#and how he has a sister named petal blossom rainbow

[ihavebeesinmybrain]

thinking about how there’s a child out there in the world named river rocket blue dallas

[readychilledwine]

Blooms and Blossoms

Summary - The building was perfect, bones ready for a new owner and beginning. Now Elain just had to convince Rhysand to let her have it.

Warnings - None, unless you want to count female independency

A/N - Happy @elainarcheronweek day 6! I think Elain is all of us flower girls who secretly wish we could be running a floral shop *dreamy sigh*. I just know her shop would be gorgeous.

🌸Elain Week Masterlist🌸Master Masterlist🌸

Velaris was never a sleepy town. Elain had realized that very quickly into her newest adventure as she had begun to call being made fae. The streets were always full of light and life. Footsteps and music following every twist and turn on the streets.

She noticed flowers everywhere. Every shop window, planters paid for by Feyre and Rhysand, large gardens, but there were no floral shops. No places for males and females to treat themselves to the beauty only petals could bring. She had been hunting for days to change that, and as she dragged a very confused Rhysand with her, she had a solution.

Elain stopped in front of an empty shop. No sign to detail what had once been, dust gathering on the windows, “Here.” The shop was located in the Rainbow. Near Feyre, yet far enough away the sisters would not be close enough to annoy each other.

“Here what?”

She rolled her eyes at her brother in law before dragging him inside the building. “Look at how perfect the bones of this place are.” Walls that needed fresh paint, floors in need of a good clean and stain. Counters he'd want to replace as soon as he saw her vision. “I want the till here,” she motioned to the empty counter space where she envisioned something ornate and gold to hold coins. “Coolings here?”

Rhysand was slowly catching on, a soft smile playing on his lips. “More windows,” he turned her to the main wall facing the street, for your floral displays and season decor. You will be required to change it for Starfall and Solstice.”

Elain nodded excitedly, “Maybe a new door? With a bell? You know that is one of my favorite sounds.”

“I'm picturing light blush walls,” he began. “To bring out the color in the petals. Neutral countertops, perhaps a white marble?” He began to walk around the large building. “Darker Stained floors.”

“Darker. Definitely a deep rich color,” she agreed before moving with him. It was working. Her goal was slowly coming into fruition. “Blooms and Blossoms,” she said the cheesy name, biting her inner lip and waiting for him to reject it.

Rhysand only glanced back at her, “Very catchy. Nothing around here or in the shopping quarters has a similar name, My dear.” He watched her lip trembled, watching as the happiest of tears began to pool. “An interesting fact. Feyre and I own this building. The former owner could not find a buyer before her marriage to a Day Court noble came. Feyre bought it from her out of kindness.” He motioned for her to follow, knowing she probably had not seen the back.

Her hand found his as they walked through the dark, trusting her brother to get her to whatever he was showing her safely. He opened the door to the back of the shop.

A greenhouse. The shop already had a beautiful greenhouse, archway massive and ready in place. “The artist who owned this building specialized in making paints and art supplies from flowers, berries, and foliage. She grew it all to capitalize on profit.”

Elain walked around the huge greenhouse, now bare bones, but ready and aching to grow life again. “Rhys, please.”

He nodded before motioning for her to come back to him. “It is yours. Work will begin tomorrow.”

Board by board, day in and day out, Elain watched as her dreams were built. Seeds and bulbs planted, suppliers contacted. Each moment was reality growing near. Dusty aged wood was made new again, a deep mahogany stain freshly laid with a satin finish. Walls primed and changed to a soft blush pink. The old worn countertops were removed and replaced with a white and gray marble. A gold register with flowers and fauna carved into it is placed. Every change had Elain in Rhysand's office, the most alive he had ever seen her.

She was electric like this. Her joy became contagious as the Inner Circle learned of her shop, and as opening day approached rumors were spreading through Velaris.

Elain had started spending more and more time at the shop, preparing bouquets of roses, wild flowers mixes, daisies, whatever she could in pretty glass and clay vases. She hummed to herself as she worked on her current project, 24 long stem red roses mixed with fresh baby's breath and soft feather-like foliage. She had not noticed Rhysand enter from the back shop door. She had not noticed his smile as he watched her. She only noticed when he came to the register, placing gold in the till before kissing her cheek.

“I'd like that one,” he hugged her. “It exactly what I was wanting.”

“Take your money back, you aren’t-”

He shook his head, picking a clear glass vase with an iridescent glazing, “I am your first customer, little sister.”

Those words made her heart ache, from joy, from gratitude, from the love pouring from her very chest. “Rhysand-”

“I am so proud of you,” he stopped her sentence, knowing she was going to argue. “So very proud. You've come to life, Elain.” He pulled her to him, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Have you gotten to see the sign we had done?”

She shook her head, letting him pull her to the beautiful new stained glass door and wall of curtained off windows before pulling her outside.

“Blooms and Blossoms” was painted in a soft scroll on the largest window. It would be surrounded by her hanging pots and the flowers she had potted that could withstand the brightness of the window. Feyre had planned and centered it perfectly. Each season, it would shine, obvious to all who passed that this was the floral shop she hoped people would come to be regulars at.

“I saw all the beautiful exotics and staple plants you enchanted and are growing,” Rhysand wrapped an arm around Elain's shoulder. “Your suppliers are also doing wonderfully so far. The trade it's created has helped with a few other niche things we have here.” Rhysand's voice was soft as the two of them stared at the shop window.

“Thank you,” she finally gave him her gratitude after moments of just taking this in. “For funding this, for believing in me and my dreams.”

“That's what Velaris is for,” he whispered into her hair, “Dreamers.”

The next day was loud. It was crazy. Elain had not sat since the opening day party began. She had been blind to Rhysand and Feyre's influence before, but the fae of Velaris rushed to the shop she owned, purchasing single stems, mixed bundles, and house plants. Her smile stayed wide and ready all day, constantly holding in tears of joy as she did.

She was a business owner.

Her passion now a livelihood.

Cassian locked the door as the shopping day came to a close, and the last customer left. Elain slowly closed the curtains as her sisters and the Inner Circle stood in the flower shop. “That was insane,” Mor huffed as she fell to one of the client chairs Elain would use for custom orders. “How much did she make, Rhysie?”

The High Lord was deep into counting for Elain, shaking his head with a smirk, “More than enough to buy us all a round or two at Rita's.”

Elain squealed before bouncing slightly, “I have money to pay?!”

Everyone stared towards her before Feyre spoke, “You won't be paying, but yes?”

Elain screamed with joy, the fulfillment of having her own income almost too much for her. “I have my own money!”

They all glanced at each other as the middle sister began to skip and clean, singing softly to herself about being independent and having money.

“It seems this was about more than flowers,” Azriel muttered to Nesta.

The eldest sister just smiled at him, “It was about passion,” she said slowly. “And about gaining independence through doing something by her own choice.”

Azriel hummed, “Then it would seem she should be allowed to make whatever choices make her happy if this is the result.”

Nesta nodded in agreement as Elain skipped to Lucien, showing him the till, “It would seem she should.”

