KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess

The morning brought fresh snow and the promise of another day's hard travel. Xavier stood outside the waystation, watching Dalen organize the remaining survivors into their reduced formation. Three wagons now, eleven people total—a far cry from the twenty-five who'd left Vykengard.

"Thornslayer!" Dalen called out... "You and yours will ride with Efler again today."

Xavier nodded, then turned to find Naomi emerging... Behind her, Ashley gathered her gear, her face a mask of professionalism for the benefit of the others.

The reunion between the two women had been... intense.

Last night

"Naomi?" Ashley had frozen in the doorway of the Xavier's room. "Naomi Phillips?"

Naomi had looked up from her bowl of soup, spoon halfway to her mouth.

"Ashley? Oh my god, Ashley! You remembered!"

They'd collided in the center of the room, arms wrapping around each other.

"I thought I was going insane," Ashley had whispered. "I kept having these dreams, these memories that didn't belong to Efler..."

"I know," Naomi had said, her own voice thick. "I know exactly what you mean."

They'd held each other for long minutes, two figures silhouetted against the dying firelight, finding comfort in shared recognition after weeks of isolation.

Now

"Ready?" Naomi appeared at his elbow, close enough that her arm brushed his. Closer than she usually stood in public.

"Always am." Xavier shouldered his pack, noting how Naomi's fingers found his sleeve—a casual touch that would look accidental to anyone watching.

Ashley approached their position, her own gear secured. Her expression was neutral, professional, but Xavier caught the way her gaze lingered on Naomi's hand where it rested on his arm.

"The wagon's loaded," Ashley announced. "We should move out soon. Weather's turning again."

"Wonderful," Naomi said. "Another delightful day bouncing around in a wagon with the threat of monster attacks. Can hardly wait."

The corner of Ashley's mouth tightened—not a smile, but the ghost of one. "At least this time we know what we're facing. The unknown is always worse than the known threat."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Naomi's fingers tightened on Xavier's sleeve. "Sometimes the known threats are the most dangerous ones."

"Right," Xavier said carefully. "Should we get moving?"

The wagon ride started innocuously enough. Ashley took her usual position driving, while Xavier and Naomi settled in the back among the supplies.

He let the familiar rhythm lull him—the soft crunch of wheels on packed snow, the groan of strained leather and the sharp, resinous scent of cold pine. The muffled calls of the other drivers echoed through the frigid air, each word a puff of vanishing smoke.

Then Naomi shifted.

Instead of settling against the wagon's side as she had for the past week, she moved closer to Xavier. Much closer. Her thigh pressed against his, warm even through the layers of winter clothing.

"Cold today," she said conversationally, though her cheeks were pink from more than just the wind.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Same as every other day."

"Mm." Naomi's hand found his knee, ostensibly to steady herself as the wagon hit a rut. "Good thing we can share body heat."

From the driver's seat, Ashley's spine went rigid. Her knuckles whitened where they gripped the reins.

"Smart," Ashley said without turning around. "Hypothermia is a real concern in these mountains. Though I suppose some people are naturally warmer than others."

"True," Naomi agreed, her voice honey-sweet. "Some of us are very good at... generating heat."

Xavier felt like he was watching a high-level verbal chess match where he was the board. Every innocent word was a flanking maneuver, every polite phrase a hidden blade he wasn't meant to see until it was too late.

"Naomi," he started.

"Shh." She pressed closer, her head finding his shoulder. "I'm trying to stay warm."

This was new. In the privacy of their rooms, yes, Naomi was affectionate. But she'd been careful about public displays, always maintaining proper distance around others. Now she was practically melting against his side, her fingers tracing absent patterns on his thigh.

Ashley's shoulders grew tenser with each passing mile.

"Must be nice," Ashley said eventually, her tone carefully neutral, "having someone so... attentive to your comfort."

"It really is." Naomi's smile could have cut glass. "Xavier's very considerate about making sure I'm taken care of. Aren't you, darling?"

