▲ five times my muse thought about kissing yours, and the one time they did.
One.
Fourteen years old and he had locked himself in the bathroom. There wasn't anything wrong --- not technically. Unless one counted the way he felt only moments ago, wishing he could lean in and kiss Briar. Briar!
A girl.
There wasn't anything wrong with her--- far from it. She was perfect in every way and she was his best friend, which is what had made it weird in the first place. Grayson didn't want to want to kiss Briar. It would only make things weird between them. Plus, who would want to kiss him? His voice cracked sometimes when he talked and he had the biggest zit on his forehead right now.
Taking a deep breath, Grayson gave his cheeks a small pat, trying to snap himself out of it. He was a warrior and there was training to do. Pushing aside any thoughts about Briar and kissing her, he unlocked the bathroom door and marched out a man on a mission: to train.
Two.
He twirled her, vaguely aware of Falling in Love playing in the background ( he did, however, make a mental note of kicking whoever put it on ). She twirled back to him and his arms moved to slip around her waist, and they moved together over the stone floor with precise movements. They moved apart and suddenly they both had weapons in hand --- Grayson had his sword and Briar seraph blades. They ran forward, jabbing and slicing at each other, still keeping tempo with the song, but quick enough to make the battle feel REAL. Blades clashed and sparks flew, swift feet taking them around the room, jumping over obstacles before running at one another once more. As the song came to a close, Grayson pressed the blunt side of his blade against Briar's side as one of her blades pressed against his throat. Had he ever mentioned how beautiful she looked in battle? Because she was, and she looked so confident with the way her lips curled with a knowing smirk meant just for him. His gaze fell to her lips and he felt the air leave his lungs, head canting slightly as he began to lean in when the class instructor cleared his throat. Grayson jumped back, sword pulling away from her, cheeks ablaze. The class chuckled around them he knew that after Briar left the Academy, he'd never hear the end of him making goo goo eyes at her.
Three.
"You got a hair cut!" "Wha-- oh, yeah." A hand rose to his cropped hair. He'd almost forgotten about it, much too excited about seeing Briar after what seemed like ages. They were sitting close together in the library in front of a lit fireplace, having dropped Grayson's things at his room already. She leaned over, slender fingers running through cropped hair. "It feels so weird. . . Not t-that it's bad! I like it! But--- why'd you cut it?" "The day before the last day of school at the Academy was, er, eventful. Someone thought it would be a smart idea to start a fire with some of the goo from the lower levels." He grimaced at the memory. "I got a little too close and, well," he said, motioning to his hair. Briar moved closer, hands grabbing the sides of his face as she leaned forward to inspect the top of his head before she lowered her gaze to meet his. Then she leaned even closer, beginning to inspect his face to make sure no damage had been made. He could feel her breath against his lips from how close they were and he tried not to stare, but it was hard not to. They had been away from one another for too long and changes had been made. She, somehow, seemed to get even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. But things were changing ---- he was changing, and he could admit to himself that he found her attractive. He found himself leaning forward as Briar moved forward and their foreheads clonked together. "Ow!" They both pulled back, rubbing their foreheads, Grayson's cheeks flushed. Maybe this was a sign from the universe telling him that he shouldn't kiss her.
Four.
Grayson couldn't remember feeling such fear before. Of course, he had been afraid that some kid at the Academy would turn him into a shish kabob with a sword they didn't know how to wield. Nothing, however, put the fear of God in him like the way Briar's father had looked at him.
If there was ever anything that would stop him from kissing Briar, it would be that look. It was only going to be a peck on the cheek, but perhaps he had spent too much time staring at her, distracted by how pretty she looked with that blue bow in her hair and the way her dress looked like it was made for her and her only. Even as he sat in bed, he could feel the intensity of Mr. Rosewood's stare. He groaned, covering his face with his hands.
Five.
Everyone gathered in the living room, all deciding they'd spend New Years Eve at Grayson's childhood home. Maria had been more than welcoming, and she and Grayson had spent the early morning in the kitchen, preparing the food. The day had been spent with friends, who were like family, and Grayson had never felt more joy in his life before, to have them all here.
As midnight drew closer, Maria began handing out glasses of champagne, or sparkling juice for those who didn't want any. Grayson grabbed two glasses and made his way across the room to Briar, who had been talking to Fen. Fen, upon seeing Grayson making his way over, excused himself and, when Briar couldn't see him, wiggled his brows at Grayson, who rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"Hey," Briar said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, beaming at Grayson. It took all of his will power not to let his knees buckle beneath him just then.
