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Vegas is loud. Even on a Tuesday night, it’s overwhelming. The streets are packed, the tourists are impressively obnoxious, and you try not to look at the advertisements for escorts scattered over the pavement.
The nice thing is that nobody really looks twice at you and your friends dressed up like you’re headed to a ren faire, except for one guy dressed like Elvis who shouts something about your bosom.
The not so nice thing is pretty much everything else. Stepping off the sidewalk and onto a crosswalk feels like stepping off the edge of a cliff, but instead of falling peacefully, five cars are honking and you’re trying not to get trampled by a group of frat bros who are just as eager to survive.
Eventually, though, you reach the Excalibur hotel, where the show will be held soon. By then your heels are making you hate everything, and when you finally get seated in the Red section (front seats, courtesy of Dina’s planning months ahead), you’re beyond relieved to be off the street. You’re between Dina and Jesse, Ellie sitting on Dina’s other side so the two of them can giggle and whisper to each other.
The show starts up after just a few minutes, beginning with a man dressed as Merlin instructing everyone to silence their cell phones. Then begins the introductions of the knights.
Green rides out first, sword raised high. Blue follows, then yellow, silver, and gold. Then, finally, the red knight.
She rides out on a black horse, silver armor gleaming under the spotlight, red and black cape fluttering behind her. She’s got her helmet clutched under one arm and a bright red rose clenched between her teeth as she grins.
Dina elbows you hard between the ribs.
“Oh hell yeah, we got the hot one!”
You laugh, but your whole attention is glued on the red knight currently riding a lap around the arena.
Her eyes lock onto yours as the horse gallops towards the red section. Her gauntlet gleams as she takes that rose out from between her teeth.
You’re watching every movement as she passes by, but you hardly process the toss until the rose is sailing through the air and landing in your lap.
…Holy shit.
She winks directly at you as she passes by, and you very nearly pass out on the spot.
The rest of the crowd reacts before you do, whistling and cheering as loud as they can. Dina’s grabbing you by the shoulders and cackling, Jesse claps, and you sit there like you just saw Jesus.
You spend the next few minutes trying to convince yourself that it was just part of the show. Dina’s not helping– she keeps giggling and whispering things in your ear that make you swat her away.
And that goddamn red knight keeps glancing your way and grinning like she knows exactly what kind of thoughts are running through your mind. Because you’re still holding that rose, fingers running over the bruised stem where it was clenched between her teeth.
The first challenge begins soon enough. Green and Blue take turns throwing javelins at a straw-filled target. You’re not really paying attention, just clapping a couple times when one of them wins. Same thing when Yellow and Silver take their turns.
When Gold and Red ride up to take the first javelins from the squires, you’re hooked. But she doesn’t look at you as she rides along the edge of the rink, not even when the horse gallops right past you. As she passes the target, she hurls the javelin out.
The point of it lands in the outermost ring of the target, but you still clap. Gold rides up next, but you’re not watching him. You’re watching Red, watching the way she rolls her eyes and gently pats her horse’s neck. But she still won’t look at you.
Dina notices your staring.
“You should flash her,” she says, very helpfully. “That’ll get her attention.”
You shoot her an unamused glare.
“I am not flashing anyone.”
Dina shrugs. “Fine. Get ignored, then.”
You sigh, looking back at the arena just in time to see Red with the last javelin, riding up once again towards the target. This time, it sails straight over the target block, and you wince.
As Gold is declared the winner of the round, she finally catches your eye again, and you can see the way her jaw is clenched with frustration. She forces a grin, though, looking straight at you and mouthing what looks like “next time”.
Gold takes a victory lap, holding a javelin high in the air as the crowd cheers for him when he passes by.
When he passes by the red section, most everyone sitting there starts to boo loudly. Jesse makes a gagging sound, Dina makes an X with her forearms, and you give him a double thumbs down. Behind him, Red is grinning, for real this time.
Up next is the joust. First is Gold versus Green, and you cheer when Gold loses the match. Then Blue and Yellow, which you don’t pay much attention to. It’s when Silver and Red prepare for their match that you sit up straight. Red grabs her helmet and holds it under her arm for a moment, pointing towards you with her free arm and mouthing “for you”.
Your face is probably just as bright red as the plume on her helm. It goes even redder when you hear the announcer’s words, something about the Red Knight “fighting for her lady’s favor”.
Before you know it, Red is securing the helmet on her head and flipping the visor down. She takes the lance and shield from her squire, gets them securely into place, and then a flag is waved for the joust to begin.
