The dancing commenced not long after Hero’s speech, and Toji and Natsu couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. So many people came up to them between sets to congratulate them, including the Japanese deities from earlier. This time, Natsu was much more composed around them, and even Toji bowed politely to thank them for approving his engagement to a man from their culture. 

“Love is not to be denied,” one said with a smile. “Regardless of who it may be. I congratulate you, Captain Kanaki, Prince Toji.”

At one point, Ynda swooped in and stole Natsu away for a dance and Toji danced with Ava in return. 

“You remember our engagement party?” Ava asked.

“How could I forget?” Toji said with a laugh. “I barely looked at you and refused to dance with you, much less anyone else. It was a complete shit show and the most uncomfortable experience for literally everyone who was there.”

“Plus you ran out the second you had the opportunity,” she grinned.

“Look at us now,” Toji smiled, twirling her around. “You look lovely, Ava. You do.”

Ava smiled. “Thank you, cousin. For everything. You know, it took me a long time to accept it all, but I am happy you lied to me that day and forced me to break the engagement. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be able to have Natsu, and I wouldn’t be with Finn. My own soulmate.” She said the last part so softly, Toji wasn’t sure he heard her.

“Seriously?” he asked, astonished. He glanced over to where Finn was talking with Lukas. 

She nodded. “Bizarre, right? An angel and a demon meant to be together?”

“But…demons don’t have souls.”

“I know,” she said. “That’s what makes it so utterly bizarre. But all the other elements are there. The link, the connection, that spark we felt when we kissed for the first time. It could just be that his energy resonates so perfectly with mine, linking us the same way as soulmates. It’s similar to you and Natsu in a way.”

Toji smiled. “That is a great point,” he said. “I actually got to speak to Toji directly once, don’t ask how. He was the keeper of Natsu’s soul in the Garden, making sure he stayed safe until it was time for us to be together. When I argued the point of my not having a soul, he told me that my life force, what I was made from, was no different. I may have been made differently, but I have a soul just like Natsu and all the rest of you.” He glanced over to where Natsu and Ynda were dancing, laughing and talking together. “He’s Toji’s gift to me, one I don’t take for granted.”

“So, see? We have nothing left to regret.” Ava smiled wide, her gray eyes shining.

Toji hugged her, kissing her cheek. “I love you, Ava. I really do.”

“I love you, too, Toji. Happy birthday.”

Finn glanced over at Ava and Toji as they danced, chatting and laughing as comfortably as ever, and he smiled. He’d hoped for this moment for a long time and was happy to finally see it come to fruition. The two had spent too long hating each other, hurting each other, that seeing them finally able to move past it with no lingering feelings was an enormous relief. It was something he hadn’t experienced for himself, nor did he know anyone who had gone through the same transformation as these two had. It was truly a remarkable sight.

He glanced up at Lukas who was also watching Toji dance with Ava, a strange new look in his eyes as Toji laughed, especially when Ynda and Natsu came near and Natsu teased him about something.

“You need to let him go, Lukas,” Finn said gently, not sure if he was reading the expression correctly, but making the assumption anyway.

“I’m aware,” the bigger man replied, not bothering to dispel the demon’s beliefs about his feelings over Toji. Hell, he didn’t even really know how to feel at this point. “He’s my best friend, always has been. I’m not about to spoil that over pointless jealousy.”

Finn smiled. “Ah, so you finally admit you’re jealous.”

Lukas gritted his teeth. There was so much more than he had forced himself to admit not only to Noah, but to himself, and he wasn’t about to have that conversation with Finn, no matter how close they were. “I’m jealous of what they have,” he finally said. “That’s a love and a bond I don’t think I’ll ever find. It's…pure.”

He felt an inexplicable sense of hurt wash over him and then fade away. He’d had these sorts of sensations for a while now, and he was doing his best to ignore them. Some times better than others. This was turning out to not be one of those times. He did his best, regardless, shoving it away before he could allow it to get worse.

He looked down at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway,” he said softly. “I’m…going to ask Evie out.”

Finn stared at him. 

“I haven’t told anyone else so don’t say anything, okay?”

Finn pulled his fingers over his lips. “I didn’t think you seriously liked her,” he said. “We teased you about it but it wasn’t because we thought you really did.”

“Well, I do,” Lukas said, averting his gaze, his face flushing. “She’s smart and funny, she makes me smile, and she’s a great fighter.”

“It helps that she's cute, too, right?”

“Yeah, that, too,” Lukas grinned. “I like how her red curls bounce around her face and get in her eyes.” His gaze found her across the room talking with Noah. She caught his eye and gave him a small smile and a wave.

Noah looked in his direction, but his gaze was different, almost…broken. Lukas swallowed. Why are you looking at me that way? He asked himself. Don’t…please don’t look at me like that…you hurt me enough as it is. I’m only a toy, remember? Just your own stupid toy…

Noah’s brow came together and he looked away, replacing his mask as Evie turned back to him.

