Message: Story's about romance. You see, I'm not that fabulous when it comes to writing wickety-wick adventures, but I'm used in writing romance. I finished The Thief Lord a while ago, and I've seen the movie an hour before finishing the book. My mind began to tremble. Images formed inside my head. Couples like ScipioxHornet, ProsperxHornet… I'm not fond writing gay material. So, there are no pairings like Prosper falling in love with Scipio, or vice versa. Just read and enjoy. If not, then… I'll get back to that later. :)
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3 days after pg. 303…
"I've been worried sick!" Hornet cried out, when she had a chance speaking to Prosper alone. Hornet found him sitting with himself on Ida Spavento's backyard, looking at the la bella luna*. Now, she was sitting beside him, crossing her arms to her chest and groaning quietly. Prosper was still looking at the moon and was deep in thought.
"Prosper?" Hornet called after two minutes without an answer from Prosper, "are you alright?" she touched his arm lightly, giving him a gentle squeeze with her hand. In response to what Hornet did, Prosper smiled then, using his other hand, grabbed Hornet's hand and took it away. Hornet looked abashed.
"I'm sorry," she put her head down, her face burning of embarrassment. She put her hands together then closed her eyes. After a while, she felt someone touching her hand. She opened her eyes and saw Prosper's hand on hers. She looked at him with such a surprised expression that Prosper almost immediately returned her gaze.
"What?" Prosper asked, clueless.
Hornet's eyes returned to both of their hands, intertwined. The warmth felt good, she thought. Prosper's hand was big enough to enclose hers.
"Oh…" Prosper sounded at ease, he even chuckled but without a hint of embarrassment in his tone. "It's been a while since I haven't held a girl's hand. The last was my mother's. you don't mind, do you?"
"No," Hornet said as she tightened her grip around Prosper's hand.
"Thank you," Prosper smiled. They spent about an hour or two gazing at the moonlight, both contented with the looks of it. It was cold there, the wind playing on their skins. Hornet was wearing a long sleeved shirt and pajamas, while Prosper was wearing a jacket and jeans. They were both oblivious of the birds' coo and the rustle of leaves but were drowning to the pale moonlight that lit the place.
"Hornet," Prosper said, still looking at the moon, "do you hate me for not riding on the merry-go-round?"
Hornet, on the other hand, thought of how stupid Prosper was for what he was saying. "Are you crazy? I'm very thankful that you're back. That's all that matters." This time, Prosper was the one that tightened his grip on Hornet's hand.
Hornet was extremely mortified when Prosper placed his head on her shoulder. You could vividly see her face, very red and very shy. Prosper sighed. "It feels like dream come true. At first, I thought I was exiled with nothing but myself. Without Bo. But now, I'm here. In a place where I'm being loved and a shelter to live. And I'm with Bo."
She could only smile in reply. She liked Prosper, ever since he and Bo joined their gang. Hornet only had one look at him, then she suddenly knew that Prosper was a real gentleman. Since then, she wouldn't want Prosper leave her side.
She leaned her head against Prosper's.
"Do you like me, Hornet?" She didn't know what that meant. Like, meaning a friend…? Or like, meaning a… she liked it both ways. So, without a hint of doubt in her tone she answered, "Yes."
"I like you, too." He removed his head from her shoulder and then looked at Hornet straight in the eyes; both of their hands are still intertwined. She smiled at him and Prosper smiled back. "Would you mind spending the night with me here?"
"Yes." Was all Hornet could answer.
They both stared at the moon, hands intertwined, head on shoulder, and their minds were sauntering off into space, both recoiling on whatever comes into their heads. Prosper, on the other hand, smiled of the feeling while Hornet was barely uncomfortable. It was late at night—so late that you could almost hear nothing but yourself, breathing in and out or the sound of the swooshing of waves in the Grand Canal.
After a while, Prosper lifted his head on Hornet's shoulder, then sighed, "It's getting late, we'd better go to bed until someone gets suspicious." They both got up from their open-eyed dream, then—still hand in hand—strutted inside the house, but later on removed as they slumped back to their beds.
Before that, since Prosper, Hornet and Bo—Hornet was the first one to tiptoe inside the room. Bo was asleep like an angel, his gentle breathing made you want to cry in reply. Prosper was next to follow, quietly closing the door behind him. The other one was fixing her bed, removing the books that got into the way of her sleeping, lay down and pulled the blanket on top of her. Prosper looked at her while she did those things and went to sit by the edge of the sleepy girl's bed.
"Thank you, Hornet. It was a pleasure keeping me company." Prosper blushed bright red, "Good night, sweet dreams."
"Buonanotte, Prosper." Hornet grinned. Prosper too, grinned. The next thing he did was quite brave for a boy his age. He bent down and kissed Hornet's forehead softly. You could hear Hornet gasped as the boy kissed her, and you could almost feel Prosper's nervous tremble. Prosper hastily got up, launched himself to his bed, then turned her back to Hornet. Prosper's expression was like a lovesick puppy who had just gotten a kiss from his lover—which was quite true. Hornet, alternatively, was staring at the ceiling, couldn't quite believe what happened.
