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rayllurn · 5 years ago

Text

To Build a Home

A/N: *dusts cobwebs off of English degree* Hi, all! Welcome to my first ever tdp fanfic! It’s been a little while since I’ve written fanfiction, so this was an experience (but a good one). This is my gift for @imactualfandomtrash for the @tdpholidayexchange. I heard you like Rayllum and Janaya (and so do I), so I’ve included both, of course! I hope you and anyone else who reads this enjoy! Have a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday season everyone!

Title: To Build a Home

Ao3: This fanfic can also be read here

Word Count: 5,688

Pairings: Rayllum, with sprinkles of Janaya and Ruthari

Summary: In which Callum contemplates what home really means to him while attempting to propose to Rayla at Katolis’s annual winter festival; Ezran, Bait, Runaan, and Ethari observe in amusement from a distance; and Amaya and Janai compete to see who will win this year’s annual arm wrestling competition.

***

In his 20 years, Callum had never really been that excited about Katolis’s annual winter festival.

Sure, there were fun games, warm drinks, and amazing treats, but growing up as the princes of Katolis, he and Ezran had never gotten to enjoy the celebration the same way other kids did. It always seemed to come with responsibilities. As kids, they were expected to smile, wave, and make a good impression as the youngest members of the royal family. Though King Harrow had, of course, always encouraged them to go play games, win prizes, and eat winterberry jelly tarts, Callum could never shake the feeling that the entire kingdom was watching everything he did.

In the years after Ezran became king, Callum hadn’t made it back to Katolis for the festival. Though he usually kept pretty busy in the winter months practicing ice spells with Ibis, he’d never really made an effort to come. Ez would be busy with kingly duties -- giving speeches, conversing with citizens, making political connections, and so on -- so it wasn’t really the best time to visit his brother anyway. He’d always entertained the thought of taking Rayla someday, but it was rare that she could get an extended period of time off from her Dragonguard duties, and he really didn’t have any desire to go without her.

This year, however, was different. This year was special.

At king Ezran’s insistence, the Dragon Queen had allowed Rayla to take two weeks off from the Dragonguard to attend Katolis’s winter festival with Callum -- where he planned to ask her to marry him.

It had been Ezran’s idea, two months ago when Callum had come to Katolis to ask for his permission to marry her.

***

“Really?!” Ezran asked, smiling from ear to ear, eyes sparkling with excitement. “I mean, we’ll have to be a little careful about how we navigate the politics of it all, but I would love nothing more.”

“You’re...sure?” He asked. “Is the world ready for something like this? A marriage between Katolis and Xadia?”

Ezran hesitated, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Callum thought perhaps he’d change his mind. That maybe the world wasn’t ready yet.

“They won’t ever be ready until it happens,” he said finally. “Someone has to take the first step, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be you and Rayla -- the two people who nearly single-handedly made peace between humans and Xadia possible in the first place.”

“I mean, you played a pretty significant role in that too, Ez,” Callum smiled.

Bait, who had been curled up in Ezran’s lap sleeping for most of the conversation, popped open an eye and groaned in protest.

“And Bait too,” Callum added quickly. “Bait also helped.”

Bait smiled, growling in approval before sinking back down into Ezran’s lap.

“So how will you propose?” Asked Ez.

“Oh...um...” Callum hadn’t really thought that far ahead, especially given that the supposed proposal hinged on Ez approving the marriage first.

“You know…,” Ez interrupted his thoughts, “I hear the winter festival is going to be pretty special this year…”

“What? You think I should propose to Rayla at the festival?”

“Why not?” His brother shrugged.

Callum hesitated. It was no secret that while he held treasured childhood memories of the event, he wasn’t especially fond of the spotlight that came with it for him as a prince.

“Won’t there be...people?” He asked. “Staring at us when it happens, I mean?”

“There are plenty of private places where you two could run off and hide,” Ez winked. “I hear you’re both really good at that. Mysteriously disappearing at the same time and reappearing hours later.”

Callum blushed. “Well...I…”

“Just think about it.”

***

Callum had thought about it, like Ezran had asked.