General Taglist:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanagers @bloodicka @starsinyourseyes @the-sweet-psycho @mariahoedt @rinalouu @sarawritestories @starryhiraeth @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @loneliestluvr @eternallyelvish @azrielsmate3 @daughterofthemoons-stuff @meritxellao @aria-chikage @hungryforbatboys @lilah-asteria @fandomrejects @sleepybesson @tayswhp @itsswritten @milswrites @littlest-w01f

[glassrowboat]

Empty. Simone.

Authors note: Just some of Simone's backstory.

Word count: 2.5k

Simone breathed in, taking in the scent, flooding the room she had just walked into. It was overpowering, invading, and reminded her of the perfume she would catch on the women decked out in pearls and fine black dresses who checked into The Reverie Hotel.

Unlike the inky fabric, so rich you could swear it was plucked right out of the night sky, a rainbow of petals greeted Simone. There wasn't even a trace of a moonless night between the rows of silver buckets stuffed full of flowers, vases, and pots spilling over with dirt and lush greenery.

Her heels, only an inch tall after Simone had begged her mother to let her own a pair of shoes besides flats and sneakers, clicked as they met the tile of the store’s floor. The sound barely covered her awed gasp.

Immediately, her head whipped around to meet the man behind her, his smile growing as Simone pointed ahead of her. “Mom, dad, look!”

“Welcome to the Valerie flower shop, bug.”

Simone giggled at the nickname, her laughter only getting worse when his pale fingers found their way into her hair to mess up the untamable curls she sported into a bunch of knots.

“Must you do that,” came from behind Simone as the bell chimed to once again signal someone had walked in, just like it did when she pushed the door open to be greeted by the sqeet song it offered. “I don't want to have to fix her hair every time you do that, dear.”

Her mother, Shani, kneeled down so she could fix a curl blocking Simone's eyes. Her hand wasn't cold from the air outside like Simone had been expecting, but it was just as soft as always when it grazed her cheeks when it moved to fix her askew glasses.

Simone blinked as the frames pinched her nose before finding a comfortable spot to rest.

“And you didn't even give her her gift, Isaac.”

“Oh, right!” Immediately, Simone's father was reaching over to pluck one of the many flowers off the shelves. It twisted under his grasp as he held it out, letting Simone take the chance to assess it before she took the orange rose from him.

Isaac has left the stem a wrangled mess, but Simone found it hard to care.

“This is our place in the dreamscape. Like our home.” Shani took Simone’s shoulders, squeezing them softly before she urged her daughter to take another step inside only a foot further from the welcome mat. “Now, I know you're used to the hotel, but this is where mommy, daddy, and your older sister live.”

“All of you live here? But I don't see a single bed.”

“No, no,” Isaac laughed. “We sleep upstairs. But if you like, bug, we can have a sleepover down here sometime.”

It was hard to imagine a single bed, much less one big enough to fit all four of them between the countless amounts of flora, to the point Simone was tilting her head this way and that to try and form the picture in her mind. It didn't seem likely, but the idea at least seemed fun.

“You promise?”

“I promise,” Isaac said before he too joined in pushing Simone into the shop just a step more. “But, before that, can you name any of the flowers here? You can go on and take a look at all of them.”

With another breath, Simone took a step forward herself this time. The hand that had been clutching onto the doorframe fell back to her side so she could get a proper look at what was before her, even when Simone could hear her father adding in a comment about how he can only really identify roses and lilies.

That earned an elbow to his side with a warning call of his name. The word Isaac on her tongue.

“I…” Simone's words trailed off when she was faced with blossoms and plumes of buds she couldn't recognize towering over her with how high they were stacked. Just like the shelves at the library, she couldn't tell what was at the top and was left to face only what was right before her: something bright yellow.

“A daffodil,” Simone asked, trying to make sure she got it right.

“Yup, that's a daffodil.” Isaac confirmed, only to let his elbow meet his wife's side a moment later. “See? Our girl's got it.”

“Yes, dear,” Shani jabbed back, "I see that.”

The couple's war went on, jabbing at each other's sides when a dirt covered hand came up and reached past Simone to pluck the yellow flower from the metal bucket it was comfortably in. The stem was wet when It settled next to the rose Simone had been holding onto, coating her skin with a soft dew she tried to wipe off on her skirt, leaving little handprints in the fabric.

The same skirt spun as Simone turned around to come face to face with her older sister Irene.

Irene clapped her hands together, trying her best to get any bits of dirt and grime off and failing as she smiled down at Simone. “I grew those, so consider them my welcome gift.”

“You grew them?”

“Mom and I did.” Irene nodded.

For a moment, they both looked back at their parents only to catch Shani landing a hint to Issac's stomach. With a groan at whatever those two are doing, Simone turned her attention back to her sister. “But- how does that work? I mean…in the dreamscape?”

From what Simone had learned flowers stemmed from seeds buried deep in the ground so they could take root and be given life by the soil until they sprouted; growing so big the petals could reach up and bask in the sun’s light, but there wasn't even a sun in this place to be seen. Yet, this daffodil was possible, just like the rose her father had given Simone. Even Irene was assuring her it was possible as she nodded her head back towards a glass house behind the flower shop with a simple offer.

“If you want, I can show you how it works.”

There wasn't a single second wasted before Simone had agreed.

“Then come here, kid.”

It was only when the painted green door to the back swung open, a lacy curtain swaying with the movement, did Shani's voice break through. She gasped, trying to catch her breath from her play fighting before telling the girls to be safe in there. That there were tools they both had to watch out for.

It was Irene who responded, her feet already carrying her to the greenhouse. “I know, mom. I can handle taking care of her, I assure you. Trust me.”

“You better. And that's because?” Shani pointed at Irene, trying to prompt her into reciting “it's a big sister's duty to take care of her little sister.”

It was only when Irene did, was Shani satisfied.

“Go off and have fun, you two. I'll keep your mother here occupied.” Isaac said.

The two stood together watching the little Simone and their, admittedly, not as grouchy as they thought she would have been teenager run off into the greenhouse with their fingers interlocked.

The last words they picked up before the door shut behind the last curl of peach hair was: “what flowers are we growing first?”

“I was thinking lilies.”

And the door clicked as it closed.

The lilies the two sisters had grown together had been snipped from the moment they blossomed by a pair of rusty shears, causing them to break away from the plant they had once sprouted into with a single snip.

Another was cut, and another, until there was enough to make a bouquet.

The vase they had been placed in stood tall in the middle of the dining room table for weeks, even when the petals began to turn from the charming white they had once been into a decaying brown and fell. They littered the table, covering it before being swept up and tossed away. Soon enough the flowers joined them in the trash.

And once again, a vase sat in the middle of the dining room table, but now it was empty.

Void of anything.

“What do you mean you couldn't find their corpses?” Irene asked, her eyes narrowed on the man across from her.

He was just doing his job. They both knew that, but it was hard to stop and properly contemplate that fact when Simone was just downstairs and able to come up at any time. The little girl, now ten years of age, still had a habit of running around as she pleased, and it left Irene’s brows furrowing at the idea of seeing a head of peach hair coming through.

Across from her Irene could see him fixing the tie of his uniform, straightening it out until it was perfectly set over the centerline of his shirt.

“Well?” She prompted.

“The ship…”

The moment his voice started to trail off, Irene shook her head. “Answer. The. Question.”

