And Thus

She hated him. He was always ruining everything! Stupid, stupid, stupid! She would have been out in a fighter-ship, seriously kicking butt, if it wasn’t for him!
“Zera?”
Oh great. Here he was, to ruin her sulking time. Typical.
“What is it *lava*head? She sneered, accenting heavily on lava.
“Look Zera, it’s not my fault! I was just trying to–“
“Trying to what?” Zera snapped, jumping to her feet and, inadvertently, towards him. “Trying to stop me from helping my father? What business is it of yours? I am already a warrior, I need to learn how to fly!”
“Why?”
Because . . . it s none of your business! Get in my way again and you re charcoal, got it?
“Zera, I don’t . . . Pyrus trailed off as he got a closer look at her. What s wrong? He asked, his voice softening. Zera?
She turned away from him, head high and regal. “I don’t need to speak to you about anything.”
Pyrus stepped forward, hand outstretched. “You don’t have to. But I thought we were friends enough so that you could.”
It was true. During the years after the Beast’s disappearance, they had grown closer and closer as the planets had gradually settled down into peaceful trading. But sometimes, Pyrus felt that he just didn’t understand how Zera’s mind worked. Like now, why was she SO mad? He’d been doing the right thing!
Zera’s antenna twitched. He didn’t even get it! How much would *he* hate it if *he* was stopped from flying! He never thought about her. He always treated her different from how he treated the others, just cause she was younger! Why could he never see things from her point of view? She asked herself as she swung round.
“I don’t get you.” They said at the same time, before bursting out laughing.
Zera slumped to the ground.
“What’s wrong Zera?” He asked, sitting next to her, slinging an arm around her in his usual fashion, waiting for the steam rising from contact with her to fade, as it always did.
I just . . .
“Just what?” He prompted her, slightly worried. “Why have you got your antennas in a twist?”
“I just wish you hadn’t gone and told Father about the ONE time I crashed!”
“You’ve only flown one time!”
“But still!”
Zera, I had to. He *asked* me if you had ever flown, and when I said yes, he asked me how it went! I had to tell him.
She wriggled away from him. You should have helped *me*!
“By lying to him?”
A short silence fell whilst she contemplated this. “But now he won’t let me fly! I’ll never get to!”
“Look, if it means that much to you . . . he paused, wondering what he could do. I ll teach you myself.
She looked up quickly, her big silvery eyes meeting his blue ones. “Really?”
His ‘devil may care’ grin peeked out. “Sure, after all, I don’t treasure my life too much.”
“Oooo, you!” She cried, lunging forward and pummelling him laughingly.
“Peace! Peace!” He called, grabbing her wrists. “Please, I cannot hold up against Zera, warrior princess!”
She poked her tongue out at him, still panting slightly. “Just admit it, you’re a coward!”
He grinned back at her, before flipping her over flat onto her back on the ground. “Not likely!”
“Nothing more likely!” She jeered, not bothering to struggle out of his grip.
Opening his mouth to fire off the usual comeback, he suddenly realised something: His flame had changed colour. It was bathing everything in a warm, orange glow as it breathed life into the area. Zera’s eyes reflected the light as her skin absorbed the colours causing her to shine. Laughter bringing her features alive as she stared at him with both affection and trust...
Zera was beautiful.
He was staring at her, his flame suddenly turning to a deep crimson. The way he was looking at her . . . it was like . . . but that was ridiculous! He couldn t . . .
Zera . . . He whispered, his hand slowly reaching out and stroking her face gently.
She flushed, though whether from the heat of his skin or from embarrassment, he could not tell.
Zera, I . . . I . . . He was lost. For once, he had no clue what to say. What was there to say? Hey, guess what? After all those years, I fancy you? And I ve only just realised it, wanna go out? He had respected her spirit ever since he had seen it. It did not belong in a creature of Ice. It was too firey, it was too much . . . his own.
A tiny smile touched her lips as she placed her hand over the one on her face. “I know.” She said, with childlike simplicity.
“You do?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Carefully reaching up and touching his cheek, Zera blushed delicately. “I do.”
Gently, slowly, he leaned down, and thus they shared their first kiss.