DECEMBER 20th, 5032

~MIDNIGHT~

"I can't believe they stayed up till morning! Elias is still sleeping like a log. Elias? Elias!"

I relaxed on the porch – my gloved hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate as I watched Eli fuss over our current situation.

After Elias explained why the restaurant had been so special to him, I’d left them alone – only returning later on to check on Makoto who was fast asleep in Elias' arms as the sun began to rise. They had spent all night out star gazing. Of course, they had done more than just staring up at the stars – lavishing in one another.

Now, they were both knocked out, having slept through the morning and half of the afternoon; leaving me and EliaseAnne to take over and spend some time with one another during the winter evening. It wouldn't be very draining on our hosts seeing as they were currently sleeping, to begin with.

I had to admit; watching Eli walking back and forth as she tried to not break any piece of furniture on the porch was amusing in itself.

"EliaseAnne," I called out. She stopped mid-stride; her emerald jeweled eyes landed on me.

"Yes, Midnight?"

"Want to do something while we wait for them to wake up? I don’t really know what…but, anything with you would be fun." I noted, excited to have a moment with EliaseAnne to myself. I don’t know anything around here. Maybe Eli can suggest something?

"Just us?" She questioned, her hesitation apparent. I finished my hot chocolate, placing it on the side table that was next to the black chair, rising to my feet.

I walked up to her; my hand slid into hers as I leaned against her. She froze, her face flushed as her eyes widened at my confident gesture.

"Just us," I whispered.

"Okay." She replied; her hand tightened around mine before we made our way down the stairs.

EliaseAnne said she had an idea for what we could do to pass the time, leading the way. It was some time before I pondered as to where and what she was planning.

"Where are we going?" I wondered, the sun beginning to fall in the sky as the stars began to make their appearance – the transitioning shades of the rainbow across the sky made me smile in happiness.

Mother Starlight never ceased to amaze me – her constant, mesmerizing self, showing me different aspects of life. I knew to some people the sunset was a normal thing to witness every day, but to someone like myself; I cherished every aspect of nature.

"We might as well have a little fun while we wait, right?" Eli replied, looking over her shoulder to stare at me. I smiled; my eyes took a moment to appreciate her appearance once more.

Her blonde hair was in its usually bountiful curls; a white, knitted headband around her head, small gold rhinestones placed randomly across the material.

She wore a matching white scarf that hung loosely around her neck, a white tank top and gold sequined skirt. Her knee high socks were white with a similar rhinestone pattern to match her headband and white Sorel boots finalize her look.

I looked the complete opposite of her. A portion of my hair was down in its usual loose, curly glory. The top half was in a crown braid; Daniel added a large snowflake clip to hold the braided tail in place; preventing it from undoing.

The snowflake matched the oversized, long-sleeved, black sweater dress that displayed a large light blue snowflake. It had silver glitter all over it; the bottom lathered in mini snowflakes in white and blue. I wore black knee-high stockings, with little pom poms dangling from the top of the material; swinging back and forth with each step I took. Topped with my black, Sorel boots and black and white knitted scarf, we were like night and day. Light fairy vs dark fairy.

I smirked at the thought as I tightened my grip and we continued to stroll into the forest located at the back of the house. I took a moment to enjoy the peacefulness of our surroundings.

The forest was in the transition where the nightly creatures were still asleep, moments away from beginning their day. The snow littered the ground, the soft fluffiness still fresh and beautiful from the snowfall that occurred while we were asleep. I enjoyed the crisp feel of the air and how my boots sunk into the snow's depth with each step.

The cold didn't bother me, especially with Lily's assistance in increasing our internal temperature when we arrived. It was the only reason why Makoto was able to wear such thin clothing and not catch a cold. I was curious how EliaseAnne wasn't cold in her outfit.

"Eli?"

"Yes, Midnight?"

"Why aren't you cold? You don't have a phoenix spirit. Shouldn't you be shivering with the lack of clothing?" I questioned.

She stopped for a moment, turning to face me with a playful smirk.

"Why? Are you worried?" I enjoyed seeing her playful side – one that came out when she tried to hide her overwhelming happiness.

"Yes. It would be a shame if you got a cold." I replied, taking a step forward. She stood her ground; her playful grin still on display.

