She smiles politely at you, walking backwards with an air of ease and calm. Understandable, after all, seeing as the half-Esper has the ability to fly
"So, where are we going today?" She asks, bouncing on her heels with each step, hands behind her back, eager to get started.
Your lips are kind of dry and cracked, and you're feeling a little nervous: you hadn't actually thought Terra Bradford, of all people, would agree to go on a date with you. A mystical being practically from another universe with the power to conjure pretty much any kind of magic she wished.
Yeah, that's right. And where did you intend to take this uber-awesome semi-God?
To an Amusement park, of all places.
You groan inwardly as you clear your throat a little: she sees the worry on your face, her footsteps slow. You both stop.
"I thought we'd go to an amusement park today. Y'know, go on some rides, get some cotton candy…"
You realise how stupid the idea of rides sound. A girl who can fly wouldn't want to go on a ferris wheel. The same with waiting 'till the fireworks display: she can make fireworks fly from her hands, and God's fall from the sky. Why would she want to look at those things for amusement?
"I'm not sure I understand," she admitted, placing her index finger beneath her chin.
Trying to explain, you fumble with words, but eventually, she gets the idea across,.
"I don't know why you'd want to go to an amusement park,' she admits quickly, frowning a little, the nigh sky high above her, "I thought you'd be amusing enough as it is/: we don't need metals beats and houses of horror to help with that," she paused for a second, then shuddered, "Or clowns, for that matter."
Kicking yourself, you try to apologise, but she laughs it off, grinning sincerely.
"No, I was kidding, really," she implores, her soft smile warming your heart like the flames in her hands warms the rest of you.
"It really is cold out tonight, ins't it?" She asks, making more flames, like torches in the night, slowly, playfully, swirling around the both of you, sealing you in close together.
You both continue to walk a little bit, before Terra comes across a large space of land, then turns to you.
Well," she began, forming a large sphere of ice in her hands, "What if we made a park for our own amusement/" She asks, smirking softly at the ground.
You want to tell her it's okay to look up, to tell her that there's no need to be shy with you, but you feel she already knows that and can't help it. After some of the things she's been through… some of the things you'd heard and seen… you kind of respect her right to shyness. To being apprehensive and abrasive to the rest of the humans- and others- that were around in this world.
Words form through your mouth again, this time, with a little less of a struggle, and you tell her that sounds like fun. She laughs, the flames still swirling around the pair of you: a mystical, magical seamstress of magic and might.
You feel like you should tell her you love her, but you aren't sure whether it's really something she should know this early on, or something she already knows.
She throws the sphere high into the air and slowly, a swirling hurricane appears around it. You watch with awe as the ice shatters and expands. She throws the flames at the ice to meld and melt t, then a large tent is formed in front of you: with a ladder at the back and a massive slide at the front.
Awed, you turn to her smiling face, watch her giggle as more flames burst out of nothingness and spin around you again.
"Doesn't that look lovely?" She chided, crossing her arms at her handiwork.
Soft slow flakes trailed from the sky and the spell, and you catch one. It melts in your hand and sends tingles down your body.
"It does," you admit, then take her hand and walk towards it. The flames spin faster: you imagine they represent the speed of her heart, and wonder how fast they'd spin if you kissed her. Held her.
Wanting to test that theory, but deciding against it, you enter the large tent: Terra leaves the flames outside, but you can still hear them crackle in the darkness.
A metaphor comes to mind.
On the outside is fiery passion, but an exterior of ice awaits beneath.
You smile, because if you chip away the ice and blow out the flames, in the dark night sky are two people hugging.
You wrap your arms around her: feel the warmth of her body,but the chill of her fingertips as they run through your hair.
You pull away slowly, kiss her on the lips, feel her smile fade, but then come back more. When you pull away, she's in shock, but also happy.
Just like you, she isn't sure how to feel.
She rubs her arms, and you realise your legs are shaking: this place is damn cold.
"You know what would be more amusing than a park?" She asked quickly.
Already intercepting the answer, you grin, and grab her hand.
"Yeah: let's just head back to the Inn."
And there is no better feeling than walking out of a tent made of ice and seeing it encased in hungry flames while you and your girlfriend walk away.
Absolutely nothing. Or so you think, until you get to the Inn, of course.
—-
THE END.