So here it is star_b_fly12. I mainly focused on Cuza's childhood, because you don't find all that many of those fics out there that reference his growing up in the circus.

'We'll always be friends right?'

'Always.'

Those words would always ring through your head without failure, right before every show. The childhood memories that should have brought a fond remembrance, were tainted by the bittersweet sting of betrayal.

Cuza Ackerman.

He had been your best friend for as far back as your mind stretched. The two of you had been born into families that were part of a circus, and being the same age, you had naturally gravitated toward one another. You had laughed together, fought together, grown together and performed together.

That was all until that faithful day, when Cuza had received his Bey Cognite. What had begun as a passing fancy had slowly, but surely monopolized all of Cuza's spare time and attention, to the point where you barely talked. But everything hit rock bottom when your circus had crossed paths with another.

Top Wand.

Not just a travelling team of circus performers, but Germany's representing team. When he saw the chance, Cuza leapt for it, joined Top Wand, and never looked back. Leaving you behind, a broken performer with nothing but memories.

They said that the best thing about hitting rock bottom, was that there was nowhere else to go but up. However, there was an exception to every rule, and it seemed to prove true in this scenario. A few weeks later, another acrobat had joined your act, and you had never blamed him for what had occurred during your first show together. His experience paled in comparison to your own, and he had bitten off more than he could chew, jumping right into your normal style of routine, that was far above his skill set at the time.

One moment you had been sailing through the air, reaching out, only to miss his grasp. The next thing you knew, you were falling. Looking back on it now, the acrobat hadn’t been at the peak of his swing, but at the same time, you perhaps should have earlier taken note that it was not something he was ready for. No one was to blame that night. The equipment wasn’t faulty, and you always performed without a net. The only thing that had saved you from certain death, was the strong man performing his own act that had broken your fall.

For that, you were grateful. That night, you could have lost your life, instead, it was a badly sprained ankle. But that was only the physical wound, psychologically, your were scarred with something much greater. A deep scar that only made itself known six weeks later.

Your ankle had healed, the doctor had given you the all clear to get back on the trapeze. You had climbed the ladder, mild trepidation making itself known. Shaking off the nerves, you reached the platform. That was when it struck.

Fear. A cold, all consuming dread wrapped you in its unforgiving grasp. You found yourself frozen. Unable to move, or form a coherent thought.

You couldn't remember your parents or the other acrobats calling up to you, nor could you remember how long you had stood there for. You had a vague recollection of an acrobat climbing up to you, hoisting you over their shoulder and taking you back down.

Your wings had been clipped, and you hadn't flown since.

Eventually, you had found another calling. Your parents had both been acrobats, until your dad had been promoted to ringmaster following with the previous one's retirement. When you had been old enough, you had followed in their footsteps. While you had loved it while it lasted, you had found your true calling in something else. Another act entirely.

Once a bird, now a phoenix.

A pyrotechnic.

You looked into the mirror, taking in your scarlet swathed reflection. The cool material against your skin, was a far cry from the brightly accessorised adornments you had once worn. The tiara that had been your signature stamp back when you had flown through the air. Nowadays, you could no longer bear to wear it. You were no longer a double act, that relied on another. Here and now, the Phoenix.

(Outfit I envisioned, the white parts are coloured red, as are the facial adornments).

"(Y/N)? Are you ready?" Your father called out. His voice muffled by your trailer door.

You grabbed your torches in one hand and opened the door. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Are you sure?" He checked, nerves positively radiating from his person. "This is Spain, our biggest show yet. It's understandable if you're worried."

"I'm fine, dad." You assured with a laugh, perfectly at ease. "What about you?"

"I don't know," he confessed, wide eyed. "This is huge. The BC Sol is attending tonight."

"That is pretty great," you admitted with a low whistle.

"I'm going to mess this up," he fretted, leaning heavily on your door frame.

