A Matter for Magic [MadEmperor, Imperfect_M]

[DragonSong]

"Of course I feel awkward!" Kiara laughed, cheeks a little red but her shoulders finally starting to relax. She grinned at him and said, a little softer, "But...if you don't mind, I'll stay." She crinkled her nose up as as she added jokingly, "Besides, I think I've gotten too used to your snoring to sleep without it at this point."

[MadEmperor]

"Pfft! Slanderous lies." Grav waved away the accusation with a laugh. "I don't snore. I think I'd know by now if I did." He looked straight at her as doubt set in. "I don't, right?"

[DragonSong]

Kiara laughed, looking more like herself than she had for the last two days, and climbed into her cot with a cryptic, cheerful, "Goodnight, Puppy," as her only response.

She settled in to sleep with a small smile. Yeah, things were still a little awkward. But...she actually felt better than she knew she would have if she'd just let things sit as they had been.

Damnit. She hated when Kit was right.

[MadEmperor]

Grav nodded to himself as he made himself comfortable enough to fall asleep. He definitely didn't snore.

He snored, albeit softly.


The next day, they were cleared to enjoy themselves for as long as they could handle. The only caveat was to rest the very minute they got tired.

Once back in the square, he held out a hand like a mock-gentleman. "Wouldst the lady do me the honor of having this dance?" he asked in a snooty voice.

[DragonSong]

The second day of festivities found Kit once more the center of a cluster of children's attention, and Kiara was so busy laughing at the sight that it actually took her a moment to process Grav's invitation.

Laughing harder at his affected manner, she dropped into a curtsy—one clearly trained into a high-born daughter, if slightly undercut by the fact that she was in breeches and a loose blouse rather than a gown—and took his hand.

"The lady wouldst," she giggled, allowing him to pull her into the celebrating crowd dancing around the square's center fountain. "But you'll have to forgive my footing—I'm better with knives than I am with dancing shoes."

[MadEmperor]

"It's okay." He grinned, gracefully gliding around her as he led the dance. "I've got moves enough for us both."

His tail swayed in time with the music, always staying just out of the way. It was almost like it had a mind of its own.

[DragonSong]

Kiara laughed again and easily let him take the lead; though she protested her lack of skill, she actually seemed to be quite a good dancer--maybe her few years living as a minor lady of the Autumn Court had instilled some courtly lessons, or maybe being light on her feet and quick with a blade just translated well to the festival's music.

She twirled out from Grav's hold and back again in time with a trill from a fiddle, echoing the steps of the dozens of dancing couples around them.

"You've got some experience with dancing then?" she noted as they glided through the next steps with relative ease.

[MadEmperor]

"Only to festival music," he answered as he twirled her on her feet. "Only Griffonbeak's big one is after the height of fishing season."

"It's a good thing we trade most of it, because everyone's sick of fish afterwards." He dipped her.

[DragonSong]

Kiara was not used to feeling light; she knew she wasn't exactly a large person, but she didn't often trust the entirety of her weight to anyone but Kit. Maybe it was the mutagen in Grav's system, or maybe he would have been able to lift and spin her anyway, but she found herself giggling as they twirled around the fountain.

"I'll admit, I've never been much of a fish person--oh!"

She grabbed for his arm when he dipped her, instinctively afraid she was going to fall. But of course he didn't let her. She let her head tip back and laughed aloud.

"Y'know, you might not do so bad with the courtly bullshit," she noted, upside down and grinning. "It tends to be a lot less vigorous ."

[MadEmperor]

"Sure, with the dancing. It's the talking and the manners I worry about." He laughed as he brought her back up. She found his happily smiling face right in front of hers—his stupidly handsome face with its kind eyes and sof--

No. Don't think about that, Kiara.

[DragonSong]

The abrupt change in her center of gravity sent her head spinning momentarily, and she laughed giddily again as her hands settled on his shoulders, eyes sparkling and a shockingly deep green in the firelight, where normally they appeared black.

And then very suddenly she realized how close they were, how she could feel his heartbeat thumping against hers, and she stumbled. "I--oh, shit. Sorry, I--"

She tried to laugh it off and started to pull back, glancing away from him. Damnit. Damn her. Damn him. Damn everything. This was not helping with the whole "give this time" concept.
 
"I guess I'm...getting dizzy," she murmured lamely. "Sorry, I...maybe you should find another partner."

[MadEmperor]

Grav was assaulted by the primal impulse to lock lips, like he had with many girls after festive dancing had gotten his blood pumping. It occurred to him that perhaps this had been a bad choice of activity.

"Yeeaaah..." He was blushing furiously. "Or maybe we just need a less--uh--romantic activity. Like, literally anything."

[DragonSong]

"Food!" Kiara exclaimed almost frantically. Her blush matched his, which she was valiantly attempting to ignore. "Food isn't romantic. Let's get some food."

Across the square, she swore she heard Kit snort in amusement, but when she looked at him he was busy trying to gently pry a small child off the tip of his tail.

[MadEmperor]

"Right! Food!" Grav replied with too much enthusiasm. "I could eat!"

Together, the pair weaved through the dancers and returned to their seats of honor. As they were brought food, he breathed deeply and grinned, "Gods. That smells amazing."

[DragonSong]

"It really does," Kiara said with a mix of relief and enthusiasm. She'd seen Grav eat when he was hungry--it would be difficult to maintain the level of...tension that dancing had inspired when he was so focused on something else.

"Here, try these," a middle-aged woman with a kind smile said as she pushed a bowl of sweet-smelling fruit into Kiara's hands. As she lifted one to her lips, the woman said brightly, "They're good luck, you know--all the village girls make tarts with them this time of year to give to their sweethearts."

Kiara choked on her food.

[MadEmperor]

Grav barely kept from genuinely choking. Whatever god of love was toying with them really needed to mind their own business. "No--We're not--not like that," he croaked between coughs.

What next? Were they going to be picked as the Harvest King and Queen? Taking time to sort out their feelings was going to be impossible at this rate.

[DragonSong]

"You know what!" Kiara exclaimed, too brightly. "That cider looks amazing. Doesn't it look amazing? I'm gonna go get a cup. I'll be right back."

Maybe some actual physical distance would help.

She scurried away, to the slight bemusement of the woman who had given them the fruit, but she just smiled in a kindly way and nodded at them before bustling off.

Kit, closer to their seats now, craned his neck around to peer at Grav. "So. How're you enjoying the festivities?" the dragon asked cheekily.

[MadEmperor]

Grav ran his hand over his face and groaned. "Trying to have a good time at a festival without thinking about romance is incredibly awkward, thanks."

"I almost prefer fighting the undead."

[DragonSong]

Kit snorted a laugh. "If you tell Kiara that, please make sure I'm there to see it," he said with a dragon's grin.

Across the square, Kiara had been stopped by a girl of about eight, who was holding up a woven circle of woodsweet and small lavender blossoms from one of the blooming fruit trees near the edge of town. She laughed and knelt, allowing the girl to place the circlet on her head, much to the child's obvious delight.

Kit huffed. "She can keep the lot of them, far as I'm concerned," he grumbled.

[MadEmperor]

Grav watched with a groan as Kiara got crowned with what would doubtlessly turn out to be a symbol of love or fertility. Kit's comment about the children was a welcome distraction from thinking about it. So, he looked back at the dragon and smirked at him dubiously. "Can't admit you were actually enjoying the attention, can you, big guy?"