"It would be tragic now, wouldn't it?" She pondered. I pulled her into an embrace; enjoying the moment to hold her in my arms – taking a big inhale as her fresh mint and cherry blossom scent surrounded me.

Her arms wrapped around my waist, tightening as her head rested on my shoulder.

"I would nurse you back to health," I whispered.

"I know, but I don't need to worry about that since you’re keeping me nice and warm." She pointed out.

We stood there for a moment before she pulled back, looking into my eyes. I bit my lip; my eyes landed on her moist pink ones – the pink gloss made her lips look inviting under the moonlight.

Eli's grin widened, her head lowered; those luscious lips inches away from mine before she stopped.

"If we do anything now I won't be able to show you my surprise." She pointed out.

I frowned, giving her a look. She broke out into laughter, enjoying the disappointment on my face.

"We have plenty of time for us, Midnight. Don't worry, I'll keep Elias asleep for as long as I can. He can't ambush our date if he's asleep." She winked; her hand returned to mine. I sighed but nodded; my body felt weird as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

We hadn't had much time to establish what our relationship was. I didn't know if it was due to Eli's shyness on the matter or her desire to take things slow.

I personally believed she was just overwhelmed by the reality that someone actually accepted her – to be fine with dating someone who originally was male but now a female.

I still didn't care about such things; Mako felt the same. But it would take some time for Eli to be willing to let go and enjoy our relationship. I wasn't in any rush myself. We had all the time the Starlight gods would bless us with. We'd just have to make it count.

We continued to walk for another five minutes; my legs grew tired from all the walking. I still wasn't used to being in control for such long periods of time; the end results left me exhausted. I didn't feel sleepy, which was a good thing, but I wanted a moment to rest or do some other activity than walking. I fought and did activities that made my heart race. Not quiet walks. That was Elias’ and Mako's thing.

"Eli? How much longer? And you still didn't answer my previous question."

I'd gotten distracted by Eli's attractiveness that my question was never answered.

"Kai placed an enchantment on me so I wouldn't get cold. You know I don't like wearing a ton of clothing. If a situation arose where I have to switch to Elias, the less complicated the clothes the better. Pants are complicated, wool leggings are complicated, and don't get me started on those oversized coats. I don't like having to wear multiple layers just to stay warm, so Kai helps me out." She explained, taking another glance at me. I nodded in understanding.

"Makes sense. Leggings are a pain. I noticed that with Marcus and Mako."

"Marcus and Mako...oh...Oh. I guess...yeah, that can be a pain." Eli blushed; her gaze returned forward. I tilted my head, curious at Eli's sudden embarrassment.

"Are you embarrassed?" I questioned.

"No."

"You know I don't need to use Hope's powers to know you’re lying." I reminded her.

"...."

"Eli?"

"I'm not used to talking about such topics to another female. It's fine when I talk about it with the guys. It just feels different with you." She admitted.

"Why?" I questioned, confused. Sex was sex. What difference did it make talking to a male versus a female?

"Because you’re not just a female...you’re someone...I like a lot...and, um. We'd eventually do such activities which makes me embarrassed."

I stopped in my tracks, tugging at her hand for her to stop. She turned to face me once more; her eyes gazed everywhere but mine.

"EliaseAnne," I said in a stern voice. She flinched; her eyes locked onto mine.

"Just because we're a thing, shouldn't make any difference of how we discuss such topics. We talk about Merry-Go-Lucy with no issue. Why is sex any different? I know this is still new...but, I'm not afraid of talking about it or embarrassed. It is what it is and nothing to be ashamed about. Lucy wasn't embarrassed about confessing her love and showing Lindsay her affection. You shouldn't be either."

We stood there in silence – the small specks of snow raining around us; our hands still interlocked. Eli sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. I bit my lip in anticipation, wondering if I had said too much. She tugged at my arm, walking to a large oak tree.

"Eli?" I whispered; my nerves began to creep into me as the silence continued. We reached the oak tree before Eli positioned me against the bark; my back pressed on the cool roughness as I stared up at her, wide-eyed.

Her hands landed against the brown bark behind me, pinning me in place. I gulped; my stomach flipped in anticipation at her intense gaze, something I hadn't seen in Eli's eyes before.

