Air, Air, Air, and oh, AIR.
Nightflyer's mind was on a loop, an endless cycle. He just couldn't stop thinking about her, even if he tried. But of course, he didn't try very hard because why would he?
Why would he ever want to stop thinking about Air? She was perfect.
Yes, Nightflyer knows he is unhealthily head over heels for the Mudwing-Skywing hybrid, but he just doesn't care. He's obsessed. He's not in love, he knows that. He and Air don't know about each other to be in love yet. He loved reading scrolls about dragons who fell in love at first sight, but he also knew it wasn't entirely logical.
Well, it was a little logical. The second he way Air, he knew he could never be 'just friends' with her, but he couldn't say that he was in love with her. It was too soon. To say you were in love with someone after just a little while of knowing them was creepy.
So Nightflyer wasn't in love with Air. He was just... infatuated by her, and everything to do with her. He wanted to know everything about her, but not in like some creepy stalkerish way, he assured himself. He just wanted to get to know her better because, in his eyes, Air was already perfect. He just wanted to know every little detail that made her even MORE perfect.
They had all their classes together, so that certainly helped, even if was starting to annoy everyone around him while he was walking around with borderline heart eyes.
"Nightflyer-" Joy started one day when they were in History class. "Nightflyer." She poked him, but he didn't turn. Air was doodling something in her notes. Neither of her parents had very good attention spans, so Nightflyer supposed it made sense that Air didn't pay attention for long. Plus, she'd always rather be in the art cave instead of actual class.
He knew she was drawing instead of writing notes because her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth, like it always did when she focused, and her eyes were narrowed like they were when she drew, because she wasn't as confident in sketching as she was in sculpting, so she was never really satisfied in her drawings like she was with her sculptures. To someone else, she probably looked ridiculous, but Nightflyer didn't care. She looked beautiful, as usual.
And then Joy slapped him in the face.
"OW," He said, forcing himself to look away. "What was that for?" Joy waved a piece of paper in his face.
"We're filling out worksheets. I get that you're obsessed with Air, but can you take a staring break and do your work so you don't fail out and then never see her again?" Joy offered. Nightflyer sighed. She had a point, but Joy was never nice without ulterior motives.
"Which question do you need the answer to?" He asked.
"Six and eight."
"The Scorching."
"For which one?"
"Both of them." He turned back to Air.
"You didn't even read the questions!"
"Mhmmmm," He zoned out again, ignoring Joy's droning.
*****
It wasn't like Air didn't know about his obsession either. She was well aware that she had Nightflyer wrapped around her tail, and that he'd do anything she asked. Several dragons had suggested she use that to her advantage, but Air didn't want to. She liked Nightflyer, and she thought that the way he followed her like a lost baby animal was adorable. They walked to their classes together, he'd come to the art cave with her, and they'd sit next to each other when they ate in the Prey Center.
Most of the time, he just showed up at the art cave to watch her work, which Rainkeeper said was creepy, but Air found it endearing. Sometimes though, Nightflyer attempted to be there for actual artistic reasons, so he'd attempt, and fail adorably, at some form of artwork while they were there. So far he had managed to break a canvas for painting, drop an entire open paint can on the floor, and ruin no less than three paintbrushes before Rainkeeper snatched up all the painting supplies and forbid him from ever touching them again.
Air couldn't help it. She laughed at the failures, and Nightflyer grinned every time. She half wondered if he only attempted art as a way to make her smile. Rainkeeper assured her that he did, and he complained about it a lot, insisting that he was ruining perfectly good art supplies because he was too much of a coward to ask her out.
Air disagreed. She had 'been out' with Nightflyer several times, if you could call it that. He had taken her out flying during the night many times, and they'd spent days coming up with new activities for them to do at JMA, just the two of them.
But no matter how much time they had spent together, Nightflyer was still tripping over his feet and smiling at her like a dewy eyed school boy. Joy and Rainkeeper thought it was getting disgusting. Air thought it was cute. She knew he was head over heels for her, and while she didn't show it as much, she felt the same way.
"He acts like you're made of gold or something," Rainkeeper insisted one rare day when Nightflyer wasn't in the art cave.
"I like how he looks at me," Air retorted. "He's adorable."
"I just don't get it. If he likes you so much and you've been out on dates before- why doesn't he just ask you to be his girlfriend already?" Air shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe he hasn't thought of it." Rainkeeper scoffed.
"Oh please. I bet he's already named your children."
"He has NOT!"
"Bet he has." Air rolled her eyes.
"The day you get a girlfriend, I'm going to nag you nonstop. Fair?"
"Who says I don't already have a girlfriend?"
"Ah, of course. I forgot about your imaginary one. How's she doing these days?" Rainkeeper threw a paintbrush at her and Air laughed as Nightflyer walked in.
"Did I miss something?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just Rainkeeper ranting about his invisible girlfriend," Air said. Rainkeeper scowled at both of them.
"Why do I put up with you," He muttered before turning back to his painting.
"So, what are you working on today?" Nightflyer asked eagerly, examining the half-shapen lump of clay Air was working with.
"I haven't decided yet," She insisted. "Any ideas?"
"Hmmmmm.... What about Clay screaming at a bunch of chickens?" Air laughed and nodded.
"Perfect." She got to work, and Nightflyer stayed where he was, watching her. Rainkeeper cleared his throat dramatically and gave Air a pointed look. She sighed and focused on the clay, glancing up at Nightflyer occasionally. Naturally, he was still sporting the heart eyes look.
"Hey Nightflyer?" She started, still working at the clay as he started to roam around the art room, possibly ready to destroy something else by attempting to be artistic.
"Yeah?"
"You know, if you want me to be your girlfriend, all you have to do is ask."
There was a loud crashing sound, followed by the sound of Rainkeeper laughing, as Air turned around to see Nightflyer on the floor, surrounded by fallen art supplies. It was as if he's spun around too quickly, and managed to knock everything to the floor in the process.
"....You okay?" She asked. Nightflyer let out a squeak and nodded. Air grinned. "Are you sure?" He nodded again and struggled to his feet, tripping over a few more supplies before regaining his composure.
"You just caught me off guard a little bit, that's all," Nightflyer insisted. He took a deep breath. "But, since you brought it up, I might as well ask...."
"You might as well."
"Cause you did make it sound like you wanted me to...."
"I did."
"So...."
"Sooooooo"
"Oh my moons," Rainkeeper facetaloned in the corner. "You two are ridiculous."
"....SHUT UP," He declared before turning back to Air. "So...W-would you like to be my girlfriend?" Air bowed dramatically.
"I would be honored," She insisted. Nightflyer grinned.
"Cool."
"Cool."
"So we're dating now."
"Yep."
"Like actually official and all that jazz,"
"Yep."
"Cool."
"Very."
"Would you just kiss her already?" Rainkeeper hissed from the corner. This time it was Air that turned to him.
"SHUT UP."
Nightflyer kissed her, of course, but not because Rainkeeper told him to.
He did it because he thought Air was perfect.