"You'll do fine like always," you smiled reassuringly, giving him a quick hug. "They're still just people, just another crowd for you to impress."

"You're right," your dad muttered, taking a deep breath. "Let's go do this."

Before the retirement of the previous owner, the circus's popularity had slowly but surely begun to dwindle. But, when your father had come into ownership, he had made several changes in the way things were run. Now, things were better than ever. Tickets were fairly cheap, but people flocked from everywhere to see the amazing performances on show.

The tent was shrouded in darkness, and silently your father and yourself emerged from the mouth of the tunnel. Your dad took his place before the audience, while you moved to the head of the other two pyrotechnics, still unseen by spectators.

This was it. This was what brought you alive, again and again without failure.

Showtime.

[This next part drags on a little. It isn't exactly necessary to the plotline, so feel free to skip ahead to where the ********* is located if you'd rather not read this.
Admittedly I had this huge vision and idea for this part, but I sucked at writing it.]

Somewhere to the back, a chorus of voices piped up.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah..."

To the left, drums pounded in unison.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah..."

Thump thump.

"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've been waiting for." Your father piped up, a singular light shining down upon him.

Members of the audience began to murmur in confusion. Admittedly, this performance was a little unorthodox. But this was what set you apart from other performers. It put you up on a plateau  that no one else could hope to reach.

"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."

Lights decorating the material of the tent flashed twice briefly in time with the next series of drum beats.

"And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore."

Thump thump.

"Taking your breath, stealing your mind, and all that's real is left behind."

A set of lights lit up the very top of the tent. The audience eye's were immediately  drawn to the brightest light source in the room, just in time to see two acrobats fly through the air, somersaulting before grabbing onto another swing as the darkness fell once more.

"Don't fight it, it's coming for you running at ya. It's only this moment, don't care what comes after."

Dancers in skirts threaded with lights appeared on the edge of the ring, cartwheeling as the tent lights once again flashed. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and curiosity.

"Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer. Just surrender ‘cause you feel the feeling taking over."

That was your cue. Yourself, along side the other two standing at your either side hefted your twin torches and ran your fingers along the buttons. Allowing simultaneous bursts of fire to erupt from your six combined torches, briefly illuminating your faces.

"It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open!"

As he spoke, you held your fingers down, long enough for it to click and allowed the torches to flood alight, even when you took your fingers away.

This was it. No more waiting around in the dark. You twirled your torches wildly, creating wings of fire on either side. In this moment, surrounded by danger and immersed in adrenaline, you truly were a phoenix.

"So tell me do you wanna go?!"

The tent lights shone aglow, and this time did not lose their shine. Coloured lights bathed the ring. Dancers ran onto the floor, performing a mirage of carefully choreographed twirls and handsprings, staying well away from your fire.

Colossal we come these renegades in the ring

Oohs and aahs sounded as you and the other two ran forwards, twirling and weaving your flames around your body. You threw yours into the air with a dramatic flourish, and caught them once more, waving them in a circle around you.

Where the lost get found in the crown of the circus king

From the cheering, you could tell your mother was doing her thing, up there working the tightrope, net less, spangled in her glorious adornments.

Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya

Once more you came forward, now dangerously close to the crowd. You were certain they could feel the heat, as you left trails of sparks in your wake, painting a story in the air for them to interpret.

It's blinding, outshining anything that you know
Just surrender 'cause you're calling and you wanna go

You felt drunk on the cheering, bloated from the energy that you were positively feeding off. How anyone could leave this life behind was beyond you. A thrill like no other, this was where you came alive. Immersed in the thrill of the crowd and the danger that came alongside your fire displays.

Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, intoxicating you

Nothing could ever compare. Fabulous costumes, dramatic makeup, wild performances. This type of magic could only be performed by a select few, only a handful of people were capable in eliciting this awed response from the masses of people. By a miracle, you were one of those blessed with this beautiful gift. A life like no other. Traveling, performing, dancing. Acceptance from your fellows that were apart of your gigantic family. Each and everyone of your fellow performers had your trust and confidence. This was the wonder that infused each and every breath you took, every single day.

Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you Oh, this is the greatest show

********

As practiced, a rope woven from silks swung to you. You tossed down a single torch, and grabbed the rope with your dominant hand. Working furiously, you entangled the silk around your waist, and legs, until you were safely suspended in the air. You lit the torch again, as some of the dancers and gymnasts worked to keep you suspended in mid air. Swinging through the air, one hand curled securely around the rope, you twirled your torch, trusting your team and your strength to keep you suspended.

It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need

'Wait a second... is that...?'

And it's here right in front of you

'Cuza?!'

This is where you wanna be
(This is where you wanna be!)

There was no doubt about it. He was right there in the crowd, sitting beside a boy about his own height with spikey blue hair. They cheered and watched in awe, and you had to grit your teeth.

He hadn't even seen you.

'Traitor!' You screamed in your mind. 'You abandoned me!'

Your former best friend, who, towards the end, had treated you awfully. You used to be close, but a chasm had open up between you and you doubted he would even recognise you now. After all this time, there he was, having a blast like nothing had happened.

We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
This is the greatest show

You felt yourself being lowered, and you snapped your attention back to your performance.

Fine. If he wanted to treat you like that, and then show up without warning five years later, you’d put on a show he'd never forget.

Part way to the ground, you detangled yourself from your silken bindings and leapt to the ring floor. The three of you pulled of a triple backflip as you fell, which admittedly took a long time to learn and pull off in unison. To the audience, you must have looked like three human fireballs.

Your trio perfectly stuck the landing, and immeadiently dropped into crouches and spun, creating three identical wheels of fire that mingled with one another, adding to their flames.

We light it up, we won't come down
And the walls can't stop us now
I'm watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

This really was one of the greatest shows. Lightshows, pyrotechnics, acrobats, dancers, strong men and gymnasts, not to mention the countless others. The last time you checked, very few could compare.

You were so proud of what you had achieved in the three short years your father had had ownership pf the circus. Scarcely could you imagine how much better this might one day become, and you hoped that, in the distant future, you could surpass even this. The only thing that saddened you, was that your best friend was never meant to be apart of this.

'Cause everything you want is right in front of you
And you see the impossible is coming true

He would never want to be apart of the wonder that was right in front of him at this very moment, it may have run in his blood, but this life was not for him.

This is the greatest show (oh!)
(This is the greatest show)
This is the greatest show (oh!)
This is the greatest show!

"That was amazing!" Your dad cried upon catching sight of you, engulfing you in a huge hug. "How did I do?"

"You were amazing," you assured him, smiling at your mother before continuing loudly. "We all were!"

Rambunctious cheers from your fellow performers met your declaration. Still dressed in your circus attire, you chattered with everyone, trying to put Cuza's appearance out of your mind. That however, proved to be impossible.

"It's them!"

"BC Sol!"

"Is that Cuza?"

Murmurs reached your ears, and your eyes widened. You turned around, and sure enough, Cuza, alongside the other members of BC Sol had entered the backstage area. Internally, you began to panic. You couldn’t face him, you weren’t ready. Without hesitation, you silently stepped further into the crowd of your fellows, allowing yourself to become just another face.

"Hey guys," Cuza greeted cheerfully. "Long time, no see."

'And who's fault is that?' You thought spitefully, as he was quickly surrounded by his old friends.

You couldn’t take it. The smiles, the laughter. Acting like nothing had ever happened. The wound still stung, raw and painful. So, without a word to anyone, you left.

Cuza' POV
(Warning: I've never done it from a character other than the reader's perspective.)

A day earlier

Cuza was walking down street with Valt and Honcho when he saw the brightly coloured sign. The moment it came into his line of sight, he stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, Cuza! You coming?" Honcho called out, but he hardly heard the blond male.