Red and Silver charge at each other from opposite ends, lances aimed. You have to remind yourself that they’re performers, that they’re rehearsed this too many times for anything to go wrong. It’s all a script, there’s no chance of anything actually happening to your knight. Wait, when did you start thinking of her as your knight?
You don’t have time to follow that train of thought, because Silver’s lance shatters on Red’s shield with a sharp crack of wood.
Red pulls off her helmet and tosses it to the squire, holding up her lance in triumph as she rides around the edge of the arena. She taps her free hand on her chestplate over her heart, then brings her fingers up to her lips to blow a kiss in your direction.
This time, you’re (mostly) ready for it. You hold your hand up, miming catching the kiss and tucking it away safely with a wink.
Her grin widens. God, she’s beautiful.
⋆ ༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻ ⋆
You don’t want the show to end. It’s the most fun you’ve had on this trip, but eventually it’s over. You’re still smiling as you and your friends make your way out of the stands, the rose now tucked behind your ear.
Then you spot them. The knights are out there, signing showbills and taking pictures.
You don’t get a chance to protest before Dina grabs your arm and starts pulling you towards the Red knight.
“Wait,” you say, trying to pull your arm away. “Hell no. I can’t go talk to her, Dina, oh my god, stop–”
Jesse grabs you under the arms and lifts you off the ground, half throwing you towards the knight as you yelp in distress. Ellie salutes you.
Dina gives you one more shove, way stronger than she has any right to be, and for the second time tonight you regret wearing heels.
You go tumbling straight at Red, and strong arms wrap around you almost immediately.
“Falling for me already?”
You slowly look up to see her grinning over you. She’s even prettier up close, and her voice makes your knees feel weak.
She sets you back on your feet after a moment of holding you in place, then pulls off one of her gloves so she can tuck the dislodged rose back behind your ear and brush your hair over the stem.
“You have a name, princess?” She asks, fingers finally falling away from your hair so she can gently take your hand and press a reverent kiss to the top of it.
You can distantly hear yourself tell her your name, but your main focus is how soft her lips are on your hand and how calloused her fingers are.
“Pretty name,” she says with a smile that knows too much. “But I think I’ll keep calling you princess. You look like one.”
That jolts you back to reality just enough that you can let out a slightly breathless laugh. Princess. You can live with that.
“I’m Abby,” she continues, letting go of your hand. “You can call me whatever you like.”
“What if I want to call you mine?”
As soon as the words come out, you wince. Coming on way too strong. That’s how you scared off the last few girls you tried talking to– but she doesn’t seem scared. Nah, she just laughs.
“Maybe. But you have to let me take you to dinner first.”
Did she just–?
You take a moment to just stare at her in shock. It shouldn’t be that surprising. After all, she was flirting with you for the whole performance. But you’d convinced yourself it was just part of the performance, not that she had any actual interest in you. Now here she is, flirting now that it’s just you and her, kissing your hand and directly saying she wants to take you out to dinner.
She raises an eyebrow, and you remember that she’s still waiting on a response.
“Yeah,” you say quickly. You’re pretty sure Dina would stop talking to you if you let a chance like this slip away from you. “Of course. Dinner sounds nice. I’m only here one more night, though.”
Abby nods. “I can work with that. Tomorrow night, Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Eight o’ clock work for you?”
You think for a moment. You’d kept the last day of your trip open, in case you found something you wouldn’t have time for the other days. A date would fit perfectly.
“Works for me,” you confirm. “Should I be on the lookout for the girl in armor?”
Abby laughs. God, she has a good laugh.
“You want me to wear the armor?” She asks. “I can wear the armor. Say the word.”
You let out a snort of laughter. You can picture her in full armor, sitting in a romantic restaurant. Mostly because you haven’t seen her in anything except for the armor, but that’s beside the point.
“Maybe something a bit more modern,” you suggest. “Like, from this century.”
“Damn.” She clutches her chestplate like you’ve wounded her. “This century is so boring though… but alright. Whatever the princess wants.”
You roll your eyes, but your smile gives you away.
Before you can respond, someone clears their throat behind you, and you glance back to see the line of people that have gathered to get a picture with the Red Knight. You quickly look back at her.
“I should stop hogging the knight. Um, I’ll see you tomorrow. Unless you stand me up.”
Abby grins and takes your hand, pressing one more chaste kiss to your knuckles before she lets you go with a wink.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. See you tomorrow.”
You force yourself to move away despite how much you want to stay there talking to her, slowly making your way over to where your friends are waiting. Every couple of steps, you turn back to look at her, only to find that she’s still watching you go despite the people talking to her.
“So,” Dina says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “How’d it go? Did you get her number?”
Your gaze is still locked with Abby’s across the room when you respond.
“...No. But I got a date.”