Title: Love
Summary: Natalie's had enough of Matt's obliviousness, and decides it's time to give up. But maybe that decision is just what is needed to not only push him to finally confess, but also help another pair.
Rating: K+
Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Pairings: MattxNatalie, LancexAnna
World: Post EBF4
Natalie was tired; tired of being the busty mage of the group, tired of being considered as only good for the occasional heal, and tired of having her heart broken. She'd hoped that maybe one day, Matt would realize how she felt, but he was so oblivious. Everyone else in the group saw how she felt about him, but the blond swordsman never noticed even once. It was frustrating and painful. She'd considered simply asking him if he loved her, but since he'd never shown an interest in her before, she was inclined to think the answer was no. She wasn't sure if her hurt heart could handle a final, definite rejection.
The mage sighed as she walked along the near-empty streets of Goldenbrick Resort. The party had stopped in for the night to rest up before hunting dragons and monoliths in Godcat's Temple for the next few days. Each of the party had gone off to spend their own time relaxing however they chose. Matt was stuffing himself at their rented house. Lance had gone to browse the weapons shop, and Anna had gone with him. The two sharp-shooters had begun to get along very well, once Lance stopped antagonizing Anna so much; Natalie hoped the pair would get together as a couple; there was clearly an interest on both sides. As for Natalie herself, she had taken to wandering around town in an attempt to sort out her thoughts. The mage let out another long sigh and slumped down on a chunk of stone near the altar for the town's Jewel.
Not three seconds later and a friendly voice said, "That's a mighty heavy sigh for such a lovely lady. Gold for your thoughts?"
Natalie glanced up to see a young man with loose, but short, black hair watching her with a small light of concern in his green eyes. The mage quirked a small smile of greeting and shook her head, "My thoughts aren't worth gold."
The man's brow furrowed slightly in concern. He stepped forward and hesitated near a chunk of rock beside the mage. "Mind if I join you?" he asked. The man sat down when Natalie shrugged and turned his concerned gaze on the girl, "What's wrong? I won't judge if you want to talk."
"That's very kind of you, but you don't need to hear my troubles," Natalie said dismissively. "We don't know each other, anyway.
"No, no! I insist!" the man exclaimed. He held his hand out with a warm smile and said, "My name is Aron, pleased to meet you."
Natalie shook his hand, "Likewise. My name is Natalie."
"You're Natalie, the mage who helped save the world from Godcat and Akron?" Aron asked in complete amazement.
"That would be me," Natalie agreed with a weak smile.
Aron shook his head slightly, before letting the topic go as the mage began to look uncomfortable. "Well, now that we know each other, what could possibly be bothering you? You strike me as the type to explode your problems," he joked.
Natalie laughed, "I probably would if the problem wasn't my team."
Now that Natalie had gotten started, the whole story tumbled out. She spilled everything that had been bothering her for months; her crush on Matt, the constant teasing for her chest, the remarks that she was only good for a few things. By the end of it, she had tears in her eyes, though none of them had fallen. Aron listened silently with an understanding expression on his face. When the mage finished, he passed her a small pack of tissues. The mage accepted them gratefully, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She sent the man a watery smile.
"Thanks for listening, Aron," she said quietly. "I feel better for getting that out."
Aron shook his head, "It was no trouble, I'm glad a sympathetic ear could help you." His face set in a frown as he added, "I'm not sure your… friends are very good to you. Have you ever thought of splitting from them?"
Natalie hesitated, and shook her head, "No, never. I've known them all for years, and they aren't always as bad as I just complained about. Besides, I'm the main healer and mage of the party. They won't stop fighting if I just decided to quit, and I don't want them to get seriously hurt or killed."
"Seems to me that they take you for granted," Aron muttered. He shook his head and added, "Well, for what it's worth, I think you're a truly beautiful woman with way more going for you than just a sizable bust. I hope the rest of your team will see that soon."
