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By the time night had fallen, Athy tucked herself into her bed, and she stared up at the ceiling. Sleep does not come to her. She can’t help thinking about what had happened that afternoon. What a whirlwind that had been. First going on… what, a date? She blushes at the thought. It wasn’t really that, but she went out on an outing with Lucas to see a faraway market outside of her castle walls. That’s all she had known all her life; she didn’t know what it was like outside of it. So, to have the chance to experience it had been a thrill, that is, until Lucas had run off, when suddenly a monster appeared, and everything after that left like a blur.
She had taken care of the monster, thankfully, even though she had no idea where it had come from. It felt like it had appeared out of nowhere, out of thin air, with no real, valid explanation for it. Lucas may know. He is the greatest wizard of all, as he has said to her since she’s known him.
The memory of when he transformed into his much taller, long, dark-haired true self made her flustered by his height and his words. There is something about their relationship that could be shifting. It has felt like it in some small moments.
Or she could be just reading into too much. She’ll have to ask her romance crazy friends next time she sees them.
Athy gets up from her bed, since sleep is not coming to her, and she heads for her balcony. She looks up at the night sky, the warm night breeze blowing against her nightgown.
She thinks about Lucas and where their relationship could be going, if anywhere, when she feels the waves of magic next to her, and he’s there at her side as if she had summoned him from her thoughts.
Athy is used to him popping up as he pleases. She doesn’t flinch or squeal in surprise. Instead, a blush comes to her face, and she desperately shifts her eyes away from his handsome face before he catches on.
“What are you doing up late, Princess?” He asks her. “Usually when I come by at this hour, you are snoring-“
“Princesses do not snore!” She turns her head to look at him, her lips curled into a pout.
“You have,” Lucas smirks. “You haven’t answered my question.”
Athy shrugs. “I can’t sleep. I was thinking about what happened today.”
Lucas nods. “It was certainly surprising… but not sure what was more surprising, the monster or you taking care of it.”
“Hey!”
He laughs, and Athy crosses her arms. There is a beat of silence once his laughter dies down.
“I wanted to thank you, Lucas, for taking me out today. I had never been to a market before.”
“Considering how many sweets you got, I could tell.”
She wants to smack him, but doesn’t. “Can’t a princess offer her thanks? Maybe she wants to give him-I mean you-something in return.”
Lucas brow quirks up in curiosity. “Something for me? You know I’m not interested in your gold-“
“No, Lucas, something… else.”
“Something else?” He leans in closer to her, his red eyes piercing into her own. “What could that be?”
“C-Close your eyes.”
He gives her a curious look, but does so. He can’t be staring at her for what she’s about to do, or she’ll lose her nerve. This is certainly risky but a risk she is deciding that is one she is willing to take. It’s going to answer her own question.
He’s at the perfect height for her; she has to place her hands gently upon his face, tugging him a smudge closer, and her lips are on his, glued together, like magic.
Lucas seems to be taken by surprise by this; he almost pulls away, but it does not take him long to melt into the kiss and reciprocate it as if this wasn’t something he had been secretly dreaming of having happen.
They stay kissing for a few glorious minutes before Lucas separates their lips. His face stays close. “..I was not expecting that at all.” His voice sounds huskier, and it makes Athy shiver.
“Surprise?” Athy giggles.
“What-“ He starts before Athy interrupts. “I wanted to answer my own question.”
“Consider it answered,” Lucas says before taking her lips once again. She thinks she’ll have no problem falling asleep now. The way Lucas pulls in her closer to him, his arm going around her waist, making her feel warm and protected. He’s always been protecting her; even when she thought he was lazing around as she practiced her magic, he was really looking out for her. She’s so grateful to have him in her life. It would’ve been so much lonelier if he hadn’t been in it.
She ends their second kiss, saying breathily, “I should get back to bed.”
“Shall I join you?” Lucas grins.
“W-What no!” Athy blushes, giving him a playful shove. “Just because we kissed twice doesn’t mean-“
“Two wonderful kisses they were.” Lucas raises his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against her soft lips that had touched his seconds ago. “Anyway, I was teasing. I bid you goodbye for now, Princess.”
Before she had answered him, he snapped his fingers, and he was gone. Athy stands there, staring after the spot he had disappeared, her heart skipping a beat. She can’t wait to see him again in the morning.