Lukas watched from across the way for a little while, chewing on the inside of his lip. His mind was only partially on how he was going to ask Evie out. The rest was on the actual point of his gaze.

Noah.

For some reason, perhaps because of what had happened in the garden, he just couldn’t get Noah out of his head. There was something different in the way the younger teen looked at him, in the way his body moved when he knew Lukas was around. There was a completely different shift in energy whenever they were around each other as well, something he just couldn’t understand, nor did he really want to. There was too much else going on for him to obsess over some seductive, manipulative teenager, someone who liked to toy with him for no other reason than he knew he could.

Noah was fast becoming something he wanted to avoid and possess all at once; it was starting to drive him crazy. He was starting to drive him crazy.

Evie. I need to ask out Evie. The corner of his lip shook and he bit at it. I don’t have a choice… That final thought tore something within him, something deep.

Noah’s shoulders tensed and Lukas could see his hand curl into a fist before it released. It felt like someone was screaming in his chest, clawing at his heart, demanding to be acknowledged. Lukas swallowed and tore his gaze away, an overwhelming sense of shame washing over him as he turned back to Finn.

“Do you think she’d want to dance with me?” he asked, feeling almost ridiculous for even asking. 

Finn laughed. “Why don’t you ask her?”

“Ask who?” Ava asked, coming up to them, breathless, her face flushed from dancing. She looked across the way. “Oh, Evie? Yeah, go ask!” she laughed, sliding into Finn’s arms. “I know she’s been waiting for you to all night.”

Lukas took a deep breath. “Well…here goes nothing, I guess.” Before he got far, Ava’s voice gave him pause.

“Oh, Lukas, don’t forget, the meteor shower is in an hour.”

He looked back at her knowing smile before she and Finn headed off. He continued his way across the dance floor, carefully avoiding the other couples as he approached Evie, Noah, Megura, and a few other people he didn’t know. She caught his gaze and smiled brightly.

“Hey!” she greeted, her brilliant amber eyes shining. “Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, I guess,” he said, smiling. “Are you? I’m sure this is something you’re not really used to.”

“Definitely,” Evie agreed, bobbing her head. “So many Divine and humans and creatures I’ve never seen before all in one place, it’s kinda weird.”

Noah chuckled. “For us, this is pretty standard,” he said. “You get used to it after a while.”

“How long did it take you?”

“We were raised in this environment,” he said, gesturing to the crowds around them. “But for those who haven’t, like the exiles we’ve saved, it can be a bit of a shock at first.”

“This is true,” Megura said with a smile. “But it’s not unwelcome. I like getting to know so many people. It gives me a better sense of what I’m fighting for.”

Lukas looked out over the ballroom, at the different smiling faces and easy going conversations between so many mixed races. Even a couple of the anishifs had been welcomed into some chats. Noah was right, this was something he was used to. When seen through the eyes of someone else, however, it was a marvel. 

He looked at Noah. “Where’s Arla?” he asked, keeping himself level. He could feel his left side, the side Noah stood on, heating up and he was fighting every impulse to grab him. He had to behave normally, it was the only way they were ever going to make it through these encounters until Noah left him.

Them. Us. He’s not leaving me. Not just me…

Noah’s finger twitched but no one saw. “Off somewhere with Mom and Chloe, I think. They may be going over the plans for the move in a couple days.”

A knot formed in the pit of Lukas’ stomach. “You guys are leaving early?” He hoped no one heard the slight catch in his voice.

Noah nodded, a glint passing over his eyes too brief to catch. “My selection for the school came up sooner than expected so I need to leave early. Arla and Chloe were fine to accommodate since Arla is going to start her own training soon and Chloe wants to spend more time with your parents.”

“Makes sense,” Lukas replied, softer than he had anticipated. “It sucks we’ll all be too busy before then to hang out one more time.”

“I suppose we better make the most of tonight then, yes?” Evie said with a big smile. “We should dance and eat and play until dawn!”

Everyone laughed. 

“Oh, and let’s not forget the meteor shower,” Megura said. “I’ve never seen one and I don’t want to miss it.”

“Ava reminded me it’s in about an hour so, if you want to dance, I guess now’s the best time to do it.” He extended his right hand to Evie, forcefully putting his left behind his back while trying to make it look as natural as he could. “Would you like to dance with me, Miss Evie?” he asked in his most formal manner.

Evie affected an almost dramatic curtsy as she placed her tiny hand into his. “Why, yes, Lord Lukas, I would be glad to.”

With a chuckle, he led her out to the dance floor, pointedly ignoring Noah’s gaze. He had to. His finger had brushed against Noah’s when they were laughing, and if Lukas hadn’t taken Evie to the dance floor, he would have taken Noah somewhere secluded and given in to him.

What made it all the more unnerving was he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Noah felt the exact same way.

-*-