And he’d concluded that no proposal he could possibly plan would accurately convey everything he felt for Rayla. The perfect words, location, method, and timing...they just didn’t exist. Nothing could ever sufficiently demonstrate the love and admiration he felt for his girlfriend.

So he had decided that the winter festival was just as good of an opportunity as any.

Ez was thrilled of course, especially since Callum hadn’t attended the festival since his stepfather had been killed, and Rayla had lit up with joy when Callum first asked her if she was interested in going last month. She’d always been curious about the human festival, and seeing her brim with excitement at the opportunity had put Callum at ease for the moment.

But now the day was here, and he felt a kind of terror that he’d never felt before.

He wasn’t worried about her answer (he was fairly confident that she’d say yes), but this would be one of the most important moments in both of their lives, and he absolutely had to get it right.

Callum took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. He hadn’t bothered to do anything different with his hair. After all, Rayla liked it just the way it was -- a bit messy with dark brown locks falling naturally over his face. Tonight, he wore a white vest and a red coat with golden buttons. He was going for a look that represented his kingdom while perhaps also appearing a little more formal than usual.

He gave himself one final glance in the mirror and hummed in approval. This was as good as it was going to get. He sighed, striding across the room and opening the door to find--

“Rayla,” he jumped back in surprise. Her hand was raised in a loose fist, as if she were moments away from knocking.

“Hey,” she smiled, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “You look dashing,” she teased.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Strands of her silvery white hair were braided and pulled back into a low bun while loose bangs framed her face. Tonight was one of the few occasions where he’d seen her wear red, and she looked absolutely stunning. Her crimson robes were layered and lined with golden accents, resting just above her knees in the front and flowing down to her ankles at the back. She wore black pants and knee-high formal boots to help keep warm in the chilled winter evening.

“Are you ready?” He asked, extending his arm.

“Yup!” She reached out to loop her arm through his. “Are you ready?”

“Of course,” he replied a little too quickly, voice faltering slightly. She gave him a quick, questioning look before shrugging it off and tugging him down the hall.

Was he ready? Truthfully, he wasn’t sure.

***

Ez smiled as he sat upon an outdoor throne overlooking the festival. He heard soft music and joyful laughter in the distance and smelled the sweet scent of fresh jelly tarts rising in the chilled winter air.

“I wish we could join them, Bait,” Ezran sighed, stroking a hand gently along the glow toad’s back. Bait groaned, transitioning into a depressed, bluish-green color.

The festival was lively, as usual. The planning committee had informed him that only the most delicious food, most talented musicians, and most entertaining games would be showcased this year. At a glance, it appeared that the planning committee had lived up to the claim.

Glancing across the festival grounds, Ezran’s eye caught his Aunt Amaya dragging her elven girlfriend, Janai, to the arm wrestling competition.

In recent years, one major change to the festival had been the invitation of Xadian citizens. In light of the tentative peace between Xadia and the human kingdoms, Ezran went out of his way to ensure that elves and dragons felt welcome to participate in Katolis’s traditional festivities. However, despite appreciating the invitation, only a handful of elves ever actually came -- usually those who knew Ezran personally.

He smiled softly. This was Janai’s second time attending the festival, and if he remembered correctly, she had enjoyed competing against his aunt in the many games and tournaments hosted last year.

The couple appeared to be one of the first to arrive for the arm wrestling tournament. His aunt had won last year, defeating her girlfriend in the championship round after an intense, five-minute match.

“Think Janai will get revenge this year, Bait?”

Bait looked up at Ezran and growled in agreement.

Ezran smiled, his thoughts drifting to his brother...his poor brother, who had seemed extremely nervous and uncomfortable earlier that day, despite his assurance that everything would be just fine.

“How do you suppose Callum is doing?” He asked the glow toad, who rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically.

Ez laughed. His brother and Rayla had been in love for years. They were soulmates. Callum just needed to take a deep breath and speak from the heart.

“He can do it.”

***

I don’t think I can do this. Callum gulped, too consumed in his thoughts and worries to focus on Rayla’s many questions.

“So why is your annual festival held at this time of year? It seems strange to have an outdoor festival in the dead of winter when it’s so cold. What is that delicious smell? Can you show me what the best human food is! Ohhh what’s your favorite festival game? You should teach me how to play!”

