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“Markus, you know I don’t have darkvision, right? Where are we going?”
“It should be just a bit farther. Oh, watch your step here. Careful. There you go. We’re almost there.”
Markus was guiding Ashe through one of the darker areas of the forest. It was nighttime, and though it was Markus’ turn to tend bar, he’d asked Kyr to cover for him. This was a once in a blue moon sort of opportunity, and he didn’t want to miss it.
“Okay, it’s just up ahead. Can you see the way now?”
It took Ashe a moment to realize that she’d closed her eyes at some point. When she opened them, she could see the tiefling as he pointed towards a gap between the trees that was lit with a silvery glow.
The young guardian gave Markus a brief glance. He gave her that reassuring smile she’d been looking for, the one that made her heart race and feel utterly calm at the same time. She put her hand back in his and let him lead her into the clearing.
Once they stepped into the open area, Markus turned to face Ashe and held both her hands, gently leading her to a soft spot on the grass where he guided her down.
“Lie on your back and look up,” he told her with a smile.
She did as he asked, letting out a gasp. Up in the sky, amongst all the bright stars and the wan light of the new moon, thousands of tiny sparks streaked across the sky in a brilliant light show.
“Oh, gods, Markus.” Her voice was barely a whisper, as if anything louder might make it all vanish.
“It’s a meteor shower. You know they say if you make a wish on a falling star, it’ll come true. Go ahead, try it.”
“Markus,” Ashe whispered again. She paused a moment, then sat up to look down at the man. “Can I kiss you?”
He looked surprised for a moment, then returned to his smile. “Aesling, do you even need to ask? Of course you can.”
It was Ashe’s turn to smile. She bent down and closed her glowing eyes, placing her lips against his.
“I think it worked,” she whispered. “My wish came true.”
Markus sat up and embraced Ashe, returning the kiss. “So did mine.”
They lay there for hours staring up at the stars. Sometimes Markus would glance over at Ashe. He could have sworn that her eyes were sparkling just like the sky that night.
“I love you.”