I took off my jacket and handed it to him because it’ll restrict my movement. I tried to give him his scarf and hat back but he fastened them to where they hid who I was. I ended up running off and back towards the battle.

Thankfully I made it just in time to save Dailah from being hit with an arrow by deflecting it with the sword Arlo entrusted me with.

“Raven?” Dailah asked.

“Arlo’s letting me help, but he’s a bit worried…” I answered.

“Oh ho ho! Both of the little black bird ninjas.” The criminal chuckled.

The name of the escaped prisoner was Nubla, he also just so happened to be an ex of mine as well! He was my ex before he started his terrorism of countless murders of people who just so happened to be criminals. Even in prison he continued to kill till Nubla was put into solitary confinement. Now he has escaped, what did he want?

“Nubla, what do you want?” I asked as I deflected another arrow.

“To keep killing those who’ve committed crimes. You know prison is a petty excuse, their lives deserve to be taken.” Nubla answered.

“So what are you?” My sister asked as she went on the offensive, throwing daggers in his direction.

“I will suffer for my sins in the afterlife.” Nubla threw the daggers he’d caught back at my sister

I didn’t want her to get hurt so I stepped forward and tried to deflect them like I had the arrows, but one stopped me in the thigh. It hurt like hell, but I needed to keep fighting. I knew if I removed the dagger, blood would just continue to gush out and I could die due to blood loss. I wasn’t going to die! I told Arlo I’d be fine, I wasn’t going to make him regret his decision!

The rest of the battle was a blur to me cause I felt pretty dizzy… and when I came back to my senses I was in my house, on my bed.

“Aki! Oh my god, Dailah told me what happened, I told you to be careful!” Arlo was in a chair beside me and when he spoke he’d stood up.

“Did I hear that right- Aki! Glad you’re not dead.” Dailah hug attacked me, “It’s a good thing I know how to sew, I stitched up your wound. That means you may get a new cool scar.”

“Cool.” I chuckled.

“How can you joke at a time like this?” Arlo was very worried.

“Because it’s how we cope with my mental issues.” Dailah chuckled, “Well I’m a bit tired, gonna hit the couch.” Dailah let go and left my room.

“How’s your leg?” Arlo asked.

“Eh, been better, been worse. I’ll be fine.” I sat up. “I didn’t make you regret your decision did I?”

“You got stabbed.”

“No, I got a dagger thrown at me. It just so happened to land and it punctured my skin.” I corrected him, “A stabbing is someone holding the blade and stabbing the stabbed in a hand to hand ranged combat, not throwing the blade.”

“You got severely hurt.” Arlo corrected his previous statement.

“I did, but I’m fine.” I reassured him.

“First I learn practically everything about you with 2 words, ‘I’m Raven,’ then you rush off into a battle, then you get hurt… can I just like… have the time to process all of this…” Arlo asked.

I nodded and got quiet, because that’s what Arlo wanted… I guess I wasn’t going to get the chance to confess like I wanted to.

“I’m goin’ to-” I tried to stand up but my leg was so sore and hurt that I couldn’t stand.

Before I fell face first onto the floor Arlo caught me, “Sit down. What do you need?” Arlo sat me back down on my bed.

“Uh… I was gonna make some hot cocoa…” I answered.

“Okay, I’ll make it for you. Where do you keep everything in your kitchen?” Arlo asked.

“Every cabinet is labeled, the hot cocoa mix is in the powder and seasoning labeled cabinet and the milk is in the fridge, the mugs are easy to find, in the mug cabinet… you can make yourself some too. And I have mini marshmallows in the sweets cabinet.” I answered.

“Okay.” Arlo left the room and after a while he came back with two mugs, and handed me one. “Here.”

“Thanks… so what advice did you wanna ask?” I tried to talk because the silence was killing me.

“Well a girl confessed to me… I don't know how to take it. Cause I kinda see her more of a little sister but I don’t want to hurt her feelings like that.” Arlo answered.

I paused, “Well I’m biased about this so maybe you should turn to someone else for advice…”

“Why?” Arlo asked.

“Ugh… get me my jacket and turn off the lights…” I asked.

Originally I’d planned to do a Pennyworth style confession, where the confesser sings a love song as they control needles to make it dance a little as the glow. Then give him the heart knot but then I remembered he didn’t know I was Raven but now he does so I can!

“Okay?” Arlo was a bit confused but again left my room and got me my jacket, “Why did you need it?”

“I kinda wanted to show you something cool.” I pulled out the needles and held them out.

“How are needles cool?” Arlo was impatient.

“It’s what I’ll do with them that's cool.” I took a deep breath and began to hum the tune of the poem if written, causing the needles to float out of my hands. Then I began:

“Ember hair, a fiery halo,

framing a face that launched a thousand dawns. 

Blue eyes, oceans reflecting skies I’d forgotten existed,

a stark contrast to my own,

black hair, a curtain drawn across a starless night,

abyss eyes, mirroring the void I called a soul. 

I was a warrior, once. 

Iron sang in my hand, a grim lullaby,

battles painted scars on my spirit,

until I laid down my weapon,

tired of the dance of death,

resigned to the quiet hum of emptiness. 

Then you arrived. 

A fighter you are,

With swords or shields,

yet accompanied with smiles that disarm,

with eyes that offer sanctuary,

with a spirit that blazes brighter

than any forge-fire I’ve known. 

You made me fall in love. 

A foreign feeling,

like sunshine on frozen ground,

like a melody in a silent world. 

The frantic fluttering of my heart,

a trapped bird beating against its cage,

every time your smile graces me,

a benediction, a miracle. 

