“Fancy seeing you here, hmm?” Kiera asks, sliding into the seat across from me. Her hair, redder than the blood I’ve seen her spill, is done up in a fashionable bun. Her ice blue eyes clash with her deep green dress, and it pains me to say but she looked good.

“I think we can both agree it’s strange to be face to face without one of us trying to kill the other,” I say, flipping through my menu. During our last… meeting (fight almost to the death that left me sore for days) she agreed to meet me for dinner to discuss a possible peace agreement.

“Well, I think it’s nice. And… well… you clean up good, Shawn.”

“Sorry, did the great Shadow just call me handsome?” I tease, rather pleased my hours of work getting ready and picking the best outfit paid off.

She laughs, and maybe even reddens? “You wish, _Sunny_.” 

“That’s Mr. Solar to you! And you look really pretty, too,” I mutter, burying my face in the menu so she won’t see me blush.

 We spend the next few minutes discussing a possible truce.

 “I can’t stop now. You now the government has no right to control lives like they do!” Kiera says.

 “Well, yeah…” I sputter, “But killing all those innocents doesn’t make it any better.”

 “Are you two ready to order?” Our waiter asks, fixing his black tie.

 “I’ll get the vegan pasta, please,” I say, handing him my menu.

“Same for me, thanks.”

“Of course! I’ll have that right out for you,” he says, the walks off leaving me stunned.

“Hold on, Kiera, are you vegan?” I ask.

“Yeah, have been since I was ten and realized what was in chicken nuggets,” She answers, looking a little green at the memory.

“No way! When I was nine I walked past a butcher’s shop and saw all the hanging meat. Vegan ever since,” I laugh.

We smile and go back to the peace agreement.

Thirty minutes later, we are still talking in circles.

“Your dinners, plus some ambience for the two lovebirds,” Our waiter says, placing down our plates as a violin quartet walks up.

Kiera glares at me, “You didn’t.”

“Oh, but I did. Care for a dance?” I offer, then sweep her into a waltz.

“Who knew, the corrupt government’s golden boy can dance!”

“And so can the city’s most wanted criminal.”

“You know, if we weren’t mortal enemies… we could actually, maybe, have a relationship beyond hatred. Not that you’re against everything I fight for,” Kiera murmurs.

“Your not wrong, Nightlight,” I breathe, in shock that this is actually happening. Kiera is here, **alive**, in my arms. And I’m… happy?

“Nightlight?”

“Well, yeah. You’re kinda mean and mysterious, but not nearly as dark as you make yourself out to be.” 

She smiles and right then I realize… I can no longer picture hurting this girl. But that doesn’t mean I can just give up on everything I believe in… does it?

An hour later, the dinner (the meeting, the date???) is over and we both begin to walk in opposite directions.

“So long, Sunny!” Kiera, no, Shadow calls.

“See ya next time, Nightlight,” I call back, desperately trying to stop the disappointment at our separation.

Little did I now I’d be begging her for help a week later, aftering learning she was right about the king, the government, everything.