“Given how harsh the collision was with the asteroid, the ship wasn't fully intact when the rescue team finally arrived on the scene.” A swallow. “Everyone was sucked into the vacuum of space, Miss Valerie. Some bodies were recovered. Others weren't.”

Irene didn't need him to say anything more. She couldn't stand the idea of hearing the words herself, much less having to repeat them.

“They're gone.” She whispered to herself, trying to find a way to process that single sentence meant more than her parents were gone off on a trip like they were originally meant to be, but actually…. “No. You surely missed something.”

“Ma'am, we scoured-”

“I said you missed something.”

Irene's arms crossed, letting her hide herself away in the large sweater she had thrown on that morning. It was her mother's, something she said she would pack before leaving but never did when she couldn't find it in the mess that is the laundry room, and now it hung off Irene’s shoulders in a fuzzy embrace.

“I've been doing this for years, and denial is always the first step.”

“How dare you-” Irene jolted up, her chair dragging along the wooden flooring of her parents- her- home. The sweater she was wearing slipped from her shoulders at the siddem movement, drifting through the air until it fell back down onto the chair Irene had been using in a messy pile. “If you have really been doing this for years, I'd expect you to practice the proper conduct for this.”

His lips cursed for a moment, a retort clearly on his tongue that proved to only be stifled by Irene's steely glare. “My apologies, miss.”

“You're not forgiven.” With a wide sweep of her arm, Irene gestured towards the front door. “Now this is when you get out.”

“We still have to talk about your parents' will.”

That caused Irene to reach over and close the folders that had been paid out before her. It was all data, the list of victims, the ship name, the date of the memorial. With a single flick of her wrist, she hid it all away as the cover was once again facing the ceiling just as it should.

“I don't have the time to talk about that.” Or the energy. “Not when I still need to make dinner. So.”

“Get out?”

“Precisely.”

Irene only sat back down when she was sure she was alone. Even with the door cracked open just enough, she could hear Simone talking to the flowers downstairs.

Her head fell back, dreads tickling her back as she slowly breathed in and out.

In and out.

By the time Simone had finally run up those steps, like it were any other regular day, Irene's cheeks were already dried of her tears.

All the way up to the memorial, Irene had tried to settle on a way to explain what happened to no avail.

Days had passed without the truth coming to light as it was all brushed under the rug like what happened was nothing more than the stray bits of dirt both Irene and Simone would always track in from the greenhouse. They would tap their shoes on the landing, pull them off, and tuck them away in the shoe cubby without issue every day, but there would always be a mess no matter how hard they tried to keep from making one. So, the dirt was swept up and hidden away. Left to be forgotten about just like the folders Irene had stuffed away in a random drawer and refused to acknowledge any further.

They were out of sight.

They were supposed to be out of mind.

Just like how Shani and Isaac were supposed to come back to them with an armful of cheap souvenirs and tasty treats just like their dad had promised. He would have dropped everything on the dining room table and told the girls to “go crazy” with a snort as he watched Simone’s tiny hands trying to sneak a snack or two. Maybe she would have managed to get three if she got lucky before running off to avoid being scolded about cavities.

Irene could even see her mom smacking Isaac’s chest and telling him to stop indulging the girls so much.

All she had to do was close her eyes and forget, but that wasn't a possibility anymore. Not after a morning full of trying to tame Simone’s hair into something manageable before asking her to put on a black dress and heading out together with their fingers interlocked.

Each step closer was another moment lost to explain what happened. That, no, mom won't be in the shop arranging flowers into her beautiful bouquets ever again; that dad won't be leaving chewed pens around the house; how there won't be any family game nights; how there was a chance the flower shop would go out of business if Irene is left to take over when she has no experience managing a business; how Simone might-

Irene’s breath halted as they finally stood before the memorial. Beside them, an elderly woman stood with her head hanging low, just like everyone around them.

There were too many sniffles, not enough smiles.

And certainly no reunions.

No, there weren't even bodies to bury.

All they had were empty caskets being lowered to the ground before the lilies laying on the lacquered wood were hidden away by the first shovel full of dirt emptying on top of where their parents were supposed to be.

With one last lingering look, Irene tore her eyes away and kneeled down to look at Simone. Somehow, during their trip here, her glasses had gotten askew, and Irene couldn't help but reach up and fix them for her as Irene did her best to smile at her little sister.

“Tell me,” Irene whispered, “do you know what happens when flowers die?”

From here, all that was left to do was hold Simone's hand through this, along with the rest of their lives.

[thequeenofthedisneyverse]

Opposites attract au - Encanto

I saw this cute drawing of Felix x Bruno and it had me thinking. What if Felix fell in love with Bruno instead of Pepa?

(First off, I ship whoever I want, if this ship makes you uncomfortable PLEASE SCROLL ON. ANY RUDE COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED AND YOU WILL BE BLOCKED.)

Felix and Bruno started out as childhood friends and obviously blossomed into something more. No one understood why the sunshine boy would fall for someone like Bruno. the villagers would question him as to why and-

"well...he's sweet, kind, thoughtful, funny, -" and many more kind words to follow.

Being the big guy Felix is, nobody bullied Bruno anymore out of fear of being drop-kicked. Felix made sure to always make Bruno smile when he was upset, and in return, Bruno did the same.

Pepa was the one who ruined their wedding day because she stepped on a very sharp nail and...caused a hurricane. She apologized multiple times even though they kept saying it was fine. She made the wedding day even more fun, Bruno and Felix acted like children splashing in the puddles and dancing under the raindrops.

Now time for the kids-

Camilo, Dolores, Antonio, Cecilia, Alejandra, and Juancho are all adopted over the years.

Dolores and Camilo were adopted after Felix's sister died during childbirth. Dolores and Camilo are both 15 in the au. Antonio, Cecilia, Alejandra, and Juancho were all adopted when they were babies and they are the same age they are in the movie.

Alma is supportive of all of this, she is not homophobic. We need a supportive alma once in a while.

The kids wear their own favorite colors:

Dolores likes the color purple

Camilo likes the color pink and petal pink colors

Antonio, Alejandra, Cecilia, and Juancho wear rainbow colors

Cecilia has the gift of portal creation

Alejandra has the gift of Confection manipulation

Juancho has the gift of time stopping

Movie version:

Bruno does leave in the movie, but for a whole different reason.

Alma was going to ask Bruno to do a vision of Mirabel's ceremony. He agreed but he also started to talk about how he was tired of being mistreated for visions and that he wanted to spend more time with his children.

"This will be my last vision"

Alma took it as he was turning his back on the Miracle and then all heck broke loose. The argument ends with Bruno storming back to his room and Alma calling out to him.

Bruno did the vision, but he did the vision for Mirabel, not Alma. What he saw gave him more of a reason to leave. He told Felix what happened(not including the vision) and they packed to leave. Felix decided to talk to Alma about himself in hopes of getting her on their side but she didn't. They left with their two children and were never heard from again for the next decade.

Pepa never married but she did adopt some kids. And a current love interest named Bubo(Bubo was supposed to be Isabela's love interest but I decided to switch some things around.). Alma doesn't know of Bubo just yet, they are taking things slow.

