Don't tell Zack? Why didn't she want me to tell Zack? Then again, I had about a thousand reasons to not invite Zack to pretty much anything. So I suppose it technically didn't have to be special. Not to mention they've been together almost every day. Maybe she just wanted a break. Or maybe she's got some serious news she wanted to tell me.

At first, I thought the flickering embers were just the sparks of passing fireflies. However, the closer I got, the more dazzling the flames became. I moved my hand back to Ascalon. Was that Annual? Or was that someone else? My walk started to turn to a jog, then my jog turned into a full-on sprint.

Was this all just a trap!? Is it the person who turned off the electricity!? That would explain why Zack couldn't come. I drew my sword, and once I was close enough I leaped into the fire. I summoned flame-resistant armor over me and landed in the middle of the ring of fire.

However, when I looked around, I noticed that the trees weren't engulfed in flames. They just had little lanterns attached to their branches. I immediately scanned around for my enemy and readied my blade. Only to stop as I spotted Annual, who looked like she was gonna piss her pants. She was wearing a red floral dress. Her hair was curled and her caramel-like skin seemed to shine against the light of the lanterns.

"Annual?" I asked and dispelled the armor.

"H-hey." She stammered out with a nervous smile.

Maybe there isn't anything going on. Maybe she just wanted to surprise me. Huh, maybe everyone isn't out to kill me.

"Sorry, I saw these lights and.."

She chuckled and shook her head.

"You're just proving my hypothesis."

She ran over to one of the trees and grabbed a basket that laid next to it. I took my sheath from off my back and sheathed my sword back into it.

"And what might that be?" I asked.

"You are just as stressed out as Zack and need your future wife's love, care, and affection."

I chuckled.

"I'm fine, really."

"Oh? So did you or did you not just leap into a potential fire with your sword drawn and ready?" She asked as he started walking back toward me.

I nervously looked away from her.

"In my defense, this was sketchy," I mumbled and turned back to face her.

"Yeah, normally people investigate, not attack the non-living fire."

She stopped in front of me and held out a basket. Inside was a bottle of lemonade, four plastic-wrapped brownies, and a bag of Swedish fish. All of my favorites.

"Brownies are still your favorite dessert right?" She asked.

"Y-yeah." I was speechless, she had all my favorites. She even remembered my favorite cheap snacks. What was this for? Maybe something happened. "Annual, is something the matter? Is everything with Zack okay?"

"What matters is that you haven't said thank you, or complimented my dress!" She huffed.

"O-oh right! Thank you!"

She started to sway her hips, and let her dress dance. The heat rose to my cheeks as I watched her a bit too closely. I saw her smirk, and I immediately turned away.

"You do look really good in that," I mumbled.

She snickered.

"That's better."

She grabbed my wrist and lead me to the middle.

"I heard your dance got ruined. So I decided I'd make it up for you." She hummed. "And clearly you need a break. Take off the jacket and put the sword down. Just come dance with me."

I looked her over curiously.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Stryder, you don't always have to worry about fixing things. And you don't always have to worry about me. We're friends, this relationship is fifty-fifty. It's obvious you need a break." She giggled. "So come on, take it off already!"

My shoulders relaxed and I gave her a smile.

"Whatever you say, princess." I chuckled and bowed to her.

"That's more like it, and eat a brownie while you're at it. I spent a lot of time on those." She huffed.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Since when can you bake?"

I took off my jacket and set my sword down on top of it. Then I kneeled down unwrapped a brownie from the basket.

"If you just follow the instructions it's easy." She chuckled. "Cooking is so much fun! Especially all the plant recipes!"

I opened my mouth to take a bite, but then I hesitated.

"You didn't put broccoli in this? Right?"

"Of course not."

I nodded and took a bite.

"I put spinach in it."

My eyes got wide and I stopped chewing.

"You what?" I asked with a mouthful.

"I put spinach in it dummy. You don't exactly eat a healthy balanced diet ya know? Now finish it! I bet you can't even tell."

I started to chew again.

"You're cruel."

"Oh hush, I bet it's not that bad."

I swallowed and sighed. Honestly, I couldn't even taste it.

"Well princess, I'll be honest. It wasn't that bad."

She smiled smugly.

"Great, that means I'll be good at cooking all your dinners in the near future."

I rolled my eyes.

"Still on about that?"

Then I heard some slow violin start playing. I turned toward the sound and saw a speaker the size of a basketball laying in the grass.

"So my knight! I decree that you must have one dance with me. To celebrate the fact that I can dance again." She snickered.

I turned back toward her and my thoughts were whisked away. Her deep forest green eyes seemed to beckon me closer, teasing me with the thought of adventure. While her long hazel hair seemed to glisten against the lantern's glow. However, none of that compared to her smile, it was confident, bold, yet gentle and inviting. At this moment, she really did look like a princess.

She reached her hand out for me to take, and I hesitated. I was just a peasant, a street rat in dirty clothes. Yet, she still snatched my hand with her own and pulled me in.