"T-Thank you," Natalie stammered with bright cheeks.
Aron smiled, leaned over, and brushed a chaste kiss to the mage's cheek. He stood up and smiled down at her stunned expression. He nodded to her and gave a basic warrior's salute, tapping his fist to his chest. "If you ever change your mind about splitting from your party, come ask for me at the tavern. I'd love to adventure with you, maybe be something more than just teammates," he said in a gentle voice.
With that, the man turned and left. Natalie stared after him with wide eyes and a flustered blush. One of her hands rose to brush her cheek; though it had just been a light brush of the lips on her cheek, it had been her first kiss from anyone outside her family. Her mouth widened in a bright smile and she nodded to herself. She would keep the offer in mind, though she was unsure if she'd take it. Aron was sweet, but she couldn't honestly see herself on another team, at least not yet.
The mage stood and began to make her way back to the house, hand still idly brushing her cheek. She walked inside to see Lance and Anna had joined Matt at the table. The three looked up at her entrance and waved a hello. Each of them looked puzzled by the absent nod they got in return from Natalie. Anna shrewdly eyed the drifting hand on her friend's face and her eyes lit up as her face widened in a sly smile.
"Met someone, Natz?" she asked lightly.
Natalie shrugged, but her blush was telling. "Yeah, a nice guy stopped to have a chat with me by the altar," she admitted.
Lance arched a brow at the wistful light in Natalie's eyes as she spoke of the man. He shot a glance at Matt, but didn't say anything. The swordsman was watching Natalie, and didn't seem too concerned by a very obvious crush developing. The gunner shrugged; if Matt couldn't see Natalie's feelings after this long, he wasn't likely to start seeing them. He turned his attention back to Natalie and watched as she swiped a roll off of Anna's plate. Her eyes were clearer and happier than they had been for a while, and he wondered what the mystery guy had said to her to make her so happy.
"So what's his name?" Anna asked.
Natalie smiled, "Aron. He's pretty cute, too."
Lance gagged and stood up, "I am so out of here if this is going to be a girl-gab session."
Anna snorted and waved him off. Matt remained where he was, and swiped what was left on Lance's plate. He half-listened to Anna and Natalie talking about Aron, and wondered whether the guy was planning to join their team or something. He tuned out their conversation when they started talking about dreamy green eyes and soft black hair. It wasn't until he heard a startled sound from Anna that he paid attention again.
"But you can't just leave," Anna protested.
Natalie shrugged and replied, "You and Lance can both use heal magic; you don't really need me there."
Anna shook her head and refuted, "Not as well as you do, though. And we would miss you." Her eyes looked sad as she hesitantly asked, "So is the adventure tomorrow our last as a team?"
Natalie shrugged again, "Yeah, I think so. I… need some time away. Maybe I'll come back someday, maybe not."
Matt's eyes widened, "Wait, what?"
"I'm leaving the team," Natalie said.
Her voice was calm, too calm for Matt's liking. He was so used to having Natalie there that he couldn't imagine a team without her. She'd been his partner for so long, and he'd just figured that she always would be. Clearly, that was not the case, however; not if Natalie was planning on quitting tomorrow. The swordsman felt a jab of pain in his chest at the thought. Finally, he responded to the question.
"Why are you leaving?" he asked quietly in a hurt voice.
Natalie's eyes flickered with some emotion before she hid it. Instead, to Anna and Matt's surprise, anger filled her expression. "Because I'm hoping Aron won't take me for granted, won't only notice my boobs, won't claim my chest is my only value, and won't simply ignore anything I may or may not feel for him. That's why," she hissed. "Maybe I'll be happier with him than I am with you."
Matt's eyes were wide and he shrank further and further down with each statement Natalie made. Tears welled in his eyes at her last sentence. He watched mutely as the mage stood up and stormed out of the house. The door slammed and Anna winced before letting out a low whistle. She shook her head sadly and turned her eyes to Matt. To her surprise, the swordsman remained seated, and had a few tears on his face. As she watched him, he wiped the drops away and stood up.