She tugged him along from stall to stall, asking questions and glowing with excitement. He’d never seen her so interested in his home before, and any other time, he would have appreciated her curiosity.

“Callum,” her eyes narrowed in concern as she halted to a stop. “Callum, are you okay? You don’t seem very excited.”

“Oh, uh…no...I- I am, it’s just been awhile, that’s all,” he smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck in an obvious sign of discomfort.

She smiled back half-heartedly. He knew she didn’t believe it. She knew him better than that.

A group of girls around their age whispered as they walked past, presumably gossiping jealously about how an elven warrior was no fit for the prince of Katolis.

Callum had told her about his experiences as a kid -- how the festival had always been fun but burdened with responsibilities. Even though Ez had freed him from any responsibilities this year given the true motivation for his attendance, Callum still felt the eyes of everyone in Katolis drilling into his back as he and Rayla made their way across the festival grounds.

Hopefully, she had chalked up his discomfort to the unwanted attention and remained unsuspicious about his plans.

“Oh, what’s this?” She motioned excitedly toward an axe throwing stall. She tugged his arm, causing him to stumble forward.

“Come on! Win me prizes!”

He smiled a little at her contagious enthusiasm, knowing that her excitement was, at least in part, an effort to help him have fun.

“Step right up, throw yer axe, win a prize,” droned the vendor, a short, stumpy man with balding gray hair and a few missing teeth.

“Do ya wanna give it a go?” He asked Callum, extending the axe he was presumably supposed to throw at the target.

Callum shot a glance back to Rayla, shrugged, and dropped a silver coin in the man’s hand before picking up the axe and taking aim.

“I might duck if I were you,” Rayla said to the vendor, looking him dead in the eye with a mixture of seriousness and amusement.

“Hey,” Callum sulked, dropping the axe back down to his side. “What’s that supposed to mean? You think I can’t throw things?”

“I know you can’t throw things, Callum,” she quipped, crossing her arms across her chest.

“I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong then,” he replied, raising the axe back into throwing position. He scoffed when he noticed the vendor slowing side-stepping away from the target at Rayla’s recommendation.

He took a deep breath, just like he did whenever he attempted a new spell for the first time, and launched the axe toward the target with a grunt, stumbling forward ungracefully in the process.

As Rayla had predicted, he missed terribly.

Instead of hitting the target, he watched in horror as the axe spun into the ground where the vendor had been standing previously.

“Good call,” the vendor nodded at Rayla, who stood smirking at a distance.

Rayla giggled, picking up another axe from nearby and stepping forward to take Callum’s hand. “Here, I’ll show you a trick that will help you hit the target every time…”

***

“Well Bait, it looks like the arm wrestling championship match is once again down to Amaya and Janai,” Ez smiled.

Despite being in an intense state of competition, he couldn’t help but notice how happy his aunt looked with her girlfriend. He was truly happy for her and wished them both the best (though he was secretly rooting for Janai to win this year).

“We’ll see who wins and then we should probably start making our rounds around the festival, huh Bait?”

“King Ezran,” a familiar voice interrupted him from behind.

Ezran spun around to see Runaan and Ethari walking toward him.

“Runaan! Ethari! I’m so glad you both could make it this year,” Ez beamed.

The couple bowed. “We’re happy to be here,” said Ethari, smiling gently. This was the first year he and his husband had made an effort to come to the festival, despite being relatively close to him and Callum in recent years.

“Yes, this should be...interesting,” Runaan added with a tone that Ezran couldn’t quite place.

After Callum had asked Ez about the potential of marriage, he had traveled to the Silvergrove to talk to Rayla’s parents, Tiadrin and Lain, as well as her surrogate parents, Runaan and Ethari. In a recent letter, Callum had told Ezran that all four of Rayla’s parental figures had responded positively to the request. However, Ez had a feeling that Runaan was secretly less than thrilled and had agreed to the proposal out of his love for Rayla and his desire for her happiness. Moreover, despite his status as a human prince, Ezran knew that Runaan had a deep respect for his brother. After all, it was Callum who had rescued him from Viren’s coin all those years ago.

