seveninchmotto | The Academy, Idris, Sunday

Flick wasn't in his room and he wasn't in class. They'd finished lessons for the day and, after a strenuous class of fighting and training with swords, he was sitting in one of the common rooms, ice on one knee.

Every so often, someone would come in and chat with him but he was mostly alone with just his fantasies to keep him company.

Isabelle had aimed her visit at a time she at least assumed his lessons would be over, so she checked his room first. Nothing – but she bumped into George, who at least gave her some indication of where Flick might be found.

The couple of days she'd spent at the Academy while she'd been working on her father's ruse helped her a little in finding her way around the place, but it still took her a while to check the likeliest places.

But then, she stepped into one of the common rooms, and smiled. "There you are."

"...hey," Flick said, genuine surprise crossing his face at her appearance. "Is everything all right? Are you all right?"

Isabelle snickered. "Does this look like something to worry about?" she asked, pointing at her smiling face, before settling both hands on her hips. "Honestly, I know it's a surprise visit, but will you ever stop worrying something bad's going on when one happens?"

Flick shrugged, making no apologies for his ever present worry.

"Well, it's just -- " He tilted his head back and smiled at her. "I didn't expect you to be here and you're here and I worry."

"Well, don't."

Right now. The Angel knew he couldn't stop worrying in a more general sense. She nodded towards the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

"I came to take you somewhere for a bit, if you're free."

"Just icing my knee," he said, pulling the cold compress off his sore joint and stretching his leg a bit to make sure it was good. "We're not going to be going running or something, right? That I might not wanna do."

"Can you get on a horse?" she wondered. "Because if not, I'll have to think of a slight location change. But it's not too big a deal."

"I think I can manage that," he said, getting to his feet. He made a face at the mention of a horse anyway. "You're gonna control the thing, right? I'm still not great at riding horses."

"I was going to make you ride so I could just sit behind you and distract you with words in your ear." Because she was terrible and would never change. "But somehow that doesn't seem advisable."

"Oh, you do not want me to try and control a horse while you're talking dirty," Flick admitted with a shake of his head. "We'll both end up on our asses."

"He's a very tame horse, though," Isabelle argued, even if it was with a laugh. "Besides, I didn't say it was going to be dirty."

She'd meant it, sure. But she hadn't said it!

"Oh, it would have been dirty because it's you and you're just naturally a naughty person," Flick said, tossing his ice pack into the trash and making his way over to her.

He leaned in to catch a kiss. "Hey, babe."

"Hello, Jon," she murmured, leaning in. Couldn't resist lifting her hand and carding it through his hair, just once. She was saving all her extravagant affection for when they were somewhere a little more private, but she had to allow herself that much. "You know me too well."

And his hair was getting long.

There weren't too many barbers lurking around the Academy.

He sighed against her lips and pulled away, grinning. "All right, get me away from this place for a little while. If you don't, I'll end up running into Cartwright sooner rather than later and I don't want that."

"Aww, but I'd like to see you punch him," Isabelle replied, mock saddened by this state of affairs, even as she turned to lead him outside. "It's hot."

"Maybe when we get back," he told her, snickering. "My knee already hurts, I don't want to add bruised knuckles to my aches and pains. Sitting on a horse is gonna do that enough for me."

Isabelle tsked. "And I was so looking forward to putting you on your knees, too..." she said, trailing off. "Oh well."

"You know, telling me that is just horribly rude," Flick said, sighing and shaking his head. "You should keep it from me if you know I can't do it but I'll suffer if you really want me on my knees."

Isabelle shrugged the shoulder that wasn't carrying a bag. "Well, I'm a horrifyingly rude person," she pointed out easily. "But I don't want you to hurt yourself further."

Flick didn't dispute her being a rude person. He knew she was and he loved that about her.

"So, where are you taking me?" he asked instead. "How far are we going?"

"Outside the Academy grounds, but not too far," she told him, as they made it outside the building. "Just somewhere a little more private."

"You're not going to take me away and kill me, are you?" he asked jokingly. "So you can hide the body?"

They were heading towards the stables now. He better brace himself.

She looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Is that the best you can do, baby?"

Flick thought about it before he nodded very seriously. "Yes, yes it is. It's the best I can do on short notice!"

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