"Going after her?" Anna asked in a quiet, but serious voice. To her anger, Matt shook his head. She bristled and demanded, "Why not? Was she right with her accusations?"
"No," Matt spat with a glare at the ranger for even suggesting that. His face crumpled to despair as he shot a longing glance at the front door before he went on in a quiet voice, "She'll be… happier with someone who will treat her right. Obviously I don't make her happy, not if she'll say things like that."
Anna cocked her head, "I think you do make her happy; most days, anyway." She hesitated over her next statement before nodding. Matt needed to hear this before it was completely too late. Maybe it would cajole him into doing the right thing at last; he'd be crushed if it didn't.
"She loves you, you know, and has for a long time. Probably longer than I've known you guys," Anna murmured. She glanced to the door and added, "I can see why she wants an out. It must hurt a lot to have the person you love not care the same way about you. Seeing them every day and knowing you'll never be enough to spark their interest."
Matt froze, and breathed, "What..?" He swallowed and asked in a disbelieving voice, "Natalie loves me?"
Anna shot him an exasperated look, "Well, duh. It's only blindingly obvious to everyone else, even Lance. She's head over heels for you, and has wanted you to notice. I'm sure she figured you don't like her like that and decided hoping was better than knowing it was a no."
"But why me?" Matt protested. "I'm just a blonde idiot who routinely gets all of us into danger! What the hell is there to love about that? She can do way better!"
Anna cocked her head at him, "I think you should ask Natalie that question. Go find her before she's gone. She's a hairbreadth away from letting you go forever, but I bet you can still stop her."
The swordsman hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He was gone in the next second and Anna smiled. Matt clearly loved Natalie, regardless of what he told others; though he apparently had little confidence in himself. She hoped he could convince Natalie not to go. It would break his heart if Natalie left and never knew, and the team would never be the same again with her gone.
OOOOOO
Matt ran down the streets, looking for Natalie. He needed to tell her he felt the same, had felt the same for years. He pushed back the burning sensation in his eyes as he thought about Natalie being gone forever. She had every right, he supposed as the altar came into sight. He had royally screwed up when he'd decided she would never like him and thus chosen not to try. He'd been comfortable with the fact that they were friends and were likely to stay that way. He had wanted more, but why risk what he had? If she had said no, she didn't like him that way there would have been a huge awkward divide between them. Better friends than apart. But that hadn't been the case, at least not forever. He'd been blind, so blind, all these years.
Natalie wasn't around the altar and Matt kept jogging. He twisted his head about, looking for her desperately. If nothing else, he needed to apologize. She'd been well within her right to be furious with the rest of them. They had commented on her chest a lot, and looking back, they had taken advantage of the fact that she was there and not likely to go anywhere. After all, where else could she have gone? Now, she had been given another option, and wanted to take it. Matt's pace slowed to a walk, chest heaving. Could he really claim to love her if he wanted to drag her back to that kind of life—one where she wasn't happy?
The swordsman hung his head and turned to the beach. No, he couldn't do that to her. She'd suffered enough at the hands of his cowardice and ignorance. The ground changed to soft sand, and Matt heard the crashing of waves. He lifted his head and looked at the ocean for a long moment. The moonlight shone on the water, turning it and the sand silver. The stars sparkled in the clear sky. It was a scene of utter tranquility. Matt flopped to sit on a dune, watching and listening to the waves, trying to come to terms with the fact that Natalie would be leaving.
That was how Natalie found him. She'd been coming back from her stroll on the shore, and was surprised to see Matt alone on the beach, merely staring at the water. It wasn't until she got closer to him that she was concerned, though. There an unusual look in his eyes, one that took her a fair bit of time to place. Her breath caught as she realized what the emotion was: defeat. Matt looked utterly crushed and defeated, and it was so far out of character for him that Natalie's heart gave a sharp twinge. He never looked defeated for anything, always confident and eager. Mixed in with the look of defeat were regret, sorrow, pain, self-loathing, and bitter acceptance.
