All was calm in the quiet forest as the full moon rose high in the sky, illuminating the land below through the gaps in the tall and oddly beautiful trees, their pretty leaves in many hues of purple and blue swayed gently with the warm summer breeze. The forest was peaceful and not a creature stirred save for two figures slowly making their way along a long forgotten path through a seemingly never-ending archway of tall majestic trees. The two walked at a steady pace, one a tall Au Ra man with messy brown hair and large glasses, the other a short grey-skinned Roegadyn woman with long black hair and beautiful purple eyes that shown bright in the night. The woman was staring down as they walked, her eyes fixated on the large yet gentle hand that gripped hers as the male led the two forward.
"So Gaius, where are you taking us?" She asked softly, finally looking up at him with a smile, which was quite a rare sight for the woman who spent move of her days scowling and screaming at her colleagues.
"That's a secret Paris, you'll just have to wait and see." He answered with a small chuckle, trying to contain the excitement in his voice.
"As long as I'm with you any place you take me is amazing." Paris muttered to herself before quickly looking up and to make sure Gaius didn't hear her. She continued gazing down at their hands as they trekked on through the woods, still trying to believe that this was actually real and that Gaius was actually touching her, she almost turned into a bumbling embarrassed mess when he first held out his hand for her. It wasn't long ago that Gaius actually began to acknowledge her existence and now he was leading her out in the middle of the night to a secret place in a beautiful forest, it was almost like a wish come true. They continued on the path for a short while until the trees began to clear away and eventually the surroundings opened up, revealing an awe inspiring sight.
A large old tree towered above them in the distance, with beautiful glowing blue and green flowers sprouting from the countless vines hanging over a large, serene lake which was illuminated by various colourful gleaming water lilies revealing the gorgeous blue hue of the lake. Large and colourful plants glowed and surrounded the entire area and small glowflies floated around in the air tranquilly. It was the most breathtaking view Paris had ever seen, like some enchanted forest that came straight out of a fairy tale. He wide eyes gazed at the surroundings, observing almost everything there was to see before Gaius broke her out of her trance as he spoke.
"This way, I have something prepared." He said as he continued to lead her down towards the lake. As they approached the edge of the lake a small light managed to catch Paris' attention. It was a lantern, carefully placed atop a large blanket with a basket set by it's side. The whole set-up seemed lovingly prepared. Paris felt a rush inside her chest as her heart rate began to increase before looking up at the man by his side who was looking down grinning towards her.
"W-what is this?" She managed to let out.
"You're always hiding away in your room in the dark reading books." He began as he sat down, gently pulling his arm back as if requesting Paris to sit beside him. "So I thought I'd do something special and take you out for the evening." He finished. Paris was in shock, so many thoughts ran through her mind and her chest felt so hot from all this sudden excitement that she feared she was going to explode in a scream of joy.
"That's so nice of you." She replied with a sincere smile. Gaius turned and opened up the basket that sat beside him and brought out two bowls that were wrapped in cloth and handed one over to Paris along with a set of eating utensils. Paris smiled and thanked him as she took the items from his hands and unwrapped the bowl. It was a beautifully prepared meal of finely cooked Dodo meat alongside various vegetables and rice, finished with a dose of Far Eastern sauces to give it a nice colour and added flavour. A moment had passed before Paris realized she had just been intensely staring at her food rather than eating. Noticing Gaius peering at her expectantly from the side of her view, she grabbed a spoon and took a mouthful of the food. Her eyes lit up as the meal reached her taste buds and made a slight, approving moan as she chewed.
"This is amazing!" She complimented him eagerly.
"It's your favourite, right?" Gaius asked.
"I had Alex help me prepare it. It took me five tries to finally get it to turn out right but in the end it seems like it was worth it, I'm glad you like it." He smiled. Paris chuckled.
"I'm surprised you knew that, I've never really opened up to anyone in the company." She said as she continued her meal.
"I noticed you've requested it for dinner many times so I could only assume it was your favourite. I... Hope you don't take offense to my hasty judgement." He quickly apologized nervously as he readjusted his glasses. Paris looked back up to him and smiled.
"Not at all, I actually think it's kind of sweet." She reassured him.
The two continued to eat whilst chatting together for some time until both had eventually finished their meals and stood up to their feet once more. Gaius held out an arm in a gentlemanly fashion towards Paris and after a moments hesitation she wrapped hers around it as they began to walk peacefully along the edge of the lake.
"This place is amazing, I didn't even know anything like this existed in these woods. How did you find it?" Paris asked. Her words sounded calm but on the inside she was freaking out, overjoyed by the fact that Gaius was in her grasp, even if it was only an arm.