The boy with the curly hair is Cisco, he has the gift of duplication

The boy in the hat is Carlos (the gift of flight, age 6)

The boy in the green rauna is Alroy( the gift of sticking to walls, age 5)

and the girl with braids is Carina (the gift of mediumship, age 6)

[blasphoeme]

I Love You More Than Ice Cream

It’s A Date

Chap 5/?

Chapter Summary:

Jon takes Dany on their very first date. A dinner for two under the starry sky, talks of childhood shenanigans and a relatively large revelation about Jon comes to light. How will things go? Will they have a good time? Will the night end with a sweet goodnight in a meeting of lips for the very first time? Read on my dear readers XD.

Can be read on Ao3 too. Along with the previous chaps 1, 2, 3, 4. :)

A small smile edged its way onto her lips, inch by inch, growing and growing into a huge grin as she took in the view before her. An inexplicable sense of surprise settled in her belly and blossomed into wonder. Nestled behind the bright towering neon letters displaying the word ‘diner’ was a rooftop garden.

Though the area wasn’t very spacious, pots and planters housing various flowers and herbs galore were lined up neatly in two rows starting from the metal gate and along the perimeter of the space. Spindly leafy appendages bobbed in time with the cool evening breeze. The earthy scent of dirt, picked up by the circulating air currents harmonized wonderfully with the sweet exotic aroma of plants. Creeper vines twisted their nimble bodies around the steel skeleton of the neon sign, inching all the way up the pillars, across the wooden beams of the pergola overhead. Intermingled with the leaves were fairy lights, posing as wannabe stars that twinkled faintly against the backdrop of the setting sun. In the middle of the garden sat a table, decked out for two.

Ambling slowly behind Dany with his hands tucked into his jeans pockets, Jon’s eyes tracked her every move as she navigated her way through the garden. He could barely contain his joy, so thrilled to see the wide-eyed look of fascination on her face. He thanked his lucky stars for having such a supportive family who were more than ecstatic when he told them he was bringing his crush on a date. His uncle immediately pushed for them to have it at this very diner. To be more original, Arya then suggested that they modify the venue a little. Instead of eating in the diner, crammed into a booth during dinner rush, having to shout to hear each other over the crowd, why not make it a little more romantic? They’d spend the past week preparing for this moment. From the menu, to the decorations and the flower bouquet he gifted to her. Gaping at the splendour around her, at the flora with hues of every shade of the rainbow, taking it all in, Dany was in awe. Along the little path between the plants she went, she also spotted several pots of daisies sitting in a corner. Jon must have picked each flower one by one to form the bouquet for her. All around her, every plant in the garden looked healthy and strong, making her wonder just how much labour and love was poured into tending to this magical little sanctuary, hidden away from the eyes of the people on the street. 

As she neared the clearing where the table was, a flash of colour at her periphery caught her eye. Huddled amongst the miscellaneous flora was an unusual rose bush. Stopping before it, she got onto her haunches to get a closer look. Never had she seen roses of that colour nor had she smelt a scent so sweet. The blossoms, just beginning to bloom wore a hue of the bluest, clearest sky on a sunny cloudless day. Under her thumb the unmarred azure petals were of the smoothest of velvet. “You’ve never been here before now have you?” Glancing up at her date for the night, who had came to a stop by her side, Dany stated dryly: “If I did, I would’ve been trespassing on private property.” Just then, the puppy in her arms that she had almost forgotten was there, started to wiggle, whining to be let down. “You want to go explore too little guy? Okay.” Dany placed Ghost onto the concrete ground. As soon as he landed, he darted forwards in a run before turning the corner and disappearing behind the back wall like he was accustomed with the place already. Strange. “You’re here! Finally!“ Following the voice, Dany was pleasantly surprised to find a petite young woman standing by a small door that looked to be a dumbwaiter sitting in the wall. “Welcome to Lone Wolf Diner where the pack serves fries, free with every main course you order!” The girl continued, reciting the well-versed motto of her family’s diner. With a gasp and a happy heart, quick steps brought her over to the girl. Pulling her in for a big hug, Dany squealed. “Arya! It’s so good to see you again. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” “Hi! And yes it has been too long. We’ve missed hanging out with you so much.” Arya hugged her back, tightly. She liked Dany very much. Memories of nights staying up late with her siblings way pass their bed time, cuddled into Dany’s sides on the couch, gorging on snacks whilst a Disney movie played on the television were the catalysts for the fondness she held for her favourite babysitter. Plus, the woman, then teenager made really yummy treats. She’d always had a knack for it. Arya drew back from their hug, still clutching Dany’s hands in hers. Her large grey eyes were sparkling with hopeful glee. “Now that you’re dating Jon.... Maybe you’d be around more often.”

“Wait... you guys know each other?” 

“I should have told you earlier but we didn’t gotten the chance to. We’re family and Arya’s my cousin.” Moving over to the table, Jon pulled out a chair for Dany before turning to look at her expectantly with a touch of hesitance and sheepishness. He hoped she didn’t feel miffed about his identity. His family was her competition after all.

