A Lesson in Confession and Trust

Title: A Lesson in Confession and Trust
Author: DigiExpert
Rating: PG
Summary: An exhausting round of exploration leads to a lake, which gives Aaeru an idea. Meanwhile, Neviril harbors a secret...
Notes: Written for Kristen, who had it rough at the time. Since she was feeling down, I promised her I'd do an Aaeru/Neviril drabble. It turned into a fic when I started out... This fic also works to answer the prompt "Recreation"


“Ah, finally! A chance to stretch out!” remarked Aaeru, standing on tiptoes as she raised her arms over her head. She looked back to Neviril, who was climbing down from the sagitta seat.

“It was your idea to keep flying so long,” reminded Neviril as she walked toward Aaeru.

The pair had landed in a valley, after exploring what appeared to be a barren landscape. Aaeru had flown them for days in all directions, and not a sign of civilization was to be found. Tired of staying cramped in the Simoun, Aaeru had taken them down in a valley after spotting the large lake that took up a large portion of the area. It seemed to be the ideal location to rest and relax for a day or two.

“Well, we’re not flying anymore.” Aaeru’s eyes wandered over the area, studying their surroundings. It was quite warm out, hot even. The weather here was similar to the summer season on Simulacrum. The cargo pants and quarter sleeve shirt she wore began to feel like too much clothing. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the lake and then she smiled, fondly remembering years past. Turning, she flashed the same smile at Neviril. “Hey, Neviril!”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s go swimming!” Aaeru was already stripping down to her undergarments as she spoke, intent on doing the activity. She shucked off the shirt and pants and tossed them in a pile. She grabbed Neviril’s hand and tugged. “Come on!”

“Aaeru, wait!” Neviril pulled her hand out of Aaeru’s strong grasp.

“What’s wrong?” Aaeru looked up at her quizzically.

“I can’t go swimming if I’m wearing my clothes.”

“Oh,” Aaeru answered. “Well, take them off then. It’s so hot here, and I bet the water’s really nice.” Without another word, she took a running start toward the lake and jumped, landing in the water with a big splash. She disappeared beneath the surface of the water as little pools rippled on the surface.

For a few moments, Neviril watched, waiting for Aaeru to surface. She wondered if perhaps it had been a bad idea when she saw the blonde break the water and poke her head out. “It’s just right, Neviril. Come on!”

“Give me a few moments.” Neviril slowly unfastened the dress she wore, taking her time. She wasn’t very sure about this idea of swimming. It wasn’t because it was an activity she didn’t enjoy or because something tragic had happened to her as a child, but because she simply didn’t know how to swim. She wasn’t sure how it worked, and it had never been something her father had hired someone for. Neviril wasn’t sure how to tell Aaeru about it; the idea of confessing made her embarrassed.

Aaeru, bobbing in the water, watching Neviril, slightly impatient because it took her so long to get undressed. It hadn’t taken Aaeru nearly as long to do the same. Finally, she saw Neviril discard the dress and walk toward the water. She’d finally be able to swim with her pair.

Neviril treaded the water, slowly making her way further in. Within seconds, she could feel the edge start to sharply slope down further. She was hesitant to go any farther. She looked around for Aaeru, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. “Aaeru?” she called. “Aaeru?”

Suddenly, the surface of the water broken and Neviril found herself drenched by a sudden wave. She could have sworn she heard Aaeru’s voice in the mix, but couldn’t sure. She quickly pulled her hands up to protect her face. In her surprise, her foot slipped over the sudden drop, and she found herself sinking below the surface quickly. She reached upward, frantically hoping that such an action would magically help her appear above the water. Her feet moved quickly, searching for a bit of land to catch her foot on. There weren’t any.

It was odd to Aaeru that Neviril disappeared under water and didn’t come back up right away. She was certain that the girl would have by now. It never dawned on her that Neviril might not know how to swim. She waited, still seeing if Neviril would suddenly appear. When she didn’t, Aaeru began to wonder if something was wrong. She quickly dived under the water and began searching.

Not long there after, she spotted Neviril down near the bottom of the lake, trying to move toward her. Quickly, Aaeru grabbed onto her hand and began swimming quickly toward the surface. She soon surfaced, gulping the air into her lungs, pulling Neviril up beside her, who was coughing and sputtering. Aaeru rubbed her back until Neviril could regain control.

“What happened, Neviril?” asked Aaeru.

“I can’t… I can’t swim. I never learned how to. When you splashed me, I slipped off the land and the lake dropped off. I couldn’t… I couldn’t find it again,” explained Neviril softly. She turned and began walking toward the shore. She could feel her body shaking, the fear still lingering that she had gone under, and nearly drowned. She didn’t blame Aaeru; it was her own fault for not speaking up.

“Where are you going?”

“To sit. I don’t want to swim. I don’t know how to.”

“But I could teach you. It’s really easy. My grandpa taught me how and I learned fast.”

Neviril only shook her head. She didn’t want to swim, if that’s how things went. She felt Aaeru grab her arm and hold her in place.

“Neviril, don’t go. I want to swim with you.”

“I would rather not. You can swim and I’ll watch.”

Aaeru let go of Neviril’s arm and watched her continue to walk toward the shore, frowning. She’d suddenly lost her motivation for wanting to swim in the first place. It didn’t matter if Neviril wasn’t going to join her. Swimming alone was never very fun, and she wanted to swim with Neviril. She wondered if there was a way to do that still. Then she had an idea.

“Wait, Neviril!”

Turning around, Neviril looked back. “Hmm?”

“I have an idea.”

The pair sat side by side as the water pooled over their legs. Aaeru had taken them out far enough that they could sit and be covered up to their waists in the cool water. Aaeru leaned against Neviril’s side, and Neviril had placed an arm around her. The pair sat in the hot afternoon sun, relaxing and calming down.

“Neviril?”

“Yes, Aaeru?” Neviril ran her fingers through the water.

“I didn’t mean to splash you like that. I didn’t know you didn’t know how to swim. Grandpa taught me when I was a little kid, and I thought everybody learned.”

“My father never had someone teach me. I didn’t have a reason to learn it. I am sure he would not have let me swim in the lake either.”

“I can teach you,” replied Aaeru softly. “I won’t do anything like before to you again.”

Neviril considered this. Aaeru seemed quite sincere about it, and it could be useful if she did know how to swim. Sighing, she replied, “All right.”

Together, the two spent the rest of the afternoon in the shallow part of the lake. Aaeru held on to Neviril, teaching her the most basic strokes of swimming and floating. Neviril was very hesitant to try at first, because of both the earlier experience and because she simply wasn’t sure of what to expect. It was a first for the girl who carried the Sibylla Aurea title. Aaeru was an ever patient instructor, coaching her and lending a hand when the fear became too much. She never teased nor taunted her love; she simply encouraged, every now and then leaning up or over to kiss Neviril’s cheek. She couldn’t teach Neviril to swim in an afternoon, but she could teach trust and overcoming fear in ways that words could not describe.