Why haven't I been able to find him all day?, Azalea wondered.
He kisses me, then just runs off into the blue of Jaspen. Almost as if he's trying to avoid me suddenly.
She closed her eyes and located the lake, then took off towards it. Her boots left lingering streaks of faded yellow in the air where she ran.
As soon as she saw him on the shore of the lake, she wanted to fly across the water and spill her heart out. Instead, she stopped in her tracks.
Keith sat on a rock twenty yards away, his face buried into his knees. Azalea could see his eyes peering out at the water above his kneecaps.
Why does it look like he's been crying?
'You would cry too if the girl you loved was destined to murder you, Ferin sneered.
Don't you ever shut up?
'Don't you ever listen?'
Touche
Worridly, the hybrid walked up behind him. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
"What are you doing here by yourself?", she asked quietly. The young man turned his head and narrowed his eyes at her.
"What are you doing here?", he spat. Azalea was tacked aback by his harsh tone.
"I've been looking for you all day", she explained. He turned away, quietly muttering "I don't see why."
"Have you been avoiding me?", she asked. The placid look on Keith's face confirmed her suspicion.
Her heart fell to the ground.
"Why?!", she demanded anxiously.
Keith suddenly stood up and looked her in the eyes. His eyes were red from crying, and his face was mixed with anger and mourning.
"You try telling someone that you've cared about them for a long time!", he shouted furiously, "You try having your heart ripped to pieces because the only person you loved got engaged to someone else!"
Azalea's eyes started welling up with tears.
"Boots, what are you talking about?!"
"I'm talking about your stupid engagement to Brenan! And even when you already stepped on my emotions, here you come pretending like nothing's wrong, wearing the stupid flower in your hair!"
Azalea stopped. She reached back and untwined the rose from her ribbon, looking at it. The dark blue petals looked even softer in the blue moonlight.
This... Was an engagement?
Brenan would've told me if it was.... Unless....
He didn't want me to know.
Azalea suddenly dropped the rose, letting it slip past her fingers as if it were poision.
Her heart wrenched in agony.
I- I hurt Keith.
Tears started streaming angrily down her face.
"Do you really think I would get engaged?!", she shouted back at Keith. Her hands balled into fists at her side. "Did I throw you into the wall when you kissed me? Did I break your jaw? Did I, in any way, show rejection?! No! I spent my entire afternoon hunting you down so I could tell you how I feel! You're the only person I've truly cared about in a long time, and I was ecstatic that my feelings were returned! I freaking love you Keith! I love you! I love how you're a soft person under your tough personality! I love your navy blue eyes! I love your little smirk! I love how you never give up! I love how you put everything aside to help keep me and my secret safe! You help me with my issues! You care about me more than anyone ever has! And I love you!"
Azalea's heart felt like it was being crushed to pieces. Words flew out of her mouth, but not as fast a pace as the tears flowed down her cheeks.
Her chest heaved from her harsh breathing, weak from screaming.
Keith was frozen, staring at her with an "o" of shock.
Azalea stood up straight.
"I just can't believe you thought I would leave everything behind to be with Brenan. You hate me now... Because of a lie", she accused.
She spun around on her heels and was about to run away.
Back to the party.
Back to the castle.
Anywhere but there.
"Wait, Azalea!", Keith shouted after her. He grabbed her arm.
Azalea turned around again.
"What do you-"
She was cut off when Keith pressed his lips to hers, cutting off her words entirely. All anger and remorse left her body as she was overcome with a bittersweet happiness. She let her hands hold the sides of his face, melting into the kiss eagerly.
It was heaven. To be standing there by the shore of the lake, under the blue moon of Jaspen, kissing the boy she'd loved for a long time. There in his arms, just purely happy for the first time in forever. Tears still streamed down her face, but in joy, not anger.
If I knew this was true, I would've told him about my feelings sooner.
Keith finally pulled away, then gingerly kissed the tip of her nose.
"I love you too, Azalea."
She reached down and grabbed the rose, then handed it to Keith.
"I only want to be with you", she whispered, a grin stretching across her face.
Keith took the rose, but his eyes stayed glued to the ground under her feet.
Azalea followed his gaze and gasped.
Her boots were flat against the ground. She must've unconsciously landed a few moments ago.
She bobbed back into the air, adding the familiar space between her feet and Jaspen.
"I-I touched the ground...", she said in quiet awe.
Keith was silent.
Maybe I could...
"Can you help me with something?", she asked Keith.
He nodded, "Of course."
She entwined her arms around his shoulders and instructed him to loosely hug her around the waist.
"What are you doing?", He asked.
Azalea was determined.
"I'm going to try something. If I explode, that means I failed."
Keith's eyes widened in alarm.
"What-"
She hushed him.
Azalea slowly closed her eyes. She focused all her quintessential energy into doing the task.
With a small whirring sound, her gloves and boots disassembled and slid back into her bands. Keith held onto her tightly so she didn't float away.
"What are you doing?!", he hissed.
Instead of answering him, Azalea kept her eyes tightly shut.
Come on.
Come on Korraine.
You can do it.
Slowly, very slowly and with a lot of gut-wrenching effort, her bare toes touched the ground.
Azalea laughed with triumph.
Keith laughed with amazement as he stared at her bare feet on the ground.
"You're walking!"
"I managed to shut off the gravity around me. It's exhausting without my bands, but I can do it", Azalea said proudly.
Keith met her gaze.
"Aren't you afraid of the ground?"
Azalea patted his cheek.
"Not when I have you around, Boots."
Keith smiled and laughed when Azalea sprinted away from him clumsily.
After years of walking on air, walking on solid ground took some getting used to.
It felt amazing to Azalea. Her feet dug into the silt, she felt the rocks, the water lapping at her toes.
She threw her arms in the air and ran alongside the shore, laughing and squealing. She didn't care if she got the dress wet. She was walking.
For the first time in five years.
"Woohoo!", she cheered, kicking up water.
Keith splashed her, laughing.
Azalea spun around and gave him a mischievous grin.
She sent a high kick of water straight to his face. The look of shock afterwards sent her doubling over in laughter.
Keith tackled her, spinning her around. The both laughed joyfully before falling to the ground.
They looked at each other for a moment, lying on the ground.
"Please be mine", he pleaded quietly.
Azalea cupped her hands under his chin.
"The engagement's off", she whispered, "I'm all yours, Boots."
He leaned in for another kiss, gently caressing her lips with his. Azalea smiled, losing all concentration. He held her body down with one arm, but with her concentration gone, the water and dirt beside them descended into the air. A belt of zero gravity surrounded them, but they paid it no special mind.
All that mattered was then.
That moment.
And being together.
Until in the distance, a noise only Azalea could hear split the air.
A little boy's scream.
Her bands whipped out metal in the blink of an eye. A feeling of uncontrollable rage overtook her.
Without second thoughts or a word, she sprinted through the trees faster than light.
Leaving Keith behind.
"Azalea!"