Natalie gulped and silently stepped closer to Matt. The expression was wrong on his face, and her lingering frustration vanished to be replaced with a need to fix whatever was wrong. He twitched upon hearing her approach, but didn't look up to see who or possibly what was there. He merely hunched his shoulders, ducked his head down, and sighed. He jerked up, however, when Natalie spoke, and stared at her with wide eyes.
"You okay, Matt?" Natalie asked hesitantly.
Matt swallowed and turned his gaze back to the ocean. "No, not really," he murmured.
Natalie sat down beside him and noticed his suddenly stiff posture, "What's wrong?"
"Just coming to terms with how utterly retarded I must be," Matt whispered. "I kinda wonder how the hell I made it this long. It must've been a miracle alongside your healing magic." His voice fell even further as he said, "I'm so sorry, Natalie; so sorry."
Natalie stared at him. Never before had she heard Matt so utterly disgusted with himself. Obviously, he was taking her leaving very hard, much harder than she thought he would. Before she could say anything, though, Matt kept talking.
"I… This is probably too late to fix or change anything, but can I tell you something?" he asked in a small voice.
Natalie swallowed and whispered, "Of course."
Matt turned his eyes on her and said, "I should have told you this years ago, but I was afraid. Now, it's too late, but I think you deserve to know."
He leaned towards Natalie, placed a gentle hand on her cheek, and tilted his head to press his lips to hers. The mage stiffened in disbelieving shock, staring at Matt's closed eyes that were so close to her own; a tear leaked from the corner of his right eye to run down his cheek. The kiss lasted barely three seconds before Matt pulled away.
"I love you. I have loved you for years, Natalie," he whispered, "Loved you more than anything else. I'm sorry I never told you before, and I wish I had done so sooner. I- I'm glad you've finally found someone who will notice your love for him and won't be a total prick to you. Goodbye, Natz. I'll never forget you..."
Natalie gaped at him, unable to believe her ears and eyes. The tingling on her lips confirmed it though. Matt had kissed her, told her he loved her, had loved her, and then let her go. Clearly, he was devastated by this final goodbye he was giving her, but was doing it anyway. Tears welled in Natalie's own eyes as she watched him turn his face away, his shoulder's slumped, face set in despair. His hands clenched his pant legs and trembled slightly before he relaxed. More tears ran down his face and he began to stand up.
That was when Natalie's mind finally caught up to her. She had just been given what she'd wanted for so long, and she couldn't let it end already. The mage lunged to tackle Matt to the sand before he'd gotten further than a crouch and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and let her tears drip onto his shirt. Then, she pulled away, and slid up to press a desperate kiss to Matt's lips. The swordsman only stayed stiff for a second before one arm looped around her waist and the other moved to press her head even closer.
Both their hearts raced as their lips moved against each other's. Relief sparked through each of their veins. Joy blossomed in each of their chests. Without words, Natalie confirmed her feelings for Matt and gave him a silent promise to never leave him behind. Matt understood that Natalie would stay, and silently promised that he would love and care for her for as long as she wanted him. Both pulled away and opened their dazed eyes, panting. Natalie leaned her head down to rest on Matt's chest, and smiled at his rapid heartbeat.
"I love you, too, Matt," she murmured. "I'm staying with you, and I refuse to ever leave you hurting and alone."
Matt's face broke out into a brilliant smile and he whispered, "I'll be better now. For as long as you want me, I'll care for you. And even if you ever stop loving me, I never will."
Natalie snuggled down, "If I've loved you for this long, I doubt I'll ever stop. You're trapped now, Matt."
The swordsman let out a breathy laugh, "Trapped and ridiculously happy."