Weaponless now, and yet,

beside you, I feel safer

than a babe cradled in its mother's arms,

more protected than behind the thickest castle walls. 

My void, once a gaping maw,

now echoes with the sound of your laughter,

the warmth of your hand in mine. 

I am nothing,

a shadow clinging to the edges of existence,

but your presence, a lighthouse in the storm,

calls me back to life,

colors bleeding into the gray,

a hesitant smile returning to my lips. 

I love you. 

A whisper in the darkness,

a prayer sent to the heavens,

a truth as undeniable

as the sunrise, as the breath in my lungs,

as the fierce, unwavering flame

that flickers now,

where once only darkness reigned.”

I watched Arlo’s eyes as they followed the needles in a dance glowing red purple, flowing around in a dance of messy thought out paths. His eyes followed the needles as they then led to me holding out the heart knot.

I didn’t know if he was paying attention to the words I was weaving in a methodical way or not. Once the song came close to an end the needles floated back into the pocket I got them from in my coat. I was still holding out the heat knot.

“… I get this is probably weird and shit but… I kinda combined a Pennyworth confession with a Portia confession… and now a typical confession most people do cause I want to explain why.” I paused and took a breath, “Firstly you’re really cute, and sweet, and caring- and I’m using ‘and’ too much proper grammar is probably out the window now- but your also really brave, and protective aid who you care about so I really admire that… and I love that about you. And you don’t need to reply right away, and you never have to… though reflection would be better than never knowing which is why I’m confessing because it’s better than living the rest of my life or however long I feel this way about you in shame. I know I’ve already dumped a lot on you, being… a lot… but…I can’t really give you good advice that’ll help with that girl and I want to tell you why and I wanted to do it how I originally planned…” I took a deep breath and looked up at Arlo. “I’m not expecting a yes. So… it’s fine if you say no right away.”

Arlo sat down, he was trying to process everything… “Okay… let me make sure I understand everything you’ve said, so correct me if I’m wrong. You’re Raven of the flying pigs…”

“Yes.” I answered.

“…you’re trans, gay, an icon for the LGBTQIA+ community because of everything…”

“Yep…”

“…And you’re telling me, my idol, the man I look up to in life is in love with me?” Arlo finished listing everything off.

“Yerp.” I paused, “Why am I your idol? I’m know to be a fucking messy headache.”

“Well… because you're cool. And great at battle, and before the whole trans thing when I was a kid I’m pretty sure I had a crush on you and posters of you on all of my walls… but my parents kinda hatted you for that so I kinda went through like a teenage boy anime like phase and kinda worshipped you in secret… I even had a shrine with the new and old posters… they were in chronological order… I think I became obsessed with you at first because when I was younger I remember hearing that there was a town house on fire and when I ran to try and help put it out I was watching… Someone only a few years older than me ran into the building with a mascot on and a flying pigs bandanna tied to their thigh. It was you… and that family was saved, if it hadn’t been for you that day everyone in that house would have died.” Arlo answered.

“I kinda forgot about the townhouse incident… that was actually my first mission and I got sidelined for recklessness.” I chuckled.

“Yeah… but you’re also the person who got me into wanting to save people, if you hadn’t done that then I’d not even be in the civil corps.” Arlo added.

The entire time since he said ‘worshiped you in secret’ I was trying not to laugh… then I broke and started giggling.

“What?” Arlo asked.

“You had a crush on me and practically simped for me?” I chuckled as I asked.

“Oh my god I cannot believe I admitted that. Look, you're hot! Don’t you know that? You’re also, like, really kind!” Arlo was embarrassed.

“Oh my god did you use the present tense?” I was chuckling even more.

“I mean- I didn’t want to offend you by saying ‘were’ cause I’m sure some people would still find you attractive.” Arlo was blushing from embarrassment.

“Oh my god, I know I’m hot, you don’t have to say it. I’m even hotter when I dress in my typical clothes, not my work clothes.” I teased. “You can say ‘were’ the old me is dead anyway. A lot of people wished I never came out… call it a ‘phase’ but…it’s a permanent phase. You probably don’t understand and I don’t expect you to, but, it’s nice to know you respect it. So say ‘were’ if that’s what you think. I don’t really care anymore and yeah, I get it… you’re straight so I understand if I seemed hotter then then now.”

“Honestly? Short hair suits you better, you shoulda cut it sooner.” Arlo smiled.

“Really?” I asked, genuinely shocked he said that.

“Yeah, before you even came out, cause long hair suits Dailah not you.” Arlo answered.

“But we’re identical… what's the difference?” I asked.

“Well your faces and eye shapes are different, your face is slightly sharper so the shorter style cups and waves with your face really well. Then you also have slightly more wide eyes and so it’s really adorable for you to have shorter hair. Whereas your sister has a rounder face and more narrow eyes, so she kinda looks like how most sirens are depicted.” Arlo answered.

“We’re that different?” I asked, with a high pitched voice, 'cause I did that when I was in shock, because no one’s been able to tell the difference between us.

“You two are pretty different.” Arlo answered.

“How can you tell?”

“Like I said, I used to worship you, I wanted to be able to tell you apart if I ever saw you without the masks so I spent a while trying to figure out your differences… I can also tell you’re taller. Your eyes are a shade darker than Dailah’s.” Arlo cringed at his teenage self.

“Honestly it’s nice to know you can tell us apart that easily.” I smiled, “Everyone, even close people can’t tell us apart sometimes.”

“I’ll always tell you apart.” Arlo tried to comfort me, and it worked.

It was nice to know at least one person could tell us apart at all times.

“I’m glad.” I smiled but it faded, “It’s also kinda late, should you go home?”