POV: Alyra Valoria Galvira

I slowly strolled towards the lake close to the village. This had been our most consistent hang-out spot in years. After Alt had managed to kill that strange fish a bit more than four years ago we had been hanging out there all the time. I passed the two trees we had marked and made into an archway by putting a curved wooden beam in between them. I had later carved a pattern similar to that of the wood elven magic mark on it. Some leaves were covering part of it but one could still see it quite clearly.

I could hear the leaves rustling above me as a slight breeze went through them as I stepped into the glade and looked around. Sitting with his legs crossed right at the lake was my brother, his eyes fixated on the clear, blue water, the fishing rod in his hands as still as it could be. My gaze wandered over to the largest tree in the glade, Alt was leaning against it, his crimson eyes fixated on the shining, black dagger in his hand. It was one of the few weapons made from the fish's scales. His long, white hair which he had tied together behind his head, binding it into a long low ponytail that hung all the way down his back, stopping around his hips. As far as I knew he had never cut it in his entire life. His light brown skin contrasted with his hair nicely, his sharp, dagger-like ears were twitching a bit whenever there was a new noise, he had sharp features that might even be considered slightly feminine... I had found myself staring at him many times... and now I had gathered the resolve... I had gathered the resolve to finally approach him and tell him, tell the man whose biggest secret only I knew... something that made me feel a bit proud.

I approached him, ignoring my brothers greeting, and stopped about half a meter away from him. When he looked up and his crimson eyes bored into me. A ray of sunlight reflected in them, making each of his irises seem like a vast, expansive plain of crimson.

"You good?" he asked me, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Ahem... y-yeah," I responded, tripping over my own words. "Hey, can we... um... talk?" I asked, my hands behind my back and my feet crossed and strangely fidgeting around.

"Sure, what about?" he asked, raising his eyebrow even higher.

My heart began beating faster and faster and faster, I also felt myself sweating a little as I became slightly dizzy. I looked back to my brother, whose ears seemed even sharper as he was trying to listen to our conversation.

"Would you mind leaving?" I asked, looking at my brother with the most serious look I could muster in this situation.

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"Oh come o-" He stopped talking when I raised an eyebrow. "Fine," he said as he got up from the ground by somehow lifting himself up with the fishing rod and slowly walked away, probably to annoy me. Once he was finally gone I turned back around to see that Altair had stood up and put away the dagger he had been staring at, his eyes were fixated solely on me.

"So... what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

My heart now beat even faster but I couldn't give up and falter now. This moment was one I had worked up my courage for since he saved me from Grudon more than four years ago, although at the time it didn't seem appropriate, and now that I thought about it it was obvious that, while we did talk, we never talked that much... but we often just spent time together, sometimes he and my brother would joke around and I would laugh with them but... I rarely really talked with him, especially alone. My brother would always be there with us. I barely even know his likes... what if he doesn't like me at all... what if he only hangs ar- NO! I won't think like that.

I hadn't even noticed for how long I had been absorbed in my own thoughts nor that I had taken a step back and that Alt was now looking at me slightly confused and... anxious?

I cleared my throat and took a step towards him.

"Alt... there's something I wanted to tell you," I said.

I kind of avoided his face while still trying to look at him.

"So... you remember when you saved me from... the bear?"

He nodded slowly and I noticed him clenching his fist a little. He still disliked mention of him unless there was a chance to hunt him down.

"Since back then... since back then I've... tried to find out how to tell you... since then I've-" it felt like my heart skipped a beat, or two, or maybe even ten "- loved you..." I said that last part quietly... so that I might still be able to play it off as jo- No! I couldn't do that... I said what I said.

I managed to work up the courage to look at Alt's face while I waited for his reaction. At first, he looked puzzled and looked around as if he was looking for something. But I could just assume that whatever he was looking for wasn't there because he just stopped, opened his mouth, widened his eyes and froze in place.

Did I say something wrong? Is he just wrong? Maybe he actually hates me? Maybe he feels the same? What if he doesn't? What if he is disgusted? Oh no... what should I do, what should I do? My heart sank all the way down to my feet and into the ground as I thought about some of these possibilities.

"I... ahem... I think... I... ahem... I... I don't know what to s-say..." Alt suddenly said, catching me by surprise.

"W-What?" I asked.

He began rubbing the back of his head.

"Well... I-" he suddenly slapped himself "- I love you too," he said, catching me by surprise again and making me feel like I was about to faint.

"Y-You do?" I asked, just to hear it again.

He smiled, be it a bit awkward and said, "I do."

I smiled back with the hope it might be a little less awkward than his but I was sure I failed. For a few seconds, we just stared at each other. Then I suddenly got an idea on how to change that. I leaned forward, smiled and then pressed my lips against his. They were a little dry but it still felt nice. When I leaned back his face was almost as red as his eyes and he swallowed.

My head was hot and all I could do was smile at him awkwardly.

After a few seconds, he smiled back at me and said, "I love you Alyra."