Wordlessly applauding Jon’s gallantry, Arya tugged a gawping Dany by the arm over to the table and shepherded her into her seat. “Thank you.” Dany muttered absently over her shoulder to Jon as he pushed her chair in like the gentleman he was. Once Jon was seated opposite her, Dany looked between him and Arya in complete bafflement. “Mister Stark’s your uncle? Mister Benjen has a child?” “Oh no, Jon is Auntie Lyanna’s son.” Arya commented. “Lyanna? I never knew Mister Stark had a sister.” “My mum left to explore the world when she turned twenty one with nothing but a suit case and a thirst for adventure. Long story short, she met my dad who was on vacation in Greece, fell in love and had me. She hasn’t been back here in ages because she says she has so much more to see of this world and she would only return when she’s done. They’re currently in New Zealand now.” “Auntie Lyanna is such a badass! Sometimes, we get to talk with her on the phone or even video call and she’s always in a different country every time! She’s my inspiration.” Arya gushed with complete admiration for her globe-trotting aunt. Looking to Jon, she added as forethought, “Your dad is a total badass too of course. Can’t forget him.” “Thanks.” Jon smiled, fiddling with the fork laid out for him on the table. His parents were definitely not the most conventional kind. The years of his childhood up till the age of fifteen, just before his grandparents enrolled him into the boarding school his father had attended as a child in England, were spent in foreign countries. The things he learnt about the people, the culture, all that knowledge that comes from traveling had shaped him into the man he was today. “That’s amazing. Your parents are such courageous people and you must have had such a fun childhood!” Dany couldn’t help feeling a tad bit envious. Traveling the world, visiting distant lands, soaking up all that the world had to offer? That would be the perfect life. An ambitious dream that she’d had since forever. “I hope to tick that off my bucket list one day. To leave my footprints all around the world and see everything.” “Oh.... Why don’t you guys go together? Start off with New Zealand to visit Auntie Lyanna, meet the parents and all that.” Voicing her suggestion, Arya waggled her dark brows at Dany while clapping a hand repeatedly on Jon’s shoulder. Teasing Jon alone was hardly this entertaining! The two adults before her were growing as red as the beetroots that her mother cultivated in summer. She could nearly feel the heat radiating off the two of them. I could even fry eggs on the apples of their cheeks, she thought. “All right, okay I’ll stop messing with you two now. You guys are just so adorable. Sheesh!” Arya scampered back to the dumbwaiter. “My main mission for coming up here was to inform you that your food would come straight up from the kitchen downstairs in this contraption.” Patting the shiny metal door she elaborated, “When you’re done with each course, just send the dishes back down with this button and the next course will be sent up for you.” Jon and Dany nodded at her instructions mutely, each looking down at their feet and fingers respectively, their faces aflame. Maybe just one more time wouldn’t hurt? Never one to miss a chance at letting her trickster side out, Arya didn’t even bother putting a stopper on her next ploy. “Before I go, you want to know something stinkingly cute, Dany?” “Hmm?” At the mention of her name, Dany’s head shot up to Arya from staring at her twiddling fingers lying on her lap. “This guy here?” Locking an arm around her cousin’s neck, Arya revealed to Dany something Jon probably would never for the life of him, want her to find out about. “He spent the whole morning looking at his reflection giving himself a stern pep talk on what to say, what to do and to not freak out when he goes to pick you up.” Arya was bouncing with excitement. She’d been waiting a whole week for this moment to do this. Some would say it was mean but she liked to think it was what family did, practical jokes, endless teasing and tasteful pranks of course. His embarrassment from before hadn’t even faded and now this? Jon’s jaw fell in mortification. Glancing at Dany out of the corner of his eye, the mirthful surprise dancing within her pretty purple eyes and the daintily arched brow had a further gush of heat rushing straight up to his head like the mercury line of a thermometer, forcing his face to heat up even more. Reaching around Arya, his arms flailed as he tried to stop her blabbing. He had to curb to spill of words from her mouth. His grumbles of ‘Shut up, Arya!’ did nothing to stop her, cackling ecstatically to herself, Arya’s slender fingers wound themselves tightly around Jon’s wrists. With a strong grip, developed from years of rough housing with her three brothers, she held Jon’s hands effortlessly away from her face. She was on a roll and she wasn’t going to let him stop her. “I could go on all day about how panicky he’d been since he came home from meeting you last week. This was the first time we’ve ever seen broody Jon this uncharacteristically... un-broody. Beaming like a loon while staring into space thinking about you. He couldn’t even go two sentences without mentioning your name!” “I don’t do that.... surely?” Jon uttered indignantly to himself, struggling to free his hands from Arya’s claws. “Oh yes. You sure do!” Noticing Dany’s hands clamped over her mouth and the tremor in her shoulders, filled Arya with a smug sense of accomplishment. “If you didn’t know before, this man is downright smitten with you!” The plaintive groans from the man behind her only spurred her on even more. “Naturally, we couldn’t let this chance pass him by! We all pitched in to set up this date for the both you!” The five siblings minus their eldest brother, Robb, who was busy with his job and a baby on the way, had spent the day hanging up the fairy lights, rearranging the pots and cleaning up the rooftop, making it presentable for their guest. Abruptly, she let go of Jon’s wrists causing him to fall back down into his seat, landing on his bum with an ‘oof!’.

Swapping out playfulness with sincerity, Arya took a step closer to where Dany sat. “He really, really likes you, Dany. We hope you feel the same for him too.” Taking the young girl’s hands in hers and squeezing them, Dany couldn’t deny that Arya’s revelation, knowing that he was just as anxious and happy about their date as her only made Jon all the more favourable in her eyes. Meeting the eyes of the blushing, endearing man across the table, she informed the two of them and herself out loud for the first time, “It just so happens, I like him a lot too.” There was a swooping in his tummy like a rollercoaster, free falling to the pull of gravity before shooting back up again. Jon grinned, his brown eyes squinting intensely from the push of his smile. They were trained on the dark wood of the table. Nowhere near the stunning woman he knew was watching him with her twinkling eyes. She likes him! “Aww you guys are so sweet!” Arya cheered. The man that was her favourite cousin, technically only cousin but it still counted, wore the dopiest grin she’d ever seen strung across his lips. Her favourite babysitter looked so demure, giving the man on the other side of the table bashful glances from beneath her lashes, accompanied by a red tinge on her face. Their happiness seemed to light them up from the inside out. Arya’s own smile softened into relieved one. It was evident that these two silly lovebirds were made for each other. Deciding it was time to stop bugging them, Arya coughed just loud enough to draw Jon and Dany’s mooneyes away from each other, she bid them farewell. “I’ll leave you guys alone now. Enjoy your dinner! I’ll see you around, Dany!” “It’s been great seeing you again!” Dany said, watching as the brunette girl tossed a quick wave in her direction before going around the wall that Ghost had disappeared behind. Leaning forward, she caught a glimpse of a glass sliding door slide shut, followed by the closing of a retractable folding door with wooden shutters. With Arya gone the rooftop became so quiet, save for the two people seated giggling at each other, suddenly shy again. Dany’s admission of her feelings for her date came rolling back, slamming into them both like a torrent of untameable waves. Idly tracing a line against the grain of the wooden table with his finger, Jon voiced that singular, blaring thought that had been whirling through his mind for the past few minutes: “So.... you... like me?” He looked like a young boy kicking at stones with his feet as he waited for his crush to push him away, waiting for her to decide that she didn’t want to play with him anymore because he wasn’t cool like the big kids.

Dany nodded resolutely. It was too late to turn back now, might as well take it all with her chin held high. “Yes.” She could hardly believe that she had said it right in front of his face without any hesitation at all! All this while she never told a soul save for Missandei. She hadn’t even dared to declare those feelings to herself yet! Where did that courage come from, she wondered. Heart hammering hard behind the curve of her ribs, Dany pondered at how miraculous the human body was. How was it that seeing Jon smile at her could have her feeling so peculiarly wonderful, all fuzzy and effervescent on the inside? “They say first impressions are everything. First dates even more so I think. I hadn’t come clean about my family to you before today and you had to hear all about my awkward self just now thanks to my pesky relative. You still like me?” Those wide chocolate orbs looking back at her were teeming with an open vulnerability that sent her heart lurching. He was so beautiful, how could she not adore him? “Oh, Jon. I’m very happy that you’re related to the Starks. They watched me grow up and your uncle has helped me so much with my business, I owe them a lot. Don’t be sorry for not telling me sooner. As you mentioned, we’ve haven’t had the time.” Threading her fingers with his, Dany marvelled at how perfectly their digits slid into place, hers within the gaps of his and his within hers. “And if you must know, I meant what I said. I like you and your awkward self very, very much.” “Well.... I’m immensely pleased to hear that.” Jon gave the slender fingers linked with his a light squeeze. Tenderly, his thumb began to move. “I just so happen to like you a lot too. You and your perfect self.” And he truly did. This was a long time coming confession since the moment his heart was struck down by the sight of her smile. Transfixed, Dany watched the path of Jon’s thumb as it outlined the curve between her index finger and thumb. His feather light touch stirred up a flurry of goose bumps all over her body and a need for something, something more. Subconsciously, she wriggled in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs.Expelling a tremor-laden chuckle, Dany professed, “Believe me when I say I’m not perfect. You haven’t see the side of me that’s not on a date with a handsome man yet.” “Oh. I hope you don’t mind if I stick around to find out then?” His voice adopted that hopeful lilt once more. She called him handsome. His stomach did a summersault. “I’d like that, yes. Very much actually.” She wondered if they would get to the point where they could be comfortably unglamorous around each other. The two of them lounged in front of the television, gorging on greasy pizzas or mornings where the first thing they saw of each other was messy bed head. She prayed they’d get there one day. Just then the mechanism within the little food elevator came on, producing a whirring noise, leading up to a cheery ‘ding’. The little button beside the door lit up too. Their dinner was served. 

