(After the last bit, I figured it was time for some fluff. Don't worry, the next bit will be about characters besides Ewan and Avanda! SUUUUUUPER fluffy. Probably not great. 200% self indulgence. Also I have no idea what's going on with the formatting on this, sorry)
Prompts: “The moon is high tonight, it frames you well.” “Stars pale in comparison to you.” “I’ve never felt such love.”
Avanda smiled as she clapped along with the music. The harvest festival was a welcome diversion from the day to day routine that her life had fallen into; as well as an excuse for all of her friends to come into the village from their far flung corners where they had been staying. Thane danced by, Peadair riding on his shoulders and clapping excitedly as they spun in circles around the room. Carina Was dancing with Carrick, who was blushing profusely. Nyar, Caelum and Jalev were all sitting at a table, taking turns arm wrestling each other. Things finally had fallen into place, and Avanda felt truly at ease for the first time in a very long time.
Ewan made his way through the crowd, a smile on his face as he approached her. She smiled back at him as he took her drink from her hand. She raised an eyebrow when he set it down on the table next to her, instead of taking it to refill, as she had expected him to.
“C’mon, Lass.” He said with a wink as he took her hand in his.
Avanda was again surprised when he led her not to the dance floor, but to the door in the back of the tavern, and slipped outside.
“Ewan, where are we going?” She asked as he pulled her away from the town square, back towards the road that led to the MacClyde home.
“Hush, Lass! It’s a surprise!”
“I said hush!” Ewan teased. He pulled her through the forest, off the road, and along what had to have been a hunting path. They ducked carefully under low branches and Ewan helped her over fallen logs, until finally he stopped.
They had reached the river bank and Avanda couldn’t help but smile. The trees grew a little farther apart from each other here, allowing them some space to move around. The grass was thicker here than other parts of the woods, and grew slightly taller as well. Ewan had clearly come here at some point earlier, and laid out a blanket, flattening a portion of the grass down for them. He smiled as he pulled her closer to himself, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I thought tonight would be a nice night to get away, you and I.” He said with a wink.
Avanda laughed a little as she slid her own arms up around his neck, “I think you were absolutely right.” She stood on her toes slightly, pressing a soft kiss onto the corner of his mouth, teasing him a little. She felt him smile and shift so that his lips were better aligned with her’s, and she pulled back a little, still teasing him.
She pulled back even farther, giggling as she quickly darted away from him, pulling her shoes off as she ran for the river, splashing into it as he stumbled behind her, grasping at her fingers as she tore away. They splashed through the river until they were knee deep, kicking water into each other’s faces and shrieking loudly with laughter. Finally, Ewan caught up with Avanda and swept her off of her feet, pulling her from the river. She laughed and kicked her bare feet, splashing him as much as she could as they left. He set her down on the bank and she feigned pouting as he pulled on his boots.
“Ach, you didn’t even bring me my shoes! My feet are going to get all sandy now!” She joked, pointing at the soles of her feet.
Ewan gave her a quick peck on the lips before swooping down and pulling her up over his shoulder.
“There!” He declared, “See? No sand on your pretty little feet!” and with that, he deposited her down onto the blanket, before flopping down next to her.
She sat up, arms stretched behind her and he shifted, his hands behind his head. They were silent for a long while, enjoying the peace of the night. Avanda sighed as she watched the light dance along the water, the river adding its own cheerful melody. The trees swayed and seemed to hum along quietly and owl song flitted through the leaves.
“The moon is high tonight,” Ewan said softly, “it frames you well.”
“Och, come off it.” Avanda laughed, “You’re such a sap.”
“Ah well I can’t help it, can I?” Ewan said as he sat up, mirroring Avanda’s position. “I have the most beautiful girl in the whole world.”
Avanda rolled her eyes. “MacClyde, you’re embarrassing your family name.”
“So what if I am? It’s only the truth.” Ewan said, his fingers trailing up Avanda’s arm, “Stars pale in comparison to you, Lass.”
His fingers tangled in the hair at the base of her neck, and he pulled her in close to him, kissing her slowly. Avanda’s eyes shut, and she melted into him as he gently pulled her down to the ground, never breaking apart from each other. His hands traveled across her back, slow and deliberate, exploring her shoulders and neck. She pulled back from him and he smiled at her; that crooked half grin that drove her crazy.
“I’ve never felt such love.” She whispered, shaking her head a little. “What have you done to me?”
Ewan laughed, “Me? I did nothing. You’re the one that’s stolen my heart. You’ve blinded me to any future except one with you by my side.”
Avanda laughed and swatted his arm. “Do you get these out of a book?”
Ewan’s smile widened and he shrugged. “What can I say? You bring out the poet in me.”
They woke in the soft, still moments of the morning, tangled in each other’s arms in the gray light before the sun rose, and slipped quietly back into town. Ewan kept his fingers entwined in her’s, even once other people began to move about, something that before then he had only done in the privacy of the clearing that their home rested in.
None of her friends said anything about it to her, but the smirk and pointed wink from Thane were enough to tell her that their absence had been noticed. (And the gentle smack on the back of his head was enough to tell Thane to keep his mouth shut, at least for the time being.)
The rest of the day, Ewan was softer around her than Avanda had ever seen him. He slipped flowers behind her ear, or tucked them into her braid as they walked. His hand traced circles on her back, or rested on her hip as they explored town, and he bent low, whispering to her and surprising her with little kisses on the cheek as they enjoyed the festival.
And for the first time ever, Avanda felt like maybe, just maybe, this was the life she was meant to lead.