Matt sat up, bringing Natalie with him. The mage shifted around to rest against his chest and felt his arms loop around her waist. Both watched the sea roll against the shore, feeling happy, content, and at peace with the world. Then Matt's grip tightened and he spoke again, his voice uncertain.
"Why do you love me?" he asked. "What did I ever do to earn that?
Natalie pressed further against Matt and thought about his question. "You have this… energy," she said slowly. She tilted her head to look up at Matt's confused face and went on, "You're always so cheerful, and you're strong. I love when you smile and your eyes light up; it makes me feel good, happy. You try to do the right thing, granted sometimes in a questionable way, and are so utterly devoted to your friends. On top of all that, you are a very good looking man."
Matt swallowed and gave a shy grin with a light blush. He hesitantly leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to the top of Natalie's head. To his wonder and happiness, she relaxed against him with a happy sigh. He felt her hand come up to trace a random pattern on the back of his hands before she tugged one up to give it a small kiss. Matt let out a soft sigh of his own and rested his chin on her head, staring out at the ocean. They stayed there until Natalie gave a small yawn and Matt realized how late it must be.
"We should go get some sleep," the swordsman said aloud.
Natalie nodded and stood away from Matt. She waited until he was standing before slipping her hand into his. He gave her a bright smile and Natalie's breath caught at the breathtaking beauty in it. His eyes caught the moonlight just right to set them glittering, his hair glinted with strands of liquid silver, and his face displayed such happiness and love that Natalie couldn't help but beam up at him in return. Matt's smile widened and he squeezed her hand before guiding her back to the house.
Once inside, they immediately spotted Anna nursing a glass of orange juice, staring into the dying flames of the sitting room fire. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even look up when they entered. It wasn't until they flopped on the couch beside her that she started and looked around. Her face split in a relieved smile at the sight of both of them smiling happily with their hands linked.
"Hey, guys," she greeted. "You get everything worked out?"
Matt shot a glance at Natalie and nodded, "I think so, yeah." He turned his eyes back to the ranger and added, "Thanks for your advice, Anna."
Natalie cocked her head, "What advice did she give?"
Anna grinned, "Basically told him in no uncertain terms how blind he was about your feelings and that he should go stop you." Her face became more serious as she added, "I'm sorry for several of the things I've said to you in the past, Natz. I want you to know that I definitely appreciate all the work you do in battle to help and heal us. You're my good friend, and I should never have said the things I did."
The mage flushed and mumbled, "You're welcome, and it's in the past now." She glanced around and asked, "Where's Lance? I was sure he'd be with you?"
"He's… a little upset right now," Anna murmured.
Matt frowned, "How so?"
The ranger shrugged, "He came back down a little while after you left, Matt. I told him about what happened and he's feeling really bad about himself. He walked out and I haven't seen him since." Her head ducked a little and she added, "I tried to follow him, but he told me to go away."
Natalie sighed, "Typical Lance behavior. He'll be back, Anna, don't worry."
Anna gave a small smile and nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Now then, you two look exhausted, having been sent through the emotional ringer. Get some sleep, I'll stay up until Lance is back to tell him the news."
Matt nodded, "Okay. Goodnight, Anna. See you tomorrow."
Natalie added her own goodnight and followed Matt up the stairs. She hesitated outside her room door before turning to Matt. "Can I stay with you?" she asked. When Matt blanched she realized how that must have sounded and hastily added, "Just to sleep."
With a light blush and a relieved look, Matt grinned, "Sure."
They headed to Matt and Lance's room. Once there, Matt tugged his boots and weapon off, and flopped on the bed. Natalie followed his example and soon both were snuggled under the sheets. Matt's left arm came up to drape across Natalie's waist and he smiled as she merely hugged the limb and scooted to press her back flush against him. Both slowly drifted off there, warm in each other's arms.
