So Much Left To Accomplish

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"D- don't joke, Zavian."

Elysia hated stuttering.

Her parents had raised her to be as opinionated as one could be. They had raised her as someone who's voice stood strong even when they knew they had screwed up.

But then, she felt like she would get a whiplash from all that she'd discovered - about herself, and the world- these past few weeks.

She felt special. Special but scared.

"It's okay to be scared." Zavian looked down at her with a soft expression. "Your reactions are very much normal. When I found out I was attuned to fire, I freaked out and locked myself in the bedroom."

Elysia looked at him then, and felt gratified.

"I don't know what to make of any of this. I hate saying this but I feel pretty much clueless. And dumb. And I'll tell you it's not sunshine and rainbows this side of the table."

Zavian chuckled and tilted her chin, so she was looking right into his hazel eyes.

"I've been giving you hints since the masquerade, and now you realise you're pretty dumb?"

Elysia couldn't help but notice how the one eyebrow he'd raised arched perfectly.

"You're a menace." She whispered and loved how her voice came out strong.

"Too bad you'll have to put up with me. Just like I'll have to put up with your dumbassery." Zavian countered in an amused tone.

Elysia softly shook her head and tore her eyes away from Zavian.

The soft pink light of dawn had started grabbing it's hold on them and their surroundings. Elysia's breath stocked in her throat as she got a better look at where she stood.

The creek was as beautiful as it could be - and then some. Flowers of the softest purple bloomed around them. The chirping of birds from some faraway place could be heard and she --

--she felt happy.

She smiled and looked back at Zavian - who was now looking at the giant heap of soil that had shot out of the earth when Elysia had somehow used her magic.

She still had to ask him what would happen next, but she thought it could wait.

It had to wait because all she wanted to look at in this overly beautiful place was Zavian's face. She wanted more than a moment to notice how the soft pink of the dawn hit his face in all the right places. She wanted more than a moment to notice his scrunched up expression - as if he was worried but wanted to express as little as possible. She wanted more than a moment to watch his pinched nose and slightly creased forehead, his hazel eyes giving off the most beautiful colour at this time of the day. She squinted to spot the mole in his jaw he was so concerned about--

"Is this angle good enough or do you want to look at my right profile too?" He softly whispered. "Should I clench my jaw? I bet it'd look amazing when I do that." A soft smile played at his lips.

"I wasn't staring!" Elysia whispered hurriedly.

She was staring. But could he have noticed?

"Keep saying that to yourself, Elysia Jarsdel. But if it helps your case in any way, I don't mind you staring at me. At all."

Elysia rolled her eyes so hard she felt she'd entered another dimension.

"We stayed up the entire night." Zavian whispered.

"You must be tired. You didn't get any rest at all."

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