I can't believe it. Tomorrow. It's tomorrow.
Ben was in disbelief. The two weeks since the fight have flown by, and now Ben was walking through the village, knowing full well that tomorrow night he'll be dancing with Ada.
He was soon out in front of her house, and he could hear faint chatting. Ben was just about to climb the stairs when he saw Danton out of the corner of his eye.
And he looked mad.
Ben shook the fear from his body and walked up the stairs. He knocked on the front door, and the house went quiet. He was just about to open the door when a familiar voice called out, "Just a minute Ben!".
He heard footsteps in the house, a door opening and closing. Ben briefly wondered what Ada was doing in there.
The door opened wide and she stood at the door with a smile the sun could envy. He returned the smile and Ada welcomed him inside. Ben said hello to Ada's mother, then turning to Ada, who was now speaking to him.
"Do you want to go to the library Ben? I need to get some books for the twins."
Ben thought of his library at home, where there are so many books that even the king hasn't read them all.
"Of course. I'd love to see your library." He said with a grin.
"Brilliant. Well then, let's go." Ada said. "We'll be back soon mama!"
As the pair were walking through the village, they arranged when Ben was to arrive at her house. They arranged for him to come at sunset, just after the dance started.
Soon they reached the library, where the librarian welcomed them. As Ada was asking for the books her brothers needed, Ben looked around the room. His mother's library at home made this library seem like nothing more than a speck.
But he didn't care. This library was better because every single book had been read over and over. They had probably been to the far corners of the town and back again. They had been loved.
"Ada, do you like to read?" He asked while staring at the shelf full of books. When silence occurred, he turned to see his friend staring at him, her lips in the shape of a small 'o', before looking to the ground, biting her lip, the books for her brothers clutched tightly to her chest. She glanced at him quickly, then turning her gaze to the floor once again.
Realisation dawned on Ben. "You can't read, can you?" He said slowly, inching closer to the blushing girl. She shook her head, her eyes remaining on the ground. She didn't notice how close he was until he put his hands on her shoulders. Her head shot up, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones.
"I've always wanted to be able to read," She smiled sadly "But I'm not allowed to go to school, and mama and papa have always been too busy to teach me." She added with a sigh.
"Well, how about I teach you?" Ben added.
Ada's head shot up to look at him, shocked, and asked "Really?". When he nodded, Ada's face lit up. Ben went to the bookshelf and picked out a book he had read many times. It was one of his favourites. He and Ada then went home, where he spent the rest of the day teaching her how to read. Ada's mother wasn't home though, and the twins kept nagging the friends. Ada eventually just moved the lesson into the tinker room, locking the door behind them and sitting down to start learning again.
When sunset approached, the duo started packing up. Ada still couldn't believe that Ben had offered, and almost completely succeeded in, such a big task. She still couldn't read fluently yet, but she would learn in time.
As she walked Ben to the door, she noticed that they stood a lot closer than usual. And she found that she loved the static that she could feel jumping between them. Ben could feel it too, and he knew it by the way he felt a little heat creep into his cheeks.
As they reached the door, Ada noticed a note that her father had left for the twins by the door. She read it with ease, Ben bursting with pride as she spoke the words aloud. As she finished reading the note, Ada started jumping up and down with excitement, then turning to hug Ben, saying countless thank-you's. He was a little taken back when she first hugged him, but his mind snapped back into place a moment later, wrapping his own arms around her. They stayed that way for a few moments, which felt like an eternity to Ben, and the same for his one and only friend outside the castle. They pulled away and Ben found himself staring. Her cheeks her flushed in a beautiful shade of pink, her eyes smiling from her cheeks. His stomach fluttered, and Ada's mouth slowly formed the perfect shape for what they both wanted.
And before either of them knew what was happening, they were coming together, and Ben felt her lips touch his. The kiss deepened of its own accord, and their lips parted, each losing themselves in one another.
After a while, they broke apart, breathing hard. Ada looked up at Ben, blue eyes a little wild, and Ben's hair dishevelled where she raked her fingers through. After a moment, Ben went to pat down his hair, and Ada looked away shyly, her cheeks bright red.
Ben, unable to resist, leaned down again and kissed her cheek, arms still tight around her, unwilling to let go. She leaned in and rested her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat, taking in his scent. When they pulled apart they were both smiling.
Ben kissed Ada's temple before opening the door, stepping out into a different world from the one he was in two seconds ago. The world he wanted to become lost in. Ada followed him out, hand in hand, until he reached the bottom of the stairs, then Ada pulled him in to whisper in his ear, "I'll see you at the dance tomorrow night."
Ben blushed a little and hugged her, whispering, "Yeah, see you then."