I’m sorry,” Zero said quietly. “If Sakura were here…”

“It’s fine.” Her dismissal rushed as she continued on passed the dance, pulling him along. “There were a lot of people anyways. It’s getting late, we should try to find a room for the night.”

Even though she said it was fine, the boy could hear the disappointment in her voice. If he had the choice, he would do as she wanted, as it was something that he wanted as well.

But it just wasn’t something for others to witness.

“I’d like to sleep outside. It’s easier to hear,” he told her.

“Alright. We’ll just sleep where we did last night.”

Without further discussion, the two followed the dark road out of town until veering off towards the trees and Sakura’s still waiting glaive.

Ivy released Zero and untied the ribbon from her neck, throwing it forward and chanting, “Tent.” She watched it transform and settle on the ground before turning back to the devil who held his hand out to her. A smile lit up her face and she quickly accepted, allowing him to pull her closer and begin the dance.

The ritual.

Meant for only them.

Two bodies.

Two souls.

Becoming one.

Under only the light of the moon and stars, they would glide like phantoms in the shadows, like whispers in the wind. Holding each other closely; their hands, their bodies, their eyes, their lips. A worshiping of one another.

They were a tribute to the night.

A praise to the day.

They were everything.

They were all.

And through the song of the night came the call.

Inviting.

Guiding.

Reminding.

But it was drowned out by the ballad of their voices.

The hymn of their love.

Eternal devotion.

They had somewhere they needed to be.

But it could wait.

For they were here now.

Together.