Bard: Chapter 36

The fireworks crackled overhead. They were dazzling–reds and greens and blues, and a purple so intense it hurt her eyes. Laura wondered if there wasn’t a bit of magic involved in the creation of the sparkling lights. It didn’t seem like something that could be managed with mundane materials. Typically, when you heard of lights in the sky, or balls of fire, there was a mage involved.

She’d have to ask Trista later.

For the moment, she focused on the fireworks, the spectacle, and the person standing next to her.

They were surrounded. The docks were a mass of people, all come to enjoy the show. Laura was pressed on all sides. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her fingers resting on one of her knives, just in case.

Travis was on her right, the two of them nudged up against each other, shoulder to shoulder. She could feel the warmth of him through their sleeves. Once or twice he’d shifted as if to make more room for her, but there weren’t a lot of options with so many people about. Obviously it would be easiest if he’d put his arm around her. There had been a moment, right at the start, when she thought he would, but he’d stopped himself. He seemed shy to make the first move, which Laura appreciated.

As the next set of fireworks burst open above them–a cascade of pink diamonds that fluttered slowly down to the water–Laura unfolded her arms, shifted under Travis’s arm, and wrapped her arm around his waist.

He startled a bit. She felt him tense, then relax. Laura looked up, meeting his questioning gaze with her own pleased one, and he smiled, bringing his arm to rest across her shoulders. She leaned into him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder and watching the dazzling display overhead. Golden sparks fell over the bay like rainfall.

It had been a while since she had risked anything like this, and it felt…nice. It was nice to be in one place long enough to think about courting someone. It was nice to find someone worth courting.

The fireworks went on for a long time, a blazing display of light and color that thundered overhead. It was beautiful. She had heard fireworks described before, and she’d never imagined anything like it. They were so much bigger, more vibrant, more…present, than she’d imagined. Laura had never thought they would be so loud. Each explosion sending a shockwave through the air that she could feel in her chest and in her stomach.

As the last of the fireworks crackled out, Laura clapped and cheered with the crowd. The press of people around them began to move, Travis’s arm closed protectively around her, and she let it. They moved with the crowd in the general direction they wanted to go, shuffled along the road towards the part of town where the flat was.

“Which way are you?” Laura asked as they walked.

“I’m out by the lore college,” Travis replied. There’s a lot of boarding houses out there.”

“Should I let you go, then?” she asked. “We’re heading away from your place.”

“I’ll walk you home,” he said. There was a smile in his voice. Laura looked up and caught him looking away quickly.

“Thank you for inviting me out. This was nice.”

“I think technically, you invited me out,” Travis pointed out.

“You started it.”

Travis snorted, and Laura elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

“Did you like them?”

“The fireworks?”

“The flowers, and the chocolates?” His voice had taken on an anxious edge. For some reason, it gave her a certain measure of reassurance, that he’d feel anxious about it.

“Yes,” she said brightly. “They were lovely.”

“I’m glad.”

She guided him to her flat, noting that their window was dark. Either Liam and Trista were both asleep, or they weren’t back from the fireworks yet.

“This is me,” she said softly, putting her back to the building and looking up at Travis. “Thank you for walking me home.”

“Of course,” he replied. “Thank you for joining me.”

“We should do something like this again.”

“Yeah.”

“I think there’s dancing tomorrow evening. Near the music school,” Laura suggested.

“You like dancing?”

“I haven’t had much opportunity, but I’d like to give it a try.”

“I only know the dances from back home, but maybe they’ll play one of those.”

“Let’s hope.”

They both fell quiet, watching each other with shy smiles and a vague awkwardness. Any second, he was going to say goodnight, and she wasn’t sure she wanted that yet. There was a pressure in her chest, and all she could think about was one last thing.

“I know this is our first time walking out and all, but…do you want to try kissing?”

“Yeah,” Travis said, nodding briskly, and without a moment’s hesitation. “Yeah.”

Laura chuckled. Then, putting her hands on his shoulders, she pushed up on her toes to kiss him.

It was soft and slow. He matched her, moved with her, responding without pushing. Her stomach fluttered and her skin tingled, and she pulled away, falling back on her heels. Travis let out a long breath and met her eyes, grinning.

“That was…good,” he said.

“Yeah,” she agreed breathlessly.

She moved in for another one before he could say goodnight.