'(L/N) Circus! Only in town for a limited time! Come and see the greatest show while it's here!'

"Something wrong?" Valt wondered, jolting him back to the present. "Oh, cool, a circus is in town."

"Not just any circus..." Cuza muttered beneath his breath. "My old circus."

"We should go!" Valt exclaimed excitedly, Honcho nodding along enthusiastically.

Sure enough, Chris had agreed to let them go. Even going a step further and declaring that the whole team could benefit from a little fun and relaxation.

The rest of the BC Sol was fairly excited at the prospect, with the exception of Silas, but that was to be expected. All, that was, except for Cuza himself.

He had been but eleven when he had left for Top Wand, in a rather impulsive decision. Most of all, he was worried about seeing her.

(Y/N) (L/N), his former best friend.

They had been close, once, until he had started Beyblading. He could recognise now that he had treated the girl unfairly, but if he was honest with himself, he was scared. Scared of seeing her again, scared of having to confront the repercussions of his departure.

His feeble protests fell on deaf ears, and the next day, they were headed to the circus.

The next day

"Cuza!" The middle aged cashier exclaimed happily. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too, Alex." The boy replied with a friendly smile.

Alex exchanged the money and tickets, and waved them along. "Enjoy the show! Things are a little different then you remember, Cuza!"

"Must be nice to see your old friends again," Honcho remarked, walking with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," Cuza said non committedly.

"Something wrong?" Valt checked, only just noticing his normally cheery friend's downhearted demeanour.

"Yeah, it's just..."

"Just...?" Honcho encouraged.

"(Y/N)," Cuza admitted, not meeting their combined gaze.

"Ooo, a girl." Valt teased.

"It's not like that!" Cuza protested, his face flaming. "She was my best friend."

"Was?" Honcho wondered.

"A long time ago," Cuza said quietly. "I didn't treat her so well."

"Well now you have the chance to make things up to her," Valt enthused.

"I don't think she'd want to see me." Cuza said.

"Don't be silly!" Valt exclaimed, slapping him on the back. "She'll be happy to see you."

"You don't know (Y/N)," Cuza said, shuddering at the thought of the (H/C) haired girl's rage. It had been bad enough when they were kids, he was almost afraid of what her fury would look like now.

They were barely seated, when the lights went out completely.

"Is this apart of the show?" Honey whispered from somewhere down their row of seats.

"I've never seen this before," Cuza admitted to Valt and Honcho, who were seated on either side of him.

Suddenly, several loud thumps echoes throughout the big top, causing Cuza and the others to jump in their seats.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah..."

Thump thump.

"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've been waiting for."

A single spot light shone down on a man standing at the front and centre of the circus ring. His face was cast down towards the ground, but something about him seemed familiar.

"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."

Lights strung to the tent flashed in perfect timing with the drum beats. In that moment, Cuza caught sight of the man's face.

"(F/N)?" He wondered aloud.

"Who?" Honcho whispered.

"(Y/N)'s dad," Cuza quietly informed his friends. "But he used to be an acrobat."

Chris shushed them loudly, giving them a pointed look.

"And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore."

Thump thump.

"Taking your breath, stealing your mind, and all that's real is left behind."

The top of the big top was illuminated with a warm golden glow, drawing their attention. Two acrobats somersaulted through the air, no nets visible beneath them. They took hold of a new swing each, and the darkness fell once again.

Cuza's mind was racing. From what he had seen, neither of those two acrobats had been (Y/N). So where was she? She was easily the best acrobat in the entire circus, so why wasn’t she up first? Was she sick?

He was so immersed in his thoughts, that Cuza didn't even notice the arrival of the dancers. He would had completely missed what came next if Valt and Honcho hadn’t cheered loudly.

"Huh? What happened?" He wondered.

"Fire!" Valt said, positively bouncing in his seat.

"They've never had pyrotechnics before," Cuza mused, more to himself than anyone else.