“Runaan,” Ethari took his hand, squeezing it gently, “we’re happy for Callum and Rayla, remember?”

“I am happy for them,” Runaan’s gaze softed, “it’s just...I never imagined that Rayla would marry the human prince of Katolis. It’s an adjustment. That’s all.”

Ez smiled at the couple. Their love seemed so effortless, and they balanced each other out so well. All it took was one look from Ethari, and Runaan -- one of the hardest and most deadly people Ezran had ever met -- softened like butter.

Runaan’s eyes sharpened once more, darting back to Ezran. “For the record, Callum is the only human I would ever allow Rayla to marry,” his voice was harsh on the surface but betrayed a hint of softness.

“I know,” Ezran smiled sincerely, his gaze drifting back down to the arm wrestling competition.

He appeared to have missed the end, but given the prize in Amaya’s hand and the scowl on Janai’s face, he’d assumed his aunt had swept the armwrestling title for the second year in a row.

“It looks like my aunt won the arm wrestling competition.”

“Oh, is that what all the commotion was about?” Ethari replied, looking over to where Amaya had now pulled Janai in for an apologetic kiss.

From the looks of it, Janai had already forgiven her, smiling gently as their lips met once more.

“They make a great couple,” Runaan admitted.

Ezran smiled, happy to see that Runaan was finally opening up to the idea of elves and humans entering into romantic relationships.

Speaking of which…

“And...what are Callum and Rayla doing exactly?” Runaan asked, nodding his head in the direction of the other elf/human couple of relevance.

The two were on the opposite end of the festival grounds and appeared to be engaged in some sort of axe throwing competition. A blushing Callum was holding up an axe in throwing position (which was pretty scary, honestly). Rayla was standing directly behind him, one arm wrapped around his waist and the other guiding his axe throwing arm.

“She...appears to be teaching him how to throw an axe?” Ez replied. It was more of a question than an answer.

Runaan rolled his eyes. “That looks like an accident waiting to happen. We all know that Callum can’t throw things.”

To everyone’s surprise, Callum managed to hit the target dead-on (under Rayla’s guidance, of course).

They watched as the couple cheered in celebration, jumping into an embrace before pulling apart, making eye contact, and slowly meeting in long, passionate kiss. The stall vendor stood just a few feet away, looking mildly uncomfortable.

“That poor vendor,” said Ez. “Callum has probably almost killed him at least twice tonight, and now he gets to watch the two of them make out five feet in front of him.”

Ethari laughed gently. “So, when do you think the proposal will happen?”

Ez sighed. “No idea. Callum is pretty nervous.”

The three looked back down at the couple, who appeared to have stopped kissing in front of the vendor and were now choosing a prize.

Ethari smiled. “He’ll figure it out.”

***

I really need to figure this out, Callum thought in panic as he and Rayla walked hand-in-hand across the festival grounds.

The prize they’d picked out was a little Zym plushie, which Rayla cradled in her right arm. It was no secret that they both missed the young dragon, so the moment they saw the plushie, they knew immediately that they had to have it. Rayla was excited to show it to Zym when they got home.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” She asked excitedly. “I bet he wasn’t expecting us to bring home souvenirs. Much less souvenirs that look like him.”

Callum smiled at her enthusiasm, gently squeezing her hand. It was heartwarming to see her this excited about something. She always worked so hard, and she truly deserved the vacation.

“I’m sure he’ll love it,” Callum leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Ever since their brief makeout session in front of the axe vendor had taken a turn for the awkward, he’d been trying to tone down his acts of affection. They were so used to being alone at the Storm Spire that they’d forgotten how to behave when people -- specifically, the citizens of Katolis -- were watching their every move.

Rayla cleared her throat. “Wow, it sure is chilly out here tonight. I wish I would have brought a scarf,” she hinted.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cold.” He felt himself staring into the distance at absolutely nothing but couldn’t seem to focus on the current conversation.

“Callum,” Rayla stopped walking, tugging Callum backwards to face her. “I’m cold,” she nodded at the scarf wrapped around his neck.

Her request finally clicked. “Oh, you want to wear my scarf?”

