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They were standing near the fountain they had agreed to meet at when an awkward silence filled the air. It wasn’t like them to meet up for no apparent reason; that is, Citrine had a reason, she just hadn't stated it. Ed was probably wondering about it, but she hadn’t been able to find a way to say it, and she figured it was better not to say it in the first place. Having the element of surprise on your opponent was one of the most common tactics in efficiently completing a mission.

“So, what is it you wanted? If it’s not a snowball fight, since it’s summer right now…”

“It’s something similar…I guess,” Citrine answered curtly, with only the last bit sounding a little—uncertain—before she stepped forward and grabbed Ed by the shoulders a little too roughly, but she knew she wasn’t really hurting him at this point.

“Hey, what—“ She didn’t give him much of a chance to protest, moving swiftly like she would in a fight and shoving him close to her so that their faces almost bumped into each other, except they were both quick enough to avoid the additional awkwardness and automatically adjusted into the least awkward position.

“Uh…”

“Be quiet. We’re almost done.”

It wasn’t really a hug; at least it didn’t look like one. Citrine’s palms were flat on his back and their bodies were close but not really touching, with Ed’s chin just barely brushing her shoulder when he was obviously trying to stay as still as he could, just like she was. It was the closest thing they could manage, and it was enough.

When she let go, there was a moment of silence and Citrine brushed herself off automatically, still not really appreciating the scent of another person on her clothes even when she had initiated it.

“This stays confidential, understood?”