{first kiss} – set about 10 years after the books (not really focusing on the vespers series at all because it's stupid). a lot can happen in 10 years.
Madison Holt suddenly decided that she liked water breaks. A lot. Especially undisciplined ones like she was having right now.
Playing a slightly altered version of tackle football was exhilarating, of course—moving and playing and winning always was. There was only so much you could do with two people, though, and Ned Starling was proving himself to be just as entertaining in a conversation as he was wrestling for a ball with.
She let out a laugh as she tossed the football in the air and caught it. Madison switched her gaze from the drifting clouds above her and looked at him, lying in the grass beside her. "I can't believe you really took on that dare." She laughed again. "I mean, stealing your mother's make-up and applying it to your dog just to show up your brother doesn't seem like something a six-year-old Ned would do."
He chuckled along with her. "And what do you think a six-year-old Ned would do?"
Pretending to ponder, she rubbed her lips together and hummed. "Hm, I could imagine you inventing the microwave."
"You know, I actually did that."
She whacked him and snorted. "Yeah, right. Get real."
Ned grinned. "All right," he said. "I told you my deepest, darkest secret. Now it's my turn to ask a question."
"That wasn't a very deep or dark secret," she commented.
"Well, if my mother ever found out. . . Or my dog. . ."
She whacked him again and felt his smile widen. "Okay, okay, ask me your question."
"If you could have a super power, what would it be?"
"Easy—multiplying myself," she answered. "That way I could be my own sports team and crush you at football."
He pretended to be offended. "What? Just me, playing against so many of you? Now that wouldn't be fair."
"Fine, then I'd let some of my duplicates play on your team and I'd win either way." She smirked. It wasn't every day that she outsmarted him and found a loophole.
He knit his fingers behind his head and decided to let it pass with a chuckle. "Clever. . . All right, your turn."
She thought for a moment. "Was Ted mad at you for bailing out on him?"
"Naturally." He shrugged. "But I assured him that it was for a good cause."
She groaned. "Great. Now I'm a charity case."
"Well, that's a good thing," Ned reasoned. "You see, that way, you get all of the benefits without even lifting a finger."
"Good point," she laughed. "But I was definitely lifting more than a finger when I kicked your butt at football just now."
"Hey, we still have another half of the game," he protested.
"Ready to get back at it, are you?" She sat up, challenging him gleefully.
"Well. . ."
She laughed. "Fine, I'll let you milk out your precious half time." She leaned back on her hands. "Ask me another question."
He sat up too, resting his elbows casually on his knees. "How about you tell me about your first kiss?"
Madison paused. "Oh. Psht, you don't want to hear about that."
"Obviously I do if you're trying to avoid the topic," he said eagerly. "Come on, let's have it."
She shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms over her legs. "Um, well, the thing is. . . I've never been kissed."
He blinked. "What?"
"You heard me!"
"I know, I know," he laughed. "I just find that difficult to believe. Don't tell me you've never had a boyfriend."
She shrugged. "Well, yeah, but they were all dorks or jerks or whatever. Not many guys have ever wanted to date me, and I've never really been all that interested before." She made a face. "The few relationships I've had have been short and stupid."
"Wow. You should try dating a tall, brilliant guy instead."
"Ha. No, really?" She nudged him playfully and wished that she could call hanging out with her best friend a date.
He laughed. "The infamous Madison Holt has never been kissed. Who knew?"
"Not you." She sighed. "I've wondered what it would be like, though, sometimes. . ."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. . ." Why was she telling him this? He was just going to tease her about it. "But I've had a tough time coming up with some romantic setting or a realistic guy who would actually want to kiss me."
He thought for a second and then moved closer, his face suddenly an inch away from hers.
Madison would never admit that she'd wished for this more times than she could count, but she backed away and yelped. "Whoa, what are you doing?"
He gave her a look as if it should be obvious. "I'm trying to kiss you. I know it's not terribly romantic and I'm probably not your ideal choice, but you need to have your first kiss sometime."
"But. . ." This was so different from how she had always pictured this moment. "But it's supposed to be all cute and on a date or. . . I don't know, I just always thought it would be perfect."
He gave her that look again. "But you are." He leaned in and kissed her.
And it was.
I've always thought that just randomly pairing up one of the Holt girls with the Starlings or something like that was so stupid and cliché, but the more that I think about Ned and Madison and all the potential and necessary character development to create any romance, the more I fall completely in love with this couple. I hope you caught a glimpse of that in my writing.(:
~muse/mona