OOOOOO
Lance came back to the house well after midnight. The main room was dark and silent; only the faintest glow of the fire's embers lit the way. He navigated his way around various chairs and tables, but stopped before he reached the stairs. His eyes fell on Anna, fast asleep and curled on the sofa arm. The ranger's face was set in a small frown of worry, and Lance wondered if she had been waiting up for him. He felt a guilty flash and frowned.
The gunner lowered himself to sit beside Anna, slowly and carefully to avoid waking her. The ranger mumbled and shifted slightly, but didn't wake up. Lance watched her face for a long while, thinking of the recent events he'd been told. Natalie had been driven off by their treatment of her. Anna had told Matt of the mage's long standing feelings. Matt had gone off to find Natalie, and would hopefully be able to convince her to stay. He figured Matt would be successful, and likely had already returned with the mage.
Still, Lance felt uneasy. From what Anna had told him, unrequited feelings hadn't been the only reason behind Natalie's sudden desire to leave. She'd been feeling hurt and used, likely because of his frequent mentions of her chest. It had been going on for so long that he no longer thought anything of the comments; they had been his way of interacting with Natalie. Clearly, though, each one had been silently hurting the mage, and he'd never noticed. He wondered with a flash of fear if he'd been doing the same thing to Anna, too.
Lance's eyes took in her sleeping face once more, and he flinched. It wouldn't surprise him if he had. The things he said to her all the time weren't all that different from what he'd been saying to Natalie; only instead of it being about her chest, it had been about her love of nature. The gunner snorted to himself as he realized just how crappy a person he had been to all of them. Natalie's chest, Anna's nature; even Matt had been called stupid a lot. Lance sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes shifting to the glowing embers of the fire. It was a wonder their party had held together this long with all his unhelpful remarks.
Anna mumbling again had his gaze returning to her face. He'd begun nursing a crush on the ranger for the past few weeks, and it had seemed like she was doing the same. Now, he wasn't so sure that should continue. He was clearly a bad person and Anna shouldn't be involved with him; they would all be better off without him. And yet, as he watched the ranger give a small shiver, he couldn't convince himself to leave. It was selfish of him, but he liked being around the others, and especially Anna. He tugged a loose blanket out of his Adventure Pouch and draped it across Anna. The added warmth caused the ranger to let out a sigh and snuggle down.
Slowly, Anna woke up. The first thing she noticed was that it was dark. The second thing she noticed was that there was a blanket around her. The third thing she noticed, once her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the house's main room, was Lance sitting beside her, his eyes fixed on the remaining embers from the fire. Anna jerked upright, causing Lance to look over at her.
"You're back," Anna said with relief. "I waited up for you, but I guess I must've fallen asleep."
Lance gave her a weak smirk, "You didn't need to do that, you know."
Anna shook her head, "I know, but I wanted to. Matt came back with Natalie while you were out; she'll be staying and their together now."
"I figured that would be the case," Lance said quietly.
The ranger frowned at the lack of excitement in his voice and expression. She'd thought he would be happier than he was acting that Natalie would stay and the long siege of obliviousness was over. "Well try not to get too excited," she muttered.
Lance flinched slightly, almost imperceptibly, but covered it up with a snort, "I am excited of course. No more wistful sighs, no more wanting to smash Matt's head through a tree."
Anna had caught his wince, though. Her frown took on a worried look and she murmured, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Lance said shortly.
"Really?" Anna asked skeptically. "You don't look or sound fine to me. Want to talk about it?"
Lance blew out a sigh and leaned back on the sofa. His eyes turned from where they were focused on the shadows of the far side of the common room to Anna's face. He shrugged and mumbled, "I'm worried that I might drive the party apart again."
Anna's jaw dropped. She snapped her mouth shut and shook her head, "Hey, you weren't the only one who caused this mess, you know."
"Maybe, but I was a major part of it," Lance said. "I'm a pretty rotten person to all of you. It's a wonder I haven't gotten stabbed, burned, or turned into a pin cushion yet."
