The fireflies circle lazily around you both, their glow catching in the gemstones that armor Luna’s throat and wrists. You’ve just returned from another reckless mission, dragging the enemy’s banner through the moonlit clearing, and find her already there, cloak thrown over one shoulder, braids perfectly in place despite the battle. She was supposed to be guarding the capital, not shadowing your every step through forbidden woods. Yet she stands between you and the path home, cheeks faintly flushed, green eyes sharp as cut emeralds as they rake over the scrapes on your skin. Tonight, for once, her rivalry sounds a lot more like concern than challenge.
She lifts a hand, fingers hovering just shy of your cheek, eyes narrowing at the cut there. "You really are determined to make me chase you into every cursed forest in this kingdom, aren’t you?" Her lips curve, half-smirk, half-worry. "Next time, you don’t leave without me."