He made sure to watch closely as they performed. There were three of them, two males and a female. They stood together, however the female was slightly in front of the others. While they were all incredibly skilled, it was obvious that she was the most talented.

The way she spun her torches around her with a practiced ease was mesmerizing. Dressed in an elaborate outfit of red and black, her every movement was charged with a fierce confidence that burnt even brighter than her flames.

The entire ring was lit up by this point. Dancers twirled and flipped, while gymnasts climbed through hoops in the air. A song rang out loud and clear, and taking in the familiar scene, Cuza was struck with a sudden wave of homesickness.

Almost six years ago now, this was what he was apart of. Sure, he loved being a Blader. But this here, the circus? This was the world he was born into. A world he had left behind.

Cheers sounded all around him, and Cuza followed their attention to the suspended tightrope.

"Is that her?" Honcho whispered.

Cuza examined the woman before shaking his head sadly. "Her mum."

"That's good though, right?" Valt wondered. "It means she's here."

"I guess so..."

"Don't worry, buddy." Honcho said. "We won’t leave until we find her."

The trio returned their attention back to the performers, only to see the pyrotechnics discard a torch each and clamber up onto silk ropes.

They swung through the air, waving their flames, leaving trails in their wake. All three of them were amazing, but yet again, it was the girl leading them that caught Cuza's attention the most. The amount of practice that she would’ve gone through to get to where she now was had to have been phenomenal.

For that moment, Cuza let all of his worries go. He would see (Y/N), but he couldn’t do that at this exact moment. Instead, he chose to watch as his old family put on an unforgettable show.

After the show

With Chris's relaxed mood, it was easy for them to convince her to let them all go and visit the performers after the show. Cuza led the to where he assumed they were be, and sure enough, he was right. They had barely approached when someone recognized him.

For a fleeting moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of (Y/N), but it was merely the female pyrotechnic. She was soon gone from his sight, as Cuza was swamped by his old friends. While it was good to see them, to his dismay, (Y/N) was not there.

"Cuza!" A voice exclaimed, and the next thing he knew, he was being drawn into a tight hug, courtesy of (Y/N)'s mother.

"Hey, Mrs. (L/N)." He smiled when she released him.

"Enough with that Mrs nonsense," she lightly scolded. "I’ve told you before to call me (M/N)."

"Its great to see you, (M/N)." He corrected himself.

(Y/N)'s father grinned down at him. "So? How’d you like the show?"

"It was amazing!" Cuza exclaimed. "Everything’s changed so much."

"Well, it has been five years." (Y/N)'s mum said, a frown flitting briefly across her features.

"Adrian retired," (F/N) informed him after a slight, awkward moment. "I took over after that."

"So where was (Y/N)?" Cuza said, finally asking the question that was plaguing him. "I didn’t see her out there on the trapeze tonight."

(F/N) shook his head. "You wouldn’t have."

"How come?"

"She had an accident a few years ago." (M/N) told him. "Not too long after you left. She's fine now, but she hasn’t performed on the trapeze since."

The accusation was there. Faint. But it was there none the less. Somehow, Cuza garnered that they blamed him for whatever had happened to their daughter, if only slightly.

"Can I..." Cuza gulped. "Can I see her?"

(F/N) nodded. "She'll be in her trailer by now. It's a plain grey, not too far from where the instruments are stored."

Cuza nodded and rushed off to find his former best friend. Following (Y/N)'s father's directions, he easily found her trailer. But, when he got there, he froze. It had been five years. What would he say? What would she say? Swallowing his nerves, Cuza raised his hand a knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," a faint voice sounded.

He opened the door and stepped inside, only to be faced with the female pyrotechnic, still in full costume.

"Oh, sorry." He quickly apologised. "I was looking for someone else."

He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Cuza?"

Slowly, he turned back around to face her, and was greeted by a familiar pair of bright, (H/C) eyes.

Your POV

You clung to the edges of your vanity, trying to control your breathing.

