This chapter was going to be so long (over 2k words), that I ended up moving a lot of the ending to the next chapter (which I had considered finished for awhile, more on that later). I didn't want this chapter to be the super long one because I've been trying really hard for the 'super important' chapters to take place at the 10s. But this chapter is super important, so I'm a little torn.

Thank you for reading!

Being on the receiving end of a pep talk was all fine and dandy, until you actually had to do what you were pepped into. Anora could all but forget that her cousin had encouraged her, but Ephemer had Skuld. Skuld would not let it go and she didn't plan on letting it go. Three whole days went by without Anora or Ephemer bringing up their feelings to each other. There was a lot more staring at the lunch table, make no doubt about that, but any actual conversation? None. Zilch. Nada.

Ephemer's continuing (and weak) excuse to Skuld was that he was just waiting for the right time. Likewise, it seemed like no time seemed to be the 'right' time to just pull Anora aside. Classes had started back up, so the first few days definitely took some getting used to; being in separate houses also caused a slight damper on the 'right' time department as well. The only times Ephemer and Anora would ever be together at all was during lunch, the weekends (if they weren't studying), and on certain study hall days.

"Just take her aside during lunch," Skuld told Ephemer once. "Or directly after. You guys aren't going to have the time if you keep beating around the bush like this."

"Maybe if I just wait long enough," Ephemer had once bitterly argued, "Strelitzia will ask her out first."

Skuld had raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "And would you want that?"

"No..." he quietly admitted.

If anything, that was exactly what he feared. Strelitzia had been brave enough to kiss Anora, after all, who's to say that she turned out braver than him in the 'asking out' department too? It was a thought that ate at him until he visibly grimaced. This couldn't wait. He had to tell her. He had to pull her aside. But how…?

It was Wednesday, August twelfth when everything changed.

It was another boring lunch session where everyone at the table was talking besides Anora and Ephemer. The two would shift from stealing glances at the other, to numbly picking at their lunches, and then back again. By now, Ephemer was sure that the other Seventh Year students were given 'the talk' during health class. Anora seemed rather calm though, despite Ephemer knowing that he was likely blushing hard enough to stop traffic.

Being told of how the human body reproduced was nothing that new to Anora. Her cousin, due to their age gap, occasionally forgot that he needed to censor certain things from her. There had been one day -three days before she was accepted into Daybreak, in fact- that Kieran was so transparent on a certain subject with her that she nearly cried. The sex talk was an addendum to that; something he thought would (for some reason) cheer her up a bit because of its absurdity. She had to give him credit, it did take her mind off the initial subject for awhile.

A pit in Anora's stomach started to grow when she remembered Kieran. He told her to talk to Ephemer, to not ignore her instincts or feelings, and she wanted to talk to Ephemer. Sometimes it felt like he was avoiding her. Maybe not on purpose, but there was an odd tension that gave her the feeling he was holding himself back. This tension came back with a vengeance that lunch period. Anora had to excuse herself early- her stomach was in enough knots that she was afraid of eating.

As she walked outside into the late summer air, a part of her started to relax. The sun was at its peak, and the rays felt like a warm hug around what little skin was showing off today. She found a seat on a nearby park bench and sighed. A moment of pure nirvana was completely ruined by the small greeting of "Hey Anora" just two paces away from her.

Anora quickly jerked up, then nearly jumped out of her skin to see Ephemer there. He was nervous- a hand was nervously rubbing his neck and his face lightly flushing.

"We… we need to talk." he told her, avoiding all eye contact in doing so. "About the summer, and things, and… And I know it's kinda sudden, but would you like to go on a-"

"Yes."

Ephemer's heart jolted into his throat. Surprised, he let out a small, strangled, "Really? When?"

Anora bashfully blushed and couldn't look at him for a moment. "After school?" she requested. "At 6? Or… or 7?"

"I can work with that." Ephemer agreed. A grin was starting to form on his face- a wide, happy one that he couldn't control. "The gym should be deserted by then- want to meet up there?"

Anora gave him a small nod of agreement. Ephemer let out a sigh of relief that definitely did not go unnoticed. But that was only the first stepping stone- the rest were going to be just as nerve racking.

. . .