"You're not going to try leaving next, are you?" Anna asked suspiciously.
Lance grunted, but shook his head. "No, I'm a selfish bastard. I like you guys too much to skip out," he told her.
Anna chuckled, "Good, because I'd have to follow you and drag you back." To her confusion, Lance tensed and fixed her with a serious look. "What's up?" she asked hesitantly.
The gunner sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Finally he said, "We've been getting… close."
The ranger flushed and nodded, "True."
"It needs to stop," Lance said flatly.
Anna's eyes widened and filled with hurt. She slumped and whispered, "I thought you liked me, too. Guess not, huh? I'll always be the annoying nature girl. Sorry for pestering you." She stood up and let the blanket he'd draped over her fall to the floor. "G'night, Lance," she mumbled.
Lance caught her wrist, only to let it go when she glared at him. "I do like you, and I don't want to hurt you," he told her in a dull voice. "But I'm not a good person, Anna. Just look at what I helped do to Natalie; I say things like that to all of you, and I doubt I'll stop any time soon. You should find someone nicer, you deserve nicer." To his confusion, Anna merely bristled further.
"So you think I'm incapable of choosing who I should care for, huh?" she hissed at him. "Did it ever occur to you that I like that you speak your mind? If I had a serious problem with your attitude I would have told you so."
Lance looked stunned until Anna turned to stalk off. He sprang up and quietly called, "Wait, Anna!"
To his relief, the ranger stopped at the stairwell and looked back at him. He couldn't see her face in the shadows, but he knew she was impatiently listening. She turned her body all the way around and crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak. Lance gulped and shuffled where he stood for a moment.
"There… There's a festival going on here in a few weeks," he mumbled with a blush that was thankfully hidden by the gloom. He swallowed again and went on, "Would you like to go with me?"
Unseen by Lance, Anna's eyes widened in shock. Lance had very obviously asked her out on a date. He had listened to her, and seen that he was wrong to assume she disliked a very obvious part of his personality. Her face split into a bright smile and she moved to stand closer to him. Looking up into his hopeful eyes, she nodded.
"I'd love to," she agreed. She chuckled and added, "We should see if they have one of those shooting games. I bet you and I could hit all of the targets."
Lance's face split into a rare, brilliant smile. "Sure," he agreed. "We can see how long before they throw us out."
They stood there grinning until Lance bent to scoop up his blanket. He folded it and stuffed it away again before waving Anna ahead of him to the stairs. The ranger smiled at him as she turned for the staircase. She headed up the stairs with Lance close behind her and paused at her door. When the gunner walked past, she snagged him in a loose hug. Lance returned the embrace hesitantly and smiled as he pulled away.
"'Night, Anna. See you tomorrow," he said softly.
Anna nodded, "Goodnight."
As soon as Anna was in her room, she dashed for the bed and buried her face in a pillow to muffle an excited squeal. She cut it off and jolted up to see if she had woke Natalie, only to see the mage wasn't there. Anna shrugged and figured she must be staying with Matt for the night. She couldn't wait to tell her friend about the date tomorrow. Natalie would be ecstatic, and probably a little miffed that Lance had shaped up far faster than Matt had. The ranger toed her boots off and shrugged her bow to the floor. Once under the blanket, she quickly slipped off to sleep with a small smile on her lips.
A/N: Hooray for OOC confessions on the moonlit beach of Goldenbrick! Probably a little angsty for Valentine's Day, but oh, well. This has actually been sitting in my documents for a long time (several months, actually), and now seemed as good a time as any to post it. I originally planned never to post it (one of the many things I write that seem too long to be a one shot, but too short to be a whole story), but I forgot V-Day is a thing, and haven't prepared anything else for it. We'll see if I can get a second thing out later that's much happier; maybe the festival I mentioned in here, and make it a double date (which has been a request I've needed to fill for for a while).
