Clear Water (Tales of Rebirth, Tytree/Annie) Title: Clear Water Author/Artist:catdevigri Fandom: Tales of Rebirth Pairing/characters: Tytree Crowe/Annie Barrs Rating: G Warnings: none Prompt/challenge you're answering: Tytree is bailed out by Annie- though in return Tytree must pay back the debt. Author's note: Apparently I like this prompt. ^^;
"Oh, Annie, you're a lifesaver!" Tytree flexed his bandaged arm enthusiastically. He'd take a pretty bad spill into the river and the rocks had smashed and ripped his arm. If he were injured, how could he be any help to the group at all? He might as well just go back to Petnadjanka and give up. But Annie really had the goods. She'd learned well.
"No problem. What kind of physician would I be if I were willing to leave you to suffer?" Annie put away her bandages and stretched. She was pretty pleased with her handiwork. As long as he didn't reopen the wounds she predicted the torn skin and muscle would heal just fine. "Anyway, if you'd just pay up now," she held out her hand, "I think about 3,000 gald should cover it."
"What?" Tytree recoiled in shock. "I don't have that kinda cash on me!"
"Ha ha ha!" Annie serious facade quickly fell away and she burst out laughing. "I know that, Tytree! What kind of friend or doctor would I be to demand that sort of heavy payment from you, anyway?"
Tytree staggered across the dock and leaned back against the side of a warehouse to steady himself. "Sheesh!" he exhaled a long breath that whistled through his teeth. "You're good at that, you know? You really got me all wound up there!"
"I think Mao must be rubbing off on me," she admitted sheepishly, kicking a stray pebble off the dock. It hit the water with a gentle splash, setting off a ring of ripples to meet the sides of the nearby boats. The pebble was visible a long way down. The water around Sunnytown was relatively clear compared to the rushing white rapid upriver and the crashing gray sea not far beyond. "The thing is...I do feel like I deserve compensation of some kind for helping you out. Don't you agree with me?"
Well, she was sort of right. They were friends and all, but they weren't close enough yet that he should presume she'd take care of him for free. Now, maybe for a discount... "I getcha, Annie. So, uh, what did you have in mind? You already know that I'm not exactly loaded. All I really came here with is the clothes on my back. Heh heh." He suddenly realized how ill-advised that sounded. Was he really that reckless of a guy after all? No wonder he always need Selena to keep him in line. "Sorry 'bout that. I guess I may be the cause of even more trouble for you."
"Hey, as long as you don't try to tell me weird ghost stories, I'm sure you won't bother me any. ...And I know we'll manage," she added the last part more seriously. They had managed so far together, hadn't they? And that was even with Veigue being as cold as a popsicle and her trying to exact her revenge against Eugene. If the other three could travel with someone who wanted one of them dead, surely they could tolerate a hot-headed but ultimately well-meaning guy who occasionally forgot some of the details.
"So, what was that about ghost stories?"
That was one subject Annie didn't want to discuss now. "Anyway, about my payment!" she burst in suddenly, hoping that if they didn't talk about it now Tytree would forget about it. "I don't need anything with any monetary value! Please just allow me to receive my first kiss from such a good, honest person!" She was practically shaking as she got the words out.
Tytree was surprised, but he was also flattered. Certainly a good, gallant fellow like himself couldn't turn down such a request from a cute girl like Annie. "O-of course," he agreed, but as he leaned down to reach her pink lips he found he was quivering also. This was his first kiss too.