"First Date, First Kiss"
by Sara Jaye
Written for Iris as part of a drabble challenge. :D
Ethlin sighed, feeling the wind in her hair as she rode alongside Cuan. It was a fresh, clear night and they'd just come back from a ball at Bahara. Their first official date.
"I had a wonderful time tonight, Cuan," she said. "Thank you for inviting me!"
"The pleasure was mine," he said. "But we should really thank your brother for suggesting we go together."
"Hahaha! I think he just wanted to stop any other men from asking me," Ethlin laughed. "You know how he can get."
"Older brothers are always protective of their sisters," Cuan said. "At least he's not as bad as Eltoshan is with Lachesis, insisting he be her date and all...though it didn't look like she minded it very much."
"I guess she feels safer with her brother than with a random man," Ethlin mused.
"Yes, but...let's not talk about them," Cuan said. "Ethlin, you're quite a good dancer!" Ethlin blushed.
"Oh, I am not! I almost stepped on your feet twice this evening!" she giggled.
"Key word being almost." He gently steered his horse closer to hers so they were side by side-or at least as close as they could get without trouble maneuvering. "You were very good for a self-professed tomboy."
"Well, I did have some formal dance lessons as a child," Ethlin said. "But only because mother insisted I learn to be a lady. I much preferred horseback riding and picking flowers outside."
"Maybe you have a natural gift?" Cuan suggested.
"I never thought of that," Ethlin said. "But I'm glad you thought I was good." She blushed again as their horses came to a stop outside Chalphy. They dismounted, and he walked her to the door. "To be honest, I was really nervous out there tonight."
Cuan smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"You want to know a secret?" he asked.
"What is it?"
He blushed.
"So was I," he confessed. Ethlin blinked.
"Somehow...I can't really picture you as being nervous," she said.
"Believe it or not, I was. I'm just really good at hiding it." Cuan laughed. "Ethlin, I've courted girls and been to plenty of formal events, but never with my best friend's younger sister."
"How does my relation to Sigurd make me so different?" Ethlin asked.
"Because Sigurd is very important to me and I'd never want to make him uncomfortable," Cuan said. "And since you're his sister, that makes you important by association."
"Important by association?" Ethlin giggled. "Odd as that sounds, I'm flattered!"
"That's only part of the reason, mind you..." Cuan drew her closer and looked into her eyes. "I'd be crazy about you even if you didn't even know who Sigurd was," he whispered, gently tilting her head up so that their noses were almost touching. Ethlin blushed yet again.
"Crazy about me? Really?"
"I sure am."
She smiled. Their lips were barely inches apart now.
"Good. Because I'm quite crazy about you as well," she whispered, closing the distance between them with a kiss.