She leaned forward – her lips only inches away from mine. I stayed absolutely still; our puffs of breath dissolved with each exhale. My body wanted her lips; wanted to lavish in her taste and enjoy her intoxicating scent but I needed her to make the first move – needed the reassurance that she wanted "us" to happen.

She closed her eyes for a moment – the action made it difficult for me to stay composed; the feeling of rejection tried to dampen my mood. I opened my mouth to speak – to tell her to not bother when her lips finally claimed mine.

I hesitated; unsure of how to proceed. I'd witnessed Mako kiss the boys many times; yet, now in the moment of being in full control, I felt lost as to what to do.

Eli pulled back just an inch; her hands left the bark to press against my hips.

"Relax Midnight." She whispered.

"I...don’t. I never kissed..." I tried to think of an explanation; the fact I hadn't gone past a simple kiss. Elias was the first kiss, I considered as real; my past with Samuel irrelevant in my mind. He kissed me not from his heart, but with deceit and ill intentions. Regardless, I’d never initiated the kiss before.

Eli pressed her forehead against mine as she pressed against me. I shivered at our closeness; my body roared to life with a sensation that was foreign to me – my growing need to be closer. I had asked for this. I just had to give it my all or nothing.

"Midnight. I don’t want to be hesitant anymore. It’s difficult for me…after rotations of locking these feelings away. But, I don’t want to be embarrassed. I don’t want you being nervous either. Just let your body guide you to what you want." She whispered, biting gently on my lower lip; her eyes stayed on mine. Her heated gaze made me blush before my eyes returned to her lips. I already knew what I wanted, with no doubt in my mind. I wanted EliaseAnne.

I leaned forward; my lips gently pressed against hers. I allowed my body to guide me as we continued to kiss – starting off with simple kisses before my hands wrapped around hers, wanting to feel her warmth as I deepened the kiss. She moaned; the sound gave me the confidence to continue – to allow my tongue to slip into her mouth. The hot feeling of our tongues intertwined left me wanting. She broke the kiss, both of us panting due to the lack of air.

"Midnight. As much as I'd love for us to continue, I don't think you'd like to have sex up against a tree." She mumbled; her displeased face at the image of skin versus bark prompted me to laugh.

"That doesn't sound very appealing," I replied, giggling. She smiled before giving me one last kiss. I continued.

"You know what sounds more appealing?

“What?" She questioned.

"A double-ended dildo." I laughed.

"Where you gonna find a double-sided dildo hahaha?" Eli sighed.

"I don't know. But if I did have one we'd be doing a lot less talking." I smiled. I slipped my hand in hers. "Do you feel more confident now?" I asked.

"It wasn't that I wasn't confident in my love for you Midnight. I know I love you. I think it’s just hard for me to believe it. For all these cycles, I envisioned myself being alone. Sure, Elias would find someone eventually, but I'd never get to enjoy such love or activities. Even though us spirits have no boundaries, if the host isn't fine with the connection it just causes problems." She revealed, lowering her eyes.

"You mean problems as in if one of you loses control and takes over the other?" I questioned. I didn't think of such situations as a problem. I knew the others struggled with ignoring their attraction to their corresponding spirit. It was just how it was. But I could imagine, not everyone having the same viewpoints as myself or Makoto.

"Yes. Your...you and Makoto view life a lot different than other shifters. To be honest, if it wasn't for the guys, I doubt myself or Elias would have friends. Shifters aren't like their spirit counterparts. Many of us are stubborn and stuck in our little bubble mindset. We don't want to venture out and break common tradition or law. I've been raised in such an environment...therefore, I assumed I'd never find love. Who would love a spirit who is opposite in gender?" She explained; her voice cracked at the last statement.

I pulled her into an embrace, hating the pain that vibrated through her voice. It made my heart clench with both sadness and anger.

"Anyone who'd dare say such things are fools. They don't know how amazing you are, Elyion." I whispered, using her given name. She leaned back to stare at me, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I'm thankful to the Starlight gods for you, Midnight." She whispered.

