Luna’s scalp stings a little under the helmet.
She tends to run her hands through her hair when she’s nervous. She’ll braid it or twist it into a bun, mess it up and then start all over. It’s either that or she fiddles with her glasses. It gives her hands something to do, her brain something else to focus on that’s not just-
Caelus hadn’t denied it.
She squeaks and feels the bike start to slip a little on the loose ground that made its way to the residences of Maple Lakes. With a force partially fueled by embarrassment she steadies herself on her bicycle and breathes the wind whipping past her face.
There’s just no way he’d like her like that...right? They were just friends.
“...nnaaa!”
She sighs deeply. Great, she's hearing him in her head now.
“LUNAAA!”
Wait. That wasn’t in her head.
She turns gaze off the gravelly footpath, behind her toward the setting sun. She glimpses a shadow against the blinding early autumn light but she blinks and-
Luna goes flying.
Time slows as the bicycle escapes from under her, slipping on gravel and she feels the wind on her cheeks and her glasses down her nose and then-
The sound of crashing.
She feels herself hit the ground.
Someone cries out in pain…
...but it’s not her.
Luna opens her eyes to see the sun reflected in her glasses and Caelus’ face by her cheek on the grass by the foot path. The wheel of her bicycle spins lazily, like a ferris-wheel in the fading light.
“Are you ok?”
His voice leaves him concerned and rough, and she faintly feels the secure arms at her sides. Luna nods, finding it difficult to register anything but the glow of his eyes and the sky behind him.
Then she feels something dripping on his arms.
“Ah!” she squeaks and she pushes herself away, her face heating and panic swelling in her gut. His uniform is ruined by the grass and his arms are -
“YOU’RE BLEEDING!” she panics, eyes on a large gash dripping blood.
“Ahaha~” he laughs but his ears are down in embarrassment. “It’s nothing new! Don’t worry.”
But there’s also tear where his knees are and she sees more blood and-
“Wait, I have a first aid kit!” Luna practically screams and rushes to where the bicycle fell for her bag. It’s lying open out near the edge of the gravel path and in it she spies the small pink first aid case she uses for paper cuts.
Even though her mind tells her to rush she finds herself making an effort to delay, to scoop everything up carefully, to take off her helmet, to spend just a few short breaths away from looking at the wolf that just caught her and she feels her face heat.
Gosh, she’s embarrassed.
“Luna?” Caelus calls out and she shakes the red away. This was not the time for silly hearts to beat too fast. Her friend is injured and she will help him. She makes her way back, opening up one of the alcohol wipes.
“This might sting,” she warns. Caelus winces but says nothing as she fixes him up. In fact, he’s oddly quiet and the silence makes her nervous. Was he more hurt than she thought? Did he need anything? Oh, no. What if he broke a rib when she fell-
“Luna.”
She jumps and looks up to the wolf-folk lifting themselves a little straighter. His tail brushes the grass and she realises, for the first time in a while, just how much bigger he seemed.
His eyes were aglow with confidence and in the setting light she can’t help but feel they run hotter than the sun.
“C-Caelus,” she stutters and tucks her loose hair behind her ear. “Is... everything ok?”
He takes a deep breath and sits up straighter and closer. Despite how serious he looks, a furious shock of red brushes over his nose over his freckles and she can't help but admire how cute he looks.
“Yeah, everything is great, ” he breathes. “Because I’m not going to run away anymore.”
“Run away?” she asks, her heart is thundering but she doesn't understand why. “What do you-?”
“I’m in love with you Luna.”
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