Fairy dance

He couldn't make the fire dance for her, not like Farid could, but that didn't seem to matter too much.

"Just a little further," Doria whispered, his hand clasped around hers, skin warm on skin in the pale grey dawn light, as he drew her after him through the long grass. The dew was already seeping through her dress at the sleeves and hem where they brushed through the undergrowth.

"Follow me," he'd whispered from out of the night, stirring her from her sleep, "I have something you might like to see."

The air had bitten her with cold as she slipped a cloak over her dress and tugged on some boots. Winter was waning, giving way to the warmer kiss of spring, but still held thrall in the darker hours. She sneaked out without hearing Mo stir, but was sure she heard the beat of tiny wings as she stepped out the front door, letting it click shut behind her.

Now they stopped just inside the line of trees and Doria put a finger to his lips, lowering himself to the ground and beckoning her beside him. Meggie folded herself alongside him, shivering slightly as the damp earth sank cold fingers through the cloth.

"Cold?" Doria whispered as he slipped an arm around her, holding her closer to the warmth of his body and she felt her cheeks flush with it. "Lazero always said I could warm the whole house," he grinned down at her and Meggie couldn't help but smile back, his face becoming so familiar to her it made her heart ache. Nothing seemed to stop him from coming to visit her; not the weather, nor work to be done. He came and spoke to her (was there any topic they would ever run out of words for?) and to show her the things he had invented. Beautiful things. "I'm going to make wings for you in this world too," he had told her earnestly the last time he had visited. "You wait and see. I've almost got it." He'd never visited at night before, yet despite the darkness she felt safe here. As safe as she ever had with Mo. She wondered just how mad Mo would be that he had tempted her from the safety of the cottage.

She shivered again and pressed closer, his arm tightening protectively around her ("It'll be worth it I promise," he whispered) and realised that this boy had stolen her heart from another a while ago. Did that make him the better thief?

"There look!"

Suddenly all thought was wiped from her mind as she stared enraptured.

First one light dropped from the trees into the grass, then another and another until it seemed the whole field shimmered with light. Then, in pairs and threes or singularly, they rose up out of the long blades to rest poised just above the tips.

"Fairies," Meggie whispered in awe. She had seen fairies, they were not new to her, but so many... "What are they doing" she breathed, and Doria smiled softly at her delight, taking one hand in his. It was large and warm and dry and sent tingles up her arm.

"They are dancing," he responded as the fairies twirled and spun around each other. "This is the spring dance. They do it every year to mark the close of winter, to celebrate the end of hibernation."

Meggie watched the blue lights whirl in patterns as the sunlight rose with the wakefulness of dawn and burnt off the dew as they continued to dance.

"Doria, its beautiful," she tilted her head back to look into his eyes and found him already smiling down at her. His eyes smiled too. She loved that about him. "Thank you for showing me," and she lifted her hand up to his cheek, like it was the most natural thing in the world. He bent his head until their lips met and kissed her.

"That was beautiful too," he whispered, breath still on her lips as they brushed again.

Meggie knew she had a smile on her face that mirrored his.

"I've been wanting to kiss you for a while," Doria confessed, and Meggie bumped him with her shoulder.

"You didn't have to wait so long," she grinned and cast wistful eyes back on the field where the fairies were no longer dancing. "This was pretty perfect though."

They were only allowed a moment longer before Doria pulled her to her feet.

"I better get you back before your father flays me alive," and with a sigh and a smile Meggie followed, her hand clasped firmly in his.

Yes, Farid may have made the fire dance for her, but only Doria had made the fairies dance.