Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing well!

So, some of you may have read an earlier version of this one—I had actually posted this as a stand-alone one-shot based in my Warriors of the Void AU. Then I took it down because it was really bad, but I decided to give it another try and post it here instead. Editing an old one-shot is also a lot easier than writing a new one from scratch, and I've got an update on the story idea(s) mentioned in the previous "chapter", I believe?

love is like a friendship caught on fire

—:—:—

"I really like you."

Percy freezes up inadvertently. He doesn't know how to process those words.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same," Bianca rambles on, and he's too shocked to stop her. "I get it. I just… I like you a lot and I've been meaning to tell you for a while but I didn't, because I wasn't sure how you'd react."

I like you a lot.

A heavy silence settles between them. He screams at himself internally to say something, but his brain short-circuits for whatever reason. (He probably looks like a gaping fish, he thinks, with the way his mouth closes and reopens.)

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," she says all of a sudden. "You probably like someone else. I don't know why anyone would like me anyway. I—I'm sorry."

And for the second time in this moment, Bianca completely stuns him, because how could someone not like her?

The thought miraculously snaps him out of his stupor. He dares himself to step closer to her, heart thrashing wildly as he takes her hand in his. His mind goes blank again when their fingers touch.

"Bianca... I don't..." His chest tightens. His tongue is stuck in his throat. How does he—what should he say? How should he tell her? He'd honestly thought—"I thought you knew how I felt."

He resists the urge to cringe at his words. What is that even supposed to mean? (Why can't he just say it already?) But she somehow must have understood, because it's her turn to gape at him.

"How you felt?"

"Bianca... you're the single most incredible person I've ever met." It tumbles through his lips before he realizes and he's worried he's said too much. (What if he read things wrong?) Honestly, though, it doesn't really matter because Percy is still far from done. "You're compassionate, smart, strong, and... effortlessly beautiful. You always put others before yourself, and you're always there to keep the peace."

Bianca stares at him wide-eyed, a pretty pink blooming on her cheeks. It's now or never, Percy thinks, and he blithers on.

"I love seeing your smile because it makes me happy and when I hear your laugh it makes my day a thousand times better." He takes her other hand, too caught off guard to continue his speech when he catches her eyes darting to his lips. (At least he thinks—maybe hopes—that's where she looked.) "Bianca, I..."

Percy has no memory of making the move (and he doesn't know what made him think this was okay) but the next thing he knows, he's moving forward and pressing his mouth against hers.

—:—:—

After his heartfelt speech, to say that Bianca's confounded is an understatement.

"Bianca, I..." Percy trails off.

Dumbfounded, she waits for him to finish. But he never does. Instead, he closes the distance between them—

—and his lips are suddenly on hers.

They're so wonderful and warm and soft, and she's so surprised and overjoyed that she freezes for a moment. The butterflies in her stomach go berserk.

But he's hesitant, she can tell; so before he can pull away, she goes on her tiptoes to kiss him back.

Her eyes close at the sensation of his mouth against hers, and her hands move to the sides of his face; his arms slip around her waist and pull her into him.

And it feels amazing.

The kiss is infinitely better than anything she's ever dreamed (because yes, she's been in love with him for years, and she's spent so long fantasizing about this moment).

Warmth floods her entire system—a fire in her that's been waiting to be ignited—and her heart beats impossibly fast. Hope, relief, love, and thousands more emotions bubble up inside her because this is real, and this is happening. This is really happening.

Bianca messed up her confession, but then he called her strong, and smart, and beautiful (just when she didn't think she could fall for him any harder), and now—

—they're kissing.

(She's never flown before in her life, but she's still certain that this—right where she is now, in Percy's arms—is how it feels to soar through the sky.)

When they finally draw apart, she's left breathless, overcome with affection. The blood in her ears roars. Percy touches her forehead with his and breathes out just one sound: "Wow."

And Bianca's heart just melts in her chest.

She smiles at him, unable to form any coherent thought with her mind in pure bliss, so she tilts her head (he's already so close) and they're kissing again.

This time, though, she makes sure to relish every detail, every second, as they lean into each other.

The pulse of his racing heart on her palm.

The faint taste of salt on his chapped lips.

The way his mouth moves against hers.

The way their bodies meld together.

Bianca curses her shortness of breath when her lungs constrict, and eventually she can't hold it any longer. She pulls away, chest heaving, and Percy lets out a content sigh.

He gives her a tender smile that dimples his flushed cheeks. His spellbinding sea green eyes stare into her soul with pure, unadulterated adoration. The words I love you linger in the air.

And she knows her heart is his.

Gah. That was... mushy?

I was originally going to write a full second part in Percy's perspective, but I gave up on that. So instead, I rewrote this and tried to add description or emotion or whatever, I guess. This turned out... okay, to put it very nicely; I really tried my best. Definitely needs more flow amongst other flaws. It was good practice, but I'll have to work on emotional and descriptive writing a lot more to get to a satisfactory level. That being said, this one-shot collection will be the place for "practice" and lots of experimentation, so... please bear with me.

And now the update on my upcoming story! I have chosen to write the son of Oceanus AU, which has also become my main WIP. The title (at the moment) is "a glimpse of the unseen", taken from a quote I found. I've got many major plot points planned out and I have begun drafting it, but it'll definitely take a long time to finish. I don't plan on posting it until a full draft has been completed—I feel it's best this way because of my inexperience in writing.

And then there's also Warriors of the Void, which I'm co-writing with an author on FF using a reworked plot... lots of ambitious plans for a mere hobby of mine. As a result, Efflorescence will be taking a backseat. Updates will likely be even more sporadic until maybe summertime. We'll see.

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and big thanks to those who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed as well! Your support means a lot.

Well, that's it for now—I hope to be back soon.