Chapter Text
Several duos took the stage before them.
They were graceful, clearly able to read one another as they moved across the center of the square. Agnea didn’t pay them too much mind, though. The butterflies in her stomach held her attention. She had always imagined the phrase to be a metaphor describing fear, or perhaps nervousness. But now that it was her turn, Agnea didn’t feel fear or nerves. She felt… good. Excited, even.
Hikari had kissed her.
It wasn’t quite how she had imagined it would go, but a kiss was a kiss and she was going to count it. It was so funny Almost as though the bliss of the world would persist forever, and yet at the same time it was all crashing down. She was painfully aware of everything Hikari was doing. He shifted his feet, glanced at her, then at the dancers in the center of the square. He gently moved a strand of hair out of his face.
The judges called their names.
Agnea led him by the hand. The audience clapped as they walked out. “How are you feeling?” Hikari quietly asked as the music began.
“I’m doin’ alright. What about you? Are you okay?” Agnea whispered back. They moved in unison, just like they’d practiced.
“I must admit I am somewhat nervous,” Hikari said. “I’m afraid I will do something foolish and let you down.”
“What town are we in?” Agnea asked.
“What?” Hikari seemed perplexed. “What does that have to do with-”
“Answer my question,” Agnea said with a smile. They moved about the square, never leaving each other’s gazes. “What town are we in?”
“Wellgrove. Why do you-”
“Where did we practice dancing?” Agnea quickly followed up.
“I-in the pathway south of town that cuts into the forest,” Hikari responded. He twirled Agnea, and she spun as she returned to him, his arm now wrapped around her and her hand clasped in his.
“What was the first thing I taught you?” Agnea asked. They moved together, her back pressed against Hikari as she craned her head to look at him.
“The box step. Why are you asking all- ah.” Hikari interrupted himself. Agnea could see the fire light up in his mind. “I see what you’re doing.”
“Oh? Am I doing something?” Agnea teased.
“You’re always doing something,” Hikari teased back. They shared a giggle.
“Be in the moment and enjoy yourself,” Agnea whispered, unraveling herself from his arm. “The dance will come. Don’t think about it too much.”
He nodded. Their feet moved in tandem, Hikari’s ponytail swaying with his movements and Agnea’s dress rippling in the light wind. Their eyes locked whenever they could, almost as though they were talking without words. That is what they were doing, Agnea supposed. This was them. They didn’t need words at a moment like this.
Agnea didn’t think this would be so enjoyable.
The song died down, and Agnea drew him in. She placed her head against his chest, flattening her palms against his now-open hands. Agnea wasn’t sure why she chose to do that in particular. It just felt right, she supposed. The pair slowed down with the fading music, their eyes shut softly as they listened to the air around them. All was silent for a moment, and Agnea would have been content to stay like that with Hikari.
The audience erupted into applause. The judges held up their boards, the numbers ten, nine, and ten on each of them respectively. Agnea led Hikari back into the audience, and within the hour they were awarded first place.
Trying to get a moment alone after that felt like its own war, but they did eventually manage. They hid by the back end of the dance school, next to each other, out of breath and leaning against the wall.
“We did it,” Hikari said. He sounded kind of like Osvald did when he made some kind of incredible discovery.
“We did it,” Agnea agreed.
They looked at each other for a moment. Agnea couldn’t suppress the pure joy bubbling up inside of her. She ran at Hikari, hugging him with all the strength she could muster. She let out a happy scream into his chest before looking at him directly. “That was so much fun! You were amazing, Hikari!”
“Please, Agnea. We both know you were the one to guide us to the top,” Hikari deflected. “I was just along for the ride.”
“Stop being so modest.” Agnea tapped him on the nose. “Repeat after me; I kicked butt.”
Hikari chuckled. “I kicked butt,” he conceded. They stared at each other, enjoying their mutual closeness. “You were the most beautiful thing out there today,” Hikari said.
Agnea knew an opportunity when she heard one. “I think that title is yours, mister noble prince,” she retorted. She leaned in a little bit. Uncertainty reared its head. What if she was reading this all wrong?
Fuck it, Agnea decided. She moved forward and kissed him.
Her eyes were shut tight. She felt him jump a little, freezing in place. Then she felt his hands on her nape and lower back.
Agnea had never felt so free.
“My word. I was wondering when this would happen,” Temenos said.
They broke apart, and Agnea whipped her head around to see Temenos standing a few feet behind her. He wore a smug grin on his face, like a child that thought they were getting away with something.
Ignoring the heat on her face, Agnea took out her knife. “You know some people are easily startled, Temenos,” she stated. She made sure to emphasize her city accent. “Myself among them. It is ever so startling to have your privacy violated.” She tilted the edge of the blade on her fingers, testing the sharpness. “And people holding knives are not people you should startle.”
“Point taken,” the cleric laughed. He raised his hands, walking backwards away from them before turning around. “Enjoy your… privacy, my friends.”
Hikari and Agnea decided to find somewhere else to have a moment alone. Eventually they ended up under the shade of a tree on the Eastern Wellgrove Trail. The sound of the forest was soothing, and the shadows of leaves that danced on the ground only added to it.
Hikari took her hand. “You know that I am not entirely safe to be around,” Hikari said.
“You mean because of the ‘other self?’” Agnea asked. “We can find a way to deal with that.”
“It’s not just that,” Hikari continued. “I am an outcast prince of a warrior nation. There will be people who come for me, and those people are all too willing to try and use the people I care about as a token of leverage against me. I cannot entirely guarantee your safety, should you decide you really want to be with me.”
“I’ve already decided, Hikari. I’m going to be with you if you want me, and that’s the end of that.” Agnea squeezed his hand, leaning her head on his shoulder. She reveled in her new permission to be affectionate with him. “We’re traveling with some of the most capable people on the planet, not to mention you. We’re going to be fine.”
“But what if-”
“There’s always gon’ be a ‘what if’, Hikari,” Agnea interrupted. “You really wanna let that stop you from being happy?”
Hikari smiled, squeezing her hand back in a way that made Agnea’s chest feel warm. “No. I suppose not.”
They stayed like that for a few more hours, drinking in the presence of the other as the hours passed by.