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Reluctantly letting go of her hand, Jon went over to the dumbwaiter. Pushing the doors apart, two steaming bowls of par green soup were revealed, served on a wooden tray. A folded piece of cream-colored paper sat word side down like an erected tent in between the bowls. Lifting the tray from the metal box, Jon brought it over to their table. Careful not to spill any of the soup, he served a bowl to his eagerly awaiting date first and then himself. The tantalizing fragrance of something rich and earthy hit Dany’s nose as it wafted up into the air with the steam. “Oh... I can’t wait to try this. Looks and smells like asparagus or could it be peas? What does that note say?” Picking up the folded note, Jon’s eyes gave it a skim. “Hello young lovers...” Relishing in Dany’s tinkle of a giggle, lips twitching upwards in response, he continued, “To start off your evening, I have prepared a cream based soup that features the freshest of spring ingredients - asparagus, peas and fennel. Spring is a time for new beginnings and new relationships alike. I hope you’ll have a splendid date and may your budding romance flourish like a blossom coming to bloom under the nurturing hand of nature. Love, Ned, your chef and hopefully family in due time.” Family! Nibbling on her lower lip, a new wave of heat simmered under her skin at Ned’s pointedly written words directed at her. It was all too soon. Dare she hope to be a part of Jon’s family? Tucking an errant tendril of hair behind her ear, she begged her heart to stop pounding just enough for her to get through this dinner. Resting the paper on the table, Jon gulped, shoving the torrent of flustered nerves back into the depths of his belly. His uncle really was too much sometimes. He’d been so preoccupied with trying to make her notice him that the idea of having Dany in his life forever never even had the chance to cross his mind yet. Having her successfully look his way was a miracle in itself! One day in the future, perchance she’d have him entirely, for a long, long time. Only then, he’d consider himself, truly, the luckiest man on earth. “Umm... So... Shall we?”

“Yes. Let’s eat! Bon appétit.” 

Dunking her spoon it into her bowl, Dany swirled the dollop of cream around until it blended in with the milky, pale green, piping hot liquid goodness. The little cubes of toasted bread floated like isles in a sea of green.

Desperately needing something to calm the fluttering in her middle, she brought the spoon back up and towards her lips before taking a sip. The moan that flew out of her lips, still attached to the spoon would have made her blush if she wasn’t already ladling another spoonful of the wonderful warm soup into her mouth. It could easily be the best thing she’d ever tasted. The earthy sweet flavourful medley of asparagus, peas and fennel was strong upon her tongue, yet it left a light, refreshing aftertaste, making her want more. If tea was a hug in a mug, this soup was like consuming liquid sunshine. Before she knew it, she had reached the bottom of her bowl. Sitting across from her, Jon slurped up his soup just as speedily, just noticing how famished he was having not eaten much all day, too anxious to ingest anything but a few bites of toast that morning. Sitting back in his seat feeling satisfied, Jon smacked his lips, savouring any remnant taste of the soup in his mouth. Having eaten his food every day, he could really attest that his uncle truly was a very capable chef. Judging from Dany’s gleaming bowl, he could tell that she would thoroughly agree with him.

“Shall I send our dishes back done and move on to the main course?” “Yes please!” Already moving to place her empty bowl and used spoon back onto the tray that it came from, Dany replied, her enthusiasm palpable. Down the dishes went and up came more. This time, it was two serves of warm lasagna and a bottle of red to go with them. “Oh! I haven’t had this in ages!” The familiar fragrance of tomato, onions, garlic, minced beef and Italian herbs filled the air. “You know I used to come to the diner after school every day just to have Mister Stark’s lasagna?” “I think my uncle must have known that.” Lifting up the note that came with their food, Jon flipped it the right side up before taking in the scrawl of letters. “Ah! Yes. He said so right here.” This note was much shorter than the last, lacking in more teasing quips, thank the gods. “‘For your main course, a classic from this very diner and a favourite of a certain little lady with the purple eyes. The bottle of Merlot goes really well with the red sauce.’” The layers of pasta, meat sauce and cheese caved under the pressure of her fork like butter under the blade of a hot knife. Lifting the fork towards her mouth, pulling a string of gooey melted cheese along with it, Dany blew on the forkful hastily before popping it into her mouth. The taste was just as she remembered, transporting her instantly back to the days of her youth when she’d run over to the diner instead of going home for lunch. “My mum could never make it quite as good as his. Don’t ever tell her I said that. She’s great with numbers but she isn’t that much of a cook.” Pouring some wine into a wine glass for Dany and then tipping some into his own, Jon smiled a wistful smile. An image of the cutest little girl with silver curls and lavender eyes like a doll formed in his mind. What would it have been like to grow up with her? Would they have been good friends? Would they have found themselves in their current state much sooner? “What I wouldn’t give to meet little you. I bet you were just as wonderful as you are now.” “Mm.” Shaking her head with her mouth stuffed, Dany chewed quickly and swallowed. “Wonderful? I wouldn’t go that far. I’ll have you know that I was quite naughty as a child. Detention was my best friend in high school.” Taking a sip of his wine, Jon couldn’t help but disagree. “I find that hard to believe.” “It’s true! You see I had a bad boy jock boyfriend at the time. I used to get up to lots of silly, sometimes not so nice antics just to get myself into detention so I could be with him a little more.” A ruefully half smirk tugged at her lips from behind her wine glass. “When he dumped me after two years, a veil had lifted and I could finally see that in my strive to keep him with me the people around me got hurt.” Thumbtacks scattered upon a teacher’s chair, gum in their hair, all the notorious things that she never would have done if she were given another chance to relive her childhood. Her parents were so disappointed in her. “I did get over him eventually and the pain didn’t last for long. After that, I knew I had to change. So, I apologized to everyone I hurt and I worked hard in school. I got into college and all the rest was history. Time heals even the deepest of wounds I suppose.” ”I need to put it out there. That jackass was an idiot for leaving you.” How could anyone do that to someone like her? He would never, ever have left her. “And for what it’s worth, you were just a child then. I think we’ve all done things we aren’t too proud of as kids. Whether it was to fit in or earn the affection of someone we liked.” Giving Jon’s arm a gentle squeeze, Dany gave him a grateful smile, passing along a silent ‘thank you’. He understood her.  The chance of finding someone who you could relate to was so slim. Someone like him was rare in the world. For that, she counted herself extremely blessed.