“If it’s okay, that is,” she added quickly. “I don’t want you to be cold, of course...I just...you just...you know how much I love wearing it and…”

“Shhh,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead and as he unraveled the scarf. “Of course you can wear it, love.”

Gently, he wrapped the scarf around her neck before looking up to meet her violet eyes, which were filled with a mix of love and concern. For a brief moment, it felt like he was standing just across the border of Xadia on that fateful day five years ago when they had faced Sol Regem together. Back then, they were just two teenagers in love -- one not ready to admit her feelings and the other painfully unaware of his own.

“Thank you,” she smiled softly, pulling him into a quick but gentle kiss.

She hesitated for a brief moment, clearly wanting to say something more.

“Callum,” she began, gently cupping the side of his face with her hand. It was cold, he noticed, but he wasn’t wearing any gloves that he could give her, and even if he were, they wouldn’t fit her fingers. “Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit off tonight.”

“I’m...fine,” he forced a smile, but he knew that she could see right through it. Thankfully, before she could question him further, the pair were interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Rayla, Callum,” the voice called out to them. They spun around to see Ethari and Runaan standing just a few feet behind them.

***

“Rayla, Callum,” Ethari called out upon spotting the pair. He’d truly missed them both so much and was delighted to run into them on the festival grounds.

“Ethari! Runaan!” Rayla rushed forward to embrace them both.

Ethari smiled, extending his arm and motioning for Callum to join them. After a brief moment of hesitation, Callum stepped forward to join the family hug.

“I’ve missed you both so much,” Rayla said, stepping back to look at them. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Like we told King Ezran, we’re happy to be here,” Ethari replied with a gentle smile.

His gaze shifted over to Callum, who looked noticeably uncomfortable. Given his usual effortless comfort around Rayla and his unashamed love for the girl, it was a bit strange (and somewhat amusing) to see him looking so out of place. However, he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for him.

“Callum,” he began carefully, “how’s it going?” He asked in an attempt to inquire about the proposal efforts without giving anything away.

“Well, um…” Callum stuttered, and Ethari visibly noticed the blood draining from his face. “I...well...I…”

Ethari watched the young man’s gaze shift from his and Runaan’s intertwined fingers to his aunt Amaya in the distance, who was smiling lovingly at Janai, and then back to Rayla, who was standing next to him with a look of complete confusion and concern.

“I just remembered that I need to go talk to Ezran about something,” Callum said finally. “I’ll be right back!” He told Rayla, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before literally sprinting in the opposite direction.

They watched him run, and an awkward silence fell over the group. For a brief moment, Ethari felt bad that he and Runaan knew why Callum was acting like this while Rayla was left completely in the dark. He hoped that she didn’t think it was any fault of her own.

“Um,” Rayla finally broke the silence, turning around to face them both again. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Runaan replied a little too quickly, stiffening awkwardly as he spoke. “He said he needed to talk to Ezran, so he must have just remembered something really important that just couldn’t wait.”

“Does Callum seem...a bit weird tonight?” She asked. “Like...weirder than he normally is?”

“Nope. Nope he seems...totally normal to me. At least by Callum standards.” Runaan answered nervously, purposely avoiding eye contact with both Rayla and Ethari. “That kid has always been weird. You’ve got your work cut out for you, Rayla.”

Ethari tried to contain a sigh. Runaan was trying his best, but his husband had never been good at keeping secrets from Rayla. If he continued to ramble carelessly like this, they would start to look suspicious. They needed to wrap up this conversation and get out of here until Callum could gather himself and propose. Hopefully Ezran could help him.

***

“Ez! You’ve got to help me!”

“Callum?” Ezran turned around.

Callum ran toward his brother, stumbling to a halt a few feet away and resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“Callum, what’s wrong? Bait and I were just about to head down there.”

Callum held up a hand, panting frantically as he struggled to catch his breath. “I just…don’t...know...how...to do this...Ezran,” he said between breaths.

Ezran sighed, motioning for his brother to sit down beside him. “Would you like a winterberry jelly tart? You know that Barius only makes these once a year.” He motioned to a tray of tarts that he and Bait had clearly been snacking on for the past hour or so.