They both tried to pretend that they didn't try to look a bit more presentable than usual. Ephemer had taken shower then tried to use a bit of hair gel to tame small portions of his wispy hair. Anora was wearing a completely different dress than the one she was wearing earlier. They were both completely flustered at the other- that much was a given at this point.

"So this is where we met." Ephemer idly noted. Anora shuffled her feet, looking down at the ground, as she gave a little nod.

"No wait!" the young man suddenly declared. "It wasn't here!"

Confused, Anora looked up at him as Ephemer looked around the gym. When his eyes fell onto a certain spot, he happily declared, "There!" before rushing over to the spot. When he got there, he happily looked around as he tried to remember the mat that had been placed for the fencing match. Anora cautiously walked over to the spot as well.

"You were here," Ephemer thoughtfully said, taking Anora by the shoulders to guide her in place, "And I was standing here..." He took his place in front of her- a joyful smile on his lips as he reenacted their first meeting. The young man then took on a stance similar to his fencing pose before stabbing the air in various places. "I could tell you where the new kid right away," he mused- more to himself than her, "You didn't have any confidence and your form was a bit off. But then you landed that first hit..."

After making a lunge, Ephemer paused and looked up at Anora. To say she looked confused was an understatement. The young man came up from his position with a sheepish laughter. He started to say something, but found that the words wouldn't form as he continued to stare at her. Anora had also been placed under the same spell- her jaw slightly slacked as she admired just how much of Ephemer she enjoyed.

At the same time, they both admitted, "I love you." which then immediately sent both of them reeling. Once more in unison, they let out a surprised, "You do?" before sheepishly looking away from each other.

"It sounds dumb," Ephemer lightly chuckled as he started to rub his neck again, "But I think I fell in love with you the moment I said your name. I think you've been on my mind ever since then."

Hearing this, Anora's face faintly scrunched into one of confusion. She looked like she didn't believe him. "Even when…?" she started to softly wonder, but didn't finish. Ephemer's eyes flickered with a sense of determination as he took a step closer to her.

"Even when Skuld collapsed." he informed her, sounding just as certain, as he slipped his hands into hers. "Even when we spent Easter together. Even when I said way more than I meant to during White Day. Even when you gave me that goodie bag for Valentines. It was that moment, that first time I said your name, when I was a total and absolute goner."

Anora looked at Ephemer with widening eyes, her breathing hitching for a moment as the weight of his words came to her. So maybe it was possible to have a crush on someone for so long without realizing it…

Ephemer held her hands a bit tighter as he asked, "When did you realize it?"

"The formal." she told him, rather nonchalantly.

"Really?"

"And seeing you kiss Skuld..."

"Really…?"

"And seeing you react with Strelitzia kissed me..."

Ephemer suppressed the urge to let out another 'really' and instead gave a disjointed, "Oh..."

"I wanted to kiss you after that." Anora admitted in a tiny voice. "I didn't know why. I thought we were just friends, but after all of that..."

"It's really confusing, huh?" he humored with another nervous laugh. Anora let out a laugh of her own as she gave an agreeing nod. She took a tentative step closer to him; their bodies so close that they could hear each other's gentle (yet still very nervous) breathing.

Anora moved her head a bit, a small tilt as she and Ephemer gazed at each other with an increasing heat between them. Ephemer looked like he wanted to say something, but kept getting lost in thought; his eyes were even struggling to stay open as bliss ripped through his body. Finally, in a small whisper, Anora asked, "Can I keep you?"

"Always." he promised without hesitation. "Forever and ever."

With the confirmation, Anora moved her lips closer to his. He met her halfway and the two shared their first kiss in an electrifying sweetness. Ephemer's hands worked on their own as they let go of her hands to take a tight hold on her face instead. Anora retaliated by wrapped her arms around his body, bringing the two even closer. Neither of them cared to know how long they were wrapped in each other's embrace- only knowing that when they departed, they were both left gasping for air.

Anora was ready for another kiss, but Ephemer denied her the chance. Instead, he took a few steps back and started to hold her hand again.

"Come on," he said as he gently pulled her toward him, "We're gonna do something that'll get us in a lot of trouble if someone finds out."

Lust turned into worry as Anora shot him a wary glance. "What…?"

But Ephemer only put a finger to his lips and gave her a little wink. It didn't exactly ease Anora's mind any. But she let him lead her.

What she didn't expect was for him to lead her straight to the Leopardus boys' dorms.