“What I am most intrigued about now is… What, may I ask, did you do as a boy that was so shameful?“ “All I’m going to say is that it involved drunkenness, a bottle of the headmaster’s whiskey and a dare.” Dany’s eyebrow rose up high. She could venture a guess as to the outcome from all the clues he dropped and it sounded like an entertaining tale. “What happened?” “Not telling.” Batting her eyelashes coquettishly, putting on her best puppy dog eyes, Dany pleaded with him. “Tell me... please...?” This woman would be the death of him. He was sure of it. How was he to deny her anything when she looked like that? Groaning under effect of those large doe like eyes of hers, his resolve crumbled like a house of cards.“Fine. I will tell you on one condition that this stays between us and only us. No one else can know about this.” Index finger drawing a cross over her heart, Dany gave him a solemn nod in promise. “I won’t tell anyone.” Resting her forearms on the table, interlocking her fingers on the table, Dany leant forward, ready to listen to whatever sordid tale Jon had to tell. Taking a gulp of his wine, shifting to mimic Dany’s posture, Jon commenced his tale. He regaled her of a drunken night of partying, which lead to a classic game of truth or dare. Bolstered by the copious amounts of beer and spiked punch, young Jon chose to participate in a dare which required him to steal the bottle of Jameson stored in the bottom left drawer of his headmaster’s desk. Simple enough, right? How naïve he was. Just sneak in quick, pick the lock and get out. Unfortunately for him, there was a catch. He had to run from the dorms to the other side of the campus.

Naked as the day he was born. “No.... You didn’t!” “You can bet all the money in the world that I did.” There he went in the dark of night, butt naked, streaking across the campus grounds. His gaggle of drunken friends followed behind him, giggling like schoolgirls. Up the stairs they went, stopping just outside their destination. To their utmost joy, the office door was unlocked! In Jon crept, his friends waiting outside the corridor for him to emerge victorious. “There I stood without a stitch on me, clumsily fumbling with the handle of the drawer, trying so hard to pull it open. Until, it came to me that I didn’t know how to pick a lock. To make matters worse, the headmaster chose that very moment to traipse back into his office.” “Oh dear...” Dany cringed. She had an inkling of what was coming. His fellow dorm mates and friends had bailed on him once they caught sight of Mr Montgomery’s shiny baldhead. In the end, their pajama-clad headmaster caught a very exposed, totally hammered, teenage Jon standing by his desk trying to break into his finest whiskey. Shrugging as nonchalantly as he could Jon casually picked up his wine glass and swirled the maroon liquid around. “I spent two weeks on kitchen duty after and none of the boys would let me forget that night. I was pretty much a legend.” “A shameless one at that!” A bark of laughter erupted from Dany’s mouth. She was so glad that she wasn’t drinking her wine. Otherwise, it would have gone up her nose and projected everywhere. “I’m glad my plight amuses you.” Jon said appreciating how charming Dany looked succumbed to the call of full belly chortles. Her laughter filled him with veneration and pride knowing that he brought it to light. Everyone knows a good meal cannot end without dessert. For such a special occasion, Ned had created something new for them - a s’more pie. Sitting on two plates were two generously large slices. A base of crushed Graham crackers, a filling of decedent dark chocolate mousse topped with pieces of toasted marshmallows. Just as the last two courses, this final one was enjoyed and disappeared in the blink of an eye betwixt a volley of banter and a chorus of laughter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dad! Leave the two of them alone.” Sansa laughed. Her father had his hands cupped around his eyes straining to peek through the wooden shutters at the two little lovebirds dining outside. Looking over the railing from his position a top the spiral staircase leading to the roof, Ned asked his brood: “Aren’t you curious about how things are going? My only baby sister’s son is on a date! The last time he was here he was just a wee boy of four! I was never there to see him grow up and I’ve definitely never had the chance to see him bring a girl home before.” His arms waving about animatedly and his eyes exaggeratedly wide as he sprinted back up the steps.“Oh.... I need to document every second of this fine moment for your aunt. Do they like my food?” Arya and Rickon were practically rolling on the carpet laughing at their dramatic daddy. Rolling her eyes, Sansa shook her head once more before turning back to her laptop. Rickon gave his brother, Bran’s leg a shake only to get a grunt in return. Frowning at his brother’s engrossment in his book. The fool is missing out with his nose always stuck in a book! Looking up at his father’s back, he pointed out a very obvious problem. “You’re not doing it right, daddy! The wood is blocking your eyes! You need to open the window to see.” Ned pried away one of the loose pieces of wood from the shutters with a triumphant ‘hah!’. Pressing his ear to the strip of glass revealed all he heard was muffled laughter and conversation. With his eyes cupped to erase any trace of a reflection, he could see their silhouettes in the dark pretty well thanks to the fairy lights they’d strung up. Jon and Dany seemed to be having a good time, animatedly chatting over their dessert with smiles plastered on their faces. Replacing the wooden plank in its rightful place, Ned knew Lyanna would be happy to know that her quiet son had found himself a nice girl. “Or... we could sneak a camera out there to watch them! That way you could document their interactions properly too. Why didn’t I think of this sooner! From the way they were mooning all over each other even with me standing right there, this has got to be good!” Bolting up from her sprawled position within her nest of pillows on the floor that she was sharing with Rickon, Arya’s eyes glowed with excitement. Her new prototype could finally be taken out for a trial run! “I’ll go and get it for you. I have just the thing!” “Hold on a minute, kiddo.” Ned caught his pesky daughter around her shoulders and reeled her in to him. Peering up at her father, she asked in her most innocent voice: “When did you come back down from there, daddy? You’re very quick.” Ruffling her head of raven curls that matched his own minus the odd strands of grey, Ned’s heart swelled with love. They said a parent should never have a favourite child, but he couldn’t help it. Even though he loved all his children, all five of them very much, Arya was his baby girl. “I think filming them might be a bit too intrusive. Your sister is right. Let’s give them their space to be better acquainted.” “Aww man! My miniature camera goes untested once again!” Hugging her father around his waist, she nuzzled her face into his chest and whined. Patting her hair, Ned smiled. No matter how big she got, she was still his headstrong, spirited, incredibly bright baby girl. Now, he had to make an international call to New Zealand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With sated bellies, minds a buzz from the wine, the two budding lovers meandered along the vacant streets, hands finding each other’s in the dark. Reaching the street that would take them to Dany’s home, she huddled closer into Jon’s side, not out of fear for what loitered in the night but for the reassurance that he was truly real and to prove that the lovely evening they’d spent together truly did happen. Each step they took, dawdled a little more the closer they got to their destination. Taking pauses every few seconds to just bask in each other’s presence for a little while longer. Neither of them wanted the night to end that soon. “I’ve loved every second of this evening, Jon. Please give my compliments to the chef and I think he’d be happy to know that I may have gotten some inspiration from this wonderful meal for my next range of ice cream flavours.” “What do you have in mind?” 

Trying hard not to stumble in the dark as they made their way up the steps to her little ice cream haven, Jon couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting back to Dany. Watching every move she made, gracefully moving between the shadows of the night. The beams of moonlight painted her in an ethereal glow. Like an elven nymph dancing before him, leading him along by the hand to wherever her heart desired to go. The small hand tightly tucked within his, the warmth of her palm pressed against his was a homing beacon for all his senses to congregate to. He felt light and tingly all over. Boy, was he far gone. Not letting go of his hand, Dany stepped up onto her porch and spun around to face him. Jon now stood a step below her, gazing up at her with his deep chocolate eyes that shone with unwavering adoration under the silver light of the moon.

