Jonen couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. His heart soared as her arms wrapped around him. He pulled away quickly and turned away from her.

“I –” He took a deep breath, “Sorry, I don’t know what –”

Mira’s hands traveled around him, and she pressed herself against his back. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. She moved to face him again. The soft honey color of her eyes pulled at his heart strings.

“I understand if –” He leaned his forehead against hers, “No, Jonen stop.”

He searched for anything to give away her feelings. Her face wasn’t cold, but so hard to decipher after years of hiding herself. He closed his eyes and felt her hands find his. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she had to know.

“It’s a bad time,” He closed his eyes, “I’m sorry. It’s selfish of –”

Mira took his face in her hands and brought it down to her. Her lips delicately pressed against his. The small curves of her body naturally fit against him as he pulled her closer. When she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, he felt his heart soar. The way her hands combed through his golden hair sent chills down his spine. He pulled away to breathe with a cheeky smile on his face.

“You told me once that if I lived, you would give me a thousand kisses,” She smiled softly, “Do you still feel the same way?"

“Yes,” He rested his forehead against her, “I will do my best to repay you immediately.”

His chest swelled with emotion. Jonen thought back to how he felt the last time he saw her in Vimgraunt. He thought of what he and Irae spoke about. Then, he decided to follow her advice and just be a stupid, young idiot.

“I know we’ve only just met but, I feel so strongly about you,” He paused in her loving embrace, “I’ve only felt this way once before and I never thought I would feel it again.”

“Jonen—”

“When I visited you in your dreams… I knew. I know you’ve slipped into a few of mine,” His voice shook, “You’ve laid in the grassy plains with me. I can feel you there even though you try to hide.”

“Really?” She blinked, “I didn’t know.”

His tone softened until it was barely above a whisper, “Only soulmates and bonded pairs can travel to each other in dreams, Mira.”

Her eyes grew at his words. She never learned about that. She only assumed she dreamed of places he had explained to her before. Jonen brushed her hair from her face and brought his lips to hers in a delicate kiss as she took in his words.

“I love you, Mira,” He caressed her face, “I understand if you don’t feel the same.”

“Jonen –”

“I’ll never be able to do this,” He motioned to the gifts and laughed quietly, “But I can give you a nice life. I’m almost done paying off my debts to the knights for all the training. We could get some land, build a house, and have life together.”

She tried to say something, but his lips locked against hers before she could speak. He kept himself from deepening the kiss despite his body urging him to. He had to get all of the words out before they exploded from him into a mess she couldn’t understand. He had to try.

“Just… let me finish before you say no and tell me to leave,” He pulled back and closed his eyes, “I need to get it out.”

He opened his eyes again to see her deeply red, surprised face. His sapphire eyes locked her in his gaze as he took another deep breath to continue.

“I want to give you a good life. It might be simple, but you would be safe. We could get married. We could adopt Tella. We could even have a few kids of our own –if you wanted,” He bashfully turned from her and brushed a hand against her face, “You wouldn’t have to worry about anything else but us. It wouldn’t be fancy, but it would be ours. I can’t make you a queen, but I can offer my heart and my undying devotion. I’d spend every day, trying my best, to make you happy.”

Jonen looked up when he felt hot wet tears touch his hand. His worried, deep blue eyes gazed into her and offered her something that she desperately wanted. A simple life away from all of this. They could have a small cottage in a village far away from everyone else. The wonderful oasis she desired with the man she wanted. The only problem was her.

“I…” She bit her lip, “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Jonen. I don’t want –”

“Mira, you can tell me anything and I won’t betray you,” He played with the bracelet on her wrist, “My heart is yours. Always. Even if you chose another, I would still love you and be where you need me to be.”

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She ran her fingers along his chest. She felt the sleek teal fabric between her fingers and wondered if he would treat her any differently if he knew what she really was. He never had before, why would it be any different? She trusted Jonen, but she didn’t want to risk those beautiful blue eyes never looking at her again. She wanted everything he offered.

“You are the only person who has always treated me the same,” Mira ran the back of her hand against his jaw, “I don’t know why.”

“Simple. You deserved it. You deserve everything I could dream to offer you, and more.”

He embraced her and her mind raced around his words.

“I love you,” Jonen smiled softly, “By the rays of the sun and the light of the moon, I promise I will always love you.”

The strong connection she felt to him was similar to how Encante felt about her mother. The memories of the heart blasting, stomach busting feeling she experienced now, in his arms. If that was love, then she could only reply honestly.

Mira hesitated only a moment before the words left her lips, “I love you, too.”

“Don’t lie to make me feel better,” He shook his head, “Mira, it’s okay if –”

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to look into his eyes, “Jonen, I love you too.”

