A/N: Hey. It's been a long time since I've posted in the Jackie/Harvar fandom - small as we are, we are mighty! I've been wanting to write a longfic for them for a while, ever since I first published Relief. This is what came of it - I wanted to do something less explicit and more family friendly, but the plot threads of how they get together are the same regardless if Relief had taken place or not. I wanted a realistic and believable recounting of how I believe they'd get together, and their turmoils due to their responsibilities not only as weapons, but weapons whose meisters are involved. I hope I did these two justice, and that you enjoy my headcanons for their personalities.

Thank you so much to K and Lucy for the eyes, and to my amazingly talented and fabulous partner Rei (xxrei42xx on tumblr) for her art - cover image by her. Please go check out the other art pieces that accompany this piece!

Without further ado, please enjoy.

She took a breath, raised her fist, and knocked once on the door. The wood creaked as it swung open. His face peeked around the door first, signature sunglasses perched on his nose, before the orange-tinted irises rolled from her to beyond.

"Kim's here," Harvar called, not bothering to turn. He opened the door a little wider, offering a glimpse into his modern apartment. Jacqueline blinked. They had a new couch, she noticed, but she said nothing as her pink-haired meister nudged her aside.

"I'll be back tonight," said Kim, her eyes wide and excited - in the very way that Jacqueline knew meant her partner was lying. But she didn't bother with a rebuttal; when Kim returned early in the morning and she'd stillbe awake, she would pretend that she believed Kim's hasty excuses ('Oh, I lost track of time!' or even 'Our reservation ran late!') and she wouldn't question when her meister made a beeline for the shower.

So Jacqueline merely nodded as her meister disappeared into the apartment. Her eyes caught Harvar's once, and he gently shut the door behind him.

...

st(r)ay.

...

Wake up. Go to school. Look at assignments on the board, and maybe, if she were lucky, they'd go on a mission. If not, go home, sleep. Rinse, repeat. Life as usual in Shibusen, albeit quieter since the battle on the moon. Jackie supposed the only new part in her routine was the lack of light in the sky at night, and though it should've been unsettling, to her it was almost soothing. A cool blanket in the air, unbroken save for the twinkling of the occasional star that still had its light.

Aside from that, nothing had changed. Not when Jacqueline straightened her books, placed a hand on her meister's shoulder, and poured the contents of her study back into her bag.

"I'm awake," Kim said, catching Jackie off-guard, her hand outstretched and ready to shake her meister once more. Okay, maybe that was new. As the pink-haired meister rose from her chair, Jackie reached and caught the slipping bag before it fell gracelessly to the floor. Kim only blinked apologetically as the Demon Lantern handed her meister her bag. "Now I'm awake," she said, undeterred.

"Good," Jackie responded as she slipped her own bag over her shoulders. They were due to look at the board anyway, to see what jobs were there and available to take. The last mission they'd went on was a couple weeks ago, which in itself wasn't a rarity since the defeat of Asura. Besides, Kid had attempted to disperse some of the missions amongst the lower EAT member students, seeing as the Spartoi team would usually claim missions that would've lead to promotions otherwise.

Once they were out in the halls, however, Kim's hesitation was much too obvious for her, of all people, to pass up. Jackie paused, cocking her head to the side. What was once a bite of jealousy was now only a sore ache, a cross between amusement and annoyance; the latter more out of the loss of a mission prospect as opposed to what it used to be.

"You have a date with Ox."

"I'd meant to tell you earlier, I swear." Kim's voice wasn't apologetic, and Jackie was thankful for it. Besides, as much as they were partners, Kim was partnered with someone else - and as it were, Kid did say he wanted Spartoi to take a bit of a break in respect to the backlog of promotions.

"It's okay, Kim." Jacqueline shrugged and laid a hand against her friend's forearm. There was a part of her that was astounded at how readily she accepted the fact - whereas when they'd begun to date, there was even more resentment for the Lightning Spear meister than before, when he'd harmlessly flirted with Kim.

That was a long time ago.

"I'll walk you," Jacqueline offered instead.

Kim gave her a quick, fleeting smile, one that once used to stir her core. Now, it still brought forth a surge of warmth, a bubble of comfort that she wasn't sure was due to romantic feelings or otherwise. Being with Kim was comfortable - like a small flame in her heart. It'd always been like that, somewhat inseparable from the same pleasantness that came with their resonance. Maybe one fueled the other - she didn't know - but now, she was mildly content. At least she could walk her there and Kim's hand around hers was secure. Comforting.

Jacqueline felt like she was at home.

...

The walk was cool, pleasant - mostly containing idle conversations about their theories of who would be the next promoted. The streets of Death City were as quiet as Death City could be. Ever since that night, that huge fight that changed the world, Jackie had thought more things would reflect such a change. And despite the buzz in the air, at least Death City hadn't really morphed into something unrecognizable. The city had lost its God, its protector, but the majority of the citizens remained oblivious. While Lord Death's passing was definitely a change for Shibusen, the proceedings remained the same. Classes were running, missions were handed out, meetings and disciplinary actions were still held.

Aside from that, nothing had changed.

Even before Kim froze, Jacqueline could already read the intent in her meister's hand.

Just like that, so easily, she let go.

There was still warmth in the base of her stomach, a side effect from the resonance, but the lack of it in her hand was always a little sad. Maybe it was within her nature - Jacqueline the Demon Lantern, who craved warmth and heat like no other. She flexed her hand once, watching as the ligaments rolled with the movement. Then she stuffed it in her pocket.

Jacqueline watched Kim's cotton candy hair move away from her, to equally ostentatious hair from across the street. There was something vaguely melancholy as she watched their hands link, the warmth she craved denied as they walked away.

A similar distance away from the couple stood Harvar, also watching momentarily, until Ox turned and the weapon gave a firm nod. Jacqueline didn't realize she was gawking until the Lightning Spear gave his meister a quick pat on the shoulder, and locked gazes with her.

Call it resonance, call it the weapon within him and the strange connection that came with kinship, but a small jolt of electricity hit her spine. Like he'd shocked her. The phantom feeling from when he hadstill resonated within her. At the time, the voltage was adjusted to knock her out - and it did, for she vaguely remembered waking up later in a new location, with Kim and Ox hovering over her as Harvar stood a ways away.

Now, he walked towards her, and fast.

There wasn't a smile on his face, no friendly greeting aside from the mild warmth in his eyes that showed that, at least, he acknowledged her presence.

She raised a hand in greeting, and he did the same.

Then he lightly brushed past her. Easily, casually, and definitely not meant taken offensively. But a small part of her was, because it wasn't as if they hadn't had anything in common. They'd been in the same team for years now, and have seen each other thanks to their meisters, certainly more than they would've otherwise. And they've had their fair shares of awkward silences as their meisters met, blushing and stammering.

But he wasn't one to make small talk.

Nor was she, really.

So a bigger part of her was uncaring, as he'd been. They'd both only had business here with their meisters anyway.

Regardless, Jackie couldn't help but place a hand where his shirt had brushed hers, where a small spark had fizzled through her system, not unpleasant, but not the opposite either. It was another side effect from being near a conductor of electricity - but it was the prickling heat that lingered she was more interested in. It was warm, lively, and entirely not homey as Kim's hand was.

It was different, like a blue flame.

Truthfully, the only fire Jackie knew how to handle had always been orange.