Darling. She'd never called him that before.

Xavier opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. This wasn't a conversation; it was a verbal kill box, and he was standing right in the center.

Sometimes the best choice is to sit back and observe.

"I'm sure he is," Ashley replied. "Though I have to wonder if all that... consideration might be distracting during dangerous situations."

"Oh, not at all." Naomi's fingers found Xavier's hand, intertwining their fingers with deliberate care. "If anything, it helps me focus. Knowing someone has your back, completely and totally... it's very reassuring."

"Reassuring." Ashley's laugh held no warmth. "That's certainly one way to put it."

The wagon hit another rut, and Naomi used the opportunity to shift even closer. Now she was practically in Xavier's lap, her weight settled against him in a way that was unmistakably possessive.

"Oops," she said, not moving away. "Sorry. These roads are terrible."

"They really are," Ashley agreed. "So easy to lose your balance. Or your perspective."

Xavier studied the back of Ashley's head, noting the way she held herself—spine straight, shoulders square, every line of her body radiating controlled tension. This was Ashley in protective mode, but he wasn't sure what exactly she was protecting against.

Or whom.

"You know," Naomi said, her voice taking on a conversational tone that somehow made it more dangerous, "I was thinking about what you said last night. About dreams and memories."

Ashley's hands stilled on the reins for just a moment. "What about it?"

"Just how strange it must have been, carrying all those dreams alone. Not having anyone to share them with." Naomi's thumb traced across Xavier's knuckles. "I can't imagine how lonely that would be."

"It wasn't pleasant," Ashley admitted.

"I bet. Though I suppose some people are better at handling isolation than others. Some of us need... connection."

The way she said 'connection' made Xavier's mouth go dry. Naomi shifted again, and now she definitely was in his lap, her legs draped across his thighs like she belonged there.

"Naomi," Xavier said quietly.

"Mm?" She looked up at him through her lashes, all innocence except for the calculating gleam in her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Staying warm." Her smile was pure mischief. "Is there a problem?"

Before Xavier could answer, Ashley's voice cut through the air like a blade.

"No problem at all. Though you might want to be careful about positioning. If we hit a bad bump, you could get thrown right out of the wagon."

"Oh, I'm very secure." Naomi's arms wound around Xavier's neck. "Xavier would never let me fall. Would you?"

Fuck, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now!

"Of course not."

"See?" Naomi's smile was brilliant. "Perfect trust."

"Trust. Right. That's definitely what I'd call it."

"What would you call it?" Naomi's grip tightened on Xavier's hand. Her voice had lost its honeyed edge, replaced by something hard and sharp.

Ashley was quiet for a long moment, the only sounds the creak of the wagon and the steady plod of hooves in snow.

"I'd call it... temporary."

The temperature in the wagon seemed to drop ten degrees. Naomi's fingers tightened on Xavier's shoulders, her smile never wavering but gaining a razor edge.

"Temporary," she repeated thoughtfully. "That's an interesting perspective. Though I suppose it depends on what you consider temporary. Days? Months? Years?"

"However long it takes to get home."

"Ah." Naomi nodded slowly. "And then what? We all just... forget this happened? Pretend we never—"

"I think," Ashley interrupted, "that we should focus on surviving the next few days before we start planning for the future."

"Of course." Naomi's tone could have frozen water. "Though some of us might want to consider that the future has a way of being influenced by present choices."

"And some of us might want to consider that present choices have consequences."

"Yes, I suppose they do. Though sometimes the consequences are worth it." Naomi mused.

"And sometimes they're not."

Naomi's grip on Xavier's shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. "I guess that depends on what you value most."

"I guess it does."

Dalen's voice carried back from the lead wagon: "Waypoint ahead! Two hours and we'll be stopping for the night!"

Two hours. Xavier closed his eyes and tried to calculate how many more days they had before reaching their destination.

Too many. Definitely too many.