“Goddess,” He rested his forehead against hers, “My heart feels like it can explode right now.”

She kissed him and felt his surprise as he wrapped himself around her. He had never imagined such a strong reaction. He never thought she would feel the same way. He fully embraced her. She hungrily kissed him back. He felt his hands travel to the small of her back and hold her head as they seemed to consume each other.

“I love you,” He nuzzled his face in her neck, “I wanted to tell you the moment I knew. I’ve wanted to hold you like this for so long. I didn’t know when I would see you again.”

“I only came to Hangral to see you.”

“What?” He laughed, “You’re kidding.”

“I would have searched the world to find you,” Mira touched his face, “If we are separated again, I will.”

“You let yourself get captured, brought all the way here, and scrutinized to see me again?” He released her from his arms and walked towards the wall, “I didn’t want to assume, but—”

“Let’s leave, tonight,” She grabbed his arm, “Let’s run away, like you said! We can go back to Vimgraunt and –”

“Mira, I can’t,” Jonen looked into her sad amber eyes, “I could be arrested if I don’t at least pay off my debt. Once it’s gone, we can leave. We can go anywhere you want.”

“I can ask Bobabano to pay for it.”

“I don’t think that would be fair to him,” He sighed, “Especially if –”

He leaned against the wall and looked at all the gifts around him. It may have been part of a show, but it felt personal. Some of the gifts were things Mira might actually like, and he would have bought her himself if he had the money.

“Jonen,” She ran her hands along the fabric of his shirt, “Can we kiss again?”

He didn’t hesitate to bring her up to him. His ecstatic heart thumped harder when she deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. Their tongues danced as she pressed herself into him. When he felt his hands roam her body more sensually, she bit his lip. He caught himself and stopped.

“No,” She whimpered soundlessly.

“I—” He tried to fight back against the urge to just take her, “I don’t –”

“I understand,” She stiffened and moved from him, “I shouldn’t have –”

“No! No,” He mentally kicked himself, “I –”

Jonen didn’t know how to explain. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to do anything. Mira craved his closeness and hated that she may have done something to ruin it.

“I… I just feel like I’m dreaming right now,” He laughed airlessly, “I confessed my feelings. I couldn’t dream you feel the same way. We’re alone in a dimly lit room. I’m holding you this close. And now you—I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything.”

“Jonen, I don’t have to,” A seductive smirk spread against her lips, “I want to.”

Jonen felt like his soul breath her words in. The fact she even whispered what he heard in his more suggestive dreams made him feel like it wasn’t real. She stood on her toes and started kissing his neck and nibbling his pointed ears. He moaned as he decided to give in and accept his dreams might be coming true.

“What did I ever do to deserve this?” He lifted her up and firmly kissed her.

Mira grinned as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it away from his chest. The chill raised every pore on his skin as he carried her towards the bed. Magic flooded her hands to stave the chill and he muttered under his breath. Jonen set his lover on the bed and tugged at her clothes. She slid the tunic off and pulled him over her. His hand caressed her breast and he kissed along her neck to her collar bone.

“Your scars,” He looked up at her, “Where have they gone?”

“Jonen,” She shook her head and her hands trailed down him, “Just be with me tonight.”

Entirely sinful thoughts went through his mind as her trembling hands shyly touched him. She quivered beneath him as his cold hands carefully slid up her thighs. She knew how much he wanted this as they fumbled through their actions. It wasn’t the brutal undressing she experienced before. Jonen treated her as a delicate flower and almost didn’t believe that she wanted him. Nobody ever treated her this tenderly but him.

“Goddess,” He took a deep breath when he saw the gentle black lace that was the only piece of clothing left between them, “Why these?”

“You don’t like it?” She looked up at him with worry in her eyes.

“No, Mira,” He nervously fought against a chuckle, “I just… You are so beautiful. I –”

“You what?”

“I can’t think of the words, right now,” He kissed along her neck, “My mind is spinning from all this. This just… just helps me understand that I am not pressuring you.”

Mira blushed and shyly looked away from him. She snapped to extinguish all the open flames in their room. His fingers fumbled with the delicate cloth between them.

“I want to show you how much I love you,” He purred under his breath, “How much I want you. How happy I could make you.”

Mira ran her hand’s along the chain of Encante’s amulet to remove it. Nothing was going to take this from her. Nobody would ruin this moment of bliss for her. She deserved this moment. If nothing else she ever wanted would happen again, this would be enough. As Encante’s stone fell on the ground next to their bed, he kissed along her body to engrave her form into his mind. As their fingers intertwined, he stared deeply into her blissful eyes. The happiness he wanted for her was there. She looked free to be herself with him. His face burned hot as he ran his hand along her against the plush mattress.

“Jonen,” She kissed him and whispered gently, “Make love with me.”