Melting Ice

Sky woke to a start, drenched in cold sweat. A nightmare. He felt as if he forgot something critically important, but it always danced just out of his reach. Eventually shrugging it off, he decided to get ready for school. Right as he was about to head out, he noticed that the window to his bedroom was left open. Frowning, he could've sworn that he closed it last night. Maybe not? After closing the window, he locked the doors and headed to school.

As he was walking to school, he heard someone calling his name from afar. And then footsteps, before he felt something extremely soft and squishy press into his arm. "Sky~! Why'd you ignore me?" Mia exclaimed, hugging his arm while pouting a little. 'So cute!' Sky thought while saying "Sorry Mia, I didn't hear you!"

"Fine! As payment for the emotional trauma you've caused me, why don't you buy me a melon soda~?" She smirked, before adding: "You won't be so cruel as to reject such a beautiful lady now, would you~?" She said, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes, causing Sky to attract the glares of numerous male students, almost as if they would happily murder him if they had the chance. He gulped before sighing in resignation: "Fine…"

"I knew my Sky is a gentleman after all~. Hehe!" She giggled cutely while swaying her head side to side. They laughed happily while talking about various different things, and before they knew it, they had arrived at school. "I'll walk with you to your classroom~" Mia said, answering Sky's inquisitive look when he realized Mia was still following him. "Oh, ok." He replied, secretly happy that he could talk to his less-than-lover more than-friend just a little longer.

Upon reaching the door, Mia quickly kissed his cheek before pulling away, giggling softly while blushing a little, "See you after school 'kay? Don't forget that we're going to the mall~!" Sky, flustered, just nodded like a hen pecking rice before finding his way to his seat in the back of the room

"Hey. Loser. Who was that? That girl who just sent you off to class, who was that?" Someone slammed his desk, startling Sky who was texting his online friend, Weaver_of_Fate, and discussing strategies for their favorite video game.

"Y-you mean Mia? Yeah, she's my friend, what about it?" Sky looked up, and taking one look at who it was. Tony.

"Heh, you, friends with someone like her? Not a chance! Tell me, how much did it cost you to pay her to play lovey-dovey with you?" Tony smirked, before leaning in to his ear and whispering the second part, his goons behind him snickering.

Sky looked around, hoping that someone could help him out of the situation, but to no avail, as anyone he made eye contact with averted their eyes. He made his stand:

"Mia isn't some random woman you find in the red light district! She's a kind, easy-going, and cheerful girl first and foremost! Personality before looks! Something that you bastards wouldn't understand, obviously." He paused, glancing at Tony for a second, the implication obvious.

"You bastard!" Tony roared, reaching for Sky's collar, furious. The room itself seemed to heat up for Sky, as blood started to rush to his head, adrenaline kicking in. But suddenly, the room cooled down in an instant. No, that's an understatement. The room dropped to freezing temperature.

"Put him down." Three simple words, said quietly and full of majesty were somehow heard over the shouts and din. Tony did as he was told, almost as if it was a royal mandate. Skadi's glacier-blue eyes seemed to carry unimaginable pride and majesty, shocking the class. Upon seeing Tony's actions, Skadi simply sat down once more, seemingly satisfied.

'Why did I do that?' Skadi inwardly frowned. 'My heart. Why does it wrench when I see him being bullied by those insects?' BA-DUM. 'Why does it wrench when I see him with that slut Mia?' BA-DUM. 'Why does it hurt so much when I picture a future without Sky?' As if it encountered a warm flame, Skadi, the Snow Queen's frozen heart thawed, if only a little bit. She gasped slightly, her eyes widening and gaining clarity, and her cheeks gaining a touch of red to them. 'Sky! My Sky! What have I done?! Why have I been so cold to him for all these years?! My husband! How could I treat him this way?!'

Suddenly, her eyes dulled once more, and her expression once more turned cold. The only evidence that Skadi Everwinter's inward outburst ever happened was a single tear, now frozen that ran down her cheek, which was also quickly wiped away. 'I see. It's all that bastard Sky's fault. He deserved it after all! Hmph!' and with that, Skadi turned her head away, and the room's temperature seemed to regain normalcy. After the drama that happened in the classroom, the rest of Sky's day seemed comparatively normal.

A month flew by, with Sky getting increasingly closer to Mia with each after-school date that they had. To the point that Sky was seriously considering asking her out. To Sky, each date with Mia was the highlight of his day, where he could be himself and laugh and not have to worry about anything else. Another thing to note was that the nagging feeling in the back of Sky's mind seemed to grow stronger every day, with him seriously wondering what it was that he was forgetting, or WHO he was forgetting.

Then he realized. He had forgot about his promise to play video games with his friend Weaver_of_Fate. Somehow, they had been muted in his Messenger application on his phone. Strange. When he checked it, he was immediately met with multiple concerned texts asking if he was ok. He felt guilty and immediately responded, promising that he would for sure log on tonight and play with them.

Somewhere, in a certain someone's hideout, someone was watching him and his text exchange with his online friend. Mia. Her eyes dulled immediately. She was so close to finally being a couple with Darling, she wouldn't let some random "friend" on the Internet interrupt that!

For all she knew, that "friend" could be a slut trying to steal her Darling! She immediately whipped out her phone, took a deep breath, before sending her Darling a video recording. "S-Sky! *Hic* My g-grandpa just p-p-passed *Hic* away! I don't think I can go to school t-tomorrow, I-I'm sorry *Hic* b-but I d-don't think we can g-go on our date t-tomorrow! Uwaaaa!"

With tears streaming down her beautiful face and her obviously disheveled appearance, she made for a very pitiful sight. After ending the voice recording, her "sorrowful" countenance immediately returned to normal. "And… send~! Perfect~!" Mia giggled slightly. 'Hah~. I'm sorry Darling~. You're too innocent for your own good~! Of course I'll use any trick I can for the sake of our future together! Even if I have to lie to you! It's all for your sake after all~!' She continued inwardly.

Ding~! Sky's phone buzzed, and picking it up, he saw a text message from Mia. Curious as to why she would text him around dinner time, Sky opened his Direct Message and saw to his horror, a singular video, with a thumbnail of Mia's disheveled face. Watching it, he gasped in horror, and immediately sympathized with her. He too had lost someone important to him, and could totally relate to what she was going through. But this time it would be different.

He wouldn't allow for Mia to go through it alone like he had. He would be there for her.