JESSICA’S POV After Nane's surprising success with Rosalina (I don't think any of us expected him to man up anytime soon...) the couple seem to become more distant; spending time with each other instead of the team as a whole. So when we get our newest quest... Lance and I are alone. I guess it's a good thing, we have never really gotten a good chance to 'bond' or whatever it is normal humans do. I just have never really been sure about him, I mean, guns and nature don't really mix well. We walk next to each other, not really saying much. I notice him glancing at me a few times, but don't comment on it; something about the look in his eyes set me on edge, something I'd never really noticed about him. I couldn't pinpoint the emotion that swirled there, it was mesmerizing really, and soon I found myself staring back. The silence was heavy, almost palpable, words didn't really seem fitting. The way he looked at me, that emotion, tender but aggressive at the same time. It didn't make sense, but it made my stomach erupt with butterflies anyway. "Light?" I breathe softly, we both have stopped walking momentarily. "What is it?" "You're staring at me." "You're staring back." I blushed, he was right of course. We continued walking, the silence settling back over us; the sun was setting, the last few rays of golden light disappearing behind the tall mountains that framed the horizen picturesquely. "So what are the stats on the beast we're hunting? I mean, what kind of attacks should I use?" I asked him, shattering the silence like clear glass. "Fire, lots of fire; you have some good attacks with fire right?" He turned to look at me, his head tilted slightly to the side. "Yeah," I murmur, losing myself in his eyes again. Something about his eyes... I take a step closer to him subtly. It's cold out, now that the sun has disappeared from the sky. I shiver and rub my hands on my arms, feeling the rough goosebumps that had taken over. Light looks at me, and doesn't hesitate to pull his jacket off of his shoulders. The movement was a bit awkward under all the weight he's carrying, but he wrestles it free eventually, and hands it to me. The black fabric smells soft, but distinctly male, like a weird mixture of cologne and something else. I pull it around my shoulders, shifting the quiver on my back to allow room for it. "Where should we set up camp?" He's now left in a thick tanktop, black and worn from travel and use. I admire the way it fits him, the muscles that I can see pressing up against the fairly tight fabric. He doesn't seem to be showing off. "Jess?" The reverberation of my own name from his mouth snaps me out of my trance. "Somewhere flat, a clearing would be the best option; but not too open, we don't want to leave ourselves undefended." He nods at my words, and scans the area around us. "Ah, up here," he strides off in a random direction, leaving me trailing behind him. I jog for a bit to catch up, and when I do, he's already mumbling something about shelters under his breath. "You don't mind sharing a bed with me, do you?" I blush at his words, stuttering slightly. "Wh-what?!" I demand, my cheeks flushing darker and darker. He laughs, and puts his hands up. "Just sleeping, I promise. I'm not that kind of guy," he smiles at me. "Sorry about being so quiet on the way here, something about this forest is just so... unnerving for me." I nodd, swallowing dryly. I'm nervous, so nervous, what do I have to be nervous about? "I'll make the shelter, you build a fire." He walks off one way, while I go the other. Being alone in the forest is second nature to me, but I understand what he means; something feels off. I hurry back to the 'campsite' and put together the necessary resources, coaxing a flame to life. Lance emerges from the forest moments later, a large bundle of sticks in his arms. His muscles bulge and strain with the weight he is carrying, and he exhales sharply, beads of sweat gathering on his face. "Here," I take about half of them from him, and set them on the ground by a large, sturdy tree; the only one in the clearing. He drops his own on top of the ones I left, and slumps to the floor, breathing shallowly. I glance at him, my eyes quickly finding his. We stare at each other, while he regains control of his breathing. "Jess?" He murmurs, I move closer, crawling towards him. "Yeah?" "You're staring at me again," he smiles, watching me approach him with those same eyes, the ones I can never read. "I know, you're letting me," I make another move closer, resting my hands on his knees. His breathing seems to speed up again, and he shrinks back timidly. I smirk. "Scared of me?" He laughs. "As if," and, just to prove his point, leans toward me; our faces inches apart. I move closer, my fingers now resting on his thighs, I'm so breathtakingly close. He blushes, really blushes, it's the first time I've ever seen him react to ANYTHING like that. "Oh really?" I don't know what inspires me to move even closer, but I do, my mouth brushing his jawbone softly. "That's not what it looks like." He shivers. I turn away, back towards the fire, and move back in that direction. He seems relieved. I don't say anything, not really trusting myself to break the silence for the third time. He starts to construct a lean to while I prod the fire, allowing the flames to spiral upwards towards the sky, the wood snaps and cracks in the heat; I love the heat, I love campfires. I sigh happily and lean back, my hands propping me up. The coat slides off my shoulders, and to the floor, leaving me in my previous strapless outfit. After a while he breaks the silence. "Are you hungry?" He asks, stepping into the wide circle of light, I shake my head 'no' and tilt my head back to look up at him. "Then we should probably sleep, we have to kill this thing by next week, and I have no idea where we are even going." I nod my approval, and stand, bending over to put out the fire. The second the glowing warmth has died down, cold strikes me once more, I shiver as I pull the quiver from my back, leaving it and my bow by the entrance to the shelter. "Don't look," I murmur, as I pull off my dress and slip on some pajamas. When I turn around, his eyes are fixed on me. I kick him sharply, that little pervert. He laughs, mocking me. "Don't look," he slips off his tanktop, eyes still trained on me. I smirk, sticking out my tongue at him and turning away, the sight of his bare chest seared into my mind. I hear the ruffle of fabric as he changes, but then it's over. We both crawl into the shelter. It's cramped and dark, allowing us barely any room to sleep at all. But it's warm, at least warmer than it was outside. I squirm under the blankets and face away from him, I hear him do the same. "Jess?" He asks. "Yes?" "Do you love Nane?" "Nane?! What ever gave you THAT idea?!" "I don't know, I was just curious." "Light?" I ask him moments afterwards. "Yeah?" "Do you love Rosalina?!" "Rosalina?!" We turn to face each other. "Well yeah, you always act so... I don't know flirty around her." He blushes. "No- no I like someone else." I nod, neither of us turn away, even though it's obvious the conversation is over. I shiver invoulentarily, the cold night air seeping into me. He watches me for a minute, before seeming to decide on something. I feel his arms wrap around me, and my mouth opens with shock as he pulls me tightly against his chest. I feel his lips at my ear. "You looked cold." I look up at him, our lips ending up inches apart... "Yeah," I say, gratefully snuggling against him. "Lance?" I ask after a few minutes of silence. "What?" "Who do you like?" I can feel his heartbeat increase behind my back, where his chest is pressed against it. "Someone," he mumbles. I shake my head. "It's so obviously Rosalina," I say, laughing. "N-" "Think about it, you are always whispering to her about things, and joking about her appearance, and just... I don't know FLIRTING with her," I laugh. "You have strange ways of flirting. "Jessica." He says firmly, his tone of voice shocks me, and I tilt my head up to look at him again. But this time, he kisses me; full on presses his lips against mine. I'm too shocked to do anything at first, but then my mind and my lips soften, and I finally understand. I break away. "Thought you weren't that kind of guy," I joke. He laughs, and I lean in to kiss him again. He seems surprised, but doesn't reject it. "You know, I think I kind of like you too," I say. "Who said I ever liked you?" "It's kind of implied, idiot." We both laugh, and I feel a bit less awkward snuggling closer this time. "And to think, we have to go kill some monster in the morning, god this sucks." He smirks, cupping my chin in his fingertips, "Key words: 'In the morning'" and he kisses me again. I hope the morning never comes.