An adoration for her.

It was hard to fathom this happening so quickly considering they’d only just met only recently. Who was she to deny the affections of someone so genuinely sweet? Someone who was captivated by her, not just for her looks but she was inclined to believe that it was for all of her, inside and out. If Jon wanted to discover it all, discover every single thing about her? She would personally hold the door open and invite him in.  “Mmm.... I’m afraid you’ll have to swing by tomorrow and find out for yourself.” 

Any excuse, any chance to see this darling man again, she would come up with and take them all. After all, he wasn’t the only one who was paddling in the deep end of affection. He wanted to be with her and she too wanted him close, so very much. She hadn’t smiled or laughed like she had with a member of the opposite sex in so long. Every moment spent with Jon brought her to life. She wanted to learn all that she could about this man who was so quickly becoming a fixture that she wanted to create a permanent home for in her world. “Are you asking me out on a date, my lady?” “You gave me such a marvellous one tonight. Turn about is only fair. What do you say to hanging out in my kitchen and do some experiments on ice cream with me?” “I say.... experimentation with food may not be as great as a three course meal but I suppose it’d be nice.” He couldn’t help it. He had to know how this perfect woman would react should he push her buttons a little. “Hey! Are you underestimating my abilities to provide a good time? At least give a girl a chance! Ice cream making is an art that requires precision and wit, which I assume you’ve never experienced before. Here I thought it would be something fun for us to do together.” Releasing a harrumph, Dany swatted him lightly on the arm with her free hand before making a move to shake off his hand that was still clasped around hers. Chuckling, Jon tightened his hold on her hand and drew his very cute pouty-lipped date towards him. A sharp gasp escaped from her as her body collided with his. Perhaps it was the alcohol giving him a boost in confidence, his arm shot out to snake around Dany’s waist. Whether it was to keep her from falling or to usher her in closer to him, Jon really couldn’t say. The urge to have her as close to him as humanly possible was all too compelling. 

“I was merely playing with you.” The instant their bodies aligned, the air around them crackled with a certain tension that had both their hearts leaping into their mouths. “You’re coming tomorrow? This date might not to be a very romantic one nor does it go according to the list of cliché activities of what couples usually go for.” Her hands grabbed at Jon’s shoulders in seek of some semblance of balance while her heart went haywire, beating out of tempo like an un-tuned metronome. Their sudden closeness threw her, bringing forth dizziness. Jon’s broad chest rose and fell against hers, each inhale and exhale of his, pressed him to her even more. A callused thumb coasting down the curve of her cheek had a tremor zinging through her body. It felt so good that her knees could have buckled under her. A tiny whimper lodged its way up her throat.  Their lips parted without much coaxing. Just an inch closer and they would touch. Curiosity lanced with desire coiled deep within their beings. Did they dare to venture a taste? Was it all too soon to cross that boundary, to take a step in the direction of physical intimacy? Could they throw everything to the wind and give in to that temptation? “My answer to your request is, yes, I would love nothing more than to come over.” Under the spell of that irresistible magnetic pull between them, Jon inched even closer to his ladylove. No one knew what supplied him with the courage to do what he did next, but nonetheless, he brushed the tip of his nose alongside hers before running it up and down along the length of her nose, keeping his touch to a graze. “As long as we’re together, anything would be fine. What we do wouldn’t matter if I got to spend time with you. I’m sure we could find a way to amp up the romance somehow anyway.” His ticklish caresses and those affectionate, heartfelt words articulated in that husky voice of his had jolts of electricity bolting straight towards the point between her legs, at the apex where her thighs met. Dany’s toes curled within her sneakers. Oh god, what was happening to her? “I’ll be here tomorrow. How about around the time your shop closes?” Jon whispered. There was no need to speak much louder than that with her so near. So near, he could count the freckles fanning out across her cheeks.

Their lips were now a mere hair’s breadth apart. So close, that each exhalation from their lungs mingled between them. Dany’s eyes grew enthralled by the movement of Jon’s lips and his pink tongue that darted out to moisten his lips.

Just a little closer.

Embroiled in the magic of the moment, her words eluded her. All she could manage was a nod and a hum of acquiescence. That mouth of his was so pretty, unfairly pretty for a man. She had a sudden craving to know how they felt moving against hers. Would those enticing lips be smooth or would they be rough? Whether his tongue would set her body on fire, trailing down her neck or up the inside of her thighs to kiss her there? What was this man kindling in her?

Looking back on that very night, neither of them could pin point with confidence which one out of the two of them made the first move. Dany would deny vehemently that it was her and Jon would do the same when she brought it up. Back in the present, the miniscule gap keeping them apart vanished in an ever so gentle collision of lips, like the timid flutter of a butterfly’s wings. The tentative press of their closed lips lingered and their hearts lurched to a halt. Sucking in a sharp breath through their noses, their beating organs came to, riding upon the backs of a horde of stampeding rhinoceroses that rattled them both to the core. Just a sweet, delicate touch was enough to send their senses into a tizzy, lighting up every nerve ending in their bodies like the insides of a pinball machine.

Kissing each other was everything they had expected and so much more. For Jon, Dany’s lips under his were like the insides of a rosebud, soft and sweet, bringing forth a sense of possessiveness from his core. For Dany, Jon’s plaint lips were a little dry and yet still very pleasant. Combined with the steady enclosure of his arms around her holding her upright and his lips moving in what she could only describe as lovingly upon hers made her shiver. It was a shame that their physiological demand for air forced them to drag their lips unwittingly away from their lip lock. A euphoric sort of bubble held them both hostage and neither of them was eager to depart from it. So, they stood together just breathing as one, taking in some much needed air. Meeting each other’s eyes, they saw disbelief, stunned surprise and something else swimming in there. Their gazes held for moments as they watched the desire within each other’s pupils flare up and expand, pushing their irises outwards until there was just a small ring left.

He (She) had to have more, no, needed more.

They plunged headfirst, back in for more. This time, their parted lips fused seamlessly, both of them hungry for the sweetness they knew would be found within. Hesitantly still, yet fuelled by a newfound passion, their tongues met in a timid flick, kicking up a languid rhythm, relishing in the taste of the person in their arms. Their dance soon became frenzied and moans floated unbridled to the sky with each tilt of their heads. Without conscious thought, their hands began to wander, searching for an anchor at whatever they could reach. Jon’s fingers fisted at the silky locks that hung loose down Dany’s back while hers burrowed their way into the curls at the nape of his neck. Their daydreams and fantasies paled in comparison to how delicious reality was. Each slant of their mouths, each touch of their lips, stroke of their tongues brought about a hint of wine and an intoxicating flavour that was uniquely their own.

And as they broke apart, heads spinning and hearts reverberating like jackhammers within their chest cavities, Jon tipped his forehead to Dany’s. Letting out a quiet laugh under his breath, his mind fought to catch up with the rest of his body. “For a first kiss, that was...” “Fantastic? Brilliant? Magnificent?” Fingers flexing around the silky midnight curls still grasped in her hand, Dany laughed too. Her starving lungs just refused to hold air. 

Arms dropping to frame her waist, he tucked the woman he was head over heels, so very madly enamoured with securely to him. “Hands down, all of the above.” 

The night could not have been more perfect.