Callum usually never accepted Ezran’s jelly tart offerings, but today, he took one off the tray without hesitation, nearly stuffing the entire thing in his mouth before reaching for another.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Ez continued, reaching for what must have been his fifth jelly tart, Callum guessed from looking at the tray. “But Callum, Rayla loves you so much, and she’s going to be so happy no matter where and how you ask her to be your wife.”

“I know,” Callum sighed, “it’s just...I can’t find the words to tell her how much she means to me. I wish I could. That’s all.”

“So show her,” Ez insisted. “But if it’s in public, please keep it clean,” he added quickly with a wink.

Callum laughed briefly, but his smile quickly faded, and his gaze shifted down to his hands resting on his lap.

“You know, you’ve seemed a bit off since you’ve been home,” said Ez. “Almost like...it’s not just Rayla and the proposal, but something more that’s been bothering you.”

Callum looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, Katolis is your home,” Ez replied. “You grew up here. You know this area. You’ve experienced this festival. You know these people.”

Callum gazed out over the citizens of Katolis -- smiling, laughing, sharing treats, and exchanging embraces.

“But yet,” Ez continued, “you seem like an outsider, uncomfortable and unfamiliar with these people and this place -- Katolis...your own home. Why is that?”

Callum hesitated. Home. What did that mean? Home was the place where you made your life your own. Where you sought comfort and safety from the harsh realities of the outside world. Where you were free to be yourself and live truly and speak honestly and love deeply. Home was a place where you belonged and felt loved and valued and supported. Home was…

“Rayla,” he breathed, just above a whisper.

“What?”

“Rayla,” he repeated confidently, abruptly standing up.

“Okay?” Ez answered, staring up at him in confusion.

From the first day they met, Rayla had supported him and encouraged him in ways that no one else ever had, calling him a mage and praising his magical abilities. She protected him and loved him and made him feel safe and valued. She comforted him after the loss of his father. She made him smile and laugh, and when he was with her he felt happy. He finally felt like he was home.

And, what’s more, it began here... in the home where he had grown up but never truly felt like he belonged. How ironic was it that he’d met Rayla, who felt so much like home to him, in the place he’d forced to feel like home for so many years?

And then everything clicked into place.

“I know what I need to do, Ez,” he leapt forward and squeezed his brother into an uncomfortably tight hug. “Thank you. You’re the best, and I love you.”

“I love you too, Callum,” he replied, clearly still confused by Callum’s sudden realization.

But there was no time to explain. Callum was running again.

Except this time, he had a sense of direction.

***

“Callum! Where are we going?”

“You’ll see!” His voice wavered with excitement as he tugged Rayla along behind him.

The two ran through the castle halls, which were largely empty thanks to the lively festivities taking place right outside the walls. Callum drug her through the great hall, up a winding spiral staircase, and down the nearest hallway. He turned right, then left, then left once more and --

“Here we are!” He stumbled to a halt in the middle of a hall. Neither of them had been in this place since the day Rayla’s assassination squad had invaded the castle over five years ago, and he just hoped that she remembered. He hoped that it looked familiar to her.

She gasped, eyes widening as she took in the surrounding decorations...the curtains...the windows and the halls…“This is…”

“Where we met,” Callum finished, smiling sincerely for what felt like the first time in a week.

Rayla smiled fondly, slowly spinning around to take it all in. “But...why?”

Callum closed his eyes, breathing deeply before taking both of her hands in his own.

“Rayla, we’ve been through so much together,” he began. “From the day we met when we discovered Zym’s egg until now...we started out on a journey that literally changed my life. You changed my life.”

His breath caught in his throat. Their faces were close now, and her eyes were sparkling with a realization that Callum hadn’t noticed before. She knew what was going on now. And there was no turning back.

He swallowed, refocusing himself on the task at hand.

“I grew up here,” he continued. “But this isn’t my home. I’ve never felt as at home as I do with you, Rayla. You make me feel safe and loved and...happy. I’m confident in myself. I feel comfortable with who I am. I feel like I belong with you, and I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”

She was crying now, he noticed. But she was smiling and looking at him like he was the most important thing in the entire world. She laughed through the tears, leaning forward to press her forehead against his own.