"And I'm thankful for being blessed with the chance to be with you. Don't let your past hinder you from enjoying what's in front of you, my EliBear." I didn't hesitate to let my hands caress her cheeks, tilting her face as I went on my tiptoes, planting a firm kiss on her plump lips. She relaxed; her hands returned to my waist as we enjoyed the blissful moment; hoping my affection and words could help mend her heart.

I knew this relationship would be a tricky one; both of us struggled with our own insecurities and personal issues but I knew we'd work it out somehow – one step at a time.

We finally pulled away; Eli gave me a reassuring smile before outstretching her hand. I returned her smile with my own as my hand landed in hers.

It amazed me that it was only a few rotations ago that I'd locked such emotions away; vowing never to unlock them again. Now, I enjoyed every feeling – whether it was good or bad. I guess such experiences made me value my feelings even more; especially with EliaseAnne in my life.

"C'mon, let me reveal your surprise." She urged walking forward.

It didn't take us long to leave the forest, entering a clearing. My eyes widened at the scene before me – my jaw went slack as my widened eyes took a moment to analyze the wondrous scenery before me.

The clearing was decorated with multiple vines – the intricate plants wrapped around the fencing of the area Marcus had explained was a rink. The vines were covered in gold and purple flowers that swayed side to side.

Even though the snow continued to fall around us; it didn't lay a finger on the secluded area; as if the rink was off limits to even the snow. Large bright lights lined the top of the fencing, illuminating the rink to be bright and visible.

I took a step forward, followed by another as I approached the sacred scenery. As I reached the fence, I took a moment to analyze the solid ice; not even one scratch on the surface, giving me the impression that not one person had skated on it.

I reached out to touch the flora; smiling softly as I sighed at the smooth surface of one of the flowers. I bit my lip, trying to keep my composure as I turned to face Eli. She stood confidently behind me, lifting her hands to reveal a pair of skates – the color as blue as my eyes.

Marcus had explained the Earthala sport; stating that people even competed in games like hockey and figure skating. Mako and I had read about such activities in Christmas stories but had never dreamed of trying it out ourselves.

"I didn't know if we'd get a chance alone, but I really wanted to treat you to something that was meaningful. Humans usually come down and skate during Christmas for fun and to bond with loved ones. So, I thought we could have some fun bonding." Eli explained, lowering her hands.

I was speechless, unable to describe the multiple feelings crashing through me. Happiness, admiration, love and even a hint of sadness.

I couldn't understand why I felt sad. Maybe the simple reminder of all that Mako and I had missed during the many cycles trapped at the facility was the culprit of such depression. Eli must have noticed my dilemma – walking towards me. She dropped the pair of skates before pulling me into her.

She didn't ask questions, just held me in her arms as I took a moment to enjoy her warmth. I never expected to find someone who truly understood me. Makoto was one of the first, trying everything to get to know me more, even if we had many barriers to surpass. I had always assumed no one would ever be able to understand me like Makoto. Eli, Elias and even the others were proving such assumptions wrong.

It had only been a few rotations, yet Eli and the others had become such important aspects in my life. They accepted me when they thought I was simply a split personality, and their feelings for me never changed when I'd become a spirit.

I always questioned if the Starlight gods had forgiven all my wrongdoings because I was beyond blessed. I finally experienced what true love was and not needing to worry whether it was a lie, or if I was merely dreaming.

I finally composed myself, letting the last set of tears flow down my cheeks before I pulled back, looking up to see Eli's soft expression as she watched me.

"I'm fine. Sorry." I whispered. I was planning to explain, but Eli shook her head, kissing me lightly on the cheek as she squeezed my hands into hers.

"I get it, Midnight. No explanation needed. I'm glad you’re happy with me and the others." She emphasized.

I returned her smile with my own as I lifted her hands that still encased mine – pressing my lips against the back of her left hand; her mark glowed slightly at the touch.

"Thank you for wanting me to be happy. I can't express how much it means to me, how much it means to us." I acknowledged. Eli nodded, satisfied with my thanks.

"I think we've been pretty emotional on this date." She giggled; her high-pitched laughter lifted the sadness and pain in my heart. I loved her laugh as much as her singing.

“I agree. I think we should do what the humans do and have fun." I joked, giggling.

"Let's do it." Eli nodded.