"I spent nearly three weeks when not on a duty searching through book after book, finding all manner of interesting and forgotten landmarks like this. I took Laris and Zaren with me to investigate some of them and this is the spot I chose. Although we only ventured out in the day, I had no idea how beautiful it would be during the evening." Gaius explained.
"It's almost as beautiful as you." He looked down at her with a kind smile. Paris couldn't help but let her lips curve as she grinned like a fool while beginning to blush. There were so many things she wanted to say but she couldn't find the right words and eventually nothing came out but an awkward, gleeful laugh before a thank you.
"I think tonight is the first time I've seen you smile. You should do it more often, it suits you." Gaius said. Paris tightened her grip around his arm slightly without even realizing it.
"Truth be told I've only ever done it around you. You are my reason for smiling." She said softly, barely managing to get the words out.
"That's kind of you to say. I'm honoured to be able to do that for you." Gaius replied before pausing. "If... I may, I would like to continue being your reason to smile. I want to be there for you, always." Paris' eyes grew wide upon hearing this and she looked up with a shocked expression on her face.
"W-what do you mean?" She stuttered. Gaius moved his arm as Paris soon released it from her clutches and placed his hands down gently on her shoulders, looking deeply into her sparkling amethyst eyes.
"I have to admit I've never been good at expressing my feelings and get nervous easily. Often I would just stare at you, captivated by your beauty and daydream about what it would be like to be with someone as interesting and breath-taking as you. But I always played it off and pretended like you didn't exist most of the time because I could never bring myself you tell you how I truly feel. The truth is I have fallen for you, and I've felt this way ever since I first laid eyes on you at the Arcanists' Guild." He confessed to her. Paris didn't know what to do, her mind was still trying to process what she heard and was bursting at the seams with ideas of what to say.
She couldn't believe it, she had fantasized about this moment time and time again for so long that she hadn't even considered what she'd do if it happened. Suddenly she bolted forward and buried her head in his chest, embracing him tightly.
"Oh Gaius I have been waiting for this moment for what seems like a lifetime. I want nothing more than to be held in your arms for the rest of my life." She cried out in a soft squeal, trying to hold back tears of joy from falling down her face. Gaius lifted her head up softly with his hand and wiped away a tear with his thumb as he gazed into her eyes once more with a cheerful smile across his face.
"Then I shall be by your side always." He said softly, placing his other hand on her face and closing his eyes as he leaned in for a kiss. Paris' heart started beating faster with each word until she felt his warm hands against her skin. This was it, a moment she had only ever dreamed about finally about to become reality. Suddenly her legs trembled and gave way from the sheer force of the nervousness and excitement she was trying to contain. She tumbled backwards along with Gaius and they both let out a cry as they fell back into the lake. After a second the two surfaced for air before looking back at each other as they began laughing.
As the laughter settled Gaius moved closer towards Paris. He lifted a hand from the water and gently parted the strands of wet hair that still covered Paris' smiling face before moving in for a second attempt at a first kiss, connecting his mouth with her delicate lips and turning what were once her wild fantasies into a long awaited reality. The two remained there for a short while, embracing the loving moment for as long as they could before eventually making their way out of the lake and back onto dry land. The two decided to remove their clothes, leaving only their under garments to cover them as they left them hanging from the various tree branches to dry before retreating back to the small picnic area.
The two lied there peacefully gazing up at the stars whilst having calming conversations about the various books they've read and subjects they had studied in the past. Eventually Paris began to lose the war she was waging to keep her eyes open and ended the perfect night resting her head on Gaius' chest as he held her in his arms.
A tanned, blond Miqo'te subtly opened the door to a room that seemed like a dimly lit library to find a peaceful Paris slumped over her desk in a slumber. The man slowly crept up to her desk and picked up a nearby quill before inching closely towards her face and gently tickling her nose with the feathery end. She shot up quickly, rubbing her nose furiously before leering at the Miqo'te.
"LARIS YOU FURRY CRETIN I WILL DESTROY YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" She screamed before pausing. The menacing scowl that was on her face quickly dropped into a disappointed frown as she slumped back down onto her desk and rested her head in her arms once more before closing her eyes.
"I was having the most wonderful dream..." She said to herself sadly.
"Come on we have a job assigned to us today, remember. Gaius will be there." Laris explained. Paris' eyes shot open at the mere mention of Gaius' name as she got out of her chair and began to gather her equipment.
"Gaius? Leave, now. I'll join you in just a moment." She ordered him as she continued to get ready. Laris left the room and joined up with the Au Ra male who had been waiting for him nearby.
"Alrighty let's go. Paris will join us in a minute." Laris informed him as they began to walk down to the main hall.
"...Who's Paris?" Gaius asked with a quizzical look on his face.