'What's happening to me?'

How could one person have the ability to effect you so greatly? It wasn't fair. But it didn't matter. So much had changed, you doubted he would even recognise the circus at this point, let alone you. No, you were worrying for nothing, everything was absolutely fine.

Knock knock knock

Heaving a sigh, you bid them entrance, reasoning it was probably one of your parents coming to check on you after your rather abrupt appearance.

Before you could say anything, they spoke. "Oh, sorry. I was looking for someone else."

Your heart skipped as the familiar voice seemed to echo loudly in your small space. You turned your gaze to him, and found an apologetic look decorating his features. It was then that you realised that he hadn’t realised who you were, but you couldn’t exactly blame him. The dark colours and dramatic air your outfit positively exuded was a large change from what you had once worn. As he went to leave, you made a snap decision, one you wished you could take back even as the words were tumbling from your lips.

"Cuza?"

The acrobat stiffened upon hearing your voice, and slowly turned back around to face you. His golden eyes searched your face, before lighting up.

"(Y/N)!"

He rushed forward, as if to hug you, but you couldn’t help but flinch away from his touch. Cuza backed off, but that one simple reaction had not failed to make things seem awkward between you.

"So, um..." Cuza coughed. "You're a pyro now?"

"Yeah, I am." You replied tersely.

"How did that happen?"

You gave him a frosty look. "That's none of your business."

"Well it is if your parents think it's my fault," he huffed.

"They what?" You arched a skeptical brow.

"When I asked why you weren’t out on the trapeze tonight, your mum said you'd had an accident a few years ago." Cuza explained. "She had this look, on her face like she kinda blamed me for it."

You hummed non- committedly, and faced the vanity, using a pair of tweezers to ease off the fake red diamond stuck to your skin.

"(Y/N)?"

"I still don’t see why you care in the first place."

"You’re my best friend!"

"Used to be Cuza. We used to be best friends," you snapped. "That all changed when you got that damn Beyblade of yours and didn’t give me a second of your time. The next thing I know, you’re rushing off to Top Wand without a second thought. Maybe mum was right. If you hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have had to perform with a rookie who couldn’t keep up with me. Maybe it is your fault that I fell."

"You fell?"

His quiet question caused you to wince. You dropped the tweezers and rubbed your eyes tiredly. "Yes, Cuza. I fell."

"How bad was it?"

"Sprained ankle," you said without looking at him. "Couldn’t walk for weeks."

"When was that?"

"A few months after you left."

"So why aren’t you up there anymore?"

"I don’t want to talk about it," you muttered stubbornly.

"(Y/N)-"

"I said I don’t want to talk about it." You snapped.

"Why cant you tell me? We used to tell each other everything."

"That was years ago! Five years to the day you went out and brought that bloody Cognite of yours! Just forget about it, forget about it like you forgot about me, I never meant anything to you in the first place."

"(Y/N), I-"

You shook your head and let out a low, bitter laugh. "Leave me alone Cuza, it's what you're best at."

"No," he replied stubbornly. "Like it or not you're still my, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened."

"Then it looks like I'm the one who's leaving," you snarled, marching past him, throwing open the door of your trailer and storming off into the cool night air.

"(Y/N)!" Cuza called after you. "Wait, (Y/N), please come back!"

"Any idea how many time I said that after you left?" You called back over your shoulder. "I got used to the idea that you never would!"

"I'm sorry!"

"It's too late for sorry!" You snarled at the boy, breaking off into a run, trying to put distance between you.

It was no use, and Cuza ran after you, determined to hear the full story. You tried to lose him, weaving between tents and trailers, but it was no use. Despite the years that had passed, it seemed that Cuza still was able to navigate the layout of his old home like the back of his hand.

"(Y/N)!"