He was painfully aware of how close her lips were. But he couldn’t kiss her. Not yet. He had to finish this.

“This is a pretty big castle,” he continued. “So I have to ask, what were the odds that you would find me, wandering around the corridors that day? Something brought us together, Rayla. You came into my life for a reason. And it all comes back to this moment. Here. Where you found me.”

This was it. He was a little lightheaded and out of breath and wanted to kiss her so badly, but the moment he’d been waiting for since they’d first confessed their love at the Storm Spire had finally arrived.

He took a step back, keeping both of his hands gripped firmly around her right hand.

“I want to be with you forever. I want you to be my home forever. I want to be your home forever,” he said, taking a deep breath, dropping down onto one knee, and staring into the beautiful violet eyes of the amazing young woman he wanted to spend forever with.

“So, Rayla,” his voice cracked, and he felt his own tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. “Can we be ‘a thing’ for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me, Rayla?”

A joyful sob escaped her lips, and she nodded eagerly. “Of course, dummy,” she managed to say before leaping forward and crashing her lips against his own. He melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

She’s going to be my wife, he thought in amazement, smiling as he kissed her again and again. He just couldn’t believe this was real. It seemed too good to be true. He was really going to get to marry her -- his best friend, his partner, his family.

And in that moment, he knew for certain that this was where he belonged. This was his home.

***

**BONUS**

“Shhh! Shhhh! Everyone be quiet! I think it’s happening!” Ezran whispered harshly as the group of elves and humans huddled around a dark corner in the castle.

Earlier that evening, Ethari and Runaan had been talking to Amaya and Janai when the four of them had seen Callum frantically run up to Rayla, grabbing her hand and dragging her off toward the castle at full speed. At first, they’d been a bit concerned, so they went to find Ezran (and Bait) just to make sure that everything was okay.

Worried, the six of them had followed the couple into the castle, but by the time they realized what was really going on, it was too late to turn back.

“No one move,” Runaan whispered, the six of them pressing their backs against the cold stone walls in an attempt to remain unseen.

Thankfully, Callum and Rayla had rounded the next corner and were now out of sight. However, that did not prevent them from hearing Callum’s heartfelt proposal speech.

“This must be the cheesiest, most sickening thing I’ve ever heard,” Runaan grumbled under his breath.

“Shh,” Ethari whispered, pressing a finger to his husband’s lips. “They’ll hear you. Also, I know you, and I know that you secretly think this is very sweet, even though you’ll never admit it.”

Runaan shook his head.

To their left, Janai, who had learned Katolis sign language in an effort to better communicate with her girlfriend, was translating Callum’s speech for Amaya, who was smiling proudly.

“Okay, I think it’s finally over,” Ezran said, peeking his head around the corner to get a glimpse of his brother and his now fiancee (unsurprisingly) kissing. “Let’s move out as quietly as possible so they don’t know we followed them and accidentally eavesdropped.”

In that moment, however, Bait decided to move directly in front of Janai’s foot, causing her to trip and tumble into Amaya, who fell forward and collided with Runaan and Ethari, who then fell forward into Ezran, and the six of them toppled out into the open hall where Callum and Rayla were presently making out, knocking down an empty suit of armor and a curtain in the process.

Callum and Rayla jumped apart, spinning around to see six of their closest friends and family in a pile on the floor.

An awkward silence fell over the group.

“Have you guys just been...standing there the whole time?” Callum finally asked.

“Umm,” Ezran stood up, rubbing the back of his shoulder. “This isn’t what it looks like?”

***

A/N: If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading, and happy holidays! I hope you enjoyed my extremely self-indulgent holiday rom-com.

Lots of love,

Ada

#i can't stare at this any longer it's 2:00 a.m. and my eyes are burning lol #this is incredibly cheesy you guys #there's so much fluff my teeth are literally rotting #also these are a pain in the ass to post on tumblr and ao3 #I've never attempted either I've always used FFN #i have a newfound respect for regular fanfiction writers y'all are the true mvps #once again please forgive me for this fluffy nonsense lol #rayllum #janaya #ruthari #tdp #the dragon prince

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