Nova has a crush.

That’s very hard for her to comprehend, but Haze has helped her realize this.

Why can’t her brain just turn it off?!

It’s annoying. Crushes are stupid. Ward invades her thoughts like those annoying tiny flies that don’t get offended by you trying to kill them.

And now he did something so very sweet that she can’t help but fall further in whatever hole she’s already in.

“How far is it, Nova?” He asks, not in a whiny way but in a genuinely curious manner. Because that’s just who he is.

He managed to get the king and queen to let them outside the kingdom on a little field trip. They masked it as a scouting mission to survey more natural resources.

As if she would let them anywhere near the Wild Thicket’s natural beauties. But he knew how antsy she was. Itching to get outside, away from all the annoyances that come from the castle.

“Not far,” she answers, not even looking behind her. His footsteps are pretty even, so he is keeping pace. Mostly.

They aren’t going far into the Wild Thicket. Just enough dissuade her homesickness. And show him a bit of what her life is normally like.

While the Wild Thicket is dangerous for someone who isn’t prepared for it, it is the only home she knows.

She doesn’t know any other way of surviving.

They break through the trees and a rushing waterfall comes into view. Somehow so quiet, you don’t hear it until you see it.

“Wow,” he breathes when he catches up to her. His hand brushes against hers with how little distance he puts between them.

It causes her to feel warm again. And want to grab his hand fully, just to see how it fits with hers.

The symptoms of having a crush she’s told.

Ew.

Why can’t her thoughts just be normal around him?

“Come on, the view is even better at the top,” she gestures towards the elevated ground.

His eyes turn a bit wary at the height.

A chuckle is threatening to bubble in her throat. All the sparring and the training, and height is what makes him pause?

The castle training is even more useless than she thought. Not applicable at all.

“Oh, are you scared? You’re the one who suggested this,” she teases, trying to distract him from what is obvsiouly making him fidget.

“I’m a bit nervous but not scared,” he defends. Not very confident, which is strange. It almost has her cocking her head to the side.

If Ward is anything, he is the first one to be positive. So positive that Nova wouldn’t be able to stand him off he wasn’t so sincere.

Climbing the rock face is exhilarating.

No ropes or safety net. No Haze to save her if she falls.

Just her and finding the next foot holds.

And Ward too.

The slight breeze calms Nova. The air is so fresh, it washes over her lungs, cleansing them from the castle air that was stale.

She’s surprised on how quickly they get up to the top. Ward keeps up with her, just a move behind her. His nerves appeared to dissipate since his movements were fluid and swift.

“Be careful by the edge. It can get unstable around here,” she warns, having to talk a bit louder with the crashing of the water below.

Peering down where the waterfall is rushing is one of Nova’s favorite sights. The power of water is mesmerizing.

And seeing how far she climbed fills her with a bit of pride and a sense of accomplishment.

“This has been the perfect first date,” Ward claims.

The last word shakes her. This is a date? Was it always a date? When did it become a date? What does that mean?

All the questions running through her brain must short circuit the rest of her functions because she just stops moving entirely.

It must be written on her face because he takes a step to be in front of Nova to explain. But he forgets her warning and steps on an unsteady stone.

Instantly, the rocks crumble underneath him.

He manages to grasp onto a rock in his tumble, so he just dangles as pieces of the ground hit the ground with a thud.

Nova gets on her knees and leans forward, careful with where she is putting her body weight. “Take my hand.”

“No way! You could fall trying to help me up,” he says. If he could, he would wave both hands in an exaggerated way. But he needs both hands on the jagged ground.

Internally rolling her eyes at his self sacrificial self, she grabs one of his wrists, “I’m not asking you to marry me, I’m trying to save your life.”

“I wouldn’t say no if it was a proposal though,” he jokes as his life wasn’t hanging in the balance. It startles a laugh out of her. “Maybe let’s focus on you surviving first so you have the ability to make it official with me,” she comments.

“Good idea.” Finding a foothold, he kicks off to pull himself up with her assisting him and ensuring the rock is secure.

They both roll a bit inwards and collapse on the ground, breathing heavily.

“So this was a date?” Nova asks breathlessly, her chest heaving at the high strung moment. Her head rolls to the right to look at him. He’s in about the same condition. His hands are cut with crimson dripping down but otherwise whole.

“Sorry I freaked you out. I should have clarified before labeling it like that,” Ward expresses. He’s earnest. Of course he is. Because that’s Ward. He is unassuming and just so damn nice.

Hauling herself into a sitting position, she takes his hand in hers, his blood rubbing into her skin. He mirrors her and sits cross legged, flexing his fingers as if to figure out the damage.

Gazing into her eyes, his fearlessness returns. There’s that determination that she lo—likes to see. “Nova, I would really like this to be a date. But only if you want it to be that.”

She can’t help but let a wide smile grow on her face. “You’re such an idiot. Of course, I want this to be a date. To date you,” she emphasizes her point with a light punch to his shoulder.

Rubbing his shoulder in fake hurt (or maybe real hurt, Nova didn’t think she hit him that hard), his joy matches hers with a grin settling over his features.

“I even got Haze’s blessing. I know how much she means to you.”

That has her swooning and rolling her eyes at the same time. No one has ever cared enough about her to care about who she cares about.

If that makes sense.

And then there is the fact that Haze has always liked Ward for Nova. Much before Nova realized her crush.

The way he looks at her, eyes so intense that she swears they turn a different shade, makes her feel strange. Like the mere action pulls her to him.

Before, she resisted.

This time, she doesn’t.

Grabbing the front of his shirt in her fist, she closes the gap.

Nova didn’t know what to expect from her first kiss. But this surpasses what she ever could have imagined. Though she didn’t really imagine it before Ward.

Everything falls away. The crashing of the waterfall dulls. The beauty of the Wild Thicket that she relished in before pales in comparison to this moment.

Pulling away slight, he gives her a soft glance. One that makes her want to kiss him again.

“See. Right there. Starshine.”

———

(Edit: Oh my gosh! It’s my 400th writing! I didn’t think I posted that much stuff! Thanks to anyone who sticks around and reads my stuff!)