You almost stopped. Almost. The pain and confusion evidently lacing his tone sent a wave of hurt piercing through your heart. But you couldn’t face him, you were terrified. You weren't ready, you weren’t strong enough to come to terms with everything that had happened. He couldn’t just pop up after all this time, things couldn’t just go back to the way they were. Too much had happened for that.

It was too late by the time that you realised Cuza was herding you back to the big top. You had no choice, face him or run inside. There was no true contest between the two. You ran inside the tent, but it then became apparent that with no one else in there with you, there was no where you could go to escape him.

Nowhere else but up.

At this point, all rational thought had abandoned you. The urge to flee was dominating your senses, and even the memory of your traumatic fall wasn't enough to stop you.

Hand after hand. Faster and faster. A rhythm your muscles had not forgotten, your pace increasing. If you had been timing yourself, you probably would have made it in record time. However, when you reached the platform, all of your supressed fears came screaming to the surface.

You stood there, frozen, unable to move. The only thing that felt real was the blood roaring in your ears and the feeling of fear clawing inside of your chest. Your legs were stiff, you couldn’t even bend them. All you could see before you was the vision of you falling, the image replayed over and over.

"(Y/N)!" Beyond the fuzz clouding your brain, you faintly heard someone calling a name.

"(Y/N)!" Wait... wasn't that your name? Come to think about it, that voice sounded familiar.

"(Y/N), what's wrong?" The golden eyed boy panted, holding onto the ladder.

Cuza's POV

She was just... frozen. It was like someone had just reached out, and pressed a pause button on the pretty (H/C) girl. (Y/N) stood there, still in her performer's outfit, staring blankly out in front of her.

"(Y/N)?" Shouting her name hadn't done anything before, but this time it was different. She turned her head to face him, face still blank, but her eyes were clouded with confusion.

"Cuza?" She asked, dazed. (Y/N) shook her head, as if clearing the fog hanging over her. "Oh my God!"

"Hey, no, it's okay (Y/N), you're okay." He tried to soothe the panicking girl, but it didn’t seem to do much for her, and she continued to hyperventilate. "Okay, okay, don't move, I'm coming up."

She didn't appear to hear him, but at least she didn’t protest. Carefully, he clambered up the rest of the ladder, and onto the platform beside his estranged best friend.

"Cuza?" She murmured. "What are you doing up here?"

"Helping you, of course." He told her, as if it where the most obvious thing in the world. "What's wrong?"

She didn't reply, and that's when he noticed that she was shaking. His heart sank in his chest. Cuza didn't know what had happened, but he still blamed himself. For whatever reason, she was petrified, and her parents at least partially thought him responsible for what had happened. So he did the only thing that came to mind.

He hugged her.

She slumped into him, all of the fight leaving her.

"I'm so scared," she admitted softly, Cuza tangling his fingers in her (h/l) (h/c) hair.

"Why?" He wondered. "What happened."

"I fell."

"You what?"

"I fell, Cuza." She repeated, reinforcing the disbelieve statement. "I was put with someone who was nowhere near my level. He didn't extend far enough, and I fell. Without a net."

"How are you...?"

"I fell on someone, I had a third degree sprain on my ankle."

"So why aren't you an acrobat anymore?"

"Because I'm terrified, goddamnit!" She snapped suddenly. "Jesus Christ Cuza I am so scared of falling again. Whenever I get up here, I freeze up."

"But you’re fine now."

"No I'm not!" (Y/N) cried, pounding her fist onto his chest.

"Why?" He asked, desperately trying to understand, to connect with this poor, damaged girl.

"Because I am!"

"That's not a reason," he replied, tracing soothing circles onto the small of her back that lay exposed from the midriff. "(Y/N), you're the strongest person I know, you always have been. You used to love flying up here, so what happened? That can't be it. Why are you so scared?"

"Because it isn't you!" She exploded, some of her spark returning, lighting up her (e/c) eyes. "You were always there with me! Then you left and you weren’t, and he didn’t catch me when he was supposed to! None of them are you, and I trusted you to be there! I can't do this without you!"