"Hey," he said in return, holding out one of the glasses. "I brought one over since my mom hasn't seemed to make her way this way yet." Whether his mother had done it on purpose or not, Grayson didn't know, but he was grateful either way. "Ready to count down the new year?" He asked, nodding towards the television as the hosts began to announce there was only one minute left in the year. Briar's gaze moved over to the TV and Grayson took the moment to look at her. This was it, this was the moment he had been waiting for, the moment he had just spent five minutes in the bathroom giving himself a pep talk over.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said, looking back at him, smiling still. "I've got my best friend with me and I'm surrounded by people I love. I think we're ending the year pretty well and starting it even better."
"20, 19, 18--"
"Listen, Bri, I wanted to ask you something."
"--12, 11, 10--"
"Yeah?"
"--7, 6, 5--"
"Well, I--"
"--3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!" The room exploded with shouting and laughter, noise makers going nuts and little sparks flying through the room, thanks to Ziya. Grayson's heart flopped, unsure of how to proceed now that he had missed his chance. Before he could say anything to further ruin the moment, he leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to Briar's lips. For a moment, she didn't move, and just as he began to pull back, Briar pulled him down, deepening the kiss as the room faded around them and it was just the two of them.
❝ bri please. you're making me laugh
so hard i can't BREATHE. ❞
Fen said as small laughs slipped through his lips. He was holding his stomach, trying to get some air in before he fell over, laughing. && yet, he liked this feeling. He could feel the genuine happiness as his dearest friend made him crack up to the point of tears.
"You don't even have to ask," he said into the crook of her neck. They were cuddling in her bed, the only light provided by the moonlight spilling into the room through her window. Her fingers moved through his hair with practiced ease and his eyes fluttered closed. He had just gotten back to the London Institute and his day had been Briar-filled, and he couldn't imagine a better ending to a perfect day. "I'll be old and grey one day," he started, pulling her closer by the waist. "I'm sure my memory won't be as good as it is now, but you--- you'll be the one thing I'll always remember, clear as day, as bright as the sun. I'll never forget about you, Bri. No matter what happens."
His reaction is one he would erase from existence if given the choice. Tripping unceremoniously over his own two feet, he fell with a grunt, glad that he at least had fallen behind the couch. Parabatai with benefits? The words swam around his skull as he pulled himself into a sitting position, only to look up and see Briar peering at him over the edge of the couch. Her grey eyes were wide with concern and all he could do was blush, lips pressing together.
"Benefits," he repeated, raising a hand to rub at his cheek, hoping it would ease the blush away, or at least give him a reason as to why it was there in the first place. "I really---" He swallowed thickly. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about Briar in the romantic sense, but if they were going to be doing anything, he wanted it to be done the right way. But he also knew her and knew she wouldn't suggest it so abruptly. "---have to wonder," he continued, trying to grasp the right words. "what kind of benefits you're talking about. I just--- d-do you mean--- uh, can you explain what you mean? B-because this is. . . this is kind of---" He looked up at her, gaze pleading. Please, help me before I dig myself a deeper hole I can't get out of.
"Can you draw a healing rune? Cause I hurt myself falling for you."
Brows knit with concern as he looked her over. Healing runes were used to HEAL, and when Briar asked for them, Grayson couldn't stop the strange shock of panic that sent his heart offbeat. When it came to her, he would do anything to ensure her safety. His lips part and then close as her words process, and when they have finally been processed, he raised a hand to cover his face.
"---That's rather unfortunate," he said, peeking at her between his fingers, lips curving with a smile. "You should have let me CATCH you, or at the very least, soften your fall because I was right there with you."
"Is that a Steele in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" // fen taught her these I s wear
"What?“ He nearly squawked, jumping in place and gaze flickering down to the front of his pants. Despite nothing SHOWING, he couldn’t stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks, spreading down his neck and to the tip of his ears. He was happy to see her, he was ALWAYS happy to see her — but she had meant it in the other way. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other once both feet were planted firmly back on the ground and he looked up at her.
"I-it’s, uh—” He stuck his hand into his pocket and found that it was empty. His stele was hanging off of his weapon’s belt, but he didn’t think Briar would say that unless— “—well, you see…” His gaze flickered down to the front of his pants again before he looked at her, though his gaze was on her only briefly. He hadn’t been thinking about anything like that before and it wasn’t like her to make jokes like this. He’d have to talk to Fen about it, but for now, the problem was his face being on fire and having absolutely no safe comeback.