"Now don't be shy. Hand on my hip, and will hold this hand up for a bit." She instructed.

I nodded and slowly moved my hand to her waist. My face was hot, and my mind started to overload. Don't let your hand slip, but don't hold her too firmly, and also don't forget to be loose! I looked up and she stepped a bit closer.

OH MY GOSH SHE'S REALLY CLOSE, and she smells so nice....I looked up to her eyes and she smirked at me.

"Oh? Does someone like having me like this?" She teased.

Then she started to sway with me around the open field. I took a breath and looked up into her eyes.

"N-no comment.."

She chuckled and stepped back.

"Alright! Spin me!"

Spin? Spin!?

"How do I do that!?"

"Just hold your hand out."

I nodded and did as she asked. I held my hand out for her and she twirled around, her dress dancing in the wind. I noticed her feet were bare, and she had on the biggest smile I'd ever seen. It was like watching a fairy. Soon she came back in and let go of my hand. She snaked her arms around my neck and pulled me in close. My hand stayed on her hip, and my other hand stayed halfway in the air.

"Ummm."

"I'll allow you to rest that hand against my waist as well. But no funny business Mr." She giggled.

I nodded and slowly moved my hand to her waist, then we just swayed.

"This isn't so hard I guess." I chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of more dances to come."

"Where do you get this confidence from? I definitely want to buy some."

"Well, when you're so sick you can barely walk. A confident expectation is all you really have. So I learned to dream, even beyond what's reasonable."

"Huh, that's actually really admirable."

I noticed her fixing her hands, and slowly pulling me closer to her. My heart started to race, and my mind went blank.

"So tell me, what's going on Stryder?"

I blinked a few times, coming back to reality.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I talk to Zack every day, and this whole Jormungand event has really done a number on him. So I can't imagine what it's been like for you."

Suddenly the image of the goddess running her hand through Zack came into mind, and I averted from her gaze.

"It's nothing, I'm totally fine," I said with a chuckle.

Then she moved a hand to my cheek.

"Don't do that, don't shut me out. Stryder, I love you. I want to be there for you the best I can, alright?"

I stopped swaying. Did, did she just say I love you? Should I say it back? Valentina's face came into mind, and my body tensed up.

"Hey, hey, easy cowboy. You don't have to say it back." She whispered. "It kind of just slipped out, but I definitely meant it. Tonight isn't about that, I just, I want you to lean on me too."

"Annual, I don't deserve you. I'm sorry I can't say it back in the way that you mean it. I do love you a lot, but I can't say it honestly. If...if I think of someone else too." I mumbled.

My heart started to pound against my chest. I hated saying that sentence. After all this too.

"Hey, I said it's okay dummy." She whispered.

She moved her arms around my waist and hugged me, then rested her head on my chest.

"You were honest, even though it made your body shake and made your heart race. I know you didn't want to say it." She mumbled.

We stopped dancing and I just held onto her.

"It's been hard Annual," I mumbled. "I let Zack die, I wasn't even remotely ready for Jormungand. I took a risk...because I wanted to dance with Val. And it almost got Leo killed. Then I lost against Icarus, I yelled at Alexis, and now it seems like I don't even understand Zack anymore." I sighed."It feels like everyone is counting on me, and I know I'm not meant to do it all. But, it's starting to feel like I just can't do anything. I feel like a failure."

I squeezed her a bit more. I felt myself shake, and it didn't feel like I had much control. My whole body was just malfunctioning.

"Stryder.." She mumbled.

"But I'm supposed to be the leader right? I'm supposed to keep smiling no matter what. But honestly, it feels like everything is slowly slipping from my fingers. It's all just been luck, without everyone else, we'd all be dead."

She looked up at me, and I had tears threatening to leak from my eyes. She reached up and gently brushed them away before they fell.

"Stryder, you don't need to be perfect. It's okay if you lose. The team you built wasn't built because you were superman. It's because people believe in your ideals, with your dream. You're going to fail, over and over again, and that's fine."That doesn't make you any less of a leader, or a hero."

"But what if someone dies because of me, Annual Zack almost died because I was weak!"

"Stryder, you can't take responsibility for a decision my stupid brother decided to make. It isn't your fault, if anything he's frustrated at himself right now."

"Am I, am I enough?" I asked.

She looked shocked and pulled me down to her more.

"Stryder, you've always been enough. You don't need me to tell you that." She whispered. "I loved you before you got powers. You have such a gentle and caring heart, you always see the best in people, and you're so awkwardly enduring. Just you being you is enough."

I was dumbfounded, I had nothing to say. My mind was quiet, and I was at peace. Like everything made sense again. I found myself leaning into her, and she leaned back into me. I pressed my lips against hers, and she pressed hers into mine. Everything just felt right. I was scared this feeling would just vanish. So I pulled her in close and kept her wrapped in my arms. I didn't want this moment to ever end.

I wonder, do I love her?