She collapsed, and would have fallen had he not supported her. Sobs wracked her frame and she shuddered violently against him. Guilt crashed over him, and tears of his own sprung to his eyes. It really was his fault.

Obviously not many people blamed him, hell, he doubted (Y/N) blamed him for anything except her fears, and even then she didn't find him fully responsible. No one placed the blame squarely at his feet, no one that was, except himself.

Even though he loved being a Blader, he had let his training with Cognite take up his every spare second. He had hardly interacted with (Y/N) outside of practice, and he had only half heartedly tried to keep in contact with her. He hated to believe that he was only just found out about everything that had happened in his absence.

And the worst part about it all?

He hadn't even been there for her when she needed him. She had put so much trust in him, and then he had left as soon as he saw a chance to. It was no wonder that she reacted to him the way she did, he would have done the same thing, had their positions been reversed.

"I'm so sorry (Y/N)," he whispered into her hair. "I am so, so sorry."

Your POV

"I am so, so sorry." Those words, those five simple words reverberated inside of you, creating a storm with their chaos. What surprised you even more, was when you felt a warm droplet fall onto your hair.

He was... crying?

"Cuza," you breathed, inhaling his familiar scent fabric softener, face paint and lavender. Slowly, you pulled away, as to properly see his face. But the only thing visible in those golden eyes, was horror, and a heart beat later, you found out why.

Nothing was beneath your heel, nothing but air.

And then you were falling.

A high pitched shriek pierced the air, and you realised it was your own. You clawed at the air, but with no avail. Disbelief and soul shattering fear coursed through your being. No, not again, this couldn't be happening again. This had to be a bad dream, no, a nightmare.

Your screams were cut, when you were suddenly snatched out of the air, and wrapped in someone's arms. Your eyes fluttered open, only to see Cuza's face inches from your own.

"W- what, what's hap-happening?" You squeaked out, terrified. The two of you were airborne, and for some reason, Cuza was upside down.

"I've got you!" He called, determination burning in everyone of his features.

It was then you saw, that Cuza must have jumped after you, having the sense to first hook his legs around a swing. He was right there with you in mid air, just like used to be.

"When we swing back to the platform, you're going to have to jump," he hurriedly explained.

"Cuza, I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I'm scared!"

"It's okay, you’re not going to fall," he assured you as you neared the platform. "I'll never let you fall again."

"O-okay," you managed to bite out.

When you reached the height of your returning arc, you didn't hesitate. Your muscles burned, and your mind still screamed, but it was okay. He was there with you, just like when the two of you had performed together.

No net beneath you, no one else up there, just you and him soaring through the air, just like the old days.

You let your body do the work for you, allowing it's memory of the countless hours spent training for this be your guide. You let go of Cuza and soared through the air, and for a second you felt like crying.

'I'd forgotten what this feels like...'

The platform rushed up to meet you. You tucked your legs into your chest, and spun once, twice, and a third time through the air, perfectly sticking the ending and even finishing with a small flourish. Cuza landed beside you a moment later, and you enveloped him in a tight hug, making sure to stay well away from the edge this time.

"Thank you," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for teaching me how to fly again."

"It's okay to fall down and lose your spark," he told you kindly. "As long as you make sure to set the world on fire when you get back up again."

Things were far from perfect. So much had happened between you two, too much had been left and said, and so many things needed to be given voice. It would take time, but as you stood up there, at the top of the trapeze, wrapped in his embrace, you couldn't bring yourself to care.

This was so bad, I am so sorry😅

What I'm really embarrassed about though, if the time period it takes me to update. Currently I'm swamped with assignments and I am admittedly not in my usual happy go lucky mindset at the moment.

I actually have a ton of chapters that are written and awaiting editing. So, I'm thinking of releasing a batch of chapters (maybe five or so), each week.

This was your outfit as an acrobat btw, inspired by Blue Pearl.